One Time When My Dad Was Really Wrong
Many years ago, when I was small and my siblings were smaller, my father took us to a movie. Movies were a big treat in my family and so we were all on our best behaviour as we sat quietly in our seats at the Southtown Mall theatre, waiting for Benji to come on the screen. Before the movie started, they showed a trailer. It began with a dark screen and a creepy voice-over. There were giant monsters, sharp needles and loud explosions. I hid my eyes and my five-year-old brother started to cry. My dad then sat, seething, through the entire movie. As soon as Benji’s story ended happily, we left the theatre with my angry, fuming father shepherding his two cowering kids. We stopped at the concession stand where he demanded to see the manager. I can’t remember the speech he gave the guy, but it involved his being extremely angry that the theatre ran that trailer in front of a kids’ movie, and that his kids were scared out of their minds and couldn’t enjoy the movie they came to see. I remember the manager saying that the movie advertised in the trailer was for kids, too, and that he had seen several parents taking their children with them to the movie. I think he even offered tickets to my dad. At which point my father said
My Children Will NEVER BE ALLOWED TO SEE THAT MOVIE.
and we left the theatre.
We weren’t allowed to see it,and I felt like an idiot. All the other kids in the neighbourhood acted out scenes and went as characters for Halloween. Three years later my dad relented and took us to the sequel. And I was hooked. Since that day in 1977 I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen the original Star Wars movie–I passed “100″ more than 15 years ago. I’ve laughed a lot at how wrong my dad was, but then as I was writing this entry I watched the trailer at YouTube. I have to say that I think my dad had a point. That was pretty scary stuff. (In a further irony, I’m now more scared of animal movies than I am of Science Fiction. If a slimy green alien dies, I can deal. Put a cat or dog in jeopardy and I’m a blithering mess.)
Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Other local bloggers have a lot to say on the topic.
I know there are some hoity-toity critics out there who say Star Wars ruined the movies, but honestly they need to get over it. Just becuase a film is commercially successful doesn’t necessarily means it’s a bad thing (Adam Sandler movies are excluded from this). Personally, I think Star Wars is one of those rare films that holds up to critical scrutiny and also happens to have been wildly successful at the box-office. They can’t all be Wild Strawberries or Citizen Kane.
The Glass-blower’s Cat Is Bompstable
We begin our journey with the Star Wars franchise. Several of you correctly guessed that today is significant because thirty years ago today the world was first introduced to a galaxy far, far away. We met Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi Wan Kenobi. We saw Han shoot first, cheered at the magnificent destruction of the Death Star, practiced breathing like Darth Vader, and tried to do Jedi mind tricks on our friends.
Les Jones (You have to go there to see the way-cool picture)
Today is a bit like a holiday for all of us Star Wars fans. We are all celebrating in our own ways. There is also a HUGE Star Wars convention going on in Los Angeles to celebrate called Celebration IV. I wasn’t able to go, but several of my good friends are there.
Did I miss you? Drop me a comment and I’ll add you to this trip down memory lane.
Joe Powell had a completely different reaction to the trailer
Anyway, on that night, my friends and I were scooting across the fence between the Woodzo and the Scenic to watch some movie with naked girls. However, just before I scooted across, I happened to hear and see the first images of “Star Wars.” The announcer was talking about aliens from 1,000 worlds and spaceships firing off lasers and robots talking and walking around and that preview just froze me to the spot. For the first time in my young life, thoughts of naked women became a secondary issue.
Anyway, on that night, my friends and I were scooting across the fence between the Woodzo and the Scenic to watch some movie with naked girls. However, just before I scooted across, I happened to hear and see the first images of “Star Wars.” The announcer was talking about aliens from 1,000 worlds and spaceships firing off lasers and robots talking and walking around and that preview just froze me to the spot. For the first time in my young life, thoughts of naked women became a secondary issue.
Give me Populist! English Would Be Even Better.
New York Times critic Tony Tommasini got a sneak peek at scenes from Elmer Gantry, the Robert Aldridge-Herschel Garfein opera that receives its world premiere performance in Nashville next November. Tommasini calls the opera an “unabashedly populist piece” that’s “a little too eager to please.”
Pitcher says this sounds like the perfect piece for the Nashville Opera, and this novice agrees. I know virtually nothing about opera. The populist piece sounds like a fantastic start.
Question of the Day
“What sources do y’all turn to for ideas of fun things to do? What sources are out there other than the Nashville Scene and All the Rage? Where’s the best online calendar for live music events? Any other good ideas?” -Andrew, Metroblogging Nashville
Early Opera Reminder
Since I won’t actually be on this site for more than another 90 minutes or so, I wanted to give a plug out for the Nashville Opera. They are performing Madame Butterfly on April 12 and April 14 for their final shows of the season. We are so very fortunate to have such quality performances for an Opera that is so publicly affordable. I’ll never forget sitting in front of a bunch of high schoolers for last year’s Turandot, and hearing the girls start sobbing when Liu sacrifices herself out of love for her master. I was impressed by the Opera’s power to move young audiences even in this age of a million forms of entertainment.
The music is wonderful, the opera is written by a genius, and TPAC’s set decoration is always an utter delight, which must be true because TPAC is the only place I even notice the set decoration.
more below
Look Out, Boston
Big, huge, giant congratulations to my Aunt B on this Very Big News:
Y’all. I am dying of delight. I’m eating my Frosty Fix & Mix with M&Ms. I’m wondering if I’ve ever used that many ampersands in a sentence in my life and I am about falling out of my chair.
As you may recall, Plimco made me enter a contest and so I whooped up a little play and that part was easy. The tough part, which required a lot of whining and flouncing about and Sarcastro telling me to grow the fuck up, was revising it. But I did. And I submitted the revised version and I waited and waited and waited.
Today I learned that they’re going to perform my play as part of their summer festival of yumminess.
My play.
With real actors who will really act!
And our very own Mack is helping our Aunt B make it to her own show:
The Powers That Be at said “Institution of Higher Learning” are attempting to keep our good friend down by the use of economic coercion. They have nearly choked off the flow of funds, allowing her only enough to keep a roof over her family’s heads, meager amounts of food on the table, a dial up internet connection, and some cable porn. They know that if the rest of the nation is exposed to this talent, they will have to find another horribly over-qualified Midwesterner to exploit. We can and must help. From now until June, please set aside a few bucks each week, so that we might send our beloved Aunt to Boston for Opening Night.
Ok, so I wrote that to embarass Aunt B. But how much fun would it be if we all played a small part in her success? I say we throw our own Opening Night Party, say, around mid-June, charge 10 bucks a head, and use the dough to help B offset her expenses. I’m thinking we could all throw down at the Lipstick Lounge! Drinking! Dancing! Pin the tail on the boob freckle! Then one of the sober among us could even take Aunt B directly to the airport from the Party! (smart money is on Slarti)
Whaddya say?
I say sign me up. What do you say?
Hanging Mary Results in Hung Jury
Jon went out to see the play “Hanging Mary” this weekend, and he has this to say about the performance:
Hanging Mary was fantastic. Bold choice I thought, the way they made the two way connection between the way we treat animals and the way we used to treat slaves, by having African-American women portraying the elephants — I thought it was well done, but it could have *easily* been interpreted offensively I think.
Martin Brady, reviewer for the Scene, thought otherwise:
Like the circus that promises a thrill a minute but can’t quite deliver, People’s Branch Theatre’s new production of Hanging Mary is ultimately a disappointment. Matthew Carlton’s first full-length play, based on the factual 1916 execution of a Tennessee circus elephant, gets rolling in fine style, with an economically written Act 1 that genuinely blends vivid characterization with engaging exposition and action. But like many critically flawed works, Hanging Mary just, well, hangs there, and Act 2 is marred by a talkiness that in the end drowns out the colorful acting. Air is filled by speeches that tell us about elephants and the early history of Thomas Edison’s experiments with the electric chair—all very interesting to a point but mostly used to mark time until the play’s big climactic scene, in which a five-ton pachyderm is hanged by a railyard crane.
Newsflash!
Ordinary Heroes
Salem’s Lots alerts us to an upcoming Actor’s Bridge production, Ordinary Heroes. From the Actor’s Bridge site:
This world-premiere theatrical work is based on Nashville’s pivotal role in our nation’s fight for civil rights in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Through drama, music, spoken word and multi-media, the play explores the stories of the lesser known contributors in the struggle that was born in Nashville – the individual foot soldiers who made up the masses that followed storied leaders, Martin Luther King, Jr., Kelly Miller Smith, C.T. Vivian, Diane Nash, James Lawson, Bernard Lafayette and others. Based on interviews with living people who participated in the movement, this production will run during February 2007 at the Fisk Memorial Chapel. A week of school performances is scheduled for Feb 5-9 at 10:00 a.m. This educational event is an ideal field trip for grades 5-12.
2NITE
Uhhhhh. No.
How many ways can you say “so wrong”?
Not Good Luck, Though
Borat
From Thunder Jones: “I went and saw Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan last night and it was completely out of control. I’ve never seem anything more hilarious/repulsive/shocking/hilarious in my life.”
The trailer looks pretty outrageous… hopefully, all of the funny moments weren’t extracted for the promo…I really hate that. If they promise not to have any political ads in the previews, I might risk the bucks on a matinee.
They Made You
Mel is calling out Angelina Jolie, World Savior for somewhat hypocritical behavior. Thing is, it’s not even her behavior, but behavior she has contracted out to someone more statuesque:
Angelina Jolie’s bodyguard is at it again. Apparently, photographers trying to take pictures of Jolie and boytoy Brad Pitt in India are getting strongarmed by the humanitarian’s bodyguard. British photographer Sam Relph was nearly strangled by Ms. Jolie’s bodyguard after trying to take a picture of the worldly couple.
I do have some sympathy for celebrities who are blitzed by paparazzi 24/7, but at the same time, isn’t that the cross you bear for fame? Honestly, I think stars who aren’t stalked by paparazzi should be a bit worried, because that means no one gives a damn. This isn’t the first incident of a Jolie bodyguard roughing someone up either, which makes me wonder how deep her humanitarian roots go. It is one thing to go about the world trying to make a difference, and another thing entirely if you order your bodyguard to kill someone if they try to take your picture. It is kind of like getting a Nobel Peace Prize and ordering hits on people that look at you funny.
If you want to act and not be hounded by paparazzi, aim for Broadway. There are plenty of opportunities for actors who do not want the spotlight. They are called stage actors.
To Invent, Compose, Or Perform With Little Or No Preparation
Muse: Nashville has a head’s up for improv fans who might not know such a thing exists in our town:
I also wanted to post a reminder about a couple of upcoming Improv Nashville shows. Saturday night’s show will be at Bongo’s After Hours Theatre, a venue that I’d imagine is becoming increasingly more crowded as Improv Nashville gains popularity around town. I’m assuming Saturday night’s show (8 PM, 7 bucks! a deal) will be short form improv, where audience suggestions are taken in order to improvise short scenes and play games. Monday’s show, also at Bongo Java’s After Hours Theatre, will be long form improv. Long form improvisation (on the most basic level) develops over the span of a few scenes, with more developed characters and more complete story lines. I am thrilled to see longform improv in Nashville, so I’ll definitely be at Monday’s show. The performance starts at 7:30 PM, and admission is $5.00.
Learn more about Improv Nashville.
Bloody Sunday, Indeed.
Left Of The Dial has some intense photos of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. They are not for everyone.
It’s For A Good Cause
Who wants to go see Aunt B. in the Vagina Monologues this Saturday?
Folks Do Like It
My Aunt B. is going to be in a production of The Vagina Monologues. She called up her pastor father to deliver the good news about her casting. This was his response (in italics):
“You’re going to get on stage and talk about your vagina?”
“I already get on the internet and talk about my vagina.”“That’s pretty stupid, B.”
“Folks seem to like it.”
“Have you told your mom?”
“I left her a message.”
“Well, that’s probably her right now on the other line calling to ask me where we went wrong.”
“Probably.”
But They Can Do the Roger Rabbit
The Oscillator at Spank Material saw a musical about zombies, and believe it or not, he says it doesn’t suck:
Trust me, I’m not a big fan of musicals, but I just got back from the Belcourt Theatre, and “Zombies Can’t Climb” is hilarious.
The setting is the church rooftop, where the characters are stuck because the village below is full of flesh-eating zombies. And of course they are safe on the roof because well, zombies…can’t climb. Stick with me here, I know it sounds crazy but, this is some funny sh*t.
The whole performance was driven by basically three characters. The crazy hometown guy, the town whore, and a stranger who was lucky enough to escape the wrath of the zombies (three of which made random appearances in the front row awkwardly and unsuccessfully trying to climb up onto the stage) and get to the roof.
What made the play hilarious were the songs. It was a country/Christmas/musical and the songs were delivered on-cue at pivotal moments and the lyrics, along with the timing made me wonder who in the hell could write something so stupid. But THAT was the funny part because the characters sang lyrics like - “I’m not a whore, no more,” and “We’re safe for the moment cuz Zombies can’t climb” with absolute conviction.
I was so moved by the music that I bought the soundtrack (which I’m kind of regretting at the moment) after the performance. I was dissapointed that the songs on the CD were slicker, more produced, and not sung by the actors (which I was assured was the case before I bought it). It’s still pretty good, though. If anyone would like to hear the title track, send me an email and I will blatently send you a bootleg MP3.
I think the show runs through the 10th and I highly recommend you support it.
Five Servings a Day
Maggiebree took her son Daniel to see Veggie Tales Live! at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. She writes about the too-short show, the overpriced merchandise and the mean things Christian ladies say when they have to wait a long time for a hot dog at her blog.