Dolemite ost

Recently acquired the cult classic:
Dolemite,
to my surprise it also came with the soundtrack.
Now obviously the movie is stupendous as far as blaxploitation films are concerned,
but I was definitely expecting the music to be the typical Casio infused garbage.
How wrong I was!
The entire script of the movie could be written around the music.
The funk heralded long foot chases thru the ghettos of Harlem,
& Afro clad assassins being kicked thru window panes.
A hint of soul delivered cocoa butter soaked beds vibrating under a summers moon.
The soundtrack was awesome!
Exceptional were the songs credited to Rudy Ray,
(didn't know he was much of a musician)
& Ben Taylor.
Surprisingly the low points on the album were the songs from actual musicians.
3.5/5
Dolemite proclaims:
"I'm the one that killed Monday, whooped Tuesday, & put Wednesday in the hospital.
Called up Thursday to tell Friday not to bury Saturday on Sunday"

the Howard Stern Show

For starters I've always loved Howard,
though due to budget & whatnot I haven't kept in touch since his E! & WBCN days.
I occasionally heard glimpses of his Sirius show but never got a proper fix.
Recently I've intercepted transmission & have been tuning in daily.

Certainly this isn't the Stern I remember,
the Jew-nosed long limb shock jock I recall was a no holds barred deviant
who disrupted the system feeding off pop cultures debauchery.
Nowadays he seems to be a part of the crowd he despised,
rubbing elbows with Rosie O'Donnell fueled by an addiction to American Idol.

Not to mention:
Artie Lange has departed
I hear he attempted suicide by stabbing himself in the chest,
something I've recently been enticed by after realizing singer Elliott Smith died in this manner.
So needless to say, it's just Howard & Robin...
I've always despised Robin, she's bland, she's Whoopi, she's Oprah!
I hear Howie recently was gonna ask Jackie Martling back,
he had no idea & after being invited to dinner
"the Jokeman" insinuated Howard was a "cheap jew" & basically ruined his chances.

The highlights of the show are now the clips in between commercials
of memories past.
They're so low on talent that they're having a contest seeking new "Wack Pack" members,
to which they said the applicants are low.
Howie even said he had a dream that 8 months from now he wouldn't be on Sirius.
Seeing that his contract is up soon this may be but a glimpse unto the crystal ball.
Long story short:
I love Stern, I'm thrilled to be back on board,
but hope he "operation: clean sweeps" the show
returning it back to its roots.
I believe in terms of cast its just had some bad luck,
here's hoping the future will put the kibosh on such misfortune.

Batman: Gotham Knight

Just before the arrival of Dark Knight on the big screen

Batman fever was sweeping the nation.
To tide over the masses
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
was released.

The anticipation was killing me!
Having been a fan of the Animatrix
I rejoiced at the fact that a similar idea was composed.
A variety of artistic talents crafting their own interpretations,
this time of the DC bat.
Unfortunately, not so much...
It seems the usual formula was followed:
Villain strikes, Hero saves... FIN!
Not too sure what I was expecting?
Where as the Animatrix had one theme but various obscure stories,
Gotham Knight didn't seem to stray from the typical Superhero baseline.

The 1st and by far greatest sketch:
"Have I Got a Story For You"
was excellently done,
the most creative of the bunch, it was similar to a fairytale.
Believe it was the work of the same people behind Tekkonkinkreet.
In "Crossfire"
Arkham Asylum is visited,
having been a fan of the video game, I was hoping there was a connection
but was stood up by a Joker who never showed.
Praise to "In Darkness Dwells"
for the Killer Croc, but sadly not much else.
"Working Thru Pain" was fairly original,
Batman is injured and experiences flashbacks of his introduction to crime fighting.
Featuring some martial arts and Buddhism.
"Deadshot" features the villain of the same name.
Loved this arch-enemy and hope to see more of him in the future.
The animation reminded me of Aeon Flux.

Aside from being a bit bland, Gotham Knight is none the less entertaining
& at just a little over an hour viewing time,
you aren't robbed of your time.
I recommend it to all fans of comics and anime.
6.5/10
Halo Legends seems to be on the same page as Knight & Animatrix,
review coming soon.

Sage Francis - LI(F)E

On the bearded "back-packers" newest album
Sage collaborates with indie rockers to deliver his coffee shop memoirs.
In flow we trust as there's no second guessing his lyrics.
Heartfelt, Rebellious, & Relatable.
His sincere word hits hard once the beat knocks.
Settle down for "The Best of Times" & ride out the gospel.
Love the route the indie hip hop scene has gone,
reminded me alot of:
Cage's - Depart From Me
&
Eyedea & Abilities - By The Throat
4/5

Big River Man

Having conquered the Yangtze and Mississippi Rivers,
Super Swimmer Martin Strel sets his sights on the mighty Amazon.

Not your average Lance Armstrong,
Strel is grossly overweight, drinks 2 bottles of wine a day,
& resembles someones drunken uncle.
His heart & perseverance are the showstopper here.
Nearly knocking at deaths door 3/4 thru,
mid-swim Martin requests whiskey.
A man of lil' words he rarely speaks, but when he does he barks thunder.

A beaten child with an iron gut
Martin recalls his first long distance swim in which he outran his fathers abuse.
(& possibly continues this notion with every swim)
His purpose:
to open the worlds eyes to the fact that we are destroying the earth with our pollution and destruction.
Battling trenchfoot, & a sunburn so bad tribes mistake him for a demon,
he pushes on, never backing down.
Essentially he loses his mind half way thru the journey ditching his team several times
& appearing quite creepy in a mask to protect his burns.
This is where the story reached its pinnacle for me,
as the mental illness aspect collided with the task at hand.

Above all else, the film touched my heart,
one of those films which shows anything is possible.
Reminding us of our bond with nature.
This heroic accomplishment gave hope to the nations which border this massive river.
How one can rise like a phoenix and shatter limitations.
A great score, great message, lotsa laughs and an in-depth look into an enigmatic soul.
Truly one of the greatest documentaries, a tribute to the human spirit.
8.5/10
I was under the impression this was Werner Herzogs work, that good!

Happy Mothers Day

I'd like to meet the jerk who put Mothers Day before Fathers Day.
Ask me no more questions, and I'll tell you no more lies

Daybreakers

With the recent addiction to Vamp flix nearly sucking the blood out of the populous
I was reluctant to watch these creatures of the night on the big screen again.
Every pasty clone possible has come forth and stuck a stake in the heart of the collective.
Until now!:

Daybreakers (2009)
returns the soul back to the vampire, taking it back to its essence.
This flick says screw the soap opera antics of the usual romantic immortals and bastes the tail in a fine sorbet of the creatures favorite delight: Blood, buckets of it
matter of fact, this movie holds one of the bloodiest scenes I've ever witnessed in a movie.
I figured it was gonna be another rip-off of Blade, but much to my surprise it dropped the action and wove a great tale of a dystopian empire ruled by vamps in a draconian future.

The year is 2019 and a plague has swept over the nation causing humans to turn into vamps.
People are being harvested for the sole intention of feeding the infected as they are a rare find.
The blood count is dwindling and these creatures are transforming into vile beasts.
Enter Ethan Hawke, who's a hematologist searching for a new supplement to tide the undead over and carry them into the future.
He ends up working with some humans who've found a cure and must survive to get the message out.

Its a great tale, though its not scary in the least,
there's enough action and gunplay to satisfy.
Throw in some sharp wit from a re-formed vampire named Elvis,
and some light gore
and what you have's a solid horror/action flick mixed with a bit of sci-fi ideology.
71/2/10

memorable line:
"Living in a world where vampires are the dominant species is about as safe as bare backing a $5 whore"

The Flaming Lips - The Dark Side of the Moon

I'm a fan of covers (when done correctly)
so when I came across this release I had to keep my mind open & give it a listen.
It holds one of the longest artist names I've ever encountered:
The Flaming Lips, Stardeath & White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins & Peaches
I never got too intimate with the Flaming Lips but respect their music, "Turn it On" rings in my head at the moment....
Henry Rollins (& his iconic status) I've always admired,
having been a fan of the song "Liar" I've always appreciated his persona but struggled to find much more from him I've liked.
Pink Floyd has always been tops for me in terms of classic rock,
I believe they paved the way for other bands in terms of experimentation with sound,
at times too experimental in my opinion,
mostly in their earlier years leading up to Obscured by Clouds
but you have to scold your hands in the fire a couple times before you realize that the shit burns, and they obviously figured out what works early in the game.
It goes without saying that The Dark Side of the Moon is not only one of the greatest Classic Rock albums of all time, but possibly one of thee greatest albums of all time.
So these indie rock bands whom have had a considerable amount of popularity in the 80's & 90's
must have had a great deal of pressure on their backs when covering the album.
Or alot of fun considering they have done the whole album in its entirety live at many performances including in the future for 2010's Bonnaroo festival.
So I say that to say this:

I loved this cover, it's a heavy riffed modern take on a classic masterpiece.
The instrumentals were melodic enough to close your eyes and fall into
and each song was done precisely as it were,
nothing was mutated.
The only downfalls I experienced on the album were the intro's to Breathe & its reprisal ("Time", & "Speak to Me")
they sounded like random clutters of mismatched sound & were somewhat unpleasant to follow.
I believe a younger Floyd may have respected such clashes of instruments but todays crowd (such as myself) may not.
Aside from these short intro's the album is a great homage to the pioneers
and can be appreciated front to back.
It'll receive many plays in my personal jukebox.
3.5/5

Little Caesars: The Next Generation

Once I heard word of Little Caesar franchises popping up around the nation I became ecstatic
I had long considered the Little Caesars brand deceased,
a faded memory of a childhood past.
I can distinctly remember wolfing down slices while watching the Ultimate Warrior in all his retardation beating the piss out of jobbers.
Little Caesars returning was up there with the return of Frankenberry, Boo Berry, & Count Chocula (all 80's staples)
So at the mere mention of some of these chains being close by I began to track the elusive beast.
Unfortunately none were close enough.... Until Now!

A new strip of vacant stores was added to the neighborhood, soon enough a coming soon sign appeared, I could not wait.
Day in day out we would drive by and I would notice a new item in the shop.
Finally today the benevolent return of the pizza giant has arrived,
gracing the front of the building was none other than the Little Caesar mascot himself.
Dominoes may have avoided the Noyd, but Caesars would never give up on their flat footed friend.

The deal was sealed!
I marched on down and noticed once I got there a large was only $5
unheard of nowadays.
A corporate megalodon hashing roman pies for less than a pack of cowboy killers.
A customer began to rejoice of his experience as a child speaking of the famed "Pizza Pizza" slogan.
As I walked home with the box I began to read the different stuff it had written on it.
"Hot & Ready" rings a bell, & ready it was... the cashier had practically known I was coming & put one pie aside for me.
As soon as I walked in the door I opened up the box thinking:
"hmmm... doesn't look very special"
I had remembered a pie similar to the likes of Chuck E Cheese's pizza...
which I now believe was only good cause you had worked up quite an appetite running the gauntlet of mouse mazes.
Giving it a chance I gave my 1st slice to my son, also a pizza afficionado he did his usual routine which consists of him peeling the top layer of cheese off and eating nothing else.
As I grabbed my slice and chewed into it I had an epiphany:
some memories should be left as just that, memories!
The pizza crust: chewy
the sauce: possibly Ragu
it reminded me of another nostalgic pie...
the Mystic Pizza,
which can be found in your local supermarket.
I learned that kids remembered Little Caesars for a reason, it was all theirs.
As adults would eat Papa Ginos & such, the cherubs would be graced with the latter.
I should have noticed the warning signs, 16 year olds at the counter & Caesars only being found in low income neighborhoods.
Recession Era Pizza...
I will return though, fear not...
for its $5,
for christ sakes,
I had a meal for the family in 2 minutes for 5 fucking dollars.

A Boy & His Dog

The title of this flick sounds rather fitting in lieu of the newest addition to our family

a Blue Nose/American Pitbull mix....

It's been some time since I watched it but it resonates pretty stiff in my psyche.
(drumroll please):

A Boy and His Dog (1975)

I've always been a fan of post-apocalyptic movies, specifically road warrior flicks such as the Mad Max series and recently The Road, so after becoming amped for the arrival of Book of Eli (which I've still yet to view)
I became hungry for more.
Researching thru multiple forums on counter-culture exploitation flicks one movie kept coming up above all.
So this became a must view.

When I found out it starred a young Don Johnson (pre Miami Vice) I got the ball rolling.

Based on a short novel by Harlan Ellison the concept is very original, scratch that: mind blowing!
A young Don Johnson travels a post apocalyptic wasteland with his only companion being a dog which speaks to him telepathically.


The dog (dubbed: Blood in the movie) was the true life Brady Bunch dog Tiger
the dog was originally supposed to be voiced by James Cagney but they figured it'd be a distraction.

Blood helps a nomadic Johnson sniff out women to rape (say what?)
a rare find as every other dude in the movie is forcefully raping & savagely beating them to death afterwards so they won't be touched by other guys.
(luckily for you ladies out there, the rape scenes are short lived & shot from a distance)
The Dog gives Johnson the advantage and also serves as a guardian angel of sorts narrating much of the film.
I spent alot of time hoping our star wouldn't actually do the heinous deed, but you will have to find out for yourself as I dont want to spoil anything.
Donny-boy is far from innocent in this flick (much to my surprise upon viewing)
and somewhat reminded me of a Luke Skywalker type.
It seems he tried to be a brute of sorts but still had a bit of heart left in em'
which leads him to a woman who tries to lure him into an underground portal in which all the men have become sterile so he is needed to impregnate their women to extend the future of their colony....
the movie seemed to take a bit of a nose dive for me at this point.
But dont let that stop you as this movie has a ton to offer.
The sharp wit from the dog alone is worth the price of admission.
I spent alot of time after this flick ended thinking to myself what would become of our society after the push of the big red button,
wondering: would women be safe & would men have to protect them at all costs on a constant basis?
So if you are interested in anything after the bomb, anything with a lil thought
(or in this case alot)
find it & cherish it....
4/5

and to add:
an animated feature is set to become of this flick in the near future
(which I'm psyched about)

Greetings & Salutations

Mini-blogging got you down? 140 characters just not cutting it?

Welcome to my world, a barrage of random thoughts and insights.
Currently my mind has been a lightning rod to various forms of media,
I've yet to find the proper arena to convey my reviews & opinions...
This should help fill that void a bit.
So prepare for utter chaos of the mind,
spiced with a despicable purée of film, music, & other fine goods.
Step into a world.