can't wait for that new movie "Paul" w/these two….thanks Symp for that link! Monkette liked it too, we're both super psyched!!!

I'm reaaaaaaally sorrrry Shaun!

You've got red on you!!!

I just wonder how you can remake a classic such as True Grit. Nobody can replace John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, and IMHO Jeff Bridges just looks silly trying to. Maybe he should have stuck with TRON instead.

I guess it's a variation of arrested development…hollywood is now suffering from what I usually refer to as creative inbreeding. They've hammered the old genres so hard that there's nothing left but going back and "rebooting" the classics. Sort of like what's happening in Washington DC w/the politicians. There's really no REAL difference makers left, everyone just concerned w/maintaining the status quo or approaching issues, which on the larger "stage" really are empty gestures/issues. No real risk takers or trail blazers. Every now and then someone is passionate enough about their project that they buck all the trends and over come all the road blocks their "well meaning" colleagues place in the way to achieve significant success, then all the coat tail riders come out of the wood work. It's probably a microcosm of our society in general w/all the haters floating around both sad and grotesque really.

Is it that we have run out of new stuff or has our society bred a lack of imagination? I agree that the format usually stays the same in storytelling: beginning, middle, and end; but the getting from the beginning to the end is what makes the story interesting in the first place.

It is kind of like all of these rappers who have a "new" song, but in reality it is just old music with new lyrics. And sometimes not even that. I'm looking at you P Diddy.

Now you've done it…when I posted the last comment and was proofing it, I thought to myself, do I really wanna do the music tie in as well….I opted not to as I'm trying to keep my blood pressure down to a low simmer.

I'm not going to delve into the whole "ripping off" older music in regards to rap, but let's face it, THAT'S been going on for years, look no further then the Beach Boys ripping off Chuck Berry, Zeppelin w/Muddy Waters (and God knows who else) and on and on. At the risk of sounding like an old fart, I'm going to say that I look at the vast majority of popular music today and it's just that, pop music. it's always been around, it always will be, but the level of exposure these @$$ clowns get now is absolutely ridiculous. justin beiber…are you kidding me, britney spears? christina aguillera, the jonas brothers? To quote Dave Chappelle….wtf is this $hite ??? This kind of crap music used to be a small niche market but not anymore. With all these reality singing shows that stink on ice, foisting these crap weasels on us at every turn? give me the strength. 20 years from now, who'll be singing a Beaver tune? What life experience is he attempting to express to me?? How to deal w/wet dreams and morning wood? Lamenting his confusion as to why his khakis get tight when Justin Timberlake walks past? The best part is, most of these idiots aren't even writing their own music, it's like the 50s all over again & the brill building and image makers. In their greed to sell PRODUCT, they've vastly overlooked content and cashed in their integrity. About a week ago, Paul McCartney gave a "private" concert at the Apollo to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of Band on the Run AND the 20 millionth subscriber to SiriusXM Satellite radio. This is a man pushing 70 who's spent almost 50 years writing and performing music. I don't need to list the man's accomplishments we all know. But the point I'm trying to make is that even though he might not be in his prime, his voice not what it once was it was STILL an incredible concert and enjoyable for the flaws and all. Look at the Stones, Mick may need a group of back up singers helping him hit some of those high notes but they still sound great… There will come a musical schism when people will hopefully wake up and get tired of being spoon fed all this pablum. The record labels are falling one by one and everyone wants to blame illegal downloads etc for it…if that's the case then why is that the country artists still can sell a million albums? I'm no country music fan BELIEVE ME, but they follow a time honored musical tradition/path. They still go out on the road and EARN it the hard way. They are usually musicians and singers who play LIVE. Not lip sync or play to a track whatever, they've honed their skills by touring their butts off developing a fanbase/following while crafting new music of their OWN, working the kinks out on the road before hitting the studios. They're REGULAR people who don't put on airs and flaunt their wealth & celebrity while the vast majority of the country is struggling to keep their minimum wage jobs. There's not doubt that the internet has had an effect on the way the music is presented and that's sad…I remember listening to entire albums or cassettes and finding gems that don't always make it to the airwaves. It's seems to have reverted back to being all about the individual singles and downloads (nowadays) where the rest of the cd (if there even is one) is just chock full of filler and fluff…no real substance to sink your teeth into.

And sadly, it looks like rock music is all but dead in this country….

Perhaps Townsend had it right….

Down at the Astoria the scene was changing,

Bingo and rock were pushing out X-rating,

We were the first band to vomit in the bar,

And find the distance to the stage too far,

Meanwhile it's getting late at ten o'clock,

Rock is dead they say,

Long live rock.

Long live rock, I need it every night,

Long live rock, come on and join the line,

Long live rock, be it dead or alive.

People walk in sideways pretending that they're leaving,

We put on our makeup and work out all the lead-ins,

Jack is in the alley selling tickets made in Hong Kong,

Promoter's in the pay box wondering where the band's gone,

Back in the pub the governor stops the clock,

Rock is dead, they say,

Long live rock.

Long live rock, I need it every night,

Long live rock, come on and join the line,

Long live rock, be it dead or alive.

Landslide, rocks are falling,

Falling down 'round our very heads,

We tried but you were yawning,

Look again, rock is dead, rock is dead, rock is dead.

The place is really jumping to the Hiwatt amps,

'Til a 20-inch cymbal fell and cut the lamps,

In the blackout they dance right into the aisle,

And as the doors fly open even the promoter smiles,

Someone takes his pants off and the rafters knock,

Rock is dead, they say,

Long live rock, long live rock, long live rock.

Long live rock, long live rock, long live rock,

Long live rock, long live rock, long live rock.

Long live rock, I need it every night,

Long live rock, come on and join the line,

Long live rock, be it dead or alive.

-The Who – Long Live Rock (1972)

Music & Lyrics Pete Townsend

I know I've mentioned this here before, but I used to go to a movie theater that specialized in foreign and independent films and it was really incredible…miss that place!