Bideodromage
This film noir from John Huston features Humphrey Bogart, in a truly iconic, star-making performance, and the great Sydney Greenstreet, in his debut on the big screen. Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, and Elisha Cook, Jr. are also all brilliant, with the latter portraying the “Gunsel” (a term author Dashiell Hammett snuck by the Powers That Be).
Iconic scenes from Pusher, Elegy, and Jose Chung’s From Outer Space. Featuring Robert Wisden, Nancy Fish, and Charles Nelson Reilly.
The truly great Canadian singer/songwriter, the “Godfather of Grunge”, and master of delicate, deeply personal folk, Mr. Neil Young stands unquestionably as a titan of countless genres of music. Since his early days with Buffalo Springfield, and throughout his later peregrinations both with and without Crazy Horse, Young has embodied the restless spirit of a true creator. The above represents but a smattering of indelible performances by this singular artist.
This chilling remake of the 1971 film features Crispin Glover at the very height of his mighty powers. R. Lee Ermey also provides a top-notch performance as Willard’s less than sympathetic boss. Certain people get what’s coming to them. In the first vid, Willard (Glover), in total impotent outrage, shakes his metaphorical fist at the gods of futility and unfairness, with William S. Taylor as the messenger of said dreadful gods. A meltdown of ΓΌber proportions. The subsequent clip involves Willard informing Mr. Martin, in no uncertain terms, who is now in charge.
One of the very greatest songwriters of our era, Leonard Cohen is not only an exemplary denizen of Canada, but is clearly one of the toppest-notch humanoid bipeds of all time. And the man knew how to deliver the goods, when performing his brilliant, poetic, powerful compositions.
Lyric excerpt, from The Future:
Give me back my broken night
My mirrored room, my secret life
It’s lonely here
There’s no one left to torture
Give me absolute control
Over every living soul
And lie beside me, baby
That’s an order!
Give me crack and anal sex
Take the only tree that’s left
And stuff it up the hole
In your culture
Give me back the Berlin wall
Give me Stalin and St Paul
I’ve seen the future, brother:
It is murder
Three nonpareil artists, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, create a remarkable synergy that has yet to be equalled to this day.
Yuja Wang and Jun Asai are two surreal talents. Already phenomenally accomplished at their youthful ages, these two have the world at their feet. We have much to marvel at now, and much more to look forward to.
Marc Bolan was the founder, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, and sole constant member of the English band T. Rex, a group renowned for sensuous grooves and cryptic lyrics chock-a-block with innuendo. When Bolan appeared on Top of the Pops with glitter makeup, the glam era was officially underway. The vocalist also had a memorable way with ballads, as the above performances demonstrate. Most of all, of course, he was The Groover.
Elvis ended up mastering a great many styles and genres, including Gospel, Country/Nashville, Ballads, and…Rock & Roll. An astonishingly dramatic, riveting performer, right up to the end.
A few notes from Wikipedia: Norman Greenbaum: If you ask me what I based “Spirit In The Sky” on … what did we grow up watching? Westerns! These mean and nasty varmints get shot and they wanted to die with their boots on. So to me that was spiritual, they wanted to die with their boots on.
“I had to use Christianity because I had to use something. But more important it wasn’t the Jesus part, it was the spirit in the sky. Funny enoughΒ … I wanted to die with my boots on.”
“According toΒ The New York TimesΒ article, Greenbaum used aΒ Fender TelecasterΒ guitar with aΒ fuzz boxΒ built into the body to generate the song’s characteristic guitar sound.”
Greenbaum daringly defies any and all Anti-Hand-Clapping ordinances in the above performance, and Ms. Hagen takes a commendable swing at the immortal song, as well.
Bideodromage 