Hmmmm...   ¶ 11:20 PM 0 comments

  Bob Dylan's Chrysler Commercial I revere Bob Dylan as much as anyone, perhaps more than 75% of his fans. When I hooked myself to his star, as the expression goes, back in the early 60s I didn’t care what his background was or why he was doing what he was doing -- re-inventing himself. As the story unfolded it became clear that he was a guy who was presenting himself as an original American troubadour: sort of the spirit of the dust bowl and the conscience of America. He, along with others of the time, were the picture of authenticity on the surface. But the truth is folksingers like Ramblin’ Jack Elliott never rambled much further than the corner deli for a bagel and a shmear. If you read Dylan’s Chronicles, Vol. 1 you find that aside from admiring -- and patterning himself after -- the likes of Woody Guthrie he was also a fan of lounge type performers and teen singers. The truth of Dylan is that he was a master songwriter and also a simple guy that appreciated the show biz angle of his profession. He really doesn’t care if his commercialism (and commercials) seems to negate his authenticity. He knows the game and he plays it to his benefit. I don’t see that as a mortal sin like some.   ¶ 8:03 PM 0 comments

  Review of Lithgow's Drama: An Actor's Education Drama: An Actor's Education by John Lithgow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I suppose one might compare this memoir to a fine cigar. You fire it up and you're not sure immediately where it's going flavor-wise. Eventually it settles down and hopefully gets mellow, not bitter.

I enjoyed this (Lithgow's Drama: An Actor's Education) though I might have enjoyed it more if I were a psychiatrist and could have real insight into Lithgow's pathologies. Being of his generation (we might have even passed each other by on the Princeton campus, where I use to go to party with my betters in 1969), I've been aware of him and his work for a long time. But the thing is, I sort of avoided most of his stuff, because, in his early days (including early movies) he frankly gave me the creeps. Dressing in drag (Garp) or brutally murdering women (Blow Out) or just being stone cold brutal in a few flicks, his strangeness and coldbloodedness was just too...creepy.

So, after I see he has a sense of humor (3rd Rock) and can play something other than strange or brutal it was with renewed interest that I rechecked his work and dove into Drama. The book (I got the audio version, because with an actor or comedian it adds a lot to hear the author read their own work) goes a long way toward giving a picture of a guy from a fairly elite background, privileged by dint of his father's somewhat exalted place in the theater world as he grew up, later acting in decidedly sophisticated works (Royal Shakespeare Company, et al), who starts scraping bottom (unemployed for a good stretch -- though still living in NYC's Upper West Side; yeah -- problems of the well-off), gets a bit anti-establishment (WBAI), and finally finds his niche in Hollywood.

So good for him, and judging by his work, good for us -- Lithgow is a dependable and eminently watchable actor. Sure, he comes off a bit snobby, which he honestly admits to; he may be over-analytical here and there; and he could have easily infused his story with more humor. But he also comes off as very genuine, thoughtful and kind, though reading between the lines -- or listening between the words -- he seems to dole the kindness out rather conservatively. He is also unafraid to look back at his mistakes and face the realities of temporary failures (the draft dodging...occasionally treating others a bit shabbily...his fecklessness during his first marriage...cluelessness re finances), while also examining the nature of his relationship with his father, which for writers and actors has always been and will always be one of the great themes.

Needless to say, Olivier never did a sitcom on the order of Third Rock, nor offered a soliloquy from Harry and the Hendersons. And his Twilight Zone appearance? Pure pulp. So how did this snobby Shakespearean wind up doing such lowbrow stuff? Sure, it was a paycheck. But otherwise there's no real answer here. For this reason, Lithgow, who puts so much on the line and reveals himself unabashedly in Drama comes off as an enigma. And the thing about enigmas -- they're always interesting; at least to me. But I wonder what Lithgow's father would have thought of some of the "entertainments" his boy found himself in.



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  ¶ 12:40 AM 0 comments

  ZEEN

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  A Final Roundup of Tom Swifties!

"And actually, I’m just going to re-post this whole damn submission from J.D. Finch":

* “It’s so nice to see Minnie, Mickey and Donald here,” said Tom goofily.

* “That’s the last time I’ll listen to a damn thing that Bader Ginsburg woman says,” said Tom ruthlessly.

* “Wow, you’d think she would have accepted, seeing as how I was offering her a diamond as big as the Ritz,” said Tom cuttingly.

* “OK, so here’s the thing. It’s a great game and all, but I think that the competition really gets to people and I have seen friendships end because of it. I’m not saying it happened to me, don’t get me wrong, I just wanted to let you know where I stand so we’re on the same page about Scrabble, OK?” said Tom wordily.

* “There’s no doubt about it, the murder weapon is this pick,” said Tom icily.

* “I just took a Jack London book out of the library,” said Tom doggedly.

* “I think I’ll put some nudie pics up on this bulletin board,” said Tom tackily.

* “J.D. Salinger is dead,” said Tom wryly.

* “Yes, I use Viagra. Why do you ask?” said Tom stiffly.

From Jen Dziura at Jenisfamous.com  ¶ 1:28 PM 0 comments

  Warren Ellis Channels The Kinks
"Girls will be boys and boys will be girls
It's a mixed up muddled up shook up world."
Lola

An Observation About CASINO ROYALE And James Bond  ¶ 11:52 AM 0 comments

  "I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded
Communist, 'cause I'm left-handed
That's the hand I use, well, never mind."

From Paul Simon's "A Simple Desultory Philippic"   ¶ 9:53 AM 0 comments