Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Last night I watched a French movie called THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. I hate hyperbole, but this is a pretty amazing movie. It is a love story done as a musical, but it is unlike any musical I have ever seen. The musical score is beautiful and all the dialogue is sung by the actors and there are no dance numbers. It is somewhat surreal at first to hear these beautiful, melodic voices singing about fixing a car or having to comply with military service. I love Hollywood musicals and they often exhibit a sense of fantasy regardless of the plot or setting. This film has a sense of the fantastic as well, but there is also a veil of "reality" that hangs quite strongly over it. On the one hand the film exhibits a color scheme which will blow your mind. This color looks too good to even be able to exist in nature. On the other hand the subject matters it touches on (young love, pregnancy, maintaining relationships, marriage) are handled quite candidly and realistically, especially for a movie released in 1964. I don't know how old she was when she made this movie, but Catherine Deneuve looks quite stunning. In fact she still looks quite stunning. Needless to say, I would highly recommend a viewing.
A few weeks ago I bought a really nice DVD package about the band Galaxie 500 and it features a live show that I attended at Club Lingerie on March 30, 1990. First of all I can't believe that fourteen years have passed. To use the cliche, it seems like it only happened yesterday. In a rare exhibit of vanity I checked to see if I could be seen in the audience since I remember standing at the very front, but I don't think that I am visible. My friends Tita and Nancy were putting out a fanzine around that time called Over The Wall and my review of the concert made it into an issue. I'll include that embarrassing review by a still wide-eyed twenty-one year old boy here.
"What, when drunk, one sees in other women, one sees in Garbo sober." This statement was made by the critic Kenneth Tynan about recently deceased actress Greta Garbo (yes, this is a late review). Garbo was incredible in films and Galaxie 500 were equally incredible when they played live, hence I don't believe the comparison to Garbo too much of an exaggeration on my part. The 'Today' and 'On Fire' albums were great, but I greatly wished to see them live. It took awhile, but live appearances finally became a reality. So off I went on the night of March 30 to Club Lingerie. The evening started off on a sour note, though, as I had to stand and bear through Human Drama's set. They seem to have an audience, but they just didn't do anything for me. But then Galaxie 500 came on and all was forgiven. I really can't believe how good they sounded, you just had to be there to truly understand. If you love the albums seeing them live can only make you love them more. The guitar sound was simply great including the wah-wah pedal work. Not even Dean's troubles with his throat and voice could detract from the evening. Their producer, Kramer, joined in on guitar towards the end of the set and the sound was fleshed out even further. My only regret was that they didn't play "Oblivious" or "Tugboat," but perhaps I'm asking too much from a concert that was great as it was.
A few things about hindsight... I was obviously smitten with Greta Garbo and any signs of being jaded had not yet entered my life. Not really a good review, but I think you do get the sense that I really enjoyed seeing them. The term "quiet storm" is usually reserved for a particular brand of R&B/Soul music, but I'm going to appropriate it for Galaxie 500. It applies to them perfectly. They were pretty mellow, but those guitars could behave like lightning at the drop of a hat. I know I saw them once more at that club, probably later that year, and then they broke up the following year. With all honesty those were some good times!
A few weeks ago I bought a really nice DVD package about the band Galaxie 500 and it features a live show that I attended at Club Lingerie on March 30, 1990. First of all I can't believe that fourteen years have passed. To use the cliche, it seems like it only happened yesterday. In a rare exhibit of vanity I checked to see if I could be seen in the audience since I remember standing at the very front, but I don't think that I am visible. My friends Tita and Nancy were putting out a fanzine around that time called Over The Wall and my review of the concert made it into an issue. I'll include that embarrassing review by a still wide-eyed twenty-one year old boy here.
"What, when drunk, one sees in other women, one sees in Garbo sober." This statement was made by the critic Kenneth Tynan about recently deceased actress Greta Garbo (yes, this is a late review). Garbo was incredible in films and Galaxie 500 were equally incredible when they played live, hence I don't believe the comparison to Garbo too much of an exaggeration on my part. The 'Today' and 'On Fire' albums were great, but I greatly wished to see them live. It took awhile, but live appearances finally became a reality. So off I went on the night of March 30 to Club Lingerie. The evening started off on a sour note, though, as I had to stand and bear through Human Drama's set. They seem to have an audience, but they just didn't do anything for me. But then Galaxie 500 came on and all was forgiven. I really can't believe how good they sounded, you just had to be there to truly understand. If you love the albums seeing them live can only make you love them more. The guitar sound was simply great including the wah-wah pedal work. Not even Dean's troubles with his throat and voice could detract from the evening. Their producer, Kramer, joined in on guitar towards the end of the set and the sound was fleshed out even further. My only regret was that they didn't play "Oblivious" or "Tugboat," but perhaps I'm asking too much from a concert that was great as it was.
A few things about hindsight... I was obviously smitten with Greta Garbo and any signs of being jaded had not yet entered my life. Not really a good review, but I think you do get the sense that I really enjoyed seeing them. The term "quiet storm" is usually reserved for a particular brand of R&B/Soul music, but I'm going to appropriate it for Galaxie 500. It applies to them perfectly. They were pretty mellow, but those guitars could behave like lightning at the drop of a hat. I know I saw them once more at that club, probably later that year, and then they broke up the following year. With all honesty those were some good times!
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Getty Museum Visit
Saturday morning I went to the Getty Museum for the first time specifically to see the "Photographers of Genius" show that ends next weekend. It was nice to see prints by some artists who I really like such as Man Ray, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and Andre Kertesz. I was a little disappointed that the amount of photos displayed was a bit minimal, but this is only a minor complaint. I was actually much more impressed by the grounds of the museum. This is truly a beautiful setting and it is a wonder to me that it sits next to one of the most horrible aspects of Los Angeles, the 405 freeway. The words "traffic jam" are synonymous with this stretch of the freeway. The buildings are interesting from an architectural viewpoint and the views of the city are quite amazing from each of them. There are a number of nicely designed gardens as well on the grounds. I will definitely be returning even if it is only to sit and read a book.
Sunday, July 04, 2004
Saturday afternoon I went to see NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. Not the greatest movie in the world, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. The lead character is pretty great as is his friend Pedro. I love absurd comedy and there is plenty of that in this movie. There's some pretty great lines in the movie as well. In keeping with the mood of this movie I'll probably go see ANCHORMAN next weekend. I'm also intrigued by the BOURNE SUPREMACY. I was pleasantly surprised by the the first movie and the trailer for this sequel looks pretty good. I like these type of action films because they remind me of the action films of the sixties and seventies. These new ones remind me of something starring Steve McQueen or directed by William Friedkin rather than the overblown stuff directed by Michael Bay or produced by Simpson/Bruckheimer.
In the evening I went to see the Detroit Cobras at the Troubadour. I had bought a ticket in advance, but at one point I planned on just skipping out on the concert. My friend chided me about this a bit and I decided to go, but I really wasn't into it. I don't know... the Detroit Cobras are good, but I've never been a huge fan and I know that nothing is going to compare to that Hunches show for awhile. About ten minutes before I was going to leave for the show my friend called offering a ride so I'm thankful that I didn't have to drive down there. Like I said, the band is good live; they even played my favorite song, "Cha Cha Twist," but I could have just stayed home and not regretted it. Still it was nice hanging out with some friends who I don't get to see too often.
Upcoming stuff I might go to:
A.C. Newman- really like the New Pornographers and his solo record is pretty good, so this show is the one I'll probably try the hardest to go to.
Camera Obscura- playing the Troubadour, but maybe I'll just try to see them for free at Amoeba Records.
MC5 Reunion- saw them on the Kilborn show the other day and to be honest it didn't make me want to rush out and get a ticket. On the show it seemed kind of bland to me, but I suppose live it might be a different story. We'll see...
JOHNNY GUITAR is playing next weekend at the Fairfax 3 theater. Do yourself a favor and go see one of the strangest and greatest westerns ever. It was directed by Nicholas Ray who also directed a really great movie called IN A LONELY PLACE as well as REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE.
I have to make it to some museums before certain shows end, specifically the "Photographers of Genius" show at the Getty.
Time for breakfast and hopefully some drinking later in Long Beach.
In the evening I went to see the Detroit Cobras at the Troubadour. I had bought a ticket in advance, but at one point I planned on just skipping out on the concert. My friend chided me about this a bit and I decided to go, but I really wasn't into it. I don't know... the Detroit Cobras are good, but I've never been a huge fan and I know that nothing is going to compare to that Hunches show for awhile. About ten minutes before I was going to leave for the show my friend called offering a ride so I'm thankful that I didn't have to drive down there. Like I said, the band is good live; they even played my favorite song, "Cha Cha Twist," but I could have just stayed home and not regretted it. Still it was nice hanging out with some friends who I don't get to see too often.
Upcoming stuff I might go to:
A.C. Newman- really like the New Pornographers and his solo record is pretty good, so this show is the one I'll probably try the hardest to go to.
Camera Obscura- playing the Troubadour, but maybe I'll just try to see them for free at Amoeba Records.
MC5 Reunion- saw them on the Kilborn show the other day and to be honest it didn't make me want to rush out and get a ticket. On the show it seemed kind of bland to me, but I suppose live it might be a different story. We'll see...
JOHNNY GUITAR is playing next weekend at the Fairfax 3 theater. Do yourself a favor and go see one of the strangest and greatest westerns ever. It was directed by Nicholas Ray who also directed a really great movie called IN A LONELY PLACE as well as REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE.
I have to make it to some museums before certain shows end, specifically the "Photographers of Genius" show at the Getty.
Time for breakfast and hopefully some drinking later in Long Beach.
