Media Potluck was the late night brainchild of Cap Blackard and Nick Jade, aka Nick Martinolich - two friends with a love of eclectic media and a drive to share their strangest finds.
As our first ever post read: "we have spent our entire lives
scouring thrift stores, dying video rental houses, and flea markets in a
never ending quest to uncover forgotten music, movies, magazines, and other galactic funk. No matter the quality of the media we post, in one shape or form they are beautiful (and enriching)." Every post is a labor of love and excitement at discovering and/ or paying tribute to something forgotten and special - going down rabbit holes and digging toward even more startling discoveries or strange truths.
In 2009 our humble blog teamed up with media outlet Consequence of Sound for our partnered series, Audio Archeology, which became a regular feature of theirs through 2012, and we also took the premise of a "Media Potluck" to its logical conclusion: hosting a monthly series of themed double-feature movie potlucks in Orlando, FL; featuring memorabilia and short talks by Nick and Cap about the history of the films. In 2010, the blog briefly moved an all-new site, MediaPotluck.Net, which unfortunately has been lost to digital oblivion, along with the few posts that were unique to that iteration.
This potluck may have ended, but guests and hosts departed with their minds and bellies fuller than they were before. Some even kept the party going. Media Potluck inadvertently launched Cap's career in journalism, and their coverage of eclectic media continues over on Consequence of Sound and The Nerdy Show Network, interviewing the likes of Phil Collins about the game show theme he wrote for Miami Vice and getting the full story from Barry Levinson about his unsung masterpiece, TOYS (to cite but two examples). Meanwhile, Nick has gone on to create media worthy of being discovered by future potluckers with his ever-growing resume of video work.
2008-2010 were formative years filled with special memories. May these encapsulated moments and media discoveries fill you up, and whet your appetite for the next feast.
JUNE IS GOING TO BE COBRA MONTH! All next month we will be posting Cobra related articles and content, culminating in a Cobra viewing party. Check back for more details!
A few months ago I was talking with my buddy Jim DeSantis who runs the podcast Movie Brain Rot and somehow our discussion moved to Sylvester Stallone's film Cobra. (Honestly how many conversations don't?) We started throwing around facts about the film and realized the world may want to know and share the joys we have experience getting a better understanding of its place in our nation's history and pop-culture psyche. So we sat down and made it happen:
Keep up to date with Jim's other podcasts on Twitter. @moviebrainrot
In 1985, Stallone was coming off of two extremely successful films in two well know franchises, Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV. As previously mentioned on this blog, Rambo contains a strong political message as our patriotic hero gets a second chance to go back to Vietnam and "win this time" in a war that was lost by politics and spineless bureaucrats. Again a similar theme is displayed in Rocky IV as Stallone defeats the communist juggernaut Ivan Drago and changes the heart's of a nation as he delivers a speech on change, while wrapped in an American Flag. Cobra (1986) continues what I like to call the political trilogy in Stallone's career, tackling the issue of crime in America and the bureaucratic rules and regulations that prevent the police from combating the every growing violence. The opening monologue:
And so begins an hour and a half of of Marion "Cobra" Cobretti shooting, burning, and tackling crime by his own rules. As part of the "Zombie Squad" Cobra is the bottom line, doing the job nobody else wants to do. To my knowledge no other film brings the "no rules cop" concept to the forefront more openly than Cobra. Of course most action films in the 80s contain a hint of this notion and crowds (this author included) love when the good guy can finally take off the gloves and just win. But with scenes so up front in their message, Cobra almost stands out like a PSA against the downfalls of the current justice system. In a 1986 review The New York Time's Nina Darnton even goes as far as to say, "this film shows such contempt for the most basic American values embodied in the concept of a fair trial that Mr. Stallone no longer, even nominally, represents an ideology that is recognizably American." Whoa.
In the podcast Jim and I discuss this and other opinions of the film, taking a look back with 20+ years of reflection on an era where the people were looking to roll up their sleeves and start fixing the nation.
But the podcast is not all serious discussion! After all, Cobra is first and foremost an action film written by and starring one of our best known action stars from a decade famous for its over the top (no pun-intended) action films. It has one-liners, a new world order subplot, axes, and one of the best villain deaths ever caught on film. We touch on the importance of the soundtrack and branding of the film, which lead a young Jim DeSantis to walk around with a matchstick in his mouth and me to instantly purchase the soundtrack before even seeing the film based on the cover alone. We also talk about the strange career of director George P. Cosmatos and his involvement with Stallone and other well known Hollywood actors who wished to direct from behind the scenes.
Media Potluck is proud to present, "Big Trouble for Buckaroo Banzai" on Saturday, May 29th 2010.
Two outstanding genre-bending comedy adventures in the same night! Both of them mysteriously connected...
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is one of the most influential sci-fi comedies of all time and a major cult classic. Released in 1984, directed and produced by W. D. Richter, Buckaroo Banzai combines a complex comic book plat with sharp whit and hard science for a wild ride. The film stars a ludicrous cast including Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, and Ellrn Barkin. Thrill as Dr. Buckaroo Banzai renowned physicist, neurosurgeon and rock musician tears a hole in the fabric of space and time and accidentally ignites a war on Earth between two inter-dimensional aliens... a war that only he and the Hong Kong Cavaliers can fight. The film has influenced writers and filmmakers for decades including Wes Anderson, whose credit sequence in The Life Aquatic is an homage to this film.
Buckaroo flopped in theaters... and a sequel, Buckaroo banzai Versus the World Crime League was planned but never released, however, W.D. Richter was called on to write the scrip for John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China and there are some striking similarities... Namely that Big Trouble's nefarious villain, Lo Pan is strikingly similar to accounts of Buckaroo's arch nemesis, Hanoi Xan. Yes, for all intents and purposes, John Carpenter's legendary Kurt Russel kung-fu epic is the Buckaroo Banzai sequel that never was!
Not only is this a Media Potluck, but it's also a REAL potluck, so everyone is asked to try to bring some food to share! We will be providing a delicious cake. Please RSVP and comment with what delicious food you'll bring.
Media Potluck is proud to present, "Aliens vs Rambo: James Cameron's Action Sequels".
We will be screening two action sequels that have permeated the American cultural psyche and exist thanks in part to the vision of James Cameron. Aliens (1986) and Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) have spawned countless rip-offs, references, and parodies providing more evidence that Cameron has the ability to create films (and sequels) that have an impact and lasting power far beyond their contemporaries.
Not only is this a Media Potluck, but it's also a REAL potluck, so everyone is asked to try to bring some food to share! We will be providing a delicious cake. Please RSVP and comment with what delicious food you'll bring.
Aliens takes the brooding suspense and horror of the first Alien film (1979) and injects it with adrenaline to create a new form of cinematic terror. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ellen Ripley, awakened from hyper sleep after 57 years adrift in the space to find the world she once knew replaced by a suicide mission with a platoon of space marines that takes her back to LV-426, the planet that began her nightmare. We will be screening the 1992 Special Edition. This version adds in seventeen minutes of footage including an alternative opening revealing how the Aliens make their way into the colony on LV-426, the marines using sentry guns to fight off a hoard of xenomorphs, and a subplot involving Ripley's deceased daughter that adds a greater depth to her character. Lock and load or its game over, man.
Beginning the political era of Stallone's career, Rambo: First Blood Part II provides a second chance at the Vietnam war where the the bureaucrats get the boot and America gets to win this time. But before Sly added in his political overtones, Cameron laid down a solid framework that gives recently imprisoned veteran John J. Rambo a chance to reconcile his post-war grievances and document the possible existence of prisoners of war still trapped in Vietnam. The reconnaissance mission ends with Rambo shirtless, oiled up, and firing an M-60 from the hip. If you don't like this film then move to Canada.
Cameron provides two solid stories of damaged heroes getting a second chance to eradicate the demons that haunt them.
Media Potluck is proud to present, "Fantasy February"!
We're going to be screening two outstanding and artful forays into the fantasy genre, Ridley Scott's Director's Cut of "Legend" and Richard Donner's "Ladyhawke". Both these films are ripe with action, comedy, drama, romance, and incredible casts.
This isn't just a regular Media Potluck party but also Cap and Eleanor's anniversary party, celebrating their 7 years together. It's a costume party! Should the spirit be willing come dressed in some sort of medieval, renaissance, or fantasy attire. (But don't feel bad if you must wear modern garb). There will be party favors and much fun.
"Legend" (1985) is a lush fairy-tale like fantasy world, threatened to be corrupted by Darkness. A young Tom Cruise and Mia Sara star as two young lovers torn apart by the demonic Darkness (a legendary performance by Tim Curry). They must resist the torment, torture, and seduction of their idyllic world torn-asunder. "No good without evil, no love without hate, no innocence without lust. I am Darkness." We'll be screening Scott's Director's Cut. Though it loses the amazing Tangerine Dream score and Jon Anderson track, it gains a Jerry Goldsmith score and an already great film is made even better by additional and extended scenes.
Also from 1985 (oddly enough) Donner's "Ladyhawke" is a seldom seen take on the fantasy genre. A very realistic,12th century setting, with no obvious fantasy elements save one: a curse. Two lovers (Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer) were cursed by a jealous Bishop. By night Hauer is a wolf, by day Pfeiffer is a hawk - never to meet in human form ever again. Matthew Broderick plays a young thief, whose daring escape from an inescapable prison gives Hauer the call for revenge.
Not only is this a Media Potluck, but it's also a REAL potluck, so everyone is asked to try to bring some food to share! We will be providing a delicious cake.
Super Bowl XLIV is almost upon us. So it's only right that we dust off the old classic, The Chicago Bear's “The Super Bowl Shuffle”. But everyone's seen that video. There's not an 80s retrospective that doesn't at least mention it. Here's what you might not know: “ The Super Bowl Shuffle” was only the beginning. After The Bears' track made it to the 41st place on the Billborad charts, got a Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance, and led into them decimating the Patriots at Super Bowl XX, every team wanted a some of that good luck music mojo. The Shuffle spin-offs are all over the place - hilarious, god-awful, and kitschy. Some of them surpass“Super Bowl Shuffle” in quality, and many more of them fall far beneath it. Good, bad, and ugly, Media Potluck has charged through the offense to give you a touchdown of gridiron gems and musical miscellany.
Put plainly, “The Super Bowl Shuffle” is not good. It's 100% novelty riding on the coattails of a massively successful season for The Bears. You cold say it's the good kind of “bad”, but that depends on your endurance. The track is an absurd six minutes in length, so that every member of the team has a chance to rap a verse. (You know, “rapping”, it's that urban fad all the kids are into these days). But hey, they're “not this because [they're] greedy, The Bears are doin' it to feed the needy”, so it's all good. Though it's seldom recognized for it, “The Super Bowl Shuffle” was right at the beginning of the super-powered charity song trend - debuting between “Do They Know it's Christmas?” in late 1984 and “We Are the World” in the early 1985. This is one of the aspects that sets it apart from all its spin-offs. The Bears were shufflin' for a purpose, everyone one else was doing it to look cool.
The Bears didn't invent team songs. Perhaps the most direct precursor to the “Super Bowl Shuffle” is a track from 1980 of the Detroit Lions, fronted by their Safety Jimmy “Spiderman” Allen, parodying Queen's “Another One Bites the Dust”. But a century before that, the Cincinnati Red Stockings would occasionally join together and sing a song to their spectators during their 1800s baseball games. From the 70s until the early 90s it was also popular for UK football teams to record a song if they qualified for the FA Cup Final. These recordings, called the “cup final record” were either original compositions or parodies of popular songs, and, like “The Super Bowl Shuffle” some of them even made it in the pop charts. None of the “Shuffle” spin-offs can say the same.
It's a little known fact that there was another pre-Super Bowl XX song in 1985. The unlikely culprits: The Seattle Seahawks and their song, “Locker Room Rock”. Unlike almost all other football songs that followed, there's no rap to be found here. Without the influence of “The Super Bowl Shuffle”, the Seahawks delivered something completely different: a 50s rock 'n' roll style jam more like something that stumbled from a high school production of Grease than a football fight song. The video even has a musical-style dramatic setup. The team is exhausted but, ol' number 55 (Michael Jackson) comes in, tenderly wiping some sweat off a teammates chin, and gives them an enthusiastic song-and-dance pep talk, 'cause “the blue wave is on a roll.” Bonus points are awarded for one of the team emerging from a steamy shower room wearing only a towel and playing the saxophone.
In '86, just before the Bears swept Super Bowl XX, their contenders, The New England Patriots released a song of their own. But instead of a right-back-at-ya rap, the song is a cheerful anthem with a bit of anti-Bear bloodlust from the New England community called, “New England, The Patriots and We”. The song was recorded mostly by local New England celebrities, with the Patriots in a few shots and verses (suspiciously all wearing MTV caps).
After their Super Bowl win, every team wanted a piece of the “Shuffle” pie and the lasting power of The Bears' goofy charity track began to show. The “Shuffle” spin-offs attempt to vary somewhat in style and direction, they essentially replicate the format of the Bear's track: the ridiculous image of padded football players dancing back and forth, and each player rapping a self-referential, usually boastful verse. With this format, most of these songs are as unbearably long as the “Super Bowl Shuffle”. What singles out the “Shuffle” from all the copycats is that The Bears seem really into it. In many of the spin-off videos there are a few players that are very obviously uncomfortable, either with stage fright or that they don't want anything to do with any MTV tomfoolery. It's one of the many added novelties to the post-“Shuffle” videos.
The crown jewel of 1986 football songs is without a doubt the L.A. Rams' “Ram It”. The song is non-stop sexual innuendo. It's hilarious, catchy, and very self-aware: “if you ram it just right you can ram it all night.” See it to believe:
The Oakland Raiders' “Silver and Black Attack” is a definite change of pace from the feel-good football tracks. The song is said to be a stylistic reference to the Christian metal group, Stryper, who were popular at the time (their first album is entitled Yellow and Black Attack). The actual effect of the hair metal combined with the Raiders' rapping makes it more reminiscent of dark gangsta rap. At 2:45 one of the players, disguised as a hair metal guitarist jumps in and starts wailing on the guitar and most of the team recoils with their hands on their ears. Yeah, real tough, guys.
Meanwhile in 1986, other sports took the opportunity to do their own shuffling, or boogying as may be the case. The University of Memphis Pom-Pon Squad performed their “Pom-Pon Shuffle” during one of the Memphis Tigers' halftime performances. It's nothing special, but skip ahead to 2:43 for a guaranteed spit-take. The L.A. Dodgers' “Baseball Boogie” takes the sport video fad to ridiculous, high-budget extremes with an enthusiasm not matched by any football team. You could say they're a little too excited.
Neither the Rams or the Raiders even made it to Super Bowl XXI in 1987. Instead the Giants and the Broncos faced off against one another. They didn't have songs to give them good luck, but the Giants celebrated their victory by recording a track, a Katrina and the Waves parody called “Walk Like a Giant”. During the commercials of the 1987 Super Bowl, another football music video aired, but not from any team in the NHL, or even in America. It turns out that American football has some life beyond U.S. soil, even in Glasgow, Scotland. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. “Diamond Rap” by the Glasgow Diamonds is the most pop-centric and likable of the football songs. It was produced by Ivor Novello award-winning producer, Bill Padley and breaks from the “Shuffle” format by favoring only one singer who brings the rhymes in addition to a catchy pop chorus. The only off thing about the song is that the singer, Paul Birchard, is an actor, not a football player. Talent-cheating aside, the video is fun, the song is enjoyable, and Birchard is charming in his role as a football singer with a good set of pipes.
Football songs started to fade by '88. The Philadelphia Eagles' “Buddy's Watchin' You” (a reference to their coach, Buddy Ryan) is a forgettable song in the vein of “Super Bowl Shuffle” with an under-produced video. The “49ers Rap” is equally weak, but their video is more watchable with a slew of kitschy editing and digital 2-D animation that looks like it was rendered in MS Paint. They're the “team of the eighties” alright.
Elsewhere in the sporting world, the Calgary Flames composed a power ballad called “Red Hot”. There's no sign of the stereotypical hockey aggression here, no spitting on the mic, just wistful hope, pride, and full, glorious mustaches: “you can climb the highest mountain, you can put a man on the moon, you can see to the horizon... but you can't touch a flame when it's RED HOT!” Unlike all the other tracks from '88, Liverpool Football Club (not the American kind) took the Hollywood of “Super Bowl Shuffle” to heart, and produced a serious hip-hop track. “Anfield Rap” riffs off of a few of the hip-hop tracks of the day and delivers a witty song with a colorful video reminiscent of the opening of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In this track the only two native Liverpudlian's on the team make fun of the other player's accents (and viceversa) It's an amazing gem of 80s British hip-hop.
The fad had all but died when the 90s set in, and the Dolphins were the final nail in the coffin. “You Can't Touch Us” by Cory and the Fins sees the Dolphins rapping to a parody of MC Hammer's “U Can't Touch This”. The opening is pure retro cheese. South Floridian talk radio personalities Rick and Suds are in the studio playing the campy “Miami Dolphins Fight Song” from the 70s and get Dolphin linebacker David Grigs on the phone. Cut to Grigs leaning against a white Mercedes in an alleyway, wearing a tank top and Zubaz pants, talking to the hosts on a walkie talkie-sized cellphone: “yo, first of all Rick, the Dolphins are back. We're a new team, we're Super Bowl bound, and they can't touch us.” It's not just Grigs kickin' it in Zubaz, it's the whole team and the cheerleaders (Dan Marino is fashionably absent from the whole video). Every Dolphin present gets to rap a line or two, but the real star of the video isn't a Dolphin at all, but the mysterious “cool guy” named Cory. I mean, nothing says cool like a dude in a tux and bow tie with no shirt underneath riding an escalator with a Hooters girl as he threatens to, “bust these football lyrics.” The video is colorful, super dated, and full of laughs. Stop. Dolphin time.
The only other highlights from football music in the 90s is Bill Medley's “Friday Night's a Great Night for Football” which served as the awkward opening title sequence for an otherwise terrific movie. Tony Scott's 1991 action movie The Last Boy Scout. If the former Righteous Brother's song and dance serves any purpose, it's to put you off guard for how fucked up the opening scene of the movie is. (Possibly the most incredible movie moment ever filmed on a football field, but I'll let you do the clicking to find out why.) In 1999 the Jacksonville Jaguars released a song and video for "Uh Oh, The Jaguars Super Bowl Song". It didn't give them any good luck and its presence on the internet is almost nonexistent. It wasn't until 2005 that another team tried their luck with a song and video. Funk music superstar, Bootsy Collins teamed up with his home team, the Cincinnati Bengals for a bit of hip-hop and funk fusion called “Fear Da Tiger”. Despite the star power of Collins, the song weak, succumbs to a similar “Shuffle” format and both the song and the video are mediocre without entertainment value.
Now, 2010, the football video has returned in slick, new self-aware package. LaDainian Tomlinson, aka. L.T., of the San Diego Chargers, a football mega-star, is now an Internet sensation. His song and video for “L.T. Electric Glide” is mind-blowingly ridiculous. It's a send up of to the comedy songs of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job complete with green screens, cheesy effects, and homeless-looking backup dancers. The video was filmed two years ago for a Nike ad, but not released until now, and was directed by Tim Skousen, the assistant director of Napoleon Dynamite. L.T.'s dance is real easy to do, you just glide with it, and “wave to your mama – she's in the stands.” Check it out, you'll have all the moves down in no time.
This story comes full circle. Twenty-five years after the “Super Bowl Shuffle” began all this madness it's about to return. During the commercials of Super Bowl XLIV members of the 1985 Chicago Bears - Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Willie Gault, Otis Wilson, Steve Fuller and Maury Buford will return to perform an updated version of “The Super Bowl Shuffle”. The reunion is for a Boost Mobile commercial as a part of their “Unwronged” advertising campaign, but as with the original “Shuffle” the Bears aren't doin' it because they're greedy. Boost customers will be able to download the “Boost Mobile Shuffle” ringtone for a dollar and the proceeds go to charity.
Media Potluck is proud to present, "True Geniuses, Real Stories"!
Two alternative 80s comedies with amazing soundtracks! These movies aren't cheesy nostalgia trips, they're works of art.
First up is 1985's "Real Genius". This movie, though, similar in format to many of its contemporaries, stands above the average 80s college comedy film. A young Val Kilmer stars as a fun-loving genius working against the system while the government tries to trick him into developing a Star Wars-like space defense program. It's social commentary, big laughs, terrific direction, and an astounding alternative music selection from a bunch of amazing bands that have been forgotten (oh yeah, and Tears For Fears). Directed by Martha Coolidge who also directed the totally awesome, "Valley Girl".
"Real Genius" trailer:
Then we have Cap's favorite film of all time: 1986's "True Stories". The film is written, directed by, and starring Talking Heads' frontman David Byrne. It's a work of art - a musical comedy that observes modern American life in ways no one has before or since. The fictional town of Virgil, Texas is celebrating their state's sesquicentennial with a big talent show. It's tabloid strangeness come to life, it's a completely cool, multi-purpose movie that will leave you forever changed.
"True Stories" trailer:
Not only is this a Media Potluck, but it's also a REAL potluck, so everyone is asked to try to bring some food to share! We will be providing a delicious cake. Please RSVP and comment with what delicious food you'll bring.
At long-last! The 2009 Media Potluck Holiday Feast is here! An album-length podcast of holiday tunes freshly compiled with a big-shiny bow on top to make your winter celebration merry and bright. This year's Holiday Feast has some crazy surprises. As always, we strive to collect holiday tunes that won't make you want to put a yuletide bullet in your brain. There are astounding renditions of old classics, fun new holiday tunes revitalizing tired Christmas concepts, awesome instrumentals, songs about the season, never mind the reason, and even some cussing – oh boy!
So, nestle up close to the yule log crackling on the television, settle into your leopard print Snuggie, and let your ears sip deep on this hot toddy of audio awesome.
1. Jon Anderson - “Three Ships”
As Cap promised in Media PODluck: A Christmas Evening Together, this year's Feast opens with Yes vocalist Jon Anderson's rendition of the classic Christmas track. It's a Mannheim Steamroller-style synth explosion with subtle extraterrestrial implications. ...Okay so maybe the only certain implication is in the album art and the music video. 3 Ships, the Anderson album this track hails from, was out of print for ages and only on CD in Japan until recently. Now everyone can experience the heavenly combination of Anderson's angelic voice and Christmas synths
2. Jim Dooley - “Change of Heart”
This instrumental track comes from the score to the Brain Fuller television series Pushing Daisies. Dooley's score to the amazing (and canceled before its time) series is nothing short of breathtaking. Never has there been a more cinematic and diverse score for a network television show and “Change of Heart” is a perfect example of this. The track is a winter-themed arrangement from the season one finale, “Corpsicle”. It combines sleigh bells, a choir, and a distorted version of The Nutcracker Suite with a full orchestra for an effect that would make Danny Elfman weak in the knees.
3. Jethro Tull - “Birthday Card at Christmas”
This is one of the few new compositions featured on The Jethro Tull Christmas Album. Most of the tracks are either new recordings of older songs or Tull versions of Christmas tunes. Ian Anderson wrote this cynical song with his daughter in mind: "My daughter Gael, like millions of other unfortunates, celebrates her birthday within a gnat’s whisker of Christmas. Overshadowed by the Great Occasion, such birthdays can be flat, perfunctory and fleetingly token in their uneventful passing. The daunting party and festive celebration of the Christian calendar overshadows too, some might argue, the humble birthday of one Mr. J. Christ. Funny old 25ths, Decembers…"
4. The Ocean Blue - “Frigid Winter Days”
The Ocean Blue are a dream rock band that we did a short article on a while back. They're a late generation dream rock band fueled by a love of Morrissey but without all the depression and self obsession. “Frigid Winter Days” is charged with a superb energy and rustic feel that embodies how much fun it can be to be a kid during the wintertime.
5. The Specials - “Holiday Fortnight”
From their 1980 album, More Specials. The politically-charged champions of the late-70s British ska movement, find the time to work in a jolly instrumental for all your merry holiday mayhem.
6. The Kinks - “Father Christmas”
Unlike many rock band Christmas singles, The Kinks' doesn't compromise. It's rockin', it's in the spirit, but it tackles some serious issues: namely the class struggle. In the song a fella playing Santa is stuck up by some young punks who aren't interested in toys. Their parents don't have jobs, life is hard, and all the world is merry and bright while theirs is in the gutter.
7. The Three Wise Men (Aka XTC) - “Thanks For Christmas”
Following the Kink's social crit Christmas single, we have a fun and catchy, but certainly schlocky, holiday tune from an unlikely source: XTC. The new wave band released this single under the pseudonym of “The Three Wise Men” and no hint to the actual band appears anywhere on the original single. Presumably the anonymity was to maintain their good name as edgy rockers and not suffer the flak and regret as Squeeze did with their 1979 single, “Christmas Day”. The song was credited to “Blathazar/Kaspar/Melchior”, actually written by front man Andy Partridge, and produced by “The Three Wise Men and the Good Lord”, the “Good Lord” being producer, David Lord. Strange and sentimental Christmas pop from the band who would, three years later, release the scathing atheist single, “Dear God”.
8. Reel Big Fish - “Mele Kalikimaka”
A goofy 50s novelty tune made goofier by ska greats Reel Big Fish. Loud and crazy Christmas tunes are in short supply and this track more than makes up for their absence. Interesting note: “Mele Kalikimaka” is a transliteration, not a translation, of “Merry Christmas” - so in essence it's just a ridiculous nonsense word.
9. Jimmy Eat World - “Last Christmas”
If there's one stand-out Christmas single from the 1980s it's Wham!'s “Last Christmas”. It has its charms, certainly, but let's be honest – it's pretty flimsy. Lots of potential, more than enough to keep it alive, but not enough to give it any true longevity. In 2001 Jimmy Eat World brought “Last Christmas” to full bloom. Not only is the song given a much needed boost in energy, but every bit of the melodies that gave the original its staying power have been beautifully reproduced and layered into a wonderfully full sound.
10. Corky and the Juice Pigs - “Christmas Dreams”
Sappy Country-Western tearjerker ballads are cut to shreds by this hilarious parody. You may recall our article earlier in the year on the amazing talent of this Canadian comedic music trio, now savor their laugh gravy drizzled delicately over your Christmas ham. Alcoholism was never so funny.
11. The Long Winters - “Christmas With You is the Best”
A Christmas love song, but no sappy stuff here. This is a song for holiday cynicism and a “non-traditional, non-denominational celebration” with your loved one... you know... intercourse. Be sure to listen for the really funky mid-song keyboard breakdown.
12. Gil Mantera's Party Dream - “Brave New Christmas”
Party Dream does what they do best: dark, danceable synth rock – but this instrumental jam from their debut CD Bloodsongs has sleigh bells in it. Party. Christmas bonus.
13. Tenacious D & Sum 41 - “Things I Want”
A powerhouse X-Mas Rock ballad from two incredible bands. Jack Black takes the vocal chores and wields his rock expertly against the intense backing provided by Sum 41 and K.G. The lyrics are classic D material that will make you lust for another album (put that on your wish list). The song was originally composed for KROQ-FM's 2001 Christmas compilation, Swallow My Eggnog.
14. I Fight Dragons - “I Want an Alien For Christmas”
This track is brand-new and comes from NES-infused pop rockers I Fight Dragon's mailing list. This is a cover of a little-known Fountains of Wayne track from 1997, spruced up with IFD's expert chiptunes accompaniment. Don't know who I Fight Dragons are? Check out Nerdy Show's interview with them, and then sign up for the mailing list, they give out fun tracks like this all the time.
15. PFFR - “X-Mas Time”
From the production company/ art collective/ electro rock band that brought you Wonder Showzen, Xavier: Renegade Angel, and Delocated comes... this. Best not to explain it. Suffice it to say that it's a beautiful track and you'll be forever changed.
16. Luscious Jackson - “Let it Snow”
A fast and fun return to a holiday staple from Luscious Jackson. This track is best known for being a part of the Gap Jeans ad campaign between 1998 and 1999. The campaign featured popular bands (such as Aerosmith) performing short songs against white backgrounds. This is a different and longer version of the song than the one featured on the Let it Snow Gap ad. Check out this video for another one of their 30-second songs, “Stone Fox”.
17. Gordon Lightfoot - “Song For a Winter's Night”
Gordon Lightfoot is certainly a well-known musician, but he doesn't get the attention he deserves these days (at least not in America). His folk music transcends its genre and slips into an unclassifiable place reserved for heartfelt, beautiful music much like his more famous contemporaries Simon and Garfunkle. So ease back and listen to one of the great musicians of our age paint you a winters night with melodies and words. This song was originally recorded in 1967 on his second album The Way I Feel. The version included on the Holiday Feast is a re-recording from 1975 from his hits album, Gord's Gold and features a string arrangement.
18. Marcy Playground - “Keegan's Christmas”
Marcy Playground are a brilliant band who have been long over-looked. Their second album, Shapeshifter is one of the greatest albums of the 90s, but the curse of their not particularly inspired hit single, “Sex and Candy” remains. “Keegan's Christmas” doesn't go toe-to-toe with most of the band's material, it's a simple tune, but its recollection of a child's impatience for Christmas to finally come is wonderful. Marcy Playground released their fourth LP, Leaving Wonderland...in a Fit of Rage this year. Check it out.
19. Mike Oldfield - “In Dulci Jubilo”
A rollicking instrumental from Mike “Tubular Bells” Oldfield. This was a holiday single in 1975 and made it to #4 in the UK charts. The traditional Christmas tune is very skillfully rendered with a full arrangement of modern instruments including synths and Oldfield's distinctive electric guitar work.
20. The Cast of Twin Peaks - “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
What would a Christmas CD be without another oddball rendition of this classic Christmas tune? Last year we had Bob and Doug McKenzie's Canadian hoser version, and this year something entirely different... a body... dead... wrapped in plastic. Many of the Twin Peaks cast including Kyle McLaughlan, Jack Nance, Kimmy Robertson, Dana Ashbrook, Frank Silva, and Robert Bauer as the seldom seen Johnny Horne appear on this oddball track. Fans of the series will be delighted others might be... confused. Do yourself a favor and watch the show. The song contains what some might consider spoilers. It's pretty vague, so new viewers - just don't dwell on it too much and you'll be fine. The track is another made especially for one of KROQ's Christmas compilations.
21. R.E.M. - “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)”
Every year, just as the Beatles did before them, R.E.M. releases a Christmas song to their fan club. It's only appropriate that eventually they got around to covering the Beatles' Christmas tune, “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)”. This is their offering from 2000, a hap-hazard cover featuring an untuned horns section. Hilarity ensues.
22. Monty Python's Flying Circus - “Christmas in Heaven”
The grand finale of the final Python film, The Meaning of Life. Graham Chapman parodies Tony Bennett and the entire production is full of Vegas-style theatricality. This isn't what you'd call a typical Christmas song by any stretch of the concept, but it does play on some common themes such as consumerism and wish-fulfillment. An excellent specimen of the Python's brilliant humor.
23. Emerson, Lake, & Palmer - “I Believe in Father Christmas”
A direct confrontation to the rampant consumerism of the holiday season. Alan Lake originally recorded this track as a solo effort in protest of Christmas' commercialization, this is a re-recorded version with all of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. It's often mistaken as an anti-religious son to which Lake replied: "I find it appalling when people say it's politically incorrect to talk about Christmas, you've got to talk about 'The Holiday Season.' Christmas was a time of family warmth and love. There was a feeling of forgiveness, acceptance. And I do believe in Father Christmas."
24. The Crash Test Dummies - “In the Bleak Midwinter”
Another track from the Crash Test Dummies' amazing Christmas album, Jingle All the Way. A rare treat among CTD songs is having band member Ellen Reid on lead vocals. Reid's voice is beautiful and she delivers the most soulful rendition of this somber Christmas tune that you're ever likely to hear. Her 2001 solo album, Cinderellen is amazing – expect to see a Potluck article on that someday soon.
25. George Harrison - “Ding Dong, Ding Dong”
It's not often that New Year's gets songs devoted to it. Okay, there's U2's “New Year's Day”, but an actual holiday track not so much. This 1974 George Harrison single is the perfect peppy sing-along to musically bridge December 25th and the new year. See you on the flip side.
Escaping to a secluded cabin in North Carolina, Cap and Nick discuss some of their favorite Christmas music, moments, and memories. Enjoy an eclectic mix of music across the decades as well as reflections on the holidays; including how to kill a boar, how holiday music playing in steak restaurants can be life changing, and a Floridian answer to snow. Listen in as two friends share a Christmas evening together.
Media Potluck is proud to present, "Non-Holiday Holiday Movies" Sunday, December 6th!
The holiday season is upon us!
But let's not drown ourselves in sentimental hogwash, let's take in some quality films that take place in and around Christmas time, but aren't necessarily what you'd call Christmas movies.
First up there's one of Cap's all-time favorite movies: Barry Levinson's "Toys" (1992) starring Robin Williams, Michael Gambon, Robin Wright Penn, Joan Cusack, and LL Cool J. It's a surreal, multi-layered dark comedy unlike anything ever made - and it has an incredible soundtrack to match. (Media Potluck article pending)
Check out the trailer below, you can also watch a few clips on Hulu.
Next is John McTiernan's genre-defining action flick "Die Hard" (1988) starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, and the immortal Reginald VelJohnson. Action, explosions, cuss words, yule-tide cheer - What more could you ask for?
We're breaking tradition a bit here and throwing the party on a Sunday. We're also starting a bit early. Party starts at 5, movies start at 6.
Not only is this a Media Potluck, but it's also a REAL potluck, so everyone is asked to try to bring some food to share! We will be providing a delicious holiday cake. Please RSVP and comment with what delicious food you'll bring.
Media Potluck is proud to present: "Terror Times 4: The Phantasm Legacy"! Saturday, October 24th.
For the haunted month of October we're pulling out all the stops and rolling out a QUAD FEATURE: all four Phantasm films!
Phantasm (1979) Phantasm II (1988) Phantasm III: The Lord of the Dead (1994) Phantasm OblIVion (1998)
Phantasm is a unique gem in the world of horror series - not only is the series more surreal and artful than your average horror movie, but it's more consistent. All four films were written and directed by the same man, Don Coscarelli, and they have impeccable continuity between one another.
Check out the trailer for the first film:
Four films in one nigh is a tall order, but they clock in at just over six-hours- as long as one of our usual parties.
The party will start at 6 PM, films begin at 7 PM and into the dark of the night. It'll be our very own grind house of savory movie-potluck-mayhem.
Not only is this a Media Potluck, but it's also a REAL potluck, so everyone is asked to try to bring some food to share! We will be providing a spooky themed cake and haunted popcorn. Please RSVP and comment with what treat (or trick) you will bring.
Please note: these films are all rated R and, being horror movies, things are going to get intense.
Once in preschool, my class was shown a video for a special occasion. It was a story about nursery rhymes in live action, but with all the bright colors of a cartoon. Mother Goose had disappeared and her son was looking for her. People started just... vanishing without a trace. I recall enjoying the video, but not being able to shake a sense of dread. It was a strange movie. One of the clearer memories I retained was of the Three Men in a Tub, oddly dressed, floating by in a forest, not speaking, only gesturing. To make the my memories of the film even more fragmented, we ran out of time in class and the video was stopped before it was over, leaving the disappearances unresolved. Every so often I'd remember the video, but could never figure out what it was. Then one day, almost twenty years later, it came up in conversation - Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme. The solution to my years of curiosity was only a Google search away.
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme, also called Shelley Duvall's Rock and Rhymeland, was a made for TV movie from 1990, with frequent play on the Disney Channel during the early nineties. It's distinctive for having music video-style production as well as starring a number of well-known musicians and actors. The musical star power alone is insane – Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, Bobby Brown, The Stray Cats, Little Richard, ZZ Top, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkle (though not in the same scenes), and that's just hitting all the high notes.
The film follows Gordon Goose (Dan Gilroy), the adult son of Mother Goose, who can't stand living in Rhymeland amongst all of his mother's spastic creations, called “Rhymies”. One day, on his way to work, Little Bo Peep (Shelley Duvall) drives up and tells Gordon that his mother has disappeared. Their fears are confirmed when Itsy Bitsy Spider tells them he saw something come out of the sky and take her. Together, Gordon and Bo Peep drive through Rhymeland meeting with other nursery rhyme characters, searching for clues. They soon discover that, due to Mother Goose's disappearance, Rhymies are vanishing from existence and if they don't find her soon, their world will end. Pretty bleak stuff for a kid's movie.
Does it hold up? Well, kinda. Certainly no adult will feel the same tension I did in preschool, but it's easy to see how a kid might. If Rock 'n' Rhyme had been animated in the goopy TV style of the late 80s it would've been no more memorable than an episode of The Smurfs. The bright colors, crazy camera angles, and absurd sets of the production, coupled with the intense, mismatched fashions of the time give Rock 'n' Rhyme a unique feel. Cartoon-like live action strips away a lot of the goofiness that an actual made for TV cartoon would've accentuated, and emphasizes the drama of the situation. To my kid brain, the strange lighting, the desperation of the main character, and the actuality of people vanishing without a trace amounted to real concern and dreamlike foreboding. To an adult audience, Rock 'n' Rhyme is clearly made for kids. The writing isn't very compelling and there are some severe pacing issues. What it does have are adult undertones that would've gone over kids heads, terrific 90s aesthetics, and a high-profile cast that few children could appreciate. Check out this scene with Cyndi Lauper as Mary (Had a Little Lamb) and Woody Harrelson as the Little Lamb, turned full-grown sheep, Lou:
"I lost two wonderful husbands all because of Lou's insistence on following me everywhere.... if you know what I mean."
What's particularly strange about this all-star musical line-up is that there are only a few songs in Rock 'n' Rhyme, and of these big names, only Little Richard and the Stray Cats actually perform. The real stars of the show are Shelley Duvall and Dan Gilroy as Little Bo Peep and Gordon Goose. Shelley Duvall you may know – as actress she gets around, but she's perhaps best known for creating, producing, and staring in her own live action television show of children's stories, Faerie Tale Theatre and its several successful spin-offs. Though Duvall didn't produce Rock 'n' Rhyme, it's no wonder that some versions of the film bear her good name in front of the title. (What's more, it was written by two of her show's frequent writers, Mark Curtiss and Rod Ash.) Dan Gilroy is more of an enigma, until I realized who he was. Gilroy was the lead singer of a band called Breakfast Club - no relation to the film. Breakfast Club deserve an article all to themselves, but in short: they formed in the late 70s, briefly featured Madonna (who Gilroy Dated) as a drummer and sometimes singer, released one album, and their 1987 single “Right On Track” is one of the greatest forgotten hits of the 80s. The video for “Right On Track” is a likewise forgotten, but no less outstanding gem – if Pee-Wee's Playhouse had a house band with more energy and antics than the Puppetland Band, this would be it. The video looks like it was shot in Pee-Wee's very own digs and the band are like cartoons- wait... this sounds familiar. Yes, it turns out that man who directed most of Breakfast Club's videos is none other than the director of Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme, Jeff Stein.
The connections go even further and unlock just how this strange film came into being. Jeff Stein isn't just some guy who made some videos for a band you've never heard of, he's a prolific video director. The first film of his career was the groundbreaking 1979 rockumentary The Kids Are Alright, placing Stein on the music video radar right as the genre was inventing itself. All through the 1980s he directed videos for everyone from The Cars, to Debbie Harry, to every single from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' album Southern Accents... including the ultra-famous video for “Don't Come Around Here No More”. Of course the surreal video of Tom Petty as the Mad Hatter is by the same guy as Rock 'n' Rhyme! It all makes perfect sense. In fact, the giant black and white checkered room in the music video is almost identical to the court of Old King Cole in Rock 'n' Rhyme.
Stein and Duvall's joined forces are the best explanation for the tour de force star power behind Rock 'n' Rhyme, as to what warranted a huge musical cast with little to no musical output from most of them, that's a secret I haven't been able to uncover. Excess aside, the absurdity of the cast makes for a fun viewing. Veteran actress, Jean Stapleton plays the kindly old Mother Goose who spends her days writing into existence the wacky denizens of Rhymeland. Every morning that Gordon leaves the house he's assaulted by the Rhymies' absurdity, as seen in the opening song, “Hop To It”, performed by a cast of characters including the nearly 70 year-old musical trio, the Del Rubio Triplets. The bouncy tune of “Hop To It” suggests that it was written by Gilroy and perhaps some of the other then-disbanded Breakfast Club, but information is sparse.
Gordon is an awkward main character. Kids can easily relate to all the strange and carefree characters of Rhymeland, especially the quirky Bo Peep, but Gordon is cynical, sarcastic, and downright rude. A terrific example of this is when, in mistaking the voice of Itsy Bitsy Spider for Bo Peep, Gordon turns to her and says, “you know, you have the stupidest little voice” - ouch. What does make Gordon relative to kids is that he's lost his mother, a profound childhood fear that everyone shares. I recall from my original memories of Rock 'n' Rhyme that the tension of Mother Goose's disappearance was made even more foreboding by the interrupted message of Itsy Bitsy (played by famed actor and dancer Ben Vereen, best known to kids as Mayor Ben in Zoobilee Zoo). He mentions that something big came out of the sky, but the rain washes him down the waterspout before he can finish his message. Actually, he doesn't finish his message because he has some kind of Attention-Deficit Disorder and can't stay on one topic. As a kid I didn't pick up on that.
Bo Peep and Gordon set out on a road trip through Rhymeland to search for clues. Herein is the heart of Rock 'n' Rhyme, exploring a Nursery Rhyme universe where all the characters are played by famous people and they're all a bit dysfunctional. The mysterious Three Men in a Tub who confounded me as a youngster were ZZ Top. They point Gordon and Bo Peep in the right direction even though Gordon insults them (“they look like dropouts from barber college if you ask me”). Harry Anderson is the alliteration articulating Peter Piper, Howie Mandel plays the egghead Humpty Dumpty, Pia Zadora is the pint-sized, hospitality obsessed Little Miss Muffet, and Garry Shandling and Teri Garr are the “modern Rhymie-something kinda couple” Jack and Jill, who talk every problem to death: “Jill, I respect your need for needs, but I too have needs.” A scene featuring Married With Children's Katey Sagal as Mary Quite Contrary was inexplicably removed from the Rock 'n' Rhyme VHS release, while the Rock and Rhymeland version (seen on TV) kept the scene with a few other differences elsewhere in the film.
As “that grand old man of rock 'n' roll, that merry old soul, Old King Cole”, Little Richard is the first musician to perform his own music in the film. He serenades his rowdy court of rappers and his Minister of Merriment (a bit part inexplicably played by Van Dyke Parks) with a some old time rock 'n' roll. “Come on and give me some pie,” he wails as a giant pie is rolled into the court, out of which pops three female singers in crow outfits. Gordon makes the mistake of using the word “serious” in front of the king and is sent to the dungeon, “where we will drill the meaning of merriment into you until you scream with laughter.”
The dungeon scene is one of the most memorable of the entire film. Gordon is chained up and accosted by a grotesque, masked hair band who perform a song about what a tool he is. The band is an interesting point of discussion for fans of the film. They're credited as “The Dank” and over the years have been attributed as everyone from KISS to Twisted Sister. In actuality they're an assemblage of former Breakfast Club members Eddie Gilroy, Steve Bray, and the future American Idol judge, Randy Jackson with additional members Dweezil Zappa and Warren DeMartini, the lead guitarist of Ratt. What's confusing about that lineup is that there's one too many guitarists (there are only two in the scene) yet all those individuals are credited. So among these masked men it's hard to say who was and wasn't a part of The Dank. Regardless of the specifics, the song is catchy, fun, and features that creepy chant from The Wizard of Oz in the backing vocals:
Night falls on Rhymeland and even more people are disappearing. Gordon and Bo Peep turn to shadier sources for clues, that being Georgie Porgie's, a dingy night club where the Stray Cats (wearing feline prosthetics) are the house band. Art Garfunkle plays Georgie Porgie, the nearly silent bar tender. If he wasn't credited as the part I wouldn't have known it was him. It might be that he was just in the film so that both he and Simon could be credited in the film together. Simon appears later on as Simple Simon, a hitchhiker with no short term memory (and a crazy jump suit with peace signs and ankhs). Simon sings a rendition of Willie Nelson's “On the Road Again” briefly (“on the road again, can't remember why I'm on the road again”) before Gordon snaps at him. There's a couple of subtle Simon and Garfunkle jokes thrown in, such as that Simple Simon's rhyme that he met a pieman going to the fair (as in Scarborough) and later Gordon chidingly calls him “bright eyes” (as in the Art Garfunkle song).
In between Simon and Garfunkle's scenes is an odd aside in which Gordon meets the Three Blind Mice, all played by Bobby Brown. They run a detective agency and make some noir detective jokes, as well as blind people jokes, and then an inexplicable dance scene happens. What's odd about Bobby Brown playing all three of the mice is that someone had to play the other two and the whole routine is very reminiscent of his New Edition days, but as best as anyone can tell no one from his former group joined him for the scene:
Gordon and Bo Peep steal the Cow that Jumps Over the Moon from Cheech Marin (The Cat and the Fiddle) and tear a hole though their reality into *gasp* the real world. There they find that a young boy has abducted Mother Goose, and encounter some of the worst child acting on record. Gordon easily convinces the child to let them return home by flatly telling him that he is destroying everything that Mother Goose created. They return safely, Gordon accepts that he too is fictional, changes his boring clothes for fancier duds including Gilroy's distinctive pork pie hat, and begins a strange romance with Bo Peep.
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme is one of those rare experiences in children's programming that is so weird and unique, that despite its many dated qualities and failings, it withstands the test of time where it counts. It's certainly better than most young children's shows these days, excepting the awesomeness that is Yo Gabba Gabba. Most people who grew up watching it understandably want to show it to their kids. Unfortunately, neither version of the film has been available since the initial VHS release. Bootlegs featuring both versions are frequently available online, but the easiest way to experience Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme is good ol' YouTube, where the whole thing has been archived.
The version of Blade Runner that we'll be showing is Ridley Scott's definitive 2007 Final Cut.
Party starts at 6 PM, films begin at 7 PM. Come prepared for discussion!
This will be a media potluck and also a REAL potluck, so everyone is asked to try to bring some food to share! We will be providing a special themed cake. Please RSVP and comment with what treat you will bring.
Media Potluck is proud to present, Los Angeles is Toast!: Nuclear War in 80s Film.
This month's double feature will be Miracle Mile (1988) and Repo Man (1984).
Taking place in the desolate streets and underground worlds of Los Angeles, circa the mid to late 1980s, Miracle Mile and Repo Man provide two unique, but varied, views of a culture overcome by the fears and anxieties of the cold war.
Party starts at 6 PM, films begin at 7 PM. Come prepared for discussion!
This will be a media potluck and also a REAL potluck, so everyone is asked to try to bring some food to share! We will be providing a special Repo Man themed cake. Please RSVP and comment with what treat you will bring.
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