SUNDAY MORNING TUNEAGE
SIMPLE MINDS - PROMISED YOU A MIRACLE. That 1982 album "New Gold Dream" has some gems on it. But none better than this tune. While they'd have lots of singles over the decade - this is probably their best Dance song. And the remix is one that needs to be played at bars all over the country. Great memories of that Spring of 1983 when it played on MTV constantly.
"Slipping back on golden times
Breathing with sweet memories."
STRAY CATS - I WON'T STAND IN WAY. This 1983 single is one of my favorite Stray Cats songs because it isn't Rockabilly as much as a straight up traditional early 1960s DoWop type of song that could easily have been lifted directly from the DINER or AMERICAN GRAFFITI soundtrack. And it's about finally letting the "one" girl go. Excellent stuff that most people don't recognize as Stray Cats.
SPLIT ENZ - STRANGER THAN FICTION. This song is the title of their biography and it's the song that they build their concerts around. It isn't a huge hit but it's pretty illustrative of the peak years when they were the hottest export from New Zealand. The lyrics are literary and the sound is New Wave mixed with the Art Rock of classic Genesis. I'm so glad to hear it again this morning. More Split Enz, iTunes, please.
SOMETHING RANDOM . . .
QUICK LIST (a random, uninformed list off the top of Shawn's head)
BEST UNFILMED STEPHEN KING STORIES AND NOVELS
10. BLOCKADE BILLY. Not sure how this short baseball story would play best - probably a made for HBO film. It's a bit hokey but with the right director it could be a good supernatural film.
9. INSOMNIA. I think that even non-DARK TOWER fans could deal with this if done correctly. It's more than just a movie - but less than series. A multi-part mini-series maybe by the BBC would work.
8. RAGE. This book under the Richard Bachman pseudonym will probably never make it to film. It's essentially a school shooting story that hits very close to home with the headlines. There might be a brave director that would try to pry it from him.
7. THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON. Long short story or short novel. Not sure how to classify it but it could make a really creepy film in the tradition of BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, etc.
6. GERALDS GAME. Not one of my favorite books. It was much lesser than the other "strong women" novels. It has a kinky angle that might make an interesting film. If casted correctly - it could be a breakout role for a late 20s actress.
5. THE TALISMAN. It's such a great novel that I had to quickly look to make sure it hadn't been adapted already. It's too long for a single film and would probably have the best tone for a miniseries. You definitely need to read it first.
4. THE EYES OF THE DRAGON. I love this Science Fiction work. It's the least Stephen King of the Stephen King novels. I don't know how easy it would be to adapt. I'm willing to go out on a limb and wonder if it wouldn't make a nice animated feature.
3. CELL. It's like a mashup of about 5 other King works. But I'm a huge fan of the sheer fun of the zombies meet "The Stand" premise of the film. Done right - this could be a film that resets the zombie craze back to movie levels.
2. 11/22/63. I feel like this could work on many levels. It's a huge book but it could be adapted down to a 2 hour film or maybe best as a two-part film the way that the last Harry Potter was handled. I know it's only a matter of time on this one . . .
1. THE DARK TOWER. We'll see this in our lifetimes - I mean, we did see "Watchmen" - but how we see it is the key. It cries out for a "Game of Thrones" type of multi-season adaptation. Casting will be a non-winner. Everyone has ideas in their heads - I can't see any known actor pulling it off. The text of the novels would be a pretty easy adaptation as is.
He's the "pop storyteller" of our generation. His works are accessible and pleasantly scary. More often than not, they make good films and sometimes they make tremendous films - SHAWSHANK, STAND BY ME, CARRIE, etc. The likelihood of 7-8 of these being made is pretty high. What am I not waiting to see? "Breathing Method" was a good shocking story but wouldn't work well in any format over 30 minutes. "The Regulators" is a good story but I've yet to imagine that it would be a good mini-series. Some of the other Bachman works just don't seem like they'll make good films like "The Long Walk". Maybe soon we need a list of the ones that are most crying for a remake (it wouldn't include "Carrie").
NETFLIX PLAY NOW OF THE WEEK . . .OUR IDIOT BROTHER might not be award winning but you get Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks . . . the uplifting film THE ROAD is now available . . . The 4400 was one of those shows over 4 seasons that seemed to start as a copy of "Lost" but was one that took on a life of its own and I always wanted to indulge in.
Shawn's fave movies according to FLICKCHART
#105 - No Country For Old Men
#729 - Mr. Holland's Opus
#1045 - Frost/Nixon
RANDOM PROJECT UPDATE - The BREAKING BAD project. Yep, I'm not caught up. I kinda tried over the Summer. But it's nice to kinda keep going at it with a few episodes at a time and then a bit of a break to let it sink in. I'm finished with the 2nd season. It was quite a run that started with Tuco's death and greatly expanded the business plan. I was growing tired of Jesse and Jane and I'm interested to see the fallout from that. It's really good - I never said it would be anything but. Now I'm at the point where the show took almost a 10 month break - I won't let it go so long before delving into Season 3.
SHAWN'S TOP ALBUMS OF ALL-TIME (a tribute to the art of the album)
#26 Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (1975)
It's hard to narrow down my favorite Bob Dylan albums. The issue is that most of his albums are only about 80% complete for me. There's a run of 7-8 great songs and a few duds. But this 1975 album is one of the few that's a home run from beginning to end. This isn't the political and folky Dylan - these are songs of love and heartbreak. This is an exploration of growing old and being angry and lonely. These songs still hit on an emotional level that he doesn't always reach. Even today - this album is timeless. There are ten extraordinary songs that stand the test of time. Songs like "Shelter From The Storm" tell the kind of story that I just long for from today's artists.
Shelter From The Storm
You're Going To Make Me Lonesome When You Go
You're A Big Girl Now
You're Going To Make Me Lonesome When You Go
You're A Big Girl Now
Previous Rankings
#27 - Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
#28 - The Clash - London Calling (1979)
#29 - Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)
#30 - New Order - Power, Corruption, Lies (1983)
#31 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
THIS WEEK IN TELEVISION
MONDAY
UNDER THE DOME (CBS) The 1st season is winding down and you fair weather Stephen King fans abandoned this show a bit early. It's still trying to find an identity, but as the supernatural takes more of a central stage - I've enjoyed the past few episodes a bit more. Dean Norris as Big Jim has actually done a good job of escaping his "Breaking Bad" character.
POV: PING PONG (PBS) This documentary covers the incredibly cool Over 80 Year Olds in their own World Table Tennis Championships.
TUESDAY
SONS OF ANARCHY (FX) The 5th Season starts tonight. I knew from the very beginning that I'd like this show. Still sure that I'll love it when I finally get started. Donal Logue won me over on "Copper" and he looks like a similar character here.
AMERICAN MASTERS: BILLIE JEAN KING (PBS) I don't know if anybody younger than my generation even understands what she meant not just to women's tennis - but women's sports and the feminist movement in general. A nice long look at her life tonight.
WEDNESDAY
THE HEART, SHE HOLLER (TOON) Weird soap opera airing with short episodes every weeknight for 3 weeks - stars Patton Oswalt and Amy Sedaris - that should sell you.
BRAINS ON TRAIL w/ALAN ALDA (PBS) Interesting look at what Science might do for our Justice System. It's scary what kind of inner thoughts that Science might be able to discover.
THURSDAY
DEREK (NETFLIX) It's been a dozen years since "The Office". Then there's the excellent follow-ups like "Extras" and "Life's Too Short". Ricky Gervais is back on Netflix this time and I'm anxious to see Karl Pilkington in the role of Dougie.
IMPRACTICAL JOKERS (TRU) I was late to this show - finding it this Summer. The practical joke show is hilarious and Rosie O'Donnell is along for the jokes tonight.
FRIDAY
HAVEN (SYFY) This show is still around and I remember watching the initial episodes and thinking it seemed like a mini-series. And years later it's still rolling along. Any body watch?
SOYLENT GREEN (TCM) There's probably no way that you don't know the secret of this film, right? Don't let that stop you from enjoying an excellently written film starring Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson.
SATURDAY
LIFEBOAT (TCM) I haven't seen this 1944 Hitchcock in years. Wonderful story that plays out like a stage play.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OHIO ST AT CALIFORNIA (ABC) Do I need to say more than "Go Cal!!"
SUNDAY
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO) So, so excited for the return of this show. It covers one of my favorite times in history and last season ended so spectacularly.
THE NEWSROOM (HBO) An uneven 2nd season comes to an end. The writing has been less than satisfactory. But I still enjoy the characters and I'll be back for another season.
MONDAY
UNDER THE DOME (CBS) The 1st season is winding down and you fair weather Stephen King fans abandoned this show a bit early. It's still trying to find an identity, but as the supernatural takes more of a central stage - I've enjoyed the past few episodes a bit more. Dean Norris as Big Jim has actually done a good job of escaping his "Breaking Bad" character.
POV: PING PONG (PBS) This documentary covers the incredibly cool Over 80 Year Olds in their own World Table Tennis Championships.
TUESDAY
SONS OF ANARCHY (FX) The 5th Season starts tonight. I knew from the very beginning that I'd like this show. Still sure that I'll love it when I finally get started. Donal Logue won me over on "Copper" and he looks like a similar character here.
AMERICAN MASTERS: BILLIE JEAN KING (PBS) I don't know if anybody younger than my generation even understands what she meant not just to women's tennis - but women's sports and the feminist movement in general. A nice long look at her life tonight.
WEDNESDAY
THE HEART, SHE HOLLER (TOON) Weird soap opera airing with short episodes every weeknight for 3 weeks - stars Patton Oswalt and Amy Sedaris - that should sell you.
BRAINS ON TRAIL w/ALAN ALDA (PBS) Interesting look at what Science might do for our Justice System. It's scary what kind of inner thoughts that Science might be able to discover.
THURSDAY
DEREK (NETFLIX) It's been a dozen years since "The Office". Then there's the excellent follow-ups like "Extras" and "Life's Too Short". Ricky Gervais is back on Netflix this time and I'm anxious to see Karl Pilkington in the role of Dougie.
IMPRACTICAL JOKERS (TRU) I was late to this show - finding it this Summer. The practical joke show is hilarious and Rosie O'Donnell is along for the jokes tonight.
FRIDAY
HAVEN (SYFY) This show is still around and I remember watching the initial episodes and thinking it seemed like a mini-series. And years later it's still rolling along. Any body watch?
SOYLENT GREEN (TCM) There's probably no way that you don't know the secret of this film, right? Don't let that stop you from enjoying an excellently written film starring Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson.
SATURDAY
LIFEBOAT (TCM) I haven't seen this 1944 Hitchcock in years. Wonderful story that plays out like a stage play.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OHIO ST AT CALIFORNIA (ABC) Do I need to say more than "Go Cal!!"
SUNDAY
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO) So, so excited for the return of this show. It covers one of my favorite times in history and last season ended so spectacularly.
THE NEWSROOM (HBO) An uneven 2nd season comes to an end. The writing has been less than satisfactory. But I still enjoy the characters and I'll be back for another season.
AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . . It's the time of year when we'll get a slew of Messin With Sasquatch ads. The flaming bag is a good classic . . .
Queen my dishes . . .
The Puppy Brother ad is still on of the best of the year . . .
"We always did feel the same
We just saw it from a different point of view." - Bob Dylan
We just saw it from a different point of view." - Bob Dylan
Tangled up. Stay hard.
sb
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