The Insider

Just the other night, we watched The Insider, the story of Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco scientists turned whistleblower. I had seen it years before and it always stuck with me. Since my recent viewing, I have been reading background information on Dr. Wigand and what he endured to share his testimony in court depositions and on 60 Minutes. The movie itself was based on the Vanity Fair article, "The Man Who Knew Too Much."

I lost my grandfather to lung cancer in 1996, so smoking has always been a sore spot with me. According to the American Lung Association, over 392,000 Americans die from tobacco-caused diseases every year. Another 50,000 die from exposure to secondhand smoke. Due to the carcinogenic properties of secondhand smoke, I support smoking bans in public places. Of course, adults are free to inhale toxic chemicals if they so choose, but as a matter of public health they should not be able to exhale them wherever they choose. Again, according to the ALA's data, there are over 600 ingredients in a cigarette. When burned, that cigarette emits 4,000 chemicals.

It's certainly not news that tobacco companies routinely target their products at kids. And why wouldn't they! If they're losing around a quarter of a million customers every year because, you know, their products have been KILLING THEM OFF, they better do some recruiting. After all, tobacco company executives have families to feed, mansions to maintain, and politicians to pay. Corporate influence over our political system disgusts me more than just about anything, but I don't feel like getting into that today. Instead, I just want to read the dictionary.

I looked up the definition of "Terrorism" on Dictionary.com. Here's what it says:

1. The use of violence and threats to intimidate and coerce, esp. for political purposes.
2. The systematic use of violence and intimidation to achieve some goal.
3. The unlawful use or threat of violence esp. against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion.
4. Violent and intimidating gang activity.
5. A terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.

We are all free to draw our own conclusions about who fits that description, but I'm just going to say that I don't think it applies solely to radical Islamic fundamentalists.

Long story short, you should totally check out The Insider if you've never seen it before. I think it is a tense, well-paced, and compelling story.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey reader!
Hope all is well wherever you are. Been busy here in Rock & Roll Martian land. Knitting up a storm (pics coming soon) and hiding from work-related and extra curricular-related stresses. We shall be taking it easy this Thanksgiving; I see a feast for two, a movie marathon, and NO TRAVELING in our near future. Any movie recommendations to go along with the obligatory viewing of Planes, Trains & Automobiles?

Behold!
A Del Griffith Tattoo!

Putting the "X" Back in Xmas

Guess who has really kick-ass seats to see "A John Waters Christmas?" Damn right! ME! In their infinite wisdom, the Carolina Theatre sent me a postcard announcing the show with a password for the ticket pre-sale. Vee and I will be just a few rows away from the stage for his sure-to-be-tasteless, sure-to-be-amazing one-man show.

In preparation for the event, I will be rewatching some of my favorite John Waters movies and reading his recent memoir Role Models. I just picked it up from the library yesterday! He has such a lovely and familiar writing style. I want to give him a big hug on behalf of weirdos everywhere! See you in December, John!!

More Happiness

6) My dear friend Matt has come to visit! I haven't seen ol' "Marmot" in about 2 years. Seeing friends makes me happy! We've been having a great time. In fact...

7) We went to see "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" and it was really great! Both of us were prepared to hate everything about it as it hits us directly in the Nerd muscle (comic books, video games, AND music). Thanks to Edgar Wright's capable hands, though, we had nothing to fear. Definitely recommend! Fun movies make me happy, especially when you are pleasantly surprised by them.

8) We're getting together with other friend(s) tonight and making pizza. Making pizza = happy. It's all preparation for the day we finally open Pizza Terrace, our much-dreamed-about pizza place. Pizza Terrace will have only pizza-related songs on the juke. Accepting recommendations! Never fear, Abber, "Pizza Rocket" is *definitely* going to be on there.

T-Minus 4 Days!!

Need I say more??

Filmjitsu!

Lucky gal that I am, I have some really hilarious friends. Thankfully, one of the most hilarious of the bunch (which puts him high in the running for most hilarious world-wide) has started a downright awesome film podcast: FILMJITSU.

The basic premise: the two Filmjitsu hosts take turns picking atrocious movies for the other to watch and review. Sounds like a typical Friday night around these parts! Who doesn't love a shit-tastic movie? The Filmjitsu guys don't pull any punches, and possess extensive film knowledge, to boot. All-around fun podcast, and I'm not just saying that because Merrigunz happens to RULE.

If you have the means, I highly recommend listening to Filmjitsu. It is so choice. And, come on, it's free, so you have the means, which means you have no excuses!!

I Know You Are, But What Am I?!

I must say, I'm completely fascinated by the phenomenon of Pee-Wee Herman. Specifically, at this moment, I'm fascinated by the change in tone between 1980's The Jerk and Pee-Wee's Big Adventure in 1985. Merely five years separates these films - films that really have quite a bit in common - but they feel like they come from different planets.

Was Slate right when it said Steve Martin's primary trademark is nostalgia? I think so, and, at least for me, this comparison illustrates that more than ever. Navin Johnson's roots are nothing if not old-timey. He's captivated by Lawrence Welk, plays the ukelele, and - most of all - doesn't seem to know how to operate in the modern world.

Fast forward to Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. To these eyes, many aspects of the movie/characterizations seem rooted in early 20th century opulence and 1950s suburbia but utterly transform in Tim Burton's lens. The nostalgic elements here (the bicycle, the props, the joke shop) are so specific to Pee-Wee and his world that they lose their sense of time/place.

It's so interesting to think of Pee-Wee *truly* as a character invented and portrayed by a man, and not as an actual person. Throughout the '80s, we only ever saw Paul Reubens in costume. Pee-Wee did interviews. Paul was the puppeteer. And think of all the comedic and artistic minds that helped shape Pee-Wee as we know him: Phil Hartman, Danny Elfman, Tim Burton. All have their own warped take on the world - sincerity mixed with menace; sexuality mixed with celibacy; squeaky-clean mixed with seedy.

Will there ever be another "real life" character like Pee-Wee? I'm not talking about lame-ass Joaquin Phoenix grow-a-beard-and-now-I'm-crazy stunts, but people who go to extreme lengths to embody their characters at all times. What incredible dedication!

Right now the two "people" about whom I'd most like to read biographies are Leonardo DaVinci and Pee-Wee Herman. I don't even think that's as incongruous as it seems.

Which Is Worse?

Having recently watched both "movies," I can definitively state that CON AIR is way worse than POINT BREAK. Is that even a question?

versus

JUDGE FOR YOURSELF!!

YOU PUKEY THINGS!

It no longer appears that we're inching toward an inevitable/impending Maximum Overdrive situation. Nah, folks. It's so much better than that. We are our very own 2nd Wave Heaven's Gaters, riding on - nay, PILOTING - the Rhea-M as it charts a path for our ultimate destruction.

In twenty (ten? five? one?) years, when you see me on a highway median with this warning sandwich-boarded to my torso, be sure to text EMILIO to 56514. That's all I ask.

WE! MADE! YOU!!!!!

Summer Reading!

Much to my book-loving delight, my local library has just reopened after some amazing renovations. Slimer from Ghostbusters would have a hard time hiding in the stacks anymore, not to mention the card catalog has gone the way of the ... card catalog. To kick off a summer of easy-readin', I'm starting with these two great books:

The first is by my very good friend - nay, disgraced evil twin - Andy Schanie. Like movies? Like scandals? Like crazy stories about crazy movie stars? You will love Movie Confidential!


We all know movie stars are crazy. Let Andy tell you just HOW crazy! Seriously, help my bro out and buy his book from Amazon. Word has it that he's got a book tour in the works for August 2010. Stay tuned!


Next up we have a title that the incomparable Vee turned me on to: We Never Learn - The Story of the Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001. Written by New Bomb Turks frontman Eric Davidson, "tour de farce" is really not a strong enough term for this book (and she says that lovingly).


For people who read Please Kill Me and Our Band Could Be Your Life only to wonder "What happened next? What about all the bands they didn't mention?" - We Never Learn is for you. In the words of Michael Hayes, "[They] kept knocking on the door until finally somebody had to answer it right! FINE-LAAAAAY!"

We Never Learn celebrates the underground bands that defied pigeonholing; bands that were more about partying than politics or posturing; bands that went for it, but never really made it. Unless your idea of "making it" entails copious amounts of alcohol, illicit drugs and fistfights, in which case they ALL made it.

There are approximately ZERO "mainstream" bands today that I could give two shits about. We Never Learn summarizes why. To paraphrase one of my favorite lines so far from the book, "Irony" gave everyone something to hide behind because what too many bands (people) feared was taking a chance and looking like a dumbass. The bands profiled in this book took those chances. Unapologetically. I'll always gravitate toward their music over their more successful "alternative" peers. Give me the HONEST dumbass over the ironic poseur any day.

Beverly Hills COBRA?

Anyone else familiar with this story? Allegedly Sylvester Stallone was set to write and star in Beverly Hills Cop. His screenplay ended up being so Over The Top that the studio didn't have the Tango & Cash to make it happen. Result? It became COBRA. We are planning a double-feature soon and will keep a copious log of the parallelisms. Sorry to leave you on such a Cliffhanger!

The One And Only Flaw In "Die Hard"

Greetings, Earthlings and Welcome to Rock & Roll Martian. If you don't enjoy yourself, well, that's your own damn fault.

Something came to my attention recently and I feel compelled to write about it. When it comes to Action movies, there are definitely a few sub-genres that I subscribe to. Just to name a few, you've got your "High Body Count," "Cold War Nostalgia," "Soundtrack By Frank Stallone," and "So Terrible It Defies Terrible And Becomes Awesome." As amazing and re-watchable as many of these movies are, there are only a select few that I'll call "Flawless." Up until Saturday, Die Hard was one of them. Then I spotted this:



Now I don't claim to know everything, John Boy, but I know FOR A FACT that there is NO POSSIBLE WAY Ellis would ever drink anything but DIET Coke. There is only one kind of full-on coke that Ellis would be interested in, and I think we all know what that is. Long story short - way to go Production/Set Designer! Your inattention to detail cost this movie its RnRMartian patented "Flawless" rating. I'm sure you're crushed.

Think you can handle this Euro trash? Doubt it.