With the introduction of popular culture, and the mass production and consumption of goods, an unfortunate side effect of all this is that many things that you encounter, and have great love and affection for, may become tragically unavailable.
In some cases, as technology advances and we repeatedly trade in one format of a product (videocassettes, vinyl) for another (supposedly) superior format (DVDs, CDs), a lot of very good stuff never makes the leap and stays in its archaic format forever.
Thankfully, there are many people out there who take matters into their own hands and make copies of beloved movies and music, and in some cases share them with the rest of us.
Still, it’s nice to have a slick, pretty product of something that really moves you in some way.
Here’s a short, incomplete list of stuff I wish was still in print.
The Blade: Shellville High School Yearbook
A great yearbook by Don Novello (aka Father Guido Sarducci) of a high school of sheep. Real sheep.
The Shmenge Brothers – The Last Polka – a pseudo-doc on the famous polka duo from SCTV — starring John Candy and Eugene Levy. Probably the funniest thing I have ever seen on the teevee.
Most music that I have been jonesing for I have actually been able to find through my friend Buford T. Lawless, who somehow downloads music from the Internet through something called “bitemorebits”. Buford says he would love to find a copy of the double-LP UK version of Little Figures, by the early 80’s Athens, GA band The Method Actors. Oh, Buford! You and me, both!
You can get a used copy of The Blade on http://www.half.com, but it’s pricey:
http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Blade_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ2496901
Another great one he wrote was “The Lazlo Letters.” He wrote a bunch of letters to various heads of corporations, etc. in the personna of a whacked-out superpatriot. The letters, and their earnest responses, are hilarious.
I was thrilled when they started to release the old SCTV episodes on DVD. SCTV quickly became much, much funnier than SNL, after SNL’s 4th or 5th season.
Yeah, I love the Laszlo books!
I just noticed that there is a new book of Laszlo Toth letters (“From Bush To Bush”) that I haven’t read.
Fight! Fight! Fight! I’m with ya!
if anyone has that album, it’s Beth.