002 – Socializing
The Unsure Line
Pee Wee Does Sly Stone
I don’t need to convince anyone of the awesomeness of Pee Wee Herman (Paul Reubens), but it never hurts to have a periodic reminder.
Our house had HBO and I saw The Pee Herman Show when it was first being broadcast. It pre-dates the kid’s show by several years. It was a stage show before a live audience filmed at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood.
I was ten years old. I looooved the show. My favorite part by far was Jambi the Genie, but man, this whole show was just weird and joyful and bubbly and GREAT.
This clip starts with a little bit of Jambi, then segues into a medley of songs by Sly and the Family Stone, performed by Pee Wee, Brian Seff and Monica Ganas.
Enjoy! (or don’t!)
A Satisfying Frustration of Expectations
I heard “Green Shirt” by Elvis Costello many years after it came out.
I liked it. It had what all of Elvis Costello’s best songs have — good pop hooks and great lyrics.
This one hit slightly different for me, though.
Every time he sings the chorus I’m expecting to end it with a different phrase, but he never sings it. I’m always expecting him to end with “gonna get hurt”.
He NEVER SINGS THIS. Why not? It rhymes with ‘shirt’. Someone who’s “gonna get hurt” seems like the obvious rhyme. “Hurt” is also an obvious choice as it’s the opposite of “please” in the previous line. It would match the rhythm of the previous phrase as well.
Instead of matching the meter of the prior phrase, he short circuits the natural rhythm of the last line and sings “gonna get it”. which ends before the downbeat that punctuates the end of the chorus.
I feel like it’s a deliberate confounding of the listener’s expectations. Can you think any other songs that do this kind of thing — where something that would seem to fit naturally is intentionally swapped out with something different, slightly “off”?
You tease, and you flirt
And you shine all the buttons on your green shirt
You can please yourself but somebody’s gonna get it hurt
You can please yourself but somebody’s gonna get it hurt
You can please yourself but somebody’s gonna get it hurt
Rian Johnson Breaks Down a Scene From Knives Out And Did He Get Benoit Blanc from a David Bowie Song
I know it might be weird highlighting this video and other videos that have views in the millions. I’ve also found at least I personally have numerous gaps of knowledge of very popular videos. It seems pretty easy to miss the boat on any variety of videos because sometimes that just happens.
So, this video is so great. He talks in detail about a pretty complex scene from Knives Out, where we are first introduced to Chris Evans’ character Ransom.
Johnson is just a delight as he breaks down not crossing the 180 degree rule, little moments the actors brought to the scene, neat tech background details, etc.
It’s just a wonderful video.
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ALSO THIS IS SOMETHING I DISCOVERED TODAY WHICH IS PROBABLY NOT A THING AT ALL
You know that David Bowie song “Golden Years”? I was listening to it today and I definitely heard the words “Benoit Blanc”.
Sure the lyrics are supposedly:
In walked luck and you looked in time
But judge for yourself, people! It’s at around the 1:07 mark.
BENOIT BLANC.
I have asked Mr. Johnson but he has not replied yet.
Gorns Win!
Lotsa ‘Splainin’ To Do!
Splotchy: What is your blog?
Prof. Hubbard: I had several. Lotsa ‘Splainin’ 2 Do (LS2D) was general, there was also a math blog, a blog named To the Best of My Recollection, a blog named This Day in Science Fiction (TDISF).
S: When and why did you start blogging?
PH: I had online friends who blogged. I started back in the 2000s.
S: Did you stop blogging?
PH: This Day in Science Fiction was the last blog I wrote.
S: When did you stop blogging?
PH: TDISF ended in 2015.
S: What were any factors that contributed to stopping?
PH: Getting more work.
S: Do you ever miss it?
PH: Yes. I post daily old TDISF on Mastodon.
S: Do you think you’ll ever pick it up again? Why or why not?
PH: If I find a topic that interests me, I might.
S: How do you feel about social media? Does it give you the same feelings as blogging? Why or why not?
PH: I like keeping track of people on Facebook. I was genuinely saddened when Elon Musk turned Twitter to crap.
S: How do you feel about the state of the Internet in general? This is a very broad question, so feel free how to answer as you see fit.
PH: As it has always been, it’s a great source for stuff, but you have to pick through a lot of crap. I subscribe to several streaming services.
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful answers! I confess I didn’t know about your other blogs! It’s good to connect with you again, Professor. It’s been a while. 🙂
Necrology
I have a B.A. in Film which I am not using in any career. I have made a couple movies since graduating, but I don’t think I really gained any skills at school that I did not already have.
I didn’t learn much. I don’t think my education was particularly good — it was during the last gasp of a tired faculty that gave up on the promises of 1970s independent cinema 10 years before I got there. I’m a little sour on the whole experience.
However, one really neat thing I cherish was seeing lots of documentaries and experimental films that I would likely never see otherwise.
Experimental films and documentaries are not readily available. One thing that really kills me about the show Documentary Now is that it parodies lots of real documentaries that most people have never seen. Hey, assholes, why don’t you show people the real Salesman or Original Cast Album: Company as a public service instead of poking fun at something really hard to find. Assholes!
Anyways, I saw lots of documentaries and experimental films. Experimental films are even harder to find than documentaries. I can find some online, but the quality is often pretty bad. I found several bad transfers of the 1970s silent film Serene Velocity with audio added. NO. NO LIKE.
One of my favorite experimental films I saw at school is the Standish Lawder film Necrology. I found a copy of it that has pretty nice resolution and preserves the soundtrack, even if it is a bit faint.
Enjoy! (or Don’t!)
P.S. After I wrote this post I had a sinking suspicion I might have talked about this film before. I mentioned it in passing and shared a video of it (now gone) in 2007.
I think it warrants a mention every 16 years. Don’t you?
Gorn and Gorn
Comedian John Caponera Tells Jokes Whose Punchlines Also Happen to be Joy Division Song Titles
