August 11

Today, we're lighting candles for Amy Holland, 80's soundtrack siren.
Show business was a family business for Amy (mom was a country singer, dad sang in opera houses;) in 1980, she produced her debut album with her future husband Michael McDonald (yes, the Doobie.) She got her sole Top 40 appearance out of it. But her real big break was when two of her songs ended up on the Scarface soundtrack.

(This song found a second life on the Grand Theft Auto 3 soundtrack, and a third life as a Lil Wayne cover.)

She had one more solo album in 1983, but the rest of the decade was all about movie soundtracks, and not just any spot in the movie:

You see, you need just the right song over the credits, to help preserve that warm feeling inside as you walk out of the theater (totally ignoring the people who do the location coordination, set design, post-production work- but I digress...)
'Teen Wolf', 'St Elmo's Fire', 'Night of the Comet', 'K-9', 'The Lion of Africa': nothing put a button on a movie like an Amy Holland ballad...

[her duet w/ Chris Farren, "Learn to Love Again", kicks in around the 3:20 mark...]

Meanwhile, Amy enjoyed her time as Mrs McDonald, moving the family to Tennessee in the 90's. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995, and survived a series of difficult treatments. She's even recorded a new album as Amy Holland-McDonald, 2008's The Journey to Miracle River, which has been well-received. No word on any soundtrack appearances, however.
That's my cue...

August 7

Happy Birthday to veteran actor David Rasche, the That Guy that found, for a moment and a half, the perfect leading role.

He first made his reputation on the Chicago stage; he's particulary received acclaim for his Mamet performances. He also developed his comedic chops in Chicago, assuming John Belushi's spot when Belushi was called up to Saturday Night Live. Perhaps it was the same combination of machismo and buffoonery that made Sledge Hammer such a perfect role.

Sledge Hammer!, a parody of Dirty Harry and NBC's "Hunter" series, lasted two seasons.

"Sledge Hammer" was only one high point of a long TV and movie career. (His longest running series, by five episodes, was the NBC sitcom "Nurses.") He tends to play bunglers or smarmy weasels of the corporate (LA Law, Ugly Betty) or political (West Wing, In the Loop, Burn After Reading.)

But he's so under the radar that he was the most recognizable face in the movie United 93, a movie they wanted to film without any actors that would take the audience out of the story.

Still there are plenty of fans who would recognize him in any role, even if they only see him in one. And they're all going to be in one building!

August 2

Today's the birthday of Wes Craven, and if you pay attention to movies, you probably know his name already: as a film director and writer, he's shaped the American horror film for decades, from 1972's The Last House on the Left, to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and the Scream series. Today, we're going to take a look at his excursions beyond the horror genre.

1982's "Swamp Thing" was his comic book movie, his attempt to show that he could handle action films, big stunts, and big-name actors (the film starred Adrienne Barbeau, Louis Jordan, and Ray Wise. The film garnered enough of a cult reputation to inspire a sequel and a popular TV series.

At one point, Craven was signed to direct "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace". Those legendary "creative differences" (with star - and eventual director - Christopher Reeve) got Craven replaced.

How did Wes Craven end up directing the Meryl Streep movie "Music of the Heart"? He demanded it. In fact, he only agreed to direct a third Scream movie if he got to direct "Music". At the time, Madonna was attached to the biopic about a music teacher in New York that was saving the world one violin at a time. Madonna and Craven had "creative differences", but Craven got to stay in his chair this time.

The film would end up nominated for two Oscars. Critics spoke well of Craven's directing, surprised by his understated handling of the film's melodrama.

"Vampire in Brooklyn" should have worked. Craven and Eddie Murphy wanted to work together; Murphy wanted something darker than his typical urban comedies, and Craven knew how to inject humor into his macabre movies. And "Brooklyn" has real-deal horror fx, plus Eddie Murphy in multiple roles; it's got the two great tastes...

...that taste kind of off. Was Murphy trying too hard to be a leading man(is it a coincidence that he got the gothic mullet look, ala Tom Cruise's Lestat one year prior?) or was he leaning too much on his comedic timing? Was Craven trying too hard to make a comedy, or did he just lose control of the film? "Brooklyn" has its fans, but most people call it an Eddie Murphy film...

Finally, we feature Craven's contribution to the motion picture menagerie known as 'Paris Je T'aime'. As befitting the theme, it's a short romantic comedy about love in Paris, and the most supernatural element is Oscar Wilde.

Apparently, this was Craven's concession to his reputation as a horrormeister. (BTW, "Paris Je T'aime" is a warm and fuzzy film, but the chapter before Craven's has a hot and savage vampiress versus Elijah Wood... so everybody's happy!)

July 30

Sonu Nigam is the answer to a long-standing question of mine: where do the songs in Bollywood films come from? Nigam is what's known in Bollywood circles as a playback artist, the singer of a movie's song that the actor lip-syncs for the film. Contrary to the experience in Western entertainment, it's expected and respected. Here's an example from one of my favorite Bollywood films:



The scene is from "Om Shanti Om", one of my favorite Bollywood films. And though I had figured out it wasn't movie star Shah Rukh Khan singing (else, I'd have read about his magnificent music career, instead of just his magnificent movie career) I didn't know who in the credits sang the songs. Now I know: it can be a different singer for each song.
Sonu Nigam is a second-generation singer, whose star rose after he began appearing on a popular music talent show in his 20's. He's worked extremely hard to reach his level of popularity in India; he's released albums in over a dozen languages (because India's that big, and I'm still wrapping my head around this.)
Here's the real Sonu Nigam, in a music video for one of his songs:

He's trying to launch his own film career (no idea if he sings all the songs in his films) but he's more recognized for his musical talent.

I'm used to Hollywood standards, taking for granted that the actors singing onscreen are generating their own musical voices (Glee, Moulin Rouge, Across the Universe) even if I know they're not generating the songs on-set. The first Western equivalent that comes to mind is Turturro's "Romance and Cigarettes," and the effect was jarring, too obvious (one of many problems with that film.) I've also seen it work (John Waters' "Crybaby" comes to mind.) It's one more string to the illusion, and it can still achieve the desired effect; one character unleashing the song in their heart for the world to hear...)

July 29

It's time to wish 'Hyvää syntymäpäivää!' to Finnish cellist Paavo Lötjönen. A Sibelius University graduate, he first picked up the cello at 7 years old. And he might have ended up a cello teacher or symphony member, except for a band he and his friends started in college, called Apocalyptica.
Their first album, "Plays Metallica by Four Cellos", is exactly what it says it is. It's wonderful.


Their second album set the tone of the band's musical evolution: they delivered some more Metallica covers, along with some songs from other metal stalwarts, and four original compositions, allowing the four cellists to exhibit individual identities.
Paavo, for example, tends to provide the backbeat and deeper refrains.

By the way, Paavo's the short haired one, and the member with the most umlaats in his name (and therefore, the most metal one...)

It doesn't seem likely that a band would achieve any longetivety by playing metal music with classical instruments. Heck, starting a band with four people playing the same instrument seems ridiculous enough. But Apocalyptica's a great example of how to build a band right: start with playing your versions of your favorite songs, until they're your best versions, then write songs that show off your best talents - and just rock. Apocalyptica's evolved since their humble beginnings: they became three cellists and a drummer in 2003. They also began collaborating with accomplished vocalists and guitarists from around the world.

That's "I'm Not Jesus", featuring Slipknot's Corey Taylor; it was the lead-off single
of 2007's "Worlds Collide" album, their most successful album to date. Personally, I like the songs as songs, but think the collaboration songs are so traditionally structured that the cellists have to assume traditional rock arrangements (cello as rhythm guitar, as lead, as bass); fine for the radio audience, but not what I listen to Apocalyptica for.

I'm going to finish this post with what I consider Apocalyptica at their best. This track's called "Farewell," from their self-titled fifth album; Paavo said in an interview that the band self-titled it because they felt the album best represented Apocalyptica. This video, BTW, is a fanvid, using clips from the Kurt Wimmer film "Equilibrium":

July 27

Here's a birthday wish to Bobbie Gentry, who may be one of the most mysterious entries that I'll write about in this blog. Let me employ a contemporary reference: she's the Lauryn Hill of country music.
First, let's listen to the song that defined her career: the Southern Gothic tune "Ode to Billy Joe".

The mystery of what happened on the Tallahassee Bridge was a phenomenon in 1967; it was #1 on the Pop chart, a top 10 hit on the Adult and R&B charts (but not country!) The album knocked 'Sgt Pepper' off the top spot. The song managed 8 Grammy nominations, of which Bobbie won 3 - including Best New Artist. (If you pay attention to the Grammys, you might know where this is going...)
Her second album, "The Delta Sweete" was a semi-autobiographical concept album, continuing her swampwater songbird sound. It didn't sell as well as the other 3 albums she put out in 1968, mostly covers and duets.

After "Billy Joe", her next composition that achieved some resonance was "Fancy"; the song and album were released in 1970.

The song's become a Reba McEntire standard, and, in its way, a feminist anthem. For Bobbie Gentry, it was her last Grammy nomination, her last hit single.
The album "Fancy" was one of three Bobbie Gentry albums released in 1970. In all, she had recorded nine albums in four years.

The 70's were her cashing in period. There would be no more new songs. She toured Europe, then managed a big payday for a Vegas revue, where she had complete creative control. In the summer of 1974, she had her TV Variety show, the Bobbie Gentry Happiness Hour. In 1976, "Ode to Billy Joe" became a feature film starring Robbie Benson and Glynnis O'Connor.

The film promised to answer the long-debated questions of why Billy Joe jumped off the bridge and what the girl knew.
By 1980, she was retired from performing altogether.

My biggest question is, were there any more songs? She certainly had the artistic ambitions; although Kelly Gordon received producer credit for "Billy Joe" and several other albums, Bobbie revealed that she produced most of her songs (and had to list an established producer at the label's insistence.) She resorted to covering pop and country standards to retain some measure of "Billy Joe" success, while the creative follow-ups - songs like "Casket Vignette" and "Apartment 21" - were ignored by the masses.
So, she did retire to enjoy motherhood and her spoils? Was she frustrated or heartbroken with the business? Did she just leave while the leaving was good? She was a mysterious woman from the first; no use expecting answers now...

We'll let her say goodbye with her buddies Bing Crosby and Tiny Tim:

July 23

This post is dedicated to That Guy Ronny Cox, a folk singer who became an 80's Hollywood action staple. Born in New Mexico, Ronny had an affinity for music: he was calling at square dances at 11. As a teenager, he sat in Buddy Holly's Peggy Sue sessions in nearby Clovis, and recorded music for producer Norman Petty. He even earned his way through college through a rock n' roll band he played in with his two brothers.
In 1972, his musical ability helped him secure his first movie role, in the action film 'Deliverance'. He qualifies for this blog for this scene alone:


When Deliverance became a box-office smash, Ronny Cox suddenly had an acting career. He had his own series in 1974, playing the head of a modern family moving to a small town in 'Apple's Way'. But he found more success as a character actor, playing cranky doctors, slimy corporate executives, disapproving dads and plenty of cops. After his role as Police Captain Bogomil in the Beverly Hills Cop series, he became the go-to guy for The Police Chief Who Has to Reign the Loose Cannon In.
Here he is, playing that role, in what was supposed to be ex-Oakland Raider John Matuszak's breakthrough action film:

(Matuszak's greatest role in his brief career would come later, in 1985's "The Goonies"...)

Ronny Cox also developed another speciality character: the slimy bureacrat. Whether it was political ('Total Recall') or just business ('Robocop'), audiences found him eminently hissable. Here's a recent meme, featuring a memorable scene from 'Robocop':

Besides bellicose police administrators and creepy corporate climbers, he's played plenty of politicians ('Murder, She Wrote', Stargate SG-1... he's even played the President in 3 different movies) and military types (Taps, Star Trek:TNG).


The roles that ask him to pick up a guitar have been slight in his resume. There was, however, his moment while playing the police chief in 'Cop Rock', the 90's version of 'Glee':

In the 90's, he resumed his focus on his first love: music. These days, his music's squarely in the folk/americana vein. He tours regularly, and has recorded six albums so far.

July 13

Happy Birthday to Professor Erno Rubik, architectural engineer and creator of the world's most popular toy. He invented the Magic Cube in 1974, but when the Ideal Toy Company signed for international distribution rights, they changed the name to Rubik's Cube in 1980 (which is why they're celebrating a 30th anniversary so much later.)

The Cube was a phenomenon in the 80's, and it's still a global best-seller, probably because solving the puzzle remains shorthand for 'smarter than the average bear'.
Speedcubing competitions gather fans to see who can solve the Cube fastest (current record: 7.08 seconds); then blindfolded, or underwater, or with their feet, or blindfolded with a spotter...

Professor Rubik was able to start his own company, desigining more toys, as well as furniture (would you buy a Rubik's Couch? Would you ever be able to open and close a Rubik's Futon?) The international Rubik's site offers official 3X3 cubes, plus 4X4 cubes, 5X5 cubes, customization and lubrication kits (if your stickers are wearing out, for example), build-your-own 3X3 cubes... I also found a website that not only found various permutations of Cubes available, but such tchotchkes as cufflinks and coffeetables.
I wasn't a Cube-ist in the 80's; I preferred a Rubik's snake (officially, the 'Rubik's Twist'). My family had two: the classic blue/white and a sturdier orange/yellow one. While it has nowhere near the Cube levels of fandom, it's still a reliable seller. It's like a self-contained sculpture piece:

A Rubik's toy that I haven't seen in years is Rubik's Magic, which was several flat panels that connected together like snakes and ladders. It was almost as addictive, but not as durable.


But it's the Cube that makes him a star among contemporary Gepettos. I've read that he doesn't like doing interviews, and I could understand that if every other person I met asked me 'so, how do you do it?' In fact, if I was him, I'd have a basket of Cubes on the ready and make a reporter solve a cube for she could ask another question. I mean, it's just a toy; how hard can it be?

June 11

Happy Birthday to That Guy Peter Dinklage. In the industry, he's beaten Danny Devito and Tony Cox for front runner status for any role requiring a short guy (Elf, Underdog, Prince Caspian) Fortunately, he's carefully cultivated a career that asks for more than a lack of height (The Station Agent, Death at a Funeral, Penelope). He got a heck of a gift with his debut film role: here's his rant in "Living in Oblivion."

May 27

A rare commodity in modern film is the 'scream queen'. The nature of the typical horror film makes it so; there's little time for character development before the majority of the cast become roadkill. To make the most of a thankless role, the actress has to bring in her own charisma and talents, and not just a good set of lungs.
Linnea Quigley's a great example. She brought her certain something into movies like "Silent Night, Deadly Night" and "Night of the Demons". My favorite role of hers was Spider in "Sorority Babes at the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama"; she presaged my adoration of punk girls, biker babes, and Angelina Jolie (ah, so that's why she's fallen off the map for me...)

It's her dancing that highlights some of her most adored roles. She even toplined her own exercise video. Here's a star turn from "Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers"

May 21

Today's Laurence Tureaud's birthday, but you can call him Mr T. He is the closest thing we have to a living American myth, but I can share some historical tidbits with you: He created the Mr T persona while working as a bouncer. While working the door at some club, he would wear the gold chains, rings and other jewelry that got left behind after some fight in the establishment, so whoever lost their items could get them back without re-entering the club. He wears the Mohawk in the style of a Mandinka warrior, an ethnic group of the African continent; he discovered the hairstyle while reading National Geographic.

His combination of radiating strength and public saavy made him a natural as a celebrity bodyguard, in every sense of the phrase. He parlayed that into an acting career, then into cartoons and pro wrestling, then merchandising. Matter of fact, I started a cereal box collection a few years ago, just to have an excuse to buy a box of Mr T cereal again.

Never mind that the box was empty. Never mind that the cereal tasted like tart packing material, even back in the day. Ebay had that box, and I went for it.
A new generation's discovering Mr T: besides his current status as a pitchman and reality TV star, he's been doing impressive work in cartoons like The Proud Family and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. In 2010, he has a CGI "Mr T" movie in development, and he's got his own video game forthcoming, as well. That's not so surprising, considering what he did to World of Warcraft.

That's enough jibba jabba for today. Stay in school!

April 27

So, why isn't James LeGros a bigger star in the universe? He's got a leading man chin and indie taste in scripts; why isn't he on the shortlist for any of these superhero movies that get greenlit every week?
Is it the name (pronounced Le-Grow)? Has he been too convincing in his burnout roles (Point Break and Drugstore Cowboy)? Has he done too much TV? (Ally McBeal, Mercy) Is he too outside Hollywood? (He's happily married, and commutes from somewhere in Wyoming) Has he done too many independent films? (My New Gun, The Myth of Fingerprints) Does he look too much like Brad Pitt? (he did beat Pitt for the lead role in Phantasm II; plus, you must see Living in Oblivion) Does James Marsden look too much like him? (C'mon, look at the guy...)

Anyway, here's a fanvid, set to Muse's "Time is Running Out", for the LeGros-starring vehicle, "Scotland, PA." Since the video encapsulates the film from beginning to end, the polite thing to do is warn about SPOILERS. Then again, mentioning that it's a remake of Shakespeare's MacBeth would also be a SPOILER:

April 21

Today goes to a director that, with only two films, is one of my all-time favorites. John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a great movie, one of the few rock musicals that get every detail right. Hedwig is more than a rock star, he's a queer superhero: a costumed crusader with a tortured past and strange powers, on a quixotic quest for justice and love. His second film, Shortbus, is an intelligent and funny movie about sex, and the first movie I've seen that justifies a NC-17 rating without being sensationalist.

His next film, Rabbit Hole, should hit theaters this year. It's his first film adaptation of another person's script, and maybe his first Hollywood film (don't know the budget, but it stars Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman.) Still, can't wait.
Meanwhile, here's the first scene of Hedwig, the song "Tear Me Down".


Another reason he's perfect for this blog: as a bit player, Mitchell appeared on episodes of "Head of the Class," "The Equalizer," and "MacGyver". He even played a heavy in the 80's action movie "Band of the Hand".` Another reason to pay attention to the little guys...

April 17

Here at the Birthday Blog, we love a good fight, and one of the best cinematic fights of all time features birthday boy "Rowdy" Roddy Piper versus Keith David, in a scene from "They Live". Now, this is not one of those blood-spattered kung-fu ballets or bombastically soundtracked climactic showdowns ala Rocky. I mean, the whole motivation is Roddy's guy trying to get his friend to put on a pair of sunglasses. The original script alloted about twenty seconds for the exchange.
Piper and David began rehearsing other ideas. Three weeks later...

In an interview with Freezerbox Magazine, Piper says that the original cut of the fight scene was ten minutes long, then trimmed for economy. A masterful performance featuring one of the greatest wrestling villains of all time.

April 16

Sometimes, for an actor, it's about that one role. 1984 saw the release of the first Police Academy movie, yet another wacky/sexy R-rated 80's comedy. Among the comedy tropes thrown in the mix, the role of dim-witted, gun-toting patriot (a common character in Reagan-era comedies) Eugene Tackleberry was played by David Graf. In other films and TV shows, this character would have been a humourless idiot, if not an outright psychopath. But Graf's performance made Tackleberry into a naive and patriotic man-child: part Marine seargent, part puppy dog.
It worked so well, the character appeared in all six movies, surviving (or spearheading) their devolution to PG-rated theatrical sitcoms, and he was the only one with a character arc: he started as a bumbling NRA-loving virgin, found the locked-and-loaded woman of his dreams, got married, and eventually became instructor to the next generation of people who probably shouldn't have guns...

Michael Winslow was the human beatbox, Bubba Smith was cool, Leslie Easterbrook was stacked, but David Graf's Tackleberry was the funniest reason to watch the Police Academy movies. He's gone now, and the character he played has to be represented in the inevitable remake, but can anybody else give Tackleberry that heart?

March 24

Today's for one of the ultimate That Guys: partly for his prolific career, partly for his performances in some great cult films, and partly because his name's William Smith. This guy has played more bad bikers, vampires, gunslingers, and assassins than any actor I know. He was the last Marlboro Man on TV. He's Conan's father, for crying out loud!
And he's not just an actor. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War, spoke five languages, taught Russian at UCLA... Was a world-class arm-wrestling champion and competitive bodybuilder that set a world record by reverse curling his own body weight... He's got a 31-1 amateur boxing record and he used to have security clearance with the CIA and NSA (until he married a French actress.) He's even fought California wildfires as a volunteer fireman.
As far as acting goes, he's been a hero, and even a lead, in such 60's TV shows as Zero One, Laredo, and Wildside. But he's most utilized as a villain: some key roles include Falconetti in both series of "Rich Man Poor Man", the Russian Commander in "Red Dawn", Jude Bohner in "Gunsmoke", and Pharoah in "Legend of the Roller Blade Seven". Hey, when you approach 300 film and TV appearances, they can't all be winners. I still think that he's the next guy deserving a Tarantino career resurrection. A Tarantino film with William Smith above the title on the movie poster? Think of the opening weekend numbers!
Anyway, here's the climactic fist fight in "Any Which Way You Can", between Smith and Clint Eastwood. The setup is, they're two of the best bare-knuckle brawlers in the world. After spending the entire movie becoming friends and fending off the pressure to fight (from mobsters, promoters, etc,) they start to wonder who'd actually win. One thing leads to another, and...

February 26

And now for something completely different; a birthday rememberance for an unforgettable amnesiac. HM, born in 1926, suffered from epileptic attacks as a child. At the age of 27, he underwent brain surgery to combat his seizures; a side effect of the surgery was retrograde amnesia, the inability to create new long-term memories. He lived to the age of 82, but couldn't remember anything after 1953.
He spent the rest of his life as a professional test subject, the case study known in research circles as "HM". HM would become the cornerstone of modern neurological research; the study of his dysfunction obliterated old theories on how the brain works, and inspired new ideas. His life offered physiological evidence of a subconscious- that alone deserves a place in history.
In 2008, he passed away, and his brain was sliced up and preserved for further research. Upon his death, his birth name was finally revealed to the world: Henry Gustav Molaison.
Today's video is a fanvid for the Foo Fighters' "Everlong," using clips from the Christopher Nolan film "Memento," which is most people's exposure to retrograde amnesia.
(BTW, the editor used some of the R-rated plot points, so this video is NSFW and SPOILERY.)

"Memento" isn't the only movie to use retrograde amnesia as a device; I can think of a few comedies that tried to milk laughs from it. I figured it was worth sharing that such a thing as retrograde amnesia actually exists, and somebody lived with it, in front of the world. Happy Birthday, Henry, and thanks for the memories...

January 30

Today's the birthday of Mark Eitzel, singer for American Music Club. Today's also a day I'm snowed in, so here's a clip to go with their song "Western Sky". Don't know why this makes me feel as comfy as tomato soup and grilled cheese, but it does...

January 22

I know it's a little hard and fast with the rules, but I personally cannot let the birthday of Diane Lane go by. She graces one of the great cult rock films, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains, and I'm pretty sure that Jack White's a fan, too. (See the film, to see what I mean...) She also stars in another peripherally important film to me, Killshot, which was filmed in my old neck of the woods: Cape Girardeau, MO (well, ten percent, at least.) And her next film is Secretariat, which lensed in my current neck of the woods, so I'll have to watch it, even if it is another damn horse movie, but I have two good reasons to: Diane Lane, and the prospect of seeing my neighbors in crowd scenes.
BTW, Diane Lane - lovely lady. She's been married to a Highlander and a Goonie; how cool is that?

January 21

Another quickie: Michael Wincott. The man's bad news when he's onscreen, at least in popcorn movies like Metro, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and The Crow. In smaller films, like Talk Radio or Basquiat, who knows what you're going to get, except that you know it's good. In video game circles, he's Halo's Prophet of Truth, because he's got one of those gravel voices, somewhere between Harvey Fierstien and Cthulu. Plus, he's really good with a sword; why hasn't he done a Pirates of the Caribbean movie yet?