 |
| Tony Norris, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
Tony Norris- "Rock Salt and Nails"
Saturday, June 23, 2012
City Slickers (1991): A Modern Western Comedy
Released in 1991, City Slickers did a lot to help the careers of Billy Crystal and Jack Palance. Crystal had come to be typecast in a series of boring romantic comedies that didn't really showcase his talents, and this was a departure. For Palance, it was, perhaps, the best role he had since the 1950s and earned him a well-deserved Academy Award (which he accepted doing one-arm push ups on stage).
Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) and his two friends, Ed and Phil (Bruno Kirby and Daniel Stern) are all approaching 40, and all are experiencing trouble and discontent in what their lives have become. It is agreed that an old fashioned cattle drive, which trains tourists in the trade, will be the much needed break and respite they need...
Irresponsible cow hands and ill-prepared city participants prove to be the least of their worries when they meet their trail boss, Curly (Jack Palance)...
Grizzled and hard-edged, Curly doesn't care for Mitch's smart-ass ways and even less for the groups inability to adjust to the cowboy lifestyle. Left alone with Curly, Mitch is terrified, but manages to find some common ground and finds that Curly is a bit philosophical and has important life lessons to impart...
A tragedy occurs, and the three friends must decide if they have the wherewithal and fortitude to proceed in accomplishing the task of bringing in the cattle alone...
In the process, each man learns a lot about himself and what can be accomplished...
City Slickers- movie trailer
Friday, June 22, 2012
CLOSE UP: Tom Lewis (1940-2008)
 |
| Tom Lewis (1940-2008), 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
Tom Lewis talks about his Art and the Catonsville Nine
 |
| EZEKIEL, 1996. By Tom Lewis |
 |
| Tom Lewis and others burning draft records- Catonsville, Maryland- 1968 |
For more info, visit: http://www.commondreams.org/tomlewis
CLOSE UP: Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies)
 |
| Brad Roberts, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
Crash Test Dummies- Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm
For more info, visit: http://www.crashtestdummies.com/#/home
Thursday, June 21, 2012
CLOSE UP: Justin Townes Earle
 |
| Justin Townes Earle, 2011. By Travis Simpkins |
Justin Townes Earle- "Harlem River Blues" on The Late Show with David Letterman
Rear Window (1954): Classic Alfred Hitchcock
Often cited as Hitchcock's best film (it's certainly in the top five), Rear Window (1954) is a masterpiece of suspense. A testament to Hitch's perfectionist attitude and his ability to plan everything out, the sound stage had to be dug out and lowered in order to accommodate the inner-city set of buildings and adjacent courtyards. Each shot meticulously thought out, the final sequence is one of the most tense and memorable conflicts ever captured on film.
L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart) is a magazine photographer who has to spend the summer holed up in his apartment as a result of a broken leg. His only regular visitors are his nurse (Thelma Ritter) and his fancy, socialite girlfriend (the lovely Grace Kelly).
With little else to do, Jeffries spends most of his time looking out his back window and watching the goings on in his neighbors' apartments via a courtyard that makes all the windows visible to one another...
Things start out innocent enough, there is a lovelorn lady, a songwriter, a newlywed couple and a sexy ballet dancer that practices in her living room...
A morbid turn happens... With constant vigilance, Jeffries sees suspicious things in his Salesman neighbor's apartment that lead him to believe that he has murdered his invalid wife and disposed of her body...
He enlists the help of his nurse and girlfriend, who share the suspicions, to try to figure out if the neighbor is in fact a murderer...
Tension grows and an unforgettable climax is the result...
Rear Window- movie trailer
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
CLOSE UP: Aaron the King Wizard
 |
| Aaron the King Wizard, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
The Legend of Zelda
For more info, visit: Aaron the King Wizard on youtube
Jenny Zigrino: Profiles from the Quiet-D Illustrations
 |
| Jenny Zigrino, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
On Quiet Desperation, Jenny Zigrino plays a reporter working for the Improper Bostonian. Because it was a slow season at the magazine, she was sent to interview Rob Potylo, but the pronunciation of his last name proves troublesome for her. She is forced to listen to Rob's resulting diatribe, lambasting the Boston media's coverage, or lack thereof, of local music.
Quiet Desperation- Act One- Episode 15
In real life, Jenny Zigrino is a talented comedian and actress, performing nation-wide. Her website, http://www.jennyzisnice.jimrage.com/ , states, "Some would say the comedic stylings of Jenny Zigrino is Sassy, Brassy, and Classy. Her keen obersvations, adorable wit and explosive stage presence will capture your attention and make laughter shoot from your nose like a mucousy water cannon."
Jenny Zigrino- stand-up comedy
 |
| Quiet Desperation #8, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
CLOSE UP: Rob Potylo
 |
| Rob Potylo, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
Quiet Desperation- Act One- Episode 16- "A Line of Traffic"
New Portrait Illustration: Josh Gondelman (Comedian)
 |
| Josh Gondelman, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
I first met Josh Gondelman in either 2006 or 2007, when he was performing at the Jerkus Circus variety show. I've seen him perform several times since, and am always impressed with the great material and timing he comes up with. A nice, gentle guy by nature, he used to teach pre-school and always has a patient smile on his face. I don't think I've heard, nor can I imagine, anyone having anything but nice things to say about him... a good person all around, and a very talented comedian.
Josh Gondelman- Stand-up comedy
Josh Gondelman
Pre-school Marriage Debate
Interview with Josh Gondelman
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Sinners in Paradise (1938): Obscure Classic Films
Director James Whale (Frankenstein, The Invisible Man) helmed this production, Sinners in Paradise (1938), showing his expertise reached beyond his works featuring atmospheric sets and creepy types, and showcased his abilities in character development and interaction.
A group of people board a plane for China (including two people running from the mafia, a corrupt senator, an uncaring heiress, two munitions dealers... ). En route, they encounter a violent storm and the plane crashes into the sea, killing the pilots, but the passengers survive. They find themselves on a strange island.
It is seemingly uninhabited, until they discover Dr. Taylor, who lives on the island with his Chinese servant. Dr. Taylor gives them an icy reception and for a mysterious valid reason, refuses to take them to the mainland, despite the fact that he has a seaworthy boat.
They are forced to stay, because none know how to sail a ship on their own.
Things are peaceful for a short while...
A mutiny forms, however...
Taylor is forced to concede and take them back to civilization... despite the doom he faces upon arrival.
Sinners in Paradise- full feature film
Saturday, June 16, 2012
CLOSE UP: Roger Salloom
 |
| Roger Salloom, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
Roger Salloom- LIVE
 |
| Documentary about Roger Salloom |
 |
| Roger Salloom circa 1975 |
For more info, visit: http://www.rogersalloom.com/
CLOSE UP: Sarah Heggan
 |
| Sarah Heggan, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
Sarah Heggan performing at The Comedy Studio
The Descendants (2011): A Strong Performance By George Clooney
George Clooney is the Cary Grant of our time. Like Grant, Clooney is a much better actor than he is given credit for... viewers are often distracted by his looks. However, as Clooney ages, he is taking on roles that showcase his great skills. The Descendants (2011) is a solid film all around.
Clooney plays the husband of a woman who, after a boating accident, is in a coma. His daughters are troublesome. And he is the trustee of a multi-million dollar Hawaiian land trust handed down from his ancestors... land which is about to be sold (if he chooses to do so). Heartbreaking news comes when Clooney finds out his wife is going to die, and that she had been cheating on him...
Now he must arrange all the aspects of his weary life to form a peaceful atmosphere for his family...
He decides to track down his wife's lover, and tell the man about her imminent death so that he might say goodbye...
And he must decide the fate of his ancestral land. Will he sell it or preserve it for future generations?
The Descendants- Movie trailer
Friday, June 15, 2012
CLOSE UP: Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies)
 |
| Brad Roberts, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
Crash Test Dummies- "Superman's Song"
CLOSE UP: Jennifer Coolidge
 |
| Jennifer Coolidge, 2012. By Travis Simpkins |
Jennifer Coolidge in American Pie (1999)
For more info, visit: www.imdb.com/jennifercoolidge
Thursday, June 14, 2012
CLOSE UP: Sarah Lee Guthrie
 |
| Sarah Lee Guthrie, 2011. By Travis Simpkins |
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion- "Holdin' Back"
The General (1926): Classic Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton's masterpiece, The General (1926), was a project close to his heart and one in which he maintained creative freedom. He wrote, starred and directed the film and his great physical comedic abilities run forcefully through it. It stands out as one of the best comedies of the Silent Era.
Keaton plays John Gray, a railroad engineer on "The General", his beloved locomotive.
As the Civil War breaks out, The General is targeted for theft by the Union Army, who plan to use it to cut off railroad access to the South. The loss of his train prompts Keaton to single-handedly chase down the culprits and retrieve it...
at all costs...
and with hilarious results...
The General- full feature film
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)