Sunday, January 21, 2024

Inland Empire

Yesterday was Filmakker David Lynch's Birthday. With all the Social Media posts that naturally happened this post about Inland Empire caught my wandering eye. It stopped and made me reminisce about this piece of darkness and how much it really did get under my skin.

Whilst like most individuals Mullholland Drive is my favorite Lynch film, Inland Empire is a close second and the one that truly made my skin crawl (sorry Blue Velvet &Eraserhead)

There's a hoplessness within it, and a heartlessness that just, well, I don't know is hard to explain to anyone who hasn't seen it and even those who have can't quite put it into words. It does stick with you and frankly hasn't left since I saw the film when it first came out in 2006.

Laura Dern gives a virtuoso performance at the center of it all. I remember when David Lynch himself sat outside of Tower Records on the Sunset Strip with a banner and a cow (yes, a cow) touting Dern for a Best Actress Oscar Nomination.

So happy belated Birthday to Mr. David Lynch and in honor of it I'm going to rewatch Inland Empire again, it's time...

Inland Empire on Rotten Tomatoes -

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/inland_empire  

Friday, January 19, 2024

Pop 'Till You Drop!

Pop it! Po it real good!!!
Kerry Washington

Break out the popcorn popper or head to the movies it's National Popcorn Day! Yay! 

Popcorn is a constant that never is in style, or goes out of style, it's a snack that just is. It's a verastile one at that too. It can be healthy or not so much depending on how you prepare it.

My personal fave is the truffle popcorn at Alamo Drafthouse DTLA with a margarita rocks no salt. 

When at home I do it Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) style straight outta the hit TV Show Scandal as pictured above.

"Yes" I get myself a big bowl and break out the Cabernet Sauvignon and Netflix & Chill.

So there you have it, the way I like it at home and at the movies. 

How do you take your popcorn???

National Popcorn Day on the WWW -

https://nationaltoday.com/national-popcorn-day/

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Michael's Musings

Common Love Isn't For Us
Michael Shinafelt

It's been a hectic week Minions! Back to a full column next week, however to be honest, ya know TBH. This is the only thing occupying the corners of my mind this right here, right now...

"Common love isn't for usWe created something phenomenalDon't you agree? Don't you agree?You got me feeling diamond-richNothing on this planet compares to itDon't you agree? Don't you agree?" - Physical, Dua Lipa 

Fluff up your collective pilllows and don't be afraid to dream!

Grab a pillow and join me here -

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/MShinafelt   

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Hump Day & Chill

Baby Shark?
Steven Spielberg & Bruce

You've heard of the phrase "Jumping The Shark" well today we are going to add another Shark phrase to the existing ones "Hump Day & Chill On A Shark" - not as catchy as the later, but, it works!

This is clearly what Director Steven Spielberg is doing during a break on the set of Jaws. Steven decided "Bruce" (the sharks on set nickname) would make a good place to Chill and regroup.

Oddly enough "Bruce" does look like he makes a good lounge chair, or at least a conversation starter in those terms. Makes me want to put him in my living room and let the good times commence!

Honestly Jaws is the only movie that ever truly scared me. I refuse to go into the ocean unless it's clear and I can see the bottom. Even then I refuse to go past the point where I can not touch the bottom with my feet. "Yes" I know I can still get attacked in shallow water, but at least I will see it coming, so there!!!

Enough about me, it's time to "Hump Day & Chill On A Shark" Minions, you know you want too...

Jaws on Wikipedia -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaws_(film)    

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Moon At Noon


Stream "Moon at Noon" HERE: https://orcd.co/moonatnoon

Frontman Gizz Lazlo (Dr. Know, U.K. Subs, The Freeze, Dead Lazlo’s Place) says, ""Moon at Noon" was written a few days after my dad's first major heart attack in May of 2018. I was sitting on my parent's porch while my dad lay in the hospital in a coma for 6 days. As I sat there confused and worried about what was going to happen, I needed to write something to calm my nerves a bit. Luis had sent me a demo that I'd listened to a few weeks prior. While I was listening to the music over and over on my headphones, chain-smoking trying to distract myself, certain phrases kept coming back as I was humming melodies over the music. A few hours later I'd finished these lyrics and just left them alone as I went back and forth to the hospital trying to deal with my mother and relatives who started arriving from Mexico to see my dad. When my dad was discharged from the hospital I couldn't sleep thinking that this may happen again. About a week after my dad was home I found myself in my studio wondering what these lyrics would sound like to the music. I spent about an hour behind the mic recording the original demo for this song. I sent it to Luis and we instantly knew we HAD to record this song. It's definitely not something we usually write together. That's the thing I love about writing songs with Luis is that we both don't care what people are going to think about them. If "we" like them then let's record them. Everything we've written in the past few years are songs about the dark side of life. Not everything is rainbows and butterflies. As much as we want it to be, it just isn't. My hope is that whoever listens to our songs finds something that they can hold on to if they ever feel down. I grew up with songs that helped me through some tough times. Maybe, just maybe we can help someone through their personal trauma with our songs. I've been close to the end many times, but I'm still here. So I guess the best advice I can give is to - Never Lose Hope!! You are loved!!"


"Moon at Noon" also features a roaring guitar solo guest appearance by Mike Williamson from L.A.-based band Jr. Juggernaut.

++++

Upcoming shows:

2/3 Sardine / San Pedro

2/4 Redwood Bar / DTLA

2/18 Supply & Demand / Long Beach

For Closure began as a simple studio project, a brief opportunity to relay some finality for multi-decade veterans hailing from the punk rock scenes of the Los Angeles County suburbs, who had desired a last hurrah before they closed shop on their previous bands. But what arose from a “goodbye” project was an assortment of compositions so compelling and novel, there was a change of heart in closing the book on the past and instead, an excitement brewing about the future.

Fronted by vocalist Gizz Lazlo—whose prior contributions include Dr. Know, U.K. Subs, The Freeze and his namesake, Dead Lazlo’s Place, plus continued memberships in a bevy of bands too numerous to detail—the ensemble’s material stems from a pairing of songwriters Lazlo and Luis Estefania (F.Y.P., Rhythm Collision, Buford), who most recently were together in longtime San Fernando Valley-based outfit For Sale. The dissolution of For Sale left Lazlo and Estefania with a backlog of yet-unrecorded material and a decision to continue establishing their songwriting partnership via a new outlet—hence, For Closure.

Armed with a batch of songs, polished and perfected for tracking, Lazlo and Estefania entered the recording studio named Studio in Redlands, California with producer/drummer Wal Rashidi (Jr. Juggernaut, Revolution Mother, Turning Violet) in the summer of 2022 to begin the sessions that would ultimately sprout the band’s first single, “Carousel,” to be released via Mindpower Records. This fruitful batch of material led to a second session in winter 2023, to complete the band’s forthcoming debut full-length album, to be released in 2024.

For Closure has since moved its material from studio to stage, as it made its live debut this past fall, via shows in the Los Angeles area, which also feature guitarist Marc Maxey (Sloth Fist, The Killing Flame, Justice League) and bassist Steve Wilenkin (Life in a Burn Clinic, Dead Man’s Life, IDK).

What launched as an exercise in finality is now only the beginning of this new musical collective. It’s time for For Closure’s grand opening.

Socials:

www.instagram.com/forclosurela

www.facebook.com/forclosurela

Monday, January 15, 2024

Monday Motivation

Jane Fonda

“We’re still living with the old paradigm of age as an arch. That’s the old metaphor: You’re born, you peak at midlife and decline into decrepitude. ... A more appropriate metaphor for aging is a staircase. The upward ascension of the human spirit, bringing us into wisdom, wholeness and authenticity.”

~ Jane Fonda

As someone in their 50's I can honestly veirfy this as 100% True!

Monday Motivation indeed...

Jane on IG -