The Mockingbirds

Mid-Week Musical Interlude: Never Be Alone Again

 

Pointless Facts with The Madame: The Kinks Begat The Pretenders Begat Simple Minds, Sorta Kinda

Okay, that title is pretty misleading, but it made me laugh (which is the point, you see). Anyway, here's the fact(s): Chrissie Hynde had a child with Ray Davies, and then married Jim Kerr and had child with him, and all the while much great music was made. Cool.

The Stupidest Thing I Read Last Week: Isn't All Mankind Ultimately Executed For A Crime It Never Committed?

 

"'He was a very inspiring man who in a very short time walked his way into many lives.'"

Nothingness. Nonexistence. Black emptiness. But, enough about the inside of Brad Pitt's brain. Seriously, though, it is difficult to find meaning in one's life. Which makes it difficult to find meaning in one's death. Take this poor soul, par exemple, who was killed after being hit by a truck while walking along a freeway in Oregon. He was attempting to fulfill his goal of dribbling (a soccer ball) from Washington (the state) to Brazil in time for the 2014 Olympics. His master plan involved walking, more or less, and staying in people's houses along the way. Apparently, he was relying on the kindness of strangers for the latter, and found such strangers through his Facebook page. With respect to the former, there is no word on whether he engaged in a ton of training or not prior to embarking on a 10,000 mile journey. What we do know is that he started off in flip flops but had to switch to hiking sandals shortly thereafter.* The absurdity! The humanity! It's all so very The Stupidest Thing I Read Last Week.

According to the article, the recently deceased was motivated to take down this road in order to raise awareness for a group based out of Berkeley, California that donates soccer balls to persons in need (read: those without enough athletic ability to play a more interesting sport). The nonprofit he was promoting issued a statement that sums up his life far better than I ever could (see quote above). It is true that he was taken rather early in life (he was 42) and in terms of his journey (he planned on being on the road for more than a year and was struck down after about three weeks), but as far as potential deaths resulting from his trip, maybe being hit by a truck isn't so bad. Had he made it out of the United States, he would have walked through any number of perils: meth traffickers, cocaine traffickers, beheaders, juntas, insurrectioners, political unrest, general distrust of Americans. Maybe being run off the road in the state that begat Portlandia wasn't so bad.

His friends and family want to set up a foundation and send his children to the Brazil Olympics. But I like to think we can all learn something from this man's life and death. Even if it takes a while to think of what that is exactly.

Wheat.

Baroness von Jeer

 

*As a Colorado native, that says either Teva or Birkenstocks to me. The real question is whether there were socks involved.

Words to Live By: It's Hypnosis or Fear of Woodchippers

"We have an uncanny ability to make birds do what we want them to do."

                                                                                                 -Joel Coen

Weekend Kiss Off: Whither the Theme Song, Yo

Remember when television theme songs were The Thing, an important part of the cultural landscape, totally enjoyable? If not, fuck off, especially if you're too young to remember the perfection of "Movin' On Up"; the maddeningly unforgettable "Thank You for Being a Friend"; the irresistibly quotable "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "We Are Living Single"; the creepy beauty of "Falling (Twin Peaks theme)" and "The X Files"; others we have forgotten; and the jaunty cheesiness of the one below, a total classic with visuals that inspired the "Sabotage" video and where would we be without that? Nowhere good.

In conclusion, we are starting a Kickstarter campaign to bring back TV theme songs, for you, us and the entire human race.

Book 'em, Danno,

The Mockingbirds


 

Mockingbird Movie Guide: Star Trek Into the Past

Have you looked at a picture of late era Elvis lately? The sequined jumpsuit, portly in Vegas Elvis? It’s that flashy and bloated shadow of what was once great, with moments that transcend a spectacle that is begging to be parodied when you’re not looking away in embarrassment. This is what is happening at the movies this week, at least in regards to the main attraction, and instead of subjecting yourself to Star Trek Into Madness Star Trek Into Cumberbatch's Pants Star Trek by George Lucas Star Trek Into Darkness, why don’t we go back to a time when we weren’t sick of lens flares and lens flare jokes and explore some alternatives to fill the void left by J.J. Abrams' latest flick.

In space, the final frontier, no one can hear you mock. But this isn't space apparently, so here is the Mockingbird Movie Guide.

KHAAAAAAAAN:    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

If you are not a Trekkie, this is still a great action movie, and if you are a Trekkie, this is an excellent film, the standard by which all others are judged. I myself fall somewhere in between in terms of fandom, but I genuinely love this movie: it has humor, action, pathos, a nice bit of ironic foreshadowing and a truly traumatizing ear-happy creature. While there are some silly moments and an abundance of Montalban chest, even Shatner rises to the occasion and stops Shatnering when it’s needed and lets two characters share a heartbreaking culmination of a years long friendship. Accept no substitutes.

 

PEGG AND CUMBERBATCH:    GET INTO IT

Whatever you say about the new Star Treks, the cast is perfection. But why fall into a plot hole or twelve when you can enjoy the actors elsewhere? For instance, you can find Benedict Cumberbatch in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the fantastic Sherlock and in The Countess’s bedroom. And Simon Pegg is of course the star/co-writer/nerd leader from The Cornetto Trilogy: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, the trailer for which I will be linking to sixty three times before it comes out in August. Watch it now and sixty two times after this. 

DON’T GO SEE:    Star Trek Into Darkness

I’m somewhat hurt you haven’t been paying attention.

IN CASE YOU’RE NOT SATISFIED:    Check out Sarah Polley’s documentary or Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s new collaboration, if you must.

LLAP,

Madame Taunt

Mid-Week Musical Interlude: Been On This Shift Too Long

 

Pointless Facts with The Madame: Humble, Sequin-y Beginnings

Lasse Hallstrom, Oscar-nominated director of My Life as a Dog and Cider House Rules, started his career directing all of ABBA's music videos.

 

Words to Live By: Circle of Life

"You will live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension."

                                                                                    -Nikola Tesla

Weekend Kiss Off: Romeo + Juliet 4EVA

Well, the soundtrack anyway. Start your weekend right and retro.

The Mockingbirds