Yes, another Wang Chung post!

Everybody Have Fun Tonight!
Originally uploaded by jerebo.

So I finally watched that Hit Me Baby One More Time show on NBC. For those not tuned into the zeitgeist, it's a new show in which has-been peformers sing one of their former hits followed by something from today's top 40. It has been "water cooler" conversation at work, so I rushed home on Thursday to watch it.

But I missed the first performance. Dammit!

I did get to see the first band tell the affable Scottish host that they would later be singing Nelly's "It's Getting Hot in Here." Later in the show I realized who I had missed.

Wang Chung!

Well, that's not entirely true. I missed them sing "Dance Hall Days", but watched them cover Nelly later on in the show. It was actually an interesting version. Quite amusing to see the song minus the bling.

The other perfomers that night were Howard Jones (another 80s fave of mine), Sophie B. Hawkins, and Irene Cara. It was Michael Ian Black's wet dream come true.

As great as it is to see bands and performers from my halcyon days sing their hits, I'm totally lost when they sing songs that today's kids enjoy. I've always been proud that I'm hyper-aware of pop culture in all of its shapes and sizes, but when it comes to the top 40 singles in America...

I feel very un-with-it.

That's probably a good thing, even though I should be aware of goings-on, since I am a screenwriter and must have my finger on that pulse. I don't know. I guess I'm a grown up now. If I was my age back in 1985, would I not be aware of Wang Chung and Howard Jones? I know people like to look back at 80s music with a mixture of irony and nostalgia, but I'd take "Everybody Wang Chung Tonight" over "Grind With Me" by Pretty Ricky any day. Will Gen-Yers reminisce about Pretty Ricky ten years from now when they're trying to pick up on girls with lower back tattoos at bars? I don't think so.

I just hope I get home in time next Thursday to catch the entire episode.

Up and Running

Jesus, that was close. I thought my whole blog was lost forever. You (my three readers) may notice a slight template change. That's because whilst trying to recover my lost entries I experimented with the template, thinking that may do the trick. No such luck.

But now everything seems to be up and running, so I am very happy. Has anyone else on Blogspot had similar problems?

I'll post something proper soon, since I have to shlep down to Venice to teach my final screenwriting workshop at 826 LA very soon.

testing 1,2, 3

Major fucking technical difficulties. Is this thing on?

"Stella!!!!"

The modern day equivalent of the 1985 season of SNL.
Originally uploaded by jerebo.

If you're a Comedy Central viewer like myself, then I'm sure you've seen the commercials for the new sketch comedy show Stella.

This comedy troupe consists of David Wain, Michael Showalter, and Michael Ian Black who were all previously members/founding fathers/whatevers of The State, a comedy troupe they founded at NYU, which begat a short-lived MTV series, with an even shorter run on CBS.

I don't know about you, but those Comedy Central commericals are not that funny.

Nor is this article.

I had the displeasure of meeting two of the Stella members a few years ago. Read here for more details.

I still think Wet Hot American Summer is one of the funniest films ever made, but I may have to kill my TV if I ever see Michael Ian Black's smug face on it again!

80s Movies Flashback Fun

Wang Chung soundtrack included!
Originally uploaded by jerebo.

I just watched the DVD of To Live and Die in L.A. There are some films from my childhood that don't quite hold up, but this was not the case with L.A. True, there are some cliche elements (the death of the about-to-retire cop comes to mind), but overall this is an underrated thrill ride.

I'm pissed at myself for watching the DVD's documentary last week, since it spoiled many of the scenes and plot points, which I had forgotten in the almost 20 years since I first saw it. I still managed to enjoy the film, and boy that car chase rules!

It's sad that William Friedkin who directed two seminal 70s films (The Exorcist and The French Connection) has not made a decent one since this.

William Petersen and a very young looking Willem Defoe give great performances. And how many times can you see John Turturro almost get shanked in prison?

To top it all off it's got a Wang Chung soundtrack. I'm dying to find it on vinyl, so I may have to dig through some used record stores very soon.

Random Wang Chung note: The other night I heard "Dance Hall Days" on KCRW's Metropolis. I'm thinking maybe Jason Bentley also recently watched this film. If so, I'm happy he did, for it provided a nice change from his umpteenth spinning of the new Gorillaz track.

One Movie They'll Never Remake

Midnight Cowboy
Originally uploaded by jerebo.

God bless the Skirball Cultural Center and AFI. They co-sponsor a great series, "Films That Inspire Me" in which current filmmakers choose a film that inspired them and discuss said film with a moderator post-screening. So far I have seen Repulsion, Sullivan's Travels, and The Brood discussed by Wes Craven, the Weitz Brothers and Clive Barker respectively. (Side note: Clive Barker bragged about the environmental aspects of one of his novels, then was driven home by his "husband" in a Hummer.)

This film series is just one of the things that makes me appreciate L.A. more and not as sad about leaving San Francisco.

I just got back from seeing Andy Garcia discuss Midnight Cowboy. I know this is not very Pauline Kael of me to say, but what a great fucking movie! There are so many articles, books, and documentaries about the late 60s/early 70s being the last Golden Age of Cinema, and this movie just proves it. Only then could a character-driven drama with no real plot not only get made, but win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Seeing the movie only reminded me of how good Dustin Hoffman once was. He and his other peers from that time period (Pacino, De Niro come to mind) have become total whores in my opinion. They'll do any piece of shit now for the paycheck, and that's a damn shame! They are almost like bands that hard-core fans dismiss as sell-outs once they hit the mainstream -- only these guys were the mainstream back then.

And Jon Voight. How strange to realize that he was once known as someone else besides Billy Bob Thornton's ex-father-in-law.

The screening was the most crowded out of any I've been to so far and Garcia was a very gracious speaker (and one helluva handsome fella). He even encouraged one ol

Vying for role in "21 Jump Street: The Movie"

Wino forever?
Originally uploaded by jerebo.

Is it me or will Johnny Depp play Jack White in the eventual White Stripes bio-pic?

Anxiously awaiting Growing Pains DVD with Kirk Cameron commentary

Moonlighting B.B. (Before Booger)
Originally uploaded by jerebo.

Lions Gate has just released the first two seasons of Moonlighting on DVD, and let me tell you I am quite tempted to buy it even though I promised myself that I would not buy anymore DVDs after my shopping spree at the 20th Century Fox Studio Store -- how can I resist Simpsons and Family Guy box sets for half-price? Moonlighting was a comeback of sorts for Cybill Shepherd and introduced the world to a then fully-coiffed Bruce Willis. The show had fantastic writing and a snappy Al Jarreau song -- what more could one possibly want?

Moonlighting is just the latest TV show from my childhood to be released on DVD. Just one glance at the DVD/TV section on Amazon.com will remind you of an issue of TV Guide circa 1984. It's a Gen Xer's wet dream.

Besides these blasts from the past, recent shows have also proven popular in the DVD market. It seems that every new show has its entire season released on DVD right after its season wraps -- though HBO is still a season behind with Six Feet Under.

This posits an interesting question. (Yes, I just said posits.)

Who is the audience for these DVD box sets of recent shows?

Now as a pop culture consumer and wanna-be TV writer I am ashamed that I've never watched Lost and seen only a couple episodes of Desperate Housewives. I would love to watch these shows so I can become part of the cultural zeitgeist. It makes sense for me to get these boxed sets, right?

Well...

If people such as myself never got around to watching these hour-long shows during their first run what makes the powers-that-be think we'll find the time to watch 22 hours now? I average about 1 or 2 movies per weekend, and after sitting through 20 minutes of commercials and trailers, then attempting to drown out the sounds of idioitic chattering movie-goers, the last thing I want to do when I get home is watch 3 hours of Lost. Yeah, I know it's supposed to be a great show, but I still have five boxed sets of Simpsons to catch up on.

So if people like myself who missed such shows the first time around do not have the 22 hour necessary to view these DVDs, then they must be for the rabid fans who have just watched the entire season, right?

Wait, didn‚'t they just watch every fucking episode? If not, didn't their precious little TIVOs pick up the slack? In our world of instant gratification which brings us shows like Best Week Ever, I suppose it makes sense that these shows are released so soon. Sure, some of these DVDs have bonus features, but unless the Desperate Housewives box set features Terri Hatcher-Eva Longoria make-out sessions, I won't be Netflixing it anytime soon.

Hell, I don't even belong to Netflix, but I'll save that for another blog.

I'm just waiting for Who's the Boss and Growing Pains to be released on DVD. I look forward to Kirk Cameron and Alan Thicke's commentary on that episode where Jason Seaver brought Mike to the Bruce Springsteen concert and embarrassed him on TV. What delightful observations they could share with us.