Play it, Sam. Play 'After the Flesh.' For old times' sake.

I got to thinking about the soundtrack to The Crow the other day. That movie is still one of my very favorites of all time. But something about that soundtrack is unforgettable. I'll always remember seeing Eric Draven jump from rooftop to rooftop to the sweet sounds of Nine Inch Nails. I think Reznor really nails (pun-tastic) that Joy Division song. 

I was impressed with My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult.  I think they get the award for most ridiculous band name though. Unfortunately growing up in small town Iowa (before the Internet no less) made it hard to get introduced to new music.  We would go to Omaha, which we believed to be the cultural mecca of the Midwest, and hang out at the Old Market. Most of the time we would look for punk rock, but sometimes one of us would get a wild hair and buy Ministry or NIN or something. So we had to get our new music fix through many avenues.


So what's the point of all of this?  I think The Crow and the soundtrack epitomized the darker side of the 90's for me.  I was definitely not an 'emo' kind of character or possessed suicidal tendencies, but I did enjoy some darker things.  But no guyliner for me.  It was a tale of two people in love who are torn apart by a group of street thugs.  Two of which could easily pass as child molesters.  Hell, all four.  Throw in a Punky Brewster lookalike, a bad guy that must have lost his voice opening for Cannibal Corpse, and the black Ghostbuster and you've got a memorable film.  But most importantly, the music seals it for me.  STP, Pantera, NIN, industrial-dance-fusion bands and some depressing songs sprinkled in there too.  I wouldn't want to remember my 90s any other way.

The crow gave him the skills to seek vengeance and play sweet guitar riffs.

What we've got here, is a failure to abbreviate

I recently checked out my Netflix queue and discovered that it has around 175 movies in it.  Some have been in there for years.  I have a feeling that when my grandchildren inherit my account in my Last Will and Testament, they won't get around to watching them either.  So, I'd like to take this time to pour one out and honor some of those films that didn't make the cut.

Spider - 2002 (Ralph Fiennes, some other old people)

I can't quite remember why I even put this in my queue.  A psychological thriller from David Cronenberg.  I don't know, I think I'll stick with A History of Violence or Easter Promises.  Maybe I'll just watch Lord of the Rings too since I obviously have a weird fascination with Viggo Mortensen.

Outsourced - 2006 (Josh Hamilton, a bunch of Indians)

The TV show was really good, so why do I want to watch the movie?  I would rather watch Diedrich "two chicks at the same time" Bader and that wonderful cast instead.

My Blueberry Nights - 2007 (Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, Norah Jones)

Jeez, was I drunk?  I can't remember why this even sounded like a good idea.

John Adams - 2008 (Paul "No Merlot" Giamatti, Laura Linney)

Okay, here's the deal, I love these two actors.  But when in the hell am I ever going to be in the mood to watch a mini series on a Founding Father?  Powdered wigs and such.  Probably never.  If I need me some Giamatti, I'll just put Sideways in and call it a day.

I suppose that's a start.  The bad news is that while I was typing this blog, I added three more movies that sounded interesting.  Oh well.

Say hello to my lil' blog

I am the 99%.  I am a blogger.


Hey there, folks.  I thought it was the perfect time to start a blog to share my poignant thoughts, avant-garde films and generally stimulating thoughts on life.  First, a little about myself.  Let's start with the important stuff first.


I started growing my sideburns during my first year of college.  I needed something to take my mind off of calculus, physics and other engineering classes.  I also thought that it would help me make progress with the ladies.  It turns out that only one of these would come true.  After a few weeks, I could see them in the mirror.  How interesting.  How bizarre.  How dapper.

Films have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  The first film I remember loving was The Neverending Story.  I wanted to be that scruffy, whiny young boy playing the ultimate Choose Your Own Adventure game.  He also got the girl at the end, which was nice.  However, the best part was terrorizing bullies with his gigantic flying alien dog.  Oh precious 1980s, where have you gone?

Well, that's it for now.  In upcoming posts I'll share my thoughts on films (new and old and somewhere in between), some of my own creations, and anything else that comes to mind.