RandomCha

Yesterday (finally) I started reading World War Z … brilliant, scary, engrossing, highly recommended. Almost but not quite had nightmares last night. I’m devouring it (pun intended).

While we were watching the AFI “100 Years, 100 Movies” special on TV last night (a whole other post in itself) we saw a preview for Hairspray. The new movie of the musical. I’m sorry, but it looks wretched and depressing and pukey. I’ve narrowed it down to four reasons:

#1 John Travolta. First off, it is a defecation upon the memory of Divine to have anyone else play Mrs. Edna Turnblad; furthermore, JT’s make-up looks terrible, completely unconvincing, and worst of all UNFUNNY.
#2 The new songs don’t even fit into the period of the story! One of the awesome things about the first movie was that John Waters used actual, original recordings. So much for that idea. Now it’s just more Broadway-style rah rah fakery.
#3 John Waters himself has nothing to do with this incarnation. I’m actually very happy he isn’t. BUT if he was, I’d be more inclined to give the film a chance, knowing that he’d find a way to slip in some tasteless and subversive elements. The new movie looks completely safe and non-threatening.
#4 The new handling of the segregation subplot. In the original, Waters treated segregation as the ULTIMATE manifestation of the “square,” the bourgeoisie. In the new movie, it looks like it’ll be a heavy-handed attempt to “address the issue.” Blech.

I hope that John Waters will use all the megabucks from his royalties to make an actual good movie. In the meantime, I’m gonna steer way clear of this new abomination.

Find publisher for Tiny Apocalypse
Get agent
Do more short story writing
Submit more fiction/poetry for publication
Write treatment for screenplay, “The Hares & Mrs. Wild”
100SP at the Lincoln Park Art Fair in Sept.
100SP at either DIY or Renegade Craft Fair this winter

I just read the following:

‘Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign picked “You and I” by Celine Dion as it’s new campaign song after a contest in which the presidential candidate invited the public to vote on what her new official tune should be. ‘

If you’re going to vote in the Democratic primary, please DO NOT VOTE FOR THIS WOMAN.

For some reason I woke up this morning thinking about The Great Race. It’s a movie that was vitally important to me growing up. My grandfather had taped it off cable for me (we didn’t have cable) and the second movie on the tape was It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Another movie that I worshipped.

The two most influential movie sequences to me as a child: the Piefight Sequence from TGR and the Gas Station Sequence from IAMMMMW. If you’ve seen these movies then you know exactly what I’m talking about.  (#3 would be the Car Pileup Sequence from The North Avenue Irregulars).

Awesome!

I just reserved a room for us at The Hunter’s Lodge. Close to stuff to do, but far enough away to be quiet. And it’s gay-friendly (and gay-owned, judging from my phone conversation just now). Check in August 13th, check out August 17th. Happy Sigh.

The last non-holiday vacation that Andy & I took together was, oh, in 2003. ‘Bout time.

I am slowly working my way (with Andy’s help) through Grog Log, drink by drink. Never has a project been so much fun. Last night’s drink, the Coconaut, was just awesome. Tonight’s drink, the Blue Reef, is also quite good. There need to be more cocktails that use Galliano.

Andy and I have decided to take a week-long vacation during the third week of August. We want to go somewhere close, renting a car. How’s Saugatuck?

1
The Virgin Megastore’s Going-Out-Of-Business Sales has started. After seeing Ocean’s Thirteen Andy and I decided to check it out. I was browsing in the jazz section when a woman came up to me and said, “Excuse me, can I ask you something? Can you recommend a good album? Nothing too jammed out or two sleepy, just something with a nice groove. Something good for a party.” I handed her a copy of “Midnight Blue” by Kenny Burrell. She thanked me. A few moments later I saw her take it over to the register and buy it.

2
Last night I felt like watching The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie so I did. One of the tangents in the movie involves a ghost story known as the Night of the Bloody Sergeant, which occurs every year on June 14th. Yesterday was June 14th.

I have never worked so hard on a Chicagoist post before. Please check it out. You’ll see what I mean.