My Obsession with Les Miz, Part II

Universal Pictures has released an extended first look segment about the making of the new Les Miserables movie, which has only deepend my obsession to see this movie even more.  Every year I'm excited for Christmas... this year, I have even more reason to be.

I Can't Get "Under Pressure" Out Of My Head!

I've been busy lately - getting ready for the upcoming release of my first novel, "Night of the Chupacabra", and for the last two weeks I've been meaning to write a post at how "I Can't Get 'We Are the Champions' Out Of My Head!" No joke, the song has been stuck in my head that long! Then today, the day I decide to procrastinate from my novel's marketing and set aside an extra 30 minutes to write my post about the Queen song... it's gone... no more... and I don't dare relisten to it or attempt to hum a few bars to get it stuck back inside my head. As much as I love the song and the group who performs it, the silence in my head is a welcome relief; however, short lived. I don't know how, but I got a new song trapped inside the Queen concert inside my skull, only this time, there's a guest performer and his name is David Bowie.

I knew it would only be a matter of time. "Under Pressure" is one of the those songs I hear repeated over and over on 93.1 Jack FM here in Los Angeles and its surrounding counties (whose motto is, "Playing What We Want"). And most of the time, I love what they play, which is why it's currently my favorite radio station - broadcasting rock music from the 1970's thru 1990's mostly. I have been a fan of "Under Pressure" since as far back as I can remember hearing the song for the first time, which could very well have been in 1981 when the single was recorded for Queen's 10th studio album, 'Hot Space' released in 1982.

So, the original music video does not feature either Queen or Mr. Bowie because neither were available to film because of touring commitments, so I opted to post a video from a concert that features them both because there's just no denying the entertainment power of both of them, especially together:



I Can't Get 'A Time For Us' Out Of My Head!

Today, I was doing my volunteer work for Garden Grove's Meals on Wheels program and upon walking into the Senior Center to drop off my empty cooler, I was surprised to hear music I had not heard in years.  Every Monday a pianist comes to play a wide variety of slow, atmospheric tunes - like something you'd hear in the background at Nieman Marcus - but never in the three years I've been delivering meals on Monday's have I heard the pianist play 'A Time For Us'.  Well, I just stopped walking and stood to wait for him to finish as if I had just happened into a concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

Before this morning, I cannot remember the last time I heard Nino Rota's romantically devastating theme for the 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet, a brilliant film that I've seen many times; the first being in my 7th grade English class.  The best days at school were always the days we watched movies in class but when the movies were actually enjoyable, it was the cherry.  I remember being just as enthralled with the score as I was with the film.  In fact, I had become so obsessed in my search for this piece of music, it took me weeks to eventually find it on a 1968 Billboard compilation CD.  (You have to think back before the internet, if you're old enough, to a time when it took more effort than just flipping open your laptop or pushing the Safari App button on your iPad to find information).  Of course, it would have helped if I knew what the title of the score was called or who the composer was rather than just approaching music store employees with Bauhaus t-shirts, saying, "You know, that theme from Romeo and Juliet".

Anyway, here it is with some clips from the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet (in my opinion, the best film version):

Of course, I must also give a little background about the Milan-born Italian composer Nino Rota, who I believe was the catalyst to my obsession for film scores beyond John Williams.  Nino was also notable for the films scores of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti.  He also composed the music for the first two films of Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy, receiving the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Godfather Part II (1974).

Grazie mille, signor Rota.

Obsessor's Creed: A Game

I am a casual gamer, but as much as I obsess over some games, I'm surprised this is only my second gaming post since this blog's inception, and although I've only played one version from the Assassin's Creed series of five games, I know I will enjoy the other's when I get around to them.

My infatuation began over two years ago when I attended E3. Ubisoft was promoting the third installment for a future release date of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. The big push was that you were able to compete against other players who were also AI assassins.

The basic premise: Be an assassin, plan your attacks, strike without mercy, then either blend in to make your getaway or fight to escape. And depending on which game you're playing, you are an assassin in either: Jerusalem, 1191AD (The Third Crusade), Italy, 1490AD (The Italian Renaissance) or the upcoming The American Colonies, 1775AD (The American Revolution).

It was the fact that you got to play an assassin from the past - with limiting weapons and defined skills - that initially intrigued me about this series. As the assassin, you are sent on vengeful missions across town, traveling over rooftops and climbing structures, or on ground, blending in with the locals or hiring thieves and courtesans to distract guards to reach your target. It is the perfect blend of action pack excitement, puzzle solving, and stealth techniques, which are not usually combined so well in other games. Not to mention that the maps and graphics are just freaking gorgeous. I have only played Assassin's Creed II, which takes place in 1490AD Italy. All the cities you visit (including Florence and Venice) are historically mapped and recreated. Not to mention that many of your targets were actual people during that time period and you can learn about their real life exploits in the game, if you so choose (fun for history buffs). In fact, the final "boss" is the currently popular Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, because of the Showtime TV Series, The Borgias. Although not an obsession, I do enjoy the series (Season 2 being 10x better than Season 1), and apparently the next title in the Assassin's Creed series: Brotherhood, picks up right where Part II left off and introduces Lucrezia Borgia and her brother, Cesare, whom were suspected of having an incestuous relationship. Here's a review of Assassin's Creed II, which goes into far, far more detail:



Every title thus far, with the exception of Assassin's Creed III (because it will not be released until October 2012) has received excellent reviews by both critics and gamers. I'm not recommending plopping down $500 for a gaming system to play these games; however, if you do own a systme that supports this series, I highly recommend doing what I did and test if you like Assassin's Creed by starting with Part II (maybe even Part I). Being a couple of years old now, they're bargain-bin cheap. I hope this series continues on for a while, maybe even going into the future, as long as Ubisoft continues to produce the series without rushing. At one new title a year, I can see them getting sloppy. By the way, if I had any voice about where they should go next, it would be America, 1870 (The Old West).

For anyone who's interested, here's the demo of Assassin's Creed III, the American Revolution years, I waited over an hour in line to see at E3 this year, now available immediately on YouTube . Although it looks good, minus the senseless killing of a deer which bothers me, I think I will probably like Italy better:

I Can't Get "Bad Things" Out Of My Head!



I am not a country music fan... not-at-all.  However, once in a blue moon, a country song will somehow find its way to my eardrums, and whether there is something about the song that somehow speaks volumes to me or I have listened to it so repetitively that I've grown to like it, I do have a couple that I am partial to; one of those being Jace Everett's "Bad Things", the official theme song to TV show obsession, "True Blood".

Yes, this is one of the few shows where I don't fast-forward through the beginning credits because I love the grittiness and roughness of this song.  Now, because "True Blood" is returning this Sunday, June 10th (starred and circled on the calendar) for its fifth season on HBO, I got the song somehow stuck in my head without even having listened to it since the season four finale.  But I'm really not that surprised as it is a catchy little tune, and not hard to forget.  Here it is in "True Blood"s creepy, inbredy, hilly-billy opening credit:



As the story goes, Alan Ball, creator of the "True Blood" series based off the Sookie Stackhouse series written by Charlaine Harris, downloaded "Bad Things" off of iTunes as a filler opening credit song until they found one better.  Well, they never found anything that the executives and creators at HBO liked better.  "Bad Things" seemed to fit perfectly as the "True Blood" theme song (I agree), thus launching the career of Jace Everett who I believe was only a struggling artist at the time.  Moral of the story? - Whether you're an artist of any kind: writer, musician, illustrator... the web is a wonderful place to showcase your work and you never know when an Alan Ball will discover you as long as you have strived for perfection and put forth your best effort.

Now, what happens to all previously recorded songs picked up for TV shows, they must be edited down to fit the show's opening credit format.  Although "Bad Things" really isn't chopped up too badly, here is a link to the full version:

Only 3 days left until Season 5!!!  Yee-haw!

Can You Hear the Big Star, Celebrity Actors Sing?

Why, yes you can whilst I continue my Broadway-ish obsession -

Last night, Universal Studios released their first official trailer for the upcoming theatrical version of the Broadway smash "Les Miserables" online. 

Logline:  "Les Miserables" is a musical adaptation based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France, in which a paroled prisoner named Jean Valjean seeks redemption.

"Les Miz" carries a special place in my heart as it is not only my 3rd favorite musical of all-time ("Assassins" & "Ragtime" trump it) but it is the first musical I ever saw live on Broadway in New York back in August 1992, which is why this movie is my most anticipated film of 2012 (20 years later).  I consider the music and lyrics by the team Schonberg & Kretzmer flawless and I'm sure any non-musical theatre lover would still recognize the plays standout hit, "On My Own" sung by relative unknown Samantha Barks as Eponine in the film, but I think this is a solid choice as Samantha played the same part in "Les Miserables in Concert: 25th Anniversary"

But the other stars of the film will not be so unfamiliar.  Playing the lead of Jean Val Jean is none other than Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, who has not only been on Broadway multiple times and even starred in a musical on Broadway ("The Boy From Oz") but showed his singing chops to the world when hosting the Academy Awards, which, ironically, is also where Anne Hathaway showed her outer voice talents, who will be playing the intrical part of Fantine and who is the star of the new trailer.  I have to say that with roles like Catwoman and Fantine, I have a feeling 2012 will be the year of the Hathaway.

The cast of the film version of "Les Miz" also has "Mama Mia" triple-threat Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, Russell Crowe as Javert (this one scares me a little as I don't think I've ever heard him sing and he can't fake his way through "Stars") and then Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardier's, who are two of my favorite characters and the perfect choices for these roles, and just so happen to have been in a musical together in the recent past:  "Sweeney Todd".  Cohen showed he could hold a note, while Carter's singing was less than desirable but the great thing about the Thenardier's is that you don't have to be great singers.  It does help, but the flamboyancy of the parts would allow any actors to get away with "character singing".  And I must also add that I harbor a little jealousy towards Cohen because he will be playing the role I've dreamed in days gone by.  Although I've squashed my acting bug long ago, my desire to play Master Thernardier on stage is a lot like the cockroach from "Wall-E".  But that is one for the bucket list.

So here it is in all its amazing glory:



I do have to also add that Colm Wilkinson, Broadway's original Jean Val Jean, has a small role as the Bishop of Digne (near the beginning of the film and ironically only interacts with Jean Val Jean).  Some fanatics may complain about Hugh being cast over Colm, but I just want to say this - it's been over 25 years since he originated the role.  Colm's a bit too old to be playing the part.  Remember "Rent - The Movie"?  'Nough said.

I Can't Get 'Pretty Women' Out Of My Head!

Sorry Roy Orbison fans, not that song.

I have a 5-star playlist on my iPod and when I feel like escaping from the shackles of my desk and stretching my legs, I listen to my iPod while going for a walk.  More times than not, this is how it get songs stuck in my head, and that's how it happened this time.

'Pretty Women' is not only one of my all-time favorite Stephen Sondheim songs or favorite Broadway songs, but favorite songs.  From those who personally know me, they know I worship the ground Stephen Sondheim walks, with 'Assassins' being my #1 favorite musical.  And though 'Pretty Women' comes from "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", "Sweeney" in musicals is comparable to "Jaws" in film for me; it's flawless and exceptional, but just misses being in my... let's say top three.  The fact that they are both horror is merely a coincidence.

And thanks to Tim Burton, I believe more people are now familiar with this song's beautifully haunting melody and superlative lyrics as 'Pretty Women' was sung in the 2007 film version by Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman:

Although it is an admirable rendition, there is nothing like the original version by Len Cariou in the title role and Edmund Lyndeck as Judge Turpin from 1979.  This version also includes a small prologue and the Epiphany song,  and it is worth listening to the entire piece:

To add your own version of "Pretty Women" to your iPod/iPhone/iPad/etc, I've supplied links in the right side bar.

I Can't Get 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' Out Of My Head!

Wouldn't you think that after listening to symphonic music for the last two months (as an inspirational background while writing on my Chupacabra Series), I would be writing a post about how I can't get something composed by Hans Zimmer or Trevor Jones out of my head?  That's what I think too!  But no, I have Journey's song "Seperate Ways (Worlds Apart)" stuck in my head and it won't leave, which does not inspire western/thriller writing.  Now if I were writing an early 1980's period piece, then I say, "Bring it!"

Where did the song come from? - No idea!  How did it get stuck in my head? - Just as mysterious!  Maybe its my brain telling me that it is starving for some rock n' roll or anything that ISN'T a movie score?

However, do I love this song? - I do!  Ever since DSB played a concert in front of my home last year and then being invited to a Journey concert two months later, I've become quite the Journey groupie.  In fact, each time 'Separate Ways' was played at both concerts, it made me feel all warm and tingly inside.  The funny thing is though, I never knew the title of this song until after those concerts; I just recognized the song from the radio of my youth.

So, if you're anything like me and are not sure of which song I am talking about, you can watch 'Tron: Legacy' on Blu-Ray/DVD as it is featured in the movie or watch the video below, BUT if you are familiar with this song, WATCH THE VIDEO ANYWAY because (although of poor quality) this video is an introduction of 'Separate Ways' during their live Day On The Green concert in 1982, which is exciting:

Fun Fact:  To accompany the song on MTV in 1982/3, the band shot its first-ever concept video. It was a difficult experience for a variety of reasons, and the music video has been widely ridiculed and described as among the worst videos ever, so OF COURSE, I have to include it here as well:

I hope you enjoyed this post.

And the Winner for Best Oscar Host Goes To: BILLY CRYSTAL

It's the 84th Annual Academy Awards this Sunday and I am SO EXCITED!!!  Oscar and I go back a long, long time.  I've even had the pleasure of being a security guard at the Academy Awards for two consecutive years, but I quickly hung up my badge and started throwing an annual Academy Awards party because I was missing all the fun of watching the show.  I started my annual tradition sometime in the early 1990's and haven't missed a year since.  There is food, drink, ballots, decorations, all the stuff to celebrate Hollywood's biggest self-gratifying night.  Yes, I am not bemused by what Oscar stands for, and I don't care - never have and probably never will.  I have been a film geek ever since I watched the first Star Wars movie in the theatre on opening weekend and Oscar lets me annually celebrate my love of films with him.  Of course, there is the glitz and fashion, which I could honestly care less about, what I love is watching the awards show humanize Hollywood by DVR'ing the ceremony then re-watching each losers expression, in the acting categories, as the winner's name is announced.  So much fun!  Of course, they're actors, and most of them look thrilled for the victor, and some even genuine, but occasionally they slip and some don't even try (Kathleen Turner when she lost for Peggy Sue Got Married).

However!... there is one thing I love even more than phony actor expressions and that is Billy Crystal as the show's host.  Sadly, this doesn't happen every year, in fact, Billy has only been Oscar host nine times (second to Bob Hope), but as history has proven, when Billy is host, the show does not seem as long as non-Billy years and the critic's reviews are normally just as golden as the little statue.  Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed other recent hosts such as Ellen Degeneres and Whoopi Goldberg, but I may actually boycott the Academy Awards if they ever let James Franco host again (the glassy eyes and stunted equilibrium is only funny for a minute or two).

So, in honor of Billy's return, here is a look back at just two of his finer moments.  Enjoy!

2003 Academy Awards Intro Montage

Billy's first Oscar opening monologue

I Can't Get 'Rolling in the Deep' Out Of My Head!

I am a late bloomer when it comes to music, but I hope it's obvious that I do enjoy music a lot (I mean, otherwise, I wouldn't have this "I Can't Get" series on my blog, right?)  I am just typically more up-to-the-minute with other entertainment and media like film.

Lately, I have been obsessing about this smash hit by Adele, "Rolling in the Deep".  Now, if you had asked me six months ago who Adele was, I would not have known, as my good friend Steve suspected when we auditioned for a new game show produced by Courtney Cox and David Arquette, "Identity Crisis" that was to be aired on CBS back in August 2011.  (By the way, whatever happened to that show?! Anyone?)  Needless to say, we didn't get on; however, we did make it to the final round of auditions so... Yay Us!  The game was a lot like a board game where you identify celebrities based on clues. Steve's clue for me was 'Adele' and the first words out of his mouth to give me a hint were, "You're NOT going to know this one."  And he was correct!  Steve had to give me clues to sound out her name, which he did very well because I did guess her name... eventually.

Anyway, I kick myself now for not knowing who she was back in August as I have become mildly obsessed with her smash hit, "Rolling in the Deep".  And as much as I love her perfectly pitched strained vocals with intelligent lyrics, I think what I love most about her is that Adele looks more like an everyday person you would meet on the street.  There is a down-to-earth impression I get from her which makes this artist more of a star in my eyes.

So, here is Adele (recent 6 times Grammy winner for this song and album) with 'Rolling in the Deep'.  Whether it's the first or 100th time you've heard this song or watched the video, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:

I have A Christmas Story for you...

"I want an official Red Ryder carbine-action two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time!"

Poetry, sheer poetry.  You know it... you know you know it!  About 98% of film fans, Christmas fans, and comedy fans will recognize this lengthy movie quote.  'A Christmas Story' is not only my favorite Christmas movie of all time, but probably in my Top 10 of favorite films of all time.  I am obsessed with this movie and TBS knows it because for years they've honored my little obsession by airing 'A Christmas Story' non-stop for 24 hours (unfortunatley, with commercials), starting on Christmas Eve (8:00pm EST) until the same time on Christmas Day.  All I have to do is turn on the TV and let it go for hours and hours, including Ralphie, Randy, Flick and Schwartz on my holiday guests; thereby, packaging up those days of hitting repeat on my DVD and hiding them in the closet for good. 

Now, I know a lot of you don't need the answer, because you feel the same as I about 'A Christmas Story', but for those who must know why I am obsessed with this movie, you obviously need an explanation because you have not watched it yet.  What are you waiting for? Christmas!?!  Hmmm... come to think of it, might be a good idea.  But it is Christmas now and there's no time like the present (present... get it?), and 'A Christmast Story' is the gift that keeps on giving.

'A Christmas Story' has become a timeless classic with a perfect cast.  Yes, it was directed by Bob Clark who brought you the first two Porky's movies and the original holiday cult classic, Black Christmas... but don't hold that against him.  Bob only proves that talent can't be locked into one genre.  This film is based on a book by Jean Shephard, "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" who also adapted his own book into the screenplay and additionally, offers his voice talents by narrating as the adult Ralphie, the younger version played to perfection by Peter Billingsley.  Essentially, 'A Christmas Story' is about Ralphie trying to convince the adults in his life into getting him the perfect gift for Christmas, a Red Ryder BB gun.  But this story is so much more than that, filled with unforgettable supporting characters including Darren McGavin as Ralphie's Father (The Old Man) and his cleaned-up foul mouth, Ian Petrella as Ralphie's younger, whinier, piggier brother Randy, Ralphie's two best friends Flick (Scott Schwartz) and Schwartz (R.D. Robb) [always thought it was funny Schwartz was not played by Schwartz], Tedde Moore as the uptight teacher, Miss Shields, and my favorite of the cast, Melinda Dillion as Ralphie's mother (Mother), who also starred in another favorite film, 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'.

'A Christmas Story' is filled with quotable quotes including, "Mommy's little piggy", "Randy lay there like a slug, it was his only defense", "You'll shoot your eye out!", "I TRIPLE dog dare you!", "fra-gee-lay" and the every popular, "Oh, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudge." to just name a few.  And then there are the many, many memorable scenes, of which I would like to share just three:



Now, here's a very interesting fact - former child actor, Ian Petrella, Ralphie's younger brother Randy, now LIVES in the home where they shot this film in Cleveland, Ohio and gives 'A Christmas Story' tours year round.  You can check out the fascinating website with fun facts and video at A Christmas Story House and Museum.  (Yes, it has its own museum, that's how awesome this film is.)

So, hoping to have done justice to 'A Christmas Story' within the walls of this confined post, I bid adieu (probably until 2012), so Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!!!  And if you haven't seen 'A Christmas Story' yet, please do.  The film really is simplisticly brilliant with subtle humor and filled with holiday tradition.  You may need to watch it more than once to get the full effect.  Thank you again, TBS.

This reviewer gives 'A Christmas Story' an A+++++++++++++++++++++

Fa-La-La-La-La-La-La-La-La

Okay, I freakin' love Christmas.  The lights, the tree, the weather, it's all a little obsession.  And I'm sure as most of you know by now, I have even written a children's picture book called 'The Night After Christmas'.  Some of my favorite memories growing up are also Christmas memories.  In fact, if I have to pick a favorite day out of the year over any other, it would be Christmas Eve with the Heblers, where the centerpiece to this annual tradition is a family recipe of Hungarian noodles made by the Hebler men.  This tradition is at least 20 years old and started the year my Grandmother Mickey told my Grandfather Ray, "You want noodles?... do them yourself!"

Yes, the noodles are a pain in the ass to make, but oh so worth it.  I could post a Christmas Festival that would put my recent Halloween Festival to shame but then, what would I do next year?  Better I divide it up into groups, and besides, I don't have the time and energy to put forth the effort into an-all-around "Christmas" post to do it justice.  So, instead, I will substitute my monthly "I CAN'T GET 'song title here' OUT OF MY HEAD!" for a list of my 12 songs for Christmas, which would be accurate anyway since all month long, I have one Christmas song stuck in my head after another.  I have even started this on my 'The Night After Christmas' Facebook page, but instead of spreading them out until Christmas, I'm just going to list them all here, right now.  It's kind of a 'naughty' feeling, like opening you Christmas present before Christmas.  I love it!!!

So, here they are, in no particular order, the songs you'd hear me sing at the top of my lungs in the shower, car, or anywhere else where I think I'm alone (and hope so too, especially in the shower).  I hope you obsess about at least one of these holiday classics as much as I do:

1.  "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" by Thurl Ravenscroft, written by Dr. Seuss for the classic 1966 TV special, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  You know you've all head this song before.  The lyrics are fun as well as having a catchy tune.



2. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Olivia Olson, written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff.  This is probably my favorite contemporary Christmas song.  I even like Mariah Carey's version; however, Olivia Olson's version from the scene in 'Love Actually', is the film that introduced this song to me in 2003 even though the song was written in 1994.



3. "Sleigh Ride" composed by Leroy Anderson (1948), lyrics by Mitchell Parish (1950).  As is with most Christmas songs, there are a million different versions, and even though I like most versions of Sleigh Ride, every one from Debbie Gibson to T.L.C., there is nothing like the original musical version, before the lyrics that came two years later, conducted here by my all-time favorite conductor, and little obsession, John Williams.  To me, there is something special about the absence of the words the sound of the cracking whip.  Besides, this version is my first memory of this song.

4. "Winter Wonderland" written by Felix Bernard.  Again, another classic Christmas song recorded and re-recorded on just about every Christmas album since its inception; however, of all the artists who have sung this song, there is only one version I've heard where it sounds like the artist was BORN to sing this song, and she is the amazing Annie Lennox.

5. "Christmas At Ground Zero" by Weird Al Yankovic.  The first time I heard this was on Dr. Demento's Christmas Classics album (which has a lot of great songs like 'Green Christmas') but this has got to be the funniest, original Christmas song I've ever heard.  I do want to give props to South Park's version of 'O, Holy Night' sung by Cartman, but I don't want to interfere with the original version, which is also a favorite, so Weird Al definitely gets the spot for the funniest.  The lyrics are priceless.

6. "A Holly Jolly Christmas" sung by Burl Ives, written by Johnny Marks (1965).  All those cheesily great stop motion TV classics from the 1960's and 1970's bring back some of those special memories I spoke of earlier, and "A Holly Jolly Christmas" is the best song to flip those memories on like a switch.  This song was written for the 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' Special and is the most popular song to be written originally for any one of those Christmas specials, and nobody will ever sing it better than Mr. Ives himself.



7. "(There's No Place Like Home) For the Holidays" music by Robert Allen, lyrics by Al Stillman (1954).  This song was originally written to associate with the Thanksgiving holiday, but it has become even more popular as a Christmas song.  Perry Como recorded this song twice during his career, but my favorite version is sung by the soft, pitch-perfect voice of Karen Carpenter (damn, she's skinny).  I know it'll be difficult, but try to ignore the '70's cheese and enjoy the song.



8. "We Need A Little Christmas" by Johnny Mathis, written by Jerry Herman.  Now, I didn't know this until I did the research for this post, but this song was written for the 1966 Broadway production of 'Mame' and originally sung by Angela Landsbury.  However, it is not Christmas unless I have Johnny Mathis's tenor ringing in my ear, and I love this song for its jubilant and festival spirit.

9. "Somewhere in My Memory" by John Williams (1990).  Again, I've fallen victim to my little obsession with John Williams, but his original song for the film 'Home Alone' has become a Christmas staple for me.  It is truly a beautiful song, which was nominated for an Academy Award, and like 'The Color Purple', it should have won.



10. "Carol of the Bells" (aka 'Ukranian Bell Carol') by Mykola Leontovych.  I could not find a year when this piece was written so I think it's unknown, and probably the oldest song on my list.  What I love most about 'Carol of the Bells' is the rise and fall of tempo's and crescendo's.  It is an extremely lively piece that, for me, builds a picture of what Christmas was like before all the contemporary hoopla I see today.  I imagine a much simpler time not filled with presents and merchandising, which allows me to appreciate the holiday's roots.  Enjoy this a Capella version by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.



Okay, so I was really, really torn with what version to post, so for this one time only, I also want to post the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version.  This version goes against the purpose of this post and negates what I said about the origins of celebrating Christmas as a holiday, but I love it, and it is the polar opposite of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir version, which is almost like a completely different song all together, so enjoy.



11. "Do You Hear What I Hear?" lyrics by Noel Regney, music by Gloria Shayne Baker (1962).  I'm not really sure why I love this song so much.  I've tried to analyze it and pick it apart, but I just can't - it's a mystery.  All I know is that I was obsessed with this song for two Christmas's in a row during the late 1980's.  I actually have other songs I'm more obsessed with now, which should take this #11 spot, but I used to love this song so much, it seems like a crime not to list it before I reach #12.  So, here it is, as sung with elegance by Mr. Bing Crosby:



12. "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg (1980).  Some may or may not consider this a Christmas song just because it takes place on Christmas Eve, but they play it on KOST FM here in Southern California during their 24/7 Christmas song marathon, which runs from mid-November to December 25th every year, and that is where I first heard this song and fell in love with it immediately.  This is a chilling, haunting, but beautiful song.  I think it's the perfect song to end this series as it makes me feel the same way I feel when we reach the end of another year, reminding me how quick life goes by.  In my research for this song, I discovered Mr. Fogelberg had passed in December 2007 to prostate cancer.  He has a very large fan base and this is the song they chose for his tribute:



Well, sorry to end it on a downer but there you have it.  Of course, there are so many wonderful Christmas songs out there, I barely skimmed the surface.  I actually feel like I'm betraying other favorites like 'O, Holy Night', 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!' or 'The Christmas Song' but it wouldn't be the 12 Songs of Christmas with 13 or 14 songs... so too bad.  Maybe next year.

And if you actually sat there and listened to each and every one of these songs, I'd be amazed.

The "Muppet" Connection

Today, I have come across a blog post written by my good friend, Maria Palmer (reading voice of my video audiobook, The Night After Christmas) which you can watch here:

(IF YOU VIEW IT, PLEASE "LIKE" IT AND LEAVE A COMMENT)

Maria "runs" the blog 'Running To Get On The Bus', which is linked in the sidebar of this blog.  This is a very special blog Maria organizes because 'Running To Get On The Bus' is about telling stories of the children who are involved in the Get On The Bus program, which is near and dear to Maria's heart.  This special program accompanies children to see their incarcerated parents once a year for a special Mother's Day/Father's Day visit and to intermingle her own stories of running and personal triumph.

"But what does this have to do with the Muppets?" you ask.

"I'm getting to it!  I'm getting to it!"

As a follow-up to my latest post about how I couldn't get the Muppet version of "Forget You" ("Cluck You") out of my head, I thought I would share Maria's own Muppet story that she has posted on her blog, making Maria my first involuntary guest blogger.  I can relate to Maria's comparisons of herself to the Muppets and think she should transport her mind back to the 1990's and come up with her own poster, "Everything I Learned, I Learned From The Muppets" because I've already learned everything from Yoda and need new inspiration.

So, you can read Maria's Muppet blog post here then stay and poke around some of her other posts if you have a minute.

I Can't Get "Forget You" (Muppet version) Out Of My Head

WARNING:  Even though this post is about The Muppets, it's not intended for children.

Okay, this is not only the most bizarre "I Can't Get...Out Of My Head" post, but the most bizarre overall.  Explanation:  I had the pleasure of seeing an advanced screening of "The Muppets" last week.  As anyone familiar with the Muppets franchise knows, their movies/shows are musicals.  Now, there was some great original music (one song in particular I hope gets an Oscar nomination) but the song that is currently stuck in my head is an adaptation of an already popular song (making it not eligible for Oscar consideration, not that it would be nominated).  The song from the movie is called, "Forget You" performed by Madame Alma Cluck and her chickens; however, the real life song is called "Fuck You!" performed by Cee Lo Green; again however, Cee Lo also does a watered down version with the same Muppet title.  This song choice was perfect for many reasons, one being that the music is very catchy and light-hearted, something very worthy of a Broadway musical number.  If you haven't heard it, have a listen to the clean version "Forget You!" here:

OR, if you want to watch the original, hilariously foul-mouthed music video, this is it here:



I took my good friend Steve with me to go see the special screening because we have both been huge Muppet fans since before we even met back in high school.  Although we love all the original Muppet movies from the '80's, our favorite is by far, "The Great Muppet Caper" and still use quotes from the movie today. 

Towards the end Gonzo's mistress, Madame Alma Cluck, appears with the rest of her chickens.  The Princess and her poultry back-up singers break out in a version of "Forget You", or as I like to refer to it, "Cluck You" because that's all they do is 'cluck'; thereby, avoiding any of the songs original X-rated lyrics for this PG-rated movie.  When the number started, I thought it was funny and cute but Steve went into the spastic conniption of laughter when the song started.  I didn't understand why because I had no idea of Cee Lo's original song.  Not being a fan of his, I only ever heard the 'radio version'.  Steve had to explain this to me after the movie and now I get it.

I really appreciated what Jason Segel (co-writer of The Muppets as well) did here, masking adult content beneath children's entertainment - something The Muppets has always been about.  The Muppets only became "just for kids" when they started doing those atrocious parody movies based on popular literature such as "A Christmas Carol", "Treasure Island" and "The Wizard of Oz".

Now, I do think the new Muppets movie is far from perfect, but happily consider it their comeback and welcome more Muppet movies with open arms.  And if they do another one, I'll be sure to bring the paper towels.

Welcome To My Virtual Halloween Festival

Do you remember gorging yourself on free, little candies?  Do you remember the first time you watched John Carpenter's 'Halloween'?  Do you remember wearing your favorite costume two or more years in a row?  If so, then you might just love Halloween (All Hallows' Eve, Samhain, Parentalia) just as much as I do.  So, sit back and enjoy just about any and everything I can offer to celebrate this holiday, virtually.  Let's begin by "watching the magic pumpkin, kiddies":

What is there not to love about Halloween?  You get to dress up as whatever you want.  I've been Darth Vader, Jason Voorhees, a killer klown, a gothic vampire, Shazam!, a dead cowboy, Death and a living, breathing Crystal Lake Camp Counselor who was about to die at any moment - just to name a few, and then there's the chocolate, the carmel apples, pumpkin pie and my family tradition of chili and cornbread.  There's scary movies, of which my top 5 recommendations would be:

1. Halloween (original)
2. Poltergeist
3. Psycho (original)
4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (I actually prefer the 2003 remake)
and a new horror film just released this year (2011),
5. Insidious

Then there's fantastic music to get you in the mood like:



or this AMAZING show set to 'This Is Halloween' from The Nightmare Before Christmas:



Now, I've stated that I am a Halloween fan, but I have a couple of friends who are more obsessed about the holiday than I am and put me to shame, including one friend Richard who nearly always decorates his home to the hilt, including faux cathedral windows, a Halloween tree and an entire village with moving parts:

Notice the detail of the bottles - very cool

Nothing is safe from a decoration...

... not even the exterior.

This Is Halloween Tree.

Then there is my friend Dawnda, the costume QUEEN!  This lady plans her Halloween costume as much as a year in advance and works on it the whole year long.  Unfortunately, she could not find a picture of my favorite costume she created, the Jackal from '13 Ghosts', but she did such a phenomenal job, it would be difficult to tell the difference if I posted the real pic from the film:

Here are some of her other creations, of which she's won her company costume contest every year:

A Killer Klown

An inbred from the film 'Wrong Turn'

Pyramid Head from the horror game 'Silent Hill'



Dawnda lives in San Diego and I've told her she really needs to get the most mileage out of her creations by dressing up for Comic-Con each year, especially The Jackal and Pyramid Head - she'd be a hit!

And then, there's all the pleasures of growing up and living in Southern California with great traditional activities made especially for this holiday like The Halloween Haunt at Knott's Scary Farm (which I have probably been to more times than I can count on two hands).  Here is walk-through somebody took in 2010 of just one of their 13 mazes, The London Maze.  It's pretty good quality because there is still a little bit of daylight.  So, if you've never been, you might enjoy:



Then, there's Disneyland's transformation of The Haunted Mansion to 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'.  Again, for anybody who lives too far from either Disneyland or Disney World to enjoy the attraction, here is decent ride-through to give you an idea:



Alright, so that's about it and again, I ask, "What is there not to love about this holiday?"  I've always been a little obsessed about Halloween: the scares, traditions, films, music and food, so much so that my next planned children's picture book will be based on the origins of All Hallows' Eve, which I'll publish with 'The Night After Christmas' illustrator, Anita Driessen, who loves the holiday even more than I do (I have such rockin' friends!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

I Can't Get 'Sister Christian' Out Of My Head!



So on Friday the 7th, I was invited to see a concert down in San Diego.  It was a throwback to the 80's concert with bands:  Journey, Foreigner and Night Ranger.  Night Ranger opened with Journey being the headlining act, and we all know I how feel about Journey.  Yay!

As most know, Night Ranger was pretty much a one-hit wonder with their most popular song being 'Sister Christian' and out of 4 hours of continuous music from that night, it is the song that has stuck inside my head ALL WEEKEND LONG without a break!  Ugh!  Now, I do like the song but there were much better songs that night (and performances).  In fact, I not only thought Night Ranger was the least enjoyable act of the night, I was really disappointed in their performance of 'Sister Christian', their only song I recognized.  The singer kept trailing off half way through a verse and it was kind of annoying, not to mention he just sounded off.  Maybe he was having a bad night or he was coming down with a cold or whatever.  Anyway, in my analysis of why 'Sister Christian', above all other songs, is the one that is stuck inside my head, I figure it may be because it was the most disappointing of the night and I'm replaying the radio version in my head over and over to compensate.

So, if you're feeling a little retro, for your listening pleasure, here is the beloved version of 'Sister Christian':



On a side note, since I've recently posted how awesome I thought a Journey tribute band (Don't Stop Believin') was when they performed outside my home, I must compare them to the real Journey band.  Arnel Pineda is now the lead vocalist and is featured on their most recent album "Eclipse",which was released just this last May.  He's good, nice range and sounds little bit like Steve Perry when singing the hits, but I still have to give props to Juan Del Castillo and the rest of the Don't Stop Believin' band.  Let's face it, without Steve Perry, even the real Journey band feels like a Journey tribute band and I enjoyed Don't Stop Believin's performance more.  And as for Foreigner, the best band of the night... by far.

I Can't Get 'Born This Way' Out Of My Head!

Yes, I have hopped on the Lady Gaga bandwagon.  At first, I was just a fan of two songs from her first studio album, The Fame, which were 'Poker Face' and 'Bad Romance'.  Then, I became more of a fan when, other little obsession, 'Glee' had a Lady Gaga dedicated episode.  Between the songs and the 'Glee' episode, I had seen performances here and there on awards shows, 'So You Think You Can Dance', etc, but it really wasn't until the early part of this summer, when HBO released her concert movie, The Monster Ball Tour, that I called myself a fan... yet still not enough to even become a little obsessive fan (or in Lady Gaga terminology, a little monster).  It really wasn't until the very end of the concert, during the end credits when Lady Gaga performed an a Capella version of 'Born This Way' with three of her back-up singers did I really appreciate Miss Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanota's raw and astounding talent.  The pipes on this "lady" really blew me away, just listen:

Not since Madonna have I been so impressed by a pop female vocalist; however, let it be known that Lady Gaga is not quite at Madonna status yet, but the two definitely share many qualities: Strong performers, heads for business, eccentric and spreading important messages through their music.  I now admire and appreciate what Lady Gaga stands for, not to mention she's also one hell of a kick-ass songstress.

So needless to say, all summer long this song has been popping in and out of my head despite if I had just listened to it that day or the previous week.  The oddest things I hear or what someone might say will trigger 'Born This Way' in my head, which is a lot easier to turn on than off.

For anyone who does not agree, she's not for everyone.  Let's face it, the whole dress made out of red meat thing was a little beyond what I call fashionable and a turn off, but that's just me.  I can't help it, I was born this way.

The AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING Race

For all who truly know me, know what a "The Amazing Race" fan I am; in fact, 'fan' does even begin to describe me, so I'm just going to say it... 'whore'.  Yes, much better description!  I am a "The Amazing Race" whore.  I cannot get enough of this show which has been on the air, on CBS, since 2001 about teams of two people, who have some form of preexisting personal relationship, racing around the world in competition with other teams filled with Speed Bumps, Detours, Roadblocks and U-Turns.  Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has created this flawless game show of people being put into extraneous circumstances that test their knowledge, skills and relationships for a chance to win (insert Dr. Evil voice here) One Million Dollars. Just announced today are the 11 teams who will be competing in its 19th Season, which you can see here.

Of course, it should be of no surprise that it is an obsession of mine to be a participant on this show and have even applied twice.  The first time was for Season 8 when the producers decided to do a "family" season with teams of 4.  My mother, sister and her then boyfriend created an audition tape and sent it in, but we never heard back, granted sister's boyfriend lost his passport which was a prerequisite for applying so nobody was surprised when we didn't hear.  Unfortunately, I no longer have a copy of this audition tape; otherwise I would post it, but I DO have the audition tape when I applied with my other sister, Vanesa, which was about two years ago.  You can enjoy the awkward attempt here:



Alas, we didn't hear from CBS again.  I guess I just wasn't meant to be on this show (crying, bawling, destroying priceless pieces of furniture).  But I do not hold a grudge because this show is too perfect to stay mad at.  In fact, back around 2007, before the Hollywood screenwriters strike, rumor was that CBS had planned to pull the plug on the show despite receiving five consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program.  Why CBS wanted to commit this felony, I do not know but because of the lack of scripts being written due to the writer's strike, reality television had a sudden rebirth and The Amazing Race was saved (ultimately ending up with 7 consecutive awards from 2003 - 2009).  I think I may have been the person routing for the writer's strike for this soul reason. 

Anyway, as a small addendum to not being cast on the show, I would like to point out that The Amazing Race has influenced a real reality game by LARF, Inc., who has developed a part scavenger hunt, part self-guided tour, part race in the greater Los Angeles area called The Amazing LA Race, which anybody can participate in.  Now, I haven't tried it yet, but it's at the top of my "to-do" list.

And my connection with the show stretches further than trying to be an Amazing Racer.  Myself and friend Steve had the pleasure of meeting a team that has appeared on the show twice now, most recently on last seasons 'Unfinished Business' show, the black and pink goths Kynt (Kent) & Vixen, while we were at Comic-Con two years back.  Here's the pic, but I think the guy taking the picture was even more star struck than either of us because he could not stop his hands from shaking, which is why the picture's blurry:

Not only does this show get my vote for Favorite Reality Show of all time, but it also receives my coveted Best Theme Music of all time as well (Note: No physical award will be given).  The theme music is absolutely amazing (pun intended) and always gets my blood pumping and makes me want to scream like being in the back row of a Madonna concert so she can hear me.  I even have said music on my iPod.  If you don't believe how awesome this theme music is, just have a listen while watching last seasons opening credits:



So ultimately, if you haven't watched The Amazing Race yet and I haven't over-hyped this show for you (which is impossible to do), then be sure to catch episode one of Season 19 this Sunday, September 25th at 8:00pm on CBS, and let it be known that Season 20 has already been confirmed for Spring of 2012.  Guess who's going to try to be on that season?