Movie Remake Cage Match: The Thing... 1951 vs 1982

Today's movie remake cage match pits the 1951 Cold War sci-fi classic The Thing From Another World against its mindblowing '82 remake The Thing. Both are essential viewing for horror and science fiction fans. While the two films share elements of story and tone, they are different beasts. 

The Thing From Another World, directed by the esteemed yet somewhat unknown Howard Hawks, was a product of its time. Like other sci-fi thrillers of the 50's, this The Thing served as an allegory for the paranoia and tension that existed between America and the Soviet Union. Other notable "Cold War" genre classics of this era were Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the original '56 version), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Fly, The Blob, and Invaders From Mars.

The Thing From Another World was based on the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell. I've never read the story, but I'll give it a try soon. I've been a longtime fan of both movie versions, so it's about time I went back to the source material. The idea of a science team at an isolated Arctic station besieged by an otherworldly attacker... well, that just raises the hairs on my neck... and I love it. 

This cinematic gem stands up well even today, as long as you understand the era in which the film was made. The two women at the Arctic research station do little more than rustle up coffee for the team of male scientists. That wouldn't fly in our modern # (hashtag) world. And the alien intruder doesn't really look like much, what little we see of it. But that's completely forgivable considering how effective the story and atmosphere are. Shadowy passageways, bleak snowy isolation, old-school monster hunts.

I watched The Thing From Another World several times on TV when I was a kid and teen. It was one of the few mature treatments of invaders from outer space. The scientific slant added "movie realism" to the out-of-this-world tale, at least for my young sci-fi fan self. Maybe not so much now, but then again, this film retains its serious and creepy tone... thanks to straightforward dialogue and no-nonsense acting, not to mention eerily lit sets and outdoor locations. 

Sure, this 50's Thing movie may look dated to some viewers, but it's a piece of cinematic history and is still considered an important contribution to the genre... even to film as a whole. Just look at the long string of imitators that followed in its footsteps; the film has had enormous influence that simply can't be denied. It was a no-brainer that The Thing From Another World would take its place in my home video collection.

Now jump a few decades later, when established genre film-maker John Carpenter released his new-and-improved version of The Thing. This time, it's set in the Antarctic (though filmed in Alaska)... and no women. It's a straight-up guys' movie, with a great cast of characters - with their own conflicting personalities - tangling with the being from beyond the stars. Carpenter ups the ante here, more deeply developing the personalities of the scientific team, further aiding the menacing mood with a superior Morricone music score, and of course, with absolutely bizarre and disturbing creature visuals. The unforgettable special effects were almost too much for my brain when I first saw this back in the 80's. So I watched and re-watched it several times. Makes sense, right? Over the decades, I've owned Carpenter's The Thing on videotape, DVD, and now Blu-ray. A masterpiece in its own right.

The cast, if not all household names at the time, handled their respective roles simply and mostly quietly, in line with the grim and low-key horror plot. Kurt Russell was the star power here as he played the tough, furry-faced science team's helicopter pilot, McReady. 

Very lean on story, the film centres on its small cast and their encounters with the monstrous alien - which often assumes the shape of its victims - in their midst. Shades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers in that stolen identity thing there, eh? The movie is no slouch in the technical and art departments, either. The practical special effects ate up a huge chunk of the budget, but wow... the results were worth all the work and expense. The lighting and colour palette certainly played a big part in establishing the atmosphere of dread and unearthliness, too. Sets, props, and costumes were all neutral colours, leaving the lighting crew the job of creating cold or warm moodiness, whatever was called for in a scene. 

The movie wasn't much of a hit on its initial theatrical run, though it grew in cult status among fans of the horror and sci-fi genres over the years. 1982 audiences were hungry for optimistic fantasy fare, more along the lines of E.T. the Extraterrestrial, but The Thing's depressing, nihilistic view went against that, probably a reason for its lacklustre impact at the box office. The movie did find success on home video and TV, and as the years ticked by, it gained praise as one of the greatest science-fiction and horror films of all time. Its influence can be seen in countless cheap-o 80's rip-offs, not to mention the better flicks to come in the following decades. Looking at Hollywood's B-movie output since The Thing, it's hard to discount its cultural importance. 

I definitely rank Carpenter's The Thing in my Top Ten horror and sci-fi films. The original, while a nostalgic childhood favourite, wouldn't be so high on my list, though. It's better than good, but just can't compete with Kurt's whiskey-drinking "hero" and the Lovecraftian meta-morphing creature.

If you haven't seen The Thing, or even its 50's predecessor, dial 'em up on your favourite streaming service (or better yet, buy it on Blu-ray, you media collectors!), turn off the lights, and strap yourself in for a chilling ride. Especially with the '82 version. But these would make a cool (freezing, actually) double-bill, wouldn't they?

Flashback to 1979: Jefferson Starship's New Album!

Back in the fall of 1979, I was a teenager in the midst of building a modest but cool little record collection. I think by this time, I must have been edging toward seventy or eighty LPs on my shelf. But there was one more to add...

I had heard the heavy rocking hit single "Jane" on the radio, and I just couldn't get enough of it. It wasn't long before I sought out its album of origin, Freedom at Point Zero, by Jefferson Starship, which had been released that November. I was no stranger to "blind buys" or nearly blind ones, since there was no way to hear the whole album before I plunked down my hard-earned cash for my own copy. I was doing this on the strength of Jane alone.

My first needle drop on that record brought the smokin' lead track Jane to my ears in far greater fidelity. Jane is a super solid guitar-heavy rock song, bolstered by cowbell-driven percussion, shimmering keyboard accents and powerful vocals by Mickey Thomas. Who? Mick was a new addition to the band that evolved out of 60's hippy stars Jefferson Airplane back in '70, which was headed by Grace Slick on the mic until this album. Grace would return on the follow-up LP. 

The next track, Lightning Rose, is a softer tune, a bit of a ballad, with nice saxophone bits. 

Things to Come has a great guitar riff, some more tasteful sax touches, and overall, is a soaring pulsating song... with a rainy segue into....

Awakening opens with dramatic guitar chords and percussion, which give way to a slow melodic guitar solo (kind of Pink Floyd-ish), then vocals join in, and the song ends with yet another killer solo.

Girl With the Hungry Eyes, an uptempo poppy song bearing a few nifty rock riffs. This very cool track, one of my faves on the album, enjoyed moderate success on the U.S. charts. 

Just the Same, a good song, yet probably the weakest link in the set. Thomas shows off his considerable vocal chops, though the tune itself isn't terribly memorable, sort of lightweight with loads of acoustic strumming and a little more sax appeal. 

Rock Music... after Jane, this is my favourite song off the Freedom album. The rockin' drum intro morphs into a steady, driving foundation for exciting guitar riffing. Thomas again delivers first-rate fist-pumping vocals. This great catchy song snuck into the Top 30 on one of the U.S. charts. 

Fading Lady Light, a gentle bluesy-rock ballad... nice enough, but not quite my thing. Still, not at all bad. 

The final song, the title track, Freedom at Point Zero (Climbing Tiger Mountain Through the Sky) kicks off with a blistering guitar solo, then settles into a moderately-paced rock tempo. There's nice use of vocal counterpoint, different singers playing off each other. Oh, and very cool keyboard accents liven things up even further. Plus, this song has got to have one of the weirdest titles EVER. 

I can't forget to mention the strange album art: the cover photo was shot on location in San Francisco Bay aboard a notable U.S. Coast Guard cutter, featuring its helicopter pad and a kid in a bizarre uniform playing with an alien-looking flying "toy". The inside gatefold (on the record) photo shows the mystical kid posed with the band members. Also strange. 

Freedom at Point Zero was one of my fave albums back in the day, and it holds up amazingly well today, loaded with strong tracks that I still enjoy a lot. And of course, Jane remains one of my favourite all-time rock songs. A little over a year ago, I re-bought Freedom on vinyl record; it wasn't a planned purchase, but when I stumbled upon it for a nice low price, I couldn't pass it up for its nostalgic importance. 

In all my life, I've never bought another Jefferson Starship album (but I'm thinking about trying out their Spitfire album), or even anything by Jefferson Airplane (though I'm considering getting the classic Surrealistic Pillow on vinyl) or the later incarnation, Starship... We Built This City... gag!

The Christmas Listening Booth and New Records

Christmas is fast approaching... just a little more than a week away. Though Christmas is a low-key affair for me (some family will visit for a day, and that's fine by me), there have been some little traditions that I've stuck with over the years. One habit I have is buying myself some cool stuff pre-Christmas, knowing that I'll get some gift money from the family. So an early purchase - or two or three - makes it feel like I've gotten something tangible. Whatever. It's different with every family. 

Copyright belongs to Peanuts Worldwide & Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates

First off, I'll quickly mention a few records that I bought as early Christmas presents for myself. I ordered - brand new - David Bowie's album ChangesOneBowie, a very nice compilation of his best songs from 1969 to 1976. This recent reissue of the '76 album was pressed to both black vinyl and clear vinyl, so that there was an element of mystery for the buyer. I was sort of hoping for a clear record, but ended up with a black one. No biggie. 

The tracklist covers all of my favourite early Bowie tunes, including Ziggy Stardust, Space Oddity, Rebel Rebel and Suffragette City. Bowie had a ripping band during that era, and the memorable guitar riffs perfectly complement his classy rock'n'roll vocals. I much prefer his music of the 70's to the more pop, sort of dance-y 80's tunes (which aren't all bad... I kind of like some of them).

I also got myself a compilation called Best of Cream, by that psychedelic hard rock trio from the late 60's. I've long enjoyed their biggest hit songs, White Room, Sunshine of Your Love, and so on, and until now only ever had a CD collection of their tunes. What I really wanted was their famous album Disraeli Gears, but that wasn't available where I was looking, so this "gently used" 1969 UK release was a solid runner-up. I'm happy with it, since it's got those durable classics I've always liked - this time on vinyl. That'll be in good company with the handful of other 60's rock records on my shelf... like Beatles, Monkees, The Who, and The Doors.

For something completely different, I went for what would be my very first vinyl record picture disc, the 12-inch UK limited edition single of Chocolate, by Kylie Minogue. I have no intention of playing it, instead opting to frame and display it in my living room music area. The image on the record is beautifully "printed", a vivid colour photo of none other than Kylie.

As for actual Christmas music listening, I don't really go for much nowadays, since I hear festive tunes on a loop all day at work. So it's rare that I want to hear more when I'm at home. But if or when the mood strikes, I've got a handful of Christmas albums, most on CD, to choose from. My favourites are Elvis' Christmas Album, The Dean Martin Christmas album, A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack from the TV show by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, Christmas Songs by Diana Krall, a compilation of jazzy renditions (my CD is buried away, and I can't recall the title), A Classic Cartoon Christmas (a Nick-at-Nite series entry), a couple of home-made CD comps with stuff from artists as varied as The Beatles and Spice Girls, and last but not least, The Great White North comedy and music album by Bob & Doug McKenzie (both on CD and vinyl - the original 1981 pressing!). 

The Elvis and Dean albums are pure nostalgic holiday magic, great vocalists putting their own spin on the old standards. I'm not much into the jazz takes on festive songs these days, so I won't revisit those. I might, however, spin that Bob & Doug album - it'll be the very first playing of my vinyl record since I bought it way back in 1981! Among the drunken comedy bits featuring Canadianisms galore (back bacon, beer, toques) there are a couple of music tracks: the song Take Off with Geddy Lee of Rush on vocals; and our favourite hosers do their version of The Twelve Days of Christmas... if you know Canada (eh), then this is hysterical. 

If I listen to nothing else, I'll at least put on the Charlie Brown Christmas album. That music is so timeless and likable that I'm happy to play it on repeat endlessly. That Nick-at-Nite cartoon disc is pretty awesome, too, packed with songs from a whole wack of classic Christmas TV shows like Grinch, Frosty, Muppets, Charlie Brown, and those Rankin Bass animated-puppet shows from the 60's, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Santa Claus is Comin' To Town. 

Tra-la-la-la-la....

Great Concept Albums

There was a time when I followed more musical artists who were responsible for monumental concept albums. I used to listen to much more progressive rock and prog metal, genres that contributed most to this sort of visionary songwriting. Those styles of music followed in the footsteps of a few 60's pioneers, those who experimented with the art form before prog-rock even became a genre.

I don't intend to cover the entire history of concept albums here and now, but I'd at least like to mention some favourites and ones that deserve some extra attention. Here goes:

As I scan my CD shelves (where the majority of my albums lie, since I have far fewer vinyl LPs), I see 60's releases such as Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, by... um, who was that? Oh yeah, The Beatles. Some argue that Abbey Road is a concept album, which in strictest terms is not, yet the medley and the rest of the tracks do flow together seamlessly from an instrumental standpoint. The Who knocked out the still-revered Tommy back in the day, too. 

What truly kicked off the genre was Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. While not a concept album in the vein of Tommy, this does tackle related issues that form sort of suites, one to each side of the album. Floyd did a number of albums like this, some more conceptual as a whole, such as Animals, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall. 

In '73 The Who put out Quadrophenia, an even more ambitious and impressive undertaking than Tommy, in my opinion. The 70's set the stage for the bulk of prog rock opuses by bands like Jethro Tull and Genesis. I'm not a fan of either of those groups, but it's a fact that Thick as a Brick and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway are considered among the top concept albums of all time. 

Can't forget David Bowie, with his The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars... I confess I haven't heard the entire record more than once through, but I have a feeling I'll add it to my record collection before too long. Superior songwriting in the exploration of superstardom.

The Alan Parsons Project expanded some great ideas to full album length, such as Tales of Mystery and Imagination. And how about I, Robot? I mean, that's another example of a set of songs that sound best played from start to finish, flowing instrumentally to perfection from top to bottom. Something to think about.

I've long been a massive Yes fan, and it's no secret that those gents produced during their lengthy career some special concept albums. Tales From the Topographic Oceans is the most obvious, and though Relayer isn't a front-to-back concept, its three hefty tracks are impressive in their own right. Same goes for Close to the Edge. And of course, their signature song Awaken from the Going For the One album clocks in at a sprawling 15-plus minutes.

Canada's own Rush earned their reputation with epic song-suites that sometimes spanned half the album, like The Fountain of Lamneth,  2112, and Hemispheres. Rush also spun fantastic tales within lengthy songs By-Tor and The Snowdog, Cygnus X-1: Book One, La Villa Strangiato, and Natural Science. But the boys didn't exactly do a "Tommy" sort of album, with a linear story throughout. The nearest they come to a complete thematic disc is on Grace Under Pressure, where I feel there is a doomy vibe, both lyrically and instrumentally, that flows from track to track, and though song subjects vary, there is something - and it's hard to pin down - that connects them under the umbrella of that striking eerie futuristic cover art... and the album title.

Let's not get too wrapped up in the notion that "concept album" means that every song is a part of a literal story, which certainly CAN be the case, but there are instances where there isn't an over-arcing story thread, but songs are linked thematically - even loosely - by lyrics or instrumental elements. 

The late 1980's saw prog-metal's Queensryche drop the seminal disc Operation: Mindcrime, an old fave of mine. In fact, I'm due to revisit this dark and twisted tale set to heavy, yet melodic music.

In the 80's and 90's, Marillion released Misplace Childhood and Brave, respectively. Both boast intriguing plots that span the entire album. I'd even dare to say their Clutching at Straws is a thematically-linked set of songs... the musical transitions and tone of the overall sound and lyrics sure lend themselves to the idea of a concept album. Marillion's early work took sound ideas from Genesis, but they quickly established their own recognizable style.

Britain's progressive metal band Threshold released Wounded Land in '93, and to this listener, it's a doomy, crushing commentary on world issues, including environmental destruction. 

Quebec, Canada's Voivod demonstrated their prowess at inventive metallic storytelling with 80's albums Killing Technology, Dimension Hatross, and especially their prog-thrash masterpiece Nothingface (though I prefer Technology and Hatross). Even Voivod's newest (2018) offering, The Wake, is a successful melding of metal and sci-fi in a full-length format. Love it!

Movies of the Wild West

There's nothing like a good movie about the Old West to remind a person that a rugged yet simple life can offer up loads of adventure. The real Old West refers to the American frontier, the colonization by the Europeans that started in the 1700's and ended in the early 1900's as the last states were admitted. 

You feel lucky... punk? Oops, wrong movie. 

This here's Gus McCrae (played by Robert Duvall) in Lonesome Dove

Writers spun out tales of romance, anarchy, and chaotic violence in the Old West - or Wild West, as some dubbed it. They took liberties in order to add far more drama to that era than there really was. But in this modern day and age, most of us won't notice or care much about such inaccuracies. It made for compelling entertainment. This approach to storytelling spilled over into film, and that's where the Western movie genre was born. 

The Old West could be depicted in many ways, from the introduction of the railroads and telegraph systems to the wild frontier, to ranchers and land-owners, conflicts with Native Americans, and early lawmen and bounty hunters versus outlaws. Cowboys and gunslingers. Just to name a few. On the printed page, such plots could appeal to the imagination, yet in film, with visuals, dialogue and music, stories were elevated to a whole new level. At least the movies that got it right.

In recent decades, I've become a fan of the western genre and have a small number of the best of the best in my home video collection. I have no aspirations to be a completist, but instead am trying to build a little library of notable and favourite western films. I have a lot of movies recorded off TV (thanks, TVOntario and Turner Classic Movies), and I won't bother trying to list all of those, some of which are minor flicks anyway. But I do have some great store-bought DVDs and Blu-rays that I'll mention here. I'm missing at least a few faves still, but they're on my shopping wishlist... High Noon and Unforgiven, just to name a couple. 

To begin with, I've got all of the Lonesome Dove TV mini-series and TV shows. The mini-series in particular play like feature-length films so I like to include them here. The Lonesome Dove stories, originally written by Larry McMurtry, are at the top of my favourites... they are highly regarded and are extremely important  to the western genre. There are five mini-series, four of which were based upon the corresponding McMurtry novels. These are:

Lonesome Dove
Return to Lonesome Dove
Streets of Laredo
Dead Man's Walk
Comanche Moon

My feature films on DVD are:

The Magnificent Seven
Once Upon a Time in the West
Open Range
The Wild Bunch
Winchester '73

... and on Blu-ray are:

3:10 to Yuma (the original from 1957)*
Heaven's Gate*
Jubal*
McCabe and Mrs. Miller*
My Darling Clementine*
Rio Bravo
The Searchers
Stagecoach*
True Grit

* Blu-rays denoted with an asterix are Criterion Collection editions, beautifully restored and packed with behind-the-scenes featurettes and interviews, plus informative printed booklets. 

Since I'm not insane about buying every western I can get my hands on, I choose to re-enjoy the carefully chosen few on my video shelves, and check out other stuff, new and old, on this new-fangled Internet thingy. And occasionally add something special, like the superior quality Criterion editions, to my collection. 

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I discuss my western film discoveries in more detail here.

The Playlist in My Head

I think anyone who loves music, at certain times of the day, when the mind is calm, finds themselves playing favourite (or not?) songs in their head. I do it all the time, or at least whenever my brain is unoccupied enough for me to fire up my internal music player - sort of like a personal radio station. And it can be pretty interesting to see how that playlist develops. Sometimes the songs are all related by genre, or even by artist, so that there is a sane progression from one tune to the next. But there are days when the illogical leaps from track to track cannot be explained and are downright weird. Like from Megadeth to Madonna? It's happened.

Lemmy brutally attacks my auditory cortex

According to the experts out there, hearing music in one's head is one form of an auditory hallucination. Apparently, this particular type is known as Musical Ear Syndrome, or a Musical Hallucination. I don't feel as though I'm suffering with this "condition", though. I love being able to call up music I love whenever I want, without any need for an external source, and without concern about disturbing others.

This internal playlist thing has been with me for many years. I remember when I was in my late teens, working on a landscaping job, mowing the grass - on a riding mower, thank God - of a massive field for a full day. It was a solitary job and my mind wandered... though I did take care as I steered my lawnmower across the expanse. Back then, I was in full-on Rush mode, listening to their albums almost exclusively. So on that hot and sunny summer day, as I trimmed the grass for hours, I played entire Rush albums in my head. That day, the entire 2112 suite was the highlight. You know you're a fan when you know the music so well that you can run through a song in detail... every word of the lyrics, every note of the guitar, every drum strike, every cymbal nuance. 

I have found that over the years, as I hear new music, and old music that's new to me, even if I don't get all the lyrics straight, I do absorb the vocal sounds well enough for me to play a song in my head. I think I've been that way with a lot of artists, even favourites; I may not know exactly what is sung all the time, but when I play something in my head, it all sounds right. I've always focused much more on the instrumental parts, anyway, so that explains how I could accurately reproduce every musical bar in my mind. Too bad I wasn't a better musician (just a scrappy guitarist who rarely plays nowadays) or I could bang out songs like a pro. 

Anyway, it was just this past week when I took extra special notice of my "internal playlist" and actually wrote down the titles of the songs that played in my head. And I tried my best to just let them happen, and not intentionally call up anything specific. Even if there was a pause after a tune, I'd just let my mind go blank... and sometimes I'd momentarily think back to the previous song. That occasionally led to a replay, if you can believe it. Hey, if I really like a song, it can get stuck in my head for a while, until intense effort forces another one to take over. Then there are the times when the next track picks up very naturally - sometimes it's the song that follows on the recorded album (if I know it that well), sometimes not. Otherwise, the next tune may be determined by the musical artist or the genre, or neither. It can be pretty random.

Warren DeMartini of Ratt solos over my mindgrapes

The workday I chose to document the playlist in my head turned out to be a bit busy, so my list wasn't as long as I'd anticipated. I had to deal with people and tasks that demanded my attention, which interfered with longer spells of personal musical programming, so to speak. But I still came up with a cool, if slightly odd, set of songs.

Love Me Like a Reptile, by metal punk pioneers Motörhead... the only way to wake me up!
Heart of the Sunrise, by 70's progressive rock giants Yes... one of their greatest songs
Love Me Like a Reptile... again. Sorry, I can't explain.
Ace of Spades, by Motörhead
Rocka Rolla, by great grand-daddies of metal, Judas Priest... a lean and mean early gem
Winter, by Priest again.. follows Rocka Rolla on their first album
Cheater, by Priest... yep, same album again
Never Satisfied, by Priest... monster riffs, and follows Cheater on the album
Chase is Better Than the Catch, by Motörhead, again... I was in a Lemmy mood, I guess
Round and Round, by 80's L.A. glam metal band, Ratt... I kept picturing their music videos, too
Lay It Down, also by Ratt... killer guitar riffs and solo... and weirdly memorable music video
Freewheel Burning, by Judas Priest... a fast, soaring and aggressive tune
Running With the Wind, again by Priest
Number of the Beast, by kings of the early 80's New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden
Jamie's Cryin', by hard rockin' partiers, Van Halen... a crunchy yet melodic and oft-sampled song
Flintstones TV show theme song... I have no explanation how that happened
Cygnus X-1: Book 1, by Canadian prog-rock trio, Rush... a doozy of a metallic space trip
Keep It Comin' Love, by K.C. and the Sunshine Band... what the what? Well, I do like it <cough>

Music My Mom Used to Listen To

Today I'd like to talk about something a little different. Not about music that I, personally, listen to... or used to listen to. Instead, I'll chat a bit about what my dear mother used to listen to - at least during my years living at home with her. I should mention that my mom is still alive and well, and continues to enjoy the music from her past, so the use of the past tense - "used to"  - might be misleading. So I will include some names of artists that I know Mom has been listening to right up to date.

I'll begin by saying that music was an odd thing in my family's household as I was growing up in the 1960's, 70's and early 80's. When I was a young kid during the 60's, I never heard music in my home. Neither my Mom nor Dad ever turned on a radio or played a record, as far as I can remember. Of course, at that tender age, it never occurred to me that this was unusual. Somewhere in the mid-to-late 70's, the old man popped for a Realistic brand (from Radio Shack... remember that? It more recently morphed into The Source) home audio AM/FM stereo receiver with a built-in 8-track tape player, and a pair of little speakers.

I recall occasionally catching my mother tuned in to some sort of easy-listening station, though never when Dad was home. It had already been made abundantly clear to all that music was not to be played when the head of the household was present. Not only did The Man not have an appreciation for music, it seemed he downright despised it. To him, music was just a frivolous waste of time and an affront to his ears. And he could become downright surly if he caught even the faintest strains of something tuneful in his house. The rules were clear, even if they were broken now and then... by me. Later, I listened almost exclusively on headphones.

So Mom had to pick her moments to relax with some music. As soon as the old crank pulled out of the driveway to go run some errands, that was when the matron of our home could breathe easy and play something on the stereo. My involvement in her musical moments were few and far between though. 

Mom enjoyed light music at the time, sometimes very low-key like Anne Murray, sometimes a bit more lively like the Glenn Miller Orchestra. She had a handful of 8-track tapes lying around, which included the two artists I just mentioned, plus some Carpenters and the like. 

It was maybe a few years later that there was an addition to the family room's minimalist audio set-up. A strange-looking cassette tape player entered the mix. It most resembled one of those portable cassette players from back in the day, a boxy thing with the function keys and flat-loading tape slot on top. Again, this was a Realistic model, but it didn't look like a true system component, other than the fake woodgrain plastic sides. But it did the job. This became my way of building my first tape collection, recording tons of music off FM rock radio stations.

It was at this time that Mom began to buy commercial pre-recorded cassettes. Not very many, mind you, but she occasionally added a tape to her little collection. Probably no more than a dozen or so at most. I sometimes sneaked a peek at her tapes to see what she liked to listen to. I even gave her one or two tapes as Christmas presents. I remember first hearing the music of the Benny Goodman Orchestra and George Gershwin's An American in Paris when Mom took over the family room stereo.

Since I had my own little audio system in the basement - where I had re-located my bedroom for privacy and to escape from the little brother - I didn't really need to spend much time with the upstairs stereo, other than to periodically record some more radio tapes. So much music! But I was curious about Mom's tastes in tunes, so I checked out her tapes now and then. 

George Gershwin's An American in Paris was interesting to me - and still is, its sprightly rhythms and bright brass section leaping out of the mix. The gentle sections of the ambitious jazz-classical fusion were evocative yet playful. This very progressive orchestral piece plays like a suite of sections that each depict a different theme... telling a story. Perhaps An American in Paris spoke to me the way that Rush's 2112 suite did. On the flip-side of that tape was Rhapsody in Blue, equally unique and intriguing. The lengthy piece moves through a variety of tempos, styles, and textures. Also very cool. Good one, Mom!

The Carpenters were, at the time, too middle-of-the-road for my tastes, though their one song, Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft was kind of cool. I guess the music appealed to my limited pop sensibility, and the lyrics to my science-fiction fanaticism. 

The big band stuff was beyond me... the Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman orchestras just weren't my cup of tea. Even today, though I can appreciate several jazz styles, that swing band sound just doesn't do it for me. 

I think it was the Anne Murray 8-track that I heard my mother play the most. For a while there, she seemed to like that sort of lightweight country-pop more than the rest. Snowbird, Danny's Song... that sort of thing. I do remember secretly playing that tape a few times just to hear Murray's rendition of the Monkees song Daydream Believer. Though I preferred the classic Monkees version, I thought this one wasn't so bad, fairly true to the original, only with female vocals. And as time has passed, I've come to like some Anne Murray music, and even bought myself one of her old records recently.

I was a teenager during those years of getting to know my Mom's musical tastes. As soon as I graduated high school, I was outta there and off to another city for college. Then from there to an even more distant city where I've lived until today. So I wasn't keeping up with everything Mom listened to for many years. She did play a lot of piano during that time, so I knew she was learning stuff that she already knew and enjoyed from the Great American Songbook, artists like Ellington, Porter, and Berlin.

In more recent decades, during visits, I've heard my Mom mention her interest in the music of Billie Holiday, Harry Connick Jr, and Michael Bublé. I used to listen a bit to a Connick CD I have around here somewhere, but I no longer care much for it, and certainly have no inclination to get into Holiday or Bublé. I've checked out both a bit, and neither appealed to me. If I want Sinatra-like music, I'll listen to Sinatra.

So I'd say that my sole musical influence at home was my Mom. Her tastes were varied, as were - and are now - mine. I liked some of what she listened to back when I was a teenager, and even the stuff I didn't... well, I've sort of come around to it. Maturing, getting older, nostalgia, broadening the horizons, a more open mind. Though the radio and friends had a greater influence, Mom helped, at least in a small way, to shape my musical interests. 

Thanks, Mom.

1978 At The Movies - Sharks, Snatchers or a Speeding Bullet?

Today, let's enjoy a flashback to 1978 at the cinema. I was just fourteen years old so I couldn't see any of the Restricted-rated movies that year, but I did my best to see the blockbusters and anything else of interest. Some of the biggies at the box-office were Grease, Superman, and National Lampoon's Animal House. I had zero interest in anything like Grease (a dance musical), but I made like a speeding bullet to the theatre to see Superman. I can't remember if I saw Animal House on its first run, but I have a feeling I did not. I do recall renting that on VHS with some buddies a few years later.

I was nuts about Superman - in general - ever since I can remember. The majority of the titles in my modest childhood comic book collection were Superman-oriented. Batman might have been a close second. I watched repeatedly the reruns of the 50's George Reeves Superman TV show. As clunky as its visual effects (the flying) were, I didn't really notice much, if at all, when I was a kid. 

So when a Superman motion picture (the first ever) featuring state-of-the-art (for that time) visual effects came along, I was totally on board. It blew everyone's mind... including mine. That was certainly the highlight of the year for me. And ever since then, I've watched and re-watched Superman many, many times. Great story, great performances, out-of-this-world visuals... whew.

Every Which Way But Loose wasn't exactly my kind of movie, but I dragged myself out to a school friend's birthday outing to see it. A man and a monkey. Meh. A few years older, I'd sure dig Clint Eastwood in his tough-cop Dirty Harry flicks, but he was just weird in this goofy comedy. Not my style and totally forgettable. 

I believe I first saw Jaws 2 at the drive-in with a carload of fellow 14-year-olds. Again, it was a birthday outing for a friend. So... lots of junk food and horseplay... but I did settle down enough to enjoy the gargantuan shark chomping down on hapless swimmers. I don't think I ever saw the movie again, until just a couple of years ago when I finally found time to give it a re-watch. And it was actually pretty good, not on par with the first Jaws, but a better than decent follow-up which picks up with Roy and his family not long after their earlier misadventures. 

Revenge of the Pink Panther was the sixth, but not last, instalment in the comedy series starring Peter Sellers. I was a fan of the Panther movies, having laughed my guts out repeatedly viewing the earlier flicks on TV. Revenge was probably one of the lesser of them all, but I'm sure it was still good enough for a dumb kid back in the day. As long as the key ingredients were there - Herbert Lom as the mentally unstable Chief Inspector, and Clouseau's (Sellers) manservant Cato - a Pink Panther movie just couldn't fail. Well, '83's Curse of the Pink Panther did that, didn't it?

I don't know how discerning I was about picking movies to see at the cinema, but I probably jumped on any chance to see something with my friends. At the age of fourteen, all kids are looking for a reason to get out of the house - away from the parents - for an evening. Coma was likely a bit of a stretch for me. Coma was based on Michael Crichton's sci-fi thriller novel... less action and more talky, certainly a lower-key film intended for an older audience. The movie was forgettable for me at the time. Who knows, maybe I'd see something good in it now.

Damien: Omen II was the sequel my pals and I were eagerly anticipating. This sort of horror, while rather tame by today's standards, was creepy enough back in the day. Damien is growing up, 12-years-old now, and is as evil as ever. His devilish doings were fun to watch, though I didn't feel compelled to see it over and over again. The original was the best. Always would be.

The Bad News Bears Go To Japan was the second sequel in the series about foul-mouthed youngsters who took the baseball diamond by storm. Matthau returned as the coach, but I think the rest of the cast was re-vamped. I mean... you have to keep it fresh... and that meant keeping young kids in the mix. Who wants to see the original Bears team growing up? Not me. Forgettable.

I nearly finished this post without recalling what is now regarded as one of the best horror movies of the 70's... the Philip Kaufman re-make of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Many people prefer this re-make to the original, citing colour film and screaming aliens as factors that make it far superior. Don't get me wrong, I really like this re-imagining of the classic sci-fi thriller of the 50's. The thing is that I already had several years of exposure to the seminal 1956 alien invasion story (on TV)  and had developed a deep admiration for the tense, creepy black-and-white gem. Paranoia everywhere! So when director Kaufman brought his vision to the big screen, I had reservations. Yet it's a terrific film, just as anxiety-inducing and spine-chilling as its predecessor. An all-star cast: Sutherland, Nimoy, Goldblum, Cartwright. Weird and disturbing visual effects are likely part of the reason fans rank this re-make above the original. But for me, nostalgia speaks louder... the original wins. Still, excellent stuff.

Because of my still tender age, I wasn't able to see horror milestone Halloween theatrically. I had a while to go before I could rent that on VHS in the 80's. Same with Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke, of which I am now a huge fan... hey, I'm no dope-head - it's just plain funny. Animal House had to wait, too. 

So, as far as movies I actually saw in '78 go, I'd say that Superman and Invasion of the Body Snatchers were the best of the bunch. A fair year, with only a couple of standouts. 

James Bond Movie Theme Songs - Part 4

It's time to revisit the theme songs from the James Bond movie series. In the previous three instalments, I covered the movie themes for the Bond pictures from 1962 until 2002. Today I'll look at the films starring actor Daniel Craig as the gentleman spy 007. 

Though I'm no big Craig fan, I have come to accept him as part of the Bond formula, at least for now. I heard he is slated for one more appearance in the role... after the forthcoming Bond 25 in 2020 (such a long wait!). I feel as though Craig has grown into the role, or has at least demonstrated to me that he's capable as MI6's best operative. For now.

First up... the rock'em'sock'em kick-out-the-jams franchise revitalizer Casino Royale. Released in 2006, Casino Royale served as a reboot of the James Bond world, momentarily setting aside most everything we knew from the four previous decades of Bond in cinema. 

So, a new film - a reboot, a new actor... now how about the theme song? It's a killer: You Know My Name, as sung by Chris Cornell. Quite the comeback after that Madonna song died another day on the previous Bond flick.

You Know My Name is a powerful rock song, tempered only slightly by Bondesque orchestral touches. Heavy both musically and lyrically, the tune is complemented by the very cool visuals of the opening credits sequence. I'd say this film's opening credits are among the best - or may be the best - in the whole Bond series. The imagery, music - and lyrics, set the tone for the story-to-come perfectly, creatively using elements that would play into the 007 adventure, and in a graphic animated style that is both retro (think classic 60's Bond?) and modern. 

Cornell cut his teeth as a primo singer for "grunge/alternative" (I prefer "metal") band Soundgarden in the 80's and 90's... and a bit beyond that. He could achieve a smooth yet masculine vocal tone yet could soar with biting screams. None of that Sam Smith fluff here - but we'll get to that later. 

Though You Know My Name is nothing like McCartney's Live and Let Die theme song, I feel the same way about the two: they both work with current (of their time) heavy rock sounds that fit the Bond template... both instrumentally and lyrically. 

Next up: Quantum of Solace. The movie is a dud. The theme song is a dud. I hesitate to even discuss the song Another Way to Die. But I'll give it a little run-down: instrumentally, it's messy, sounding like an amateurish and haphazard assembly of riffs and sound bytes. I think it's trying to be another You Know My Name with it's pseudo-heavy guitars, but the plinky piano bits don't work well here. And the Bond-like horn parts sound too forced, as though just punched in here and there during digital assembly... just a puzzle that was messily assembled. Oh, and don't get me started on the shrill and off-key vocals. Nothing cool or pleasant or subtle or powerful about Alicia Keys' cringey hollering. It just doesn't work. Not for me, anyway. Yuck.

And then along came Skyfall. Woohoo! Okay, now I cannot claim to be a fan of Adele. I'd only ever heard one other song by her before her Skyfall theme came along. I liked it (Rolling in the Deep) well enough, but not so much that I sought out more of her music. But the Skyfall movie theme really knocked it out of the park. Finally, somebody re-captured that aura of the early Bond classics. Adele did it here, with an Oscar-winning performance that pretty much rivals that of the classy Bond theme songstresses of the 60's and early 70's. She worked with her own team to write the song, and they ingeniously devised something that would have (with different lyrics) worked seamlessly with Goldfinger or Diamonds Are Forever. 

Adele possessed the vocal qualities that make a Bond theme.... um, sing. And Skyfall has become one of the best-loved theme songs of the whole 007 series. It's certainly among my favourites. Just listen to that lush orchestral sweep (à la Bond) in the opening, the subdued piano-and-voice-only first verse, the slow build to the grand chorus, the effortless and compelling famous Bond musical motifs. It plays like the movie does, gradually swelling to the huge finale... then a very soft and brief dénouement. There is nothing forgettable about the Skyfall theme song. Oh, and great movie, by the way... finally re-introducing a bunch of traditional Bondisms for a fun and nostalgic tie-in with the modern world of 2012.

After an excruciating wait (as usual, it seems), the next Bond film finally hit the silver screen in 2015. The long-awaited Spectre was unleashed on 007 fans... most of whom expected some truly old-school escapism. I mean, that title says it all. There has been no evil SPECTRE organization in the Bond movies since Diamonds Are Forever in 1971. So... anticipation was high. 

The movie was semi-satisfying. Daniel Craig did his job admirably, as did the rest of the cast, with what they were given to work with. Unfortunately, later in the film, there were what I think were missed opportunities to grow the characters, their stories, and the James Bond mythology. Certain scenes seemed to serve little or no purpose, lacking a polished, finished feel. Despite its small-ish flaws, Spectre is pretty good as far as Bond movies go. I mean, every actor who filled those 007 shoes experienced at least one stumble at the cinema. Craig came roaring out of the gate, so it was hard to top Casino Royale... but a darned good track record so far. 

My biggest issue with Spectre is its theme song, Writing's On the Wall. Instrumentally, it's actually quite nice, following - maybe too closely - the successful formula of previous themes. Nothing special or terribly memorable, but better than serviceable. But I don't care one bit for the alternately soft, weak bits or the high-pitched whispers of Sam Smith. Not a fan. His style of delivery just doesn't fit the Bond structure for me. I mean, would the BeeGees have been the right choice for a Bond theme back in the 70's? Maybe, but I think not. Either beautiful female vocals or throaty masculine ones worked... but a guy singing like a woman? Nope. Hey, no offence to the BeeGees, either, because I do like their music. But it's a matter of context, how appropriate it is for its intended use. Anyway, I'll likely skip those opening credits - that song - whenever I watch Spectre. 

That brings us up to date on James Bond movie theme songs. It's been an interesting analysis, one I never really thought much about before... besides deciding a handful of my favourites. To really hunker down and pick apart the music revealed more about it than had occurred to me before, and the process helped me see how I felt about the Bond themes... objectively and subjectively, especially the latter, since I attach a lot of nostalgic importance to many of the older pieces that I grew up with. The two biggies that immediately come to mind are You Only Live Twice and Nobody Does It Better, a couple of faves that'll always top my list. 

I wonder who will feature on the Bond 25 theme. A vocalist, a band? Maybe bring back Adele? That might ensure another solid super-hit. What we want is a memorable song that works well for the movie and stands up to repeated listens on our music playlist. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Rock on, Bond.

Movie Re-makes Cage Match: Battle of the Draculas

The Carpathian Mountains. The ancient castle atop the rocky peak. The shadowy catacombs below the fortress. A casket rests on the dirt floor. Large furry rats scurry into the corners. A pale hand slithers out from under the casket lid. Suddenly an ominous, black-cloaked figure stands glaring with preternatural - hypnotic - eyes.

That, my friends, is our introduction to Dracula, the undead count of the Transylvania region of Romania. And the actor who portrayed Dracula in this 1931 film was Bela Lugosi. Lugosi had previously played the role of the fictional character in a stage production for several years, so he had the part down pat by the time he donned his cape for the first legitimate film adaptation of Bram Stoker's famous horror novel. As a side-note, yes, the story was told in the 1922 German picture, Nosferatu, but without proper permissions and film rights. 

The Dracula that Lugosi brought to the world in '31 was the image and persona that would influence subsequent vampire movies - for nearly 90 years now! - and stamped in the public consciousness the likeness that the general public would associate with Drac... and pretty much all vampires in entertainment. Lugosi played the immortal count as a handsome, soft-spoken, suave, and sophisticated nobleman. Sure, he'd go for the jugular whenever he fancied a bite, but this was not a creepy, unsavory creature like Nosferatu's Count Orlok. Lugosi brought an urbane, European gentlemanly style to the table. 

Dracula, the movie, kicked off the successful string of horror classics by Universal Studios. Frankenstein followed later in '31, then The Mummy in '32, and so on and so on. This monster franchise was to create a genre that still exists today. 

I believe that Dracula was the first, or at least among the first, horror movies I ever saw. As a young kid... younger than age 10, I'm sure... I discovered this and other scary classics on a public television station in my home province. I remember seeing Dracula first in serialized form, broken down into half-hour segments for viewing after dinner and homework each evening. Then a little later, I caught the film in its entirety, which helped establish the flow and mood that both helped and hindered the production. 

It's an incredibly slow-paced movie, with several scenes of prolonged silence (which are intermittently effective and dull), and the over-acting (and under-acting) reflects the stage experience its performers. Special effects were simple and minimalist, using mostly fog, lighting, and implying off-camera action. Some worked, some not so much. So Dracula is not without its flaws. Lugosi's ability with the English language (he was from Hungary) was nearly non-existent, so that forced him to speak slowly and to over-pronounce his lines... which sort of added to his foreign appeal in the role. Audiences flocked to see Dracula and the film was a financial success; critics gave it passing marks, but nothing exceptional. 

As important as Dracula was to cinema and the horror genre, I rank it below several other Universal monster outings, including Frankenstein and its sequels, The Wolf Man, Creature From the Black Lagoon, and Werewolf of London. I must admit, though, that as a kid, Dracula (and vampires in general) was my favourite of the film monsters. I dressed as Drac one Halloween, I had (and still have) a cool Aurora model kit of Dracula - with glow-in-the-dark bits and lots of blood splashed about for effect, and owned books and magazines that featured various versions of the famous count. Over time, though, with a more discerning eye, I found Lugosi less interesting in the role. 

So... historically important, certainly nostalgic for me, but not one of my favourite Dracula films. 

And in the other corner is...

...the 1958 Hammer Films re-imagining of the classic tale, Dracula (in the UK), and re-titled in the States as Horror of Dracula. This British production took a different approach to the famed vampire, injecting lurid details to the proceedings... more gore and violence, plus a sensual side to the character. The new Technicolor film produced rich colours that enhanced the already lush locations and sets... and blood. The camera technology at the time allowed for more vivid images in the newer widescreen format. Perfect for a milestone (or should I say tombstone) movie like this.

Christopher Lee made this role his own, sort of toppling Lugosi from the Dracula throne, at least for some viewers. Lee brought an air of menace and even a savage element to the part. His towering presence and athleticism made him more dangerous and frightful than previous incarnations. Lee breathed new life into the character and even into the horror genre, which had waned after the Golden Age of the 30's and 40's. Ol' Drac, along with Hammer's Curse of Frankenstein (1957, starring Lee as the Creature) kicked off a successful series of fright flicks, this time through the 1960's and into the 70's. 

I was a bit older, in my early teens, when I first encountered Christopher Lee as the bloodthirsty king of the vampires. It may or may not have been Horror of Dracula that I first saw... my memory is really hazy on that... but I know I did see this one at some point during those adolescent years. Back then, in the late 70's and early 80's, the only way I could catch the more "mature" Hammers was on very-late-night TV. And my idea of horror was changing as I watched the less kid-friendly re-makes of the oldies. Those Universal classics would always have a place in my heart, but the more graphic and grisly Hammer films were more to my taste as my hormones kicked in. A bit of nudity on those flicks didn't hurt at all either. 

When I think of Lee as Dracula, I picture a couple of different shots of him: one is the calm yet menacing photo of him, tall and imposing, long black cloak, exuding supernatural evil. Then I recall the image of Lee on the cover of one of my childhood horror movie books (still got it!), where he is streaked with blood, red-eyed, and scrambling through tree branches, the very picture of unrestrained ferocity. A truly bloodthirsty monster... versus Lugosi's gentlemanly interpretation. 

The Hammer version of Dracula, immensely popular with audiences and critics, launched a series of sequels, most of which are good, though quality lagged toward the end of their run. The best thing about the sequels is that Lee's fellow thespian Peter Cushing popped back now and then as Dracula's nemesis, Van Helsing. 

The '58 film, introducing Christopher Lee as the count, was just as important to its creators and viewers as the 1931 Dracula was to its own. Each was crucial to its era. Given a choice, I'd pick the Lee portrayal over Lugosi's. In fact, as Halloween fast approaches, I might opt to throw on my DVD of Horror of Dracula. I could do a lot worse... like Twilight or Van Helsing. Gag.