MIENFOKS: May 2010

Sunday, May 30, 2010

DENNIS HOPPER (1936 - 2010) - The Mienfoks Tribute

Easy Rider - Billy

This was the film that embodied the spirit of the 60's or at least it was the film that pop culture thought embodied the spirit of the 60's. What Easy Rider really was was the embodiment of the freedom that America always advertizes but rarely delivers. This film more than any other conveyed why most people prefer NOT to be free. This was Dennis Hopper's Citizen Kane, the work that both defined and destroyed him. although Hopper unlike Orsen Wells was able to make his peace with hollywood. Hopper like Wells started out as a golden boy starring along with James Dean at the cutting edge of the method acting world, but after Dean's death only Hopper, Jack Nicholson(rarely considered a methodman because he is so good at it),Deniro, Pacino, Duvall and Walken seemed to continue true method acting in the post Brando world...

"What the hell is wrong with freedom? That's what it's all about"

Apocalypse Now - The PhotoJournalist

The truth was Hopper was as drug crazed as his character during the shooting of Francis Ford Coppola's Viet Namese Magnus Opus.

"Do you know that 'if' is the middle word in life? If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you"... I mean I'm... no, I can't... I'm a little man, I'm a little man, he's... he's a great man! I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas..."

Blue Velvet - Frank Booth

I was never a huge David Lynch fan, but Hopper took the role of Frank Booth, the kidnapping, torturing, nitrous oxide inhaling psychpath to unbelieveable levels of awesome weirdness. Here are some memorable quotes:

"Don't be a good neighbor anymore to her. I'll have to send you a love letter! Straight from my heart, fucker! You know what a love letter is? It's a bullet from a fucking gun, fucker! You receive a love letter from me, and you're fucked forever! You understand, fuck? I'll send you straight to hell, fucker!... In dreams... I walk with you. In dreams... I talk to you. In dreams, you're mine... all the time. Forever"

"Hey, neighbor! You shit-for-brains, man! You forgot I have a police radio! One well-dressed fuckin' man knows where your fuckin' cute little butt's hidin'! Stupid fuck! Fuck with me, man! Here I come, ready or not! You fuck! I can hear your fuckin' radio, you stupid shit! You got about one fuckin' second to live, buddy! You're one sorry piece of shit, mister. Hey, pretty, pretty! What the fuck? Where are you? Where are you?"

True Romance - Clifford Worley

This scene is a masterpiece on so many levels: the writing is seminal Tarrentino, the direction from Tony Scott stiches together many qualities of the characters as the give and take between Hopper and Walken explodes into laughter and terror,...but for me the incredulous look on Walken's characters face is the money

"...if that's a fact, tell me, am I lying? 'Cause you, you're part eggplant"

Shaking The Cage - Awesome documentary about the making of Easy Rider

Sunday, May 23, 2010

RONNIE JAMES DIO - MIENFOKS Tribute !

Ronnie James Dio (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010) was born Ronald James Padavona in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The year was 1980 and I had just heard the new Black Sabbath album Heaven & Hell featuring new singer Ronnie James Dio...I was a huge Ozzy/Sabbath fan and did know not what to expect, by the time the album had finished I knew I would never be the same. Ronnie James Dio had the most amazing voice I had ever heard. Most metal singers were trying to sound like Robert Plant. Dio was able to retain sweetness in his highs while dropping down into ballsy lows with incredible range. The lyrics from Heaven and Hell are still some of the most inspiring ever written. Songs about freedom and the trappings of duality and materialism were not common in the rock/metal world at the time. Dio and new producer Martin Birch were able to create a much more refined Sabbath sound. They lowered Bill Wards drums and Geezer Butlers bass(which is what gave Ozzy's Sabbath its signature sound) in the mix and allowed Tony Iommi to create a much more symphonic sound that drove all of the songs on the album. Thank you RJD !

BLACK SABBATH - Heaven and Hell

The lover of life's not a sinner

The ending is just a beginner

The closer you get to the meaning

The sooner you'll know that you're dreaming

So it's on and on and on, oh it's on and on and on... See More

It goes on and on and on, Heaven and Hell

I can tell, fool, fool!

Well if it seems to be real, it's illusion

For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life

Love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer

And it's on and on, on and on and on....

They say that life's a carousel

Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well

The world is full of Kings and Queens

Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams

It's Heaven and Hell, oh well

And they'll tell you black is really white

The moon is just the sun at night

And when you walk in golden halls

You get to keep the gold that falls

It's Heaven and Hell, oh no!Fool, fool!

You've got to bleed for the dancer!

Fool, fool!Look for the answer!

Fool, fool, fool!

BLACK SABBATH - Die Young

Gather the wind

Though the wind won't help you fly at all

Your back's to the wall

Then chain the sun

And then it turns around and face you

As you run, you run, you run!

Behind a smile

There's danger and a promise to be told

You'll never get old

Life's fantasy

To be locked away and still to think you're free

...You're free

You're free"

So live for today

Tomorrow never comes

Die young, young

Die young, die young

Die young, die young, young ...

DIO - Rainbow in the Dark

When there's lightning - it only always brings me down

Cause it's free and I see that it's me

Who's lost and never found

Do your demons - do they ever let you go

When you've tried - do they hide -deep inside

Is it someone that you know

You're just a picture - you're an image caught in time

We're a lie - you and I

...We're words without a rhyme

Feel the magic - I feel it floating in the air

But it's fear - and you'll hear

It calling you beware

There's no sign of the morning coming

There's no sign of the day ... See More

You've been left on your own

Like a Rainbow in the Dark

RJD in Jack Blacks Tenacious D movie "Pick of Destiny"

Saturday, May 15, 2010

AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE - The Greatest 11 Minutes Ever on TV !!!

This show has been a late night(3:15amEST) gem for years. It has been by far the best combination of irreverance, irrelevence and just make you laugh out loud comedy show, that was developed from the newer AdultSwim style very weird and strange type of cartoons. MasterShake, MeatWad & FryLock...started out fighting crime and evolved into a great combination of slack and inspirational irresponsibility...and of course Carl is everybody's favorite New Jersian neighbor

Gawker interviews the creative genius behind ATHF

ATHF Goes absolutely LIVE !!!

Master Shake reveals his true self on the 100th episode !

An ATHF - NILES LESH Mash Up Photo !

Saturday, May 8, 2010

SCARLETT JOHANSSON on Craig Ferguson's Late Night

Ferguson is the best interviewer on late night TV !...Highlights include Scarlett stating that she drinks the OBAMA Kool aid and Craig revealing an awesome "Don't Tread on Me" tatoo !