Finally saw the super-hyped about Avatar movie (in 3D!!!) last night. James Cameron essentially ripped off the entire Pocahontas story (thanks Alice)...just with aliens.
Let me lay it down for you:
The Na'vi (aka Native Americans, Indians, "different" people) have something (precious mineral in the movie, LAND in real life) that the "Sky People" (aka 'Merika!!! aka Earthlings, aka Colonists) want.
The Na'vi (Native Americans) are one with the land and don't want to give it up. So, the Sky People (colonists) send a guy (Jake Sully as an Avatar in the movie, John Smith (right?) in real life.) to infiltrate the people's village, learn their culture, and take advantage of them.
Of course that doesn't go as planned and there is a big war and lots of people are killed. BUT unlike in real life, and Pocahontas, the aliens win!!! So it's not really the same at all right?
Now my little rant might make you think I didn't enjoy the movie. Not true.
It's visually awesome and wild and stunning and cool. And absolutely worth seeing! Now that doesn't mean I agree with spending 237 million dollars to make a movie while our country is in a recession but, I guess someone needs to figure out ways for people to make and spend money. Entertainment is the way to go! (Really though, we don't NEED it, but it makes people happy and gives them something to do)
Watch Monty Python's hilarious first full length movie And Now For Something Completely Different in its entirety right here!
Man, I love these guys. Also, they're currently celebrating their 40th anniversary. Congratulations fellas, for setting comedy standards for generations to come. You truly deserve the recognition.
Watch the trailer for the remake of the horror classic "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (April 30th, 2010 release date). Man I love the classic horror flicks, hope they don't ruin this one by remaking it (does anyone have any ORIGINAL ideas anymore?)Anyway, it's pretty cool that the guy who played Rorschach from The Watchmen is Freddy Krueger. Also here's a fun fact about the original 1984 film, did you know it was Johnny Depp's (insert screaming girl's voice here) feature film debut?
Les Claypool is one of the most talented bassists of the last two-plus decades to wield that mighty four-stringed ax. Whether it is with one of his current "solo" projects, the Frog Brigade, Bucket of Bernie Brains, Oysterhead, or his legendary band Primus, Claypool is almost always working on stretching his musical and over-all artistic boundaries even further. The man can slap a mean bass, write books, fish for sturgeon, make movies, and generally be an extremely entertaining individual. Some may argue his current musical efforts aren’t some of his best but he still puts out bits of solid, quality material in everything he does. I'll be the first to admit that I am a bit biased towards him but he is definitely one of my favorite people ever.
That being said, I'd like to take a little journey through some of the man's music videos and a few other works he has created over the years. Enjoy!
I'll start you off with THIS one. A video from Claypool's early band named Sausage. This video is so bizarre but I think it's great.
Another great early video capturing Les doing two of his favorite activities, fishing and playing music, is "John the Fisherman". Additionally he looks pretty hilarious.
Next HERE is the hilarious/weird/slightly frightening "Mr. Krinkle" video from Primus. Featuring the legendary pig mask! Take notice while watching that the entire video is filmed during one continuous shot. Pretty damn cool
These next two things are both closely related. The first, Pig Hunt, a dark comic/horror movie about a 3,000 pound wild boar the kills people and terrorizes the marijuana fields of California. Les Caypool plays, "The Preacher". The Second thing, the song and video for "Boonville Stomp" which is featured one both Les's new album "Of Fungi and Foe" as well as the movie. Les busts out the bass-banjo for this one. Les Claypool - Booneville Stomp Download Music Video Code at www.roxwel.com
Next we have another song/video from Les's newest album. The song (Red State Girlisn’t one of my favorites but it's pretty funny and is entertaining simply because of the hilarious masks that Sam Bass (cello) and Mike Dillon (Tablas) are wearing and the faces Dillon makes.
HERE we have Les back with Primus in the hilarious video for the song "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" which finds the boys dressed up as plastic cowboy action figures.
As mentioned before, Les Claypool has also written a book. It's titled "South of the Pumphouse" and is:
A dark, clever tale of two brothers, a fishing trip, misconceptions, drugs and murder, South of the Pumphouse skillfully combines classic motifs of epic struggle and intelligent layers of imagery, reminiscent of The Old Man and the Sea, and the raw, tweaked perspective and hallucinogenic tutorial of a Hunter Thompson novel.
Another non-music but directly music related project (well it IS music in a way) is Les's film is "Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo" which is a mocumentary about a jam band trying to become successful and play at the music festival "Festeroo".
Another great Primus music video is the amazing claymation video for the song "Southbound Pachyderm" off the album "Tales from the Punchbowl".
Lastly I have pretty much the quintessential Primus song everyone knows. Aside from My Name is Mud, I feel this is THE song known by both hardcore fans and people who couldn't get it out of their heads from playing too much Tony Hawk Proskater. HERE it is, "Jerry Was A Racecar Driver". (yes the beginning is weird but what do you expect?)
I'm just curious. Why start off with a movie called, "The Fast and The Furious" and then eight years later (after 2 sequels, ingeniously titled "2 Fast 2 Furious" and "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift") follow up with yet another movie simply called "Fast and Furious" (leaving out the "THEs". Is there really that big of a draw for another sequel or is Hollywood really that uncreative and starving for ideas? But hey, cars and driving fast is cool...right? (i think so at least, but come on) With yet another sequel there are undoubtedly going to be some people trying some stupid things such as.......
This is a place for all things "entertainment", which is essentially all things me. Music, art, movies, TV, new technologies, "everything" and (maybe) anything involved with entertainment. I put the words "entertainment" and "everything" in parenthesis for the fact that firstly some things I may find entertaining other people may not and secondly there's no way I can really cover everything out there.
Some of my entries may seem completely random but I feel as though spontaneity and randomness should be a part of life. Nonetheless, I hope this brings you some kind of enjoyment, for that's the real reason behind this whole thing.
The exact origin of the name "Danny b Funk" is unknown but it was developed years ago due to my funky bass playing and all around "funky" nature (whatever that means).
My outlook and attitude towards life, as well as inspirations are influenced greatly by:
1960's hippie culture, sounds, noise and beats, Funk, the Grateful Dead, cartoons, Les Claypool, comic books, the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, professional wrestling, "the groove", Living in the country, rhymes, The Twilight Zone Dr. Seuss,improvisation, video games, standup and improv comedy, old school hip hop, DJs, Shel Silverstein, Drum Machines, Vinyl Discs, boat shoes, electricity, mythology, Eastern religion and philosophy, acoustic instruments, Mick Foley, jazz, awkwardness, music as a whole, antics, shenanigans and tomfoolery.
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