DThompson’s Pandora’s Box No. 2: THAT’S CRAZY TALK

By: DThompson | in: General, Movies, Music |

Neil Young's Lost Records

An album that drove Neil’s record label crazy
Neil Young ended the 70’s on a high note both artistically and commercially. “Rust Never Sleeps” was all over the radio then and remains a cornerstone of his career. Neil was so poised to hit the big big big time his label, Reprise Records, must’ve been dancing a jig to the sound of cash registers ringing. But, Neil had other plans. First he released the half acoustic and half [gulp] country LP “Hawks And Doves” and only after everyone had ceased to care did he release “Re-ac-tor” with Crazy Horse. By then it was a case of too little too late, even though the album was uniformly excellent.

Meanwhile, at about the time the guys at Reprise were slitting their collective wrists, Geffen Records was started, quickly gaining a reputation as an artists’ label. Neil signed on and, citing Devo as an influence, put out “Trans”, a vocoder soaked stab at being new wave. Continuing his 80’s streak of ‘every-album-in-a-different-style’, Neil’s next record was “Everybody’s Rockin’” a not-bad rockabilly album. Geffen, fed up with pouring their money down the Neil drain, forever lost their “artists’ label” rep. when they sued Young over this record for “deliberately releasing non-commercial product”.
Wow. Sued by your own label. Rock on Neil, you rebel.

Here’s the single “Wonderin’” from “Everybody’s Rockin’”, would you have sued over this?

Disinformation.com

A website that almost drove me crazy
Disinformation.com is a web site devoted to every insane-o idea and whacked out conspiracy theory you’ve ever heard of and more than a few that you haven’t. The site’s a paranoic’s Disney World, it actually has a conspiracy MENU for you to page down.

I discovered Disinformation immediately after the Columbine tragedy when rumors were flying thick about extra shooters, FBI hit teams and even a UN death squad van supposedly seen on campus (because, when you’re the UN “death squad” you can park your easily identifiable light blue van wherever you damn well feel like).

Many of these theories were obviously nuts but two seemed solidly grounded in factual data and were well-presented by their authors. Since all research was being based on the 10,000 or so pages of testimony taken by the Littleton Police Department, and since all 10,000 pages were on the internet for anyone with a strong stomach to paw through, I began to fact check these two frankly disturbing allegations.

As I trudged through page after horrific page of conflicting testimony it became clear that in crafting their conspiracy, the writers would take one piece of testimony and ignore all other statements that might prove their shoestring hypothesis to be incorrect. The extra shooter theories were total bunk, but it had taken me close to 1,000 pages to know for sure. I hate these “theorists” for fabricating out and out lies and for cynically taking advantage of such a terrible moment. But, I love Disinformation.com, repository of all things weird and/or insane.

High Road To China

A movie made because Tom Selleck was driven crazy that he lost the Indiana Jones role:
High Road To China (1983) was made and marketed to be another Indiana Jones film. It starred Tom Selleck as a boozy Irish WW I flying ace who zooms off across Afghanistan, India and China (all of which look suspiciously like California) in search of his pretty employer’s lost father. This movie is one of the few films to feature a WWI era biplane dogfight and it’s a first-rate sequence, exciting and almost worth the price of admission in itself. Selleck is likeable, still riding high on Magnum P.I. and attempting to start a film career. That the father, when he’s found, turns out to be Wilford Brimley doesn’t hurt either. High Road is made in a classic style and while it’s nowhere near as kinetic or action packed adrenaline rush thrilling as Raiders of the Lost Ark it’s much truer to it’s serial thriller source material. Gentler, slower, stronger on the romance and scenic schots, if High Road was in black and white you’d swear it was made in the 40’s.

They don’t make movies like they did in the 40’s anymore and High Road shows why. Despite how charming the film is, despite the slew of winning performances from one end to the other, the film did not do well at the box office on release and has yet to make it to DVD. You can, however, buy a used video on Amazon for $99. There’s something to drive YOU crazy.

Elvis Lunch Box

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Posted on August 29, 2007

Comments

5 Responses to “DThompson’s Pandora’s Box No. 2: THAT’S CRAZY TALK”

Charbarred on August 29th, 2007 3:01 am

I remember watching High Road to China when I was a kid. Later on when I moved the US I turned on the TV and saw Magnum PI. I remember telling my mom, “looks like a good show, it’s that guy from High Road to China”.

kendall on August 29th, 2007 4:53 am

There are VERY few movies I would pay $99 dollars for. Conspiracy theories are nuts. Did you see loose change yet?

DThompson on August 29th, 2007 7:24 am

Charr:
I really thought I’d never see High Road again, and UI didn’t much care. Then a friend’s wife’s father’s VHS cassette broke and he asked if I could fix it. It turned out to be low-key but quite charming.
kedall:
a) Oh, I agree. Phantasm is the only one that springs immediately to mind.
b) Yes. It’s convincing, until you think about it, and also guilty of the conspiracy theorist’s favorite method, cherry picking your evidence and ignoring contrary details.

Charbarred on August 29th, 2007 8:16 am

D, you should have told your friend’s dad that the VHS cannot be fixed and that you are willing to safely dispose of it for him. 99 bucks can buy you some great Harrison Ford DVD’s

DThompson on August 29th, 2007 11:32 am

The tape had completely snapped necessitating an opening of the case and some quick doctoring with scotch tape, his once valuable tape, while it still plays, isn’t worth much anymore.
I did take the opportunity to play it on a VHS to DVD dub unit I have though…