Now Playing: Cream--"Deserted Cities of the Heart"
The frequency of entries in this blog will probably decrease. I've decided to start writing again, and I suspect the effort that goes into these rambles could be better employed elsewhere. I won't stop doing it--I just won't blog as much.
I've tried to cut down on going out, too, and have only seen two shows in the past couple of weeks. The Satin Peaches, with Without Misty and Mason Proper, played the Blind Pig Wednesday before last, and I decided to alter my ban on weeknight shows for just one minute. The Peaches give a welcome and rather old-fashioned form of tub-thumping rock, a needed antidote to midweek doldrums. I didn't see Mason Proper, but Without Misty gave a good set as well, with a rousing cover of the Buzzcock's "Ever Fallen In Love." Friday, the Halfass hosted Great Lakes Myth Society, Descent of the Holy Ghost Church and Canada. The place was packed--not the most congenial environment for movement or breathing, but it was a good show nonetheless. Canada was a pleasant surprise--jammy folk rock with some heavy cello action. The set was livened considerably by an impromptu dance on stage by some random audience member (who went on to piss on the men's room floor, grab cash out of the cover box, and assault a concertgoer before being arrested), as well as snotty anti-Canada comments by some know-it-all behind me. Descent and GLMS were great--it was the biggest crowd I'd ever seen for a Descent show, and the good feeling in the air was palpable.
Saturday, I stayed home and watched a pair of hilariously perverse cinematic gems. Lost and Delirious (2001) demonstrates that everything one suspected of Canadian girls' private schools was true--the lesbian affairs, the impassioned fencing, the mystical connections with stranded birds of prey... it's all there, man. I went to see Coyote Ugly because of Melanie Lynskey, but left with a fond regard for Piper Perabo. She's terrific in Lost and Delirious as the wronged lover, with a surprisingly good young Mischa Barton (before she started annoying the crap out of everyone as Marissa on The OC) as her timorous sidekick. Despite some drawbacks--inappropriate use of slo-mo, the dopey riot-grrl slogan "rage more!" which threatens to become this flick's "seize the day!", an ending which is rather patronizing to one of the main characters--it's a decent little flick. Quebec has never looked better.
Mark of the Devil (1969)--also known, I understand, as Burn, Witch, Burn!, to judge by the video cover, is "positively the most HORRIFYING film ever made!" It's not, really, but it is an unexpectedly good expose of bloodthirsty witchhunts in 1770 Austria. Herbert Lom (who's fantastic; I don't think I've ever seen him as good in anything else) and Reggie Nalder play the sleazy witchfinders, with Udo Kier as Lom's conscience-stricken young assistant. There's a lot of gore and nastiness (I actually had to turn away my eyes for a couple of scenes), presumably to appeal to the Euro-exploitation market, but it's all in the service of a gripping story (with gorgeous locations and relatively lavish production design). Even the discordant musical notes add some charm--the opening scenes, showing a party of monks and nuns waylaid and molested by thugs, are set to luscious soft-core nonsense that would sound more appropriate to scenes with Alain Delon (for instance) arriving in his swinging bachelor pad to find Jane Fonda or Jane Asher in his bathtub. It all turns very grim, with a cathartic but downbeat finale. Don't let the packaging fool you--it's not that bad. Austria has never looked better. Unless The Last Valley was filmed in Austria, in which case it has. Actually, I'm not all that sure that Mark of the Devil was filmed in Austria, so--stop listening to me.
Thursday, I went to Planned Parenthood to hear longtime prochoice activist Jean King discuss the implications of the present political situation for reproductive rights, as well as her experiences with organizing to defeat state antichoice referenda back in the 1970s. Coupled with seeing Lost and Delirious, the talk made me realize I shouldn't flag on the volunteer stuff. The WRAP library nears completion--at some time next week I must begin cataloging titles for the database.
So. Not very stirring, but that's how it goes.