Top 5 Films from the 2000s

by Jacob Meindersee

After a long hiatus from list making (you can check out my Top 5 Action Sci-Fi Movies from the 80s written last year if you feel so inclined), I am back with another. Like all lists, this one is subjective and says more about me than it does these movies. Yes, I think they are good. Great in fact, but I don’t want to just tell you what I think are the “best” films from last decade. I want to provide a balanced and personal list that gives you a sense of what was meaningful and important for me during the 2000s. If I am successful, hopefully they can mean something to you as well. Watch one, two, or all of them in succession, but don’t think of this as just a list, but rather as a guide. Basically, I want you to trust me.

        DONNIE DARKO (2001) Dir. Richard Kelly: Let me begin by saying that Donnie Darko is underrated. This might sound strange considering its devoted cult following and general high esteem, but the movie is a near-perfect articulation of teenage angst and the splendorous horrors of modern suburbia. Yet, despite these themes, it doesn't fall into the schmaltzy trap of over-eager self-importance that ensnares films like American Beauty (1999). Despite seemingly indulgent moments, like Donnie's insistence that life is complicated and can’t fit into the simplistic categories of fear and love, it all comes off as real and authentic, with a self-awareness that doesn't undercut itself. Like Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause made 56 years earlier, Donnie Darko is a true expression of the inner turmoil and gnawing insecurity that comes along with being a teenager in the suburbs. The existential questions are powerful and confront the reality that our actions have consequences, even if the depth and force of those consequences are never fully understood. On top of all this, the movie features time travel, jet engines falling on houses, and a life-size demonic bunny named Frank that is both marvelous and creepy as hell. The movie features witty yet scathing banter between Donnie and various authority figures, and too many great lines to put down here. This is one of my all-time favorites, and we need more of these mid-budget creative works. 

1       ANTICHRIST (2009) Dir. Lars Von Trier: Antichrist is difficult to watch, and one of the most deeply disturbing films ever made. It caused a stir at Cannes when it debuted there, as critics and reviewers debated whether or not the suffocating misogyny and genital mutilation were artistically valid or just perverse torture porn. One of the more thoughtful and less polemic reviews claimed it was one of the most profound representations of mental illness ever conceived on film, and it is widely known that it spawned from Von Trier’s crippling and  life-threatening depression. Yet, unlike Ingmar Bergman’s penchant for art as catharsis, there is no redemption in Antichrist. It is uncompromisingly bleak and hopeless. Issues of gender and patriarchal domination make this a good object for intellectual inquiry, but Von Trier is not a cerebral filmmaker, and we can only understand his subject by experiencing it. He plunges deep into the madness and pain, and we can’t help but go along with him.

1       NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007) Dirs. Joel and Ethan Coen: This was a difficult choice, because I feel like I had to choose between this and P.T. Anderson’s There Will be Blood. Both these films slugged it  out during the Oscars, and are two of the most critically lauded films  of the 2000s. They are inextricably linked, and I felt I had to either put    both of them in or choose one. Made for ultimately arbitrary reasons,   my decision is clear. No Country for Old Men is incredibly violent, and relentlessly attacks the Western mythology of the righteous gunslinger who saves the day. In this cruel world, honor and virtue can be bought for a price, and chaos and chance are its most powerful shaping forces. The movie poses so many questions and leaves virtually all of them unanswered,    which is part of what makes it so great and difficult to understand.  

1       IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000) Dir. Wong Kar Wai: Of all the films on this list, this is the one I am least familiar with. Yet, it is clear that this beautiful representation of love, infidelity,and shifting identity is a triumph in merging high-art aesthetics with real, heartfelt narrative    and visceral passion. Repetitive images and sound sequences are used to great effect, making In the Mood for Love true poetry in motion.

       INLAND EMPIRE “A Woman in Trouble” (2006) Dir. David Lynch: Another difficult choice because I couldn't justify putting two David Lynch films on this list, and thus had to choose between Inland     Empire and Mulholland Dr. A difficult choice indeed, but I feel good about going with Lynch’s lesser known masterwork. It is, after all, his magnum opus and one of the most ambitious and exhausting films I've ever seen. While focused in and around Los Angeles and Hollywood, Inland Empire is more than a movie about movies; it is a tireless intrusion into the systems of patriarchal oppression and abuse embedded in film and television, and an examination of the horrors that arise when we explore the darkness in the back of the studio and peel back the protective layer of the screen. From giant bunnies reenacting tropes of 50s sitcoms, to a girl alone in a dingy hotel room, weeping  and watching what we are watching on a small television, and Laura Dern transitioning from a millionaire Hollywood actor to a low-class woman with her own history of violence, David Lynch’s twisted vision shows how things can go horribly wrong and yet fit perfectly into place. The film is brutal and the threat of violence is ever-present and haunts the viewer throughout. Lynch is relentless, incisive, and at his disturbing and jarring best.  You will cry and shudder, and when it ends you will know that something has happened.

Honorable Mention--WALL-E (2008) Dir. Andrew Stanton: I want to add this to the list, if only to give it some variety and perspective (I am subtly disturbed by the fact that my list features violent, existential, and male-dominated films). But the thing is, Wall-E happens to be a really good movie. I would be surprised if anyone who has seen it and thought about it for two seconds would disagree. Yes, it is a kids movie, but it is smart, beautifully crafted, narratively engaging, and emotionally real. There is no dialogue during the first half and, against all reasonable expectations, we are led to believe in the love between two robots who can only say each other’s names. Wall-E pulls it off. Throw in a trenchant social critique and you have a winning formula. As a side note, the movie got a lot of criticism for not appealing to kids, but that says more about how little our society expects from children than it does about this movie. If kids don’t connect with Wall-E, it is probably because they have been spoon-fed mindless talking animals and sentient mushrooms or other such nonsense their entire lives. Kids are people too, they are smarter than we give them credit for, and they deserve quality just like we do.

Okay, clearly this “honorable mention” was just an excuse for me to rant. Sound off in the comments section below regarding any onerous or morally unjustifiable omissions.

       

New Mad Men Poster

Draper undresses mannequin from outside display window.

Yes, ladies. He's that good.

The Notorious B.I.G. sampling The Last Poets: To PARTY AND BULLSHIT or to not?

Quick preface: 
The writers at A Missing America would like to take this opportunity to make a disclaimer. In this post and others that engage African American culture, we realize that being made up of Latinos and white folks, we have a very limited perspective on these issues. Motivated by our love for the countless gifts African American culture has given to America and the world, we attempt to engage with Black art and culture in a respectful way, for the purpose of exposing a wider audience to issues and works of art that we believe deserve greater attention. That said, we are conscious of our position as outsiders limit our conversation about these issues. We are open to criticisms, and of course, would love to hear input from people of all cultural backgrounds. We're all on this planet together, so lets try and make things work better for all of us. 
Cliched notion? Maybe. Still important? We think so. 


Thanks, 
Matt Shedd 
Editor of A Missing America


Matt's opening thoughts:
First: Listen to this track from THE LAST POETS  called "When the Revolution Comes," an earnest appeal to Black America to realize the injustice around them and to quit leave behind the "party and bullshit" to the ends of bringing about a social and individual revolution of consciousness.  

Okay, now listen to THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.'s first single, "Party and Bullshit," which 
samples the last line. Keep in mind, BIGGIE was 22 years old when he recorded this. This was even before his debut album Ready to Die. Biggie was famous for not writing down lyrics, like his contemporary Jay-Z. I've seen his process described at length in an interview: it involves weed, Hennessy, getting in the both, turning up the headphones, and dropping the track almost instantly once he gets in there.

The Greatest Intro/Disappointment Ever?

by Jacob Meindersee
I have a complicated relationship with HBO's True Blood. On the one hand, I can't get enough, and on the other, I just want it all to stop and to have never existed. And yet I watch and watch and watch until it invades my soul with constant oppressive Sookie-ness, and even more oppressive vampire sex, and I feel like dying and curse the day I ever picked up this vile thing. Still, I keep watching.


See, complicated. And yet, what really frustrates me is not that I am forced to consume such copious amounts of soft-core vampire porn (the term "forced" here is pretty strong, but it is honestly how I feel, and I am not sophisticated or determined enough, at least at the moment, to analyze why), it is that I sincerely believe that True Blood could be great, that its potential far exceeds its faults, and I keep going back, hoping that it will capitalize on its own prospects. Of course, I am disappointed, and yet that hope is reanimated at the beginning of every episode during the opening credits. This intro promises the devastation and back-woods redemption of the dirty south. It promises real, meaningful engagements with racism's sordid history and present. It does promise sex, but also the inveterate objectification and deep sadness infiltrating smelly bars and sweaty strip clubs. It promises forgiveness and blind religious redemption. Suffice to say, it promises so much, and yet delivers so very little. Thoughts?

Bill Withers, "Ain't No Sunshine" 1971

Relax.

Jeremy Lin and Discussions of Race

by Jacob Meindersee

Jeremy Lin is an Asian-American who has hijacked the NBA and the larger sports world, thus instigating the "Linsanity" media firestorm. In addition to providing a legitimate "feel-good" sports story, his unexpected emergence has made race  relevant in many media outlets and online conversations, and Lin, who has endured a career filled with racial taunts and prejudices, has become the object of several racial epithets done in the name of "good sport." In the clip below, Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless discuss the recent firing of an ESPN employee, and the suspension of another, for using the phrase "Chink in the Armor" when discussing Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks' defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Hornets last week. 


This conversation in all of its multifarious forms should be taking place, and Stephen A. Smith, a sports and culture commentator I generally like and admire, confronts it head-on.  He begins the back-and-forth with Skip by saying that there is a general lack of understanding when it comes to racial issues that stems from over-sensitivity, and he puts much of the blame for this on the black community. The overall message here, I think, is that we as a culture should be more willing to forgive those who cross racial boundaries in a moment of weakness or carelessness. This is an issue that goes far beyond this one instance of Jeremy Lin (Stephen A. admits as much), and Smith makes a valid point. None of us are perfect, and we should temper our tendency to go for the jugular when real, flawed human beings make mistakes, racial or otherwise. He seems to engage in thoughtful and meaningful inquiry, even if I take issue with some of his points.

Is it Healthy to Make Jokes about Whitney Houston's Decisions and Untimely Death? A series of questions

An Ongoing Public Conversation


A Note from Matt Shedd: Below I posted a public Facebook interaction I had with a number of folks in response to a picture I understood to be pretty cruel, the picture intimated Houston's drug use with a spoon and a lighter. The caption below read: "Candle light vigil for Whitney Houston." I'm in the process of writing an op-ed to pitch to CNN, Slate.com, and a few other sources addressing celebrity addiction and all of our addiction to watching celebrities self-destruct, so any feedback you would like to offer (positive, negative, or neutral) is very welcome. 

I removed the people names and pictures, save for my own. I debated about this decision, because I do believe we should be held accountable for what we say, even on FACEBOOK--or maybe I should say especially on FACEBOOK, since a lot of us spend a good amount of time on it. Ultimately, I decided that doing so would be giving way to my own sense of revenge and wounded pride, and ultimately might sabotage the point of why I think I wanted to do this in the first place: to open up this conversation.  


If your feeling mad, and you simply must get it out, direct your aggression at me. I can take it. But if you can do without the aggression, I've found that it generally leads to more productive conversations. Anger has it's place, but I think we've all seen enough of it on the internet. I really want to know people's thoughts, and I think getting defensive gets in the way of being thoughtful.

Examining Boardwalk Empire and an HBO-ian Aesthetic

By Jacob Meindersee

Boardwalk Empire is a fine show. It does so many things right, from the obvious, top-notch acting, to the narrative pacing and often scintillating set and costume design that makes 1920s prohibition era Atlantic City pop and sparkle. I burned through the first season and will be anticipating the second. Needless to say, I am at least marginally hooked. Yet, the show is not "great" (and yes, I understand the complex meanings behind such evaluative terms, at least I think so). Just really good. Almost too good, in fact. Perhaps annoyingly so, as I found myself agitated at moments throughout the series, most often at the end of episodes, even as I moved directly onto the next one in the season, seemingly unable to get enough. The frustration lies in what appears to me as a ham-fisted acknowledgement of what makes a typical HBO hour-long drama "good," or at the very least, successful. As opposed to something truly creative, such as The Wire, Boardwalk Empire follows a very conventional (by HBO standards) script for commercial and critical success, as evidenced by its many accolades. This formula has become so standardized and mainstream (again, by HBO's standard) that, while difficult to articulate, it is plainly evident when it appears on screen. I don't really know what to call this elusive criterion of evaluative judgement, and for a lack of a better term (and I sincerely acknowledge that any term you can think of would probably work better) I have decided to call it an HBO-ian aesthetic, an admittedly academic and ultimately unhelpful descriptor that betrays my own inability to adequately describe and name the phenomena I observe.

Why We Need George Carlin

Carlin's 1992 HBO special JAMMIN' IN NEW YORK is as real as it gets.  It's on Netflix Instant Steam, and I've embedded the Youtube clip of the show full below. Don't mind the Russian (?) subtitles. Or take this opportunity to brush up on your Eastern European languages.


When a culture is sedated, sometimes we need someone to yell at us. Carlin gets his fists bloody right away.  The man has a heart for humanity bigger than most, and like all great funnymen, exposes unspoken frustrations I didn't have the vocabulary to name yet--about government, war, showy displays of so-called intellectualism, etc. etc.  He stings my conscience and even his airplane jokes make me lose it.  That's why he's one of the greatest. He was a full person who genuinely cared.   

Trust me. You'll like it.

Random Patterns: Elastic Hope EP -- FORTHCOMING!

By Matt Shedd

Who isn't excited about RANDOM PATTERNS new EP?  I got a friendly leak of the new material from the band, and all I can say is that it's something else. They're finishing up the master takes right now, and I can't wait for the release.  They're taking risks, doing something different, and it's paying off.

Here's a cool new video put together by lead singer Chris Frias to tease the hell outta of you. You only hear about 10 seconds of one of their new releases at the end, but damn, I wish I could stream the whole thing. I can tell you this---it's infectiously authentic, with muscular tones. A true Los Angeles mindtrip.

Untitled from random patterns on Vimeo.

Not for weak speakers. So turn that shit up, check out this video, and I've posted a widget with their SUMMERTIME SINGLES from 2011.  Also, they've got some tracks available for free download at their BANDCAMP site. 

Enjoy.

Arthur Alligood: Update on the Man That's Still Looking for the Wind

Hey friends, 

I'm posting an article about Nashville songwriter Arthur Alligood.  I wrote the article below this past summer for NO DEPRESSION. I was taking a break from the blog at the moment, and although I published it here as well, I think a lot of our readers missed it. 


This guy's got some heart. Here's a cool video documenting some of the early successes. I've got my eye on this guy. Check him out.  He's writes solid songs and has a disarming honesty in his delivery. In the tradition of Hank Williams, injected with a relentless, hard-earned optimism.  Let's help this man make it big. His work is going to touch a lot of people. Hard to find sincerity like this in a world gone wrong.


-Matt

by Matt Shedd

Originally published on 7.13.2011 at
NO DEPRESSION: The Roots Music Authority

A well-written song caught on record always sounds effortless. Before the final product is presented though, like any craft, it’s usually nothing but damn hard work.  Arthur Alligood’s songs convey this sense of ease about writing and recording, but a careful listener realizes that sense of ease only evidences Alligood’s skill. Fortunately, this skill isn’t going unnoticed.

Alligood recently participated in the International Songwriting Competition, placing as 1 of the 15 finalists among some 15,000 entries. But Alligood did not take too long of a pause to celebrate this victory. Following the contest, he went on his Highway Robbery Tour throughout the South and up the East Coast.  And as if that wasn’t enough to keep the Nashville native busy, Alligood also released his newest album, I Have Not Seen the Wind, on March 15 of this year.  

The singular quality with Alligood’s most recent album is its consistent reliance on craft over studio effects; songwriting over showmanship. The songs on I Have Not Seen the Wind arise as strong, tested constructions that stand up under several listens.  A meticulous craftsman, Alligoodhas a refreshing ability to resist throwing too much instrumentation or too many words into one song. Lyrically the emphasis remains on sturdy and restrained expression, avoiding self-indulgence and false country twangs. Alligood puts together arrangements that are more than inviting, and his vocals are robust but consistently understated, not overwhelming the integrity of the song.

I Have Not Seen the Wind and Alligood’s earlier albums are  available to stream online (www.arturalligood.com). Previous to this year’s Wind, he released a six song acoustic EP titled “Full Circle” in 2009, and 2 lps: “Formerly” (2006) and “Under the Gray ” (2008).  

Alligood’s résumé indicates that his hard work is beginning to open up new opportunities, which means that we can almost certainly be expecting more from him soon. I contacted him via email to find out what he has on the docket for the upcoming year:  

"As far as my upcoming plans I am booking pretty heavily right now for the Fall.   Mostly dates in the Southeast and on the East coast though I am working on a run of shows in the LA area for October.  My main objective for the rest of the year is to play as much as I can while networking with tons of other songwriters.  Co-writing is a possibility, but I'm not going to press the issue too hard."

Wonder Woman: Avatar of Truth

Hey friends. This is one of our most popular articles written by contributor Jacob Meindersee. It engendered a warm reception from the "super readers" of the comics community.  We always appreciate your feedback. It always warms our hearts. I'm not being sarcastic; I really try to avoid that.
 
On a different page, I'm in Denver at the moment in a hotel room. Hotel's love making it hard for a guy to smoke. 5 flights of stairs for a cigarette. I understand, I understand. But man, you non-smokers sure enjoy making it hard on us. Alright, enough. Let's hit it. 
Stay tuned for updates...
-Matt
...
By Jacob Meindersee

Before I begin talking about Wonder Woman, I should preface this discussion by saying that I am not what Douglas Wolk terms a “super-reader.” Meaning, I have not read the thousands of comics necessary to understand the convoluted back-stories of superheroes or the esoteric references to such back-stories which litter contemporary comics. Really, I am just a guy who has a modest stack of about fifty comics somewhere in my apartment which are a holdover from a very short period of my childhood. Yet, roughly twenty years later, I am steadily coming back to the comics fold, albeit as an outsider. Like any comics novice, I cut my teeth on Watchmen, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, as well as works such as Maus and Persepolis. Recently, however, I have been able to engage a wider variety of comics through a graduate seminar on superheroes. It is here that I have been introduced to Wonder Woman, also known as Diana Prince, who is a truly complex and, in many ways, difficult character. As opposed to Superman whose fight for truth is linked with justice and the American way, and Batman who is a mortal super-man who lurks in the dark and defends the weak by wreaking havoc on the evil, Wonder Woman’s mission is one of peace and the courage to look unflinchingly within oneself. While I have read only three Wonder Woman stories so far, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on this interesting figure. The particular work I would like to focus on is a four-part story written by Gail Simone and drawn by Terry Dodson and Bernard Chang called The Circle, which deals, among other things, with a vital component of Wonder Woman’s superpowers and persona; truth.

Nick Tosches on Jerry Lee Lewis and Rock and Roll's Twisted History

 by Matt Shedd 
Originally published on 10/4/10


Tosches, Nick. Hellfire. New York: Grove, 1982. Print.

Tosches, Nick. Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'n' Roll. New York: Da Capo, 1984. Print.

If you are interested in the history of American music--country, blues, hillbilly ballads, minstrelsy, jazz, rock and roll--and how they all come together in the hidden back alleys of American history, you should take note of the name Nick Tosches. His Jerry Lee Lewis biography, Hellfire, is by far one of the most beautiful, strange, and disturbing accounts I've read about an American artist. Tosches does his homework, extensively researching Jerry Lee Lewis's ancestral history, the music he was exposed to, his sleepless nights of guilt for playing the devils music, and uncontrollable Dionysian energy that he unleashed only a few years after Sam Phillips found Elvis Presley.

The friend who recommended the book told me it read like Flannery O'Connor's fiction. I couldn't agree more. In one of O'Connor's essays that I can't remember the name of, she talks about how even unbelievers in the South are haunted by the ghost of Christ. This biography bears this out in ways which I don't think even O'Connor could do in her fiction. (That's not a dig at O'Connor. I love her writing, but I am trying to communicate the enthusiasm I have for Nick Tosches as a writer). Tosches paints Lewis as an artist constantly at tension between his strong religious roots and innate hunger for wildness and sexuality that comes out every time he takes the stage, kicks over the piano bench, starts howling, yodeling, singing dirty songs, (Tosches notes that Lewis was certain that he was going to hell for "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and its many sexually suggestive successors in the Lewis catalog), and in moments of unparalleled showmanship--drenching the piano with gasoline from a coke can and lighting the whole piano on fire while he's playing.

Technical Difficulties

It's not all bad news--it never is, I suppose. We are at our new home: www.amissingamerica.com.

Well, actually, I should say, look up at the web address. It should say that at least. The old blogspot address, www.amissingamerica.blogspot.com, is now set to forward all traffic to www.amissingamerica.com. 

If not, let me know in the comment section. And then I'm dragging this computer out to that field.  know Ron Livingston will let me borrow that bat. 

As you can see, the switch to the new website threw a wrench into our formatting.  We apologize, and we're working on it. Thanks for your patience.

Even if I have to lay this particular machine to rest, we will press on.

-Matt

Comic Mike DeStefano Opens Up about HIV and His Wife's Death on Marc Maron's WTF Podcast

Late Comic Mike DeStefano

Hey everyone!

If you’re just joining us, along with preparing for the launch of the A MISSING AMERICA magazine, we are still running the updates on most weeknights, while we develop our first couple issues. Some posts will be from our archives, but we also are planning to slip in some new articles for you too.

Just to keep you in the loop, we are not strictly writing about comedy. That's just where we’re at in this moment as we complete the ICONS OF AMERICAN COMEDY issue. Anyway, that's enough for now.
...
Comic Mike DeStefano on HIV and His Wife's Death  By Matt Shedd

It's been nearly a year since comic Mike DeStefano passed away from a heart attack after living with HIV for years, and after overcoming a heroine addiction that started at the age of 15.  Some might recognize DeStefano from recieving fifth place on NBC's Last Comic Standing.   His upbringing in the Bronx gave his act a tough wiseguy exterior, but his charm, which some people miss, is the ability to let his vulnerability come through the cracks of that exterior when he talks about his faults and mortality.

I was introduced to DeStafano recently via Marc Maron's WTF Podcast (I know I've said this before, but it's worth the $2 media pass to listen to just this episode. Do it!) Maron, as is his gift, provides DeStefano the space to talk openly about his HIV, his thwarted plan to commit suicide, his heroine addiction, and more.

Below I’ve pasted a touching performance from Mike DeStafano, "Fanny's Last Ride," which he describes on WTF, as a piece that he's particularly proud of. He makes a point in the interview of explaining how proud he was of this piece, as he should’ve been. Rest in peace, Mr. DeStefano.

Elvis and Eddie Murphy: The Sacred and the Shameful

Nixon publicly appointed Elvis to monitor drug activity within American borders.
To quote Bob Dylan, I wouldn't trust either of them.

By Matt Shedd

In 1977 that black cloud famously gathered over Memphis when the world was scandalized to discovered the king of rock and roll as a corpse, collapsed in his vomit. America had not wanted to see the collapse for so long, what the devotees found traumatic should not have been so shocking. I believe the same applies for Michael Jackson. Many of us must have been lying to ourselves pretty hard over the course of his tortured life--which we were painfully implicated in--to be as shocked as we were. 


5 years after Elvis's death--I can't tell whether that's a long time or a short time--Eddie Murphy lampooned the older and bloated Elvis in his huge special DELIRIOUS.  But the point is: everything sacred has a shelf life. 

When you watch the clip, notice that Murphy makes it abundantly clear when he moves from laughing with Elvis, and acknowledging the power of his performance, to laughing at Elvis. He feels justified in the joke, or at least, he feels safe making it, because the public had turned on Elvis. Whether this is an act or critique or malicious, I'll leave for you to judge. But I will say, we could similarly make a joke about Murphy slipping into self-parody as his career moved into The Nutty Professor  era.

Paul Mooney and White Guilt

By Matt Shedd

A Missing America is going to be doing short daily posts like this while we continue to get ready for our first magazine issue. A MISSING AMERICA will then continue the daily updated blog feature alongside with the separate magazine issues with longer articles. Thank you for your patience, and stay tuned for our daily updates.
Paul Mooney dishes out some bitter medicine. I've never heard white jokes that are both so funny and scathing at the same time.

Just watch the beginning of his 2002 stand-up special ANALYZING WHITE AMERICA. I almost don't feel I need to say this, but some will be offended. If you're familiar with Mooney's humor from Chappelle's Show and other places, this shouldn't be a shock. If you're white, try not to shut the window until the clip's over. But if you have to...well that's okay too, I guess. Paul Mooney doesn't care either way. 

A MISSING AMERICA's Brand New Logo!

We are proud to unveil our magazine's BRAND NEW LOGO!  We figured it's about time for a makeover, particularly since we are switching into a new format. 

Another post coming later today at 4 pm on PAUL MOONEY and WHITE GUILT. You won't want to miss it!

Elvis's "Heartbreak Hotel": Desire and Dead Ends

By Matt Shedd
Originally published April 19, 2011 at A MISSING AMERICA and NO DEPRESSION (While we spend the weekends cooking up new ideas, we're going to be reposting archived articles on the weekends. We hope you enjoy it!)  

I decided to be disciplined about at least one thing today: 10 times in a row I listened to "Heartbreak Hotel," Elvis' first #1 single with its accompanying B-side "I Was the One" on my record player that needs a new needle. There is a method in this madness: I was trying to get as close as possible to listening to Elvis' first nation-wide single the way I might have heard it then: getting the only two songs widely available on Jan. 27, 1957 and listening to them, and listening to them. more...>>>

50/50: Seth Rogen Coming of Age

About halfway through, 50/50 really sunk its hooks into me, in the heartwarming . It's a rich film with full characters and massive heart. Seth Rogen gives a fully rounded  dramatic performance, significantly sharpening his chops as an actor. But don't worry, he is still smoking a lot of pot and sleeping with girls way out of his league. I've already said too much, and I don't want to gush. But you might cry. (I might have.) 

It's not giving anything significant--or anything that you don't realize within the first five minutes of the film--to tell you that Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character breaks up with his ice cold girlfriend relatively early on.  The scene posted below is the catharsis after the breakup;.when I heard Roy Orbison playing in the background while they destroyed her painting, I could tell this movie was going to be much different than I anticipated.

If you haven't seen the film, you should watch it. You'll like it. 

Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, and America's Most Dangerous Word

Update on remodeling:  We are coming along nicely as you can see.  We're still messing around with the format, so suggestions are welcome.  Other than that there isn't too much news. Again, if you are having trouble viewing anything or if you have feedback for us, don't hesitate to use the comment section. But to tease your appetite for our upcoming "Icons of American Comedy Issue" (date still TBA)--I've embedded two famous clips of Richard Pryor and Chris Rock performing stand-up.



I wanted to try and spark a discussion on Chris Rock, Richard Pryor, and their different approaches to that very emotionally charged racial slur. (Before you post angry comments, realize that I'm aware of the sensitive nature of addressing this issue as a white male.  Also know that I'm approaching this as an observer and not providing any conclusive ethical statement on these comedians' artistic choices.)


Both Richard Pryor and Chris Rock have nuanced views on the word, but working at different cultural moments, they both come to very different conclusions. I was recently struck how Pryor and Rock, although seemingly taking opposite positions on the appropriate use of the word "nigger"  (Pryor publicly retired the word from his act in 1982)  actually come closer in their views on the word than they initially appear to be.

Note from the Construction Site

We hired this guy to help get things in order.
We're guarding our kneecaps

Hey Everyone,

Just to let you know, I'm going to be dropping a line here probably around 5 or 6 pm on weekdays about where we're at with remodeling. I picked that time so that you can check in with us as you get home from the office, class, work, etc. because I know it's the first thing that you think about doing. Actually, I have a feeling that a good chunk of our readership is hitting the bars around 5 pm, in which case raise a glass to treasures of American arts and culture. (This website pairs well with alcohol.) more...

Although we aren't quite ready to announce a launch date yet--we will announce it soon--we are happy to let you know that our magazine model will consist of roughly 4 short articles and/or creative pieces each week, with blog updates on the magazine website on weekdays. Before too long, when you visit this Blogger site you will automatically be redirected to the WWW.AMISSINGAMERICA.COM--our permanent home.

Each issue will have a general theme, and I can announce that the first issue will be "American Comedy Icons"--with writings from yours truly, Associate Editor Sean Diaz, and other AMA contributors. The issue will address: 

• Lenny Bruce 
• Lucille Ball 
• Woody Allen 
• Richard Pryor 
• Garry Shandling 
• George Carlin 
• Bill Hicks 
• Janeane Garofalo 
• Tina Fey 
• Marc Maron (and his wildly engaging WTF Podcast) 
• And even more funny men and women! 

Ambitious? Yes! That's because to celebrate the launch, we are going to be presenting a double issue. The inaugural issue of the A MISSING AMERICA's online magizine will feature 8 exclusive, brand new pieces. (Once again, launch date announce to follow in the next few days...)

Until then, any feedback about the new format and approach is welcome in the comment sections. It would be particularly helpful if something looks off in the formatting, since we are still working out the kinks with the different browsers. 

So check back for updates. Let's get this joint buzzing.

-Matt

A Note to Our Readers

Friends, Countrymen, Readers Abroad:

I am glad to announce that we are finally making the transition into a magazine format! Check out the new design, the new posts, and of course all your old favorite articles from AMA.

We'll be cranking out regular issues before too long--I'll be updating you on where we're at with the launch date! Stay tuned. No flipping.

Yours,
Matt Shedd
Editor
A MISSING AMERICA

Sean Diaz--Associate Editor;   Matt Shedd--Editor 

Walter Benjamin on Paul Klee's ANGEL NOVUS

Angelus Novus, Paul Klee, 1920. Copper etching plate.

"A Klee drawing named 'Angelus Novus' shows an angel looking as though he is about to move away from something he is fixedly contemplating. His eyes are staring, his mouth is open, his wings are spread. This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe that keeps piling ruin upon ruin and hurls it in front of his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what has been smashed. But a storm is blowing from Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such violence that the angel can no longer close them. The storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress." 

-Walter Benjamin, 

Ninth Thesis on the Philosophy of History

Straw Dogs...

Sam Peckinpah’s 1971 classic Straw Dogs is known for its brutal, yet aestheticized, violence. While everything builds up to the final showdown at the house, the decisive moment occurs earlier with the rape of David Sumner’s wife, Amy, which sets the film on an unalterable course. This scene is both important and perplexing, and I would like to inquire into its meaning, despite the unpleasantness of such an endeavor.

A movie about masculinity, Straw Dogs is unflinching in its portrayal of manhood as a fundamentally violent enterprise. Even accounting for the rape scene, the single most disturbing moment might be when David clutches Amy’s throat during the final attack and promises to break her neck if she opens the front door and lets the intruders inside. This is the apogee of David’s masculine transformation and reveals the inherent brutality of such a process. Yet, despite Peckinpah’s apparent misogyny, there is a way his portrayals of feminine weakness highlight the systems of control and aggression that dominate patriarchal societies. The rape scene in Straw Dogs, as well as the one in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, highlights the helplessness of women in a brutal, masculine world. It also shows the one tool patriarchy gives to women to combat this violence, their sexualized bodies. This is why the women being raped in the two aforementioned movies have the appearance of enjoying it, and why Amy bares her breasts to the roofers in Straw Dogs; it is the only way for them to attain a semblance of control in a system that continually denies it. It is also why Amy needs David to exert his own patriarchal control over the men who work for him. Without this masculine exertion, Amy is powerless to protect herself, and her rape is a direct result of her husband’s impotence.

Charlie Parker Sketches #3: Embraceable You, Irreplaceable You

Article also featured on NO DEPRESSION: THE ROOTS MUSIC AUTHORITY

Charlie Parker recorded his completely unique take on
George and Ira Gershwin’s Embraceable You for Dial on October 28, 1947. Returned to New York after 16 month haze in California, which included a stay at Camarillo State Mental Hospital, a parting with Dizzy Gillespie, new developments in bop, and for Parker, a period of debauchery and genuine insanity. He was later sent back to New York, chaperoned to the airport by Dial producer Ross Russell.

Whatever wounds and embarrassment Parker carried into the NYC's Dial recording studio, he nevertheless still wielded the influence to assemble a formidable lineup. His quintet in those days consisted of well-respected bassist Tommy Potter and pianist Duke Jordan, alongside the now--and even then--deified figures of Max Roach and Miles Davis (brought in from Julliard, as what Russell calls “Charlie’s first and last choice on trumpet.”). Parker was near the peak of his creative powers. Parker quickly reestablished himself in New York as an expert saxophonist, junkie, drunk, and cunnilingust, constantly making explicit sexual advances towards the women in clubs. A man with deep appetites that were linked together in a desire for transcendence, of any kind--whether sublime or piecemeal. Whatever was available was what came next.

Dial had moved its operations relating to Parker eastward to accommodate the musician’s relocation. Bird and the Quintet captured six classic takes in a mere four hours. Russell later described the session as a “scene of undistracted and concentrated creativity,” and Parker’s difficult behavior and unending demands were accepted as the cost of genius. Two hours after getting a fix in the bathroom of Dial’s New York studios, Parker recorded on of the his most celebrated pieces from this period--his extensive revision of George and Ira Gershwin’s Embraceable You.  

The Charlie Parker Sketches #2 - "Parker Is"

Also published at No Depression: The Roots Music Authority

 

(Play while reading.)

Charlie Parker is the now that dries metaphysics into dust. Careening between elation and nothing-at-all, a virile intoxication, a force of nature with gold streaming through his veins.

Going out West and just staying, spending his airfare home on junk, drifting on the sea breeze, the hapless American explosion. Parker could toss off a masterpiece like “Moose the Mooch,” and in a state of pure joy, name said masterpiece after a much-sought-after West Coast smack dealer.

Parker is endless spinning always on the margins of maintaining control, and then losing it. Walking into a hotel lobby naked and crazed, setting a bed on fire with lit cigarette, sharing his most beautiful notes with a cow in an open field on the side of the highway. 

Parker is always getting somewhere, always in style.  The subject is the throbbing American cities, and it is sung with the voice as seductive as a siren.  

Parker is American instructions on how to exist that knocks you senseless with pleasure, full of satisfaction of its own perfect image.  The roots of the modern American city, true roots music, tricky to pin down, grounded in the truly original African American self-confidence and nobility. 

Playing a record always casts a spell.  In the way that Jimmie Rodgers’ blue mountain yodel takes us to empty spaces and train cars, Charlie Parker takes you to Walt Whitman’s bustling dream of the U.S., foresees Woody Allen’s Manhattan, lands you in the backseat speeding across America with Jack and Neal.

Parker is America’s youthfulness raging out of control and still hitting all the beautiful notes.

12/24/11

Matt Shedd

See all the Charlie Parker Sketches 

Twitter.com/MattShedd

AMissingAmerica.com

matthewpaulshedd@gmail.com