From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V9 #359 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, December 7 2000 Volume 09 : Number 359 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Minus 5 vs YFF ["Russ Reynolds" ] "what's in the cleavage?" "pain." ["Andrew D. Simchik" ] Re: "what's in the cleavage?" "pain." ["Allen B. Ruch" ] Re: "what's in the cleavage?" "pain." [steve ] and the winner is... [grutness@surf4nix.com] I posted offlist onlist! [The Great Quail ] pre-reap [drop the holupki ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 08:39:45 -0800 From: "Russ Reynolds" Subject: Minus 5 vs YFF Recieved a copy of a limited edition CD sampler yesterday called "The Minus 5 vs The Young Fresh Fellows" which comes with a scorecard and bills itself as the "ultimate battle for pop supremacy." Says it's from a forthcoming "Double CD Spectacular" due out in February when YFF's "Because We Hate You" and M5's "Let The War Against Music Begin" will be issued together "in the same plastic cannister". Liner notes are hilarious (including the two bands slamming each other) and the five songs are pure gold, just a blast to listen to. If this can hold up over two CD's I may never listen to another album. Tracks are: YFF: For the Love of a Girl (new classic version) M5: Your Day Will COme (with Robyn Hitchcock) M5: Great News Around You (radio edit) YFF: I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight (c'mon bobby) ...and a not very well hidden YFF bonus track called Charley and the Angels. Hitchcock does a typical RH monologue at the end of track 2 . Although it takes him a while to get going he finishes with a flurry. - -rUss ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 09:35:11 -0800 From: "Andrew D. Simchik" Subject: "what's in the cleavage?" "pain." >From: The Great Quail > >I think the Lynch version >is inconsistent, Prolly. > nearly incomprehensible to an outsider, Totally disagree. I was an "outsider" at the time I watched it and I had no trouble at all. But I did see the 3-and-change-hour version...? > and filled >with -- as you say -- eccentric performances. Which was awesome. The Mentats were fabuloso -- love that Dourif! >I *hated* >the way they slobbed up the Harkonnens, Agreed. >and some of the voice-overs >were a bit silly. Recurring voice-overs piss me off. > But the whole movie was worth it just for that >CREEPY little girl who played Alia! Yes! And that CREEPY little girl was Alicia Witt, who is now a sizzling hot redhead (or possibly "redhead") of the highest order. Alia is one of my favorite characters in the books. >Oh, I don't know! I mean, the deserts scenes are too obviously fake, Totally. >Lynch film. But on the other hand, I think it is more true to the >book. The Sci-Fi Channel version fully explores the nature of the >Spice, and I think the Fremen are more true to the novels. Also, the >worms and harvesters look less cheesy, more realistic. I can accept that. I think the Fremen trappings and culture are made to seem more like their counterpart cultures in "real life" in this version, which I kind of like. The worms look totally fake when they're chasing Paul and Jessica, but I like the wormriding scene toward the end a lot. > I dislike the >Guild, though -- not alien enough for me. GOD they're stupid. An example of eccentric acting that doesn't work at all. >And I also >don't like the Harkonnens, again. While much closer to the novel's >clan, I still think they are over the top -- I have always imagined >them as Roman/Nazi hybrids, more grandiose, clever, and decadent, >with Orson Welles as the Baron. I think it's too easy for a filmmaker >to give into cliches with the Harkonnens, and go too wild with their >excesses. Yes, absolutely. The actor who plays Feyd is pathetic...he looks like the finest gelato and acts like curdled milk. Don't know if I want Sting back, but geez. And Fenring! What the hell? One of the more interesting characters in the novel. He shows up, finally, but not much to do, and what's with that accent? > >To begin with, no, it's not visually stunning at all. I laughed out >>loud when I saw Reverend Mother Mohiam's snowy-owl meets Dimetrodon getup. > >That's a pretty good observation! I am picturing the mating that >created that head-dress. The more I saw of her the less pleased I was with her total lack of charisma. Lynch's Mohiam was devastating. >True, but I enjoy this version's *alternate* historical production -- >very, very Renaissance in concept. The Reverend Mothers, the >Guildsmen reps, the Sardukar -- all very flavorful of the late >medieval early Reniassance period. Though I likthe Lynch versions >better, I still think that's pretty cool. It's nice that it's consistent but I think it's too obvious. > >The acting is passable at best, but I just think it was miscast. Lady >>Jessica looks and behaves like a drowned rat (not quite a barnyard animal, >>but close enough, I suppose). She has zero charisma. Might as well have >>cast Marina Sirtis. > >Ouch! I disagree here. I think she is a fine Lady Jessica! She seems far too uncertain of herself and her son. I just think of the other Jessica (I'm just sucking on actors' names...I should just look them up) saying "A thousand deaths are not enough for Yueh!" She was perfect. Francesca Annis? > Though the >part was *made* for Emma Thompson! (Can we agree on this?) I won't say "made" but I'll say she would rock the house. >I agree to some extent, though I can live with him. I love Kyle >McLoughlin (sp?), but he was too reserved and "kind" for me to >believe as Paul. I think a hybrid of the two is in order. I can't >think of a single actor who would convince me as Paul.... Matt Damon? >A young Val Kilmer? Grrr? It would be an unknown, but not this guy for sure. > >Leto...I know they needed a little star power, but William Hurt >>sucks so enormously. I hate him and I can't wait to watch the scene where >>he dies again. > >I thought he was good, too. I like William Hurt. Hated him, hated him, hated him. Apparently he really wanted to play this part, but his mumbling, affectless delivery really pisses me off. [Baron H.] >Yeah, I know -- but imagine Orson Welles! As a conniving genius, a >decadent Hermann-Goering like character.... Mmmm...I love Orson Welles but I'm not sure. He might be too appealing. :) >The best character for me in the new version is Liet Kynes. I think >he stole the first half of the show! Bleah! No thanks! :) > >I didn't watch much of the movie, but lots of crucial scenes were pretty >>damn similar to Lynch's film. The gom jabbar scene, for instance. The >>good stuff was bitten from Lynch. > >I think maybe the good stuff was similar to Lynch because at those >times, both were faithful to the book! No, dude, the shots and effects and rhythms were so similar. The script I could forgive, but there's no requirement for those things to be the same. >Anyway, I do hope you keep watching -- I think it is a fine >production, with its heart in the right place. I definitely agree its heart is in the right place. I'm looking forward to watching the whole thing at a stretch. >From: "The Primaeval Buttock Display" [Paul Atreides] >how about dicaprio? With a little voice training (no pun intended) I could see it. But of course, I would want very much to see it, so I'm biased. I suspect he would look a little too scrawny. Drew - -- Andrew D. Simchik, drew at stormgreen.com http://www.stormgreen.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 13:08:12 -0500 (EST) From: Christopher Gross Subject: monkeys all over the world > i didn't so much end his career (if i recall) as cause him a lot of > grief. he apparently used the term ("little monkey") quite > frequently. referred to his grandkids that way, and so on. he was > one of the most outspoken and eloquent opponents of racism every to > appear on television. Once, when my Czech teacher realized that none of the class (all of five students) had done the assignment, she snarled at us "You didn't study, you ... little monkeys!" in a mock-angry voice. As far as I know it didn't affect her career. Frivolously, Chris ______________________________________________________________________ Christopher Gross On the Internet, nobody knows I'm a dog. chrisg@gwu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 13:19:52 -0500 From: "Allen B. Ruch" Subject: Re: "what's in the cleavage?" "pain." Drew writes, (Great subject title -- the Boob Jabbar, I assume?): >> nearly incomprehensible to an outsider, > >Totally disagree. I was an "outsider" at the time I watched it and >I had no trouble at all. But I did see the 3-and-change-hour version...? Maybe that is it. I think there was far too much exposition at the beginning, and they tossed around terms like "CHOAM," "Lansdraat," and "Ix" with never a word of explanation. Which was cool for me, a Dune-head, but seemed like it could be confusing for the uninitiated. >Which was awesome. The Mentats were fabuloso -- love that Dourif! Man, yeah! That movie *made* Brad Dourif for me! His is one of my favorite performances in the flick. But Linda Hunt as the Shadout Mapes -- what the hell was that all about? >Recurring voice-overs piss me off. Well, I liked some of the voice overs, but some were so gratuitous! Like the Lady Jessica thinking about Yueh's wife, "They must have killed her." I mean, no shit! >Alia is one of my favorite characters in the books. me too! And I love the Bene Tlieaxu! >GOD they're stupid. An example of eccentric acting that doesn't work >at all. In the TV version, you mean, right? They were just silly. But in Lynch's movie -- man! When that Guild rep takes the microphone/translator and hisses, "The Bene Gesserit Witch must leave!" it gives me the chills. >And Fenring! What the hell? One of the more interesting characters in >the novel. He shows up, finally, but not much to do, and what's with that >accent? Agreed! Count Fenring should have been played by a young Peter Cushing. Or maybe David Thewles. He's such a cool character! >The more I saw of her the less pleased I was with her total lack of >charisma. Lynch's Mohiam was devastating. Oh, yeah! I think her performance was dead-on. But then again, Sian Phillips is a Shakespearian actor, and was Livinia in "I Claudius." Her RM was brilliant! >It would be an unknown, but not this guy for sure. You know, I though he came into his own last night -- I really found myself *liking* him as the older Muad'dib. He also looked like a young Bowie. Mmm. Cool. >No, dude, the shots and effects and rhythms were so similar. The script >I could forgive, but there's no requirement for those things to be the same. I guess I agree with you -- the illusion of the hand burning up.... I could talk about Dun for hours! Bring on "Dune Messiah!" - --Q ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 17:28:39 EST From: BLATZMAN@aol.com Subject: The horse aint dead yet I forwarded a copy, (word for word, mind you), of Crappucino's explanation of that Exhibitor nonsense to a fellow Feg (no longer on the list) who worked for Landmark Theaters. He worked there for years, and did much more than the accounting. I'm sure we'll agree that Landmark is more in line with industry standard than say, the Ma & Pa boutique that was down the street in Crappucino's One Horse Town. Former Landmark Employee states: "From my years in exhibition I can tell you that you were a lot more correct than this guy. When Landmark booked a film it was on a "split" that got to be more in favor of the theatres every week it held. The distributors could screw the exhibitor horribly on the initial split for a guaranteed blockbuster, but if it doesn't perform up to snuff, there's less incentive for the exhibitor to keep it onscreen. That' why moderate disappointments sometimes go away faster than out-of-the box flops... think of something like "Starship Troopers" that was judged a big success in week 1, but wasn't viable from the exhibitor's point of view as it wasn't playing well enough to hold until the split started going their way. At the end of the year nobody was talking sequel." Pretty much what I was saying. It's fun to mock my sources, especially if it's only a Professor at UCLA, but that guy was clearly saying what I already knew. He was just saying it better. Crappy, you sit there and talk like you know everything, but I just can't believe that you weren't aware that an Exhibitor's "spilt" increases as the film stays in theaters longer. This is industry standard. All else is the exception. Perhaps you worked at a theater that was an "exception"... Just too small to turn up on the radar or something. Also, I can't believe that you think reported box office figures don't include the Exhibitor's share. Well, now you know a little more about an industry that you pretended to know a lot about. Next time you get into it with someone you can make your accounting experience at the local theater sound really really cosmopolitan! As for telling everyone I'm in the business of low budget regionals, and you've worked on big national spots for the super bowl, I'm not sure how that is relevant to anything. Unless your pulling the old "my dick's bigger than your dick!!!!! I worked on *National* spots ooooohhhhhhhh aaaahhhhhhhh. By the way, I have a business degree with a concentration in accounting. My Masters in Film Production. Look Crappy, we have a lot in common! Since someone asked, my former roommate wrote a script that eventually became the Keanu Reeves film "Chain Reaction" I think the horse is dead Blatzy ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 15:53:51 -0800 From: Asshole Motherfucker Subject: minus 5 all over the world saw them a month or so ago. they were really rockin' -- sounded more like the young fresh fellow than the minus 5. they were playing songs from a very-quickly-recorded cd they were selling that night (entitled IN ROCK). the liner notes to that one were very funny as well, but i don't got it on me so can't quote from them. peter buck played bass all night, john wesley harding was there, and skerick sat in on a few songs. anyhow, i'm envisioning the minus 5 opening for the soft boys on this upcoming tour. i mean, i was *assuming* buck would be playing with them anyway. but reading russ's post opened some new chamber in my brain. now i guess the question is, will keegan be along for the ride as well? (and, will the relationship with andy be resuscitated in time?) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 19:52:37 -0500 (CDT) From: GSS Subject: Re: keegan all over the world > now i guess the question is, will keegan be along for > the ride as well? Fuck I hope. Keegan and the boys did a great show last year in Austin with RH, except for the bass lines and Tim's band did not play near long enough. I got ants in my pants for the SXSW show. I hope they let me record through the mixer or get a good mic position or even let me record period. I would hate to have to go recon-ish/undecover/play hide-the-mic, cause then the recording and media would move to sub-standard. Ooh well, the games we play. gss ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 20:33:29 -0600 From: steve Subject: Re: "what's in the cleavage?" "pain." Allen B. Ruch: >Bring on "Dune Messiah!" More Dune indeed, but maybe they can use *part* of DM and skip on ahead to more interesting material. - - Steve __________ We're all Jesus, Buddha, and the Wizard of Oz! - Andy Partridge ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 17:11:30 +1300 From: grutness@surf4nix.com Subject: and the winner is... http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/uk/newsid_1057000/1057660.stm James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand. =-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= -=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- You talk to me as if from a distance -.-=-.- And I reply with impressions chosen from another time =-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-. (Brian Eno - "By this River") ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 08:13:41 -0500 From: The Great Quail Subject: I posted offlist onlist! That last reply about Dune, (or "Dun"), the one from that shady "Allen B. Ruch" character, was actually meant for Drew off-list. Not that Mr. Ruch said anything particularly private of offensive, but nevertheless. I will watch him more closely, and make sure he no longer posts private email to the Feg List. He was last seen in Flordia, driving a suspicious looking Ryder truck with a certain "Mike R." and installing fake NASA Select Channel satellite dishes.... - --Quail - -- +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+ The Great Quail, K.S.C. (riverrun Discordian Society, Kibroth-hattaavah Branch) For fun with postmodern literature, New York vampires, and Fegmania, visit Sarnath: http://www.rpg.net/quail "i'm not a critic, though i play one on the internet." -- doug mayo-wells ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2000 12:42:24 -0500 From: drop the holupki Subject: pre-reap >*** Update: Loverboy bassist presumed dead > >(Launch) - Hopes faded Tuesday for Loverboy bassist Scott Smith as >the U.S. Coast Guard had no success in finding the rocker after he >was swept off his sailboat and out to sea on Saturday. U.S. Coast >Guard officials said it was unlikely he could have survived in the >frigid waters. Smith and two friends were moving the 37-foot craft >from San Francisco's Ocean Beach to a marina in Southern California >when the incident occurred. Smith was part of a Loverboy group which >had its greatest success in the '80s. Over the years, the band has >regrouped, toured and recorded intermittently. ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V9 #359 *******************************