Greg Pattillo

Beat boxing flute?

Yeah, it sounded kind of stupid to me too when I read the caption. However, once you start listening, it's hypnotizing. Like some kind of Rahzel ("Godfather of Noyze") off-shoot, this type of music blends jazz style flute with hip-hop. The artist, Greg Pattillo is a very talented guy. Very precise. Animated.

I've linked some video here, check them out:

Greg Pattillo-Sesame Street beat box


Greg Pattillo- Super Mario Brothers Theme

Dustin Hoffman - The Graduate (1967)

Film - The Graduate (1967)

Finally! That's all I can say. After a long, long time and many movie references to this particular film, I can say that my pop culture I.Q. has been boosted a little.

What's it all about?

If you were born in the late 1980s or later, you may have not even heard of this film. The Graduate stars Dustin Hoffman as Ben Braddock. Ben is a recent college graduate who comes home from school and is faced with the dilemma of what to do next. Ben also was the B-Moc (big man on campus), and has many accolades he must live up to, ultimately making his decision all that much harder to make and the pressure to succeed that much higher.

One night Braddock's parents (his father played by William Daniels... who you may remember as Mr. Feeny from the TV sitcom Boy Meets World) throw a big party in his honor, taking every chance they get to brag about him. Fed up with the attention, Ben hides in his room. Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) then mistakenly enters after, while "looking for the rest room." Shortly after she convinces Braddock to drive her home, where she later proposition's Ben at her residence.

Eventually, Ben gives in to the older cougar's advances, and a fling ensues. This whole exchange between Ben and Mrs. Robinson is often awkward when not in the physical act. Eventually their fling is cut short due to a visit from Mrs. Robinson's daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross).

Ben is pressured into taking Elaine on a date and pursuing her. Reluctant at first, Ben eventually becomes smitten and finds a person he can confide his post college angst in. He falls for Elaine and starts to see more of her. She soon finds out about the affair and runs away from Ben. He spends the rest of the movie trying to win her back .

What I think

While some of this movie's legendary weight was probably lost on me, due to the fact of the generation gap, I still really liked it. This film is a cinematic pillar, and winner of many awards, including an Oscar. I found it largely entertaining, both as a stand alone film, but also as historical giant.

The soundtrack, which was very fitting for the time (possibly even edgy at the time), was not really for me. "The Sound of Silence," by Simon and Garfunkel must have played at least four times throughout the film. I do like this song, but heard it more than enough throughout the film.

The Graduate Film Details:

Major Cast Members: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels, Murray Hamilton, Elizabeth Wilson, and Brian Avery.

Director: Mike Nichols

Release Year: 1967

Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy.

The Dear Abbeys (YouTube)

The Dear Abbeys

(From YouTube)

While writing the last post about Rusted Root, I came across The Dear Abbeys on YouTube. They actually covered Send Me On My Way, which was the song for the last post. They also have covered You Get What You Give, by The New Radicals, which I blogged about back in January. I have since found their version of Feel Good Inc. by the Gorillaz (which is also another song I like). Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay is another timeless song they cover! I'm going to post a few videos of The Dear Abbeys. Watch and enjoy.

The Dear Abbeys: You Get What You Give

The Dear Abbeys: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay


The Dear Abbeys: Send Me On My Way


This one is awesome!The Dear Abbeys: Feel Good Inc.

Rusted Root - Send Me On My Way

Song Lyrics - Rusted Root: Send Me On My Way.

Now here's a song that I've always heard in random places and never knew who sang it. It's just one of those feel good songs that you can't help but like. It is also one of those songs that gets stuck in your head for days. If that happens here, I apologize. (It is a cover yet again, because the original has been disabled.






Rusted Root- Send Me On My Way Song Lyrics

On my way(4 times)

I would like to reach out my hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
You know what they say about the young.

Well pick me up with golden hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
You know what they say about the young.

Well, I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will
I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl

Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Mm hmm (On my way)

I would like to reach out my hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
You know what they say about the young.

Now pick me up with golden hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
You know what they say about the young.

Well, I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will
I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl

Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Mm hmm (On my way)

Well, I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will
I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl

Send me on my way
Send me on my way
Send me on my way
On my way
Send me on my way
Send me on my way

I would like to reach out my hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
You know what they say about the young.

(Lyrics Source: lyricwiki.org)

Carrey, Del Toro, and Penn... 3 Stooges?

3 Stooges Movie

According to a Hollywood reporter, via an article I found at Yahoo! movies; Jim Carrey, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn are all set to star as the epic comedy trio, working with the Farrelly brothers & MGM. Jim Carrey is set to star as Curly, Sean Penn as Larry, and Benicio del Toro as Moe.

The film will be updated to modern times, but is aiming to remain true to the stooge's slap-stick nature comedy. It is also said that the film will show the three as young orphans, and have some of the story take place in an orphanage. The film is set for an estimated release in 2010.

Read more at The Three Stooges Official website here.

Saw Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire Review

The awards and rave reviews are justified! Wonderfully shot, and an amazing cast. This is an excellent film in my opinion.

What's it all about?

Slumdog millionaire chronicles the endless bounds of love. Although premised on love, the story is not at all mushy-gushy. It is refreshingly real and hard. Jamal (played by Dev Patel and Ayush Mahesh Khedekar) and Salim (played by Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) are brothers orphaned by circumstance, and on the run. Along the way, they are joined by another orphaned youngster Latika (The very stunning Freida Pinto). The three journey through the streets and are ultimately separated due a series of misfortunate events. Jamal's quest to reunite with Latika eventually leads to his appearance on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" Jamal's climb to the top of the pay scale, leads to accusations of fraud and cheating. He is detained, tortured and asked to prove why a common street "slumdog" would know the answers to all these questions without being a cheater. He recalls events in his childhood that have provided his knowledge as to these answers, and his life story is told through these sequence of events.

With many betrayals, twists, and comical moments; Slumdog Millionaire is one of the better movies I've seen in recent years. It is largely entertaining and smart. It fades in and out of subtitles, giving the movie a more authentic air to its Indian roots. The Indian music (which is very new to me) was really catchy and I liked its original sound (at least to my immediate and predominately Western-Culture musical repertoire). The subtitles are modern, non-invasive, and I actually liked the way they appeared visually on the screen.

Overall, I really don't have any complaints about this film (at least ones that won't give the whole movie away). I would solidly recommend this movie to any person who has the intellectual fortitude to sit down and enjoy a foreign film with intermittent subtitles. It is an entertaining film, and highly enjoyable. A great work of art.

(Slumdog Millionaire, IMDB is the respective owner to information resources & images used in post.)

• Directors: Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan
• Writers: Simon Beaufoy and Vikas Swarup
• Accolades: Won 8 Oscars, Audience Award, ASC Award, BAFTA Film Award, Critics Choice Award, and many more.
  

Nickel and Dimed

Book

Currently, I am listening to the audio version of Nickel and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America, By Barbara Ehrenreich. It's a very interesting book. It is semi-reminiscent of when you hear about rich girls going slumming (having sex with poor, trashy type guys because it's fun, defiant, and exciting). Except she applies this to her financial and occupational life, rather than her sex life.

Barbara is an (from what I can gather by listening to her words) affluent, upper class, journalist/freelance writer. Her views on low-income work in America are very skewed as the book the starts. It also sounds like she has a prestigious education from a possible ivy league, though, I'm not sure.

I was kind of appalled by her views on lower income society when I first started listening to this book. As it goes on, you see her start to understand people more. Eventually, she is one of the working class. This is evident by her writing.

In one passage, when recounting her employment with a maid service, she recalls an instance when she needs to bite her lip. She explains how she wants to explode on a rich lady, and point out how every little extravagance was made by a hard working person. In this point of her story, it seems as if she almost understands the working class completely. Although, many times throughout the book, she differentiates herself from the working-class, by referring to her former life or her "real life."

Another passage is a whole tirade on cleansing the toilet bowls of the rich. There was an almost a sick satisfaction I got out of listening to this particular part of the book. When she spoke about the difficulty of cleaning human waste and pubic hair. Maybe some far-reaching form of poetic justice?

Overall, I'm not sure how I feel about this book.

Things I like about the book:

• Someone took the time to try and see the world through the eyes of the poor (or middle-class on down).
• She actually physically ached and excreted sweat researching this book.
• She writes this book to have the affluent and wealthy sort of second guess themselves, or at least become self aware of this issue.
• She becomes friends with her co-workers and sort of quits looking at working-class through a microscope or filter.
• The human side of Barbara Ehrenreich.

Things I dislike about the book:

• In the audio version, Christine McMurdo-Wallis' voice. She sounds like veteran smoker, and has that air about her that seems like a pompous rich old hag. I'm sure this all adds to believability of the story. I'm also sure, that Christine McMurdo-Wallis is a very nice lady. Nonetheless, it was something I disliked. I've heard Barbara Ehrenreich's voice from YouTube videos and personally think it would have been better if she had read it herself.
• Her insistence that formal education is ultimate answer to breaking out of poverty. While I agree education and knowledge, directly reflect a person's social and a person's economic status... I don't necessarily agree that it will stem from a degree.
• She's a sesquipedalian. Which may seem ironic for this statement. It means a person who uses large words. It often seems forced, out of place in this book, and is just rather annoying.
• Her intended audience, is probably not the group reading this book.
• Her assumptions of the intelligence levels of lower class.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I do think it should be read by many. If you haven't read this book, give it a shot and PLEASE COMMENT back on this blog as to your thoughts and reactions to this book.

(I am enclosing a YouTube video of Barbara... She's very intelligent, and I don't think my opinions should sway you in one way or another as to her works.)

Visit Her Website: http://www.barbaraehrenreich.com