Daily Archives: April 21, 2019

Lisa’s Week In Review — 4/15/19 — 4/21/19

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

On Monday afternoon, I looked up at the television in my office and I saw the sight of Notre-Dame Cathedral de Paris on fire.

As a lover of history and a lover of art and, yes, as someone raised Catholic, the sight broke my heart.  When Jeff and I were in the UK last November, we had actually made plans to cross the channel spend a day in Paris and, certainly, we were looking forward to visiting Notre-Dame.  Unfortunately, because of the rioting that was going on during that time, we had to change our plans.  As I watched Notre-Dame burn, I realized that, regardless of whether the structure was saved or not, history was dying on the screen in front of me.  When I saw the spire fall, tears came to my mismatched eyes.

And yet, when the fire was finally extinguished, there was good news to go with the bad.  The relics had been saved.  The statues that were normally on the spire had been removed before the fire.  There was damage.  There was loss.  But, thanks to bravery of the firefighters and a determined priest, so much had been saved!  For many of us, the photo below seemed to sum up the aftermath of the Notre-Dame fire:

Now, seven days after the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral, I am again heart-broken, this time for the victims of the terrorist bombings in Sri Lanka.  On Easter Sunday, three churches and three hotels were bombed.  As of right now, the death toll stands at 215, with over 400 injured.  It’s hard to know what to say when confronted with such evil.

As for me, I spent this Easter weekend with my sisters and it felt good and right for everyone to be back together for a few days.  I managed to get through Easter Vigil without setting anyone’s hair on fire and. even more importantly, without anyone setting my hair on fire, and, for that, I am thankful.  This was a week in which I saw both the best and the worst of humanity.  Hopefully, next week will feature more of the former and less of the latter.

Here’s what I watched, read, and listened to:

Films I Watched:

  1. The Bible: In the Beginning….. (1966)
  2. Gilda (1946)
  3. Glory (1989)
  4. The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
  5. Hollow Triumph (1948)
  6. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
  7. King of Kings (1961)
  8. Paparazzi (2004)
  9. Prom Night (1980)
  10. Rebel Without A Cause (1955)
  11. The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (2017)
  12. The Shoes of a Fisherman (1968)
  13. Suddenly (1954)
  14. The Ten Commandments (1956)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. 9-1-1
  2. The Amazing Race 31
  3. American Idol
  4. A.P. Bio
  5. Barry
  6. Brooklyn Nine Nine
  7. California Dreams
  8. Call the Midwife
  9. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
  10. Couples Court with the Cutlers
  11. Fosse/Verdon
  12. Game of Thrones
  13. Head Hunters
  14. King of the Hill
  15. Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court
  16. The Magicians
  17. Roman Empire
  18. Saved By The Bell: The New Class
  19. Superstore
  20. Survivor 38
  21. Veep
  22. The Voice
  23. World of Dance
  24. Young Sheldon

Books I Read:

  1. Andy Warhol Giant Size (2008),
  2. Chaucer’s People: Everyday Lives in Medieval England (2017) by Liza Picard

Music To Which I Listened:

  1. 50 Foot Wave
  2. Above & Beyond
  3. Afrojack
  4. Alvin Risk
  5. Arcade Fire
  6. Armin van Buuren
  7. Avicii
  8. Barry Adamson
  9. Big Data
  10. Billie Eilish
  11. Blondie
  12. Blur
  13. Bob Dylan
  14. Britney Spears
  15. Cedric Gervais
  16. The Chemical Brothers
  17. Dillon Francis
  18. DJ Judaa
  19. Fiona Apple
  20. Flight of the Conchords
  21. Fitz and the Tantrums
  22. Garbage
  23. Gary Nunan
  24. Gwen Stefani
  25. Hozier
  26. Icona Pop
  27. Jake Bugg
  28. Johnny Cash
  29. Kelly Clarkson
  30. Kitty
  31. LSD
  32. Martin Garrix
  33. Mick Jagger
  34. Microw Jupiter
  35. Nelly Futado
  36. Neon Indian
  37. Nine Inch Nails
  38. Nouveau Lounge
  39. Palmistry
  40. P!nk
  41. Radiohead
  42. Robert DeLong
  43. The Rolling Stones
  44. The Spaceship Martini
  45. Steve Aoki
  46. Talking Heads
  47. Tiesto
  48. Tomoyasu Hotei
  49. The Verve

Links From Last Week:

  1. On her photography site, Erin shared Spring Creek, Twisty Path, Bridge to the Bench, As The Sun Went Down, Rock, A View Through The Window, and Faith!
  2. At my music site, I shared music from 50 Foot Wave, Gwen Stefani, Flight of the Conchords, Nelly Furtado, Muse, Mick Jagger, and Martin Garrix.
  3. On Reality TV Chat Blog, I reviewed the latest episodes of The Amazing Race and Survivor!
  4. Notre Dame, one of Paris’s most iconic landmarks, damaged in a massive fire
  5. Notre-Dame blaze: 24 hours that rocked Paris and shocked the world
  6. The Lineup of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival
  7. Top 10 Best James Franco Performances
  8. Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigator played by Vera Farmiga in The Conjuring films, has died at 92
  9. With The Rise of Skywalker, Is Disney Backtracking on The Last Jedi?
  10. Clint Eastwood Circling ‘The Ballad Of Richard Jewell’ For Disney/Fox
  11. Meet Mujahed Kobbe, the Man Twitter Can’t Seem to Ban
  12. “You will lose everything.”: Inside the Media’s #MeToo Blacklist
  13. I Taught At Columbine. It Is Time To Speak My Truth.
  14. Wanted teen Sol Pais likely killed herself before Colorado manhunt, police say
  15. New Orleans Apologizes for 1891 Lynching of Italian-Americans
  16. A Priest Saved ‘The Body of Christ’ From Notre Dame, and NY Times Thought He Meant a Statue
  17. 15 Months of Fresh Hell Inside Facebook

Links From the Site:

  1. Erin profiled Albert Fisher and considered why we need It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.  She shared the following artwork: Jackie Robinson, The Naked Sword, Cowgirl Romances, Fantastic Novels Magazine, Three For The Money, Watching the Sky, and Peace!
  2. Gary reviewed Chaplin’s Art of Comedy, Kentucky Kernals, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, and Retreat & Decision!
  3. Patrick shared some thoughts on the current situation with the AD/AF community!
  4. Ryan reviewed All The Sad Songs, Vagabond, Cannabis, The Inspector, and Doom Patrol Episodes 9 and 10.  He also shared his weekly reading round-up!
  5. I shared music videos from Palmistry, Nine Inch Nails, Saint Motel, The Spaceship Martini, LSD, Kitty, and Johnny Cash.  I also reviewed the 4th episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Avicii: True Stories.

Want to see what I did last week?  Click here!

 

AD/AF Thoughts of mine on the current situation

Posted on by paddiesthoughts

Some things have been bothering me lately about stuff going on in the Audio Drama/Audio Fiction community. It started with the Parsec awards, which I had a problem with. I was correctly advised by a trusted mentor and friend to keep my head down, and I did.

But what has come up recently I can not help myself but to comment on. So instead of doing a really long twitter thread I am going to use my blog to post my thoughts.

First, I love AD/AF. Over the last two and a half years or so you might say I have become a junkie, and that would be a fair assessment. These thoughts come from me as a fan of AD/AF. Nothing more, nothing less.

But something has come up recently that really upsets me. There has been a “bashing” of the LGBTQ podcast community that is completely unfair. People have been leaving negative reviews and down right nasty comments on shows simply based on the characters in the show, or even worse, the actors in the shows. And mostly theses “reviewers” have no stake in the shows other than plugging their earbuds in and listening. But more and more recently, it seems, “reviewers” are coming out just to bash shows with LGBTQ themes, characters or actors, instead of the quality of the show.

A lot of the shows I have discovered recently are driven by LGBTQ characters, writers and actors. And I have become a big fan of many of them. But, I can honestly say that not one of those shows I have become a fan of is for that reason. The reason I become a fan of shows is because of the quality of the storytelling.

Something most listeners don’t realize is that it takes ~20 hours and ~2000$ to write, produce, edit and publish a 30 minute episode. You take that over the span of a 10-12 episode season and it gets labour intensive and extremely costly in a hurry. A vast majority of AD/AF writers and producers do that out of their own time and pocket, with little reward other than the praise us fans give them.

It only takes 15 seconds to make a negative review and completely destroy someones writing dreams. All of that just because you got your ‘feelings’ hurt over a character or writer? My thoughts, if you don’t like a show then move on. It’s not that difficult to find another show.

But, if your reasoning for finding another show is simply based on a show having LGBTQ themes. Then my advice is simply move on from me. I’ll continue supporting quality shows without you.

And, lastly, as an AD/AF fan, when you find a show you like say hi to the writers and actors. It means more to them than you realize.

Easter Egg Hunt: THE LIVING CHRIST SERIES – RETREAT & DECISION (Cathedral Films 1951)

Posted on by gary loggins

gary loggins's avatarcracked rear viewer

Good morning, and Happy Easter (and Passover season!). Today’s holiday treat is from 1951’s THE LIVING CHRIST SERIES , a 12-part retelling of the life of Jesus made by Episcopal minster James K. Friedrich’s Cathedral Films. Though extremely low budget, the films are much more earnest than your typical Hollywood Biblical Extravaganza. As for your Easter Eggs, they’re in the film: see if you can spot Familiar Faces Gregg Barton, Jeanne Bates, Lawrence Dobkin, James Flavin, Lowell Gilmore, William Henry, ‘TV’ Tommy Ivo, Dennis Moore, and Will Wright as you bear witness to Jesus preaching, performing miracles, and making His decision on His road to destiny. Narrated by ‘Familiar Voice’ Art Gilmore, and starring Robert Wilson as The Lord, enjoy RETREAT & DECISION:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLzHnx7LpqI

     Happy Easter & Passover from Cracked Rear Viewer!

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Why We Need It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

It has now been over five years since ABC last aired It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.  

While It’s The Easter Beagle might not be as well-known as either It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown or A Charlie Brown Christmas, it still doesn’t seem right not to air it.  It’s the perfect conclusion to all of Peanuts holiday specials, tying up all the loose ends and building on the lessons of the previous specials.  After giving Charlie Brown a hard time about serving popcorn and toast for Thanksgiving, Peppermint Patty discovers that it’s not so easy to prepare for a holiday at the last minute.  After getting laughed at about the Great Pumpkin, Linus is proven to be correct about the Easter Beagle.  After seeing his nest destroyed a countless number of times, Woodstock finally gets his own birdhouse.  Even Lucy is proven right about Easter being the “gift-giving season,” even if the Easter Beagle is just returning to her the same eggs that she previously painted and hid.  After not getting any cards on Valentine’s Day, Charlie Brown still doesn’t get any eggs on Easter.  Some things will never change.

Whether ABC realizes it or not, we all need the Easter Beagle in our lives.  He rewards our hope and reminds us to never surrender our faith in whatever it is that we believe in.  He brings happiness to all of the people of the world, or at least he tries to.  There’s only so many eggs that can be put in one basket.  He’s the Easter Beagle and things just aren’t the same without him.

Happy Easter!

Weekly Reading Round-Up : 04/14/2019 – 04/20/2019

Posted on by Ryan C. (fourcolorapocalypse)

Ryan C. (fourcolorapocalypse)'s avatarRyan C.'s Four Color Apocalypse

Believe it or not, we’ve only got two first issue this time out, so we’ll start with those, and then delve into the other stuff —

Mary Shelley : Monster Hunter #1 hit LCS shelves this past Wednesday courtesy of the writing team of Adam Glass and Olivia Briggs and line artist/colorist Hayden Sherman. I suppose the conceptual and artistic triumph that was Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows’ Providence was impetus enough for other creators to give the “famous writer who knew what they were talking about all too well” premise a whirl, and while I won’t pretend for a second this is anywhere close to being in that class, it was a fun and well-paced introduction to a world where — well, the title proves to be literally true. The story didn’t blow me away or anything, but the esteemed Mrs. Shelley comes off as being strong, likable, and

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Trash TV Guru : “Doom Patrol” Season One, Episode Ten – “Hair Patrol”

Posted on by Ryan C. (fourcolorapocalypse)

Ryan C. (fourcolorapocalypse)'s avatarTrash Film Guru

With “Hair Patrol.” the tenth episode of the DC Universe original streaming series Doom Patrol, “showrunner” Jeremy Carver and co. have decided to go back and fill in some of the blanks — not only in terms of what everyone else got up to while Brendan Fraser/Riley Shanahan’s Cliff Steele and Diane Guerrero’s “Crazy” Jane were struggling to find their way out of the tormented and fragmented subconscious of one Kay Challis, but in a larger sense. As in — what, exactly, is the deal with Timothy Dalton’s “Chief” Niles Caulder?

Not that Eric Dietel’s script gives away all the answers, of course — not even close — but in the wilds of the Yukon Territory way back in 1913, Caulder had a life-changing experience. One that ties him in with an earlier version of the Bureau Of Normalcy, sees him match wits with a colleague-turned-enemy named Alistair (played…

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Music Video Of The Day: God’s Gonna Cut You Down (2006, dir by Tony Kaye)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This is a case where I like the song more than the music video.  This video was actually filmed three years after Johnny Cash’s death.  As far as “official” music videos are concerned, I always feel like a musician should have some sort of say into how their music is visually interpreted.  Obviously, Johnny Cash wasn’t around to have anything to say about the video for God’s Gonna Cut You Down.

Since Cash wasn’t available, director Tony Kaye filled the video with cameos from other actors and musicians, a few of whom (though not many) were previous Cash collaborators.  Among the celebs who make an appearance in this video: David Allan Coe, Patricia Arquette, Travis Barker, Peter Blake, Bono, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Depp, the Dixie Chicks, Flea, Billy Gibbons, Whoopi Goldberg, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Hopper, Terrence Howard, Jay-Z, Mick Jones, Kid Rock, Anthony Kiedis, Kris Kristofferson, Amy Lee, Adam Levine, Shelby Lynne, Chris Martin, Kate Moss, Graham Nash, Busy Philipps, Iggy Pop, Lisa Marie Presley, Q-Tip, Corinne Bailey Rae, Keith Richards, Chris Rock, Rick Rubin, Patti Smith, Sharon Stone, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Brian Wilson, and Owen Wilson.  Some of the celebs — like Dennis Hopper and Kris Kristofferson — seem like they naturally belong there.  Others seem so out-of-place that you’ll want to throw something.  You know how that works,

God’s Gonna Cut You Down is a traditional folk song.  I’ve heard countless versions of it.  I prefer Cash’s version to the more traditional gospel arrangement but, then again, I tend to find gospel music to be dull in general.  Cash’s arrangement brought new life to an old song.

Enjoy!