Hey everyone. Did you happen to see the live feed from Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night last night on Instagram? It was really cool. I think this is the second one they've done (the first was a few months ago), they call it "Tales From the Tavern", and it's Ritchie's way of talking about his life and answering questions from fans. It takes place at The Owl and the Pussycat Bar, which is located in their Long Island house. Ritchie talked for over an hour about all kinds of things, mostly musical, but he also mentioned his aversion to touring due to age (he's 79) and some health conditions I wasn't aware of. He claims to have six stents in his heart (he says, "I collect them") and he also said he had a heart attack last year. Now, Ritchie is known for his dry wit, and he says everything with a straight face, but this is the second time I've heard him mention the stents, and - most importantly - his wife Candice didn't correct him or tell him to stop joking around about such a serious subject, which you think she would do if he was indeed joking, if only to prevent unsettling the fans. I Googled "Ritchie Blackmore + heart attack" and found nothing, but of course health matters can be kept secret. Anyhow, he looks good for almost 80 (with his everpresent glass of beer at hand) and heart attack or not, we should all say a prayer for his continued good health. Ditto for David Lynch, who has just revealed he has emphysema. Two of my very favorite people, may God keep them around for a long while, and while we're at it, let's add Joni Mitchell, too. I've been listening to her albums this week ("Blue" and "Hejira"), and she is (of course) a treasure.
Anyway, make sure and watch "Tales From the Tavern" with Ritchie. It's on his Instagram page. You'll see the still shots with his picture in them. The feed is in three parts.
I don't have a Montgomery Clift movie for you, but I did go to see "Trap" with my sister Vickie at the AMC Northridge. I won't tell you anything about it but it's pure Shyamalan. The reviews are love it/hate it, just like they were for "Longlegs", but I loved 'em both (though for different reasons) so pay no attention to the haters. It's definitely one of his better pictures, a return to form. One thing about "Trap" is that it looks great. Shyamalan is like Spielberg in that respect. If nothing else, he can make a picture visually exciting. Okay, that's it. No spoilers, no hints. Just go see "Trap" and go with the flow. Give in to your inner M. Night.
I've also been watching "Sybil", the 1976 TV movie taken from the bestseller of the same name about a young woman with thirteen different personalities. This was the movie that put Sally Field on the map of serious actresses, even before "Norma Rae", and she is just incredible throughout, along with the late Brad Davis and Joanne Woodward. I remember watching "Sybil" on TV when I was still in high school. It was presented as a mini-series, and the subject matter was strong enough (at the time) to be shocking, and it remains so today. One caveat: there are scenes of child abuse that are awful. I was most interested in Sybil's hypnosis sessions, with psychiatrist Woodward, that enable her to recall her past. Woodward breaks through the memory blocks that are preventing Sybil from becoming whole. The ending is pretty horrendous, but cathartic as well. If you've never seen "Sybil", give it a look, though as noted, it's rough going in places.
Now, in a total change-up, I am going to recommend a documentary to you, and you aren't going to like it. I want you to go to Youtube and watch "The Fall of Minneapolis". It's about the George Floyd case and it actually came out in November 2023 so you may have already heard about it and avoided it because it doesn't fit your political narrative. Me, I have the advantage of not being on the Blue or Red teams, so I can watch anything I want to watch, and I found out about this startling documentary when I was researching the background of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who I initially liked when he became the pick for Veep, because he's from Mankato, home of Pearl the Wonder Girl. Gee, what a coinkydink, right? Anyhow, I liked him at first, but then I watched this documentary, which I now ask you to watch with an unbiased eye. Something sinister is going on, and the evidence is going to shock you. Just watch it. And then tell me what you think about a ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. I've been watching Fox News to get some perspective, in addition to Sky News in Australia. And I like JD Vance, who - if you give him a chance - you'll have to admit he's sharp as a tack.
More music: This week, besides my daily dose of Big Big Train, I've also listened to the first three albums by Gryphon. Remember them? You might if you Google their logo or the album covers from their debut, "Midnight Mushrumps", and "Red Queen to Gryphon Three". As a teen in the College Records days, I had all three on vinyl. A fan on Youtube described them as a combination of Gentle Giant and Jethro Tull, which is not innaccurate. They sound like they stepped right out of medieval England. Another fan called them Hobbit Rock. They opened for ELP on the Brain Salad Surgery tour and thus played American arenas, though I didn't see 'em. Anyhow, definitely worth a listen for progressive rock fans.
That's about all I've got for tonight. I'm reading "The Black Carousel" by Charles L. Grant, the master of "quiet horror." Every night at CSUN, I've been doing a Bunny Walk, where, before departing, I try to guess the number of bunnies I will see on campus (usually between 2 and 7). Years ago, there were only squirrels and of course squirrels are ubiquitous wherever you go. But in recent years, we've had raccoons, feral cats (like Einstein), possums, and now even bunnies, who come out at night and sit on the lawns. Seeing them gave me the idea to invent a game, informally known as The Bunny Game, and because it was no fun just to play by myself, I added two other players, real people who may or may not know they are playing, depending on how psychic they are. Most importantly, both like counting bunnies, so much so that I am in last place at the moment. We're playing up to 10. Whoever wins ten games first wins the contest. The next game starts in about 90 minutes...(stay tuned).
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