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Hi, readers and people of DC’s. I have a “guest post” for you and a related question. The other day I was talking to a friend who told me “You know what they say – you can teach an actor to sing, but you can’t teach a singer to act”. Is this true? It makes me kind of sad because I’ve always been a singer. I kind of always thought of this as the other way around.
In middle school, I participated in musical theatre at school, and I got pretty good roles – I would at least get decent solos in each show, and I always got a callback. Last year, as a HS Junior, I did not get a callback despite a strong vocal audition. I wasn’t told of it at the time last year, but apparently my acting audition was really bad. I don’t know exactly what it was, but I’m afraid to ask because I don’t know if the school director would remember last year. Plus auditions are at the beginning of next week. I just found out yesterday some things that lead me to believe my audition was really bad.
I pick up everything pretty fast, and I take dance, so I guess my main weak point would be theatre. I used to go to acting school up to third grade, but I guess not many people suggest that particular place. I know that I don’t have time before this first audition, but I think I can get a small ensemble role at least. I was wondering if musical theatre people had tips on how to do well in these types of auditions. And what can I do to get better at acting in general? I don’t understand how people figure it out, I guess. I never thought I was bad at acting until now. How important is acting compared to singing/music anyways in musical theatre? Most of the kids at my school tell me that you should focus on your monologue the most because if you can act well, you’ll get in regardless of singing. Is this good advice? Do I have any hope, or is what they say true and I should just stick to singing?
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Christopher Lee sings Symphonic Heavy Metal
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Clint Eastwood sings ‘Gold Fever’
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Francois Sagat sings Britney Spears
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Toni Collette sings ‘Look Up’
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Edward Furlong sings ‘People Are Strange’
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Robert Downey Jr. sings ‘Man Like Me’
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Kristy & Jimmy McNichol sing ‘Fum Fum Fum’
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Jeff Stryker sings ‘Bigger Than Life’
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Milla Jovovich sings ‘The Alien Song’
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Crispin Glover sings ‘Ben’
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Robert Mitchum sings ‘Little Old Wine Drinker Me’
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Jared Leto sings ‘The Kill’
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Scarlett Johansson sings ‘Yesterday is Here’
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Corey Feldman sings ‘Something in Your Eyes’
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James Marsters sings ‘Come As You Are’
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Isabelle Adjani sings ‘Pull Marine’
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Bill Paxton sings ‘How Can The Laboring Man Find Time For Self-Culture?’
http://www.buzznet.com/assets/bnflvplayer4.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.buzznet.com%2Fassets%2Fvideox2%2F2%2F1%2F2%2F2%2F0%2F7%2Forig-212207.flv&clip=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.buzznet.com%2Fassets%2Ficons%2Fvideo-large.png&autoStart=true&site=bn&video_file_id=212207&ad_tag=&tag=&s_account=buzznetpoc&s_dc=112&s_visitorNamespace=buzznet&oas_path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzznet.com%2Fassets%2FOmnitureActionSource.swf
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Christian Bale sings ‘Santa Fe’
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*
p.s. Hey. A silent blog reader who wants to go by the name Vacant Lot has devised a special, star-studded concert for us today and posed a question to those who find an answer accordingly reflected in you. Revel in your inimitable fashions, thank you, and my biggest thanks of all go to you, VL, for cheering this place up. ** David kelso-housman, Well, hi there right back at you, DK-H! That’s quite a memory you’ve got there. ** Pilgarlic, Hey. I haven’t read the recent Gibsons. I forget the last one I read. He’s a terrific, super nice guy, and he’s really, really tall. I was his opening act at a reading in San Francisco once. His fans were very polite. I met Huncke always in the company of people he knew well. He basically just registered the fact that someone he didn’t know was there while talking to them. If memory serves, I think he was mostly hitting the people with me up for a loan. It seems to me that Neal Cassady was a Beat for sure. I never thought that one of the qualifications of being a Beat is that you had to write things. I guess I think of the term Beat as being like the term hippie, but I’m probably wrong about that. ** David Ehrenstein, Oh, like Rivette, I see, I understand. Makes sense. I think I knew that story about why Bowles had to exit the States. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the music Bowles composed and was well regarded for, have you? ** L@rstonovich, I can dig that nobility and servants stuff, yeah. It can be a cool formal device. I liked ‘Remains of the Day’ a bunch. And ‘Gosford Park’ the movie was pretty all right, I think. And other stuff. How’s it going with you, L? What are you up to today, for instance? ** 5strings, Ha ha, nice one sneaking in Builtlikeatruck44. I was, like, ‘Hey!’ It’s so weird: the Blogger spellcheck function has some kind of problem with the word ‘like’. I swear, every time I type it, I look back after I finish whatever sentence I’ve written, and ‘like’ has always been changed to ‘ilk’. Did you see ‘Drive’? The guy who plays ‘Hellboy’ is in it looking like he really does in real life, I assume, and, man, his head is like … whoa. Yeah, to NYC I go briefly. You’ve never been there? That’s crazy. How did that not happen? That Immortal clip was cool, thanks. Man, they are the most pouty looking pissed-off looking Black Metal band ever, no? I think cork board and tapestry are like buttons and shirts. Thanks for the double shotgun blasts. Pretty sweet. You writing stuff? ** Killer Luka, Dude, the drawing is like honey and my upbeat syllables were and still are like flies. Objectivity about one’s own stuff is really weird. It’s like an illusion no matter what. How do you tune an illusion? I don’t know. All six of them? Okey-doke. ** Steevee, Bosses everywhere one turns, Jesus. Fingers crossed. No problem at all about your having to miss the McNally-Jackson thing. I totally understand. Great about your ‘J. Edgar’ piece. Of course I’ll have to wait to read until I’m done here, but … Everyone, the honorable d.l. and film critic/maker Steve Erickson aka Steevee has a review of the ‘J. Edgar’ movie up and ready to be absorbed, and you can see what he thinks of it and plan your moviegoing accordingly by clicking this. ** JoeM, I think ‘Bladerunner’ is considered a big influence on the Cyberpunk movement, if memory serves. I’m thinking Ridley Scott’s upcoming prequel to ‘Bladerunner’ film is such a terrible, terrible idea, but I guess you never know. His mojo seems totally dead. Oh, yeah, rock star poetry books, those can sell really well. Jewel sold millions of poetry books during the couple of years that she was a star. I think Patti Smith’s sold very well, but she was a poet first, so that doesn’t count. I don’t think many people bought Billy Corgan’s poetry book ‘Blinking With Fists’, though. ** _Black_Acrylic, That early Cyberpunk period was really rich and fun. I loved it. Man, your post, the one you sent me, is so great! It’ll go up here on Saturday, the 26th. Beautiful thing and work, Ben, and I’m very grateful. ‘Tetsuo’, yes! ** Roger Clarke, Roger! So lovely to see you! A belated very happy birthday to Simon! And that’s very exciting that you finished the ghosts book! (Sorry about all these exclamation points, but I’m just feeling it.) I read that FB status update by you about the Scorcese film. That is so weird and, well, hm. Are you following that up or letting it go or what? I sure would love to see you. Does a wintery Paris hold any allure to your traveler side? Love, me. ** Ken Baumann, Ken! Oh, wow, cool, about the Sagawa stuff! Thanks a ton! I’ll go swallow that as soon as my plate is clean of p.s. Oh, I’ll pass that stuff along, actually. Everyone, and courtesy of Ken Baumann, I think maybe many of you know about the infamous Japanese cannibal-slash-renowned chef/cooking show host Issei Sagawa. Whether you do or don’t, he’s a very interesting fella to say the least, and here’s some new stuff re: him courtesy of Vice: an interview and some videos. You want to check those out. You do. Very cool about the impending wrap, and it’ll be great to see you at Skylight and maybe even otherwise if I’m lucky, to say the least. ** Sypha, Feel better, James. Unseasonably hot weather? I’ve been preparing for a rather or even very cold NYC. I’d better check the forecast. ** Bernard Welt, Hi, Bernard. Yes, Tom Maddox, good call. Everyone, yesterday’s Cyberpunk post neglected to mention the writer Tom Maddox who, although less widely known, should surely have been in there, and d.l. Bernard Welt, pal of Maddox’s, has hooked us all up to a page of works by and info about Mr. Maddox, and your Cyberpunk experience will not be complete until you go there. And here’s a little quote from Mr. Welt to nudge you over there: ‘One of the stories has a character named Lakota Bernie–named after me.’ Oh, you want to be one of my work’s crazed predators? I was thinking a winsome victim might suit you and your name better. But if you insist. You’re still sick? Crap, what’s up with that? Get the fuck well. Illness is craziness. Well, any connection between that thing in the Almodovar and that thing in ‘Last Spring, a Prequel’ is total coincidence since we made it before the film was released, so, hm, yeah, I never thought about that similarity before. I’ll bring it up with Gisele when I see her today. Nice Uncanny class stuff. But, mainly, get well! ** Alan, That’s a billion dollar question right there. ** Misanthrope, Yeah, unintentional yet meaningful things always seems to end up in things, I guess, which is always weird to me since I at least try to be intensely anal, controlling, and all-knowing about my stuff. Well, about its surface or form or whatever. I guess the deep stuff has carte blanche if it can find a way in. Dude, it’ll be nice to see you. I just wish the occasion wasn’t so nerve wracking, but … (shut up, Dennis). ** Jax, Hi, Jack. I don’t even know who Jimmy Wales is. That name’s new to me. He’s the guy behind Wikipedia? Hm, I’ll go find out. Anyway, I don’t have an opinion yet. Give me 24 hours. ‘TMS’ dispatched, cool, gulp. ** HyeMin, Hi. My cold is kind of worse, but I’m trying to pretend it’s not, and thank you for the good thoughts. I’m no captive, trust me, ha ha. This is wonderful: ‘I see Blanchot “calculates” a structure of sentences and concepts very carefully to force them to escape only in servitude to the neuter, which is scary’. Yes, totally, and that changed my world when I found that. Oh, I’m so very honored by the thing about my work and adviser’s permission. Thank you, that’s exciting and, yes, really an honor. I hope ‘TMS’ doesn’t foil you on the wordage front. It is a bit … wordy, ha ha. It would be lovely to see you at the reading, of course! If you can’t, of course it’s totally fine too. Those events make me so nervous. Have a fine, fine day! ** Right. Thanks to Vacant Lot, there’s more idiosyncratic talent up above than there are stars in the universe, sort of. Not to mention the immortal Jimmy McNichol! All right, I guess that’s that, and I’ll see you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
Hi Vacant Lot, I'm up early, couldn't sleep, I guess because it's the Full Moon again.
I used to be an actor who sang, but I hated singing auditions so I eventually stopped going to them. The opposite of you, I guess. And dance auditions – forget it. I was always a klutz. Reading from the script was my favorite audition, but I had a few kick-ass monologues I think.
I've always put acting before singing, but that's just me. Personally, I'd take an actor who could screech out a song brilliantly instead of singing it in pearl tones while acting badly. Have you seen the film version of Sweeney Todd? Most of these actors are actors first who sing well.
In reality, I found that the guys who could sing would get the musical roles over actors who couldn't. There were always more musicals and musical parts; and I wonder if I had it to do over, if I shouldn't have pursued the musical aspect of my career. You're lucky to have a good voice. I think I did too, but after doing Fiddler on the Roof and Anything Goes, I decided that I didn't want to keep doing musicals like that, as all the musical actors I knew did them over and over…it was a whole different world, a whole different group of people, and a very nice group at that. And the gay ones were always into the musicals. So if you're gay there's a much better chance of meeting a guy if you do musicals.
There's a straight actor I work with at a restaurant where I read Tarot cards. I can just tell from his speaking voice that he does Shakespeare, so I asked him and I was right. Straight, of course. I don't know if he can sing. But I know he's a good actor.
But I digress. It's great that you have a beautiful singing voice. Go with that. Try to be as honest as you can in the acting part of it. Every gesture, every word you speak, try to let it come from a place that is real and honest with you. I know that's hard, but be honest about it. Once I saw John Travolta on a TV talk show years ago. I was impressed that he was honest about his discomfort there; he didn't try to cover it up. He just let it all hang out, and to me, this was so honest. So don't try to be something you're not…be yourself, and you'll discover more and more who you are, who that self is, as you get older. Yes, you need to continue your acting studies, but as for the audition next week, try to be yourself and be as honest as you can. Hope that helps and break a leg!
There are recordings of Bowles' msuic available. I've got one around here someplace. It's quite nice.
He compased music for the original stage proudction of The Glass Menagerie Some of it was used by Paul Newman for his (rahter nice) film version — though he had Henry Mancini do an overall score as well.
Here's my favorite Robert Downey Jr. cut
Should someone listen to me and make a movie versio of Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, Downey would be perfect as the central anti-hero Franklin Shepard.
He Vacant — You fogot this one!
It was a Number One hit in England.
Yeah, Cassady was a Beat, perhaps one who most inspired the others. Though, from the copy of the "Kerouac / Ginsberg : Letters", Lucien Carr had to fall into there, as well, if nothing more than highly-regarded fuckmeat.
But, he and Huncke were, undoubtedly, hustlers, in every sense of the word. The hippie movement that Kerouac absolutely recoiled from was a natural segue for Cassady, who embraced it, insinuating himself into Kesey's crowd, driving Further. If Huncke embraced it, it was only to milk what he could from it, parasitically, as was, seemingly, his nature.
I picked up a copy of TMS, yeterday, and have already devoured almost half of it. Dude, you just slay me, it's so fucking good ! I'll wait until I finish to provide something more erudite, if that's something I can do, on any level. So far, it makes Ken Baumann's review all-the-more motherfriggin' brilliant. You once told me that Cormac McCarthy's cannibals were more scarey than your's, and, at the time I hadn't even read "Outter Dark", but, methinks you sell yourself way short.
Jax, well, if you think it's you instead of Gibson, then, it may be US ! Everybody I've spoken to, big Gibson fans, and lukewarm ones feel the same about the last two. To be sure, "All Tomorrow's Parties" didn't blow me away like "Virtual Light" and "Idoru", but, it was still pretty damn good.
Dennis, ummm, I might be wrong but I think the upcoming Ridley Scott prequal, "Prometheus" predates the original "Alien" film, which, I think, is a wonderful idea. I always wondered what the big, skeletal, space jockey in the crashed spaceship, full of Alien eggs, looked like before his rib cage exploded. I mean, what was HIS story? Seems a much richer landscape to mine than something predating "Bladerunner".
This is a clever idea. I liked the Robert Mitchum.
Dennis, The answer is ICE COLD.
Hey Dennis,
Back from NYC. It was a whirlwind trip mostly spent in rehearsals, which went well overall though there's more work to do on the show than I had hoped. My sublet had water and gas leaks, no internet, and no heat for part of the trip, which drained some of the romance out of the city.
Nice run of posts here recently. Great stuff on 'The Wild Boys' (that first chapter is among my favorite prose of Burroughs), Martin Arnold, Eric Rohmer, etc, etc.
How's the reception been for TMS? I've run across a few really perceptive and wonderful reviews by folks like Blake. Hope there's more of that to come.
And thanks again for your kind email.
Latest FaBlog: Fait Diver — “Everyone Says I Raped You“
VL- Thanks, man Edward Furlong sucks as a singer.
D-
For the record I'd say Neal Cassidy was the uber-beat, he also wrote a book called The First Third. Let's see, last night we got a visit from the mother-in-law who is decluttering her house in Boise and thus cluttering up ours in return. We did get some neat stuff tho.
I'm about 100 pages into draft one of novel, and yesterday I decided to rewrite the perspective of at least one character in 1st person. It was a tough decision but yesterday it seemed like the perfect one. Hopefully I can do that this weekend, the third person stuff seemed too stiff. It is fun to create this world, I like being in it.
If you liked Remains of the Day you'll dig Downton, I just downloaded season 2 on Demonoid. It is interesting that the one main gay character is evil. We'll see how that goes.
-L
AHHHHH Eddie Furs doing Peeps Are Strange
OMG My nuts are deflating!!!
D.,
Did you see the Tales with Heavy D.? He was a tattoo artist who did cursed tattoos.
Blogger has spellcheck? I have no spellcheck, upon reinstallation of Windows no Office.
LOL like. When I was a teen, I was not allowed to say like at the dinner table. I used to say it like every other word. Plato and Acid gave me excuse.
I've not seen Drive.
It looked somewhat interesting I admit. I prefer Ben Foster.
Yeah, Hellboy guy, me and G. are movie-fiends, we were on the Netflix tip there for a while and we used to be like, "Is it him?" "Is it that guy?" I think he's been in like 1,000 recent movies.
27th Annual Neck Awards
Largest Out-Of-Control Rock/Punk Neck
"And the nominees are…"
"Justin, I think I'm pregnant – btUU"
Henry Rollins – Liar
George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher – Google Images Search: Corpsegrinder Neck
Corey Taylor of Slipknot – Corey Taylor's thick-ass neck appreciation society
"And the winner is…"
"Corey Taylor!!"
"For not sounding as awful as Mudvayne and that other shit."
::Michael/Lisa Marie kiss::
"Thank You! Goodnight!"
NYC, yeah, never been there. I've been to Niagra. I went to university with like 60% New Jersey boys and gouls. My moms used to work there a lot, but I never went. I was never part of anything in school, my friends were poor, and I was usually highly loaded, never got around much. I really wanna go to the Met!
After being to LA, NYC has to be the most least interesting place in the world to me. Not really, but sorta. Can't wait to check the Met, also the National Gallery.
I know! They're like the prototype.
Well, if there wasn't Sunno))).
Sunno))) makes most of those guys look like clowns.
I guess the dude that comes out up top is the lyricist/former guitarist, he got injured or something. Did you see that little gallop thing he does LOL? They sound good, I found some Black Metal dudes who play like 7-string basses and sound fucking absolute.
I like those buttons that snap.
Did I ever tell you I used to have a bunch of machine-guns? LOL! No writing right now. I got pissed off at them. First of all losing writings was devastating. I've gone back to Hemingway before trying my hand at narrative. I don't wanna be too literary and I don't want these kids to lose their minds. It's coming together nicely I think.
Read the middle section of TMS – You are a crazy-person LOL! j/k love ya
Happy travels,
Stever
Dennis, in a bit of a rush, hyper mode with my novel and other not so interesting time-combusting things, but just wanted to briefly say 'The Marbled Swarm' is a an absolute fucking masterpiece! I've only read the first section but fucking hell it's insanely great. Like watching a virtuoso performance from a classical actor. The voice is so perfect, a relentless and endless accumulation of metaphors, and the timing and tone immense, layer on layer. The narrative delays so finely tuned. I keep wanting to go back and reread each page, to revel in that delay, like the opposite or perfect response to mystery narratives speed read for plot and revelation. Love the design and everything too. I showed it to my kiddo and he reached for a tissue and made a mask. I took a pic and will put it up on fb sometime. I'll say more when I finished and think about it but just wanted to congratulate you and pass on my awe. Excellent 'Wild Boys' day too. I agree Burroughs totally got everything together on that one. Great gifs too, Thomas. Alan, best of luck on the novel. You deserve it.
One more teriffic singing actor!
Interesting review of J. Edgar steevee. I liked it more than you did. I found the fact that it forgoes the sexual details and deals with it all as a romance instead to be a considerable advantage.
The Hetersexual Dictatorhop continually defines us as "acts" which are then transubsatantiated into "the gay lifestyle."
Of course only one "act" is in question: anal intercourse. That's why I think Weekend will prove confusing to clueless straights (like Matt Soller Zeitz at Salon) as there's plenty of sex but no anal in it.
Love is the whole point with Clint. Clyde loves Edgar but Edgar is too fucked up to be able to love him back entirely.
I don't think Edgar's relationship with Mom in the film is put forward as the "cause" of his gayness at all. She has abig scene where she orders him NOT to be gay after all. What she wants is someone to take over the world for her.
Anyhoo Hoover is big BIG subject. Really ambitious for anyone. And I think Clint did a lot better with it than Larry Cohen (who thinks Edgar and Clyde never had sex.)
Hello Dennis!
I always feel so selfish when I leave a comment, usually not even mentioning the post (which I read and always enjoy) and then disappear for four or five more months…
I suppose life has always been hectic for me. Not that I'm complaining.
But, yeah, I still lurk, just finding the time to put in a thoughtful post here is sometimes difficult.
I live in LA now, downtown to be exact (and if anyone wants to meet up for coffee or something sometime, I'd love to!). I was getting ready to take a jaunt over to Skylight Books, since I have a few spare hours and need to take a walk, when I saw your name on the events page.
I'm definitely going to be there, but I was also wondering if you were going to be super-busy or not and if you'd like to meet up for coffee or something again? Of course, we can always continue on about it in emails, if you'd prefer.
I've been looking forward to The Marbled Swarm for quite some time now, and I finally have the chance to pick it up, despite being out of work, in a new town 😡
I need to start catching up with everyone and phase back into existence pretty soon. I've just been hunting for a job non-stop since I got here about three or four weeks ago. It's been strange and exciting for sure. Quite the experience and I hope to be here for a while (although my eventual dream is to make my way up to Vancouver, or at least Seattle is Canada doesn't want me).
So, yeah, I'm kind of just here now, doing my thing, trying to record music, make comics and zines, while hunting for a graphic/web design or illustration job.
I hope you've been well, along with all of the other blogsters and weaklings. I miss the community, even just when lurking around and reading through comments, but I'll be back soon!
Take care,
-K
Hi Dennis
hope yr feeling better re cold and stuff?
nothing new to report other than im enjoying TMS about a 3rd the way though.
printer came so gonna set it up tomorrow and try it out.
up in dublin meeting my folks today so i missed the ps this morning.
This comment has been removed by the author.
@DavidEhrenstein–It seems totally obvious to me that J. EDGAR portrays Hoover and Tolson as lovers, but there seem to be many clueless straight reviewers who would need an anal sex scene to convince them. I thought the fight scene that turns into a kiss was far more subversive. The final sentence of my review was intended as a mild dig to Larry Cohen's ongoing denial about Hoover's gayness, but I think PRIVATE FILES has certain advantages over Eastwood's film, particularly casting. An ugly middle-aged man makes a more believable Hoover than a pretty boy in his 30s.
Hey dennis – thanks for your comments! I'm hoping Penguin will publish 'A Natural History of Ghosts' August, 2012. Re: Scorsese – I remember your incredibly kind and supportive comments about my Melies story when I wrote it, and yeah, I'm incredibly shocked to see Scorsese working on such a similar project. But a pal has the script and visited the set, so I'm going to read it shortly and of course if there are any similarities will have to take legal advice. But I suspect it's sufficiently in the public domain for me to have no case. But it's just really, really disappointing that someone of the calibre of Scorsese might, you know… XR
Well that's true, ssteevee. But I love the pretty.
Especially Armie. Hubba-Hubba!
There's an interview with lance that was just posted on towleroad that's interesting. He point out that Teh Ghey was never so much as BREATED in those days — even by those far more "out" than Edgar. And rememebr, no one was really "out" back then save for soignee BoHo Homos like George Platt Lynes.
steevee, Hey, good review. The idea of a humanizing portrayal of that horrible cop is disturbing.
Armie is indeed quite hot, more so than Leo.
I have a dilemma. I thought I had an assignment to review Spielberg's WAR HORSE for a certain publication. However, they've grown more and more demanding. They want me to see THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN as well, although I'm not reviewing the two films together. Now, they can't even guarantee they're going to run my review – they want me to submit a detailed pitch after I see WAR HORSE and will make a choice then. They want ideas that will generate page views, although I think Spielberg's name alone will do so, whether I think WAR HORSE is a masterpiece, crap or somewhere in between. Also, due to budgetary constraints, they're only paying half their usual rate, which is not high to begin with. I'm seriously thinking of bailing on this review. I will probably go see these films anyway – TINTIN seems more attractive – but it seems like a lot of work for little reward. This publication doesn't pay any better than others I write for which grant me complete editorial freedom and let me write about anything I want.
Vacant Lot, I just thought of one more thing for your audition. (And BTW, no art form can really be taught, but you can learn the essential techniques. My acting teacher, Stella Adler, often said that the purpose of technique is to free your talent.)
My nephew is just a little younger than you and wants to be an actor. In one of his plays, he just couldn't get his long line out without stuttering. He had never said it successfully. I caught the last performance. I saw him before and told him to just talk. Just say the line to the person he was talking to. Just talk to him. Well, guess what? It worked! At the last performance, he got it right – and it sounded natural, too. Hope this is helpful for your audition. Just really talk.
Um, sorry, but nobody's hotter than Leo.
Vacant Lot, I've always thought actors want to be singers and vice versa. I wonder why?
Dennis, Ha, yeah, I know it's nerve-wracking! It's one crazy schedule you've got there. In on Saturday (right?), an event every night for three days starting Sunday, then off to SF. Who the hell came up with that plan?
But of course, I understand how strained you'll be. It'll just be nice to say hi in person and all that jazz. If this IRS job thingy comes through, I'm setting money aside for Paris in the Spring. ;D
I thought about your anal-ness (you said it first, hehehe) when I was thinking about the unintentional. And I think you're right, the deep stuff can't help itself. I think it's unconscious, and that it may even be more the case the tighter you make it. It just seeps into every word, you know? As opposed, say, to a writer whose stuff is all over the place and has little coherence. Makes sense to me anyway.
@Vacant Lot: I really enjoyed your post–Clint Eastwood and Corey Feldman were my favorites…your post genuinely cheered me up, so thank you genuinely for posting it. I don't have much experience in either acting or singing, but in general I think that the more you do something, the better you get at it. Do what you makes you happy, and don't let the haters get you down… I don't know if any of my advice helps, but keep your head up and it's really nice to meet you. Have a good night
@Dennis: laptop crashed. again. (writing this on my friend's computer) everything on my desktop is gone, including the rough draft of my novel. contemplating suicide. ugh.
It isn't the end of the world–I've got some friends who fix computers so maybe they can rescue it. Also I had pretty much decided to start the novel again from scratch anyway, I started re-writing it last weekend (the pages of which are also now lost…) I wasn't happy with the rough draft, maybe this is a sign…
Anyway, hopefully I can get the laptop fixed but if you don't see me for a few days, that's why.
You write your rough drafts in notebooks, is that right? Maybe I should start doing that… At least I should have emailed the book to myself, I really regret that. Sorry I don't mean to be so bummed out, everything isn't so doom and gloom, I'm just venting a little. Actually, it might turn out to be a good thing.
Alright, I'm gonna get slightly drunk now and loudly sing along with a bunch of Marnie Stern and Lil B songs until I feel better. Good night…
VL – I dance quite a bit in the privacy of my living room. If you want details, read my comment posted Wednesday. I sing almost continuously (sometimes), surprising myself at my lung power, range and total lack of musicality. Over the last seven months, I've been playing Inspector Grimsley in a Milk and Honey music video for the Happy Mondays' I Want To Be Admired. I think that's the title. So, in a way, I know what you mean. So here's my opinion. I won't offer "advice". I mean it's free because nobody wants it! I think Kyler hit the nail on its head. Full Moon Syndrome is a medical term bandied about in ERs and other calamity oriented places, such as bars and nightclubs.
Honest singing can facilitate realism in acting. I watch a lot of movies, possibly too many, too often. Last summer, when I was beset by my usual warm weather insomnia, I finally found relief with Ambien. But I dislike the goddamn things and asa the sleep was regulated, I "lost" a half full prescription vial of the wretched things. Before my pill kicked in, I always treid watching a movie. Usually I fell asleep halfway through, only waking to the banjo theme ffrom Bonnie and Clyde.
My point? Movies are operatic. Bonnie and Clyde has some incredible duets, mostly but not always Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Todd Haynes' masterpiece [safe] is essentially a one woman show with a supporting cast. Julianne Moore's disturbing solo at film's end haunted me for months. My bff Robert described [safe] as great watching for snail nerds and oilbase housepainters. His exwife and I delighted in driving him crazy by acting out certain bits from the movie in public. Ms Ex is a brilliant life actress whose account of How Robert Dealt with a Truly Crazed Gay Methhead Tenant is one of my favorite monologues. Now, where the hell was I?
Oh.
KYTE – delightful LA. If I go out there to meet my Facebook chum ( and terrific, v. amusing guy) playwright Robert Patrick, I promise to er look you up. Of course, no visit to the West Coast would be complete without meeting Heaven Sent, who is or claims she is the lady on a bike who waves at motorists from an overpass somewhere near Fresno haha. Ah la vie boheme
Hey Dennis, hope your cold is better before the long flight.
Alan, I really enjoyed Sujatha's piece.
That's Christopher Lee singing? Wow. And Ed Furlong… just looked up what he's up to these days, I guess it's been a long time since Pecker and American History X.
I didn't think Christian Bale could pull that off.
I'm at the last chapter of TMS. The voice gave me some trouble early on, but then it totally sucked me into its labyrinths and suddenly I was past page 100. It's been a difficult, fascinating, wild and often funny ride.
Bill
@ Vacant Lot, thanks for the post! I would nominate this guy, an ex-porn star who took the mic a la Jeff Stryker:
Dennis Parker – Like An Eagle
@Black Acrylic
fav disco track!