Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 27
October 27, 2014
Sexy John Oliver Costume
John took on Halloween last night on HBO.
October 26, 2014
Beethoven and the Walking Dead
My son, genius maker of game trailers in L.A., with latest today--Zombie selfies set to "Moonlight Sonata."
All Right All Right
He was due for take down and here's Jim Carrey on SNL last night with parody of those Lincoln car commercials.
October 25, 2014
Jack Bruce, One of Best Bassists, Dies at 71
Best known as one-third of Cream, he went on to do so much more, often with a jazzy bent. (We will overlook West, Bruce & Laing.) Co-wrote "Sunshine of Your Love," which certainly will live on. "White Room" live from Cream reunion. And below that: from 1967 from album I bought then.
Go For It
I've long advocated NFL teams going for it on 4th down instead of always dropping into punt mode, but who am I? Well, the NYT has had some fun with this for awhile, even posting on Twitter when its computers show that a team should have gone for it. Today they go this far: to save his job, Rex Ryan of the Jets ought to fully embrace this strategy. The Times claims that teams go for it (in the first three quarters) only one in five times when they should. And so on.
October 24, 2014
Now We Take Berlin
Big news today for yours truly, as my proposal for my next book The Tunnels was purchased by great upstart company FilmNation for major film directed by my one of my film heroes Paul Greengrass. Just up at Variety. Quite flattered by interest over past 10 days from several leading studios and A-list directors but very happy to be with Greengrass--I was one of early fans of his Bloody Sunday back in 2002, and since--and producer Mark Gordon (who did Saving Private Ryan and so many others). Amazing story on the young folks who dug tunnels under the Berlin Wall in 1962--and now opportunity on the page and on the screen. The Variety description includes the key angle of CBS and NBC financing two key tunnels--but omits what happened then: JFK at the White House trying to suppress the two network specials as nuclear tensions rose.Special thanks to Brian Siberell and Michelle Weiner at CAA and my literary agent Gary Morris at the David Black Agency. Yowza. And great chance to work with my daughter, who lives in Berlin about a mile from the former path of the Wall. My photo above of some of those who died trying to get over or under or around the Wall, at the Memorial on Bernauer Strausse (remnant of the Wall behind them).
Another School Shooting
This time in Marysville, near Seattle. The usual confusion and conflicting accounts. Latest seems to be: shooter dead and one other student and anywhere from four to seven injured, although still "active" search. But seems clear gunman is dead. And that he turned gun on himself after walking up to table in cafeteria and firing. Three of injured are critical. I'll update but this is it for now.
UPDATE: Lengthy account here. Shooter ID. Said to be good kid, from local Native American tribe, broke up with girlfriend this week. She may have been targeted.
UPDATE: Lengthy account here. Shooter ID. Said to be good kid, from local Native American tribe, broke up with girlfriend this week. She may have been targeted.
Mixing Up the Medicine
As I noted last month, official release of "complete" Dylan/Band "basement tapes" finally coming in early November. Some of us have had quality bootleg of near-complete 5-CD packages for quite a few years but this will add a few more tunes and in somewhat better sound. They've been releasing single tracks--Dylan originals or covers-- to various sites for a few days. Here's their version of John Lee Hooker's "Tupelo." My photo of Big Pink at left.
October 23, 2014
New York Taking Ebola in Stride
So, Ryan Adams:
