Sunday, August 17, 2008

Wore a black hat, ate lots of chicken.

napoleon
wore a black hat
ate lots of chicken
and conquered half europe
napoleon
was caught by the british
imprisoned on elba
he died on the phone

[favorite lyrics about Napoleon, from Robin Hitchcock’s Cynthia Mask]






















New favorite movie about Napoleon is The Emperor’s New Clothes

From Netflix:
In this whimsical tale based on Simon Leys’s novel The Death of Napoleon, the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte (Ian Holm) trades places with a look-alike—a common drunk—and makes his way back to Paris in disguise, intent on reclaiming his throne. During his travels, he discovers that France has changed in many humorous ways—and finds love with a melon-selling widow named Pumpkin (Iben Hjejlie).

Came out around 2002, seems to be an Italian production, may not have been widely released over here. Director is Alan Taylor, who seems to mostly to really good television. Sopranos, Six Feet Under, etc.

Have always been quite fond of Ian Holm. Met him briefly in a bar in New York ages ago.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Who’s the cat that won’t cop out?














Isaac Hayes 1942-2008 R.I.P.


Funny that in many people’s minds, Isaac Hayes will forever be entwined not with the beautifully innovative lush soul music he created, but with two radically different and semi-ridiculous fictional characters.

Shaft and Chef...

Isaac was one beautiful smooth man. Strange, I had been listening to Black Moses recently, and just got Hot Buttered Soul today from eMusic after I found out he’d passed...my vinyl versions long gone. I remember as a kid I used to look at Hot Buttered Soul and wonder what that ultra-smooth head felt like.

Come to find Isaac had just finished a movie called Soul Men with Samuel Jackson and Bernie Mac, who I found out also died this weekend of complications from pneumonia.

In Chef’s inimitably poignant words “James Taylor, what the hell are you doing singing about prostitutes to these children? Get outta here!”