We Change Your Channel - CRITIX & REVIEWS

Tower Records on BadTV

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:37:57 CDT

We had an in at Tower records, and got the first episode to Freddi to see how he thought it would do on the shelves. The cover was of Sandie Black holding a speculum in front of the ass of a rhinoceros. "Should do fine," said Freddi, and we told him to watch the episode to make sure. "I don't have to," he said, "Since I can judge this thing by its cover." We insisted, though, and he had nice things to say.

Film Director TIANA

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:59:12 CST

Tiana's movie is brilliant, the account of a B-movie action star going to north Vietnam for the first time despite the misgivings of her conservative family and community. Tiana was seen almost as a traitor for having the courage to explore the new Vietnam, but then her movie came out and she became a hero, overnight. We met through Eddie Becker and had a funny chemistry immediately. I could have made a movie of our meetings in shady Asian sandwich shops, with her intense interpersonal skills and my waffling poetic digressions. She provided this quote for an Environmental Film Festival in the Imperial City, knowing full well that the Betapunks assault on the festival was not what this quote suggested.

EDDIE COCKRELL on Betapunks

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:59:11 CST

Eddie Cockrell had the balls to play the first Betapunks movie, an amateurish fanatasy called "Woobie's Geography Lesson," at the AFI. First video production the AFI ever played, and the harbinger of things to come. "Woobie" was probably the first video movie played in commercial theatres, although there had been some porn stuff playing in tiny private theatres where projection would not be a problem.

Washington Post on the BUDDHA

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:59:11 CST

Post critic Harrington was very suspicious of Mister Blue. In his story he wrote that "Blue sometimes sounds as if he had too much to think the night before." He was set on to us by the Mount Pleasant buzz, then couldn't quite believe what he saw unfolding in a . . . basement. Something had to be a little fishy, and when we shook hands I could tell that it was time for me to strap on my fins.

GALT MacDERMOTT

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:52:31 CST

His words still burn in my ear: "Take this thing to New York, ask for help, and things will work out fine. But don't sit on it." I loved the musical "Hair" and this encouragement from its author was pivotal in my own decision-making process about art and ambition. Do anything you want, anything you can imagine, and do the work necessary and you will be fine, but sit on your ass and yap about your plans you'll wake up 53 years old with no self-respect.

JEN CHANEY in Generation Next

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:52:30 CST

Jen Chaney was very interested in the themes of the Black Hole Buddha, and was disgusted with the new Alanis Morisette: "Why is she singing about being victimized by her boyfriend instead of going out and killing an oil executive, the way you guys are doing?" Chaney kept returning to this complaint, and, sure enough, at the end of her review she wrote that the BHB was "more intelligent than Alanis Morisette." Don't know if I'm spelling Morisette's name right, and I couldn't care less if I got it wrong: She's still whining about the boy toys doing her wrong. The world's going up in smoke, Alanis, worry about something other than the singed petals of your heart.

RECORDING MAGAZINE

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:52:30 CST

Mr. Laskow was on the phone immediately. How could he place this musical? Through Recording Magazine's Taxi program, through a call to a label bigwig? Again, the importance was aiming high, and whatever its failings the Black Hole Buddha project was designed to be metaphysical, ambitious. Of course critics lie in wait for this sort of thing because they hate derivatives and abhor imitation. Did we ever follow up with Mr. Laskow? Of course not. Peter Fox went to Benares to study the sitar, and I started to play with the Raindancer. The musical languishes, more timely than ever given its big oil hatreds, and Fox and Blue encouraged by Black make noises about a production, but . . .

Review of the Arts

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:52:29 CST

This was a glowing review, written by Ms. Drake in a packed theatre, and she showed me her notes weeks later, saying they were so scribbly not just because of the dark in the theatre but because she was laughing while she tried to write.

HAL HINSON on Betapunks

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:52:28 CST

Hal was moved to flowery praise by all of our efforts, not so much because of our efforts but because, as a major American critic, he is forced to endure the endless pap from Hollywood. Of course we would be well treated: Colon came out the same year Ridley Scott made a piece of trash about Columbus that had Tom Selleck cast as King Ferdinand! I always laugh at writers who have the next Pulp Fiction, with all its gory action. The critics do not care about slick. They want smart, if for no other reason than to relieve the stultifying idiocy of the majority of what they have to watch. You try to write a review of Jarhead or King Kong. We dare you. Pay yourself $30 an hour to watch and write reviews of the latest crap from Scorsese or Eastwood, and you'll be firing yourself or jumping off a short building not long into your tenure.

Scientist & Oscar nominee on Blue

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 03:46:08 CST

When I told renowned ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin that Sandie Black and I had a brilliant idea for a television show (BadTV) which would be 50 percent about biologists and the earth sciences, with 50 percent devoted to casual nudity, as a way of attracting and keeping viewers, he had a very quick reply: "The only problem with your idea is it doesn't have enough nudity." And about Will, I have a very funny story I will have to cut and paste into this spot, sometime in the near future. Involves a police chase, an overturned car, and a man on fire, literally.

Hal Hinson on Blue Movies

Thu, 4 Jan 2007 07:53:45 CST

For another feature story, Hinson had come to the Betapunks warehouse and was in the midst of an interview when performer/singer/genius Lisa E. walked in, strode up to me, and berated me for being a bullshit artist who always relied on shock to get his audience, before in a fiery whisper she said: "You've got poetry in you, beautiful beautiful words, and why don't you let those get out?" And she strode out, glaring at Hinson. Wherever you are, Lisa, I owe you. Thanks.

WHFS FM 99.1

Thu, 4 Jan 2007 07:53:45 CST

HFS was the coolest place to hear music for more than two decades, and then they sold out. Don't listen to them anymore. (And 99.1 FM in the Imperial City is now Latino, so justice is partly served.)

VIRGINIA VITZTHUM

Thu, 4 Jan 2007 07:53:44 CST

Virginia is on a rocket of her own, with a bestselling book on Internet romance on the market now. She also reviewed Uncle Paddy and the Betapunks whirlwind for the City Paper, and kept a sharp eye out for our infrequent forays into real art. One of the smartest people I ever met. She was the sex columnist for Salon. May still be, if Salon is still online. But who knows what is online anymore, and even if something is on line it doesn't mean it is online, you know what we mean?