2024 has been a long year of ups, downs and all arounds, but I want to focus on the ups.There is still plenty of my New England Adventure I haven’t blogged about.This is due in part to a decrease in a desire to write, but that’s not what I want 2024 to be known for.Rather, as the title of this post suggests, this is the year I met a singer/actress I’ve admired for a long time.
Did Providence guide me to Providence or was it just Dave?
When Dave of My Gay Opinion, who invited me to the East Coast specifically for the Rhode Island Comic Con, and I were in line to meet Julie Brown, my hands started to sweat. There she was, only a few people away from me. My 16 year-old self was bouncing off the walls because he would’ve never imagined getting to meet the star of JUST SAY JULIE and the singer of THE HOMECOMING QUEEN’S GOT A GUN! Was this really happening? Did I hop on my first commercial flight and travel halfway across the country to meet Julie Brown? Yes, it was really happening and yes, I flew way out of my comfort zone just for this moment!
Masked for my protection against people!
Disappointing there was no gremlin on the wing!
During Dave’s turn, he broke the ice for me by mentioning to Miss Brown that I flew here from Nebraska, so it was easy to slip into a conversation with her as she autographed my CD of TRAPPED IN THE BODY OF A WHITE GIRL.
I hope you’re totally jealous!
I stayed relatively calm as I told Julie Brown how she has creatively inspired me and how I was probably the only teenager who watched MTV with a parent. As I told Miss Brown, my mom enjoyed JUST SAY JULIE and said Julie reminded her of Lucille Ball. Then I got my picture taken with Miss Brown and I look like the big fanboy who was totally geeking out. I’m sure if 100 pics could have been snapped, I would’ve looked unapologetically over the moon in all of them!
A freakboy and his idol!
After the photo, Julie Brown and I talked a bit more. She was truly surprised I came all the way from Nebraska. I told her how Dave and I were planning to hit New York City the next day and how amazing my trip had been already. Then Miss Brown said she had to give me a hug! I wasn’t gonna refuse, so we hugged! Yes, Julie Brown and I hugged!!! My 16 year-old self was less of a hugger than I am, but I knew he was freaking out in the best way possible. After that sweetly surreal moment, Miss Brown was then polite enough to give Dave a hug, but I’ll never let him forget Julie hugged me first!
My New England Adventure could’ve ended there and I would’ve been satisfied. However, meeting Julie Brown was really only the beginning and I’ll try to blog more about it in 2025. Thanks for reading my blog this year. I appreciate your support.
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. click a pic ⤵️ for more about my New England Adventure…
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Click the pic ⤵️ to experience the most viewed tale of 2024…
During my recent New England Adventure with Dave of My Gay Opinion, one stop was The Archive in Bridgeport, Connecticut. For even the most casual reader of these words, you know I’m a Vinegar Syndrome junkie, so I had to visit their brick and mortar store! It was awesome with new and used movies and music on various formats! I would be a frequent customer if I lived in Bridgeport!
Freak finds a home away from home
Dave went upstairs to the music area while I was surrounded by Vinegar Syndrome and its partner label titles. There was so much to take in that I felt overwhelmed in a giddy good way. A film or two that I had been eyeing on the VS website drew my attention, but I thought I’d check out the music before making a cinematic decision. I survived the rickety horror movie staircase to the second floor and found a room mainly comprised of vinyl. After confirming this was the only music area, I heard my name called from across the room. Dave was standing on an elevated space in front of boxes of compact discs. I wandered over and he presented me with a CD that he had pulled out from the box just as I entered the music area. The CD in question…
2007, New Line Records
Was this fate?
Dave admitted that if he had been alone in the store and saw this CD, I would’ve been the first person he thought of. Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows I’m a John Waters fan, so I would immediately be intrigued by this compilation album. Yes, compilation. In other words, John Waters tragically doesn’t sing.
A DATE WITH JOHN WATERS contains 14 tracks hand picked by the filmmaker for a romantic night. I believe he really did choose the songs because the CD plays like a soundtrack to an unfilmed Waters script. It’s an eclectic, eccentric collection of older and newer-ish music with a few familiar artists. Your romantic evening begins with the cutesy stalker vibes of “Tonight You Belong To Me” by Patience & Prudence but quickly turns into a fun gender-bending, bisexual time with “Jet Boy Jet Girl” by Elton Motello. In case you’re confused and need to establish who’s in charge, pay attention to “I’d Love To Take Orders From You” by Mildred Bailey & Her Swing Band and if you’re worried this coupling isn’t going to work, embrace the backhanded positivity of “In Spite Of Ourselves” by John Prine with Iris DeMent. Emotions might be running high at this point in your romantic night, which makes “All I Can Do Is Cry” by Ike & Tina Turner a perfect addition. Maybe you’ll cry even more if you discover your date doesn’t have a compatible orientation with yours, so you’ll have to sing along with “Johnny Are You Queer?” by Josie Cotten. Once you’ve figured everything out, bring your evening to a frosted climax with “If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked A Cake” by Eileen Barton with the New Yorkers and then bask in the demented afterglow with the aptly titled “Bewildered" by Shirley & Lee. There’s a lot of other great songs on this album, but two deserve special attention because they are performed by two memorable actors from John Waters’ original Dreamland players! Edith Massey, the Egg Lady in PINK FLAMINGOS and Queen Carlotta in DESPERATE LIVING, helms the definitive cover of “Big Girls Don't Cry” which will make you almost forget about The Four Seasons.
Then there is the romantically demented “Sometimes I Wish I Had A Gun" by the incomparable Mink Stole. It’s easy to imagine Connie Marble, her vividly red-haired character in PINK FLAMINGOS, holding a lover hostage and pointing a gun at his arms for an embrace and his lips for a declaration of love. This mellow, crazy song could easily be a plot for a John Waters film! In conclusion… Was this terrific CD just waiting in The Archive for me to visit New England and for Dave to pull it out of a box and show it to me? I like to think so, so I guess I must believe in fate. As for this compilation, it is full of surprises and obscure gems. I enjoyed every single song and have listened to it multiple times. So, if you’re a Waters fan or if you crave a different kind of love, buy yourself some stale chocolates, pour a glass of toilet bowl wine and enjoy A DATE WITH JOHN WATERS!
SIDE NOTE: I purchased one movie from The Archive, and it costars an Andy Milligan actor but is not an Andy Milligan film. However, that’s a post for another time.
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. there are plenty more tales from my New England Adventure, so stay tuned… ~~~~~~~~~~~~ My queer words are available from an Amazon near you! 📚
Feeling as cold as the dark, icy landscape, the bundled figure trudges alone.How long has it been since the last encounter with another?Too long ago and for too brief of time.Death in this frigid atmosphere is inevitable.
The ending began with a dimming of their star. Theories turned to conversations. Conversations turned to disagreements. Disagreements turned to arguments. Arguments turned to war. War over their perceived differences illuminated by the dimming.
The bundled figure comes to a halt amidst the frozen desolation with final, futile understanding. All of the warfare is what collapsed their civilization. Their dying star only decimated the remnants of their planet, which now drifts lifelessly through the immeasurable void. ____________ 2024, John L. Harmon
~~~~~~~~~~~~ SIDE NOTE: In a moment of freaky fate or creative coincidence, I stumbled upon a piece of new music, right after I finished writing the above short story, and I feel it would make the perfect soundtrack.
(The following post was initially placed behind a “sensitive content” warning. I changed the wording in order to comply with Google’s & Blogger’s regulations. I hope these changes satisfy the PC Police and don’t offend anyone or whatever.🙄)
“Welcome to the camp. I guess you all know why we’re here.”
We are here because of a blogging challenge posed to me by Gill of Realweegiemidget Reviews. She challenged me to blog about a typically non-singing actor who sings in a musical. My mind immediately zeroed in on one jaw-dropping performance, but more about this later.
“My name is Tommy and I became aware this year.”
I first became aware of TOMMY back in the late 1990’s.I don’t recall what exactly drew me to this psychedelic musical, but I remember wondering what the hell I just watched as the ending credits rolled.Even now, decades later, I’m still not quite sure of the answer.
“If you want to follow me, you’ve got to play pinball.”
Tommy is born on the first day of peace after WWII.His father has been presumed dead during wartime, so his mother remarries.Then, in a soap opera twist, Tommy’s father returns and is subsequently murdered in front of his son.The guilty party, his mother and stepfather, convince Tommy that he didn’t hear it, he didn’t see it and won’t say nothing to anyone ever in his life.
Now Tommy is hearing, verbally and visually impaired.He lives in a physically small world, but his mind is expanding, even with babysitters tormenting him.Then one day Tommy discovers a pinball machine and quickly gains fame and fortune as the hearing, verbally and visually impaired kid who sure plays a mean pinball.What’s a pinball wizard to do?Start a holiday camp cult centered around the game, of course.You’ll have to see for yourself how all this chaos concludes.
“And put in your ear plugs, put on your eye shades, you know where to put the cork!”
Screenwriter/director Ken Russell takes The Who’s masterful rock opera and transforms it into a visual fever dream mess.Oh, but what a strangely compelling mess it is, especially with such a cast!Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed, as Tommy’s mother and stepfather, act just enough over the top to fit perfectly inside the surreal story.Roger Daltrey, as adult Tommy, seems mainly able to act without his shirt.Eric Clapton is mellow magnified as The Preacher of a Marilyn Monroe healing cult that Tommy’s mother drags him to.Tina Turner is singing, shaking and sizzling through her memorable role as The Acid Queen, the woman Tommy’s stepfather hires to put the boy right.Elton John is in full-tilt 1970’s mode, and really big shoes, as The Champ, Tommy’s pinball rival.Then there is the reason we are here…
Jack Nicholson as The Specialist.Yes, THAT Jack Nicholson!His appearance in this film still floors me, even more so when he actually sings a song about his examination of Tommy’s inability to hear and speak and see.How is Jack’s singing?Well, he’s not going to win a Grammy, even with the pretense of a British accent.However, despite any tuneful deficiency, he is memorable as the doctor who can’t reach Tommy but would enjoy reaching Tommy’s mother instead.
In conclusion,
TOMMY is bizarre and bizarrely entertaining. I prefer The Who’s original album, but this filmic spectacle lures the viewer in with eclectic actors and catchy songs. Sally Simpson, a song about a young girl who disobeys her religious father to see Tommy, is one of my personal favorites. So, if you want to take a trippy ‘70’s musical trip and experience the vocal stylings of Jack Nicholson, then grab a can of beans and experience TOMMY!
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. I would like to pass on a blogging challenge to…
Barry, of Cinematic Catharsis- I challenge you to do a full scale review (no picks & pans or short takes) of an Andy Milligan film of your choice!
Dave, of My Gay Opinion - I challenge you to review either the soundtrack to DEEP THROAT or the Madonna-infused soundtrack to EVITA!
It’s been a long couple of years, so the dropping of new music from BRICKLAYER BOSH was like a reward for surviving the madness and chaos. Their first two albums reverberate with a fun vibe, like The B-52’s churned and filtered through a goth-punk-rockabilly spirit box. So, I was in for a dose of intense, and oh so sweet, shock treatment when I listened to CURSEBREAKER! ⚡️
Deeper music!
Darker lyrics!
Angrier attitude!
And damn, I loved it!
BRICKLAYER BOSH takes the listener on a tumultuous transmission trip through flipping off the haters to ditching the jerks you’ve wasted too much of your life on. The electric energy and bulldozing beats in CURSEBREAKER culminate into the hard-won power of finding your voice, but learning that it’s your choice to either fly with your inner music or fall into a deadly pit of silence. A lesson we all need reminding of from time to time.
In conclusion, if you crave a jolt in the new year, plug your mindscape into the magnetic pull of CURSEBREAKER from the rock-sharp core of BRICKLAYER BOSH! 😎
Find CURSEBREAKER on…
Check out this awesome 2021 interview with BRICKLAYER BOSH… ⤵️
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words!
Freak Out,
JLH
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My blog serial will return soon, so stay tuned and click the pic to catch up…
I offered a taste of horror for the first one and a doctoring of sci-fi for the second. Now I’m going to get a little jazzy for The Third Hammer-Amicus Blogathon, hosted by Gill of Realweegiemidget Reviews and Barry of Cinematic Catharsis!
1962, written by Milton Subotsky / directed by Richard Lester
A small town has been infested with a sudden bombardment of swinging, gyrating, jazz-crazed teenagers! These sudden pop-up dance parties have become such a nuisance that even the mayor can’t have a nice quiet cup of coffee anymore. He effectively kills the mood by creating a law where businesses using jukeboxes and television sets must get an entertainment license. What will the younger generation do now?
Two plucky…teenagers?
Will the disgruntled teens go on a Children of the Corn killing spree or, even worse, call Kevin Bacon for Footloose advice on really bad dancing and fighting for the right to party? Thankfully no, they do what any teen would do in 1962. Put on a show, of course! Two particularly plucky teens (going on late 20’s) venture to the big city to find a DJ to host the show and watch a crazy amount of potential musical acts. This will prove to the mayor and other killjoy grown-ups that jazz isn’t a corrupting influence, but a way of life. Well, at least until The Beatles turn up in a year or two.
The Brook Brothers on an ego trip.
This is one thing that truly boggles my mind about Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!I don’t know what teens in England were listening to during that weird time between Elvis and The Beatles, but jazz seems an odd choice. Especially since it’s less beatnik jazz and more big band orchestra. I mean, is cutting a rug to an uptempo version of When the Saints Go Marching In really considered corruptive or rebellious? This ridiculousness, along with some almost Airplane! style humor, makes me wonder if this film is a satire of American rock ‘n roll flicks from the 1950’s.
Does twisting really make Chubby Checker happy?
Similar to Go, Johnny, Go!(1959) and Don’t Knock the Rock (1956), Ring-A-Ding Rhythm! has a threadbare plot that’s just an excuse to showcase musical talent and sell records. I mostly enjoyed the performances, with a few that really stood out for me. Gene Vincent is out of this world as he sings about taking a spaceship to Mars. The Brook Brothers are squeaky clean cute as they sing a song ending in bigamy. It was also great to see Chubby Checker, even though I could tell he was sick to death of doing “The Twist” yet again.
Dinner in a show.
Then there is The Temperance Seven. I had never heard of them, but they stole the film by embracing the nonsense. This sedate group takes a slow ballad and turns it into comedy gold by having members of the band eating a meal or falling asleep while waiting for their turn to play. Then, in a truly inspired moment of absurdity, the lead vocalist starts singing in French (I think) and subtitles appear. I took a screenshot, zoomed in and discovered the subtitles were also in French!
One way to sing a torch song.
The acting in Ring-A-Ding Rhythm! is incidental. Helen Shapiro and Craig Douglas are fine as the plucky, sort of teens. Felix Felton is amusing as the perplexed mayor. Deryck Guyler is perfect as the narrator who tells the story and helps the plucky teens get to the big city by simply changing the film behind them. The other teens and grown-ups do a serviceable job at basically being extras.
This is your brain on jazz!
In conclusion, Ring-A-Ding Rhythm! is generally a fun film with some truly funny moments, but the never-ending performances can grow a little tedious. However the nonsense of it all held my attention and amused me. So, get your entertainment license and shake your bum to this oddball little Amicus production! (I watched it on You Tube)
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. Click the pic ⤵️ to go, Go, GO…
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In case someone wants to get addicted to my current blog serial…
