Excerpts from Electric Degeneration, Degenerate Press' semi-weekly e-zine, free and ad-free. A full episode contains sections for music reviews, upcoming events, blasphemy, classifieds, and anything else we feel like saying. If you'd like to subscribe just contact us.
You can surf the entire archive.
3/1/2000
EAR PLUGS
We’ve hardly gotten out of winter and already I’ve had a few demands
for a July 4ish bash. So I’ll start with the usual - anyone know of a good
location? For the newbies, we need a large outdoor area good for overnight camping
and some place to set up a bunch of bands (therefore we’ll need a power
supply.) If they follow the usual course there will be 4 bands or so, barbecue
(we’ll have to cook all night the night before, literally), beer, jello
and lots and lots of degenerates. In addition, there is a staff and friends
shoot-out beforehand (an invite-only target practice.) And it’s probably
gonna be free, if I can swing it, so if you know of a place where such a raucous
event could be held please contact us!
FILM FLAM
Obits: Toco Hills has closed it’s doors. And the cheap theater on Buford
is no longer cheap, it went first-run a while back. Now that you’re down
and out, here’s something to swing you the other way from degenerate SW:
You would think at the century's close, theaters would be packed with movies
trying to encapsulate the last 100 years into 2-hours of entertainment. What's
actually at the cineplex are films encapsulating the American experience of
the late 20th Century into 2-hours of entertainment. Note three recent titles:
"American Beauty", "American Pie" and "American Movie".
What do they have in common aside from the catchy moniker? Each of these three
films represents a very real slice of American life as seen through cinema.
"American Beauty" is a wonderfully acted, written and directed film
satirizing everything from suburbia and it's conspicuous consumption to America's
obsession with youth and beauty, to our hedonistic drives for financial success
and popularity. I cannot say enough about this film that has not already been
written. Go see it if you haven't already. End of discussion. "American
Pie" is celluloid fluff about a handful of high-school dorks looking to
bust their cherries. It's as crass as that sentence, but it does exemplify an
important type of movie: the high-school dork looking to bust his/her cherry.
This movie was hailed as a "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" or "Porky's"
for the Gen Y and younger set but has no approximation to those cherry-bustin'
classics. Skip it and rent "Detroit Rock City" instead. I would have
written about it, but it doesn't fit into my nifty "American" theme.
That brings us to "American Movie," a documentary about an independent
filmmaker's quest for the American dream. Mark Borchardt is an all-too familiar,
none-too exceptional, extra-ordinary guy who wants to make a movie and will
stop at nothing short of a six pack to achieve his goal. His mantra of "stop
drinking and dreaming, start doing and creating" should be the slogan for
the 21st Century. If you'd like to laugh at the painful reality of genuine American
life, go see this film. If none of these titles sound interesting to you or
if you have seen them already, there is no cause for despare. In the months
ahead, Hollywood will give us it’s take on other American aspects and pastimes.
A few examples: serial killer assessments in “American Psycho”, religious
offerings in “American Prophet: The Story of Joseph Smith”, and yet
another documentary of film entitled “American Storytellers”. Looks
like a banner year.
Take me to Degenerate Press' home page!
There's no place like home... no place like home...
All content on this site is owned by Degenerate Press and cannot be used without our permission. We have lawyers for friends with nothing better to do than cause trouble (no kidding), so play nice. Copyright © 2002, All Rights Reserved