The Vegas Window

I think my roomate Brett’s single sentence review summed up Silent Hill nicely:

“It was like watching the holocaust except no one stopped it in the end.”

The film begins like every horror movie you’ve seen: vague mystery, creepy scribbles, and an even creepier child. But about halfway through, the format shifts. The viewer is transported into a realm of pure dismay. Horrible creatures and humans alike are morbidly massacred, and the cameras never turn away. Faces melt off, bodies are skinned alive, people are torn to pieces (and those pieces are subesquently “squished” between someone’s bare feet). Instead of watching a movie meant to make you jump, it felt as though the movie wanted you to actually experience Hell.

Maybe that really was the point. If so, it succeeded ten-fold. There was no hope to speak of in the entire film. No secret weakness to an enemy who embodies evil. No heroes to stand behind. Morals? Psh! It was simply hopeless, and nearly pornographic in its sadism.

All of this may greatly appeal to horror fans. Personally, I feel so crappy after watching Silent Hill that I physically need to sit down, eat some Lucky Charms and watch a joyful cartoon.

Neverland, here I come.

p.s. One could jump to the conclusion that someone who was so repulsed by a film would be gung ho for censoring it. That person would be wrong, but I won’t delve further into politics at this time. If it doesn’t sound like it’s your cup of tea (as it clearly wasn’t mine) don’t watch it. But for Heaven’s sake don’t use my words to in any way justify a book burning. End.

Drawing By Nick:

From the A Denver Mile MySpace blog:

Ahoy! It’s been way too long since last we met. Judging from the sentimental tripe in the blog below, it’s obvious that the last time I posted was in December. In case you hadn’t noticed…it’s April. Quite a bit has been going on with us, as you may have imagined. I will try and post a quick rundown of what’s up (first in regards to the album):

-The recording of our EP is complete.
-There are 7 tracks total (the two on myspace, three more with lyrics, and then two more without).
-The cover art is finished, and the rest is nearly there.
-The album has been submitted to iTunes, and will be hosted by them sometime in the summer.
-The “unofficial” release date (if all printing goes according to plan) will be April 21st.
-The “official” one will be May 7th, and will coincide with our release party in Merritt Island (also a stop on our mini-tour with Bernard).

Phew. Hope that covers that. In other news: we have a shirt design with a Narwhale. It’s pretty radical, and worth attending a show for in its own right. More new designs will crop up once we’ve made the money back from the cd’s inital pressing. Rumor has it a girl shirt is even in the works. Cute.

You may have also noticed a slew of new shows coming up (many tba). As I mentioned above, we will be going on a mini tour with Bernard in May. One of these is the official release date of the CD (May 7th) and I suppose we can count May 2nd in Orlando as another “unofficial” release. Obviously, there isn’t quite an official release. The 7th is merely the day we will play through the EP in its entirety. We probably won’t get to do that again for a long time. It will also be when we handout all of the pre-sold discs (and a bonus poster to the pre-buyers). There may also be root beer. Lots of it. By all accounts, it will be worth being there.

Anyhow, this tour will lead into our appearance on the showcase stage at Cornerstone FL on either the 12th or 13th. We would *love* everyone’s support if you are going to be at Cornerstone.

After that…comes summer. The plan so far is to save money (and practice practice practice) to tour through fall. That means a thinning of shows in the summer to a degree. It also means the refining of some new songs.

I believe that should about wrap it up. I had forgotten how long these things can get. Hopefully you managed to power through it. I mean, there was some really serious info in there. Really, deadly serious. You should maybe…write it down or something. Talk to you soon, chums.

Au revoir,
Jimmie

Today, or tonight, or this morning…however you prefer to regard 1:00 am, I decided that instead of spending $8.00 and a tip to be surrounded by a hazy-eyed, guffawing bar scene, I would cook my own breakfast meal. I set straight off to our local 24 hour grocer, and collected ingredients: hashbrowns, eggs, bacon and corned beef hash (a family camping tradition). Who needs Denny’s? This would not only exceed Denny’s in quality, but I could eat in the warm comforts of my home.

Two hours later, I sit before a plate of black hasbrowns. Black, but not crunchy. They are soggy and black. The worst of both worlds. Next to these “hashblacks ” lay the partially charred remains of corned beef hash, a few strips of microwaved bacon and the best over easy egg I have ever cooked. It’s kind of a mixed bag.

You know those movies where a dad finds out he has a ten year old son, and then has to meet him and hang out with him for the first time? And then, you know how he doesn’t know exactly how to treat them, but inevitably tries to cook them a meal and fails completely miserably? I feel like one of those dads in one of those movies; minus the newly discovered son. So, I am not gradually realizing that I need my ex with whom I had said son. This meal taught me a lesson not nearly so deep. It’s simple really, and somewhat sad:

I need those Denny’s or IHOP cooks for my midnight breakfast fix. At least until my cooking improves. And I’d better work on that before my mystery child shows up.

Christmas is like Disney World in a way. As you get older, you start noticing that London is only 10 feet below your flying pirate ship, and eventually you stare at the flaws in the scene more than the scene itself. Somewhere along the way, the awe is lost (at least to a degree).

Some would attribute that entirely to becoming wiser. I don’t think I agree. I’m not hyping some kind of generic “Christmas Spirit” propaghanda…Hollywood does enough of that, and completely misses the point. They paint it to be a belief in Santa. That’s all. I paint it to be a belief in innocence, and goodness.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this: I hope that tomorrow is a magical time for you, and I think that it can be…if you let it. Maybe things aren’t ideal. They rarely are. But, to fit the theme I have already presented…just think of a happy thought, and you’ll be floating over London in no time.

I firmly believe that you don’t need to rely on nastalgia to enjoy things like a kid would…and that applies to many more days than the 25th of December. Tomorrow is about birth, and change; renewal and hope. Don’t forget that…but also, don’t forget to bring those things along with you.

Yeah, call me cheesy. I’m guilty as charged. Just don’t call me grown up. Have a merry, merry Christmas. We’ll be seeing alot of you next year.

Hope is on the way, and Change is high on her heels.

Jimmie, and A Denver Mile