Lazy Movie Weekend: The Potato of Injustice

 "Friends, there comes a time in every man's life when he has to look the potato of injustice right in the eye. There's a powerful evil force in the universe that lives at Channel 8 and I've seen it. And I don't want to go pop its ugly greasy head around here. Do you?"

-Stanley Spadowski, UHF

Fighting the man is exhausting. No matter where you are in your activist/"Damn the Man, Save the Empire" journey, I'm sure you can appreciate this statement. There was a time when we could gather our rag-tag group of friends or loosely connected compatriots, turn on our moxie and can-do attitudes, and save whatever needed saving. We didn't need to be superheroes, gods of thunder, or really, really attractive people who are also assassins in order to make this happen. (No, I haven't seen Avengers: Infinity War yet. I'm seeing it on Tuesday. Don't ruin things for me.) Back in that magical time before our movies involved multiple heroes named Chris, we could throw in some break dancing or maybe get Demi Moore to sing awkwardly in a dive bar to save what needed saving. I miss these times and today, I'm here to bring these moments back to you.

Since we haven't had a movie marathon in a while, I thought we'd kick off spring (it's spring, right?) with a marathon. Grab your favorite spatula, some day-glo crop tops, and as much wine as you need to sustain yourself through "The Potato of Injustice" Movie Marathon. Thanks to everyone on Facebook who suggested movies for this marathon. Alas, they were not all selected. Sometimes the potato of injustice limits the choices we have. Enjoy!

• UHF (1989): If you've not seen this classic Weird Al movie, stop what you're doing right now and watch it. Not only is UHF the reason we know about the potato of injustice, it also gives us the genius that is Spatula City, Fran Drescher pre-The Nanny, and Victoria Jackson before she got all hateful. Weird Al stars as George Newman, an unemployed guy who takes over managing his uncle's UHF tv station. With the station, he inherits a weird tech guy (played by the guy famous for being Luke on General Hospital), a bunch of bizarro shows that make absolute sense in the world of this movie, and Stanley Spadowski, a janitor turned kids' show host. Of course, the station takes off and causes the local network station manager to try to ruin everything that is good and right with Channel 62. In the end, this band of zany folks band together to save the station in a plot that involves a telethon, a bookie, and a homeless guy who collects rare coins. Despite my aversion to Michael Richards, the "potato of injustice" monologue is one of my favorite movie moments of 1989. 
• Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984): I don't know about you, but I'm certain we can solve all the problems in the world with break dancing. I'm not sure what the rules would be to say, get the US back into the Paris Accords through the magic of break dance, but I'm pretty sure it could be accomplished. In Breakin' 2, we rejoin Kelly, Ozone, and Turbo on their quest to bring break dancing and joy to everyone they meet while wearing crop tops, ridiculously large pants, and questionable hats. Kelly has returned to LA and her dancing partners as they struggle to keep a community center from being bulldozed and turned into a mall. We get to witness a break dance fight (it's amazing), Kelly's very wealthy, very white parents becoming her biggest break dance fans, an unnecessary scene involving dancing on the ceiling, and so much friendship. One of my favorite things about this movie is Ice-T, making a fashion statement with his S&M inspired club wear. There is so much neon in the finale sequence of this movie, I'm pretty certain the evil developer would have given in eventually just to get a break from all the neon green. Fun fact: the singer Martika, of "Toy Soldier" fame, is a dancer in this movie. 
• The Goonies (1985): What's not to love about The Goonies? A Corey, a young Josh Brolin and Sean Astin, a delightful Martha Plimpton, pirates, Sloth, and buried treasure - this movie has everything. "The Goonies" are facing foreclosure on their homes so they set off to find the lost treasure of a pirate named One-Eyed Willy, hoping to use the treasure to save their homes. Along the way they tangle with the rich kids, developers, and a criminal family headed by Mama Fratelli, played by Anne Ramsey. We learn how to do the Truffle Shuffle and are treated to a theme song by Cyndia Lauper (the video features 80s era wrestlers and the cast of the movie). In the end, the Goonies save the day and One-Eyed Willy gets to set sail once again.
• Empire Records (1995): This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I watch it at least once a year on or about April 8 in honor of Rex Manning Day. When an employee, Lucas, finds out that the owner of Empire Records is about to sell it to Music Town, he does what any loyal employee would do: he takes the day's money, goes to Atlantic City, and tries to double the money so he can save Empire. Things do not go as Lucas plans. The rest of the movie follows the store employees through a day of shop lifters, fake funerals, Rex Manning and his terrible hair, love, revealing uniforms, a rooftop concert, and other antics. Not only do the helpful staff at Empire stick it to Mitchell (the man), they also rid the store of Rex Manning and help us all appreciate the musical genius of The The.
• Big Night (1996): This may not seem like it belongs on this list, but hear me out. The movie takes place in the 1950s on the Jersey Shore. Two Italian brothers, Primo and Secondo (Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci), are trying to make a success of their failing restaurant. Despite Primo's amazing cooking, the brothers aren't realizing the American dream. Another restaurant owner, Pascal, promises to bring Louis Prima to their restaurant for a very special dinner rather than giving Secondo a loan. The brothers, along with their waiter (played by an almost silent Marc Anthony), their friends, and Secondo's girlfriend, Phyllis, put together a night no one will forget. Did I mention Secondo is sleeping with Pascal's wife? Does Louis Prima show up? I can't tell you that. Do you want to eat all the pasta ever and wish we all still dressed like this? Absolutely. Are Primo and Secondo the underdogs who prove they're better than Pascal will ever be? Pretty much. 
• One Crazy Summer (1986): I will never, ever get over my love of John Cusack. Not only was he adorable in his earliest movies like this gem from his collaboration with Savage Steve Holland, he aged into the greatest assassin who attends his high school reunion we could ever want. In One Crazy Summer, Cusack plays Hoops, a lovable loser who spends a summer in Nantucket with his lovable loser friends. They meet Cassandra, played by Demi Moore, a down on her luck singer, on her way to take care of family on the island. Cassandra's grandfather dies and his house is taken over by the island's wealthiest family, the Beckersteads. Hoops joins forces with the Stork twins (Bobcat Goldthwait is one of the twins), Ack-Ack (Curtis Armstrong), and his buddy George and George's sister, to save the house. Their plan involves Cassandra singing in a dive bar and a regatta, even though Hoops doesn't like boats. This movie is the very definition of rag-tag band of losers with a can-do attitude winning the day. Come for John Cusack. Stay for literally everything else that happens in this movie. 
• The Legend of Billie Jean (1985): At the heart of this movie is the idea that adults don't listen to teenagers. When Billie Jean and her brother report bullying and vandalism, the local sheriff dismisses them, telling the teens to just wait it out. Of course, things escalate quickly after Billie Jean is threatened and her brother shots and injures the man who threatened her. They go on the run, and Billie Jean becomes a folk hero after demanding justice for herself and her brother. Not only is Helen Slater's haircut iconic, but the movie featured the theme song "Invincible" by Pat Benatar. If you don't want to be Helen Slater at the end of this movie, I can't help you. 
• Sing (1989): This is one of those odd movies that I used to watch all the time when I was younger. It's not particularly good, but it's not really bad either. Our heroine, Hannah, is trying to finish her senior year of high school in her Brooklyn neighborhood. The neighborhood is in decline and Hannah's family is struggling to keep their diner open. The annual SING! competition is the only thing keeping anyone's spirits up. It helps that Patti LaBelle is one of the teachers. Anyway, bad boy Dominic tangles with Hannah and new teacher Miss Lomardo (Lorraine Bracco) before landing the lead role in the senior's SING! contribution. The school district decides to shut down the school and cancel the competition. Of course, that can't happen and everyone bands together to make the final SING! show happen. If the final song doesn't get you, Hannah's speech will.

Remember, the potato of injustice takes many forms. Hopefully, these movies show you how to look the potato of injustice in the eye and tell it you're not going to take it anymore. Damn the Man! Save the Empire!

Next weekend: It's the Misfit Toys Road Trip 2018! I'm heading to Memphis to see the Foo Fighters, visit Graceland, and see if I can find any Big Star sights along the way.

RSD 2018: Be strategic and send in the raccoon*

I missed Record Store Day (RSD) 2017. Last year was the 10th anniversary of the annual celebration of independent record stores around the world. RSD was conceived at The Soundgarden, one of the best record stores I've ever been to, and has helped to renew interest in collecting vinyl and supporting independent music stores. I try to visit record stores throughout the year, so RSD is more of a fun day spent browsing in record stores I don't typically visit and finding records I "need" for my collection. Yes, I'll pick up an RSD special release every now and then, but it's not a tragedy if I don't find a special release or don't buy any at all. Usually, it's the non-RSD finds that are much more interesting.

This year marks the first time I didn't actively plan RSD shenanigans. My RSD buddy, Anita, took over the planning. Her plan took us to the wilds of Fairfax and Loudoun Counties and included three never before visited record stores, DIG Records (Leesburg), Right On Records (Herndon), and Vienna Music Exchange (Vienna). We ended up going  to a fourth store, Record & Tape Exchange (Fairfax), a store both of us regularly visit. Four record stores in one afternoon is the most we've ever visited in one RSD. We also made a stop at Caffe Amouri, a great cafe in Vienna not too far from Vienna Music Exchange. Visiting Caffe Amouri made me wish I lived in Vienna so I could drink their excellent coffee everyday, but alas, I don't live in Vienna.

As has always been my experience, it was an absolutely beautiful day to spend indoors digging throough stacks of records. Like the cherry blossoms, RSD is a harbinger of spring. Once it happens, I know the weather will improve, my allergies will worsen, and I will start to long for summer concert season. We brought T-Rex Manning with us and I made embroidered record buttons. We were ready for shenanigans.

Since we started our day early (9:30), we added Record & Tape Exchange to the plan because it opens early on RSD although it can be a bit hit or miss from a selection perspective. I've never had great luck finding albums at RTX, but I still enjoy browsing. The staff is great and they usually play good music. I don't know if someone died recently and left all their records to RTX, but man, did they have the best stuff out in their used section. Most of the RSD releases were gone to the RSD faithful who get in line at midnight and wait, but I was able to get the Lou Reed release Animal Serenade, a live LP from a 2003 show. That, however, was not the most exciting thing I bought at RTX. Whoever died or recently brought records in really, really loved David Bowie, The Beatles, and Rod Stewart. The sheer volume felt like we were going through someone's collection and it was all awesome (even some of the more horrifying 70s-era Rod Stewart album covers). I could have spent all of my money (and I mean all of it) on Bowie albums alone. None of these were reissues; these were all from the 1970s and in excellent condition. I had a hard time deciding on which one I wanted. I ended up with Resurrection on 84th Street, a double album from his 1976 US tour. I'm listening to it as I write this. The strangest thing about this album is that the album labels are completely different from what you'd expect.

The label that issued the album, The Amazing Kornyfone Record Label (TAKRL) was one of the first bootlegging labels in the US. The artwork on the albums and the labels weren't always reflective of the album itself. They occasionally used fake Sex Pistols labels and a label for the song "Je T'aime" on albums from that period. I don't know what happened to the original owner of this album, but thank you for taking such good care of it so I can enjoy it now.

We finished up at RTX after finding a several fun 45s for Anita to take to her work event and deciding she should buy the Prince album and we'd share custody. Sharing custody of a record is a real thing. I know this because we were not the only people to mention doing so during our RSD adventure. This is what true friends are for.

Our second stop was Vienna Music Exchange, the only store of the day with a focused collection. It's a metal/punk/hardcore fan's dream...if they can fit in the room. The store is located near the Vienna Train Station and is in a building that was at one point a single family home. The rooms are now offices and small retail spaces. I imagine this was a bedroom at one time and now houses a huge collection of vinyl, CDs (new and used for both), and other random things that have made their way into this room. The guy who owns it reminds me a little of Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons if he owned a small, niche-ish record store. While I would have liked to spend time searching through the bins, there was no room and too many people (five) to move comfortably. We decided it was worth a return visit on a weekday when it might not be crowded. We took a break at Caffe Amouri, which has excellent coffee and walls decorated with records. Anita and I do love a theme.

After coffee, we headed to Herndon to another small store, Right On Records. It happens to be across the street from where I get my haircut. I didn't even know it was there. Right On Records occupies a second floor space in an office building that reminds me of every 70s cop show I've ever watched when the detective is tracking down his (it's always a dude) informant and he traces the informant to a shady office building. We didn't find any shady dealings, just another great selection of used records. I found the one thing that I really wanted to find: R.E.M.'s Murmur. 

R.E.M. fans don't often part with their vinyl so finding this was a treat. It figures heavily in the college years chapters of my novel and having the actual album rather than a CD or digital version is exciting to me. The novel is based on my character's love of music. I admit that since I started writing it, I often think about how she's experience RSD. I look for albums she'd buy while researching an article or a new pilgrimage. Obviously, she and I share many musical loves since I created her and she is loosely based on me (very, very loosely). I'm in the research phase for the Athens chapter so listening to Murmur on repeat is going to be amazing. What I really enjoyed about Right On Records was the knowledgeable staff (maybe it was the owner?). He knew what he had in stock and it seemed like he listened to most of what came in before it went out to sell. He remembered people and made recommendations. Despite it's shady location, it's the kind of place I want to come back to and browse some more. I'll admit Right On Records had me the second I saw the framed Warriors soundtrack.

Our final stop of the day almost didn't happen. We drove from Herndon to Leesburg to visit DIG Records. What we didn't know was that yesterday was also the Leesburg Flower and Garden show so parking in downtown Leesburg was a challenge. We circled the block, deciding that if we couldn't find a spot after the next pass, we'd skip DIG and come back another day. As we turned the corner after not finding a spot to head out, we found street parking almost directly across the street from the record store. Clearly, we were meant to visit. Of the four stores, DIG is my favorite. It has a vibe that just feels right. I don't know how else to explain it other than to say I'd live there if that was allowed. It's on the small side too, crowded on a special event day, but not in a bad way. The selection was solid and there was a mix of new and used vinyl as well as vintage clothes and accessories. The owner (I'm guessing he was the owner), Kevin, was friendly and played the original Footloose soundtrack while we were there to "get everyone pumped." We were a tad disappointed he didn't let it get to the Bonnie Tyler song, but we fixed that by listening to it in the car. Anyway, I don't hang out in Leesburg ever, but I'd definitely come back to visit DIG.

Record stores create communities, like coffee shops and bars do with their regulars. That's pretty much the entire point of the movie Empire Records. People come together over their shared love of music. They might not like the same genres or musicians, but they can come together in one place and find something they enjoy. Or come together in one place and obsess and complain about music or music fans or whatever they want to obsess and complain about. I look forward to RSD every year, not just because I get to hang out in record stores all day, but because I get to hang out with my friends in record stores all day. We have the best time and the oddest conversations on RSD. I hated missing last year, but I had a good reason. I feel like I made up for this year. The only thing to do now is listen to my new records and start planning next year.

Get out there and support your local record stores!

*This has nothing whatsoever to do with RSD. As we were walking down the street to cross over to DIG Records, we overheard a couple and this was the part of the conversation we heard. I don't what it means. I don't know if the racoon is an actual racoon or code for a person or object. I'm not really sure I care. It's going on a button.

Coming Soon: I finally write a Lazy Movie Weekend about those pesky kids who save the community center with can-do attitudes and break dancing, the Misfit Toys Road Trip 2018 takes us to Memphis, and I decide to embroider all the things. 

A Cottage by the Sea: Epilogue

I recently finished a book called The Little Cafe in Copenhagen. It's one of the countless rom-com/chick lit books I read while at the gym. I like to rotate between these books, mysteries involving a baker who solves crime with the help of a meddling ghost, and memoirs by former cult members. Sometimes I throw in a biography or historical novel for giggles. Anyway, this particular novel was about a young woman responsible for taking a group of British journalists to Copenhagen to learn about the art of hygge. It's all part of a campaign she's working on, promoting a Danish department store opening in London. The owner believes this group of journalists would benefit from experiencing hygge in person. Along the way, our heroine learns about herself, what she really wants to do with her life, the true meaning of hygge, and of course, she falls in love. It's a very typical example of one of these books with some Danish culture thrown in for good measure. Reading the book made me want to buy some cozy sweaters and drink copious amounts of tea. Oh, and make cinnamon rolls everyday. Imagine what my house would smell like if I made cinnamon rolls everyday.

What I also realized upon completing this book was that it's been a full year, almost to the day, since I declared myself your resident chick-lit heroine in my series A Cottage by the Sea. You can read the original posts here (scroll to the end to start with the first entry). Yes, I celebrated Rex Manning Day as I always do with a viewing of Empire Records, but I was also devastated with the reality of being laid off, dealing with my aunt's death, and generally feeling awful. I felt unmoored, not quite prepared for a job search (although I recovered on this one pretty quickly) and certainly not prepared to be so fucking angry and defeated at the same time. Like a crappy boyfriend or a terrible friend, a toxic work environment eventually gets the best of you and you may not even realize it until you're no longer part of it. That's where I was and it wasn't pretty.

If I think about it now, I was lucky. I found a job relatively quickly (two months) and have an awesome group of friends and a super supportive family who were all there through this. I've been in my new job for about ten months now. This past week, I hosted the "graduation" event for the leadership development program I was hired to manage. Despite a recurring dream about not inviting the CEO to the event (I did, he attended and thoroughly enjoyed the event), it went smoothly. The presentations were successful and the participants seemed to genuinely enjoy the experience despite it being intense and a lot of work. It was satisfying to see the conclusion of something I've worked so hard on go well. Honestly, it's helped me feel more like me. It made me feel more accomplished and capable, something that I wasn't feeling a year ago.

Has it been easy? Absolutely not. It's hard to start a new job. Yes, it's exciting and new, but it's also terrifying and uncomfortable. In my experience, not just with this job, everyone wants to focus on the excitement and the fact that something new is starting. You have to be grateful that you even have a job. These are all true things, but they're also 100% devoid of reality. It's exciting, yes, but it's also stressful and scary. First, there's the new job stuff: learning new responsibilities, new technology, new processes. Then you have to build relationships with team members and other co-workers. Add to all of this navigating the hierarchy of an organization and the politics, which you probably have to figure out on your own, even if your manager is well-meaning and helpful. Everyday is a mix of being vulnerable and confident, making mistakes and being awesome. It's exhausting. Exciting, sure, but exhausting.

Like any chick-lit heroine worth her own series, I've spent the last year thinking a lot about what I want in my life. That's what always happens in these books; the heroine rethinks her life plans, her ambitions, her views on love and family. This year has led me back to my novel (finally wrote a new chapter and have at least two more in progress). I started my creative practice again, mostly with my embroidery projects. I've embraced learning new things, like my upcoming drum lessons and learning to make croissants from scratch. I have a new big goal, which I'm not ready to discuss yet, but it's been forming this last year and I'm excited about making it a reality. It's taken a year, but I finally feel like me again.


Coming soon to the Island: a new Lazy Movie Weekend involving the potato of injustice, I finally make croissants from scratch, and we celebrate Record Store Day 2018! It's going to be an exciting April!