It's over

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

Contracts end. Pets die. Bands split up. And blogs -- yes, even our very own SLO Goings -- evaporate into the ether of cyberspace.

After 250 blog entries (including this one), we're calling it quits.

Don't worry, faithful readers. In the place of SLO Goings, we're creating two brand new Tribune blogs.

My blog, “She Likes to Watch,” covers all things related to the silver screen – movies, television shows, viral videos, etc. – as well as a smattering of pop culture and local events.

Pat Pemberton’s blog, “Sidetracked,” focuses mainly on music and surfing. However, as the title implies, he’ll also discuss topics as diverse as dentists, facial hair and professional boxers.

Check out our new adventures at:

http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/shelikestowatch/

and

http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/sidetracked/

We'll catch you on the flipside.

-- Sarah L.

"Island" adventure

Features writing is a funny business.

In the course of writing one article, we often stumble upon another. We find ourselves zooming off on tangents, wildly and without warning.

That’s why, in the midst of a story about movie theaters, I found myself at Arroyo Grande’s Fair Oaks Theatre — watching a screening of “Nim’s Island.”*

Based on the children’s book by Wendy Orr and Kerry Millard, “Nim’s Island” takes its title from the tropical paradise inhabited by a scientist and his spunky, self-reliant daughter named, improbably, Nim.**

For Nim and her father (Gerard Butler), the island is a lush safe haven. They live off the land, stay in touch via Internet and radio, and once a month, motor out to a waiting ship for supplies.

It’s an isolated life, but Nim (Abigail Breslin) doesn’t seem to mind. She’s too busy playing with her best friends — a lizard, a pelican and a sea lion, natch — and reading about world-famous adventurer Alex Rover (Butler again, letting his true Scottish brogue roar).

The little girl longs to be fearless like her hero. “The thing about courage is that it’s not something we’re born with,” her dad tells her. in a heavy moment of foreshadowing. “It’s in each and every choice we make, each and every day.”

Naturally, Nim’s chance to prove her mettle isn’t far off.

Dad fails to return from an ocean research trip, leaving Nim facing a fierce storm and an invading army of Australian tourists. Frightened and injured, she calls on her favorite hero — Alex Rover — for help.

There’s only one problem: Alex Rover is imaginary, the invention of a germ-phobic, anxiety-prone author (Jodie Foster) who hasn’t left her San Francisco apartment in months.

At its best, “Nim’s Island” is sweet and sparkly, a cute re-telling of “Swiss Family Robinson” with one girl instead four rowdy boys.

The title island looks impossibly lovely, thanks to the work of Santa Maria special effects firm CafeFX and others. And there’s no shortage of computer-animated wonders: anthropomorphic critters, smoking volcanoes and a charming, storybook introduction.

Unfortunately, “Nim’s Island” starts faltering once the outside world starts creeping into paradise.

As Nim sets traps to ward off Australian tourists led by an evil cruise ship crew, the movie comes across as a cheesy blend of”Robinson Crusoe” and “Home Alone.”

Other plot twists seem improbable even for a fanciful children’s movie.

The movie is saved, ultimately, by the wholesome appeal of its stars — especially Breslin, who’s come a long way since “Little Miss Sunshine.”

Gerard Butler is also charming here, both as a caring dad and a dashing adventurer. And Foster, when she’s not kvetching to the heavens, could be channeling a ’90s Meg Ryan — all nervous giggles and sideways grins.

Most of the time, like this movie, it works.

-- Sarah L.

* Photo courtesy of MovieWeb.com.

** Mom’s out of the picture, although the fairytale narration makes it difficult to tell whether she’s dead, missing or literally swallowed by a whale.

Movie drips and drabs for April

Ah, spring. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and spring cleaning is upon us.

While emptying the recycling bins here at Movies HQ, I found a few movie-related tidbits.

HopeDance magazine offers two more movies this month in its HopeDance FiLMs series.

First up is “Everything’s Cool”, a look at the history of global warming.
Filmmakers Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand examine the movement from the viewpoints of scientists, activists and politicians. Hear interviews with Bill McKibben, Ross Gelbspan and others.

“Everything’s Cool” will be screened at 7 p.m. Monday at the San Luis Obispo library, in San Luis Obispo. A $5 donation is encouraged.

On Wednesday, the film series takes a look at health care with “Cuba: An Accidental Revolution.”

The documentary, narrated by scientist/environmentalist David Suzuki, looks at the island nation’s surprisingly strong health care system.

It’s paired with the PBS documentary “Critical Care,” about U.S. health care.

Moviegoers are encouraged to donate $5 to $10.

“Cuba: An Accidental Revolution” and “Critical Care” play at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the San Luis Obispo library.

More information about both films is available at www.hopedance.org/.


***

The Palm Theatre in San Luis Obispo kicks off its new movie series on Wednesday with “Trainspotting.”

Palm Wednesdays will offer a different flick each Wednesday. The emphasis here is on cult classics: quirky comedies, action flicks and thrillers with a strong following among Generations X and Y.

Few movies fall into that category better than “Trainspotting,” Danny Boyles’ darkly comic look at the Edinburgh drug scene. It’s smart, slick and frequently pretty damn unsavory.

“Trainspotting” will screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Palm Theatre, 817 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo.

Tickets are $7.50. You can also snag a six-movie pass for $35 — provided you buy it before Wednesday.

The series continues May 7 with the big-wave surfing documentary “Billabong Odyssey.” Check out the full list at www.thepalmtheatre.com/.

***

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival drew more than 7,500 moviegoers, organizers said this week, the “best ever” in the festival’s 14-year history.

About 12 percent came from outside the county, said Wendy Eidson, the film festival’s executive director.

Top events at the film festival, which ran March 7 to 16, included a train-themed opening night, an awards ceremony honoring “Easy Rider” star Peter Fonda and Surf Night, featuring a tribute to pioneer surf filmmaker Bud Browne.

This year, festival organizers introduced Western Night and the Hollywood and Vines series, which pairs movies with local wineries. They also added venues in Santa Margarita, Paso Robles and Shell Beach.

For more information, visit www.slofilmfest.org.

-- Sarah L.

John Cleese and the Knights Who Say "NI"

Among the advantages of being a stone’s throw away from Santa Barbara has to be the celebrity sightings.

Although San Luis Obispo County has had its share of famous residents — director King Vidor, game show guru Alex Trebek, president’s son Steve Ford — Santa Barbara is a haven for Hollywood types.

Oprah Winfrey, Steve Martin, Kenny Loggins and Jeff Bridges all call the Gold Coast home. Comedian extraordinaire John Cleese owns a ranch there.

Luckily for us, Cleese seems perfectly happy to show his famous face in public.

He appears May 15 at UC Santa Barbara’s Campbell Hall for “An Evening with John Cleese.”

The event, a benefit for the university’s Arts and Lectures movie series, will feature a screening of that 1975 comedy classic “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

Cleese will introduce the movie and, afterward, answer questions about “Holy Grail” and his enormous body of work (”Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” “Fawlty Towers,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” etc., etc.).

Tickets are $20, or $10 for UCSB students.

For more information, call (805) 805 893- 3535 or visit https://artsandlectures.sa.ucsb.edu/index.aspx.

"Maggie May" and You

If I were to write a list of the top ten rock songs of all time, Rod Stewart’s Maggie May would have to be on it.

Co-written with classical guitarist Martin Quittenton, its lyrics convey humility, regret and the pain of love turned sour. Musically, the single was driven by a clanging high-hat and a cranked-up bass. And above all, Stewart’s raw vocals make this a song for the ages.

Of course, like all great singles, the record label didn’t think it was all that. (It was released as a B-side to “Reason to Believe.”) But among Stewart’s lofty catalogue, it remains his anthem.

I can’t guarantee he’ll perform "Maggie May" at the Mid-State Fair this summer, but I can say this: He’s great live.

And, yeah – he’ll probably sing “Maggie May.”

Tickets for Stewart’s show go on sale this Friday.

With opening act Bryan Adams, it’s the concert I most look forward to at this year’s fair. But the rest of the lineup looks pretty good, too.

Country stars Alan Jackson and Toby Keith are returning. Nineties rockers the Stone Temple Pilots, freshly reunited, will be here for the first time, as will John Mayer.

You can get tickets for those acts Friday as well.

For a full list of acts and prices, see the state fair’s web site.


-- Pat P.

Equality of the sexy

I'm a big proponent of gender equality on film.

Yet, while most cinematic chicks drop top and trou at the slightest suggestion, male stars take a lot longer to get out of their skivvies. (The exception being shirtless wonder Matthew McConaughey.)

That's why I was gratified to see two sterling examples of male nudity on the silver screen recently -- with nary a female nipple or derriere in sight.

In "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," mock rocker Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) holds an entire phone conversation with an extra's ... ahem ... member in plain sight.

Wide-angle shots of star Jason Segel's nude torso -- both front and back -- bookend "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

It's done for comic effect, obviously, but the result is two-fold.

At first, we get a guilty, gross-out pleasure from the sight of Segel in his birthday suit. By the end of the movie, when Segal is embracing his fully clothed co-star (Mila Kunis), his nudity seems downright blasé.

Both of these examples come to us from producer Judd Apatow and pals. That's right -- the same guys that brought you a pale, slightly bloated Will Ferrell in his tighty-whities.

Apatow's message is clear: For men, nudity means vulnerability. It means comedy.

Amd while we might giggle at Kathy Bates in a hot tub ("About Schmidt") or Eddie Murphy in a female fat suit ("Norbit"), few women on film get laughs when they slip off their sundresses.

It sounds more like a wistful sigh.

-- Sarah L.

Record Store Day

By now you’ve heard that famous Mark Twain quote: “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”

One could argue, of course, that reports of his death have not been exaggerated since 1910. But you get the idea – his demise was falsely reported while he was still kicking.

Likewise, record store owners think reports that their industry is dead are grossly exaggerated. Sure, record sales are down. And, yeah, downloads are doing quite well. (iTunes is now the biggest music retailer in the country.)

But people still love record stores and CDs, right?

Okay, yeah, it’s annoying when you buy a CD that has one good song and 12 crappy ones. And, sure, CD prices have shot up almost as insanely as gas prices.

Still.

In honor of their continued existence, independent retailers have created their own little holiday, called We’re Not Dead Yet Day. Except they’re actually calling it Record Store Day. (Frankly, I like my name better.)

The “holiday,” celebrated Saturday, was concocted last fall to help struggling record store sales. Lending a hand, groups like Metallica (whom downloaders love, by the way!), Billy Bragg and Panic at the Disco will perform at record stores across the country.

Not to be left out, San Luis Obispo’s Cheap Thrills and Boo Boo Records will be taking part. Both will be offering discounts. And Boo Boo will be offering live music throughout the day.

The Boo Boo lineup includes:

11:00AM The Green Apples
12:00 PM Guy Budd
1:00 PM Inga Swearingen
2:00 PM Fighting Chance
3:00 PM Sparrow’s Gate
4:00 PM Black Shirts
5:00 PM Hot & Cool Orchestra
6:00 PM the Threes & Nines
7:00 PM Port O’Brien

While you’re listening to those local acts, consider buying a CD at these places. Because while reports of the industry’s death may be exaggerated, it ain’t exactly looking healthy these days.

--Pat P.

Hey, John Fogerty -- can we talk?

Did anyone happen to see John Fogerty around town last week?

I’m not exactly sure what he was doing in San Luis Obispo, but he did stop in at Ernie Ball's Music Man to get a couple of guitars fixed.

Fogerty, of course, is the swamp rocker who headed Creedence Clearwater Revival in the 60s and early 70s and went on to have a fairly successful solo career.

When Fogerty appeared at the Mid-State Fair in Paso in 2004, I was excited about the possibility of interviewing him for a preview story. (I had seen him live a few years earlier and thought he was great.) But then, much to my chagrin, his people said Fogerty wasn’t doing interviews for this tour.

A couple of days later, after I read an interview with Fogerty in the LA Times, I contacted his people again, saying, “Hey, I thought you said he wasn’t doing interviews?”

Their response was something like, “He’s not – except for the LA Times.”

So I had to decide whether to be offended. And nearly four years later I’m still mulling it over.

It’s not like we don’t get turned down for interviews. But usually you can assume why.

Sean Lennon: Didn’t want to answer questions about his dad.
Jakob Dylan: Didn’t want to answer questions about his dad.
Willie Nelson: Didn’t want to answer questions about the IRS.
Aerosmith: Didn’t need us. (The show sold out immediately.)
Bob Dylan: Didn’t care.*

For every celeb that doesn't talk to us, we do have another big one -- Morgan Freeman, Toby Keith -- who does. Sometimes it's just hard to predict which ones will talk and which won't.

We'll probably pursue interviews with Crosby, Stills and Nash and Little Richard -- two acts coming to town soon. So stay tuned.

Meanwhile, if you see John Fogerty around town, could you tell him I'd still like to talk to him? I promise I won't even write anything for the paper.**



* And he’s just weird
** Though I'll probably write something in this blog, which may or may not wind up in the paper.


--Pat P.

Blues Maven/Ex-Porn Star Fights Cancer

Local blues fans might remember Candye Kane, the former adult film star-turned blues maven, who performed for the San Luis Obispo Blues Society (and was featured in Ticket) last March.

Just a year after her performance at the SLO Vet’s Hall, the bodacious blues singer is fighting for her life as she prepares for cancer surgery this week.

Not only does the surgery represent a personal battle, but it also illustrates an issue many working musicians face: Lacking an employer, Kane has no insurance to pay for her healthcare. Meanwhile, because she had to cancel tour dates to prepare for her surgery, she’s losing money needed to pay her bills.

Friends and fans have donated money to Kane, and Medi-Cal pays for some of her costs. But she still owes $8,000 – and that number is sure to go up.

Kane, known for her robust frame, has dramatically altered her diet to prepare for her battle against pancreatic cancer. And she remains positive.

“I will use the cancer experience as a way to make my memoir even more powerful and meaningful,” she wrote on her web site. “I will really be able to lay claim to the Toughest Girl Alive title now!”

-- Pat P.

We're sorry

Glancing at The Tribune's wonderful Web site, www.sanluisobispo, this morning, we had a startling realization.

We haven't posted anything on SLO Goings in a WEEK. A week!

Now, we have plenty of excuses for why we've been so lax. We've got stories to write. Articles to research. Kiddie pools to fill with rats and raspberry jello.

You know. Feature writer stuff.

Still, as time passes with no posts in sight, we have to face up to the facts. We are lazy, lazy bastards.

No more excuses. We're sorry. We'll try to do better.

-- Sarah L.

"Thirteen Reasons" to read local book

For one local writer, congratulations are in order.

"Thirteen Reasons Why," a young adult novel by Nipomo librarian Jay Asher, has spent a week on The New York Times' best-seller list.

The novel landed on the list at No. 10 on March 30, thanks to hot sales earlier that month. It debuted in October 2007.

Here's the blurb printed in the Times: "A girl’s last act before committing suicide is to send explanatory audiotapes to 13 people she holds responsible."

Recommended for ages 14 and up, "Thirteen Reasons Why" is available in local bookstores for $17. It's published by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group.

To learn more, check out the book's Web site and visit author Jay Asher's MySpace profile.

You can also scope out the blog Asher shares with fellow writers Robin Mellom and Eve Porinchak, The Disco Mermaids.

-- Sarah L.

Big eBay giveaway organized by SLO Firm

Want to meet "Desperate Housewives" bombshell Eva Longoria? Have dinner with Damon Wayans? Visit the set of "Scrubs"?

All those opportunities are currently up for grabs on online auctionhouse eBay, thanks to a San Luis Obispo firm.

Founded by Jenny Kompolt more than five years ago, Kompolt Online Auction Agency organizes big-ticket auctions for charities and celebrity sellers. This time they're working with Los Angeles "hairdresser to the stars" Ken Paves, to raise money for the EB Medical Research Foundation.

(EB stands for "Epidermolysis Bullosa," a group of diseases characterized by painful blisters and sores. Visit the research foundation's Web site, but be forewarned, these photos of EB's youngest sufferers are disturbing.)

To help the charity, Paves is offering everything from Juicy Couture gift certificates and t-shirts signed by Jessica Simpson to a stay at New York's super-luxe Soho House.

To win tickets to Celine Dion's "Taking Chances" tour -- and rub elbows with the Canadian songbird -- you'll have to plunk down more than $3,550. A meet-and-greet with "Scrubs" star Donald Faison will cost more than $2,800.

An autographed headshot of Christina Aguilera? A mere $105.

The "Big Give" auction ends Monday. For more information, check out Ken Paves' eBay store.

-- Sarah L.

Yes hits the road again

Arroyo Grande’s Jon Anderson is hitting the road with his old band again -- but don’t expect them to do another gig at the Fremont.

In a testament to the band’s continued popularity, prog rockers Yes will be performing in amphitheaters and arenas this summer. The 26-date tour, titled the “Close to the Edge and Back Tour,” begins in Quebec City July 12 and ends in Los Angeles Aug. 22.

When we interviewed Anderson a year ago this month, he said there were plans to get together with Yes for another tour. In between, he’s been busy with multiple projects, including several performances with kids from the Paul Green School of Rock in Pennsylvania. Here's a good story about that project, which had kids performing Yes songs in several cities.

Locals will remember that Yes actually played three sold-out shows at the Fremont in San Luis Obispo back in 1995. (Anderson has lived in the county for more than a decade.) The performances were recorded, leading to the live album “Keys to Ascension.”

Since the band formed in 1968, Yes has sold over 30 million albums. Some of their more well-known songs include “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “Roundabout,” and “I’ve Seen All Good People.”

The closest dates on this tour -- the band's first North American tour in five years -- will be in Mountain View (Aug. 19), Anaheim (Aug. 20) and Universal City (Aug. 22).

Meanwhile, VH1 Classic and Yes are looking for aspiring rockers to join the band on stage. Candidates will upload videos of themselves performing an original rock song or piece of music on Vh1classic.com. A panel of judges – including Anderson – will select three finalists. Then VH1 Classic readers will select the winner, who will perform “Give Love Each Day” on stage with Yes. More details on that contest are forthcoming.

--Pat P.


Tribune photo: Jayson Mellom

Music That Packs a Punch (Paul Thorn)

In Paul Thorn’s house hangs a photo of Thorn going head-to-head with legendary pugilist Roberto Duran. But while he has photos of him punching Duran available (including the one on the left here), he chose to hang one of Duran punching him.

Needless to say, Thorn, now a singer/songwriter, has a lot of respect for Duran.

His boxing career long gone, Thorn now concentrates on making music and art.

Here’s more of my interview with Thorn, which didn’t make it in today’s Ticket story:


A lot of your music has been covered – Toby Keith, Billy Ray Cyrus and Sawyer Brown.

Yeah, mostly in the country world because I live close to Nashville and I go to Nashville a lot. I don’t set out to be a songwriter for anybody. But my CDs are circulated pretty good in Nashville, and they’re not in some of the other areas of the country. So a lot of these country artists who are looking for songs have just gotten my CDs by chance and have just recorded the songs. I’m not even a country artist, but the way my songs are constructed, they’re like country songs in that they tell stories.

Which artists gets you the most royalty checks?

The ones you like the least. I ain’t calling no names. But it seems like the more mediocre somebody is the more records they sell.

But you’ll take it.

Absolutely. It’s sort of an easy thing, you know. When somebody records your song, all you do is go out to the mailbox and get a check. That’s always fun.

You also do art.

It’s a hobby. When I get old and tired and can’t leave the house, that’s probably what I’ll do – I’ll just continue to do my art.

Boxing and music feature pretty prominently.

Boxing – that’s the thing I’m most glad I did. One thing it taught me is you can’t accomplish anything unless you throw yourself into the fray. When you throw yourself into the fray, it comes with a certain amount of fear. A lot of times fear is what keeps people from trying to do something. And even though I didn’t become a world champion as a boxer, I really left it with something that’s helped me and that’s my willingness to walk forward in the face of fear.

I love on your web site how you have the photos of you and (Roberto) Duran, and before the fight you guys are all chummy with your arms around each other.

Well, that was sincere. He plays the bad guy and everything. But when I was lying in the emergency room, getting stitched up, after he got stitched up, the first thing he did was come into my room and complimented me on my effort and gave me a pat on the back. He was a nice fellow. We were chumming it up. Before the fight, at the weigh-in, I walked up to him and said, ‘Man, I’m a huge fan – you’re my hero. It’s an honor to get to fight you. Can we get a picture together?’ And he was totally cool.

But what he got and what he accomplished was not free. He grew up on the streets. He had to go out and hustle to get a meal every day. He came up hard. And that’s the reason why he became as tough as he did. Me, I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons. I started crying if the cable went out. It was only right that he kicked my ass.

Do you have a scar to brag about?

I’ve got plenty of them.

On the new album the song “I’m Still Here” is about a guy getting hit by a car. Is that something that happened – did you see somebody get hit by a car?

That first verse is fiction – I made that story up. It’s just to express how lucky we all are to be alive because people are dropping like flies left and right. The second verse, where it talks about when I was 12 years old and failed the sixth grade, that’s all true. That all went down exactly like that. But I’m still here, and everything is good. And the days are brighter every day.

And the song “What have You Done to Lift Somebody Up.” What were you thinking there?

If you turn on your television, nine out of ten shows are all based on making fun of other people. The show “American Idol” for example. I don’t begrudge anybody having success and winning something. But what I don’t like about that show . . . the most watched part of that show is when the people come on that can’t sing and the panel ridicule and make fun of them. That seems to be the most popular part of the show. And subliminally that’s hypnotizing the young culture that’s coming up to think it’s okay to just belittle people.

Were you really discovered at a pizza joint?

Yes, I was. I was working in the factory, I was a boxer, plus I was singing in a little pizza restaurant. I was playing original songs I’d written, and the right person came and heard it. I was sending out demo tapes to Los Angeles and Nashville, hoping somebody would hear it. And what happened was somebody heard my CD that was in the music business – it was Sting’s manager, Miles Copeland – and came down to Tupelo to hear me.

-- Pat P.

Photo: www.paulthorn.com

The Other Tribune Foils Rival in Major League Smackdown

Okay, so we’re not affiliated in any way with the Chicago Tribune (which, you may have heard, is a slightly bigger paper). But I’ve got to give a big pat on the back to the Windy City’s biggest daily for a major dupe on its rival, the Chicago Sun-Times.

The poor Sun-Times has always lived in the shadow of the Tribune, though in some ways they’re a scrappier paper (and they have Roger Ebert.) But the folks at the Sun-Times have to be red-faced this week.

A few weeks ago, the Sun-Times launched an anti-Tribune contest for who could create the best video about Sam Zell, owner of the Tribune, who has threatened to sell naming rights to the beloved Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs. (When Zell bought the Tribune Co., the Cubs and Wrigley were included in the deal.) For a while, the Sun-Times has rightly ripped Zell for wanting to rename the storied park for monetary gain, battering the Tribune in the process.

After the contest was announced, a group of Tribune employees got together and made a video – altering the words to Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” -- then sent it into their rival.

And guess who won?

The undermining group was headed by a 22-year-old Trib intern, named Katie Hamilton, who was interviewed by the Sun-Times after her victory. Ironically, the win had the Sun-Times awarding Tribune employees $1,000, which they’ve pledged to give to charity.

When it was revealed that Trib employees had foiled the Sun-Times gag, the Sun-Times featured a headline proclaiming: “The Tribune Has a Sense of Humor. Who Knew?”

But, really. After that smackdown, Sun-Times employees need to crawl into a giant hole and stay there at least until next Groundhog Day. Because yet again, the Sun-Times comes up #2.

Is it safe?

"It takes a brave man to admit he's a coward," someone once said.

Okay, so maybe I just made that up. But someone could have said it. After all, there’s plenty of things to fear out there – alligators in the sewers, falling satellites, the clown from "It." And most of all, dentists.

It seems like every time I go for a cleaning, I spend the entire time clutching the arms of the chair, thinking about that scene from “Marathon Man” where Lawrence Oliver digs into Dustin Hoffman’s teeth, saying, “Is it safe?” over and over. (By the way, I think dentists are a little sensitive about that movie, so I recommend you don’t bring it up – especially if he or she happens to have a drill.)

At least things have gotten a little better for me. At one time my fear was so bad, I didn’t see a dentist for like – well . . .

Remember the first George Bush?

Thousand points of light?

And the thing is, I had this really bad tooth. I won’t get into detail, but have you ever seen chalk crumble?

Yeah. I know.

But I figured, you know, one really only needs about five competent teeth to get along in life: two for talking, two more for chewing, and one to bite off bottle caps.

Making things worse for me, fear of major dental work was eventually complimented by fear of potential embarrassment. I kept picturing what the dentist would say when he or she saw my monstrous tooth.

(dramatization):

Dentist: (looking at tooth) GOOD LORD, SON!!! What have you done?!

Me: (nervously, feeling like a mutant, wanting badly to hide in a closet) Is there something wrong?

Dentist: Nurse, you've got to see this -- and bring the camera. Heck, while you're at it, call the media!

Fortunately, I did manage to make it to the dentist eventually. But my procrastination cost me that tooth, which is probably somewhere in the Cold Canyon landfill today.

Fortunately, it wasn’t the bottle cap tooth.


--Pat P.

Not just whistling Dixie (Whistling songs that rock)

This morning, I was sitting at my desk, whistling a Dramarama song no one’s ever heard of, when a co-worker said, “Pat, were you just whistling?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah. It just sounded like an old man whistle.”

I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, the comment conjured images of me sitting on a porch whittling a stick while whistling some old Bing Crosby tune. On the other hand, those old guys could whistle pretty well, and I’ve always prided myself on being a superior whistler.

In fact, if there was ever a need for session whistlers in LA, I’d be all over it.

But there’s not. Which is too bad because whistling – in this humble whistler’s opinion – can really add charm to a song.

Do you feel a list coming on?

Here are my top ten songs with whistling in them. Let me know if I forgot any.

10.) Patience, Guns N’ Roses. Okay, I think Axl Rose is a slimy little grease ball. But this isn’t a bad tune. And, for that matter, neither is “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Or “November Rain.” Oh no. Does this mean I like G-N-R? Please say no. Rose won’t win awards for whistling, but he starts the song out with it.

9.) Always Look On the Bright Side of Life, Monty Python cast. I need to try this one on my ukulele. From the ending of Monty Python’s “The Life of Brian,” the whistling just adds to the absurdity of the scene.

8.) Walk Like an Egyptian, The Bangles. I wonder if this was a hit in Egypt. Or were the Egyptians like, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

7.) Games Without Frontiers, Peter Gabriel. You know, Peter Gabriel leaving Genesis was a good move for both Genesis and Peter Gabriel.

6.) What a Day for a Daydream, The Lovin’ Spoonful. Some “American Idol” contestant sang this – WITHOUT THE WHISTLING! Tell me that’s not a major offense.

5.) Don't Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin. A lot of people knock this song as being overly saccharine. But, come on – give the man his due. And just try to tell me you don’t whistle when you hear this.

4.) Centerfold, J. Geils Band. About a guy who discovers his sweetie has shared herself with the world. Not the greatest whistling, but it adds a nice touch to the end of the song.

3.) Two of Us, the Beatles. I’ll combine this with John Lennon’s Jealous Guy. Simply put, Beatles RULE! They could even whistle better than the rest of us.

2.) The Stranger, Billy Joel. This one gets extra kudos for both starting and ending the song with whistling. Joel’s actually a pretty good whistler.

1.) (Sittin’ on the )Dock of a Bay, Otis Redding. Don’t tell me you didn’t see this coming. This is hands-down the all-time greatest whistling song.


-Pat P.

Miss movies? Move on

The 14th annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is over.

Peter Fonda strode off stage Saturday night. The final credits of the final film flickered on Sunday afternoon. Executive director Wendy Eidson packed up the festival office earlier this week.

Only 363 days until the next film festival? What's a movielover to do?

For those who crave thoughtful cinema, there's HopeDance FiLMs, an ongoing, enlightening series of movies and events.

The journey starts tonight with "The Real Dirt on Farmer John," a look at farmer/actor/activist John Peterson.

That film will be screened at 7 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo City Library, 995 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo. A $5 donation is encouraged.

On Thursday, HopeDance FiLMs will screen "Sicko," Michael Moore's controversial documentary about the American health care system, as a fundraiser for Health Care for All.

Learn more at a question-and-answer series featuring representatives of Health Care for All. That free screening is 7 p.m. Thursday at the library; donations are encouraged.

Also playing this month:


"Subdivided: Isolation in Suburbia"
7 p.m., March 24
SLO Library

Filmmaker Dean Terry examines how suburban sprawl is changing the face of American neighborhoods, featuring commentary from "Bowling Alone" author Robert Putnam and James Howard Kunstler, who wrote "The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape." A discussion will follow the screening, for which a $5donation is suggested.


"Bill Hicks"
7 p.m. March 25
Honeymoon Cafe, 999 Price St., Pismo Beach

Celebrate the legacy of comedian Bill Hicks, who mixed outrageous humor with a passion for social justice. This documentary interviews his parents, David Letterman and other cohorts, while offering footage of Hicks' stand-up routines. A $10 donation includes finger foods, which will be served at 6:30 p.m.


"One Giant Leap"
7 p.m. March 26
2975 Vineyard Dr., Templeton

It's a new kind of music documentary. Learn about global music with Baaba Maal, Brian Eno and Michael Stipes, chat about philosophy with Anita Roddick and Tom Robbins, dance, listen and expand your mind. A donation of $5 is suggested.


The Reflecting Pool
6:30 p.m. March 27
Palm Theatre, 817 Palm St., San Luis Obispo

This new "investigative drama" challenges the official version of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Meet the film's producers, director and some of the stars at this special screening, which requires a $10 donation.

The film will be screened again at 7 p.m., March 31, at the library. A $5 donation is requested for that screening.

For more information on the above films, visit the HopeDance Web site.

-- Sarah L.

Brolin's coming but Madsen's a no show at SLO film fest

This just in:

Michael Madsen can't make it to the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival this weekend.

Due to "personal issues," the actor best known for his roles in "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill" will have to skip his scheduled appearances on Saturday and Sunday, Executive Director Wendy Eidson announced this morning.

However, organizers will screen two of Madsen's films: the boxing drama "Strength and Honor" (noon, Saturday, Downtown Centre Cinemas) and "Through Your Eyes," a documentary about deaf-blind triplets (4 p.m., Sunday, Palm Theatre).

"No Country for Old Men" star Josh Brolin is still scheduled to appear this afternoon at a screening of his short film "X."

The movie, Brolin's directorial debut, co-stars his daughter, Eden Brolin, and features music by his son, Trevor.

Vincent Riverside stars as a guilt-ridden, escaped inmate searching for his murdered wife's body.

Meet Brolin and get insights from SLO County's former native son this afternoon at 4 p.m. at Downtown Centre Cinemas, 888 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo.

-- Sarah L.

Surf films and hypnotists: Surf Night II

While tonight’s screening of Bud Browne's “Surfing in the 50s” will channel a bygone era, it won’t be exactly like it was in the 50s.

After all, the original surf movies had no sound. Film makers like Browne would start the projector and narrate live as the film reel rolled. But that could get chaotic.

“When he was on his own doing it, he’d be taking care of the projector, taking care of the microphone, running up to the stage, and then he’d notice the film would be going off, and he’d run back to the projector,” said Peter Cole, a big wave pioneer and one of Browne’s frequent subjects.

When things would go wrong, Cole said, the crowds would get unruly. So eventually, he suggested Browne use pre-recorded soundtracks, which he helped narrate.

“Once we put the soundtrack on, and the narration was on the film, Bruce Brown or Bud Browne or (John) Severson or Greg Noll – whoever was doing it – didn’t have to go to the front of the stage to narrate,” he said. “The narration could be edited just like the film. So everyone went to soundtracks, and it just changed the mood because when guys were on their own, things could go wrong, and the crowds would get impatient.”

In today’s Tribune we previewed tonight’s Surf Night event, which is part of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. Here’s a second blog entry about it, with words from Cole, film maker Jack McCoy and Browne:

Peter Cole
A former teacher like Browne, Cole was an All-American swimmer at Stanford. His swimming skills helped him charge huge waves in Hawaii.

• On the screening of one Browne movie in 1964: “(John) Weiser got talked into having this hypnotist . . . and the surf film was not coming on, and this hypnotist was on the stage, going on, and the audience started stamping their feet and everything else. And I ran up to the stage and wondered, ‘Where the hell is Weiser?’ And Weiser was hypnotized. So I grabbed the hypnotist and took him off the stage, and his wife was yelling that you can’t break a trance, and I said, ‘The hell you can’t. . .’ The film went up, but it was a near riot.”

• At 76, Cole still surfs 10- to 12-foot waves, though a recent neck surgery slowed him. “I stopped surfing Waimea when I was 65, which was in 1995. And I surfed up until 75, and then all this health stuff started taking over. . . I’ll be going back out, but I always surf Sunset (Beach), because that’s my favorite spot.”

• His advice for withstanding a bad wipeout: “Get a good breath of air and just stay relaxed. If you’re relaxed, you can stay under water a long time. If you get all tight and nervous and excited about it, your ability to control your breath is very limited.”

• Still a traditionalist, Cole refuses to use a leash. “If I have to use a leash, I’ll quit surfing.”

Jack McCoy
Now nearing 60, the film maker is known for movies like “Storm Riders,” “Bunyip Dreaming” and “Free as a Dog.”

• Unlike many surf film makers, McCoy procures the rights to music by established acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Foo Fighters, INXS and the Doors. “Music is the emotion to your film, so I like to try to get the music right.”

• Which band works best with surf music? “I use as many as 20 or 30 songs per film so it’s hard to pick just one and say, ‘This is what I like.’ I try to make it a bit of a rollercoaster ride, where you don’t really know what music is coming up next.”

• The scariest thing he’s had happen while filming in the water? “Man, there’s a lot of them. There are times when you’re down there at the bottom, and you don’t know if you’re going to come up and you start feeling very dreamy and relaxed and thinking, ‘Maybe this drowning thing isn’t so bad.’”

• What makes for a good surf flick: “I just think it has to be entertaining and have a story line. Give them something they can appreciate other than just watching wave after wave of surfing action.”


Bud Browne
Due to his poor health, we could not interview Browne for our story. But we did send questions to Anna Moore, daughter of the late surfer Buzzy Trent, who is a lifelong friend of Browne’s. She collected the following answers from Browne and sent them to us:

What are the key ingredients to a great surf movie?
Big waves, great conditions, and great surfers. Humor always adds to the whole effect as well. Of course filming something that no one else has done is what I’ve always tried to do. This is very hard to do now because many of the well known spots are really crowded.

Was there a sense of competition with Bruce Brown, Greg Noll, and the other film makers who followed you?
They wouldn’t have created good films if there wasn’t a sense of some competition. Naturally I didn’t like competing with other film makers that began to follow. At one time Buzzy Trent asked me the same kind of question in another interview and I said I wish everyone else would quit and leave me alone. Naturally everyone was competing for the best shot of the best surfers. I did the best I could and that may have been competitive.

When you look at your films today, what do you think about most?
I always wonder if I could have done better filming a particular shot from a different angle.

-- Pat P.


Photo (of Jose Angel and Peter Cole): Courtesy of Bud Browne