Chris Whitley may be the singer with the most CDs in my collection who most of my friends have never heard of. His music covered a wide range of styles, varying from album to album, but much of it was steeped in the blues, as he was an incredible guitar player. He often used alternate tunings on his guitar, creating a unique sound that is difficult to match.
Whitley was discovered by legendary producer Daniel Lanois, and a protege of Lanois produced Whitley’s first album, where you can hear Lanois’s influence. I bought Whitley’s Living With The Law (1991) on a cassette tape when I lived in Arizona, and I played the atmospheric songs every time I drove through the desolate painted desert in the northern part of the state. I especially love the opening title track and the second song, “Big Sky Country.”
“Dirt Floor” is the title song from a solo album Whitley recorded in one day in a Vermont log cabin. The sound of the album Dirt Floor (1998) and the sparse title song contrast greatly with the sound of Whitley’s first album, but “Dirt Floor” finds its power in a dark place that hides in the blues.
As you see above, Whitley is posing with a cigarette on the album cover of Dirt Floor. Seven years later, the title song “Dirt Floor” was posted on Whitley’s website when he died in 2005 from lung cancer at the young age of 45. Whitley, who was born on August 31 in 1960, left behind a daughter.
“There’s a dirt floor underneath here / To receive us when changes fail./ May this shovel loose your trouble, /Let them fall away.”
If you like the music, check out more of his work.
What do you think of Chris Whitley’s music? Leave a comment.
On July 27, 2003, the entertainment world lost a legend when Bob Hope passed away at the age of 100. Hope was born Leslie Townes Hope on May 29, 1903 in England, and his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio when he was four. From there, of course, he went on to become one of the legends of Hollywood.
Caddyshack was released more than three decades ago on July 25, 1980. Although the movie initially received a number of poor reviews, over time it has become a comedy classic. But there still may be some things about the movie that you don’t know.
Did you know . . .
– Caddyshack was the first movie directed by Harold Ramis, who would go on to direct other classics such as Groundhog Day.
– The idea for the movie came from Brian Doyle-Murray’s experiences working as a caddy in Illinois.
– Originally, the producers planned to get Don Rickles for the Rodney Dangerfield part as Al Czervik.
– At one point, a young Mickey Rourke was considered for the role of caddy Danny.
– Doug Kenney, who co-wrote Caddyshack with Doyle-Murray and Ramis, also co-wrote National Lampoon’s Animal House(1978) and co-founded National Lampoon Magazine in 1970. He also had a small role in Animal House, where he played Stork. Unfortunately, he was despondent over the early bad reviews for Caddyshack and never saw the movie achieve its cult status. Kenney died a little more than a month after Caddyshack was released. He died while in Hawaii, where he was trying to fight various demons. He either fell off a cliff or committed suicide.
– Many of the film’s segments were improvised by the various actors, including Bill Murray making up much of the role of Carl Spackler.
– The character of Al Czervik was initially a small role. But Rodney Dangerfield could not be stopped when he started his routines. Thus, he ended up with a much larger role than originally planned.
– If you want to read an excellent article about more of the story behind Caddyshack, check out this article from (where else?) Golf Digest.
Is Caddyshack one of the best comedies of all time or an overrated movie? Leave a comment.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) is a moving documentary that filmmaker Kurt Kuenne made after his friend Andrew Bagby was murdered. More than anything, the film is a tribute to his friend.
Dear Zachary explores how one person may touch many others and how one tragedy connects to loved ones. The film does address the solving of the crime. But the movie is not a prolonged mystery, although it does follow the quest for some sense of justice.
Much of the drama of the film, though, comes from attempts to return the alleged perpetrator to the United States from Canada. And then, there is a twist. Bagby’s friends and family learn that he left behind a son, who is the Zachary in the title.
The film then becomes an attempt to tell the son about the father he will never know. Much of the movie focuses on Bagby’s parents. It recounts how they have dealt with losing their only child. Their agony is genuine throughout the movie, as they face additional hurdles and heartbreak.
My one criticism of the movie is that it over-simplifies the legal issues involved in the attempts to extradite the alleged perpetrator. The movie makes an argument that Canada needs to reform its bail system. And it argues for an automatic rule that might not work in all cases.
While it is true that the system did not work in this case, the failures may have been more from the actors in the system than the system itself. It was fairly clear that the woman who killed Bagby was mentally ill. And the movie only briefly notes her psychiatrist’s misconduct that led to her release. Thus, the movie ignores part of the problem with the system. It also avoids the question of whether putting more potentially innocent people in jail is the solution.
Along these lines, the movie may attempt too much by tacking on a political statement that the filmmaker is not willing to fully explore. But it is an understandable oversight in light of the personal story.
The movie’s appearance and lighting reveal that the film is not an expensive Hollywood vehicle. But it is compelling and a good story.
Although the movie goes in some different directions, those directions are driven by the narrative of real events. The film is a very good documentary about the tragedies that befall when individuals die too soon. And it reminds us of the love that can live on after their deaths.
{Missed Movies is our continuing series on good films you might have missed because they did not receive the recognition they deserved when released.}
If you have already seen Dear Zachary, head over to the movie’s website for an update. If you have not yet seen the movie, wait until after you see it before checking out the update, which contains spoilers.
On July 21, 1861, the First Battle of Bull Run — or First Battle of Manassas — was fought in Virginia. It was the first major battle of the Civil War. A little less than a thousand men were killed on the battlefield, and a few thousand were injured or missing.
Impact of the Battle
The North was shocked that they effectively lost, and both sides suddenly realized that the upcoming war was going to be much longer and brutal than they had expected during their early rallies.
The war touched many families during the next four years. And the First Battle of Bull Run touched many too, including the families of Wilmer McLean and Sullivan Ballou.
Wilmer McLean
Wilmer McLean was touched by this start of the war as well as the end of the war. During this first battle of the Civil War, Confederate Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard set up his headquarters in the farmhouse owned by the 47-year-old McLean. During the battle, McLean’s house was hit by a shell.
After the battle, McLean decided to move his family farther from the war. So, he packed up his family and moved from northern Virginia to a small town in southern Virginia. His new home was in Appomattox Court House, Virginia.
But he could not escape the war. Just as his home was at the beginning of the war, so would it be at the end of the war. On April 9, 1965, General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee used McLean’s home in Appomattox Court House to sign the terms of the surrender of the Civil War. Although this time McLean’s house was not hit by shells of battle, much of his house was soon ransacked by souvenir hunters.
Sullivan Ballou’s Letter and Bull Run
The documentary series The Civil War (1990) by Ken Burns is an astounding piece of television. A moving segment from the series is the reading of a letter written by Sullivan Ballou to his wife before the First Battle of Bull Run.
It is difficult to believe that Ballou’s letter was written by a soldier and not by a poet or a famous writer. But in reality, Major Ballou was well educated and had worked as a lawyer and as an elocution teacher. He also had served as speaker in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
Below, is a video from Burns’s series that features Ballou’s letter. Actor Paul Roebling, who passed away in 1994, reads the letter accompanied by the music “Ashokan Farewell,” which was composed by Jay Ungar in 1982
I always get something in my eye somewhere around the time the letter gets to: “How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.”
Ken Burns has explained that it appears the Ballou letter was saved for future generations by friends of Ballous’ family. At some point, friends of the Ballou family began copying the letter by hand and passing it around in those pre-Internet days.
Sullivan Ballou’s original handwritten letter is lost to history, as the letter probably was buried with his wife. But it is fortunate that the words were not lost. His personal words help us to better understand the impact of the First Battle of Bull Run, the Civil War, and, by extension, all wars.
Bonus Version of Sullivan Ballou Letter: I imagine the organizers of this reading were very moved when they heard the letter read in the Ken Burns series and wanted to do a nice tribute. But in the future, high schools should note that the intimacy of the letter is lost with a guy yelling Ballou’s words while a college pep band plays during a half-time break at a basketball game.
(1990) by Ken Burns is an astounding piece of television. A moving segment from the series is the reading of a