Pants on the Outside: A Blog by Mike

Gonna be honest, I first read that last line as "Hope you enjoy peeing into my brain."

"What an odd request," I thought. Score one for terrible reading comprehension!

That aside, welcome to the wonderful world of Chud blogging! I totally understand your definition of perfectionism, so no worries there. Now let's get to some interesting movie write-ups.

Well, with Devin gone, there's a vacuum that needs to be filled. Now's your chance!

You just got to stick with it. I feel I should space some things out, but the CHUD blog backend writing thing apparently doesn't let you copy and paste into it.

Might be just me though.

There's a toolbar that has the buttons for inserting links and images and the like.

Nice one, Mike! There are quite a few excellent CHUD blogs and this one's gonna be right up there with them I'm sure.

That's a quote for the ages! (I relate.)

After that Dinner for Five with Stan Lee on it, I don't blame you for having him on your ideal dinner party list. Greg Dulli would definitely be on mine. We'd probably end up eating at the bar, hovering around women.

You're right. There's no two ways about it; no chick would be left un-hit-on.

Cheers! My pleasure, mate. You've got a lovely style and sense of humour. Looking forward to more!

Good stuff man, welcome aboard.

I figure if I have something written on Notepad or something when I don't have the Internet on, I could just copy and paste it later.

Evidently, not so much.

No probs, Mike! As long as it's not a slamming indictment of "Big" Kyle Lafferty's performance in Green and White last night (which was pretty great, by the way) I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

Glad to hear it

Well now we can't be friends! Good stuff, nonetheless. Pretty sure that happens to all of us with one big movie or another.

Helpful tip, fellows: It depends on your browser as far as I can tell. Doesn't work in Firefox, but it does for IE. Only reason I have it on my computer.

Not sure about others, though.

*holds the door open for Mike and ushers him inside*

Come on in, man. I'll get you a blanket.

I know how you feel. It may not be as high-profile a film, but the same thing happened to me with (500) Days of Summer. Everyone I talked to loved it except for me. I didn't hate it; just felt it was a trend-conscious, wannabe Annie Hall with delusions of grandeur. The overwhelming hype and praise seemed highly disproportionate.

With a little distance, the film's actually grown on me so you never know... you could well wind up loving Scott Pilgrim... (I never thought I'd U-Turn on Land of the Dead like I have in the last few years!)

One of my best mates HATED Pilgrim (calling it the quintessential "hipster" movie) and didn't care for Inglourious... at all either. This is a guy with very similar tastes in movies so it never fails to amaze me how these things can work out.

I'm one of the few people who prefer Hot Fuzz to Shaun of the Dead so I feel your pain.

It's not bad taste as long as you can justify it (in fact I wrote a blog on it recently).

HOT FUZZ hits me harder because of it's action movie bent, but SHAUN is still really good.

People calling SCOTT PILGRIM hipster make me think they either don't know what the word means, or that it has to do with music by people that they've never heard of.

It is hugely disheartening when an honest, legitimately fresh film is lumped in with with stuff it really has nothing to do with. Though, obviously, if it's just not to your taste, that's fair enough.

I think it really boils down to this: some people who don't know the books but know what's happening cinematically and are of a certain intelligence level look at it as too good to be true. They see so many elements that they love (rock 'n' roll, comic book fighting, video games, hot chicks/strong, witty relationship storytelling) and think "nah, this is too good to be true." They see it like it's the result of the ultimate focus group (a bit like some people's reactions to the Sucker Punch trailer.) Then, rather hastily, they dismiss it as a cynical ploy to hit all the boxes, missing all the warmth and touches that let you know it's the real deal.

The best example of this stuff probably comes from the books when Scott tries to talk Envy back into playing Bomberman multiplayer with Stephen and all because it's not as much fun with only 3 players. That's absolutely right and a great little observation that fits the story. Had these people experienced it themselves in real life, maybe the penny would've dropped with them about this property.

The film's filled with little moments like that, just waiting for people to identify with them. "Launchpad McQuack" being another fine example. If you've been in bands, chances are you'll remember multiple names for songs and have your own short-hand, just like Sex Bob-Omb. If the movie/books were vacuous "hipster" fodder, none of that would be in there. It'd just be cool stuff for its own sake.

Some people just refuse to notice, though. S'easier to just slag it off.

I wish I had a girl to play Bomberman with.

Not that one with the Yoshi-esque mounts though. That was kinda bullshit.

Do they? I've never been in a band. I like Launchpad McQuack though.

Unfortunately it seems like so many people failed to notice that the flick didn't do that well. I think it'll be "discovered" on video though.

I've only had the pleasure once (and it was part of a four-way deathmatch) but it was brilliant all the same. The girl in question was no pushover either.

Completely! Being in a band, at its best, is like being in a great relationship, be that with a friend or otherwise. In my first proper band we used to have lyric sheets wrote out for all the songs and at the top of some pages were scribbles showing the evolution of the song's title. Our alternate titles were more descriptive than Sex Bob-Omb's, because they were usually placeholders until a "proper" name could be decided upon. "Tool Style Song" to "Trying to be The Misfits Song", stuff like that; we had our fair share of short-hand.

Years after the band finished, I can still remember some of those, but not the "actual" names they ended up with. That's why I appreciated the whole Launchpad McQuack thing so much. "That's not the actual title of the song" just seems like a throwaway joke line, but, for the initiated, it's a lovely little wink.

I think like some of the book's fans I maybe thought it was higher-profile than it was. Given the pedigree and budget involved, that was understandable, but really - what does Joe Soap care about a film like this? He should, but he doesn't. Or not enough.

Bass and guitar. Started on the former and it's still my main thing, but I progressed onto the latter quite quickly afterward. What about yourself?

Look at it this way, you guys had a 100% record. It's like taking one shot in a match and scoring an absolute peach! What were you called?

Don't mention it. One good word about Alison Pill gets a man a lot of goodwill in my book.

Ah, cool! When I first started playing, I considered guys like Matt Freeman and Hunter Burgan the benchmark. I loved how fluid and busy their basslines were without just seeming like self-gratification. They always fitted the song.

That style doesn't really have much bearing on the sort of stuff I try to do now, but there's a lot to be said for starting out on similarly punky stuff. It showed me right off the bat what could be done and encouraged me to go for it right away, rather than just settle into the "root note rut" a lot of bassists (especially some punk/alternative ones) fall into.

Oh, it's absolutely perfect. Unusually restrained for Hunter - especially at that time - but beautifully put together, as well as insanely memorable and fun to play. The All Hallow's E.P. is crackin' from start to finish; dug it out not too long ago and kinda forgot how good it is, to be honest. I always loved their busier take on Halloween. Those frantic bass hammer-on's leading towards the chorus...

hahaha

Seeing as we bassists are usually so hard done by and all, I think we're entitled to our own hang-out thread. By the way, I think we should make it "Mike hearts Bobby (and Bobby hearts Mike)", if it comes to renaming the thread.

Totally the same here! Mark Hoppus' style was what really got me hooked on bass. That probably sounds incredible to more "muso" type players since his basslines aren't the kind of ones you'd play in a music shop to turn heads, but I just found the speed of his playing so punchy. The way he treated bass like rhythm guitar since Blink didn't have one really clicked with me. It was exactly what I wanted to play in bands when I first started.

What's the difference between bass and guitar in a rock band? Because if Rock Band is any indication, bass is just easier guitar.

I think we can officially lose the "turning into" part, Mike. This thread is now, officially, The Bobby Hearts Mike Thread.

A live-action version of Transformers: The Movie is the stuff my very own kiddie self dreamed of. And, now, current self.

Josh Brolin IS Ironhide!

I'm pretty sure I can make it through the entire thing quoting most, if not all, lines verbatim, such is the volume of viewings I racked up after school.

Fantastic blog, mate. Please, never apologize for expressing love for this film and/or its awesome soundtrack. Just join me in feeling sorry for those who can't.

That's the classic guitarist cliche. They often bust bassists' balls for "not being able to handle six strings", despite the fact that they're two entirely different instruments. Difficulty isn't dictated by the amount of strings. The bass, along with the drums, is your bedrock. It's the bread without which there is no sandwich. You can have the fanciest guitar noodling you like, but, if there isn't a great bass-line backing it up, it's not got the same weight or balls. You need bass to help build the thing. Be it a simple root note kinda line (like the chorus to "Message in a Bottle") or something more melodic and snazzy ("Taxman"), the purpose remains the same: bass is what gets feet movin' and hips swayin.'

Thanks again, buddy! It's an absolute pleasure. I still take flack from some friends every now and again for my views on this film so it's fair to say it felt like this blog was written specifically for me.

Some would say I invite this flack being the kind of guy who owns two Hot Rod figures (one a transformable Generation One version and the other a more recent Rodimus-friendly non-transformable version with Matrix of Leadership and changeable saw-arm!) I would say "one can never have too many Hot Rod figures." Judd Nelson was boss.

To help allay that concern, please accept this ultra-blurry webcam photo evidence:

Generation One H.R. in car-form...



... and in his natural form, apparently being beset by my hand and a giant coffee mug.



Now, I'm starting to think you're not real!

I'm thinking Hilary from JJ72 and Kelly Southern from Johnny Foreigner.

Hell yes! in total agreement here.

Have you tried the Directors lounge cinemas that showcase do? Beacause it's more expensive for the ticket you tend to get less idiots at the screenings.

Also you get leather seats and waitress service.

What makes the Directors lounge cool is that it's more than just fancy seating.
In fact I did a blog on it (cheap plug) http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2555/...ew-Cinema.html

Two things almost as cool as the fact that said version of Hot Rod has a changeable saw-arm:

1. I purchased it in Forbidden Plant, Belfast, with my then-girlfriend... who didn't immediately end the relationship when I made my way to the till.
2. The fella who served me looked a bit like Sabretooth (90's cartoon, as opposed to Liev Schreiber/Tyler Mane.) And he said "Rodimus... nice" (or words to that effect) when I handed it over.

And here. Another blog that's well-written, funny, and insightful. You're three-for-three like Edgar Wright, baby!

How in the name of The Matrix did I miss this blog? Thanks for the dedication at the top there, and yes you are totally right. There is no real plot to the 1986 movie after the attack on Autobot city but man is it a glorious mess. And Spock should have stayed the voice of Galvatron.