Go, Junior! Go, Senior!

Last night the Roxy was pummeled by the party power of Junior Senior! The Danish duo got the booty's sh-sh-shaking by starting the set with Go, Junior! Go, Senior! and then plowed through the majority of their first album, only leaving out Boy Meets Girl. During the show I couldn't comprehend why Jesper "Junior" Mortensen chopped off his hair. I just wanted to go up and slap him and say "Wh-wh-what were you th-th-thinking, b-b-baby?!" The encore was joined with tourmates and L.A's own Gravytrain. Like a happy family they belted the new tracks Take My Time and No No No No and sent it to epic, interstellar levels. By now I thought the party was over, but then like a bird turd to the dome, I was on my feet again! Last song: White Trash. Everyone on the floor: on the stage. I b-lined it to the stage and shook it up. Euphoria! Junior Senior shows are fail proof. They are track masters and lords of the party. Stage presence was uncanny. Whatever they were on, I want in! New album is currently in stores entitled Hey Hey Yo Yo My My.

The Next Best Pirate Movie: the Secret of Monkey Island

Pirate movies are a really hard genre to nail. Plenty of bad ones can be named: Ice Pirates, Muppet Treasure Island, and Cutthroat Island. However there are great ones like Sea Hawk, Princess Bride, the Goonies, and the one that saved the genre: Pirates of the Caribbean. There is no doubt in my mind that the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy were impressive. I mean taking an amusement park attraction and turning it into a blockbuster bonanza, extravaganza is quite a feat (we’ve all seen how well the Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy turned out). Many would agree with me when I say that each of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were not created equal, but however people want to cheer or jeer them, it’s still a worthy accomplishment in the pirate movie genre. Though there are talks about there being a fourth installment, POTC seemed to have pushed all the limits of the genre if not monopolized it. I say
“Nay!”
The Secret of Monkey Island is the strongest contender to oust POTC off its pirate movie throne. This story comes from Ron Gilbert’s 1990 Lucasarts classic graphic adventure video game. It is the first installment in a four-part adventure and follows a wannabe pirate named Guybrush Threepwood who comes to the mysterious island of Melee to claim his pirate fame. In the process he falls in love with the island’s Governor Marley (who saves his ass more than her's) and cross paths with an evil ghost pirate named Le Chuck who is also head over heels with the governor. The action soon shifts into uncovering the secret of Monkey Island. What is the secret? I dare not say, but there are vegetarian cannibals and a three headed monkey involved. Want to know more? I recommended you doing some treasure hunting yourself and find this graphic adventure gem! Get stuck in the drama and the action and you too will agree that this story needs to be made into a movie. You too will see how lethal it is to the POTC movies and franchise. You will also be flabbergasted at why this movie wasn’t made sooner. The plot is thick, the dangers are dangerous, the comedy is hilarious, and the love scenes are lovely.
There was a Monkey Island play directed by Chris Heady in 2005 that was performed at Hammond High School in Columbia, Maryland. Very well done and, as a fan of the series, I enjoyed it. Hopefully, Chris will someday direct a motion picture version of the game. I too have been working on a script for the Secret of Monkey Island and hope that I can create the movie. Bottom line is someone needs to make this movie idea into a reality. If it does, the studios are in for the long haul since there are four games out there meaning plenty of stories to be told. Anyone who agrees with me should try penning a Monkey Island masterpiece. Set sail and first one to the “X” wins!