You know how the tide can go way out and expose the sea floor with all it’s craggy alien-planet-like surfaces? That’s pretty much how I used to feel about my hairline. Don’t worry, I didn’t get plugs, rugs or drugs (Finasteride). I just got a gargantuan Grey-haired dose of perspective via the documentary Young @ Heart (opening April 9th).

The documentary follows The Young @ Heart Chorus of Northampton, MA as they prep for a show over 7 weeks. The average age of the chorus is near eighty. They are incredible, simply put. They perform modern rock songs with full commitment and I don’t mean that in a condescending “Hey look! Grammy can eat a grape!” kind of way. They really go for it and it is hilarious and moving and impressive.

A while back, Johnny Cash covered Trent Reznor’s song, Hurt. It’s a pretty heavy song to begin with, but hearing it from Cash’s aged vocal chords gives it such weight that it’s hard to keep from crying* when you hear it. There were several moments like that in this documentary. Songs like Coldplay’s Fix You performed by Fred Knittle, while he’s hooked to an oxygen supply pump, are excruciating in the context of all the health issues and bodies literally breaking down. These people are like soldiers at war. They are constantly losing their friends and peers. There’s an urgency and purpose to their involvement in the chorus. I wonder what that’s like.

The group is led by Chorus Director, Bob Cilman. If I find out that he hasn’t been in the local heroes feature of the Daily Hampshire Gazette every year since starting the chorus in 1982, I will be pissed! Seriously. He has given so many seniors so much in that time. Yes, I know they have probably given him more than he has given them. They are Grandparents. It’s their job. No matter what you do for them, there’s no escaping the card with a check for $4.73 ($5, less postage).

We had a special treat at the screening! Director, Stephen Walker , Bob Cilman, chorus members, Dora Morrow, Stan Goldman and Steve Martin (no, not that Steve) showed up for a lovely Q & A!

I can’t think of a film that more epitomized “I laughed, I cried” than Young @ Heart. Stephen Walker should be proud. He made my favorite documentary! Go see this! Buy the DVD, give it as a gift to people. It’s good for your soul. I did not hate it!!

*A manly, deep, emotional sighing that in no way resembles a little girl’s crying sound. At all.

Happy St. Paddys Day!  I’ve been able to celebrate my favorite thing out of Ireland, U2, by witnessing U23D and tribute band, Hollywood U2!  Two intimate looks at one of the best bands ever. One, a super high tech film that gets you where you’ve always dreamed of being: on stage with U2 (virtually). The other, a tribute band that gets you as close to seeing U2 play a small club as you’ll ever get.

I should give you my U2 pedigree/time line for perspective:

Not too aware of them.
Loved Joshua Tree.
Loved Rattle and Hum.
Pretty into Achtung Baby.
What the hockey sticks are they doing w/ ZOO TV??
Never seen them live. All my friends rave about it. Lemons, tiny cars, tickets I’ll never afford ever in my life.
Pop what? U2 has a new album out? Holy crap! Why are they dressed like the Village People!?!
Then a season of appreciating the early stuff and even the true loveliness that was wrapped in all the glitter of ZOO TV and Pop.
So into All That You Can’t Leave Behind!
Still haven’t seen them live. All my friends rave about it. No hoopla. Band comes out and rocks it.
So into How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
Must see them! See them in Denver! And again in LA!

Now I just love everything U2. If they had a breakfast cereal I’d try to convince Jade that it was good for our kids and it somehow provided debt relief to impoverished African nations.

Me: “Come on, Honey! Bono O’s are a balanced part of a nutritious breakfast! They’re good for the kids. Plus, for every 10 boxtops you save, a kid in Rwanda gets life-saving antiretroviral treatment for his HIV! It’s win-win!”

Jade: “I think you just want it for the U2Tatoo inside.”

Me: “OK, it’s win-win-win.”

Jade: “Fine.”

Me: “Sweet! Can we get the Adam Clayton Clusters too?”

Jade: “Don’t push it, fanboy.”

All I can say about U23D is this: GO SEE IT!  There’s a BIG 3D tide coming in with lots of great filmmakers on board. This is a new level of displaying images. It’s digital, sharp, deep, damn, go see it. I was so close to the band, I saw (and named) a mole on The Edge’s neck. I named it “Pint” as in “Let’s go for a pint after the show.” What did you other fans name The Edge’s mole?  I’ve got to thank Andy White for getting Matt Knoles and I to see it on it’s last screening here in Santa Barbara.  I’m stoked the Arlington has a digital projector now!!  I should apologize to the guys for my constant “No Way!” and “What??” the whole time.  It was just so impressive.  I did not hate it!

So now that I’ve seen U2 live from far away (Denver, LA) and so close (U23D), you’d think a tribute band wouldn’t stand a chance with me. They wouldn’t get enough of it right.  Right?  Wrong.  Hollywood U2, just like Martha Holt told me, is great!  Scott Anderson picked me up and we got to the show a little late.  They sounded great from the lot.  We got inside and just started laughing.  Not because they were bad, but because they were SO good!  They had the music down, and then we see Hollywood Bono doing his thing.  Or, rather, Bono’s thing.  And doing it spot on!  Not only was he singing it perfectly, he had the looks and mannerisms to boot!  It was like all these fans were driving in their cars singing along to U2 and these guys just gathered us up, put us in a big room (with tons of booze) and played it live for us.  I would say that most the people there had seen U2 live and it was so fun to just relive the experience a little.  Check their website and go see them if you get the chance.  I did not hate it!

PS – Greg Lawler shot the photo of me in the poster!

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Let me tell a little story ’bout a man named Jed.
Who’s ambition left a trail of the cheated and the dead.
He dug down deep for the bubblin’ crude
and took a bowling pin to the head of one dude!
Oil. Black Gold. Texas Tea. Asperger’s syndrome.
I know it sounds like it would be a horror film or something, but it’s not.
There Will Be Blood, is a film based on Upton Sinclair’s novel, “Oil”. This adaptation to film (Dec 26th) by Paul Thomas Anderson tells the tale of Daniel Plainview, played masterfully by Daniel Day-Lewis, a turn of the century Oil Man seeking his riches drilling for oil. He’s a man possessed with ambition who crosses a demon-caster-outer of equal ambition in young preacher, Eli Sunday, played in like masterfulness by Paul Dano. You may remember Dano from his role in Little Miss Sunshine. He played the non-verbal big brother. Here, however, he finds his voice in big tent revival kinda way! Oh man! Both these guys were so intense I thought either would snap at any moment. I must give the award for snap-at-any-momentness to Daniel Day-Lewis. An award he must have won tons of times. The guy is simply consumed by his roles to the point of drooling (him not me)! As Plainview, he was so intense I wanted to warn those around him of their danger. I almost yelled “Run! Run, lady buying fruit! He’ll kill you!” at one point. (spoiler alert) He didn’t kill the lady buying fruit. OK, there was no lady buying fruit. The point is that Daniel Day-Lewis is in a league almost alone when it comes to this acting thing. He must make those around him cower in fear or become better actors. I think I would pee my pants if in a scene with him. “Wardrobe!”

I brought Jeff Hatfield to this screening. He pointed out how the score, by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, was unstable and erratic at times. I replied that it reflected Daniel Plainview’s character which made me sound like a super cool film aficionado! The problem is that Jeff has known me since I was a 15 year old idiot and not much has changed. I need new friends without history!

In this powerful epic, Daniel Plainview has big goals. One is to get an oil pipeline out to San Luis Obispo, California to join Union Oil’s pipeline. This is where my story and this story intersect. My Grandad (and son’s namesake), William Watson Hay, Jr. was born in San Luis Obispo to William Watson Hay, my Great Grandad, who worked for Union Oil right when this story takes place! What!? Crazy! I’m glad my kin never crossed a man like Plainview, otherwise there may never have been a ChrisMundell.com or a ChrisMundell.me!

This film is original and powerful. It’s not your cookie cutter historical epic and that’s refreshing. I expect Oscar nods for Day-Lewis, the film and maybe even Dano. All well deserved. Heck, the “conversion” scene alone deserves it! Avoid the shopping madness this December 26th. Go to the movies.

I did not hate it!

Don’t judge me! Just because I’m a dude doesn’t mean that I only get to watch “Death Kill 6: Eviction Notice” or “The Punishmentator” or “Death Kill 7: Deathy Death Stab Death”. Sometimes, I can go for some upper level type of shenanigans. Like tonight, for instance. I joined fellow pot bellied philm phan, Jeff Hatfield, for a little Elizabeth The Golden Age!

To prepare for this film (Yes, there is such a thing as preparing for a film. I’m not some cretin.) Jeff and I rented Elizabeth, the “part 1 of 2″ and quite enjoyed it. Naturally, I feared that the sequel would turn out to be “Elizabeth 2: Electric Boogaloo” and as you all remember Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo was no “Breakin’.” Not by far! I mean, Ozone and Turbo were so neutered in Boogaloo. It wasn’t even about the streets anymore. Yes, they did rescue the community center, but where was the magic? Where was Turbo poppin’ with the push broom? Wait! How’d I get here? Where was I? Oh yes, upper level and fear. My fear was subdued! This film is pretty dang good! While it’s not quite as interesting as the original (few sequels are) it is a great companion to the original and stands pretty well as a film on it’s own. Even without Turbo poppin’ with a push broom.

The film is beautifully shot and directed by Shekhar Kapur. He made every shot like a painting. It was lovely to behold and it made me want an Armada of my very own to sail upon mine enemies. Then, all I would need are some enemies.

You know who’s freakin’ crazy talented? Geoffrey Rush. You know who else is feakin’ crazy talented? Cate Blanchett. You know who’s my favorite new British actor on the scene? Clive Owen (see Children of Men). You know what? All 3 of them are in this movie!! I’d watch these 3 fill out tax forms they’re so talented.

A couple times, when Cate spoke in a low voice, I recalled her other role as Queen of Lothlorien. Lady Galadriel! So, of course, I leaned over to Jeff and in my bestest impression whispered, “I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen, han mathon ne chae a han noston ned ‘wilith.”

I did not hate this movie!  But, I’m pretty sure Jeff hates me.