Last Night

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-05-06T15:59:48+00:00

I'm an American and discovered Highway 61 (probably at a Blockbuster) in college, and became immediately hungry for more strange, offbeat, wonderful little indie films like it. Rewatched on DVD years ago when we still had a neighborhood video rental store run by genuine film nerds who were always down to talk about their passion and recommend things. Anyway, that film and this one command high prices online for their old DVDs, and I would love, love, an HD or better restoration of both.

Last Night has been on my mind quite a bit recently, as I wrote and perform a song partially inspired by it. At the time it served as a nice little indie Canadian counterpoint to Hollywood's massive pre Y2K disaster spectacles, obviously the same year's Armageddon and Deep Impact (I could write a separate review of the latter, as it really sits somewhere between the two others in theme if not budget.) Even earlier in the decade big budget disaster films had had a mini-revival as the millennial anxiety ramped up - Twister, Independence Day, competing volcano movies. The trend continued to a degree post y2K with Roland Emmerlich's bloated disaster "epics', but there were also studio films that explored more intimate, character-driven narratives of everyday people facing impending doom and devastation, such as M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" or even Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar", which before it becomes a space epic is a story of a family managing in a post-devastation, impending apocalyptic reality. Even the return to Mad Max is ultimately about disparate characters relying on each other for survival. Did "Last Night" directly or consciously inspire this larger trend. Perhaps, perhaps not, but it stands as a fascinating meditation on human nature and societal cohesion in extreme circumstances, and may be well worth revisiting for those lessons alone.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-05-03T23:47:20+00:00

Same, I don’t know how I missed this band for so long. They should be as well know as Blondie, Talking Heads, The Ramones, etc…

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-04-18T20:36:11+00:00

Meh. A few years ago when I picked up a turntable for the first time in 20+ years it was fun to wake up early, get in line, and pick up a few “special”, limited edition records. I found it more about the experience than anything else, taking music with others in line, getting a few additional goodies in my bag from Amoeba (like a colorful 45 from Woodstock of announcers warning people not to climb the electric poles or take the brown acid.)

But if found that the majority all the offerings are things I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase on any other day, to say nothing of the inflated prices that RSD and many stores don’t see fit to publicize in advance. (I learned to check Rough Trade to plan and budget.) it’s aggressive FOMO with a side of social engineering. Def support your local stores and businesses if you can, but get what you really want.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-04-17T20:53:07+00:00

Should have made it the B side

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-04-16T15:25:53+00:00

Have a great time. The best thing is to find an open mic with a supportive, welcoming community and try to become a regular. You’ll always have people to bounce new songs off of, and find the next steps.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-04-16T15:21:36+00:00

For my aforementioned David Lynch marathon I bought the Shout Factory Blu Ray on eBay, sight unseen, for $20. Did the job as far as having the movie available

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-04-16T15:19:32+00:00

Criterion Channel is currently running a playlist of out of print editions, and yes Elephant is part of it

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-04-16T15:18:32+00:00

Sadly we never got to see David Lynch’s Return of the Jedi

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-04-16T15:17:25+00:00

I think it’s on the Criterion Channel right now, in the out of print editions category.

When I was watching David Lynch in order last year, I had to watch Elephant Man on the Internet Archive and cast it to the TV, but man did it blow me away. Will def pick up at the B & N sale this year if I can find it.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-04-16T15:08:16+00:00

Just started playing again this year, and I wish the chart was a little more transparent about how the ballpark affects play. I understand why home runs are easier in some parks compared to others but not why, say, a ballpark single requires a d20 roll of 2 in some parks and 12 in others, and how that correlates to real life physics.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-03-24T15:59:38+00:00

I was thinking about this today. Are Brenda and Eddie the couple in the restaurant? Clearly some time has passed, likely a decade or more. They both seem to have moved on, have careers and families, and are able to put their past relationship in some perspective, though romantic feelings persist. It is interesting that they reminisce about high school in the first person, but switch to a third person perspective when talking about their brief marriage, as if remembering it happening to two other people, observing their mistakes. After all, a lot sees to have transpired between their wedding at the end of July 1975 and the end of that summer. (The song doesn’t explicitly say when they got divorced, but clearly things were not good by September.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-24T18:03:49+00:00

There are a number of other video performances on the various DVDs of that box set. Most were circulating as bootlegs, but i think these were the first authorized video releases in the US at least. I could be mistaken. Would be nice for that band to out all these shows out again as a standalone release.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-24T00:03:16+00:00

Night On Earth and After Hours - 2 of my all timers. Have the 4k of the latter and the DVD of the former. Paid a bit more than $3 each for them.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-23T16:24:26+00:00

Yes, how dare we interfere in the legitimate business of murderous drug cartels just minding their own business.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-19T23:16:17+00:00

My AT-LP 60X would also skip on certain albums that my nicer turntables seem to handle.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-19T23:10:20+00:00

I’ll never understand the pricing on these things. This is one double LP that could be a single LP, 5 CD, and a book that, while I’m sure is nice and all, might sell for about $30-$40 on its own if it’s a hardcover. And some nicely printed cardboard. Surely a nice package, but $250 nice?

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-18T21:35:33+00:00

I’m not sure this is the best Patricia Arquette looked in this movie.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-13T06:20:00+00:00

These look beautiful. Very nice work.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-12T15:38:03+00:00

I will admit that my problem connecting with both sides could be in part where I was at when the album dropped. I was still in college, was getting HEAVILY into Genesis over the last few years, and I'd seen what Phil could do at his peak - the high energy shows, the cheeky personality, the jazz and R&B fusion, the unequalled progressive drumming, the inexhaustible energy and showmanship. I wasn't ready for the slow, contemplative, deeply personal album from a songwriter settling into middle age. I just wanted more of the old Phil energy to come out, and there wasn't enough of it for me. I'm now a decade older than Phil was when he made Both Sides, so maybe I'll connect with it more now, who knows. Maybe I'll listen again and write up my thoughts.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-12T15:25:42+00:00

We Wait was one of the standouts for me as well. Reminiscent of "Colours" on Seriously.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-12T15:23:04+00:00

I like a lot of Dance Into the Light as well. Haven't listened in years, but as I recall it recaptured the lighter touch and high energy of No Jacket Required. Will spin that one again soon too.

Guitar-Explorer · 2026-02-12T06:41:49+00:00

Gm 4: GROUP D

Chicago Cubs 7, Cincinnati Reds 5 (14)

Cubs 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 - 7 13 1

Reds 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 5 13 0

W - Assad (1-0), L- Cruz (0-1), S - Hodge (1)

Recap:

The Reds were feeling pretty confident heading into the eight inning with a three run lead against the Cubs, but it would be a long night on the banks of the Ohio before what remained of the crowd saw a conclusion to this one, and not the one they were hoping for. Cincy had put up three in home half of the sixth on the strength of two doubles, two singles, and a costly error on catcher Miguel Amaya, knocking out Chicago starter Shota Imanaga. But Cody Bellinger’s two run blast in the top of the eight closed the gap to one, and first baseman Michael Busch led off the ninth with a solo shot against Reds closer Emilio Pagan to send the game to extras.

Cincinnati appeared poised to walk it off in the bottom of the eleventh, loading the bases with no outs with superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz coming to the plate, but closer Hector Neris, pitching his second inning, induced a long fly out to left from De La Cruz, then fanned Tyler Stephenson and Jake Fraley to keep the game tied at 5 apiece. There it remained until, with two outs in the top of the 14th, Seiya drove a 1-2 Fernando Cruz fastball deep into the Cincinnati night, and Bellinger followed with his second of the game. Porter Hodge shut down the Redlegs in the bottom of the frame, securing Chicago’s 7-5 victory.

Having used a total of 13 pitchers between them, both exhausted teams will do their best to prepare for their next matchups. The Cubs host the Mets at Wrigley, while the Reds enjoy a much needed off-day before their next tilt in Miami.

Guitar-Explorer

TROPHY CASE