Run, Lenin, Run Hey Ya'll. Since last year I've been telling all you guys that would listen, to be on the look out for the North American release of the German hit movie Goodbye, Lenin. Today, I just saw that the film is hitting American cinemas now. I assume alot of ink has already been spilled to rave about the film, so I won't go into much detail. But I I loved the film and I want to share the love.

... briefly (you know I always go in for some detail), it's East Berliner Alex Kerner's story covering a world changing time from late 1989 to late 1990. Alex's mother is an anständige frau. She's an upstanding, correct and proper East German woman, and a staunch and seemingly unquestioning supporter of the East German Communist government. While she is enroute by taxi to receive a minor communist party medal (or have an opera date with a minor communist official ... I can't remember now ... but anyway while she is in a taxi cab passing by), she happens on the scene of a pro-western political rally just in time to see Alex being beaten and arrested by East German police. She clutches her proletariat heart and falls to the ground. (Turns out that slacker Alex only joined the march to get a girl's phone number.) When Frau Kerner wakes up from her coma in the hospital a few short months later the world has totally changed. The Berlin Wall has fallen and her beloved east German G.D.R. has for all practical purposes disappeared into a fog of western hysteria. Alex is told that his mother's can't stand another shock so he proceeds to hide the reunification from her by making the G.D.R. live on in the family's 79 square meter apartment. (Ok, suspend your disbelief just long enough to buy that one Days of Our Lives-ish premise. The end result is worth it.) Alex and his friends' efforts to hide the new world surrounding them from his mother become more and more outrageous until finally, they are staging nightly news broadcasts from the defunct East German state-owned television, bribing greedy neighborhood children to sing good Communist party songs, and recording (alternate) history making speeches from important political figures.

I found the film was a little bit manipulative and cliched. You can probably guess that by the melodramatic seriously-foreign-film soundtrack featured on the film's North American website and trailer (and actually for good portions of the film itself). But having said that, it's really good and captures something important about the complete change in cultures that happened almost overnight. (The original German website gives a better sense that the film as fun side too.) Anyway, I thought it was funny, touching and heartfelt. I'd rank it up on list of 3 or four fave movies for the year.

Of course you have to read subtitles. But I figure if you're still reading this page, you're not going to be bothered by that. I watched it without sub-titles. ... Ok, so now I'm just bragging for my own self-validation.

Does Anyone Want to Quote Me On a Movie Poster "... the best film about the divide between East and West since Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
posted by Steve at 2/18/2004 11:01:00 PM

Pop Drugs, or More About Instant Swiss Idols Than You Ever Wanted to Know

Well, since it's my Birthday Saturday I was planning a big night out in the æera and the Spider Galaxy, but instead I was invited over to a "Swiss Idol" party at YHE's house. A bunch of us gathered around YHE's projection TV to watch the Semi-Final round of MusicStar, which is the Swiss version of American Idol. Now, ya'll now that, with rare exceptions, I don't go on about pop TV fads or other pop stars here in the Züri G'Schnätzlets' Kitchen. And I have never seen American Idol or even Deutschland sucht dem SuperStar. So I didn't know what I was in for. Well, let me tell you, from the moment the semi-finalists took the stage, I was hooked.

By the time I joined this whole casting-show phenomena, the Swiss had narrowed their cattle call down to only four Idols - perky Danielle only holding out by a wildcard, bland cardboard no-talent but really cute Mario, greasy Piero, and power-frau Carmen. Each performed a number, as is the show's format around the world, and it was clear to me, the unbiased observer, that this contest was really between rico-suave Piero and electro-woman Carmen. Still I couldn't get past Piero's "I'm all over the Ladies" stage personality, not to mention his constant "I'm too sexy for this song"-michael-bolton grimaces.

As soon as I saw motormouth Carmen tear up the competion stomping out the dialect song "(Bi' i'Gopfridstutz b'im) Kiosk" (which I think roughly translates to "(I was Gob-smacked at the) 7-11" ) in her Myer the Bee tracksuit, I knew that I would be whipping out my Handy and donating .70 per call to the Carmen cause.

(You can, and I do insist that you download (Gopfridstutz b'im) Kiosk/(Gob-smacked at the) 7-11 from Carmen's website and give it a listen).

During the call-in voting, the four semi-finalists premiered their new group single "A Kiss Goodbye". Go now and download and watch it on your realplayer (streamed from Swiss Television (SF/DRS)). (And tell me, who would you select to be the first Swiss Idol.) I absolutely love this English-as-a-2nd-language, disco'd out Spice World song. And in a few weeks, these four will compete again for the chance to represent Switzerland individually in the famed ABBA-making Eurovision contest. But that's a shame, because I believe this is one of those times when (as good as Carmen is) the whole is truly greater then the sum of its parts. I think that these four idols should go together to be the Swiss ABBA for a new funky-groovy generation. But, as usual, they didn't ask me.

I managed to get through to the tabulation machine 3 times and plunk down 2.10 in access charges for Carmen. Then I cast a sympathy vote for Danielle, who was apparently the contest's most improved. After some tense moments, the votes were tallied and, as I expected, we kissed perky Danielle goodbye.

Meaning, next week, the final showdown is between Mario, Piero, and Carmen. What ya think? Can good triumph over evil in Switzerland? Will big-boned, power-fruaen triumph over girly-girls (and yes I'm talking about Mario)? Carmen's not your typical MusicStar, and in a popularity contest that has me concerned. It's good for the ratings though. Come next week, you know I'll have a front floor seat in front of that boob tube to see if, just once, the best girl actually wins.
posted by Steve at 2/15/2004 12:02:00 AM

24 Hour High But the real druggy moment of my birthday Saturday occurred while they were still tabulating the MusicStar vote and Swiss Television ran a teaser for the "new" season of "24" (this will be Season 2 in Switzerland). All they did was make that accelerating flashbulb popping theme "song" while they flashed very brief subliminal segments of a yellow timecode read-out - interspersed with more subliminal photos of Jack Bauer and Kim Bauer running around L.A and surrounding environs. That's when I realized that I had a problem. You see my pupils actually dilated (for real), my palms sweated, and my breathing and heart-rate did really strange things - and I shouted "it's coming on". Really it was a Requiem for a Dream moment. "24" is a drug. And not a good drug like Erythromycin, Cialis, or properly prescribed Prozac, but a really bad drug like crack-cocaine or free-based heroin!

I don't even think the writing on "24" is that good. It's only a step above Passions sometimes, but I am definitely hooked. Luckily, I've seen the first two Seasons, and Tivo is faithfully sending the third Season over on tape. Be kind, and don't email me any spoilers - since my Tivo lie over the ocean and the post delay is about 3 weeks (or three hours of "24").

And, while I don't tend to geek out about shows in this kitchen (with notable exceptions), I do just want to say two things about Season 3, while I got you. (1) I can't tell you how glad I am that teenage-hormone condition Kim is safely accounted for at CTU and not running around Gott knows where again. And, (2) from where I sit, three "hours" behind or so, I can't tell you how disappointed I am that the best actress -if not the best character- on Television, Lady BlackBeth (or All-Rush-Limbaugh's-Worse-Nightmares-About-Hillary-Clinton-Come-True) is apparently not going to put in an appearance this Season. Still I guess after last season when she almost started an all out ... oops don't want to spoil it for my Swiss readers ... Still I guess, I can kinda see how it might be hard to work her in after that.

Oh and a question. Just exactly what is Division a division of?

OK. I'm coming down finally. Back to your irregularly scheduled serving of Züri G'schnätzlets next time ...
posted by Steve at 2/15/2004 12:00:00 AM

Today's Frequently Asked Questions - That's a FAQ, Ma'am

Q: DO YOU SMELL LIKE A MONKEY? A: Personally, I don't smell it. But that's what they're saying. Q: DO YOU LOOK LIKE ONE TOO? A: Personally, I don't see it. But that's what they're saying. Q: WHO'S THEY? A: pretty much just my little sister, actually

Q: IS IT YOUR BIRTHDAY TODAY?
A: yes, all day... I was born 35 years ago today and maybe tomorrow. Ya see ... there's this whole time zone issue thingy. I was born in the CENTRAL STANDARD TIME ZONE (CUT -6), because I was born in Dallas, TX. But now I live in the MIDDLE EUROPEAN TIME ZONE (CUT +1). So you see if I was born in Dallas at 10.20 pm CST on February 10 then in Zürich it would already be 5.20 am MET on February 11. But, if I was born at 10.20 am in Dallas on February 10, it would still be February 10 in Zürich. Even well below speeds approaching that of light, relativistic international travel gets very confusing.

Q: WHY ARE YOU GEEKING OUT ON 10.20?
A: See, something sticks in my mind that my original birth certificate (which I of course lost 10 minutes after I was living on my own with it in my possession) said I was born at 10.20 pm. And, that means I should celebrate my MET birthday tomorrow on February 11. Which means I can have two birthdays - a CST birthday and an MET birthday. Meanwhile, a new friend the yummy Heinz Edwin, informed me that while I'm an Aquarius (no doubt), I also had Taurus Rising tendencies. (How he knows this I'm not sure ... but I think he's right). But, if I was really born at 10.20 pm, then Scorpio would be rising for me. However, if I was actually born at 10.20 am, then Taurus would indeed be my rising star sign. Is it possible that a pm and an am have been transposed in my memory or on my birth certificate? My replacement birth certificate is no help, because it doesn't list my time of birth. So you see this is an important question. If I was born in the morning my entire life would fall in place astrally, but the price I would pay would cost an extra day to party.

Q: WERE YOU BORN AT NIGHT?
A: That's the whole issue! But, I can at least tell you I wasn't born last night.

Q: DID YOU CELEBRATE TODAY?
A: yes

Q: WITH CAKE AND ICE CREAM?
A: yes, and Nestle-brand Nesquick Chocolate Syrup

Q: AND STRIPPERS?
A: No, but my seamstress, who sewed the best pair of quick velcro release stripper pants I ever owned, came to the party with her adorable baby and husband.

Q: BALLOONS?
A: does Dolly Parton count

Q: AND SCREAMING MOBS OF PEOPLE?
A: Yes ... and singing mobs of people too

Q: A CANDLE OR TWO?
Actually, four... the vanilla scented kind to make sure everything smelled inviting all over the house

Q: HAVE YOU EMBELLISHED ANY DETAILS OF THIS FAQ?
A: How many times do I have to tell you? I NEVER embellish ... though a close perusal of all answers and my astral charts may reveal a minor inconsistency that can be resolved by relativistic international travel approaching the speed of light, so it's NOT an embellishment!



"O bleep Y'all, It's My Birthday" Party
This was the invitation to the small impromptu celebratory gathering I had:

Howdy Y'all,
February 10 is my birthday, and I am making a
spontaneous Birthday party ... it's the "O bleep Y'all,
my birthday" Party ... don't worry, "there's maybe one
small thrill, but there's nothing dirty going on".

To celebrate the birth of this Texas legend ...
we'll have beer, popcorn, pizza ... and the one small
*thrill* of a special DVD movie night screening of
ANOTHER Texas legend "THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN
TEXAS" starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds (E/d)
beginning ca. 8:30!

Sure as shootin', I hope to see ya here!
Steve

I still can't believe they've actually subtitled this masterpiece in German. I kid you not - schmutzige Sachen, machen wir nichts!
posted by Steve at 2/10/2004 11:28:00 PM

I've attempted to leave this blog in the state it was in early 2006 as a historical artifact, but Google broke my original Archive page. What you see above is a quick reconstruction to rebuild some archive functionality without altering the original blog layout (or researching too deeply into Blogspot).

Original Contents Copyright 2002 - J. Stephen Holyer. All Rights Reserved.