New Crew, Same as the Old Crew

...almost.

Neal Hefti RIP

Composer Neal Hefti has passed away. Among his work were the scores to two of my faves, How to Murder Your Wife and Boeing Boeing, as well as Barefoot in the Park and of course the TV themes to "The Odd Couple" and "Batman."



“He told me he tore up more paper on 'Batman' than on any other work he ever did,” his son Paul told the New York Times. “He had to find something that worked with the lowest common denominator, so it would appeal to kids, yet wouldn’t sound stupid. What he came up with was a 12-bar blues with a guitar hook and one word.” It's a hook that will never be forgotten. This great composer will be missed.

The Dumpstas Are Baaack!

After the summer break, folks have two chances to catch the Dumpsta Players -

Sunday October 12th at Outfest and Wednesday October 15th at Fluid!

DJ K-Tell & The Dumpsta Players present:
“LAST HOUSE ON THE RIGHT”
Wednesday, October 15th
10PM Doors & DJ Robert Drake (Sex Dwarf & WXPN)
11PM showtime -- sharp!
@ Fluid*
613 S 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA

Info: (215) 629-3686
$1.99 cover

http://www.dumpstaplayers.org/
http://www.fluidnightclub.com/

Please note: This show will not be held at the Dumpstas’ usual venue, Bob & Barbara's. When they re-open their second room, the Dumpsta Players will be happy to return there.

C*ntaleeza Rice vs. Siouxsie Sioux!
Rev. Allawaysus Wright vs. Dr. Mendrakis!
Alaskan "Barracuda" Hockey Mom and V.P. Nom Sadley Playin!

Have you ever noticed a big old house, up the street, on a hill and overgrown with weeds? Legend says creepy things happen there... People disappear and are never heard from again. Most people say it isn't true, but doesn't even a part of you wonder what really goes on?

It's 2008, and the Presidential Election is upon us! Can't think of a better way to celebrate the Halloween season then a trounce through the frightening houses of Right Wing America! War takes the front stage, as does poverty, racism and misogyny! Still not sold? How bout other scary things such as materialism and religious fanaticism?

Join The Dumpstas as we present Republican't puppet Cuntaleeza Rice, fire and brimstone preacher Rev. Allawaysus Wright, dour Goth kid Wrongly Accused, and a war spectacular with thousands of innocent lives taken! Play hockey with Pageant Queen and Hockey Mom Sadley Playin! Carve the Jack-O-Lantern, Trick Or Treat but never step to tha ... Last House On The Right!


The Dumpsta Players are a bi-monthly themed interactive improvisational theatre experience that parodies society's joys and ills in an irreverent and over-the-top style. Dumpsta was chosen as a name because the company recycles costumes, actors, characters, and comic bits month after month. Dumpsta also brings to mind the trashy nature of our performing -- drag queens, genderf*ck, and all walks of life come together and express joy, rage and general chaos through live mic and lip-synched sketches every other month!

Catch the old Dumpsta Players shows on DUTV (Channel 54, or 62, for Comcast subscribers) Thursdays at 11PM!

Attention Aussies! :-)

Here’s the quote, no, strike that, the entire paragraph from my review of NBC’s “Kath and Kim”:

”Surprisingly this is an American version of one of Australia’s most popular sitcoms. Now, either Australian television viewers have shockingly lower IQs than Americans, or NBC butchered this adaptation. Judging from the few Aussies I know, I would have to go for the second option. Way to go, NBC, now when are you bringing back “Manimal” and “Supertrain?””

Please understand first that this was a review of the absolutely dreadful American version of “Kath and Kim,” and understand second that this was not a comment on the IQs of Australians, but a comment on what idiots the folks at NBC are. And yes, I freely admit I’m more scared of Aussies than I am of bloodsucking network executives, who I think it has been proven, do in fact have smaller IQs than the rest of us. The American “Kath and Kim” would be proof of that I think.

It should be further noted that I have never seen the original, Australian, version of “Kath & Kim,” so I can’t comment on how good (or bad) it is. I believe I only said it was a “popular sitcom” – something I doubt you can fault me on. Honestly I can’t wait to see, and review, the original.

DVD Shopping

This past Tuesday I made the trek to the local Best Buy, which is no longer a very good place to buy DVDs because a few years back they drastically reduced their selection, which previously had been amazing. But the store was adequate for what I was after. I wanted the new Iron Man double-disc set that came out that day and Speed Racer from the week before.

Unfortunately, Speed Racer will lose almost 90% of its cool on the small screen. I'm so glad I got to see it in IMAX. And of course, Iron Man is the best superhero movie of the year, if not the decade, and one of the best movies period of this year. Dark Knight? What's that?

The prize of this shopping expedition however was the three-disc special edition of The Maltese Falcon. What makes it so great, and made me buy it immediately was the fact that it not only included a "Warner Night at the Movies" (much like the one I described in my review of Black Legion), three radio adaptations and a new documentary about the film but also - the original two versions of the film, Dangerous Female and Satan Met a Lady. Love it, love it. Too cool.