The Doobie Brothers ‘What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits’

I have my tickets to see The Da Vinci Code this evening at the Grande Theatre. Joining me will be my friend Kristina who absolutely adores the novel. She is the one responsible for me reading it.

For several summers, I remember seeing The Da Vinci Code on vacation reading lists. If I didn’t see it in the News & Record, I saw it elsewhere. And when I looked around, I could easily find a book here and there in the hands of people close by. I started seeing books everywhere. I heard people talk about it.

I didn’t pay close attention to what they were saying. I didn’t really care because I had been burned before. Too many times in fact.

I tried… Oh, I tried to read The Bridges Of Madison County to see what all the fuss was about. And sixty or so pages into it, I just couldn’t read it. I found it to be poorly written and for the most part… Crap.

I tried to read one of the Bourne books by that Ludlow guy. That too, I found poorly written and after about 60 pages into it, I decided it best to wait it out for the movie.

I found The Da Vinci Code to be a good read once I got through with all the French words. Yes, I almost gave up. The writing was good enough and it kept my attention, but I just couldn’t deal with all the foreign words.

I even called Kristina to tell her that I was about to quit and she wouldn’t hear of it. She berated and belittled me until I was a heaving mass of tears. And like any good Drill Sergeant, she built me back up and gave me the courage to finish it.

Seriously, she told me that the foreign words will lighten up and then I could enjoy it. And I did!

Although I didn’t feel that it was a great novel, it was a good read. So I’m not really expecting this film to bring me to an orgasmic boil. And on Monday, I should have a full report for you.

I got the chance to hang out with Brad “Hinzy” Hines last night. I sort of invited myself over with a 12-pack of Yuengling and a DVD. The DVD was my own copy of The Phantom Of The Paradise.

I remember the first time that I saw that film… It had to be around 1975 and it was on the CBS Friday Night Movie. I came in around the middle of it when Beef (a gay hard rock punker) was put out of his misery by the Phantom with a giant, neon lightning bolt. It was all part of a theatrical number that The Paradise opened with that had shades of Alice Cooper and KISS incorporated into it. And being 9 years old at the time, that really found a place in my sick little mind.

I never really saw it again until MTV ran it as one of their “Midnight Movies”. It was as great as I remembered and weird to boot!

It’s a great little cheesy film directed by Brian Da Palma. It’s filled with symbolism along with great camera shots. And the coolest thing about it… All the songs are the same songs. They’re just rearranged and made to fit the characters singing them. The classical types call it “a variation on a theme”.

It’s a musical, but yet it’s not. Sure, there are a lot of songs and the characters are singing them. But the songs do not perpetuate the dialogue between the characters like you find in The Phantom Of The Opera.

I dare you to give it a try!

Now, I’m not condoning anything... Watch it at home and remember to drink irresponsibly and / or have a few left-handed cigarettes when watching this film. You won’t be sorry.