"AFOS A-Go-Go" 09/30/08-10/06/08 playlist

1. Cleavon Little, "I Get a Kick Out of You," Blazing Saddles, La-La Land
2. Frankie Laine, "Signature/Main Title," Blazing Saddles, La-La Land
3. Dave Grusin Trio, "The Long Goodbye," Fitzwilly/The Long Goodbye, Varèse Sarabande
4. Roy Budd, "Jazz It Up (MC/M4)," The Marseille Contract, Castle Music
5. Donald Byrd, "Wilford's Gone" (from Cornbread, Earl & Me), Do You Pick Your Feet in Poughkeepsie?, Paul Nice
6. Joseph Koo, "The Killing Fight" (from The Big Boss), Do You Pick Your Feet in Poughkeepsie?, Paul Nice
7. Danny Elfman, "The Little Things," Wanted, Lakeshore(*)
8. Buffy, Spike, Sweet, Giles, Xander, Anya, Tara and Willow, "Walk Through the Fire," Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More, With Feeling, Rounder
9. Ennio Morricone, "Il Giardino Delle Delizie" (from The Garden of Delights), The Ennio Morricone Anthology: A Fistful of Film Music, Rhino
10. Isaac Hayes, "Source No. 3 (Caffe Reggio)" (from Shaft), Shaft Anthology: His Big Score and More!, Film Score Monthly
11. Quincy Jones, "Theme from The Anderson Tapes," The Reel Quincy Jones, Hip-O
12. Quincy Jones, "Money Runner" (from $), The Reel Quincy Jones, Hip-O
13. Bear McCreary, "The Mask of Fargo" (from the Eureka episode "Noche de Sueños"), Eureka, La-La Land
14. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, "Aggressive Expansion," The Dark Knight, Warner Sunset/Warner Bros.
15. Thomas Newman, "Jazira Maroun (End Title)," Towelhead, Lakeshore
16. John Morris, "Noble Farewell/Finale," Blazing Saddles, La-La Land

17. Lalo Schifrin, "End Title," Cool Hand Luke, Aleph

(*) An interesting L.A. Times column from June about the recording of "The Little Things" can be found here. It mentions that Elfman recorded an alternate version of "The Little Things" with Russian lyrics for Wanted's Russian release.

A Fistful of Soundtracks: The Series returns to the channel schedule next Tuesday.

Paul Newman (1925-2008)

If you've never seen the Newman cult favorite Slap Shot, you're missing out on one of the 10 greatest sports flicks of all time. After reading about the death of Newman, whose performances I've always enjoyed watching because of what Alan Sepinwall calls Newman's "anti-vanity," I immediately popped into my DVD player the only Newman movie in my DVD collection, Slap Shot. (I wish I had a copy of Nobody's Fool in my collection, but Slap Shot sufficed.)

Every time someone posts a list of their favorite sports movies, they tend to pick the earnest ones (Rocky, Rudy, Field of Dreams, The Pride of the Yankees) as their favorites. You know, movies that make grown men cry? To borrow a classic Kay Howard line from Homicide: Life on the Street, "Oh, make me puke!" I prefer the more off-kilter and humorous sports flicks like Slap Shot, Diggstown, Breaking Away and Shaolin Soccer.

Nobody's Fool may be my favorite Newman movie, but Slap Shot contains my favorite Newman character, Reggie Dunlop, the aging hockey coach with a rather relaxed attitude towards on-the-rink behavior. Dunlop's insults are so delightfully foul-mouthed and politically incorrect that I'd hate to see what this movie is like when it airs on basic cable ("You know, your son looks like a fuddy-duddy to me. You better get married again 'cause he's gonna wind up with somebody's sock in his mouth before you can say Jack Robinson.").

I doubt TCM will include Slap Shot in its inevitable Newman marathon tribute. Even though TCM never censors its movies, I don't think they've ever aired a movie that's filled to the brim with F-bombs like Slap Shot.

Moviegoers in 1959 winced when they saw Jimmy Stewart discuss panties and sperm in the courtroom in Anatomy of a Murder. They probably had a coronary when they heard Newman curse up a storm in Slap Shot.

No wonder Newman considered Dunlop to be his favorite character and called Slap Shot the most fun movie shoot he ever did. I guess he didn't mind wearing what has to be some of the ugliest pants in movie history. (Plaid trousers? That pair of bell-bottom leather pants Newman tried to rock later in the film? Not even someone as cool as Newman in Slap Shot, Kurt Russell in Escape from New York or Eddie Murphy in his concert movies could persuade me to slip into a pair of leather pants. There are two things I'll never wear: leather pants and open-toed shoes. They're the least manly-looking pieces of fashion ever invented.)

It's interesting that Newman's final role was in another sports movie (and an animated one too!), Cars. I'm glad he went out as a talking Hudson Hornet instead of a planet-eating lardass.

"AFOS A-Go-Go" 09/23/08-09/29/08 playlist

1. David Holmes, "Not Their Fight," Ocean's Thirteen, Warner Sunset/Warner Bros.
2. John Carpenter and Alan Howarth, "The Bank Robbery," Escape from New York, Silva Screen
3. Lalo Schifrin, "Omega Team," Spooks, Aleph
4. Carter Burwell, "How Is This Possible?," Burn After Reading, Lakeshore
5. Roy Budd, "Theme to Mr. Rose," Rebirth of the Budd, Sequel
6. Quincy Jones, "Main Title," The Hot Rock, Prophecy
7. John Morris, "Voodoo You Do/The Big Fight/The French Mistake," Blazing Saddles, La-La Land
8. George Shaw, "Carol of Death" (from Marcus), J-ok'el/Marcus, MovieScore Media
9. Bear McCreary, "Fight Night" (from the Battlestar Galactica episode "Unfinished Business"), Battlestar Galactica: Season 3, La-La Land
10. Bear McCreary, "Sheriff Carter's Theme," Eureka, La-La Land
11. Ennio Morricone, "Terrazza Vuota" (from Metti Una Sera a Cena), More Mondo Morricone, Colosseum
12. Tangerine Dream, "Love on a Real Train (Risky Business)" (from Risky Business), Rare Requests, Vol. III, Liquid 8
13. Roy Budd, "The Car Chase" (from Fear Is the Key), Buddism, Cinephile
14. Neil Patrick Harris, "Everything You Ever," Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Mutant Enemy Productions
15. Jed Whedon, "Horrible Credits," Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Mutant Enemy Productions
16. Rose Royce, "Car Wash," Car Wash, MCA

"AFOS A-Go-Go" airs every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday in September on the Fistful of Soundtracks channel.

"Shutup, I Love This Title Screen," Part 16

Attack of the Show, "Olivia Munn: Bully Attorney" skit

Olivia Munn + facial hair (or balloon popping) = comedy gold.

"AFOS A-Go-Go" 09/16/08-09/22/08 playlist

1. Rita Monico with I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni, "Thrilling" (from Thrilling), Canto Morricone--The Ennio Morricone Songbook, Vol. 1: The '60s, Bear Family
2. John Barry, "The Persuaders Theme," Themeology: The Best of John Barry, Columbia
3. Isaac Hayes, "Reel 5 Part 1" (from Shaft), Shaft Anthology: His Big Score and More!, Film Score Monthly
4. Isaac Hayes, "Source No. 2--7M1A (Do Your Thing)" (from Shaft), Shaft Anthology: His Big Score and More!, Film Score Monthly
5. Neil Patrick Harris, "Brand New Day," Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Mutant Enemy Productions
6. Robert J. Kral, "Gordon/Batman/The Train," Batman: Gotham Knight, La-La Land
7. Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra featuring James D. Atterley, "Caught at Midnight" (from Jerry Cotton: 321 Countdown Hurricane Friday), Futuremusik, Scamp
8. Guido & Maurizio De Angelis, "Life of a Policeman" (from High Crime), Beretta 70: Roaring Themes from Thrilling Italian Policefilms 1971-80, Crippled Dick Hot Wax!
9. Henry Mancini, "Here's Looking at You" (from Return of the Pink Panther), Do You Pick Your Feet in Poughkeepsie?, Paul Nice
10. Andre Previn, "Executive Party" (from Rollerball), Do You Pick Your Feet in Poughkeepsie?, Paul Nice
11. David Holmes, "Kensington Chump," Ocean's Thirteen, Warner Sunset/Warner Bros.
12. George Shaw(*), "The Search" (from J-ok'el), J-ok'el/Marcus, MovieScore Media
13. George Shaw, "J-ok'el," J-ok'el/Marcus, MovieScore Media
14. Nathan Fillion, "Everyone's a Hero," Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Mutant Enemy Productions
15. Neil Patrick Harris, "Slipping," Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Mutant Enemy Productions
16. Danny Elfman, "Main Titles" (from Beetlejuice), Music for a Darkened Theatre: Film and Television Music Volume One, MCA
17. Lalo Schifrin, "Egg Eating Contest," Cool Hand Luke, Aleph
18. Isaac Hayes, "Source No. 2--7M1C (No Name Bar)" (from Shaft), Shaft Anthology: His Big Score and More!, Film Score Monthly
19. Gordon Parks featuring O.C. Smith, "Move on In" (from Shaft's Big Score!), Shaft Anthology: His Big Score and More!, Film Score Monthly

"AFOS A-Go-Go" airs every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday in September on the Fistful of Soundtracks channel.

(*) Shaw was an orchestrator on one of my favorite films, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Earlier this month, one of Shaw's first feature scoring assignments, Asian Stories, hit DVD shelves. The 2006 indie film is a romantic comedy starring James Kyson Lee (Ando from Heroes) and Kathy Uyen (Spirits).

"Uppity" is the new "n----r"

I wish Senator Obama or his followers came up with an angrier response to that redneck asshole who called the senator and his wife "uppity" last week. As John Ridley recently said on The Huffington Post, Obama should have "hit 'em where they live."

I wonder how Mays or Mitch Gilliam would have handled Westmoreland.

Probably like that. So wrong, yet so right.

The fact that it's 2008 and a white Congressman still throws around the term "uppity"--plus McCain's use of the word "gook" and the possibility that Palin* once called Obama "Sambo"**--are just some of the many reasons why I'll never vote Republican.

* "They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska" is this year's "Our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for us."

** To borrow a Letterman joke, Palin comes across like the mayor of a small town that's banned dancing, so I wouldn't be surprised.

"AFOS A-Go-Go" 09/09/08-09/15/08 playlist

1. Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day & Nathan Fillion, "A Man's Gotta Do," Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Mutant Enemy Productions
2. DVDA (featuring Trey Parker and Matt Stone), "Now You're a Man," Orgazmo, NickelBag
3. Johnny Harris, "Odyssey (Pt. 1)" (from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century), Sunshine Sound Disco
4. The Crystal Method, "Bones Theme (DJ Corporate Remix)," Bones, Nettwerk
5. Roy Budd, "The Carey Treatment," Rebirth of the Budd, Sequel
6. Stu Phillips, "Ampersand (&)," Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Soundtrack Classics
7. Ennio Morricone, "Nadine" (from Il Serpente), Morricone 2001, Dagored
8. Mark Mancina, "Bad Boys - Main Title/Heist," Original Score from the Motion Picture Bad Boys, La-La Land
9. The John Gregory Orchestra, "It Takes a Thief," Six Million Dollar TV Themes, Spectrum
10. Riz Ortolani, "Serena e Lomunno" (from Confessions of a Police Captain), Easy Tempo Vol. 1: A Cinematic Easy Listening Experience, Right Tempo
11. Francesco De Masi and Alessandro Alessandroni, "Hot Camera Shake" (from Your Turn to Die), (Italian Girls Like) Ear-Catching Melodies, Dagored
12. Hans Zimmer, "And I Thought My Jokes Were Bad," The Dark Knight, Warner Sunset/Warner Bros.
13. John Barry, "Air Bond," The Living Daylights, Rykodisc
14. John Carpenter and Alan Howarth, "Over the Wall," Escape from New York, Silva Screen
15. Bear McCreary featuring Raya Yarbrough, "A Distant Sadness" (from the Battlestar Galactica episode "Occupation"), Battlestar Galactica: Season 3, La-La Land
16. Felicia Day & Neil Patrick Harris, "My Eyes," Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Mutant Enemy Productions
17. Vince Guaraldi Trio, "Great Pumpkin Waltz" (from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown), Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits, Fantasy

"Shutup, I Love This Title Screen," Part 15

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

R.I.P., Bill Melendez. Happiness is watching his body of work, from the Termite Terrace era (wow, I didn't know he was involved with one of my all-time favorite Looney Tunes shorts, Bob Clampett's "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery") to Charlie Brown.

"AFOS A-Go-Go" 09/02/08-09/08/08 playlist

1. Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra, "Space Patrol," Futuremuzik, Scamp
2. Stanley Clarke, "Passenger 57 Main Title," At the Movies, Epic Soundtrax
3. Bear McCreary, "Precipice" (from the Battlestar Galactica episode "Precipice"), Battlestar Galactica: Season 3, La-La Land
4. Hans Zimmer, "Why So Serious?," The Dark Knight, Warner Sunset/Warner Bros.
5. The John Gregory Orchestra, "The Sweeney," Six Million Dollar TV Themes, Spectrum
6. Tyler Bates, "Block 41," Doomsday, Lakeshore
7. Mark Mancina, "Jojo, What You Know?," Original Score from the Motion Picture Bad Boys, La-La Land
8. Mark Mancina, "Dead Guy," Original Score from the Motion Picture Bad Boys, La-La Land
9. Johnny Pate, "El Jardia," Shaft in Africa, Hip-O Select/Geffen
10. Roy Budd, "Fear Is the Key (Main Theme)," Rebirth of the Budd, Sequel
11. Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra, "The Hump" (from Edgar Wallace: The Hunchback of Soho), Futuremuzik, Scamp
12. Royal Scottish National Orchestra, "Judge Dredd Trailer," Hollywood '95, Varèse Sarabande
13. Franz Waxman, "The Ride to Dubno," Taras Bulba, Rykodisc
14. Isaac Hayes, "Main Title (Truck Turner)," MGM Soul Cinema Vol. 2, Beyond/MGM Music
15. Huey Lewis & the News, "Pineapple Express," Pineapple Express, Lakeshore

"AFOS A-Go-Go" begins in September

I haven't updated the station information on jim.aquino.com in weeks, and judging from the FTP problems I've suddenly been having with jim.aquino.com's provider, the famously quick-to-help Netidentity, it looks like I won't be able to update jim.aquino.com any time soon. So check back with this blog instead of jim.aquino.com for the latest news and info about A Fistful of Soundtracks or updated playlists.

Speaking of which, here now is some late-breaking news: I'm removing the hour-long A Fistful of Soundtracks: The Series from the station schedule this month. No AFOS: The Series eps for the next few weeks. I know I've been streaming the same five or six eps since springtime, but they're the only eps I'm satisfied with at the moment. I'll bring the series back to the sched when I find the time or willingness to produce another hour-long ep.

In AFOS: The Series' place will be something I'm calling "AFOS A-Go-Go."

Dictionary.com defines "a-go-go" as "In a fast and lively manner." Merriam-Webster defines it as "being up-to-date." Instead of hearing eps I recorded months or years ago, you'll be hearing segments from me that are timelier and more up-to-date--and took far less time to record and edit--during the "AFOS A-Go-Go" block. (For instance, while I was recording segments for this first week of "AFOS A-Go-Go," I found out about the death of Don LaFontaine--R.I.P.--and was able to sneak in towards the end both a brief word about this legend in the voiceover community and a montage that I hastily edited together of clips from LaFontaine's trailers and promos.)

I'll be eschewing the heavily scripted, each-epi-has-a-single-theme format I've been doing since 1999 on terrestrial radio (and since 2002 on Internet radio). I felt like trying something new. The each-ep-has-a-theme format has been too constricting. It takes a lot of time and work to pick out a theme, hunt for 14 or 15 tracks that share that theme and then come up with interesting things to say about each track.

Under this new and temporary format (which I'm thinking of switching to whenever I'm between eps like now), I'll be able to play tracks that I wasn't able to include on any of the themed eps because they didn't fit the themes. These "A-Go-Go" playlists won't have a theme, other than "favorite tracks of the week." Listeners will get to hear music that I've never streamed before on my station, plus more stuff from newer releases. I'm trying to reduce repetition, which I've noticed has been a flaw of the Internet radio stations I regularly listen to, as well as my own station.

"AFOS A-Go-Go" airs Tuesdays and Thursdays at midnight, 4am, 10am, 3pm, 7pm and 11pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm.

"Shutup, I Love This Title Screen," Part 14

Keen Eddie
Title design most likely by Najma Bhatti

Bonus Keen Eddie capture*


* from the awesome pilot (skip the butchered DVD version at all costs)