Nicolas Cage Shines In Modest But Surprising “Pig” (Short Review)

Nicolas Cages gives one of his best subdued acting performances in the drama “Pig” from writer/director Michael Sarnoski.

If you are looking for an entertaining and thoughtful drama as a break from explosive super hero films, look no further than Pig (2021), starring a scraggly Nicolas Cage. While the premise and the star may make one expect a certain genre, the film may surprise you.

In Pig, we meet Robin (Cage), living in the woods of Oregon with his only companion, a pig who helps him hung for truffles. The film never fully explains how Robin ended up in these living conditions, but we piece together much of the story, recognizing early on that Robin is grieving a loss.

Before we get to know more about the pig, though, thieves show up and make off with the pig. Thus begins Robin’s trip back to his former environment in the city to try to get his pig back. For much of this journey, Robin is joined by the man who purchases his truffles, Amir (Alex Wolff).

From there, one might expect Cage to go into full action mode to track down the pig-nappers. But the film goes in another, more serious direction as Robin leads Amir on an adventure that is as much about living and grieving as anything else.

The film, which also features Adam Arkin, is an impressive debut from writer/director Michael Sarnoski. I sought out the film after seeing several people on the Internet use superlatives about the film that I will not repeat here. I was perhaps a little disappointed as those comments made me think the film would be life changing. While it did not change my life, it is still a very good film and you should seek it out without me building your expectations too high. Take it for what it is, an excellent story with one of Nicolas Cage’s finest subdued acting performances. If then you find even more from the tale, then that is all good too.

Pig is currently streaming on Hulu and available for purchase or rental through the usual services.

What did you think of Pig? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Vampire Weekend Saluting a Font By Covering Bob Dylan’s “Jokerman”

    Vampire Weekend highlighted interest in a particular font by covering Bob Dylan’s song “Jokerman.”

    Jokerman Vampire Weekend

    There are many wonderful covers of Bob Dylan songs, but not a lot of artists cover his song “Jokerman.” Vampire Weekend, however, did an excellent live cover of the song during their 2019 Father of the Bride tour for an unusal reason. The band’s lead singer decided to cover this Dylan song out of a fascination with a printing font.

    Dylan’s “Jokerman”

    “Jokerman” appeared as the lead track on Dylan’s 1983 album Infidels, and what a great opening track. At the time, many hailed Infidels as Dylan’s return to secular music following his albums largely devoted to his Christianity. But “Jokerman,” like many Dylan songs to come, still incorporated Biblical imagery. Many have struggled to get a handle on Dylan’s meaning in “Jokerman.” And as in the case of many of his songs, different interpreters hear different things.

    Many of us love the sound of the song and navigate through the twists of the lyrics because its melody is so beautiful. Dylan scholar Michael Gray explained in his Bob Dylan Encyclopedia that “Jokerman” is not “a sermon or a pop song but a real creation, a work you can wander inside, explore, breathe in, pass through, wrap around you. It looks different in different lights.”

    The Odd Reason Vampire Weekend Covered “Jokerman”

    Vampire Weekend adds another light with which to see the song. The video below is from 2019 at the Down the Rabbit Hole music festival. The band’s cover is largely consistent with Dylan’s Infidels version with some instrumental variations near the end.

    But why did Vampire Weekend choose “Jokerman” from the Dylan canon? Vampire Weekend lead singer Ezra Koenig has a particular fascination with the Jokerman font. He has posted about the font on his Instagram account. And interviewed the creator of the font, Andrew Smith, on his podcast.

    Of all of the interpretations of Dylan’s “Jokerman,” Koenig’s performance connecting the song to his fascination with a type font from the 1990s may be the most unusual connection. But it is a fun performance of a great song.

    What is your favorite version of “Jokerman”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Morgan Wade: “Run” (Song of the Day)

    With her debut album, Morgan Wade established herself among a new generation of talented young female country music artists.

    Morgan Wade

    With her 2021 debut album Reckless, which was re-released in 2022 with bonus tracks, Morgan Wade established herself as a young rising country music artist. Wade wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, with lyrics reflecting both strength and vulnerability that usually only emerge in more mature artists.

    Many fans have gravitated to Wade, who has been open about her struggles with alcohol addiction. During the pandemic, many found solace in her livestreams of songs like “The Night.”

    One of the bonus tracks on the re-release of Reckless is the song “Run.” As the title suggests, the song is about escape. The singer in the song yearns for finding a new place to try to get away from the memories of an abusive relationship.

    Can we fly somewhere foreign?
    You get me high, mess me up until the morning,
    ‘Cause all I see in every street is where he made me numb;
    There’s gotta be somewhere,
    Somewhere we can run, we can run.

    Wade is currently opening for major artists and promoting her album. If she keeps making honest music like on this album, she will be around for a long time.

    Finally, here is a live version of “Run,” where Morgan Wade takes the song into a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds.” And then she goes into AC/DC’s “All Night Long.” Check it out.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Marty Brown Sings “There’s a Honky Tonk in Heaven”

    Singer-songwriter Marty Brown’s song “There’s a Honky Tonk in Heaven” tells a sweet story about missing someone you love.

    When you hear the title, “There’s a Honky Tonk in Heaven,” there is no doubt that you are going to hear a country song. Marty Brown’s latest song and video reveal another outstanding country song from the singer-songwriter.

    The song starts off recounting a friend who died and was brought back to life. The friend reveals that he saw a honky tonk in heaven. But beyond the ode to country bars, one realizes at the end of the chorus when Brown sings “and she’s there” that it is really a love song.

    “There’s a Honky Tonk in Heaven” is a rousing uplifting heart-breaking love song. The video highlights recent inductee into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Marty Brown singing as the snow falls.

    While any video with someone in the emergency room having a heart attack immediately reminds me of the hilarious video for “PoP! Goes My Heart” that starts the 2007 movie Music and Lyrics (and has been called “the Greatest Fake 80s Video of All Time”), Brown’s video perfectly captures the meaning of his song. The silhouette of the lovers might even bring a tear to your eye.

    But ultimately, aside from the video, it is about the music. I’m a sucker for a good story song, and “There’s a Honky Tonk in Heaven,” written by Brown and Gary Hannan, tells a heart-felt story. And after a few listens you’ll have the catchy music and lyrics going through your head. Check it out.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Do You Believe Dean Martin Making Social Commentary In “Do You Believe This Town”?

    In the late 1960s, even Dean Martin took a crack at recording some social commentary songs, including the hidden gem “Do You Believe This Town”

    Dean Martin is known for his fantastic singing and his humor more than for his social commentary. But in 1969, with so much going on the U.S., he released an album with some social commentary, including the wonderful “Do You Believe This Town.”

    “Do You Believe This Town” appeared on Dean Martin’s 1969 album, I Take a Lot of Pride In What I Am, featuring a title track written by Merle Haggard. At the time, Martin’s career was doing well, resurrected since he signed with Reprise in 1962, including the 1964 hit, “Everybody Loves Somebody.”

    The I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am album featured social commentary cuts, including “Do You Believe This Town,” written by Joe Nixon and Charlie Williams. The song apparently foregoes a question mark in its title but is about small-town hypocrisy. Nixon and Williams wrote “Do You Believe This Town” not long before the release of another song about hypocrisy, Jennie C. Reilly’s “Harper Valley PTA.” Yet, “Do You Believe This Town” also references the PTA in its opening lines.

    The woman next door has gone to the PTA,
    And stopped to see her best friend’s husband on the way;
    The folks down the street have a different thing,
    So everyone is putting them down;
    Do you believe this town?

    In the video below, Martin performs the song on his television show. But his joking around as he sings it seems to contrast with the more serious nature of the song. The contrast is especially stark as he jokes around during the lines that appear to be about racial strife.

    Do you believe they burned a house down yesterday?
    You won’t believe the reason that they gave;
    If the folks who lived there had a known their place,
    They could still be hanging around;
    Do you believe this town?

    I first discovered “Do You Believe This Town” on the wonderful collection Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs present State of the Union: the American Dream in Crisis 1967-1973. The album features songs from the era, generally by well-known artists, whose work on the featured songs illustrated a different direction, echoing a dark time in the United States.

    The music for “Do You Believe This Town” suits Martin well. It has a nice swing so that one may not initially connect to the fact that the song has a message. Although the record is not one of Martin’s best-known recordings, it illustrates what his great timing and voice can do with a song. I assume most fans did not go to a Dean Martin performance for social commentary, but hearing this record makes me wish he had tackled more such songs.

    Interesting, Roy Clark, another artist not known for social commentary, recorded “Do You Believe This Town” before Martin did, releasing the song on his album Do You Believe This Roy Clark in 1968. He even performed it on Hee Haw, although his performance took a more serious approach than Martin’s approach above. It was strange times in America.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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