MTV Launched 30 Years Ago

Thirty years ago this Monday, on August 1, 1981 just after midnight. MTV began with a countdown to a rocket launch, a narrator then announcing “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll,” and then an image of an astronaut planting the MTV flag on the moon. Then the network showed its first video, “Video Killed The Radio Star” by the Buggles.

MTV I did not have cable at the time, and I do not remember that first broadcast. But I had three friends who shared an apartment.  And they paid for the essential cable, even though their apartment was so small they had to carve out three bedrooms from one room. So I was soon exposed to MTV while hanging out at their apartment.  Immediately, I was mesmerized by the new network devoted to music videos that matched my short attention span.

During the first week of its broadcast, MTV only had about 80 videos. But musicians and record companies soon changed that by making more videos to market their music to fans through MTV.

Today, as MTV has long left behind much of its music legacy to focus on shows like Jersey Shore.  So, I suspect that they probably play much less than 80 videos now.

Most people remember that the first video on MTV was “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Do you remember the second video? It was Pat Benatar’s “You Better Run.”

For more information, Today.com and HitFlix look back on thirty years of MTV.

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Music You Might Have Missed: Chris Whitley

Chris Whitley Dirt Floor

Chris Whitley may be the singer with the most CDs in my collection who most of my friends have never heard of. His music covered a wide range of styles, varying from album to album, but much of it was steeped in the blues, as he was an incredible guitar player. He often used alternate tunings on his guitar, creating a unique sound that is difficult to match.

Whitley was discovered by legendary producer Daniel Lanois, and a protege of Lanois produced Whitley’s first album, where you can hear Lanois’s influence. I bought Whitley’s Living With The Law (1991) on a cassette tape when I lived in Arizona, and I played the atmospheric songs every time I drove through the desolate painted desert in the northern part of the state. I especially love the opening title track and the second song, “Big Sky Country.”

“Dirt Floor” is the title song from a solo album Whitley recorded in one day in a Vermont log cabin. The sound of the album Dirt Floor (1998) and the sparse title song contrast greatly with the sound of Whitley’s first album, but “Dirt Floor” finds its power in a dark place that hides in the blues.

As you see above, Whitley is posing with a cigarette on the album cover of Dirt Floor. Seven years later, the title song “Dirt Floor” was posted on Whitley’s website when he died in 2005 from lung cancer at the young age of 45. Whitley, who was born on August 31 in 1960, left behind a daughter.

“There’s a dirt floor underneath here / To receive us when changes fail./ May this shovel loose your trouble, /Let them fall away.”

If you like the music, check out more of his work.

What do you think of Chris Whitley’s music? Leave a comment.

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    Bob Hope on The Muppet Show

    Bob Hope
    On July 27, 2003, the entertainment world lost a legend when Bob Hope passed away at the age of 100. Hope was born Leslie Townes Hope on May 29, 1903 in England, and his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio when he was four. From there, of course, he went on to become one of the legends of Hollywood.

    Although our notions of humor have changed over time and Christopher Hitchens wrote about how he never found Bob Hope funny, Hope was a persistent presence in our lives for many decades. And whether you found him hilarious or not, he somehow gave us comfort in the way he endured, whether it was in his comedies with Bing Crosby, his shows for the troops, his appearances on Johnny Carson, his hosting of the Academy Awards, or this appearance on The Muppet Show.

    If you want more Muppets, check out the trailer for the upcoming new Muppet Movie.

    Buy from Amazon

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    Cinderella story, Outta nowhere: Caddyshack Anniversary

    Caddyshack was released more than three decades ago on July 25, 1980. Although the movie initially received a number of poor reviews, over time it has become a comedy classic.  But there still may be some things about the movie that you don’t know.

    Did you know . . .

    Caddyshack

    – Caddyshack was the first movie directed by Harold Ramis, who would go on to direct other classics such as Groundhog Day.

    – The idea for the movie came from Brian Doyle-Murray’s experiences working as a caddy in Illinois.

    – Originally, the producers planned to get Don Rickles for the Rodney Dangerfield part as Al Czervik.

    – At one point, a young Mickey Rourke was considered for the role of caddy Danny.

    – Doug Kenney, who co-wrote Caddyshack with Doyle-Murray and Ramis, also co-wrote National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) and co-founded National Lampoon Magazine in 1970. He also had a small role in Animal House, where he played Stork. Unfortunately, he was despondent over the early bad reviews for Caddyshack and never saw the movie achieve its cult status. Kenney died a little more than a month after Caddyshack was released.  He died while in Hawaii, where he was trying to fight various demons. He either fell off a cliff or committed suicide.

    – Many of the film’s segments were improvised by the various actors, including Bill Murray making up much of the role of Carl Spackler.

    – The character of Al Czervik was initially a small role.  But Rodney Dangerfield could not be stopped when he started his routines.  Thus, he ended up with a much larger role than originally planned.

    – If you want to read an excellent article about more of the story behind Caddyshack, check out this article from (where else?) Golf Digest.

    Is Caddyshack one of the best comedies of all time or an overrated movie? Leave a comment.

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    Dear Zachary (Missed Movies)

    Cover of "Dear Zachary:A Letter to a Son ...
    Cover via Amazon

    Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
     (2008) is a moving documentary that filmmaker Kurt Kuenne made after his friend Andrew Bagby was murdered.  More than anything, the film is a tribute to his friend.

    Dear Zachary explores how one person may touch many others and how one tragedy connects to loved ones.  The film does address the solving of the crime.  But the movie is not a prolonged mystery, although it does follow the quest for some sense of justice.

    Much of the drama of the film, though, comes from attempts to return the alleged perpetrator to the United States from Canada.  And then, there is a twist. Bagby’s friends and family learn that he left behind a son, who is the Zachary in the title.

    The film then becomes an attempt to tell the son about the father he will never know. Much of the movie focuses on Bagby’s parents.  It recounts how they have dealt with losing their only child.  Their agony is genuine throughout the movie, as they face additional hurdles and heartbreak.

    My one criticism of the movie is that it over-simplifies the legal issues involved in the attempts to extradite the alleged perpetrator.  The movie makes an argument that Canada needs to reform its bail system. And it argues for an automatic rule that might not work in all cases.

    While it is true that the system did not work in this case, the failures may have been more from the actors in the system than the system itself.  It was fairly clear that the woman who killed Bagby was mentally ill.  And the movie only briefly notes her psychiatrist’s misconduct that led to her release. Thus, the movie ignores part of the problem with the system.  It also avoids the question of whether putting more potentially innocent people in jail is the solution.

    Along these lines, the movie may attempt too much by tacking on a political statement that the filmmaker is not willing to fully explore.  But it is an understandable oversight in light of the personal story.

    The movie’s appearance and lighting reveal that the film is not an expensive Hollywood vehicle.  But it is compelling and a good story.

    Although the movie goes in some different directions, those directions are driven by the narrative of real events.  The film is a very good documentary about the tragedies that befall when individuals die too soon.  And it reminds us of the love that can live on after their deaths.

    {Missed Movies is our continuing series on good films you might have missed because they did not receive the recognition they deserved when released.}

    If you have already seen Dear Zachary, head over to the movie’s website for an update.  If you have not yet seen the movie, wait until after you see it before checking out the update, which contains spoilers.

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