The Sun Also Sets

Located at the end of one of the most scenic roads in America, Key West is the end of the line on US Highway 1. Although the distance from Miami is only 150 miles, the drive takes about four hours on the narrow two-lane road. Of course with all the lovely tropical scenery, the slow pace did not bother me one bit.

As soon as I arrived in the city limits, I felt as if I was somewhere completely different. Devoid of most franchises that have infiltrated America, Key West has attempted to maintain its small-town quirkiness, yet still be attractive to tourists worldwide. What other city in America contains more bicycles than cars, numerous locals walking barefoot, and 2,000 roosters wandering the streets?

With only 40,000 inhabitants, Key West is a tiny 2 x 4 mile island, with most locations easily reached by foot. I quickly discovered its famous laid back culture, noticing I was the only guy in blue jeans. I did not see a single tie during my entire visit.

My first touristy thing to do was to be photographed at the famous Southernmost Point Buoy. Walking around, I noticed most buildings claim to be ‘southernmost’ in Key West. There is the Southernmost Hotel, the Southernmost House, Southernmost Real Estate Agency, Southernmost Obese Tourist, etc.

While sipping mojitos in the La Te Da Bar on Duval Street, I quickly made friends with Katherine and Walter, a couple of locals. When I told them I was going on a personal pub crawl that evening, they volunteered to be my official escorts.

Shunning the corporate world, Katherine moved to Key West with her son ten years ago. Walter told me he escaped the prejudices of his small Midwestern upbringing, wishing to reside in a ‘live and let live’ environment. Neither of them owns a car.

Katherine then told me that dating isn’t easy for a single lady on this island, because of the large gay population. (not that there is anything wrong with that)

It seems that most of the locals I met were running away from something: a bad divorce, overbearing parents, a mundane career, etc. More than one local tried to convince me to ‘quit my damn government job’ and move to Key West.

Although Katherine and Walter rolled their eyes at me when I told them I was scheduled to attend the Key West Ghost Tour, they both followed me along. We were entertained by our lively guide who told us tales of the eccentric Dr. Charles Tanzler, a man who loved his wife so much he continued to have sex with her corpse nine years after her death. I was disturbed by the story of Robert the Doll, a macabre children’s toy that became the inspiration for Chucky in the Child’s Play movies.

Being a fan of Hemingway since college, we made the pilgrimage to the famous Hemingway House, the most popular place on the island. Hemingway lived in Key West from 1927-1937, and it is estimated that he wrote about 70% of his literary output while living there.

Another favorite pastime of Key West residents which I found quite endearing, is drinking. We drank in Captain Tony’s, an establishment whose ceilings are lined with underwear. My favorite bar, the Green Parrot, is the official hangout of the locals. I even waved to my envious friends back in Alabama via webcam from the Green Parrot.

Pretty much anything goes in Key West, including clothing. Having never heard of a ‘clothing optional bar’, I was taken to the Garden of Eden, a lounge on the top floor of the Bull & Whistle, where a dancing topless woman on crutches greeted us. There I discovered first-hand the only way you can get kicked out of a bar in Key West is to take photographs of the nude patrons.

The highlight of my visit was Mallory Square. Each evening thousands gather to watch the most glorious sunset in America. Awaiting the day’s end, we were entertained by a carnival-like atmosphere; a man juggling knives, an artist walking on glass, a tightrope walker, etc. Once the sun set, great applause arose from the crowd.

The only mistake in my Key West adventure was staying for just two nights. I’d love to go back - explore the entire city by foot, mingle more with the locals, and to experience island life once again. I must say I have never been to a friendlier place. Thank you Katherine and Walter.

As I drove away from my hotel Friday morning, fittingly Moon River was playing on the Sirius Radio. With mist in my eyes, I told myself: ‘Key West, I will return.’

The Man from Plains

The shoulders are stooped now; the gait slower, the once sandy-blonde hair completely white, and the hands trembled a bit. But that unmistakable toothy grin and blue eyes brightly sparkled to the entire congregation that rainy April morning. Welcome to Jimmy Carter’s Sunday School class in Plains, Georgia.

Driving into tiny Plains, it is hard to believe that such a small town would produce a future President of the United States. Plains (population 637) contains no strip malls, franchises, or even a single traffic light.

Within the city limits are Carter’s boyhood home, and his high school. The Plains Depot, which served as Jimmy Carter’s Presidential campaign headquarters in 1976, is a makeshift museum, containing a history of his life. Across the street stands a simple service station once owned by Billy Carter, the president’s colorful brother.

Located a mile down State Highway 45, is Maranatha Baptist Church, where President Carter teaches a weekly Sunday School class.

While waiting outside, I noticed the church resembled a typical rural house of worship, with the exception of Secret Service agents roaming the grounds with German Shepherds.

We slowly began filing into the sanctuary, which held about 300 people. Once inside, we were introduced to Judy Rawls (check name), our host for the day. Immediately I could tell she was a former school teacher, and she meant business. A tough but humorous woman, she briefed us on the rules of the church. If we did not abide by these rules, the Secret Service would quickly escort us out.

Precisely at 10:00 am, and without any fan fare, President Carter walked in, smiling for everyone’s cameras. After a brief introduction, his Sunday School lesson began. Since the majority of the congregation were tourists, I was impressed with the well-behaved and quite reverent crowd. I suppose we all felt honored to be in the presence of a former President.

Following the worship service, the Carters were gracious enough to wait outside and take photos with everyone.

After leaving the church, I stopped for one final photo op at the famous ‘Smiling Peanut’, built for President Carter during the Presidential campaign of 1976.

Check the Plains website to confirm President Carter will be teaching that particular week. http://mbcplains.com/index.php/sunday-school/

If you wish to attend Jimmy Carter’s Sunday School class, you need to arrive an hour early, unless you want to sit in the church kitchen.

Huntsville Train Depot Ghost Hunt

“We are paranormal investigators and are here to communicate with you. If there is anyone here in the room with us, please give us a sign.”

Silence.

Then, suddenly, in response, there is a faint sound resembling a whisper.

“If that was you who made the sound, we thank you. Please make the sound again.”

More silence.

Thus began my first experience with the Southern Paranormal Researchers, a group of investigators from Montgomery.

We are silently sitting in a darkened room on the 3rd floor of the Historic Huntsville Depot awaiting a sign from Emily, the name attributed to the spirit here. Tour Guides for the Depot believe this young girl was somehow left behind from her family in the 19th century, and then died shortly afterwards. There are reports of witnesses seeing the movements of her rocking chair and hearing the sounds of her laughter.

Since its opening in 1860, many other unexplained activities have occurred in the Depot. A heavy vault door mysteriously opens and closes by itself, eerie music is heard after hours, and there have been reports of seeing strange green glows of light coming from the room where prisoners were kept during the Civil War.

After a few more moments of silence, I take pictures with my digital camera and then examine the results. I notice a couple of white translucent balls appearing in the corner where Emily’s rocking chair once was located.

Excitedly, I asked Michael Burnett, Lead Investigator with the Southern Paranormal Researchers, if the anomalies in my photo were indeed “ghostly orbs.”

“What you have captured is basically dust from the flash,” he said, “you can’t see through paranormal orbs.” He then tells me that 95% of “orbs” that people observe are non-paranormal.

Undaunted, I take more pictures. I am determined that by the end of the investigation, I will capture something that cannot be readily explained.

The Southern Paranormal Researchers was founded two years ago by Shawn Sellers. Influenced by his grandmother, Sellers was taught not only to believe in God, but also to believe in the spirit world.

While talking with Shawn, a large-framed man who stands six feet four, one would not get the impression that he would be afraid of anything. However, as he recounts the investigation of an abandoned insane asylum in Tuscaloosa, one can tell that he has been greatly moved by the experience.

The majority of the paranormal researchers reside in Montgomery, but travel all over the South to observe and study unexplained phenomena. Their website, www.southernparanormalresearchers.com, contains numerous investigations of paranormal activity throughout the South; including the famous “Face in the Courthouse Window” of Pickens County, the Shorter Mansion in Eufaula, The Sloss Furnace in Birmingham, and The Bourbon Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. Existing solely on private contributions, the group has a weekly radio show on BlogTalkRadio, and is also working on a book based on their paranormal experiences.

As I walk upstairs, Jake Bell, the self-proclaimed techie of the group begins setting up his equipment. He sets up a video camera, equipped with night vision capability and a microphone to capture EVP (electronic voice phenomenon). He also carries around an EMF (electric and magnetic fields) reader, taking measurements around the various rooms. I ask Jake if he approaches each investigation to be a debunker or to prove that a spirit does exist.

“Neither,” he states. “It’s all about the experience.”

Jake tells me that during an investigation, one “just gets a feeling” something is not right. You may feel a cold spot or some sort of presence. He states, “no matter how strong the scientific evidence is, your personal experience is always infallible.”

After taking a few more discouraging photos, I was ready to call it a night. The evening was coming to a close, and thus far my camera did not capture anything remotely unusual.

Just then, as one of the investigators exclaimed, “I feel a man’s presence here,” I snapped a couple of photos. I show Michael the results. He gives me an assertive nod and tells me to share the photo with the rest of the team.

To learn more about the Southern Paranormal Researchers, join their MySpace page at: www.myspace.com/spit_ghosthunters

Honeydripper – A movie with Soul

Welcome to 1950s Harmony, Alabama. Before civil rights and rock & roll, a piano player named Tyrone “Pinetop” Purvis (played by Danny Glover) is experiencing hard times at his night club aptly named The Honeydripper.

Few customers come into The Honeydripper any more, since Toussaint’s, the rival bar next door, has a jukebox. Behind on his rent and close to bankruptcy, Purvis decides to risk everything and books Guitar Sam, a showy electric axe man from New Orleans. Not only may Purvis lose his business to the landlord, but might also lose his wife to a charismatic Pentecostal preacher, for Purvis’ wife (Lisa Gay Hamilton) is internally struggling with her faith, both with God and in Pinetop.

Other supporting characters in the movie include Purvis’ business partner and comic foil Maseo, portrayed by character actor Charles Dutton. Stacy Keach, is the ever watchful corrupt small town sheriff, but not in the stereotypical Bull O’Connor style. Newcomer Gary Clark Jr. (a real-life musician from Austin, Texas) is Sonny, the new guitarist in town. Rounding out the cast is musician Keb’ Mo’, who appears as Possum, a phantasmal blind bluesman who appears only to Pinetop and Sonny.

The most memorable scene in Honeydripper comes as Purvis describes the allegorical birth of jazz, as a house slave after listening to his “master’s minuets,” sits down at the piano and begins to play his own music.

Not much goes on in Harmony, which explains the film’s slow pacing. Honeydripper did seem to drag a bit during the second act, but just be patient and wait for the guitar to be electrified.

Honeydripper Writer/Director John Sayles got his start in Hollywood as a screenwriter for low-budget director Roger Corman and has maintained his independent spirit ever since.

Best known for Eight Men Out and Passion Fish, Sayles writes with a social conscience without being too preachy in Honeydripper. His racial overtones are very subtle. You have to be looking carefully to notice the “Colored Entrance” sign on the wall of a local shop and listening closely for a scant mention of A. Phillip Randolph, a forerunner of Martin Luther King Jr.

In an era of rapid-cuts, Sayles rarely moves the camera. He slowly pans across cotton pickers at harvest time and follows Sonny down the main street of Harmony without an edit.

Honeydripper was filmed on location in Greenville and Anniston, Alabama. Budgeted at $5 million, no studio picked up the movie for distribution. Undaunted, Sayles and producer Maggie Renzi, are self-promoting the movie around the country and garnering numerous positive reviews from critics.

Independent films do not play long in Huntsville, so go see this movie while you can. Like the early days of rock & roll, this movie may be gone before you know it.

Rating: *** (out of ****)

The Silent Treatment

The highlight of my trip to Los Angeles last summer was visiting the unique movie theater called The Silent Movie; the only remaining theater in the world that exclusively plays silent films. The feature of the evening was Manhandled (1924); a hilarious romantic comedy starring Gloria Swanson. While of course the film was silent, accompaniment was provided by a 90 year old organist. What a refreshing experience to be in a room filled with movie fans watching a story told through pantomime, rather than sound.

One unfortunate thing that has happened as movies tend to become more expensive, flashier, and rely on special effects is that we as film fans have lost our sense of history. The silent era (1915-1929) produced some fine films, but other than the occasional Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton revival, many moviegoers have never seen a silent movie.

Here are some of my favorite silent films. With the exception of Sunrise, all of these movies are available on NetFlix.

Modern Times – Released in 1936 when the rest of the world had gone ‘talkie’, this masterpiece by Charlie Chaplin was ahead of its time with images of mechanization and worker exploitation.

The General – Buster Keaton’s finest film. Keaton stars as Johnny Gray, a Confederate soldier who attempts to re-capture his beloved train stolen by Yankees. Filled with exciting action sequences, Keaton performed all his own stunts

The Passion of Joan of Arc – The script was based on the actual accounts of the trial and execution of Joan of Arc. Maria Falconetti, the lead actress, gives a mesmerizing performance as the ill-fated heroine.

Metropolis – The most influential of all the silent films. Star Wars, Blade Runner, and 2001: A Space Odyssey all were influenced by this 1927 classic. Be sure to watch the 2003 restored version.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari – Expressionistic German film that contains twisted, surreal backdrops set in an insane asylum. Made in 1919, it is considered to be the first horror film.

Nosferatu – Director F.W. Murnau set out to make a movie based on the novel Dracula, but Bram Stoker’s widow refused to give him the rights to the film. Undaunted, Murnau went out and filmed his own vampire movie with the creepy Max Schreck as the lead vampire.

Intolerance – Big budget epic from D.W. Griffith. The film uses four separate narratives to convey intolerance throughout history. Literally contains a cast of thousands of extras.

Sunrise – One of the most beautifully shot movies I’ve ever seen. This romantic love triangle will touch you.

Battleship Potemkin – Russian film that was groundbreaking in the way it used montage and editing to convey tragedy.

Safety Last - Featuring comedian Harold Lloyd (who also did all of his own stunts) in his most famous role. The climax of Lloyd climbing a building and clinging to a clock face is an iconic silent film image.

Honorable Mentions:

Sherlock Jr. - Another hilarious Buster Keaton film.

Phantom of the Opera – Lon Chaney in his most memorable role.

Un Chien Andalou – With a script written by Salvador Dali, this film contains some unforgettable bizarre images.

The Gold Rush – As the most accessible silent film actor, Charlie Chaplin deserves a second mention as well. (As does City Lights and The Kid)

Thief of Bagdad – Adventurous movie that shows off dashing Douglas Fairbanks’ charisma as well as his pecs.

Birth of a Nation – Although its historical legacy is now tainted by racist overtones, D.W. Griffith’s classic is a landmark film with its camera shots, storytelling, and action sequences.

Ed Killingsworth, film nerd, is wishing audiences were silent in the movie theater.

Through a Glass Darkly

One of my favorite series of books as a child was the collection Choose your Own Adventure, where you choose the direction the plotline would take. If you choose correctly, there was a happy ending. If you choose poorly, well you might end up dead.

Film has great power in that it can show us different perspectives. In real life, we are locked into our bodies and confined to viewing the world through our own eyes. Movies can release us from that restriction and show us things through other characters’ perspectives.

For example, the great Christopher Nolan film Memento has an unusual perspective of telling the story backwards from a character suffering from short-term memory loss.

The following is a list of movies that distort normal perspective:

Melinda and Melinda – Characters sitting around a dinner table debate whether life is a comedy or tragedy. To illustrate each other’s point, they tell a simple story; one from a comedic point of view, and on the flip side, a tragic point of view. Directed by Woody Allen.

Rashomon – Classic movie directed by Akira Kurosawa. A murder takes place in ancient Japan, and four different viewpoints are given, each with a different perspective. This movie begs the question – what is truth?

Run Lola Run – A young lady has twenty minutes to pay back money owed to some gangsters, or her boyfriend will be killed. The film presents us with three different scenarios. With only an 88 minute running time, this movie is extremely fast-paced.

The Usual Suspects – Great caper-gone-wrong film taken from the point of view from one of the suspects. I won’t spoil anymore plot details, but put this on your NetFlix if you have not seen it yet.

Short Cuts –Intersecting day in the life tales of Los Angeles residents, woven together by the late Robert Altman.

Blow Up – A 60's mod London photographer bored with his life thinks he has witnessed a murder captured in a picture he has taken. With each enlargement of the negatives, he slowly puts together the puzzle.

Being John Malkovich – A movie that literally gets inside a character’s head; real life actor John Malkovich.

Sliding Doors – Everyone’s life can be dramatically changed if your timing was off for just a few seconds. A great ‘what if’ movie starring Gwenyth Paltrow that shows two parallel stories; each showing a different decision.

No telling what my life would be like if I had chosen puppeteering as my profession.

Top Ten Reasons NASA rejected you as an Astronaut

As a NASA contractor, and with all the negative publicity surrounding the psycho bitch Lisa Nowak, I thought it appropriate to make a NASA Top Ten list.

10) You keep repeating ‘Houston we have a problem’, to Mission Control and then scream at the top of your lungs

9) You replaced the entire Tang supply with Jack Daniels

8) You keep hitting on your cute commander by saying ‘Hey baby we must be in space, because your boobs are defying gravity’

7) We experience 3Gs on the Shuttle? That’s nothing. I’ve got 9Gs, if you know what I mean

6) You get motion sickness on the moon buggy ride

5) You refer to NASA as ‘Need Another Shitty Astronaut’

4) When drinking in a bar with your crew, you kiss your male co-pilot on the lips and say, ‘I wish I knew how to quit you man’

3) When retelling the press about the next moon landing you state. ‘Oh well in 1969 we faked all that crap’

2) ‘Hey, I can see Rosie O’Donnell from here!’ Oh I’m sorry, that is from the Top Ten Rejected lines from Neil Armstrong.

1) You keep counting down to 10 in Klingon.