Every Friday, Deuce dips into the mighty Grab Movies catalog and recommends a movie that may have slipped your notice.

This Week's Selection: Mayor of the Sunset Strip

"And that's when I started to know Rodney. He knew more about English bands than I did. - David Bowie

His name is Rodney Bingeheimer, and he's probably one of the most influential people of American pop music for the past thirty years. Chances are, you've never heard of him. However, the list of bands he's introduced to American listeners is incredible: the Sex Pistols, David Bowie, Coldplay, The Ramones, X, Blondie, and more. Many more.

Rodney Bingenheimer has had the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time, finding the right music. A club promoter through the 70's, a DJ since the 80's, Rodney's love of music has allowed him the good fortune to be involved in every pop music scene since the 60's (he was Davy Jones' stand-in in the Monkees), to the 70's (with his English Disco night club) and the 80's. A lot of people owe their careers to Rodney.

So why haven't you heard of him? It's because Rodney's the perennial groupie that has always done it for the love of music, not fame. And because of this, he's never truly received the respect he deserves. It's bittersweet to hear and see so many major superstars attribute their good fortune to Rodney's exposure, and more importantly his belief in their music, and yet to see the man living modestly in Los Angeles as he continues to do what he does while the music scene slowly moves on.
Personally, I've known of Rodney for years - he's been a local radio staple in Los Angeles for two decades that I can remember. His show is always eclectic, combining rare tracks and unknown bands that always seem to break out into superstardom. But I had no idea of his history in the music scene until this documentary.

I think The Mayor of Sunset Strip captures more than just the rise and slow decline of a mover and shaker in pop music, I think it shows how the industry itself has changed (and not for the better.) The love of music slowly gives way to the commercialism of big business. It's a shame that people like Rodney are becoming the exception to the rule. Because if it weren't for people like Rodney, there'd be no one to play for.

A final coda: There has been a grassroots campaign to get Rodney Bingenheimer his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, due to his contributions to the music industry. He was turned down by the Committee, claiming they didn't know who he was. Instead, they gave a star to Ryan Seacrest. Like I said, it's a shame.

That's this week's recommendation. Keep coming back every Friday for more Sleeperdisc selections.

Every Friday, Deuce dips into the mighty Grab Movies catalog and recommends a movie that may have slipped your notice.

This Week's Selection: Battle Beyond the Stars

The post-Star Wars years were a funny time in Hollywood - on multiple levels, the entire concept of making movies was changed: What constituted a blockbuster, small films vs. big concepts and of course, the revitalization of the dying "science fiction" genre.

It's funny to say that, actually - "dying science fiction genre". It's been so long since Stars Wars has been an active influence in our pop culture, it's surprising how science fiction was more associated with early 70's socio-political commentary and Charlton Heston instead of space travel and shoot 'em ups. Of course, after Star Wars exploded into pop culture, all of the industry was trying to capitalize on what had been initially foreseen as a giant bomb of a film. For the next ten years, moviemakers rushed to cash in with the space shoot-em-up style of filmmaking (with the Western overtone thrown in.) Most were garbage. Some were worse.

So leave it to veteran B-movie filmmaker Roger Corman to produce the best of the also-rans - Battle Beyond the Stars. Taking the plotline directly from Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai (which of course would later be the famous western, The Magnificent Seven) - a peace-loving planet is threatened by an invading armada. In order to protect the planet, a lone young man hurriedly assembles a band of hardened space veterans from the edges of the galaxy.

I've always had a soft spot for this movie, maybe because it wisely dispenses with trying to create too much of an otherworldly mythology and focuses on a simple story that's familiar but still highly enjoyable. It's also interesting to see the cast of familiar faces in the main roles - Richard Thomas from The Waltons as the young man trying to save his planet, A-Team's George Peppard as the quintessential cowboy character, Robert Vaughn essentially playing the same character from The Seven Magnificent Samurai, everybody's favorite workingman actor of the 70's John Saxon, and of course... Sybil Danning. Mmmmmm, Sybil Danning. Give me a minute, I'll be fine.

One of the tragedies about this movie has nothing to do with the movie itself, however - the special effects are surprisingly decent, but you'll do multiple double-takes as you experience deja-vu while watching the movie. That's because later B-movies (and even C-movies) cribbed the special effects sequences for their own low budget productions.

Battle Beyond the Stars isn't a great movie, but it is a fun movie which is why I recommend it. I find it remniscent of the appeal of the first Star Wars, before the Hollywood machine made it a religion - it's a fun little popcorn movie that will keep you entertained, making you laugh a bit and enjoy a Saturday night movie rental. Mmmmmm. Excuse me, I'm thinking about Sybil Danning again.

That's this week's recommendation. Keep coming back every Friday for more Sleeperdisc selections.

This week is Sleeperdisc TV Sweeps Week! And today, Deuce dips into the mighty Grab Movies catalog and recommends a TV series that may have slipped your notice.

Today's Sweeps Week Selection: Clerks - The Animated Series

There is a definition of comedy that I like to quote from time to time - "Comedy is a fat guy stuffing cabbages down a toilet." (I believe it was Mel Brooks, but I can't be sure.) When I say this, I usually get two reactions, either stony silence or immediate laughter. That's why I think it's the best definition of humor, because it illustrates that humor is 100% subjective - either you get it or you don't. This is why you can't really explain why a joke is funny, it just is or it isn't. And if you don't find it funny, all the explanation in the world won't bring you up to speed. That's why truly funny comedy never works on most Network TV - they don't get it. Not unlike Kevin Smith's Clerks.

Conceptually, it couldn't fail - the animated continuation of the two main characters from Kevin Smith's hit independent movie, Clerks. Coulda been another Simpsons (or at least a Futurama.) Unfortunately, ABC didn't know how to properly market the series and so it barely survived less than a dozen episodes. However, if you are even a moderate fan of Kevin Smith's sardonic humor, this is a great find.

Personally, I think this has been the best format for Kevin Smith's brand of comedy and allows for the occasional non-sequiter tangent without throwing off the pacing. And it's funnier. If it had been on a smaller network say the WB or FOX (Which might I add is a fine, fine corporation worthy of your attention in all its subsidiary works), it would've been much freer with the right demographic audience. But ABC just didn't get it - "Why is the guy called Silent Bob if he talks from time to time?" "If they don't like their jobs, why don't they just quit?" They also didn't seem to understand that although it was animated, it certainly wasn't for kids (why the Big Three never get this, I have no idea.)

But the series itself is a blast, with the original cast lending their voice talents which work effortlessly into the format. Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson are still perfect as the slacker friends everyone knows from high school that never seem to get "it" together. And what would it be without Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith as Jay and Silent Bob? Granted, they're tamed down for TV but you take what you can get. Also a quick shout-out should go to Alec Baldwin who demonstrates both his humor and being a good sport by voicing the series nemesis, millionare Leonardo Leonardo.

 They've mentioned a new sequel for the original Clerks movie, which I actually think is unnecessary. I'd rather see the animated series picked up by Showtime or Cinemax where Jay and Silent Bob are dealing smoke instead of fireworks, and we can see the paradigm as it should be.

That's today's recommendation and the end of Sleeperdisc TV Sweeps Week! Come back next Friday for a return to our normal Sleeperdisc series.

This week is Sleeperdisc TV Sweeps Week! And today, Deuce dips into the mighty G rab Movies catalog and recommends a TV series that may have slipped your notice.

Today's Sweeps Week Selection: The Prisoner

"I'm not a number, I'm a free man!"

In 1967, the BBC asked Patrick McGoohan, star of their hit series, Danger Man, to conceptualize a new series, based on his former character John Drake. Instead, McGoohan returned the groundbreaking series, The Prisoner. Its premise is unique - a unnamed secret agent resigns, only to be drugged and transported to a hidden "resort" called the Village, where his captors continually test him both overtly and subvertly to find out what he knows and more importantly, why he resigned. In addition to the overt plot, McGoohan has made multiple subtextual commentaries throughout the series - Upon arrival, he loses his name and is given a number (not unlike all of us). He's free to roam wherever he pleases, but can never leave his captivity. And who are his captors - his own government or a political enemy country, or possibly both working in tandem? And of course, the everpresent surveillance he can never escape.

With only a little over a dozen episodes, The Prisoner still maintains a loyal cult following that discusses the series' themes, subtle clues and overall message. Even today, McGoohan has remained tight-lipped about certain secrets about the series, preferring the piece to stand on its own merits.

Despite being a series created in the late 60's, The Prisoner raises powerful questions about today's society, as well - the conflict surroung the rights of the individual set against the actions taken on behalf of "the common good", the idea of privacy vs security, and of course, the value of personal identity. Could such a place like the Village truly exist? Maybe we're already there.

That's today's recommendation. Keep coming back this week for more Sleeperdisc Sweeps Week selections.

This week is Sleeperdisc TV Sweeps Week! And today, Deuce dips into the mighty Grab Movies catalog and recommends a TV series that may have slipped your notice.

Today's Sweeps Week Selection: The Tick

Sticky pink devil! Who puts gum on a rooftop??

There's a ridiculousness about comic book adaptations in that comic book superheroes in real life seem... well, ridiculous. Spandex oufits, strange speeches in expositional format, and bizarre priorities. Few adaptations fully illustrate this as hilariously as The Tick. The comic itself is a send-up of comic book cliches, and Patrick Warburton ("Puddy" from Seinfeld) is absolute perfection as the dim-witted, stern-jawed and immensely powerful Tick.

The Tick is a defender of justice against the naughty people of the city, and has the rudimentary intelligence of a dog. A slow dog. A big, blue, 300lb, bulletproof slow dog. He means well, but he has no idea that perhaps a giant blue-skinned superhero might cause a ruckus in the grocery store, wrestling the evil out of the cereal aisle. And god help if you try to explain oat bran isn't evil, just... unpleasant.

Arthur, his reluctant partner, is a former accountant that's decided to become a crime-fighting moth, desperately tries to balance his introduction to dispensing justice with other cataclysmic events such as... dating. Or coming "out" to his family (a hilarious parallel.) And of course, the Tick is no help whatsoever. How could he be? Why should he let something like "common sense" and "tact" interfere with his relentless pursuit of justice?

The Tick is a hilarious send-up of every superhero you've ever liked, disliked or even just heard about. How can you not laugh at a superhero with a battlecry of "Spoon"?

That's today's recommendation. Keep coming back this week for more Sleeperdisc Sweeps Week selections.

This week is Sleeperdisc TV Sweeps Week! And today, Deuce dips into the mighty Grab Movies catalog and recommends a TV series that may have slipped your notice.

Today's Sweeps Week Selection: Crime Story

After the success of his TV series Miami Vice, Director Michael Mann turned his focus to the early 1960's with this gritty crime drama that spanned from the dirty streets of Chicago to the boom of Mob-controlled Las Vegas. Although never achieving the popular acclaim of its predecessor, Crime Story maintained enough momentum to continue for three full seasons.

The series really was ahead of its time - maintaining a continual cat-and-mouse game between hardboiled detective Lt. Mike Torello (Dennis Farina's breakthrough role) as he chased after the rise of gangster Ray Luca through his climb to the upper eschelon of the criminal underworld. Unlike the glitzy pastels of Miami Vice, Crime Story maintained a street-level credibility that paid homage to its time period while showing the long-term strategy game between smart cops and dangerous criminals.

A lot of the success is based on Dennis Farina's credibility as the lead. A former veteran of the Chicago police force, his electric chemistry with his main nemesis played by Anthony Denison, kept the audience on the edge of suspense as they hunted one another in the pursuit of their goals. Whenever they shared the screen, it always felt one moment away from the two shooting one another. Also keep a look out for early performances by Bill Campbell, Jon Polito, Stephen Lang and Ted ("Candycaaaaaane...") Levine. Don't worry, you'll know these guys when you see them.

Watching this series was like a three year long foray into the world of Goodfellas and a predecessor to the Sopranos. Although it didn't have the flash of Miami Vice, its timelessness has allowed it to remain fresh and current (unlike the now-dated clothes and appearance of Vice.) Invest the time in the series, and you'll be wearing a sharp-looking suit in no time (with no pastels.)

That's today's recommendation. Keep coming back this week for more Sleeperdisc Sweeps Week selections.

This week is Sleeperdisc TV Sweeps Week! And today, Deuce dips into the mighty Grab Movies catalog and recommends a TV series that may have slipped your notice.

Today's Sweeps Week Selection: Firefly

The recent release of Serenity is probably puzzling for many - why has a movie been created about a failed TV science fiction series that didn't finish airing its first season? The answer lies in its creator, Joss Whedon Whedon, creator and driving force of cult classics Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel turned his attention to the stars in 2002 with this series about a band of rag-tag survivors trying to make their way and fortune along the rim of the galaxy.

Despite being a science fiction series, Firefly is more deeply entrenched with the fundamentals of the American western - the ship's captain, a veteran of the losing side of a Galactic Civil War, still harbors his secessionist tendencies as he keeps his sidearm close and his sarcasm sharpened. Maybe it appeals to my family's Southern heritage (I have distant family who died at the Battle of Shiloh), but how can you not love that. His crew consists of misfits picked up along the way, from a scrappy sunny-sided chief mechanic, an upper-class "courtesan" and a pleasant albeit mysterious priest.

And then River gets involved, and all hell breaks loose. River, the sister of a traveling doctor, is on the run from the government as a "human test subject" with abilities that make her dangerous and slightly crazy. Okay, very crazy. What did the government do to her, why is she so special? What does she have buried in her fractured psyche? All of these questions get answered in the new Serenity movie, which doesn't require you to be well-versed in the series to enjoy. All the same, I recommend you pick it up before you go see the film (and definitely go see the film.)

It's funny and irreverent in the Joss Whedon style, and the cast is perfect in their roles. Special props go to Adam Baldwin (no, not a Baldwin brother), who is perfectly and insanely cast as the scheming yet obtuse mercenary Jayne, whos gleeful amorality never fails to make me laugh. Oh, I hope he gets recognized as the underutilized character star he could be.

That's today's recommendation. Keep coming back this week for more Sleeperdisc Sweeps Week selections.

"You know the shows on TV?"
"I don't watch TV."
"Yeah, but, you are aware that there's an invention called television, and on this invention they show shows, right?"
- Pulp Fiction

 To show I don't live entirely in the dark about this television invention, next week is Sleeperdisc TV Sweeps Week - every day, keep coming back to find out about lost TV gems which may have escaped your usual TV viewing. All of them fantastic programs, and I think you'd enjoy discovering them. :-)

Every Friday, Deuce dips into the mighty Grab Movies catalog and recommends a movie that may have slipped your notice.

This Week's Selection: Shaolin Soccer

Stephen Chow is a very strange man - strange and brilliant. A self-taught martial arts expert, Chow is a veteran of Hong Kong cinema who is only recently becoming known to Western cinema. This past year, his wonderfully inventive Kung Fu Hustle combined martial arts, syncopated dance numbers and Warner Brothers cartoon imagery.

But for my money, Shaolin Soccer is a better film due to its clever premise, hilarious comedy and outright strangeness. You don't have to be a fan of either martial arts or soccer to enjoy this film, in fact it's better to come in completely open, because it's a whirlwind to try to follow - a crippled soccer prodigy finds a kung fu diamond-in the-rough who trains both he and his wayward brothers for a championship soccer match against his former nemesis.

But that's really the excuse for his frenetic style of storytelling. A massive fight scene may suddenly break into a dance re-creation of the Michael Jackson "Thriller" video, and yet still fit in with the overall plotline (Don't ask me how.) I repeatedly laughed out loud at Chow's bizarre segues into asides that only have the slightest of connection to the plot. Who cares! It's fun, dammit!

 And that's the best way to describe it, a pure vehicle of fun that doesn't need to make 100% sense, but espouses good values that sneakily slip through - teamwork, humility, and taking the high road at all times. It's extremely remniscent of early, EARLY Jackie Chan films like Drunken Master where his choreographed fights resemble Buster Keaton slapstick more than violence. Stephen Chow follows in the tradition by never taking himself too seriously, enjoying a good laugh as he tells his story. And you can feel the laughs he himself enjoyed as the movie seems to glow with that thrill.

I try not to ruin surprises in films, but there is one moment I must share because it's so subtle (compared to the other moments of the movie) and yet made me roar with laughter. During the ragtag team's first match against a seemingly superior opponent, they manage to make a goal within the first three seconds of play. And then another. And then another. And then another. Pretty soon you understand the gag at work, even if the opposing team has difficulty to comprehend how quickly they're losing. But each time, the underdogs huddle after a goal and embrace in joy as if it were the winning goal. Each time. Even after the fourth and then fifth goal in a row after barely five seconds have passed... they still do it! I'm laughing just thinking about this, because normal soccer games have these moments all the time and Stephen Chow obviously knows this (otherwise this wouldn't be so funny). It's a hilarious moment in a hilarious movie, and I strongly recommend you find a copy and prepare to laugh.

Special note: When watching the DVD, be sure to watch the "Hong Kong" version, which ups the romance angle a little more. The US version is still funny, but the Hong Kong version is a gem.

That's this week's recommendation. Keep coming back every Friday for more Sleeperdisc selections.

Every Friday, Deuce dips into the mighty Grab Movies catalog and recommends a movie that may have slipped your notice.

This Week's Selection: Pi

"When your mind becomes obsessed with anything, you will filter everything else out and find that thing everywhere."

For most folks, mathematics (especially advanced mathematics) is considered a form of voodoo beyond their understanding. Sure, we all possess the fundamental understandings - 2 plus 2 is 4, 3 minus 1 is 2 and always double down when dealt an eleven. But as the numbers go into double and then triple digits, our inherent understanding slowly grays away beyond our limits and we start suspect, secretly, there is something mysterious at work. Maybe there is.

Pi is the story of a genius if not slightly obsessive mathematician who believes he can unlock the mathematical patterns that govern the Chaos Theory - eventually even total chaos forms a pattern, and thus follows order. Sound unexciting? Consider that ability for something more tangible and lucrative, like the seeming unpredictable patterns of the stock market.

As Max continues his breakneck pursuit while building a supercomputer to handle the complex equations necessary, not to mention battling migraine headaches, paranoia and his own dysfunctional lifestyle, mysterious visits from corporate executives and Hassidic rabbis begin to plague both his work and his sanity. Of course the corporate exec's want his knowledge for material gain, but the strange intrusions of Hassidic rabbis are even more mysterious and for good reason - Are there mathematical formulas buried within the Torah? Is the true name of God really a number? Should man know it?

Despite being a low-budget film (made from $60,000 built from $100 contributions) Darren Aronofsky and Sean Gulette have successfully made a creepy suspense ride on the most unlikely of topics - math. In fact, Pi's low-budget elements add an street-level authenticity to the events taking place. The audience begins to share in Max's paranoia, seeing hidden numbers and boogeymen lurking in every shadow. Soon we begin to give pause to the randomness of daily events, wondering if something more sinister and mysterious is at work. Maybe he's crazy. Maybe we are, too. It's X-Files with a calculator, and a true testament to what dedicated filmmaking can accomplish regardless of the budget. After all, it's only a number.

That's this week's recommendation. Keep coming back every Friday for more Sleeperdisc selections.