DADvice

My sister gave birth to baby Leo on January 4th. My mom was the first on the scene, then my dad, and then me. Before I left, my dad gave me a piece of advice on dealing with Carrie and a new baby, but also has a wider application. I appreciated the simplicity of it.

Be calm. Be patient. Be helpful. Be flexible. 

The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Pt. 3

This post is the final installment of “The Soundtrack of Our Lives” project. For more info, read the original post here. 

  

(A musical gift that Mike wants Susie –and everyone– to love)

Mike’s thoughts on this hot piece: “This song is so unbelievably good. Sure, some of the production sounds a little dated, but if you listen to it a few times through you'll love it. Great back up vocals and Bonnie Raitt has a killer voice.”

Movie Title: "Hopeless Feelings"

Screenwriter: M. Malarkey

Genre: Independent Woman Reconnecting with Herself (1990s)

Some context: When Hope's best friend from college Kyla, a whacky free spirited poet, is diagnosed with cancer, Hope realizes she's lost touch with what’s important in her life. Hope sees how delicate life is and that she's been too wrapped up in work for the last decade. She quits her job and takes Kyla on the cross-country road trip she always wanted to go on. Unfortunately, Kyla succumbs to cancer.

Montage: Hope scatters Kyla's ashes in the Pacific Ocean and drives back to New York by herself, feeling independent and close to herself once again.  She looks in the rear view mirror, flips on Kyla's whacky shades, laughs at herself, and drives off. 

Ending Line: "Who cares, we're free!" (A line that Kyla says throughout the movie)

(A musical gift that Susie wants Mike –and everyone– to love)

Susie’s thoughts on this hot piece: “I love the song's non-traditional hook: she mermaids the beat ('hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!') instead of using words. And when I listen to it while walking/day-dreaming around the city, I am reminded of the potential each day brings. AND she sounds like Dolly Parton - especially at the very end."

Movie Title: I Claim This Land for Elise Erickson

Screenwriter: S. Gutowski

Genre: Teen Coming of Age

Some context: Elise, a gangly teen, has just arrived at college. She exchanges tearful goodbyes with her parents and heads back upstairs to meet her new roommate, a spunky and confident girl named Jules. The two hit the dining hall and walk around campus. After a few laughs, Elise confesses that she’s never really had a boyfriend. She’s never even kissed anyone. Jules tells her she needs to loosen up. They plan to go to a party that night.

Montage: Jules lends Elise a cool dress and does her hair and make up. Following Jules’ lead, Elise knocks back a few vodka shots. When she knocks back her third nasty shot, the camera shakes, and we cut to: the girls entering a party. Elise and Jules are making tons of friends and Elise is smiling and charming the boys. She makes one guy laugh and they exchange numbers. Jules pulls her to the dance floor; Elise resists. Jules whisper-shouts in her ear that this is her chance to start over and be the person she wants to be. The girls party so hard: hair flying in slow-motion, head-back smiles, and the freedom to DANCE LIKE NO ONE'S WATCHING. 

Ending line: “I'm never going to stop!”

The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Pt. 2

This post is the second installment of the “Soundtrack of Our Lives” project. For more info, read the original post here. 

(A musical gift from Susie)

Mike’s thoughts on this hot piece: “The music nerd in me loves the voicings used on the guitar for this song.  Aside from that it's a really pretty song that is very dynamic for a song that maintains such a mellow vibe throughout.”

Movie Title: "He is Tim and She is Alexandra"

Screenwriter: M. Malarkey

Genre: Indie Dramedy

Some context: After dating for six-and-a-half years Tim and Alexandra finally come to the realization that their relationship has reached a complete standstill. The two have a number of tear-filled conversations about what to do.

Montage: After a 'trying-to-fix-this' date at the carnival (where they first met nearly seven years earlier), Tim decides he's ready to move on.  The exact discussion isn't shown, just Tim looking upset sitting in his car as Alexandra walks to her front door. They know it's probably the last time they will see each other. Tim drives home trying to fight his decision but sticks with it.  Alexandra texts him endlessly from her bed, goes for a walk, looks at the carnival from across the lagoon. She falls asleep on a bench.  When she awakes in the morning she thinks she sees Tim coming toward her but it's a stranger in similar clothes.

Ending Line: "Oh, I thought you were someone else.  Someone I don't know anymore."

 

(A musical gift from Mike)

Susie’s thoughts on this hot piece: “The bounce of the keyboard/piano/tambourine reminds me of every Rom-Com’s end credits I’ve ever loved. It’s warm and the lilt seems to say “and they all lived happily ever after.” And, it’s in French, so you feel a little cooler listening to it.” 

Movie Title: Do Gooders

Screenwriter: S. Gutowski

Genre: Comedy

Some context: It’s Dec 22^nd. Best friends Drake and Bex have both been dumped. They’re stuck in Chicago with no holiday plans. They get drunk and order in Chinese. Bex reads a fortune cookie that says, “The only cure for blues is a charitable lifestyle”. They vow to put 100% of their next three days into helping others have a better Christmas. Drake has just printed out a wish list for some kids at the local orphanage.

Montage: Dressed in red and green sweaters and Santa hats, the pair boards the El. They begin to hand out candy canes to strangers on the train; the passenger's surprised smiles are infectious. Inside the store, they consult the kids’ wish list and fill their cart with LEGOS, a scooter, cute stuffed animals, etc.

They wrap the presents; the stack of gifts grows higher and higher. They pile everything into Drake’s SUV and hit the road. They knock on the door of the first house: the mother opens the door and whispers “shhh!” Drake and Bex smile, leave the presents on the doorstep, and then hide behind their car to watch the mom call the kids out to see what Santa left. The kids are ecstatic. Drake and Bex stifle a laugh. They stop at another house. This time the family welcomes them in like old friends. The parents are teary, thankful they have presents to give their kids. Drake and Bex play with the kids and their new gifts before they hit the road again.

Ending line: "It's like when the Grinch's heart grew and then he picked up the entire sled to save all the presents. I feel like I could throw this car over a fence. Or box a kangaroo."

The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Pt. 1

Mike Malarkey is the man when it comes to music. When he’s not tickling the ivories at Second City revues, he’s composing sups cool music for recording artists such as TYGA. (Seriously, his full time job is composing music in his own home studio.)  Earlier this year, Mike helped me lay down music for a song I wrote for Robot vs. Dinosaur’s summer horror show, “Wait Wait…Don’t Kill Me!” At the end of one of our sessions, we fell down a rabbit hole of music; more than an hour after the track had finished mixing, we were still playing songs for each other.

He and I continue to share music a few times a week via Spotify (so much so I think Facebook thinks we’re dating). In this year-end review post, M. Malarkey will be guest blogging on an assignment I call “The Soundtrack of Our Lives.”

The rules are simple: Mike and I have each selected 2 songs that came in as a recommendation from the other. We’ve also picked 1 song that we sent the other, hoping it would be their new favorite. Then we wrote a movie montage of where this song would be perfectly placed in an imaginary film.

The project got kind of lengthy so I’m breaking it into separate posts. Here are the first two songs.

Tune in to this Internet page tomorrow for two more tracks. The final two drop on Monday. Then the world explodes and the cycle begins again. 

(A musical gift from Susie)

Mike's thoughts on this hot piece: “This is an easy song to love.  You could easily convince someone that this was a popular song in the late sixties.  Super groovy, really well performed, and dang fun.  Also, three funky guitar parts panned differently? I'm game.”

Movie title: "Suspendedeers”

Screenwriter: M. Malarkey

Genre: Teen Comedy

Some context: In an effort to get the hottest dates to high school prom, the nerds in school manage to get every popular attractive guy from school suspended (thus banning them from going to prom).  

Montage: the morning after their suspensions are announced where the nerds all show up to school in tuxedos, suits, and what they consider 'cool guy' clothes to impress the girls.  Lots of slow-motion spinning, popping collars, and missing high fives while the girls panic and make disgusted faces.

Ending Line: "Hey Jilly, how would you like a Black Lotus corsage? (Gareth does a slight of hand card trick to reveal a black lotus card from “Magic the Gathering”) It's a rare misprint. "

(A musical gift from Mike)

Susie's thoughts on this hot piece: “Not to sound like an old tramp, but BACK IN MY DAY, singers sang songs! This one is completely carried by the vocals, which are so rich. The piano is delicate and gives her voice such a nice place to rest. It’s a touch melancholy, but hints at something flirtatious.”

Movie Title: La Fleur de Nuit (Flowers of the Night)

Screenwriter: S. Gutowski

Genre: French Romance

Some context: Celine has never had a serious relationship – romantic or otherwise. This is how she likes it. But despite being amused by her trivial exploits, there is a lingering desire for something more.

Montage: Celine wakes up alone to the sound of rain hammering on the windowpane. She smokes a joint in the kitchen while cuts up the colorful fruits and vegetables to make a mouthwatering breakfast. She wolfs it down at a small wooden table; a stuffed animal giraffe sits across from her. With the joint in hand, she lays about her living room, glumly listening to the rain outside. She reads, but can’t get comfortable in any one position. She yells at the characters in the book.

Bored with herself, she grabs her bicycle, and clatters down to the seashore in the rain. She chases pigeons on the beach, then takes a flying leap off a small dock. When she breaks the surface, the music ends. Two men who are fishing at the dock yell at her for scaring away the fish.

Ending line: (to the fishermen) "Maybe one day you’ll stop worshiping the fish from afar!"