Why Wesley Willis?

April has always been "National Poetry Month", despite Channel Zero's manful attempts to turn it into "National Bad Poetry Month" thru the good offices of our annual reading of the world's worst verse "The Bad Poets Society".

For years now, Wesley Willis' lyrics have fairly anchored the Bad Poets Society.
Audiences from Central Square to Somerville have rocked with laughter when read the lyrics to such songs as "I Whupped the Mighty Thor's Ass".
For a franchise that heavily trafficked in oddball 19th century substandard poets, Wesley was a rare contemporary lyricist with a strong transgressive quality (exp "Casper the Friendly Homosexual Ghost" possibly THE MOST cringe worthy song lyrics ever recited at the Bad Poets Society).
So when We found out he had a career as a singer/songwriter going on in Chicago and had not one but TWO feature length documentaries dedicated to his amazing story, We knew Channel Zero had to do a screening.
My thinking is, at long last we are allowing one of the Bad Poets Society's stalwarts a chance to "talk back" and give us his side of the story.

When someone produces a GOOD documentary on the life of Francis E. Dec (He of the Cannibal Frankenstein CIA Monster God fame) or Julia Moore "The Sweet Singer of Michigan" (Otherwise know as America's answer to William McGonigall), trust me, Channel Zero will conspire to screen it.
Meanwhile on Friday April 8th at 8pm (At the Somerville Theatre) the spotlight shines down on the late Wesley Willis, singer songwriter and inadvertent star of the Bad Poets Society.
Be there, admission is $6.50 (cheap!)

Elizabeth Taylor is Dead...

If there is any justice in the Heavenly Firmament, she was met at the Pearly Gates by Sir Richard Burton who had a vodka bottle in one hand and two common water glasses in the other...

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Otherwise, Liz was the recipient of one of the greatest put downs in the history of modern journalism. At the height of the whole Eddie Fisher - Debbie Reynolds - Elizabeth Taylor - Richard Burton quadrilateral, the Vatican accused Taylor of "erotic vagrancy".
And thus commenced Liz Taylor's superstardom...
John Waters and his cross dressing muse Divine (AKA Harris Glen Milstead)would have KILLED for snark like that when they were up and coming.

Yet another sign that we are in the midst of a Second Gilded Age

Details of Steven Spielberg's new yacht.

I mean you wouldn't mind so much but this IS the yacht owned by the man who directed "Hook" and "A.I."...Good taste must draw the line somewhere.

Channel Zero Returns Next Month!!!

Channel Zero And The Bad Poets Society
Proudly Present
“Wesley Willis’s Joy Rides” (2008)
Directed by Kim Shively & Chris Bagley



The Wesley Willis story, IS ROCK-N-ROLL!

See the incredible but TRUE story of the homeless man whose lyrics & fearless singing style took the Chicago music scene By Storm!
Composer of such songs as “I Whupped Batman’s Ass”, “Kris Kringle was a Car Thief” and countless others, Willis was the ultimate Outsider Artist.
“Wesley Willis's Joy Rides” is a unique documentary experience about one man’s journey out of homelessness and schizophrenia to Rock-n-Roll Redemption.

Friday April 8th at 8pm (sharp!)
Admission 6.50 (Cheap!)
The Somerville Theatre, Screening Room
55 Davis Square.
Somerville Ma 617-625-5700

Redlining on the Red Line

Y' know the MBTA used to be able to transport my fat Irish ass from the hills-n-hollers of (Romantic) Arlington to Drydock Avenue in South Boston in jig time.
But that was back in 2005 when the Red Line was young and full of life.
Now the Red Line just sits there, torpid, injury ridden and waiting to be traded off to Cleveland in return for a team of oxen to pull the trains.
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Yup I was late to work today, the trains just sat there will the explanations blatted over the PA (disabled train, signal problems, switching problem, inauspicious dove entrails...). I am in peril along with a trainload of other commuters of losing my job due to "tardiness" but yet the train still sits there like an pouting brat.
Ah yes it's another February in Boston, honestly the Moscow Metro was communist-ridden but the god-damned thing ran on time, stick that in your pipe and smoke it Ayn Rand.