Years and years ago a lady name of Hazel Ellis told me she clogged with a bunch of ‘gooders’ and how much fun they had. They were the Silver Eagle Cloggers and dance they did, here and there and all around. When the musicians took a break to get in on a ‘fifty/fifty’ was the only time there was no dancing on the hard concrete floor.

“Somewhere between your heart and mine, there’s a window I can’t see through.”…goes the lyric, and it’s real life unfolding as it did hundreds of years ago as folks immigrated from Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales to the Carolinas and then north to the green, less hilly fields of Harford county….and the music came with them and to this day is as real as it gets.

It’s a world unto itself, without fanfare, shunning publicity, seeking the shear joy of making music and sharing a tradition steeped in heritage…worlds apart from the ‘politically correctness’ of today’s spirit of living.

Men with stiff, hunched backs who’ve worked the fields in younger days when it was a ‘seven day a week’ job, from sun up to sundown. They were tenant farmers and share croppers and if you don’t know those terms you can look ‘em up or hang out at the feed store, welding shop or old hardware stores.

‘Course the Royal Farm store sees the members of Appalachian Ballet too, from time to time. The men and women at these informal, clandestine gatherings struggle to walk and can’t wait to dance. Fingers snapping and slapping inside and outside of loose legs the man in the plaid shirt keeps time with his body and the sounds he makes with it. A lady in a walker moves whatever she can to the tune being played.

Not every day do you see an 81-year-old man tear into a Snicker’s bar, for a sugar jolt, enabling him to get back to dancing and keeping up with his partner. Dark blue jeans and cowboy boots, blend into a fashion show with Nike and New Balance sneakers…”faded love…head over heels in love with you…” the music goes on and on.

“I Just Crossed the River Jordan” is especially powerful to me as it’s played by a seven piece band…banjo, mandolin, guitar, fiddle, bass,….no drums, just strings.

Looking around I see bandaged knees, a few folks are popping Advils and Aleeve’s and chasing them with chocolate. The audience, most of which are eating hot dogs and sipping Coke or bottled water, are happy to see this ‘live show’ of talented folk who are tossing caution to the winds that blow outside across the fields.

OLD FLAMES CAN’T HOLD A CANDLE TO YOU

There is no alcohol, no riff-raff, no profanity, and strict adherence to the ‘house rules’…no punks, no junk, no bad behavior, just folks acting like they’ve got good sense…like we were told to do when we were kids. The age difference is the only difference watching guys shyly go over to girls asking them to dance…the same as they did when they were teens, they still act the same and shyness becomes them in the innocence of social relief in the muse of fiddle and feet.

None of the bands have names, and some of the members play in someone else’s band…we see the shift from “Long Black Veil” to “Sittin’ On Top of The World”…and the folks sing along in the audience as some get up to leave, tired of having so much fun. It’s not a late night crowd; it’s a working class gathering of good hearted souls who share a love of their roots. They didn’t learn the dancing at Arthur Murray and you won’t be seeing any of them on American Idol…they’re too real for that…it’s a secret, and it’s the Appalachian Ballet. And not everyone can get there unless you’re lucky.

“And many years ago a man by the name of William T. Hicks had a sparkle in his eye and a smile on his face. Little did he know his love for country music and the association of people in an atmosphere of friendliness would become THE WILLIAM T. HICKS CULTURAL ARTS CENTER.

One evening as the music played on the stage a lady knitted while sitting at a table made from a used plywood door covered with a sheet of plastic. Her eyes rose to watch the Blue Grass style of dancers do their thing.“ from a note pad from someone at the ‘Center’.

Anyway, as a huge fan of the first Saw movie and a somewhere in the middle fan of two thru four, of course I had to go to the theater and see Saw V. And I will say right off the bat, anyone who has never seen a Saw movie, do not see this. A lot will not make sense. If you have seen all of them thus far and want to see this one, save your $10 until it comes out on DVD. Big time fans should not panic just yet, the movie was fine. I just recommend not spending the money because it’s something that is probably only good enough for a rental.

This installment starts where the fourth one left off. Detective Hoffman is doing the bidding of demented game master Jigsaw, who has been dead since the end of the third film. But as some questions arise, Hoffman may be in danger of being found out. What happens then? I’m not saying anything. I’m a firm believer in not ruining movies. But there are a few things I can say about the film.

First off, David Hackl did a good job with directing. Following in the footsteps of James Wan, who did Saw, and Darren Lynn Bousman, who did two through four, Hackl kept it choppy and bloody. The style stayed about the same you would come to expect from one of these films.

Secondly, the gore was solid. A few new sick and twisted games kept the blood flowing, but nothing too eye-popping (except for the hand thing at the end). At this point I’m just astounded they are still coming up with interesting ways to kill people. I guess this is why you get new writers every now and then.

Lastly, I have to hand it to the writers, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan (who also wrote Saw IV, Feast and Feast II), for trying their damnedest to come up with a new twist to alter the ongoing story. The problem is, at this point, I feel like nobody is surprised anymore. You always expect the big twist, and in some cases you guess it before seeing the film (that was the case for me with Saw II). At the end of commercials for the film it says, “you won’t believe how it ends.” Well, that comment is right. But it’s only right because it’ll end you’ll say, “what? It’s over?”

The twist is not mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination, but it does insure that there will be another film. And sure enough, I happen to know for a fact that they are working on Saw VI right now. How do I know, you might ask? Well, If you’ve ever watched the show Scream Queens, a reality show on Vh1, you know that the grand prize is money and a role in Saw VI.

At this point it’s getting kind of ridiculous and somewhat boring. I would ask Hollywood to stop beating this almost dead horse, but at the same time it’s idiots like me that keep the franchise profitable because every Halloween I just have to know what Jigsaw is up to. I give this movie a solid C rating.

Since October hit, my movie excitement has gone through the roof. This is the month of horror, and for someone like myself, it pleases me to the core. Even though the month is almost over, I thought myself and four other Dagger writers would give you our recommendations for movies to watch in the final days of October, some horror and some not. And if you don’t get to all of these, feel free to roll ‘em over to November.

Carlin’s Picks:

Evil Dead II (1987) – A remake of Sam Raimi’s original that was supposed to be a serious horror film, this film takes all of that and adds a lot of dark comedy. The main character has his hand possessed, cuts it off with a chainsaw and spends a substantial chunk of time chasing it down to kill it. If that doesn’t scream hilarious dark comedy, I don’t know what does.

Phantasm (1979) - One of the first few movies in color that utilized great special effects and creepy images, this movie will freak you out. The film is about a strange tall man who resides over a morgue and takes the dead bodies, shrinks them down to midget size, then re-animates them for God knows what. Being very crazy, this movie rocks for October!

Audition (1999) - Probably one of the most unsuspecting scary movies you’ll ever see. This movie presents itself as one thing for about an hour and then takes an unbelievable and very intense turn for the final act. Two warnings go along with this film: 1.) if you are squeamish, don’t watch it; 2.) if you hate reading subtitles, don’t watch it (it’s in Japanese).

High Tension (2003) - Just like the title says, this film runs on pure unbridled tension. Ever wanted to know what it would feel like to run from a homicidal maniac for over an hour? Well you can just about feel it with this movie, which follows one woman and her intense fight to stay alive after she witnesses the brutal murders of her friend and her family. Even though this is a French film, you can play it with English dubbed over. You better be prepared for a few extreme deaths though.

Re-Animator (1985) - What happens when a crazy scientist creates a formula to re-animate the dead? Things always come back significantly more evil than they used to be. This movie has some scenes that could offend, but is based on the writings of one of the fathers of modern horror, H.P. Lovecraft.

Cindy’s Picks:

Being There (1979) - Intended as satire, but also kinda scary to watch a dapper know-nothing rise to power after his simple utterances are reinterpreted and embraced by a clueless society in the midst of an economic crisis.

The Birds (1963) - you’ll never look at the little critters the same way again. Corny special effects by today’s standards, but Hitchcock doesn’t need no stinkin’ special effects to scare the wits out of you.

I Want to Live! (1958) - Death row prisoner Susan Hayward fights to avoid the gas chamber. Will the Governor call with a stay of execution? Count down her final hours, hear the potassium cyanide pellets drop, watch the gas rise and look into her eyes. Will that damn phone ever ring?? She’s a tough broad but in the end she’s terrified of death, same as you and me.

Memento (2000) - Think it’s a pain to forget where you parked your car? Try living with no short-term memory as you hunt down the man who brutally raped and murdered your wife.  You’ll need lots of sticky notes and other creative reminders to keep you on track. Choppy flashbacks make this movie hard to follow (now you know how it feels) but it’s more than worth the effort.

Manhattan (1979) - Life Imitates Art Alert: Woody Allen plays a middle-aged man romantically involved with an underage girl.  But I love how the city provides just the right backdrop, majestic and melancholy, to this story about the struggle to find love and the meaning of life before it’s too late.  Oh, and it’s funny too. The opening scene alone –  Manhattan, fireworks and music by Gershwin – is worth the price of admission.

Brian’s Picks:

Frankenstein (1931) - Probably the most classic monster movie of all time…and what’s Halloween without monsters? Dracula is cool, but dull compared to Frankenstein’s poignant perspective of a misunderstood monster.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? Whether you decide to watch this freaky claymation flick in December or October, you’re guaranteed to find yourself singing along to ragtime holiday tunes about the Boogey Man.

Halloween (1978-2007) - Whichever of the 9 sequels, prequels or remakes you decide to watch, this is the original slasher movie. Even if horror isn’t your thing, how can you say no to a serial killer in a William Shatner mask?

American Werewolf in London (1981) - One of my all-time favorite movies, October or otherwise, this has the best looking manwolf on film and the best looking man-to-wolf transformation scene - only partially because it involves full male nudity and “Blue Moon” playing in the background. Oh yeah, the undead friend has the same last name as me too.

American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) - Who said October has to be all dark and creepy? I always put this one on every list of movies I’m ever asked to compile - this being the second. There’s a lot to like here: ninjas, fire, magic, swords, international espionage, clones and a badass sidekick with the same name as one of The Dagger’s real life badass sidekicks.

Susan’s Picks:

Them (1954) - This black and white classic features giant ants that have mutated into man-eating menaces because of nuclear testing in a desert town. I used to worry that one would pluck me from my bed as I slept near the open window during the hot summer months of my childhood.

The Rear Window (1954) - This Alfred Hitchcock classic stars James Stewart as a wheelchair bound photographer who watches the daily lives of his neighbors, discovering that one may have committed murder. Grace Kelly plays his girlfriend and her wardrobe is reason enough to watch this movie.

Marnie (1964) - Another Alfred Hitchcock movie starring one of his favorite actresses, Tippi Hedron. A young and handsome Sean Connery plays a wealthy businessman who marries a thief with a dark past and serious psychiatric problems.

The Goonies (1985) - This is a great film for all ages. A group of kids attempt to locate riches using a discovered pirate treasure map and in the process, cross paths with “bad guys.”

The Burbs (1989) - Tom Hanks stars as a man living in a suburb where new mysterious neighbors are suspected of doing away with the home’s previous residents. Bruce Dern adds comedy as his paramilitary friend and Corey Feldman plays the “kid next door.”

Molly’s Picks:

I’m a sucker for horror flicks (and October serves as the month where you have a smorgasbord of creepy flicks available). Not just the slice ‘em and dice ‘em type (The Hills Have Eyes), but the ones that actually have a decent story line. And usually, I’m not into the many sequels that follow an original (like Rocky or Halloween).

I pretty much get the gist and won’t put out any money to see them at a theater. If they are playing on the Superstation or on any channel, well then I might have to check it out. But usually find it is a waste of my time. That is until I got into the SAW series. I am anxiously awaiting SAW V and I believe it is coming out October 24.

Saw (2004-2007) - The main character in SAW is Jigsaw and he’s one twisted piece of genius. And yes these movies are gory, very gory. But I dig them. Jigsaw gives his hand-picked players a chance at redemption. He chooses their vulnerabilities and works them to the core. The players have to go through a series of hard-core tests (that is the fun) to live or die. Jigsaw always has a point for each player. He even chose someone to be the next Jig to carry on his legacy, but she tends to be too dramatic and dark. It will be interesting to see what he’s got going on in his after-life, Jigsaw was always the man with a plan.  He’s a genius and he sure is twisted.

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Freddy Krueger and his six-inch fingernails of death. He haunts your dreams. For some reason, I’ve never really been able to get this song out of my head. That it is sung by children makes it that much more spooky:  One, two Freddy’s coming for you…Three, four Better lock your door…Five, six grab your crucifix…Seven, eight better stay up late. Sleep deprivation is your only hope.

Freddy vs. Jason (2003) - I enjoyed this movie more than I thought. Who would you root for? Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street or Jason from Friday The 13th. I was surprised that I found myself rooting for either of them, but I was. Seeing it at Bengies Drive In made it all the better.

With recognizable talent galore for their newest film, the Coen brothers no doubt caught the attention of many. Names such as George Clooney, John Malkovich and Brad Pitt rarely appear in the same film, unless they believe in the project or are just hoping to be apart of another award-winning film. But after taking in a screening of Burn After Reading, I think it is safe to say the running for best film this year is still wide open.

The movie focuses on an ex-CIA operative named Osborne Cox (played by Malkovich), who is losing his wife (played by Tilda Swinton) to a man obsessed with sex and hardwood floors by the name of Harry Pfarrer (played by Clooney). In the midst of being left by his wife, copies of Cox’s CIA memoirs find their way into the hands of two bumbling idiot gym employees. Linda Litzke (played by Frances McDormand) is fixated on getting plastic surgery so she can find an attractive man, but does not have the money for the procedures. Seeing the discovery of the top-secret information as an option to blackmail Cox and get enough money to look pretty again, Litzke enlists the help of her dimwitted co-worker, Chad Feldheimer (played by Pitt).

As the story progresses, events get crazier and crazier, showing the viewer just how out of control situations can get when everyone involved is misinformed or clouded in their judgment. It spirals into a dark comedy with a few fun twists, but never presents itself as a mind-blowing or standout film.

The performances of Clooney, Malkovich, McDormand and Pitt were a nothing short of delightful to watch. But in the end the story was only semi-engaging and was just good enough to merit watching it once or twice. If anyone sees this movie hoping for the next No Country For Old Men, you’re in for a disappointment. But if you want to see a solid film that is well shot, well directed and heavy with dark humor, you will be pleased.

By no means did the Coen brothers misstep by making this film, they merely added one more sound title to their resume of accomplished film-making. If I see this movie again, it would be to revel in the phenomenal acting of Malkovich and Pitt. That’s why I give this film a B-.

Two months shy of the Presidential General Election, the push is on to encourage those who have not yet voted to register and learn a little more about the process. Enter Rock’n’Register, a six-band extravaganza scheduled for Saturday, September 13, at Harford Community College’s Susquehanna Gymnasium.

The event is part Battle of the Bands, part Battle of the Benefits and part Crash Course For Those New to Voting. Patrons will not only use actual Harford County Board of Elections electronic voting machines to cast their ballots for their favorite band, but will also vote for which local charity or service organization will receive the lion’s share of the event’s proceeds.

The doors will open at 2 p.m. and music should start fairly soon thereafter. Tickets are $6.00 in advance, or $8 at the door, and advanced sale tickets can be purchased on campus at HCC or online via www.rocknregister.com.

Rock’n’Register is the brainchild of Jobeth Bowers - a 27-year-old Carroll County native who moved to Harford County about a year ago and came up with the idea for the concert when he started thinking of ways to interest a younger generation to participate in the electoral process.

“I was in a band a long time ago and have been interested in promoting voter registration and awareness among young people for quite some time,” he said.

Bowers, who said he doesn’t have any direct ties into the political system and doesn’t have any particular intentions of running for office despite working for a Baltimore City law firm, found previous attempts at energizing the youth vote to be “bland.”

“Some colleagues were discussing holding a voter registration drive, and I found the idea of setting up a table outside of a grocery store or a Wal-Mart somewhat bland, and that we should find a reason to get people, especially young people, to specifically attend the voter registration drive. From my experience I’ve found that the one thing that is best able to draw a crowd of young people is a concert, and the ball got rolling accordingly to have a concert which was also a voter registration drive,” he added.

For the entertainment side of the event, Bowers turned to social networking sites like MySpace to find local bands that might be interested in rocking the vote.

After an online weeding-out process of nearly 100 bands and some last minute lineup changes, six bands will be playing at Rock’n’Register on Saturday, in the following arrangement:

2:00pm-2:45pm - King Vitamin
3:00pm-3:45 - The Niki Barr Band
4:00pm-4:45pm - Steel Nerve
5:00pm-5:45pm - Concrete Prophet
6:00pm-6:45pm - Yell vs. Chant
7:00pm-7:45 - Arlington Sleeps

The bands are from all over Maryland, but mostly from Harford, Cecil or Baltimore Counties, and represent a range of musical styles, Bowers said.

With the ball in motion, Harford Community College stepped up as the biggest sponsor of the event.

“They were excited about the idea and have been on board ever since,” Bowers said.

The Rock’n’Register team also reached out to political groups in Harford County, including the Young Democrats, Republicans and Green party. A number of politicians and elected officials are also expected to be on hand to talk to the young would-be voters. The Arena Club, who will be attending the event to provide information about their facility, chipped in with a financial donation.

In the true spirit of democracy, the door money from Rock’n’Register will be awarded based on a vote of attendees at the event.

The Harford County Board of Elections will be bringing two voting machines for newly registered voters to see before using them for real on November 4th. There will be a live ballot in the machines to vote for the overall best performing band, which local non-profit will benefit from the proceeds of the concert, and a few other questions.

The organizations hoping to secure the popular vote Saturday night, and bring home the much-needed cash, include the Humane Society of Harford County, Harford County Public Library, Harford Land Trust, Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office Children’s Advocacy Center and Hole in the Wall Gang Camps.

Bowers said the purpose of the event is multi-faceted, so as to not only register people to vote, but allow them to ask questions, connect to people and learn more about the political process and what and for whom they’re actually voting.

“This is the inaugural installation of Rock’n'Register, if you will, but if we can get the support for it, I am not opposed to making it an annual event, not solely on election cycles. There’s a new batch of young people turning 18 every year and it’d be a shame not to open up an opportunity like this to them to not only get them registered to vote, but to introduce them to the political system, allow them to meet members of political groups, etc.,” Bowers added.

Between songs BBT puffed on a cigarette and tackled a heckler or two…One of whom yelled, “Thanks for the smoke”…to which the errant Arkansas Ian quipped, “Well it’s not bad till you get with 30 feet of me…in the meantime why don’t you go outside, and beat your head against the side of our bus!”

Decked out in a satiny maroon suit, BBT led his band, The Boxmasters, through an array of music that reminded me of the great, short-lived band The Supersuckers. Fast, upbeat, country I’d call it. The bass player, Marty Rifkin, played peddle steel and bass and hails from Randallstown High in Baltimore.

The Boxmasters were first formed by Thornton and Grammy-winning producer and guitarist J.D. Andrew, and features Billy Bob Thornton on lead vocals, background vocals, drums and tambourine; J.D. Andrew on rhythm electric, acoustic guitar, bass and background vocals; Mike Butler on lead guitar and lap steel. When The Boxmasters hit the road — which they hit happily and hard –Mike Bruce sits in on drums, allowing Thornton to fulfill his duly appointed front man duties, and Teddy Andreadis on harmonica, organ and accordion, Brad Davis on mandolin, guitar, and background vocals and Marty Rifkin adds slide guitar.

Memories of an America gone stale, loss of innocence permeated the lyrics as flashes of all-night diners and checker board floors flash through my mind while it hitches a ride to the next images of growing up in a rural part of Maryland that is fast falling prey to urban sprawl.

Skulking around the stage, puffing, leading the band, signing autographs and tossing out downright funny and poignant one-liners, BBT rumbled through the first set with ease and purpose…and the interplay between numbers gave me a glimpse of this actor who never seemed to really be capable of being Karl Childers, that man-child of Slingblade that put Billy Bob on the map. Darn if I could see Childers and I tried to all night…and that’s likely the way he wants it.

BOXMASTERS SET:

Better By The Minute (cover)

Yesterday’s Gone (cover)

The Poor House (original - written by Billy Bob)

House At Pooh Corner (cover)

Sawmill (cover)

S*** List (original - written by Billy Bob)

I’ll Give You a Ring (original - written by Billy Bob and J.D. Andrew)

Build Your Own Prison (original - written by Billy Bob & Donnie Fritts)

The second set opened with Billy Bob on drums and he set a heckuva beat that was as good as any drummer around. Outfits were now short sleeves, casual country and comfortable. The relaxed atmosphere continues, with original compositions by the entire band, singularly or as collaborations. Good solid, get off your ass music, the likes of which I’d not heard before. This was my first BBT experience. And as Curly Bill says in “Tombstone” another of BBT’s films, the evening “was just capital”.

Emily (written by Billy Bob’s brother, Jimmy Don Thornton. From Billy Bob’s CD - ‘The Edge of the World’)

Hope For Glory (written by Billy Bob and Brad Davis. From Billy Bob’s CD - ‘Beautiful Door’)

Desperate One (written by Billy B, Brad Davis & Jim Mitchell. From Billy Bob’s CD - ‘The Edge of the World’)

Island Avenue (written by Billy Bob’s brother, Jimmy Don Thornton. From Billy Bob’s CD - ‘The Edge of the World’).

That Mountain (Written by Billy Bob and Marty Stuart, inspired by a story told to Billy Bob by Jim Varney [Vern]. (First appeared on Billy Bob’s CD - ‘Private Radio’ - re-arranged and appearing on ‘The Boxmasters’ CD.

THE BACKSTAGE EXPERIENCE

Many years ago I cultivated the art of getting backstage at concerts with my camera and getting to meet lots of super performers…like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Robert Redford, Red Sovine, Jeannie C. Riley, Sonny James, Johnny Paycheck…even presidential candidate Jimmy Carter…and so it was that I weaseled past security and got into the ‘green room’ smoothly. I had brought along a copy of the script for “Slingblade” that a pal had bought for me on e-bay and given to me as a Christmas present. Thornton wrote, directed and starred in the film of the same name.

A handful of the “J.D. SHELLNUT FOR SHERIFF” bumper stickers also.

Shellnut is a character mentioned in Slingblade, and immediately Billy Bob broke into a big, wide toothy grin…” You know his real name is J.P. Shellnut, but I had to change it for the film.”, he admitted to me and the three ladies in the room. They are members of BBT’s fan club, The Planeteers.

I was asked by one of them if I was a ‘planeteer’ and of course I said ‘yes’, even though I’d never heard of them. I gave Billy Bob a big hug and thanked him for signing my stuff and he hugged me back….and said,

“Thank you brother, this is very cool, the Shellnut thing especially,” he said, genuinely sincere and appreciative. No doubt about it, BBT is the real deal.

Not wanting to overstay or out play the true fans, I thanked BBT and headed out the door and into the night of our state’s capitol. Refreshed that I’d seen a unique and talented fellow, with a sizzlin’ band who is enjoying the money he’s made in film by playing the kind of music he loves to play and hanging with a band of pals who feel the same way.

Loaded with four signed “Shellnut for Sheriff” bumper stickers and the signed script of Slingblade, which included signatures of the late, great John Ritter, Robert Duval and Dwight Yoakum. My pals each got a signed bumper sticker and we headed up the road content with the entire evening.

The question we all ask each other is, ‘when he’s back in the area would you go again…”…and the answer is a definite yes, because The Boxmasters are fresh, unpredictable, talented, fun and full of life…a life that we all have tasted and dreamed of riding…and these guys are doing it….it surely isn’t for the money or fame…it’s for the joy of having fun with strangers and old pals…our little merry band of fans are part of that groove now.

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Todd Holden lives alone, but is not lonely, on a small plot of land near Forest Hill, that used to be called ‘The Big Woods”…to his knowledge there’s never been a murder there.

Turns out Dr. Howard (just call me Bill) has known and treated Ralph Stanley for years. ‘We’ve been pals a long time and my daughter, Patty, and me decided to ‘make it happen’ and approached the folks at John Carroll to provide the venue and take home the proceeds.” Dr. Howard is often seen on area television stations when sports injuries occur to professional athletes.

Yep, it was Ralph Stanley himself, trim at 81, suited out in black with a white Stetson. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears…in this trendy sports bar known as Looney’s North, a few heads got together among friends and Dr. Howard to figure a way to raise some funds for John Carroll School. How on earth in this mix of medicine and mentality the notion of Ralph Stanley coming to Bel Air for a fundraiser came up I’ll never know, but it did and sure as hell lots of folks who came and saw the icon were thrilled with the honor of his visit.

The house was perfect, not over-sold, not a bunch of muscle-heads trying to win at arm-wrestling, just a neat ‘three generation’ gathering of bluegrass music enthusiasts who like good food, beer and music. With that said, the stage was set for the show which started promptly at 4 on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

The patriarch of bluegrass and his five-piece band included men who’ve been with him over 40 years and a couple, including his grandson, Nathan Stanley, who’ve just done what comes naturally with ‘blood relatives’ — make the music you love.

Sunday’s line up at Looney’s was lead guitar, James Shelton, rhythm guitar and mandolin Nathan Stanley, Steve Sparkman on banjo, Dewey Brown, fiddle, and the ever popular Jack Cooke, standup bass. Just one look at these fellas and I knew I was in the presence of greatness…the first time I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them in person.

With a hearty “Welcome music lovers!” the boys got into some classics, each done after a proper introduction was made for that band member’s contributions over the years. Through the first tunes Ralph was playing ‘air banjo’ and amusing himself all the while.

He has been in the music business 62 years without a break and Nathan was proud to announce a litany of awards from President Reagan right up to an award due later this month from our present Commander in Chief. For much of the soundtrack on “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou”, a classic film by the Farley Brothers, Mr. Stanley won Grammy’s.

One of his opening numbers was “Oh Death” and its haunting lyric, without accompaniment was spellbinding. Such a powerful presence in such a peaceful body…that’s Ralph Stanley. He was in perfect voice and let it loose with “Lay Down Your Watch and Chain”, the gospel favorite, “I’ll Answer the Call”, “White Dove”….’we’ll all be together some day…’…and on and on, featuring each and every member of the Clinch Mountain Boys.

Then a rare treat from such a revered artist….he asked if anyone in the audience had a special request, to send it up to the band. The rendition of “Long Black Veil” was mesmerizing…for me the best song of the afternoon.

Years ago Ralph and the Boys played the famed New River Ranch, on Route 1 in Cecil County. Greats in country music played there often, and a ‘live’ recording of the band playing there in 1959 was on sale at today’s show with E.C. French, the tour bus driver and merchandise agent handling the cash.

Yet another high point was Ralph taking on Steve Sparkman’s banjo and playing it ‘claw hammer style’…no picks just fingers held together…and he was on the money as the tempo picked up and the band smoked on.

Tipping his Stetson a full head of silver hair shined like a halo and the boys tore into yet another request, “Rank Stranger”…another powerfully done arrangement. “Man of Constant Sorrow” and “Pretty Polly”, requested and delivered.

As over an hour’s playing continued non-stop, Mr. Stanley checked his watch and asked for more requests. “Sunny Side of the Mountain” and the last tune of the day, “Orange Blossom Special” lit Looney’s up as R.S. left the stage to sign autographs and chat with the fans. His parting words were, “God Bless America.”

Pimlico might have had Bob Dylan and a slew of other wild artists, but Looney’s had Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys…and the local music lovers were pleased. Thank you Mr. Stanley…and thank you Dr. Howard.

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Todd Holden, a photo-journalist who was hired with no experience and handed a camera and told to ‘just write what you see, tell the truth and be fair’…words offered by the late John D. Worthington,III…when he was hired by The Aegis in 1966. The rest is history.

First off, it is important to note that the Director had a bunch of her friends volunteering to help out. And from what I saw: making a film + friends = nobody is getting anything done. This is how the entire day of filming went. A group of more than eight friends happily tagged along as Production Assistants (PAs), but barely lifted a finger. And whenever the Director of Production (DP) tried to start filming, either the Director was in another room, or in the same room, but preoccupied with her friends.

Showing up at the first shooting location at 7 a.m. on a Saturday, I was greeted with a copy of the script. It was two and a half pages and was a comedic instructional video on how to be a mobster. When I say comedic, I mean it in the dullest sense here. Apparently 12 hours to write a solid script was not enough for one of the Director’s friends. The DP and I shot a look at each other and he said, “we’ll have to make this work.”

After shooting one quick scene at someone’s mother’s house, we all went to Loch Raven Reservoir for our second location. And when I say that we all went, just about all of us went except the Assistant Director (AD). This is pretty much unheard of because the AD is supposed to whip everyone into shape and make sure the filming moves along.

While at the reservoir, the shots went pretty smoothly, until we got to the scene with the detective. The actor had to take a few moments to throw up before some of the takes because he drank too much the night before and was severely hung over. I would assume the fact that he was wearing a suit in the sweltering heat didn’t help either. Interesting thing was, this detective is actually a police officer. When we finally got the right shots, the detective was driven home.

Our next filming location was at a house where we would turn the basement into a bar. Lighting was tricky down there, but it eventually came together. As the filming went on, the DP set up shots of the ceiling and asked the Director if it was good. Every time she said it was good. This was done to prove the point that she was not paying attention. As the Director became increasingly less available, the DP, lighting guy and even I started to direct some of the scenes. She was too busy dealing with things the AD should have been dealing with, or getting some food to eat when nobody else doing work on the film had eaten since 6 a.m. (this was now around noon).

Amongst the frustration and disorganization, one moment of fun and hilarity sprung up. For one scene, the wannabe mobster was supposed to get splashed with blood while cutting up a body with a saw. I was asked to squirt the blood, which was in a maple syrup bottle. We did two takes with no success as everyone laughed uncontrollably from the noise of the air escaping the squeeze bottle before the blood squirt. It does sound funny. Finally we got the shot. It was over the top as the lighting guy, acting as the Director, yelled repeatedly to splash again and again and again. The entire contents of the bottle ended up on the actor and the stand-in Director yelled, “that’s pure comedy!”

Following the blood spray, PAs were asked to clean up. Almost all of them started to leave the room and so I started cleaning up. Eventually two other guys jumped in to help. At that point I was ready for the day to be over. And it pretty much was as we went to the final location, ate some frozen BJ’s Wholesale Club lasagna and did the final shots out in the heat, which the Director seemed more concerned about than getting the right material for the film. Things finally wrapped up and the three people who did the most work on the shoot, myself included, bolted to our cars and to my place for some beers.

Thinking about what we shot, I felt the film could really come together and be respectable. And then I got a text message from the DP the next day. He said the Director had edited the film and it was running two minutes in length. Problem was the Baltimore 48 Hour Film Project requires a minimum of four minutes. Then came the line that almost made me sick to my stomach: “she added two minutes of filler.” I remember thinking, “we didn’t even shoot enough for two minutes of filler.” This is clearly something that should have been avoided. The rule is for every one page of script, you get about one minute of film. With a two and a half page script you would never get a four-minute film. This was the biggest oversight that could have happened.

Before actually seeing the final product I cringed to think what two minutes of filler would do to it. But as it would have it, the filler did not destroy the film. What did destroy the film is that it was not funny and many of the cuts edited into the finished product were ones the DP and I would not have picked. And the blood scene was cut down to just a few seconds, dropping its comedy factor significantly.

In cases like these you work hard on something but ultimately have no control over how it will turn out. The whole project was a fiasco, but on the bright side I got experience and met some cool people. And as it was said to me later, “you learned exactly what not to do.”

With the case of many films, such as Pan’s Labyrinth, The Dark Knight may have fallen victim to too much praise before its release. Building the film up to phenomenal status will leave some movie viewers less than satisfied once the closing credits roll. For example, at the midnight showing I attended, there was a relatively young crowd writhing in their seats. Some with Joker face paint and some with Batman attire. Random bouts of cheering took place before the film started. But after the two and a half hours, not one shout of excitement rang out. I will say the most astounding thing to me was the fact that the crowd was dead silent throughout the entire movie. No side conversations and no text messaging on cell phones.

Now that some of the bad has been revealed, let me move onto the highlights of the film. The writing and acting done for the Joker was nothing short of genius. With Nolan and his brother Jonathan obviously working hard to create a dark, quirky and fiendishly pleasing clown villain, it was great to see a near perfect translation to the big screen. Ledger more than kept the movie alive, he was the movie in my opinion. Everything about the Joker’s wit and sadistic love for chaos keeps viewers glued to the story, while the mannerisms and voice acting of Ledger keep everyone yearning to continually see him on the screen.

As I sat and watched I found myself utterly astounded by Ledger and the Joker’s character. Never before have I seen such a dark character written and acted to the point where I could not get enough. From the exhilarating opening bank robbery to the moments of insight into the madness of the brightly painted freak, I could not let go. Which may have turned out to be a bit of a bad thing as I found myself not caring about any other characters in the film. Christian Bale was flat as Batman and everyone else just seemed blah compared to Ledger’s vivid character.

Overall, everyone should see this film at least once. The first hour and a half is stupendous. The downfall of the film was in the last hour or so. A certain character, which will remain unnamed should not have even been attempted to be put in the movie. As one moviegoer accurately put it, “the last hour didn’t add anything to the film.”

As said before, this film draws a B+ from me, mainly by the grace of Nolan’s Joker writing, superior directing and awesome cinematography and Ledger’s Joker acting. It is just too bad Ledger is not around to share his amazing talents with the masses anymore. His screen presence will be missed, especially after people see The Dark Knight and realize he and his character carried the entire film.

Arrington is a Baltimore city native and resident of Abingdon; he is founder and owner of the BB&G Club (Baltimore Ballers and Gamers Club). He used to own a small video store on Eastern Avenue where he and some friends began playing video games. Back in the day, they’d participate in the underground tournaments.

So you’d think he had skill then with the joy stick right? “I absolutely stunk! The level of competition was fierce,” he says.

Still that didn’t stop him then and it doesn’t stop him now. He’s turned his passion for video games into a local club and he’s spreading the word. And although he’s got a good following he wants to turn Maryland into a powerhouse of play.

The average age of the competition might shock you. We aren’t talking about the kids that didn’t make it into the Scripps National Spelling Bee, here. According to Arrington most are in their 20’s all the way up to their 30’s. Most have regular day jobs but a few chosen ones have turned it into a profession and actually make a living at it.

In spite of the hectic schedule that Arrington keeps, especially during the run up to the tournament, you get the feeling that he wouldn’t change it for anything. As a father of four children, it’s a family affair in the Arrington household. His kids are into video games and his wife, Tee, also gets into Madden.

So you think you got what it takes in Halo, Madden, or Call of Duty (to name a few)? Well, be forewarned these games are played at the highest level of competition. “This is no watered-down type stuff,” Arrington proclaims. This is hard-core.

Is it in you? Simply go to http://www.baltimoreballersandgamers.com and register. Individual registration costs $25-$30 and teams of two are $55, teams of four are $100. With up to $10,000 in cash and prizes being doled out, you’ll have your work cut out for you.

The tournament begins at 10 a.m., don’t be late. And don’t forget your stick!

Other players to watch for: Bud from Tampa, Greg from Philadelphia, and Manny from Harrisburg. These players are ranked among the best in the world.