Well, dear readers, yet another great mom and pop store, this time Laser Blazer, is closing its doors. Laser Blazer began life on Overland in West Los Angeles. I was a customer from the beginning – that was the place to get laserdiscs in the late 1980s. They moved to bigger quarters on Pico Blvd. a few years later, and there they flourished into the DVD market. You could go there, browse, and because I was friendly with the owner, Ron, I could always get the next week’s releases several days before street date. You could chat with the staff, joke with the other customers, and browse. In 2002 we did the release party for the DVD of The First Nudie Musical there, and it was wonderful. I must admit that I didn’t get there very often after that, as I just wasn’t in that neighborhood very much, but when I was I always stopped in and picked up a few things.
Last Saturday I ran into owner Ron as I was going into Jerry’s Deli. He told me he didn’t think the store would last out the year. The customer base had simply dried up, thanks to the older folks having pretty much what they want on DVD and not getting into Blu and Ray, and the younger folks who only want things if they’re in the five-dollar bin or on sale for seventy-percent off online. Yes, entitlement rears its ugly little head again. And today, the announcement came that they close their doors forever on December 29th. What is wrong with this picture? What is wrong with this world? Listen, I like the ease of amazon and other online jernts as much as the next fellow. But during the last decade we’ve simply lost the need to be around other human beings, to have shared experiences. Mom and pop stores, whether record stores, CD stores, bookstores, or what have you, were a communal thing. There was always the thrill of browsing and discovering something you didn’t know existed. There was the charm of meeting a fellow collector or someone with your interests and striking up a conversation. There was the mom and/or pop owner of the store who you could chat up and learn from. There was the thrill of the chase for collector folk. And that world is gone now. People live on their devices – it’s all they care about. They would rather text that be with someone face to face and, in fact, if they’re with someone face-to-face they’re usually texting someone else. They need to converse, but only via a device. It’s the weirdest thing – this need to have constant connectivity but not actually WITH people. You can’t browse (in any meaningful way) on amazon. You can’t pick something up and hold it in your hands on amazon. I don’t like to put it all on one generation, but I’m afraid that’s where a lot of the blame goes. It’s all about them, all about free, all about the latest and greatest, all about wasting lives in addiction to video games, about getting wasted, about the lowest common denominator in all things. Obviously there are those of the current generation who are not like that, but the majority, unfortunately, are. I’m fortunate enough to know some fantastic young people who aren’t – who treasure literature, good music, classic film, classic Broadway, good conversation, shared laughter, shared experience.
And so the city loses another store. So what? No one cares. Well, I care. I miss the mom and pop stores. I miss the days when my daughter and I could go store-hopping all day, one after another – she met wonderful people, she discovered books and records, we ate at wonderful little jernts – it was a time that none of us ever thought would disappear. We took it for granted. And now it’s like the halcyon days. I mean, I had a wonderful luncheon yesterday with dear reader Jose at Musso and Frank, one of the last of the great LA eateries. While we were sitting there, in walks Richard Sherman. It was perfect. Afterwards, I walked across the street to what once was the most popular cinema bookstore in the world, Larry Edmunds. In their old location, there used to be so many people in there you could barely squeeze in. Yesterday, it was me. Alone. And that’s the way it is every day there. I don’t know how they stay in business, frankly. Sad, sad, sad (that is three sads).
End of rant and nostalgia. The rest of yesterday was fine. I was awakened once again by the ringing of the telephonic device (it’s really getting to be a bore, frankly). I got up, did work on the computer, and then did a two-mile jog because I didn’t have time to do the full four-mile jog. Then it was lunch with Jose, then picking up a few packages (more Maigret!), and then a meeting with Michael Sterling of Vitello’s, where, beginning January 8, the Kritzerland shows will be happening. Then I finally came home, did more work on the computer, and finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray, the extended version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the version originally shown on Swedish television. For the film release, it was cut by thirty minutes. I loved the film version and I always worry about extended versions, most of which simply aren’t of any interest to me. But this extended version played beautifully – some of the additional material was very slight – longer shots and stuff like that, but there were several other scenes that I felt really helped the piece and clarified certain things. These extended versions are as shown on TV – in two parts. They are also in the TV ratio of 1.78. The movie version was shown in scope and I liked that framing, but both ratios are correct (the show was shot in Super 35, which is a process that has adaptable ratios without losing any quality – James Cameron shoots in it all the time) – the original ratio was for TV but the scope was original in its own way, too. The 1.78 framing is fine – it just doesn’t seem as movie-ish as the scope version, but that’s to be expected. The transfer quality is not top-notch, but it gets the job done. The story is compelling (even more so in the longer version), and the acting from everyone is absolutely superb, especially the leading man, and the amazing performance of Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth. There is none of that horrid whispery acting on view – everyone speaks nice and loud and you can hear it all without straining. I know that folks weren’t that keen on the two subsequent films, but I’m really looking forward to those extended versions – I enjoyed the short versions but felt there was probably a lot of stuff left out, and in the case of The Girl Who Played With Fire, there is almost an hour of additional material. If you haven’t seen this yet, I’d recommend either version – they’re both wonderful, and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo plays as a self-contained film should you not want to do the other two.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get some beauty sleep.
Today, I thought I had a Christmas partay to go to, but as it turns out, it’s tomorrow. So, I shall do errands and whatnot, finish writing liner notes for two releases, prep said releases, hopefully pick up packages and an important envelope, perhaps visit Mystery and Imagination Books for all the reasons in part one of these here notes, and I may even go down to Laser Blazer to hang out. We shall see. I’ll also eat something light but amusing and watch The Girl Who Played With Fire extended edition (each of these extended editions runs three hours), and maybe even a motion picture on DVD – I got the sale Warner Archive DVDs yesterday, so there’s a little pile of those to be watched.
Tomorrow, I have a work session with Grant Geissman, and then I’ll make a very brief appearance at a Christmas partay and then watch The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. I dread the US remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – but I’m sure I’ll have to see it. Next week will be very busy, and then I’m basically done for the rest of the year, with only writing the remaining Outside The Box episodes and continuing to make notes for the new book.
Well, why don’t we all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, why don’t we all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, why don’t we all dance the Hora or the samba, for today is the birthday of Mr. Bollywood himself, MBarnum. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to Mr. Bollywood himself, MBarnum. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO MR. BOLLYWOOD HIMSELF, MBARNUM!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the four-mile jog, write liner notes, do errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up packages and an important envelope, eat something light but amusing, and watch motion pictures. Today’s topic of discussion: How do you feel about the loss of mom and pop stores, and even the bigger chains? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall hopefully dream of the halcyon days of store hopping.