RELEASE THE DJANGO!

And the first really good film of 2013 is …

Django Unchained

Let’s start by saying a LOT of ink has been (and will be) written about everything from gratuitous racial slurs and OTT bloodshed to historical inaccuracies and racial issues. Which makes Django Unchained like every other Tarantino film, really. And like all of his films, Tarantino wears his influences proudly on his sleeve, which is always going to put certain people off.

But as a Spaghetti Western tribute film, it’s very well done. And it’s also very well-written, with memorable characters, some brilliant performances (Christoph Waltz does it again) and snappy dialogue driving a story that’s fairly straightforward but a good one for the genre. The only real drawback is the length, but then Sergio Leone isn’t exactly known for brevity, so okay.

As for the above-mentioned distractions, all I can say for now is, if you do a slave-gets-revenge film and you get people talking about the rights and wrongs and morality and justification thereof, you’ve made a good film.

The “D” is silent,

This is dF

dEFROG ON 45 #48: WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN IN THE CALIFORNIA TOWN

Previous episodes of this series have mentioned Stevie Nicks and her general ubiquity on the radio in the late 70s/early 80s.

One thing I forgot to mention was that, in addition to Fleetwood Mac and her subsequent solo career, Stevie also seemed to be doing guest vocals for just about everyone else, though by “everyone else” I mean mainly Tom Petty.

But there was also John Stewart.

No, not that one.

This one.

It’s entirely possible that Stewart is another one of those artists like Nick Gilder who sold a lot more 45s than actual albums. My only evidence is that I have the 45, but couldn’t even tell you what album the song is from without Googling it.

Anyway, listening to this again, I’m struck by how simplistically catchy it still is (to say nothing of the fact that I still can’t understand half the lyrics to it). Then I imagine it without Stevie Nicks’ voice on it, and it suddenly seems like less than the sum of its parts. I couldn’t say why, but Nicks just adds the right something to the song to make it work better than it probably should.

Make of that what you will.

Throw in my guitar,

This is dF

GUN LAWS? WHAT GUN LAWS? I KNOW NO GUN LAWS …

ITEM: Dozens of county sheriffs publicly declare that they won't enforce the Obama administration's new gun laws, whatever they turn out to be.

Which I mention because this gets to the heart of why I’m not in favor of banning guns, and also why I don't think that more gun regulations will do anything to prevent the next mass school shooting. 

I’m not against gun regulation per se – so I should stress up front that I’m looking at this strictly from the main argument from anti-gun people that we need these laws to prevent another Sandy Hook.

But the fact is all the regulations in the world won’t stop the next Sandy Hook (including a total ban on guns) precisely because too many police are opposed to them and will not bother to enforce them simply out of patriotic duty.

Even if they wanted to, the fact of the matter is that millions of Americans (starting with the NRA, but plenty more besides their membership roster) will not give up their guns, and will find ways to get more of them.

The best analogy I can come up with is recreational drugs. They’re mostly illegal, and yet lots of otherwise law-abiding citizens still manage to get hold of them and use them. Why? Because they want to, they don’t see why they should be illegal, and someone is more than willing to supply it to them.

And that’s for something you don’t have a constitutional right to use. You think everyone in the NRA is going to shrug their shoulders and say, “Well boys, it was fun while it lasted”?

Not a chance. Legally or illegally, guns will still remain in circulation among the general populace, often with the complicity of the local police (depending on the jurisdiction, of course) and sooner or later the next Adam Lanza will go on a killing spree.

That sucks, yes. But that’s just how it is.

Having said all that, it’s only fair to add that if restricting gun access won’t prevent future school shootings, neither will arming teachers, students and local vigilantes. That might work in Wayne LaPierre’s little John Wayne Fantasyland that he entertains in his head where everyone is armed at all times, ready to fend off bad guys, Injuns and Socialists and save the day at a moment’s notice. In the real world, people panic under pressure and crazy people don’t really care if you shoot back.

From my cold dead fingers,

This is dF