Time (Life Is Short meets A Moment In Time)

Life Is Short is an as-need series documenting the films we just couldn't make it through. We like to refer to these movies as "Damsels in Distress." Previous entries are here and here.

Before we get to the two films I pulled the plug on, let's remind ourselves of the healing power of live rock 'n' roll.

Music
On Monday night I took a chance on nostalgia and was rewarded. I was curious to see the Japanese thrashers Melt Banana (see the video below) at the Launchpad. On a Monday night. A late show. When I got there, I realized that the band wasn't scheduled to go on until 12:15. On a Monday night. Make that a Tuesday morning.

I had seen the band (then a foursome) about 20 years ago at Chicago's Lounge Ax. They were ear-splitting but oh-so charming. They would play songs in the time it takes a mid-sized car to go from zero to 60, and the lead singer would screech a little "thank you!"

I decided to go down the street with a friend to chat about the sad state of the world over a looong cocktail. I still had energy at 12:15, so we went back to the Launchpad. The band hit the stage promptly, fired up their computerized drum and bass and launched their assault. Yako held a device with brightly colored lights; I assume it was some sort of remote control. Agata, donning a health face mask, assaulted his guitar strings. A mosh pit ensued.

It washed over me for 25 minutes, before I headed home to bed, ears ringing. All my problems leeched from my body. What a lovely sight, to see a younger generation get to experience that.

Movies
I tuned out of two Netflix streams recently. "Hit So Hard," a documentary about Patty Schemel, the drummer for Courtney Love's band Hole turned out to be a tedious recounting of the time 20 years ago of barely interesting people who all had drug addictions and now have nothing interesting to say. Sorry, Patty; RIP.

The British mob romp "44-Inch Chest" started out promising, with a smart intro to Nilsson's "Can't Live." Much macho chatter ensued. I was cranky and didn't have the patience. I vow to give it another chance.

The box score on the two interrupted films:

Title: HIT SO HARD
Running Time: 103 min
Elapsed Time at Plug Pull:  44 min
Portion Watched: 43%
My Age at Time of Viewing: 50 YRS, 11 MO.
Average Male American Lifespan: 81.2 YRS.
Watched/Did Instead: Went to sleep
Odds of Re-viewing This Title: 25-1

Title: 44-INCH CHEST
Running Time: 94 min
Elapsed Time at Plug Pull: 20 min
Portion Watched: 21%
My Age at Time of Viewing: 50 YRS, 11 MO.
Average Male American Lifespan: 81.2 YRS.
Watched/Did Instead: Went to sleep
Odds of Re-viewing This Title: 3-1

BONUS TRACK
Here's a good representation, from earlier in their tour, of the 20 minutes or so that I enjoyed of Melt Banana's performance on Monday night: