Consie

The biggest hit of 70's supergroup Emerson Lake & Palmer was an experimental cover of Copland's classic Fanfare for the Common Man. It was a top 5 hit in the US and UK in 1977. [flash=450,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGuDqZO_G2E.swf Is it a silly, dated, synthesized butchering of one of the 20th century's most revered classical compositions? Or is it an utter classic, a genre-defying work of brazen genius that could have only occured in the 1970's? Or does it just bring you back to Montreal '76? :lol:

I know this sounds more like "Lounge"-fare but it brings up greater issues of culture, consumerism and commercialism, and "Americanization." Note this BBC article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6103436.stm French shun Halloween 'gimmicks' Halloween is seen as "too American" by some Halloween is said to be dying in France after a short-lived bonanza, according to media reports. It seems the festival, which came to prominence in the late 1990s, is in decline because it is perceived as "too American". An association called No to Halloween - which was set up to combat the trend - has now wound down as a result of the festival's waning appeal. It said Halloween was artificially inflated to serve commercial interests. "There was no need for the group to exist any more," former president Arnaud Guyot-Jeannin told Reuters news agency. "Halloween was a marketing gimmick aimed mainly at children. It's a big festival of consumption selling outfits, masks, gadgets and it couldn't last forever," he added. As a result, supermarkets are reported have lost interest in the festival this year. "Apart from a few local celebrations, Halloween is no longer taken into account by our stores," Thierry Desouches of Systeme U supermarket told Catholic newspaper La Croix. "This lack of interest is real in all big-name supermarkets," he added. "Our Halloween sales have been falling by half every year since 2002," Franck Mathais of toy retailer La Grande Recre told Le Monde newspaper. 'Anti-Americanism' Benoit Pousset, head of costume company Cesar, attributed the festival's demise to "a cultural reaction linked to the rise of anti-Americanism". The company itself is thriving in the US where - through its division Disguise - it provides one-third of all the Halloween costumes sold in the country. Opposition to the festival is especially strong in French religious quarters, with the Catholic church seeking to promote All Saints' Day as the celebration of choice at this time of year. Halloween grew alongside other "Anglo-Saxon" imports such as Valentine's Day or the stag or hen party which have become increasingly popular in recent years, correspondents say. So I'm wondering if people from other countries celebrate it (though I realize this forum is decidedly Anglo-centric ;)). Even still, is Halloween also an English tradition or just a "new" holiday invented by corporations to get Brits to buy candy and fake blood? And if so, did it work?

"UFO sightings, and never by anyone intelligent, have you noticed that? A UFO has never landed at Harvard or Yale or Princeton. It's always two assholes with Coors beer in a recreational vehicle. 'I saw it, i saw it! I was skinnin rabbits and there it was!!'" Oh how I love Joan Rivers. She adds, "And a saucer has never landed on a Jewish lawn because we would turn it over to see who made it! Oh SHHH" :lol: :lol:

Season of the Witch!! [flash=450,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wqOqs_aR2I.swf What a terrible, terrible film. Anyway, obviously none are as good as the original.

CHIME! Absolutely love. It's a sentimental favorsite of mine, which sounds absurd because I was a bit too young to catch wind of it when it was released. I first heard it in 1998 so it reminds me of that summer especially. Ladytron is fantastic! my favorite is perhaps their most commercial Playgirl. I definitely agree Aly, there have been a whole slew of Benassi ripoffs since 2003's Satisfaction. Global DJ's, Royal Gigilos, Vinylshakerz, and the new releases you mentioned. Don't know if you can credit the whole electro-house genre to Benassi but still...

The KLF is truly LEGENDARY. I read their 1992 Brit award was found months later buried in a field somewhere!! Right, Moaner is way better than Born Slippy. Fantastic list so far, btw! Most of these songs are new to me.

It's so sad that the only video I sat and watched in full was B*Witched! :P Anyway of course the list isn't perfect. Personally the biggest insult to me is the top 20 position of the wretched Pussycat Dolls. Do carry on!!! :D :D

LOVE your #1 - absolutely timeless. That exact song could be released to clubs tomorrow and be huge. :D :D

Maybe it was always supposed to be a duet, but personally I find it annoying as such. Everytime he sings "But when you touch me like this" and that girl moans "TOUCH YOU LIKE THIS!" I cringe. I really don't like the girl at all and I don't think she has the proper voice for the song. Now back on I'd Do Anything for Love, when "Ms. Loud" croons "WOULD YA HOSE ME DOWN WITH HOLY WATER" with her deep, powerful, stirring voice - that is a proper Meat Loaf duet.

It looks fantastic! And not only is this new Bond a bit more "gritty" as others have said, but he is HOT. Brosnan was treading water with his sort of lovely, gentlemenly aesthetic. It's about time Bond was DAMN SEXY again. :lol:

The Hollywood types and Madonna situations aside, I don't think the act of adopting a foreign child in general bears any comparison to colonial-era racism. I've met several people over the years who've adopted impovershed, orphaned, sick children from Thailand, Russia, and Haiti. I don't think it's racist to say that a child will have better access to healthcare and education in London than a destitute Malawian village. But the topic on hand is the Madonna adoption and that is suspicious because it seems like such a trendy thing to do these days...

I saw two VH1 idiot commentators arguing over which song was ultimately the worst ever made "We Built This City" or "The Final Countdown" by Europe. I had a fit and downloaded both immediately! Along with the much-loathed "Jump" by Van Halen, these synth-assisted power rock songs are a joy :lol: Although I will say at least you and can I can recognize WHY the press and music snobs hate them!

Awful!

"Worst song ever," my ass Blender Magazine!!! :P It's a LEGENDARY guilty pleasure! And tigerboy changing the name from Airplane to Starship wasn't even the strangest name change - in 1991 they officially changed their name to "Jefferson Starship The Next Generation" :lol:

The anti-stem cell camp is an utter JOKE. a TINY group of religious nutcases. The fact that Bush has given legitimacy to this group is LUDACROUS.

Oh Grimly you slay me :lol: I know this isn't the cinema forum, but have you seen "The Day The Earth Stood Still?"

Definitely The Hills Have Eyes. I want to be sentimental and say Scream because it was my favorite film from about age 12 to age 16... but I think it peaks in the first scene with Drew Barrymore and never again matches that intensity or terror. Also I blame Scream for the godawful teen slasher genre that followed throughout the 90's...

I must admit I immediately thought of Bloodhound Gang "The Bad Touch"

A lot of Jewish, Muslim, etc. people here celebrate Christmas. They have a tree, put lights up, and St Nick comes on Christmas night and leaves presents, etc. They just don't celebrate the Christian part of Christmas. All of this is rather amusing to me because it shows the whole Christmas celebration has become so cultural and far removed from the actual religious tradition that people of all faiths celebrate it.

How about Rosemary's Baby? A very tense, disturbing film leading to a positively shocking conclusion. This was groundbreaking in 1968 and directly led to films like The Exorcist and The Omen. It doesn't terrify or startle me, but it still really creeps me out to this day...

Weird Al has been doing these for 20 years! He's not legally required to get permission from the original artists, but he always does. Back in 1996, Coolio publicly stated that he didn't give permission for the parody of his Gangster's Paradise (the fantastic "Amish Paradise") and Weird Al was very apologetic. Anyway most people think he DID give permission but then later denied it. The original artists do get royalties.

Well ideologically the US or especially Israel would seem to be the biggest target as you said, but an attack would be much easier to carry out in Britain, since there are far more Muslims already in the country and many more direct links to the Middle East. Personally I think if this report is true, it shows al-Qaeda has totally lost focus and become a crackpot organization of thugs just wanting to injure anyone they can...

Finally I'll add that one thing is clear. This is NOT about the Olympics. Not a single person on here would be personally inconvenienced if they moved the ceremonies forward a couple weeks. This discussion reveals a much more serious contention between many British non-Muslims and Muslims. It's been fascinating, thanks for the points everone has added.

I always tell people, I am a strict secularist no matter what. To me, that is not a left or right position... sadly it seems most political parties are too timid to take it on... Thanks for the compliment, I'd like to think the "just shoot the ****ers" comments are made by people who will eventually grow up...

You know Halloween is really the only Carpenter film I enjoy... and of course I meant the original Halloween (not any of the wretched sequels). Yet another film in the franchise is in the works. Written by Carpenter, the film has been delayed because of the tragic death of Moustapha Akkad in the Jordan terrorist attacks last year...