Today I'm going to try something new, and dedicate a blog post to someone I care about. We're going to call this one a
Care Package. I hope to do more of this type of post in the future.
In this installment, the Care Package goes out to my boyfriend, comedian,
Matt Aromando. Things about Matt you may or may not know: he likes
Nirvana,
Sailor Jerry Rum, and playing
pinball. Here are three good documentaries that discuss all of these topics.
Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry documents the life of Norman K. Collins aka Sailor Jerry, famed tattoo artist from the 1940's and 50's, and rum producer. Setting up shop in Hawaii, Collins pretty much brought tattooing to mainstream America. Tattoos went from being a criminal signature to a cute thing a young sailor could get as a souvenir while on tour. His tattoos were pretty risque for the time, but now they're a cool vintage statement. While his style might be considered a bit cutesy to current tattoo standards, Collins was no wuss. According to the film, Collins owned a pet monkey that he kept in his tattoo shop, which he personally tattooed. Watch the movie to find out what it said and... where he put it on the monkey. Also find out
Ed Hardy's connection to the Sailor Jerry legacy, and how the title of this movie is a tad bit racist. (It's okay if you already got it).
Hype! was directed in 1996 by Doug Pray, making this one an oldie but a goody. I don't know if it's just me, but I find older documentaries harder to take seriously because the topic could have advanced further past the date of the film. Like reading a science text book from the mid 1980s that doesn't have all the elements on the periodic table. However, this film benefits from being made right at the end, if not still during the grunge music craze. All of the opinions and knowledge are still fresh. This is truly an eye-opening documentation of how the genre began and how it got over-hyped. Of course Nirvana is a big part of this film, but it focuses on a lot of popular and not so popular grunge era bands from the Pacific Northwest.
Special When Lit discusses the history of a forgotten pastime, pinball machines. Why this documentary is important: you learn where in the world you can still play pinball, who has unreal amounts of pinball machines in their possession, where the Pinball Museum is located, the evolution of the machine, and the fact that pinball was illegal in America at one point. Also, if you've ever seen a
Bally Total Fitness, and then got really confused when you saw the same logo on a pinball machine in a bar, you have made the correct connection, they are owned by the same company (whether that makes sense or not). Definitely watch if you like pinball, and it's still interesting even if you don't.
I hope you all will enjoy this care package as much I think Matt will. Maybe some day if you get in my good graces, you too will find something special in your rss feed.
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