the groundhog day project

It was apparently a coin toss that decided Ritchie Valens versus Tommy Allsup (Holly's guitarist for the Winter Dance Party tour). And Holly's bass player for the tour, Waylon Jennings, gave up his seat to the Big Bopper because the Big Bopper was sick. The tour bus wasn't broken down, but reportedly had broken down at least once so far on the tour. It was the eleventh night of the tour, a Monday, a school night, but Clear Lake's Surf Ballroom was filled with 1100 teens that night. Claire Suddath, writing for Time , 3 February 2009, explains: The musicians had been traveling by bus for over a week and it had already broken down once. They were tired, they hadn't been paid yet and all of their clothes were dirty. With the airplane [Holly had chartered], Holly could arrive early, do everyone's laundry and catch up on som rest. The need to do some laundry. A coin toss. A bus that was too cold for this winter tour. An exhausting schedule. And you die. Doesn...

The opening shot of The Buddy Holly Story is a neon sign above the Moonlight Rollerway. The sign is, of course, the shape of a crescent moon. Something bright in the night sky, but also something partially hidden from view. It's actually a pretty good way to start this or any biopic. Take the stuff we already know about a particular artist, take some significant moments that maybe we don't know about and try to paste them all together to make a story. I don't dislike The Buddy Holly Story but there isn't much of a story to it. I said yesterday that it feels like more a series of vignettes. This is, in a way, the formula of any biopic, not just this one. Well, musician biopics, at least. And it almost has to be. Filmmakers trying to tackle a musician/celebrity seem to always want to tell--and this distinction matters--a complete story rather than a complete story . Compare any biopic like this-- The Buddy Holly Story , La Bamba , Walk the Line , Ray , even Straight ...

I'm watching The Buddy Holly Story tonight. It's already late when I'm starting because, well, because life is a busy thing and I was feeling like I was getting sick earlier today--ended my argumentation class a bit early, even--and slept a bit this afternoon, had to take my daughter to gymnastics this evening. The Buddy Holly Story is an interesting case because it's actually been a good amount of years since I've watched it last... In fact, I don't really remember the last time I watched it, nor the first. And it's not like there are particular times watching it in between that stand out. But, this is movie that I saw plenty when I was young, and by release date, it came next, after Star Wars . This was my mom's movie, really. She grew up on Buddy Holly music. And, that mean's I grew up on Buddy Holly music. And Pink Floyd, and Journey, and Duran Duran... I had my mom's music, my dad's music, and six older sisters' music. Different in...