All In a Year's Work

Finishing up my last day of work for the year at Norman Rockwell Museum, I thought I would try and collect a few thoughts. 2015 has certainly had it's share of highlights. Maybe I should start backwards... 

Since Norman Rockwell was known for his Christmas-themed illustrations, the holidays are always a big time of year for us. This month I had all kinds of press contacting me, including WIRED, a lifestyle website in Brazil, and WDEL Radio's "Saturday HotSpot"—the latter showed up on my radar a year ago, when host Frank Gregory called with interest in doing a segment on the Museum for the holidays. I guess it went well, because Gregory (a self-proclaimed Rockwell fan), had me on his show not once but twice over the past month. Here is the generous segment we did on November 7, where I talked about everything from our history, holiday events, and traveling exhibitions, to our new show on illustrator Harvey Dunn (who just happened to start his career in Wilmington, Delaware, where the station is based- lucky coincidence):

"CBS Sunday Morning" also called, looking for material on Mary Doyle Keefe, the model for Rockwell's "Rosie The River" (who passed away last April). Did we have any interview footage with Keefe? Yes, one of countless interviews I have conducted with Rockwell models over the years. I sent them a portion of a video I did with Keefe back in 2002, and you can hear a portion of it included in their "Passages" segment, which aired this past Sunday. 

Fortunately, I had the chance to create a few video productions of my own for the Museum this past year. The latest was this promo for our annual fund (not too late to donate, folks):

2015 was all about trying to master our new HD camera, and Adobe Premiere Pro. Final Cut Pro still feels more intuitive for me (maybe because I have been using it for so long), so I continue to use that editing software at home. I guess it doesn't hurt to be well-versed across platforms. 

All aboard... the simple pleasures at NRM.
Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Sometimes I keep it "low-tech" and just pull out my iPad or Android and start filming things, like I did with a recent trip down Main Street Stockbridge, immortalized in Rockwell's "Home for Christmas" painting. You can watch my "quickie" edit here. 

A couple things to point out about that video: how lucky I was that at the end of my drive, there was a car turning down the main road with Christmas tree attached to the roof (just like in the painting!). I also liked the way this quickie synced up with the Vince Guaraldi Trio (holiday music that gets me in the spirit every year). Others seemed to agree, as the video received over 400 likes and was shared nearly 300 times on Facebook...not bad for a quick, creative exercise to promote our holiday events.

Of course, my creativity connected me in other wonderful ways this year. I had the chance to interview New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast for a video featured in our summer exhibition. It was fun to get a glimpse of her Ridgefield, Connecticut studio, and learn how she comes up with her ideas. I will also never forget our trip to New Haven to take part in an interview for WNPR. I keep thinking the trip, sprinkled with idiosyncratic moments (all mine!), might make it into one of her cartoons. I really enjoyed discussing comics (a longtime passion of mine) with this true professional...who was as nice and normal as can be.

Dear God, how many years?... JC @ NRM, Oct. 2015

I had the chance to share my love of the movies this year as well, as the Museum took me up on the idea to go "back in time" during our classic car show. Where else would I have the opportunity to run around dressed as Marty McFly, while sharing my love of Back To The Future? I would have never guessed, 15 years ago, that I would end up overseeing such an event, but here I was welcoming filmmakers and car owners connected with my favorite film series of all time, and having an absolute blast. Like the films, it is all in the details... and Rockwell's work seems to echo through that first movie, set in the 1950s- an enthusiastically-received and attended event, to be sure.

Interactive experience at NRM (and I'm not talking
about any of my digital material featured in this display)

I can't say it has always felt "Rockwellian" this past year, and there were times where I have felt a bit down (usually due to politics, and the shifting balance of creating and facilitating). On one such occasion this past month, I decided to head down to the Museum and try to take some photos. I ended up chatting with some visitors who were using one of our new interactives, and had the chance to entertain them with some stories about the Museum, Rockwell, and the many models and characters related to this world that I had gotten to know over the past decade. Their laughter and enthusiasm really changed my day, and reminded me of the reason we are working here... to share this artist's work with current and future generations. On my way out, I heard someone yell, "hey Marty!" and it turned out to be a couple who had attended our Back To The Future day, enjoyed my talks and screenings, and ended up being one of the last visitors to leave that day. I think I need to visit the front lines more often.

Peace on earth. I can't think of a better
holiday greeting...

Finally, as someone active and interested in peace action efforts, I must mention our exhibition at the United Nations, which was such a tremendous opportunity for all involved. I know I speak for the Museum when I say how honored we were to share Rockwell's work with the over 65,000 visitors, global leaders and representatives (including Pope Francis), who visited the show over the summer and early fall. Representing the Museum, coordinating the press conference at the UN, and attending the opening reception with my wife were real highlights; my counterpart at the UN was wonderful to work with, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson were both extremely supportive of the exhibition. But the biggest thrill was learning that it was my online video of Rockwell's United Nations drawing that caught the attention of UN representatives in the first place, and inspired the show (which included the video). How do you top that for outreach?

Quite a year. My 15th anniversary, in fact. It's been a long and challenging road, but I know I have made a difference at this museum, and even managed to share my own artistic talents along the way.

Related Link:

Norman Rockwell Museum website

Time Marches On...

Saving the clock tower, fall 1991

In honor of Throwback Thursday, here's a red letter date: November 5th!

Not only is this the date that Doctor Emmett L. Brown invented time travel (60 years ago), it is also the date that my mother was born (Happy Birthday, Mom!). Here are a few photos to mark this significant date in history.

That's me and my Mom (below) at Universal Studios Hollywood, taken during my year in Los Angeles, studying film. I remember being thrilled to see the actual set where they filmed parts of Back To The Future, as well as taking part in a little performance based around the film. Believe it or not, that's me standing on a mock clock tower set in a Doc Brown wig (one of my finest performances, I assure you). Also, a shot of me in front of one of the actual vintage cars used in the series. Somewhere I also have a photo in front of one of the screen-used DeLoreans, but it seems to have gone missing (as has my copy of the Gray's Sports Almanac...hey!).

If I had access to that time machine, I wouldn't mind traveling back to June of 1964, and watch the two crazy kids pictured on the left (my Mom and Dad) get married...talk about the power of love!

Thinking a lot about family and friends today, and those I have loved past, present, and future.

"Nov. 5, 1955: A Flux of Genius," Wired, November 5, 2009

Days of Future Past

Future's so bright...looking McFly outside
WAMC studios. Photo courtesy Jim Levulis. 

Although we're setting our current clocks back, it's official: the events taking place in the Back To The Future trilogy are now firmly in the past (or some alternate version of it). I know, this is heavy!

No, flying cars and hoverboards have yet to be mass-produced for an eager public, and the Cubs didn't quite sweep the World Series. However, the movies did get quite a few things right (flat screen TVs, video conferencing, drones, voice and fingerprint recognition), and the last week reminded us of our timeless appeal.

What a week it has been. I started "Future Day," October 21, 2015, with an early morning interview at Berkshire radio station Star 101.7, to promote Norman Rockwell Museum's "Back in Time" family festival. The host, Evan Valenti, is a fellow BTTF fanboy, so I quite enjoyed speaking with him at great length about the event and movie series. To honor the occasion, my colleague and I were decked out in our best Marty McFly outfits; as Evan started the segment (speaking into the mic with his back to us), I quickly donned my 80s-style Ray-Bans, and he burst out laughing when he turned around to greet us..."rock and roll!" If you have "the time," you can listen to the segment here.

After the interview, I posted some quick selfies and checked into my work email by phone (who saw that coming 30 years ago?). There was a new message from another area radio station looking to do their segment about the family event, in celebration of "Future Day." This was suddenly turning into quite the press tour!

Prior to learning about this request, I had tagged my selfies with the movie-referencing line, "to the clock tower!" By complete coincidence, that is literally what I did—WAMC's Berkshire Bureau is actually housed in Pittsfield's Clocktower Business Park. I enjoyed speaking again with reporter Jim Levulis about our upcoming festival, and why the Back To The Future films continue to resonate for me and many others. "Jeremy Clowe is a, uh, big fan of the trilogy" joked Jim, as he introduced me, still clad in all my stonewashed '80s glory, during the segment. You can give it a listen here (no flux capacitor necessary).

But the real reason for my getup had more to do than just radio interviews that day. The previous week, I had read a somewhat "dubious" post about Back To The Future on Facebook, offering the chance to attend a Future Day screening of the second movie and talent Q&A(!) in New York City. The invitation pointed to a rather non-descript Google doc, but I RSVP-ed anyway. Reading comments that there was a limited seating of 750 made me further question my chances, but since I was taking the rest of the day off, I figured "what the hell?"

"Look me up when you get there":
"Back To The Future" cast reunion in London, July 2015
Courtesy: Lea Thompson (Twitter)

With no flying cars in sight, I took the train. My excitement grew as I sat back and watched a segment with the movie's stars, MIchael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Lea Thompson, broadcast on the Today Show that morning. I was really touched to see these actors together again, looking great and talking about the movie's legacy (and what did or did not come true for 2015). My only wish, at that point, was that my entry into the evening's screening would be filed in the "did happen" column. 

So, a couple hours later I arrived in the city to find a souped-up DeLorean and sizable crowd already winding it's way around Lincoln Square's AMC Theater...sizable, but not overwhelming (thank God!). I quickly staked my place in line, and began chatting with others, who also confessed to some uncertainty about the Facebook invite. After a while, it looked like this was indeed happening; I began to see other "Martys" (from 1985 and 2015... a pardox!) take their place in the queue.

It was interesting to spoeak with other fans, and learn about the own affection for the films; I was surprised to hear several comment about how the much "darker" Part II was actually their favorite of the series. Different generations seem to respond in different ways—I was an early teen when the first movie came out, so that one still holds a special place for me (more on that later). An independent film crew was also on hand, and even interviewed me in costume... it gave me a chance to practice my improv, while waiting: "Doc was ahead of his time...many times, actually!"

Honest to God, at exactly 7:29 p.m. (the time Doc, Marty, and Jennifer arrived in the future/present) I received my bracelet to go into the theater. My new friends and I made our way into the beautiful, vintage-tinged AMC movie house, and were delighted to learn that not only was the screening/Q&A complete free, but also as many complimentary beverages and snacks as we wanted (As Lorraine would say, "an absolute dream!").

The Future is Now! Left to right: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd,
Lea Thompson, Huey Lewis, Bob Gale, at AMC Loews Lincoln Square,
NYC, October 21, 2015. Photo: Jeremy Clowe. 

After the full crowd settled in, an announcer welcomed us all, and began to introduce the cast and filmmakers: Donald Fullilove ("Mayor Goldie Wilson"), Claudia Wells ("Jennifer"), and Alan Silvestri (whose stirring musical score for the trilogy still inspires me to this day)... the crowd went wild, and then it was time to welcome the group taking part in the Q&A: musician Huey Lewis (his hit "Power of Love," featured in the first movie, still gets me going), screenwriter Bob Gale, and actors Lea Thompson (Lorraine), Christopher Lloyd (Doc), and Michael J. Fox (Marty). A standing ovation...and rightfully so! 

All involved seemed to be having a blast, and I had to pinch myself that I was actually witnessing a live reunion of my favorite movie series of all-time. There were some fun questions, including Fox talking about playing his daughter Marlene in the second movie, and "riding" the hoverboard. I'm still looking for the full talk, but you can view a short, edited version here.

One last look into the future, courtesy of "USA Today."
AMC Loews Lincoln Square, NYC. October 21, 2015.
Photo: Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

All this set the stage for a screening of Back To The Future II, which I hadn't seen on the big screen in about 25 years. As the music swelled, cast appeared on screen for the first time, or bad guy Biff slammed into another manure-filled truck, the theater cheered. It was great fun seeing the film with other fans, as enthusiastic as I was. 

After the screening I spent time chatting with other fans, took photos of those dressed up as characters from the films, and handed out flyers for our BTTF-themed event at the Museum. However, the late hour reminded me that where I was going I needed roads. My train and car ride delivered me back home at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m., but it was absolutely worth it. A memorable experience, capped off by the front cover of USA Today the next morning, made to look like it did from the second film (great marketing move there).

But no rest for the weary... I still had to finalize details for the Museum's weekend festival, including the transportation of vehicles; the framing of our signed Drew Struzan movie print, donated by the artist; preparing of display items and a Powerpoint for our speakers; and continuing press outreach. There was certainly a lot of excitement in the air surrounding the event, and it propelled me forward (despite my lack of sleep).

Where these guys are going, they don't need roads!
Jeffrey Rothenberg (DeLorean) and Jeff Chabotte (Griff's actual
flying BMW) at Norman Rockwell Museum's "Back In Time" festival.
Photo: Jeremy Clowe/Norman Rockwell Museum 

The day of the event arrived, and I drove to the Museum while listening to a live, rebroadcast of the BTTF-themed MyExit show I had created for WEXT (perfect timing!). The entrance to the Museum unfolded to reveal a handful of classic, vintage cars, which really did make it look like you had traveled "back in time." I greeted car and BTTF enthusiast, Jeff Chabotte from Connecticut, who I had discovered lived an hour and a half away and owned an actual car used in the movie series; I told him how I had just seen Griff's flying BMW on the big screen during the New York City screening. Jeff very personable with fans and visitors, and even let me take Griff's hover-converted car for a spin; I was excited, but a little cautious, since the vehicle was up for auction later that day (it sold for over $32K

We also had to have a DeLorean (the signature car in the movie series), and local owner Jeffrey Rothenberg was equally gracious with his time, letting kids (of all ages) sit behind his "time machine." There were a number of other beautiful cars on site that day—from the early 1900s to 1980s; you can view an album of some of my photos on Norman Rockwell Museum's Facebook page.

As if that wasn't enough, we also had Halloween arts and crafts for kids, and I invited my friend, DJ/musician Mike O'Brien to spin some golden oldies and karaoke for the crowd (my "Elvis" made a return to the grounds of the Museum, literally feet away from my office). 

Celebrating the art of cinema, with Robert U. Taylor,
production designer, "Back To The Future: The Ride," and donated
sign print from Drew Struzan, during "Back in Time" festival at NRM.
Photo: Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Later in the day, I presented my own Q&A with Berkshire-based filmmakers, Robert U. Taylor and Dai Ban, who worked on Back To The Future: The Ride with special effects wizard, Doug Trumbull. It was great to make that local connection, and the full crowd seemed to enjoy learning about and seeing what went into this pre-CGI immersive experience. Taylor mentioned that it would sometimes take a full day just to film less than a minute of stop-motion footage: you can see the impressive results yourself on the 30th anniversary of the Back To The Future series, which was just released on DVD and BluRay.

From there I hustled to prepare for our main feature: a screening of the new Back To The Future documentary, Back in Time. The film looks at the cultural impact of the enduring movie series, and offers interviews with cast, crew, and filmmakers, as well as fans and artists inspired by Back To The Future. 

Prior to the screening, I spoke to the crowd about my own fondness for the films, and how they had inspired me. My talk and the screening was complemented by a small display of some of my BTTF collectibles, the donated Drew Struzan poster, and a room filled with Norman Rockwell's entire 323 Saturday Evening Post covers, evoking the mood of the first movie. It was a wonderful way to cap off this memorable day, where I was able to get creative while celebrating the art of the cinema I have enjoyed for many years.

I'll wrap things up by describing one of the unexpected highlights of the "Back in Time" day for me. As part of my Marty McFly costume, I wanted to pay tribute to skateboarding, which the main character does throughout the series. I actually started boarding as a teen, after seeing that first movie (I even had the brand of skateboard Marty used); I wasn't bad, and remember being able to do a handful of impressive moves. I decided to pick up a used board to bring along to the event.

All aboard! Recruiting new fans at the "Back In Time" festival,
Norman Rockwell Museum. Photo: Jeffrey Rothenberg.
©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

It had been nearly 25 years since I tried out my skateboarding skills, but I gave it a go during the event. The ground surface wasn't perfect, but I started to get the hang of it. Before long, a group of kids started running alongside me, impressed with the activity and wanting to give a go on the board themselves. I felt like a pied piper, as several mini-Marty McFlys took their own spin at skateboarding, and one adorable little boy said to me, "you're my favorite." Back to the future, full circle... could it get any better than that? 

Last night I retired my McFly outfit (for now), by singing some of those 80s "golden oldies" with friends at Mike's karaoke bar for Halloween. As Huey Lewis sang, "don't take money, don't take fame, don't need no credit card to ride this train..." That's the power of love, and I wouldn't change a thing about this past week.

Stay tuned: I have one more post to go, where I'll summarize what the time travel trilogy has meant to me creatively... and don't forget to fall back (to the future)!

Related Links:

Waking up with Evan Valenti, Star 101.7 WBRK, October 21, 2015


"Rockwell And McFly: Museum Celebrates Back To The Future Films," WAMC News, October 21, 2015

"Rockwell Museum to Host Back to the Future 'Flying BMW,'" Time Warner Cable News, October 23, 2015

"Back in Time": A Back To The Future Documentary

"Back To The Future" official website

The Future Is Now!

Greetings from the future!
DeLorean/hoverboard courtesy: Jeff Rothenberg

On this date at precisely 4:29 p.m., time travelers Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty McFly will descend on Hill Valley, California, from the year 1985...making movie history! Let's all give them a warm welcome, shall we?

And how! This month, media and fans have been talking up a storm about the 30th anniversary of Back To The Future and the arrival of Future Day (October 21, 2015, as depicted in the second film from 1989). I couldn't be more happier... as a fantasy film geek, it's fun to see how many things from the future did or did not pan out (how about those hoverboards?!?)

Back To The Future has to be my all-time favorite movie, and the combination of the first and second films (and their clever storytelling, performances, and effects) is really what inspired my idea to pursue filmmaking (for better or worse). In any event, I've been looking for the opportunity to celebrate the occasion, and this weekend it will become reality, as Norman Rockwell Museum will be presenting a "Back in Time" family festival, assembled in "heavy" amounts by your's truly.

This Wednesday at 8 a.m. ET, you can hear me and my colleague Rich Bradway on Pittsfield, MA radio station, Star 101.7, describing how this unique event came together. Rich, our new Director of Digital Learning + Engagement, has experience with and came up with the idea for a classic car show, and I proposed enhancing it with a celebration of all things BTTF in time for the anniversary. Yes, we will have a DeLorean on display!

In addition, I managed to line up a real, honest to goodness, flying automobile that appeared in the second movie. I contacted car owner, Jeff Chabotte, from Connecticut, after seeing this great video about how he restored the character Griff's Hover BMW:

The car is actually up for auction during the huge "We're Going Back" celebration, being held on the same day as our event in Los Angeles, California. Disclosure: it doesn't really fly (and actually needs a lift getting here), so this may be your first and last chance to see the car. Pretty exciting. 

Designs on the future:
Robert U. Taylor shows me examples
of his production design for "Back To The
Future: The Ride." Photo: JC

Another connection I made is with local filmmakers who worked on the acclaimed "Back To The Future: The Ride" for Universal Studios. I had heard that film visionary Doug Trumbull (2010, Blade Runner) had put this ride film together with a crew from the Berkshires, where he is based, but I did not know until last week that the film was literally created down the road from the Museum, in one of the old paper mills. I have lined up the ride film's production assistant, Robert U. Taylor, and model maker, Dai Ban, and they will join us on Saturday as well, to talk about their experience bringing the movie series to life. They lent some great illustrations, photos, and video, that we will  be sharing.

This afternoon I also received a rare, signed print from movie poster artist, Drew Struzan, who created the iconic posters for all three movies. This was very exciting (and generous on his part), and I expect that it will be a highlight among a small display of objects (I have quite a few that I have collected over the years, including issues of the old Back To The Future fan club, which was active during the release of the second and third movies).

Great Scott, I almost forgot to mention: we will be screening the new documentary, Back in Time, which looks at the cultural impact of the film trilogy. I have previewed the film, and it's very well-done, including interviews with fellow fans, screenwriter Bob Gale, director Robert Zemeckis, executive producer/Norman Rockwell Museum trustee Steven Spielberg, and members of the cast, including Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd... "heavy" indeed! 

Well... it's all about time, and I'm running out of it, but I will share more soon... "the future" has yet to be truly written!

Related Links:

Time is on our side! Photo: Universal Pictures

"Back To The Future" official site

Norman Rockwell Museum's "Back in Time: Cruise In"

"Norman Rockwell Museum Goes “Back In Time” with Family Festival To Celebrate 30th Anniversary of “Back To The Future” (press release written by JC)

"Back To The Future II: What did it get right and wrong?" BBC News, October 20, 2015 

"Back in Time" documentary site

Forwards, Backwards, Twisted Round

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” 
― Søren Kierkegaard

"Is it life or just to play..." Taking on 1985- again.

Try as I might, I can't seem to escape 1985...even after all of these years. Is it nostalgia for a simpler time? Remembering myself as a teenager, starting to get the hang of things? All I know is that I am constantly reminded of that particular point in time and, in some cases, quite determined to collect as many memories as possible. 

This Monday, October 19, starting at 11 p.m. ET., I'm going to have some fun with the idea, hosting another MyExit show for my friends at WEXT, and going "back in time" to play some of my favorite music from that year. Coincidentally, the radio show will be broadcast on the 30th anniversary of the date that A-ha's "Take on Me" hit number one on the U.S. Billboard charts. One of the most glaring differences since then: I'm rather sick of the song...can you blame me? For the most part, that is all the band is known for here in the U.S., and mentioning that you're a fan tends to mark you as being stuck in the '80s (well, guess this post isn't helping). 

Recent A-ha "sighting" in the U.S.

But, yeah, I can't avoid including some A-ha on Monday's show. As you know from this blog, I have been a pretty devoted follower of the band since 1985, when I could not stop playing their debut, Hunting High and Low (wore out that tape a couple times). The band has just released a super-deluxe version of the album, including about five discs worth of demos, alternate takes, previously unreleased songs, and the videos that helped make them famous. I'm even more excited about the news that next week they are giving a similar treatment to their later, more rock-oriented albums from the 1990s: Memorial Beach and East of the Sun, West of the Moon; the latter came out around the time they earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for largest attendance (198,000 people) at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil. Last month, they revisited that experience by headlining at the 30th anniversary of Rock in Rio. 

I know what you may be thinking... didn't they break up? Yes, they went on a world tour just five years ago dubbed "Ending on a High Note," citing irreconcilable differences (I made all of the handful of U.S. dates, and busted my ass to finally finish my documentary, utilizing the interviews I conducted with the band in 2005). Maybe the lure of playing Rock in Rio, making more money in celebration of their debut...etc. etc... was too hard to refuse? 

Nowadays, retiring seems a flexible concept... bands do this all the time...and last month A-ha released a brand new album of material, Cast in Steel. Surprisingly, I wanted to hate it. Putting aside the emotions lingering from their retirement five years ago, part of me just wanted to move on. Yet I couldn't shake the curiosity... bought the album, really dug it, and now I'm back to feeling a little conflicted about it. The title track is a return to form, though:

One nagging thought though (made more clear after doing more of my own music) is that singer Morten Harket needs to adjust to a more comfortable singing range. There are plenty of old clips of him really belting out and sustaining the high notes that are a hallmark of their early '80s work, but listening to their new material and watching last month's Rio concert, it sometimes seems a little forced. Come on, the man is 56 now... give him a break and transpose those notes. Musically, A-ha is still great (minus the repetitive, cheesy keyboard or two), but they would do one better to shake things up. Below is a clip from Rock in Rio 2015 where I think they're on the right track; it's an album cut from the previously mentioned East of the Sun album, called "Sycamore Leaves." This live version harkens back to their prog-rock beginnings, which I covered in my documentary, and seems miles away (in a good, progressive way) from "Take On Me." Simply put, it looks like they are having fun, giving it some soul, and enjoying being back together for the right reasons:

As you'll hear in Monday's MyExit special, I actually find myself traveling "ahead" more than I do back... my tastes may be changing. However, I am well aware of my attraction to a retro vibe (come on, have you heard the dreck they call most modern top 40 radio?!) Nowadays, I find comfort and great musicianship in classic soul and the blues. I don't think I'm alone... hell, even vinyl has made a comeback.

Objects in the rear view mirror are closer than they appear...
Photo: Yutaka Nishimura / Rhino

So,sometimes the past = present: the Mets, "Bloom County," even Classic (aka Mexican) Coke have made comebacks (thankfully, New Coke remains forever trapped in 1985). As I have wrote earlier this year, I'd love to see a DVD release of that "future superstar" 84/85 season of Saturday Night Live; I still enjoy and have become known for singing some of those classic '80s tunes; and... my favorite movie of all-time, also from 1985, is about to celebrate its 30th anniversary in a big, 1.21 jigawatts way... Great Scott!

Back To The Future should be everywhere this upcoming week, as we finally reach October 21, 2015, the date that Marty and Doc traveled into the future. For a child of the '80s and fantasy movie geek like me, it is too cool to resist. I am going so far as to put together a "Back in Time" family festival next weekend at my workplace, to celebrate the occasion. 

But I think I'm getting ahead of (or behind) myself. This deserves a blog post all it's own. So expect more reflections on time (and travel) in the days ahead...

Related Links:

Exit 97.7 WEXT (listen live)

Rock in Rio 2015

"A-ha's Hunting High and Low 30 years on: classic or classical?" Sydney Morning Herald, October 9, 2015 (might be reaching here, but I think the writer's on to something about the album's lasting appeal)