The Los Angeles Times and I were both honored to not be able to get in to the big Pirates of the Caribbean movie premiere at Disneyland. I only spit nails for a week. Honest! But while the Times gave the film a bad review, I saw it on opening night and fell madly in love with it. I attended the merchandise event via a generous friend, this time doing the C package (no dinner, which was fine, but no panel, which was rotten. Have the panel for everyone. What's it gonna cost you?). The merchandise was fine, but my t-shirt wasn't dated. At least the pin was. I'm a little mad about the t-shirt. I like special event t-shirts, and this was just dated 2003. Oh well. We got a coupon for free popcorn and soda in the theatre, and goody bags with a patch, earring and scarf inside as well as a little jewel bag with jewels, dated event coins, a black pearl (natch) and a gorgeous pin of Marc Davis' "red'ead". But hey, what's with not giving Marc credit for all of his gags that he wrote, that they used in the film? Once again, the master was robbed. I asked Alice Davis what she thought of the film. "I loved it!" she replied. I loved it too. I've seen it a couple of times now and want to see it some more. Like the ride, it's got repeatability. They also took our photo (I'll scan it in) and gave us a certificate for a 15.00 meal deal at the River Belle Terrace. For 15 bucks, you get an entree (choice of five) and dessert. You save about two bucks, not a bad deal for theme park food, and I'd only ever eaten pancakes there. So, I go to pay, and the cashier tells me it's 1.71, that her manager told her the certs were for 15.00 OFF. Huh? Are you sure? I read it again. That's not what it said. She assured me that's what it was, she had a stack of them, enjoy my meal have a Disney day and there's people behind you giving you stink-eye. Okay. The chicken was good. I'll eat there again. Later, in the theater, while people in Pirate gear were hassling pretty women and stealing their purses, there were a couple of ladies complaining very loudly about dinner - they'd read the cert and decided to blow off paying 15.00 for dinner, then found out what other people had gotten for taking Disney up on the offer. Except that it turns out that River Belle Terrace had made a mistake. It was supposed to be 15.00, not 15.00 OFF. Oops. I offered to pay my 15.00 if it would make things better, was thanked and told it was okay at that point.

I went right home and made myself an animated gif of the "Ye'd best be believin'..." scene for all the message boards that allow them, and put my new poster up on my wall. Alice and I went to see it together a few nights later (I'd wanted to make sure it was okay before bringing her, as she's never seen a PG-13 film before) and the theater was packed. People were sitting in the aisles, and this was the second theatre in the cineplex to show it - a huge theater, on a Sunday night. I sense something great in this film. But good storytelling will always out, won't it?

Speaking of good storytelling, yes, I was in line at midnight on Harry Potter night. I'd checked the big-name "we're having a party" stores and they said I couldn't have a book til next week. That just wouldn't do. Alice was still not doing well, pain-wise, and I promised her a midnight book. You'll understand when you have kids, if you don't. If you do, you understand all ready. Despairing, I saw on the news that local Wal-Marts would have the book at midnight. I called my local Wal-Mart and found out that, yes, they would be there! Ryan and his family were headed to one of the parties, as they had books waiting. I sent Alice with them so she could dress up and play games, listen to music, be entertained, etc. I showed up at Wal-Mart at eight and sat alone for an hour, with one person for an hour, with two people for another hour, and by eleven-thirty, there were about thirty of us lined up between the McDonald's and the Kathy Lee sportswear. At 11:47 four books were placed into my eager hands, and I read Dudley Demented until the cash registers opened at 12:01. They took my picture with the books, with the cashier, with the manager, and finally I could go home. By 12:10, I was, for about 20 minutes, the "good daughter" in the family (yes, yes, perfect sister syndrome - ick) handing a copy to each of my parents. Alice got home at almost 1 am to find her book waiting for her on her bed. She read one page and fell asleep with it in her arms.  I suddenly realized I'd forgotten the Summer Solstice and grabbed my Summer Solstice oil and a candle and ran outside, then ran back inside when I re-remembered that it was that following night. I really need to learn how to use that calendar thing.

I read it about six times before losing it at Ozzfest. Hey, I needed something to do while Korn was playing. I'd seen Ozzy before - I was so pleased this time to see Sharon come onstage after Ozzy announced that she had been declared cancer-free. I'd never seen Marilyn Manson before. For people my age, think Alice Cooper and early KISS and what our parents thought of them, and you've pretty much got him in a nutshell. I heard he put on quite a show and I was eager to see it. He came on, had some cool stuff, then took a brief break. A banner dropped down, showing him in a bondage mask and with ... it couldn't be ... could it?
I nudged my companion. "Rob...are those.....mouse ears?"
"Yeah."
"Cooool."
Well, face it. Shock rockers are always looking for the next shocking thing, and Marilyn is famous for loving Disney stuff. You didn't know that? Yes, he does. Also, shock rockers tend to go after cultural icons. Last year, they showed a video where Ozzy was dressed as Miss Cleo and Christina Aguilera, and he dressed up as J.R. Ewing in the early 80s. They use religious and political imagery to shock people, why not our most easily recognized cultural icon? Soon, a giant inflatable head - Marilyn Manson's, wearing the same mouse ears and mask - inflated onstage like some sort of demented Party Gras float, and then the man himself in the same costume. Metal Edge Magazine asked him about the meaning behind the Disney imagery and its legalities and he replied: "...Everything that I have done, doesn't do anything but challenge or evoke people with images that they might associate with something like Disney, because I'm representing myself in a childish way, that is drawn from my imagination. Images that I create don't exist anywhere but in my head, and through the artwork of Gottfirend Helnwien, so therefore they can't be infringing upon anybody, but they can really provoke people to feel a certain way. And the way that they feel is the intention of art. Art is a question mark, and the answers are how people react."
Photographer Cyril Helnwein was at Ozzfest the same night I was, and took a few photos of Marilyn Manson's set.

copyright of Cyril Helnwein - http://www.cyrilhelnwein.com