Shot of the Day #61: Givin' this kid some SOUL.

Shot with Nikon D90. Click to enlarge.

Here is some F.G.R. (Fore Ground Remy) while one of my dad's all-time favorite movies, THE COMMITMENTS, is lulling him to sleep. My pop was more of a movie fan vicariously through his geeky boys, but this Alan Parker-directed yarn about an all-Irish soul band rocking the middle-class was a film I know he always loved. I remember the soundtrack, especially tracks like "Mustang Sally" and "I Can't Stand The Rain", being played ad-nauseum in his car stereo or in the back of his shop while he worked away on a car/truck. Whenever it was on HBO, it stayed on, God Damnit. It was just one of those "family films" in the Lynch household, one I'll never forget watching while keeping an eye on my Dad, tapping his hand on his legs in his chair as he watched. Maybe, on a good day, he'd start shuffling and shimmying in the chair, making that "white man's overbite" face as the music pumped. Clearly, the flick was doing it's job.

Luckily, a few years later the band-called "Committed" because of a copywright issue-went on tour and I bought tickets for the family to go when they played NYC's Irving Plaza, which felt great, like "Look at me, Im responsible! Im buying tickets into the city! Woo!" and fookin jaysus, was it a good show. I still have the T shirt too and wear it proudly. I dunno if they still play out, but if you get a chance, check them out...here is their official site.

Also, nerd note: Glen Hansard, the star of one of my favorite films, ONCE, was a member of the band in the film. If you haven't seen ONCE, you haven't seen a true passion piece of music and movie melding together. It's amazing.

So, in honor of "the old man", Remy and I watched the flick (which I hadn't seen in at least 10 years) while Bri and Jan went out to Whole Foods to get some rations for the flight. The kid fell right asleep. This is a good thing. Dad would have been thrilled that he got to see it...or at least hear it.

Check out The Commitments trailer below...."Um Bleck, un Um Proud!"

Joe