Ratlinks Redux: AGING ROCKERS: STILL AGING & STILL ROCKING
A quick update on a few Ratlinks profiles
Marty Scorcese is a masterful director known for films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Casino just to name a few. His film The Departed mixes a high level, long shot, and medium shot just to capture Matt Damon turning on a shower, creating a mise-en-scène of cinematic beauty.
Mr. Scorcese’s ability to conclude a film and tie up loose ends is second to none. Just mentioning the helicopter scene at the end of Goodfellas makes you want to go back and watch it right now.
I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES
Marty’s latest, The Irishman, a film about aging mobsters, drew criticism for being too long. Clocking in at roughly 3.5 hours. While you can complain about the length, I would argue the film is so technically sound, the length shouldn’t matter. If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t let length prohibit you.
Feel free to break up the film over 2-3 sittings. You won’t regret watching something that is so incredibly well-cast, well-written, well-acted, well-directed, well-shot, well-lit, well costumed and well scored.
The Irishman’s final act concludes with a montage showing viewers the fate of every character, while simultaneously putting to bed long-standing conspiracies theories about Jimmy Hoffa.
In that vein, let us return with a few updates from the RatLinks November edition: “Face Tats and All That”
Tekashi69
Remember heavily face tatted rapper and Instagram star Daniel Hernandez aka Tekashi69 aka 6ix9ine. In December, Mr. Hernandez was sentenced to two years in prison by a federal judge for racketeering and firearms charges. Tekashi avoided the much harsher sentence of 38 years by cooperating with prosecutors to convict other Nine-Trey gang members. While the judge deemed the 13 months Tekashi currently served as insufficient punishment, he allowed the time to be applied towards his 24-month sentence.
Will Tekashi disappear in to witness protection upon exiting prison at the end of 2020? Seems we don’t have to wait that long. No need to yell FREE TEKASHI in the streets. Due to risk of contracting COVID-19 in prison. Tekashi was recently released and placed under house arrest.
The question now is - will Tekashi69 want to live out his days under a new name, in a new town, like protected witness and former goodfella Henry Hill?
The answer appears to be no.
Tekashi told the court he is not interested in the federal witness protection program and that he intends to keep performing and making music. In December, he signed a $10 million record deal.
“Certain things people take for granted — going into a store, going to the movies, things of that nature — Mr. Hernandez will have to think strategically about,” Michael D. Longyear, a prosecutor, said in court. “He’ll have to look over his shoulder.”
Jeff Tweedy
A bullet hits home of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy after several shots fired on his Northwest Side block.
Tweedy and his wife were inside their house around 2 a.m. in November when they heard "seven loud gunshots."
“Nobody was hurt just a little shaken up” said a neighbor, who continued: The Tweedys are a "beautiful family” and “unassuming”
"He’s got all this, his fame and whatever, and he’s out there cleaning the gutter.’’ another neighbor said
Phil Collins
Against All Odds, Phil Collins is still not dead. Mr. Collins is likely spending Another Day In Paradise prepping for next year’s concert run.
Post Malone
Post Malone recently signed-on to play father figure, Dr. Jason Seaver, in the Netflix reboot of Growing Pains, working title More Growing Pains.
In order to collect his check, Posty went and did the unthinkable, spending hours in laser surgery to remove his tattoos.
Editors Note: THIS IS “FAKE NEWS” POST MALONE WOULD NEVER REMOVE HIS BELOVED FACE TATS. PLUS POST MALONE IS FAR TOO BUSY FOR A NETFLIX REBOOT
Ozzy Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne revealed that she and husband Ozzy spent Christmas apart for the first time in four decades. Sharon stayed in London, where she has been appearing in "Nativity! The Musical", while Ozzy remained at the couple's home in the U.S. due to health issues that Sharon described:
In April, Ozzy fell and damaged his spine. It's kind of been a domino effect, one thing happens then another thing. The doctors didn't want him to get on the plane. And Ozzy, I must say, is quite nervous about flying all that way."
Ozzy revealed to the Daily Mail that he initially believed there was very little chance he would bounce back.
"I went to the bathroom in the night, lost my balance and landed flat on my face," he recalled. "I saw this big white flash when I hit the floor and I thought, 'You've finally done it now.' I knew it was bad, I thought I was paralyzed, so very calmly I [told my wife], 'Sharon, I can't move. I think I've done my neck. Phone an ambulance.'"
According to Ozzy, the pain was "constant" following the fall. "The first six months, I was in agony," he said. "I'd say, 'Sharon, you're not telling me the truth. I'm dying, aren't I?' I thought I'd got some terminal illness because the improvement was so slow. I'm getting better, but after the surgery, the nurses asked me on a scale of one to ten how much pain I was in, and I said, '55!' Six months of waking up in the morning and being unable to move is a miserable existence."
The RatLinks community wishes Ozzy a speedy recovery and looks forward to his new tour that was supposed to kicking off in Atlanta on May 27th. Thanks to Coronavirus the start will be delayed but feel free to enjoy the day which happens to not just be my birthday but also the birthday of OG Ratlinker - Henry Kissinger.