Digital Ink Los Angeles

Why does Charlie Brown pick the ugliest, scrawniest tree in the lot?

What does he imagine this sad tree will give him?

Well, he’s asking for something simple — the true meaning of Christmas.

According to the original two-buck Chuck, Charles Schultz‘s, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965):

[first lines of story]
Charlie Brown: [Charlie Brown and Linus stop at a wall on their trip to the pond for ice skating] I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.
[begins to walk with Linus again]
I just don’t understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I’m still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.

Linus Van Pelt: Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy’s right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you’re the Charlie Browniest.

What is the true meaning of Christmas?

Well, Linus defines the literal Christmas with his recounting of the Three Kings and Baby in a Manger story of Jesus Christ‘s birth.

But, more to the figurative meaning of Christmas, Linus offers this idea regarding Charlie Brown’s little tree:

Linus Van Pelt: I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.

Can’t buy that at a Christmas sale.

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Just some good, nasty, clean, dirty, crass, and mindless entertainment here. Not trying to hate on anybody (Kanye’?), but it seems a little shallow and a lot silly. Remote, please.

Storyline for this “New” Melrose Place? This episodic synopsis is taken from the CW Network‘s website:

An updated version of the popular 1990s series, the lives and relationships of a diverse group of 20-somethings intertwine to form a close-knit surrogate family. Heading up this group is landlady Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton, the original “Melrose Place”), still beautiful and a central figure in the lives of all her tenants, especially handsome and rebellious David Breck (Shaun Sipos, “Shark”), the estranged son of her former lover Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro, the original “Melrose Place”).

Other tenants include up-and-coming publicist Ella Simms (Katie Cassidy, “Harper’s Island”), Auggie Kirkpatrick (“All My Children”), a successful sous chef at the trendy restaurant Coal with a dark past, Lauren Yung (Stephanie Jacobsen, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”), a medical student in desperate need of money to pay her student loans, and Jonah Miller (Michael Rady, “Swingtown”), an aspiring filmmaker who has just proposed to his live-in girlfriend Riley Richmond (Jessica Lucas, “Cloverfield”), a first-grade teacher.

The newest tenant, wide-eyed 21-year-old Violet Foster (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, “7th Heaven”), has just arrived in LA and is horrified to find a bloody body floating in the courtyard pool. Suddenly everyone is a suspect.

Davis Guggenheim directed the episode written by Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer.

Davis Guggenheim directed this pilot? I preferred It Might Get Loud.

Digital Ink Los Angeles says everybody’s gotta make a living, and mindless soap operas are better than Judge Judy reruns. But not I Love Lucy reruns…

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For those who’ve followed Digital Ink Los Angeles for a while — oh, so many — it’s not a surprise that another blog post features the wonderfully talented actress, Ms. Megan Fox.

She is a very special creature, no doubt. Talented? Uhhhmmm… But she is a very attractive lady, no doubt.

Ms. Fox will be the feature lead in 20th Century Fox‘s September 18th release, Jennifer’s Body.

When it comes to talent, Jennifer’s Body writer Diablo Cody (Juno) has got some skills. A stripper-turned-writer, Diablo has become a real professional, with Hollywood studios regularly offering 7-figure sums for her screenwriting expertise. And Ms. Cody’s not bad to look at either.

Check out the YouTube sneak-peek below:

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Billed as an “American Musical Fantasy,” The Wizard of Oz opened in theaters on August 25, 1939 — 70 years ago last week.

Based on the 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, many historians now believe Baum’s premise was slanted toward an argument for the “Gold Standard” in economics — hence the Yellow Brick Road.

Warner Brothers is releasing a 70th Anniversary Edition on September 29th.

We’re not in Kansas, anymore.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my.

Poppy Fields.

Flying Monkeys.

Auntie Em.

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Heart, Courage, Brain, and a Home.

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Brian Epstein was manager of The Beatles from his discovery of the Fab Four in the now-famous Cavern Club in 1961 until his untimely death in 1967.

Many believe The Beatles owe everything to Mister Brian Epstein as the architect of their band’s personality and captain of their traveling show.

Indeed, the result of his death was an ongoing dispute between Paul McCartney and John Lennon as to who should be their new leader, eventually leading to their breakup over this fateful decision.

The tragic overdose on prescription pills was so unexpected, the Beatles decided to take a vacation to India with their spiritual guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, to discover transcendental meditation and potentially communicate with their now-deceased leader.

On this day (August 27, 1967) 32 years ago, Brian Epstein left this world for his next journey, but the legend of his influence and guiding hand upon The Beatles hasn’t disappeared.

Who knows what would have become of the four mop-heads from England if Mister B.E. could have stuck around a little longer?

Check out the tribute video to Mister B. E. here.

Arctic Monkeys are a foursome out of Sheffield, England, who play a new-fangled spin on the Brit-pop emo-rock introduced by bands like Oasis, Radiohead, Catherine Wheel, and The Cure in the 90s.

Their 2009 release, Humbug, is now available and includes the first single: Crying Lightning

They’ve got the Super Good stuff. Check out the YouTube video here:

They came in droves, by the carload, on foot, on bikes, toting babies and blankets, some without anything but the shorts and shorts they were wearing — some with less.

In the end, nearly 400,000 people showed up to enjoy acts like The Who, Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix.

August 15, 16, and 17, 1969 — forty years ago last week.

The New York Times has an interesting article on the recent 40th Anniversary celebration in Bethel Woods, NY.

Music channel VH1 recently showed a “rock-doc” for the 40th Anniversary.

The BBC has an interesting audio slide-show documenting some of the sights and sounds.

The Digital Ink Los Angeles pick for Woodstock nostalgia would be this YouTube copy of Joe Cocker‘s now-famous version of “With a Little Help from My Friends”. Par Excellence.