I just read this online today! I watched the trailers and the song wasn't included. It's out tomorrow including iTunes, which costs $15. I'm not sure if I should spring for it when I don't know if I can pay my mortgage. I might not be able to resist though. (see last paragraph for MJ mention)

Piercing is slick, stylish, kinky fun—until it isn’t
https://film.avclub.com/piercing-is-slic...1832154669
by Mike D'Angelo

DIRECTOR Nicolas Pesce
RUNTIME 81 minutes
RATING R
LANGUAGE English
CAST Christopher Abbott, Mia Wasikowska, Laia Costa, Maria Dizzia, Marin Ireland, Wendell Pierce
AVAILABILITY
Select theaters and iTunes February 1
The last few months have been a bonanza for those with a sick sense of humor. First came Lars von Trier’s serial-killer saga The House That Jack Built, which at one point spends several hilarious minutes observing Matt Dillon’s psychopath as he struggles to talk his way into a potential victim’s home, ineptly impersonating a police officer and then, when that doesn’t work, an insurance agent. His intentions are horrific, but his actions are buffoonish, and there’s pitch-black comedy in the disjunction.

That’s likewise true—for a while, at least—of Piercing, whose nerdy protagonist, Reed (Christopher Abbott), has decided to murder a random sex worker in a hotel room, for reasons that aren’t as clear in the movie as they are in the Ryû Murakami novel from which it’s adapted. (Another of Murakami’s books inspired Takashi Miike’s Audition, to give you a sense of the twisted mind at work here.) We see Reed methodically rehearsing the crime, making dull small talk with an imaginary woman before suddenly throttling her nonexistent throat and pretending to drag her limp body into the bathroom. He even repeatedly knocks himself unconscious in order to determine the precise efficacy of chloroform. Abbott emphasizes this would-be killer’s earnest awkwardness, treating his preparations as if they were a wallflower’s efforts to spruce himself up for a big date. By the time Jackie (Mia Wasikowska) arrives, it’s already abundantly clear that things are unlikely to go as smoothly as he’d hoped.

This antic approach to nightmarish behavior represents a significant change of pace for writer-director Nicolas Pesce, whose debut feature, The Eyes Of My Mother, was anything but funny. Somber black-and-white master shots have been replaced with gaudy splashes of color, De Palma-style split screens, and peppy lounge music supplemented by cues taken from classic giallo films—most notably, Goblin’s unforgettable score for Deep Red. The playfulness works beautifully, even though it bears little resemblance to Murakami’s deep dive into two badly broken psyches. In the novel, Kawashima (the main character’s original name) is battling an inexplicable impulse to stab his newborn child with an ice pick, and hopes to sublimate that urge by murdering someone else; there’s brief voice-over narration to that effect in the film, but the character’s anguish and self-loathing barely register here. Likewise, Jackie, who’s been mostly deprived of the painful backstory that Murakami gave her forebear, comes across onscreen as a vaguely dangerous cipher, embodied by Wasikowska’s unnerving grin. Re-conceiving the tone was a smart move on Pesce’s part—a faithful, ultra-grim adaptation would likely have been unbearable.

Trouble is, he loses his nerve. Or maybe he just ran out of ideas. Following a humdinger of a plot twist, revealing Jackie to be every bit as fucked-up as Reed, Piercing turns into a sadistic, violent two-hander, more closely approximating the soberly sickening source material. This abrupt shift feels inorganic and dissatisfying, with Jackie’s actions in particular coming across as random grotesquerie. (Warning to needle-phobics: This film shows an unsimulated nipple piercing in close-up. For some people, that may be harder to endure than any amount of fake gore.) Pesce still delivers a handful of demented jolts in the movie’s back half, along with inspired use of Michael Johnson’s minor schmaltz-rock hit “Bluer Than Blue,” and watching Abbott and Wasikowska spar remains a constant pleasure. But the perverse promise of those early sequences, which suggested American Psycho with Roger Greenberg replacing Patrick Bateman, never quite gets realized. The movie turns ugly, but the ugliness hasn’t been earned.

Many photos taken by Mark Ahlstrom were recently shared with me by Carl Franzen (yes, "On The Road"!). He also took other solo photos of Michael which can be found on various pages on this website, including a new one on the home page.

THE DB&J photos can be found under the photos section, direct link is at https://www.mjblue.com/photosdbj.html. I didn't edit or crop any of Mark's photos of DB&J.

I went to Denison University in Ohio from 1966-1970 and Michael Johnson came to play there at least twice. It was long ago and it was the 60s after all, so my memory is far from perfect. I know he played  there as part of Denver Boise and Johnson and again as a solo act. The venue was a tiny coffeehouse named The Bandersnatch, at which the college group I was in, Phil Dirt and The Moundbuilders, played a few times, including "opening" for John Denver in one of his solo performaces there. After an MJ show, some of us students were able to persuade Michael to come to our frat house and play a little more. There may have been smokable inducements. At any rate, I became a fan and followed his career after that. I came to this board in a roundabout way. I still play guitar at about the level I did in 1968 and was not particularly accomplished then, but I like to noodle around and particularly like take existing songs and do humorous or political parodies. I loved MJ's version of "You Have Got To Be Carefully Taught" and am hoping someone can point me to a chord chart for that song. Whether or not I can find it, I will put There Is A Breeze on and listen to all the songs.

tom in ohio

The first time I actually met Michael was at a Riverfest performance in Chattanooga, around 1999.  I waited for hours in high temps and humidity, making sure I had a seat up front.  When Michael did show up, and set up a small table to put his cds on, I mustered up the courage to walk up to talk to him.  He immediately put me at ease.  So down to earth, just so friendly.  We talked for a few minutes, and it was like I had been friends with him for years.  He was that personable.

The summer heat and high humidity was bad that day, but I didn't mind it because Michael was right there, singing and masterfully playing his guitar.  He would hold his guitar, cradle-like.  I've never seen a performer, ever, who had such a clear connection to his instrument.  Not that other musicians don't; it's just that I had personally not witnessed it. 

Over the years, I saw Michael perform many, many times.  A few times at the BlueBird Cafe in Nashville, and Puckett's Grocery near Franklin, TN.  But on those occasions, he would share the stage with other singers, so he didn't get to sing that many songs.  I much preferred seeing just him perform solo.  I always wanted him to do "one more encore"!  Peter

to the Hey, sorry for my lack of site updates. I lost my job on January 3rd, with little prospects ahead. Have been mentally paralyzed and couch surfing pretty much since then. But yesterday I finally uploaded my first YouTube video since Jan 1 - see the mjblue.com & YouTube Updates section on this message board. I will strive to add new content on this site and new music and videos as much as I'm able. 

I paid (Visa) $250 to a freelancer on Jan 3 for the new search script after trying many other options myself. This took a month to finish so I never dreamt I could be unemployed when the payment came due. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.

Lastly, I received the following letter in the mail yesterday. I have removed the offensive items from the home page (and will put them elsewhere) but I would like to hear your views. After 20 years of working with Michael on the website and hearing him say yes and no, I thought I knew what he wouldn't or would like, which may not agree with all his fan's tastes but I certainly never meant to offend anyone. The Spam photo showed such happiness on his face, the caricature I thought captured him and the 1975 set list I thought would interest MJ's fans. I am including a screen shot of the original home page for you to judge. I just have to think if one fan was offended, maybe others were, too, and any of you were, I'm deeply sorry. I appreciate her honesty but I have to admit, I was a bit sickened to read this letter. I'm trying to carry on Michael's legacy any way I can and I would never intentionally offend anyone. I will add some less offensive photos to the home page today. This website is for all of you and I always want to hear your opinions.
Thanks. The letter:

I've been a Michael Johnson fan since the start of his career. I hadn't visited his website since he passed away. I used to visit this former site for his concert schedule and I remember it was professional. When I logged in and saw the home page today, I  was sickened. I asked two friends to look at it and they were appalled also.

How can you disrespect and dishonor him like this? Is it supposed to be a joke? A world renown musician and you have him pictured with Spam, a terribly done caricature and a taped-up set list from 1975? This looks like a lovesick teenager's scrapbook page.

I read that you have always managed Michael's site, but I can't imagine why you wold mock him in death. It's awful that his life and death paragraph is surrounded by all that junk. He deserves to be honored, not ridiculed.

Michael Johnson is a legend and deserves to be treated as one on his own website. Whatever made you think this is a tribute to him is very misguided. I hope you will reconsider the home page to show respect and reverence to a great musician who is not able to speak for himself. Please.

Yesterday and today I upload two versions of The Ladybug and the Centipede. Audio from 1969 and video from 2000. I was trying to find a radio version from the 80's and stumbled across these two instead. Hope you enjoy both of them.

https://youtu.be/H3iM3YEsA7A

https://youtu.be/rRnUQhoniaU

Horrified to see the mistake on the audio version with the title. Oh well.

Dale Dickson has created tablature for I Need Your Light. Now available on the Lyrics & Chords page. Thanks, Dale!

Host of Good Evening 5/13/1989
Audio
With guest Margaret Whiting and others
Good Evening from Minnesota Public Radio was the replacement show for Prairie Home Companion after Garrison Keillor's first retirement.

MJ Songs: You'll Always be Heart and Soul to Me (Pat Alger), I Will Whisper Your Name (Randy Van Warmer), Jacques Cousteau (Andy Paley, Plastic Bertrand), Diamond Dreams (Parker McGee, Bud Harner)

https://youtu.be/ucy12_tLCsM

September 10, 2010
Old Fashioned Love, Don't Let Us Get Sick, April Fool & Interview
WTIP North Shore Community Radio, Cook County, Minnesota
Old Fashioned Love written by Roy Freeland, Bill LaBounty
Don't Let Us Be Sick written by Warren Zevon
April Fool written by Hugh Prestwood

https://youtu.be/dTjO1voj5U0

Found mention of this on the message board archives today. Had forgotten about it and MM had requested Don't Let Us Get Sick recently.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year (in advance, as I type this, it is New Year's Eve afternoon!).

I won't be partying this evening.  Nope, just watching movies as usual!  But hope everyone has a good time, whatever you do.  Have been listening to Michael's music a lot today.....

All the best.  Peter