Edward Scissorhands

The number of times I watched this film eludes me. It released when I was seven, and though I cannot recall how old I was when I first experienced it, I can tell you the entire film, from start to finish, from every snip of Edward's scissors, is unforgettable. One of my best friends, Bubba, and I had a habit of constantly watching the same batch of "favorites" while devouring "Italian" offerings from our local Dominos. Sure, the weather may have been just right for play, but we had cinematic worlds to explore. Plus we'd probably already been outside for most of the morning and afternoon, poking around in the neighboring creeks, practicing field hockey passes in the backyard (once accidentally hitting my collie's frail ankle with the ball), throwing sticks onto Powder Mill Road and exploding with joy as cars crushed them with their wheels at a safe, suburban 40 miles per hour, turning over rocks, stalking my brother and his "hot" older friends or rolling tea cigarettes. FACT: York, PA offers an abundance of activities for minors. FACT: York, PA offers an equally impressive list of things to do for adults. HONEST FACT: I escaped as soon as I finished high school and will never move back.

Justin Parpan: Coming Home

My recent LAist coverage details an upcoming exhibition which features artworks based on the film, some of which were submitted to Sebastien Mesnard's Scissorhands 20th blog. I highly recommend following to receive updates on all amazing submissions. Unfortunately pour moi, the opening reception takes place this Saturday while I'll be roasting in the California desert at Coachella, but I cannot wait to visit Gallery Nucleus upon recovery to be transported by the 50+ pieces in the show.

One other reason for my excitement about this particular project is that my good buddy, Justin Parpan, created a piece for it. See the image to the right. Spectacular, oui? Justin is an immensely talented illustrator enamored by creatures - monsters, Bigfoot, reptiles, dinosaurs - you name it.  Remember the late-eighties movie, The Wizard, starring Fred Savage and Jenny Lewis? Remember the scene when they're in the desert with a giant dinosaur? That dinosaur still stands in Cabazon, CA, about 25 miles from San Jacinto, Justin's hometown. Understand his fascination now? If you ever have the privilege of meeting Justin, ask to see the tattoo on his wrist and ask him any dinosaur queries you may have. I'm 99% certain he'll have an answer for you.