Is it common knowledge that Jerry Garcia plays Harry the homeless guy’s banjo bits in Philip Kaufman’s Invasion Of The Body Snatchers? I had no idea. I was watching the movie earlier today and I really liked Harry’s songs and his dog – NOT the alien doggy pod clone that wears Harry’s face … yuck. But I digress, I looked up the actor, because I thought he might have been a musician. It turns out that though the actor who plays the banjo man is called Joe Bellan, Jerry Garcia is the one who plays over Joe’s ass kicking faux-finger picking. I also learned that it is impossible to find a sample, a name, or even a clip of the banjo song played in the movie. So I’m calling on all you movie buffs and Deadheads out there, if anybody knows anything about it, please do share your awesome smarts.

Here’s a great song that shows off Jerry’s banjo skillz:

   Jerry Garcia – Catfish John

Next month another version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers comes out starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, called The Invasion. I’m curious what it will be like, because the original movie from the fifties was influenced by the communist witch hunts at the time, and the first remake from the seventies was set against the background of the post-Vietnam, post-Watergate paranoia of (political) conspiracies. I wonder if the current political climate is also somehow represented in this new version. Other than what’s on the IMDB, I don’t know anything else about The Invasion, but they’re gonna have a really hard time trying to top the 1978 one.

   Nine Inch Nails – Survivalism