short notes:
will brady's ruminations
will brady's ruminations
2009-02-14
film review
The Wal-Mart $1 and $5 DVD bins provides a mixed bag of goods. In the past I've often passed them by, but not long ago, on a whim while at one of the self-service check out lines, I grabbed a copy of a one dollar double feature that included Gone with the West and Molly and Lawless John. For pure amusement value it was worth more than the buck I spent.
For the record, I'd watch a film with Sam Elliot in it even if it lacked a story line [has one], had incomphrhensible dialogue [clever, actually],
and the image grainy at best [this copy was clear]. Molly and John Lawless was a minor gem that apparently passed me by. The film got an R Rating, perhaps due to Sam Elliot twice uttering the word "shit" and one scene where he climbs on top of a whore, and both of them are bare chested.
It is commonplace for one to watch an Oater where the two principal characters are on the lam from the law, but while carrying a papoose with them? I've never seen that catch before. Vera Miles and Sam Elliot are an odd-couple pairing, a proper sheriff's wife runs away with a sociopath bank robber killer who had smooth talked her into helping him escape the hangman's noose. It may not be what most would consider a proper western, and while it is comic in it's delivery, I'm not certain if it was intentional, or if 30 years passage since production [1978 release date] has rendered it somewhat camp.
The conventional western fan might be uncomfortable with what seems to be an actual intimacy between the two characters. But it's a rather decent watch throughout.
I'll refrain from spoiling the ending, just in case you want to see it yourself. Now relegated to knock-off bins at places like Wal-Mart, still worth it.
Of the two, when taking into consideration things like clever dialogue, awareness of social issues perhaps not considered in the time period shown, but may have been a draw to contemporary viewers, Molly and Lawless John was the better of the two. All in all it provided a rather quirky take on the history of the old American West while the other... well, I'm about to get to that.
Which brings me to my thoughts on Gone with the West, for which it was impossible to find a review [It receives mention on both Rotten Tomatoes and the IMBD websites, but I found no write-ups] so I suppose mine is the first one online. [correct me if I am wrong on this]. For a friend of mine and I we found the film was an entertaining debauched romp.
Re-released in 1978 as Little Moon and Jud McGraw: Plot Synopsis: "Somewhere in the mirage-laden distances of the Southwest is a ghost town called Black Nullar. Jud Mc Graw, a tarnished hero, and Little Moon, a not-so-innocent Indian maiden, have scores to settle"
Released in 1975, and starring James Caan, my guess is that Mr. Caan likely doesn't have it high on his resume list. Neither, I suppose would Stephanie Powers. As for Aldo Ray [who went on to do a quasi-porn film, Sweet Savage, a year later in 1979] he might not have cared but his filmographies don't list it. Sammy Davis, Jr. often appeared as a comic foil, so maybe would not have minded the credits.
The film got a PG Rating. how the film makers got that when there is a cockfight, a simulated rape scene -- these both early in the film --
and lots of pawings about in a brothel/saloon is beyond my understanding but, oh well.
In some measure, the review is more about the writing, direction, even the musical score, than about the acting, which is ham-handed and [sometimes] silly.
There is precious little dialogue. The principals - Caan as a wronged cowhand Jud McGraw, and Ms. Powers as Little Moon, a Spanish speaking half-breed [it is she who gets gang raped] - don't understand what each other is saying so body language becomes a more important communication tool. With other characters, much of the talk is almost guttural, and often drowned out by gun shots, fight noises and TNT going off.
With such sparse dialogue, it is odd to see two writers assigned to the project. Both with histories in television series writing; one apparently toward the end of his script writing career [Monroe Manning - Lassie, Flipper, The Witnesses], the other [Douglas Day Stewart - Bonanza, Room 222] went on to write and co-produce An Officer and a Gentleman, so this piece of celluloid shrapnel didn't kill his career.
Then there was the music: From the 1970's brassy urban jazz overture [the soundtrack from the film Shaft comes to mind] to the plaintive theme song; at least three times the hymn "Abide with Me" was sung be a scruffy looking counter tenor, always as a preface to a funeral, none of which were maudlin. The theme song about "What a Man has to be," with repetitive inane lyrics that spoke to the unfairness of life, and how men had to be men and deal with things in a manly way, even if it was unpleasant. [perhaps this was to help explain the many bar brawls as well as a wrestling match that showed me from where some of the World Wrestling Entertainment moves were born].
Finally, I want to say a little about the print copy I watched. Although the movie was originally filmed in color this copy was a dark, grainy, sepia-toned version that could pass for intentional but every now and again a strong red or blue would stand out. This somber and, at times, almost opaque quality of the image, actually served to increase its unintended humor aspect for my friend and I.
I am guessing that it is bootleg from the "Digiview Entertainment Made in China. The folks in China were likely violating copyright protections to burn the DVD. The copyright protection is carefully written to extend only to the DVD cover art.
Would I watch it again? You betcha! Am I glad I didn't pay full price to see the film in a theater? You got that right. But for 50 cents per film with the viewing cost to go down each time it's seen, as they say at VISA, "priceless !.
The Wal-Mart $1 and $5 DVD bins provides a mixed bag of goods. In the past I've often passed them by, but not long ago, on a whim while at one of the self-service check out lines, I grabbed a copy of a one dollar double feature that included Gone with the West and Molly and Lawless John. For pure amusement value it was worth more than the buck I spent.For the record, I'd watch a film with Sam Elliot in it even if it lacked a story line [has one], had incomphrhensible dialogue [clever, actually],
and the image grainy at best [this copy was clear]. Molly and John Lawless was a minor gem that apparently passed me by. The film got an R Rating, perhaps due to Sam Elliot twice uttering the word "shit" and one scene where he climbs on top of a whore, and both of them are bare chested.It is commonplace for one to watch an Oater where the two principal characters are on the lam from the law, but while carrying a papoose with them? I've never seen that catch before. Vera Miles and Sam Elliot are an odd-couple pairing, a proper sheriff's wife runs away with a sociopath bank robber killer who had smooth talked her into helping him escape the hangman's noose. It may not be what most would consider a proper western, and while it is comic in it's delivery, I'm not certain if it was intentional, or if 30 years passage since production [1978 release date] has rendered it somewhat camp.
The conventional western fan might be uncomfortable with what seems to be an actual intimacy between the two characters. But it's a rather decent watch throughout.
I'll refrain from spoiling the ending, just in case you want to see it yourself. Now relegated to knock-off bins at places like Wal-Mart, still worth it.
Of the two, when taking into consideration things like clever dialogue, awareness of social issues perhaps not considered in the time period shown, but may have been a draw to contemporary viewers, Molly and Lawless John was the better of the two. All in all it provided a rather quirky take on the history of the old American West while the other... well, I'm about to get to that.
Which brings me to my thoughts on Gone with the West, for which it was impossible to find a review [It receives mention on both Rotten Tomatoes and the IMBD websites, but I found no write-ups] so I suppose mine is the first one online. [correct me if I am wrong on this]. For a friend of mine and I we found the film was an entertaining debauched romp. Re-released in 1978 as Little Moon and Jud McGraw: Plot Synopsis: "Somewhere in the mirage-laden distances of the Southwest is a ghost town called Black Nullar. Jud Mc Graw, a tarnished hero, and Little Moon, a not-so-innocent Indian maiden, have scores to settle"
Released in 1975, and starring James Caan, my guess is that Mr. Caan likely doesn't have it high on his resume list. Neither, I suppose would Stephanie Powers. As for Aldo Ray [who went on to do a quasi-porn film, Sweet Savage, a year later in 1979] he might not have cared but his filmographies don't list it. Sammy Davis, Jr. often appeared as a comic foil, so maybe would not have minded the credits.
The film got a PG Rating. how the film makers got that when there is a cockfight, a simulated rape scene -- these both early in the film --
and lots of pawings about in a brothel/saloon is beyond my understanding but, oh well.In some measure, the review is more about the writing, direction, even the musical score, than about the acting, which is ham-handed and [sometimes] silly.
The villain played by Aldo Ray exposed he hairy chest several time in "Gone with the West." The image to the right is from an unrelated flick. Aldo Ray was a George Cukor "discovery" - I leave you to ponder that one.
There is precious little dialogue. The principals - Caan as a wronged cowhand Jud McGraw, and Ms. Powers as Little Moon, a Spanish speaking half-breed [it is she who gets gang raped] - don't understand what each other is saying so body language becomes a more important communication tool. With other characters, much of the talk is almost guttural, and often drowned out by gun shots, fight noises and TNT going off.
With such sparse dialogue, it is odd to see two writers assigned to the project. Both with histories in television series writing; one apparently toward the end of his script writing career [Monroe Manning - Lassie, Flipper, The Witnesses], the other [Douglas Day Stewart - Bonanza, Room 222] went on to write and co-produce An Officer and a Gentleman, so this piece of celluloid shrapnel didn't kill his career.
Then there was the music: From the 1970's brassy urban jazz overture [the soundtrack from the film Shaft comes to mind] to the plaintive theme song; at least three times the hymn "Abide with Me" was sung be a scruffy looking counter tenor, always as a preface to a funeral, none of which were maudlin. The theme song about "What a Man has to be," with repetitive inane lyrics that spoke to the unfairness of life, and how men had to be men and deal with things in a manly way, even if it was unpleasant. [perhaps this was to help explain the many bar brawls as well as a wrestling match that showed me from where some of the World Wrestling Entertainment moves were born].
Finally, I want to say a little about the print copy I watched. Although the movie was originally filmed in color this copy was a dark, grainy, sepia-toned version that could pass for intentional but every now and again a strong red or blue would stand out. This somber and, at times, almost opaque quality of the image, actually served to increase its unintended humor aspect for my friend and I.
I am guessing that it is bootleg from the "Digiview Entertainment Made in China. The folks in China were likely violating copyright protections to burn the DVD. The copyright protection is carefully written to extend only to the DVD cover art.
Would I watch it again? You betcha! Am I glad I didn't pay full price to see the film in a theater? You got that right. But for 50 cents per film with the viewing cost to go down each time it's seen, as they say at VISA, "priceless !.
Labels: humor, James Caan, oaters, Sam Elliott, Stephanie Powers, Vera Miles, westerns
¶ 03:53 0 comments
2007-12-29
portrait photography
A hilarious collection of bad studio portraiture, for example:
They might or might not be from Olan Mills, but they are corny portrait photos gathered in one site. Weblogger "carymc" has gathered the two images here and a whole slew of others as one of his List of the Day projects. Carymc also came up with the captions, which are pretty funny too.
A pose like this will get you kicked right out of the Convention.
They might or might not be from Olan Mills, but they are corny portrait photos gathered in one site. Weblogger "carymc" has gathered the two images here and a whole slew of others as one of his List of the Day projects. Carymc also came up with the captions, which are pretty funny too.
I got a 20 that says he drives a Camaro
Found referenced at: Ron's Log
Labels: humor, portraits. 1970s
¶ 19:31 1 comments
2007-12-19
2007-12-18
2007-12-15
distractions
I've maybe been too serious these days.Here's a pleasant distraction
Grip, is the first video of Roel Wouters aka Xelor. it's a one take, top shot music video with trampoline gymnasts simulating typical video effects. The video has been recorded live, as part of the opening 'Nederclips' at the Stedelijk museum's Hertogenbosch SM'S (curated by Bart Rutten).
The project was commissioned by the TAX-videoclipfonds. The important criteria were that the audience at the opening would be able to witness the whole shoot, and that the videoclip would be added to the exhibition immediately after the shoot.
Grip, is the first video of Roel Wouters aka Xelor. it's a one take, top shot music video with trampoline gymnasts simulating typical video effects. The video has been recorded live, as part of the opening 'Nederclips' at the Stedelijk museum's Hertogenbosch SM'S (curated by Bart Rutten).
The project was commissioned by the TAX-videoclipfonds. The important criteria were that the audience at the opening would be able to witness the whole shoot, and that the videoclip would be added to the exhibition immediately after the shoot.
FOUND AT: Panopticist |
Labels: distractions, humor, installations, typography, video, YouTube
¶ 22:57 0 comments
2007-11-23
local scene
Psychic Two for One
We took a drive during our Thanksgiving Day visit, stopping for coffee, small fries and apple pie at the Meriden McDonalds ["over 99 Billion Served"] and saw this. The pizza place was closed. I couldn't divine when the psychic reader would be there.
Afterwards, my friend asked if I could read his mind. "No" I replied. "I have no idea how to do that."
We took a drive during our Thanksgiving Day visit, stopping for coffee, small fries and apple pie at the Meriden McDonalds ["over 99 Billion Served"] and saw this. The pizza place was closed. I couldn't divine when the psychic reader would be there.
Afterwards, my friend asked if I could read his mind. "No" I replied. "I have no idea how to do that."
Labels: commerce, humor, night scenes, pizza, psychic readers, signage
¶ 23:07 0 comments
medical humor
Stephen M Stahl, MD, PhD, of Neurosciences Education Institute singing in prose lyrical about psychopharmacology. Music by Gilbert and Sullivan. Lyrics by who is obviously ADHD. And sometimes, while interacting with drug prescribing shrinks, this same sort of brilliance seeps out.
Stephen M Stahl, MD, PhD, of Neurosciences Education Institute singing in prose lyrical about psychopharmacology. Music by Gilbert and Sullivan. Lyrics by who is obviously ADHD. And sometimes, while interacting with drug prescribing shrinks, this same sort of brilliance seeps out.
SPECIAL THANKS TO: Furious Seasons |
Labels: big pharma, humor, psychopharmacology, quacks
¶ 07:23 0 comments
2007-01-13
nature lesson ~ spiders on drugs
This is your spider on drugs... 
Check out the Canadian Film Board's
Spiders on Drugs video | Alright, maybe it isn't really from them.
Check out the Canadian Film Board's
Spiders on Drugs video | Alright, maybe it isn't really from them.
THANKS TO: The Manic Mechanic |
Labels: humor
¶ 23:29 0 comments
2006-08-13
2006-05-08
2006-03-25
space exploration
Brittlactica: A Planet in Need
This must be seen to be believed. There is now incontrovertable proof that there is life on other planets; humanoid life, at that. Unlike the blank cypher portrayed by David Bowie in The Man who Fell to Earth the citizenry are perhaps better known, even if we remain unaware of their presence among us.
They are desperate for certain of the resources our planet has and takes no mind to, except when considering that the cost of the life-enriching elixer coveted by Brittalica's populace costs around $3.50/USD per gallon. Pretty cheap by comparison.
Clearly, from this astounding expose, it leaves no doubt that our planet has been visited by extra-terrestrial beings. [Makes me wonder just exactly ths Bushco Regime is doing about this threat.
I would venture to guess, clearly NOTHING! They probably can't figue out how to get Halliburton to profit from the endeavor; Though I suspect that is only a matter of time before they figure out how to scam the populace on the matter.]
What, you ask dear reader is at stake here? Well, nothing less than the possibility of a race of desperate [albethey possibly otherwise quite benign] race of beings with superior space travel technology and [probably] grossly superior military weaponry who would come to the planet, plunder it for possession of probably the entire bovine population so they can use them for their survival, not ours.
Since, according to documents somehow purloined from the Brittlactican's own extraplanetary media [probably thanks to some dissident political group] we can safely surmise that these aliens would be immune from the germs that saved us from the Martian Invasion of Earth in 1938 [as courageously documented at the time by Orson Welles and the news team from Mercury World News, only to be later re-invented by Earth's Macheavellian leaders as a "hoax", to soothe the masses] so we cannot pray that the Divine Spirit will so intervene in this situation. The two data chips liberated from the Brittlactian oligharcic leaders, that have documented the occasional [and possibly inadvertent] interactions between we relatively helpless humans and Brittlactican alien experimenters
also provide evidence that we are most certainly scared shitless of these beings. Probably rightfully so.
Now, maybe, just maybe Brittlacticans are still not immune from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) [you know, Mad Cow Disease] and maybe, if they have been ignorant of the discussions and trade tensions between Terran nations about this, maybe we could make sure that a goodly number of infected Elsies and Ferdinands are intentionally included in herds that this alien race has already abducted from this planet and shall continued so to do in the foreseeable future. We cannot be assured that our race shall be protected from this.
I remain troubled that there is only one public interest group attempting to warn us about this. Where are our government leaders? What shall we do? Woe is me! It does allear that, at long last, the sky is actually falling, and we are doing nothing about it.
More to come on this but don't expect to hear about it from Fox News.
This must be seen to be believed. There is now incontrovertable proof that there is life on other planets; humanoid life, at that. Unlike the blank cypher portrayed by David Bowie in The Man who Fell to Earth the citizenry are perhaps better known, even if we remain unaware of their presence among us.They are desperate for certain of the resources our planet has and takes no mind to, except when considering that the cost of the life-enriching elixer coveted by Brittalica's populace costs around $3.50/USD per gallon. Pretty cheap by comparison.
Clearly, from this astounding expose, it leaves no doubt that our planet has been visited by extra-terrestrial beings. [Makes me wonder just exactly ths Bushco Regime is doing about this threat.
I would venture to guess, clearly NOTHING! They probably can't figue out how to get Halliburton to profit from the endeavor; Though I suspect that is only a matter of time before they figure out how to scam the populace on the matter.]What, you ask dear reader is at stake here? Well, nothing less than the possibility of a race of desperate [albethey possibly otherwise quite benign] race of beings with superior space travel technology and [probably] grossly superior military weaponry who would come to the planet, plunder it for possession of probably the entire bovine population so they can use them for their survival, not ours.
Since, according to documents somehow purloined from the Brittlactican's own extraplanetary media [probably thanks to some dissident political group] we can safely surmise that these aliens would be immune from the germs that saved us from the Martian Invasion of Earth in 1938 [as courageously documented at the time by Orson Welles and the news team from Mercury World News, only to be later re-invented by Earth's Macheavellian leaders as a "hoax", to soothe the masses] so we cannot pray that the Divine Spirit will so intervene in this situation. The two data chips liberated from the Brittlactian oligharcic leaders, that have documented the occasional [and possibly inadvertent] interactions between we relatively helpless humans and Brittlactican alien experimentersalso provide evidence that we are most certainly scared shitless of these beings. Probably rightfully so.Now, maybe, just maybe Brittlacticans are still not immune from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) [you know, Mad Cow Disease] and maybe, if they have been ignorant of the discussions and trade tensions between Terran nations about this, maybe we could make sure that a goodly number of infected Elsies and Ferdinands are intentionally included in herds that this alien race has already abducted from this planet and shall continued so to do in the foreseeable future. We cannot be assured that our race shall be protected from this.
I remain troubled that there is only one public interest group attempting to warn us about this. Where are our government leaders? What shall we do? Woe is me! It does allear that, at long last, the sky is actually falling, and we are doing nothing about it.
More to come on this but don't expect to hear about it from Fox News.
FOUND AT: Universe Today |
Labels: humor, space exploration
¶ 08:19 1 comments
2006-03-21
our surrealist society
I must be losing something in the translation, but none of my Bibles have the Prince of Peace espousing body slamming, choke holds and clotheslines as proper avenues of evangelism. Not even in the writings of Apostle Paul [who, in my mind was the most aggressive of the early disciples] can provide me a hook to connect this to. Maybe it's kind of like the Crusaders, if they don't convert, pummel the crap out of them, steal their riches in the Name of God.
Weirder still, this site is not the only "Born Again" stomper site. There's also the Ultimate Christian Wrestling, itself an adjunct to Harvest Church in Atherns, GA, which describes itself as a "...Spirit-filled fellowship where everyone is welcome..." Of course, Harvest Church also has a "Motorcycle Ministry", though it's not clear what that's all about either, that approach seems well, more travel based than aggresso.
Having so pointedly commented on this [in my mind] abberation I must confess to finding fondness for the wrestlers modest Christian Garb [go check out those cod pieces].
Weirder still, this site is not the only "Born Again" stomper site. There's also the Ultimate Christian Wrestling, itself an adjunct to Harvest Church in Atherns, GA, which describes itself as a "...Spirit-filled fellowship where everyone is welcome..." Of course, Harvest Church also has a "Motorcycle Ministry", though it's not clear what that's all about either, that approach seems well, more travel based than aggresso.
Having so pointedly commented on this [in my mind] abberation I must confess to finding fondness for the wrestlers modest Christian Garb [go check out those cod pieces].
FIRST SEEN AT: Pam Spaulding's House Blend |
Labels: distractions, humor, social comment
¶ 10:59 0 comments
2006-03-14
reproductive rights
Michalia Reid writes The Boiling Point a carton weblog that discusses everything from the the Sperm Sufferage rights mobement to Queer Cowboys and the importance of teaching intolerance.
I think I love her stuff and plan on adding her to my blogroll.
Michalia Reid writes The Boiling Point a carton weblog that discusses everything from the the Sperm Sufferage rights mobement to Queer Cowboys and the importance of teaching intolerance.I think I love her stuff and plan on adding her to my blogroll.
FIRST SEEN AT: AlterNet |
Labels: emerging artists, humor, social comment
¶ 10:37 1 comments
