NO PEOPLE LIKE SHOW PEOPLE: Good news for Mel Brooks fans — his Grammy-winning comedy collaborations with Carl Reiner, The 2000 Year Old

MIRREN: seeing Red

Man, have been remastered and repackaged for a 50th anniversary four-disc reissue (three CDs and one DVD), The 2000 Year Old Man: The Complete History, due in stores this week. Not only that, Toronto audiences well finally get to see Mel’s Broadway musical version of Young Frankenstein, now slated to play March 16 – April 18 at the Princess Of Wales … Helen Mirren is set to co-star with Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman in a new thriller, Red, after she brings the National Theatre production of Phedre to Broadway with Dominic Cooper, the Mamma Mia boy toy currently on view with new scene-stealer Carey Mulligan in the hit TIFF star-maker An

MERCER: Rodeo daze

Education … 40-year CHUM radio veteran Roger Ashby will be inducted into the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame at a Canadian Music Week dinner March 11 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel … and talk about yer urbane cowboy! Rick Mercer goes a-ridin’ and a-ropin’ at the Edmonton Rodeo tonight, and actually lives to tell the tale, on CBC’s Rick Mercer Report at 8 pm.

FANGS FOR THE MEMORIES: He became David Frost in Frost/Nixon, shone as Tony Blair in The Queen, and plays legendary maverick U.K. rugby coach Brian Clough in The Damned United. So what does Michael Sheen have to do with that mess of a man pictured beside him? Yup – that’s

SHEEN: he sucks, but only in THIS movie

him. Sheen plays the vampire leader Aro in last weekend’s top boxoffice sizzler, The Twilight Saga: New Moon. And he makes no bones about why he took the role. “I knew it would make my 10-year-old daughter, Lily, very happy,” he confesses. And it has. “She’s got pictures from Twilight and New Moon everywhere in her bedroom,” he notes. “And now, she’s put her dad up there as well.” Just wait ‘til she sees him as The White Rabbit in Tim Burton’s bound-to-be-peculiar re-telling of Alice In Wonderland.

MAY IN NOVEMBER: Toronto Western Hospital’s Fracture Clinic and Medical Imaging Waiting Room is a happier place this morning after renowned

KARP: a gift to last

Toronto photo artist May Karp gifted 22 pieces to TWH. Karp’s uplifting photography is already on view in a number of Canada’s larger hospitals. In 2004 she donated 27 framed images for Toronto General’s new Surgical Centre waiting room, adding warmth and a new visual focus for the families of surgery patients. After seeing the impact of her photography in the Surgical Centre, Tennys Hanson, President and CEO of Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation, asked her to consider a similar project for Toronto Western Hospital. “Hospital waiting rooms are for patients, sometimes for their relatives or friends,” Karp notes. “Most visitors are frightened and anxious. Time passes very slowly as they wait for results or treatment. One can almost ‘taste’ the emotions. Over 20 years ago I spent a lot of time in rooms like this. I experienced all the emotions many times since then.” Which is why her colourful, eye-catching and blissfully distracting works are brightening TWH this morning.

TOMORROW:

Glee & Nine go on the record.

-/-

Look, I don’t want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you’re alive you’ve got to flap your arms and legs, you’ve got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you’re not alive.

- Mel Brooks

Pickapeppa Sauce makes all the difference!

Sorry, couldn’t help it…

Tonight I used the old cook-dinner-in-shifts technique. I knew I would be short on time, having to run errands that would take me away from the stove, so I (gasp) planned ahead.

The menu:  baked chicken with BBQ sauce, baked potato and stir fried vegetables.

The chicken was simple. Free-range, non-hormone-enhanced skinless chicken breasts, lightly coated with plain breadcrumbs. A touch of salt and pepper for good measure.  Baked at 350 for about 35 minutes until they reached 185 degrees.  Play it safe – if you don’t have a digital thermometer, get one!

I baked the potatoes last night.  I used the residual heat from the oven to warm them up while I let the baked chicken rest and stir fried the veggies in a little olive oil. Again, nothing fancy.  Sometimes it pays to let the pure taste of the food do the talking!

The sauce was a little tricker.  I made a small batch, about a cup and a half worth.  Took a lot of adding ingredients in small doses until I got the taste just right.  Once I did, it was awesome!!  Here is the normal recipe I use. It makes about a dozen pints, give or take.  The recipe is adapted from Jesse’s Lip Smackin’ Sauce, which tastes suprisingly like the Bone Licking Sauce that you can get in your local supermarket.  But for fun, take a few hours and fill up some Mason jars!

Doug’s All-Purpose BBQ Sauce:

6 cloves garlic, pressed

128 oz ketchup (that would be two 64 oz cans for those who are math impaired, like me)

1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped finely, sauteed in a bit of olive oil

4 TBsp soy sauce

6 TBsp yellow mustard

4 TBsp red wine vinegar

1/2 c. orange juice

1 TBsp lime juice

2 TBsp lemon juice

1 c. light brown sugar

6 TBsp horseradish

and the secret ingredients:  1 bottle of Pickapeppa Sauce and a can of Dr Pepper.

Put everything in a big stock pot and bring almost to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Tastes even better the next day!

As Chef Rudolf would say:  Happy eating!

Unemployment Insurance History Of The World

In celebration of the fact that we’re getting our unemployment payment today (Yay! We need the money!), here’s a little Mel Brooks video on the ancient history of unemployment insurance. Enjoy.

Evan Chandler, Vater von Jordy Chandler, hat sich vor einigen Tagen das Leben genommen. Der erfolglose Drehbuchautor (Robin Hood – Helden In Strumpfhosen) verklagte in den 90er Jahren Popikone Michael Jackson, da dieser angeblich Chandlers Sohn missbraucht habe. Der Streit wurde nach der Zahlung einer unbekannten Summe von mehreren Millionen Dollar beigelegt.

After my roommate and I gorged ourselves on cheap, greasy delivery Chinese food we decided to kick back, digest and have a few laughs.  Thanks to Mel Brooks’ genius we fell into Dracula: Dead and Loving It, the rest is history.  In true Mel Brooks fashion, the movie had us flirting with the possibility of peeing our pants laughing throughout the entire feature.  Peter MacNicol delivered his best performance as Renfield, the enslaved Brit of Dracula (Leslie Nielsen) with a zest for insects and an insatiable palate.

I particularly love that Renfield’s luncheon companion, the director of the sanitorium, thinks he’s crazy not just for eating bugs but for the way in which he eats them.

Hubby and I would listen to this record (remember the long playing records??) over and over . . . laughing each time as though we heard it for the first time.  It was hilarious!

A Shtick with a Thousand Lives

Today, a friend and her daughter came over and we hung out and worked on some organizing around the house.  I decided to tackle the trash bags sitting in the computer room that had been brought from AFD– John’s personal things from his locker.  I haven’t had the strength to look at them.  They’ve been here for well over a month.  Today, with my friend here, I decided to open them up.

John’s life at the firehouse was separate from our life together.  I’m not a firefighter.  I don’t know much about firefighting.  John’s told me a lot and I’m eager to learn, but like the horses are my thing- firefighting was his thing.  He could tell you the names and breeds of the horses and knew that Tiny and Amber were decedents of the great Doc Bar.  But he didn’t know the intricacies of riding or horsemanship.  Same with me and firefighting, although honestly, I probably had more interest in firefighting than John had in my “lazy assed horses.”

But he respected my passion and my love for horses, just like I did his love and passion for firefighting.  Both are hobbies/careers that take up a lot of time and can cause rifts in relationships.  That is one of the many things that I’ll always love about him.

Going through his stuff there were some things I knew I wouldn’t find.  I knew I wouldn’t find a photo of me in his stuff.  No wedding photo.   No photo of the two of us.  No photo that he liked of me.  I’m sure some people would think that was odd and maybe it is.  But, that’s the way John was.  If you asked him, he probably would have had a reply like- why do I need a photo of Mary, I see her all of the time.  I often missed him when he was gone, he rarely missed me.  I think a lot of that is that he just saw it as part of the job- John was a professional through and through.  Maybe he even took our relationship for granted to an extent- like it would always be around- always be there.  We had a great relationship and we loved each other very much.  Maybe he figured we were adults and adults don’t miss somebody when they don’t see them for 24 hrs.  John really wasn’t a very emotional person.  Sometimes I think that comes with the job- firefighters and police officers see a lot of things that normal people don’t.  Things that normal people don’t want to see- death, dying, blood, body parts, fires, sickness, etc.  What they experience can also be confidential information in some cases.  John also had experienced a lot of loss- he lost his father in 1994 and his mother in 2004.  That can change a person.

Having Nathaniel changed that for him… he smiled more than he ever had and you could just see the love for his son… it shines through in all of the photos of the two of them.  I know he missed his boy when he was at work.  He’d come home and just hug Nathaniel and tell him how much he missed him.

Being diagnosed with stage IV  made John more emotional, too.  Not to say we had gushy emotional in depth conversations about feelings, but he shared more than he had before and he started telling me “I love you,” more than he ever had.  He used to rarely say it.  He knew it bugged me.  He would reply that it was trite and overused and that I should know that he loved me.  It just felt nice to hear it… to know that he meant it.

I had gotten John some photo magnets of Nathaniel for Christmas or for his birthday or both.  They were in there.  Along with our Christmas card from last year.  He loved his son more than some fathers will love their children in a lifetime.  John was the best father.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that he had actually taken the little fan that I had gotten for him to work.  Often times things that I got for him were just put aside.  Now, who knows if he actually used the fan or not, but at least it made it to work.

There was one thing that I didn’t know he had, but I sort of knew why he had it- a stuffed flying flingshot frog It is reminiscent of the “No Balls” frog.  John also had “No balls”  listed on  his FB page as  his quote.  “Young buck.  Old School,” used to be his quote on the firefighting forum, The Watch Desk.  “Young buck.  Old School,” made sense to me.  “No balls,” I just didn’t get it.  Once I asked him about it.

His explanation was showing me “Frog in a Blender” on Joe Cartoon.

I understand the “Frog in a Blender.”  I found it funny, but not hilarious.  I also missed the point of why he would use it as an avatar and quote on his pages.  So… if anybody wants to explain the significance… I’d appreciate it…

Of course… you can’t always be a serious all business sort of guy.  He did love watching “The Simpsons“, “Family Guy“, and “American Dad.”

There were a  few DVDs.  Typical firefighter ones like:  “The Complete First Season of Rescue Me” & “Ladder 49.”  I loved “Ladder 49,” but hated the ending… isn’t everything supposed to have a happy ending… sigh…   Of course in my “movie”, my firefighter dies of cancer… so no happy ending here either.  There was “Saving Private Ryan.”  John love Mel Brooks.  I being deficient in movie watching have seen very little Mel Brooks.  Geez… every since John and I were dating he mentioned how I needed to watch Mel Brooks movies… in particular “History of the World Part I.”  That was in his locker.  Along with “Spaceballs,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “Blazing Saddles.”  Sadly, I don’t think I’ve seen any of them– I can say I’ve watched “The Producers” and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Maybe I’ll just have to watch some DVDs…  There were 2 vidoes from a comic I’d never heard of, Bob Nelson.  Probably everybody but me has heard of him, but me.  I’m not a whiz when it comes to pop culture.

There was a baseball glove with some balls.  The firefighters used to play at work.  I remember when John bought the glove and some balls.  I believe he got a great deal on a large quantity of balls and sold the ones he didn’t need on E-bay.  He commented that the Navy didn’t like it that much when their balls when over the fence.  I know he looked forward to playing when they had the chance.  One of John’s comments when he was stage IV is that he wanted somebody to teach Nathaniel to play catch.  With my ball handling abilities… that’s not me… volunteers gladly appreciated.

There were some tools that I don’t know what they are and locks without combination.  At least the locks are open.  I don’t know if there is symbolism or irony there or just two locks.  I’d love to ask John to explain what the tools are are or how to use them, but I can’t.  I saw something that was blue nylon.  I wondered if that was his rigging for lifting people (sorry, I don’t know the technical terminology).  John was an expert at knots and doing different rigging.  He was part of a Cecil County rope rescue team.  Once he wanted to practice, so we went over to the firehouse and I ended up hoisted quite high in the air…. lol… a lot of fun, but the harness was NOT comfortable… lol… Part of me wanted to investigate.  Part of me knew, I’d crumple if that’s what it was.

There was a computer cable, a jump drive, and some CDs.  John was a computer whiz.  It’s not surprising that he had some type of computer stuff at work.

A comb, his razor, lotion, a LiveStrong band, a mosquito repellent bracelet, boot polish, and leather cleaner (actually my leather cleaner for my tack– no problem, I’m sure he got more use out of it) were also included.  I brush Nathaniel’s hair with one of John’s combs.  I’ve thought, what will I do when it breaks?  Now, I have a backup.

There was an envelope of some paperwork.  It looks like some reports and classes that John had written up.  He’d been the instructor for a lot of them.  John LOVED teaching.  He was so excited about AFD having their own academy.  He was going to be an instructor.  His eyes lit up when he talked about it.  Sadly, he got sick and was barely able to teach at all.  His helmet with the instructor shield was in the box.  It even still smelled smoky- who knows when he last used the helmet- he was pulled out of work immediately upon his stage IV diagnosis in February.  It’s hard to believe that after all of that time it still smelled smoky.  I love that smell.  I still do, even knowing that his firefighting may very well have contributed to his death.  Bottom line- firefighters have a higher rate of melanoma than the general population.

He had a lot of clothes and his bed linens.  They’ll be nice to keep for Nathaniel and if I ever loose a lot of weight, I know I’d love to wear his t-shirts.

There was a Thank You note from an elementary class that Menassa, Joe, & John had visited to teach fire safety.  I wondered if Joe & Menassa had gotten Thank You’s also or if they’d put it in there for my benefit.  Whatever the case…. I appreciated it.  John participated in a lot of fire safety events at schools and he did a spectacular presentation for becoming a firefighter that he presented at our local (I think) middle school (may have been HS).

John was passionate about firefighting.  He loved being a firefighter.  If only all of us could share that same passion and love… we’d all be happier and the world would probably be a better place.

I think about my desk at work.  If anything happened to me… what contents would get boxed up and returned to Nathaniel.  Most of my things would be discarded- confidential company  info.  Then, there are some printed and cut out photos that I used to display (of the horses, cats, John, and Nathaniel) that are now in desk drawers.  There are the trinkets that people bring back for the team when they go on vacation and an American flag that the company gave us several years ago.  There are a few commendations from when they used to give commendations.

Right now my desk is pretty bare.  I have a laminated funeral card and my calendar from Shutterfly that I made with Nathaniel (and Nathaniel & John) photos.  For the past several years, I’ve delighted in making calendars and photo books.  I think I’m done for a while– too emotional– back to generic.

It was hard going through John’s  things and hard writing about it.  It’s getting to the point- what is left?  I know as I eventually get the house cleaned and if I ever get the basement cleaned, I’ll run across more things of John’s that I didn’t know about.  But I feel like his work chapter is closing.  I don’t want it to close, but sadly, I feel that  it is.

And I am tired.  Had a great day with my friend and got some important chores done (flea stuff for dogs at the vet, oil change for car, fixed the tail ligh/blinker problem).  It was a cool and overcast day and later the wind came up, making it downright cold.

I think I have decided to cut my hair off again. I am tired of it, and feeling like I look like a ridiculous old woman.  I am going to cut it short and spiky and dye it.  Or have the remaining color taken out so that it’s all white. Hmmm…decisions, decisions…this is a thing I go through all the time.   We’ll see. I get paid tomorrow…I might just do it!

We had a lovely breakfast for supper tonight…red potatoes cooked with onion, garlic, red-yellow-green bell peppers. Eggs perfectly over easy. Yummy whole grain toast from the honey~oatmeal~flaxseed bread I made yesterday.  It hit the spot.

I have been writing a good part of the evening and have to get up early tomorrow again, so I am more than ready to go to bed.  I was up this morning at 5 AM.

We watched Blazing Saddles tonight with our dinner.  Mel Brooks is a comic genius. Period.

Okay–eyes are at half mast.  Must….go…..sleep….lol

Namaste.

8 – friggin’ 0: I have to say, I’m mighty proud to be a Saints fan right now!

Not as happy as this guy - but you get the idea.

Anyways, all of us in City Zoo are mighty glad the game wasn’t until 3pm. The reason being, our batshit crazy show the night before at Whiskey Dix w/ Jak Locke & The War Office.

I have to say, I’m damn glad Whiskey Dix has that big honkin projector at their place because now all the bands that play there have some extra dimensions to play with in their sets. Both The War Office & Jak Locke played to the backdrop of the Mel Brooks film “Blazing Saddles”

How the west was truly won...

So after many beers and the return of our pre-show shot, we decided to slap on a little video show of our own. Here’s a couple of the images we used.

The Gubbonator (Always said w/ Austrian Accent)

You can't go wrong with fire @ a rock show!

Anyway, we had a blast Saturday night & we hope everyone who was there had as much fun as we did. Considering some parts of the show were a little hazy, then it may have been a good one. I’ve recently been told I was making rather odd noises b/t songs. If you’re around this fall, and you haven’t seen us yet, you probably should! More show dates to come! See you around.

ST from CZ

No próximo dia 20 de novembro milhões de meninas vão aos cinemas suspirar e desejar sinceramente uma mordidinha no pescoço. Se ela vier de Edward, o Vampiro Camarada, melhor ainda. Enquanto esperam, é provável que baixem os episódios de True Blood ou de The Vampire Diaries. Vampiros estão na moda, definitivamente. Ou, como diria uma amiga minha, “são tendência”.

Interessante é ver como o tratamento dos vampiros muda através dos tempos. O cinema já dedicou uma boa quantidade de celulose às Crianças da Noite. Muitos atores já se celebrizaram (e alguns se maldisseram) por protagonizarem bebedores de sangue. “Imagens, Sons e Telas” (oquei, esse nome é péssimo mesmo) pretende indicar oito bons filmes de vampiros já feitos nesse século e pouco de cinema.

O primeiro a ser indicado não poderia ser outro. Nosferatu (Nosferatu, Eine Synphonie des Grauens, 1922), de F.W. Murnau, é uma das primeiras adaptações da clássica obra “Drácula”, de Bram Stoker. Por problemas de direitos autorais o filme não pode fazer referência ao próprio Drácula, optando Murnau por chamar o filme de “Nosferatu” e o seu vampiro da Transilvânia de Conde Orlok. O filme, mudo, é considerado um dos marcos do expressionismo alemão, escola cinematográfica que cresceu na República de Weimar e mostra uma Alemanha amargurada ainda pela I Guerra Mundial e já assustada pela tenebrosa ascensão do nazismo. Orlok é magistralmente interpretado por Max Schreck, que criou um vampiro que certamente despertaria pavor nas adolescentes que suspiram por Edward. Orlok é nojento e abjeto, convive com ratos e sujeira. Ele representa o que há de ruim na humanidade.

Uma das mais clássicas cenas de filmes de horror

Será que a Bella daria o pescocinho dela para ele?

Um filme que não trata exatamente de vampiros, mas tem vampiros no nome é “M, o Vampiro de Dusseldorf” (M, 1931, Fritz Lang). O mestre Lang conta a história da caça a um assassino de crianças no seu primeiro filme falado. O tema do assassino talvez seja um dos primeiros leitmotivs da história do cinema e o filme retrata a descrença geral nas pessoas e nas instituições da Alemanha durante a brutal crise econômica e o crescimento do nazismo…

Voltando aos vampiros propriamente ditos, Drácula (Dracula, 1931, Tod Browning) não poderia ficar fora da lista em função da caracterização magistral de Bela Lugosi. Sabe aquele vampiro com o cabelo todo penteado para trás, com a pele pálida e a capa preta forrada em vermelho? Se você tem esse vampiro como paradigma, agradeça a Bela Lugosi. O Conde Drácula dele, já apresentado aqui como um sedutor, foi tão definitivo que se transformou, durante décadas, no modelo do “verdadeiro” vampiro. A clássica cena do automóvel estragando no meio da madrugada bem na frente daquele castelo taciturno, clichê dos clichês dos filmes de terror, fez sua estreia aqui. E há, é claro, a clássica menção aos lobos, “Children of the night”. Se fosse existir apenas um clássico sobre vampiros, seria esse.

Bela Lugosi, o mais clássico dos vampiros

E dessa vez, a Bella ia? Será que a Bella ia no Bela? (desculpem, impossível resistir ao trocadilho...)

O personagem gótico de Bram Stoker também deu origem a “Drácula: O Príncipe das Trevas” (Dracula: Prince of Darkness, 1966, Terence Fisher). O nobre romeno foi vivido (tecnicamente um vampiro pode ser vivido? Enfim, não sei…) pelo sempre ótimo Christopher Lee. A história de Drácula é sempre parecida, mas a interpretação de Lee faz valer assistir, novamente, a mesma história.

Christopher Lee: Saruman nunca me enganou...

O filme de vampiros que marcou a minha pré-adolescência (e do qual eu até participei de uma adaptação teatral) foi “A Hora do Espanto” (Fright Night, 1985, Tom Holland). Charlie, um adolescente viciado em filmes de terror antigos, fica desconfiado de um novo vizinho e seu empregado, que ele só vê a noite. Sua mãe, seu melhor amigo e sua namorada não acreditam em suas desconfianças e o próprio espectador é levado a duvidar de Charlie durante boa parte do filme. O filme é leve e tem toques de humor sarcástico, um típico filme dos anos 80.

Sorria, seu vizinho adolescente está olhando!!

É possível contar a história de Drácula de uma maneira diferente? Essa foi a pergunta que levou Francis Ford Coppola a fazer “Drácula de Bram Stoker” (Dracula, 1992). Coppola decidiu ir na contramão de todas as adaptações anteriores e, ao invés de usar a versão adaptada para o teatro, adaptar diretamente do livro de Stoker. Os fãs da história fazia anos pediam uma adaptação mais fiel ao livro, e foi isso que Coppola tentou fazer. O elenco é ótimo, com Winona Ryder como Mina Murray, Anthony Hopkins como van Helsing e Keanu Reeves como Jonathan Harker. Mas novamente o vampiro rouba a cena: o Conde Drácula de Gary Oldman talvez seja a maior interpretação da sua carreira.

Assista o filme e acredite: a Bella se entregava para esse...

Se os fãs de Bram Stoker queriam uma adaptação mais fiel, os fãs de Anne Rice pediam há muito também uma adaptação cinematográfica da obra vampírica da autora. “Entrevista com o Vampiro” (Interview with the Vampire, 1994, Neil Jordan) teve o roteiro adaptado pela própria Anne Rice para o cinema. Se Gary Oldman e Christofer Lee já haviam feito vampiros sedutores, o Louis de Point du Lac encarnado por Brad Pitt adiciona um outro elemento: o vampiro não é senhor da situação, é amargurado, tem remorsos e dúvidas. Humanizado, o vampiro torna-se heroi e ganha a simpatia do público. O vampiro mais tradicional é encarnado por Tom Cruise com o seu Lestat de Lioncourt. Destaque também para a jovem vampira-menina Claudia, atormentada por ter sido vampirizada ainda criança e que torna-se uma centenária num corpo infantil. Claudia foi interpretada por Kirsten Dunst, que tinha menos de doze anos durante as filmagens.

Vou encerrar minha lista com um filme que foge um pouco do padrão grave dos filmes vampíricos. “Drácula – Morto mas Feliz” (Dracula: Dead and Loving It, 1995, Mel Brooks) entra naquela categoria de spoof movies, filmes que satirizam um gênero.  O sempre hilariante Mel Brooks além de dirigir ainda faz o papel de van Helsing, enquanto o Drácula da vez é o imbatível Leslie Nielsen, soberano absoluto desse gênero.

Eu poderia falar ainda de Blade ou de Anjos da Noite, a questão é que eu não gosto tanto assim desses filmes. Enfim, curtam a lista!

PS: primeiro post em que eu me aventuro a colocar imagens…

I wasn’t even going to cover this issue as it was beginning to die down in the media and opinion seemed to be swinging more to the side of reason. However, it takes very little to ignite the powderkeg of nerd-roided fury I always keep at a simmer, and an article on /film is perfectly fitting. There had been a bunch of hubbub recently about the DirecTV ad featuring David Spade re-enacting a classic scene from Tommy Boy in which the late, great Chris Farley’s image is imposed. As you can well imagine, the ad had been in contention from the very moment it was launched. In fact, the first time I viewed the ad was in a response post on /film. While it may be an eyebrow-raiser at first, the ad does nothing maliscious to Farley’s image and even seems to celebrate it with Spade delivering a fourth-wall-breaking “It never gets old” to the camera. Let’s also take into account the oft-pointed to fact that Farley’s family themselves are the only ones capable of signing off on this endeavor. They agreed to the promotion along with Spade, one of Farley’s best friends up until his death, and they are the ones reaping the benefits of Farley’s image.

While everyone is up-in-arms over the usage of a dead celebrity’s visage, let’s take a few things into account here. Farley’s image is not doctored AT ALL. It is the exact clip from Tommy Boy even in its original context of the joke. Far from being derogatory, the clip is actually a celebration of the work of Farley and seeks to advertise DirecTV through the love and fanbase that this movie has established. What Farley produced, his works, are in the public consiousness now. Though he is gone, Tommy Boy lives on forever in the hearts and minds of its fans (excuse me while I get down from this tall soapbox). Understandably, utilizing Farley’s PERSONAL image to increase revenue would seem dubious, but replaying and reopening an old work that he did is far from mistreatment. In fact, it runs more along the lines of enforcing admiration for Farley’s craft. If this commercial had never been produced no one would have taken a moment out of their day and said, “Wow, it sure is great that Chris Farley’s image is being upheld through its non-usage in the public sphere.” No. No one would have even thought of it, save for someone who randomly remembered a snippet from the film and went home to rewatch it. What the DirectTV ad is doing is channelling the public love and reverence for this movie into marketing and sales. Sure, Farley’s work is being used to push product, but what do you think it does on cable, in syndication? With over 30 MINUTES of advertisements juxtaposed in? This ad is doing nothing worse than running a movie on basic cable. Actually, it’s doing one better, as it is creating a symbiotic relationship with the original work in that it is bringing it back into the forefront of public perception quickly, efficiently, and repeatedly. Tommy Boy has seen more press coverage and attention in the last few weeks than it has seen in the last few years. And when it comes to classics like this, preservation and celebration of the work IS what counts. Do you really think that in 25 years, kids will have a DIRECT connection to Tommy Boy? Think of other classics from 25 years ago. Most of Mel Brook’s more obscure but arguably better canon (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, History of the World, etc.) is unknown by today’s generation. The only way they come to knowing these works is through interactions with older generations that pass these tomes down to them. These commercials bringing Tommy Boy back into the public consciousness are as crucial to keeping the movie relevant as any other form of preservation. They provide quick, continual reminders of the film as it was. Not doctored, added to, or subtracted from, just a short segment from a true American comedy. How can this downplay the legacy that Farley left on this Earth? If anything it enforces it by creating conflict and reentering the late comic into the sphere of relevance.

USA: Halloween is the celebration for fall harvest, ghouls, seductive gypsy vampire dancing…?  Lest not forget the Csárdás, a gypsy orchestra classic written by Italian-born composer Vittorio Monti around 1904, and seen here in a hot vampire hungrian folk dancing scene (from the spoof “Dracula: Dead and Loving It,” Mel Brooks directed., 1995, and seen in this video clip from 1: 22 to 2:38)

Well.

It is officially Halloween Eve-Eve-Day. Can ya FEEL IT?!?

Halloween has always held a special place in my heart. I’m not “goth” by any means, but a holiday based around the macabre warms my heart for some reason. I love the supernatural. I love that “other world” that rests just slightly to the left of ours, here, but not here – yet always in danger of letting something loose into our dimension…something different, something Not Quite Right. Shapes and creatures that shift and ripple, always staying just out of focus to to the human eye – because if they ever did come into focus, the mere sight of them would loosen your mind from whatever moorings held it in it’s place, sending it floating away like a boy in a balloon (topical!), while blood poured from your nose and your hair turned to white.

I love scaring people and being scared. I love horror movies. The gorier the better. The gruesomer the better. I don’t know why – maybe I’m morbid. Maybe I’m not. Because I’m not alone in my love for these films. And the more violent and ridiculously over-the-top, the better.

It’s schlock. It’s camp. It’s not real.

And it’s fun. Key-word, there. FUN.

What does Christmas have, after all? Family? Reindeer? Goodwill towards men?

Psssh. Give me Bruce Campbell cutting down hordes of the undead with an arm made out of a chainsaw anyday. Give me corny one-liners from Freddy Krueger as he tears some kid apart with one clawed hand. Pumpkin pie? Give me Pumpkinhead. Freshly fallen snow? I’ll take an extra dose of freshly spilled blood, please. (Created by a special effects team with just the right amount of corn syrup and food dye, of course.)

Let’s revel in madness for a bit…and, just to make sure you can make your way back, let’s throw in some good old fashioned laughs with that good old fashioned terror while we’re at it.

Here’s a rundown of yesterdays bottom six:

10. The Frighteners. (1996)

Michael J. Fox sees ghosts for fun and profit – until things, inevitably, go horribly wrong. Jeffrey Coombs shows up briefly, but memorably, to be awesome.

9. Dead Alive (Brain Dead). (1992)

Peter Jackson gives us a heaping helping of over-the-top, ridiculous, gory camp. And god bless him for it.

8. Beetlejuice. (1988)

Michael Keaton steals the show from Tim Burton, and just about everyone else, in this goofy supernatural comedy.

7. Return of the Living Dead. (1985)

Zombies head off in search of brains – with hilarious results!

6. Re-Animator. (1985)

Jeffrey Coombs is back to raise hell, and the dead, in this Lovecraftian horror. With hilarious results!

5. Shaun of the Dead. (2004)

Two slackers take on the zombie apocalypse in this very funny, very, original, very British film

And now…let’s get bloodier! (But we’ll play if for laughs, so it’s totally okay.)

Four: An American Werewolf in London. (1981)

John Landis, the used-to-be brilliant comedy director of such classics as “The Blues Brothers” and “Animal House”, tackles the horror genre – and brings some laughs with him. Griffin Dunne and David Naughton star as Jack and David, two Americans lost in the English countryside, who disbelieve the frightened townspeoples warnings about full moons and werewolves until it’s to late.

A funny movie, with great performances from the two leads, sure…but the real star here is Rick Baker’s Acadamy Award winning make-up work. David’s initial transformation from uncouth American to uncouth-er werewolf is a treat to behold. Keep in mind, this was before the advent of CGI, and long before that technology was allowed to run amuck – much like the werewolf in this movie. Practical effects are where it’s at, folks, and ths movie is a wonderful showcase for them. And, soon, I’m sure these classic films will be the only place we can still witness those effects.

Three: Evil Dead 2. (1987)

Ash is back, baby. And this time – it’s personal.

Part sequel, part remake, “The Evil Dead 2″ is a genuine cult favorite – and for good reason. It’s bizarre, gory, hyperkinetic, and, perhaps more importantly, slapsticky enough to resemble a Three Stooges film…and all thanks to the genius of writer/director Sam Raimi. His style is original, his ideas, batshit crazy. From Ash’s prolonged battle with his own severed hand, to his eventual prosthetic replacement (a chainsaw), this movie showcases some truly unique sight gags and visual stimuli.

Which is all very well in good. Yeah, it’s original. Yeah, it’s over-the-top funny. Yeah, a chick gets raped by a tree. But we all know there’s more to this movie’s charm than that. Precisely One Thing More.

Bruce Campbell.

If schlock horror B-movies had a chiseled, heavily chinned face – it would be the face of that man. Bruce. Campbell.

The dude is the greatest living embodiment of B-movie horror greatness, and the Evil Dead films were the perfect outlet for him to perfect his cult idol status. And he damn well knows it. And relishes it.

If you haven’t seen any of the Evil Dead films, you are missing out.

Two: Young Frankenstein. (1974)

Gene Wilder might just be the greatest comedic genius of all time. There. I said it. And this movie certainly supports that statement.

Along with co-writing the script with comedy legend Mel Brooks, Wilder stars as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein – who, despite being a member of the dreaded Frankenstein clan, really has no interest in reviving dead tissue, thank you very much.

But when a solicitor arrives with news of his inheritance (his family’s estate), the old Frankenstein spirit resurfaces, and he resumes his families morbid business with zeal – aided by his two new assistants, the lovely Inga (Teri Garr) and the bizarre Igor (Marty Feldman.)

The cast is fantastic. The aforementioned Wilder, Garr and Feldman hit all the right notes, and Cloris Leachman and Peter Boyle as the Monster only add to the lunacy. Throw in Kenneth Mars as the ridiculous Inspector Kemp, and an unexpected cameo by Gene Hackman as a blind hermit, and you’ve got one of the most perfect casts every assembled for a comedy movie (the number one movie on this list has an equally impressive cast.)

The jokes come fast and furious, spoofing Universal horror movies, musicals and even (at least then) current events at a breakneck pace, all while leisurely circling this absurd cast of characters.

While not particularly frightening, it’s one of the most impressive comedies I’ve ever seen, and will always remain a favorite. Mel Brooks may not be the genius he once was, but this is a prime example of him, and Wilder, at the top of their game.

One: Ghostbusters. (1984)

What else?

“Ghostbusters” changed my life. I’m dead serious. This movie stands out as a landmark to me. As a film enthusist, as a comedian, as a writer, as a goddamn human being – this is it. This is the big one.

“Ghostbusters” is a nearly flawless film.

The cast is unbelievable. Bill Murray, Dan Ayckroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis…it’s like a who’s who of comedy elite. Throw in some Sigourney Weaver, some Ernie Hudson, and some William Atherton (who would make a very fine living in the ’80s playing assholes) to round out the cast, and you’re golden.

The music, the writing, the ghosts. Again, no reliance on CGI. And they still look great. The Staypuft Marshmallow Man – iconic. The lines…Murray’s ad-libbing is ridiculous, gelling well with the script, and the other actors. Venkman, Stantz, Spengler, Zeddemore…names that will live in infamy forever. These guys are the real deal. Real dudes fighting ghosts. Wearing volleyball pads on their elbows and sporting equipment that is untested and designed by themselves. Brilliant.

Scary? No. Hilarious? Always. The movie still holds up to this day. None of it seems dated in the slightest (alright, maybe the dog-demons at the end look kind of sketchy). The cast has amazing chemistry, and bounce off each other like pros. (Which, I guess, they were.)

This is one of my all time favorite movies…definitely one of my top comedies of all time, and clearly, my favorite comedy horror of all time.

Who you gonna call?

Well.

There you have it. Agree, disagree? Let me know. There’s a lot out there, for sure. In fact, here’s some more Honorable Mentions:

Arachnophobia. (1990)

Gremlins. (1987)

Army of Darkness. (1992)

Tremors. (1990)

So that’s it for me this week – and until Monday…

Happy Halloween, from the Tabby-ban!

*cue spooky laughter.*

Pretty scary, eh?

]]> http://xander81.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/kurzkritik-dracula-tot-aber-glucklich-1995/ Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:07:14 +0000 Xander http://xander81.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/kurzkritik-dracula-tot-aber-glucklich-1995/

Nur weil Halloween ansteht, bedeutet das ja nicht, dass man den ganzen Tag Angst haben und zitternd durch die Gegend laufen muss. Horrorfilme können ja auch Spaß machen bzw. den Horror auf die Schippe nehmen, zumindest bei Scary Movie hat dies ja im ersten Teil noch bedingt funktioniert. Bei Leslie Nielsen Filmen funktioniert die Sache mit dem Spaß machen relativ häufig, so habe ich vor ein paar Tagen Die unglaubliche Reise in einem verrückten Flugzeug gesehen und sehr gelacht – und obwohl Nielsens “neuere” Filme ja alle nicht so dolle sind, habe ich es denn jetzt auch wieder mit dem auch noch nicht ganz so alten Dracula – Tot aber glücklich versucht.

Die Story hält sich recht genau an die Vorlage von Bram Stoker, wenn auch die ein oder andere Sache geändert wurde. Dracula reist nach London, da er vom Anwalt Thomas Renfield ein Haus gekauft hat. Renfield hat er nach den Formalitäten zu seinem Diener gemacht, damit dieser tagsüber seine “Interessen” vertreten kann. In London angekommen, stellt sich Dracula seinem neuen Nachbarn und seiner Tochter vor, die er sogleich begehrt und des Nachts beißt. Als der Professor Van Helsing die Male entdeckt, beginnt die Jagd auf den Vampir…

Ich könnte mir schon vorstellen, dass sich aus dem Stoff Stokers eine gelungene Komödie machen lässt. Das dachte sich wohl auch Mel Brooks, der mit Dracula allerdings keine gelungene Komödie ablieferte. Bis 2008 sollte es dauern, dass er wieder Regie führen sollte. Aber woran liegt das? Die Witze in dem Film beziehen sich leider in den seltensten Fällen auf die Thematik an sich – größtenteils handelt es sich tatsächlich um die üblichen Slapstik-Albernheiten, wie sie in jeder Nielsen-Komödie vorkommen könnten. Doch ist Dracula leider nur ein Nielsen Film auf Sparflamme: Die Gagdichte ist zu gering, die Witze zu flach und harmlos und letztendlich ist der ganze Film viel zu vorhersehbar. Es gibt schon das ein oder andere Highlight, unter anderem die Spiegel-Szene während des Balls, aber hauptsächlich hält sich die Komik des Films doch sehr zurück.

Gelacht wird wenig bei Dracula, richtig langweilig ist es jedoch auch nicht. Eigentlich ist das Ganze hauptsächlich belanglos und vor allem und erst Recht für die Erwartungshaltung die man einnimmt, wenn man sich eine Mel Brooks Komödie an sieht – welche ja im Laufe der Zeit auch nicht unbedingt besser wurden. Brooks vorletzter Film Robin Hood – Helden in Strumpfhosen war noch ein letztes Aufbäumen, mit Dracula ging es dann zu Ende. Seine letze Regiearbeit Spaceballs – The Animated Series von 2008 war ein Flop.

Young Frankenstein

Frankenstein

Old Frankenstein

REALLY Old Frankenstein

I just left the Communications Building at Elon.  What started off as a way to spend an afternoon, observing a video production for some Broadway guy, turned into wonderful time spent with music and storytelling.  I was in for way more than I planned.

The Broadway figure and centerpiece for a crowd of about 30 people was, Charles Strouse.  If you’ve never heard his name before, which was my case, you’ve definitely heard his music.  This is the man responsible for writing the music for “Bye Bye Birdie,” the score for “Bonnie and Clyde,” and most well known for the famous lineup of songs from, “Annie” (there’s a lot lot more).

The stage was set in a Behind the Music format in which Strouse weaved stories in between songs about his successes, fears of failure, and what he enjoys about his work and marriage.  He opened with the theme song from “Bye Bye Birdie,” and continued through highlights of his catalogue, ending with a Q&A session.  Throughout his performance I kept thinking what an honor and privilege it was to hear the man responsible for the music that has shaped Broadway perform.

Since I am relatively unfamiliar with some of the productions that he built with music, my favorite part came at the end when he performed a four piece montage from “Annie.” It had all the major players, “Maybe,” “Hard Knock Life” (Jay-Z’s got nothing on this guy), the duet between Annie and Daddy Warbucks, and finished with “Tomorrow.”

He spoke of collaborations with other various artists, and how he worked with Mel Brooks and ultimately introduced him to the woman he would marry.

The funniest story dealt with Warren Beatty.  He mentioned how Warren called him to work on the music for “Bonnie and Clyde,” but wasn’t convinced that it was actually Warren Beatty on the phone.  His son, he explained, has always been a prankster and frequently calls him impersonating someone else.  Charles was determined not to fall for one of his son’s little jokes, and assumed that this phone call, which was actually from Warren Beatty was his son.  When Warren told him about the project and asked how much he would work for, Charles responded with a figure that was top dollar for the time that the film was made, $50,oo0.  Beatty was surprised at the high cost and said that he would have to get back with him.  After not much time, Warren Beatty called him back and agreed to pay him the desired amount.  Charles couldn’t believe it and confessed to the audience that he would have done the work for free, but didn’t actually tell Warren this until many years later.

One of the ground rules mentioned before the performance was that the audience was not allowed to sing along because this was a live recording.  The very last question came from a student asking Strouse that because his melodies are so contagious and they weren’t allowed to sing along, would he mind playing “Tomorrow” with the assistance of the audience.  With a smile, Strouse began to play the opening bars and the entire crowd sang in unison.

They allowed Mr. Strouse to leave the studio first so that he could prepare to sign books for everyone, and as he walked past me I said, “thank you.”  He gave a genuine, heartfelt smile and shook my hand.

Då har samlingen växt till sig med ytterligare några filmer, och samtidigt börjar bli lite smånervös för den dagen när jag måste köpa om allt i HD format.

Snatch

Guy Richie´s bättre filmer, en av 2 dvs. Stjärnspäckad actionkomedi med imponerande roll-lista med bla Benicio Del Toro & Brad Pitt. Vi får ju självklart inte glömma bort att Jason Statham & Vinnie Jones är med och förgyller denna guldrulle. Ett självklart givet köp för varje filmälskare, även om den rullat stadigt på TV de senaste 6-7åren. Det spelar ingen roll, för den skall stå i arkivet i alla fall.

Snatch: 8/10

Köp: 49.-

Lock stock, and two smoking barrels

Guy Richie del 2, här är den andra bra Guy Richie filmen, ja den med det långa namnet som jag hädanefter kommer att kalla enbart för Lock Stock. Filmen är hyllad i stort sett världen över och visst är den bra! Inte lika stjärnspäckad såklart som Snatch eftersom detta är filmen som gav honom en karriär i Hollywood, men det hindrar inte oss från att få återse Englands badboys på film igen, dvs Jason Statham & Vinnie Jones. Denna filmen har också en självklar plats i hyllan och står fint brevid Snatch, Layer Cake & Revolver.

Lock Stock: 8/10

Köp: 59.-

Thelma & Louise

Klassisk “Fuck it all” film med 2 damer som säkert har inspirerat en hel generation med hemmafruar att säga ifrån och leva livet istället för att behaga alla andra. Vad vet jag, en bra film är det i alla fall och vem glömmer inte slutscenen?

Både Geena Davis & Susan Sarandon blev Oscars nominerade för bästa kvinnliga huvudroll med denna filmen och jag förstår varför, en riktigt bra film som sagt. Filmen fick förövrigt hela 6st Oscars nomineringar och vann kategorin Bästa Manus för film.

Thelma & Louise: 9/10

Köp: 59.-

Det våras för Sheriffen

…det är vad de flesta kallar den för i alla fall, “Blazing Saddles” som den heter egentligen, är en av de bättre Mel Brooks filmerna om ni frågar mig. Jag har alltid varit ett stort M.B fan så att just denna filmen hamnar i hyllan hos mig är ingen skräll. Gene Wilder var också en tidig favorit hos mig, mycket på grund av just denna film.

Blazing Saddles: 9/10

Högt betyg? Ja kanske, men nu jämför jag med andra komedier från den tidsperioden, dvs när komedier var komedier inte en orgie i kiss och bajshumor. Jag minns än idag hur jag som liten filmnerd såg denna film om och om igen på ett inspelat VHS band från TV. Oavsett vilket, det är en film man bör ha sett i alla fall.

Köp: 59.-