What A "Golden Afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                          That afternoon was this past Thursday, August 27, when we went to the Paris Theater in Manhattan for a 75th Anniversary screening of what is my favorite Disney cartoon.  Not since "The Wizard Of Oz" twelve years before, has color been used so brightly and brilliantly.  Not only that, for an 80 plus minute film, the screenwriters manage to cram as much Lewis Carroll into the story, even bits of "Through The Looking Glass," and get it right.

                                                                                

                                  Take a look at the artistry and detail of this shot.  Where is this quality of work done anymore?  I just want to sink into the flowers, like Alice, and I  so wanted to have Alice's hair and wear that blue dress with the white apron, stockings and shoes.  

                                    Disney assembled quite a cast for 'Alice.' Kathryn Beaumont, in the title role, who would go on to voice Wendy in Disney's "Peter Pan," Then there is Richard Haydn, who would go on to play Max Detweiler in "The Sound Of Music," come 1965.  Ed Wynn is unforgettable as the Mad Hunter, as is Sterling Holloway as the White Rabbit., and the scene stealing Verna Felton as the Red Queen, whose "Off with her head!" steals the show each time she says it.

                                   But it is the visuals that make the film, and it amazes me that this did not enjoy success with the drug crowd, but "Fantasia" did.  Even The Beatles reference Lewis Carroll's classic in the lyric "Follow her down to a bridge by a river/Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies."  This is from "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," yet is SO "Alice In Wonderland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                  It had been three years since I last saw this, and I hope in three years, or even less, to see it again.   Underrated at the time, I think it deserves recognition as Disney's best animated feature.

                                   "How do we get to Wonderland," a song lyric asks.

                                     Viewers will want to know after seeing this film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                              

Girls, Join Us Tongiht, As "Svengoolie" Presents A Perennial Favorite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  "Trilogy Of Terror" is "Svengoole's "Wizard Of Oz," in that it is such a favorite I think it gets an airing every year.  And I am sure it draws in viewers.

                                       This is the one with Karen Black being terrorized by the Hintu Fetish Voodoo Doll!  Karen is a real pro to interact with this seemingly inanimate object, that becomes animated, and, hons, look out!  The title of the story is "Amelia," and it is based on Richard Matheson's better titled story, "Prey."

                                            She has a field day playing two different personalities in "Theresa and Millicent," and, darlings, you can tell Karen is just having a grand old time playing this.

                                               Then there is my favorite, "Julie," where a student, especially a male, had better do well in her English class or else.......!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is from Matheson's story "The Likeness Of Julie," and I only wish someone would redo the original story wherein Julie was just a teenaged girl, like her male contemporaries.

                                                       In any case, girls, if you have never seen this, it is a MUST.  If you have it is one of the "Svengoolie" presentations worth watching again.

                                                       See you at 8PM, for an evening of ribald fun.  "Svengoolie" picked the perfect way to end August, and, in a sense, the summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                          Take a look at this!  Wouldn't it be fun to have this covering a wall as guests enter your living room??????????????????

A Road Trip, But With A Lynchian Sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                  I remember first seeing "Wild At Heart" in 1990.  That was 36 years ago, I was 35, and took the day off to do so, because, with David Lynch at the helm, I was expecting the next "Blue Velvet."  Instead, I couldn't understand what the hell was going on.  The one thing my memory retained was of an unconscious Nicolas Cage lying on the ground, while a bubble enclosed Glinda type hovers above him.

                                     But that was then, and this is now.  If David Lynch in "Blue Velvet," exposed the seamy underside of Middle America, with "Wild At Heart" he lets the White Trashiness of Cape Fear, North Carolina and Big Tuna Texas hang out their dirty laundry in all their trashiness.

                                         Laura Dern and Nicolas Caage play Lula Pate Ridley, and he Sailor Ridley, two overaged White Trash kids who are simply sex, drug, crime and murder crazed.  Isabella Rossellinni turns up as a prostitute of sorts and is just as compelling as she was in "Blue Velvet" but gets less screen time here, unfortunately.  Willem Dafoe does his usual Willem Dafoe thing; the same goes for Jack Nance, and both are terrific.

                                             "Wild At Heart" has a wild visual quality; the viewer can look at it and admire it sequence by sequence because it is brilliantly made, yet, in the end, like me, may not like it all that much.  Hey, if you are exploring Lynch's work it is required, but I would not run out and see this again.

                                               As I mentioned earlier about Glinda, Lynch inserts several "Wizard Of Oz" references in here.  Diane Ladd, as Lula's mother, just about steals the show, and livens every scene she is in, from putting lipstick over her face to occasional glimpses of her riding on a broomstick like the Wicked Witch Of The West.  Jank Nance mentions Toto, and in frustration, Laura Dern, alone in a motel room, clicks her red shoes three times.  I was more aware of all this now, and don't forget Rossellini's character in "Blue Velvet" was named Dorothy.

                                                 Lynch's sizzling hot visuals lend an atmosphere to a film short on narrative.  The strip mall trashiness of Big Tuna is shown in all its glory, and the end, with Laura Dern finally dressed in a bargain basement dress instead of the slut wardrobe she wears throughout the rest of the film demonstrates an actress waiting to break through, if only this film gave her a chance.

                                                     Oh, and the sex scenes!  Nicolas Cage still looked good here; today no one would do scenes as brazen as these with him.  And while Ladd livens things up, Louise Fletcher, Grayson Hall, or Sylvia Miles could easily have done her part.

                                                        I got more out of "Wild At Heart" with age and a second viewing.

                                                        But I am none too eager to experience a return viewing soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What A Week! First Shelley, Then Dolly, And Now Tim Curry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            Yes, darlings, Tim Curry, the one and only Dr. Frank N. Furter, who was just a "Sweet Transvestite' From 'Transexual-vania'" has passed at the age of 80   And just a day after Dolly!  Both the same age--80!  Will that become the age to die now???????????

                               Tim Curry will always live on in "The Rocky Horror Show," and I hope the current cast, especially at today's performances pay him respect.

                                 The role brought him instant fame but was not the only role he did.  He was the original Pennywise The Clown, in 1980's "IT," and was in some of the "Scream" films and "Home Alone 2."  He was even in the film version of the musical "Annie."  Predictably, he played Miss Hannigan's brother, Rooster.

                                     No cause of death has been released, but in 2012 he suffered a severe stroke, and experienced health issues ever since.  All this likely had to do with his death.

                                       Farewell, Tim Curry.  As long as anyone watches the film, sees a live stage version, or does the "Time Warp," you will be remembered.

                                          Rest In Peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How Sad To Say Goodbye To Dolly Parton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Even before I knew who Dolly Parton was, I loved the song "Jolene," and the voice that sang it.

                             As her career climbed, I discovered that, aside from her non-financial assets, she was a wonderfully comedic actress, a smart businesswoman, a humanitarian and a gracious human being.  This and being one of the top C and W stars in Nashville, and the world.

                              Her husband, Carl Dean, died only seventeen months ago.  It is said when one love dies, another soon joins it. Having been married for 60 years, I am sure Dolly and Carl are together again, and I am happy for them.

                                But her presence and talent on Earth shall be deeply missed.

                                 For me, the saddest thing, aside from the departure of these great talents, is that no one seems to be coming up the ranks to replace them.  Taylor Swift may be hot now, but will she be mentioned twenty years from now?  I am not so sure.

                                     Rest In Peace, Dolly.  Songs, movies, charities, you did it all.

                                      Never to be forgotten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Sad Farewell To Shelley Fabares!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             As a member of the Baby Boomer Generation, I cannot believe Shelley Fabares is gone.  Or that she was 82.

                               To us of a certain age, she will always be Mary Stone on "The Donna Reed Show," but she was so much more.

                                 She was the wife on "Coach," gave a moving performance as James Caan's wife in the TV movie "Brian's Song," and my favorite portrayal of hers was the lovably obnoxious Francine Webster on "One Day At A Time."  One could tell she was having such fun in that role.

                                  And then there was "Johnny Angel."  She may not have had the greatest voice, but somehow, it became one of if not THE top song(s) of 1961.

                                   She was married to "M*A*S*H*" actor Mike Farrell. She had no children except a stepson and stepdaughter from a previous Farrell marriage.

                                     How Shelley will be missed but remembered.  And don't forget, she was Nanette Fabray's niece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    The Circle Of Time is closing in on the Baby Boomer Generation.

At The Age Of 71, I Finally Got To See "2001: A Space Odyssey" On The Screen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         First of all, darlings, there is no other way to see it.  Second, how the hell do I write about this film?  If I thought covering "The Wizard Of Oz" was a challenge, this is an even bigger one.  I haven't the background for the scientific aspects explored in this film.  Fortunately, my movie friend Chris was on hand to give me an idea--that it is about how intelligence came to mankind.

                                            That was good enough for me to go on, but what I decided was to look at it as though watching a foreign film--as a series of beautiful, patterned images set to simply gorgeous music, including "The Blue Danube," by Johann Strauss and my favorite, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," which is repeated several times,

                                                One could get drunk on the imagery in this film; it is so intoxicating.  Not to mention two attractive astronauts played by Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood.  The latter played Alan Tuttle, known as "Toots," in Natalie Wood's 1961 triumph "Splendor In The Grass."  They are on a mission to Jupiter with a computer named HAL--but are they really?  Because after witnessing "The Dawn Of Man," one of the best sequences in the film, for imagery, cinematography and art direction, the narrative takes a turn when Dullea is alone on the ship with a deranged HAL.  This, in the second half, is followed by a cacophony of multi-colored, but beautiful imagery, suggesting one is on an LSD trip.  I loved it, but this segment could have been cut a little.  But then, who am I to say this about Stanley Kubrick, who, though not a director I consciously follow, cannot be ignored for having supplied us with this masterpiece??????????????

                                                 Kubrick was nominated for Best Director but did not win.  I would be shocked if this did not pick up some technical awards; it was clearly the most advanced film of the day. And still seems that way. Being released by MGM was a big deal for the film, which was initially shown in CINERAMA.  How I wish there was one CINERAMA theater in each major city so that we could see this and other films the way they were intended.

                                                   Of course, watching it today there are some references--"Forbidden Panet," "Invaders From Mars," and "The Wizard Of Oz" were some I spotted.  Not to mention "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind."  Others may find more.

                                                       Yes, good things come to those who wait, and I was so glad for the opportunity to see this iconic film.

                                                        But I am telling you, darlings, the truth is still out there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!