sineast

Today The Smashing Pumpkins perform Today.

I see where TCM has opened up the wallet a tiny bit and will be showing more of the Universal Holmes series than just the four that are in the public domain, as they usually do. The best part is they're showing the relative clunkers at an ungodly hour, so the better films will be on on a more sensible time. It's just the luck of the chronological order they're being shown in, but that's the way it goes. They are showing all of the series, except for The Woman in Green. Anyway, it's definitely a three pipe celebration.

Some of the later videos of Nico are sad, because she looks pretty strung out. Here is one of her in her prime, singing one of the songs she did with the Velvet Underground, Femme Fatale. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjjDmX9Tkss

Approved for your submital. They may be a little ghostly, in keeping with the series, but visually they're pretty ragged. I like the regular format. If I recall correctly, and can keep the names straight, the doctor in that episode was played by Jonathan Harris, best known for playing the cowardly Dr. Smith in Lost in Space. Maybe Babs was in the hospital for an early boob job. That's the way things go...in the twilight zone.

Can't remember if I first saw it in a theater or later on video. It's sure worth another look. Even though the topics have probably changed in the last 18 years, the vibe might be just about the same.

Popeye and his corncobs couldn't get into the movies. They frown on folks bringing in their own snacks and/or sex toys. Sometimes it's best to stick with the original novel. And who knows how much old Bill was pulling somebody's leg, drunk or sober. Social history is best left to the pros. Rediscovery? Maybe, maybe not. Whatever. Onibaba (1964) Known in some foreign quarters as The Hole, though that is not a translation of the Japanese title. This movie might have been mentioned in the Horror Film thread. It concerns a mother and daughter-in-law in feudal Japan who live a marshland area and make their living by killing soldiers returning from war, selling their armor, and dumping the bodies in a deep hole, thus the alternative title. The setting of tall grasses and the little hut the two women share is spooky enough. Add their belief in the supernatural and their SOP, and things get very unnerving. Then one of the companions of the missing son/husband returns. That's when things really start to get interesting. He starts up an affair with the daughter-in-law, which makes the mother jealous. There is some marvelous fast editing as the two lovers head, in a mad dash, for their nightly rendezvous, with the mother spying on the goings-on and growing more and more bitter. Things will not turn out well. The environment of the grasslands is integral to the murder and mayhem going on, and is almost another character in this well-turned horror film. It is often described as an erotic thriller, which it certainly is, and the eroticism is subtle and well-handled for maximum impact. What could be more erotic than the daughter-in-law doing some topless heavy-breathing while trying to go to sleep? The mother doing the same right beside her. Okay, it's not 100% subtle. Summer of '42 (1971) There is some of the old Hollywood hokum and things get a little sappy, but the bucket never overflows and the picture turns out rather well. All in all, it's a pretty realistic take on what three teenage horndogs might have been up to in the summer of '42, or '52, or '62 for that matter. Maybe the 1940's ambience is scrubbed a little too clean, but it seems pretty accurate. Classic film fans will probably forgive the youngsters for trying to make out while Mother **** struts her stuff in Now,Voyager, but they'll grow up. And is there any doubt that a guy stuck with the name of Hermie deserves a break? Yeah, it's mostly cotton candy, but pretty tasty cotton candy. Slacker (1991) Perhaps not a laid-back masterpiece, but maybe a masterpiece of laid-backness. The film takes a leisurely stroll through a variety of sort-of Austin hipsters through their daily routines as they expound on a number of topics, both serious and silly. Sort of an intellectual relay team, as one person or group is seen for a few moments or minutes before the baton is passed, invisibly, to the next subject. A very comfortable way to pass an hour and a half, without ever having to leave your own living room.

I wish TCM would run And Then There Were None. I can't remember it being on in a while. Probably some kind of rights problem or something. It is an excellent mystery of the whodunit variety. Have a few more films to post, but I've got to run now.

Rediscovery? Maybe, maybe not. But worthy of something. And Then There Were None (1945) Comfy version of Agatha Christie story about people invited to a remote, naturally, island. But they're not there for a holiday, but to receive the "justice" to be meted out to them for past "crimes" by an unidentified person. And one by one they are killed until, in theory, there will be none left. That would be a whole different movie. The last couple remaining finally figure out who the killer is. There is also a bee sting clue in evidence. A very atmospheric mystery whodunit with a fine ensemble cast to lend a British semi-gravitas to the proceedings. Among the players are Walter Huston, Barry Fitzgerald, June Duprez, Louis Hayward, and Roland Young. It would be remiss of anyone to tell who did it. I haven't seen this in quite some time, and don't think it's been on TCM in a while. Definitely worth another view. Christie's original title was highly politically incorrect, and had to be changed for some markets. A certain producer has remade the film three times (1966, 1975, 1989) under the alternative title Ten Little Indians, but none of these can touch the original film. Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970) This is not a timeless story about eternal verities, but a movie very bound to its own time period, and it has dated quite a bit, but still has its better moments. Time capsule material almost. Carrie Snodgress stars as the housewife and is fine in the role, but the thing I most remember about this movie is Richard Benjamin as her husband. He would be buttoned-down in a tee shirt, and if they gave out an award for Mr. **** Retentiveness of 1970, he would be the hands-down winner. He's something of a precursor to the psychotic control-freak husbands of later movies, without the psychotic part. He's too much of a whiner for full-blown nuttiness. Even after all these years, he's hard to forget, however much one might want to.

Jackson Browne, singer/songwriter extraordinaire, Thirty years with the same style of hair. Here performing Running on Empty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bww2prhAWEA&feature=related

Haven't listened to them recently, but I agree, they are four great albums, and contain a lot of different styles of music. Too bad they never sold very well. Let me see if YouTube will cooperate a little and post a song from Eno's first solo album. Baby's on Fire is a fine rock song with a fantastic guitar solo by Robert Fripp. The video is okay, better than looking at the album cover for five minutes.

FI

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And her frontiere wasn't too bad either.

PJ Harvey with a very impressive and intense live version of To Bring You My Love.

Pride of the Yankees: Let's Go Mets Next: Fear Strikes Out

With all the Deadheads out there, you'd think there'd be a whole pile of videos available, but there really isn't. Maybe they were busy doing other things. Here is one good one from about 1970, when Pigpen was still vertical, New Speedway Boogie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVsSKuxyaro&feature=related

Brian Eno was with Roxy Music for their first two albums, then went solo, leading to an influential career, though he never sold many albums. And here's the rare video that is a good complement to the music, By This River.

Blue Velvet: Usual lynch mob Next: Jackie Brown

The Stranger: Nutmeg State Nazi Next: Three Strangers

Blind Faith was one of the first "super groups." They didn't last very long, and only released one album, which was a very impressive debut/farewell record. Here is a live version of Can't Find My Way Home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUW1SGF7bR8&feature=related

Much ado about very little. He's rounded up a quartet of the usual suspects, which is fine. Maybe his take will be interesting, who knows? Perhaps he won't be able to resist a dig at the horrid French before Dodsworth.

The best thing about the Beatles is that whatever some chucklehead dreams up down the road, there will always be the music and, secondarily the three non-animated movies. If the Beatles can survive the movie version of SPLHCB, they can survive anything. They've passed the audition.

I don't know if the movie will be bad, but I'll bet Dan Duryea's character will be.

Country old-timer Hank Thompson warns about the Wild Side of Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ZztLiFbdA

Why they called the band Hole is a complete puzzlement. But they have lots of good songs in their repertoire. Here is Malibu.