A little throw back to Friday Night Entertainment. Enjoy.
The 25 Greatest Unscripted Scenes in Films
Saw this one this week, 25 of the best unscripted scenes in movie history. As the description says, please leave the captions ON to see some extra info. My favorites are #19 (Aliens "Game OVER"), #17 (The Usual Suspects lineup), #12 (Jaws "Your gonna need a bigger boat"), and #6 (Blade Runner "tears in rain"):
Nice collection.
69 'sacks' or 69 'sex'? You Decide
You have to make the call but watch this news clip and decide. I say '69 sex':
Yup.
Magnetic Silly Putty
I bought two of these magnetic silly putty toys, one for me and one for my wife. They are AWESOME!!!!! Highly recommended desk toy or just to help you puzzle out magnetic field lines and other physics stuff:
I survived the deluge of snow here in Massachusetts intact, not even a need for the generator. A snow blower would have been nice, but the plow guy did the best he could.
A quick word to the New England Patriots; PAY Talib, GET Ed Reed. Let Welker walk and maybe get a cheaper kicker. That is all.
When Classics Get Reborn
I am coming into my 37th birthday window. Last year you may recall I was not happy about year 36, but here I am and all the better going forward. Two weeks cigarette free, and to be honest it feels good. Except for this freaking headache in the center of my head at the top of my nose. Any advice appreciated.
As such, I love older music. Sometimes an older song either gets re-done or gets imprinted on you in another way. I have two examples to show you.
First up, Del Shannon's immortal "Runaway". It stands alone as an all time classic, just take a listen:
Most excellent.
Now the first time I heard this song, it was a later version Del recorded for the great TV show "Crime Story" starring Dennis Farina (yes, the Xfinity guy). A bit more electric, some piano, and lyrics aimed at the show. I like this version better than the original:
And an old classic is reborn. Well, it was back then anyway.
I have to say, I had never heard of Thurston Harris. Thurston Howell III, yes, but not Harris! The first time I heard the song "Little Bitty Pretty One" was in the film "Christine" at a particular revenge scene:
Nice.
The OG-riginal:
Old school great. And by John Carpenter's film, a classic had new life.
Who can forget Bob Dylan's song "All Along the Watchtower"? Well, everyone after Jimi Hendrix made it his own:
Yuppers.
Recently (kind of) The Mighty Mighty Bosstones forever took "Detroit Rock City" from KISS in my eyes:
That works.
What comes to mind for you? Better new versions or better old versions?
Don't mention the Patriots. An ugly show last week that left me scratching my head. I don't think the Pats could have beaten San Francisco anyway, but still, a no show in the second half last week. That window is getting so small now for them.
I wanted to take a second to say something, something without spelling it all out for you. I think anyone that has read me over the years will understand, others not so. Here goes.
On The Fallacy of the "Greater Good"
So the financial "crisis" is over.
My friend Josh Brown has a great piece up this week, aptly titled "The Word is Out, Just So You Know" and it's solid and spot on. I don't know for myself if this is another 2003-2007 never ending run up or another fake out. Honestly, I don't care.
No matter what happened, things were going to be ok after a bit. That's the truth.
It's the fallacy of "The Greater Good" that kills me. Doing wrong to get to a right. I mean, do you all teach your kids that? All I hear is how everyone wants to provide a future for their kids, bla bla and all that. You teach them to cut corners, cheat, lie, and steal to get to an endpoint? The glory of the greater good gets hollow.
I don't want to spend a bunch of time on this.
How you get somewhere is just as, and maybe more so, important than getting there. My problem with all this, and it's a big problem, is that it was all a fucking handout. The Fed, the Treasury, two Presidents gave the biggest handout to the worst criminal rip off in America history. It does not sit well. But hey, money is getting made right?
Ever sit by your Dad and know he is a vegetable after a massive heart attack? The most powerful railroad man you have ever seen? The fuck do a few dollars mean then? Know your sister is a full blown Bi-Polar nut case and you can never see her again? See your mother crumble through all this, and only your effort and integrity carries her through?
You stand. You hold up.
But no one that is a cheat can stand, and some that need handouts can never walk.
I don't sell stuff. I don't provide services. Whether the world ended in 2009 or we are now on track for a S&P 500 run to 2500 I don't have a real vested interest.
There is no honor, and no integrity anymore. You may think a few bucks make things 'right' but it only blunts the feeling to do what's right. Any student of history knows what happens when the core of a society gets eroded. If you can turn your head for criminals to rob you, so your 401k comes back, you will turn your head for most anything. That's the truth.
So turn your head.
Great Song
I forgot about this song, but I do love it. The fiddle gets played almost to a high note, yet comes back down and so the song seems sad. Check out The Waterboys with "Fisherman's Blues":
Hey all! Football playoffs so far have been somewhat not competitive. I think next weeks divisional round will be quite different indeed. Expect some unbelievably hard fought, tight games. GO PATRIOTS!
Amazing Picture
Ran across thispicture from 1942 by the famous Ansel Adams and thought I would place it here. Titled "The Tetons and the Snake River" (click for larger view or go here):
I am well and things are great. I can highly recommend getting away from things financial (if you are able), you may find it refreshing. Some of the absurd comedy over the last few months makes great theater. Just wanted to leave a quick note.
In July 2013 "Pacific Rim" Recaptures the Old Days of Mecha
Back when I was a kid I did not want to be President, an Air Force Pilot, nor one of the rich and famous. I wanted to pilot the robot "Grendizer":
And yes, I wanted to be Orion Quest:
Well it seems someone hit on this idea, at least to some degree, with the new film coming in July of 2013; "Pacific Rim":
No issues here due to the storm. Seems New York/New Jersey got the worst of it. Aside from a messy yard and a little water in the basement, things went ok here in Massachusetts.
Fellow blogger Budd at Scifi Media had organized a blog hop a while back for Halloween. The topic is the scariest book, film, or experience one has ever seen or had. Sounded interesting and seeing that there is really only one film to ever scare me, it was an easy pick as well. Here you go.
The Unequaled Terror of "The Exorcist"
The 1973 horror film "The Exorcist" is the only film to truly scare me. I think there are two levels of the horror with this film; the obvious possession of Regan and to me the true driver of the story, the devil's retribution on the priest Lankester Merrin. As a young kid seeing this film the first level was enough to freak me out. Later as an adult the second angle made things even worse.
Right off the bat, the musical score for "The Exorcist" conveys a sense of dread and foreboding. Capped by the masterful piano piece "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield stands alone in eerie music lore:
Great piece.
If one is a fan of the literary device foreshadowing, the opening of the film in the Iraq desert sets the tone. On a dig Father Merrin is confronted with relic finds related to the demon Pazuzu. The king of demons is silhouetted against Merrin and the tension between the two forces is palpable:
From there the story revolves around the character Regan MacNeil and her Mother. We see a young woman whose mother is a famous actress in a new city. She is saddened by her Father's estrangement from her and her Mother, but overall there is nothing out of the ordinary about her.
Slowly changes build in Regan's behavior. At first they seem like ordinary young teen changes, then escalate into something more sinister. I need not recap all the scenes; you have seen them and know how disturbing they are.
As Father Damien Karras enters the film things really go to another level. Karras is a trained psychologist and a man of faith that is facing some inner issues with his belief. Chris MacNeil seeks him out after exhaustive (but inconclusive) physical tests fail to diagnose Regan's malady.
During the course of two meetings between Regan and Karras the demon presents a case with enough evidence to meet the criteria for exorcism (speaking in foreign tongue, telekinesis, rejection of religious objects) yet allows enough doubt to remain in the mind of Karras that it is absolutely genuine. Of course that is the plan. From one of their meetings comes this terrifying dialogue:
"What an excellent day for an exorcism."
"You would like that?"
"Intensely".
"But wouldn't that drive you out of Regan?"
"It would bring us together."
"You and Regan?"
"You and us".
In a muddled recording Karras made of the demon it is found that it is English backwards. And now the movie enters in to the final phase as the demon speaks out Merrin's name.
And I believe it is here that the true terror of the film reaches a level no other film has ever come close to approaching.
Father Merrin is selected by the Church (or by the demon?) to perform the exorcism. The iconic picture as Merrin arrives at the house is timeless:
As Lankester enters the home the demon bellows "MMMMEEERRRRIIINNNNN!!!!" shaking the house. Called out by name from a being from the other side. Chilling cannot describe it.
The brutal exorcism follows and it has to be seen to be appreciated, words cannot do it. The demon gives a glimpse of it's true power to the priests as best shown by this picture:
Using psychological attacks and personal pain of the passing of Karras' mother, the demon succeeds in getting Merrin alone as he dismisses Karras.
And it is here that the terror knows know bounds.
A once defeated demon exacts revenge and retribution on Father Merrin as he suffers a fatal heart attack. Pazuzu sits and watches as Merrin's spirit must have left his body. Waiting years, waiting for the priest to become old and weak, the demon laughs at it's victory.
There is no end to the demons desire for Merrin's fall. Regans life. Chris MacNeil's sanity. Father Karras and his wounded faith and fragile soul. It's all a means to an end. This is darkness.
Courageously Father Karras is able to turn the tide by taking in the demon and killing himself. By asserting his will against the demon, light has a small victory with the return of Regan to her body. But at such costs.
So yes, "The Exorcist" is the most scary thing I have ever seen and I imagine it always will be!
