1. Thanks so much to Trevor Smith, for Michael Ritchie’s Survivors. I love Walter Matthau, and I even like Robin Williams in this flick (probably because he was almost certainly abusing coke and not trying for an Oscar). And thanks, too, to Todd Day, for Season 2 of “Reno 911.” I loved the first season, so I suspect I’ll like this one, as well.
2. In other DVD news, I also received a couple of discs today I’ve been really looking forward to: first, the SE of David Cronenberg’s The Fly (with commetary and new documentaries), and, more importantly, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane—a cool little Jodie Foster / Martin Sheen flick from the 70s that hasn’t been available on home video for quite some time.
Now if only somebody would get Carny, Quick Change, Brewster McCloud, Prince of the City, Little Drummer Girl, and Adam at 6 AM on DVD, I could retire my VCR for good.
3. Happy one-year blog anniversary to Pundit Guy! Bill runs a very interesting site. If you haven’t already checked it out, be sure to do so.
4. Upset with the Harriet Miers nomination but not sure how to show your frustration? Leon H has formed a coalition of the illin‘. Me, I’m not much of a joiner. But then, I don’t have many friends, either…
5. Karl Maher offers the Remasters of War.
6. I don’t care how “cute” it is, simulated sex between stuffed animals is just wrong. So stop sending me those filthy, explicit emails. And those complimentary slippers shaped like bear claws. Perverts
Man. That’s the last time I ever pay to enter a website.
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update: Forgot to mention that “The Rockford Files Season 1” has been announced for December 6.
Which, that made me all tingly in my man spots.
How come you get all the free shit? I’ve been going two and a half years and I never got so much as a hug. Damn you and your disarming humour.
I like to regard Martin Sheen’s role in The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane as his definitional character. Just keep the persona firmly in mind while watching “The West Wing,” and it gives you new perspectives on the character of President Bartlett. Sheen’s role as Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone also works well here.
Throw Badlands into the mix, as well, utron.
Could I have the stuffed-animal simulated-sex emails?
I absolutely love Survivors.
Because of that movie (and its near constant presence on cable television in the mid-80s) the phrases “Honky Mo Fo” and “You’ll smoke a turd in Hell for that!” are mainstays of my vocabulary.
I actually got to visit the set of Survivors, although I was too young to remember everything. My dad has a small company that makes snowmaking equipment for ski areas. One night while watching TV he saw a news story about a movie being shot nearby that was about to shut down because of a lack of snow. A couple days and phone calls later we were watching Willams and Matthau shoot the same three scenes again and again. My 7 year old eyes wouldn’t have known if Williams was on coke, but I do remember that he had everyone on set laughing between every take. He and Matthau were nice enough to take say hi and take pictures with my brother and I. Later Williams cracked a joke making me snarf my milk, much to the delight of everyone nearby. I hope you like the movie. Obviously I might be biased, but I think it stands up well over time.
I’m your friend.
Thank you, Jeralyn.
On the other hand, simulated sex between wooden puppets is some funny-ass shit.
Rockfish!
Best line: (While being beaten up by two local leg-breakers)
“Does your mother know what you do for a living?”
I haven’t heard Brewster McCloud mentioned in a long time. Back in college, that was a personal favorite, and a favorite of my core group of friends. I haven’t seen it in decades. Thanks for the reminder–I am going to seek it out for a new viewing. As I remember, it was a quirky mixture of humor and poignancy–Stacy Keach(“Bird doo-doo, McCloud, Bird doo-doo), Bud Cort, Sally Kellerman, Shelly Duvall, the bird-like Professor(Rene Auberjonis, or whatever his name is), Michael Murphy(“the most piercing blue eyes” and his turtlenecks)–it’s all coming back.
Rockford Files goes down with Black Sheep Squadron as TV shows guys will watch together that aren’t sports.
Like Vikings, mind you.