"Tonight's the Night" - Neil Young
- I will be live blogging the debate tonight while I try not to go all Sully over every poll I read. I do wish Nate would put up his updated number for the day.
- A special circle in hell -- I have seen a number of posts on this, but just wanted to comment that Eddie Munster Haskell's faux appearance at the homeless shelter where he washed an already clean dish may mark a new nadir in campaigning. It really helped bring home what an utterly soulless fuck this guy is -- and a perfect teammate for Mitt. As a lapsed Catholic, I must say I am skeptical that Ryan can be much of a believer, because I have the strong sense that any halfway serious Catholic could not help but feel he had put his mortal soul in danger by such a stunt. See Pierce on this as well.
- Another delightful story of Republican hypocrisy. These people would be amusing if they weren't such vicious bastards.
- On another note, SEK at LG&M had a funny post entitle "FIlms You Can't Unsee" about movies that leave you traumatized in some form or fashion. A lively discussion ensued. My list of four that leap to mind:
1. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover - I don't know that I have ever left a theater more repulsed than I did after this 1989 Peter Greenaway film. Utterly repellent, although weirdly visually beautiful. I have never been madder at myself for not walking out of a film, unless it was
2. Breaking the Waves - Not only two hours of my life that I will never get back, but the added indignity of periodically remembering horrible scenes from the malignant and pretentious Lars Von Trier.
3. Wild at Heart - This David Lynch effort was incredibly disappointing. It had one of the best trailers I have ever seen and in the wake of Blue Velvet, I assumed it would be something special. It wasn't.
4. Happiness - If you are only going to see one movie centered around child molestation this year, don't make it this one.
Add you own or anything else that is on your minds. I'll be back this evening.
first hint for those seeking do-gooder status: do something useful.
this just made my day.
Posted by: kathy a. | October 16, 2012 at 04:05 PM
Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I know a lot of people love it, but I found it so painfully unfunny that I walked out after 30 minutes.
I was going to walk out of "Legends of the Fall," but fortunately, my then-wife, another couple and I had had too much to drink to be able to walk. So instead, we began openly mocking the third act's plot and dialogue, going so far as to suggest that the entire movie had been made to try to settle a wager as to whether Anthony Hopkins, then riding high after his success as Hannibal Lecter, could be made to look utterly foolish. The mostly-full auditorium laughed at and applauded us.
Posted by: Lex | October 16, 2012 at 04:06 PM
I'm more of a sci-fi type, and I tend to forget really bad movies. There's some I'd like to un-see, but were kinda interesting, like π.
(spoilers)
I do have a funny story about watching Space Cowboys and groaning at the stupidity and just trying to enjoy the actually fairly good technique on a really bad, bad story. But the climax was, my spouse and I broke out in rolling laughter when the Russian satellite did an anime style transformation sequence as it deployed its nuclear missiles. The crowd just scowled and scowled at us and a guy hushed us! We couldn't stop laughing through the end of the film, with the tribute to Slim Pickens in Dr Strangelove and all... As we left the film we got more scowls until we hit the parking lots. The baby-boomers did not appreciate our enjoyment of the ending of the film, which almost (but not quite) made up for sitting through the dreck.
A similar thing happened when watching a matinee several weeks out of Saving Private Ryan. The heavy-handed direction just ruined the film for us, the score and lighting cues constantly telegraphing everything. Why exactly did they have up-lighting on a grave in Flander's field at the end? Sheesh! And the guy at that film who yelled at us for laughing then piloted his girlfriend out via a hand on her neck - all the way through the lobby, down the stairs and out onto the street. Icing on a frustrating cake. We stopped watching Tom Hanks movies after that.
Posted by: Crissa | October 16, 2012 at 04:27 PM
To The Cook, His Wife, the Thief & Her Lover, I'd add Blue Velvet and The Comfort of Strangers . Eyes Wide Shut as well. I think I detect a pattern.
Eraserhead is a stand-alone. Went to its showing with a then-recent acquaintance who was about six months pregnant with her first child. The outing was my idea. I'm sure she never forgave me -- but how could I have known how traumatizing the thing would be? I think that was the movie that turned *spoilers* into Just Fine With Me thank you very much.
Posted by: nancy | October 16, 2012 at 06:46 PM
Well, I never could get that title quite right. Pretentious horrifying piece of cinema afaic. Helen or no. Cook, Thief, Wife, Her Lover. Ugh.
Posted by: nancy | October 16, 2012 at 07:02 PM
Lex, I wish I'd been in the house with you and crew that night :) That was a ridiculous movie.
Kathy, the elusive 'button' forced us to get out the credit card once again. Made my day too. :)
On to the "show" I guess.
Soup kitchen indeed. A new low, over which my many friends in the non-profit world are spitting bullets. A callow and callous purely stunt display. Surely risking having jumped the shark on underestimating the intelligence of anyone paying attention, in Ohio particularly.
Posted by: nancy | October 16, 2012 at 08:25 PM
In Normandy, my husband and I went to a screening of archival footage of some of the D-Day landings, shown on a 360-degree screen with larger than life visuals and full-volume Dolby stereo. I was a basketcase by the end, but was not as bad off as a 6-month-old baby a woman brought with her, along with her daughter, about 8. The baby totally freaked, almost convulsing, trembling, choking for breath, its poor little face contorted, beet red and spastic, with eyes darting in every direction. The mother tried to calm him with a bottle, but he didn't want no fcking bottle. This infant had just lived through one of the worst hours of WW II, in thundering surround sound. Did she really think he wouldn't notice? How could anyone intentionally traumatize a baby like that?
Also in the adult-only column: we just watched the incredibly moving Japanese flick Departures, on Netflix. This is not for the faint of heart, but it's two hours you'll never forget, and for good reasons. The film won a number of awards a couple of years ago, and it's easy to see why -- gorgeous photography, fine acting and an unusual storyline that revolves around Japanese attitudes toward death and after-death traditions.
It's been a heavy couple of weeks.
Posted by: Paula B | October 16, 2012 at 08:37 PM
nancy,
Oh my God, I totally suppressed "The Comfort of Strangers." To say that I hated that is such an understatement.
On the other hand, I really liked Blue Velvet -- but I saw it when I was 26. A buddy of mine says that it is unwatchable now.
Never saw Eraserhead, but I know enough to have laughed hysterically at your faux pas.
Posted by: Sir Charles | October 16, 2012 at 08:40 PM
thanks, paula, for the tip on departures.
off to the debate... i'm watching on c-span: http://www.c-span.org/Debates/
Posted by: kathy a. | October 16, 2012 at 08:41 PM
I had the misfortune of seeing the first two films on your list, SC. Fortunately, my memories of them have faded over time.
Two of the unfunniest comedies I've ever watched: The 'Burbs and Joe Versus the Volcano.
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | October 17, 2012 at 09:24 AM
Oh, and I walked out of Fatal Attraction in the first half-hour, because it was more than bad enough already. That's one advantage to going to movies on your own - it's easier to cut your losses.
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | October 17, 2012 at 09:26 AM