BLACK FRIDAY
The Committee has spoken. In the wake of my (ill-considered) decision to reveal their existence, the 13 cranky & complaining old men known affectionately as The Elders have gone on a group-wide ego trip of gargantuan proportions. And after my clearly ill-conceived idea to open the floor to suggestions, they've simply driven me nuts: arguing, debating, demanding that my wife cook late-night snacks for them as they discuss the merits of movies, critiques, and by-laws.
By-laws?
Yes. You think this place is all about anarchy or something? Pffff. This is a well-oiled machine, folks. You see, as the debate reached a crescendo, peaking over the question of whether to finally grant John's wishes, get it over with, and just do Xanadu already, the moment which will forever be known, NFL-style, as The Moment arrived: Seymour spoke up, by-laws in hand, querulous tone in his voice: no movie can be a Friday Silly Movie Of My Youth Of The Day without a majority of the committee actually having seen it. It's not a matter of choice, of opinion. No, it's a simple factually-determined threshhold.
You see, unlike the Oscars, the voters have to see the film to choose it.
And only 6 of the 13 committee members have seen Xanadu. Or Death Race 2000. Or The Hollywood Knights. Or -- amazingly, but true -- every other movie nominated by my readers in last-week's suggestion box. And I take full responsibility. It'd be like taking the stage in the guise of a "Road-tested Bar Band," and asking for requests.
"Johnny B. Goode," one audience member would shout. Uhhh, we don't know that one, the singer'd respond. "Satisfaction," would cry another, as the bandleader scowled and asked, Uhhhh, any others? To which a third audience member would scream, "Just play three chords and let the drummer keep a 4/4 beat then, you fucking frauds." To which . . . well, you get the idea.
So no more requests, no more solicitations, no more embarrassing run-ins with by-laws, grumpy old men, Xanadu, or anything else. From now on, The Committee sticks to flicks that at least 7 have seen. Let's get to it, shall we. Ladies (yeah, right) & gentlemen, may I present to you, after a one week hiatus for America's favorite holiday involving an ugly bird with weird shit hanging from its face, the world famous . . . Friday Silly Movie Of My Youth Of The Day for today:
Black Sunday
As noted last week, the suggestions seemed to come down to chase flicks, disaster flicks, and proposterous plot sports flicks. Well, we've nailed two-in-one here. Check out the plot (I'm gonna let this little gem from wikipedia do the talking, as I'm not sure I, or anyone else, could top it):
If I may, I'd like to ask you all to take a quick look back to the movie poster. You'll note that it's basically a blimp pulling a Roy Hobbes on the light towers as it smashes into the interior of a fully filled stadium. During the Super Bowl. And how do we know, from the poster, that it's the Super Bowl? Well, because the blimp has the words "Super Bowl" printed on it.
(And how 'bout that cheesy, "It Could Be Tomorrow!" subtitle? I guess it could . . . unless today is Friday. Or Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. But otherwise, yes, it definitely could be.)
Now, that was the same picture I saw on the cover of the book "Black Friday" that I saw on the old man's nighttable one time in about 1977 or 1978. Which in itself was strange, as I was about as likely to find him reading any book as I was to catch my mother watching a football game. Nonetheless, there it was, screaming out to me in all its blimp-crashing glory. "What's the story about?" I asked.
"I dunno," he answered, I assume because he hadn't read it. But . . . he made the mistake of telling me that there was a movie out, by the same title, in the theaters at the time. Heh, heh. So there we were, the man who hadn't read the book, the woman who hated football and action films, and the very excited 10 year-old, at Yorktown Heights' Triangle Theater, to see Robert Shaw, Bruce Dern, and the Goodyear blimp star in a really silly movie.
You guys know the line by now: And I loved it.
What do I remember about it? Well, you also know this line by now: Almost nothing. Though I do remember Bruce Dern going crazy in that Bruce Dern Going Crazy kinda way. And my mother actually saying at about the 3/4 point of the movie, as the heat started coming down on his character, "He's going crazy," as if his "plot to detonate a flechette-based bomb, housed in the undercarriage of a blimp, over a football stadium during the Super Bowl" was completely sane until he began losing his cool.
Violence-filled, international terror movies at 10, one parent who rarely bought books and didn't read those he did, and another who thought it was perfectly normal to blow up 75,000 people so long as you don't start acting crazy: Yes folks, it's the formula that created the man you're currently reading! Speaking of which, this post is probably starting to threaten your weekend, as it threatens my blog's bandwidth, so let's get to the cast.
It starred Robert Shaw. Quint from Jaws. Need I say more?
John Frankenheimer directed. Yes. The director of the great Manchurian Candidate. Then a little later, he slid down to the shlocky, but entertaining starfest, Grand Prix. Later still, The French Connection II, which I'll admit I've never seen, but come on! It's a sequel to an Oscar winner, how good could it be?
Hmmm, don't answer that. In fact, no need to answer, as I'll do it for you. Because, among the other semi-stars in Black Sunday was . . . Michael V. Gazzo. Who? I didn't know either, but you'll know if I tell you who he played in an Oscar-winning sequal to an initial Oscar winner. Gazzo was none other than Godfather: Part II's Frankie Pentangeli, the gravely-voiced would-be informer who . . . well, you guys know that story. No need to re-hash here. I will point out, however, than Gazzo later appeared in Cannonball Run II. Clearly Frankenheimer's not the only candidate in today's dubious, "How Far Did His Career Fall?" category.
(And speaking of Cannonball Run II, no it won't be a FSMOMYOTD, but a thematically-related flick is rather high on the depth chart.)
Who else? Well, we have Fritz Weaver, another name you may not know, but someone with whose work you're certainly familiar. You wanna see a resume? I know it's TV, but how on earth is anyone ever gonna top this: Between 1960 and 2005, this man appeared in The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Man From U.N.C.L.E., Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Combat!, The Fugitive, Gentle Ben, Ironside, Mission Impossible, The Mod Squad, Kung Fu, Barnaby Jones, Streets of San Francisco, Cannon, Wonder Woman, Hawaii 5-0, Magnum PI, Quincy, Love Boat, Tales From the Darkside, Murder She Wrote, Matlock, LA Law, Deep Space 9, The X-Files, Frasier, and Law & Order.
Let's just pause for a moment. Deep breath. Deeper genuflection. Deeper still contemplation of the wonders the universe can bestow. Ohmmmmmm.
Ok. Back to it. In addition to this fine cast of actors, because the football stadium scenes were actually filmed during Super Bowl X at Miami's Orange Bowl, the movie featured cameos from Pat Summerall & Tom Brookshier (Summerall's John Madden when Madden was still a sideline lunatic with a bad combover), Dolphin's owner Joe Robbie, and none other than Hall of Fame QB (and Hall of Shame goofball) Terry Bradshaw, in his first appearence on celluloid.
His second appearence? Why that'd be Smokey & The Bandit II (hmmmm, the distinctive scent of future FSMOMYOTDs wafts into my nostrils. While we're on that bad sequels to "good" movies kick).
Anyone else? James Jeter, another guy I don't know. So why am I mentioning him then? Because he appeared in not one, not two, but three FSMOMYOTD candidates: The Hollywood Knights (which, as we now know, cannot be considered til at least one of the remaining seven Elders who haven't seen it sit down and do so), Fast Break (which I probably won't do because Bill Simmons has beat it into the ground for years), and The Big Bus. (Speaking of The Big Bus, anyone remember the late 70s TV show, Supertrain?)
Sarah Fankboner. Nah, nothing to say about her. I just wanted to write, "Fankboner." Twice.
Kim Nicholas, another actress about whom I know absolutely nothing. But, according to IMDB, she appeared in but five movies during her entire acting "career," from 1972-1977. And what a collection of classics it was: Santa and the Icecream Bunny, Limbo, Salty, Impulse, and finally Black Sunday. And I feel I'd be remiss in my duties if I failed to mention that Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny was a feature-length, live-action movie, about Santa's sled getting stuck in the sand of a Florida beach. It earns an IMDB rating of 1.7 stars (out of ten). Eight of the first nine "stars" listed are credited by first name only. Ms. Nicholas is listed after them.
And finally, in the "I Don't Know What To Say, But I'm Saying It Anyway" category, I must point out that among the actors in Black Sunday were gentlemen named Frank Man, Kenneth Harms, Bert Madrid, and Sherman "Big Train" Bergman. Not character names. Actor's names.
No one named Flechette though.
By-laws?
Yes. You think this place is all about anarchy or something? Pffff. This is a well-oiled machine, folks. You see, as the debate reached a crescendo, peaking over the question of whether to finally grant John's wishes, get it over with, and just do Xanadu already, the moment which will forever be known, NFL-style, as The Moment arrived: Seymour spoke up, by-laws in hand, querulous tone in his voice: no movie can be a Friday Silly Movie Of My Youth Of The Day without a majority of the committee actually having seen it. It's not a matter of choice, of opinion. No, it's a simple factually-determined threshhold.
You see, unlike the Oscars, the voters have to see the film to choose it.
And only 6 of the 13 committee members have seen Xanadu. Or Death Race 2000. Or The Hollywood Knights. Or -- amazingly, but true -- every other movie nominated by my readers in last-week's suggestion box. And I take full responsibility. It'd be like taking the stage in the guise of a "Road-tested Bar Band," and asking for requests.
"Johnny B. Goode," one audience member would shout. Uhhh, we don't know that one, the singer'd respond. "Satisfaction," would cry another, as the bandleader scowled and asked, Uhhhh, any others? To which a third audience member would scream, "Just play three chords and let the drummer keep a 4/4 beat then, you fucking frauds." To which . . . well, you get the idea.
So no more requests, no more solicitations, no more embarrassing run-ins with by-laws, grumpy old men, Xanadu, or anything else. From now on, The Committee sticks to flicks that at least 7 have seen. Let's get to it, shall we. Ladies (yeah, right) & gentlemen, may I present to you, after a one week hiatus for America's favorite holiday involving an ugly bird with weird shit hanging from its face, the world famous . . . Friday Silly Movie Of My Youth Of The Day for today:
Black Sunday
As noted last week, the suggestions seemed to come down to chase flicks, disaster flicks, and proposterous plot sports flicks. Well, we've nailed two-in-one here. Check out the plot (I'm gonna let this little gem from wikipedia do the talking, as I'm not sure I, or anyone else, could top it):Michael Lander is a psychotic American Blimp pilot deranged due to years as a tortured prisoner of war in Vietnam, a failed marriage, and a bitter court martial. Conspiring with the Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September, Lander launches a plot to detonate a flechette-based bomb, housed in the undercarriage of a blimp, over a football stadium during the Super Bowl. American and Israeli intelligence agencies, led by Mossad agent David Kabakov and FBI agent Sam Corley, race to prevent the catastrophe. To add further intrigue and a pall of doom, the President of the United States attends the Super Bowl despite the pleas of Kabakov and Corley.Psychotic American Blimp Pilot! The Super Bowl! Mossad agent! The President! Flechette-based bomb! (No, I don't know what flechette is, but if it was gonna take out 75,000+ in one blast, it must be really serious.) Now that's a plot.
If I may, I'd like to ask you all to take a quick look back to the movie poster. You'll note that it's basically a blimp pulling a Roy Hobbes on the light towers as it smashes into the interior of a fully filled stadium. During the Super Bowl. And how do we know, from the poster, that it's the Super Bowl? Well, because the blimp has the words "Super Bowl" printed on it.
(And how 'bout that cheesy, "It Could Be Tomorrow!" subtitle? I guess it could . . . unless today is Friday. Or Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. But otherwise, yes, it definitely could be.)
Now, that was the same picture I saw on the cover of the book "Black Friday" that I saw on the old man's nighttable one time in about 1977 or 1978. Which in itself was strange, as I was about as likely to find him reading any book as I was to catch my mother watching a football game. Nonetheless, there it was, screaming out to me in all its blimp-crashing glory. "What's the story about?" I asked.
"I dunno," he answered, I assume because he hadn't read it. But . . . he made the mistake of telling me that there was a movie out, by the same title, in the theaters at the time. Heh, heh. So there we were, the man who hadn't read the book, the woman who hated football and action films, and the very excited 10 year-old, at Yorktown Heights' Triangle Theater, to see Robert Shaw, Bruce Dern, and the Goodyear blimp star in a really silly movie.
You guys know the line by now: And I loved it.
What do I remember about it? Well, you also know this line by now: Almost nothing. Though I do remember Bruce Dern going crazy in that Bruce Dern Going Crazy kinda way. And my mother actually saying at about the 3/4 point of the movie, as the heat started coming down on his character, "He's going crazy," as if his "plot to detonate a flechette-based bomb, housed in the undercarriage of a blimp, over a football stadium during the Super Bowl" was completely sane until he began losing his cool.
Violence-filled, international terror movies at 10, one parent who rarely bought books and didn't read those he did, and another who thought it was perfectly normal to blow up 75,000 people so long as you don't start acting crazy: Yes folks, it's the formula that created the man you're currently reading! Speaking of which, this post is probably starting to threaten your weekend, as it threatens my blog's bandwidth, so let's get to the cast.
It starred Robert Shaw. Quint from Jaws. Need I say more?
John Frankenheimer directed. Yes. The director of the great Manchurian Candidate. Then a little later, he slid down to the shlocky, but entertaining starfest, Grand Prix. Later still, The French Connection II, which I'll admit I've never seen, but come on! It's a sequel to an Oscar winner, how good could it be?
Hmmm, don't answer that. In fact, no need to answer, as I'll do it for you. Because, among the other semi-stars in Black Sunday was . . . Michael V. Gazzo. Who? I didn't know either, but you'll know if I tell you who he played in an Oscar-winning sequal to an initial Oscar winner. Gazzo was none other than Godfather: Part II's Frankie Pentangeli, the gravely-voiced would-be informer who . . . well, you guys know that story. No need to re-hash here. I will point out, however, than Gazzo later appeared in Cannonball Run II. Clearly Frankenheimer's not the only candidate in today's dubious, "How Far Did His Career Fall?" category.
(And speaking of Cannonball Run II, no it won't be a FSMOMYOTD, but a thematically-related flick is rather high on the depth chart.)
Who else? Well, we have Fritz Weaver, another name you may not know, but someone with whose work you're certainly familiar. You wanna see a resume? I know it's TV, but how on earth is anyone ever gonna top this: Between 1960 and 2005, this man appeared in The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Man From U.N.C.L.E., Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Combat!, The Fugitive, Gentle Ben, Ironside, Mission Impossible, The Mod Squad, Kung Fu, Barnaby Jones, Streets of San Francisco, Cannon, Wonder Woman, Hawaii 5-0, Magnum PI, Quincy, Love Boat, Tales From the Darkside, Murder She Wrote, Matlock, LA Law, Deep Space 9, The X-Files, Frasier, and Law & Order.
Let's just pause for a moment. Deep breath. Deeper genuflection. Deeper still contemplation of the wonders the universe can bestow. Ohmmmmmm.
Ok. Back to it. In addition to this fine cast of actors, because the football stadium scenes were actually filmed during Super Bowl X at Miami's Orange Bowl, the movie featured cameos from Pat Summerall & Tom Brookshier (Summerall's John Madden when Madden was still a sideline lunatic with a bad combover), Dolphin's owner Joe Robbie, and none other than Hall of Fame QB (and Hall of Shame goofball) Terry Bradshaw, in his first appearence on celluloid.
His second appearence? Why that'd be Smokey & The Bandit II (hmmmm, the distinctive scent of future FSMOMYOTDs wafts into my nostrils. While we're on that bad sequels to "good" movies kick).
Anyone else? James Jeter, another guy I don't know. So why am I mentioning him then? Because he appeared in not one, not two, but three FSMOMYOTD candidates: The Hollywood Knights (which, as we now know, cannot be considered til at least one of the remaining seven Elders who haven't seen it sit down and do so), Fast Break (which I probably won't do because Bill Simmons has beat it into the ground for years), and The Big Bus. (Speaking of The Big Bus, anyone remember the late 70s TV show, Supertrain?)
Sarah Fankboner. Nah, nothing to say about her. I just wanted to write, "Fankboner." Twice.
Kim Nicholas, another actress about whom I know absolutely nothing. But, according to IMDB, she appeared in but five movies during her entire acting "career," from 1972-1977. And what a collection of classics it was: Santa and the Icecream Bunny, Limbo, Salty, Impulse, and finally Black Sunday. And I feel I'd be remiss in my duties if I failed to mention that Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny was a feature-length, live-action movie, about Santa's sled getting stuck in the sand of a Florida beach. It earns an IMDB rating of 1.7 stars (out of ten). Eight of the first nine "stars" listed are credited by first name only. Ms. Nicholas is listed after them.
And finally, in the "I Don't Know What To Say, But I'm Saying It Anyway" category, I must point out that among the actors in Black Sunday were gentlemen named Frank Man, Kenneth Harms, Bert Madrid, and Sherman "Big Train" Bergman. Not character names. Actor's names.
No one named Flechette though.
posted by Mike at 6:43 AM
50 Comments:
How could you leave out the line of the Movie:
The President isn't persuaded that attending the Super Bowl will pose a threat to his life. I suppose it's the more important threat on his mind; he's slipping in the polls! Eighty-two thousand, five hundred twenty-eight, to be exact!
It's like Clinton was in office!
I vaguely recall this movie. I may have gone with the folks, but probably slept through it. Being all of 8 when it was released. I might (stress might) have been at the Shirley Drive-In.
Which is now sadly a shopping center with a Kohls, Waldbaums and other stores.
Damn.
Flechette are a little bit like shrapnel. Imagine a bunch of really sharp metal darts flying through the air and that's what you've got. For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flechette
I'm surprised that Hollywood hasn't re-made this movie, considering the politicial climate of the last few years. Perfect for fearmongers.
The Shirley Drive In! I went there a couple times. Can't remember what I saw though. But I remember the experience of sitting in the back of the car and being too small to see a whole lot. Big Mother didn't make kids use car seats or booster seats back then.
How could you leave out the line of the Movie
Sorry Ed. I didn't realize the mandate was to compose the world's longest blog entries on a weekly basis. I thought "among the world's longest" was the assignment.
I'll work to improve next week.
And for my money, this is my line of the movie: What is this thing you Americans call the Super Bowl?
Flechette are a little bit like shrapnel. Imagine a bunch of really sharp metal darts flying through the air and that's what you've got. For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flechette
I knew someone was gonna fill me in on that one. But I'll admit I wasn't sure who. In retrospect, I'm not sure how I could have assumed it'd be anyone but you, DED.
* * *
Drive-ins. I saw a couple flicks at the drive-in with the folks, but for the life of me, I can't recall which ones.
I get the feeling that as soon as (if) I remember, another FSMOMYOTD candidate will emerge simultaneously.
I'm surprised that Hollywood hasn't re-made this movie, considering the politicial climate of the last few years. Perfect for fearmongers.
Of course, it was the inspiration for that recent internet hoax about a terrorist plot to attack NFL games. But without the simmering insanity of Bruce Dern behind it .... eh.
Drive-Ins were the best. I actually saw Star Wars for the first time at one during its initial release. All I really remember were the bags of homemade popcorn my Mom made for us.
There are some still out there, trying to keep the retro-coolness alive. I went to one in Atlanta a few years back for a Russ Meyer double feature, complete with the stars there to sign autographs.
You want scary? Try seeing a triple-D bra size sex kitten aged three decades. And aged badly.
Ah, not only did I see this movie way back when I was 14, I read the book, too. And you left out that the novel was Thomas Harris' first, a guy we know a bit better now as the creator of Hannibal Lechter.
To tie this all up, what was the last film I saw in a drive-in some 15 years ago? Silence of the Lambs.
Remember, there are no coincidences.
Drive-Ins were the best. I actually saw Star Wars for the first time at one during its initial release. All I really remember were the bags of homemade popcorn my Mom made for us.
Now that's a cool memory! Star Wars, homemade popcorn, a drive-in. Sweet.
a triple-D bra size sex kitten aged three decades. And aged badly.
And that just might the polar opposite of the good memory.
you left out that the novel was Thomas Harris' first
If I can play the pedant for a moment, I don't believe I can leave out something I don't know. But even if I purposely left it out, no problems. This audience is full of Johnnies-on-the-spot to scoop up any and all of my fumbles.
A finer crew of trivia-filled geeks has never before been assembled (I include myself, of course, so no insult taken please).
Not only do I remember Supertrain, I still remember an old SNL skit with Belushi playing the head of NBC and talking about how Supertrain was going to save the Network. If I remember right, in the same skit, Belushi also asked how come Tom Snyder's Tomorrow show didn't have promos for the Today Show.
And I also remember The Big Bus. It was Airplane before Airplane. Though not as funny. And without the talent. And on a bus.
As for Bruce Dern, has Dern ever not played crazy? I'm serious. I don't remember him in a movie where he didn't go nuts.
And it's always been my contention that Tom Clancy ripped this book off with a Clear and Present Danger, where they were the terrorists were going to blow up the Super Bowl, being played in Denver, with a nuke bomb left over from one of Israel's many wars. And this in turn, was made into a bad Ben Affleck movie (is there any other kind).
And if you're going to do bad football/action movies, I think that there was one with Chuck Heston where there's a sniper at the Super Bowl and Chuck's the cop trying to stop him before he goes off. I think that it's Two Minute Warning.
old SNL skit with Belushi playing the head of NBC and talking about how Supertrain was going to save the Network.
Probably Fred Silverman, right? They used to razz him in one skit after another during the first years I watched the show.
As funny as Belushi was doing his "Belushi Thing," I loved when he played "serious" roles. His deadpan voice was funny just because it was him doing it. That's one reason his, "Well, let's see if you can guess what I am now" scene at the cafeteria in Animal House was so great. It was the only scene of the movie that he didn't deliver in the "Bluto" voice.
has Dern ever not played crazy?
Nope. Contractually forbidden.
Two Minute Warning
Niiiiiice! I think that may have been one of the other purchased, yet unread, football-themed books on the nighttable.
Fred Silverman, that's right. I could only remember the Fred part.
Now, in defense of Frankenheimer, while his career did go downhill in the 70s, his 52 Pickup is one of the better Elmore Leonard adaptations -- better than Tarrantino, but not close to Soderbergh. And Ronin had one of the best car chase scenes of the 90s.
And I think Dern needs a new agent. Even Dennis Hopper gets to play half-way normal people now (unless he's on 24 and doing an awful accent).
As for Bruce Dern, has Dern ever not played crazy? I'm serious. I don't remember him in a movie where he didn't go nuts.
Never. It all began with his turn as "Loser" in the Roger Corman biker flick, The Wild Angels. (Which co-starred Peter Fonda and Nancy Fucking Sinatra.)
And yes, 52 Pickup is great. Watched it again on Netflix a month ago.
52 Pick-up, huh?
I'll admit, never once in 20 years did I even think of giving it a chance. When I see a mid-80's drama starring Roy Scheider, Ann Margeret and Vanity (!), my first thought isn't "Hmmm, that sounds good."
Here's movie trivia geekiness for you--actually, Dern was a crazy even earlier (2 years, in fact) than Wild Angels. He has a very brief but crucial scene as a sailor/rapist in Htichcock's Marnie.
sailor/rapist in Htichcock's Marnie.
Interesting. Another actor who's played his share of crazies, Jeff Goldblum, also played a rapist in his first film role: Deathwish.
52 Pick-up, huh?
OK, "great" might have been too strong. Let me dial that down to "certainly worth a rental viewing."
Thanks for that, Otto Man. "Great" and "52 Pickup" are not two words that I would normally associate with each other. But it is worth a rental, especially for Elmore Leonard fans.
You know, going off actors playing crazy, there's an actor in "52 Pickup" who's played a lot of crazy characters. John Glover. He's pretty good, though nowhere near Bruce Dern crazy good.
And here's my question of the day: if you're on a plane, and you see Bruce Dern board, do you get off?
John Glover
He's was Annie's old boyfriend in one of the flashback scenes in Annie Hall. The "neat" guy who picked her up at a party by telling her to put her foot on his chest, and informing her that he wants to die by getting eaten alive by sharks.
I guess that qualifies as a "crazy guy."
And by the way, fellow "crazy guy" Jeff Goldblum was the guy who "Forgot His Mantra" at Tony Lacey's party later in the film. The coincidences keep gettin coincidentaler and coincidentaler. Or something like that
(And no, I haven't seen Annie Hall a hundred times. Maybe 98, but not triple digits.)
you see Bruce Dern board, do you get off?
Not until I try to find the Air Marshall. If he's reading the Quran, striking the sole of his shoe with a match, and carrying a bottle of shampoo, then I get off.
Ah, speaking of crazy and "Annie Hall," don't forget that Annie's brother was Christopher Walken. And he fantasizes about driving his car into the headlights of oncoming cars, then Woody cuts to a scene of Walken driving with Woody in the passenger seat, and it's night, and a car's coming toward them....
And, so that I can link this all back to the topic at hand, "Black Sunday," I'll just conclude by reminding that Christopher Walken and Robert Shaw have something in common (besides being actors). They were bad guys in James Bond movies.
I'll just conclude
You lie.
As to the Bond quiz, I'm tempted to try to figure it out, but I'm not much of a Bond-head.
Walken was in one of those mid-80's ones, right? Octopussy, or the one where Kim Basinger was the Bond girl? That was the one when Connery came back for one deal, in '83? Damn, can't remember the name. Another something?
Maybe the one where Tanya Roberts was the Bond Girl? Was that View To A Kill?
I'm blanking on Shaw. Live & Let Die?
Because I have nothing better to do
Walken was in A View to a Kill.
Shaw was in From Russia with Love.
I heart google.
I just wish I owned some of their stock.
I heart google.
Ed!!!
Don't you know BlogQuiz™ protocol? You took Chris' quizzes on Metsgeek. You cheat on those too?
Come to think of it, you did, didn't you?
Glavine's back!
With the Mets.
I did not have to cheat on Chris' quizzes, since I know a ridiculous amount of wrestling trivia. Not that I am proud of that, it is just a fact.
I however know nothing about James Bond, as I have seen maybe 1 of the movies.
Please forgive me. You are not going to revoke my commenting privledges are you?
The Connery was a remake of "Thunderball." It was "Never Say Never Again," a play on Connery saying he'd never play Bond again. And yes, that's the one with Basinger.
Walken was a great Bond baddie, too bad it was "A View To A Kill," one of the worst of the Bonds.
I always thought that the producers should ask Connery to play the villain.
More Bond trivia (and Ed, I guess you're going to the Google right now), but what's the only woman to star in two of the Bonds (and, no, I don't mean the women playing Moneypenny or Judi Dench) -- I'm talking the love interest.
And yes, when I say "I conclude," I'm lying. I'm a lawyer after all.
Only 1 Bond movie? Yes, I think commenting privileges should be revoked.
john royal - nope, I'm sitting this one out.
Don't want to break the rules.
John Royal - but I know so much other useless stuff!
Glavine's back!
With the Mets.
This is good. I guess he found a good school for his kids, huh?
You are not going to revoke my commenting privledges are you?
And reduce my readership by somewhere in the range of 20%? Surely you kid.
"A View To A Kill," one of the worst of the Bonds.
It's the last Bond movie I saw in a theater, and probably the last one I watched from start-to-finish, I think. I hated it.
I'm really not a fan of the whole Bond thing, to be honest. A few of the early ones, plus Spy Who Loved Me are fun, but the whole conceit just seems way too silly to me (and not "silly" in the way I like).
That said, let's think about the quiz . . .
Didn't someone do back-to-back films in the early 70s? Jill St. John, maybe?
I have seen all of the Austin Powers movies.
Actually, I have seen a couple of the bond movies, I just can't recall them. Not my cup of tea.
drat, I meant to type after the austin powers "Does that help"
Yes, yes, there have been a lot of bad Bonds, especially with Roger Moore. But the early Connery was good. Moore did one good one. Dalton wasn't appreciated. Pierce Brosnan breathed life back into the franchise. But I highly recommend "Casino Royale."
Daniel Craig's Bond is a brutal, violent thug who looks like he'd rather be in jeans than in a tux. There are no fancy gadgets, and there's no evil genius who's built an underground headquarters on a volcanic island staffed by thousands of guys in uniforms and carrying guns.
Maud Adams was in "The Man With The Golden Gun" and "Octopussy."
Which lets me bring this full circle since Maud was also in the movie "Tattoo," starring everyone's favorite wacko, Bruce Dern.
P.S.: Glavine's back with the Mets, huh? It's nice to see that the Mets have one starting pitcher.
Moore did one good one.
Which? Please tell me you mean TSWLM.
Everyone's raving about Casino Royale, even non-Bond fans. I'll wait to check it out on vid, I guess.
Which lets me bring this full circle since Maud was also in the movie "Tattoo," starring everyone's favorite wacko, Bruce Dern.
John, you're on fire today.
Yes, I'm talking about "The Spy Who Loved Me," though I think "For Your Eyes Only" is decent.
But who am I kidding. If a Bond movie's on, I'm watching. Even the bad ones -- which are the Roger Moore movies, or "The World Is Not Enough," in which Denise Richards was a nuclear scientist.
And speaking of which, here I go again. Denise was in "Wild Things" with Kevin Bacon who was in "Mystic River" with Sean Penn who starred with Christopher Walken in a movie in which they were father-son and I can't remember the title of it, but the then Mrs. Penn did the title song (that's Madonna, btw). And the then ex-Mrs. Penn also did the title song for Pierce Brosnan's last Bond movie, "Die Another Day."
Now, I'm going to quit while I'm on top.
Okay, I just cheated and did a Google. The Sean Penn/Christopher Walken movie was "At Close Range."
Bond's been through so many incarnations that I feel like he's the secret agent version of Dr. Who. At least with Dr. Who they never try to hide the fact that the Doctor keeps changing his appearence. Redoing Bond after 40 years seems kinda silly. Yes, I've enjoyed the Bond movies over the years but it seems tired to me. Go ahead and start booing.
This audience is full of Johnnies-on-the-spot to scoop up any and all of my fumbles.
Guilty.
Now, I'm going to quit while I'm on top.
You lie.
DED-
Sometimes it's good to be "guilty" of something. That's the case here.
Or so I think (and make of that what you will).
I don't think I've seen a single one of your silly movies thus far.
I don't think I've seen a single one of your silly movies thus far.
You've never seen The Warriors??? I REFUSE to believe that.
A self-confessed metal-head/pop music fan didn't watch Kiss Meets The Phantom of the Park when he was a kid? Please, say it ain't so!
Kevin Bacon who was in "Mystic River" . . .
Well of course you can use Kevin Freakin Bacon to link things! That's the whole point, right?
the then ex-Mrs. Penn
Speaking of Mrs. Penns, Princess Bride was on last night. Damn, was Robin Wright a babe.
As for Bruce Dern, has Dern ever not played crazy? I'm serious. I don't remember him in a movie where he didn't go nuts.
I think "Silent Running" was as close to not going nuts as he ever got.
Oh, OK. I forgot about Phantom. Yes, I did see that. But... "silly"? Dude, that was a classic. ;-)
Don't recall seeing the Warriors.
I think "Silent Running" was as close to not going nuts as he ever got.
Never saw it, so can't say. But I bet he was still crazy somehow.
Don't recall seeing the Warriors.
Not seeing The Warriors! Now, that's silly.
Sorry I missed the Bond trivia. I actually knew both the Shaw appearance -- blond! -- and the Maud Adams double-feature.
Not only was Denise Richards a nuclear scientist, but her name was Christmas Jones. Dr. Christmas Jones, Ph.D.
Denise was in "Wild Things" with Kevin Bacon
Ah, Wild Things. A friend of mine once noted that Wild Things was the absolute worst movie he would ever own. Rrrrrow.
Wild Things was the absolute worst movie he would ever own. Rrrrrow.
I liked Wild Things when it came out. Shlocky fun, wild plot, improbable developments.
And Denise in the pool with Neve's cool too.
I'm open minded about that sorta thing.
but did you see the two Wild Things sequels? They are on STARZ quite often.
Justthisside of Skinemax.
Two?
Wow, I never even heard of the second sequel. Anyone well-known in either follow-up?
Animal house Eh?
how about, "Lord Love a Duck", with Roddy McDowell?
I just looked it up, Weas. Looks good actually:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060636/
You've seen it?
Yeah, I've seen it. :)
Its a strange film.
It has a lot of scenes in common with 'Animal House', including the car crashing through the bleachers at the end.
So I assume that the folks at National Lampoon either saw the film, or had worked on both projects.
Interesting. I need to try to check it out. Sounds pretty entertaining.
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