Friday, April 07, 2006

THE ELEPHANT OF THE PUBLIC SOUL



Fun on Friday, directly from the DVD liner notes on the Taiwanese release of an Irwin Allen classic:

The Swarm-- Monsters by the millions, and they are all for real! Excel to take the director of the disaster condition the text, once the successfully be responsible for the Neptunian number and skyscraper conflagration of a the action in the drama part, and have to feel the elephant of the public soul with result, have the authentic fact conduct and actions the basis, persons the details that match wits also there is certain science can’t he stunt of the letter, high also increased then that penetrate everywhere.”

All that and Olivia De Havilland too!

It’s a busy Friday, but all looks good for part three of Professor’s Brainerd’s Christmas Quiz Answers tonight, PLUS the unveiling of a brand-new quiz for spring break. Stay tuned, killer bees!

(Thanks to Thom McGregor for passing along the April 2, 2006 page from her “365 Stupidest Things Ever Said” desk calendar, from whence the overwhelming quote seen above was lifted.)

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hahahahaha! "But the bees have always been our friends." Thanks to you and Thom for a mind-bogglingly good laugh. Speaking of Irwin Allen, I sat and watched "The Poseidon Adventure" last weekend, and I sheepishly admit that, despite all the cheesiness of the dialogue, etc., it's still involving, fun to watch, and actually kind of scary. I have to hand it to Gene Hackman, who commits fully to his role, rather than condescendingly sleep-walking through it, as other big stars did in other disaster movies. It was also striking for me to realize that, of all the female characters, only motherly "fat-ass" Mrs. Rosen is allowed to keep her legs covered. All of the other women wear either hot pants or panties the whole time! Not that I'm complaining...but really, Carol Lynley's crybaby nincompoop character, "Nonnie," had no right to survive, great legs or not.

Dennis Cozzalio said...
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Dennis Cozzalio said...

I definitely agree with you about The Poseidon Adventure. It's a really good concept, and very well-done, for the most part, with some really good acting by Hackman and, yes, Shelley Winters. It's the one disaster movie that I think has held up really well, and it's because of that concept-- which is why it's being remade. (And that remake looks like it's gonna be pretty good!) There's going to be a screening of the movie at the Warner Grand theater in San Pedro on May 6, tied to the opening of that remake, of course-- it's apparently the "Seventh Annual Poseidon Adventure Fan Club Reunion." (Check it out at http://www.warnergrand.org/) I would have made more of an announcement about it (and maybe I will later) were it not for the fact that they're showing this big spectacular movie, at this wonderful old movie palace, in frickin' 16mm!!!! As for now, though, I think I'll do like you and run the DVD of the Irwin Allen classic before seeing the new version, which promises to exploit my claustrophobia and fear of drowning at new heights (or I suppose, depths). And I promise, I will not be scouring the credits for an appearance by Lucy Liu.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha!! Only I, and possibly Thom McGregor, will get that Lucy Liu reference, and it would take a whole long essay to explain it, but thanks. Yeah, I saw a preview for the new POSEIDON at the IMAX theater the other day, and it looked scary and good. I believe I know some of the characters who are going to die, though, since we saw those fake dead bodies they used at the Warner lot, and I recognized some of 'em in the preview. As for the original, yeah, it holds up well, I think, and actually most of the acting is good; I expected to scoff at Winters, but she was quite excellent (even if it's hard not to snicker at her death rattle!), as were Jack Albertson, Borgnine ("My Linda!" still tugs at my sentimental heart), etc. WTF with showing it in 16mm?? Couldn't they find a 35mm print in decent shape in L.A.? I actually watched it on an old videotape you had made me from laser disk! So quaint to see the blue screen suddenly come up: SIDE A B.

Dennis Cozzalio said...

Ah, Side A/B. Actually, I've made a date with my old laserdisc of Lisztomania for later this evening, probably as I compile part 3 of Professor Brainerd's quiz answers.

I have an e-mail in to the guy who heads up the Poseidon Adventure Fan Club, which is sponsoring the event. Hopefully there will be some information that I can relate about that 16mm business. Hard to believe that, as you said, in Los Angeles there's not a 35mm print somewhere available, especially with the profile of the old movie about to be raised up again with the swell of interest in the new movie. And considering some of the celebrities that will be in attendance (Stella Stevens! Carol Lynley! The guy who played Carol Lynley's ill-fated brother-- "Teddy? Teddy!"-- as the web site says, "Nonnie and Teddy reunited after 34 years!") it seems a shame to screen a grainy 16mm version of the movie.

Anonymous said...

Hmph...I hope you get to the bottom of it, so to speak. I looked at the Warner Grand's web site, and it looks like a beautiful theater; wonder why I never knew about it when I lived there.

Dennis Cozzalio said...
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Anonymous said...

I looked up the actor who so brilliantly played the lost Teddy, Stuart Perry, on imdb, and he is only listed in one other movie; ironically enough, it's "O Lucky Man". Wonder if he still has "lovely hair," as Nonnie so wistfully remembered in the movie. OK, I really do have to get back to work now, though I prefer this sort of nonsense!

Dennis Cozzalio said...

I've lived here for almost 20 years and I've never been either. They routinely run a very good schedule of classic films too-- all in 35mm, I assumed. I just can imagine how they're going to show a 16mm film there. Are they going to set up a projector on one of the aisles in the middle of that cavernous auditorium?

Anonymous said...

Yeah, they probably set up two of those old bluish-green Bell&Howell projectors in the aisle, for seamless presentation!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Dennis, Thom, blaaagh!

As one who thrives on "a the action in the drama part" of my life, I thank you for this Friday fun!