tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84431796760767242024-03-28T00:40:47.719-05:00Booze Movies: The 100 Proof Film GuideReviews, news, and features from the world of soused cinemagarvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-60876425025343669702017-06-25T21:54:00.001-05:002017-06-25T21:54:18.585-05:00Follow Me to the Bottom Shelf!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Greetings, fellow inebriates,<br />
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The time has come to close up shop at <i><b>Booze Movies</b></i>, as I've opened a new store front, <i><b><a href="https://www.bottomshelfmovies.com/" target="_blank">It Came From the Bottom Shelf!</a></b></i> The new site (found at <a href="http://www.bottomshelfmovies.com/">www.bottomshelfmovies.com</a>) is a movie recommendation site, focusing on forgotten classics, lesser-known gems, and oddball discoveries. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRQVf6Wkp6DpOVNOebTtxtSG3jJ_1e2V8vdDjOeznvFIAFTuqxu2BzPenMkDvkKZ_IkEfL-2buIm4GkKMMqDm0IfmRDRZ62AHHM203p3IkaHNIxOOuBGFx8wJ1zlDqGrZyxxUiBAjBA/s1600/IMG_2224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRQVf6Wkp6DpOVNOebTtxtSG3jJ_1e2V8vdDjOeznvFIAFTuqxu2BzPenMkDvkKZ_IkEfL-2buIm4GkKMMqDm0IfmRDRZ62AHHM203p3IkaHNIxOOuBGFx8wJ1zlDqGrZyxxUiBAjBA/s1600/IMG_2224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="802" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRQVf6Wkp6DpOVNOebTtxtSG3jJ_1e2V8vdDjOeznvFIAFTuqxu2BzPenMkDvkKZ_IkEfL-2buIm4GkKMMqDm0IfmRDRZ62AHHM203p3IkaHNIxOOuBGFx8wJ1zlDqGrZyxxUiBAjBA/s320/IMG_2224.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwnZ0RRWuDwDeNfnDr14yCnWAIhzP9SLVl1E_jfE8e12byc34UyUCaodw2SqPiEAChiUwX8a9sbyz_WqTGRH8LilZfUmlEyOImMMHwQWjeBRwHlIp69FnP1qvE2U3BbscHIJgrmI8uA/s1600/IMG_2224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><br />
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In the <i>Bottom Shelf</i>, I will try to shine a spotlight on titles that haven’t received the level of attention they deserve. In that endeavor, I will post capsule movie reviews, “Pick of the Week” video releases, upcoming DVD announcements, sales alerts, and other cinematic news. My hope is that this site will eventually become a reference for video collectors and binge-watchers who think they’ve seen everything — sort of an electronic equivalent of Danny Peary’s <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671610813/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0671610813&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20&linkId=dd18b8bf76964e4ffe1722a5a6716c43" target="_blank">Guide for the Film Fanatic</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0671610813" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </i>or Michael Weldon’s <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FEKB4CS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01FEKB4CS&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20&linkId=df41d260888f3b227b151608652cc996" target="_blank">The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B01FEKB4CS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> (although likely nowhere near as good).<br />
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So this isn't "goodbye." It's "come visit me at my new address, when you're in the neighborhood." I hope you like my new digs.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
garv<br />
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P.S. -- Boozemovies.com will not disappear anytime in the near future. I'll leave it up as a reference for myself and others.<br />
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<br />garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-40767144887371461462015-12-31T15:41:00.000-06:002015-12-31T15:43:45.899-06:00Happy New Year!Greetings, fellow inebriates,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KCBxZEBLZL47uRXwHDJcxHl9EXTNCDTIkH4oDBiGmRfI6pOwAMhbJ-vXcdY6Bg_mwnXtLiNF38oSvilHvs3fWJ3Pg7wHvzSuacUFA9pf1c-bWOKyZNTTtS_byMvhgN-fQzRFmduHgg/s1600/tumblr_nlobd3IiWF1rm3u4ao9_r1_400+%25281%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KCBxZEBLZL47uRXwHDJcxHl9EXTNCDTIkH4oDBiGmRfI6pOwAMhbJ-vXcdY6Bg_mwnXtLiNF38oSvilHvs3fWJ3Pg7wHvzSuacUFA9pf1c-bWOKyZNTTtS_byMvhgN-fQzRFmduHgg/s1600/tumblr_nlobd3IiWF1rm3u4ao9_r1_400+%25281%2529.gif" /></a>It's been over a year since I posted, so let me get the first question out of the way. <i>Is the blog dead?</i> Not necessarily. I've been working on other projects and generally living life, and I haven't felt like I could devote the time to <i>Booze Movies</i> that it deserves. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoisqVSiQ8yIFl1ksnuyJVK1DEBU3hPIhFrQnewIhW74zWiTdmXGbmpJLoEwTEgDaS33F6bwmWjFjbjtb7y3-hS_CUAjeIO0RarEFUkZXKHJ4Qs-4JdmDaj5C7f2v-eCp6qFhZnx2WLA/s1600/91usucHQwCL._SX425_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoisqVSiQ8yIFl1ksnuyJVK1DEBU3hPIhFrQnewIhW74zWiTdmXGbmpJLoEwTEgDaS33F6bwmWjFjbjtb7y3-hS_CUAjeIO0RarEFUkZXKHJ4Qs-4JdmDaj5C7f2v-eCp6qFhZnx2WLA/s200/91usucHQwCL._SX425_.jpg" width="157" /></a>However, the URL will remain active, and there are still numerous classic and new alcohol-related films to review. Consequently, I may decide to begin posting again on a regular basis sometime in the future. In the meantime, if you want to keep up with my opinions on film, video, television, and subjects of more import, follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BoozeMovies" target="_blank">@BoozeMovies</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGH7DDBAdH2PJbiHbve1z1wTowp4FdCHYiKQ3gt0l603Bb_ZJW_IaNDzd2uyODA3LnMnaOlZ_RmwgKHMXbJ4NawN5crZmKAZF7g0QrdBKsemLWXZvcqcuzVvAo2HDCMMbdUnJJd5r6lg/s1600/Thin+Man%252C+The_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGH7DDBAdH2PJbiHbve1z1wTowp4FdCHYiKQ3gt0l603Bb_ZJW_IaNDzd2uyODA3LnMnaOlZ_RmwgKHMXbJ4NawN5crZmKAZF7g0QrdBKsemLWXZvcqcuzVvAo2HDCMMbdUnJJd5r6lg/s200/Thin+Man%252C+The_04.jpg" width="200" /></a>I'll leave you with best wishes for a safe, and happy 2016 and with a handful of recommendations:<br />
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<b>Best Movie that you probably didn't see this year:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014U505R8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B014U505R8&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20&linkId=HYYGCXSWPSTGIG5U" rel="nofollow">Bone Tomahawk</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B014U505R8" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<b>Best Book you probably haven't heard of:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316188441/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316188441&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20&linkId=QMHJ3L6RM2FNIREB" rel="nofollow">The Thicket</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316188441" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<b>Best 2016 Calendar: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419716921/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1419716921&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20&linkId=5MQ2YG2ULAR2EW7V" rel="nofollow">Rube Goldberg Inventions 2016 Wall Calendar</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1419716921" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<b>Best New Year's Eve 2015 Viewing:</b> Just leave the TV tuned to TCM for the afternoon Marx Brothers Marathon followed by the evening Thin Man Marathon.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
garv<br />
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garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-79684919391036562602014-04-27T12:01:00.002-05:002014-04-27T12:01:40.725-05:00Booze News: Classic Soused Slapstick from Flicker AlleyGreetings, fellow inebriates,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfcrkXcEQFe-NIwwyk1jG5HzmXxbBEOcAP3JhbTBsly7Mz2yXxj-dlZIDtaK-eZNIb38Uya8t-TE6BOnBcAVc_44MTbaQvYfmFavQHxxPZqvTnjjdtO3PxhSTA96P-G7RI4yyjsy67Q/s1600/flicker+1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfcrkXcEQFe-NIwwyk1jG5HzmXxbBEOcAP3JhbTBsly7Mz2yXxj-dlZIDtaK-eZNIb38Uya8t-TE6BOnBcAVc_44MTbaQvYfmFavQHxxPZqvTnjjdtO3PxhSTA96P-G7RI4yyjsy67Q/s1600/flicker+1.jpg" /></a></div>
Fans of soused slapstick and silent comedy take note! <i>Flicker Alley</i>, the video label that brought us the magnificent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YBNNMY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003YBNNMY&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Chaplin At Keystone</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003YBNNMY" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> box set, has announced two newly restored collections of silent film shorts on blu-ray: <a href="http://flickeralley.com/catalog/item/chaplins-mutuals-comedies/hardgood" target="_blank"><i>Chaplin's Mutual Comedies</i></a> (Limited SteelBook Edition) and <a href="http://flickeralley.com/catalog/item/the-mack-sennett-collection-vol-1/hardgood" target="_blank"><i>The Mack Sennett Collection, Vol. 1</i></a>. These blu-ray box sets will be released on July 29th, but you can pre-order them now at a discount. Even better, you receive an additional 10% discount if you pre-order the sets together from <a href="http://flickeralley.com/catalog/item/chaplins-mutual-comedies-the-mack-sennett-collection-vol-1/hardgood" target="_blank">this page</a> by April 30th!<br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX8uq3dL0Lr2JwOi1D-gRV5cTwoibu-061Vt3Bu47p4uQJINCIktF6jrSO-0TwusB502zHsYBw10uJB8El_WvTgieCClXO3hRORQ-EOdZF2o56Kd_CivYgEtMDh63pbhrEuUByGrtuA/s1600/flicker+2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX8uq3dL0Lr2JwOi1D-gRV5cTwoibu-061Vt3Bu47p4uQJINCIktF6jrSO-0TwusB502zHsYBw10uJB8El_WvTgieCClXO3hRORQ-EOdZF2o56Kd_CivYgEtMDh63pbhrEuUByGrtuA/s1600/flicker+2.jpg" /></a>Chaplin's Mutual Comedies</i> is a 5-disc Blu-ray/DVD box set featuring the twelve classic Mutual shorts (including alky classics <i><a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2006/12/one-am-1916.html" target="_blank">One A.M.</a> </i>and<i> The Cure</i>), all scanned under the aegis of Association Chaplin at a
resolution of 2,000 lines from original 35mm prints gathered from
archives all over the world, then digitally assembled and restored.<br />
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<i><a href="http://flickeralley.com/catalog/item/the-mack-sennett-collection-vol-1/hardgood" target="_blank"><i>The Mack Sennett Collection, Vol.1</i></a> </i>features the first 50 of 100 of the best surviving Sennett comedies that have
been gathered from around the world, fully restored, and digitally
re-mastered in HD for home video. This includes the work of Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, Harry Langdon, and W.C. Fields (specifically the funniest short of all time, <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2008/05/fatal-glass-of-beer-1933.html" target="_blank"><i>The Fatal Glass of Beer</i></a>).<br />
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Click on the collection links above for more info on the contents and special features, but if you plan to buy both, be sure to use the <a href="http://flickeralley.com/catalog/item/chaplins-mutual-comedies-the-mack-sennett-collection-vol-1/hardgood" target="_blank">combo page</a> to get the deepest discount!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
garvgarvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-68980050488668055682014-03-13T22:30:00.002-05:002014-03-13T22:30:54.418-05:00A Toast to DEADWOOD on its 10th Anniversary<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/88681835" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/88681835">A LIE AGREED UPON: DAVID MILCH'S DEADWOOD</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/rogerebert">RogerEbert.com</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY455C6UP-_gmRIac0e1mF25kbPhsdqgOtV5nL1KAemcBkof_sONTLKoO0UswSGdjsbZvN14-HrcbVoQS43hs54jlpxfA_J618lmRgorewZvDEX-vrfoZLPTw3Q6pA9O5UM92xGTMEw/s1600/deadwood39.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY455C6UP-_gmRIac0e1mF25kbPhsdqgOtV5nL1KAemcBkof_sONTLKoO0UswSGdjsbZvN14-HrcbVoQS43hs54jlpxfA_J618lmRgorewZvDEX-vrfoZLPTw3Q6pA9O5UM92xGTMEw/s1600/deadwood39.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hW29gXCWcZ_5O8zA6pfLyOWK7scy8qqZLdu2M9Bx2mjjK-MaLnh4qC3q3sOx7kMLb9aflWXU51xyWz-TfCXyEtobqtOZvWfAZt1-jQNE9i7mCRZeRW3aSo7qD-LDj31zLQIUFBAawQ/s1600/Jim+Beaver.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hW29gXCWcZ_5O8zA6pfLyOWK7scy8qqZLdu2M9Bx2mjjK-MaLnh4qC3q3sOx7kMLb9aflWXU51xyWz-TfCXyEtobqtOZvWfAZt1-jQNE9i7mCRZeRW3aSo7qD-LDj31zLQIUFBAawQ/s1600/Jim+Beaver.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a>Greetings, fellow inebriates,<br />
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David Milch's television masterpiece, <i>Deadwood,</i> may not precisely qualify as a "booze movie." However, it was one of the most cinematic and liquor-laden series to have ever graced the small screen; so excuse me if I go ever so slightly off-topic for this post. <br />
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To commemorate the 10th anniversary of what in my opinion was the most literate, humane, and engaging show in the history of television, <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/mzs/a-lie-agreed-upon-david-milchs-deadwood">RogerEbert.com</a> and <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/a-lie-agreed-upon-looking-back-at-david-milchs-deadwood">HitFix.com</a> have teamed up to present a 26-minute celebration of <i>Deadwood</i>, narrated by series regular (and fan favorite) Jim Beaver. The video is embedded above, courtesy of Vimeo. For <i>Dead</i>-heads like me, this brief documentary is sure to stir up sublime memories and renew the heartbreak that the series was cancelled after airing 36 near-flawless episodes (although I would argue that the final line of dialogue in the last show was the perfect coda for a work of fiction that always told the truth).<br />
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<b>A word of warning for the uninitiated -- </b>The video above contains a number of series spoilers, so if you have not yet enjoyed this television masterpiece, by all means buy the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G575PM0/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00G575PM0&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Blu-rays</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00G575PM0" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> or stream the complete series (on HBO Go) before you watch this remembrance. Trust me; you will not be disappointed. <i>Deadwood </i>was the only show that was so good that I would watch each episode twice on the night it premiered. Like a premium whiskey, a single shot was not enough. This is a show that should be savored again and again. God bless you, Mr. Milch!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
garvgarvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-50101311917059006032014-01-20T00:46:00.000-06:002014-01-20T00:46:28.356-06:00A Toast to Charlie Chaplin on His CentennialOn February 2nd, 2014, 100 years will have passed since the release of Charlie Chaplin’s first film. To mark that momentous anniversary, Booze Movies raises a glass to the movies’ first megastar—the man that popularized soused slapstick.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDL2ToI2C1DlsDHkb92r6uJTb5mpjZYt4QXxkIlsdKpsKVd-RRb909a5PJooKOhof95I5i1OrgrAkK27y3oHa4x6QHqVhpn6NXHZXer77Gra_XvgoqRBED5qVPRih5Pj5UAiWRzZA4PQ/s1600/220px-A_Night_Out_%2528film_Fr_poster%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDL2ToI2C1DlsDHkb92r6uJTb5mpjZYt4QXxkIlsdKpsKVd-RRb909a5PJooKOhof95I5i1OrgrAkK27y3oHa4x6QHqVhpn6NXHZXer77Gra_XvgoqRBED5qVPRih5Pj5UAiWRzZA4PQ/s1600/220px-A_Night_Out_%2528film_Fr_poster%2529.jpg" height="200" width="148" /></a><a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/01/toast-to-wc-fields-great-man-of-soused.html" target="_blank">W.C. Fields</a> is the comedian whose film persona is most strongly associated with strong drink—a position that is certainly well deserved. However, no comedian did more to popularize booze-related humor than Charles Spencer Chaplin, the comic who Fields derisively referred to as “that ballet dancer.” Taking into account both short subjects and features, Chaplin produced more alky comedies than any other major movie merrymaker. This output of staggering slapstick had a tremendous impact on the direction that film comedy would take, due both to Chaplin’s astonishing popularity and the simple fact that his films came so early in the history of the medium.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIjnLMC-lxGVaMFFzStf5S_9s3AQ026IFuSR06iMh7ME3I4K6dUHy-0xMDq4Jiz-2TGBH73jHZpfacUsMAeIIvmOEBSSluupsLAeNFKs41fYsgR53zXUnT4OHTSx7v20UHyH54HuSDQ/s1600/CC_in_Archibald_Karno_circa_1910_bigger.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIjnLMC-lxGVaMFFzStf5S_9s3AQ026IFuSR06iMh7ME3I4K6dUHy-0xMDq4Jiz-2TGBH73jHZpfacUsMAeIIvmOEBSSluupsLAeNFKs41fYsgR53zXUnT4OHTSx7v20UHyH54HuSDQ/s1600/CC_in_Archibald_Karno_circa_1910_bigger.jpg" height="200" width="155" /></a>Chaplin certainly didn’t invent drunken humor. The comedy inebriate was a staple of theatrical entertainments on stage and screen prior to the arrival of “the Tramp.” Chaplin simply played drunk more hilariously than anyone that had come before him. The fact that his pickled pantomime holds up to modern viewings, after one hundred years have passed and thousands of intervening comedies have flashed in front of our ocular orbs, is testament to the mastery of Chaplin’s art.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaC-Y2s6CIqN_4Q7zAVY2W_2Suk1WgZycJSS_Dudk4YqHNnt9s4N9Z2_JnyT09rx-Yn8sAqRtQTa0WhhK3MgfBhoAujPqrCCYQR6qA0h4ZozdS1llW3kPfHl7bmERt4Y9yk1MRliKz0A/s1600/Chaplin%2527s+coat.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaC-Y2s6CIqN_4Q7zAVY2W_2Suk1WgZycJSS_Dudk4YqHNnt9s4N9Z2_JnyT09rx-Yn8sAqRtQTa0WhhK3MgfBhoAujPqrCCYQR6qA0h4ZozdS1llW3kPfHl7bmERt4Y9yk1MRliKz0A/s1600/Chaplin%2527s+coat.gif" height="191" width="200" /></a>It was Chaplin’s excellence in imitating an inebriate that facilitated his entry into the movies. In 1913, Mack Sennett saw the then-unknown British comedian perform his signature stage sketch, “Mumming Birds,” as part of the American tour of Fred Karno’s comedy troupe. The sketch, later adapted for film by Chaplin as <i>A Night in the Show</i> (1915), involves a well-dressed and well-oiled audience member (Chaplin) that drunkenly interacts with a variety of rotten onstage acts. Sennett was spellbound by Chaplin’s physicality and signed the comedian to a contract with Keystone studios.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs40nsdnm7K32DrOb4YhiJcLs-3ICz2gLXAMur8F7f_lz_iT0Rgysy4upC9e4AX1PU2WP63xXKnhDQB5-3NKwNEVsEXo621BsEf-6a1ShSXtK5rmtQbpWqiZUftP3thk4HT1o1ZsUyCw/s1600/rounders.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs40nsdnm7K32DrOb4YhiJcLs-3ICz2gLXAMur8F7f_lz_iT0Rgysy4upC9e4AX1PU2WP63xXKnhDQB5-3NKwNEVsEXo621BsEf-6a1ShSXtK5rmtQbpWqiZUftP3thk4HT1o1ZsUyCw/s1600/rounders.jpg" height="143" width="200" /></a>With Chaplin’s second film for Keystone, <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2009/01/mabels-strange-predicament-1914.html" target="_blank"><i>Mabel’s Strange Predicament</i> (1914)</a>*, Chaplin assembled the iconic wardrobe, hat, cane, and toothbrush mustache that he would use for the next twenty-six years. As Chaplin was required to ad-lib most of his part, he naturally relied on the drunken shtick that had worked so well for him on the stage. Thus, Chaplin’s first use of “the Tramp” or “the Little Fellow,” as he usually referred to the character, was as a bothersome drunkard irritating residents of a hotel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad9OgAJf1WoLP_ayKprdB1f0vQX1ONG9P7RGfcmaYit7Mt8tJUFXL4W-l6kMvNFXeqO4h0cYw2roeC3-FGtOrkBpzcvD8UVxKPxmbYHvOUjiKe1PaMt_FWoYFh_27EOpbFDCzH2Nl6A/s1600/City+Lights.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad9OgAJf1WoLP_ayKprdB1f0vQX1ONG9P7RGfcmaYit7Mt8tJUFXL4W-l6kMvNFXeqO4h0cYw2roeC3-FGtOrkBpzcvD8UVxKPxmbYHvOUjiKe1PaMt_FWoYFh_27EOpbFDCzH2Nl6A/s1600/City+Lights.gif" height="187" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxgxzgnsZOXZqGlyOH2QPbH6fn2nlwPelfUfnUELz5mIUmMw7zKob_-xPzZ4QfmUkWTEuep53X7B6Yo7q2keZb2Hj3NsaSsRtbmdEx2Qc8Z25UUQ4idO0DC9OigxSyv-EOBFiZcLR0A/s1600/chaplinlimelight-(2).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxgxzgnsZOXZqGlyOH2QPbH6fn2nlwPelfUfnUELz5mIUmMw7zKob_-xPzZ4QfmUkWTEuep53X7B6Yo7q2keZb2Hj3NsaSsRtbmdEx2Qc8Z25UUQ4idO0DC9OigxSyv-EOBFiZcLR0A/s1600/chaplinlimelight-(2).jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a>The character connected with audiences almost immediately, and by the end of 1914, Chaplin was Sennett’s biggest star. The early comedies Chaplin made at Keystone often employ boozy business to garner guffaws, but Chaplin was always interested in experimentation, and he was no one-trick pony. Consequently, as he moved from studio to studio for bigger paychecks and increased artistic control, the alcohol-centered comedies became more infrequent.<br />
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Still, the funnyman’s origins as a comic drunkard, informed his comedy throughout the remainder of career, resulting in liquored laughs in some of his greatest pictures. These include the tour de force one-man-show, <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2006/12/one-am-1916.html" target="_blank"><i>One A.M. </i>(1916)</a>; the “dry out” comedy, <i>The Cure</i> (1917); Chaplin’s last few forays into short subjects with <i>The Idle Class </i>(1921) and <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2010/09/review-pay-day-1922.html" target="_blank"><i>Pay Day</i> (1922)</a>, and his feature film masterpiece, <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2008/03/city-lights-1931.html" target="_blank"><i>City Lights</i> (1931)</a>. Even <i>Limelight</i> (1952), which most critics consider Chaplin’s last major work, is the story of an alcoholic clown trying to make a comeback.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwUQ1L2q1s6aGLPVX-APq2P8snACqnsb0C0WpuBR4JHzaiIueB_VHhSm1TY0CYq4EL1hH8IbUL7FnrdNAbRs0BCTVA7Eh4DLCLqfwmgiphvMdNNuSInwUFy70sQ6lss47El8h9E4XNQ/s1600/barrett-chaplin-splsh.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Chaplin may be remembered more today for his pioneering melding of pathos and humor, for expanding comedies to feature-length, for his part in founding United Artists, and for attacking Hitler with savage satire more than a year before America entered World War II than for his use of booze-based humor to elicit laughs. Still, his impact on soused cinema was tremendous. The landscape of motion pictures history would be far drier without the comic invention of Charles Spencer Chaplin. Here’s to you, Charlie!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwUQ1L2q1s6aGLPVX-APq2P8snACqnsb0C0WpuBR4JHzaiIueB_VHhSm1TY0CYq4EL1hH8IbUL7FnrdNAbRs0BCTVA7Eh4DLCLqfwmgiphvMdNNuSInwUFy70sQ6lss47El8h9E4XNQ/s1600/barrett-chaplin-splsh.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwUQ1L2q1s6aGLPVX-APq2P8snACqnsb0C0WpuBR4JHzaiIueB_VHhSm1TY0CYq4EL1hH8IbUL7FnrdNAbRs0BCTVA7Eh4DLCLqfwmgiphvMdNNuSInwUFy70sQ6lss47El8h9E4XNQ/s1600/barrett-chaplin-splsh.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwUQ1L2q1s6aGLPVX-APq2P8snACqnsb0C0WpuBR4JHzaiIueB_VHhSm1TY0CYq4EL1hH8IbUL7FnrdNAbRs0BCTVA7Eh4DLCLqfwmgiphvMdNNuSInwUFy70sQ6lss47El8h9E4XNQ/s1600/barrett-chaplin-splsh.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwUQ1L2q1s6aGLPVX-APq2P8snACqnsb0C0WpuBR4JHzaiIueB_VHhSm1TY0CYq4EL1hH8IbUL7FnrdNAbRs0BCTVA7Eh4DLCLqfwmgiphvMdNNuSInwUFy70sQ6lss47El8h9E4XNQ/s1600/barrett-chaplin-splsh.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
*The movie-going public was actually introduced to the character of “the Tramp” in <i>Kid Auto Races at Venice </i>(1914), which was filmed after <i>Mabel’s Strange Predicament </i>but released to theaters a few days prior to the character’s true debut film.garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-64810833007781825672013-12-21T17:08:00.000-06:002013-12-21T17:16:11.388-06:00Booze News: A Drunk History ChristmasGreetings, fellow inebriates, <br />
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'Tis the season, and I can think of no better way to celebrate than with this lovely Christmas present from the masterminds behind Funny or Die's "<a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2013/07/booze-news-drunk-history-is-back.html" target="_blank">Drunk History</a>."<br />
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Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
garv (the boy that put the "X" in Christmas)<br />
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P.S. -- A big thank you to Frank Thompson of "<a href="http://www.thecommentarytrack.com/Welcome.htm?m=1" target="_blank">The Commentary Track</a>" (my favorite classic film podcast) for alerting me to the video above.garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-51582954617058023122013-12-16T10:55:00.002-06:002013-12-16T11:26:27.463-06:00Review: The World’s End (2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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UK/C-109m./Dir: Edgar Wright/Wr: Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright/Cast: Simon Pegg (Gary King), Nick Frost (Andy Knightley), Paddy Considine (Steven Prince), Eddie Marsan (Peter Page), Martin Freeman (Oliver Chamberlain), Rosamund Pike (Sam Chamberlain), Pierce Brosnan (Guy Shepherd), David Bradley (Basil), Michael Smiley (Reverend Green)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WsiXkDUrPAQ29Q82f-ue3acv3pp5R2sRUgZHqH568ikpCKlygdthmZ9tTdya10W2VlfITvL61WNGs9egw_I6ZebgUsJGTQUdJi223qkLfWUhJ_yJdkCP5p_hFOUgpUYN7M01NXKREw/s1600/WE1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WsiXkDUrPAQ29Q82f-ue3acv3pp5R2sRUgZHqH568ikpCKlygdthmZ9tTdya10W2VlfITvL61WNGs9egw_I6ZebgUsJGTQUdJi223qkLfWUhJ_yJdkCP5p_hFOUgpUYN7M01NXKREw/s320/WE1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zhVF-vCevv8fEE71OX40akKyKpAEJsI6OB0jAfNAUuvtxhKtR9WZc7OtqC5bVXiLbwiQPcqziXyt73ynkXYJ9K5eLw-nmebT-2MRJVeXu3luRts9o7IkpA21T_nNZiwn_HUxnjJ9lQ/s1600/WE7.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zhVF-vCevv8fEE71OX40akKyKpAEJsI6OB0jAfNAUuvtxhKtR9WZc7OtqC5bVXiLbwiQPcqziXyt73ynkXYJ9K5eLw-nmebT-2MRJVeXu3luRts9o7IkpA21T_nNZiwn_HUxnjJ9lQ/s320/WE7.jpg" width="320" /></a>There are no better comedy writers working today than Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. While most movie comedies are disposable fluff that barely merit a single viewing, the Pegg/Wright collaborations --<a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/04/shaun-of-dead-2004.html" target="_blank"><i> Shaun of the Dead</i> (2004)</a>, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HR1W1K/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002HR1W1K&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Hot Fuzz (2007),</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002HR1W1K" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPEJX12/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BPEJX12&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The World's End (2013)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BPEJX12" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>-- are infinitely re-watchable, like the best films of Preston Sturges or Billy Wilder. The screenplays are so brilliantly layered and meticulously thought out (stuffed with foreshadowing and comic callbacks) that they reward multiple viewings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46Ul9bYv7XGoGKHIQKPXtmjMPFqnGeRhoBuNndpACZEz-xtW4BC5mnaF-H-Ul37Y4E5FGQYf9qaoCwVU_ZWlmvkrjPowAm8REohknXTMnYCqTrd-1CM5NgV0V1-siwMVvJm6ynnOlIQ/s1600/WE2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46Ul9bYv7XGoGKHIQKPXtmjMPFqnGeRhoBuNndpACZEz-xtW4BC5mnaF-H-Ul37Y4E5FGQYf9qaoCwVU_ZWlmvkrjPowAm8REohknXTMnYCqTrd-1CM5NgV0V1-siwMVvJm6ynnOlIQ/s320/WE2.jpg" width="320" /></a>After the brilliant one-two punch of <i>Shaun of the Dead</i> and <i>Hot Fuzz</i>, it was hard to imagine that the pair could concoct another comic brew that would be anywhere near as intoxicating as what came before it. However, <i>The World’s End</i>, the final film in the loosely connected <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F98FOL8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00F98FOL8&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">“Three Flavors Cornetto” trilogy,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00F98FOL8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />is the best and booziest of the bunch. It is arguably the funniest and most quotable of the three films. Best of all, it is the most emotionally resonant and mature. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3m44T6atZNNf1tzRkmsibcScBGei6DPrhkE8vHpdwcIezItc4IA97m0jqL5htdFzNt81Z9RckjMohR66FRL9Seu0rdNI1-PqnSGtbMZ2vW9YbhHPQ9h4X3Nx2Od_9BH854yHSciiASQ/s1600/WE5.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3m44T6atZNNf1tzRkmsibcScBGei6DPrhkE8vHpdwcIezItc4IA97m0jqL5htdFzNt81Z9RckjMohR66FRL9Seu0rdNI1-PqnSGtbMZ2vW9YbhHPQ9h4X3Nx2Od_9BH854yHSciiASQ/s320/WE5.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUwecVQCy_Ekj33bvXzP150gyltYli56JpJhDRXzLcmcY6MpWpsdjjTVCYEvIe31ydiP8ZtIZ1lAhjxGedbVeVqxKbTcbHkUcnwvPdoe2Bnlw0PNntWmGqsmu0fSclhPxuOCVhZcTKg/s1600/WE4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Simon Pegg plays against type as alky ne’er-do-well, Gary King, who persuades his more responsible childhood friends -- Andy Knightley (Nick Frost), Steven Prince (Paddy Considine), Peter Page (Eddie Marsan), and Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman) -- into joining him in recreating an epic pub crawl that they attempted but never completed twenty years earlier. The so-called “Golden Mile” requires the downing of a pint in twelve taverns, ending at the fatefully-named pub, “The World End.” Along the way, the “five musketeers” face old loves, inner demons, and exterior threats that require every ounce of their liquid courage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUwecVQCy_Ekj33bvXzP150gyltYli56JpJhDRXzLcmcY6MpWpsdjjTVCYEvIe31ydiP8ZtIZ1lAhjxGedbVeVqxKbTcbHkUcnwvPdoe2Bnlw0PNntWmGqsmu0fSclhPxuOCVhZcTKg/s1600/WE4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUwecVQCy_Ekj33bvXzP150gyltYli56JpJhDRXzLcmcY6MpWpsdjjTVCYEvIe31ydiP8ZtIZ1lAhjxGedbVeVqxKbTcbHkUcnwvPdoe2Bnlw0PNntWmGqsmu0fSclhPxuOCVhZcTKg/s320/WE4.jpg" width="320" /></a>For a silly action/comedy, <i>The World’s End</i> has a lot on its mind. Fundamentally, it is about the point in life when living in the past becomes pathetic. However, it also juggles the themes of mid-life crisis, corporate homogenization of local culture, the nature of friendship, the choice between ignoring or facing your personal demons, and the idea that “you can’t go home again.” Yet, despite the abundant dark subtext, Pegg and Wright manage to meld the disparate elements into a fresh and funny brew.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5di0pN8YMLT_tsz3qs4ajugsmtDu2cudUPPM2_GcJ4MyZ_cGqQNTM7YUhiLvwK5Bow20njmePNPEKPXNYf6_Zw4ntsv9q0isEbQBJf-53s7ecQbBok_tLxNEUYb62wg3eiLJbyxwc0Q/s1600/WE9.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5di0pN8YMLT_tsz3qs4ajugsmtDu2cudUPPM2_GcJ4MyZ_cGqQNTM7YUhiLvwK5Bow20njmePNPEKPXNYf6_Zw4ntsv9q0isEbQBJf-53s7ecQbBok_tLxNEUYb62wg3eiLJbyxwc0Q/s320/WE9.jpg" width="320" /></a>Not only is the script exceptional, the cast is first rate. Supporting actors Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike, and David Bradley all make the most of their moments to shine. As for the leads, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost turn in “career-best” performances. In the hands of a lesser actor, the role of Gary King could have been insufferable to the point of repugnance; but Pegg’s comic timing, natural likeability, and ability to show the trampled heart beneath his bluster keep the audience rooting for the delusional drunkard. Nick Frost is just as good in the more buttoned-down role of the reluctant companion, seething below the surface. Frost’s restraint during the first half of the film makes his Sammo Hung-like "hulk-out" in the film’s action climax all the more ferocious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxzHpNlTIijYb07N4b4RGeAjVCFKjlxNpuYIwtu6R2Zdxv_uhDTGMD8BDtrlzYvRzv0NZryJlP0sODwSQIBgI16cgS1KQE23ufgXFiNGNMQPfrsS1Chv_obSx5o4zpMP0U7iOBJ5sdw/s1600/WE10.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxzHpNlTIijYb07N4b4RGeAjVCFKjlxNpuYIwtu6R2Zdxv_uhDTGMD8BDtrlzYvRzv0NZryJlP0sODwSQIBgI16cgS1KQE23ufgXFiNGNMQPfrsS1Chv_obSx5o4zpMP0U7iOBJ5sdw/s320/WE10.jpg" width="320" /></a>Unlike many writer/directors, Edgar Wright is an adept visual stylist as well as a wordsmith. Whether a scene calls for a simple dialogue between two actors or an action free-for-all à la Jackie Chan, Wright finds imaginative ways to view the setup. The way scenes are composed and edited gives added punch to the punchlines, and even the most frenetic action scenes are always fully comprehensible.<br />
<i><b><i><i><i><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwbJlKJj4vUyAIYDDQDqyMf5bOVfzWm8iJ7Dee1bBSmDCS8xU6f-C2JShyIv1DvgMw-tdP0ungGfFiXO2uREffaLh1M2LXw8_C6nYWgQDOP6kdRhS8iEIiwjUqrmCwOQQiOEeYE_FHg/s1600/WE+11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwbJlKJj4vUyAIYDDQDqyMf5bOVfzWm8iJ7Dee1bBSmDCS8xU6f-C2JShyIv1DvgMw-tdP0ungGfFiXO2uREffaLh1M2LXw8_C6nYWgQDOP6kdRhS8iEIiwjUqrmCwOQQiOEeYE_FHg/s320/WE+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></i></i></i></b></i> <br />
<i><i><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCK1NDaO_ozdl00hx2vACYXBtj85tbbggvEdY3UQbB4NcCq19lYfyXc9S9Sz8GA7IzRM-IQ5a_Dh35Z0ShYvH1NNasTSVliuYuJHqqEkYH3Nm20RwCBtlbCs9ndvCSr6d9aWXhRE_yxw/s1600/WE6.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></i></i></i>
<i><b><i><i><i><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwbJlKJj4vUyAIYDDQDqyMf5bOVfzWm8iJ7Dee1bBSmDCS8xU6f-C2JShyIv1DvgMw-tdP0ungGfFiXO2uREffaLh1M2LXw8_C6nYWgQDOP6kdRhS8iEIiwjUqrmCwOQQiOEeYE_FHg/s1600/WE+11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></i></i></i></i></b>The World’s End</i> is the ultimate bar crawl movie and an instant classic. I hope this isn’t the final partnership between Wright, Pegg, and Frost; but they couldn’t have ended their “Three Flavors Cornetto” trilogy on a more intoxicating note. Like their previous cocktails, I anticipate revisiting this brew again and again. <br />
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<b><i><i><i><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwbJlKJj4vUyAIYDDQDqyMf5bOVfzWm8iJ7Dee1bBSmDCS8xU6f-C2JShyIv1DvgMw-tdP0ungGfFiXO2uREffaLh1M2LXw8_C6nYWgQDOP6kdRhS8iEIiwjUqrmCwOQQiOEeYE_FHg/s1600/WE+11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></i></i></i></i></b><b><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWckQ0F03W1lcerR_dvGaOnMriv-DWtN14oL0jFYkp4ZNNhwaKKGHSETT7_mhcDLTdtjshCnnHmkuwH5Q74gOjs8z3tOhthrh0wkYyNR_4EX-JTZm3FrYfFJugc8QNcjKH8hbemN_vQ/s1600/WE+12.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWckQ0F03W1lcerR_dvGaOnMriv-DWtN14oL0jFYkp4ZNNhwaKKGHSETT7_mhcDLTdtjshCnnHmkuwH5Q74gOjs8z3tOhthrh0wkYyNR_4EX-JTZm3FrYfFJugc8QNcjKH8hbemN_vQ/s320/WE+12.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></b></b><b><i><i><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCK1NDaO_ozdl00hx2vACYXBtj85tbbggvEdY3UQbB4NcCq19lYfyXc9S9Sz8GA7IzRM-IQ5a_Dh35Z0ShYvH1NNasTSVliuYuJHqqEkYH3Nm20RwCBtlbCs9ndvCSr6d9aWXhRE_yxw/s1600/WE6.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCK1NDaO_ozdl00hx2vACYXBtj85tbbggvEdY3UQbB4NcCq19lYfyXc9S9Sz8GA7IzRM-IQ5a_Dh35Z0ShYvH1NNasTSVliuYuJHqqEkYH3Nm20RwCBtlbCs9ndvCSr6d9aWXhRE_yxw/s320/WE6.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></i></i>Drinks Consumed</b>--Beer (Crowning Glory, Foster’s, and unnamed), wine (red and white), and unspecified shots<br />
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<b>Intoxicating Effects</b>--Swearing, slurred speech, staggering, stumbling, belching, vomiting, loosened inhibitions, soused sex, sneaking sips, the giggles, bickering, brawling, physical violence, destruction of property, bar tossed, and drunk driving<br />
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<b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpY1t1WgN0kyL8JjnPvOBn6VkA-MzTzwQPACvJF7ogHboUpP9NMXiAridClOyO6x3rgJcwugjiY609conL-XqwA1piLI_HE3BJ6TsfMVkIYdB7GWrJ_wp7sAH6FLWD_We1fFRekP70w/s1600/WE8.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpY1t1WgN0kyL8JjnPvOBn6VkA-MzTzwQPACvJF7ogHboUpP9NMXiAridClOyO6x3rgJcwugjiY609conL-XqwA1piLI_HE3BJ6TsfMVkIYdB7GWrJ_wp7sAH6FLWD_We1fFRekP70w/s320/WE8.jpg" width="320" /></a></b>Potent Quotables</b>--B&B LANDLADY: Have you got any plans for dinner at all?<br />
GARY: Tonight, we will be partaking of a liquid repast as we wend our way up The Golden Mile. Commencing with an inaugural tankard at The First Post, then onto The Old Familiar, The Famous Cock, The Cross Hands, The Good Companions, The Trusty Servant, The Two Headed Dog, The Mermaid, The Beehive, The King’s Head, and The Hole in the Wall for a measure of the same. All before the last bittersweet pint in that most fateful terminus, The World’s End. Leave a light on good lady, for though we may return with a twinkle in our eyes, we will, in truth, be blind… drunk.<br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFm-cBL4If8HI0LUGFnahr8Fjj7h5fYORXAXxUQAkHL8bsCZI_1747KfMXawsX4wlIwF0Ny2tFHxZ1Y1UJuxFePG3J6w-a2vlTPAOBV6jsB5D5IDt9dL6F_HNUNNst8DwMGTTwQn_xA/s1600/WE3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFm-cBL4If8HI0LUGFnahr8Fjj7h5fYORXAXxUQAkHL8bsCZI_1747KfMXawsX4wlIwF0Ny2tFHxZ1Y1UJuxFePG3J6w-a2vlTPAOBV6jsB5D5IDt9dL6F_HNUNNst8DwMGTTwQn_xA/s320/WE3.jpg" width="320" /></a>Video Availability</b>--<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPEJWAE/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BPEJWAE&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BPEJWAE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPEJX12/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BPEJX12&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BPEJX12" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />(Universal) <br />
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<b>Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--Taverns and pubs also played major parts in the first two installments of the Cornetto Trilogy, <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/04/shaun-of-dead-2004.html" target="_blank"><i>Shaun of the Dead</i> (2004)</a> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HR1W1K/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002HR1W1K&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Hot Fuzz (2007).</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002HR1W1K" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F98FOL8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00F98FOL8&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The World's End / Hot Fuzz / Shaun of the Dead Trilogy (Blu-ray + Digital HD with UltraViolet)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00F98FOL8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-36797944608355013372013-12-07T23:36:00.000-06:002013-12-08T02:26:27.072-06:00Booze News: 70% of Our Silent Film Heritage is Lost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVB_1ST6sMlWwmcv04xMAV0tgS6MkARmx1LoLKnlJJf1K3xGtgS-O3sOsQdmad5gCjKifQRhYBTjZu3HiZLFNFGtbvxCQGR-2D5cOpFNej3yBL4NpLLXAEK49Kdcf0FIHKXoCwEC-3UQ/s1600/london-after-midnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVB_1ST6sMlWwmcv04xMAV0tgS6MkARmx1LoLKnlJJf1K3xGtgS-O3sOsQdmad5gCjKifQRhYBTjZu3HiZLFNFGtbvxCQGR-2D5cOpFNej3yBL4NpLLXAEK49Kdcf0FIHKXoCwEC-3UQ/s640/london-after-midnight.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Greetings fellow inebriates,<br />
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Prior to this week, it was common to say that approximately 50% of the films produced in the silent era were lost forever through fire, neglect, or decomposition. However, the 50% figure was just a guess. No one knew the true numbers until now; and the survival rate is far worse than we thought.<br />
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On Wednesday, the Library of Congress released a groundbreaking study: “<a href="http://www.loc.gov/film/pdfs/pub158.final_version_sept_2013.pdf" target="_blank">The Survival of American Silent Feature Films: 1912-1929</a>.” The paper is the result of five years of research and travel by historian and archivist David Pierce. Pierce scoured film archives around the world to pinpoint specifically how many American silent feature films survive, whether each film survives in its complete original form, where the best surviving copy of each film can be found, and in what format the most complete copy is available (35mm, 16mm, etc.). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZm0IA_ZRbcazKxGo7PJJO_zM-Bt0bChaofm09tzdirnb4PYfrwDERrX0_JaRNfeNFUDGpaD5v7hu_jEbIfI1j-54y9NaMbrT8UUZKi2ARJrJaVjaatIfkpUW8vNnZWrmr0Gsy0DmRQ/s1600/Cleopatra+Film+Frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZm0IA_ZRbcazKxGo7PJJO_zM-Bt0bChaofm09tzdirnb4PYfrwDERrX0_JaRNfeNFUDGpaD5v7hu_jEbIfI1j-54y9NaMbrT8UUZKi2ARJrJaVjaatIfkpUW8vNnZWrmr0Gsy0DmRQ/s1600/Cleopatra+Film+Frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZm0IA_ZRbcazKxGo7PJJO_zM-Bt0bChaofm09tzdirnb4PYfrwDERrX0_JaRNfeNFUDGpaD5v7hu_jEbIfI1j-54y9NaMbrT8UUZKi2ARJrJaVjaatIfkpUW8vNnZWrmr0Gsy0DmRQ/s200/Cleopatra+Film+Frame.jpg" width="200" /></a>Here is what he found, taken directly from the study: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfwuJi-UeRfRp36WlH-660UTCWQWXdIlsNQPJsXbrGn4xmvlGOJfsgQTF0gctvpd6thE5B4okFYktAd5LL0fvvXJcqFSTediWyilbhihtm5XuS9SFSv8sufDqEta5vWQ2Ql08W9DeQA/s1600/766px-Treasure-island-1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfwuJi-UeRfRp36WlH-660UTCWQWXdIlsNQPJsXbrGn4xmvlGOJfsgQTF0gctvpd6thE5B4okFYktAd5LL0fvvXJcqFSTediWyilbhihtm5XuS9SFSv8sufDqEta5vWQ2Ql08W9DeQA/s200/766px-Treasure-island-1920.jpg" width="200" /></a>“Only 14% of American silent feature films (1,575 of 10,919 titles) survive as originally released in complete 35mm copies. Another 11% (1,174) also survive in complete form, but in less than-ideal editions—foreign-release versions or small-gauge formats such as 16mm.”<br />
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<span id="goog_1675595287"></span><span id="goog_1675595288"></span>“Another 5% of American silent feature films (562 of 10,919 titles) survive in incomplete form, missing at least a reel of the original footage, in formats ranging from 35mm down to abridged 9.5mm home library prints. Many important titles are incomplete.”<br />
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In short, only 30% of all American films produced in the silent era survive in some form, and only 25% survive in a complete print. While these numbers are depressing, the good news is that David Pierce’s study will make it easier for film preservationists to coordinate efforts to restore the remaining films before more footage is lost.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ8l6P06xylG8-X2FICmSyjNHf3wxLhfYmKi6wJxuSNwKS4QQbNC00lKpa6yid3KhiqaFMGUFhw6w6wP2RepcyVLs-fsiH7TLJRAJPTvtRUOmmoYsvXCZYWr3zWpp_Vcubn1B79gafQ/s1600/CalendarPage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ8l6P06xylG8-X2FICmSyjNHf3wxLhfYmKi6wJxuSNwKS4QQbNC00lKpa6yid3KhiqaFMGUFhw6w6wP2RepcyVLs-fsiH7TLJRAJPTvtRUOmmoYsvXCZYWr3zWpp_Vcubn1B79gafQ/s200/CalendarPage.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
You can download the full study here: <a href="http://www.loc.gov/film/pdfs/pub158.final_version_sept_2013.pdf" target="_blank">The Survival of American Silent Feature Films: 1912-192</a><a href="http://www.loc.gov/film/pdfs/pub158.final_version_sept_2013.pdf" target="_blank">9</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ8l6P06xylG8-X2FICmSyjNHf3wxLhfYmKi6wJxuSNwKS4QQbNC00lKpa6yid3KhiqaFMGUFhw6w6wP2RepcyVLs-fsiH7TLJRAJPTvtRUOmmoYsvXCZYWr3zWpp_Vcubn1B79gafQ/s1600/CalendarPage.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>In addition, Pierce developed an online database of American silent features, their ownership, and locaton. It can be found here: <a href="http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/silentfilms/silentfilms-home.html" target="_blank">American Silent Feature Film Survival Database</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CWQ8m3I45Dsv728bm8zJEMwes2MW4sObt9qWJL84LQNKA-MPzPGW7X3G4ubb9TZMX7TgqwQCX6jYFhymF_VFRzPjeq4QtT2w34SzisbG7YvT79JSIgCehJDIrFuoexaAFOWVwuIW-w/s1600/CalendarPage8.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CWQ8m3I45Dsv728bm8zJEMwes2MW4sObt9qWJL84LQNKA-MPzPGW7X3G4ubb9TZMX7TgqwQCX6jYFhymF_VFRzPjeq4QtT2w34SzisbG7YvT79JSIgCehJDIrFuoexaAFOWVwuIW-w/s200/CalendarPage8.jpg" width="200" /></a>For those interested in making a small contribution to silent film preservation, let me direct you to the <a href="http://www.mont-alto.com/Calendar.html" target="_blank">2014 Silent Movies Benefit Calendar</a>. Rodney Sauer of the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra produces this calendar each year, featuring rare film stills and photographs of silent movie stars contributed by fans. In addition to a dozen beautiful photos in glorious black and white, the calendar also features birthdays of silent-era film stars and personalities, as well as notable marriages, deaths, film openings, and other significant dates. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4Uuo5D2maXoCI1rCYk81bygzCw5XqGz3cSR_xjBTNWGM5erP_l3hKMvnDDxtztXOKfnZpY1N8RyHo8hxUs-Mk7Dh7-H4uSqcd1dkzDViPPke1gojd_Mx1-S1qXh0Z15k-iMt0zZrNA/s1600/CalendarPage9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4Uuo5D2maXoCI1rCYk81bygzCw5XqGz3cSR_xjBTNWGM5erP_l3hKMvnDDxtztXOKfnZpY1N8RyHo8hxUs-Mk7Dh7-H4uSqcd1dkzDViPPke1gojd_Mx1-S1qXh0Z15k-iMt0zZrNA/s200/CalendarPage9.jpg" width="200" /></a>Best of all, the net proceeds made from the sale of the calendars (after printing expenses) are donated to support silent film restoration. For example, the 2013 calendar raised $1808 for the George Eastman House.<br />
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The theme of the 2014 calendar is “Fabulous Hats,” and as you can tell from the sample photos, the chapeaus are indeed remarkable. The price is just $12.00 plus shipping, so click on the link below to order yours today!<br />
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Get it here: <a href="http://www.mont-alto.com/Calendar.html" target="_blank">2014 Silent Movies Benefit Calendar</a><br />
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Long live silent film!!!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
garvgarvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-22865497474391586492013-12-02T09:48:00.000-06:002013-12-05T23:22:54.639-06:00Review: Grabbers (2012)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uC4GlNAD5ZA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEws6jhRe8FY9s6bwR1NdpN_bElhr-WN64K0OQcoubuWm-oLlKANb6AvFviRLTQWjIBR8EHnAbeA-nH8ZXCH5HBKl8ry9L-oSl8F7b5K4gJBWx7tAZzebDtG1IIOforejCb_sDkJoJHg/s1600/Grabbers+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwTlLaN-qocEEQawMv916kNJchgk7Bn6jW7CDlWD7fLPUY-kafipCsBvFPv-hl9dG5ZOClpBodtA2Eogj95BxyRXcESovWMHH7YnVATB2DsdpMKyfW9FJh1zc_A3mAAammvb1lfei-A/s1600/Grabbers+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwTlLaN-qocEEQawMv916kNJchgk7Bn6jW7CDlWD7fLPUY-kafipCsBvFPv-hl9dG5ZOClpBodtA2Eogj95BxyRXcESovWMHH7YnVATB2DsdpMKyfW9FJh1zc_A3mAAammvb1lfei-A/s320/Grabbers+Poster.jpg" width="226" /></a><br />
Ireland/C-94m./Dir: Jon Wright/Wr: Kevin Lehane/Cast: Richard Coyle (Garda Ciarán O'Shea), Ruth Bradley (Garda Lisa Nolan), Russell Tovey (Dr. Adam Smith), Lalor Roddy (Paddy Barrett), David Pearse (Brian Maher), Bronagh Gallagher (Una Maher), Pascal Scott (Dr. Jim Gleeson )<br />
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Somehow curse words attain an extra level of potency when delivered with an Irish accent. It adds spice to the expletive--an extra measure of vitriol. This phenomenon is on ample display in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EMAGIKU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EMAGIKU&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Grabbers,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00EMAGIKU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />an Irish indie horror/sci-fi/comedy mash-up, in which profanity is drunkenly dispatched in abundance. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzKsuoQ_AtosEXXxhMZx1hMA_PV9aLj8JS88HkFMstZ2JAMJuVYZKOrMeyyF2-3G4GjUbAOHqcJfayQCZySqVCT2eeb8u2xhdouN_drygUiHFu_6C6i6h0vC4RQSjkBTO18xmOCnicw/s1600/Grabbers+1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzKsuoQ_AtosEXXxhMZx1hMA_PV9aLj8JS88HkFMstZ2JAMJuVYZKOrMeyyF2-3G4GjUbAOHqcJfayQCZySqVCT2eeb8u2xhdouN_drygUiHFu_6C6i6h0vC4RQSjkBTO18xmOCnicw/s320/Grabbers+1.jpg" width="320" /></a>The film concerns new arrivals to Erin Island, a small fishing community off the coast of Ireland. One of the newcomers is Lisa Nolan (Ruth Bradley), a dedicated female police officer, or “garda” as they are called, who has been posted to a two-week position to fill in for the vacationing partner of the boozy, unreliable Garda Ciarán O'Shea (Richard Coyle). The other newbies happen to be tentacled monsters that fell from outer space into the sea on the evening before Lisa’s arrival.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABl8W0WODxQQ4ToFdVoFW2XsOD6l0iSgT1F1WdkrAgkt3WRit-sCjau5f9T60DPVswucwBL2RVpUU_hHuRzj3tcMPLvMGZKgLvO8uyXkwCcnFwrFV5HsIubin9u7yLKz6kmqJaizs2w/s1600/Grabbers+3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABl8W0WODxQQ4ToFdVoFW2XsOD6l0iSgT1F1WdkrAgkt3WRit-sCjau5f9T60DPVswucwBL2RVpUU_hHuRzj3tcMPLvMGZKgLvO8uyXkwCcnFwrFV5HsIubin9u7yLKz6kmqJaizs2w/s320/Grabbers+3.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RBb3839eYmTP4TwDRVwidvO1TOisCxq3ESFG6W5uDME_dIrRQrVZqv4LaMaV2K7hPKGD-XkK60t9MucP9qrix_KMaSG5Ik9G-INgO8MU3SIQL9sjIcQbx9YSEdMTYoalhqB21M9E7w/s1600/Grabbers+4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RBb3839eYmTP4TwDRVwidvO1TOisCxq3ESFG6W5uDME_dIrRQrVZqv4LaMaV2K7hPKGD-XkK60t9MucP9qrix_KMaSG5Ik9G-INgO8MU3SIQL9sjIcQbx9YSEdMTYoalhqB21M9E7w/s320/Grabbers+4.jpg" width="320" /></a>The bloodsucking aliens initially devour a few animals and townspeople, but strangely, they prove no match for Paddy Barrett (Lalor Roddy), the aging town drunk. Based on Paddy’s survival, Nolan and O’Shea are able to deduce the creatures' weaknesses--the aliens dehydrate quickly without water and high blood-alcohol levels are toxic to them. With a downpour on the way, dry land is not a safe haven from the creatures, so the Garda can only keep the townspeople safe if they can get them as tanked-up as old Paddy.<br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FUCtud_YLwVCfkmUtuQqNUOUdPDYJxpd54Rs0dFS0bZL9TSIheWNDU2TDQWDZroX8kFohOIvlHdwjxjLxr7ZJLzrG8Z9JnQbEvMBHq5DUCbmMS7D2cQtFtenlM2iXiHJaPQQK-NCFw/s1600/Grabbers+5.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FUCtud_YLwVCfkmUtuQqNUOUdPDYJxpd54Rs0dFS0bZL9TSIheWNDU2TDQWDZroX8kFohOIvlHdwjxjLxr7ZJLzrG8Z9JnQbEvMBHq5DUCbmMS7D2cQtFtenlM2iXiHJaPQQK-NCFw/s320/Grabbers+5.jpg" width="320" /></a>Grabbers</i> has a boffo premise for a horror comedy, but the execution is a bit more mild than you might expect. The chills are more silly than scary and the gags are more smile-inducing than laugh-out-loud funny. Still, the flick has plenty to recommend it, including a scenic location, likeable characters, well-rendered CGI creatures, fun action set pieces, and obscenities with an Irish brogue. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15Ju8rxuv1XW1LoV0kFcSIaPSlXG2FWrf5_ulm-8qUw0VWtKrw4QO7T3M1mkeJEwXjrIUKfdXET9EEkIspzKTfMMnpSqhv_8BBtc0Ib2dG2TaZ_xqb5wmxBZGxqPcBWyjZAijyallaQ/s1600/Grabbers+6.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15Ju8rxuv1XW1LoV0kFcSIaPSlXG2FWrf5_ulm-8qUw0VWtKrw4QO7T3M1mkeJEwXjrIUKfdXET9EEkIspzKTfMMnpSqhv_8BBtc0Ib2dG2TaZ_xqb5wmxBZGxqPcBWyjZAijyallaQ/s320/Grabbers+6.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt32KPWamcjliyJesHthDCV-1oXICSKrcZK_S0K4SWIVLuTuW3J-KApbxNvGvblR-FEjCzqQ9AlL_dnthBU3B74uCeC4nllzh2_6W91AGaF2jQvEdKNsuLdt7NNhCUauzDja0fLDHQNw/s1600/Grabbers+8.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt32KPWamcjliyJesHthDCV-1oXICSKrcZK_S0K4SWIVLuTuW3J-KApbxNvGvblR-FEjCzqQ9AlL_dnthBU3B74uCeC4nllzh2_6W91AGaF2jQvEdKNsuLdt7NNhCUauzDja0fLDHQNw/s320/Grabbers+8.jpg" width="320" /></a>Best of all, the human cast is excellent, providing much better acting than you would expect from a low-budget indie horror. Ruth Bradley is especially good as the workaholic cop that cuts loose during the final third of the movie, after downing a bounty of booze. She is wholly believable and utterly adorable when acting out the blissful state of first-time drunkenness. She achieved the naturalistic effect by studying a recording of herself while actually intoxicated, and the extra effort paid off tremendously. Her bubbly, authentic portrayal ranks with the best pickled performances ever captured on film; and it’s hard not to fall in love with her a little.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DipZLMLLCemAuGC8EEeu_jcvHXgxkc41-mlvuWGOBtuxJPAyMIJTSzDpxT-YjP3AKd3pYlD5cQpy7_2vSJXK7FeGi738ZN5mvFEMft_OtJFrRxrS7QgDv6Gq27QLNhfSuDcZyCrhbA/s1600/Grabbers+10.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DipZLMLLCemAuGC8EEeu_jcvHXgxkc41-mlvuWGOBtuxJPAyMIJTSzDpxT-YjP3AKd3pYlD5cQpy7_2vSJXK7FeGi738ZN5mvFEMft_OtJFrRxrS7QgDv6Gq27QLNhfSuDcZyCrhbA/s320/Grabbers+10.jpg" width="320" /></a>While I wouldn’t call <i>Grabbers </i>a new comedy-horror classic, it is a genial gem on par with humorous “creature features” like <i>Tremors</i> (1990). I look forward to revisiting the film for its clever monster set pieces and especially for Ruth Bradley’s enchanting inebriate.<br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEws6jhRe8FY9s6bwR1NdpN_bElhr-WN64K0OQcoubuWm-oLlKANb6AvFviRLTQWjIBR8EHnAbeA-nH8ZXCH5HBKl8ry9L-oSl8F7b5K4gJBWx7tAZzebDtG1IIOforejCb_sDkJoJHg/s1600/Grabbers+9.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEws6jhRe8FY9s6bwR1NdpN_bElhr-WN64K0OQcoubuWm-oLlKANb6AvFviRLTQWjIBR8EHnAbeA-nH8ZXCH5HBKl8ry9L-oSl8F7b5K4gJBWx7tAZzebDtG1IIOforejCb_sDkJoJHg/s320/Grabbers+9.jpg" width="320" /></a>Drinks Consumed</b>--Whiskey, beer, wine, tequila, and moonshine<br />
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<b>Intoxicating Effects</b>--Swearing, slurred speech, stumbling, belching, bad breath, brawling, vomiting, passing out, hangover, drunk driving and cycling, and harmonizing <br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Vkg-9jq82PNTlwl3d1pnxpW-cpyMfk0_0p2O0A84E4HbrhQxZ8wT6ifF_MzcYHTalt0QewNbhlUPKYC4yWP7VTSl0ZVd-Wpn9_qxHEb_7s5hW1LDaDTd0o85JVfZlxFbnQTaFLJliw/s1600/Grabbers+11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Vkg-9jq82PNTlwl3d1pnxpW-cpyMfk0_0p2O0A84E4HbrhQxZ8wT6ifF_MzcYHTalt0QewNbhlUPKYC4yWP7VTSl0ZVd-Wpn9_qxHEb_7s5hW1LDaDTd0o85JVfZlxFbnQTaFLJliw/s320/Grabbers+11.jpg" width="320" /></a>Potent Quotables</b>--BRIAN: So how drunk are we talkin’ here?<br />
ADAM: Paddy-levels of drunkenness.<br />
JIM: (Laughs) You’ve gone off your game, boy.<br />
LISA: Uh, no offense, but I don’t think I can handle Paddy levels.<br />
PADDY: Takes years of practice.<br />
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<b>Video Availability</b>--<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EMAGIKU/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EMAGIKU&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Grabbers DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00EMAGIKU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />(MPI Home Video)<br />
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<b>Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--Rather than being vulnerable to alcohol, the aliens from <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2010/07/review-invasion-of-saucer-men-1957.html" target="_blank"><i>Invasion of the Saucer Men</i> (1957)</a> kill or incapacitate their human victims by injecting them with booze.garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-78637754875552597642013-09-22T17:52:00.000-05:002013-12-05T22:30:38.810-06:00Review: Mississippi (1935)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zPmtvq9SITJQXJIzsOmk3iaEcd76Gwou9lH6DAyzra3u8Yu8npl1yNTe5ohq3yK56xrRQ5CxUn2GydjwFmSa6vstZtqtirgEXQk9eQk53oxwh80-6qHAQdXgQ3dT_KCjsxCStw__Sw/s400/Miss+5.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ApYGIwmxD-uMdTF9mirmV3O1Kp6NmVhMDOXl5QMWhtEUmY5LwINDB1g-T91e0-egoqMyxxzsXP6eLr0NOEEXxV6Og8YFYdwApQNDIoSaa1cHyAm15OAY4kHusd5kaJySUxfSAXxeiA/s1600/miss+poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ApYGIwmxD-uMdTF9mirmV3O1Kp6NmVhMDOXl5QMWhtEUmY5LwINDB1g-T91e0-egoqMyxxzsXP6eLr0NOEEXxV6Og8YFYdwApQNDIoSaa1cHyAm15OAY4kHusd5kaJySUxfSAXxeiA/s200/miss+poster.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSSbXdUmdJe3FzhOGIl-g1vFvuFlCqnaxqzmWbg1liEoze5fp9_bvYwrVnsZgHXbXUKlE1Rpx4ujftGlgARuMoeRz1awnZRzyT3VedYjSv8M_880xpMAk2YTvqvlwoNMjegakpM8wwA/s1600/miss+lobby+card.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ApYGIwmxD-uMdTF9mirmV3O1Kp6NmVhMDOXl5QMWhtEUmY5LwINDB1g-T91e0-egoqMyxxzsXP6eLr0NOEEXxV6Og8YFYdwApQNDIoSaa1cHyAm15OAY4kHusd5kaJySUxfSAXxeiA/s1600/miss+poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>USA/B&W-73 m./Dir: A. Edward Sutherland/Wr: Francis Martin & Jack Cunningham/Cast: Bing Crosby (Tom Grayson), W.C. Fields (Commodore Jackson), Joan Bennett (Lucy Rumford), Gail Patrick (Elvira Rumford), Queenie Smith (Alabam), Claude Gillingwater (Gen. Rumford), John Miljan (Maj. Patterson)<br />
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W.C. Fields’ best comedies (<i><a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2008/05/fatal-glass-of-beer-1933.html" target="_blank">The Fatal Glass of Beer</a>, <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/01/its-gift-1934.html" target="_blank">It’s a Gift</a>, <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/01/bank-dick-1940.html" target="_blank">The Bank Dick</a>,</i> etc.) were projects that he initiated and scripted. However, the majority of Fields’ filmography consists of studio assignments that the comedian improved exponentially through copious adlibbing. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041T50J2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0041T50J2&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Mississippi</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0041T50J2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>is one of the most entertaining examples of a contractual obligation that the Great Man made his own.<i> </i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeDYoKmpJFO1HmF5ABia20B6zWNaMVV-ozAfltoqmXW0MH5y2L2p67x7_vwmRp-RdvPLp8yi0kLt6OOiwKcbvkrE2e2xEMcDGFEpHKBuzktduuGygwjcgygEuB4Lt3KKRVQTnKowctg/s1600/Miss+3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeDYoKmpJFO1HmF5ABia20B6zWNaMVV-ozAfltoqmXW0MH5y2L2p67x7_vwmRp-RdvPLp8yi0kLt6OOiwKcbvkrE2e2xEMcDGFEpHKBuzktduuGygwjcgygEuB4Lt3KKRVQTnKowctg/s200/Miss+3.jpg" width="200" /></a>Mississippi </i>was conceived as a straightforward adaptation of the Booth Tarkington play, <i>The Magnolia</i>, which had been mined for film fodder previously in 1924 and 1929. The melodrama was to feature singer Lanny Ross; but at the last minute, the studio decided to turn the production into a star vehicle for their most popular crooner, Bing Crosby. However, when Fields ignored the script entirely and padded his secondary part with hilarious improvisations, the film ended up as a greater showcase for Fields than for Der Bingle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8IOW7bA9QcFeT4SBY1imhUVxGiBpyE9V18Z_lh8-yUAz2APy5mJsAhus6gtCKeYB2BUIgjokFcB1XcC_WC5excg8hweRuOZ8IDFTbLBulxVDijh4q3dzcxRi5F1R6es9hP5fc2Nkow/s1600/Miss+3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSSbXdUmdJe3FzhOGIl-g1vFvuFlCqnaxqzmWbg1liEoze5fp9_bvYwrVnsZgHXbXUKlE1Rpx4ujftGlgARuMoeRz1awnZRzyT3VedYjSv8M_880xpMAk2YTvqvlwoNMjegakpM8wwA/s1600/miss+lobby+card.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSSbXdUmdJe3FzhOGIl-g1vFvuFlCqnaxqzmWbg1liEoze5fp9_bvYwrVnsZgHXbXUKlE1Rpx4ujftGlgARuMoeRz1awnZRzyT3VedYjSv8M_880xpMAk2YTvqvlwoNMjegakpM8wwA/s200/miss+lobby+card.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8IOW7bA9QcFeT4SBY1imhUVxGiBpyE9V18Z_lh8-yUAz2APy5mJsAhus6gtCKeYB2BUIgjokFcB1XcC_WC5excg8hweRuOZ8IDFTbLBulxVDijh4q3dzcxRi5F1R6es9hP5fc2Nkow/s1600/Miss+3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSSbXdUmdJe3FzhOGIl-g1vFvuFlCqnaxqzmWbg1liEoze5fp9_bvYwrVnsZgHXbXUKlE1Rpx4ujftGlgARuMoeRz1awnZRzyT3VedYjSv8M_880xpMAk2YTvqvlwoNMjegakpM8wwA/s1600/miss+lobby+card.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Set in the planation-era South, the story concerns a violence-adverse Philadelphian, Tom Grayson (Crosby), who is engaged to the eldest daughter of plantation-owner General Rumford (Claude Gillingwater). When a former beau of the bride-to-be challenges Tom to a duel, he refuses to fight. This discredits the Philly crooner in the eyes of the Rumford clan, with the exception of younger daughter Lucy (Joan Bennett) who harbors a crush on the pacifist. With the nuptials called off, Tom takes a singing gig aboard a showboat skippered by mint julep-swilling Commodore Jackson (Fields). After a tussle in which Tom kills a man in self-defense, the Commodore finds he can profit by promoting Tom as “The Singing Killer.” Misunderstandings proliferate when Lucy boards the riverboat and hears the exaggerated stories of Tom’s murderous reputation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrw2jvSL9ct3LKxmLz7Sw96v-JfevifYivJ0D6htcCVlexnfo4MCGLz5fWRStvUW9n6PtMEw6RpjlJlOOj2ZchUZW6nIbtgRAFjDY2jyirw52RTvoHiw8ip1N9M5aFDx7NWgTsnfVIRw/s1600/Miss+2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrw2jvSL9ct3LKxmLz7Sw96v-JfevifYivJ0D6htcCVlexnfo4MCGLz5fWRStvUW9n6PtMEw6RpjlJlOOj2ZchUZW6nIbtgRAFjDY2jyirw52RTvoHiw8ip1N9M5aFDx7NWgTsnfVIRw/s200/Miss+2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8P6FhjGSKjD9i8zwEBvIxfVxTJ07xKrGJrwKHMGFQgT4_Q_rrlxDAJEE_5BnXHs2sBnysRMQTsbQq-RMYpZRrmOinQptzPagF4lYoKnjPqHyKH-4KLSpJfmDAr1A8fRbn7tsNh2eKw/s1600/Miss+7.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8P6FhjGSKjD9i8zwEBvIxfVxTJ07xKrGJrwKHMGFQgT4_Q_rrlxDAJEE_5BnXHs2sBnysRMQTsbQq-RMYpZRrmOinQptzPagF4lYoKnjPqHyKH-4KLSpJfmDAr1A8fRbn7tsNh2eKw/s200/Miss+7.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ApYGIwmxD-uMdTF9mirmV3O1Kp6NmVhMDOXl5QMWhtEUmY5LwINDB1g-T91e0-egoqMyxxzsXP6eLr0NOEEXxV6Og8YFYdwApQNDIoSaa1cHyAm15OAY4kHusd5kaJySUxfSAXxeiA/s1600/miss+poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>When Crosby saw the initial previews of <i>Mississippi</i>, he was horrified. The director had given W.C. free reign to create his own bits of physical comedy and dialogue, and the comic had stolen the picture out from under the star. Furious, Bing demanded that another song be added to the film and that some of Fields’ footage be trimmed (including an entire sequence in which the Great Man attempted to play a steam-powered calliope). Although the studio heads consented to Crosby’s changes, W.C. Fields still dominates the final cut of the film. The comedian receives as much screen time as the crooner, and his boozy business outshines everything else in the picture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KSRxAbcXJBr5QQO3AT-C0I0tEbT6KRLCiCYSvA_wzCX87NasZ0_ebl8ybniPXdw5QC-DZEP2P1cuvqZ9mZbgcBUD-MVSZSu4y39QRx62O8Rsh_4BcmBAGkiSI9vomJyxUE7DYnj0Kg/s1600/Miss+8.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KSRxAbcXJBr5QQO3AT-C0I0tEbT6KRLCiCYSvA_wzCX87NasZ0_ebl8ybniPXdw5QC-DZEP2P1cuvqZ9mZbgcBUD-MVSZSu4y39QRx62O8Rsh_4BcmBAGkiSI9vomJyxUE7DYnj0Kg/s200/Miss+8.jpg" width="200" /></a>Being that the Great Man was given carte blanche to rewrite and expand his scenes, <i>Mississippi </i>has a more Fieldsian feel than most of his studio-assigned outings. Quotable lines abound; and a crooked poker game involving far too many aces was transformed from a brief throwaway scene on the page to a comedy classic thanks to Fields' improvised business. <i>Mississippi</i> also has a higher alcohol content than most Fields’ output, due in large part to a running gag in which a steward delivers a mint julep whenever the Commodore has a free hand. While <i>Mississippi </i>is not as essential as the gems that Fields built from the ground up, lovers of classic comedy and soused cinema enthusiasts should consider it a “must see.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFKI4Ldiqw3aIjIFIA3rRbckBQo5n-jbDTJa3YS1VUlMpcPxsnbnWWcV6lPYVFojWv85R15MASd4riwPdYPs7t620sUNdXWFUwSql5KmQ0-cMio0MWlG6W-Ab9dImof898xAJwMjcNg/s1600/Miss+4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFKI4Ldiqw3aIjIFIA3rRbckBQo5n-jbDTJa3YS1VUlMpcPxsnbnWWcV6lPYVFojWv85R15MASd4riwPdYPs7t620sUNdXWFUwSql5KmQ0-cMio0MWlG6W-Ab9dImof898xAJwMjcNg/s200/Miss+4.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Drinks Consumed</b>--Bourbon whiskey (in mint juleps, shots, with soda, and in spiked punch), wine, and unknown cocktails<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqA_UqGr5TqaO_YVXcPMSqMZLBxMLvEE8CYf77gSkdwX6f10dUWlEsMfurpzT8GcQy7BmGzERL4JMs_WPDcpAWma6-Tm16ai3h8DSSECxgg34O9wEmGqs8pagdK3r6COr6VfnyuBBaeg/s1600/Miss+6.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqA_UqGr5TqaO_YVXcPMSqMZLBxMLvEE8CYf77gSkdwX6f10dUWlEsMfurpzT8GcQy7BmGzERL4JMs_WPDcpAWma6-Tm16ai3h8DSSECxgg34O9wEmGqs8pagdK3r6COr6VfnyuBBaeg/s200/Miss+6.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><br />Intoxicating Effects</b>--Boasting, bravado, stumbling, and swearing of a sort<br />
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<b>Potent Quotables</b>--GEN. RUMFORD: And here… Here is a little jug of liquor.<br />
COMMODORE: Oh, thank you. A nice little noggin, yes.<br />
GEN. RUMFORD: Yeah. It’s made right here on the plantation, so you needn’t be afraid of it. <br />
COMMODORE: Never been frightened of liquor in all my life.<br />
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<b>Video Availability</b>--DVD, as part of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041T50J2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0041T50J2&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The Universal Backlot Series: Bing Crosby Collection (Universal) </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0041T50J2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i><br />
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<b>Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--That same year, Fields’ fellow <i>Ziegfeld Follies</i> cast mate, Will Rogers, also starred as a steamboat captain in the alcohol-laced comedy <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2010/10/review-steamboat-round-bend-1935.html" target="_blank"><i>Steamboat Round the Bend</i></a>.garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-69494961575517201662013-09-02T22:37:00.001-05:002013-12-05T22:12:54.927-06:00Review: Wings (1927)<object allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" allowscriptaccess="always" data="http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/1_3bemu7gq/uiconf_id/11352051" height="362" id="kaltura_player_1378147517" name="kaltura_player_1378147517" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="648"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="all" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/1_3bemu7gq/uiconf_id/11352051"/><param name="flashVars" value=""/><a href="http://corp.kaltura.com">video platform</a><a href="http://corp.kaltura.com/video_platform/video_management">video management</a><a href="http://corp.kaltura.com/solutions/video_solution">video solutions</a><a href="http://corp.kaltura.com/video_platform/video_publishing">video player</a></object>
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USA/Silent/B&W-144m./Dir: William A. Wellman/Wr: Hope Loring & Louis D. Lighton/Cast: Charles “Buddy” Rogers (Jack Powell), Richard Arlen (David Armstrong), Clara Bow (Mary Preston), Jobyna Ralston (Sylvia Lewis), El Brendel (Herman Schwimpf), Gary Cooper (Cadet White)<br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4jxjAtdvkELGRl3bYwfthVRoToinozyurCbKVwnbX9pt-HPnguIMjlfqgHYNZW96bd2ZwB4sHiHRozC5K7vQ2O0AnJwx2HbXCJ3x-1E6nA4wQtQqXzk_f9Z-o3eom0QKG8z_cJ6_3g/s1600/title_wings_blu-ray_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4jxjAtdvkELGRl3bYwfthVRoToinozyurCbKVwnbX9pt-HPnguIMjlfqgHYNZW96bd2ZwB4sHiHRozC5K7vQ2O0AnJwx2HbXCJ3x-1E6nA4wQtQqXzk_f9Z-o3eom0QKG8z_cJ6_3g/s200/title_wings_blu-ray_.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEBB9QY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AEBB9QY&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Wings,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AEBB9QY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>the winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture, can barely be considered a “Booze Movie.” It only contains one extended soused sequence in which World War I pilots enjoy a drunken leave in Paris. However, that small, 20-minute slice from the 144-minute film is so bizarre and memorable that I would be remiss not to mention it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbAUZhKjoqZ6Hb9thpmI5SNMFVkVjEfwhu_tuz2qFHGOL5tW-__dsq1PMHWaSwL8fFzs86Pv3FgjT6sxFvN8nndwxKinPu-wS0eFhjwm8sHvkhGFOrcQ-HPYWonBQh_UWimMwk2vwDA/s1600/tumblr_lthykiRUuT1qbxoi2o2_250.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbAUZhKjoqZ6Hb9thpmI5SNMFVkVjEfwhu_tuz2qFHGOL5tW-__dsq1PMHWaSwL8fFzs86Pv3FgjT6sxFvN8nndwxKinPu-wS0eFhjwm8sHvkhGFOrcQ-HPYWonBQh_UWimMwk2vwDA/s200/tumblr_lthykiRUuT1qbxoi2o2_250.gif" width="200" /></a>The movie itself is the story of two young men from the same small town, speed demon Jack Powell (Charles “Buddy” Rogers) and rich kid David Armstrong (Richard Arlen), that are both in love with the same woman. Sylvia Lewis (Jobyna Ralston), the girl in question, truly loves David, but through a mix-up that could only happen in the movies, Jack gets the impression that Sylvia shares his affections. To further complicate the melodrama, Jack’s neighbor, Mary Preston (Clara Bow), harbors a Godzilla-sized crush on the boy next door, but her not-so-subtle wooing goes unnoticed by the dim-witted Jack.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozA2N5EhGDWS8slWyBIJS5yZ2s49ddjwc7GiBi0AkNuQ5HtZ-jtro7JufbgdcmnbsGYzK_0J_vGlS_enlYwX6hh_1JDgHFbJIjYcw6JKCLgNTXLqIiyA0K0Zf-dYEn24cQR2CE2flyA/s1600/910__wings_blu-ray_8_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozA2N5EhGDWS8slWyBIJS5yZ2s49ddjwc7GiBi0AkNuQ5HtZ-jtro7JufbgdcmnbsGYzK_0J_vGlS_enlYwX6hh_1JDgHFbJIjYcw6JKCLgNTXLqIiyA0K0Zf-dYEn24cQR2CE2flyA/s200/910__wings_blu-ray_8_.jpg" width="200" /></a>When war is declared, both Jack and David volunteer for the Air Service to become fighter pilots. Due to their romantic rivalry, they begin as adversaries, but they soon forge a fast friendship. That bond becomes even stronger as they dogfight with German biplanes in the skies above France. The women are marginalized as the story basically morphs into a love story between the two men, punctuated by impressive aerial photography.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoS6HLp9UECUKWw6pSSd80HYPyn5sRzhzfyOIsOoLLnUWRako3ki0TGNS0IHAHIjQ8LFPA7xGted7G11dZZDmKLd-h_Jr_nbrWpXI4pYmqYCnuQmsdxkTPQIbQxfrULzBMJOaO2_BQQ/s1600/tumblr_lthykiRUuT1qbxoi2o8_r3_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoS6HLp9UECUKWw6pSSd80HYPyn5sRzhzfyOIsOoLLnUWRako3ki0TGNS0IHAHIjQ8LFPA7xGted7G11dZZDmKLd-h_Jr_nbrWpXI4pYmqYCnuQmsdxkTPQIbQxfrULzBMJOaO2_BQQ/s200/tumblr_lthykiRUuT1qbxoi2o8_r3_250.gif" width="200" /></a><br />
The soused sequence appears midway through the running time. Jack and David awarded R & R in Paris for exceptional valor in battle; and coincidentally, Mary Preston is also in the city doing her part for the war effort. When Mary overhears that leaves are being cancelled due to a major offensive, she goes searching for the boy next door. She finds Jack at the Folies Bergere with David and another soldier, guzzling champagne and cavorting with loose women. At this point, the scene goes cuckoo bananas. Jack begins to hallucinate, envisioning cartoon bubbles rising from the champagne. Soon he is seeing bubbles everywhere. The sequence is second only to the “Pink Elephants on Parade” number from <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/01/dumbo-1941.html" target="_blank"><i>Dumbo</i> (1941)</a> when it comes to hallucinogenic drunk scenes.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXR_hNGiUrafccvPZ0-czSlT3HE9PCrLBji6_BuNsGAUGtQ7zDnKC6iS9IwDIog6KGNIDExMMVIB_E4J9t2kwp5sx1KoDO8uR1VN7U86ge1wOq37Lh4ShejMTXWMaCn_veM6BlK9QFdA/s1600/tumblr_ml4iwy9uh31qcgwn4o2_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXR_hNGiUrafccvPZ0-czSlT3HE9PCrLBji6_BuNsGAUGtQ7zDnKC6iS9IwDIog6KGNIDExMMVIB_E4J9t2kwp5sx1KoDO8uR1VN7U86ge1wOq37Lh4ShejMTXWMaCn_veM6BlK9QFdA/s200/tumblr_ml4iwy9uh31qcgwn4o2_500.gif" width="200" /></a>
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Mary tries to convince Jack to return to the front, but he is so enamored with the bubbles, he doesn’t acknowledge or recognize her. Eventually, Mary resorts to donning a sparkly dress to lure Jack away from scene, boasting that she has better bubbles than the French girls. The scene ends with Jack passing out in a hotel room, while Mary gets caught changing her clothes (an excuse for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it topless scene from Clara Bow).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXgQQRnZwZxLjb31FYY-cZAfFoN9y-RskXbURMI9lMPOT3XFjimcK9LALC686ixB5EiJ6hQmWTbJQ9ofFpmoCNOfhr3_4ihWr0WDb1fm9GP8nAqio2_iFnU_o2NEZX1z4QBqMEhiNyQ/s1600/tumblr_mqnw0rgNRL1r3mh0to1_400.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXgQQRnZwZxLjb31FYY-cZAfFoN9y-RskXbURMI9lMPOT3XFjimcK9LALC686ixB5EiJ6hQmWTbJQ9ofFpmoCNOfhr3_4ihWr0WDb1fm9GP8nAqio2_iFnU_o2NEZX1z4QBqMEhiNyQ/s200/tumblr_mqnw0rgNRL1r3mh0to1_400.gif" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEh_41MWunEnJw2m0KEC3pnPuB4U_SebyEyb79kPQdsBwsfgWtspFmCewMuAsC-uTCyehmzwjKUEM9VzOrvSBCNVuRvCoKSxn2b0rL9nvpr9ols-ccWVJxmoImDyylh-hhzPx9QGw6A/s1600/910__wings_blu-ray_4x_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>While <i>Wings</i> is the only silent film to receive the top Oscar until 2011’s <i>The Artist</i>, it isn’t a very good example of silent drama. The movie is excessively melodramatic and corny, the performances are often over-the-top, and the comedy relief is generally unfunny. Still, the film is worth seeing for its aerial battle scenes. In this age of CGI action, it is thrilling to see real people in real planes performing death-defying stunts. The flight scenes are even more electrifying when you realize that the actors had to fly the planes themselves during much of the action. The aerial action and bizarre booziness, make the film well worth a view.
<b><b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEh_41MWunEnJw2m0KEC3pnPuB4U_SebyEyb79kPQdsBwsfgWtspFmCewMuAsC-uTCyehmzwjKUEM9VzOrvSBCNVuRvCoKSxn2b0rL9nvpr9ols-ccWVJxmoImDyylh-hhzPx9QGw6A/s1600/910__wings_blu-ray_4x_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></b></b></b>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEh_41MWunEnJw2m0KEC3pnPuB4U_SebyEyb79kPQdsBwsfgWtspFmCewMuAsC-uTCyehmzwjKUEM9VzOrvSBCNVuRvCoKSxn2b0rL9nvpr9ols-ccWVJxmoImDyylh-hhzPx9QGw6A/s1600/910__wings_blu-ray_4x_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEh_41MWunEnJw2m0KEC3pnPuB4U_SebyEyb79kPQdsBwsfgWtspFmCewMuAsC-uTCyehmzwjKUEM9VzOrvSBCNVuRvCoKSxn2b0rL9nvpr9ols-ccWVJxmoImDyylh-hhzPx9QGw6A/s200/910__wings_blu-ray_4x_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Drinks Consumed</b>--Extremely bubbly champagne and unnamed cocktails<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEh_41MWunEnJw2m0KEC3pnPuB4U_SebyEyb79kPQdsBwsfgWtspFmCewMuAsC-uTCyehmzwjKUEM9VzOrvSBCNVuRvCoKSxn2b0rL9nvpr9ols-ccWVJxmoImDyylh-hhzPx9QGw6A/s1600/910__wings_blu-ray_4x_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZdS5RnQ2Uj-E-WWGQXQbf0bzzF-RnMDD9GItvIO4C16YzjQirZahwqXsitp3RkhYQeldNoAfcNRYFXRQE0p2KdOW8nTsKGQ8oxJosOCYil0EaCRSUHUmc3tLUfd5oarhBakTzHCP8w/s1600/ClickHandler.ashx.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxoE7ZFrOlTm61-vTGed2KsHUylmHTGlbAraBiLhrzgYOx6q3hGdI28cK3C_R8C8AfEkPIpdpXBrsqF-awYL_uKr1SgY8VEGox2hqQ-alrH6bLt5e0QLXrCMDgHslLAMMCVLLCog1c6A/s1600/ClickHandler.ashx.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Intoxicating Effects</b>--Hallucinations, blurred vision, brawling, destruction of property, harmonizing, staggering, passing out, and memory blackouts<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZdS5RnQ2Uj-E-WWGQXQbf0bzzF-RnMDD9GItvIO4C16YzjQirZahwqXsitp3RkhYQeldNoAfcNRYFXRQE0p2KdOW8nTsKGQ8oxJosOCYil0EaCRSUHUmc3tLUfd5oarhBakTzHCP8w/s1600/ClickHandler.ashx.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZdS5RnQ2Uj-E-WWGQXQbf0bzzF-RnMDD9GItvIO4C16YzjQirZahwqXsitp3RkhYQeldNoAfcNRYFXRQE0p2KdOW8nTsKGQ8oxJosOCYil0EaCRSUHUmc3tLUfd5oarhBakTzHCP8w/s1600/ClickHandler.ashx.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZdS5RnQ2Uj-E-WWGQXQbf0bzzF-RnMDD9GItvIO4C16YzjQirZahwqXsitp3RkhYQeldNoAfcNRYFXRQE0p2KdOW8nTsKGQ8oxJosOCYil0EaCRSUHUmc3tLUfd5oarhBakTzHCP8w/s1600/ClickHandler.ashx.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Potent Quotables</b>--JACK (commenting on the champagne): H’ray for bubbles!<br />
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZdS5RnQ2Uj-E-WWGQXQbf0bzzF-RnMDD9GItvIO4C16YzjQirZahwqXsitp3RkhYQeldNoAfcNRYFXRQE0p2KdOW8nTsKGQ8oxJosOCYil0EaCRSUHUmc3tLUfd5oarhBakTzHCP8w/s1600/ClickHandler.ashx.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></b>
<b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfK2_cUzcjdO9kepvoTfJHN-zIaNCPmoKTdf6Uw82GGVlzF0qrvuW9HpfUjawi_-9I9ex48e7IARLCEuB9RNOo64iBkr0FNtvtLb3ZGQunuV7naYGNhbL5cLHv-qIVzoZ8Sbkc6_svzA/s1600/tumblr_mhwg43DNoa1rfq33zo1_500.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfK2_cUzcjdO9kepvoTfJHN-zIaNCPmoKTdf6Uw82GGVlzF0qrvuW9HpfUjawi_-9I9ex48e7IARLCEuB9RNOo64iBkr0FNtvtLb3ZGQunuV7naYGNhbL5cLHv-qIVzoZ8Sbkc6_svzA/s200/tumblr_mhwg43DNoa1rfq33zo1_500.gif" width="200" /></a></b> </b><br />
<b>Video Availability</b>--<i>Wings</i> is available in a wonderfully sharp transfer on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEBB9QY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AEBB9QY&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AEBB9QY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEFZDNA/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AEFZDNA&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AEFZDNA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />from Paramount.<br />
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<b>Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--A baby elephant has similar alcohol-related hallucinations in <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/01/dumbo-1941.html" target="_blank"><i>Dumbo</i> (1941)</a>. <br />
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<b><b><b><b></b></b></b>Trivia</b>--While <i>Wings</i> is considered the first “Best Picture” Oscar winner, in reality, two films were awarded top prize at the 1927/1928 Academy Awards. <i>Wings</i> was awarded “Outstanding Picture” and F.W. Murnau’s <i>Sunrise</i> was awarded “Best Unique and Artistic Production.” The latter category was phased out the following year, while “Outstanding Picture” was later renamed “Best Picture.”garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-74140620336934891622013-08-24T21:37:00.001-05:002013-12-05T22:34:42.658-06:00Booze News: Take a trip to THE WORLD'S END<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7ibQvQUpMTg" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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Greetings, fellow inebriates,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYBM-hleVb11ILwbyOW-GhKNlbc0vknKTbS3pAOa-cgFpqv-pYx3dym3T0STic-AZeHcsLnMZ7PK9KgP0RXncbD8ntmABp9sqCyk1PTrz603vZVKpTqfyxWQs0i62GIa8ud3A8Vp1Dw/s1600/the-worlds-end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYBM-hleVb11ILwbyOW-GhKNlbc0vknKTbS3pAOa-cgFpqv-pYx3dym3T0STic-AZeHcsLnMZ7PK9KgP0RXncbD8ntmABp9sqCyk1PTrz603vZVKpTqfyxWQs0i62GIa8ud3A8Vp1Dw/s200/the-worlds-end.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I've returned from a trip to <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPEJX12/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BPEJX12&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The World's End,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BPEJX12" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>and it is a journey that I highly recommend for soused cinephiles (and for anyone that enjoys smart comedy). I'll post a full review when this sudsy gem makes its way to blu-ray, but be assured that the team that gave us <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/04/shaun-of-dead-2004.html" target="_blank"><i>Shaun of the Dead</i></a> and <i>Hot Fuzz</i> have served up another slice of fried gold.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i_4z8UIC-g3r3nc6tOT4AmFk82Kv3w9lWR1E63qICI3O5JW076qZObopwViMhBWewRxnfhhaa7sZI0-6yPCpn_3zeGzkDQnWAOghty0Q4zVElEynu7jjTjTtRKu5hIME40nQtbWfEA/s1600/world's+end+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i_4z8UIC-g3r3nc6tOT4AmFk82Kv3w9lWR1E63qICI3O5JW076qZObopwViMhBWewRxnfhhaa7sZI0-6yPCpn_3zeGzkDQnWAOghty0Q4zVElEynu7jjTjTtRKu5hIME40nQtbWfEA/s200/world's+end+3.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
If you only make one trip to the multiplex this year, <i>The World's End</i> is the movie to see. Edgar Wright is the best director working today with a scheduled release in 2013 (Most of the other directors in his league had releases in 2012). The writing is as sharp and witty as in the previous Wright/Pegg/Frost collaborations. The action set-pieces are expertly staged (Nick Frost hulking out and rampaging Sammo Hung-style is worth the price of admission alone). Best of all, <i>The World's End</i> is the most emotionally resonant and mature of the films in the Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWIORESKGo6K49r1p64Xewb9a_Jc5oU-EE00tEzySk9qN0v6-BPOVhp1e9rbRBmSfkJckzJD6PFlccxYJwyT8DRlw2-PLZjeP_dIbbwSiAFgmyinkwYdUXRC-FgR1z9QiGXjahTM7iw/s1600/the-worlds-end-stool-boxing.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWIORESKGo6K49r1p64Xewb9a_Jc5oU-EE00tEzySk9qN0v6-BPOVhp1e9rbRBmSfkJckzJD6PFlccxYJwyT8DRlw2-PLZjeP_dIbbwSiAFgmyinkwYdUXRC-FgR1z9QiGXjahTM7iw/s400/the-worlds-end-stool-boxing.jpg" width="400" /></a>There have been a lot of substandard movie releases this summer. Expertly crafted entertainments deserve to be rewarded, so vote with your wallet for more quality productions like <i>The World's End</i>. I know I'll be returning for a second round.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWIORESKGo6K49r1p64Xewb9a_Jc5oU-EE00tEzySk9qN0v6-BPOVhp1e9rbRBmSfkJckzJD6PFlccxYJwyT8DRlw2-PLZjeP_dIbbwSiAFgmyinkwYdUXRC-FgR1z9QiGXjahTM7iw/s1600/the-worlds-end-stool-boxing.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Cheers,<br />
garvgarvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-16218945203484436882013-07-15T22:30:00.002-05:002013-07-15T22:30:58.103-05:00Booze News: Happy Dipsomania Week!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/X6YCUjzYJsQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Attention, fellow inebriates!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjBeZw04ZCDzeu8AL2fvOVCZn1acVAKmZVxCFNAYkhIBq20TldNrccs-H_tAsWDV-Ig07bsalsxj7kljivDUEJ9BaURrQ6U1psAIHIji0QLlafZ6je1Hc8D_sNAiyvEhjcwvXfzoq6w/s1600/barfly+rourke+dunaway.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjBeZw04ZCDzeu8AL2fvOVCZn1acVAKmZVxCFNAYkhIBq20TldNrccs-H_tAsWDV-Ig07bsalsxj7kljivDUEJ9BaURrQ6U1psAIHIji0QLlafZ6je1Hc8D_sNAiyvEhjcwvXfzoq6w/s200/barfly+rourke+dunaway.jpg" width="200" /></a>Joe Dante and his merry movie gurus at <a href="http://trailersfromhell.com/" target="_blank">Trailers From Hell</a> have proclaimed this 1/52 interval of the calendar year to be "Dipsomania Week," and as thus, their website will be featuring audio commentaries to accompany the original advertisements for three of the greatest booze movies of all time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVY_B8TqFa9SAEQtgN01T3JEjkddokV5sSd-Yulhyphenhyphenu4Rxj5qZQL5eVeOCgm0ooriZt313_-BVA2R71mA3yk6sw3VCrMSsuimWiXoZ3HTSu8pMZgUtx_8G0rxCrqPjzUs9Cw86ZvHmO8g/s1600/dayswineroses.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVY_B8TqFa9SAEQtgN01T3JEjkddokV5sSd-Yulhyphenhyphenu4Rxj5qZQL5eVeOCgm0ooriZt313_-BVA2R71mA3yk6sw3VCrMSsuimWiXoZ3HTSu8pMZgUtx_8G0rxCrqPjzUs9Cw86ZvHmO8g/s200/dayswineroses.jpg" width="200" /></a>First up, and available now, is the trailer for <i><a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/01/barfly-1987.html" target="_blank">Barfly (1987)</a></i>, featuring running commentary by <i>A History of Violence</i> screenwriter Josh Olson. That will be followed on Wednesday by producer/director Dan Ireland’s take on<i> <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/07/days-of-wine-and-roses-1962.html" target="_blank">The Days of Wine and Roses (1962)</a>. </i>And on Friday, Joe Dante will cap off the fest by providing his thoughts on the promo for <i><a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/03/harvey-1950.html" target="_blank">Harvey (1950)</a></i>.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZGbgolo_yLXQZP_-4GRIk0BGxjaDySGkeNRIIH8iLcYIbCKPM1TnnLmCQPw274qiCQY0CtV16HYIf9XUxxheiYM33a0euk8j8n7w8XuR7N77sTuuccHKX7ayQGpOKlFOThjmOja2nQ/s1600/harvey.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZGbgolo_yLXQZP_-4GRIk0BGxjaDySGkeNRIIH8iLcYIbCKPM1TnnLmCQPw274qiCQY0CtV16HYIf9XUxxheiYM33a0euk8j8n7w8XuR7N77sTuuccHKX7ayQGpOKlFOThjmOja2nQ/s200/harvey.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
If you are unfamiliar with <a href="http://trailersfromhell.com/" target="_blank">Trailers From Hell</a>, click on the link and go to the site immediately. You are in for a real treat. The site is a treasure trove of cinematic trivia and a great way to discover catalog titles of which you were not previously aware. Adding booze to the mix is just icing on the cake. <br />
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However, be warned, the day after I discovered <a href="http://trailersfromhell.com/" target="_blank">Trailers From Hell</a>, I was pretty much useless due to sleep deprivation. I just couldn't pull myself away from the site.<br />
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Thanks TFH gurus for giving soused cinema enthusiasts another reason to celebrate (not that we need much of an incentive to lift a glass)! <br />
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Cheers,<br />
garvgarvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-60783810051177168872013-07-06T23:29:00.000-05:002013-07-06T23:36:28.039-05:00Booze News: DRUNK HISTORY is back!<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=750800118574" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Greetings, fellow inebriates,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGmEcE1IrpyoOwipgIRe3gL1sXI6IRgaP4i7IDCtx9i-1XSs8GChBSQRd30AuSKDbaTy1zkTioqV_l6gjxoGYMr0fSvjLgoOzBuDWo4lhyphenhyphens5_7XbQPFadScSMAob0gaF36ZHyPQxSlw/s1600/Drunk+history.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGmEcE1IrpyoOwipgIRe3gL1sXI6IRgaP4i7IDCtx9i-1XSs8GChBSQRd30AuSKDbaTy1zkTioqV_l6gjxoGYMr0fSvjLgoOzBuDWo4lhyphenhyphens5_7XbQPFadScSMAob0gaF36ZHyPQxSlw/s200/Drunk+history.jpg" width="200" /></a>Like the phoenix of Greek myth and X-Men fame, <i>Drunk History </i>never dies. It merely disappears for long intervals.<br />
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The brainchild of Derek Walters and Jeremy Konner, <i>Drunk History</i> began as a popular <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2008/11/booze-news-drunk-history.html" target="_blank">series of short films</a> on the <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/drunkhistory" target="_blank"><i>Funny or Die</i> website</a>, in which soused storytellers passionately recounted historical anecdotes while actors and comedians re-enacted the tales. After a prolonged absence, <i>Drunk History</i> reappeared briefly as a segment on HBO's short-lived <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2010/02/booze-news-return-of-drunk-history.html" target="_blank"><i>Funny or Die Presents</i></a>. Now the concept returns yet again--this time as an eight-episode, weekly series on <i>Comedy Central</i>, beginning July 9th at 10pm Eastern (a rerun throughout the week).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9rVQoCMdn-IDmw_VmPIMn7kutA4iKDv7PGReIe3GrL1VrIenl5UxGVcH8Wft4QfkdoP177Ux1_HYnhXjG6joRAQetzvtGHW20j_yPDiLAe1eikTgPKbbm46nTIF87BGo9iqJYsLRzw/s1600/Booths.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9rVQoCMdn-IDmw_VmPIMn7kutA4iKDv7PGReIe3GrL1VrIenl5UxGVcH8Wft4QfkdoP177Ux1_HYnhXjG6joRAQetzvtGHW20j_yPDiLAe1eikTgPKbbm46nTIF87BGo9iqJYsLRzw/s200/Booths.jpg" width="200" /></a>Each episode of the new show will feature multiple history lessons centered around a particular U.S. city. For example, episode 1 is Washington, D.C. themed, and features dubious accounts of the Watergate investigation (with Fred Willard as Deep Throat), the rivalry between John Wilkes Booth (Adam Scott) and Edwin Booth (Will Forte), and the epic encounter between Richard Nixon (Bob Odenkirk) and Elvis Presley (Jack Black). If you can't wait until July 9th, the first episode is available now in its entirety on Comedy Central's site. Here's the link--> <a href="http://www.comedycentral.com/episodes/7n8g8c/drunk-history-drunk-history--washington--d-c--season-1-ep-102" target="_blank">Drunk History Episode 1</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2_ioKDHq7IWHEQqFo5pTZckX86jGSVNkkMsIq9rnX9oIDyfBJ0bUThptLkDhLHXEC8KeBsGWrGAI_CT6VxreM7ryps650yshI3TUsz6UceNl49bc4yjAUvHH7TYFrp7qwGEch-Y7VA/s1600/Elvis+Nixon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2_ioKDHq7IWHEQqFo5pTZckX86jGSVNkkMsIq9rnX9oIDyfBJ0bUThptLkDhLHXEC8KeBsGWrGAI_CT6VxreM7ryps650yshI3TUsz6UceNl49bc4yjAUvHH7TYFrp7qwGEch-Y7VA/s200/Elvis+Nixon.jpg" width="200" /></a>The return of <i>Drunk History</i> is most welcome. I greatly look forward to future episodes, which promise the participation of <a href="http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/06/21/kristen-wiig-drunk-history-patty-hearst/" target="_blank">Kristen Wiig</a>, Connie Britton, Winona Ryder, Aubrey Plaza, Bradley Whitford, Owen and Luke Wilson, and many others.<br />
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Summer TV just got interesting. Set your DVRs and chill your cocktails. <br />
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Cheers,<br />
garvgarvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-58152410055288688532013-06-22T22:19:00.000-05:002013-12-05T22:56:40.103-06:00Review: Pie-Eyed (1925)<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n0R-Up61l91xE_cOVOSA87I9VX1krrWzp4aoeKWbW1mBfGc8G9z1ATKMtNeQxPWwtyPo8BvXt0dF2m1ujvcEYg43wk5VgeGwIKFq7FhguIa3trQiTf0brrXcIOFrq5SbS20L2-pfKw/s1600/PE+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwIcWiNSjsocZn5LtC4_qZtouBC4rjNqpkKwZXoclfYvYV0FoHelBpXASsS82K_oTrMlb4iE8pPH0mXGCof3B0Yfu6gQuWcHINuBAz-EM_fZ02Q_A_TF4bRUo51lSRD4vtgCdMahZuQ/s1600/Stan+PIE+EYED.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> <br />
USA/Silent/B&W-18m./Dir: Scott Pembroke & Joe Rock/Wr: Tay Garnett (titles)/Cast: Stan Laurel (Stanley), Glen Cavendar (Jack Tinney, nightclub manager), Thelma Hill (Girl in club)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwIcWiNSjsocZn5LtC4_qZtouBC4rjNqpkKwZXoclfYvYV0FoHelBpXASsS82K_oTrMlb4iE8pPH0mXGCof3B0Yfu6gQuWcHINuBAz-EM_fZ02Q_A_TF4bRUo51lSRD4vtgCdMahZuQ/s1600/Stan+PIE+EYED.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwIcWiNSjsocZn5LtC4_qZtouBC4rjNqpkKwZXoclfYvYV0FoHelBpXASsS82K_oTrMlb4iE8pPH0mXGCof3B0Yfu6gQuWcHINuBAz-EM_fZ02Q_A_TF4bRUo51lSRD4vtgCdMahZuQ/s200/Stan+PIE+EYED.JPG" width="200" /></a>Stan Laurel first journeyed to America in 1910 as part of the Fred Karno comedy troupe, the same British theatrical company that featured Charlie Chaplin. Laurel was both Chaplin’s roommate and understudy, and he continued in the shadow of his former roommate when Chaplin left Karno for motion pictures. Stan continued on the stage (mostly vaudeville) for four years, performing as a Chaplin impersonator, until making his own leap to the movies in late 1917.<br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlANYRdPgs9aOPjIa_k-d8a3DgvVpB7RKisWDt9IFk1CHNkG1TXPCGxaP6t_swwd9XfX0Gm_emvuAWVjZp7scOWWJx3QqU2IBS4kbVVSSxS4nshpr2tL8akEsBh-ypFbGzIarXrOf9bQ/s1600/PE+1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlANYRdPgs9aOPjIa_k-d8a3DgvVpB7RKisWDt9IFk1CHNkG1TXPCGxaP6t_swwd9XfX0Gm_emvuAWVjZp7scOWWJx3QqU2IBS4kbVVSSxS4nshpr2tL8akEsBh-ypFbGzIarXrOf9bQ/s200/PE+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></i>While Chaplin found his enduring Tramp character and rose to fame with his <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2009/01/mabels-strange-predicament-1914.html" target="_blank">second cinematic short subject</a>, Laurel spent nine years churning out mediocre short comedies before latching onto the comic persona and partnership that would endear him to mass audiences. During those nine years, Stan experimented with different characters and styles of comedy, flip-flopping between manic oafs and slow-witted boobs, often borrowing from Chaplin, the most popular comedian of the silent era.<br />
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<i><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n0R-Up61l91xE_cOVOSA87I9VX1krrWzp4aoeKWbW1mBfGc8G9z1ATKMtNeQxPWwtyPo8BvXt0dF2m1ujvcEYg43wk5VgeGwIKFq7FhguIa3trQiTf0brrXcIOFrq5SbS20L2-pfKw/s1600/PE+2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n0R-Up61l91xE_cOVOSA87I9VX1krrWzp4aoeKWbW1mBfGc8G9z1ATKMtNeQxPWwtyPo8BvXt0dF2m1ujvcEYg43wk5VgeGwIKFq7FhguIa3trQiTf0brrXcIOFrq5SbS20L2-pfKw/s200/PE+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></i></i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016A2FHO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0016A2FHO&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Pie-Eyed</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0016A2FHO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />was Laurel’s attempt at making the type of soused slapstick two-reeler that propelled Chaplin to success. In the short Stanley plays a drunken reveler at a night spot known as the Firewater Club. After guzzling wine, Laurel passes out at his table. Later he awakes to try his hand at directing the band, as well as dancing with the showgirl wife of the owner, and getting into scuffles with various employees and patrons. The nightclub manager, an ex-boxing champion, tires quickly of Stanley’s antics. He roughs up the nuisance and kicks him out of the establishment, after giving Stan his business card, should he ever want boxing lessons. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpTHCwxme0u9kvcGTGb4kJXBT2ByMkO34gYlGuGfrY-RJxDv-HU0r1giwFXlPNU2JQx1OqLrxERLMo6J4tBk9G1Ya95wTynBP-HpCqJ_M4sZzDjI1qTCFGdfL98ui6AjaZIHD2bgfBQ/s1600/PE+5.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpTHCwxme0u9kvcGTGb4kJXBT2ByMkO34gYlGuGfrY-RJxDv-HU0r1giwFXlPNU2JQx1OqLrxERLMo6J4tBk9G1Ya95wTynBP-HpCqJ_M4sZzDjI1qTCFGdfL98ui6AjaZIHD2bgfBQ/s200/PE+5.jpg" width="200" /></a>Staggering along the street in the early morning hours, Stanley attracts the attention of a beat cop; and the remainder of the short consists of the policeman’s attempts to drag the drunk off the street and into what he believes to be Stanley’s apartment. In reality, the cop plants Stanley in the domicile of the nightclub manager, having read the address off the business card. <br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0G6VpjHiy3w9NkQuhBppbNYTmbigmSL6GmzWE95F7HzJLln6MwwkrXTMOP7SMK3QiYa46dSCRlka05UrGI5WXTfasMVxQoRiYw8xidY51ZRgAgZqMTLHkzHhwgXoVwqaKEgqLAwvsQ/s1600/tumblr_m9xbabtyLR1qfeknio1_250.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0G6VpjHiy3w9NkQuhBppbNYTmbigmSL6GmzWE95F7HzJLln6MwwkrXTMOP7SMK3QiYa46dSCRlka05UrGI5WXTfasMVxQoRiYw8xidY51ZRgAgZqMTLHkzHhwgXoVwqaKEgqLAwvsQ/s200/tumblr_m9xbabtyLR1qfeknio1_250.gif" width="200" /></a>Pie-Eyed</i> plays like a mash-up of Chaplin’s drunken shorts. The nightclub scenes are reminiscent of <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/04/rounders-1914.html" target="_blank"><i>The Rounders</i> (1914)</a> and <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2011/02/review-night-out-1915.html" target="_blank"><i>A Night Out</i> (1915)</a>, while the street gags (especially those involving Stanley’s overcoat) in the second half of the picture are lifted from <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2010/09/review-pay-day-1922.html" target="_blank"><i>Pay Day</i> (1922)</a>. Unfortunately, none of the gags in <i>Pie-Eyed </i>are as fresh or funny as those in the earlier Chaplin shorts. What’s more, the character of a drunken lout is an ill fit for Stan Laurel. The most interesting aspect of the short is that it occasionally utilizes animation. Hand-drawn lines and stars appear on screen whenever Stan experiences a shock or blow (much like one would see in a comic strip).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYduyqJKWp001jp7QTz6SyuZQFfouCg5HAlWz8zzqhFdKYa9Y9KsvtwI5A9GinVoMnFXaTTKsx9C6_M5R0jb7vlNkn3c-lhuD64o-S-GAtOosT7ziq5OafsQe0Rv_wyhpsMSr68ZdPQ/s1600/PE+3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYduyqJKWp001jp7QTz6SyuZQFfouCg5HAlWz8zzqhFdKYa9Y9KsvtwI5A9GinVoMnFXaTTKsx9C6_M5R0jb7vlNkn3c-lhuD64o-S-GAtOosT7ziq5OafsQe0Rv_wyhpsMSr68ZdPQ/s200/PE+3.jpg" width="200" /></a>As a glimpse into Stan Laurel’s development as a comedian, <i>Pie-Eyed</i> has historic value. However, without Stan’s later achievements, there wouldn’t be much reason to revisit this unexceptional slapstick short.<br />
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<b>Drinks Consumed</b>--Wine (possibly Champagne)<br />
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<b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiXMBV_R4fAtqVB1fAmeancOgxTF719WIF9taPR4boPY9gR1UB2syX2eq2rXDrenvXmNqi5h9wquCjY2HXa0pp5lKMvX2Q8N0Hea3QGsz934QOBFIDNI28_QctqJV6VFrTYxGVN2whA/s1600/PE+4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiXMBV_R4fAtqVB1fAmeancOgxTF719WIF9taPR4boPY9gR1UB2syX2eq2rXDrenvXmNqi5h9wquCjY2HXa0pp5lKMvX2Q8N0Hea3QGsz934QOBFIDNI28_QctqJV6VFrTYxGVN2whA/s200/PE+4.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b>Intoxicating Effects</b>--Staggering, stumbling, hiccups, seeing things, harmonizing, passing out, public disturbance, bickering, <b><b><b><b><b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiXMBV_R4fAtqVB1fAmeancOgxTF719WIF9taPR4boPY9gR1UB2syX2eq2rXDrenvXmNqi5h9wquCjY2HXa0pp5lKMvX2Q8N0Hea3QGsz934QOBFIDNI28_QctqJV6VFrTYxGVN2whA/s1600/PE+4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></b></b></b></b></b></b>brawling, and bar tossed<br />
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<b><b><b><b><b><b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiXMBV_R4fAtqVB1fAmeancOgxTF719WIF9taPR4boPY9gR1UB2syX2eq2rXDrenvXmNqi5h9wquCjY2HXa0pp5lKMvX2Q8N0Hea3QGsz934QOBFIDNI28_QctqJV6VFrTYxGVN2whA/s1600/PE+4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></b></b></b></b></b></b>Potent Quotables</b>--STANLEY (after being punched by the nightclub manager): Have you anything that strong with alcohol?<br />
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<b>Video Availability</b>--This particular short is available in several video compilations, including <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016A2FHO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0016A2FHO&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The Stan Laurel Collection 2 (Slapstick Symposium) (2 disc)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0016A2FHO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0082CDGSG/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0082CDGSG&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Slapstick Encyclopedia (Image).</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0082CDGSG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> <br />
<b><br />Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--For Grade-A, booze-fueled comedy from Stanley, check out the classic Laurel and Hardy short, <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2008/01/them-thar-hills-1934.html" target="_blank"><i>Them Thar Hills</i> (1934)</a>. garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-13585866311093514032013-05-01T18:06:00.001-05:002013-05-01T18:06:42.993-05:00Booze News: When Rupert Pupkin speaks you better listen!Greetings, fellow inebriates,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNSBP5nVDsMs4yjuhtM-KkNugHS30ovXEt7ZazZnWt_Ga7st3K8rDv6E0tw3gZRJ9MBNGJegRV7_sn4CqzNrAlPUN4p8TVUFe5vqgQ0PYPdxLmvjxIAirDxRiomtt_g1DXKKvm-1c9w/s1600/rupert+pic+with+final+font+brightersmaller.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNSBP5nVDsMs4yjuhtM-KkNugHS30ovXEt7ZazZnWt_Ga7st3K8rDv6E0tw3gZRJ9MBNGJegRV7_sn4CqzNrAlPUN4p8TVUFe5vqgQ0PYPdxLmvjxIAirDxRiomtt_g1DXKKvm-1c9w/s320/rupert+pic+with+final+font+brightersmaller.jpg" width="320" /></a>This is slightly off-topic, but I wanted to make you aware that I submitted a <a href="http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/05/favorite-underrated-comedies-william.html" target="_blank">guest post</a> today for the <a href="http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>Rupert Pupkin Speaks </i></a>film blog. If you are unfamiliar with the <i>Rupert Pupkin Speaks</i> site, please take this opportunity to check it out. This phenomenal film blog is all about keeping older movies in the public consciousness. In addition to short reviews of Warner Archives releases and other unique video offerings, the site regularly features "favorite film lists" from a variety of contributors, including film bloggers and critics. I recently discovered <i>Rupert Pupkin Speaks</i>, and it has quickly become one of my favorite destinations on the Internet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQymS-qOaMJyamY1l2b2FdhZzacbCpU2m3bsfwstWVDtjzD6ad1vaFrlY2XdzeLjVIWL4x_uDq-AErNnC6AjkCXx_kVeGSC7-2tlxniJBCfUnSiVqN4x04vGx6OMUzIFy_aH39EIsmuA/s1600/morgan's+creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQymS-qOaMJyamY1l2b2FdhZzacbCpU2m3bsfwstWVDtjzD6ad1vaFrlY2XdzeLjVIWL4x_uDq-AErNnC6AjkCXx_kVeGSC7-2tlxniJBCfUnSiVqN4x04vGx6OMUzIFy_aH39EIsmuA/s320/morgan's+creek.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In recent weeks, <i>Rupert Pupkin Speaks </i>has been featuring curated lists of "Favorite Underrated Comedies." As a lover of both classic film comedy and "top ten" lists, this was a party that I just couldn't resist. And I have to admit that I enjoyed the freedom of pontificating on films that weren't necessarily alcohol-centric. Click on the link below to view my humble submission; and while you're at it, stick around to check out some of the other posts. You're sure to discover some obscure and wonderful titles that you never knew existed.<br />
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<a href="http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/05/favorite-underrated-comedies-william.html" target="_blank">Garv's post on <i>Rupert Pupkin Speaks</i></a><br />
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Cheers,<br />
garv<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNSBP5nVDsMs4yjuhtM-KkNugHS30ovXEt7ZazZnWt_Ga7st3K8rDv6E0tw3gZRJ9MBNGJegRV7_sn4CqzNrAlPUN4p8TVUFe5vqgQ0PYPdxLmvjxIAirDxRiomtt_g1DXKKvm-1c9w/s1600/rupert+pic+with+final+font+brightersmaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-8414763080997751032013-04-20T23:09:00.000-05:002013-12-05T23:02:04.902-06:00Review: Treasure Island (1990)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYCUOJ__XippkvzW2EUuCk6RwfMvklteOaQfWG7Q6pAbfWExQ8tRvpLq8XEbHNR-kxNmZ9IjtG5SRk67Shad2bmJ45LgYUEXpHFAnJ26wpZKthOpnEP4Ag4FT5w_M0f-fayJVnJ_gjg/s1600/T9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYCUOJ__XippkvzW2EUuCk6RwfMvklteOaQfWG7Q6pAbfWExQ8tRvpLq8XEbHNR-kxNmZ9IjtG5SRk67Shad2bmJ45LgYUEXpHFAnJ26wpZKthOpnEP4Ag4FT5w_M0f-fayJVnJ_gjg/s640/T9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
USA/TV/C-132m./Dir: Fraser Clarke Heston/Wr: Fraser Clarke Heston/Cast: Charlton Heston (Long John Silver), Christian Bale (Jim Hawkins), Julian Glover (Dr. Livesey), Richard Johnson (Squire Trelawney), Oliver Reed (Billy Bones), Christopher Lee (Blind Pew), Isla Blair (Mrs. Hawkins), Michael Halsey (Israel Hands), Nicholas Amer (Ben Gunn), Pete Postlethwaite (George Merry) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEJmhjDWvIWQ5lINQT02QSqfY4FWsapQLvBaG5mmDnl_u-dmqCnRfNh_xTpkekm_74JuGsRdKQArzy5ldgBakGxpxKvBU3Rv1X1UB2VqI2QNQP0u5eaJjCxL9w6Eb3Kn5ZwMQhyA_cg/s1600/TI+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEJmhjDWvIWQ5lINQT02QSqfY4FWsapQLvBaG5mmDnl_u-dmqCnRfNh_xTpkekm_74JuGsRdKQArzy5ldgBakGxpxKvBU3Rv1X1UB2VqI2QNQP0u5eaJjCxL9w6Eb3Kn5ZwMQhyA_cg/s200/TI+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
"Fifteen men on the dead man's chest--<br />
...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!<br />
Drink and the devil had done for the rest--<br />
...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!"<br />
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That little ditty, invented by Robert Louis Stevenson for his adventure novel, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057FGCR8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0057FGCR8&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Treasure Island,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0057FGCR8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>is the primary reason why we associate pirates with rum to this day. Sure, the alcoholic buccaneers featured in Stevenson’s story were not without historical precedent. Eighteenth century privateers traded rum and sailors of all sorts certainly drank it; but after the publication of <i>Treasure Island</i> it was impossible to disassociate pirates from their drink of choice. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjX9thGIsKi9wqhuMb_HapCQYk7M3_qjtSGq2l6Fe_GuM2bIAgYmFVB3ra5ABmLGxqldMIrXETANlMumbfcC0LhGVZDAlXVzrqRR-nqg4Xs0rt0Ba9P_RSx99xLirEkpkhqQ08KgYuzQ/s1600/T3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjX9thGIsKi9wqhuMb_HapCQYk7M3_qjtSGq2l6Fe_GuM2bIAgYmFVB3ra5ABmLGxqldMIrXETANlMumbfcC0LhGVZDAlXVzrqRR-nqg4Xs0rt0Ba9P_RSx99xLirEkpkhqQ08KgYuzQ/s200/T3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Rum plays a central role throughout <i>Treasure Island</i>. When ex-buccaneer Billy Bones takes lodging at the Admiral Benbow Inn, he spends his evenings swilling rum and singing the seafaring song printed above. Overindulgence in the drink leads to Bones’ death and in turn fuels the plot, as Jim Hawkins, the inn-keeper’s son, discovers a treasure map amongst the dead man’s possessions. When the boy hero takes to sea in search of pirate gold, he discovers that most of his crewmates are old shipmates of Bones with plans of mutiny, larceny, and murder. Hawkins is nearly discovered overhearing the mutineers’ plans, but his neck is saved when the pirates are distracted by their thirst for rum. Rum continues to serve as Hawkins’ ally for the remainder of the book, as the dim-witted buccaneers are defeated at nearly every turn by their weakness for the drink. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8Tzl7UJ3_N4VHNQa6Gvxi-GiW797KC2JfWv-s7XK38unq3mazUXBvU-HkE5WK8SOoxByxhTmhv6t0ErpsiX4xL-NdBJXmhDEmNsVXFlAo7Cv9OFfvk05f53tXsZzPD-k2Zv_On-c7Q/s1600/T5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8Tzl7UJ3_N4VHNQa6Gvxi-GiW797KC2JfWv-s7XK38unq3mazUXBvU-HkE5WK8SOoxByxhTmhv6t0ErpsiX4xL-NdBJXmhDEmNsVXFlAo7Cv9OFfvk05f53tXsZzPD-k2Zv_On-c7Q/s200/T5.jpg" width="200" /></a>Not only is <i>Treasure Island</i> the most important of all pirate tales; it is also the most often filmed. The story has been adapted for film and television more than fifty times, including multiple silents, iconic MGM and Disney classics, animated shorts and features, and a Muppetized version. However, the most faithful and in my opinion the best of all of the <i>Treasure Island</i> movies was a 1990 made-for-television production, produced, written, and directed by Fraser Clarke Heston (the son of the most forceful of all ham actors, Charlton Heston).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUisxgVdFCRP3ex52Majxe-F55ehbs2NCbeGXtGzVF-pfZPH8_J5qdaADGL_zEXd6a0VvLBgbE-qxZK6mUHcdn4XQX6R0U8aUnNV-C-aTBPXMstQMWvXbOcmYVzfOqDgqbqlOGSNpPA/s1600/T4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUisxgVdFCRP3ex52Majxe-F55ehbs2NCbeGXtGzVF-pfZPH8_J5qdaADGL_zEXd6a0VvLBgbE-qxZK6mUHcdn4XQX6R0U8aUnNV-C-aTBPXMstQMWvXbOcmYVzfOqDgqbqlOGSNpPA/s200/T4.jpg" width="200" /></a>Don’t let the fact that the picture was produced for basic cable stop you from seeking out Fraser Heston’s take on the oft-filmed tale. The production values are excellent (with the tall ship from the 1962 version of <i>Mutiny on the Bounty</i> standing in for the Hispanola), the cinematography is lush, and the soundtrack by The Chieftains is appropriately seaworthy. Best of all is the cast. A teenage Christian Bale makes an admirable Jim Hawkins; noted drunkard Oliver Reed is perfectly cast as the boozy Billy Bones; and Christopher Lee is wonderfully slimy as Blind Pew. Finally, in the pivotal role of Long John Silver, Heston has cast his dad. I’ve never been a big fan of the over-actor I like to call “Cheston.” However, Cheston makes one of the best movie Silvers, capturing both the ruthlessness and the folksy charm that the part requires. <br />
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Heston the younger wisely chooses not to try to improve upon a classic. The dialogue is more than 90 percent Stevenson, and the story sticks close to the text, with the exception of a few judicious cuts. Consequently, if you are a fan of the book, the 1990 movie version will be the one you'll treasure. It is a film that can be enjoyed with the whole family, or better yet with a bottle of rum.<b> </b><br />
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<b><b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtb6wPSmoxRw3_Hnax387tTlt-R6kKjNUK66RLrIvQYxJBkuDZ-7J6GeTeRMWEUiKwV2W2kMDjDQFeO_AehU9_qGReER9SkY6vPzFYtDqUb9pZSExxyW4zMT5IURERv02YNQTIXEiRA/s1600/T8.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtb6wPSmoxRw3_Hnax387tTlt-R6kKjNUK66RLrIvQYxJBkuDZ-7J6GeTeRMWEUiKwV2W2kMDjDQFeO_AehU9_qGReER9SkY6vPzFYtDqUb9pZSExxyW4zMT5IURERv02YNQTIXEiRA/s200/T8.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></b>Drinks Consumed</b>--Rum (with water and straight), port wine, and ale <br />
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<b>Intoxicating Effects</b>--Harmonizing, staggering, slurred speech, bickering, brawling, physical violence, passing out, and death<br />
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<b>Potent Quotables</b>--DR. LIVESEY (to Billy Bones): I have only one thing to say to you, sir. If you keep on drinking rum, the world will soon be quit of a very dirty scoundrel. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Video Availability</b>--<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057FGCR8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0057FGCR8&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">DVD (Warner Brothers)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0057FGCR8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<b>Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--Cheston, Oliver Reed, and Christopher Lee also co-starred in the best adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ swashbuckler with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BJODK0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003BJODK0&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974).</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003BJODK0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-82039093780741974242013-03-24T15:22:00.001-05:002013-12-05T23:25:25.263-06:00Review: Seven Psychopaths (2012)<div style="text-align: left;">
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USA/C-110m./Dir: Martin McDonagh/Wr: Martin McDonagh/Cast: Colin Farrell (Marty Faranan); Sam Rockwell (Billy Bickle); Christopher Walken (Hans Kieslowski); Woody Harrelson (Charlie Costello); Tom Waits (Zachariah Rigby); Abbie Cornish (Kaya); Linda Bright Clay (Myra); Bonny (Bonny the Shih Tzu)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0S0FtwQq6EHs-lm6fb2CooIrvUbEzl0IE4eOLcFpmSa7E-_OurEdxQnUuHmNNHLd8axODD_aM4jcFIm-NLuKFfBfSmeUSxZFWqXiDfuEEeQvUyL8FJtDKA9GAq5Y3LHCh5ZW2NcToQ/s1600/Seven-Psychopaths-2012-Movie-Title-Banner.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0S0FtwQq6EHs-lm6fb2CooIrvUbEzl0IE4eOLcFpmSa7E-_OurEdxQnUuHmNNHLd8axODD_aM4jcFIm-NLuKFfBfSmeUSxZFWqXiDfuEEeQvUyL8FJtDKA9GAq5Y3LHCh5ZW2NcToQ/s320/Seven-Psychopaths-2012-Movie-Title-Banner.jpeg" width="320" /></a>In terms of quality, 2012 was an above average year at the multiplex. Not only did it see the release of first rate films from many of the top directors working today (including <i><a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2012/09/review-master-2012.html" target="_blank">The Master</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007L6VR6M/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007L6VR6M&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Moonrise Kingdom,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007L6VR6M" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZKCU7G/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AZKCU7G&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Lincoln</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AZKCU7G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>); it also featured slyly smart and amusing popcorn pictures (such as the brilliant <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008G33O0G/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008G33O0G&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Cabin In The Woods,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008G33O0G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LAII8K/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005LAII8K&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Looper,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005LAII8K" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083SBJXS/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0083SBJXS&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The Avengers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0083SBJXS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>). Picking a “best” picture from the diverse group of well-crafted 2012 releases is a confounding task. However, if asked what was the single most blissfully entertaining movie of the year, I would respond, “<i>Seven Psychopaths</i>” without hesitation. <br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI58gZr5p93X_i6w01uavrAo7t4RVjBnUj9F3Y0L6yQ2yRc-tbRamgx2L3VGNJv312eUSpyj19OW1DADVvaKz1JhbMa5k8BMIJdyraGHuRqVoBgqL6MvYWpNCrmCW-Q4VVsZaqzoY79Q/s1600/SevenPsychopaths_Colin_Farell.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI58gZr5p93X_i6w01uavrAo7t4RVjBnUj9F3Y0L6yQ2yRc-tbRamgx2L3VGNJv312eUSpyj19OW1DADVvaKz1JhbMa5k8BMIJdyraGHuRqVoBgqL6MvYWpNCrmCW-Q4VVsZaqzoY79Q/s200/SevenPsychopaths_Colin_Farell.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007REV4PM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007REV4PM&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Seven Psychopaths</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007REV4PM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>is a feast of a movie. It stars Colin Farrell as Marty, an alcoholic screenwriter who is having difficulty with his newest script, “Seven Psychopaths”—the problem being he’s only come up with one psychopath and he’d rather spend his time drinking. Marty’s best pal, Billy (Sam Rockwell), an unemployed actor who kidnaps dogs on the side for reward money, desperately wants to help his friend finish the script, even if it means introducing Marty to real psychopaths. Things take a dark turn for Marty, Billy, and Billy’s partner in the dog kidnapping biz, Hans (Christopher Walken), when Billy kidnaps a Shih Tzu owned by demented gangster Charlie Costello (Woody Harrelson). Add to the mix a serial killer with a playing card fetish, a bunny-toting vigilante (Tom Waits), and a pissed off girlfriend (Abby Cornish), and Marty is in for one hell of a drunken ride. <br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVCZLwdOctitL_2nwc-yZO2R6sOvDMRpugJhM5G_IL3dNC066syjkyW_CBQiK6X7Ut641ZoE_7Z8830RXdloy62eeJE4TSXrmW14AcwqYxxm2ARY760JcTeCEYiiMkZhTnEUQ68VJ-A/s1600/seven-psychopaths-cbs-films08.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVCZLwdOctitL_2nwc-yZO2R6sOvDMRpugJhM5G_IL3dNC066syjkyW_CBQiK6X7Ut641ZoE_7Z8830RXdloy62eeJE4TSXrmW14AcwqYxxm2ARY760JcTeCEYiiMkZhTnEUQ68VJ-A/s200/seven-psychopaths-cbs-films08.jpg" width="200" /></a>Seven Psychopaths</i> is the type of film that is easy to dismiss as a smug writer’s exercise that is way up its own butt. Marty’s script and the movie we are watching are given the same title, so when the onscreen characters discuss Marty’s script, they are usually commenting on the movie they are in. The postmodern humor could easily become insufferable if Martin McDonagh’s screenplay wasn’t so darn smart and funny. Luckily, the playwright turned filmmaker’s follow-up to his excellent <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PMRBJA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001PMRBJA&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">In Bruges (2008)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001PMRBJA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>shows no signs of a sophomore slump.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSGvoqgbhonQcWE6jLJrrNvQAbZfuuuhC58UX_ugogGsWVGzxsMR5amVjTK2MjXVO3s3xmN4oLMwJcqA5BmlpsVFM854jXpGlMzxO9xGXlGAelQec9BW8Tdsv3LZW8vnqeRIGZ7ZIiw/s1600/seven-psychopaths05.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSGvoqgbhonQcWE6jLJrrNvQAbZfuuuhC58UX_ugogGsWVGzxsMR5amVjTK2MjXVO3s3xmN4oLMwJcqA5BmlpsVFM854jXpGlMzxO9xGXlGAelQec9BW8Tdsv3LZW8vnqeRIGZ7ZIiw/s200/seven-psychopaths05.jpg" width="200" /></a>Another thing that helps sell the challenging material is the socko cast. Colin Farrell holds together the disparate elements of the story with an anxious, witty variation on the cliché of the alky screenwriter. Christopher Walken brings both hilarity and emotional depth to the role of the pacifist of the group. It’s one of his best turns in a career of great performances. However, the real standout is Sam Rockwell as Billy. McDonagh gives the character of Billy the juiciest material, and Rockwell squeezes every bit of nectar and pulp out of it. If you’ve liked Sam Rockwell in previous movies, you’ll love him in this. It is Sam Rockwell at his Sam Rockwellest. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rxhlS7Kj5LXQB6JYaezsMt4jD97EKuF3QDaDJGWVnT7dArOUav5li269O5yMhaYFQI8zw_66RIwsx6NMc6sbv_StwexYjZg_u1c7CPsfpiKpeP5ntgcZfXd6TYDtAUpzAM98vgaPSQ/s1600/seven-psychopaths09.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rxhlS7Kj5LXQB6JYaezsMt4jD97EKuF3QDaDJGWVnT7dArOUav5li269O5yMhaYFQI8zw_66RIwsx6NMc6sbv_StwexYjZg_u1c7CPsfpiKpeP5ntgcZfXd6TYDtAUpzAM98vgaPSQ/s200/seven-psychopaths09.jpg" width="200" /></a>If the idea of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AQT0Z4/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001AQT0Z4&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Pulp Fiction (1994)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001AQT0Z4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>crossed with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KKVAHW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005KKVAHW&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Adaptation (2002)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005KKVAHW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>sounds like a good time at the movies, than you owe it to yourself to check out <i>Seven Psychopaths</i>. It is a decidedly well-mixed cocktail.<br />
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<b>Drinks Consumed</b>--White wine, margaritas, bourbon (Buffalo Trace), beer (Shiner Bock, Corona, and others), and unnamed cocktails<br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIBhVsz1V0us-d9RfaVRjFhTElvRkobMaj_OZ8DoIQIKuLdIdqq-19rObQmtYY5Wkc5uRjcDkiagcZir_aMHOtzE5B7oqpu2X7KEaV2PciLnEvpj9PbGWkR6OwTtsSDHYdCcWc_Yr2Q/s1600/seven-psychopaths06.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIBhVsz1V0us-d9RfaVRjFhTElvRkobMaj_OZ8DoIQIKuLdIdqq-19rObQmtYY5Wkc5uRjcDkiagcZir_aMHOtzE5B7oqpu2X7KEaV2PciLnEvpj9PbGWkR6OwTtsSDHYdCcWc_Yr2Q/s200/seven-psychopaths06.jpg" width="200" /></a>Intoxicating Effects</b>--Hangover, memory blackouts, bickering, swearing, physical violence, and drunk driving<br />
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<b>Potent Quotables</b>--MARTY: I don’t have a drinking problem. I just like drinking.<br />
BILLY: Of course you do, Marty. One, you’re a writer. Two, you’re from Ireland. It’s part of your heritage. You’re fucked. <br />
MARTY: Fuck off now, Billy. Seriously, just fuck off now. I’m not in the fuckin’ mood!<br />
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5hcRvT34fb5vqib9Mo5gpdU7Y1Z2ctHDJECm7DHdC6W5h7O8BgtXx6TQzzD2dZaVlIoN_EATcoY42pH7bfAq9QdFiKF79wv9Lma3X3TpAfkpnh01oM2eXhEq12bOjWjT2wsCzK5_Xg/s1600/seven-psychopaths-img08.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5hcRvT34fb5vqib9Mo5gpdU7Y1Z2ctHDJECm7DHdC6W5h7O8BgtXx6TQzzD2dZaVlIoN_EATcoY42pH7bfAq9QdFiKF79wv9Lma3X3TpAfkpnh01oM2eXhEq12bOjWjT2wsCzK5_Xg/s200/seven-psychopaths-img08.jpg" width="200" /></a></b>BILLY: You’re fucked from birth. Spanish have got bullfighting. The French got cheese. And the Irish have got alcoholism.<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Video Availability--</b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007REV4LQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007REV4LQ&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007REV4LQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007REV4PM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007REV4PM&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Blu-Ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007REV4PM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />(Sony)<br />
<b><br />Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--Colin Farrell also drowned his sorrows with liquor in Martin McDonagh’s directorial debut, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PMRBJA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001PMRBJA&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">In Bruges (2008).</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001PMRBJA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-24428681501074245782012-09-23T20:31:00.004-05:002013-12-06T22:54:28.574-06:00Review: The Master (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiEf1oQxziNpJ2DZousNJ24q7toJaf38frsuZnmcnIYw_UxG_Poyg4XX3dRZUindX0OjJPbe7HrKU3m-Jj9keAc2yU4pT_rZzG2n2lmb7W2UbOxCc3WrrdBPhj2oW3R3-1E3-VyyWxg/s1600/The-Master-11-599x303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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USA/C-137m./Dir: Paul Thomas Anderson/Wr: Paul Thomas Anderson/Cast: Joaquin Phoenix (Freddie Quell); Philip Seymour Hoffman (Lancaster Dodd); Amy Adams (Peggy Dodd); Laura Dern (Helen Sullivan); Ambyr Childers (Elizabeth Dodd); Jesse Plemons (Val Dodd); Rami Malek (Clark)<br />
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There are a handful of films that so dazzle you with the power of their images that, as you leave the theater, the world appears changed. Colors are more vibrant. Textures appear in sharper focus. You notice the composition between shapes. Your concentration is heightened. In short, you view the world as if it were a movie. Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008220DIC/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008220DIC&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The Master,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008220DIC" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>is one such film.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A19tWMyNrBmoxZoUg_QoQgxGOng6txysVj_AC8b3rLPMB6X5rZA232Vqrth-huvwncxW5RoAqeKpJQj3ikmA4cwH9XYQhKKHgwshcYm4o_i4PCgXAxBfVsLSIR5UJZTYb0DenqL33A/s1600/The_Master_Paul_Thomas_Anderson17-jp-aa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A19tWMyNrBmoxZoUg_QoQgxGOng6txysVj_AC8b3rLPMB6X5rZA232Vqrth-huvwncxW5RoAqeKpJQj3ikmA4cwH9XYQhKKHgwshcYm4o_i4PCgXAxBfVsLSIR5UJZTYb0DenqL33A/s200/The_Master_Paul_Thomas_Anderson17-jp-aa.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzc-_rfXB9cSAxYaf9Vr3yyKkUPABXPNqkruCjR3J54TUYuoeo96-5KMveIJo9cvu3hHyvlxcP6m2-F_gCnSdS7ds2moXTzKuohb4zVgbHJoiw0utAiG3dt44ZjKlLMNEOuKciFdDPZg/s1600/The-Master+1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>The story, what there is of one, centers around Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) a sex-obsessed, alcoholic World War vet, diagnosed with a “nervous condition.” After being released from the naval veteran’s hospital, Freddie loses one job due to erratic fits of anger and flees another job due to inadvertently poisoning a co-worker with his highly-potent homebrew. It is Freddie’s talent for low-budget mixology, combining ingredients such as industrial alcohol and paint thinner with fruit juice, that initially ingratiates him with Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a huckster leader of an infant scientific/religious movement (some call it a cult). Dodd sees Quell as his greatest conversion challenge, and Quell sees Dodd and his group as a respite from his wandering. However, under-the-surface Dodd and his extended family may be as tightly-wound and animalistic as Freddie. <br />
<i><br /></i><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaPlOUgHmWUvi8OQXwo4Q8d45sElxC-PXbcRUssxWGEZ029qmgdX1di46V413WxiXggO-fI9CyaW-y68towtx5W-blvay6oKdhTPJNxz80abse6Q5T3wZjm0pP9BkVx5nucrmx7bn4g/s1600/The_Master_Paul_Thomas_Anderson47.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaPlOUgHmWUvi8OQXwo4Q8d45sElxC-PXbcRUssxWGEZ029qmgdX1di46V413WxiXggO-fI9CyaW-y68towtx5W-blvay6oKdhTPJNxz80abse6Q5T3wZjm0pP9BkVx5nucrmx7bn4g/s200/The_Master_Paul_Thomas_Anderson47.png" width="200" /></a>The Master</i> is a difficult, confounding film that will leave many audiences cold. Those that aren’t turned off by Anderson’s cryptic writing and the film’s deliberate pace may well be repelled by the often sexually crude dialogue and the energy of Phoenix’s raw-nerve performance. That said, <i>The Master</i> is a work of art, and it is easily the best film of the year. Paul Thomas Anderson has yet to make a bad film, but with the one-two punch of <i>There Will Be Blood</i> and <i>The Master</i>, his work has risen to the level of that of the top rank of film artists, such as Welles, Kubrick, and Fellini.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzc-_rfXB9cSAxYaf9Vr3yyKkUPABXPNqkruCjR3J54TUYuoeo96-5KMveIJo9cvu3hHyvlxcP6m2-F_gCnSdS7ds2moXTzKuohb4zVgbHJoiw0utAiG3dt44ZjKlLMNEOuKciFdDPZg/s1600/The-Master+1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzc-_rfXB9cSAxYaf9Vr3yyKkUPABXPNqkruCjR3J54TUYuoeo96-5KMveIJo9cvu3hHyvlxcP6m2-F_gCnSdS7ds2moXTzKuohb4zVgbHJoiw0utAiG3dt44ZjKlLMNEOuKciFdDPZg/s200/The-Master+1.png" width="200" /></a>There is much to praise in this 137-minute work of art. Anderson always get the most from the actors that he works with (from Philip Baker Hall to Tom Cruise to Adam Sandler to Daniel Day-Lewis), and <i>The Master </i>contains career-topping performances from Phoenix, Hoffman, and Amy Adams. The cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. is mesmerizing, and the Jonny Greenwood's score amps us the tension without intruding on the action. The only area where one might find fault is in the lack of story, but it is hard to complain when the film is so rich in characterization. The movie will leave you with plenty to contemplate, even if you can’t quite process the narrative upon a first viewing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ekfCmgEMzJ09K5L7ypviYrSwED3HAxASsQNpbpYqKy8V_ARDbRwHonfuyFo-Vxnk79MVrKtEjQ3PDV2BscVzfleZwOLxDBldzvjdXWbFfITdgMyoJcV30K2k7PbVM5VLtqxrk-q43A/s1600/themaster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ekfCmgEMzJ09K5L7ypviYrSwED3HAxASsQNpbpYqKy8V_ARDbRwHonfuyFo-Vxnk79MVrKtEjQ3PDV2BscVzfleZwOLxDBldzvjdXWbFfITdgMyoJcV30K2k7PbVM5VLtqxrk-q43A/s200/themaster.jpg" width="200" /></a>For soused cinema enthusiasts, <i>The Master</i> is a banquet. Freddie Quell is a capital “A” alcoholic, and the film focuses loving attention on his mixology skills. Much like the Three Stooges, Freddie can concoct volcanically potent yet drinkable cocktails from the most unlikely ingredients (though he doesn’t use an old boot as a cocktail shaker). The character of Lancaster Dodd is also an inveterate tippler, but he keeps his predilections better hidden, under the watchful eye of his domineering wife. The tug of war between Quell and Dodd, two bombastic boozers, makes fascinating viewing. <br />
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<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLs6dEWQiFLg8kG3Mk3eNllsE4x0eBXgW6cxEjWSeFrpNotafuck9B8akgpCbxrv1YlD_vS3A2WVIFHhdOogvM_nw40CC8e44wghdF7RpthbnBvv4xwSw9GR09Zkzy3nrkpPEvZvnXOQ/s1600/master71720212.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLs6dEWQiFLg8kG3Mk3eNllsE4x0eBXgW6cxEjWSeFrpNotafuck9B8akgpCbxrv1YlD_vS3A2WVIFHhdOogvM_nw40CC8e44wghdF7RpthbnBvv4xwSw9GR09Zkzy3nrkpPEvZvnXOQ/s200/master71720212.png" width="200" /></a></i>Drinks Consumed</b>--Torpedo juice (180-proof grain alcohol drained from a torpedo); poisonous punch (made from a variety of liquors and paint thinner); champagne; Old Fashions, and scotch served neat <br />
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<b>Intoxicating Effects</b>--brawling, physical violence, swearing, hangover, memory blackouts, sneaking sips, harmonizing, jail time, destruction of property, and soused sex<br />
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<b><b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_IUHOghaWfDeY1x_8s43enWcyk1SSXoQBnnEFYTEpDqLaxU4Z4JajgmNr0GpzGMPVuA5NXRC4AbB7ysW603m8m_HRG23W-ib9kGPsK_NQeQxnB11c_hRnUOadVYFwRhpfE_XQ2_Ndg/s1600/THE-MASTER-2-e1345763990962.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_IUHOghaWfDeY1x_8s43enWcyk1SSXoQBnnEFYTEpDqLaxU4Z4JajgmNr0GpzGMPVuA5NXRC4AbB7ysW603m8m_HRG23W-ib9kGPsK_NQeQxnB11c_hRnUOadVYFwRhpfE_XQ2_Ndg/s200/THE-MASTER-2-e1345763990962.jpeg" width="200" /></a></b></b>Potent Quotables</b>--When asked by Dodd if Freddie’s brew is poison, Quell responds, “Not if you drink it smart.” (I’ll replace this paraphrase with the exact quote when the film is released on video.) <br />
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<b>Video Availability</b>--<i>The Master</i> is available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008220DIC/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008220DIC&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008220DIC" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008220DGE/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008220DGE&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008220DGE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />from Starz/Anchor Bay.<br />
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<b>Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) in Paul Thomas Anderson’s previous masterwork, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEBBAEU/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AEBBAEU&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">There Will Be Blood (2007),</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AEBBAEU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>is also fond of his drink. garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-47014918428179854262012-07-30T22:09:00.003-05:002013-12-06T22:58:53.242-06:00Review: A Free Soul (1931)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbbwxKXSLhyWb_22LC02tC_3B6_0KsKdd9YxT7fHyzMxa3GSD-tO-OrHLrbPh5LFExf3yo9HPy9XXGgQCkpmMLZQgp_10u1YMk9HAGX_Tm_7qOi69Cwf5C9gVy53uptgxPhszKl-SwQ/s1600/FS+0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbbwxKXSLhyWb_22LC02tC_3B6_0KsKdd9YxT7fHyzMxa3GSD-tO-OrHLrbPh5LFExf3yo9HPy9XXGgQCkpmMLZQgp_10u1YMk9HAGX_Tm_7qOi69Cwf5C9gVy53uptgxPhszKl-SwQ/s400/FS+0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVRyOiQ_3N_sbfwYgcmgVcgIxe7lb9VUEKp42c3HxnDLG6fP4P7dsnUfUwsFjXc39J4a3DOGFJehvSs2E3bj8dg2klNkJsbyzQSUal_igfSFwA4QyhsvuQP-T4smuebkagF6rwTaI_w/s1600/FS+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>USA/B&W-93m./Dir: Clarence Brown/Wr: Becky Gardiner & John Meehan, from a book by Adela Rogers St. John/Cast: Norma Shearer (Jan Ashe), Lionel Barrymore (Stephen Ashe), Clark Gable (Ace Wilfong), Leslie Howard (Dwight Winthrop), James Gleason (Eddie), and Lucy Beaumont (Grandma Ashe)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBwel9sxZJXQ-rOLOdsuoit0q-3MSjKuVtPtLGzXtrkd4y-xO4MMszAhXdXNd4hxQacqIoJLc5Q1VJ6qRBZcAJJnPC_P4Q0KpOMlWXhi7SI-L-5BqAovUwA3SYbF2uYSt0X1VwV1Rdg/s1600/FS+9.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBwel9sxZJXQ-rOLOdsuoit0q-3MSjKuVtPtLGzXtrkd4y-xO4MMszAhXdXNd4hxQacqIoJLc5Q1VJ6qRBZcAJJnPC_P4Q0KpOMlWXhi7SI-L-5BqAovUwA3SYbF2uYSt0X1VwV1Rdg/s200/FS+9.jpg" width="200" /></a>In response to a series of highly publicized Hollywood sex scandals, the U.S. film industry began a policy of self-censorship in July of 1934. Film historians have chosen to refer to movies produced between the advent of sound and the enforcement of this Motion Picture Production Code as “Pre-Code,” because these pictures often display lascivious sexuality, drug and alcohol use, intense violence, and other salacious behavior that would be unthinkable a few years later. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YRY7VC/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000YRY7VC&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">A Free Soul</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000YRY7VC" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>is a good example of a Pre-Code film, in that is flaunts frank depictions of pre-marital sex, racketeering, murder, and alcohol abuse.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMJQWE3d-aIpllsfYF67HFwamp8-wIy10xnDQyVu14QFM9y50nqmUF0YxSAU6mfJk7hruGKIOflUhw0cNEdZbG30ze139c5cIWlpv2Sz9rmwdL9Ql1wlcKM4GopHI7WZmbVmesSMTNQ/s1600/FS+4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMJQWE3d-aIpllsfYF67HFwamp8-wIy10xnDQyVu14QFM9y50nqmUF0YxSAU6mfJk7hruGKIOflUhw0cNEdZbG30ze139c5cIWlpv2Sz9rmwdL9Ql1wlcKM4GopHI7WZmbVmesSMTNQ/s200/FS+4.jpg" width="200" /></a>Lionel Barrymore and Norma Shearer star as Stephen and Jan Ashe, an alcoholic attorney and his free-thinking daughter. Ashe’s best years as a lawyer are behind him due to his drinking, but he scores a great success in his Johnny Cochran-like defense of gangster Ace Wilfong (Clark Gable). When a soused and celebratory Ashe brings Ace to a family dinner party, he unintentionally sparks a scandalous affair between Ace and his daughter. When relations between the unwed lovers sour, Jan’s former fiancé, Dwight Winthrop (Leslie Howard), takes the law into his own hands. Only the legal skills of Jan’s pickled pater can save the rash Dwight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjch3PO_mk9yevG74TyAo39eavvlBnBe2TWHrgWrBWrQplpQXzzJ4he77wrKFH54V_HkQSEVcC623el5NDkoxEPzQUk0J9BiDjMjxPoW0F-7BUZs-OSdJcNYQaSnkbVrgiiUup_SKHKag/s1600/FS+7.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjch3PO_mk9yevG74TyAo39eavvlBnBe2TWHrgWrBWrQplpQXzzJ4he77wrKFH54V_HkQSEVcC623el5NDkoxEPzQUk0J9BiDjMjxPoW0F-7BUZs-OSdJcNYQaSnkbVrgiiUup_SKHKag/s200/FS+7.jpg" width="200" /></a>Time has blunted the shock value of this moldy melodrama. The immodest suggestion of sex between Shearer and Gable (She went to his apartment and stayed—<i>GASP!</i>) is pretty tame by today’s standards. The depiction of Barrymore’s alcoholism, while frank for the period, is also not alarming in the eyes of present-day audiences. However, what do retain the power to shock are Norma Shearer’s costumes (or lack thereof). In particular, she wears a thin, slip-like dress to a family dinner party and to Gable’s apartment afterwards that clings to her body in a most immodest way, making it obvious that nothing is worn underneath. The nightgown is more indecent than anything Jean Harlow wore onscreen during the same era. Based upon this dress alone, the movie would have a hard time obtaining a PG-13 rating today.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQX_AnsYOgaxSSy7a7JDYpEljftd8fHXDoC1ysJgN6wjSEQ_Ty4F7L13VbW9tdo6eY-1fEjt1DnGaHPgsCGQGjyzPVjivI8zlQAI6FKNqUVgMazVa7oWIktm5uben1MXZ2EUAtkbjCVw/s1600/FS+2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQX_AnsYOgaxSSy7a7JDYpEljftd8fHXDoC1ysJgN6wjSEQ_Ty4F7L13VbW9tdo6eY-1fEjt1DnGaHPgsCGQGjyzPVjivI8zlQAI6FKNqUVgMazVa7oWIktm5uben1MXZ2EUAtkbjCVw/s200/FS+2.jpg" width="200" /></a>While the sudsy story doesn’t hold up well, <i>A Free Soul</i> holds a special place in film history for a few reasons. Firstly, Lionel Barrymore won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as the alky attorney, beginning a tradition of awards going hand-in-hand with portrayals of dipsomaniacs struggling against their obsession with the bottle. More importantly, Clark Gable made such an impression in his supporting turn in <i>A Free Soul </i>that it catapulted him to leading man status, where he soon proved to be the 1930s’ top male sex symbol. Finally, the first pairing of Gable and Howard is sure to draw interest from fans of <i>Gone with the Wind</i> (Norma Shearer was also one of the many actress considered for the role of Scarlett).<br />
<i><br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3FZe3Vqx2V6dha5E8jDB5goyso9Ua2o1hDp9O6fkn54geL4aF2ksYqOLpxLVYgkj9G2zCi4pR9xcHmrxqi0OuGqN_3n2jnAoFyQ5A_4UBz9AgvscqbFovOoirOuJUjigHQ9_-_q8ww/s1600/FS+6.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3FZe3Vqx2V6dha5E8jDB5goyso9Ua2o1hDp9O6fkn54geL4aF2ksYqOLpxLVYgkj9G2zCi4pR9xcHmrxqi0OuGqN_3n2jnAoFyQ5A_4UBz9AgvscqbFovOoirOuJUjigHQ9_-_q8ww/s200/FS+6.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>A Free Soul</i> is not great drama, but general audiences will find it worth their time based upon Norma Shearer's costume choices and Barrymore’s boozing. Of course, for fans of Pre-Code flicks, it is more or less essential viewing. <br />
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<b>Drinks Consumed</b>--Champagne, gin martinis, whisky and soda, and unnamed liquor<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwim-eTLvSKK53xQs5k5r7jDoIEyHFCGTadROKIQud0qZQHdEnOpiYJ69Pix4qUNPEmybXUEWxv8kkc50iUO2Hu8M3Aypp6UKcQjxReE1NY44aVlnZYYF6yk9aZwYEYmCQsUYbXLxhg/s1600/FS+10.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVRyOiQ_3N_sbfwYgcmgVcgIxe7lb9VUEKp42c3HxnDLG6fP4P7dsnUfUwsFjXc39J4a3DOGFJehvSs2E3bj8dg2klNkJsbyzQSUal_igfSFwA4QyhsvuQP-T4smuebkagF6rwTaI_w/s1600/FS+3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVRyOiQ_3N_sbfwYgcmgVcgIxe7lb9VUEKp42c3HxnDLG6fP4P7dsnUfUwsFjXc39J4a3DOGFJehvSs2E3bj8dg2klNkJsbyzQSUal_igfSFwA4QyhsvuQP-T4smuebkagF6rwTaI_w/s200/FS+3.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Intoxicating Effects</b>--Sneaking sips, slurred speech, hiccups, staggering, stumbling, bickering, and bar tossed<br />
<b><br />Potent Quotables-</b>-JAN: Tell me, Eddie. Has he been drinking?<br />
EDDIE: Well…<br />
JAN: A lot?<br />
EDDIE: Well, it wouldn’t be a lot for a camel or one of them things. <br />
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<b>Video Availability</b>--A Free Soul is available on DVD as a part of the <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YRY7VC/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000YRY7VC&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection Vol. 2</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000YRY7VC" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>(Warner Home Video).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwim-eTLvSKK53xQs5k5r7jDoIEyHFCGTadROKIQud0qZQHdEnOpiYJ69Pix4qUNPEmybXUEWxv8kkc50iUO2Hu8M3Aypp6UKcQjxReE1NY44aVlnZYYF6yk9aZwYEYmCQsUYbXLxhg/s1600/FS+10.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwim-eTLvSKK53xQs5k5r7jDoIEyHFCGTadROKIQud0qZQHdEnOpiYJ69Pix4qUNPEmybXUEWxv8kkc50iUO2Hu8M3Aypp6UKcQjxReE1NY44aVlnZYYF6yk9aZwYEYmCQsUYbXLxhg/s200/FS+10.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--For a more modern tale of a lawyer struggling with alcoholism, check out <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2009/08/review-verdict-1982.html" target="_blank"><i>The Verdict</i> (1982)</a>, featuring Paul Newman at his finest. <br />
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<a href="http://www.classicflix.com/product_info.php?ref=27&products_id=6412&affiliate_banner_id=1" target="_blank">Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 2 (The Divorcee / A Free Soul / Three on a Match / Female / Night Nurse / Pre-Code Documentary)</a>garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-78928979269221850832012-07-14T00:27:00.000-05:002012-07-14T00:27:35.987-05:00Booze News: More W.C. on DVD and Pegg/Frost Pub Crawl Film Greenlit<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwQ86JamSaZ4-6ODhwU0dx5DfQ8izSyjctYZxMf9myCrtxU5To3SjdG2T71_FzJffw3br15efmcKLESu6_9DctwGPnWUNvAb7QdMRPD26XT-NJZUTBDkQ-bubg5cRH99Og6MnlTj7EA/s1600/milliondollarlegsavi000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwQ86JamSaZ4-6ODhwU0dx5DfQ8izSyjctYZxMf9myCrtxU5To3SjdG2T71_FzJffw3br15efmcKLESu6_9DctwGPnWUNvAb7QdMRPD26XT-NJZUTBDkQ-bubg5cRH99Og6MnlTj7EA/s200/milliondollarlegsavi000.jpg" width="200" /></a>Greetings, fellow inebriates,<br />
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Here at Booze Movies, we consider W.C. Fields our patron saint; so any new video release from the Great Man's filmography is a cause for celebration. Consequently, I'm delighted to announce that Field's most surreal film, <i>Million Dollar Legs </i>(1932), will make its U.S. DVD debut on August 6th as part of the Turner Classic Movies and Universal box set <a href="http://mshop.tcm.com/detail.php?p=372905&v=tcm_vault-collection_coming-soon" target="_blank">1930's Rarities</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu9ZS5xBJa8jHvRj1eEwUgnfs2CIW_PghTeRrlL32DXGGalPpnnGrqLKUxG73JnCvMowR1g147ln24Pog_JH0lN6RVxNJhFGBEZhAh7DgfycFVGsEhTd45KHgVG9Q7NYM1HxYU0qhjQ/s1600/MillionDollarLegs_armwrestle.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu9ZS5xBJa8jHvRj1eEwUgnfs2CIW_PghTeRrlL32DXGGalPpnnGrqLKUxG73JnCvMowR1g147ln24Pog_JH0lN6RVxNJhFGBEZhAh7DgfycFVGsEhTd45KHgVG9Q7NYM1HxYU0qhjQ/s200/MillionDollarLegs_armwrestle.png" width="200" /></a><i>Million Dollar Legs</i> was only Fields' second sound feature, and Hollywood had not quite figured out how to showcase the talents of its greatest screen comedian. W.C.'s role is secondary to the amiable but lesser comic actor Jack Oakie, and it is a rare role in which the Great Man does imbibe or even discuss demon alcohol. Still, I greatly encourage soused cinema enthusiasts to seek out <i>Million Dollar Legs</i>, because the film is hilariously loony, and the Great Man makes the most of every second he's given to perform.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCjnH5uAX75ipiHlCUe04MhEO3VXRKChfAC2FgG5CXDR9blOB-rEQJ7_SqBQVxLhelOk5_UP_4r4GgEmpwP-qx6y-7xGB6xBzEOdUwRJ4E9Ai-eTxFWLj3IBAV1BTIWM7JMebfpJ8KQ/s1600/1930's+Rarities.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCjnH5uAX75ipiHlCUe04MhEO3VXRKChfAC2FgG5CXDR9blOB-rEQJ7_SqBQVxLhelOk5_UP_4r4GgEmpwP-qx6y-7xGB6xBzEOdUwRJ4E9Ai-eTxFWLj3IBAV1BTIWM7JMebfpJ8KQ/s200/1930's+Rarities.jpg" width="151" /></a>The movie is more akin to the comic insanity of the Marx Brothers' <i>Duck Soup</i> (1933) than to most of W.C. Fields' later work (although <i><a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/04/never-give-sucker-even-break-1941.html" target="_blank">Never Give a Sucker an Even Break</a> </i>shares a similar surrealist streak). The story takes place in Klopstokia, a small country populated by impossibly talented athletes (almost all named either George or Angela). Fields is the President, a post determined by arm wrestling matches. The nonsensical plot involves anarchists, spies, goats, the 1932 Olympics, and attempts to sing an old Klopstockian love song. If you like bizarre humor, this is the film for you.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9N6HxUcaBk2HeubOw8NA9nWaNHAgjABJeCbEWOAcpDCQ2g-1FIr5KSYFTfGVkhWoeEDagYXftfUWZfoxHjPB9jCD6InZ6Q8fvsFE8S22yteE2Wg4RcvuJ84YKHIW4gjV6XFtP1yLlw/s1600/theworldsendposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9N6HxUcaBk2HeubOw8NA9nWaNHAgjABJeCbEWOAcpDCQ2g-1FIr5KSYFTfGVkhWoeEDagYXftfUWZfoxHjPB9jCD6InZ6Q8fvsFE8S22yteE2Wg4RcvuJ84YKHIW4gjV6XFtP1yLlw/s320/theworldsendposter.jpg" width="217" /></a><br />
The DVD box set also includes three other sought-after 1930's flicks:<br />
<ul>
<li>Mae West's <i>Belle of the Nineties</i> (1934)</li>
<li>Jack Benny's <i>Artists and Models</i> (1937)</li>
<li>Gary Cooper's <i>Souls at Sea</i> (1937) </li>
</ul>
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In other booze news -- <br />
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<a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2012/05/news-pub-crawl-film-coming-from-edgar.html" target="_blank"><i>The World's End</i></a>, Edgar Wright's pub crawl film starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost has been officially greenlit (an outcome that was never really in doubt). Although the film won't begin shooting until fall, a teaser poster has already been released. You can check it out to the left. It seems very appropriate for a film about a pub crawl.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
garvgarvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-65870643723757262832012-06-10T02:06:00.000-05:002013-12-06T23:09:07.815-06:00Review: Fat City (1972)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sVXhoiS0BPA" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaP6LE5QGfWAosZ-Vfj0j3SpzZoH2E1HrGC1BGTdQ0_lR8SrQTNZdLTATAR1qIggaG1_iHKNNrq3yczkfD4Ok58_XthlRmNg8Vv8BdGbCgwuPZORPGfbA9JiHvDl7k8FOeWxN3wHIPA/s1600/fc12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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USA/C-100m./Dir: John Huston/Wr: Leonard Gardner/Cast: Stacey Keach (Billy Tully), Jeff Bridges (Ernie Munger), Susan Tyrrell (Oma), Nicholas Colasanto (Ruben), Candy Clark (Faye), Art Aragon (Babe), Curtis Cokes (Earl)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYOhkeN09sftvMov4jEeEHU9aqjfkr2QcRxAyns09pzZihs4QeWw3d8aSHyit2XlM2SpFMW190_sbVRVb-Kdzg_uORmNe7WaK1Ll3GjLTlWmoH3lJc9kYR52l1709uvOuBxKFKv3E1g/s1600/Fat+City+Poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYOhkeN09sftvMov4jEeEHU9aqjfkr2QcRxAyns09pzZihs4QeWw3d8aSHyit2XlM2SpFMW190_sbVRVb-Kdzg_uORmNe7WaK1Ll3GjLTlWmoH3lJc9kYR52l1709uvOuBxKFKv3E1g/s320/Fat+City+Poster.jpg" width="210" /></a>“Just when you get started, your life makes a beeline for the drain.” – Tully (Stacy Keach) in <i>Fat City </i>(1972)<br />
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So many exceptional films were lensed in the 1970s that several of the decade’s releases that were merely very good have been forgotten with the passing of time. <i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0074JOWBS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0074JOWBS&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Fat City</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0074JOWBS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>is one such movie. Celebrated in 1972 as a late career return-to-form by director John Huston after a series of critical and box office bombs, this slice-of-life drama about boxing, boozing, and broken dreams is rarely mentioned in discussions of 70’s films or of Huston’s filmography. While <i>Fat City</i> doesn’t stand as tall Huston’s best--<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0020MMRC0/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0020MMRC0&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The Maltese Falcon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0020MMRC0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P829VY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001P829VY&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">The Treasure of the Sierra Madre</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001P829VY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>for example--it deserves to be better remembered than it is. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKmkCVnFLAE7oD9kkxps-lV02oktjMbjPBNLqYyVJMFKv5R6JzsSsjJSMNL4nrjKgouyABabLos0m5W1yyxkhww7mvRx9__o4il_RSoqgXPRvz259gePLoX3URV0mzE7aXgo-llwbNg/s1600/fat-city-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKmkCVnFLAE7oD9kkxps-lV02oktjMbjPBNLqYyVJMFKv5R6JzsSsjJSMNL4nrjKgouyABabLos0m5W1yyxkhww7mvRx9__o4il_RSoqgXPRvz259gePLoX3URV0mzE7aXgo-llwbNg/s200/fat-city-1.jpg" width="200" /></a>Adapted from a novel of the same name, <i>Fat City</i> tells the story of two low-stakes prizefighters as they drift, drink, and dream the Stockton, California area. Stacey Keach, sans mustache, stars as Billy Tully, a retired boxer nearing thirty. Tully dreams of getting another shot at glory in the ring, but he spends most of his time in dive bars getting loaded and blaming other people for the disappointments in his life. During one of Tully’s few attempts to work out, he spars with Ernie Munger (Jeff Bridges), a young, low-talent amateur. The older fighter sees potential in the kid and talks him into training with his old manager, Ruben (Nicholas Colasanto). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUai9mJbki9lYZSYz-lhfMeZ_weLxOoI6qksipMkD2bHOoURUVGM1EOef8ywiQ8UDC8EVgEj7Y_Nl_MWAqekcxHKMXlpY1zAqGoYdn1oPILzh6rytnV64Ei91zGprJLi6KZq8VFf2hg/s1600/fc11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUai9mJbki9lYZSYz-lhfMeZ_weLxOoI6qksipMkD2bHOoURUVGM1EOef8ywiQ8UDC8EVgEj7Y_Nl_MWAqekcxHKMXlpY1zAqGoYdn1oPILzh6rytnV64Ei91zGprJLi6KZq8VFf2hg/s200/fc11.jpg" width="200" /></a>While Ruben tries to shape the up-and-comer into a prizefighter, Tully sidles back to the bar and into the arms of another alky, Oma (Susan Tyrrell). Tully shacks up with Oma and picks crops to finance their juicehead lifestyle, but he can’t shake his pugilistic dreams. Meanwhile, Munger has had disappointments of his own, and he also has to turn to day labor to pay the bills. When the two former fighters encounter each other on a migrant farm gig, they decide to give boxing one last try.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaP6LE5QGfWAosZ-Vfj0j3SpzZoH2E1HrGC1BGTdQ0_lR8SrQTNZdLTATAR1qIggaG1_iHKNNrq3yczkfD4Ok58_XthlRmNg8Vv8BdGbCgwuPZORPGfbA9JiHvDl7k8FOeWxN3wHIPA/s1600/fc12.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaP6LE5QGfWAosZ-Vfj0j3SpzZoH2E1HrGC1BGTdQ0_lR8SrQTNZdLTATAR1qIggaG1_iHKNNrq3yczkfD4Ok58_XthlRmNg8Vv8BdGbCgwuPZORPGfbA9JiHvDl7k8FOeWxN3wHIPA/s200/fc12.jpg" width="200" /></a>If you’re looking for an uplifting underdog story, you best look elsewhere. From <i>Fat City</i>’s opening sequence, set to Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make it Through the Night,” a mood of melancholy hangs over the movie. Before the fighters step into the ring, their downfall is more or less assured. In truth, despite a few well-filmed prizefights, <i>Fat City</i> really isn’t a sports movie. It’s a slice of life drama about pipe dreams, self-delusion, and alcoholism--much closer to <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2008/01/iceman-cometh-1973.html" target="_blank"><i>The Iceman Cometh</i></a> than <i>Rocky</i>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNS7CFauuJthcpNXBMhv9gJxbhEI0iLzkFtP5PfCwjQxQ9G2Bbxa6vNJ_yobSqrholvIMxtSTbLTWzXkRQnRlNFZU1UCT-cInSIlG2HMtCcCacEwlomTpIROG9wVLYsNVeMsHJKIBagw/s1600/Fatcityimage.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNS7CFauuJthcpNXBMhv9gJxbhEI0iLzkFtP5PfCwjQxQ9G2Bbxa6vNJ_yobSqrholvIMxtSTbLTWzXkRQnRlNFZU1UCT-cInSIlG2HMtCcCacEwlomTpIROG9wVLYsNVeMsHJKIBagw/s200/Fatcityimage.jpg" width="200" /></a>Still, <i>Fat City</i> is not nearly as depressing as it may sound. The film has a sly, sometimes brutal sense of humor, which comes across most prominently in the scenes depicting the turbulent, liquor-fueled relationship between Tully and Oma (which may remind soused cinema enthusiasts of the central relationship in <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/01/barfly-1987.html" target="_blank"><i>Barfly</i></a>). Actually, Susan Tyrell’s performance as Oma is the real standout of the picture (although Keach is no slouch). Never has an actor portrayed an irrational dipsomaniac with more truth and humor. Her performance is nothing short of mesmerizing and is reason enough to seek out the film.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyQlxmLCxAbUnrnqqs6IV6XfhXq08VDLvFUdKI8hsowmmZQVeu1xr_j7BrFVS3Mba_GFS4vQ3mCiG77XmTBEqxA4ZHjNRjQGZAG0BeF7O4fiqggk5QQW1G8G3yWJnNTMQty6R7bRgFQ/s1600/51YBckyFFdL._SX500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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<i>Fat City</i> is worth a rediscovery. You'll be glad you sampled John Huston's late-career concoction.<b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyQlxmLCxAbUnrnqqs6IV6XfhXq08VDLvFUdKI8hsowmmZQVeu1xr_j7BrFVS3Mba_GFS4vQ3mCiG77XmTBEqxA4ZHjNRjQGZAG0BeF7O4fiqggk5QQW1G8G3yWJnNTMQty6R7bRgFQ/s1600/51YBckyFFdL._SX500_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyQlxmLCxAbUnrnqqs6IV6XfhXq08VDLvFUdKI8hsowmmZQVeu1xr_j7BrFVS3Mba_GFS4vQ3mCiG77XmTBEqxA4ZHjNRjQGZAG0BeF7O4fiqggk5QQW1G8G3yWJnNTMQty6R7bRgFQ/s320/51YBckyFFdL._SX500_.jpg" width="212" /></a><b>Drinks Consumed</b>—Beer, sherry, whiskey, and unnamed liquor<br />
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<b>Intoxicating Effects</b>—Sneaking sips, slurred speech, stumbling, belching, boasting, bickering, and public disturbance<br />
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<b>Potent Quotables</b>—EARL: The thing you’ve got to understand about her--she’s a juicehead. <br />
TULLY: I know. She won’t eat either.<br />
EARL: Yeah. That’s on account of her unhappy life and all that shit. Nothin’ I can do about that, so I don’t let it worry me none.<br />
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<b>Video Availability</b>--<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0074JOWBS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0074JOWBS&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">DVD (Sony)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0074JOWBS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<b>Similarly Sauced Cinema</b>--John Huston took on the subject of alcoholism again with another literary adaptation, <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/12/under-volcano-1984.html" target="_blank"><i>Under the Volcano</i> (1984)</a>.garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-51481127442893987542012-05-12T11:46:00.001-05:002012-06-09T18:44:12.892-05:00Booze News: Pub crawl film coming from Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZO2ubgUCgJdsx3ZJdTqEko8MQF5ph6I7k-gIy2OlSrRomTCeBrI28S2eR1H-OJC6AGNIUcBXZmbOxjGx3Fz1ogjb2oJ1Ev_TFbYkda911bofVuTKZk_xng2dX_kg0MHnnvy6mF_V9g/s1600/theworldsend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZO2ubgUCgJdsx3ZJdTqEko8MQF5ph6I7k-gIy2OlSrRomTCeBrI28S2eR1H-OJC6AGNIUcBXZmbOxjGx3Fz1ogjb2oJ1Ev_TFbYkda911bofVuTKZk_xng2dX_kg0MHnnvy6mF_V9g/s320/theworldsend.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
The team that brought us <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/04/shaun-of-dead-2004.html"><i>Shaun of the Dead</i></a> and <i>Hot Fuzz</i> are set to begin filming their third collaboration in September. Once again, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will star, and Wright will direct from a script he co-wrote with Pegg. <i> </i><br />
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<i>The World's End</i> will tell the story about a pub crawl that may coincide with something larger. Here's the description, as reported by <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/working-title-and-edgar-wright-plan-september-start-for-the-worlds-end/">Deadline.com</a>:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends
reunite when one of them becomes hell bent on trying the drinking
marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by mate Gary King,
a 40-year old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags
his reluctant pals to their home town and once again attempts to reach
the fabled pub, The World’s End. As they attempt to reconcile the past
and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just
theirs but humankind’s. Reaching The World’s End is the least of their
worries.</blockquote>
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As a huge fan of both <i>Shaun</i> and <i>Fuzz</i>, I can't wait. If the previous two films are any indication, there will be laughs and boozing a'plenty.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
garvgarvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-60291717192866393552012-04-14T17:50:00.009-05:002013-12-06T23:16:39.937-06:00Review: On the Bowery (1957)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CHuYXEwCk_U" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEo6CNgo0Q-JQo63GiMIvjU2XxmTrBH24CyIRC0gST88jIIebf0-6GoU-dBvoy-aotcPsl2rarYWkQMk2IRoDp-haMVcKNSveCImEealIfJ6T0Aptvs1GhIb_7IgFH-tVUNn5WXpKLhw/s1600/OnTheBoweryDVD_grande.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731738106879183810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEo6CNgo0Q-JQo63GiMIvjU2XxmTrBH24CyIRC0gST88jIIebf0-6GoU-dBvoy-aotcPsl2rarYWkQMk2IRoDp-haMVcKNSveCImEealIfJ6T0Aptvs1GhIb_7IgFH-tVUNn5WXpKLhw/s200/OnTheBoweryDVD_grande.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 182px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 129px;" /></a>USA/B&W-65m./Dir: Lionel Rogosin/Wr: Richard Bagley, Lionel Rogosin, & Mark Sufrin /Cast: Ray Salyer (Himself), Gorman Hendricks (Himself), Frank Matthews (Himself)<br />
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Alcoholism has never been captured with a more unflinchingly eye than in Lionel Rogosin’s 1957 semi-documentary, <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Z3EB34/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005Z3EB34&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">On The Bowery.</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005Z3EB34" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span> The film was nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar and was awarded the BAFTA in the same category, but it is not a true documentary in the traditional sense. It is a mixture of narrative scenes combined with cinema vérité footage that combine to give an illusion of reality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglulVfAWKBzkKtT9rjllUQkVBD6Qom2xNSCglSEru4As-i3ovFigTLkLC-cjqWLNgIvuzgRtCH81RC02mu6oRPkn36h8JPHzccv5ORHsXA-NOAlNG3it8D1fNEjsE73ZjS-sG6e2o49g/s1600/OntheBowery03.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731738105735990178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglulVfAWKBzkKtT9rjllUQkVBD6Qom2xNSCglSEru4As-i3ovFigTLkLC-cjqWLNgIvuzgRtCH81RC02mu6oRPkn36h8JPHzccv5ORHsXA-NOAlNG3it8D1fNEjsE73ZjS-sG6e2o49g/s200/OntheBowery03.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 150px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>Director Lionel Rogosin came upon the style for the film after many false starts. Determined to depict life in all its seedy reality, he hung out for many months with the stumblebums and stewpots of New York’s skid row neighborhood, commonly referred to as the Bowery. There he befriended a wasted old alcoholic by the name of Gorman Hendricks, who gave Rogosin a guided tour of the city’s underbelly. Once Rogosin felt familiar with the way of life of the Bowery’s forgotten men, he began filming with a hidden camera, but the results were lacking. He then employed a professional film crew, but he was once again unsatisfied with the results.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdqtaJXP9Vp8kGUNmjfKRcSe2h0pHxCLt3ice4r-zDW0DPHD-1N8a0kAbnW7LpjaD3jO5SROkp0rbz2FrPhzuXL6bQW9cYMtA96wkadbueRn1K3FB4de2t-hh-DmU-eqbApMVsx8mIg/s1600/OTB+6.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731738371620584322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdqtaJXP9Vp8kGUNmjfKRcSe2h0pHxCLt3ice4r-zDW0DPHD-1N8a0kAbnW7LpjaD3jO5SROkp0rbz2FrPhzuXL6bQW9cYMtA96wkadbueRn1K3FB4de2t-hh-DmU-eqbApMVsx8mIg/s200/OTB+6.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 154px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>Rogosin’s breakthrough came after meeting writer Mark Sufrin and cinematographer Dick Bagley in Greenwich Village’s White Horse Tavern. The pair was intrigued with Rogosin’s idea, and together they came up with a plan that would create a truthful portrait of the denizens of skid row. They began filming with no story in mind, and then worked up a simple script outline to hold the film together. The staged scenes allowed Gorman and the other homeless Bowery men to improvise using their own language, while keeping the film from deteriorating into a series of directionless vignettes. The narrative scenes were then mixed with documentary footage to put them in context of the larger reality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEuqDSUkWY70ziT4AmMVtyWLqRDaofrfBDvVFVWVLiuO002PzqJRM3ZeikjVqeZX6L7X2Q4qwZLK1xVqBufrfMBD-muZE5q_O6p8pxo9tf72TbTOPITCX7xGECxIfzBN_cO9kzwTLwQ/s1600/OTB+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731738115280551362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEuqDSUkWY70ziT4AmMVtyWLqRDaofrfBDvVFVWVLiuO002PzqJRM3ZeikjVqeZX6L7X2Q4qwZLK1xVqBufrfMBD-muZE5q_O6p8pxo9tf72TbTOPITCX7xGECxIfzBN_cO9kzwTLwQ/s200/OTB+2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 154px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>The film tells the story of drifter, Ray Salyer, who enters the Bowery with a suitcase and a few bucks in his pocket from working on the railroad. He wanders into the Confidence Bar and Grill, where a group of withered alcoholics help him spend his money on beer and port wine. When his cash has depleted, the drunks move along to look for another mark, but an old man, Gorman Hendricks, sticks around to tell Ray where he can trade some clothes for enough scratch for another drink and a flop. After selling a pair of pants, Gorman gets Ray drunk with the earnings, and the newbie passes out in the street. Gorman then steals Ray’s valise and uses it as collateral to get a hotel room for himself. That begins three days of hell on the Bowery, in which Ray will encounter day labor, sermonizing, debauchery, and physical violence.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9BZ_kNbsKrGJQYzAQwLvSPq7fLM8fKaZ73qk7cSCVj7PTlP3bJorMzZnS0Gcdl0vbhkkjVuI1YMl-bfI7-qnypdctlW7p1dJuYIxpTkMe3CgLarTsppWWupeD7wftBK9bP2ZTHUmeA/s1600/OTB+5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731738368028641410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9BZ_kNbsKrGJQYzAQwLvSPq7fLM8fKaZ73qk7cSCVj7PTlP3bJorMzZnS0Gcdl0vbhkkjVuI1YMl-bfI7-qnypdctlW7p1dJuYIxpTkMe3CgLarTsppWWupeD7wftBK9bP2ZTHUmeA/s200/OTB+5.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 154px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>Rogosin’s uncompromising portrait of men dedicated to their alcoholism is very slight in terms of story; and if watched as a narrative film, it can come across as slow-moving, saggy, and predictable. However, if viewed as a document of a time and place, <span style="font-style: italic;">On the Bowery</span> is fascinating. The black and white photography is striking and has a harsh, unforgiving beauty. The movie is like a Weegee crime photograph come to life, and is best watched like one would view a photography exhibit in an art gallery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-iTKczuOqz7WHszI-dSK78MHGDjM7ZRw-cwR4_SEuDT-GZj1ucjeYaQmJ1_-6kGYkiG0T8OM94fRuS_98VISOg4IgkqIsQZzzBIEDN3clHpm3bdcXzfXzSISJP6ELHnOMhWse62OrTg/s1600/OTB+4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731738362604436194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-iTKczuOqz7WHszI-dSK78MHGDjM7ZRw-cwR4_SEuDT-GZj1ucjeYaQmJ1_-6kGYkiG0T8OM94fRuS_98VISOg4IgkqIsQZzzBIEDN3clHpm3bdcXzfXzSISJP6ELHnOMhWse62OrTg/s200/OTB+4.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 154px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">On the Bowery</span> was a highly influential film that played a significant part in the independent film movement. John Cassavetes often sighted Rogosin as a major influence on his work. Unfortunately, the film did not do as much to help the men on which it focused. Gorman Hendricks died shortly after the film was released. Ray Salyer was offered a Hollywood contract based upon his performance in <span style="font-style: italic;">On the Bowery</span>, but he turned it down, preferring to dedicate himself to his boozing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93Gf4n7D-dTYg-1O8a266hSQk1FzEYvhyaJ58XcRNffQJj_QKpOlwPFn-_xcLQ7GR-mTKm3z7BgeEG1Xo224FNf2GZkATeBeDyGp9Th1GNtkcFsdRK8FlectZTJYaSXI1yj3DwSsDOA/s1600/OTB+3.jpg"></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Drinks Consumed</span>--Wine (muscatel and port), beer, gin, and other unnamed liquors<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93Gf4n7D-dTYg-1O8a266hSQk1FzEYvhyaJ58XcRNffQJj_QKpOlwPFn-_xcLQ7GR-mTKm3z7BgeEG1Xo224FNf2GZkATeBeDyGp9Th1GNtkcFsdRK8FlectZTJYaSXI1yj3DwSsDOA/s1600/OTB+3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731738124474613970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93Gf4n7D-dTYg-1O8a266hSQk1FzEYvhyaJ58XcRNffQJj_QKpOlwPFn-_xcLQ7GR-mTKm3z7BgeEG1Xo224FNf2GZkATeBeDyGp9Th1GNtkcFsdRK8FlectZTJYaSXI1yj3DwSsDOA/s200/OTB+3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 153px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">ntoxicating Effects</span>--Staggering, slurred speech, bickering, brawling, public disturbance, jail time, boasting, passing out, the shakes, harmonizing, and bar tossed<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Potent Quotables</span>--RAY: These guys sure took off. Didn’t they?<br />
GORMAN: Sure. They didn’t see any more in evidence, so naturally, they’re gonna go.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-ccs-5e1FIfdJ0QaPI0WXz9KFIhx_RCY2iLNVUqweOk4kRi9qPGyET9zmvoP31ObShMxAsj-TceG3ZtSymDUYhvx4pA3Mg9oKNI7Te9LQUZiv7oa18bcCDmXTqkzsehpJo7DYqg3nQ/s1600/OTB+1.jpg"></a>RAY: Anything for a drink, huh?<br />
GORMAN: Yeah. I reckon.<br />
RAY: Ah, well. That’s the way it goes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-ccs-5e1FIfdJ0QaPI0WXz9KFIhx_RCY2iLNVUqweOk4kRi9qPGyET9zmvoP31ObShMxAsj-TceG3ZtSymDUYhvx4pA3Mg9oKNI7Te9LQUZiv7oa18bcCDmXTqkzsehpJo7DYqg3nQ/s1600/OTB+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731738111034328594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-ccs-5e1FIfdJ0QaPI0WXz9KFIhx_RCY2iLNVUqweOk4kRi9qPGyET9zmvoP31ObShMxAsj-TceG3ZtSymDUYhvx4pA3Mg9oKNI7Te9LQUZiv7oa18bcCDmXTqkzsehpJo7DYqg3nQ/s200/OTB+1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 154px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>GORMAN: Well, that’s the bowery for ya.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Video Availability</span>--<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Z3EAYE/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005Z3EAYE&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005Z3EAYE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Z3EB34/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005Z3EB34&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005Z3EB34" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />(Milestone Films)<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Similarly Sauced Cinema</span>--Barbet Schroeder glorified drunken stumblebums in <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2007/01/barfly-1987.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Barfly</span> (1987)</a>.garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443179676076724.post-49138093331132652382012-03-19T12:13:00.010-05:002013-12-06T23:22:01.610-06:00Review: Young Adult (2011)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ar_-v7dEEoo" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDawx83CkIig9_ZN74dboPtAKz-p_W7vXg3LA2USr-bY6uSwoq4KZ2-53-IYG9-f6YNFtVEVrDoYz-50-_OuYHHgHU-VM444fFZZqtc_kVccMrRVysTTax_arHj34RJhKfFrcDGYsnMQ/s1600/young-adult-poster+1.jpg"></a>USA/C-94m./Dir: Jason Reitman/Wr: Diablo Cody/Cast: Charlize Theron (Mavis Gary), Patton Oswalt (Matt Freehauf), Patrick Wilson (Buddy Slade), Elizabeth Reaser (Beth Slade), Collette Wolfe (Sandra Freehauf), Jill Eikenberry (Hedda Gary)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDawx83CkIig9_ZN74dboPtAKz-p_W7vXg3LA2USr-bY6uSwoq4KZ2-53-IYG9-f6YNFtVEVrDoYz-50-_OuYHHgHU-VM444fFZZqtc_kVccMrRVysTTax_arHj34RJhKfFrcDGYsnMQ/s1600/young-adult-poster+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721702430220047202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDawx83CkIig9_ZN74dboPtAKz-p_W7vXg3LA2USr-bY6uSwoq4KZ2-53-IYG9-f6YNFtVEVrDoYz-50-_OuYHHgHU-VM444fFZZqtc_kVccMrRVysTTax_arHj34RJhKfFrcDGYsnMQ/s320/young-adult-poster+1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 212px;" /></a>In 2007, director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody teamed up to create <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014DFCMS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0014DFCMS&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Juno,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0014DFCMS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span>a sunny indie comedy about teenage pregnancy that proved to be a breakout hit. In 2011, the duo reunited to produce<span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEBB9G4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AEBB9G4&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Young Adult,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AEBB9G4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span>but this time the results were less rosy both onscreen and in terms of box office. It is understandable that an acidic black comedy would have trouble connecting with a mass audience. However, it is a shame that more people didn’t give <span style="font-style: italic;">Young Adult</span> a try, because it is the best work of the writer, director, and much of the cast.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0Gge8P1BC7eKdf07fG4Fcj6tIWFBwV06RYHLzn_zQOnfM9wNSMVwndxyjivUSbvJrXZhm7ZonELzp1ZczmMmFWn6Xdqc44Bb2URzXV9bjAosnFGFK0NKi6zBCU8FIXk2Tv9XKwoD_g/s1600/YA+4.jpg"></a>Charlize Theron stars as Mavis Gary, a high school prom queen whose best days are likely behind her. She is now a 37-year-old, divorced, soon-to-be unemployed ghost writer, with only a Pomeranian and a bottle for company. Suffering from depression and severe narcissism, she spends her days in a small Minneapolis apartment avoiding work, boozing, and passing out. This pattern is disrupted when Mavis receives a birth announcement from Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson), her steady beau from high school. The ex-prom queen sees this as a sign, and decides to return to her home town of Mercury to try to break-up Buddy’s marriage and steal the stud back for herself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZTcNImLHRdOjQE0ALjeA6RfJgWdcHrwjzz9GPh_fc-znZypK0uiSrFXO-P-mTOREWgpM2Pha65kFHiBkTgCBS4gv8HIfiXAV7xSKRXIWWabw3Zp1JDuebFamq2rwRILoJWkleHNhlw/s1600/YA+5.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3B41QNlxXBPO_24T99uQwI6kpM3h6H74TBEmYnxIEVBhnSsbkJkCU0hjiESxIZNY-0fO94dp6UnPHb8OkvZT_UhDFUCKvVRGvGXzO0dwyNRCBvUnhIcVghL0IhB4oyThD1ZJHKjAcsA/s1600/YA+7.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721702883622925906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3B41QNlxXBPO_24T99uQwI6kpM3h6H74TBEmYnxIEVBhnSsbkJkCU0hjiESxIZNY-0fO94dp6UnPHb8OkvZT_UhDFUCKvVRGvGXzO0dwyNRCBvUnhIcVghL0IhB4oyThD1ZJHKjAcsA/s200/YA+7.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 120px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>While Buddy is the ultimate goal, Mavis ends up spending more time in Mercury with Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt), a fellow classmate who was the victim of a vicious hate crime. Mavis and Matt share a similar bleak outlook on life and thirst for bourbon. Matt is the only soul with whom Mavis confides her scheme; and while he tries his best to talk some sense in his new-found friend, he does little to get in the way of her path of destruction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0Gge8P1BC7eKdf07fG4Fcj6tIWFBwV06RYHLzn_zQOnfM9wNSMVwndxyjivUSbvJrXZhm7ZonELzp1ZczmMmFWn6Xdqc44Bb2URzXV9bjAosnFGFK0NKi6zBCU8FIXk2Tv9XKwoD_g/s1600/YA+4.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9gAqmI4XNd5bfsMT1vejAeusz8hpQtoK337GydsMapecwAEhg8AZb2FEwGP7O890SjELwAJcYnAKGmXF5wpiCBIx6aiZCyOrQw9bbCgWqrdmDTCAmW7g6xYEmaxItWeBFR4k6PGlEQ/s1600/YA+3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721702743034225842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9gAqmI4XNd5bfsMT1vejAeusz8hpQtoK337GydsMapecwAEhg8AZb2FEwGP7O890SjELwAJcYnAKGmXF5wpiCBIx6aiZCyOrQw9bbCgWqrdmDTCAmW7g6xYEmaxItWeBFR4k6PGlEQ/s200/YA+3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 110px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>All of the elements come together beautifully in <span style="font-style: italic;">Young Adult</span>. It is a fearless film that pulls no punches for its characters or its audience. While the movie is often uncomfortable to watch, it is witty and truthful throughout—so truthful that viewers in their late thirties or early forties may find the characters disturbingly easy to identify with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMeLo__SMd5LwyHLU3QW5ILkz6lpTbnDS13zuMBANVU8XLWHk1Krr6jIBs0f5G8l8kdJGFKBMGVWCVBxCkIvRPz61B5RORwqLkZ5sR2as4N1VkLBDbJdfHMLeyW2knXeloBOekl0GQw/s1600/YA+6.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0Gge8P1BC7eKdf07fG4Fcj6tIWFBwV06RYHLzn_zQOnfM9wNSMVwndxyjivUSbvJrXZhm7ZonELzp1ZczmMmFWn6Xdqc44Bb2URzXV9bjAosnFGFK0NKi6zBCU8FIXk2Tv9XKwoD_g/s1600/YA+4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721702744655700418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0Gge8P1BC7eKdf07fG4Fcj6tIWFBwV06RYHLzn_zQOnfM9wNSMVwndxyjivUSbvJrXZhm7ZonELzp1ZczmMmFWn6Xdqc44Bb2URzXV9bjAosnFGFK0NKi6zBCU8FIXk2Tv9XKwoD_g/s200/YA+4.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 140px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>Those that found <span style="font-style: italic;">Juno</span> too twee for their tastes (I was not amongst the film’s detractors) will not have the same problem with <span style="font-style: italic;">Young Adult</span>. If anything, they may find Diablo Cody’s dialogue too sharp and viewpoint too sour this time around. It is her best script to date, and it proves that she is not a one-note writer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMeLo__SMd5LwyHLU3QW5ILkz6lpTbnDS13zuMBANVU8XLWHk1Krr6jIBs0f5G8l8kdJGFKBMGVWCVBxCkIvRPz61B5RORwqLkZ5sR2as4N1VkLBDbJdfHMLeyW2knXeloBOekl0GQw/s1600/YA+6.jpg"></a>Jason Reitman (who has yet to produce a bad movie) makes the most of Cody’s words and his actors’ performances; and those performances are truly great. Charlize Theron does the finest acting of her career in <span style="font-style: italic;">Young Adult</span>. She courageously avoids any opportunity to tone down Mavis’ unpleasantness or her acute alcoholism. Patton Oswalt’s supporting turn is equally honest and bitterly funny. Both performances are Oscar-caliber.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5M3OQdQ3MpaUojqB10cMOfJCnqrvwcbk12xV5Ywnc30B_bHzf1764eprlSkcxJMafsG24vLzt6yWer4vhXioHENa96FSu6t9FyYZNOl9Oon-5-Cm85CFNzB_zagaon1H2LBgb2Ovvw/s1600/YA+1.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMeLo__SMd5LwyHLU3QW5ILkz6lpTbnDS13zuMBANVU8XLWHk1Krr6jIBs0f5G8l8kdJGFKBMGVWCVBxCkIvRPz61B5RORwqLkZ5sR2as4N1VkLBDbJdfHMLeyW2knXeloBOekl0GQw/s1600/YA+6.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721702879817142802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMeLo__SMd5LwyHLU3QW5ILkz6lpTbnDS13zuMBANVU8XLWHk1Krr6jIBs0f5G8l8kdJGFKBMGVWCVBxCkIvRPz61B5RORwqLkZ5sR2as4N1VkLBDbJdfHMLeyW2knXeloBOekl0GQw/s200/YA+6.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 110px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Young Adult</span> is an overlooked gem, and I highly recommended that you sample this masterful concoction. Just know going in that this cocktail is decidedly bitter.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Drinks Consumed</span>--Bourbon whiskey (Maker’s Mark & 8-Year Mos Eisley Special Reserve), Hard Jack’s Cider, beer (Budweiser & Summer Ale), tequila, sangria, and unnamed liquor<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircDCP5sm0jQtl_Ru3kRSPu_CUUN0Em0zM7-gPHZhqE4Ly0sjrKAU-xt7GrAqXEcGqAtNbFaGs-f9RZPRz8_I5Nk9TP8sluzVSNxTkFtEEPv1Q8TCCFpzy-LWdTqM2dksG4z-U9ocMnQ/s1600/YA+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721707450024297970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircDCP5sm0jQtl_Ru3kRSPu_CUUN0Em0zM7-gPHZhqE4Ly0sjrKAU-xt7GrAqXEcGqAtNbFaGs-f9RZPRz8_I5Nk9TP8sluzVSNxTkFtEEPv1Q8TCCFpzy-LWdTqM2dksG4z-U9ocMnQ/s200/YA+1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 120px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Intoxicating Effects</span>--Hangover, soused sex, slurred speech, stumbling, swearing, public disturbance, and drunk driving<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZTcNImLHRdOjQE0ALjeA6RfJgWdcHrwjzz9GPh_fc-znZypK0uiSrFXO-P-mTOREWgpM2Pha65kFHiBkTgCBS4gv8HIfiXAV7xSKRXIWWabw3Zp1JDuebFamq2rwRILoJWkleHNhlw/s1600/YA+5.jpg"></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Potent Quotables</span>--MAVIS: Yeah, I think I may be an alcoholic.<br />
HEDDA (laughing): Very funny.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Video Availability</span>--<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEBB8ZG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AEBB8ZG&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AEBB8ZG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEBB9G4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AEBB9G4&linkCode=as2&tag=bomoth10prf05-20">Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bomoth10prf05-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AEBB9G4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />(Paramount)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWlArkOeCuRAMJbTKorAqSnT8ZViM9OPavOOd6rEvupt6c46lkz3MUASfitqnbHDav5P-bbmsiyiab2HtMhvuexx6oasGiIw_mdNv-vHRwho_D-tjkd1aH0pBCh1D4ML49wm7EgMyLQ/s1600/YA+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721702737732229138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWlArkOeCuRAMJbTKorAqSnT8ZViM9OPavOOd6rEvupt6c46lkz3MUASfitqnbHDav5P-bbmsiyiab2HtMhvuexx6oasGiIw_mdNv-vHRwho_D-tjkd1aH0pBCh1D4ML49wm7EgMyLQ/s200/YA+2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 110px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Similarly Sauced Cinema</span>--Alexander Payne also mixed up a cocktail of alcohol, depression, and snide comedy in <a href="http://www.boozemovies.com/2009/01/sideways-2004.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sideways</span> (2009)</a>.garvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11554635572232453299noreply@blogger.com0