Honoring a low point in cinema
I was on the phone going over my column with Cece at the
Pinnacle in Hollister when my neighbor yelled
”
It’s going to burn down the Hollywood sign.
”
It didn’t, but the flames came within 60 feet of America’s
symbol of democracy, the Hollywood sign. Well at least the symbol
of the democratic party of this democracy. There are more
politicians in Hollywood than in Washington, D.C. They all come
here to line their pockets and Spielberg, Streisand, Clooney and
Sheen line up to line ’em.
Honoring a low point in cinema
I was on the phone going over my column with Cece at the Pinnacle in Hollister when my neighbor yelled “It’s going to burn down the Hollywood sign.” It didn’t, but the flames came within 60 feet of America’s symbol of democracy, the Hollywood sign. Well at least the symbol of the democratic party of this democracy. There are more politicians in Hollywood than in Washington, D.C. They all come here to line their pockets and Spielberg, Streisand, Clooney and Sheen line up to line ’em.
Joseph’s Amazing Technicolor Coat or if Dolly was rewriting her song, the coat of many colors would only be one color and that would be green. But I did love what big time producer Geffen said as he switched his financial support from long-time friends the Clintons to Obama, “She lies so much that she doesn’t even know she’s lying.”
But the only thing I hate about Hollywood are the reality shows. If I wanted reality, I’d stay sober. However, this is one reality show I’d love to see, Rosie O’Donnell and Charlie Sheen in “Celebrity Death Match.”
Happy birthday to the Hell’s Angels. That wonderful fraternal organization, that delivers toys to the needy every Christmas, is 50 years old. That makes most of the original members 70 plus years old, and they still can beat the crap out of some punk who calls their Hog a name and the same goes for their motorcycles.
The government of Iran in Tehran shouldn’t get too cocky. Tony Blair is no Jimmy Carter. Thank God. Here, here! Where? Where?
If you work for Circuit City don’t ask for a raise. Those making a few cents over minimum wage and some other arbitrary figure have been fired by that huge electronic firm. They didn’t have the decency to just cut their pay, they simply fired them. The millionaires on the board salaries were not cut. God, how I love capitalism. It still works. For the rich.
But the middle class keeps taking it. We tax the hell out of the middle class because they want to be law abiding. There was a picture of police officer Robert Valenzuela, (no relation, thank God) of Oxnard, in the Los Angeles Times giving a $65 ticket and a lecture to an Oxnardian who left his car running while he went back into the house to get his lunch pail. It seems that the good police in Oxnard are cracking down on taxpayers who make it easy for thieves to steal their cars. Don’t go after the thieves, go after the yet to be victims. The only fear you have in Oxnard is fear of the police. But the middle class keeps paying until there is no more middle class.
Luckily this weekend I revert back to being a kid. I hate cartoons that are extended from ten minutes to two hours but I love 3D! Every time Hollywood comes out with a superior version I’ll be in line and this weekend after “Grindhouse” I’m going to see Mrs. Robinson and her family. Are you trying to seduce me Mrs. Robinson with 3D?
Again, I surrender!
“Grindhouse” is Quentin Tarantino’s homage to a sad period in my movie going experience. In the 70’s grand old theatres were losing money to the multiplex and became grindhouses. They ground out movies from 9 a.m. to midnight. The screen that once premiered “Gone With the Wind” was now showing triple bills at a dollar which usually meant a martial arts film or chop socky as we called them, an aging Hollywood star in some motorcycle film where Vietnam vets want to win a war against the bad guys because they couldn’t in the Far East and some black exploitation film with the private dick screwing with all their clothes intact as nudity was still relegated to those theatres showing “Nudist Camp USA,” which I believe turned more young men into the gay lifestyle than any gene or Gene.
Along with Tarantino, who is even goofier in person, is his director pal Robert Rodriguez who attaches another film to “Grindhouse” so in effect the film released today is a double bill over 3 hours long. So don’t order that Gallon of Coke because after the first movie, the second movie is held together by some great movie previews made to look like original 1970 schlock. So wait to go to the bathroom 5 minutes into the second feature as it is rather talky for the first half hour. Now if I can only fit into my polyester leisure suit. Aye chee waa waa!
People always ask how come I am always smiling even though I have been married to the same woman for nearly 50 years. I met Nancy when she was a stripper at the Sinerama Theatre in San Francisco. I told her if she married me she would never have to take off her clothes again. I’m smiling because tonight could be the night! Aye chee waa waa!
