Movie Moments: #104

 

The Public Eye (1992)

Comment:

Based loosely on the life of New York Daily News photographer Arthur “Weegee” Fellig (ands indeed using a number of Weegee’s photographs in the film), the Public Eye is an under appreciated movie featuring Joe Pesci.  It’s a sad fact that happy news does not sell papers.  Hence the tagline for the film:  “Murder. Scandal. Crime. No matter what he was shooting, "The Great Bernzini" never took sides he only took pictures... Except once.”  A great 1940’s moody, period piece with some thought provoking moments.  Think Sam Spade as a shutterbug rather than a private eye.

Synopsis:

Leon “Bernzy” Bernstein is a freelance news photographer in 1942 New York, so good at his job that he is dubbed the Great Bernzini.  He even has a portable dark room in the boot of his car to be able to beat his competitors.  Asked to assist by a beautiful woman, he breaks his own rule of remaining distant. 

Quote:

Bernzy:  Everybody loves to have their picture took. Everybody.

Link:

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq3cjZPwjCg&feature=related

Trivia:

Director and writer Howard Franklin was unable to secure the rights to Arthur "Weegee" Fellig's story. Franklin then wrote the story of a Weegee-like photographer who smokes cigars and he named him Leon "Bernzy" Bernstein. In the film, like Weegee, cops wonder if Bernzy uses a ouija board to snap his photographs and find the stories.

Reader Comment

 

A comment from Byter Doug in respect of the article about Fugos

G'day Otto,

It was a very interesting post today.

I read some of the website put up by the family of the US airman. The airman was obviously a well-meaning soldier who did his best to help to defend his country. His role was helping to drop bombs onto Germany in order to hurt its weapons production.

Similarly, the Japanese schoolchildren who helped to build the balloons also did so with the intention of helping to defend their country.

The former-schoolchildren eloquently expressed their genuine sorrow about killing the family. And no doubt the airman helped to kill German families (which I assume he would have regretted). In both cases, the death of civilians was unintended and regretted on an individual basis. The contrast between the two stories was thought-provoking. Thanks for posting it.

Regards,

Doug

Quote: Marilyn vos Savant

 

To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.

- Marilyn vos Savant

Marilyn vos Savant (1946 - ) is an American magazine columnist, author, playwright and lecturer who also became famous for having the highest IQ ever recorded, 228.

Movie Moments: #103

 

Quest For Fire (1981)

Comment:

Having looked at Raquel Welch as a cavewoman in One Million Years BC, let’s continue the theme and look at some other caevpeople.

Those Byters who watch the reality game show Survivor will be aware that at various stages the tribes have to progressively evict members.  As members are evicted and have to immediately leave, host Jeff Probst extinguishes that person’s flaming torch and says “Fire represents life.  The tribe has spoken.”

So it was with early humans.  Fire, once utilised, was a support for life:  warmth, protection, eating, shaping weapons.  But fire was taken from nature and kept guarded, not made.  Recall the scene where Tom Hanks discovers how to make fire in Castaway. 

As the name states, the film concerns a tribe’s search for fire, a sort  of prehistoric Fellowship of the Ring.  During that quest:

·         Naoh, the leader of the Homo erectus Wabagu clan, discovers love, with Ika of the more advanced Homo sapiens Ivaka tribe.

·         The Ivaka tribe shows Noah how to make fire.

·         The Ivaka tribe also show Naoh more advanced weapons, including spear throwers

·         The Wabagu members discover laughter and humour.

·         Ika shows Naoh how to be a Sensitive New Age Caveman by teaching him the missionary position.

·         Naoh becomes the first ever mammoth whisperer.

·         Wabagu tribe member Gaw rebuffs a homosexual advance by Amoukar

How much more do you want in a caveman movie?

Synopsis:

When the Wabagu tribe is attacked by a Neanderthal tribe and their fire taken, the Wabagu send 3 of their tribe on a search for replacement fire. 

Quote:

As with One Million Years BC, there is a lack of quotable material in this film, although there is a  lot of “Ooh, ooh”.

The opening narration, reminiscent of Jeff Probst in Survivor, is:

"80,000 years ago, man's survival in a vast uncharted land depended on the possession of fire.  For those early humans, fire was an object of great mystery, since no one had mastered its creation. Fire had to be stolen from nature, it had to be kept alive - sheltered from wind and rain, guarded from rival tribes.  Fire was a symbol of power and a means of survival. The tribe who possessed fire, possessed life."

Link:

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSWjkYAjAzA

Trivia:

According to current knowledge, Neanderthal interaction with early modern humans has taken place only significantly later than 80,000 years ago, from about 40,000 to 20,000 years ago. Some evidence has been discovered since the film's release suggesting that interbreeding between Neanderthal and early humans did occur in Europe. 

The Origin and Development of Motorcycles and Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs - Part 1

   

There has been a lot of media attention in Sydney recently devoted to outlaw motorcycle clubs, also referred to as outlaw motorcycle gangs or groups and frequently abbreviated to OMCGs. Commonly described in the media as “bikie gangs”, certain of their number have recently been associated with shootings and bombings in an alleged turf war.  The attention will become greater when the trials begin of those involved in the airport brawl and murder last year.

There is an interesting history to the birth and development of motorcycles and OMCGs.

The following article, in 3 parts, looks at the development of motorcycles and the birth of OMCGs.

Wikipedia contains a convenient definition and summation of OMCGs as follows:

An outlaw motorcycle club (sometimes known as a motorcycle gang) is a type of motorcycle club that is part of a subculture with roots in the post-WW11 USA, centered on cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidson and choppers, and a set of ideals celebrating freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the biker group. In the United States, "outlaw" clubs are not sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and do not adhere to the AMA's rules, but instead, generally, the club enforces a set of bylaws on its members that derive from the values of the outlaw biker culture.

Some motorcycle gangs engage in criminal activity. Besides their connection with motorcycles and the one percenter subculture, criminal motorcycle gangs are "unique among crime groups in that they maintain websites; identify themselves through patches and tattoos; have written constitutions and bylaws; trademark their club names and logos; and have publicity campaigns aimed at cleaning up their public image."  ATF agent William Queen, who infiltrated the  Mongols, wrote that what makes a gang like them different from the Mafia is that crime and violence are not used as expedients in pursuit of profit, but that the priorities are reversed. Mayhem and lawlessness are inherent in living "The Life," and the money they obtain by illegal means is only wanted as a way to perpetuate that lifestyle.

There are non-outlaw groups, like the Harley Owners Group, that adopt similar insignia, colours, organisational structure, and trappings like beards and leather outfits which are typical of outlaw gangs, making it difficult for outsiders to tell the difference. It has been said that these groups are attracted by the mystique of the outlaw image despite objecting to the suggestion that they are outlaws.

Movie Moments: #102

 

Morning Glory (2010)

Comments:

Yes, I know that the term morning glory has a different meaning in street slang, this MG is a film set in the world of breakfast television.  My wife gets cross if I watch good stuff without her, hence I am usually relegated to B films that I have watched before if I happen to be up late or have a film on in the background if I am at my computer.  MG was a film she had watched without me and justified by saying it was a chick flick.  Having risen early and stuck for something to watch, I put this on.  Not a great flick but something light that passes the time.  I will now not look at Kochie and Mel on Sunrise in the same away.

Synopsis:

Becky (Rachel McAdams), a young morning show TV producer, takes a job as Executive Producer with a struggling breakfast show, “Daybreak”.  Having fired the sexist male co-host, she forces crusty newsman Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) to partner co-anchor Colleen (Diane Keaton).  He sees morning television as being fluff, not serious news, disagreeing with Becky’s view that news can also be entertaining. She has a short time to get the ratings up or get cancelled.

Quote:

Mike Pomeroy: You know what I've noticed, people only say "lighten up" when they're gonna stick their fist up your ass.

Link:

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9lWUqraDoU

Trivia:

Harrison Ford was born on 13 July, 1942, so was aged 68 when the film was made.  Diane Keaton’s birthday is 5 January, 1946, so was aged 64 at the time that she appeared in this film.

History: Fugos

 

It’s a little known fact that during the latter part of WW2, Japan launched a balloon attack on the mainland United States.   This was done by having gas filled balloons, known as Fugos, travel the Pacific jet stream from Japan to the US and release explosives and incendiary devices on arrival.

In looking up information about the balloons I came across a website by the late Marshall Stelzriede, a navigator with the Eighth Air Force in Europe, about his wartime experiences.  That website can be viewed at:

http://www.stelzriede.com/warstory.htm#intro

Stelzriede's website has a concise and accurate summary about the Fugo balloons and I cannot do better than to simply reprint it.  It can be read at:

http://www.stelzriede.com/ms/html/mshwfugo.htm

In November, 1944, the Japanese began launching unmanned bamb-carrying balloons, which travelled on prevailing winds across the Pacific Ocean to North America. It was hoped that the balloons would start forest fires and cause general panic among the population.

Movie Moments: #101

 

Play It Again Sam (1972)

Comment:

Early Woody Allen and one of his best.

Synopsis:

Movie critic Allan Felix has just been dumped by his wife.  As his friend Dick and Dick’s wife Linda try to organise some dates for him, the ghost of Humphrey Bogart keeps appearing to give advice.  Eventually he finds that he has feelings for Linda, the only woman with whom he is at ease.

Quote:

Allan: I wonder if she actually had an orgasm in the two years we were married, or did she fake it that night?

Link:

Some scenes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFADSBDPUzQ

Trivia:

This was the first screen pairing of Woody Allen and Diane Keaton.

Funny Friday

 

For those who have been wondering what the joke is that I mentioned at the end of the post about pork ads . . .

A priest and a rabbi, by coincidence, were sitting next to each other on a long flight.

About an hour passes and not a single word was exchanged by the two men. Finally, the priest turns to the rabbi and says, "Rabbi, do you mind if I ask you a personal question"? The rabbi said, "Of course, you may."

"I understand that many of you Jewish people, especially rabbis, keep kosher and, as such, don't eat things like bacon or ham". The rabbi acknowledged that. "Haven't you ever even tasted bacon or ham?", asked the priest.

The rabbi explained, "Many years ago, I was a visiting rabbi in a small town in the middle of nowhere and found myself in a diner one Sunday morning. There was no one around so I ordered bacon and eggs. It was quite good but that was the only time that ever happened."

After some time, the rabbi turned to the priest and said, "Father, do you mind if you ask you a very personal question"? The priest said OK.

"You priests take an oath of celibacy, right"?, asked the rabbi. "Why, yes", answered the priest, wondering where this was going.

"Well, haven't you ever had sex since you've become as priest"?, asked the rabbi. The priest looked about nervous, leaned toward the rabbi and answered very softly, "As a young parishioner I was approached by a troubled woman who was looking for my guidance. She was a beautiful, young woman and one thing led to another. So, yes, just once I had sex with a woman".

A few moments pass and the rabbi leans over to the priest and says, "A lot better than pork, isn't it?"

Movie Moments: #100

 

One Million Years BC (1966)

Comment:

I tried to think of a movie that had One Hundred in the title for Movie Moment #100 but couldn’t come up with anything.  So instead I am posting something about the Raquel Welch film One Million Years BC, think of it as 100 with some extra noughts. Okay, so dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago and cavemen kicked in about 200,000 years ago, it still makes for stirring stuff to see them fighting each other.  And as the special effects king Roy Harrryhausen said of King Kong (1933 version), “professors probably don’t go to see these kind of movies anyway.”  Raquel Welch in her makeup may not be an accurate depiction of a woman of one million years BC but her pose in her stone age bikini became a 1960’s iconic image.  As the movie poster says, “Travel back through time and space to the edge of man’s beginnings . . . discover a savage world whose only law was lust!”

Synopsis:

Tomak, the blue eyed, square jawed hero, gets thrown out of the Rock Tribe through skullduggery, but that’s not too bad because he hooks up with Loana of the more advanced Shell tribe.  Together they battle the bad guys, the dinosaurs and the landscape, including volcanoes. 

Cast:

Raquel Welch and. . .  and . . . ?

Quotes:

Apart from “Oogha oogha”, there is a decided lack of quotable material.  The word “Akita” is mentioned a number of times by the Shell tribe people, usually while pointing at something in alarm.

Link:

Fighting the T Rex:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2bgeq6hAlU

Raquel Welch visuals set to Loreena McKennitt’s Night Ride Across The Caucasus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkdBOvhgp04&NR=1

Trivia:

This was Hammer Film’s 100^th production – how’s that for the 100^th Movie Moment?

What Will Matter - Michael Josephson

 

What Will Matter

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten
will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations
and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from
or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought
but what you built, not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success
but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned
but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity,
compassion, courage, or sacrifice
that enriched, empowered or encouraged others
to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence
but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel a lasting loss when your gone.

What will matter is not your memories
but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered,
by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

-  Michael Josephson

Michael Josephson (1942 - ) is a former law professor and attorney who founded the nonprofit Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics located in Los Angeles, California, out of which he operates as a speaker and lecturer on the subject of ethics. The institute is named after his parents.

More about TV ads. . .

 

Byter Nadia writes:

My favourite ad was and still is the Liptons Tea ad from the 70's or 80's. Do you remember it? The one telling the story of Liptons....something about Thomas Lipton in 1983 sailing out to sea if I remember correctly. Couldn't find anything on Google, but you are better at that sort of research than I am.  Cheers, Nadia

Nadia is right about a couple of aspects and incorrect on a couple of others.  The sailing clipper ad referred to Harris Coffee and Tea and dates from the late 1960’s.  It was resurrected for Australia’s 1988 Bicentennial, so you are not necessarily showing your age Nadia.  It can be viewed at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja4fn9ZJcN4

As one comment at the above site notes, you can see a submarine at the 52 second mark.

Some other favourite TV ads, past and present:

Telstra Bigpond (Rabbits and the Great Wall of China):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvlWQyvEI38

Sorbent (boy raised by dogs):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Nm789UBsI

Movie Moments: #99

 

Willow (1988)

Comment: 

Long before Harry Potter and before Merlin, before CGI and 3D, there was . . . Willow.  A delightful sword and sorcery movie that appeals to both kids and adults, at least it does to this adult.  I especially like the scenes with the Brownies.  Another plus is that the film was directed by Ron Howard and produced/co-written by George Lucas.  An E . .  for excellent entertainment.

Synopsis:

Willow, a . . . (what is the PC term for a dwarf these days?) . . farmer and apprentice sorcerer is recruited to save a baby who is the fulfilment of a prophecy about the defeat of an evil Queen.  With swordsman Madmartigan, they travel through a land of monsters and magic, eventually confronting the evil.

Cast:

Warwick Davies, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley

Quote:

High Aldwin:  [throws an apple into the air which turns into a bird] Go in the direction the bird is flying!

Burgelcutt:  He's going back to village!

High Aldwin:  Ignore the bird. Follow the river.

Link:

Movie trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-P03NGSP6Y  

 

 

Trivia:

After meeting on the set of this film, Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley were married (but later divorced).

This was the first feature film to use the "morphing" process developed by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).

 

 

TV Ads: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

 

There’s an old adage that has been attributed to various people, most commonly to P T Barnum: “I don’t care what you say about me as long as you spell my name right.”  Likewise the adage “Any publicity is good publicity” has been attributed to various persons, but it was definitely Shakespeare who said that “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

But would it?

The current crop of pork ads leave me cold.  The ads rely on the term "pork" also being a colloquialism for sexual activity and thereby make the viewers participants in school boy sniggering.  One such ad shows a chap discussing his new relationship with three women, one woman suggesting that “it’s high time you porked her”, another adding “and we want to come too”.  Still another ad has a woman describing how her husband is affectionate again now that she has porked him.

See some of the ads at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBcVdmmeUsU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQKuLGSb8dE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkuqvl-Tong

I would definitely not be tempted to buy pork by these ads and would actually find them a turnoff for the product.

Which brings me to my Number 1 favourite ad.

I have previously mentioned that country and western songs tell a story in 3 minutes with not only a beginning, middle and end but also a life lesson.

My #1 ad also tells a story and does so in a lot less time, it’s an ad that I never tire of watching.  The knowing look on the old man’s face near the end of the ad is delightful. . .

Movie Moments: #98

 

Crazy People (1990)

Comment:

An interesting film with a rare theme:  truth in advertising.  This movie looked at the subject long before The Gruen Transfer and it will leave you questioning ads for a long time after viewing.

Synopsis:

Emory Leeson is an advertising exec who has a nervous breakdown.  Faced with deadlines for various ads, he cracks up and tells the truth.  He is shipped off to a psychiatric hospital but, by error, his truthful ads get published.  Examples: Jaguar – “For men who'd like hand-jobs from beautiful women they hardly know." and “Volvo — they're boxy but they're good."  To the astonishment of the advertising world, they are a success.  The public likes the innovation of being told the truth.  Emory’s firm tries to capitalise but none of them are able to work with truth, so Emory is again recruited.  He gets his fellow inmates to assist and they come up with such ads as one for a Greek travel agency: "Forget Paris. The French can be annoying. Come to Greece. We're nicer." One for the Bahama’s national tourism board states "Come… IN the Bahamas."  For a new horror movie called The Freak, the ad campaign states: "It won't just scare you, it will fuck you up for life!"

Cast:

Dudley Moore, Darryl Hannah

Quote:

Kathy: Hold me. Please hold me.

Emory Leeson: I am holding you.

Kathy:  I know, but it's a woman thing. I have to say it.

Link:

The other inmates become involved:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWoy1Rfq5Oo

Trivia:

John Malkovich was originally cast in the part of Emory Leeson but walked off the set due to personal problems.

Good Writing

 

Emailed to me by my son, Thomas, and worth sharing (although I disagree with #11):

HOW TO WRITE GOOD

My several years in the word game have learnt me several rules:

1. Avoid alliteration. Always.

2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

3. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat.)

4. Employ the vernacular.

5. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.

6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.

7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

8. Contractions aren't necessary.

9. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

10. One should never generalise.

11. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."

12. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.

13. Don't be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.

14. Profanity sucks.

15. Be more or less specific.

16. Understatement is always best.

17. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.

19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

20. The passive voice is to be avoided.

21. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.

22. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.

23. Who needs rhetorical questions?

Movie Moments: #97

 

Serendipity (2001)

Comment:

I love this film.  It’s corny, a chick flick and there are probably good reasons not to like it, but I do.  “Serendipity” is when someone finds something that they weren't expecting to find, these days loosely translated as” a happy  accident”.  Hiring this movie without knowing anything about it and then finidng I liked it was serendipitous.

Synopsis:

During the Christmas shopping season, Jonathon Trager meets Sara Thomas.  Bumping into each other again they realise the attraction they have for each other, but each is already committed to someone else. Sara, a believer in fate, asks Jonathon to write his name and number on a $5 note, then she gives it in payment for something, saying that if fate wants them to be together, the note will come back to her.  She writes her name and number in the book she is reading and says that she will give it to a bookseller. Will they find each other?  Will it be too late?  Will they styill feel the same way? Watch the film.

Cast:

John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale

Quote:

Dean: You know the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: "Did he have passion?"

Link:

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6VUSBiM2Y 

Trivia:

The place where Jonathon and Sara have ice cream, Serendipity 3, really exists by that name, as does the Frozen Hot Chocolate drink they have in the film.  The table where they sat is now known as the Star Table.

Bonus:

Although it's not from the film, I couldn't resist posting this: