From the Couch Hole: Deep Waters Flow, Out to the Sea

Previously on FTCH, the people at the Institute said, “I wish you were here” during the long goodbye. Then 28 years later at the rebirth of Jurassic World, there was a summer breeze. This week is Comic Con again. My figures are slightly hazy, but I believe this will make 20 out of the past 25 years in San Diego. Last year, I went in more lean and open to different experiences. It was a sweet return. I’m doing the same this year, realizing I may have to take a year or two off after my move. I’m preparing your FTCH mid-week so I don’t leave you hanging. This week there’s one summer dream of a double sin at the triangle in Rhodes. Superman is in Eddington just for the root beer float milk. Remember, FTCH has a low pH innovative formula.

Pop Culture Ephemera

• Agatha Christie – Double Sin and Other Stories (1961) (Published by Dodd, Mead & Company): “The doll lay in in the big velvet-covered chair. There was not much light in the room, the London skies were dark.” – “The Dressmaker’s Doll” This is a collection of eight Christie stories. I picked this up for the four Poirot stories. As a bonus, I got two Miss Marple stories and two gothic horror pieces from Agatha. Trust me that “The Dressmaker’s Doll” is as good as any of the era’s horror stories. I’ve given up trying to read the Poirot stories in order, and I’m just enjoying Christie’s stylish tales.
  
  There’s just something about Poirot that really tickles me. “The Theft of the Royal Ruby” is an expanded version of “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding” (1923). It contains all the elements that I love about these stories. There are curmudgeonly old people, trickster children, odd British traditions, and a mystery that isn’t too difficult to follow. “Double Sin” (1929) is another example of her early writing and features some great dialogue between Hastings and Poirot. A good introduction to some of Christie’s characters to prepare you for the novels.

Buy Double Sin and Other Stories by Agatha Christie

• Agatha Christie’s Poirot – “Triangle at Rhodes” (1989) (S.1 E.6) (ITV): “Nature gives to the quarry of the viper a chance to identify his attacker. If every killer was as clearly marked, I would be without a job.” – Poirot. This is the follow-up to “The Third Floor Flat”, and in many ways, it’s even better. The detective is on vacation in a pre-WWII Rhodes. There is a murder at the hotel when a woman is poisoned from a drink clearly meant for her husband. The triangle of the title is a love triangle that may or may not have to do with the murder. The more memorable parts of the story are when Major Barnes continues to act like a doofus in order to have an excuse to do some investigating. The story gets a little complicated before it is solved, but I loved the setting and cinematography, obviously filmed on location. This show has me hooked.

Buy Electric Light Orchestra- hardcover

• Electric Light Orchestra – “One Summer Dream” (1975) (from Face the Music): “Warm summer breeze blows endlessly / Touching the hearts of those who feel.” The last song on Face the Music is a smooth, lush song that serves as a nice coda to “Strange Magic” from earlier in the album. For a song that doesn’t have a long lyric sheet, it’s very effective at creating that dreamy summer mood. The orchestration including wonderful strings help make this a song that I can’t turn off when it comes on.

• Eddington (2025) (Directed by Ari Aster): “Don’t make me think. Just post it.” – Joe Cross. This film won’t do anything to bring together the “Aster’s a genius” and “Aster’s films are just weird” crowds. I firmly believe that both statements can be true. I love westerns, and this film fulfills so many genre tropes that it’s hard to ignore. Joaquin Phoenix as Sheriff Joe Cross of Eddington, NM is a spiritual cousin to John Wayne if he was in a Sam Peckinpah film. The success of the Spaghetti Westerns, particularly from Sergio Leone was the powerful presence of the Civil War and how it affected the characters of the films. In Eddington of 2020, the evil that is intruding upon the town is COVID and BLM riots. The weapons are just as much social media as any gun. How realistic for a sheriff to interrupt policing a demonstration in order to make a Tik Tok campaign video. As life spirals out of control, this story is about how Joe tries to balance his run for mayor, the changes in his town, and his personal life falling apart. The weak link is the younger people and the BLM riots. They don’t come across as genuine in their anger or outrage, maybe on purpose but the message is muddled. The lessons don’t end up being about COVID or BLM, but they are even more bleak outlooks on our fates. It’s a grim film with some genuine laughable looks at our recent history. It looks great, as do all of Aster’s films, and hate it or love it, you’ll be thinking about it for days.

• Superman (2025) (Directed by James Gunn): ” Your choices, your actions, that’s what makes you who you are.” – Pa Kent. I want to be clear, no matter what you read in the rest of this paragraph, I enjoyed the film quite a bit. I am even considering a second trip to the theater. The crossover of James Gunn from the MCU to the DCU makes the distinction between the two Universes less clear, which is not great for fans who appreciate variety. The most MCU part of this film is the corny sense of humor. Those jokes are mostly built around a super cute Krypto, which I’m fine with but it’s also reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy films. Nicholas Hoult as Elon Musk/Lex Luthor is asked to pull together a plot that can’t decide how much it wants to be a “woke” story about immigrants and how much it wants to be about political manipulations. The “Justice Gang” serves as comic relief when Krypto isn’t available, but they aren’t compelling except as forgettable supporting characters. The film finds a way to still be charming and entertaining without committing to any particular theme. The strongest scenes are with Ma and Pa Kent because the film isn’t trying to show off its budget at those times. Maybe another viewing will make me care more about the story.

Best of the Rest

• I remember this album tribute to Jeff Lynne, but I don’t remember this cover. This 2001 version by Prairie Sons and Daughters starts out like it might be from a Lilith Fair entry. It then takes the rich orchestrations of the original and makes it into an alt/indie sounding song of the era. I’m surprised how easily it fit into that genre, but once you strip it down to drums and electric guitar, that noise feels right at home for the rock sound of that day. Not sure I love it, but it is an interesting turn I didn’t expect.

• Entertainment Weekly (3/28/97): “Best Commercials of All-Time” #12: Jell-O “Weird Harold” (1973): “I wanna be a bowl of Jell-O pudding.” – Old Weird Harold. By 1973, Cosby couldn’t find a movie genre where he fit. He wasn’t television material any longer. He had previously advertised for cigars, but he wasn’t working in the industry at this point. His association with Jell-O would last two decades, and by pulling in his stand-up routine, he would show that there could be a children’s show based upon his characters and that would lead into The Cosby Show (NBC). Today, I just can’t imagine ranking this in any list. The Fat Albert characters on Jell-O bowls that sprung from this campaign are worth tracking down on eBay.

• I’ve now seen this ad twice in movie theaters. I can report that my unofficial polling is 50/50 between utter enjoyment and utter disdain for the commercial. It’s hard to justify it as a promotion of Cash App as much as a promotion of Timothee Chalamet, and that’s probably where the divide is in the audience. I loved when David Lynch was doing quirky commercials, and this gives off the same vibe. I love humor and pathos in ads, but I also encourage more experimentation. Keep it up, Timothee.

Sunday Morning Tuneage Flashback

• Sunday Morning Tuneage from 9/6/2009, as was the pattern back then, my fall weekends were football intensive. I would have Friday night high school football (a loss), Saturday football for Caleb, Michigan football (a victory over MSU), and then Cowboys to finish off the weekend. These were the days where I was still excited about the new Fall TV Season ahead. I miss that early- to mid-September timeframe when so many new shows all started at once. My Top Ten was really random, and I’m trying to update it without overthinking it.
  
  My #96 Top TV Show of All-Time was Avengers (ITV) (1961-1969). I didn’t know much about this show until the ’90s. I stick by my opinion from the time that I like Honor Blackman over Diana Rigg. I’ve come to enjoy both, but there’s a slight advantage to Honor. I still like the show, even though I’ve never done a complete run through the series. I acknowledge that by the end, they had become an American show with British actors more than a British show airing in America. The switch in later seasons to more of a Doctor Who (BBC) level of science-fiction stories didn’t do this show a favor. I don’t think this would make my Top 100 any longer, but there are some really excellent episodes.
  
• FAVORITE BUILDINGS/LOCATIONS OF ALL-TIME (2009)
  • 10. Camden Yards
  • 9. World Trade Center
  • 8. The White House
  • 7. State Capitol – Austin, TX
  • 6. Gateway Arch
  • 5. Empire State Building
  • 4. U.S. Capitol Building
  • 3. Renaissance Center – Detroit, MI
  • 2. Hancock Building – Chicago, IL
  • 1. Wrigley Field
    
• FAVORITE BUILDINGS/LOCATIONS OF ALL-TIME (2025)
  • 10. Tribune Tower – Chicago, IL. This Gothic structure looks like a European cathedral from the distance. The 36-floor building isn’t the tallest, but it’s memorable.
  • 9. Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL. This isn’t a list of the Best Ballparks. That would have different criteria. This is a list based upon the aesthetic quality of the building. This stadium is just quaint and it feels like early 20th Century every time I’m inside it.
  • 8. The Gateway Arch – St. Louis, MO. It’s a structure instead of building. As a location, it has the weight of so much symbolism. I wish I could see it through the eyes of a 19th Century traveler.
  • 7. World Trade Center – New York City, NY. I haven’t been there since they came down. The sheer magnitude of them from the ground level was what sticks with me. I can’t imagine walking Manhattan without them there.
  • 6. Westminster Abbey – London, England. I was probably too young to completely appreciate the nuances of the building. The history alone was impressive to me as a teenager.
  • 5. Hotel Del Coronado – Coronado, CA. The beach, the grounds, the view of the harbor and the structure all form one of my favorite spots in the world.
  • 4. Fisher Building – Detroit, MI. I’ve been to Detroit multiple times in the past few years, and this building is one that has impressed me. I don’t think I gave it enough credit in my youth for how cool the Art Deco architecture is on the building. It’s a bit of a monolith. You need to see it from the street outside to really grasp the details.
  • 3. White House – Washington D.C. I love buildings that sneak up on you. This is one isn’t some skyscraper that you see from miles away. It’s magnificent and subtle at the same time. It’s more of a “house” than I imagined it would be from pictures.
  • 2. Empire State Building – New York City, NY. Seeing this 1931 building and WTC on the same day was such a juxtaposition of styles, but it was also a testament to the variety that is the island of Manhattan. There’s no doubt that I love this building as much for its Art Deco appearance as much as for all the movies that it has played such an important part in.
  • 1. Sagrada Familia – Barcelona, Spain. It’s not even finished yet, and it’s the most impressive building that I’ve ever entered. Started in 1882 and set to finish next year, I can’t say enough positive things about how much thought went into every little detail of the structure.

Buy How to Read Buildings: A Crash Course in Architectural Styles

1975 in Review

• July – 1st Issue Special #4 – Lady Cop (DC Comics): Cover by Dick Giordano. Art by John Rosenberger. Written by Robert Kanigher. “I’ve just started, Hal! Besides, I’m doing useful work for the first time in my life! I’d rather pound the beat than a typewriter!” – Lady Cop. This type of “tryout” title has existed in one form or another over the history of comic books. Attempting to capitalize on the popularity of Police Woman (NBC), this didn’t catch on, and I only know it from seeing this cover in $1 bins for decades.
• July 25 – A Chorus Line debuts at the Schubert Theatre. It would eventually run for 15 years on Broadway.
• July 1 – Bobby Bonds started his career with the San Francisco Giants by setting strikeout records that only recently have been bested. By his fourth season in 1971, he became one of the best players in the National League with both power and speed. He was a consistent MVP caliber player, earning NL Player of the Year in 1973. After the 1974 season, he was traded to the Yankees for popular player, Bobby Murcer. He would only play the 1975 season with the Yankees, contributing 32 home runs and 30 stolen bases. After the season, he was traded to the California Angels for Mickey Rivers. After leaving the Giants, Bonds would play for eight teams in eight years. He’s part of the famous “Talking Baseball” song, “Bobby Bonds can play for everyone.”

What the Hell Did I Put in My Mouth?

“So I go, though it hurts me so
I’m crying for your love” – Electric Light Orchestra