Where did the dog go?
Pop Culture Ephemera
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) (Directed by Tim Burton): “I swear, the Afterlife is so random.” – Astrid. Your reaction to this sequel probably depends on your relationship to Beetlejuice (1988) and your feelings about Tim Burton films. I’m curious how this would play with people who haven’t watched the original. I had a similar feeling when watching Alien: Romulus (2024). A franchise today is about playing to fans of the franchise. I like Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, and Jenna Ortega as the three generations of ghost-involved women. Make no mistake though, this film is completely propped up by Michael Keaton. There are three or four general storylines happening at once, none of which you would miss other than the Beetlejuice story. It’s charming enough, and Tim Burton is having fun not being corralled by a studio apparently. It plods along in the first half and finally finds a pace when we get everyone to the Afterlife in the last act. It’s not perfect, but you’d be hard pressed to not smile throughout the film.
- Only Murders in the Building – “Two for the Road” (2024) (S.4 E.3) (Hulu): “I need Zach Galifinakis to fall in love with his character today.” – Oliver. At the 30% mark of the 4th season, it’s time to check in on how the season is progressing. The first three seasons may have had a variety of murders to solve, but the core feature of each season was discovering more depth to each character. The main characters have had their past explored and given love interests. Adding the Hollywood doubles this year gives a very different view to each character. This week, the Hollywood cast shadows their doubles. The subplot where Charles tries to figure out if Vince really has pink-eye goes on way too long for a roughly 30-minute episode. Martin Short and Zach Galifianakis have a fun montage, but I’m not feeling chemistry between the two as actors. I am enjoying Mabel and Ma-belle. Of the three characters, only Mabel takes inspiration from her double instead of the other way around. The season is still finding its legs, but if they keep giving that pig at least a scene each week, I’m good.
- Queen – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (1979) (from The Game): “This thing called love / I just can’t handle it.” Written by Freddie Mercury. It would surprise many to hear that this was Queen’s first #1 Billboard hit. It was released at the very end of 1979 before the album came out in 1980. The Rockabilly sound presages an early ’80s rebirth of that genre. Often cited as an Elvis tribute, I hear much more of the Carl Perkins influence on the guitar sound with Elvis creeping into the lyrics. Brian May’s guitar sounds different here than on almost any other Queen song. This tune never sounds the same in concert; it always ends with more of a rock coda.
- American Honey (2016) (Directed by Andrea Arnold): “You know what Darth Vader looks like beneath that mask? He’s a skeleton. Just like the rest of us.” – Pagan. There are youth films that take place at a college or mostly within a classroom. There are youth films that are set in and around a small or suburban town. The originality of American Honey (2016) is that it takes this concept on the road. Star (Sasha Lane) is stuck watching after her young siblings in a terrible family life when she is discovered/recruited by Jake (Shia LaBeouf) to join a group of other youths travelling Middle America selling magazines.
The structure gives the usual youth film movement and a constantly changing scenery. The cast becomes a de facto family of sorts, but don’t try to read too much symbolism into that. This film doesn’t fit nicely into any established category. It’s not a romance, although there is a relationship. This isn’t a tragedy, comedy or thriller. The film isn’t even widescreen despite being filmed beautifully in some of the most breathtaking vistas in our country. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the equally troubling and inspiring journey of Star. Sasha Lane eats up the screen. If there is a lesson for these young people, it’s to keep moving forward. As the “American Honey” song of the title says, “Couldn’t wait to get goin’ / But wasn’t quite ready to leave.”
- Blazing Saddles (1974) (Directed by Mel Brooks): “What in the wide, wide world of sports is a-goin’ on here?” – Taggart. The year 1974 was the high point for Mel Brooks. He releases Blazing Saddles in February and follows it up with Young Frankenstein in December. Both are still held in reverie as the best parodies of westerns and horror films respectively. Mel Brooks shows a talent here that few directors today possess. He can have his actors say practically anything offensive, and it gets a laugh instead of an uncomfortable silence, even 50 years later. This is a film meant to be watched on the big screen with a crowd. I’m so glad they showed up in force for a 50th Anniversary theatrical showing last weekend. You don’t see this for the plot, it’s thin to non-existent in parts. It’s a hodge-podge of one-off jokes and set pieces (that finale ending in the pie fight is ridiculous in a good way). It’s so enjoyable to see a film that lets you in on the joke with a wink and a smile.
Best of the Rest
- In 1999, I don’t know that we were ready for a country version of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Dwight Yoakam. I know we were a little shocked to see these folks start line dancing to it in an ad from The Gap. The song would make a comeback seven years later in The Break-Up (2006) with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.
- The Farmer’s Dog put us on notice a couple of years ago that they can make a commercial to bring a grown man to tears. There’s a good relationship between football viewers and people who love their dogs. This is going to be in the running for the best commercial of the football season. There’s nothing like the unconditional love of your dog at the end of the day. Bonus for the use of the great Johnnie Taylor song “I Believe In You (You Believe In Me)”.
- Will Ferrell appears primed to become the PayPal spokesperson. I’m not sure they’ve committed to such a comprehensive national-advertising buy previously. The use of Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere” is on the heels of it being in Chevy commercials a couple of years ago. For a group with so many hit songs, it’s funny that this song has been so dominant in the commercial field.
Sunday Morning Tuneage Flashback
Buy 2001: A Space Odyssey 4K UHD- On the Sunday Morning Tuneage from 4/5/2009, I was coming off of a Saturday with baseball, dance, and errands all day. Back in 2009, the spring was full of baseball just about six days of the week. My #21 Favorite Movie of All-Time was 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). I think there’s a distinction between it being one of the best films ever and it being one of my favorite movies. It would rank higher in Best Film categories. This is a fair ranking in my enjoyment of the film. I saw it in theaters again recently, and it’s still an amazing experience on the big screen that isn’t matched watching it at home. I was doubtful about Surviving Suburbia (ABC) series with Bob Saget, and Friday Night Lights (NBC) was ending Season Three as still one of my favorite shows on television. There was a documentary airing on HBO that week from the previous year that I kept missing.
- Thrilla in Manila (HBO) (2008) (Directed by John Dower): “Joe was ready to lay his life on the line. And he did.” – Stanley Hochman. October 1, 1975 was the third fight between Ali and Frazier. It was eleven months after the Ali and Foreman fight that was portrayed in When We Were Kings (1996). That film celebrated the fight in Africa from Ali’s point of view and the uplifting of the African culture. It didn’t have input from the Foreman camp. This documentary culminates with the exciting fight in Manila. It tells the story from the Frazier point of view. The film is much less about boxing and more about the impact that Ali’s trash talking had on Joe’s life. There aren’t many documentaries that portray the downside of Ali questioning his opponent’s blackness and intelligence. It is eerily similar to political tactics these days. I’ve watched hours and hours of documentaries on the fighters of this era, and they fascinate me. The intertwined stories of Ali, Frazier, and Foreman are like our American mythological gods.
1974 in Review
- September – Avengers #127 (Marvel): Cover art by Eli Katz. Written by Steve Englehart. Art by Sal Buscema. Quicksilver and Crystal are about to have a surprise wedding. As everyone, including the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, gathers, there’s a battle as Ultron returns to attack the Avengers.
- September 20 – Hurricane Fifi (later named Hurricane Orlene) hit Honduras as a Category 2 hurricane (the rating system only a year old at that time). It would kill over 8,200 people, making it still the third deadliest Atlantic Hurricane of all-time.
- September 10 – Born Innocent (1974) airs on NBC as a World Premiere Movie. Linda Blair stars as a 14-year-old runaway thrown into a juvenile detention center. The depictions of rape and abuse were controversial for the time. This film is credited with being the catalyst for the establishment of the Family Viewing Hour in the late ’70s
What the Hell Did I Put in My Mouth?
DiGiorno Pizza: Maximum Pep
The third pizza of the four-pizza promotion is the simplest of the batch. It’s sliced and diced pepperoni. I burnt the crust a bit, and I’ll say that making it a little more crispy was a happy accident. No-nonsense pizza that probably has many equivalents in the frozen-pizza aisle.
DiGiorno: Spicy Wolvie Pie
The last one was the best of the bunch. This is spicy pepperoni, chorizo, and bacon. I should have bought five of these to keep in the fridge for football season. If you can still find them in your grocery store, pick up some extras. Burn the crust a little bit to give it a little crunch. In general, DiGiorno is a decent frozen pizza with tasty toppings. They just need a crunchier crust for my liking.
Pringles: Texas BBQ Brisket
The folks at Pringles are having a great summer. They can get away with something that a “regular” potato chip can’t and that’s being a little salty. The regular BBQ-flavored Pringles are like having a sweet sauce dumped on your chip. The Texas BBQ Brisket tastes more like a smoked and salted (generic) meat. I like the smokey flavor and these are just begging to be eaten with one of my famous BLT’s.
“There goes my baby
She knows how to rock and roll
She drives me crazy
She gives me hot and cold fever
She leaves me in a cool, cool sweat” – Queen
Stay Hard
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