From the Couch Hole: Strange You Never Knew

Previously on FTCH, we called out “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” and got an American honey with a case of a crazy little thing called love. There were only murders in the building even though there were blazing saddles and Wolvie pie. Last week was an awesome wedding weekend with family, particularly my own children being there along with my niece, Madison’s baby, Chloe. Back to work this week was less painful after the trip. This week the imaginary humans get smart when they fade into you. The young Frankenstein enjoyed his Monster Cereals, especially his buddy Boo Berry. Remember, at FTCH price and participation may vary.

Pop Culture Ephemera

• Imaginary (2024) (Directed by Jeff Wadlow): “Every culture has entities that tether to the young. We call them, imaginary friends.” – Gloria. There was a moment in the third act that I worried about writing about the film because I had already forgotten what happened at the beginning of the film. Jessica (DeWanda Wise) moves back to her childhood home with her husband (don’t worry about the actor, he’s sent on a road trip early in the film) and two step daughters, Taylor (Taegen Burns) and Alice (Pyper Braun). And a stuffed bear named Chauncey. There could have been some interesting themes explored about childhood traumas (Jessica is an illustrator of horror-influenced children’s books), dealing with fractured families, and the role of imaginary play in childhood. None of these are explored. Unfortunately, neither are any of the potential scares that could have been exploited. This isn’t even on par with M3gan (2022). Generic is bad, but generic with failed potential almost made me angry at this film.

Buy Get Smart: The Complete Series DVD

• Get Smart – “Shipment to Beirut” (1966) (S.1 E.29) (NBC): “I don’t know what you’re selling, 99, but I’ll take two of each.” – Maxwell Smart. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry know how to borrow from the best. There’s an exchange between Maxwell and the Chief near the beginning of the episode about the who, where, how, and what of a case that plays as a hilarious take on the Abbott and Costello routine. The episode is fairly predictable with secret plans being smuggled by KAOS in the hem of a dress. You don’t watch the show for the intricate plots, but for episodes like this with word play and funny disguises for Max.

Buy Mazzy Star – So Tonight That I Might See CD

• Mazzy Star – “Fade Into You” (1993) (from So Tonight That I Might See): “You live your life, you go in the shadows / You’ll come apart and you’ll go blind.” I had to check twice to make sure I hadn’t featured this song. It’s been a consistent in my life since the 1993 release. It’s haunting melody and beautiful lyrics have played in my car on road trips, at dive bars across America that have a jukebox for me, and in numerous playlists. Hope Sandoval has one of the most unique and relaxing voices I’ve ever heard. It’s reached a point that the song is used in so many films and movies that it has come to represent either love and longing or a point in time in the early to mid-’90s. If you are at a dive bar in a remote city and it comes on the jukebox, look around and maybe we can share a beer.

• The Humans (2021) (Directed by Stephen Karam): “Dance more than I did. Drink less than I did. Go to church. Be good to everyone you love. I love you more than you’ll ever know.” – Deirdre (reading letter from Momo). This story of a family gathering at a dilapidated Manhattan apartment for Thanksgiving won’t become a fun-filled, family holiday classic. Instead, it’s a thoughtful piece on the decline of the American middle class. The camera is rarely in the same room as the characters. We watch and listen like voyeurs through doors and windows. The apartment isn’t even moved into by Brigid (Beanie Feldstein) and Richard (Steven Yuen), and it’s already falling apart. The light bulbs keep burning out, making the apartment darker and darker. The father, Erik (Richard Jenkins), fixates on the cracks and faults on the walls. The apartment is assaulted with sounds from upstairs and outside. This film is based upon a play, and the dialogue shows the pedigree. Richard is the new person to the Thanksgiving mix, and he is used as a tool for exposition as he asks questions about the family. This is an all-too-real film that is part horror of the reality of current life and part revelation of the damaged lives we lead. There’s love here, but you won’t walk away feeling warm and fuzzy.

• Young Frankenstein (1974) (Directed by Mel Brooks): “Put… the candle… back!” – Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (to Inga). What a 1974 for Mel Brooks. Having just watched both of his releases, I would rate this film ahead of Blazing Saddles (1974) in terms of parody and plot. There’s a growth in Brooks from the previous film to this one. I’m not going to say “maturity” because we are talking about Mel Brooks. What puts this ahead of so many others is his attention to the visual details that help support the verbal jokes. The cinematography sets the perfect tone. The whole film shows an understanding of what made the old Universal films so appealing. Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, and Marty Feldman could have allowed the chaos of Blazing Saddles take over at many junctures. They are restrained just enough to make the somber scenes even more humorous than they probably played out on paper. The bookcase scene might play out like an Abbott and Costello scene, but it still makes me giggle every time. These two films spoofing westerns and monster films come out at a moment in time for Hollywood that puts an end to the older version of the genres and starts a new era of creativity.

Buy Young Frankenstein 40th Anniversary Blu-ray

Best of the Rest

• In 2003, Richard X put together Jarvis Cocker’s vocals (he of Pulp) and a sample of Hope Sandoval’s amazing chorus to turn the song into a love song that I never saw coming. I feel like this love story needs its own film instead of being just used in a film.

• In 2001, “Fade Into You” was an innocent bystander in a hit-and-run accident that meant to associate Diet Coke and women’s panties. I didn’t get it then and I don’t get it today.

• I imagine it went like this in the offices of Discover Ireland.
  “I want Robert Eggers to direct an advertisement for people to come to Ireland.” – the Boss.
  “Don’t you mean Ari Aster?” – hopeful new assistant
  “It’s about our great Samhain tradition, not one of the summer deals.” – Boss
  “People don’t know what Samhain is, can we call it by a name that everyone knows?” – less hopeful
  “Okay. Robert Eggers-ish black and white, call it Halloween, and a spooky ass narrator.” – Boss
  “Got it, Boss.” dejected assistant, under his breath “I think St. Patrick’s Day is a bigger deal, you know.”

Sunday Morning Tuneage Flashback

• On the Sunday Morning Tuneage from 4/12/2009, it was Happy Easter time and the day before both of the boys won their baseball games. My #42 Favorite Movie of All-Time was The Maltese Falcon (1941). This is a fair rating for a film that I hold in higher regards than most. At times when I was younger, this was a film I watched 4-6 times a year. I got around to reading the Dashiell Hammett book in the ’90s and that struck a whole new obsession with Bogart and this film more than I’ve ever been obsessed with Casablanca (1942). I was only watching Lost (ABC) for the Miles and Hurley scenes. Parks and Recreation (NBC) had just started, and I didn’t want another The Office (NBC), although I was willing to give this one a chance. My list of the week was too good not to think over again.
  • BEST MOVIE MONTAGES OF ALL-TIME (2009)
    • 10. Rocky IV (1985): There are so many montages in this film, but certainly Rocky climbing the mountain evokes the best of what a montage can be.
    • 9. Over the Top (1987): I remember when Frank’s dad tried to win him back in the Arm Wrestling Championship too.
    • 8. Revenge of the Nerds (1984): Nerds try to fix up a dilapidated house in the span of a song (Booger wears a “Gimme Head ‘Til I’m Dead” t-shirt as a bonus)
    • 7. Wet Hot American Summer (2001): A great montage that instead of taking weeks only takes the duration of the song.
    • 6. Rocky III (1982): Rocky and Apollo on the beach is as tender as it gets.
    • 5. The Karate Kid (1984)
    • 4. Vision Quest (1985): Best use of the song “Lunatic Fringe” by Red Rider, ever!
    • 3. The Naked Gun (1988): Best parody of montages ever?
    • 2. Ghostbusters (1984): I think it’s the first time we hear the Ray Parker Jr. song in the film. It still gives me chills to watch today.
    • 1. Rocky (1976): Running up the steps in Philly. It makes me want to put on some new running shoes and head out into the city. Gonna fly now.
  • BEST MOVIE MONTAGES OF ALL-TIME (2024)
    • 10. The Karate Kid (1984): Daniel is marching through the All-Valley Karate Tournament to the strains of “You’re The Best” by Joe Esposito.
    • 9. Rocky III (1982): They’re going to train “old style.” This doesn’t rise higher in the rankings because it stops and starts and doesn’t give enough “Eye of the Tiger.”
    • 8. Rocky (1976): Is it possible that the montage is more popular than the movie? Not everyone remembers the details of the film, but they seem to know the moves when Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now” comes out.
    • 7. Ghostbusters (1984): This song does lots of work. We go from buying the fire station, fixing it up, and getting the business up and running. It’s unclear if this happens in a week or a year.
    • 6. Wet Hot American Summer (2001): The whole film is a parody, so of course, this is a parody of montages that does the job of being a montage more than most montages. The song “Higher and Higher” is meant to be a parody, but it hits all the right moments of a montage song.
    • 5. Goodfellas (1990): I can’t believe I left off one of the best murder montages ever to the strains of the second half of “Layla.”
    • 4. Shaun of the Dead (2004): It’s a montage that is so self aware of being a montage that it requires a montage to correct the plan of the first one.
    • 3. Rocky IV (1985): The training montage is so long that it needs two songs. The better of the two is “Hearts on Fire” by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. Stallone in a beard was something that we didn’t know we needed until 1985.
    • 2. Creed (2015): The Rocky empire is built upon montages. I can’t say it’s substantially better here than in 1985, but it’s less ridiculous and has less mountain climbing. Michael B. Jordan takes up the mantle of inspirational training to music very well.
    • 1. Up (2009): At the time of the first list, I didn’t know that the most emotionally gut-wrenching montage of all-time was just on the horizon. What makes this unique is that the montage is the first ten minutes of the movie, and it’s practically a whole movie to itself. I can barely think about it now without blinking my eyes a few extra times.
  • The list purposely doesn’t contain the first and possibly best montage because it just doesn’t fit with the theme of the list. The Odessa Steps in Battleship Potemkin (1925) is a perfect use by director Eisenstein who is credited with inventing the technique. Anyone who has taken a film course has probably been exposed to this scene.

1974 in Review

• September – The Haunt of Horror #3 (Marvel): Cover art by Jose Antonio Domingo. Written by Doug Moench. Art by Billy Graham, Pablo Marcos. Some original stories, discussion about The Exorcist (1973), and some reprinted stories from Uncanny Tales #42.
• September 25 – Los Angeles Dodgers’ team doctor, Frank Jobe, performs the first Tommy John surgery on Dodger pitcher Tommy John. After the operation, John would only be able to pitch 14 more seasons.
• September 23 – Cliff Arquette (aka Charley Weaver) passes away. He performed exclusively as his Charley Weaver character late in his life. He was the lower left square on Hollywood Squares for years and always was to be trusted on American History questions. He is the grandfather of Patricia, Rosanna, Alexis, and David Arquette.

What the Hell Did I Put in My Mouth?

“I wanna hold the hand inside you
I wanna take the breath that’s true
I look to you and I see nothing
I look to you to see the truth.” – Mazzy Star

Stay hard.

Shawn