What are your "undiscovered gems?" Films that are drastically misunderstood, or perhaps just woefully under-watched, that you'd show your other delinquent friends?

Recently, I bought a ratty VHS copy of a film called Evil Town, a hilariously-inept fusion of mad scientist mumbo jumbo, killer old people, slasher sleaze, and horrible dialogue. Never even sort of released on DVD, this one had us in stitches from minute one where a sign coming into the titular "evil town" reads "Small Town, Pop. 666" in all seriousness.

Just watched "Dr. Satan" , a Mexican Crime/Horror movie about a Doctor who uses his office as a front for a counterfieting ring. Turns out , he's made a deal with the Devil (A cool , shadowy figure with giant wings.), partly for wealth , but mainly to turn his enemies into zombies (REAL ones ,no radiation, nor cannibalism , involved.). His eyes light up. Interpol wants him , but he has too much power , and can control anyone. He asks the DEVIL'S PERMISSION TO STEAL MEN'S SOULS . NOT REALIZING HIS SOUL already belongs to ol' Beelzebub (whom he calls "Rey Diablo" or King Devil.), BEFORE HE'S LEFT THIS EARTH.

It's an almost Expressionistic , though low budget , film. Some of the soundtrack sounds like John Cage and Stockhausen having a violent domestic dispute. RECOMMENDED.

Anyone here ever see "Soylent Green"? I saw it when it came out , IN 1973 (I REMEMBER MY BROTHER SAYING "IT'S SCIENCE FICTION. THERE MAY BE SOME PARTS THAT ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND". He was right , too.). It screened here , recently , at The Sci Fi Film Fest , but , I MISSED IT.....Though , I found a VHS copy , last week. The movie is set in New York , in the future , apocalyptic year of 2022 , which does'nt seem radically different from the New York of the mid - 70's , except that it boasts a population of 40 Million , half of which are unemployed.

Destruction of animal and plant life have led an opportunistic , corrupt regime - like corporation to manufacture largely artificial foodstuffs (Kinda like McDonald's.) to just barely keep the teeming masses fed. Real food ,and alcohol , can sometimes be had....for a price. Only the rich can cover the tab , however. a top executive at this corporation , which is called Soylent , is murdered in an amateurish fashion (Actually , he comandeers his own killing , ostensibly to atone for getting rich (Literally) on the backs of the poor. Ironically , his death occurs shortly after giving a present to his "Furniture" (as live - in  Prostitutes , who come with high - end apartments , at the customer's request , are called .)....the gift he bought her is a video game. It looks like a stripped - down version of "Space Invaders". Bear in mind  , "Pong"  was'nt even in the arcades , yet , in 1973. The lower class still gets their news , mainly about when foodstuffs will be available , on ordinary television sets.

Charlton Heston plays a hardened (Shocked , are'nt you?)  Police Detective , and his partner and friend , an elderly , idealistic Jewish Intelluctual who can still remember clear skies and water ,and real food , is played by Edward G. Robinson , in his last role. Heston is put on the case , aided by Robinson (See? Nyaaaa. I kid , he plays the melancholy Zayde very well.), he stumbles upon the secret of the most popular foodstuff , Soylent Green , which looks like green cheese , in regular slices , and is only sold once a week (Sale areas are bathed in a green light , much like Spectrum - X , on Soylent Green day.), and are supposedly made from plankton......OHHHH , BUT , THEY'RE NOT !!!! I won't spoil it for you , but , think about the Twilight Zone "To Serve Man" episode. Chuck Connors (The murdered Executive's former bodyguard.) dukes it out with Heston (i Quien es mas macho?) , and the lovely "Furniture" , who'll go to whoever buys the newly vacated apartment , hangs in the balance. Edward G. decides to commit himself to a voluntary extermination facility (The aged and the terminally ill , and , well , anyone else who wants to take part in such a sweet deal , are encouraged to let professionals terminate their existence in a seemingly humane manner. It's what happens , afterward , that does'nt show the dead any favors.). Robinson knows the secret of Soylent Green , and drops a pretty broad clue to Heston , with his last dying breath , but , even he is shocked at what he finds out , a man who once found out The Planet of The Apes , too , was Earth , in the future.......

"Soylent Green" is a pretty low budget effort for one of the majors (I dunno , MGM , Universal , one of 'em , I forget.) , to feature some pretty big names. It's often very dark , seemingly for lack of sufficient outdoor lighting than for atmosphere. When Heston and Connors are beating the Hell out of each other , it's hard to tell which is which , it's so dark.The visions of futuristic affluence read like a considerably pared - down "Clockwork Orange" (You almost expect Heston or Connors to get bonked on the noggin with a giant phallus.), while the immediate squallor of 21st Century street denizens looks no different than the CBGB's - era Bowery , with about 10 times as many people.

Bud Westmore , who suceeded Jack Pierce as Universal's primary monster make-up man , did the make up (There's no monsters in this film , though.) , and , perhaps the only  major (Then ) futuristic blunder ,  besides seeing a kept woman playing a (now) primitive video  game in teh year 2022 , like it's the lastest , exclusive thing , is Dick Van Patten as the Attendant , carrying Edward G. Robinson off to be euthanized. Could'nt get that damned "Eight is Enough" theme song out of my head. 

I FORGOT THAT ONE. That had to be intentional !    I DON'Y KNOW HOW THEY MANAGED TO DOWNPLAY THAT NAME FOR SO MANY EPISODES....  "WHAT?! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THE FBI IS TAPPIN'' THAT PUSSY ?"......

But , I thought it over,  I think my favorite Tony - ism is when Christopher is trying to clean up , and starts drinking no - alcohol beer ..."Oh , yeah. I heard of this stuff. Less filling , TASTES LIKE ASS !".

Of course , "Boardwalk Empire" is set in a different time , with a different set of circumstances.....Same high standards.  But , Buscemi's character is similar to Gandolfini's , in that he's really Julius Caesar , but , his empire is crumbling.  I GUESS THEY HAD TO COMPENSATE FOR MAKING BUSCEMI WEAR THOSE ILL- FITTING " MIAMI VICE" THREADS.

B.B. Fultz said:

Or maybe, when Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero went missing and everyone was afraid something bad had happened to him, and Tony yells "I can't find Pussy anywhere!" Not sure how intentional that was on the part of the writers, but it came out pretty funny ...

Or when he was talking to Uncle June about Jackie Junior being stupid, and how he almost drowned in the penguin exhibit, and Tony says "Jackie used to lay off all of Jackie Junior's problems on a learning disability but ... well ... stupidity WOULD be a learning disability."

Haven't seen much of Boardwalk Empire yet. Don't get it here. Might be getting some channels in May when my year-long special rate ends with my phone/internet/cable providers, and we work out a new deal. If I can, I'll have to check B.E. out. I miss my old Sopranoes DVDs, I loaned them out to a faraway family member. I only own up to season 4. I kinda thought it was downhill from there, though they had some great moments even near the end (like the Bobby Baccala hit at the toy store). I loved the first two seasons and most of the third. My favorite episode ever is still probably "College" (S1, Ep5) where T. and the rat are stalking each other out in the sticks in New England. That and maybe "Funhouse" at the end of season 2 where they take Big Pussy for the boatride. Unforgettable stuff.

 

John Battles said:

Hey , There ain't no such thing. A lot of this stuff , now , falls into folklore , and that's all right. I trust you've been watching "Boardwalk Empire" , best series since The Sopranos. It's hard to nail down the funniest Tony - ism . Maybe "How's Jamal Ginsberg , the Hassidic Homeboy?", or the way he srerenaded Uncle Junior with "South of The Border , Down Mexico Way" , as if he did'nt have a return flight ticket , himself.
B.B. Fultz said:

My parents were kids around that time too. But on the east coast (Jersey mostly). One of my Dad's older brothers was connected, and was part of somebody's crew way back when, and I have a couple uncles who are/were bookies. None of them were actually "in" the Mafia though. Think Mean Streets as opposed to Goodfellas. Mostly they were just street smart and knew how to make a buck. But growing up I knew people who knew people, so I heard a little here and there. My Dad used to run a restaurant in the old Italian neighborhood and do I know some of his more regular customers were connected. A (married in) uncles said he was friends with Gambino way back when, but people gossip a lot so who knows? My old man was tight lipped about all of that. One time when I was 9 or 10 maybe, I found an "Honorary Member of the Mafia" novelty plaque that someone had bought him. He kept it buried in a drawer under the cash register, but when I asked him about it he got pissed off.

Speaking of Jersey, Tony S. had some great lines didn't he? I remember the "Paul" Pot comment. I think it might have been the same season where he claimed he "never had penisary contact with her Volvo." But my favorite quote by T. will probably always be "Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this."  Maybe just because he looked so sad when he said it.

 

 

 
John Battles said:

Wow, you know your shit !
It's true ,in the earlier Chicago Ganster era , there were rules you just did not break. Killing women or children being up there at the top. I knew about Moran just narrowly avoiding a seat at The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. My Parents lived in Chicago when Capone was still calling the shots (And I do mean shots.). They knew kids whose Dads were Gangsters , probably post - Capone , and they were known as family men , who only commited acts of violence against rival Gangsters . Does'nt mean they were wonderful people , but , they followed a code.    "We're Soldiers. Everybody else knows the risks involved. Hell is for the REALLY bad people , your Hitlers , your Idi Amins and your PAUL POTS.".  "T" .

Thanks for Quasi at the Quackadero. It brings me back to my childhood. It sorta reminded me of Yellow Submarine, except even trippier. I'm surprised this was on Sesame Street ... Sesame Street did have some awesome stuff, but Quasi looks more like something they'd have shown on The Electric Company.

Here's an awesome one to check out. I don't remember seeing this one when I was younger but I wish I had. It reminds me a little of that Gumby episode where Gumby was going to the other planets, and he interrupted the kid playing piano on what appeared to be the surface of the moon/a moon, and the kid got angry at Gumby and started changing into something else, and it got really creepy really fast ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb8hd3IjhVo

Grazianohmygod said:

I love Flo and Eddie! "Number one with a bullet!" Dirty Duck reminds me of Quasi at the Quackadero, a trippy 1970's cartoon by one of the early animators on Sesame Street. It took her years to hand-paint all of the glass cells, amounting to 10 minutes of weirdness. I was lucky enough to see it last year when the Library of Congress did a short film showing, but you can find it on youtube.

The movies of Cory McAbee are amazing. I cannot recommend them enough. His first feature length, The American Astronaut, is a black and white, sci-fi, western, musical with songs in the vein of Tom Waits on his album Bone Machine. It's weird, funny, and beautiful to look at. Interstellar traveller Samuel Curtis hops from planet to planet trading wares, winning dancing contests, and trying not to get killed by his old friend: Professor Hess. It's currently on Netflix for any of you streamers and the trailer is here.

John Battles said:

I just watched "Dirty Duck" a while back...I remember it coming out ,VERY briefly , in '75 OR EARLY '76. IT'S BASED ON THE CARTOON OF THE SAME NAME FROM NATIONAL LAMPOON.

The character is pretty different from the original cartoon, in that instead of a cranky old man - duck , this Dirty Duck is a naive young guy duck , who looks a little too much like Donald for Disney to not slap the Producrs with a lawsuit (They probably got off with a Cease and Desist order , hence  it's relative unavailability , today.). The whole movie reads like a bad Underground Comic , you know , too much blatant , but stylized , sex and drug imagery , and Bakshi could have done the animation with his dick , but , it's just psychedelic enough , in the post - psychedelic age , to work. The main selling point , here , is Flo and Eddie did the soundtrack music (With members of The Mothers.) and much of the voice - overs.

I love Flo and Eddie! "Number one with a bullet!" Dirty Duck reminds me of Quasi at the Quackadero, a trippy 1970's cartoon by one of the early animators on Sesame Street. It took her years to hand-paint all of the glass cells, amounting to 10 minutes of weirdness. I was lucky enough to see it last year when the Library of Congress did a short film showing, but you can find it on youtube.

The movies of Cory McAbee are amazing. I cannot recommend them enough. His first feature length, The American Astronaut, is a black and white, sci-fi, western, musical with songs in the vein of Tom Waits on his album Bone Machine. It's weird, funny, and beautiful to look at. Interstellar traveller Samuel Curtis hops from planet to planet trading wares, winning dancing contests, and trying not to get killed by his old friend: Professor Hess. It's currently on Netflix for any of you streamers and the trailer is here.

John Battles said:

I just watched "Dirty Duck" a while back...I remember it coming out ,VERY briefly , in '75 OR EARLY '76. IT'S BASED ON THE CARTOON OF THE SAME NAME FROM NATIONAL LAMPOON.

The character is pretty different from the original cartoon, in that instead of a cranky old man - duck , this Dirty Duck is a naive young guy duck , who looks a little too much like Donald for Disney to not slap the Producrs with a lawsuit (They probably got off with a Cease and Desist order , hence  it's relative unavailability , today.). The whole movie reads like a bad Underground Comic , you know , too much blatant , but stylized , sex and drug imagery , and Bakshi could have done the animation with his dick , but , it's just psychedelic enough , in the post - psychedelic age , to work. The main selling point , here , is Flo and Eddie did the soundtrack music (With members of The Mothers.) and much of the voice - overs.

Or maybe, when Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero went missing and everyone was afraid something bad had happened to him, and Tony yells "I can't find Pussy anywhere!" Not sure how intentional that was on the part of the writers, but it came out pretty funny ...

Or when he was talking to Uncle June about Jackie Junior being stupid, and how he almost drowned in the penguin exhibit, and Tony says "Jackie used to lay off all of Jackie Junior's problems on a learning disability but ... well ... stupidity WOULD be a learning disability."

Haven't seen much of Boardwalk Empire yet. Don't get it here. Might be getting some channels in May when my year-long special rate ends with my phone/internet/cable providers, and we work out a new deal. If I can, I'll have to check B.E. out. I miss my old Sopranoes DVDs, I loaned them out to a faraway family member. I only own up to season 4. I kinda thought it was downhill from there, though they had some great moments even near the end (like the Bobby Baccala hit at the toy store). I loved the first two seasons and most of the third. My favorite episode ever is still probably "College" (S1, Ep5) where T. and the rat are stalking each other out in the sticks in New England. That and maybe "Funhouse" at the end of season 2 where they take Big Pussy for the boatride. Unforgettable stuff.

John Battles said:

Hey , There ain't no such thing. A lot of this stuff , now , falls into folklore , and that's all right. I trust you've been watching "Boardwalk Empire" , best series since The Sopranos. It's hard to nail down the funniest Tony - ism . Maybe "How's Jamal Ginsberg , the Hassidic Homeboy?", or the way he srerenaded Uncle Junior with "South of The Border , Down Mexico Way" , as if he did'nt have a return flight ticket , himself.
B.B. Fultz said:

My parents were kids around that time too. But on the east coast (Jersey mostly). One of my Dad's older brothers was connected, and was part of somebody's crew way back when, and I have a couple uncles who are/were bookies. None of them were actually "in" the Mafia though. Think Mean Streets as opposed to Goodfellas. Mostly they were just street smart and knew how to make a buck. But growing up I knew people who knew people, so I heard a little here and there. My Dad used to run a restaurant in the old Italian neighborhood and do I know some of his more regular customers were connected. A (married in) uncles said he was friends with Gambino way back when, but people gossip a lot so who knows? My old man was tight lipped about all of that. One time when I was 9 or 10 maybe, I found an "Honorary Member of the Mafia" novelty plaque that someone had bought him. He kept it buried in a drawer under the cash register, but when I asked him about it he got pissed off.

Speaking of Jersey, Tony S. had some great lines didn't he? I remember the "Paul" Pot comment. I think it might have been the same season where he claimed he "never had penisary contact with her Volvo." But my favorite quote by T. will probably always be "Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this."  Maybe just because he looked so sad when he said it.

 

 

 
John Battles said:

Wow, you know your shit !
It's true ,in the earlier Chicago Ganster era , there were rules you just did not break. Killing women or children being up there at the top. I knew about Moran just narrowly avoiding a seat at The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. My Parents lived in Chicago when Capone was still calling the shots (And I do mean shots.). They knew kids whose Dads were Gangsters , probably post - Capone , and they were known as family men , who only commited acts of violence against rival Gangsters . Does'nt mean they were wonderful people , but , they followed a code.    "We're Soldiers. Everybody else knows the risks involved. Hell is for the REALLY bad people , your Hitlers , your Idi Amins and your PAUL POTS.".  "T" .

Hey , There ain't no such thing. A lot of this stuff , now , falls into folklore , and that's all right. I trust you've been watching "Boardwalk Empire" , best series since The Sopranos. It's hard to nail down the funniest Tony - ism . Maybe "How's Jamal Ginsberg , the Hassidic Homeboy?", or the way he srerenaded Uncle Junior with "South of The Border , Down Mexico Way" , as if he did'nt have a return flight ticket , himself.
B.B. Fultz said:

My parents were kids around that time too. But on the east coast (Jersey mostly). One of my Dad's older brothers was connected, and was part of somebody's crew way back when, and I have a couple uncles who are/were bookies. None of them were actually "in" the Mafia though. Think Mean Streets as opposed to Goodfellas. Mostly they were just street smart and knew how to make a buck. But growing up I knew people who knew people, so I heard a little here and there. My Dad used to run a restaurant in the old Italian neighborhood and do I know some of his more regular customers were connected. A (married in) uncles said he was friends with Gambino way back when, but people gossip a lot so who knows? My old man was tight lipped about all of that. One time when I was 9 or 10 maybe, I found an "Honorary Member of the Mafia" novelty plaque that someone had bought him. He kept it buried in a drawer under the cash register, but when I asked him about it he got pissed off.

Speaking of Jersey, Tony S. had some great lines didn't he? I remember the "Paul" Pot comment. I think it might have been the same season where he claimed he "never had penisary contact with her Volvo." But my favorite quote by T. will probably always be "Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this."  Maybe just because he looked so sad when he said it.

 

 

 
John Battles said:

Wow, you know your shit !
It's true ,in the earlier Chicago Ganster era , there were rules you just did not break. Killing women or children being up there at the top. I knew about Moran just narrowly avoiding a seat at The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. My Parents lived in Chicago when Capone was still calling the shots (And I do mean shots.). They knew kids whose Dads were Gangsters , probably post - Capone , and they were known as family men , who only commited acts of violence against rival Gangsters . Does'nt mean they were wonderful people , but , they followed a code.    "We're Soldiers. Everybody else knows the risks involved. Hell is for the REALLY bad people , your Hitlers , your Idi Amins and your PAUL POTS.".  "T" .

My parents were kids around that time too. But on the east coast (Jersey mostly). One of my Dad's older brothers was connected, and was part of somebody's crew way back when, and I have a couple uncles who are/were bookies. None of them were actually "in" the Mafia though. Think Mean Streets as opposed to Goodfellas. Mostly they were just street smart and knew how to make a buck. But growing up I knew people who knew people, so I heard a little here and there. My Dad used to run a restaurant in the old Italian neighborhood and do I know some of his more regular customers were connected. A (married in) uncles said he was friends with Gambino way back when, but people gossip a lot so who knows? My old man was tight lipped about all of that. One time when I was 9 or 10 maybe, I found an "Honorary Member of the Mafia" novelty plaque that someone had bought him. He kept it buried in a drawer under the cash register, but when I asked him about it he got pissed off.

Speaking of Jersey, Tony S. had some great lines didn't he? I remember the "Paul" Pot comment. I think it might have been the same season where he claimed he "never had penisary contact with her Volvo." But my favorite quote by T. will probably always be "Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this."  Maybe just because he looked so sad when he said it.

 
John Battles said:

Wow, you know your shit !
It's true ,in the earlier Chicago Ganster era , there were rules you just did not break. Killing women or children being up there at the top. I knew about Moran just narrowly avoiding a seat at The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. My Parents lived in Chicago when Capone was still calling the shots (And I do mean shots.). They knew kids whose Dads were Gangsters , probably post - Capone , and they were known as family men , who only commited acts of violence against rival Gangsters . Does'nt mean they were wonderful people , but , they followed a code.    "We're Soldiers. Everybody else knows the risks involved. Hell is for the REALLY bad people , your Hitlers , your Idi Amins and your PAUL POTS.".  "T" .

Wow, you know your shit !
It's true ,in the earlier Chicago Ganster era , there were rules you just did not break. Killing women or children being up there at the top. I knew about Moran just narrowly avoiding a seat at The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. My Parents lived in Chicago when Capone was still calling the shots (And I do mean shots.). They knew kids whose Dads were Gangsters , probably post - Capone , and they were known as family men , who only commited acts of violence against rival Gangsters . Does'nt mean they were wonderful people , but , they followed a code.    "We're Soldiers. Everybody else knows the risks involved. Hell is for the REALLY bad people , your Hitlers , your Idi Amins and your PAUL POTS.".  "T" .

B.B. Fultz said:

I heard that somewhere about the X's popping up, but I never noticed the bowling score X's. That's pretty neat. As far as Gaffney (Karloff's character) -- since you asked, I'm 95% sure in my guess it was supposed to be Bugs Moran. Only because I'm 100% sure that O'Hara was supposed to be Dion O'Banion. The flower store assassination, when Guino comes back with the flower on his lapel, leaves no doubt on that part. Bugs Moran took over the north side after O'Banion was killed, and in the movie, Gaffney takes over the north side after O'Hara is killed, so it's strongly suggested Karloff is actually playing Moran. Karloff's character also "just misses" a massive massacre because he saw the cops pull up, or what he thought were cops. In real life, that's how Moran avoided the actual St. Valentine's Day massacre. Despite the bowling scene, Moran was never actually assassinated. What a lot of people don't know is, he was a north-sider yet Moran wasn't his real name. He was actually Polish, not Irish, but a lot of guys took Irish names back then so they could integrate into the large Irish community and be able to get a half-decent job. A lot of boxers back in the day took Irish surnames also.   

 

Yes, I heard they only released it for the reason you stated. Although I also heard that even then, the gov't wanted more concessions, so Howard Hughes fought them on it by using his money to get it shown in any town where it wasn't totally banned. Also in Europe. Capone was indeed a modern Robin Hood -- he did a lot for the Italian communities of Chicago and for people in general. He was ruthless against criminal adversaries but he generally tried to keep the peace and didn't like innocent people getting shot. The thing in the movie, where "three kiddies get hot lead poured in their little bellies" from Tony's thugs, was almost certainly a reference to "Mad Dog" Coll, who accidentally did pick off some kids in a shoot out, and who was condemned and executed by the mob soon after. The old mafia did not allow you to kill kids though you can't tell looking at Chicago now. But back then shooting a woman could get you into a lot of trouble. The mob movies mostly make them all out to be inhuman fiends (that movie about the Farmer I mentioned is a good example -- every mobster character in that was a sadistic psychopathic and either a rapist, a murderer, or an acid-thrower, or some combination of the three). I don't mind them slamming mobsters for the heinous shit they actually do, but it always bugged me that Hollywood turned them into such impossibly depraved and inhuman stereotypes. But I guess Hollywood always tries to put everyone in pigeonholes anyway.

 

What always struck me most about the two Tonys was how they end up as opposites. In the first Scarface, Tony is crazy and fearless with balls-of-steel, right up to the end where he's alone ... then he breaks down and can't think straight, and eventually flees (tries to) rather than fight. In the DePalma version, Tony is snowblind by the end and too dysfunctional to notice his place is being overrun, then too overwhelmed with grief when his sister dies to do anything, other than shoot the one guy that shot her. It's only when ChiChi (the last one standing) is killed outside the doors and Tony is totally alone that he stands up and takes the war to them. It always struck me as strange how similar the characters were in many ways, but how opposite they were at the end.

John Battles said:

Thanks. Well , the original was under close scrutiny from The U.S. Govt. The movie was meant to be a tell -all expose about Capone's actual career in crime , but  , The Govt. insisted the non - commital stance be dropped , and Capone , or , rather , the variation on his character , be portrayed as a shit - heel. The movie would'nt have been released , I've read , if they had'nt agreed to called it "Scarface - Shame of a Nation". They were afraid of Capone being portrayed as a Robin Hood thug , which he already was to a lot of people.

Was it Bugs Moran that was shot in the bowling alley? I remember it as Boris Karloff , playing the Irish crime boss....Was he supposed to be Moran? Every time someone was about to be whacked , you saw an "X" NEARBY. KARLOFF IS WRITING AN "X" on the Bowling scores. 

Freaked is absolutely amazing! I have shown it to sooo many people who have the exact same taste as me & they ALWAYS hate it! so weird...

Andy Climax said:

 Maybe not far out enough but Alex Winters 'Freaked' is an amazing piece of Schlock Horror nonsense

I heard that somewhere about the X's popping up, but I never noticed the bowling score X's. That's pretty neat. As far as Gaffney (Karloff's character) -- since you asked, I'm 95% sure in my guess it was supposed to be Bugs Moran. Only because I'm 100% sure that O'Hara was supposed to be Dion O'Banion. The flower store assassination, when Guino comes back with the flower on his lapel, leaves no doubt on that part. Bugs Moran took over the north side after O'Banion was killed, and in the movie, Gaffney takes over the north side after O'Hara is killed, so it's strongly suggested Karloff is actually playing Moran. Karloff's character also "just misses" a massive massacre because he saw the cops pull up, or what he thought were cops. In real life, that's how Moran avoided the actual St. Valentine's Day massacre. Despite the bowling scene, Moran was never actually assassinated. What a lot of people don't know is, he was a north-sider yet Moran wasn't his real name. He was actually Polish, not Irish, but a lot of guys took Irish names back then so they could integrate into the large Irish community and be able to get a half-decent job. A lot of boxers back in the day took Irish surnames also.   

Yes, I heard they only released it for the reason you stated. Although I also heard that even then, the gov't wanted more concessions, so Howard Hughes fought them on it by using his money to get it shown in any town where it wasn't totally banned. Also in Europe. Capone was indeed a modern Robin Hood -- he did a lot for the Italian communities of Chicago and for people in general. He was ruthless against criminal adversaries but he generally tried to keep the peace and didn't like innocent people getting shot. The thing in the movie, where "three kiddies get hot lead poured in their little bellies" from Tony's thugs, was almost certainly a reference to "Mad Dog" Coll, who accidentally did pick off some kids in a shoot out, and who was condemned and executed by the mob soon after. The old mafia did not allow you to kill kids though you can't tell looking at Chicago now. But back then shooting a woman could get you into a lot of trouble. The mob movies mostly make them all out to be inhuman fiends (that movie about the Farmer I mentioned is a good example -- every mobster character in that was a sadistic psychopathic and either a rapist, a murderer, or an acid-thrower, or some combination of the three). I don't mind them slamming mobsters for the heinous shit they actually do, but it always bugged me that Hollywood turned them into such impossibly depraved and inhuman stereotypes. But I guess Hollywood always tries to put everyone in pigeonholes anyway.

What always struck me most about the two Tonys was how they end up as opposites. In the first Scarface, Tony is crazy and fearless with balls-of-steel, right up to the end where he's alone ... then he breaks down and can't think straight, and eventually flees (tries to) rather than fight. In the DePalma version, Tony is snowblind by the end and too dysfunctional to notice his place is being overrun, then too overwhelmed with grief when his sister dies to do anything, other than shoot the one guy that shot her. It's only when ChiChi (the last one standing) is killed outside the doors and Tony is totally alone that he stands up and takes the war to them. It always struck me as strange how similar the characters were in many ways, but how opposite they were at the end.

John Battles said:

Thanks. Well , the original was under close scrutiny from The U.S. Govt. The movie was meant to be a tell -all expose about Capone's actual career in crime , but  , The Govt. insisted the non - commital stance be dropped , and Capone , or , rather , the variation on his character , be portrayed as a shit - heel. The movie would'nt have been released , I've read , if they had'nt agreed to called it "Scarface - Shame of a Nation". They were afraid of Capone being portrayed as a Robin Hood thug , which he already was to a lot of people.

Was it Bugs Moran that was shot in the bowling alley? I remember it as Boris Karloff , playing the Irish crime boss....Was he supposed to be Moran? Every time someone was about to be whacked , you saw an "X" NEARBY. KARLOFF IS WRITING AN "X" on the Bowling scores. 

Thanks. Well , the original was under close scrutiny from The U.S. Govt. The movie was meant to be a tell -all expose about Capone's actual career in crime , but  , The Govt. insisted the non - commital stance be dropped , and Capone , or , rather , the variation on his character , be portrayed as a shit - heel. The movie would'nt have been released , I've read , if they had'nt agreed to called it "Scarface - Shame of a Nation". They were afraid of Capone being portrayed as a Robin Hood thug , which he already was to a lot of people.

Was it Bugs Moran that was shot in the bowling alley? I remember it as Boris Karloff , playing the Irish crime boss....Was he supposed to be Moran? Every time someone was about to be whacked , you saw an "X" NEARBY. KARLOFF IS WRITING AN "X" on the Bowling scores. 
 
B.B. Fultz said:

All in all you're right, it's not exactly a remake, but anywhere you look the two up, the '83 version is almost always called a remake of the first. Probably because so many elements and even actual dialogue was borrowed chapter and verse. Such as the famous "but I like you more/but I like you better" line. But I agree the original Howard Hawks "Scarface" was a different movie. Directly based on Al Capone, it claimed that ALL events in it were based on fact, but it was actually a mix of fact (Jim Colissimo being shot in the foyer, Dion O'Banion's assassination in the flower shop, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre) and wishful thinking (Bugs Moran gunned down while bowling, Capone himself gunned down by a cop). A very strange pro-government film from the twilight of Prohibition. 

Which is probably why I liked the 1983 movie better, and always have, since I saw it back in high school in the 80s ... WAY before it became a huge hit among today's kids and a ghetto merchandising explosion. It was operatic as hell, and not exactly "realistic" in the sense of accuracy, but it was still an awesome achievement for what it was. Mainly, I think, because Stone neither glamorized nor condemned organized crime. He just said "this is what it is" and left the interpretations to the viewer, whereas the original was pure government propaganda (albeit a worthy enough movie in its own right with some decent artistic flourishes, my favorite probably being the machine gun firing away the calendar pages). I dunno ... Hollywood's weird. The older stuff is usually the better stuff but even back in the golden age they had their share of less-than-admirable knock-offs. I have to wonder how the original Scarface would've come out, had they not had to pander to the government watchdogs. They got so much heat for it that they even shot an alternate ending for the original, where Tony is executed by hanging (they included it as a bonus on the DVD I have) but even this was rejected so they scrapped it and just used the first ending, and just showed it in areas where the theaters were willing to show it. It ended up being a big hit, probably because of Hughes backing it up with a lot of his money.

Which is kinda funny because Stone & DePalma ran into the same heat over the '83 version and remade it with the more violent parts cut out, but it still wasn't good enough for the rating, so they said screw it and used the more violent original ... exactly the same thing that happened to Hawks & Hecht. It's weird how history repeats itself.

 

John Battles said:

You might see if there's a site for Gangster pics that might be able to steer you right. I only got around to seeing Pacino's "Scarface" recently , after seeing a million T-shirts and jackets. I would'nt call it a remake of the original , so much as a reinterpretation of the story , set in modern times , with a totally different set of circumstances. Mind you , I liked it. 

Hey guys im looking for a film a saw on mgm. its about a guy in far future who is competing in box. he mostly fights with aliens. the film looks very late 70's early 80's. any ideas?

All in all you're right, it's not exactly a remake, but anywhere you look the two up, the '83 version is almost always called a remake of the first. Probably because so many elements and even actual dialogue was borrowed chapter and verse. Such as the famous "but I like you more/but I like you better" line. But I agree the original Howard Hawks "Scarface" was a different movie. Directly based on Al Capone, it claimed that ALL events in it were based on fact, but it was actually a mix of fact (Jim Colissimo being shot in the foyer, Dion O'Banion's assassination in the flower shop, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre) and wishful thinking (Bugs Moran gunned down while bowling, Capone himself gunned down by a cop). A very strange pro-government film from the twilight of Prohibition. 

Which is probably why I liked the 1983 movie better, and always have, since I saw it back in high school in the 80s ... WAY before it became a huge hit among today's kids and a ghetto merchandising explosion. It was operatic as hell, and not exactly "realistic" in the sense of accuracy, but it was still an awesome achievement for what it was. Mainly, I think, because Stone neither glamorized nor condemned organized crime. He just said "this is what it is" and left the interpretations to the viewer, whereas the original was pure government propaganda (albeit a worthy enough movie in its own right with some decent artistic flourishes, my favorite probably being the machine gun firing away the calendar pages). I dunno ... Hollywood's weird. The older stuff is usually the better stuff but even back in the golden age they had their share of less-than-admirable knock-offs. I have to wonder how the original Scarface would've come out, had they not had to pander to the government watchdogs. They got so much heat for it that they even shot an alternate ending for the original, where Tony is executed by hanging (they included it as a bonus on the DVD I have) but even this was rejected so they scrapped it and just used the first ending, and just showed it in areas where the theaters were willing to show it. It ended up being a big hit, probably because of Hughes backing it up with a lot of his money.

Which is kinda funny because Stone & DePalma ran into the same heat over the '83 version and remade it with the more violent parts cut out, but it still wasn't good enough for the rating, so they said screw it and used the more violent original ... exactly the same thing that happened to Hawks & Hecht. It's weird how history repeats itself.

John Battles said:

You might see if there's a site for Gangster pics that might be able to steer you right. I only got around to seeing Pacino's "Scarface" recently , after seeing a million T-shirts and jackets. I would'nt call it a remake of the original , so much as a reinterpretation of the story , set in modern times , with a totally different set of circumstances. Mind you , I liked it. 

I THINK i'VE ONLY SEEN DR.DRACULA , ONCE. I DON'T REMEMBER LOVIN' OR HATIN' IT....I JUST LOVE WHAT ADAMSON STOOD FOR , WHICH WAS BREAKING THE RULES , EVEN THE ONES IMPOSED ON B-MOVIES. HE JUMPED OVER HURDLES A TARENTINO  COULD'NT GET OVER WITH A CHERRY PICKER . TO GET THE MOVIE DONE , ON TIME , THEN DO THE SAME DAMN THING , IF NECESSARY , ALL OVER AGAIN.

I LOVE IT - "VERY LITTLE DRACULA VERSUSING FRANKENSTEIN" , WHILE THAT'S TRUE , THERE'S THE BUILDUP , WHERE THE MONSTER WANTS TO KICK DRACULA'S ASS OVER REGINA CARROLL , BUT , IS STILL IN HIS POWER. THE REAL SHOWDOWN DOES'NT HAPPEN TIL THE END....
 HOW MANY MOVIES IN THE PRE "GORE UBER ALLES " DAYS (80's to the present.) ARE GOING TO SHOW DRACULA (Arguably the stronger of the two creatures , depending on how strong his mojo is , that night.) RIPPING THE MONSTER'S ARMS AND HEAD OFF ?!! it was later confirmed that this scene DID inspire the "Black Knight" bit in "Monty Python and The Holy Grail".  "HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS " AND "SATAN'S SADISTS" , I LIKE A LOT , TOO...."Blood of Ghastly Horror" , i FOUND EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW . IT WAS MADE , OF COURSE , FROM PARTS OF "PSYCHO A-GO -GO"......."THE MAN WITH THE SYNTHETIC BRAIN" WAS A BETTER TITLE , AT LEAST , BUT THE DISTRIBUTORS DEMANDED WORDS LIKE "HORROR" , "BLOOD" AND "FRANKENSTEIN" BE THROWN AROUND A LOT. 

Well , like a lot of (Sensible) people in my age bracket , I saw movies like "Dracula Versus Frankenstein" and "Frankenstein's Bloody Terror" on late night TV , for the first time. "D vs. F", EVEN THEN , had a distinct lack of continuity  that could only partly be attributed to the severe editing for Television. I understood where they were going with it , but , not what they picked up along the way. IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME , NOW. THAT'S what's scary !

Greg Hanson said:

I generally love Adamson schlock. DvF is kind of amazingly appalling. But like so many films donning lurid titles, it didn't even deliver very much on the premise espoused in the title - AKA there was very little Dracula versusing Frankenstein! It was still a fun one, though definitely difficult to sit through.

I'd say Adamson's worst is definitely Doctor Dracula, which was more than a chore to sit through. I am very partial to Horror of the Blood Monsters, Psycho A Go-Go, Satan's Sadists, and Black Samurai as they all have some high-quality camp. Similar to Ted Mikels in really often tip-toeing on the line of fun and abhorrent. 

John Battles said:

Just watched "Dracula Vs. Frankenstein" for the umpteenth time.  I know we spoke of it , earlier ,  somewhere around here...... If you think it's hard to follow , you have'nt seen the celebrated back catalogue of AL Adamson . Barring "Satan's Sadists" (Which this movie was intended as a sequel to , without any monsters , an idea that cost Russ Tamblyn's appearance , one of his last on film ,to being reduced to not much more than a cameo.), it IS one of Adamson's most coherent features.  It also did'nt help that the movie was released at least three times ,with titles such as "Blood of Frankenstein" and Even "Teenage Dracula". It was marketed as a "Sex" picture (There is very moderate nudity.)and even as a Musical ! (There are two songs in the film, barring soundtrack music borrowed from Universal Horror films.)......The real source of confusion , though , was that two , unrelated , movies , were released under the same name , at roughly the same time  - The Paul Naschy/Michael Rennie Sci Fi - Monster Mash (aka "The Man Who Came From Ummo") - Dracula and Frankenstein's monster don't even meet ! and Jesse (Jesus) Franco's Monster Bash . "Dracula , Prisoner of Frankenstein".

But , if you see Al Adamson's magnum opus of schlock , several times (As I suggest.) , the seemingly unrelated subplots and teh herky - jerky editing will all make sense.

Fortress 1-2

Escape from Asbolon

I generally love Adamson schlock. DvF is kind of amazingly appalling. But like so many films donning lurid titles, it didn't even deliver very much on the premise espoused in the title - AKA there was very little Dracula versusing Frankenstein! It was still a fun one, though definitely difficult to sit through.

I'd say Adamson's worst is definitely Doctor Dracula, which was more than a chore to sit through. I am very partial to Horror of the Blood Monsters, Psycho A Go-Go, Satan's Sadists, and Black Samurai as they all have some high-quality camp. Similar to Ted Mikels in really often tip-toeing on the line of fun and abhorrent. 

John Battles said:

Just watched "Dracula Vs. Frankenstein" for the umpteenth time.  I know we spoke of it , earlier ,  somewhere around here...... If you think it's hard to follow , you have'nt seen the celebrated back catalogue of AL Adamson . Barring "Satan's Sadists" (Which this movie was intended as a sequel to , without any monsters , an idea that cost Russ Tamblyn's appearance , one of his last on film ,to being reduced to not much more than a cameo.), it IS one of Adamson's most coherent features.  It also did'nt help that the movie was released at least three times ,with titles such as "Blood of Frankenstein" and Even "Teenage Dracula". It was marketed as a "Sex" picture (There is very moderate nudity.)and even as a Musical ! (There are two songs in the film, barring soundtrack music borrowed from Universal Horror films.)......The real source of confusion , though , was that two , unrelated , movies , were released under the same name , at roughly the same time  - The Paul Naschy/Michael Rennie Sci Fi - Monster Mash (aka "The Man Who Came From Ummo") - Dracula and Frankenstein's monster don't even meet ! and Jesse (Jesus) Franco's Monster Bash . "Dracula , Prisoner of Frankenstein".

But , if you see Al Adamson's magnum opus of schlock , several times (As I suggest.) , the seemingly unrelated subplots and teh herky - jerky editing will all make sense.

Just watched "Dracula Vs. Frankenstein" for the umpteenth time.  I know we spoke of it , earlier ,  somewhere around here...... If you think it's hard to follow , you have'nt seen the celebrated back catalogue of AL Adamson . Barring "Satan's Sadists" (Which this movie was intended as a sequel to , without any monsters , an idea that cost Russ Tamblyn's appearance , one of his last on film ,to being reduced to not much more than a cameo.), it IS one of Adamson's most coherent features.  It also did'nt help that the movie was released at least three times ,with titles such as "Blood of Frankenstein" and Even "Teenage Dracula". It was marketed as a "Sex" picture (There is very moderate nudity.)and even as a Musical ! (There are two songs in the film, barring soundtrack music borrowed from Universal Horror films.)......The real source of confusion , though , was that two , unrelated , movies , were released under the same name , at roughly the same time  - The Paul Naschy/Michael Rennie Sci Fi - Monster Mash (aka "The Man Who Came From Ummo") - Dracula and Frankenstein's monster don't even meet ! and Jesse (Jesus) Franco's Monster Bash . "Dracula , Prisoner of Frankenstein".

But , if you see Al Adamson's magnum opus of schlock , several times (As I suggest.) , the seemingly unrelated subplots and teh herky - jerky editing will all make sense.

You might see if there's a site for Gangster pics that might be able to steer you right. I only got around to seeing Pacino's "Scarface" recently , after seeing a million T-shirts and jackets. I would'nt call it a remake of the original , so much as a reinterpretation of the story , set in modern times , with a totally different set of circumstances. Mind you , I liked it. 
 
B.B. Fultz said:

Holy mother of fuck ... how could I forget about Frogs? Last time I saw that was maybe 17 years ago. Coolest scene was probably the lizards dumping the poison gas on that guy in the greenhouse and then splitting, with the last lizard closing the door with its tail on its way out. 

In other news I have a B-movie conundrum maybe someone can solve ... a long (LONG) time ago, I saw a cheap black-&-white gangster movie with my dad at the drive-in. We're talking mid-70s but I think the picture itself was made way earlier. I keep wanting to say it was called The Farmer, but a thousand online searches for that title have turned up nothing so it must've been called something else. It did INVOLVE a farmer, coming back from WWII. I remember he beat someone up on a train for making fun of some child star (probably Shirley Temple). After that he pulls a mob boss from a car crash and they become close friends. But then the mob guy's underworld rivals show up and abduct and torture the mob guy, and because the farmer is harboring him, they wreak havoc on his family, mostly through this mobster named "Weasel" who kills his elderly grandfather or uncle or whoever, beats and rapes his girl, and then burns down the farmhouse. So naturally, the farmer goes on a rampage against the mob and whacks them all out. The reason I remember it so well is because it's probably the single most violent crime movie I've ever seen (and I saw it at like 11) with torture victims getting acid poured on their faces, old guys getting beat to death and set on fire, and blood and guts galore (it was in black & white but if you've ever noticed, black blood is more gruesome looking than red blood). Plus awesome gun stunts like the farmer hiding under his car and shooting mobsters in the shins when they walk up, then blasting them in the face when they hit the pavement. As graphic as it was, I'm kind of surprised it didn't get an X-rating back then. It made the Pacino remake of Scarface look a little like On Golden Pond by comparison. Anyway if anybody else is familiar with this movie and remembers the title, by all means let me know. I'd like to see it again sometime.  

Holy mother of fuck ... how could I forget about Frogs? Last time I saw that was maybe 17 years ago. Coolest scene was probably the lizards dumping the poison gas on that guy in the greenhouse and then splitting, with the last lizard closing the door with its tail on its way out. 

In other news I have a B-movie conundrum maybe someone can solve ... a long (LONG) time ago, I saw a cheap black-&-white gangster movie with my dad at the drive-in. We're talking mid-70s but I think the picture itself was made way earlier. I keep wanting to say it was called The Farmer, but a thousand online searches for that title have turned up nothing so it must've been called something else. It did INVOLVE a farmer, coming back from WWII. I remember he beat someone up on a train for making fun of some child star (probably Shirley Temple). After that he pulls a mob boss from a car crash and they become close friends. But then the mob guy's underworld rivals show up and abduct and torture the mob guy, and because the farmer is harboring him, they wreak havoc on his family, mostly through this mobster named "Weasel" who kills his elderly grandfather or uncle or whoever, beats and rapes his girl, and then burns down the farmhouse. So naturally, the farmer goes on a rampage against the mob and whacks them all out. The reason I remember it so well is because it's probably the single most violent crime movie I've ever seen (and I saw it at like 11) with torture victims getting acid poured on their faces, old guys getting beat to death and set on fire, and blood and guts galore (it was in black & white but if you've ever noticed, black blood is more gruesome looking than red blood). Plus awesome gun stunts like the farmer hiding under his car and shooting mobsters in the shins when they walk up, then blasting them in the face when they hit the pavement. As graphic as it was, I'm kind of surprised it didn't get an X-rating back then. It made the Pacino remake of Scarface look a little like On Golden Pond by comparison. Anyway if anybody else is familiar with this movie and remembers the title, by all means let me know. I'd like to see it again sometime.  

I was'nt there....But , this girl was really a prude . I'm sure she was horrified when she found out what "Erotic" meant.
 
dave said:

"Lie some more, Pinocchio!" Did she come back with a smile on her fizz?

John Battles said:

My so - called friends in High School sometimes went to The Drive - In without me. Once , this extremely naive girl we knew could'nt pick a picture to watch....Then she saw "The Erotic Adventures of Pinocchio" was playing on one screen. She decided to see that. She liked Pinocchio.
 
John Battles said:

Oh , and that was my only direct exposure to Drive - In culture , in the early 70's. I know my Brothers and I saw some other great movies , there , too , but , I forget which . My Babysitter and her Boyfriend , sometimes , would take us to the Drive - In. He was a Saint to put up with our shit. I remember the classic trailer to "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde", which is also on "Wavy Gravy".
 
John Battles said:

THAT'S FUNNY. WAVY GRAVY WAS THE PEAK OF TRASH COMPS.....I , inadvertently , drove this very annoying woman who was giving my friend at the record store all kinds of Hell , as we were listening to one of those records , and when the immortal  strains of "I ****an old gal in the graveyard..." came on , she bolted right out the door. My friend thanked me.
 
dave said:

That's some baby-sitter! I had to wait on the radio ad 'til I heard it on Four Hairy Policemen...

John Battles said:

VERY nice.  I had a really cool babysitter who took my Brothers and I to see "Frogs" at the Drive-in when it came out.

dave said:

"Lie some more, Pinocchio!" Did she come back with a smile on her fizz?

John Battles said:

My so - called friends in High School sometimes went to The Drive - In without me. Once , this extremely naive girl we knew could'nt pick a picture to watch....Then she saw "The Erotic Adventures of Pinocchio" was playing on one screen. She decided to see that. She liked Pinocchio.
 
John Battles said:

Oh , and that was my only direct exposure to Drive - In culture , in the early 70's. I know my Brothers and I saw some other great movies , there , too , but , I forget which . My Babysitter and her Boyfriend , sometimes , would take us to the Drive - In. He was a Saint to put up with our shit. I remember the classic trailer to "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde", which is also on "Wavy Gravy".
 
John Battles said:

THAT'S FUNNY. WAVY GRAVY WAS THE PEAK OF TRASH COMPS.....I , inadvertently , drove this very annoying woman who was giving my friend at the record store all kinds of Hell , as we were listening to one of those records , and when the immortal  strains of "I ****an old gal in the graveyard..." came on , she bolted right out the door. My friend thanked me.
 
dave said:

That's some baby-sitter! I had to wait on the radio ad 'til I heard it on Four Hairy Policemen...

John Battles said:

VERY nice.  I had a really cool babysitter who took my Brothers and I to see "Frogs" at the Drive-in when it came out.

dave said:

My so - called friends in High School sometimes went to The Drive - In without me. Once , this extremely naive girl we knew could'nt pick a picture to watch....Then she saw "The Erotic Adventures of Pinocchio" was playing on one screen. She decided to see that. She liked Pinocchio.
 
John Battles said:

Oh , and that was my only direct exposure to Drive - In culture , in the early 70's. I know my Brothers and I saw some other great movies , there , too , but , I forget which . My Babysitter and her Boyfriend , sometimes , would take us to the Drive - In. He was a Saint to put up with our shit. I remember the classic trailer to "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde", which is also on "Wavy Gravy".
 
John Battles said:

THAT'S FUNNY. WAVY GRAVY WAS THE PEAK OF TRASH COMPS.....I , inadvertently , drove this very annoying woman who was giving my friend at the record store all kinds of Hell , as we were listening to one of those records , and when the immortal  strains of "I ****an old gal in the graveyard..." came on , she bolted right out the door. My friend thanked me.
 
dave said:

That's some baby-sitter! I had to wait on the radio ad 'til I heard it on Four Hairy Policemen...

John Battles said:

VERY nice.  I had a really cool babysitter who took my Brothers and I to see "Frogs" at the Drive-in when it came out.

dave said:

.....Ummmm, I just watched PAUL MORRISSEY'S "TRASH" , WITH JOE DALLESANDRO. IT'S NOT BIG ON STORYLINE , MUCH OF THE DIALOGUE SEEMS IMPROVISED (NOT A BAD THING.). I'M CONVINCED RICHARD KERN WAS INFLUENCED BY THIS. IT MAKES "BLOOD FOR DRACULA" AND "FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN" SEEM LIKE MAGNUM OPUSES BY CECIL B. DEMILLE. IN OTHER WORDS , I DUG IT. THERE'S SOMETHING FOR ALMOST EVERYONE AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR THE REST. HOW MANY MOVIES ABOUT NEW YORK ARE SHOT ALMOST ENTIRELY INDOORS?

But , if you question my depravity , I watched "16 Candles" right before it. Come on ! That movie is hilarious ! More Old Style cans than a Polkaholics show.