I SHOT JFK
I know you may not believe me. Sure, I was only three years old at the time and I'm sure there are plenty of photos that put me in Cleveland on November 22, 1963, but I'm saying I did it! Please notify the various news outlets that I AM available for interviews and will, of course, listen to offers about turning my life story into a movie. I can't wait to get to Dallas. I hope the prosecutor there is as gullible as the one in Colorado who spent thousands of dollars giving John Mark Karr a free ride home from Bangkok last week. I mean, sure, Karr's ex wife and brother said that Karr was with them at the time little JonBenet Ramsey was killed. Sure, Karr's story didn't match the evidence or facts. The one glaring thing I picked up on was how he picked her up from school the day of the murder. Since she was killed either late December 25 or early December 26, that would make it CHRISTMAS, dick head. Not too many schools are open that day. District Attorney Mary Lacy said that she fear Karr was a threat to children at the school he was teaching at in Thailand, so that is why she had him brought back to Denver. Apparently there are no police in Thailand. This guy got his 15 mins plus of fame, which I hope keeps him warm when he's doing time for the kiddie porn charges he's going to face. If the fame doesn't keep him warm, I'm sure several of his new friends in San Quentin will.
GOODBYE PA KENT
Very sad to learn of the passing of actor Glenn Ford who died this week at the age of 90. As I write this a cause of death has not been given. Born Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford in Canada, he began acting in high school after his family moved to California. After a successful screen test, he played many small roles early on in his career. After serving in the Marines in World War II, he returned to Hollywood and starred with Rita Hayworth in "Gilda." Other notable films include "The Sheepman," "Don't Go Near the Water," "Is Paris Burning?," "The Gazebo" and "Pocketful of Miracles." Ford is probably best remembered for two very different roles as fathers. In "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," he played a man who's young son (Ronnie Howard) thinks he should get remarried. In "Superman the Movie," he starred as Jonathan Kent, the adoptive father of the boy of steel.
MY FAVORITE FILMS - CHAPTER 35
|
|
CARRIE
Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt and John Travolta
Directed by: Brian DePalma
| |
|
FIRST SEEN: Twin Bays 4, Tampa, Florida
FAVORITE LINE: "I'm gonna bash your little heads in and you won't have to worry about the bomb no more!"
FAVORITE SCENE: Carrie impales her mother with various kitchen utensils.
AWARDS:
Academy Award nominations for Best Actress (Spacek) and Best Supporting Actress (Laurie)
Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Laurie)
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress (Spacek)
Ah, "Carrie." To a 16-year-old boy, is there any better opening three minutes of film EVER. A steamy shower and various girls in various stages of undress. And then we meet Carrie White. Picked on by the popular girls because her mother is a religious zealot, Carrie tries to fit in but never can. Whether she's yelled at because she missed a ball in gym class or screaming in horror when she has her first period, Carrie is the butt of every joke at school. When one of the girls that picks on her gets a sudden case of conscience, she asks her boyfriend to take Carrie to the prom. Big mistake!
"Carrie" is easily one of the best film adaptations of a Stephen King story. With Sissy Spacek in the title role, he found an actress that could portray the wide eyed innocence needed as the film begins as well as the fierce determination to destroy everyone that ever hurt her at the end. And she is evenly matched by Piper Laurie, who Brian DePalma lured out of retirement to play Margaret White. DePalma also cast many up and coming young actors, including Amy Irving, William Katt, P.J. Soles (grrrrrrrrrrrlllllllll), Nancy Allen (who DePalma would later marry), Betty Buckley and John Travolta. Buckley would later go on to star in the very short lived Broadway musical of "Carrie," playing the role of Margaret White. What stands out most in my mind when I think about "Carrie" was the night the film opened. Halloween had just passed and the theatre was full. As the film comes to an end, we see Sue Snell (Irving) making her way to a crudely painted sign indicating that Carrie White is now burning in hell. Sue kneels in front of the makeshift marker and gently places a bouquet of flowers on the rubble of what had once been Carrie's house. Suddenly, a bloody hand reaches up from underground, gripping Sue's arm and attempting to pull her down. Not only does Sue jump back in horror, a woman in the front row of the theatre literally fainted and hit the floor. Scary stuff!
My only complaint as a young man was that Amy Irving didn't participate in the opening shower scene. I had the opportunity to meet Brian DePalma at a screening of "Carlito's Way," and I asked him why Irving didn't shower with the rest of the gals. He replied that Irving was too shy, especially since her mother, Priscilla Pointer, was playing her on screen mom as well.
How sadly ironic that as we pay our respects to Glenn Ford that next week's film will be "Superman the Movie".
Well, that's all for now. Have a great week. See ya!
"Mike's Rant" is ©2006 by Michael A. Smith. Webpage design and all graphics herein are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2006 by Nolan B. Canova.
