Now in our fourth calendar year!
PCR #168. (Vol. 4, No. 24) This edition is for the week of June 9--15, 2003.
 | |  |
|
Hello, gang! A few notes, EW revisits its cult movie list and part 2 of movie theatre memories. Shall we begin? |
IN THIS ISSUE
A few thoughts on some of the notes in this current issue. Rest assured that I have volunteered to hunt down and beat the bastards that swindled Will and his associates (Re: this issue's La Floridiana. Thanks, Mike! --N). It bothers me that there are people out there who have no conscience and choose to prey on the good among us.
Reference Andy Lalino's letter (On the homepage Lettercol. --N): Ah, Gateway Mall. Nice place. Let me really give away my age by saying that before I would see a movie at Gateway I would eat at the Chicken Unlimited on 4th Street. To you younger readers, Chicken Unlimited was, in my mind, an early version of "Chik Fil A". Does the old General Cinema jingle still go through your head? My grandfather lived near the Crossroads theatre. A major movie going experience in my life was going to see "Jesus Christ Superstar" there. Not surprised on the X-rated late shows since it was an AMC theatre. I think that was something they did chain wide to take advantage of the growing porn film industry, even though what they showed was basically soft core. Also, coincidentally I have been trying for some time to get an interview with Tom Laughlin. Sadly, Mr. Laughlin is fighting a battle with throat cancer so he's currently unavailable. Any true Billy Jack fan will enjoy visiting Mr. Laughlin's Official Billy Jack Website. FYI: The website is being updated and should be up by the 4th of July.
CHEERS
To the state of Florida for upholding the ruling that a Muslim woman cannot wear a veil in her driver's license photo. Of course, I'm not surprised to see that the woman's case was taken up by the American Civil Liberties Union. I'm guessing that in earlier days the ACLU actually did some good for people. Now they are just a bunch of organized bullies, sticking their noses wherever they feel they can get some press. This past December they threatened to sue a rural Georgia school system because on the school calendar the time off at the end of December was referred to as "Christmas Vacation." Even though no one in the school system had a problem with it, it cost the school district thousands of dollars to have various school material, agendas, etc. reprinted without the offensive word appearing. Incidentally, if you called the national offices of the ACLU this past December 25th, you would have received a recorded message stating the office was closed...............after all, it was Christmas!
HAS HE SEEN THE SCRIPT
Variety reports that Sylvester Stallone will write, direct and star in a movie dealing with the murders of rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. Stallone plans to play the real-life Los Angeles detective who came to the conclusion that rap record czar Suge Knight contracted Shakur's murder, a charge that Knight has vehemently denied. On an ironic note, Knight is talking about playing himself in the film.
HE GOT OUT OF THIS PLACE
Dave Rowberry, keyboardist for the band the Animals, died this past Friday in London. He was 62. He joined the band in 1965, replacing original keyboard player Alan Price. The Animals had such hits as "House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."
GOODNIGHT, DAVID
Very sad to report the passing of a true television legend. David Brinkley was a mainstay on network news for almost 50 years. Mr. Brinkley passed away Wednesday evening from complications from a fall he had sustained. He was 82.
Born in Wilmington, North Carolina on July 20, 1920, he began reporting for his hometown newspaper while still in high school. After attending college at both UNC and Vanderbilt University and a short stint in the Army, he became a stringer for United Press' southern syndicate. Moving to Washington DC to accept a position with CBS Radio, he instead took a job with NBC news. He first teamed with newsman Chet Huntley to cover both the Democratic and Republican conventions in 1956. Soon after, they began presenting the evening news, with Huntley broadcasting from New York City and Brinkley from Washington, with each man alternating turns in reporting the news. In the 1960's the "Huntley/Brinkley" report was the most watched news program in the country. Their nightly sign off soon became a part of television folk lore: "Goodnight, Chet." Goodnight, David." Huntley retired in 1970. In 1981, Brinkley moved over to ABC where his weekly show, "This Week With David Brinkley" soon became as important to watch as "Meet The Press." Over his career Brinkley won 10 Emmy Awards and was awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.
Next week, Mike's Rant will feature an extended bio of legendary actor Gregory Peck who died this past Wednesday at the age of 87. --Nolan
MORE CULT MOVIES
As always happens when you have lists, there are always worthy choices that get left off. Such were the opinions of Entertainment Weekly readers who wrote and emailed so strongly that an additional eleven films made the list. I was pleased to see that many of these "forgotten" classics had already been chosen by our astute readers. If you don't understand why they chose eleven, and not the normal ten, then you probably don't know what we're talking about anyway! Here are the films, along with the reason EW left them off:
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. EW felt it was "a mainstream cultural phenomenon".
2. A Clockwork Orange. Omitted "due to Kubrick's widely accepted status as, you know, one of the giants of modern cinema."
3. Mommie Dearest. Judgment call.
4. The Princess Bride. Only one film per director. Rob Reiner hit #1 with Spinal Tap.
5. Swingers. EW swears it ranked #51.
6. UHF. Left off "because we've actually seen it."
7. Valley of the Dolls. ",,,,,,,,How many camp classics can there be on a single.......list"
8. Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is "you do not talk about its omission."
9. Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead. Though quite gory, EW thought Dawn of the Dead, Evil Dead II and Re-Animator are more important.
10. Better Off Dead. ".......Heathers was better."
11. Donnie Darko. Consider it "too new."
MOVIES AND THEATRES, PART II
Last week I touched on the two theatres that were nearest and dearest to me in Tampa, The Britton and Twin Bays. Now, I'll touch on the other theatres we frequented and my movie memories.
THE TAMPA THEATRE
Great memories here. Not of a movie watching variety but of the hard work involved with reopening this great palace. When I win the lottery I plan to buy it.
TAMPA BAY CENTER
OK, most of us will sound off instantly with Star Wars. If you saw it in Tampa you saw it here. Caught a rare midnight sneak of High Anxiety here. My favorite night was a rare TRIPLE FEATURE: A Star is Born, followed by a sneak preview of Oh, God! followed by a midnight sneak of Black Sunday. Also saw Marathon Man here. Afterwards my dad asked if Roy Scheider was "the guy who looks like a fish?"
HORIZON PARK
While most of you were catching Star Wars at Tampa Bay Center, I pedaled my bike a little farther to catch Sorcerer with Roy Scheider. In my opinion, a fine film that never got seen. Had I thought about it more, it would have made my cult list. Besides the earlier mentioned Deadmen Don't Wear Plaid, we also took in such classics as Up in Smoke and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. A great memory: John Hooper's folks took some of us to see COMA. A character in the film remarks that, "if you want to get away with murder, ask a pathologist." Mr. Hooper chuckled loudly. Mrs. H. didn't say a thing. Oh, did I mention that Dr. Hooper was a pathologist.
FLORILAND MALL
Most memorable to Matt and I for one movie: The Greek Tycoon. No, can't say either of us have ever seen it. However, we always found a way to show up right before show time, ask to use the bathroom, then sneak in catch the trailer for JAWS II. Having moved to the other side of town, I started working here in mid-December 78, with Superman the Movie on one side and Every Which Way But Loose on the other. I remember that another usher, named Todd, and I would walk the theatre playing Superman during the show and would time it so that, when Superman first runs towards the camera, pulls open his shirt and reveals the big S, we would do the same thing, opening our shirts to reveal an S on the T-shirts we wore underneath.....available at the concession stand. Also, Todd is the person who introduced me to, what Matt considers, one of the best words ever - PenisWhiffle. Don't know what it meant but it always cracked me up.
UNIVERSITY MALL
OK, lots of memories here: Rocky Horror, Battlestar Galactica (in SENSAROUND!), " excuse me, did you go to Plant" (Scott Gilbert knows what I mean), the reissue of The Towering Inferno. But one movie memory here sticks out above all others. My dad dropped me off one afternoon because I wanted to see Dog Day Afternoon. However, I was too young to see the R-rated film. As I stood there with a sad look on my face, the cashier uttered the five words that made me the movie nut I am today, "Have you seen JAWS yet?" No, I hadn't. But two hours and four minutes later, with the people five rows behind me covered in the large popcorn I literally threw over my head when Ben Gardner's head popped out of the bottom of the boat, I was hooked!
VARSITY 6
Three memories here. #1. Matt and I go to see The Champ. Waiting for the film to start, we strike up a conversation with the manager. Finding out what movie we're seeing, he tells us to take plenty of tissues "because I hear that everyone cries when Jon Voight dies at the end." Thanks, pal. #2. Saturday Night Fever. #3. Opening day, first show of ROCKY II. Big fight at the end, Rocky and Apollo standing toe to toe, exchanging punches. As the music swells, one member of our group screams out at the top of his lungs, "FALL YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Apparently Corey had money on Balboa.
THE TODD
Across the street from the Varsity 6. Matt, being a huge Cowboys fan, dragged me here to see Debbie Does Dallas.
EASTLAKE MALL
Caught the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers here. Also, when I came home from basic training I went to see When a Stranger Calls and there was one person who kept talking out loud during the film. I remember asking him to be quiet and he asked me if I was going to make him. Full of gung ho I stood up. He mumbled, "I'm sorry," and was quiet the rest of the film.
FLORILAND DRIVE IN
Owned by the same company that owned the Floriland theatre, I would sometimes fill in here. The tower in front was a replica of the leaning one in Pisa. At the base was an office full of file cabinets. In the cabinets was advertising material from every film released since the mid 1930's. We played Saturday Night Fever for 7 MONTHS! In fact, this is where Matt, Ben Gregory and I were one night...............not driving around shooting things with a BB gun. Honest.
HILLSBORO DRIVE IN
Matt's apartment used to be on this land. Caught Kentucky Fried Movie here. Fondest memory is Corey's dad taking us to see The Exorcist.
HILLSBOROUGH THEATRE
Yes, it used to be cool to stand in line for hours just to see a movie. Did it for Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Superman the Movie. What I remember most about CE3K was the end. The mothership had lifted off, the little boy said "Bye," and the audience was dead quiet. Then, the words "Directed by Steven Spielberg" hit the screen and the place erupted in applause. In an attempt to make more money, the theatre "added" an intermission to Superman. They picked the right spot to do it, right after Superman first flies towards the audience from the Fortress of Solitude. We spent 15 minutes in the lobby pacing, waiting for the film to resume. Took my dad to see CE3K and had to explain to him afterwards that Bob Balaban and Richard Dreyfuss were two different people. It was here, on a tip from a friend, that Matt and I attended an unadvertised sneak preview of Dawn of the Dead. We had never seen anything like it before. Love those zombies!
Well, that's it for now. Have a great week. See ya!
"Mike's Rant" is ©2003 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 ©2003 by Nolan B. Canova.
|
