preview: spielberg on spielberg

I will never forget my 6th grade year. It was the year that I discovered Steven Spielberg. I wasn't the only one. Millions of kids my age older did the same. There were several genuine "phenomenons" during that time, and in some ways, I don't think they have ever been equaled in terms of impact and number. Star Wars was a real empire of money, toys, cartoons and imagination. Garfield was everywhere. In fact, I could go over to any of my friend's houses and be assured to find at least several of the following: Star Wars action figures, Garfield comic strip books, puffy stickers, empty Reese's Pieces bags under the bed, a handheld electronic football game, a 3 inch high G.I. Joe (if you were cool you had Snake Eyes) and perhaps an Atari 2600 near the television. With all that stuff, what were we most likely doing? We were outside with some sort of hat and rope or twine fashioned like a bullwhip arguing over who was going to be Indiana Jones and who was going to be the bad guy Nazi.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first movie I went to without my parents. It was PG, which made the outing even more "grownup". I went with my cousins and a couple of other kids from their neighborhood; and there we sat, eyes transfixed on the screen, hands only moving from the popcorn bucket to our mouths and not even whispering to each for fear of missing something important. During the scene where Indy and Marion were tied up and the Nazis were opening the Arc, the music cued me to hid my eyes. Even though I saw the movie in the theater several times, I always closed my eyes during that scene. I never saw what happened until years later when I watched on video. We loved the movie. I loved the movie. All of the sudden carrying a bullwhip and walking around in a Fedora was hip. If you dressed up as Indiana Jones for Halloween and you actually had a homemade costume with an actual Fedora and something resembling a whip, you were uber-cool. The plastic costume did not cut the mustard, and all of the kids in kidworld knew better. Homemade was way better. If you couldn't do that, you didn't dare try to imitate with cheap plastic costume and mask. It was better off leaving the Indy costume to the professional kids with costume making moms who had grandparents with old Fedoras, or relatives who lived on a farm that had need for bullwhips. The rest of us stuck with the standard Star Wars or superhero costume.

The greatest thing about a blockbuster movie like Raiders or Star Wars back then, is that it was such a shared experience. The movies would play for months on end, and movie theaters, which only had one, two or at the maximum three screens, didn't worry about business. They proudly proclaimed "In it's Fifth Month! Don't Miss the Hit of the Year!" Movie theaters knew that they could show a blockbuster for several months, because the kids kept coming. Today, a movie that lasts a month in a 16 screen megaplex is considered long in the tooth. But Indy was on the big screen, no- a huge screen, and the music and sound effects blared across the theater. You could hear kids, as if on cue at the right moment, singing the theme song: "Duh-da Dun duhhh, Dun da Duhhhhhhh- Dun da Dun Duhhhhhh- Dun Da Dun Dun Duhhhhh!"

I didn't know that the director of the film was Steven Spielberg, I just knew that who ever made this movie had better make some more. Then, one day at school the E.T. kids on the playground crossed paths with the Indiana Jones kids. It was quite by accident actually. We were fighting the Nazi's of course (we decided that Indiana Jones had a lot of brothers or something- that way we could all be Indy. My name was Cleveland Smith), and we turned a path in imaginary Cairo when we saw a bunch of girls and some of the boys in class who were trading the plastic E.T. figurines and stickers. One of them even had a E.T. doll. This was a dangerous situation. You see, as part of the Indy crowd, we were serious adventures. We had to save the world from Nazis and keep them from recovering biblical relics for their nefarious purposes. This was important business. We didn't have time for bobble headed aliens and flying bicycles. The E.T. kids thought that we were always in the way of their space and I guess, were expressing fears of government seizure and probing. We were about to kick these kids out of Cairo when one of the 8th grade kids started laughing at us from their side of the playground. "Look at the dorks! What a bunch of dorky kids!" We all looked at each other. Certainly he was referring to the opposing faction. Wasn't he? Then the 8th graders came over to make fun of ... all of us. And I heard one of them say- "The same movie dude that made Indiana Jones, made E.T. dork! Didn't you know that!" Heresy! I didn't believe it! Later I asked a reliable source and it was confirmed. I couldn't believe it! How could the same person make both of these films? At the time, to me, E.T. seemed like a boring film that adults liked. Sure Reese's Pieces were great, but it wasn't Nazis and bullwhips and Fedoras and adventure! Was it?
Fortunately, I kind of grew out this myopic view of the movies; and I grew to love more and more movies, and more kinds of movies. Although today I'm still not that fond of E.T., I still admire it for it's technique and vision. I also grew to really love Steven Spielberg's work. We talk a lot about Classic films here at The Shelf, in many ways that identifies a movie in a certain timeframe: pre-late 1960s. What you may not realize is that we love a lot of movies, including so-called "modern films." To me there are many modern day classics that deserve repeated viewing as well. And I have several directors that I admire and enjoy their work, like Martin Scorsese, Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott and, of course, Steven Spielberg. To me, these guys are the link between the classic and the modern. They all have a love for classic films and film history, and they are as serious students of film as they are producers of it. And Steven Spielberg has either directed or produced many of my favorite modern day classics: The Indiana Jones series, Saving Private Ryan, The Terminal, Empire of the Sun, Schindler's List, Goonies, Back to the Future series (producer), Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Amistad, and Poltergeist are all modern day classics that I watch often. Even some of the films like Young Sherlock Holmes, Always, Used Cars, An American Tail and the television show Amazing Stories, which may not be masterpieces, are wonderful in their own right. To me they all bring an amazing amount of inspiration, storytelling and imagination to the screen. I've often thought that if I were a film maker and true to myself, my films would look more like Spielberg than Orson Welles. There are repeated themes of childhood lost, childhood found, hope lost and found, growing up, adventure and imagination, survival and endurance throughout his body of work. And often I've wanted to talk to great directors, like Spielberg, to figure out what they were thinking, what their inspiration was and whose films they looked up to. Sometimes you can get some of that from DVD commentaries or interviews. But Spielberg is more elusive than that.

Steven Spielberg has never recorded a director's commentary for any DVD of any of his films. And tonight is the best way you will be able to get a director's eye view and commentary from Spielberg himself, that you're likely to get. It's a new documentary entitled Spielberg on Spielberg, and it premieres tonight, July 9th at 8pm/ET (eastern time, not the alien). The 90 minute documentary was produced by Richard Schickel (producer of the recent documentary, Bienvenue à Cannes that we also previewed). The format is pretty much a long interview with Spielberg- without the interviewer. And it works. Spielberg discusses his beginnings, his career, his mistakes, his heroes, critics, his triumphs and his highs and lows. There is a thread to the discussion that is easy to follow, and without any narrator or omniscient voice guiding us, it actually works better here, than say in Schickel's Cannes doc.

Spielberg talks about his youth, in which he made amateur movies and demonstrated a deep love for movies even as a teenager. On discovering the joys of filmmaking Spielberg said, " I was infatuated with the control that movies gave me in creating a sequence of events or a feeling or a train wreck with two Lionel trains that I could then repeat and see over and over again. I think it was just the realization that I could change the way I perceived life through a funnel or another medium to make it come out better for me. And I realized I could make life better for me through this little 8mm rinky dink medium, I felt really good about my life, myself and possibly bringing some other people into this amazing medium to enjoy what I was putting together."

He also tells about a time when, as a he was on a Universal Studios Tour, and during a bathroom break, hid in the bathroom til everybody left and then had his own self guided tour. He eventually ended up in the film library where he so impressed the film librarian, he got a signed three day pass for Universal. He ended up spending that whole summer at Universal observing film making. He eventually was able to get a contract directing television on the strength of a student film entitled, Amblin' (yes, that's where the name of his production company comes from) and the went to on to direct his first feature length film Duel.

Althought Sugarland Express was what made him a director on the rise, it was the success of Jaws that made him a blockbuster director. Jaws led the way for what we now refer to as the Summer Blockbuster. From that point on, Spielberg has gone on to direct many blockbuster films, but even more serious films that betray the influence of some of his heroes like David Lean. Empire of the Sun, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List and other films all stand out from the blockbuster adventure films, but they all come from the imagination and heart of the director or producer, Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg on Spielberg is a unique opportunity to look into that heart and imagination of the director. You may not agree with some of his politics, you may not agree with some of his ideas about childhood or life or even his own heritage, but I believe that the man and artist is an American film classic and many of his films will stand the test of time. Yeah, you may have thought War of the Worlds stunk, and you wouldn't be alone. You may have thought that Minority Report wasn't that great. I do know that many are excited about the possibility of a fourth Indiana Jones (if it's done right) and that many of you will probably be rewatching your favorite Spielberg film, again, after you see this documentary.

Spielberg on Spielberg is a great documentary and an great insight into the work of Spielberg. This is why TCM remains one of my all time favorite networks, as this is just another in a long line of great original shows and documentaries that celebrate and examine the movies and why we love them. Be sure not to miss tonight's premiere of Spielberg on Spielberg. It's a Shelf Classic. And then come back here to our comments section and tell us about your favorite Steven Spielberg movie and why you love it (or why you don't like another one- we don't care, we just love talking about films).

Spielberg on Spielberg

Directed by Richard Schickel

Premieres Monday, July 9th, at 8pm et

(check local listings for times)

Features rarely seen footage and photos

from the Directors early days of filmmaking.

Spielberg on Spielberg premieres on

Turner Classic Movies

The Home for Classic Movies

Don't miss it! We'll back with this week's roundup, a DVD box set review and more. Stay tuned!

Snakes. Why does it have to be snakes?

does this make me a dork?

Yesterday was officially my birthday. To celebrate, I went to a local comic book store in search of something truly unattainable for me. I've never been a comic book guy. I mean, not in the typical sense. I never got into the super hero comics or anything. I always had an affinity for Archie comics and Disney comics as they are fond memories of my childhood. The other kinds just never excited me too much. As I grew older, I also grew further away from such things. I'd talk to J.C. about maybe one day getting one of those old Three Stooges comics that are somewhat rare now (we are big Stooges fans here at the Shelf. Thanks Dad.) but never have I gained more than a passing interest in the stuff. Recently, I've been digging up my old Archie comics and introducing them to my oldest son who is slowly mastering his reading skills. As I've been doing this, I have sparked a little nostalgia in myself and have become more and more determined to own a couple of very special comic books. Special to me, that is. This was the main cause of my venture to the land of nerd-dom. While there, I was able to handle some original "true detective" and other "true mystery" style comics from my dad's era and before. I realized then what my appreciation was of some of these publications. Owning one of these is like owning a moment in time that you can travel to every time you thumb through it's pages. Some bring back memories and others give you a glimpse into a world you've only heard about from your parents.

I'm a big fan of "The Shadow" radio series and on this day, my major goal was to find an original copy of "The Shadow Magazine". The magazine was published during the time of the show's peak and is something that ,as a fan, I would find to be a treasure. I knew I couldn't afford one (if you know of an affordable one, don't hesitate to pass the info on), but to touch one and see it up close and in person would be a real treat. Needless to say, this store doesn't keep "high line" items like this on the premises and they gave me a phone number to call if I was serious about "doing business". I felt like I was doing something illegal. Nevertheless, I was able to browse through some others that interested me. The two pictures are scans of what I got. The first one is not a very significant issue, but the cover art is a wonderful example of 50's style illustrations. It just stood out and it's simple look was so powerful to me. Apparently a few others feel the same way because I had to dole out some cash for it. The second shows the transformation into the 60's style that stuck with the Archie series for a long time. The covers of these two are really what sold them to me. The third is a decent early 60's cover, but it's special because it's the first appearance of Archie as his alter-ego, super hero character 'Pureheart'. Those Archie fans out there will recognize this character from "The Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E." series which obviously spoofed "The Man From U.N.C.L.E". The Archie version of "T.M.F.U." began later, but this appearance of Archie as 'Pureheart' became a semi-regular thing until the permanent series was introduced.

Does all of this make me a dork? I'm a grown man buying comic books. To me, I see it as being similar to me buying old movie lobby cards. They are collectible and bring the essence of another era into my home. I long for the era between 1935-1965 and have always had a thought in my head that if I could have a second life, it would've been in that era. I guess this also makes me a dork, but I don't really care. Life was tough back then, but also more simple in a way. One of these days, J.C. and I plan to put together a piece about the era when drug stores and soda fountains were king. Those times must have been great. A kid could saunter over to the drug store with a dime or two and pick up a new Archie comic, have a burger, a malt and a great time. I suppose I'm just trying to experience a piece of that myself through these expensive comic books. I guess being a dork isn't all that bad.




Please feel free to comment if the need strikes you.

“We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.”

an interesting link....

For those of you not familiar with the Maggie's Farm website, shame on you. It's a daily read for J.C. and I and is actually on our blog roll to the right. The site is eclectic and posts, amongst other things, a daily list of interesting links. Today while I was scanning these links, I found one of particular interest to me. In June, I posted a peice about celebrities voicing their opinions and the link I discovered at Maggie's Farm leads to an article at Clayton Cramer's Blog ( third story down) about some celebrities who agree with me in essence. It was uplifting to read about some of the rich and famous talking in a manner which would lead one to beleive that they are amongst the few in their position to actually be in touch with reality. Support these great sites with a visit and check out that link either directly or by going over to Maggie's Farm first. Take a look at the other interesting stories they linked to as well. I know they'll lay out the welcome mat for ya'. Just let them know The Shelf sent you.





Please feel free to comment if the need strikes you.

“The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a wide-spread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible”

July 1776

The following is a repost from last July. I felt that it's words were worth repeating.





Back in July of 1776, the war for independence was far from over and seemed all but lost. George Washington and the continental army were in New York licking their wounds from a previous loss and unknown to them, they were preparing for another defeat. Some citizens supported their cause. Some did not. Some fed them. Some did not. Things were not looking good for the Americans. Even patriotic citizens doubted the ability of their military to defeat the British and sometimes wavered in their support. America as a society was a "fair weather friend" to these soldiers fighting for freedom and the fledgling government whose vision of independence brought on their call to arms. Yet, during this same time in Pennsylvania the Continental Congress was in session and in the process of making world history. When all seemed lost and it appeared that the popularity of the continental polititions and their ideas was all but nil, they girded their loins and by the inspiration of God Himself drafted a bold document for the world to see and envy for centuries to come.On July 9th 1776 in New York, George Washington ordered that this document ,which was called at this time the "Dunlap Broadside", be read aloud to his assembled army and whatever citizens who may wish to hear. When the reading of the Declaration of Independence was complete the words had inspired the soldiers and citizens so much that they began to celebrate uncontrollably. The words of that document resonated in the souls of those who heard it so much that even in a phase of war where many pondered accepting amnesty from the British in exchange for surrender, citizens and soldiers alike gathered around a statue of King George in New York and removed it's head. The head was taken to their leader George Washington as a symbol of their desire for freedom and their approval of the words read to them earlier in the day.In today's America, we are similar to the fickle citizenry of 1776. Some support our government and some don't. Even some who call themselves patriotic doubt our country's ability to win our military engagements over seas. Worse yet, we have citizens in this country who believe that we are always wrong. There is no mystery as to why our country has been askew as of late. It's the fault of the people.There are good citizens in this country and I hope I am one of them, but the confused far outweigh the understanding people of this nation. Somewhat like the America of 1776, we have been experiencing political upheaval with folks pointing fingers and choosing sides. The resolve and unity of September 12th 2001 have all but disappeared from us. We need something to bring us together to be a nation of one. Once again we need nothing less than devine words inspired by God to touch our souls and remind us what we stand for and what we are made of. For the remainder of today's post I give you those words; the words of the Declaration of Independence. These words at one time were strong enough to cause ordinary citizens to march out and bring back the head of a king and I believe they are still that strong today. Read and ponder and don't forget: today is not just July 4th.......it's Independence Day.


IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united states of America

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."











Feel free to comment if the need strikes you.



The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves. George Washington

fasten your seatbelts

It's going to be a bumpy ride this week folks. On vacation this week is J.C. Loophole. That's right. The trustworthy driver of this vehicle of all things pop culture and movies has let go of the wheel for a week and left it in the hands of your favorite bumbling back-seat driver Wolf Flywheel. I'm not sure we'll survive. This week will still bring you a few posts for your reading pleasure. I have been unreliable in that aspect in the past due to my job and family demands, but this week I promise to follow through. There will be no round up tomorrow. This is not because I am being lazy, but because there is nothing out there but "crap" (J.C.'s exact wording, I swear) this week. I will try to formulate a few thoughts I have been having lately into something resembling a post for tomorrow. Wednesday brings one of my favorite celebrations and we will have a re-post of last year's Independence Day thoughts which were received quite well and bear repeating. Thursday is my birthday and I am contemplating taking the day off. As for the weekend, I am currently working on a piece about GOP hopeful Fred Thompson which I hope you will find interesting. If you can endure all of those things, then you will be rewarded with the return of J.C. with a joint post of our review of an upcoming TCM special about some guy named Spielberg. I think he makes movies or something. Shortly after, we will be making our first attempt at Internet radio. Just think: J.C. and Wolfie bantering for a solid hour. If you don't value your sanity, tune in to witness the wackiness. (Oh the humanity!) Bear with us folks and we'll hopefully make it worth your while. Remember: I am only a sideshow in this circus. J.C. wears the top hat. I'm sure you'll all join me in lauding his return. The Shelf has a lot in store for the rest of the summer as we prepare for the upcoming fall and Holiday season which is this blog's favorite time of year. Tag along with us Shelfer's and we promise to give you something talk about.




Please feel free to comment if the need strikes you.

“Nothing that might be written about them could possibly be bad enough to describe them (yet) they had an hypnotic fascination, and the public could not get enough of them. Men and women gaped at them for five minutes steadily in the sideshow, then returned at the next performance for another look. What the appeal was I never discovered.”

dvd review: the lucille ball collection

She was a television icon, a gifted comedienne, and a lovely talent that worked in all of the entertainment mediums of the 20th century. She was and still is beloved by Americans, and her popularity continues. Her television show still runs in syndication across the nation today... over fifty years after it's initial debut. Of course, I'm talking about Lucille Ball. Lucy may be more remembered for her television show with Desi, but she enjoyed a long career in films and radio before she first appeared on the small screen in 1951. Last week Warner Home Video released a five disc DVD set of some of the films from her career that will give you a different side of Lucy and will definitely illustrate how versatile and talented she was. Is the set worth your hard earned cash? Is it a Shelf Classic, or should you even bother. Find out in today's Shelf DVD review of The Lucille Ball Film Collection!


The hard facts:
Lucille Ball Film Collection
Five Discs in Snap Cases
Studio: Warner Home Video
B&W /Color (Technicolor)
Full-frame/Widescreen
Release Date: June 19, 2007
Rated: PG for Mame, NR for rest
All Films Star: Lucille Ball


Background:
Lucille Ball was born and bred in New York, and by the age of 15 had left home for the bright lights of Broadway. She didn't find success initially, and instead turned to modeling which eventually helped get her first on screen job as a "Goldwyn Girl", singers and dancing girls backing up the main stars in featured attractions. She received a contract with RKO and appeared in small parts and supporting roles in such films as Top Hat and Follow the Fleet and even appeared in a Three Stooges Short, Three Little Pigskins. Soon she was getting bigger parts and getting noticed. Her comic flair and beauty is evident in roles in the Marx Brother's classic Room Service and in Stage Door with Katherine Hepburn.

It was her performance in Stage Door, and perhaps her turn as arrogant nightclub chanteuse Gloria Lyons in The Big Street, helped gain her more acclaim and attention and led to bigger roles. She eventually left RKO and then signed with MGM in the early 1940s. The movies were better and she had better parts, but she never enjoyed "A" star status during the 40s. The pictures during this time really show her evolution as a performed and Technicolor didn't hurt her career either. Although performing as a blond, her first picture in color, Du Barry Was a Lady, was as a red head. Her hair was died flaming red specifically for the picture, but was a sensation and eventually became something of a trademark. She was known as "Technicolor Tessie". It was also during this time that she met and married Desi Arnaz after they worked together in the film Too Many Girls. I

It wasn't until she found success on the radio, on the show My Favorite Husband, that the big doors started to open. CBS came knocking on Lucy's door with an interest in creating a television show based on My Favorite Husband. Lucy agreed, but insisted that Desi play the part of her husband, and that they incorporate part of his background as a bandleader into the show. Lucy was not only a shrewd business woman, but was also seeking to strengthen her now strained marriage. CBS was reluctant, so Lucy and Desi formed the production company Desilu, and produced the pilot themselves. CBS saw the pilot and the success that Lucy and Desi had in testing the show out on tour and signed them to a contract. I Love Lucy was born.

I Love Lucy became more than just a hit, it was an institution. It is also evidence, not only of Lucy's talent, but also of her show business acumen. Desilu pioneered using film instead of kinescope, to produce the shows, which eventually led to the concept of rerunning shows later in the season or during hiatus. The show also led the way to syndication. Lucy was the first female head of a Production company, and was very successful at it. The success of the show also led to starring roles in more films, but more often than not, comedies. She made several films with Bob Hope and also re teamed with Henry Fonda in the classic Yours, Mine and Ours.

The Films:
This set gives a great look at the span of Lucille Ball's career in films, from supporting role to starring roles, to entertainment icon. The DVD set includes five films:

Dance, Girl Dance (1940, RKO)
Also Stars: Maureen O’Hara, Ralph Bellamy and Louis Hayworth
Director: Dorothy Arznar
This film is sort of a potboiler romance film that centers on the story of two competitive women who love to dance. Maureen O'Hara is Judy who loves to dance for the art and joy of it, but her friend Bubbles (Lucy) loves to dance for the fame and money it can bring. They have started out as part of a dance company of girls finding work at dives here or there, but eventually Bubbles finds success in burlesque and strip tease . She changes her name to Tiger Lily and is propelled into fame and fortune. Meanwhile Judy is scraping buy, never really pushing herself forward, but hoping for a chance. When Bubbles comes by offering a part in her show, Judy accepts. However, she doesn't realize the part is that of a "stooge" to dance a ballet in between Tiger Lily's performances to build up the hype. Even when faced with this humiliation, Judy decides to continue in the job for the money, but also not to back down from Bubbles.

Eventually a man that the girls briefly met sometime ago, and both liked, comes back into the picture. Jimmy Harris is wealthy, but also has been divorced by a woman he still loves. Naturally this complicates things and eventually Judy and Bubbles lock horns over everything between them. Ralph Bellamy appears in his typical "Nice Guy" guy role as a producer of a serious dance company who is interested in signing Judy and sees her real talent. It's a pleasant enough film, but overstays its welcome about half way through. The plot is conventional enough, and everyone performs well. Maureen O'Hara has none of her trademark spark until the very end of the film, but Lucy takes the opportunity to vamp up her role considerably. Ralph Bellamy is fairly flat, but Louis Hayward must have decided to make up for Bellamy by going in the opposite direction. He is too ham-handed when he's on screen; he's either low or high- nothing in-between. What makes this picture stand out is that Lucy's singing voice isn't dubbed, and her singing and dance numbers are quite enjoyable. The film's themes are expressed well; about men's perception of women, chasing your dreams, and the difficulties of women making their way in the world.

Extras: The DVD includes the comedy short, Just a Cute Kid and the delightful Warner Brothers cartoon: Malibu Beach Party. Malibu Beach Party is a Hollywood characiture cartoon that centers on Jack Benny (called Jack Bunny in the cartoon) giving a beach party for all his Hollywood films. It's nice to see this on DVD.

The Big Street (1942, RKO)
Also Stars: Henry Fonda, Eugene Palette, Agnes Morehead, Louise Beavers and Sam Levene
Director: Irving Reis
This Damon Runyon story includes a lovable cast of characters of low level con men, bookies, nightclub hang abouts and gamblers who have that Runyonesque heart of gold. Henry Fonda plays "Little Pinks", a busboy who has a eternal crush on nightclub singer Gloria Lyons. The problem is that haughty Gloria has a mobster boyfriend and turns her nose up at anyone who doesn't reek of money. When Pinks saves her beloved dog, Gloria repays the favor by getting him hired at her boyfriend's nightclub. Pink jumps at the chance and waits on her hand and foot.

Things take a more drastic course when Gloria's boyfriend smacks her down some stairs, which leaves Gloria with out the use of her legs. Soon Gloria is also without a job, money or even her former rich friends. Pinks never leaves her side and, with the help of his friends, is able to get Gloria treated and out of the hospital and into a room in his building. All the while he keeps up the notion that Gloria is loved and admired and missed by her former circle of friends. Pink's own friends see how much Gloria takes advantage of and orders Pinks around and they resent her for it. But when Pinks comes calling for help, they can't give up helping her for his sake. Eventually Pinks gets Gloria to Palm Beach to bask in the sun for her health, but also because she believes that a former suitor is waiting for her and is going to marry her. It isn't long before she begins to see the truth, and the icy exterior begins to crack, but it may all be a little too late.

This is an enjoyable, funny, sad and charming melodrama. I hadn't seen it in many years, and it was better than I remember. The primary reason is the supporting cast, who do a wonderful job in bringing these rascally lovable characters of assorted "guys" and "dolls" to the screen. Sam Levene is a favorite as Horsethief (you may remember him from all sorts of roles, including a recurring role as Lieutenant Abrams in The Thin Man movie series), and one of my favorite character actors, Eugene Pallette steals the show as Nicely Nicely. Agnes Moorehead (looking very different from her famous role as Bewitched's Endora) has a nice role as the voice of sentiment and reason as Violette. Fonda and Ball doing an excellent job, essentially playing against type, as the timid Pinks and the egotistical Gloria. All in all an excellent, enjoyable film.

Extras: Includes the musical short Calling All Girls (essentially a look at casting girls as chorus girls in musical shows) and the classic Warner Brothers cartoon The Hep Cat.

DuBarry Was a Lady (1943, MGM)
Also Stars: Red Skelton, Gene Kelly, Virginia O’Brien and Tommy Dorsey Director: Roy Del Ruth
This is MGM's first color musical, and it's very lavish. Adapted from the Cole Porter Broadway Musical, this is the story of Louis (Red Skelton), a hat check boy at a night club who is in love with the singer and star of the club (do you sense a running theme here?), May Daly (Lucy). Unfortunately for Louis, May is looking to marry someone with money. Despite this, she has already fallen in love with hoofer Alec, who doesn't have a dime. When Louis wins the Irish Sweepstakes, May reluctantly agrees to marry him, but not for love- just for the money. Louis doesn't mind, as long as she'll be his wife, thinking she'll grow to love him. May at least lets him know upfront, that even though she likes him, she isn't in love with him.

Alec is against the marriage and tries to talk them out of it. In an attempt to get Alec go along with things (or out of the way until they get married) one of Louis' friends slips Alec a "Mickey Finn" doped drink, but Louis drinks it instead. During his drug induced slumber, Louis dreams that he is King Louis XV of France, and that May is his mistress and Alec is the notorious rebel the Black Arrow. When Louis wakes up, he has realized that perhaps he was wrong and that money won't buy him May's heart, but that he should bring Alec and May together instead. True love and friendship win the day.

This is perhaps the highlight of the set. The rich technicolor print is a sight to see. The real star of the show is the lovable and funny Red Skelton, but there are a few others besides Lucy, Red and Gene that steal the show. For starters, this is Zero Mostel's screen debut as the nightclub swami. He is hilarious and practically runs away with the scenes he's in. Virginia O'Brien plays nightclub cigarette and candy girl, Ginny. Her deadpan singing style is highlighted in a great song, Salome (you might remember her and her deadpan delivery from the Marx Brother's film, The Big Store). Backing everyone up is the great Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra. Musically highlights abound, including Six Hits and Miss, drummer Buddy Rich and singer Dick Haymes. One of my favorite numbers is early in the film, performed by a trio known as The Oxford Boys or The Three Oxford Boys. This is their only known film appearance, as far as I can tell.

Extras: Includes the Oscar-nominated Pete Smith specialty short, Seeing Hands and a great Barney Bear MGM cartoon Bah Wilderness.

Critic’s Choice (1963, Warner Brothers)
Also Stars: Bob Hope, Rip Torn and Marilyn Maxwell
Director: Don Weis

Critic's Choice is the screen adaptation of a Ira Levin Broadway play about a Broadway critic and his wife who writes a play. The film comes late in Lucy's career, after the success of her television show, and there is some element of bring that to the film. Bob Hope plays critic Parker Ballantine, a successful critic of the great white way. Parker's reviews have closed many a show, including that of his ex-wife. Remarried and raising his son, Parker is happy with where things are in his life. His wife Angela decides that she wants to write a play based on her eccentric mother and sisters. Parker is initially opposed to the idea, saying that she doesn't know how to write. Angela pushes on despite his objections and resents his resistance. Once she finishes writing the play, however, she is eager for his honest opinion. His opinion? It's a stinker. Angel gets upset, but is even more determined to get the play produced and she succeeds in doing just that. But the one thing that can come between her and Broadway success, and can cause marital problems is a review by a famous critic; her husband

This is perhaps the least worthy of the films in the set, and that's disappointing because that's a rare thing to say for Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. The film is supposed to be a comedy, but it just falls flat. The throwaway lines from Hope are funny enough, but the rest of the material is threadbare. It just shows that very talent stars can still make enough of the material to make a film OK. And Critic's Choice is OK, it's just not great. Look for a very young Rip Torn as the director of Angela's play. You won't recognize him. In fact, I was always distracted when he was in the scenes. I couldn't stop thinking about the show thirtysomething. He was a dead ringer for Ken Olin in that show.

Extras: Includes the comedy short, Calling All Tars with Bob Hope and the classic Oscar-nominated Warner Brothers cartoon, Now Hear This. In this case, the film is worth popping in for the extras alone. The comedy short shows Bob at his early funny best. It's a funny vitaphone short that's great to have in your collection. I've noticed several Bob Hope shorts beginning to appear in some of the more recent WB box sets. Here's to hoping they'll continue to do so.

Mame (1974, Warner Brothers)
Also Stars: Bea Arthur, Robert Preston, JaneConnell and Bruce Davidson
Director: Gene Saks
Lucille Ball takes over the title role, Angela Landsbury made famous on Broadway in the 1970's musical Mame. Mame is an eccentric, fun loving adventure seeking and free thinking woman, who is suddenly thrust into the role of parent when her only nephew is orphaned at the age of 10. But Mame is a woman who loves fiercely and openly, and it there for anyone who needs her. Her nephew, Patrick, steals her heart, and through her trials and ups and downs, always seeks the silver lining and bring that light to everyone she knows. The songs are classics by now, and anyone with an interest in musical theater can recognize the melodies and singing along with the words.

Bea Arthur recreates the role she originated as Mame's "dearest friend", Vera Charles. Jane Connell also recreates her role as Patrick's nanny, Anges and Robert Preston appears as Mame's husband, Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside. Gene Saks, who directed the show on Broadway, returns to direct here. I was somewhat surprised by the film, even though I had seen it on television when I was a kid. I've seen it several times performed on stage and really preferred the stage version. I had always felt the film was slow, and not as upbeat or exciting as the stage show. When I watched the film, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the songs and the routines. I still feel as Lucy was miscast in this role, but she pulls it off well enough. I would love to have seen Angela Landsbury in the film, but overall it's an enjoyable film. Also some scenes felt abruptly cut, like I was missing something here or there. I don't remember this in the film from when I originally saw it.

Extras: The only extras are a theatrical trailer and Lucky Mame, a sort of extended trailer for marketing. It's by watching the trailer that you can contrast the print of the film to the trailer and see just how much a great job Warner's did in securing a fine print.

Video/Audio:
As always, Warner Brothers does a fine job in getting quality prints, and restoring and cleaning them for transfer. All of them look great, and the real eye-popper is Du Barry Was a Lady. It's has the effect intended by Technicolor. The sound is superb, again, with the real standout being Du Barry Was a Lady, and Mame. The music is just great. If you can secure a soundtrack from Du Barry was a Lady, you should.

The Bottom Line:
Fans of Lucille Ball will definitely want to pick this up, especially those who are only familiar with her from her television show. You can really see the evolution of her career through these films, and there many others already out there on DVD. It's difficult to think of any other titles that haven't been released on DVD, that I'd rather see in the collection, except perhaps The Fuller Brush Girl, which was screwball comedy that I'd love to see on DVD.
Pick up The Lucille Ball Collection for Du Barry was a Lady and you'll enjoy The Big Street and Mame. Dance, Girl Dance is worth a viewing and Critic's Choice is only worth skipping through for a funny Bob sequence or two and definitely for the extras. Those who aren't particular fans of Lucy would at least want to see The Big Street and should make every effort to see Du Barry Was a Lady. Most of the films are at least a rental, but film lovers, especially musical fans, will want to make Du Barry a part of their permanent collection.

Review Rating:
If Professor Loophole were individually grading the films, they would earn the following:
Du Barry is an A+
The Big Street is a B+
Mame is a B
Dance, Girl Dance is a C>
Critic's Choice is a D-.
Overall rating: 3 1/2 stars (Groucho Glasses)






DuBarry Was a Lady is a SHELF CLASSIC. That combined with the rest of the films and the extras, and subtracting for Critic's Choice, makes The Lucille Ball Collection overall a Must Have set.




For parading without a license each of you gets thirty days. For planning to knock me off, you get the guillotine.

oh mickey, you're so fine...

...A fine man and actor that is. Ahem.

Recently Mickey made a statement on today's Hollywood that ties in with Wolf's recent commentary. He expressed distaste and disappointment in today's Hollywood. Today's stars "lack class and dignity". He further stated:
"Most of the people today... no-one can teach you how to act. Method acting! Huh! Spencer Tracy never went to acting school. Clark Gable, Jimmy Cagney, Edward G. Robinson... never. Today's stars, they don't know what it means to be stars. They have too much money too young. They don't care about people. The first thing they do, they hire a publicist and a lawyer, and they do whatever they damn well like, with a sense of entitlement.It wasn't like that in our day. We paid our dues, respected others, were courteous and decent. Today, they don't have the class or the sense of dignity. It really saddens me to see what stars of today have become."
(Quoted from Yahoo News, read article here.)

Yeah, Mickey. It's nice to hear a veteran and pro speak up. But this isn't the only time the outspoken...plain-spoken, Rooney has expressed his opinions. Almost 10 years ago, Mickey gave an interview to a Canadian reporter in which he expressed similar sentiments in response to the question "Is there anything about Hollywood today that really disturbs you?":
"Yes--everything. The studio system is the only way that Hollywood worked. Now there are only four or five celebrities. I won't call them stars, because stars were people like Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, you know what I mean? Don't give me Jim Carrey, who came from a comedy club." (read the whole article here)

Mickey's been around the block a time or two, and has never backed away from his problems and faults. But he also makes his opinions known. I appreciate his statements. The man has made more movies than alot of the current crop around today. And more hits. He's an Army vet to boot. He knows whereof he speaks. He is an icon. I mean the man was Santa Claus for goodness sakes. How many celebrities would you hear saying something like this: "Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar. Do you know who the scholars were? Marxists!" He doesn't hide his feelings behind what's currently hip in the political sense. I think he knows that that kind of public capital can't be spent for long. You could spend hours counting all the celebrities who said downright ignorant and terrible things about Bush and anyone who ever voted for him, or didn't see their movie. By the way, outside of perhaps New York and California, that's most of you out there.

Sure you might disagree with him. He thinks that's alright whether you are talking movies or society: "You and I think identically different. We take the same tack in many respects. I will close it off by this, by saying, you have the right to disagree. You have a right to your own opinion. That is a great gift. To have the right to do that."

Just wanted to share that with you. We see so many big mouths firing away on so much nonsense out there, it's refreshing and nice to see a pro who gets it.



The audience and I are friends. They allowed me to grow up with them. I've let them down several times. They've let me down several times. But we're all family

attack of the 50 foot roundup

50 feet? Not quite, but in the spirit of today's roundup theme, it seemed appropriate. It won't be a long roundup today- which seems to run counter to my title. Maybe it should have been: Land of the Roundup? Or, maybe...Hot Rods to Roundup. Nah- not as catchy. Irregardless we have some fun stuff to get to, so let's hit it.

DVD
Top Shelf Pick of the Week:
Cult Camp Classics, Vol. I - 4
Years and years ago, I remember going to the drive-in with my folks. I was real little, so my memories are kind of vague. About the only things that stick in my mind was the enormity of the screen, the novelty of watching the film (who knows what it was) in my pajamas in the car, and the sound box hanging on the window.
Today that old drive in has been cleared and there is a chain grocery store standing in its place. The novelty of watching a movie in the car for my kids consists of a tiny DVD screen on the back of the seat. Nothing can compare to the huge screen, but I guess they don't know any different. As you know the movie screens have shrunk in the cineplex and a lot of drive ins are gone. Some still exist but even now, like my dad and his generation will tell you it isn't the same.

Back then, there were all kinds of pictures, but the ones that seem to be sentimental favorites are the science fiction, big epics and cult films. Warner Brothers has dipped into that reservoir of that type of film and released 4 volumes of Cult Camp Classics. With titles like, Hot Rods to Hell, Caged, and The Prodigal you can probably surmise that we aren't talking AFI 100 years, 100 films territory. But the less said about that travesty, the better. Needless to say, with a moniker like Cult Camp Classics, that's not what's being aimed for anyway. It's the the entertainment they are going for, and not all of the films really fall under the "cult" or the "camp" categories. In fact there several really great gems here, and that's why I go with the drive-in theme with these films. Highlights of the sets include: Howard Hawks' The Land of the Pharaohs, Dana Andrews in Zero Hour (the basis of the spoof film Airplane), and the fun and truly cult camp classic, Attack of the 50 ft. Woman.

Reno 911! Season 4
Last week's Reno 911! Miami was perfectly timed to coincide with the release of Season 4. Or is it that Season 4 was perfectly timed to coincide with..., aw never mind. Either way the fourth season of those cops from the biggest little city in the world hits the shelves today. If you aren't watching, you are missing the funniest show on television. Most of the cast and creators come from the 90s MTV sketch comedy show, The State. That show is overdue for a release. Until it is, snap up this set and pop it in the DVD drive and enjoy.

Psych - Season 1
USA Network (cable network owned by NBC) produced a great hit on their hands with Monk. (Season 5 of Monk is also out today) Riding on that success, they produced another comedy mystery series called, Psych. James Roday stars as Shawn Spencer, the laid back son of a by the book police officer. He has a photographic memory and a cocky attitude which got him in trouble when he tried to show off his skills to the police. He is so good, the police begin to suspect he was in on the crime. In order to get out of this jam, Spencer pretends to be a psychic. Instead of helping him out, Spencer's act actually helps him get in on police work as a freelance detective/psych. His exasperated friend, Gus (Dulé Hill) is unwittingly thrust into the role of Spencer's sidekick. Psych is funny and a bit of a throw back to the fun mystery series of old.

That's all for today, folks. I told you it would be short and sweet. Now that I think of it, perhaps Ankle Bite of the 50 Inch Roundup! Yeah, that's the ticket....

Stay tuned; we'll have a couple of DVD reviews coming up.



Our survival hinges on one thing - finding someone who not only can fly this plane, but didn't have fish for dinner.

the beautiful people

People, Us and similar trash should be published once a month in a single periodical called "Chronicles of the Stupid". Mrs. Flywheel and other ladies in my family love these rags for a reason that is well beyond my grasp. We tend to have a copy or two collecting dust around the house at any given time and when I happen upon one of the things, I feel like I have to go take a shower. I'm sorry for coming on strong about this stuff, but it's exactly how I feel. Every time I stand in the check out line of my local grocer, my eyes are littered with headlines about who's dating who and who lost 20 pounds. For cryin' out loud, I wouldn't care about that sort of thing if it were about close friends of mine. Sit back and think about it. How much of the "news" reported today has something to do with Hollywood and her elite? It's well more than this country needs and something should be done about it.

The last century was filled with folks of fame and fortune who, for better or for worse, were role models to the country. In the early days, most of these role models were very careful of how they were portrayed by the media and perceived by the public due to the simple notion of human decency. This flew out the window with yesterday's wash-water at some point which can't be pinned to a specific person or event. If it could, I'd personally find Doc Brown and his DeLorean and give him the plutonium needed to go back and reverse the trauma. What happened to the respectful Hollywood of yesteryear when your favorite stars spoke out against communism and other atrocities? Now-a-days we're stuck with Cameron Diaz prancing around with a purse emblazoned with a slogan made famous by Chairman Mao. Is it stupidity? Is it ignorance? Is it arrogance? Maybe it's a little of all three. Such dingbats as Sean Penn prance around in their smug (shout out to South Park) writing op-ed pieces for left wing publications and about how the voice of the American liberal is stifled by the neo-con administration and it's atrocities against the Constitution. Mr. Penn declared, "We will be snowed no more." I don't know about any of you, but I fail to see where any voices have been stifled. If I could figure out a way to do it, I would've turned down the volume on some of these goobers a long time ago.

Our rich and famous who have traditionally served as the face of our country have been tooling around the world too long in the guise of Scaramouche when the rest of us in the states just see Bozo. Where have they gotten their system of values? Sometimes I just blow it off with a mild scoff, but this is a serious issue that must be addressed. There is no doubt that entertainment effects the development of the younger generation. I see it everywhere when I'm out and about and as my children get a day older every 24 hours I get more and more worried about this influence on them. It is important that we play a large role in the lives of our children. They need to learn about life and it's mysteries from us, not Sheryl Crow or Rosie O'Donnell. Values are timeless, yet pop culture changes their interpretation every decade or so. The popular consensus of what is good and bad, right and wrong are changed slightly every so often by that dirty tactic of "pushing the envelope". Where did the envelope come from and who said we wanted it pushed? The values that were taught to my father and his father are the values I should teach my children. Right and wrong does not change, so why do the Hollywood elite feel the need to mask it as if it does? It makes me wonder who taught them their values. Sherlock Holmes would point the finger at Prof. Moriarty, but I'm sure it is a mix of the three ingredients I mentioned earlier: stupidity ignorance and arrogance.

Stupidity speaks for itself. Forest Gump told us that, "Stupid is as stupid does." and there sure are plenty out there doin' some stupid. Being an actor doesn't make you smart. Heck, being a scientist doesn't make you smart. It only means you're intelligent in that field or those relating to it. Common sense and practicality have to be taught outside of schools of higher learning. To be fair to those I am trampling upon, I feel there is a fair amount of ignorance involved in their actions as well. A large amount of today's Hollywood is a product of life in the Hollywood bubble. There are plenty of working actors and actresses today who have been acting since a young age and quite a few who are second generation thespians. This would lead me to believe that the lax values of the previous Hollywood generation were surrounding these folks from a young age making them "come by it honestly". Lastly and mostly, I feel that arrogance plays a large role in the issues we face with today's Hollywood elite. To feel that your fame makes you a spokesperson for the people with an inside line to truth and pure, flawless understanding is the height of arrogance. Have you ever noticed how folks with no more political than you or I get on television and pound our foreheads about the rights and wrongs of the current administration's foreign policy? What about when they tell us about how great and righteous they are while keeping two nostrils high in the air? The worst is how they flood media with their "thoughts" on things to the point that most folks who do no research on their own except the poison fed to them and begin to chant along. Then in the few instances when some of these goons mouth off and the "lowly commoners" of the public react to it, they portray themselves as martyrs and speak of how they stand strong against insurmountable odds. I just can't figure out how they feel like they are the lone voices crying out in the wilderness when they are backed by and reprinted over and over by most of mainstream media. Their thoughts ad beliefs are slipped into the dialogue of movies and television and stated as fact which causes the weak minded to absorb these ideas and grow closer to believing.

We can't change the "rich and famous". Heck, we could never effectively boycott their products either. The truth is , we are not the America we once were. I often ask my grandfather about what the country was like during WWII and he always starts off by saying, "This country came together." We are certainly not together. We no longer share the same values as a country which leads to us not sharing the same culture. We are truly divided and though they don't hold the entire burden alone, the Hollywood society and the bile it spews does not help any. If we want to take this country back as a united people, we need to drop the "hyphenated American" status , the battle over who owes who and who's political party is more evil. Above all, we need to put an end to the tight grip that pop culture has on our society. W e need to put an end to allowing the self appointed "envelope pushers" dictate our values. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Free speech be damned, it's wrong for an American to aid in producing propaganda films for an anti-American government. It's wrong to negotiate with terrorists under the banner of "diplomacy". It's also wrong for someone who has gained fortune in this great country to become a mouthpiece for a world class thug who makes his fortune from the misfortune of others. I don't know if you realize this, but a majority of the current college-age citizens in this country worship these fools. You would think that kids smart enough to be in college would see through these buffoons, but they cheer on the Hollywood "emperors" as they prance around in the clothes of their arrogance and the tailors like Castro and Chavez laugh all the way to the political bank. Useful idiots all.


I didn't intend to come on here today and engage in an endless and unorganized tirade, but it was one of those days where I happened across something that struck a nerve and set me off. Your regularly scheduled Shelf programming will resume soon enough. To those of you still reading after all of my street-corner preaching today: thank you for your perseverance and your tenacity.




Please feel free to comment if the need strikes you.

“If God doesn't destroy Hollywood Boulevard, he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology ”

the shelf shuffle

Some news for this Friday morning; we've added some new links and members to our Shelf Links and Shelf Community sections. They are as follows:

Shelf Links:

Archie Comics: The website for the Archie Comics publishers. Wolf and I grew up on Archie as well as other comics, and this is an interesting website for all things Archie. You can find the daily newspaper strip, order monthly Digests and other goodies and even listen to Archie OTR! Quite frankly, I was even more impressed when I read their Note to Parents section. My kids will be checking this one out.

Radio Lovers: A great OTR site that has hundreds of shows, free for your enjoyment.

The Fred Thompson Report: This is Fred's site on ABC radio for his commentary that can be heard on ABC Radio in print form. I've enjoyed reading his thoughts and ideas and have come to understand where he is coming from even more and where he stands on some issues. Caution: reason, common horse sense and real, tough talk ahead. Here's an excerpt from his thoughts on Harry Reid this week:

Harry Reid voted for the war, like a majority of our legislators. America decided as a nation to free Iraq and the region from Saddam Hussein's tyranny. I have friends, both Democrat and Republican, who questioned the decision at the time, but the Republic made a commitment based on constitutional and democratic procedures. So they are now a hundred percent committed to moving forward in a way that’s best for our country. None of them, by the way, believe surrendering to the forces of terror in Iraq is what's best for our country.

Shelf Community:

We've added several new Classic Film Blogs. I'm encouraged by such interest and writing about classic films that's out there. There are some great articles here and there. Enjoy reading the blogs: Another Old Movie Blog , Self-Styled Siren and Classic Movie Lounge.

You may also be aware that TCM has a movie blog with several writers blogging about old cinema. It's called Movie Morlocks and I've enjoy reading it for a while now. While it is accessible through TCM's site which we have had linked forever, I thought it make things easier to post a direct link.

Classic Cinema Online is exactly what it's name implies; classic films available to watch online. While members of Netflix and other places make watching films online possible, it's nice to have a site dedicated to bringing public domain classic films in a nice themed presentation.

DVD News:

Disney has announced that they will release The Jungle Book: Platinum Edition two disc dvd set for October 2nd. The film is celebrating it's 40th anniversary this year. The Jungle Book is one of my favorite Disney films, and the film and extras look like they will be great. Extras include audio commentary, The Bare Necessities: The Making of The Jungle Book documentary plus lost footage, DVD games and interviews with animators who were influenced by the film, including Pixar/Disney animator and director Brad Bird. This is one to put on your short list folks. You can also pick the DVD release of Disney's Meet the Robinsons in October.

Also for any Disney Treasures fans or collectors (like me), Disney announced some time ago their 7th Wave of Treasures sets that will be released this December. While we're talking Disney lets pass along what they will be (no cover art yet). Wave 7 will consist, as of now, three titles: Disneyland: The Secrets, Stories and Magic, The Chronological Donald, Volume Three and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. This is sure to be one of best waves yet, so be sure to put these at the top of your Christmas list! We'll bring you set info when we get it.

That's all for now, but stick around. Be sure to come back later for a review of some recent Fox DVDs and then a full review next week of the week's Top Shelf Pick: The Lucille Ball Collection. Same Shelf time, same Shelf channel.



I'm gone, man, solid gone.