A Bunch of Brats Revisited

 

I'm watching the documentary Brats, looking back to the era of "The Brat Pack."

Directed by Andrew McCarthy, himself a member of "The Brat Pack" (like it or not), it examines the term and the impact it had on the actors who were lumped in that group.

I'm watching it as I write, and there seems to be a feeling of resentment for the label, especially by McCarthy himself.

For me, and likely countless others, it's a walk back in time.

I liked probably most of the movies that fell under that banner but I remember -- in my usual style -- rolling my eyes at the phenomenon. They were a group of actors and I tend to eschew the obsession with such base things. The bottom line was that I just wanted to be entertained or it was where I went on a social gathering.

Let's face it, I didn't see Ferris Bueller's Day Off in the theater. Read that again, considering how much that movie has been a part of my life.

I had nothing against the actors in general but I tend to roll my eyes at "idols." 

I saw Pretty in Pink in a theater because I was on a date. It was an entertaining film.

I love The Breakfast Club but I saw it later at home. Same with Sixteen Candles.

But the memories of all of this are strong. Of course, years later, we can't deal with these movies without wringing our hands over Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles or the makeover of Allison in The Breakfast Club.

Some of the movies just never did it for me. The characters of St. Elmo's Fire were likely people I wouldn't be hanging out with (and I couldn't stand the overplayed theme song).

I suppose that was some of it for me. These people weren't often relatable. I wasn't a kid that you could put in a bucket. Oh, you could try to make me be Anthony Michael Hall's characters from Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club but you'd quickly realize it doesn't work. I'm not that much of a nerd/geek. 

But I did know plenty who fit so I guess there's that.

I liked that I couldn't be categorized. I floated among basically any group to a degree but, mostly, I was just me.

Let's face it. I still am. The same bands that I was obsessed with are the ones I still listen to now. 

Pick a day in 1985. Any day. I'm likely listening to Sports by Huey Lewis and the News. I'm excited for Rickey Henderson joining the Yankees and, paired with Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield, I know the Bombers will score. But can they pitch? I'll be trying to convince myself that Mark Malone is the right quarterback for the Steelers.

And I'm sure there's a girl in this scene. Somewhere.

So would it surprise anyone that I now broadcast sports and host a radio show about The Beatles?

It wouldn't surprise me overall. 

But this documentary, while sometimes glum, still evokes the sweetness of 1985 at Mahopac High School.

The past hangs on us in such deep ways. At times, we desperately want the past. We try not to live in it and fail. Thus we get branded as the old man yelling at a cloud.

On the other hand, we're kind of OK here in the present. Oh, I wouldn't go back, we tell ourselves. And yet, are we better people now? I think we are. But, truly, are we?

And the future? Let's just not go there.

When I graduated from Mahopac in 1987, I knew I was content. I knew I'd never want to go back but I'd see it for what it was. That remains entirely true.

I'm happy to see the friends that I still see and it's never worked out for me to attend a reunion. I don't know if I'd enjoy going to one but I'm not against it.

I treasure the memories of the bowling team and the friends and the experiences and the laughs. Unlike Brian in The Breakfast Club, I only cared about grades enough to get out of high school.

Or college, for that matter.

I generally sat in class knowing that I didn't remotely care about trigonometry. 

The teachers who connected with me were the people. The ones who kept me engaged. The ones who saw us as people. Oh, they exist and I hope I'm one as an instructor.

But, memories aside, The Brat Pack itself was, ultimately, a vague term. Can you truly define which movies fall under the header? Can you say without a doubt who were the members of the group?

The Rat Pack, on the other hand, is pretty definitive. Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop with a collection of others around. 

The Rat Pack was cool. Defined cool. The Brat Pack were ... brats. And that's the rub.

But is James Spader in The Brat Pack? Jon Cryer? Matthew Broderick? Michael J. Fox?

Lea Thompson calls herself "Brack Pack adjacent." I suppose that works.

Obviously, in the end, none of it matters.

I find myself just wanting to watch the movies and remember the time.

It doesn't have to be that difficult.

It Takes Time

This is what (or who) I'm dreading moving the most

Patience is necessary.

A virtue even.

As many of you have read, we have to find a new place to live.

We don't have a definitive move date so we're not panicking. We're being proactive but that's all we can do.

We have a real estate agent sending me listings as they come up.

We're looking for (preferably) a two-bedroom place that allows a cat. In a perfect world, it has a washer/dryer and storage and a deck.

Oh, wait. That's what we had here.

And parking would be nice.

And affordable.

So far, we have found nibbles and not much sustenance. 

Clearly, we need some things to fall our way but, so far, nothing has yet.

It's been just over a week.

I look at things every day. I've spread the word among friends and here on this thing.

Remember, we got our current home out of the blue just around this time two years ago.

Actually, I was heading to London two years ago right about now and the apartment came my way just after I came back.

That was pressure. That was stressful.

I'm not feeling that this time and I'm not in any rush to feel that.

Oh, and to be clear, Sean will almost certainly be moving with me, thus "we." Overall, he has moved in with me though he's still legally at his mother's.

However, I'm also keeping an eye on any one-bedroom options with a living room that could be a bedroom. I don't love that option -- not even slightly -- but I did the same thing when I was looking around in 2022.

Then again, I thought it was going to be just me and occasionally Sean in the apartment. In the end, that was not the case. I'll leave it to you to connect the dots.

So, this post is to update you, my friends. We don't have an answer yet but it's important that we're keeping our heads about us, thus allowing us to sleep.

And I've started looking at things for the cleaning and packing process. 

We're OK. I suppose that's the message here.

But we're still looking.

*****

Watching the lads with Yoko dead-center

We head to Beatlesland. Or Pepperland, if you will.

With the news that Let It Be (the movie) is getting a proper release (finally), I felt it was time to rewatch Get Back.

The Let It Be news is pretty great in that The Beatles once again prove that, like it or not, they won't be going away anytime soon. 

But, assuming Peter Jackson is only cleaning up and restoring the film and otherwise leaving it alone, I'll warn you that Let It Be is dark. It deals with the harsh reality of the supernova known as The Beatles is coming to an end.

Get Back, on the other hand, shows the good and the bad times of the hectic month of writing, recording, and performing the album that became known as Let It Be. There's no question the time they spend rehearsing at Twickenham Studios isn't great, though there are some pleasant moments.

Moving to Savile Row changes the mood, especially as Billy Preston comes aboard to play keyboards. There's actually plenty of laughter.

By the time the "Rooftop Concert" rolls around in Get Back, there's an obvious joy to it. First-time viewers of Let It Be likely won't be as quick to recognize the joy.

So be it. I'm fired up to see it remastered.

The more Beatles, the better for me, and the better for "Meet the Beatles," Sunday mornings at 9 on WGCH.

No Clubhouse Tonight

 

Gale Sayers (40) addresses the Chicago Bears locker room

"The Clubhouse" was supposed to return tonight but we had a hiccup, so we'll begin the show in April.

I'm home watching TV instead. Not ideal, but so it goes.

The four of us -- me, Mark Jeffers, Dave Torromeo, and Bob Small -- have bonded over all kinds of things that keep us laughing and talking each time we get together.

You're not allowed to join us, for instance, unless you're ready to sing a TV theme song.

Yes, that's our initiation.

But we talk old TV and movies and pop culture and, of course, sports.

Piccolo (James Caan) and Sayers (Billy Dee Williams)

In that marriage of sport, movies, TV, and masculinity is Brian's Song.

The movie -- a TV movie -- tells the story of Brian Piccolo and his friendship with Gale Sayers. The two were members of the Chicago Bears from 1966 to 1969.

Interspersed in the movie is a story of two men of very different backgrounds coming together to make each other better and become close friends.

Piccolo was a white man from the East Coast who attended Wake Forest. Sayers was a Black man from Kansas.

Piccolo was boisterous. Sayers was quiet and shy.

Brian Piccolo

Sayers was a superstar and would ultimately become a Hall of Famer despite playing just seven seasons. He played in over nine games just five times. But he was magnificent.

Piccolo was a grunter. He was a fine college player, finishing 10th in the Heisman Trophy in 1964, ahead of Sayers.

But the movie depicts Piccolo as an underdog, coming off as a beloved teammate more than a great player.

Piccolo struggled to breathe during the 1969 season and was sent to the doctor. 

He had cancer -- embryonal cell carcinoma. 

Piccolo underwent rounds of surgery but the cancer returned.

Brian Piccolo died on June 16, 1970. He was 26.

A month before, Sayers was given the George S. Halas Most Courageous Player Award, in recognition of his returning from a knee injury. In his acceptance speech, Sayers insisted that nobody was more courageous than Piccolo.

"I love Brian Piccolo," Sayers said, "and I'd like all of you to love him, too. And tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him."

The scene is portrayed in the movie as it begins to pull the heartstrings.

The movie has sat near the top of the list of tearjerkers -- especially for men.

Of course, for me, it's Field of Dreams.

Even now, 53 years after its release, Brian's Song still evokes tremendous emotion. The performances, led by Billy Dee Williams (Sayers) and James Caan (Piccolo) strike the perfect notes of humor and sadness.

The end is gut-wrenching. 

The football action uses real NFL footage and that adds a level of authenticity.

Let's be clear: it's a TV movie and not a documentary. It's not 100% accurate.

Among my "The Clubhouse" colleagues, we do the typical man thing: we laugh. As such, "I love Brian Piccolo" has become a badge of honor among the four of us.

And so, friends, as I sit home on a Wednesday night when I was supposed to be hosting "The Clubhouse" what do you think I found on TV?

Brian's Song, of course.

And did I watch it? You bet I did.

Yet, even as my eyes moistened, I soothed myself by...

BY?

By writing this post.

I love Brian Piccolo.

Christmas in Connecticut

Rascal's brother says hello

It's over.

Not the entire season, but Christmas.

Oh, I know, it's 8:13 p.m. as I start writing and technically Christmas isn't officially over, but do we need to split hairs?

No, we needed to just get through the day.

Make the calls and text the texts.

Bite your tongue when that relative shows up or whatever causes tension.

My goal is to not be that relative. 

Thus, I arrive close to on time or perhaps fashionably late, bring whatever it is I'm supposed to bring, participate as appropriate, avoid bad topics, and do not overstay my welcome.

It seems like a simple formula but it's not perfect.

I was a few minutes early at my nephew's but he and his wife and kids seemed happy to have me there and I was happy to have a few minutes with them before everyone else showed up.

From there, it's catching up, eating, watching the kids open presents, and hopefully just having a pleasant visit.

Sean did his usual Christmas Day thing and went to his mother's. I get to see him for a little time every Christmas morning but otherwise, we don't spend the day together. It's a shame but, conversely, I'm glad he has the relationship that he has with his maternal grandparents. He got to see them today and that's important.

My sister, not wanting me to go home alone, told me to stop by her place after leaving my nephew's. Thus we watched a little football, talked, and I played with her grandson.

Somehow, that little boy is about to turn four. Time. It flies.

I was just happy he wanted the old dude to drive Hot Wheels cars and a Hess truck with him.

Oh, the old dude. My first stop of the day was to get coffee -- that was my job -- at Dunkin (DONUTS). I went to the location in Cheshire.

The one, you may recall, in which I was offered a senior discount a few years back. Neither Chris Erway nor Sean will let me forget it.

Alas, no discount came my way and that's too bad since the Box of Joe isn't cheap!

But, 'tis the season and all.

I am home alone now, still grateful for the passing of another Christmas and it not being quite as lonely as it has been in other years.

Oh, and for those wondering, the annual father/son Christmas Eve Movie and Food Festival was again a success.

We dined on succulent mozzarella sticks, boneless Buffalo Wings, and other delights.

Our movie selection was, well, diverse, starting with one including music from a band who was a little too New Wave at one time.

Yes. We watched American Psycho. What can I tell you? It's not exactly the most uplifting Christmas Even movie but so it goes.

"I think their undisputed masterpiece is 'Hip to Be Square'"

Then, while flipping through our various streaming packages, I came across Barbie. And yes, we watched it. We both liked it.

Sean headed off to his room after that but I was awake enough for one more. Despite the questionable and unfavorable reviews that I've read, I was intrigued by Bradley Cooper's Maestro, filmed in part in both Rye, NY, and Fairfield, CT.

In my opinion, it's clear Oscar bait, especially for Cooper and he'll likely get a nomination. Beyond that, it was fine.

A week from tonight, the holiday season will be over and whatever is "normal" will resume.

Your mileage may vary on whether or not that is a good thing.

For me, it's about survival.

I survived.

A Man Called Sean

 

My mind is in multiple places tonight. It's still digesting a movie. But, first...

It's still at the ballpark. Heritage Financial Park, to be exact. It was Education Day and the Renegades had an 11 a.m. game. While I don't love the getting up and leaving early part, I do love an early start to a game. 

When it's over, the day is out in front of us.

Lori was there, and Sean came with me. Family. 

Sean was going to drive himself and then head to his mother's after that game but she said today "wasn't a good day." I'm fairly astounded by that given that's his legal address but we'll leave it there. So we drove up together.

He's back here with me tonight. Where it's always a good day.

So, yes, Education Day. Schools from around the area converged on the stadium, many decked out in matching t-shirts. They were all full-lunged and ready for fun.

Music! Food! Games! Hanging with friends!

They might have also watched a little baseball.

They were given free hats by the team and they wanted them signed.

The group in front of us turned around and asked those of us in the PA booth if we'd sign their hats. While I'm nobody, I also don't like turning them down. They're kind enough to ask (and say thank you) and what possible harm can it do to put my scribble on a hat?

Eventually, a few of them moved a few windows down to a cameraman.

Sean.

He was beaming when I walked down to see him. He has watched me sign a few autographs over the years but this was the first time he'd ever been asked. Like me, he asked if the kids really wanted his autograph and they all said yes.

Beaming.

The crew in the PA booth with me was remarkable. They played music and sounds that engaged the kids. When 4,000 people are singing at the top of their lungs with the music being produced right next to me, that's remarkable. It makes me laugh and takes my breath away.

The game? Meh. Fairly unmemorable from a hometown standpoint. But for those kids, hopefully, a lot of laughs, and a memorable experience. If we added anything then I'm happy.

*****

I did "Doubleheader" after we got home, then we had dinner. Then I turned the TV on and found myself looking for something to watch.

Tom Hanks showed up and, believe me, I almost never say no. In fact, I don't know that I've ever said no to something with Tom Hanks in it, having been a fan for basically 40 years.

I wasn't sure where "A Man Called Otto" was going to take me.

A few hours later, I'm still not sure.

If you've seen it, perhaps you understand what I'm saying. Are there laughs? A few. Dark? Absolutely. Profound? That works. Uplifting? A little. Sad? Yes, I think so. Annoying? Yeah, I'll throw that word in also.

We all know an Otto. Some of us have been an Otto. To drill down even further, some of us have been an Otto at times. Not constantly but occasionally.

And there was a cat. Rascal was pleased. Or he slept as I watched it. Or both.

But I won't spoil it if you haven't seen it.

I think it's worth your time, especially since Tom Hanks is an American treasure. But it's also worth it for a variety of reasons that I think will become apparent only after you watch it.

Be prepared for a bit of a roller coaster. Oh, and being honest, not everyone is going to love it.

Last thing: Life isn't easy. We get handed all kinds of twists and turns. But know there are people who have your back.

Including me.

Make 'Em Laugh

 

I'm tapped. I'm out of ideas. The well feels dry.

I texted that to Susan and, bang, she had an idea.

"What's the funniest movie you've ever seen?" she asked.

I wanted to say, "Surely you can't be serious," but her name is Susan, not Shirley.

So like I've done in other situations, I'm simply going to spitball a few titles out and you can add more in the comments. My answer is not the ultimate nor are there any wrong answers. They're just opinions but we could probably all use some laughter.

In no particular order, I'm starting with Mel Brooks. Now, if Susan is writing, she's absolutely going with Young Frankenstein, and my God she is most certainly not wrong. It is a brilliant movie.

But I'm going to respectfully give that a harrumph. Then again, we don't have to pick just one Brooks film as I love Young Frankenstein and Spaceballs and so on. I revere Brooks. But if you know me then you know that Blazing Saddles will leave me gasping for breath.

Before you come at it with how it's racist, just hold on. I can laugh at basically anything but let's move past that. It's a movie in which the racists lose, thank you very much. It's also a movie in which no less than Richard Pryor helped write the screenplay.

Yes, I cringe at a few lines, especially as Sherriff Bart rides into Rock Ridge but I'm howling again seconds later as he "whips out" his proclamation from the governor to certify that he is, indeed, the new law in town.

There are so many funny moments. Too many to name. Simply the anachronistic appearance of Count Basie and his orchestra in the middle of the desert in the beginning of the film is a perfect gag. 

And Mongo. Never forget that he is simply a pawn in the game of life.

While there are some funny sports movies (Major League, Slap Shot, and Bull Durham come to mind) nothing tops Caddyshack for me for sheer laughs. Maybe it's that we all know the filming was one big debauched mess or that the casting was so incredibly stellar. Or that it's among the most quotable movies ever. It's probably all of the above.

But you're going to play golf and you're going to like it!

How 'bout a Fresca?

With Jim Thompson's passing last week, I was reminded how our former WGCH news director and morning anchor was reminiscent of the 70s-bound Ron Burgundy in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Really, the reason for the comparison was that Jim was on WGCH in the late 1970s. Beyond that, he's really nothing like Ron but I still laugh at the thought.

And I laugh a lot at the movie. Again, it's super quotable, being in "a glass case of emotion" and how "60 percent of the time it works every time."

I mean, they've done studies, you know.

Since I quoted it indirectly in the opening of the post I have to acknowledge Airplane which sort of fires into a genre of itself with parody films. Certainly, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad has to be in that conversation as well, among others. Yet Airplane once again gives us quotable lines and, I suppose, as an 11-year-old when it came out, it was rather eye-opening. 

I never could speak jive but the movie changed the career of Leslie Nielsen.

I have to note Ferris Bueller's Day Off just because, well, I can recite the movie so well. My 18-year-old brain took to it and I've seen it perhaps more than I've ever seen any other movie. Why? Well, I suppose because life moves pretty fast...

I recall one night going to the movies with my mother and niece. Invited out of the blue, it seemed like fun to grab dinner and a movie. Robin Williams makes good movies and oh my God my cheeks hurt after seeing The Birdcage. Maybe it was seeing Gene Hackman in drag. Or maybe it was just that Nathan Lane literally stole the film. And, yet, it still came back to Williams, simply with his instructions on "an eclectic celebration of a dance."

And then we're off to Fosse! Fosse! Fosse! And Martha Graham and Twyla and Madonna and so on.

I watched that scene just now and snorted. Yup. It still works.

I realize I'm literally just picking a few titles. My goal is to not rank or say one is better than the other. I'm also specifically leaving titles out in the hope of inspiring all of you.

I can namedrop older films like The Philadelphia Story and His Girl Friday and Some Like it Hot and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera. Each is hysterical in its own right. All of them are classics.

Later movies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and Back to the Future and the Autin Powers series (especially the first two for me) and Fargo and There's Something About Mary also hit the mark. Cult classics like So I Married an Axe Murderer are spot on.

There's no proper formula here. It's simply what strikes the funny bone. I'm sure there are those who wish to highlight Fast Times at Ridgemont High or any of the Kevin Smith films (Clerks, etc). And there will be some kind of "harrumph" over movies I haven't mentioned. It's not an exact science.

But there are also those films that are funny and, yet, get pretty serious like Good Morning, Vietnam. I mean, sure, Robin Williams has me crying in his earliest ramblings on the air as Adrian Cronauer but it also takes a very dark turn later on. I mean, they're in the middle of the Vietnam War, of course. So I struggle to call it a comedy even if it is defined as such.

Others just don't work with me and I'll leave that to you to highlight those films that leave you gasping.

Anything for a laugh. It's what we so desperately need.

Laugh. Laugh a Lot

 

Conway and Korman

Tim Conway is trending.

If you know who Tim Conway is then you're in good shape.

The guy could make people laugh.

Hard.

I just watched a skit he and Harvey Korman did on The Carol Burnett Show with Korman as a dental patient and Conway haplessly trying to administer Novocaine.

This was brilliant comedy of the era. What made it even funnier, of course, was that Korman could never keep a straight face at the antics of Conway.

Of course, there was also a skit years later with Dick Van Dyke in for Korman and Conway doing what he always did. The backstory, from what I've read, was that in rehearsals Conway would hold some of his mayhem back. Then, with the audience in place, he'd go all in.

In the case of the "Mama's Family" skit with Van Dyke, Burnett, and Vicki Lawrence, Conway goes way off to improvise a story about an elephant that is breaking everyone up.

Then Lawrence, out of nowhere, drops a bomb of an ad-lib (to be clear, it didn't make air) and the place fell apart.

The reason I went down this rabbit hole was Conway was born on this day in 1933 and, as I said he's trending.

The bigger reason I'm here is where would we be without laughter?

Seriously, it's how I've survived everything in life.

I'm the person you'll be saying, "How can you laugh at a time like this?" to.

Oh, don't get me wrong. There's always a line that shouldn't be crossed and there are those who think they are far funnier than they truly are. So it's not like I'm laughing at or yukking it up at anything.

But that was also that "back in my day" mentality of making fun of anyone and anything. We've evolved from that and gotten a bit more sensitive I suppose. 

Yet when the bottom drops out it's a sense of humor that keeps me going. I'm normally the first one to get to the joke at my own expense.

I'll certainly wax poetic about Tim Conway and The Carol Burnett Show and the things I watched as a kid. I'll more than happily tell you how brilliant Jackie Gleason was or All in the Family or any one of a number of classic comedies.

But this doesn't have to be a generational thing. Whatever and whoever makes you laugh is what is important here. I can watch Blazing Saddles and be a lost cause in a puddle of tears and unable to breathe just as easily as Robin Williams and Nathan Lane get my howling in The Birdcage.

Generally speaking, there is no right or wrong answer here. It's wonderfully subjective.

So as you're battling those winter blues or the holiday shopping lines or any one of a number of serious matters (again, all subjective), remember to laugh. There are plenty of ways to do so via entertainment or tour own anecdotes. Sometimes, simply looking at the ridiculousness of life is enough for a chuckle.

It truly is the best medicine.

The Character Clause

 

A fine character actor named Bernard Cribbins has died.

It's quite possible you have seen his work though admittedly his work was almost entirely in England and I don't know how much "telly" or film he did in the US.

Still, to many (me), he will be known as Wilfred Mott, the grandfather of Donna Noble on "Doctor Who." He wound up as a brief companion to David Tennant's tenth doctor. He also served as a companion as a separate character to Peter Cushing, who played The Doctor (billed as "Doctor Who") in the 1966 film "Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. "

It was a sad day for Whovians, such as Sean who was pretty bummed when I told him the news.

Cribbins was 93.

But it got me thinking about characters. What makes us latch onto them? I'm sure there are deep thoughts about familiarity and comfort and we allow ourselves to feel like we know them but, honestly, they're individuals on our screen.

Sometimes we see ourselves or people we know in these characters.

Now, I realize there are levels to this. There are people who feel literally nothing and there are others who fully invest and, as such, are crestfallen when they're gone.

For me, I immediately think of the gut-wrenching departure of McLean Stevenson, who played Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake on "M*A*S*H." Not only are there the initial comedic hijinks leading up to his farewell when the character is saluted by  "Radar" O'Reilly, but then there is...

(For the love of "Hot Lips" Houlihan do I really need to say SPOILER ALERT here?)

So, after Blake flies away on a chopper, O'Reilly receives news that Blake was killed in a plane crash. It's a tour de force of television -- one of the most famous scenes in history -- but it also takes me back to the original point: why do we invest to where we become emotional?

With the passing of Cribbins today, I went down the rabbit hole of the last time Wilfred sees The Doctor. His granddaughter Donna has just gotten married and everyone is outside of the church. Donna, who no longer remembers The Doctor, is impervious in the moment.

But Wilfred is very much impacted by the site of his friend. The Doctor, in fact, goes around to see his companions one last time. The site of Sarah Jane Smith, always near the top of the list of most popular companions, is cause for tissues.

But the site of Mott saluting The Doctor and crying leaves the toughest soul beaten.

Again, why?

Of course, it has to be the investment of emotion in general. As a viewer, some of us allow ourselves to immersed in the story. We suspend things and get taken away.

From there, I really went deep, watching a half hour's worth of every regeneration in the history of "Doctor Who" and, again, there is a lot of emotional stuff in there. The toughest for me, personally, is the regeneration of the eleventh doctor (Matt Smith) to the twelfth (Peter Capaldi) in which all of the feels come out.

The site of his friend and companion Amy Pond is a wrecking moment. His final monologue, as well as that of Capaldi's a few years later, is incredibly poignant.

"I will not forget one line of this," The Doctor (Smith) says. "Not one day. I swear. I will always remember when the Doctor was me."

And I currently have a lump in my throat.

So whether it's Michael Scott on "The Office" or one of the myriad other character departures that I just read about tonight, it makes me think about why we invest in these people when, so often, the actors are nothing like the characters.

But we adore and respond to their characters.

Scott's departure from Dunder Mifflin is a mixed bag of comedy and emotion, perfect for a lighthearted "mockumentary" like "The Office."

Yet (SPOILER) when Scott returns in the series finale, it presses every button.

That's what she said, of course.

It strikes me that perhaps the only characters one never really "felt" anything for were the main four on "Seinfield." While funny, they weren't necessarily likable so we didn't quite reach for the Kleenex when the show ended.

Now consider the gruesome death of Adriana La Cerva on "The Sopranos." Was there an attachment to her? Or is it the pure awfulness of her demise that left us so speechless? Or both?

I also wonder how people can't feel anything. For me, there's an investment in who and what is on my screen, be it fictional characters or Brian Piccolo in "Brian's Song" ("I love Brian Piccolo. And I'd like all of you to love him too. And tonight, you hit your knees, please ask God to love him.").

Or Vin Scully's last game broadcast. Let's not go there.

So I'm sure that it comes down to emotional ties and the willingness to embrace that. 

At least that's what I think it is.

Help!

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, another Beatles post (see what I did there?).

I was reading a story earlier today about revisiting "Help!," The Beatles' second movie, released in 1965.

Look, it's no "A Hard Day's Night." Where "AHDN" was shot in black and white on a small budget with a simple plotline and script, "Help!" was filmed in color with a larger budget and more locations along with the movie magic of the day.

It's been said many times that our heroes were stoned basically the whole time they made the movie, directed by Richard Lester, who also directed "A Hard Day's Night."

Some familiar faces were in both movies, especially the always fun Victor Spinetti, who played the TV director in "A Hard Day's Night." Spinetti was responsible for one of my favorite lines in the movie when exasperated, he says, "I see it all now, it's a plot... a plot..."

Of course, it's John who looks at Norm, the band's manager in the first film, who authors another great line when he utters, "You're a swine."

That is another key difference in "Help!" The Beatles are The Beatles and are referred to as that. In "A Hard Day's Night," the band name is only referenced on Ringo's famous drum head and in the lighting on the stage. 

The character of "Norm" in "A Hard Day's Night" is fictional, based only slightly on Brian Epstein, the lads' real manager. No such character exists in "Help!"

I bought "Help!" on DVD a few years back and, honestly, I kind of slogged through it. It was...fine. The visuals are certainly appealing and the scenery is excellent. The movie was filmed in London, Salisbury Plain, the Austrian Alps, New Providence Island and Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and Twickenham Film Studios.

Of course, it's The Beatles, so the music is exceptional. Included in the film are (per Wikipedia):

"Help!"

"You're Going to Lose That Girl"

"You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"

"Ticket to Ride"

"I Need You"

"The Night Before" (interspersed with excerpts of "She's A Woman", with an explosion at the end not heard on the Beatles' commercial recordings. Also played as an instrumental)

"Another Girl"

"She's a Woman" (heard in the background, on a tape machine, and underground in the Salisbury Plain scene)

"A Hard Day's Night" titled on the US soundtrack album as "Another Hard Day's Night" (played by Indian musicians and as an instrumental medley comprising "A Hard Day's Night", "Can't Buy Me Love" and "I Should Have Known Better")

"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" (played by a band during the bike-riding scene)

"You Can't Do That" (played as an instrumental during the Austrian Alps sequence)

"From Me to You" titled on the US soundtrack album as "From Me to You Fantasy" (played as an instrumental during scenes of attempts to remove the ring from Ringo's finger while he sleeps in the Beatles' communal house)

Among those in the cast was a young actress named Eleanor Bron. It has been suggested over the years that Paul McCartney liked her first name so much that he used it for "Eleanor Rigby."

The title song was often scrutinized by John Lennon, who wished it wasn't the upbeat rocker that it became. Indeed, the lyrics don't suggest a happy song but I've long believed that is its brilliance. Had it been the dirge that Lennon wanted it to be, it definitely wouldn't have been the same. The upbeat classic it is strikes the correct balance as it undermines the sadness..

Upon tonight's rewatch, I found myself liking it much more than I ever have. The comedy is still madcap, along the lines of "A Hard Day's Night" but with a different charm. There are still enough Beatleesque laughs to make it worth it, along with the pictures and, naturally, the music.

While some will always see a pot-laced mess, I see a little more of a classic.

John Lennon is still a wiseass and Paul McCartney a charmer. George Harrison is as funny if not the funniest with his dry but quick wit.

Ringo and the ring, the object of desire in "Help!"

And then there's Ringo, the object of the plot in "Help" just as he was the focus of a key part of "A Hard Day's Night." Does his obvious likeability need to be broken down any further? Ringo is Ringo in every way possible.

I wind up watching "A Hard Day's Night" every few months, completely unable to resist its manic energy and joy -- from the "very clean" Grandfather to the music to the screaming fans.

But I'll be watching "Help!" more frequently after tonight.

And when I want to feel like I've had my own drug-fueled experience, I'll reach for the animated "Yellow Submarine."

As for "Magical Mystery Tour?" Well, I own it. That's all I can say.

But tonight was about "Help!" 

And I do appreciate you being 'round.

Hell's Playlist

Sheesh 

It's another afternoon on WHLL, the radio station located in, well, a place down below.

One oh six six Hell with the sounds of the season as Mariah Carey warbles, "All I Want For Christmas is You." This is Satan in the PM reminding you that, following our program today, catch "The Maroon 5 Hour" where we play all Maroon 5 all the time! Commercial free tunes that make you want to punch Adam Levine in his already-pathetic face.

But now, back to the tunes! Here's John -- is this Cougar? -- Mellencamp with a little ditty about Jack and Diane on 106.6 HLL!

*****

Another devilish double play with Nickelback on 106.6 HLL! I'm Satan in the PM with a reminder that, tonight, catch Ben Affleck and Keanu Reeves in their new buddy flick, "Pop Quiz, Gilgli." Affleck and Reeves are joined by J-Lo and Brendan Fraser on a bus ride to nowhere. Jennifer Lopez also sings the theme song, which we debuted last week. So go check out the new movie tonight only on Disney plus!

Now, here's...well, you know...shot to the heart and all that stuff. Here's Bon Jovi!

*****

Satan in the PM with Beelzebub Bon Jovi. I couldn't just play "You Give Love a Bad Name!" I had to play...blasphemy as it is..."Living on a Prayer!"

It's HLL's playlist all day and all night on 106.6 HLL. But, sometimes, we take a break from the music. Tonight, after "The Maroon 5 Hour," we talk sports! Join Jim Rome and Colin Cowherd for "The Mets/Patriots/LeBron Show." The guys also break down if Tom Brady will join us down here. Of course, he will!

Also, Mets fans will talk about black jerseys!

It's Satan in the PM on HLL with UB40 and "Red Red Wine!"

*****

We'll catch up on the news from FOX at the top of the hour and Tucker Carlson's evening commentary. It's hellacious radio on 106.6 HLL and I'm Satan in the PM. Seems like it's a good time to hit the 80s with two legends. Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney sing "Ebony and Ivory" for us after Starship and "We Built This City" on 106.6 HLL!

*****

Ha ha ha! Did I forget what day it is? Yeah, I probably have, but never mind that because Rebecca Black and "Friday" is coming up! Also, the Black Eyed Peas, Vanilla Ice, The Who at the Super Bowl, and Limp Bizkit are coming up when we return on 106.6 HLL!

*****

Hey, have you checked out our new show, "Don't Stop Believing?" It's Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" for TWO STRAIGHT HOURS! Can you believe it? It's after Ryan Seacrest in the Morning on 106.6 HLL! Now, here's Bob Seger and "Old Time Rock and Roll!"

*****

Well, my time is up for today. I'm Satan in the PM reminding you that "The Maroon 5 Hour" is up next but first, here's "Mambo Number 5." Have a good night everyone, and remember, if you're looking for the sounds of Hell, you'll find it right here on 106.6 HLL. Don't forget to check out "American Idol" later on. Have a lousy night everyone!

Blazing Saddles

 

"Blazing Saddles" was trending on Twitter today.

There are few movies -- few works -- that have ever made me laugh so hard.

"Caddyshack" and "Slap Shot" immediately come to mind. So does "Airplane," "The Philadelphia Story," "His Girl Friday," "Anchorman," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" "The Birdcage" and so on.

But "Blazing Saddles" might be the funniest of them all.

I know -- "Young Frankenstein" (and it's utterly brilliant, of course).

But "Blazing Saddles" is just so...

Wrong.

Yes, that's the word. 

Look, let me deal with the obvious thing. Less than five minutes in, the "N" word is uttered a few times and I admittedly cringed. But that's the thing. History, sadly, is messy. 

But Slim Perkins comes riding in on his horse and says, "What in the wide wide world of sports is a-going on here?" and I just fall over laughing.

It's a movie in which Cleavon Little is the hero as a Black man who becomes sheriff.

Keep in mind the movie was not only from the mind of Mel Brooks but from Richard Pryor.

Plus Frankie Laine sang the theme song.

I mean, we're just warming up.

Harvey Korman as dastardly attorney general Hedley Lamarr.

Gene Wilder as Jim, the Waco Kid.

Alex Karras as Mongo, who steals each scene he's in, specifically when "Mongo likes candy" and announces how he's a pawn in the game of life.

And Madeline Kahn, who is uproariously hysterical Lili Von Shtupp ("Let's face it, I'm tired!")

Look, and I can't make this clear enough, the use of the "N" word is abhorrent and I cringe each time it's said, even by Cleavon Little himself for comedic purposes. But I also howl when John Hillerman blindly acknowledges Little as he rides into town to assume the position of sheriff of Rock Ridge.

Then Little says, "Excuse me while I whip this out," with "this" being his proclamation to be sheriff and more hilarity ensues.

And then there's Mel Brooks, who didn't only direct it but was a co-writer of the screenplay and played two roles: first, that of Governor Le Petomane....and then...

As soon as Little's Sherriff Bart speaks of being on the wagon train as a kid, I start laughing uncontrollably.

That's when Brooks, as the Indian Chief, greets them in Yiddish.

Now, there's nostalgia in this as it might have been my father's favorite comedic scene ever.

No, I'm not kidding. Ever.

So I laugh thinking about him laughing which makes me laugh even more.

Then comes the beans scene. Say no more.

It's 93 minutes of parody, satire, and belly laughs.

Of course, we say it can't be made today because of whatever.

Do we take ourselves too seriously? Sure. Are we smarter and maybe more advanced? Probably.

So why worry about it? The movie was made in 1974 and if we can get out of our own brains for a moment we can see how incredibly hysterical it is.

Give the Governor a harrumph!

You don't need no stinking badges.

RIP Ned Beatty

Ned Beatty in "Deliverance"

 

The great character actor Ned Beatty has died. He was 83.

It is unfair to say he was great in everything he did? Or that every character was memorable? Well, that was him.

He was nominated for an Oscar for a brief appearance in the brilliant "Network," a move so prescient that it is frightening. Beyond that, he was in so much from TV and film.

And, of course, he was in "Deliverance," and if you haven't seen it, well, I'm not sure I can prepare you for it. If you have seen it, you'll never forget it.

Maybe you saw him in the first two "Superman" movies as Gene Hackman's sidekick.

My immediate reaction was to go back to "Deliverance" to remember him when I found out that he had died.  

In "Rudy"

Then I thought of him in "Rudy."

Ah, "Rudy." I get it. Cheesy, hokey, and Notre Dame. And it is.

Yet, if you can get past the fawning over ND you understand that it's a movie about never giving up. Rudy doesn't want the life of his father. He doesn't want his hometown. He doesn't want to disown any of it but he wants to pursue his drea of playing football at Notre Dame.

Besides, you begin to focus more on other characters, like Charles S. Dutton's Fortune, who delivers one of the key speeches in the movie.

 "You're five-foot nothin', a hundred and nothin' and hardly have a spec of athletic ability and you hung in with the best college football team in the land for two years, and you were also going to walk out of here with a degree from the University of Norte Dame. In this lifetime you don't have to prove nothing to nobody except yourself and after what you gone through, if you haven't done that by now, it ain't gonna never happen"

Sort of makes you want to run through a wall.

And, of course, there's the famous chanting of "Roo-Dee! Roo-Dee!" led by Jon Favreau.

Yet there's Ned Beatty as Rudy's father. A lifelong Notre Dame fan who's got that steel mill town tough exterior (because he, you know, works in a steel mill), Daniel Ruettiger, Sr. would love nothing more than to go to Notre Dame Stadium.

He's also fairly unlikeable but that's the paradox of Ned Beatty. 

Nobody believes in Rudy, of course (after all, he's five-foot nothin'). But through perseverance, he eventually suits up for one game in 1975. Rudy's family travels to South Bend to see the game.

For all of us who have that father/son thing (and especially those of us missing our dads) there's the magical moment as Papa Ruettiger gets his first view inside Notre Dame Stadium.

Cheesy. Hokie. And Ned Beatty spikes the ball.

"This is the most beautiful sight that these eyes have ever seen."

Chills. Tears.

Farewell, Ned, and thanks.

Just not my "Hill of Beans" tonight

 

We could all use a Bogie in our life

The Academy Awards are on and I'm not watching it.

That is, I just haven't turned them on. There's no protest on my part.

It has nothing to do with politics -- though I prefer when they simply hand out awards and call it a night.

Look, some come for the glitz and glamour.

The fashion.

The celeb buzz.

For me, it's pure history.

I love movie history. I generally love most history (good and bad) which is why I don't like it when we try to erase it...

Stop. That's not the path I want to take.

So, yeah, movie history.

I could still turn it on before the end of the night, I suppose. I have nothing against the movies. I haven't seen them but that doesn't keep me from watching the ceremony.

For me, Oscar is at its best when they remind us of the glory of filmmaking. I can do without the musical performances and a lot of the other stuff of the night. Inevitably I drift off during the show by either reading and keeping it on as background noise or putting something else on.

Then I engage again for the big awards.

Anyway, I just find myself not interested, which is par for how I've felt with all awards shows this year.

I did, however, see a laughably bad list (such a dangerous word) ranking all of the Best Picture winners, beginning with "Wings" in 1929. The list was so awful that I won't ever link it here.

For me, the best Best Picture winner is "The Godfather." If you don't like it, by all means, leave the gun and take the cannoli.

After that, I'd probably pick "Casablanca" second. From there it's a crapshoot of movies that I think are truly great, some that are not so great, and some that I've never seen.

Then you're reminded that "Citizen Kane" didn't win, losing to "How Green Was My Valley" and your head begins to hurt.

Then there's the "The Greatest Show on Earth" debacle, a film that was...fine...but in no way was it better than "High Noon" or "The Quiet Man."

Oh, some years had me pleased and some just livid. Best to not get me going on "Shakespeare in Love" for instance. In fact, that was a fairly grumpy night for me, as I watched "Shakespeare in Love" beat "Saving Private Ryan" for Best Picture and Roberto Benigni top Tom Hanks for Best Actor.

However, this is certainly not meant to be a "back in my day" type of rant. I'm not denying the power of modern moviemaking at all.

For whatever reason, I just don't have the zest for it at the moment.

So if you're watching, enjoy it. If you're not, I get it.

I'm right there with you.

Sinatra and Spotlight

I was watching on Netflix tonight after a long deposition day.

I found a documentary about Frank Sinatra.

Here's the thing. Francis Albert Sinatra -- arguably, our greatest male singer and pop star -- was done by the time he was 35.

Like, done. He'd be run off by everyone. He was down on his luck. He was in trouble financially.

But with the support of his volcanic then-wife (marriage number two) Ava Gardner, he got a role in the movie From Here to Eternity.

Frank Sinatra won an Oscar for the part Private Angelo Maggio. Around the same time -- 1953 -- Capitol Records took a chance on the 38-year-old.

The greatest comeback ever was underway. 

Frank would sing "The Best is Yet to Come" and he could have been singing about himself.

Crazy popular -- Beatles popular before the world knew what the hell that was -- Frank had girls screaming at him as he crooned in the 1930s and 40s.

But, quite honestly, he hadn't even hit his best work. While the songs he created with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey and his solo work on Columbia Records were all great, we hadn't seen anything yet. Beginning with Songs for Young Lovers, Sinatra went on an absolute tear. He knew how to work with the best arrangers and performers and nobody -- and I mean nobody -- could translate a work like him.

I always laughed when I'd hear about the singer/songwriters because "they write their own music." Now, that's definitely true, and it's a wonderful trait. Obviously, as a Beatles nut, I love them all.

But Frank didn't write music. Call him one of the exceptions to the rule.

Yet, he was in control in the studio. He could almost conduct in the place of the brilliant Nelson Riddle and other arrangers.

He could act. He could sing. He was the total package of an entertainer.

He also had no tolerance for racism, openly embracing Sammy Davis Jr.

He also embraced scandal, whether he liked it or not. The marriages. Ava. Mia Farrow. Cries of communism. The so-called mob ties.

He created records for literally every mood. I've said it before. I'll repeat: Do not listen to Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely is you're battling any depression. It's the most gorgeous, brilliant and sad album ever. But there were plenty of upbeat, beautiful songs of love, patriotism, and joy.

But, most of all, Frank Sinatra is cool. The absolute epitome of cool. Sure, you can say Clooney's remake of Ocean's 11 had a certain charm to it, but Frank embodied Danny Ocean in the 1960 original. Dean Martin, Sammy, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop, etc get the advantage.

And, yet, is it possible the Sinatra fan has aged to the point where we don't talk about him? Beatles fans are still plentiful. Everything since as well. But the people who brought me up on Sinatra -- my parents -- are both gone, for instance. 

It struck me as I watched this documentary that I feel like we don't talk about him as much as perhaps we should. Maybe I'm wrong. He's not forgotten, of course, but I wonder if he has faded.

He was brilliant. He hated rock and roll, but he had business smarts, starting his own record label. He also had the brains to bring Elvis Presley on his TV show after The King of Rock and Roll returned from the Army in 1960. The two did a duet mashup of "Love Me Tender" and "Witchcraft." This was long before Bing Crosby and David Bowie did their famous duet.

Brilliant.

I realize we've sort of lost track of history. I hope that's not really true. If you know Sinatra, embrace it and teach it to younger music fans. If you've never listened, well, I don't know what to say other than try it.

It's (dare I say) frankly some of the best music ever created.

******

So I'm trying to be better about taking a little care of myself and decompressing. I allowed myself a little chill out time last night (like I'm doing now).

I sat on the couch.

I put on The Flight Attendant on HBO Max and allowed myself to watch the two new episodes. I discovered the movie Spotlight was on Netflix, which I had never seen (I really suck). Susan and I were texting each other. She has seen it, of course, so we synced up and watched it virtually.

A side note on that: I could probably do a whole post on that movie alone as it was simply fantastic. I can't highlight any one acting performance as they were all exceptional. But what I did text Susan after having a few minutes to decompress was that I was actually proud -- for a moment -- to have anything to do with journalism.

A longer post would probably take me into a dark alley of thoughts about the content of the movie, so let me just leave it at what they did. What the Spotlight group did at the Boston Globe was the kind of work journalists are supposed to do. 

Susan very much is one of those journalists, and she did similar work in Connecticut for the Darien Times. 

The "Lost Cause" of the United States

NOTE: I started writing this on Sunday, Nov 1. I've watched this election divide us. I've personally muted friends or, better yet, just ignored them. I'm done. Also -- what is written below is without any interest in EITHER candidate.

There is literally not a single thing I need to say about this election.

You've made up your mind.

The phone calls are a waste of time.

The internet posts are only serving to further divide people.

There is nothing positive if I were to speak for or against either candidate. As is often my way, I do see good and bad.

I love the history of the presidency, though I'm a novice at best.

The divide of this country truly intensified with the 45th president. But, be honest with yourself. We were scandal-ridden with Clinton. We rolled through incompetence with GW Bush. And Obama was seen by some scholars as one of the worst presidents ever before a late surge, combined with Trump, suddenly turned him into a latter-day "Camelot."

But these last four years? Wow.

And so, I'm reaching to the past for this Election Day post. No, not Washington or Jefferson (or Adams!) or Lincoln.

I'm talking about U.S. Senator Jefferson Smith, the naive, honest protagonist of Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington from 1939. Smith is taken advantage of and easily manipulated before recognizing he's been had.

With the Washington machine crashing around him, Smith is convinced to go the floor of the Senate to filibuster. He continues for over 24 hours to little avail, before bins of letters speaking out against the junior senator are brought to the floor. This seems to galvanize him one last time.

Jimmy Stewart -- as Smith -- was rarely better. He lost in the Oscar race for that year but many believe he won his Oscar for The Philadelphia Story (a BRILLIANT movie) as a "make good" for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Stewart was reported to have dried out his throat with bicarbonate of soda and swabs of mercuric chloride to dry out of his voice for the filibuster scene.

Anyway, I leave you with these words today. Look down on me for being idyllic if you so choose, quoting a unrealistic movie movie. Have at it. But, on this day, I find this is what I need. 

Smith is addressing his mentor in the Senate, Joseph Paine, and also addressing corrupt political boss James Taylor.

I guess this is just another lost cause Mr. Paine. All you people don't know about lost causes. Mr. Paine does. He said once they were the only causes worth fighting for and he fought for them once. For the only reason any man ever fights for them. Because of just one plain simple rule. Love thy neighbor. And in this world today of great hatred a man who knows that rule has a great trust. You know that rule Mr. Paine and I loved you for it just as my father did. And you know that you fight harder for the lost causes than for any others. Yes you'd even die for them. Like a man we both knew Mr. Paine. You think I'm licked. You all think I'm licked. Well I'm not licked. And I'm gonna stay right here and fight for this lost cause. Even if this room gets filled with lies like these. And the Taylors and all their armies come marching into this place. Somebody will listen to me. (He collapses)

I'm covering the election tonight on WGCH. Then, regardless of outcome, I'm waking up and moving on with my life tomorrow. I hope you do the same.

Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

It's been a thing for a few years.

Hamilton. The musical. The film. The soundtrack. The phenomenon.

My friends all post about it!

Everyone loves it.  They do.

Right?

So, here's the thing. While not trying to be "that guy" who dumps on the whole vibe, I'm going to offer that I've literally never had any interest in seeing in it in any form.

There are just certain things in life I've never quite "gotten" or had no interest in "getting."

I realize this makes me un-American or something, but well, I don't know what else to say.

I can't actually quite figure it out. I like Lin-Manuel Miranda and I love history.

And, I have nothing against rap or poetry or the content of the show.

The best I can guess is that it's just one of those things that I become a contrarian about when "the world" tells me I should like something.

It's a lame answer but it's the best I have.

I did the same thing with U2 back in the 80s, as an example. I was on that bandwagon really early. Then The Joshua Tree came along and there was something about that moment that made me drop them like a bad habit for years. Tastes change. It happens.

I never liked anything about The Matrix, for instance (and, really, not much of a fan of Keanu Reeves). The same goes, basically, for anything Will Smith does. It's nothing really personal, per se, and it's not like I have some vehement thing against either of them. They're both sort of just...you know...there.

I don't like (and I'll likely get crap for this) anything about The Lord of the Rings. In any form.

Or Game of Thrones.

Now, does this mean I don't like or am disinterested in all things that are popular? No, not at all. I was all over The Sopranos and Seinfeld and Star Wars and a whole lot of other things.

But I never got into Breaking Bad (I liked what I saw) for instance.

This goes for music also, but it's probably unfair to talk about music because I haven't really been tapped into the current music scene for years.

But, have I also been known to latch onto things that might be off the beaten path? Oh yes. Yes I have.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt? I watched it. All of it.

Lesser-known movies and music? I'm in.

Look, I'm a jerk sometimes when it comes to these things. My music opinions have become a running joke at times (at least regarding Maroon 5). But, I truly mean no offense here.

I suppose this is like Titanic or Avatar -- two movies I also wasn't interested in. I saw them eventually due to one person or another putting it on.

Hamilton is the kind of thing that I'd watch if someone makes me watch it.

I have no doubt it's phenomenal. I have no doubt the music is stellar and the acting is tremendous.

And I fully expect comments to tell me how I should capitulate and that I'm missing the boat. I respect it. I really do.

I just don't care about seeing it.

The Offer I Couldn't Refuse

Sonny looks on with disgust. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

A friend should always underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults.

I have a friend that I call The Godfather.

It happened because I was set to broadcast a game involving his family. He hadn't met me and I was concerned that if his team lost I'd be "sleepin' wit duh fishes."

But, it turned out they won and, whether that mattered or not, he became a fan.

He wrote something today and was interested in my reading it, so he sent it to me.

Now, he doesn't know I'm writing this tonight, and I won't share what he wrote, but it was just a nice message about life.

I work my whole life, I don't apologize, to take care of my family.

It could easily be his version of a  "Luckiest Man" speech, a la Lou Gehrig.

Like anyone, he acknowledged how things aren't exactly splendid, but then he took the time to count his many blessings.

He has his health. He has his work. He has his beloved family.

A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man.

We've survived so much, he surmised and he's seen a few things. Korea, the Red Scare, JFK, Vietnam, Nixon, Cold War, right on through to the Gulf War, Sep 11, and so on.

So, sure, he's lucky. In many ways, aren't we all?

There's no doubt there's fear and frustration at this time.

But, sometimes, we just need to see the forest for the trees.

One day, I'm hoping to call upon him to do a service for me.

And live to tell about it.

I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away. I mean, we're not murderers, in spite of what this undertaker thinks...

How to Produce Happiness

I like how they all wore white shirts and black ties ("You guys look great in black, have I told you that?")

"Well, take us there, Skitch."

There have many things to pass the time during the pandemic.

I tried a watch party tonight.

If you haven't done it, basically, you hit "play" on a particular item at the same time as the general public and you watch it, and various people involved with that project tweet or chat along. I've seen several for Doctor Who that I've been unable to participate in, plus there was one for Empire Records (which, coincidentally, co-starred Ethan Embry).

Tonight, the main cast members of That Thing You Do reunited to watch the movie and comment on YouTube (thanks for the heads-up, AJ Szymanowski). Among those main characters, only Liv Tyler and Tom Hanks were missing. Tyler is apparently overseas and, while she wanted to join, it was a little too late for her and Hanks is just Tom-freaking-Hanks.

Hanks was watching, apparently, and was being represented in a matter of speaking by his son Colin, a terrific actor who had a small role in the film but was a constant presence on set.

At the same time, an auction was launched to raise money for MusicCares.

What came out of it is the love the four band members of The Wonders truly have for each other.  Tom Everett Scott (who played Guy Patterson, aka "Shades"), Steve Zahn (Lenny Haise), Johnathon Schaech (James Mattingly II), and Ethan Embry (TB Player -- no, really, the bass player was known as that),  have stayed close ever since the movie, which came out in 1996.

It's a truly brilliant look at the American music scene in 1964-1965, written and directed by Tom Hanks, who also co-stars as manager Amos White.

The Beatles connections are strong, with Hanks as their gay manager just like Brian Epstein (although his sexuality is downplayed. The extended version makes that much clearer). Plus their original drummer gets injured, meaning they need "Shades" (a la Ringo Starr) to complete the band. The overlay graphic used during the big scene on the The Hollywood Television Showcase is straight out of the one used on John Lennon on the Ed Sullivan Show (Sorry girls, he's married)

The soundtrack is terrific and the homages to the era are spot-on (it's Hanks. No shock there). Plus, he finds ways to work in so many of his friends and family, including his wife Rita Wilson as a cocktail lounge waitress, and old Bosom Buddies pal Peter Scolari as the guest host of The Hollywood Television Showcase.

Plus there are other references. Lenny Haise? As in Fred Haise, from Apollo 13? Yup. Fred was played by Bill Paxton. (Not) coincidentally, the Bill Cobbs' jazz player is named Del Paxton. And, so on.

You. Are. My. Biggest. Fan.

But, I'm getting way off-topic here. The watch-along was a joy. Learning little tidbits from the four actors, along with Colin Hanks, Giovanni Ribisi and Kevin Pollak was wonderful. They told where things were shot, how they were shot, and other behind-the-scenes nuggets.

Plus they laughed. A lot.

And, so did I. Out loud.

Try not to smile when the band hears themselves on the radio for the first time. I find this scene to be so joyous.  I'd like to think we've all had that "holy s*it, that's me" moment. That's what I'm reminded of.


I ran the movie in concert with the chat on YouTube but, in truth, I barely watched the movie. I listened more intently to the chat and, for my money, it brought me some bliss in this middle of this madness.

Movies are supposed to be an escape anyway.

I escaped for a bit tonight.

Happy Rex Manning Day

You knew what day it was, didn't you?

Today was Rex Manning Day.

You know...Rex Manning.

The singer.

You don't remember his big hit, "Say No More (Mon Amour)?"


I still remember the day I drove to Delaware to meet Rex in person.

Oh, wait. No, I didn't. Rex isn't real. He's a character in a movie.

Empire Records is a largely cult movie from 1995 and Rex Manning is a character in a key part of the movie who is played with over-the-top doucheyness by Maxwell Caulfield.

The movie evokes a lot of what might have been sort of OK about the mid-90s. The cast is solid for that time (and I think Renée Zellweger has done fairly well for herself, for instance). Even (most) of the music is good, with the highlight (in my opinion) being "A Girl Like You" by Edwin Collins.


But, more than that, it reminds me of one of my absolute favorite places: music stores, or "record stores" as we once called them.

From Book and Record in Carmel (or, eventually, Baldwin Place) to department stores like Caldor to eventually Record World and Record Town, I grew up perusing many a place to get music.

I grabbed the sheet at Caldor, anxious to order the 45's out of the bin behind the counter that never seemed to have anyone working there. How else would I get my fix of John Sebastian's "Welcome Back" from Welcome Back, Kotter?

And you always ordered by the number off that sheet! "May I have number four, please?"

I should mention that none of these options were what I would call independent music stores, which is at the heart of Empire Records.

But it was often the best we could do.

Eventually I graduated to the heaven of Tower Records (in New York City and Stamford and Nanuet) and even Virgin in Times Square, not to mention the amazing record stores of Greenwich Village. I know Virgin had the heartless sense of the Fox and Sons mega-bookstore in You've Got Mail but it was still a nirvana. It was my equivalent of the worst store you can think of because you knew I was gone and probably wasn't coming out.

The same with Tower Records and let's not even discuss Borders, which tended to hit all of the "music snobs" notes in me.

Jazz. Rock. Pop. Everything, and the ability to get it if they didn't have it.

I haven't even mentioned perhaps my favorite, and it's still open!

Plan 9 Music in Virginia (with one location in Charlottesville and, more importantly, in Richmond).

Jon introduced me to Plan 9 and, for the love of Paul McCartney, I was gone every time. To be clear, there were certain things I had to do in Richmond: walk around Maymont, stroll across the James River, and go to Plan 9.

Simply the fact that there were used records/CDs made this a dannnnngerous place.

Purchases from there included The Beatles ("The White Album") and one of The Beatles Anthology CD sets. But, among the used CDs were Van Morrison's Moondance and a fantastic song collection called Hang The DJ - Modern Rock 1986. This CD included songs from Oingo Boingo, The Smiths, The Psychadelic Furs (with the movie version of "Pretty in Pink"), New Order and a lot more. I've played that CD a lot.

So, when I saw it was Rex Manning Day -- I repeat: REX MANNING DAY! -- I thought not only of Empire Records and the collections of characters that hung around that store, but of Tower Records and Virgin and Book and Record and Plan 9 and Johnny's Records in Darien, which is one of the few remaining record shops that I can name off the top of my head.

Amazon is just fine, but nothing can replace how great these places were.

So, Happy Rex Manning Day.

Damn the Man.

Frank Sinatra and The Beatles and Nov 1968

(Obviously photo courtesy of Alamy)

This is just another one of those nights where I don't have a clue what to write about.

I've tried a few hours ago.

I stopped for dinner.

I sat down and started watching the latest season of Doctor Who to clear my brain. Funny thing, this Doctor is. I absolutely adore Jodie Whittaker and her performance of the 13th Doctor. I like her companions.

But the stories have largely been meh and my trusty Whovian -- my son -- has almost no interest in watching, so I'm watching it alone.

Anyway, while thinking about a topic and pondering a post about nothing (it worked for Jerry Seinfeld), Susan texted me with an idea. She always has ideas. I'd love to be more like her when I grow up.

How about the movie that was number one on the day you were born?

Curiously, I've never looked. I know a few things about the day I was born.

- There was an ice storm and my parents slid to the hospital. That should have been their first clue.
- The number one song was "Hey Jude." In case you don't know, that was a song by The Beatles.
- Speaking of the lads, they released their eponymous album -- The Beatles -- in the UK on my birthday. It was released in the US three days later. Literally everyone calls it "The White Album."
- Johnson was president. No further political statement to be made.
- The Detroit Tigers had just won the World Series over the Cardinals.
- The Colts were rolling through the NFL and they had no chance of losing to whatever the AFL sent to the third Super Bowl, right? Although those Jets were a feisty bunch. Still. No chance.
- On TV that night, NBC aired an. Episode. Of. "Star. Trek." (It has to be said like Captain Kirk). Later on, the Peacock had a nighttime version of "Hollywood Squares." Frankly, TV wasn't very impressive that night otherwise, save perhaps for "Gomer Pyle, USMC" over on CBS.

And the answer to the number one movie? Seems it was a groovy, doobie-doobie-doo detective movie called Lady in Cement. The movie starred Frank Sinatra (baby) as a private investigator named Tony Rome (the movie is a sequel to Tony Rome in 1967).  Raquel Welch co-starred.

Overall, the movie received mixed reviews and was a loss to studio 20th Century Fox.

According to Wikipedia, Roger Ebert said, "In the movie's few good scenes, Sinatra once again painfully reminds us what a controlled, effective actor he is."

Doesn't sound like it was a ring-a-ding classic in the Sinatra canon like Ocean's 11 or any of his other movies.

Still, it's Sinatra, so that's something.

These are the things that are amusing us during this pandemic, but it beats going out when we should be sheltering in place.