Ivan says:
My Dearest Sylvia, I'm back in action. After six weeks of non-stop activities and a quick trip to NJ (sorry that we weren't able to hook up), I finally have a few minutes to sit down and complete a post. So, as I begin, I have to wonder, will there ever come a time when I stick to just one subject per post? It's so hard to do, especially when there's an extended time between posts. My mind floods over whenever I'm posting and God knows where I'll end up today.
Judy:
Funny that you should mention her -- she was my first ever musical concert. I don't recall how it came to pass -- I remember only that back in early June, 1969, I was at the (then) Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ (a stone's throw from our neighborhood). At the previous night's performance, Judy had been a "no show" and the following night, she fell off the stage. Shortly thereafter, she passed away and I remember feeling very, very sad at the time. My only frame of reference for Judy in 1969 was "The Wizard of Oz", which remains one of my all-time favorite movies to this day. But I was so excited to go see Judy. And yes, I am a bit surprised by your "Judy" confession, you sly girl -- I never knew!
Genes:
Even at the tender age of 15, it was obvious I had "the gene". This was also supported by the fact that my favorite album in 1968 (at age 14) was the soundtrack from "Funny Girl" (it would seem I knew I was "unique" at a very young age). At the time, I thought my fondness for Judy was just one of my many "queer" penchants -- it was incomprehensible to me that anyone else my age might have an appreciation for such astounding talent. Both my parents regularly played and listened to music from the 40s/50s, so I developed a taste early in life for something more than just 50s/60s rock-n-roll and the other types of music with which we were inundated during our formative years.
The Jingle Junky:
I remain however, a complete 60s music junky and recall obscure songs and artists (as is evident in my self published series "Uncle Ive's 45s" -- even if I still haven't found "They're Coming to Take Me Away" in MP3). I confess to loving all of those novelty songs -- "Gitarzan", My Girl Bill", "The Chipmunk Song", "How Much is that Doggie in the Window". And any catchy tune or jingle that we heard on the radio.
Joyful:
I loved your "What I Hate" and "What I Love" comments. I too can appreciate a good "chick flick". I just saw "The Devil Wears Prada" last weekend ... loved it! The joyful Stanley Tucci, highlighted in one of my previous posts, delivers the best line in the movie. To the unsuspecting Anne Hathaway, newly hired at a world famous fashion magazine, he declares, "Size 2 is the new size 4, size 0 is the new size 2 and size 6 is the new size 14". It was hilarious! I howled. The movie is a must see, for both Stanley's and Meryl's over the top performances as demanding and demeaning fashion magazine fanatics (Meryl as the editor and Stanley as her right hand man).
Jon:
I recently watched "Midnight Cowboy" ... WOW! It's been over 30 years since I last saw it and I'd forgotten how powerful a movie it was. At first, I was struck by the 60s sensibility of the movie and not sure if I could continue to watch the entire movie. But I quickly became engaged in the characters and the out-dated feeling quickly faded. "Midnight Cowboy" is certainly one of the top 5 movies of the 60s, so why is it that you don't hear much talk about it these days? "Five Easy Pieces", "Easy Rider", and other "gritty" 60s movies seem to be better remembered and more frequently mentioned, even though "Midnight Cowboy" won two Academy Awards, for both Best Picture and Best Director. Depressing? Yes. Disturbing? Yes. Sad? Definitely Yes. And yet sometimes poignantly funny. Dustin Hoffman is a wonder to behold and Jon Voight is breath-taking in all his studly presence! Another favorite of mine, Brenda Vaccaro (a one time girlfriend of Michael Douglas), is in the movie, as a lonely lady who gets the favors of Joe Buck (more like "lucky lady", I'd say). This is a must see movie ... The Good, The Bad, The Beggar and (most superbly) The Beautiful Boy!
Jake:
We've already done the Jake Gyllenhall "Brokeback Mountain" post, but I'd like to talk about "Donnie Darko" for a minute. After watching the movie last night, I had to visit the Donnie Darko website to make sure I "got" this movie -- I had a bit of a hard time understanding what was happening. I was happy to learn that I had a fairly good grasp of the plot, although the website clarified some of the more obscure scenes. The one phrase that keeps coming to mind about this movie is "thought provoking". Because it's a fantasy, you have to suspend belief to a great extent, but there's a lot to think about. I liken it to a two hour episode of the "The Twilight Zone", but with swearing. Favorite scene? While lying on his therapist's sofa under hypnosis, Jake describes an erotic scene from his mind's eye. He unbuckles his slacks and slides his hand down his crotch to begin masturbating. Stupidly, the therapist (an aged Katharine Ross) wakes him ... how utterly and completely disappointing! He is just as lovely in this movie as in "Brokeback Mountain". I wonder if the famed "Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut" has the scene in its entirety? And you think you're a dirty old lady?
PS: Answers to the Pop Quiz:
- Leonardo DiCaprio? (movie not known)
- Richard Chamberlain (movie not known, but wasn't he absolutely gorgeous in "The Thorn Birds"?)
- Macaulay Culkin (The Party Monster?)
- Brad Pitt (Troy)
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