"Seven Days in May" - the movie - Is being shown on the Turner Classic Movies (TCM-TV) in one hour

[Jim DiEugenio]

Nice one Magda. Its a little different though because its not art, but life.

BTW, speaking of what passes for life and art in America these days: I kind of lost interest in the Oscars many years ago. I mean when films like Dr. Strangelove, Bonnie and Clyde and The Grduate didn't win, and when The Wild Bunch (for me, the greatest Western ever) did not even get nominated, then something was wrong some place.

But I am glad that this year some fairly good historical films got nominated like Lincoln, Argo and the more current Zero Dark Thirty.

I didn't like all of them, I mean I wrote a pretty negative review of the last film at Bob Parry's site. But at least they got made. I kind of liked Argo and thought the script of that was both clever and funny with some really neat one liners. I thought Lincoln was a bit talky and stuffy, but with some really wonderful acting in it especially by the fantastic Daniel Day Lewis and the fine Tommy Lee Jones.

I didn't think very highly of the movie version of Le Miz, and please do not get me started on the latest Quentin Tarantino revenge fantasy for adults. WHen my students ask me if I saw Django Unchained I said, "I wouldn't see a Quentin Tarantino movie if the studio rented the theater just for me, picked me up in a Lincoln limousine, and served me a bucket of Dom Perignon champagne during the screening."

They ask me, "What's Dom Perignon?" I reply, "Don't worry you'll never drink it."

Actually I think its ridiculous to nominate ten films for Best Picture. I mean, it was tough to come up with five most years.

But anyway if Ben Affleck, Day Lewis and Tommy Lee win, it will be a good night.

[Jim Hackett II]

I never cared about 'academy awards'. Just irrelevant to me, not being from the industry.
Maybe it is a thing of the "fly-over-states", but I know no one that tunes in to watch the "Oscars" unless involved for income. Writers and actors and stagehands and so forth.
Acclaim from your peers is fine though.

I like films. But awards don't have anything to do with the films I buy or watch.
I don't do the theater thing since my Momma wanted to go see "Forrest Gump" - 92?. Too expensive, I'd rather see the films without the hassle in my home at my time of choice with the company I have in my home. With a libation of my choice. And no crowds.

My favorite movie is "Lonely Are The Brave" B/W but better than most films out now by a bunch.

FWIW:
I would never honor Polanski by taking a leak in the cans of all of his films.
Child victims of abuse (of any kind) never fully recover, most anyway.

Instead of watching the self professed "celebrities" last night,
I kept up on my "other" interests besides history, model aviation and motorsports.
Indycars and NHRA drag racing preferred.
Its a gearhead thing. Some won't understand.
It is not just a series of left hand turns to nowhere. It is not just a straight line event.
If you don't get it - you don't get it.
It ain't about danger and mayhem.
It is about how good am I or with age how good is she/he after one becomes only another spectator.
Unless you are Chris Karamassines (no relation - an 80 year old top fuel driver) who just keeps on doing it.

I guess it helps to have known drivers and mechanics away from the job and media 'coverage'.
To have watched Bobby Unser drive Indy in traffic, or seen Don Garlits put 2 tenths of a second on the field under the national record would help too.
Or to have met and had breakfast in a greasy spoon diner with people like Gary Bettenhausen.
Being around real artist mechanics and engineers lit the fire to go fast.

Or maybe the Memorial Day Family tradition of tuning in Sid Collins on the relayed WIBC radio to hear the Indy 500 helped too. Even on AFN far from home, talk about making a guy homesick just like Christmas Day away. I thought I could smell the burgers and beer in the Hoosier sunshine.

For Daytona,Talladega and Indy I do watch the good-ol'-boys of NASCAR.
Cookie cutter cars ruin the sport of Richard Petty and David Pearson.
One day I must go see the Reno Air Races.
Aircraft and Racing is a winner to this gearhead.
It is a conflict schedule with the Nationals Labor Day though.

I'll wait for the Indiana coming back to Irish green in Spring,
and listen for 235 mph Indycars at Indy and
see 0 - 330 mph in 1000 feet at IRP.
Until then I'll fly R/C when I can and research when I want.
Or watch the March Madness.

[Phil Dragoo]

Jim

Our father put us right in view of Bill Vukovich's car as it passed, blackened, on the trailer, having flipped and rolled and come to rest on its top sans roll bar in flames.

He'd won twice and was in the lead when an incident ahead made him choose right or left. He chose wrong and his front tire hit the rookie's rear, flipping him in a sequence incredibly wild and fatal.

Subsequent thoughts on Polanski. Rose, Mary, such a hit on the Virgin. C'mon. My people left France 1699. It wasn't necessary to make a broadly insulting farce, using the devil as nocturnal rapist, and all of the pathetic abominations.

And this preceded the Charlie's Devils episode using Polanski's wife. He's as debased as the Earth Day killer whom Arlen Specter allowed to flee to France as would Polanski, no.

Maybe people don't like women, don't like religion. Let's have a slasher movie with costumes and screaming. Slit Jack's nose. This time Faye lives; with Warren Beatty, another climactic perforation a la Butch & Sundance.

Sundance met his match when los Chimayosos wouldn't let him film there; he had to go up the hill to Truchas with the trout.

[Don Jeffries]

I don't watch many newer movies, except for quirkier, indy films. I did see Argo and didn't like it at all. I found it not only boring, but to be an utterly unrealistic bit of propaganda. Anti-Muslim, with scores of snarling, angry Iranians. And pro-CIA to the hilt, with our hero Ben Affleck and the others the clear good guys here.

But the most over the top thing of all was having First Lady Michelle Obama present the award for Best Picture, live from the White House. Another unprecedented bit of blurring the line between entertainment and politics, and reality from fantasy.

In other words, it's hardly surprising that it won.

[Jim Hackett II]

Thanks Phil,
I doubt after that I would enjoy motorsports.

Vuke! A legend around our home. A dirt farmer born to nothing and faster than all at Indy.

I was way young to know direct memory, but the legend was of my memory.
Unbeatable and seemingly invincible at Indy. He and Jimmy Bryan were heroes of my parents.
Both died racing, it was vastly more lethal then.
I read now the Vukovich and LeMans crash in 55 almost killed racing. Billy Graham came out strongly against it. Legislation that died was introduced in the House. A different culture in Ike's '50s.
If the Vukovich car had gotten out of the track on the front straightaway racing would have died in '55.
A crashing car into the stands is what happened at LeMans a few weeks later.
16th and Georgetown the site would be another mall, not a racetrack.
In '55 as likely G.I. Bill track housing.

I have only seen one fatality at a racetrack, I swore I'd never go back. But I did.
I would have no interest in examining the wreckage unless I were part of the team.
then it looks like a pile of work for somebody even if no one was hurt ... the dollars be gone.
The thrill in racing is seeing someone exceed that which has been done before.
Or watching Hornish making the pass for the win on the last lap.
The racing not the chance of chaos. Not the mayhem porn of when things go badly.

When someone crashes their R/C Airplane it breaks my heart a little too, I know the effort.
Moreover when I see a race crash except first concern is the driver, not the effort. Now the fans too.
I bet I've killed a dozen of those little plastic doll pilots.

I agree with what Dario Franchitti said about catch (debris) fences for protecting the fans.
He said there has to be a better way. He is right.
As it stands the industry is flirting with disaster.
After all drivers at Indy no longer drive an 80 gallon bathtub of gasoline at 150 mph.
On those tires? Ah hell no.
Safety will find a way or the sport will die.
But it would put a lot of people out of good jobs earned by craftsmanship.
Without the fan in the stands the media wouldn't care.
Detroit doesn't care but they should.

[LR Trotter]

Removed by poster, in consideration of subject matter response.
hutup:

[Jan Klimkowski]

This is not a thread about the Oscars or the Indy 500.

[John Mooney]

I agree about the depth of Bladerunner. One of my all time favorites.

Deckard is an android.

It took me years to get it (I'm a bit slow).

The little paper unicorn he finds at the end (has many levels, not just the giveway for Deckard. A man, creator, imitating life, but it has no soul).

Roy Batty and his last words, damn, "lost in time, like tears in rain... time to die".

The music is also some of the greatest film music ever, Rachel's Theme still gets me ever time.

I've never watched Chinatown (an I the only person), I must rectify that soon.

[Charles Drago]

I agree about the depth of Bladerunner. One of my all time favorites.

Deckard is an android.

It took me years to get it (I'm a bit slow).

Don't be too hard on yourself for this. By my count there have been four "official" endings of Blade Runner released by Scott. If memory serves, that of the initial U.S. theatrical release was chosen in the wake of the studio's objection to the "pessimism" of the work cut's finale.

Both the first and "final" versions are clearer in their intimations of Deckard's composition.

All versions are collected in the pricey blu-ray set packaged in a plastic mock-up of Deckard's metal briefcase and containing models of the unicorn and flying police patrol car, along with other ephemera.

[Phil Dragoo]

Seven Days in May, the starting point of this thread, is a double helix with Executive Action, twin cases of power elites removing the chief executive by extreme prejudice.

The ability of film--and live-action spectacle, e.g., motor racing--to reach people of all nationalities has been demonstrated with Zapruder (HSCA) and JFK (JFK Act).

In this era the mass is not involved in deep political thought.

How can it be hooked in the manner of Zapurder and JFK.

There are very experienced media people here who can play upon that question with continuing contribution to the shared goal of justice.

Absent the involvement of the mass (Nascar nation, Oscar-watching, Everyman and Everywoman) the hope may crash and burn.