The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

This weekend I went to see The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Before seeing the movie I knew little to nothing about how Jesse James died. The highest compliment I can pay this film is that I left it with the desire to read more about both Jesse James and Robert Ford. The emotions of the film and the nature of the characters have also stuck with me long after I left the theater.

As a film, it is beautifully shot and features breathtaking landscapes that capture the feeling of the unpopulated, untamed west. The acting performances are strong as well. The true stand-out is Casey Affleck as Robert Ford. Without spoiling too much, Ford was one of America's first obsessed fans. He grew up idolizing Jesse James and dreaming about what it would be like to be a member of the James Gang. He gained all his knowledge through stories in pulp novels and frontier legends. In other words, he was enamored with the media created image of Jesse James. As he would come to know the real man and found that he didn't live up to his preconceived image, Ford grew more and more cold and angry towards James. There is one scene where Ford proudly tells James that he has read about all his exploits and knows them all by heart. James then tells him that those stories are all lies. You can see Ford's heart sink as he hears this. Casey Affleck gives Ford both a sense of pathos where you can truly relate to the enthusiastic young man, and a generally creepy quality where you know he's just not quite right. He is just perfect in this role.

Robert Ford reminded me most of Mark Chapman, the man who killed John Lennon. It's an amazing byproduct of the culture of media created celebrity that some people believe they can usurp another man's fame by killing him. Ford attempted to make a living off of being the man who killed Jesse James. He thought people would think he was a hero. Instead, people hated him and saw him as a coward. He had, after all, shot Jesse James in the back of the head as he dusted a picture! But, worst of all, he had killed an American folk hero.

The movie plays out very slowly and is not for everyone. It doesn't have much action in terms of gunfights but is till well worth watching. The strong acting, poignant story, and haunting images and characters make it a great film. The fact that before this movie I had never heard of Robert Ford but, of course, had heard of Jesse James, goes to show that cowards like Ford and Chapman can take a man's life, but they can never kill a legend.

HBO Feature Presentation

I am sure that many of you out there will remember the old HBO intro. This is the longer version which didn't show as often. In this one, you fly over the model town before it goes into space where you find the giant HBO logo. Typically, the intro would start off in space. I can't even begin to tell you how many movies I watched in my youth that were preceded by this intro.

Dancing Sir . . . Mostly Dancing

Here is a look at the poster for one of the greatest comedies of all time. Enjoy!

When Johnson Met Harryhausen

The day I met Ray Harryhausen in Richmond was a momentous occasion in my life for many reasons. The first reason is pretty obvious, I got to meet Ray Harryhausen! The other reasons are known to but a few . . . until now.

On this day, my friends and I wandered into a joke and novelty store called The World of Mirth. While browsing the store a song came on. It was "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James and the Shondells. For those of you who aren't familiar with the song, the chorus goes "my baby does the hanky panky." Typical of the times, it purported to be a song about a dance but was, in fact, a thinly veiled metaphor for sexual activity. In the 60's, bands couldn't just come right out and say what they wanted. Well, upon hearing this song, a creative thought entered my mind like a bolt of lightning on a metal roof. It was as if the heaven's themselves opened up and poured inspiration into the empty vessel known as my mind. The idea was so forthright that it instantly came from my mouth . . . "My Leeman Does the Hanky Panky!" I sang it as if those were the words intended all along by the writers, and perhaps they were. Leeman is known for his bedroom prowess and so adding his name to this classic song seemed as right as rain. Since that day, the Leeman version has gone on to be a classic amongst those who have had the privlidge of hearing it. If only Leeman had been there to witness the birth of his song.

This day also was highlighted by my ears hearing two monumental phrases for the first time. After hearing them, it was as if I had been born a deaf man and was now hearing for the first time. Before we left Portsmouth we stopped at a local 7-11. As my friend Craig exited the Jeep SUV, I asked him what he was going in the store to purchase, as Rob was pumping and buying the gas. He responded with one word . . . "provisions." For those of you unaware, provisions are snacks easily procured at convenience stores nationwide. Examples would be items such as Slim Jims, potato chips, Little Debbies, Goobers, et al. That was an educational experience for me as I had never known the true meaning of that word until that very moment.

The other phrase that fell on my ears that day was to become one of the all-time great catch phrases in human history. We stopped at another 7-11 prior to returning to Portsmouth. Once again, Craig got out to go into the store. I asked him what he was getting and he said . . . "Antacids Brother!" My life has never been the same.

I have saved the best story for last. Stay tuned for the next installment . . . Trundling.

Joey Bishop 1918-2007

My friends, it is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I report the death of Joey Bishop. He was the last surviving member of The Rat Pack.

A funny story I know involving Joey Bishop comes from my dentist Dr. Smith. In 1967, ABC gave him his own late night talk show that aired opposite Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. When Dr. Smith was in college, he and his buddies once saw Carson en route to a public appearance. To be funny, he yelled out "Hey Joey! How are you?" pretending like he thought Johnny Carson was his competition, Joey Bishop. He said Carson laughed and then waved them off dismissively. Hahaha Really, no disrespect, Joey should have known he couldn't take on the King of Late Night!

Joey Bishop also holds a special place in my heart because he is the adpoted personality of my friend Craig Eckrich AKA Moonpie AKA Pie AKA Devlock AKA Blue Demon. When it was decided that we would all be members of the Rat Pack, he took Joey and then proceeded to give me Sammy. I have come to terms with being Sammy because Hayley says he was, in fact, the most talented member of the pack.

I think Joey is at his most entertaining in Ocean's Eleven.

The world is somehow a lot less cool without The Rat Pack. If only I could have been able to go to Vegas in their heyday.

For a full article on Joey Bishop click on the following link . . .
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071018/ap_en_ot/obit_bishop

Earth-like Planet Found

This is some truly wonderful and fascinating news. One of my dreams has always been to live long enough to know other Earth-like planets exist. Just imagine, if we find another one just how common they must be. Awesome. Can we go ahead and adopt Class M for their designation?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/apr/25/starsgalaxiesandplanets.spaceexploration

Star Trek - TOS Cast 2

Well, the casting of the main TOS crew is now complete. We are still waiting to hear about Pike but the big seven are in place. Here's a rundown:

James T. Kirk - Chris Pine
Spock - Zachary Quinto
McCoy, Leonard H. Son of David - Karl Urban
Scotty - Simon Pegg
Uhura - Zoe Saldana
Checkov - Anton Yelchin
Sulu - John Cho

Of course, the one and only Leonard Nimoy will return as the older Spock. Let's all cross our fingers that Bill also returns as older Kirk. I am anxious to see what this cast can do. My biggest hang-up is Simon Pegg. But, I am going to practice what I preach and keep an open mind. As Kirk himself once said,"Come come Mr. Scott. Young minds, fresh ideas."