pointed threats, they bluff with scorn

 

They took Smash His Camera off of Amazon Prime already.  I didn't even have a chance to watch it 60,000 more times.

On You Tube there is a video of Bob Dylan on 60 Minutes in the early 2000s -- Ed Bradley interviewed him.  It was good.  I saw it at the time -- it was great to see it again.

He said back in the '60s people used to show up at his house and want to hang out and talk with him about issues.  Bradley asks him what they wanted to discuss, specifically -- Dylan says topics like organic farming.

Ed:  What do you know about organic farming?

Bob:  Nothin'!

There's also a video on there called "Why Bob Dylan Matters" -- college professors and "Dylanologists" discussing Bob's writing:  it was held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, which is also the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

        The sound of the words, "case-western-reserve"....  When I was a child growing up in that area, I would hear that phrase, "case western reserve" and wonder about it.  I think I imagined that it was a dam, or a bridge, or a forest preserve, for a while.

        (Hey! -- I'm not the only one -- one of those professors was pronouncing Akron as "ack - rawn" with the second syllable rhyming with lawn....)

In the discussion, someone said that in his writing Dylan was trying to get "yesterday, today, and tomorrow in the same room."

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ain't that a groove

 

Johnny Carson; James Brown

On Amazon Prime now is Mr. Dynamite:  The Rise of James Brown.  I thought it was really good.

Mick Jagger produced it; he appears in interview footage several times, early in the film.  He doesn't overshadow, or compete for star power.  It's just right -- his participation style.

So much music in this movie!  It is funk-a-delic.

Imma watch it 60,000 more times.

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a new noir every night

 

Carole Landis in Behind Green Lights

Under "Film Noir" on You Tube, another movie that shows up:

Behind Green Lights

1946

        In an early scene, we're inside a police station and the Camera moves from one group of people to another, each is dealing with some problem or other.  In about the second interaction we see, a policeman is speaking to an African American man who's wearing suit and tie plus fedora hat -- like most of the other men in the movie.

policeman:

"Your wife can't 'steal' your car -- that's community property!"

citizen:

"Yeah, I know Chief -- but she done took it out of the community!"

I burst out laughing.  (Is this a funny noir?)  That "out of the community" actor (Nick Stewart) was beautiful:  he got every bit of value from his one line -- great!

As I listened to this movie I realized I could watch it again, and listen more carefully and specifically, and write down great lines and turns of phrase:  it's full of them.  There are two other movies that I have always thought a person could do this with:

Out of the Past   (1947)

and

Sweet Smell of Success   (1957).

In Behind Green Lights I noticed the phrases:

"giving him the business"

and

"laying it on thick."

-30-

the smart phone always rings twice

 

In the February 17, 2022, post here I discussed the 1948 film, Call Northside 777.  It was listed on You Tube as a film noir, but I didn't really think it was one.

Then I was reading You Must Remember This, a Hollywood memoir by actor Robert Wagner (It Takes a Thief, Hart to Hart).  In the book Wagner mentions Call Northside 777 and refers to it as a film noir:

--------------------- [excerpt, Wagner - You Must Remember] ----------------- Darryl Zanuck, who gave me my career, built one of the last great homes to be constructed along the Santa Monica stretch of beach.  

Darryl's movies were evenly divided between light entertainments in garish Technicolor (such as Betty Grable's films), grim film noirs (Nightmare Alley, Call Northside 777), and westerns that could have been film noirs (My Darling Clementine, The Ox-Bow Incident).  

Darryl was always an innovator, a ceaselessly active man -- I can barely remember him standing still. ----------------------- [end / excerpt]

What does Wikipedia say?

---------------------- [excerpt] ---------------- In 2004, the Onion AV Club Review said, "Outstanding location shooting and Stewart's driven performance turn a sober film into a vibrant, exciting one," even though the main characters are "really too noble for noir."

__________________________

Wikipedia page on film noir:

----------------- [excerpt] ----------------- Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations.  

The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American film noir.  

Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key, black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography.  

Many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Great Depression.  

The term film noir, French for 'black film' (literal) or 'dark film' (closer meaning), was first applied to Hollywood films by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, but was unrecognized by most American film industry professionals of that era.  

Cinema historians and critics defined the category retrospectively.  

Before the notion was widely adopted in the 1970s, many of the classic films noir were referred to as "melodramas".  

Whether film noir qualifies as a distinct genre or whether it is more of a filmmaking style is a matter of ongoing debate among scholars.

______________________________________

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fairy tale on my phone

 

I watched the tinder-guy film on Netflix (watched = had it playing while I did stuff).

Then I couldn't remember the title of it -- "The Tinder Scoundrel"?  No, that wasn't right.

The Tinder Swindler.

These young ladies  who found relationships with the guy spoke about it and described how he would talk to them and say things that women like to hear.  "He listened to me," one said.

(On a You Tube video by a psychiatrist talking about narcissistic abuse, the doctor said, "When a narcissist is listening to you talk, he is gathering information that he can use against you later, to manipulate you."

        She also said, "When someone compliments me, I become suspicious immediately because that's how the narcissist's grooming starts.")

On the Netflix Swindler movie, it showed a lot of the communication between the Romantic Man and his "marks" took place through texting on phones.  One girl said she was becoming nervous and suspicious after she had given him money, but he was still sending her nice messages.  She said, "I still had this fairy tale on my phone."

        About 1 percent of my mind and emotions was screaming, "Ladies!  How can you be taken in by this?!  How can you listen to his crapola??!!"

        But 99% I was -- feeling sorry for them.  It's sad.  Outrageous, and sad at the same time.

This can happen to men, too.  And the thing is, there are two people in the relationship, and they have mind-sets very different from one another.  One is open, hopeful, looking for love.  And the other person has a whole different plan.  They have a "big picture," a "long game."

It's like you're playing ping-pong, and the other person is playing football.

"OK,  my serve."

WWWHHHHOOOOOMMMMMPPPHHHH -- THUD!

(waking up on sidelines)

"Wha -- wha -- what happened?"

An article in The Guardian says that since the Swindler documentary, a study emerged that found Americans lost more than a billion dollars in 2021 alone, to "romance scams."

One Commenter said, "If you are vulnerable you will ignore the red flags."

Another wrote, "It'll never happen to you until it does!"

-30-

invisible men, devil bats, and classics

 

The "highlight reel."  People use that expression about You Tube videos, and information disseminated via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. ...The idea that people are "posting" a series of photos or videos showing an unbroken ongoing chain of fabulousness.

This point of view sort of applies to how I used to think of "old movies."  When I thought of films made between 1930 and 1970, I didn't think of all of the movies that came out of Hollywood in those years, I only would be thinking of the best ones, the ones we still watch, the "cream of the crop" -- the "highlight reel."

...The Classics.

All About Eve

Casablanca

The Wizard of Oz

Gone With the Wind

The Philadelphia Story

The Big Sleep

Notorious

Rebecca

Bringing Up Baby

Gaslight

Key Largo

Double Indemnity

Laura

North By Northwest

His Girl Friday

Citizen Kane

Sweet Smell of Success

Out of the Past

__________________________

        There were lots of other movies made back then, and they can be interesting for other reasons (or not). ...

Dr. Cyclops (1940)

        A mad scientist working in the South American jungle miniaturizes his colleagues when he feels his megalomania is threatened.

(Oooh - kay...)

The Invisible Man Returns

One Million B.C.

The Man with Nine Lives

Black Friday (Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi!)

The Devil Bat

The Mummy's Hand

The Invisible Woman

The Saint's Double Trouble

The Saint Takes Over

Before I Hang

----------------------------------------------------

        Sometimes I go to You Tube to find out what movies there are to be seen.  Black-and-white; Color; 1940s; 1960s; riveting; unfathomable; dull.  It's all over the map out there.

Here on this blog, we sometimes discuss Film Noir -- people uploading on You Tube throw that phrase around, and I don't think they know what it means.  Some of them think it means any black-and-white movie, apparently!

Today while doing things and getting ready to go to work, I found a movie under the "film noir" heading,

Call Northside 777.

It is an excellent film!  I was really excited, because sometimes (many times) you start watching a movie and then the interest of it just sags, weakly, and you are disappointed.

Call Northside 777 has only two problems (minor).

One is the title -- I still don't know what it refers to, (didn't have time to watch it closely enough) and it's easy to forget.  I kept looking back for the name of the movie -- "What was it, again?"

The other thing is billing it as "film noir" -- it is not.  But it is a great movie.

James Stewart plays the lead role.  He's terrific.  (That voice!)

So -- forget "noir" -- doesn't matter, we have other movies for that genre.

And write down the title of this movie because most people will forget it, otherwise.

And then you can play it on You Tube.

It should be recognized and remembered and appreciated -- not forgotten.

-30-

here, in the future

 

Campbell's Soup, Edition II

1969

Andy Warhol

When I listen to You Tube channels, I hear the speaker remind the audience, "When you look at someone's social media, you're seeing a 'highlight reel.'  You shouldn't compare your actual day to someone else's high points and victorious joyful moments," etc.

Social media and the Internet have provided an interesting possible embodiment of the artist Andy Warhol's insouciant prediction that "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes."

I have heard a You Tuber say,

"I'm famous."

"I'm a celebrity."

"I'm a millionaire."

        Everyone, indeed.

It's an interesting topic to contemplate.

        When I was in grade school or junior high, my dad talked about the word "celebrity."  Holding up a magazine, he said, in a faintly incredulous tone, "It means the person is -- famous -- for -- being famous!"

That is what it meant back then, but common usage has evolved and now, from what I can observe, people mostly call anyone who is famous or well-known, "a celebrity."

Lady Gaga - celebrity

President Biden - celebrity

Kanye West - celebrity.

In the earlier usage, we would have called Kim Kardashian a celebrity, but Bob Dylan would be called a famous musical artist, or rock-and-roll star.  (Or -- folksinger, or songwriter, or just "Dylan.")  He would not be referred to as a "celebrity" because he is famous (or known) for doing something, not just for existing and having photographs taken.

The other thing about social media is, it might not just be a "highlight reel," in some cases it might be a whole different representation of the self or thoughts or events that might not line up with objective reality very well.

        I remember when an acquaintance told me he was flabbergasted when he looked at the Facebook page of someone he knew -- he said to me, "I checked it two or three times to make sure it was hers!"  He said, "I was shocked!  It's like she's crazy."

        I said impulsively, "Well -- but only on Facebook."  I don't even know why I said that -- I didn't know what I was talking about, I just didn't want him to feel bad, and he seemed so shocked and disappointed.  (I'm like that Beatles song, "Hey Jude" -- I always want to "make it better"...)

But then when I thought about it later, I realized people can be one way in real life and put a different image on Facebook or Twitter or any other social media forms, right?  (Maybe this is why the younger generation has the term "irl" = "in real life.")

-30-