Sleepless in Midland

Stephen Tobolowsky and Alan Parker

Stephen Tobolowsky is my favorite character actor -- his most memorable role was as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day. In a less memorable role he played Clayton Townley in the Alan Parker movie, "Mississippi Burning."

Alan Parker died the other day, and that triggered a memory of the Tobolowsky Files podcast -- Tobolowsky is a terrific story teller, and those mp3s were easy and entertaining listening during my jogging days. In one of them, which I can't find now, he told of how he got the part in "Mississippi Burning."

He described how the audition went. The other actors who auditioned went over the top with their portrayal of the KKK leader. But Tobolowsky calmly recited the lines as if he were merely stating the truth as Townley and the crowd believed it. He got the part.

Tobolowsky described it in this NPRinterview:

On getting the role of Ku Klux Klan leader Clayton Townley in Mississippi Burning

"I went back to the office, and this time I was sitting there, and I was fretting a little bit. The secretary looked over and saw me nervous and she said, 'You know, Stephen — they like you a lot in there. A lot of people have been reading this part, and they keep trying to be scary, but Alan [Parker] thinks you're scary just as you are' ...

"This is true with a lot of things in acting. You need to ask questions, and you need to ask the right questions. Alan asked me how I saw the man, and I said, 'I saw him as Abraham Lincoln — I don't see him as a villain. This man is a hero with his agenda, with his point of view.' I did not intend to play Clayton Townley as one chromosome short of a human being, like a lot of people will play various villains in movies ... In real life, everyone kind of sees themselves as the good guy, doing what they're doing. They see themselves as a kind of hero, and I wanted to make sure Clayton Townley ... wasn't played as some kind of genetic miscreant."

Anyway, RIP Alan Parker -- he knew his business. This was just one example.

P.S. He made a lot of good movies, but "Bugsy Malone" was my favorite.

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1:51 PM 8/1/2020

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Groundhog Day Super Bowl ad with Stephen Tobolowsky

My favorite character actor is Stephen Tobolowsky. His most famous character was Ned Ryerson in "Groundhog Day" which got a revival in a commercial that aired during the Super Bowl the other day.

The commercial was very entertaining -- a Super Bowl commercial really has to be good since so much talent and money is put into them. However, with this one I had to use a search engine to remember what product they were actually trying to sell. So while a prize winning commercial might get the eyeballs, it might not sell the widgets.

"Groundhog Day" and/or Tobolowsky fans might enjoy the podcast featuring Tobolowsky's commentary to the movie.

Stephen Tobolowsky is a great story teller. And his podcast series ended way too soon.

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2:16 PM 2/16/2020

No Safe Spaces likely to be a good documentary

Dennis Prager was on C-Span Sunday morning talking about, among other issues, his and Adam Carolla's new documentary movie No Safe Spaces. It's about the left's efforts to shut down speech and control ideas, especially on college campuses. With the combined talent of both of those guys, it's bound to be very entertaining and educational. Hopefully, there will be a way to see it free soon.

But just for grins, I looked it up at Rotten Tomatoes. And what a contrast between the elite reviewers and the ordinaries. This is what it looked like Sunday around 2:15pm CST.

It's probably a good bet to go with the ordinaries when the split is as wide as this one.

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2:26 PM 11/17/2019

Tom Selleck selling mortgages says not his 1st rodeo

There's a commercial airing regularly featuring Tom Selleck peddling reverse mortgages. It's too soon to call this a good ad or a bad ad -- the test is how many widgets a commercial sells.

But one notable feature of a version of that ad has Tom Selleck beginning his spiel by telling the camera lens this isn't his first rodeo. What exactly does that mean in this context? This is not his first commercial? Buying a reverse mortgage is like mounting a bucking bronc, and he's done it before?

Grammarist.com defines it this way:

This ain’t my first rodeo means I am not a novice to this situation, I have experience in this area and I am competent. The idiom this ain’t my first rodeo is mostly used in instances where a less experienced person is trying to give advice to a more experienced person, and is meant to establish superiority.

It doesn't quite fit. The TV viewer is not trying to give Tom Selleck advice, it's the other way around.

In any event, an IMDB search dug up a made-for-tv movie in which he played a rodeo rider. The movie is Ruby Jean and Joe summarized thusly:

The elderly and fading rodeo-rider Joe Wade (Tom Selleck) picks up the young female hitchhiker Ruby Jean (Rebekah Johnson). Even though that Joe is constantly being corrected by Ruby Jean their beginning friendship is growing. Their conversations on the road puts both of them in a position to deal with their lives.

Ah ha. It's getting clearer now. Selleck is getting old and has to deal with new things as he ages. He assumes his audience is too. It's starting to make sense now. But sorry, Tom. I'm not in the market for a mortgage, reverse or obverse.

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1:43 PM 10/27/2019

a modest tribute to Bob Fosse

I'm currently reading "Fosse" the autobiography of Bob Fosse by Sam Wasson, the book on which the FX TV series "Fosse/Verdon" was based.

Bob Fosse was a brilliant director and choreographer who in 1973 became the only person to win an Oscar -- "Cabaret," a Tony -- "Pippin," and an Emmy --"Liza With a Z," in the same year. By the way, that FX TV series "Fosse/Verdon" was pretty good, too. I'm tempted to watch it again.

Anyway, Fosse was not just a good director and choreographer, he was a very good dancer himself. To get a sampling of that, here are links to three Youtube videos of scenes from movies in which he danced.

Alley Dance from "My Sister Eileen";
Who's Got the Pain -- Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon in "Damn Yankees"; and
Snake in the Grass from "The Little Prince."

He was one smooth mover. Some even suggest that Fosse's performance in "The Little Prince" inspired some of Michael Jackson's dance moves.

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3:12 PM 8/27/2019

Alec Baldwin's unfunny Trump shtick was a mediocre impersonation -- that aside Baldwin really is a good actor

News sources tell us that Alec Baldwin has put his Donald Trump routine on hold, for now. His act really wasn't that good of an impersonation or very funny, so it probably won't be missed by anyone but the most ardent anti-Trumpers.

But let's give Baldwin praise where it's due. I became convinced of his acting talent when watching the movie, "Pearl Harbor." Baldwin played the war hero, Jimmy Doolittle. And he was very convincing. Got that? Alec Baldwin portrayed a great American war hero convincingly. Now that's acting!

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10:06 AM 6/12/2019

Ghost World -- found art

So I was surfing the web when I clicked on a link to Doane University tries to hide historical blackface photos, punishes librarian who displayed them.

And it immediately sparked a memory of a few scenes from a delightfully depressing movie titled Ghost World in which Steve Buscemi played lonely Seymour who was befriended by a female student named Enid played by Thora Birch.

The scenes were a minor part of the complete story, and it involved an old poster Seymour had retrieved from a fried chicken restaurant that had changed its name with the changing times. The poster was the restaurant's mascot -- a caricature of an African American -- that one might imagine could have been used in the 1950s. See the poster on the wall in this photo.

Enid persuaded Seymour to lend her the poster, and she used it in a student art display, calling it "found art." The reaction was predictable -- see the link above about Doane University for a hint.

As for why the movie was titled "Ghost World," it could be a description of the life those on the outside live -- invisible, like ghosts, to all the cool people.

P.S. The actress sitting on the desk in the photo linked above is Illeana Douglas playing the art teacher.

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3:03 PM 6/11/2019

Movie: Absolute Power. Clint Eastwood made a two star movie out of a five star book

The Ector County Library held a used book sale a couple of months ago, and it was a great place to get some good books at the cheap price of $4 per bag. I took home two bags.

One of the books was "Absolute Power" by the prolific writer, David Baldacci. It was a riveting mystery story that involved a master burglar, the burglar's daughter, a homicide detective, and a lawyer. The hero was the lawyer, and although the burglar was an important part of the plot, his character was mainly in the background.

Well, Clint Eastwood must have liked it too, since he bought the rights and made a movie based on it. But the fellow who rewrote the story, William Goldman, made a huge change which didn't make it a better story.

Coincidentally, I found a copy of the movie and watched it after finishing the book.

In the movie version of the story, the lawyer was completely absent, and the hero and main character was the burglar. And guess who played the burglar? Yup. Clint Eastwood.

Oh, I know what you are saying. "The book always seems better." Well, maybe so. But in my opinion, the book earned five stars. The movie, not so many. But don't take my word for it. Check out Rottentomatoes.com where it received a dismal 47/52.

Anyway, when I donate the book back to the library, I'll tie the movie vhs to the book with the hope that they resell them as a package. That seems logical, no?

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12:52 PM 8/26/2018

By hiring Susan Rice Netflix says it's criteria for new hires is the willingness to tell huge whoopers and get away with it

Susan Rice's resume must be so padded it could replace at least a dozen of those pillows those obnoxious TV ads tout several times a day.

That resume must have impressed Netflix. Susan Rice, ex-Obama official, appointed to Netflix board of directors.

Rice's claim to fame in conservative circles is the big lie she told everyone about how a movie inspired the murders in Benghazi. Lie number two would be the one she told about unmasking Republicans which gave the Democrat Media Complex ammo with which to smear them.

But Netflix hired her in spite of that, or maybe because lies of that magnitude required quite some skill.

In any event, that tells us something about Netflix. I'm not currently a customer, but if I were I would be inclined to wonder what lies have, are, or will come out about Netflix which made them think they needed someone with Rice's skill for mendacity.

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2:48 PM 3/29/2018

Belief that extraterrestrial beings exist on earth may be a substitute for religion

Not everyone believes that humans might possess a "God gene" or "religious gene." But it's a compelling theory, i.e., a gene that predisposes us to believe in a supreme being and that pushes us toward spirituality. If it's valid, then some have it and some don't. And some may have a mutated version.

My own extrapolation of the theory is that a mutated form of the gene compels some people to believe that extraterrestrials are living amongst us and possibly even rule the country or maybe even the whole planet. Everyday religions are just too bourgeois for believers, there has to be something exceptional for them.

Maybe we think those people are just crazy. But as anyone knows who tried, telling them that does not get the desired result.

What brings this up now is possible support for the theory from, of all things, a movie review. The movie is "Arrival," a recent movie about visitors from outer space. See Close encounters with first-contact movies. Here's the pertinent part:

First-contact movies are a philosophical exercise masquerading as an entertainment, and one with profound spiritual implications. They’re a by-product of a culture that has been secularizing with growing speed for over a century, but they touch on every kind of theological idea and heresy, flirting with Gnosticism and imagining the aliens as both devils and gods – or even God. When made with intelligence and skill, you can feel the spiritual yearning in every shot, the desire for an answer even if – absent any actual aliens – we’re really just asking ourselves the question.

To the best of my knowledge there aren't any churches yet for worshiping extraterrestrials, unless it's the movie theater. But that's the beauty of the religion -- it doesn't require worship, penance, tithing, or anything but belief. In fact, apparently it doesn't even require belief, unless it's in your genes.

When entertainment is propaganda

Special interest groups have been influencing the U.S. entertainment industry for a long time, and more recently foreign governments have insisted on changes to movies that make them look good. China is probably the most notable example as the Chinese government has direct control over which American made movies get shown there.

But this could be worse. With the ownership of AMC theaters and Legendary Entertainment, the Chinese company, Dalian Wanda, now wants Carmike Cinemas. The theaters can show Chinese movies all day long if they like, or they can exert influence on film makers to get what they want into or out of American made movies. For background, see Hollywood, Chinese-style, which contains this glimmer of suspicion:

Fortunately, Congress is aware of China’s subtle power play. The promised GAO review came in response to a request from 18 bipartisan members of Congress to investigate Mr. Wang’s dealmaking and the effects of Chinese propagandizing through state-supported companies. Rep. John Culberson, Texas Republican, also asked the Department of Justice to launch a review of the Foreign Agents Registration Act to see if the “foreign propaganda influence over American media” was being sufficiently addressed. Wang Jainlin, the Wanda CEO, will be in Hollywood this week on a public relations tour promoting his government’s offer to subsidize American film making in China.

Television probably takes a passive view of the Chinese as the networks are currently so obsessed with Donald Trump, having gotten him the nomination and now hoping to tear him down. E.g., Count of Trump-Lampooning TV Shows Nears 30.*

Fortunately, Americans have a healthy skepticism when they view main stream media and their products. Right? Right? Well, I can dream, can't I?

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*Going against the grain was the recent decision by NBC to pull a Donald Trump themed episode. Maybe they made a hero out of the Billy Bush character, and the suits couldn't have that incongruity.

A Face in the Crowd -- Hot mic moment in 1957 movie is timeless

A Face in the Crowd starred Andy Griffith as Lonesome Rhodes, a hard drinking, boisterous, knockabout singer, and song writer, who was "discovered" in the drunk tank of a small town jail in Arkansas by Marcia Jeffries (Patricia Neal), a runner for a local morning radio show.

Spoiler alert!

He became a popular feature on the radio show, and before we know it, an important sponsor wanted him in Nashville for a big TV show. He became a show biz success story, and Marcia was in love.

Supporters of a politician recruited him to enhance their candidate's chances for a big office. Rhodes had become a king maker. And poor Marcia got dumped in favor of a cute blond.

Then -- the hot mic.

A drunken Rhodes was doing his live TV show. They broke for a commercial, and Rhodes was all smiles, thinking he was off mic, as he cut loose with a diatribe about his audience and how he had those morons eating out of his hand. Marcia surreptitiously pushed up the control lever to release his words over the airways.

The TV show ended with Rhodes thinking he was on top of the world. The editing in the movie was superb as we watched the elevator indicator tick off the floors cut with scenes from random dinner tables where his fans were aghast at what they heard. By the time his elevator reached the ground floor, he was a has-been.

It was a pretty good movie. TCM brings this classic back during election season, and it was broadcast the other night. I suppose the Rhodes character is supposed to be Donald Trump this time -- it was broadcast before Trump's hot mic moment went public, so the timing was pretty good. But the first time I saw it was during the Bill Clinton administration, and the connection with a charismatic Arkansas hillbilly's rise to fame was unmistakable.

In any event, whichever politician one wants to place in the lead role, the movie's message is timeless.

Has Blazing Saddles been banned from TCM?

Die hard Gene Wilder fans probably like all his movies. But for casual fans like me, "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles" top the list with everything else far behind. "Young Frankenstein" was shown on TCM the other day. But where the heck is "Blazing Saddles?"

It's not set for TCM broadcast on their Gene Wilder tribute day which could lead one to believe they're afraid it might be politically incorrect.

Race relations was the joke around which the story was spun as the redneck world got turned upside down by a black sheriff. But when the movie was released the most controversial thing about it was the fart joke. We can't blame TCM, though, since race relations have gotten so bad in the last half dozen years. What a shame.

At least TCM has the movie available for purchase.

P.S. I found a copy at the local library. If you are looking, try to get the 30th anniversary edition with Mel Brooks' commentary.

Like the scene from Spartacus -- Hillary's staff proclaims I have pneumonia, I have pneumonia, I have pneumonia

Kirk Douglas and his army of slave revolutionaries ended up captured by the Romans in the Kubrick movie Spartacus. The Roman general asks which one is Spartacus so they can execute him. Douglas says he is. Then another stands up and says he is. Then another, then another. Before long all the prisoners are claiming to be Spartacus. It's a great scene as his soldiers demonstrate their loyalty to the leader.

Don't know why, but that scene sprang to mind as Hillary Clinton's staff sprang to their feet claiming, I had pneumonia. And here comes Chuck Schumer jumping up to say he had pneumonia. Such loyalty!

But one comes away not so much admiring their loyalty but wondering how many innocent people did these people infect. They should all be quarantined.

P.S. That little girl Hillary was hugging on the day of her "episode" probably should be looked at.

Dems really don't like Dinesh D'Souza

Dinesh D'Souza, you may remember him from his 2012 movie, 2016: Obama's America. He's got a new one out now titled Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party which should be just as good -- hopefully better as the one about Obama didn't keep him from winning the vote in 2012.

In any event, D'Souza gave a speech which was broadcast on C-Span2 Saturday morning. (Maybe you can see it at the C-Span's link for it -- my Firefox browser refuses to show the video, but you might have better luck.)

Anyway, he made a point that could be easily checked. He claimed that a few of the elite reviewers at Rottentomatoes.com had given his movie poor ratings but that a huge number of regular people gave it high marks. Sure enough, he's right. Here's a screen shot taken Saturday morning.

The elites gave it 4% whereas the regular people gave it 83%. Quite a contrast. And it certainly does demonstrate the dichotomy a lot of us regular people see. The elites may ultimately win the day, but we've got this one little victory to celebrate.

By the way, if this is a "fact-check" then D'Souza gets an A+.

Guns in New York City -- 1932 nothing unusual

The reliable VCR captured a 1932 movie the other day titled The Tenderfoot starring Joe E. Brown. It was about a laughable Texan visiting New York City who caught the eye of some theatrical producers who thought they could con him out of his savings. (Spoiler alert: They did, but he got the last laugh.)

But here's what got my attention. The character played by Brown was Calvin Jones from Beesville, Rawhide County, Texas. Funny enough for olden days, but what makes it hilarious today was that he bought his guns to town, and no one gave it a second thought.

Here he is retrieving his two six-guns from the hat check girl at a lunch counter and boasting that he could put a hole in a plum at 200 paces without making a wrinkle.

What a contrast with today. Mayor de Blasio would have a cow -- a Texas longhorn, for sure. Mr. Jones would be doing felony time, his lawyers would have his savings, and the town would be no safer.

Transgenders now choose their bathrooms -- will male prison inmates get to move to women's prisons? Roger Corman, get your camera ready.

Some stores have given in to transgender bathroom usage. School districts are grappling with the issue, especially with the Obama administration breathing down their necks.

Now, with Obama getting more and more liberal with convicts, it seems only a matter of time before transgender inmates get to declare whether they are male or female and serve time in a prison designated for the sex they declared.

It sounds like something out of a Roger Corman movie. In case you don't remember him, he earned millions making B grade sexploitation movies in the 60s and 70s with titles like "Women in Cages," "The Big Bird Cage," and "Caged Heat."

Coming soon to a theater near you: "Man Trapped in a Woman's Body Trapped in a Women's Prison."

Good news, Charlize Theron, digital retouching can make you look ugly

The other day we got the depressing news that Charlize Theron wasn't getting the good parts because she was too pretty. I can empathize as I imagine how far I would have gotten were I not so stunningly handsome.

But take heart, Charlize, there's hope. Businessinsider.com reveals this tantalizing news: Hollywood's dirty secret to make stars look younger is more common than you realize.

Theron had to gain weight and wear prosthetics to get the right look of a serial monster in the movie "Monster." Forget all that. She could simply get the tech guys to un-hot her with digital retouching. Step into the magic of the movies.

Black Oscars matter, all Oscars matter, or do either matter?

This morning the TV news shows were all about Chris Rock's attack on show biz people over race. Presumably the issue is that this year there was a sparsity of black nominees for Academy awards.

It brought to mind Denzel Washington's similar complaints of a few years ago. Denzel won an Oscar the next year, but surely that was just a coincidence.

The show business people are probably asking, "Who the hell do we have to give an Oscar to to get these people to shut up." The answer is probably, "More people than you ever thought deserved one."

If there ever was an audience more receptive of the charge of racism it's probably the Hollywood set. They bend over backwards to avoid appearing racist -- just like practically every other white American -- but to them the charge will stick simply because they allow it to.

It will be amusing to us out here in fly-over country to watch them squirm. And inevitably there will be plenty of black nominees next year and more than a few winners. A life in show business is the dream of a lot of folks angling for a way to succeed in a field with a lot of competition. Apparently, that life of luxury of a successful actor isn't quite enough. There has to be an award to validate the celebrity worship they all seek.

Actors to point fingers and go "Bang Bang" in next movie staring anti-gun actor Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson, star of those ridiculously awful but wildly successful "Taken" movies, flexed his celebrity muscle in an anti-gun rant. Here's the Washington Times:

“I think the population is, like, 320 million? There are over 300 million guns. Privately owned, in America. I think it’s a f–ing disgrace,” said Mr. Neeson, a U.S. resident. “Every week now we’re picking up a newspaper and seeing, ‘Yet another few kids have been killed in schools.’”

All those school age kids killed? They're most likely results of extracurricular gang conflicts in major cities like Chicago which have strict gun control laws.

Meanwhile, in a well deserved take-down, gun manufacturer Para USA has cut Liam off access to their guns for his future movies. Some people really aren't responsible enough to handle guns.

Photo source aceshowbiz.com.

Chauncey Gardener president tells us everything is OK

If you listened to President Obama at a recent fund raiser you might have come away thinking everything is just fine. It's the trouble making media that has everyone so frightened. See thehill.com: Obama: Media makes you think ‘world is falling apart’.

“The world’s always been messy ... we’re just noticing now in part because of social media,” he said, according to a White House pool report.

The president, looking to strike a reassuring tone, argued that American military superiority has never been greater and that the U.S. still held advantages over potential international rivals like China.

Barack Obama is our Chauncey Gardener. that's the character Peter Sellers made famous in the movie Being There. Chance was a gardener who somehow became the darling of the political class with his banal remarks about gardening which the in-crowd took as deeply thought out metaphors. He was a blank slate on whom they drew an image based on their own expectations. Remind you of anyone?

Hey, lookie here. Being There is being aired on TCM this Wednesday (9/3/2014) at 7:00 PM CST. How timely.

Fargo the TV show -- 5 murders in first 2 episodes -- off to good start

Fargo, a TV show that premiered a couple of weeks ago is a spinoff from the movie "Fargo." One of the main features in the movie was the snowy landscape of wintery Minnesota, and we get that in the TV show, too. We also get some similar characters, for example, Martin Freeman plays a character similar to the William H. Macy character in the movie. There are other similarities to the movie but also some big differences. Unfortunately, there's no Steve Buscemi character, at least so far, unless it's supposed to be Billy Bob Thornton's character.

Thornton plays an underhanded problem solver for hire who moonlights as a transient serial killer. So when a bunch of murders occur just after this stranger comes to the small town of Bemidji, MN, some of the townsfolk are suspicious.

Law officers and vengeful mobsters ask around about this stranger, and they got a fairly decent physical description. But it's an icy country. And the temperature is so cold there that it must freeze that portion of the ear drum that detects regional accents. Because no one seemed to have noticed that the mysterious stranger spoke with an Arkansas accent. But the credits say "this is a true story" in all caps, so we have to accept some inconsistencies.

First two episodes: One frozen corpse, one head bludgeoning, one shotgun murder, one brain stem stabbing, and one live person dropped in hole drilled in frozen lake.

So it got off to a good start. Check it out Tuesday nights on FX.

Peter O'Toole, what an entertaining fellow!

My favorite anecdote about the late Peter O'Toole was the time he had a few too many at lunch with friends, and thoroughly drunk by evening, they decided to take in a play. He took a seat in the audience, looked at the program, and gasped, "I'm in this play!"

Maybe it's true, or maybe it was written to be told on the Carson show. Either way, it's a good one.

While others gush about "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Stuntman," the lines don't connect without "My Favorite Year." That was Mel Brooks' story from his early days as a writer for a live TV comedy. In the movie O'Toole played Alan Swann, a larger than life swashbuckling movie star who had seen his better days and who got booked for a guest spot on the show. All went reasonably well until the night of the show when he learned it was going to be broadcast live. A full fledged panic attack set in, and hilarity ensued. "I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star!" If you've already seen it, see it again.

Guilty pleasure -- watching Democrats try to rationalize Obama's lies

There was a great scene in a great movie. Dr. Strangelove was a satire in which an insane general took it upon himself to initiate a nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union back during the cold war. The Strategic Air Command had systems in place whereby once the attack code was initiated it could not be recalled except under a strict protocol. But the protocol broke down, and a nuclear bomb was on its way. By the way, the Ruskies had a domesday device that, when triggered by a nuclear attack, would set loose a nuclear holocaust that would extinguish life on Earth as we knew it.

So the great scene was a conversation between the President and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Buck Turgidson, in which Turgidson tried to defend the program that allowed this to happen by saying, "We shouldn't condemn the whole project just because of this one problem." Hilarious!

What brings this to mind is this skewering of Bill Press at newsbusters.org for Press' lame rationalization of the Obama's lie. (Via Best of the Web.) Newsbusters quotes Bill Press:

President Obama was selling a good plan, uh, and now we see there's one little wrinkle in the plan. You know what my reaction to the whole thing is? So what, it's no big deal.

Hilarious! But to be fair, when you try to fix a broken tail light by taking over the factory you've got to expect the occasional wrinkle.

Lottery Ticket, the movie

There is a delightful movie titled Lottery Ticket that's broadcast from time to time on BET. The main star is Bow Wow, formerly known as Lil Bow Wow, and the movie depicts the ordeal an inner city young man who holds a winning $370 million power ball ticket has to endure until the lottery office opens after a long weekend.

Much of it is predictable. Relatives come out of the woodwork, old acquaintances suddenly want to become best friends, the cutest girl in the 'hood who previously wouldn't give him the time of day suddenly wants to take him to bed. Maybe the same thing happens to ghetto rappers who hit it big, and one has to wonder if some of it came from Mr. Wow's own history.

Spoiler alert --

There's one scene that stood out. A neighborhood thug decided that he should be the owner of the uncashed lottery ticket and set out to take it from Bow Wow. Near the end of the movie Bow Wow is on a street corner and the thug approaches him. There must be 20 to 30 people standing around watching. The thug pulls his gun and threatens to kill Bow Wow then and there unless he relinquished the ticket. The amazing thing to me was that the thug assumed that all the witnesses would keep mum whether he got the ticket peaceably or had to commit murder to get it. The code against snitching against evil doers that seems to prevail in some cultures must have been the glue that would seal the lips in that crime ridden neighborhood.

Applying this to a real world event, perhaps that's one reason why the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case had such a culturally different reaction. Mr. Zimmerman had no problem with snitching on bad guys. So right there he earned a stigma. It went downhill from there.

Adam Carolla fans chip in $1 million to help him make a movie

Popular podcaster Adam Carolla appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live in early July to promote a crowd funded million dollar movie project.

Depending on the amount donated, the donors were promised a little something in return. For example $10 would earn the donor a PDF of the sceenplay, and donations of $25,000 would get a live performance at the donor's home (selected cities only). Two of those have been claimed!

Today, after about a month, he announced that he has exceeded his goal with donations totaling $1,012,673. That's quite an accomplishment. Let's hope a good movie comes out of it.

Who will play Hillary in the movie?

The Guardian says Carey Mulligan is a front runner.

The movie is sure to put a pretty face on the former secretary of state who most likely will be running for president in 2016.

Where's Hillary? Two of these images are of Carey Mulligan, and one is of a young Hillary Clinton. Can you spot her?

Remember back when the pro-America films of the early 40s were called propaganda? Movie makers are still doing it, but now their perceived enemy is the political opposition. And with the low-information voters having their opinions shaped by popular media, these things can have an impact.

Groundhog day not complete without seeing Groundhog Day

Just watched the last half hour of "Groundhog Day" on AMC and was glad to see that Phil broke the curse in the final minutes once again. It was touch and go there for a while.

Spoiler alert. If you haven't seen the movie ignore the preceding paragraph.

If you enjoyed the movie be sure to listen to this commentary from Stephen Tobolowsky, the brilliant character actor who dominated the scenes in which his character appeared. "Phil? Phil Conners? It's Ned! Ned Reyerson!

Tobolowsky reveals, for example, that Bill Murray refused to leave his dressing room on the day of shooting the final bedroom scene because he didn't know what to wear. Recall that this scene was the morning when Phil wakes up to a new day with Rita in bed beside him. Harold Ramis asked the crew what they thought, and one young person who was working her first show business job said Phil and Rita should be wearing the clothes they were wearing in the scene the night before. And that's what they wore.

Horrific crime story from Southern Florida

The link goes to a story written 14 years ago, but age doesn't lessen the shock.

It happened in South Florida in the mid nineties and involved a gang whose M.O. involved kidnapping well to do individuals, torturing them until they had turned over all their wealth, then killing them. The story was so fantastic that dismissive police officers refused to investigate when a surviving victim tried to get them to take action.

Here's the link to Pain & Gain. Pete Collins, the Miami New Times reporter who wrote this, did a remarkable job of transforming interviews and transcripts into an interesting narrative. Don't want to read a long article? Just wait for the movie.

Via Newmark's Door.

Post Script. I wonder why none of those hot movie makers ever made a movie about that the murder of Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Kathy Bates, call your agent.

Home Alone the movie -- good thing Kevin didn't have a real gun

It's Sunday afternoon, the TV is on, and I'm thumb surfing through channels. And right there on the small screen is little Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) doing some target practice with a pump action BB gun 20 minutes into the Christmas favorite, Home Alone.

All I could think was how grateful we should be that he didn't have access to a real gun. He would have dispatched those two burglars the first time they stepped into the house. The movie would have been over in about half an hour. And worst of all, there would have been no "Home Alone" 2 through 5 or the video game. The horror.