Newscoma

I have spent the better part of the morning here reading about Ingmar Bergman. When I was a kid, you were more likely here in Hoots to see a variety of exploitation films, Burt Reynolds was huge or the occasional bad  horror movie at one of the local drive-ins. (Yes, I hate that those have gone the route of the dinosaurs.)

The first time I really saw in horror movies was when we finally got cable about the time I turned 10 or 11. Before that, we had rabbit ears that brought in a station from Paducah, one from Jackson, the local PBS station and, if luck was on my side, Ch. 13 out of Memphis, which had a creature feature show that I lived for. It was canceled when I was a little tyke, but my mom would let me stay up and watch it.

Our first pay-for-cable channel was The Movie Channel, where I was mesmerized watching Altman films, Harold and Maude the first time (yes, that movie still make me cry like a baby and laugh at the same time) and The Tin Drum, which to this day still creeps me out in so many ways. I bet I’ve seen it several times though even though it gives me the wiggums.

Bergman was not someone I was privy to, and as it happened in the days before the Internet, I would read magazines that my parents were kind enough to give me, and plot ways to see the movies listed in Rolling Stone or the New Yorker.

I finally got to see Fanny and Alexander, The Seventh Seal and a few others. This morning, as I was dorking around the tubes, I started to read the reviews of every film he ever directed, his unorthodox views of theocracy and how it impacted his writing and how he would go through depressive bouts in relationship to his craft.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like all of Bergman’s stuff, but I do appreciate his vision. I guess this goes back to the young girl who read of Sweden’s premiere director and had to be cunning to see what all the fuss was about because at that time, you couldn’t see his films here. You just couldn’t.

So, you see, the Internet can help rural Americans in a way that was not an option when I was a curious child that loved the backroads here but needed a little bit more sustenance than Burt and Sally.

I think about these things sometimes.

Sometimes I ponder things too deeply.

My crush on Kathy Griffin, why Star Wars really means nothing to me but Star Trek gives me a happy or what Mabel be plotting in her quest for world domination. These things are meaningless I guess but I still can’t be sure all of these things are connected. My annoyance of not being able to find good films from Hong Kong in Hoots (but by golly, you can find a Chris Farley movie lying on the street like leaves in the fall after a good wind.)

Sigh.

So, this morning I’m avoiding the newsers because I just want to get through the next eight days until Barack Obama takes office and political pontificating just wasn’t on this morning’s agenda.

So I watched Inside the Actor’s Studio instead. I am honestly scared of James Lipton although I’m fascinated with him which is an odd combination. In all honesty, if Chris Isaak doesn’t want to be my one night boyfriend in my mind (purely physical, of course), I guess that Lipton would be the dude that would make sweet passionate love to my mind. And then I would die because I’m not smart enough for Lipton and I know this. He terrifies me. My brain would literally explode. In lieu of flowers if this indeed did happen, send Homer some T-shirt work and Squirrel Queen to the Superbowl.

Gots to take care of my peeps.

You see, I have Lipton phobia due to his large brain.

I’m watching Josh Brolin this morning and then John Travolta came on. He was, in all honesty, a sweet interview, didn’t back up from the Scientology questions and it was obvious that the interview was filmed several years ago.

Now, when I find something profound from Travolta to get me thinking, I have to curse Lipton, my secret crush. I also realize that Travolta lost his son last week and to see him talking about his children on this show was extremely tragic before his son’s death was grim because we, as the viewer, knew the outcome. Something else to think about.

He said “Life should be art.” Yes, Travolta said this apparently to Nick Cage when they were filming Face-Off. And so it started bouncing around in my cranium. He went on to say that people live like life is fast food.

I have no real words of wisdom about this except it’s sitting in my brain this morning. Have I ever told you how much I love the movie Face-Off.

In other navel gazing news, I watched Full Time Killer again this weekend. I had to get my Andy Lau on.

None of this is very exciting or particularly interesting I’m sure but I must say, living life as a work of art might stay with me for a few days. Yeah, I’ve heard it before, quite frankly, but for some reason, this morning it resonated with me.

Sometimes I wonder if I was born in the right generation. As Busy Mom calls it, I’m a sandwich generation girl.

I watch my nieces talking about the Jonas Brothers, Johnny Depp (yes, he’s beautiful) and Zac Efron.

But for me, it will always be about those movie starts where I would watch old movies on Channel 3 out of Memphis when I was a kid.

Which brings me to Rod Taylor. Man, I’ve had a crush for years on him. He was exquisite. I know Cary Grant is a no-brainer but Day-um.

Sean Connery was also amazing back in the day, but Scottish accents makes me stupid.

Can you tell I’m watching a biography of Alfred Hitchcock?

Waxing nostalgia today for some odd reason.

I am sitting here watching the movie “Cars” and am so utterly delighted that I just can’t stand it.

Call me a nerd, I don’t care. Sometimes, you just have to be smitten with stuff that doesn’t matter in the big picture but that makes your heart smile just a little bit.

I found this on Facebook tonight.

If 100,000 people vote, this guy will get to name his kid Spider Pig.

I think you should help him out.

It’s a joke, but I joined his Facebook group anyway.

If he names his kid Spider Pig, I’d give him a T-shirt and his kid $5 for therapy when he’s 30.

Vote.

Vote often.

(Newscoma, helping the youth of America with a wink and a smile.)

You guys know I love the movie “High Plains Drifter.”

Is it wrong to think “The Quick and the Dead” is more than decent? Director Sam Raimi so rocks.

I think not.

It’s western night at Chez Coma.

Mr. Squeegee Monkey just told me he’s never seen “Titanic.” I have. It wasn’t pleasant. Sorry, you guys may love it but I loathed that movie. He also just informed me, after a few frothy beverages, that he has also never seen Miami Vice.

We also are talking about a possible draft. And because of this story, we’ve decided that we want to be war advisers and are offering our services. We would tell President Geo. Bush that to wage peace would be harder than war.

Just saying.

You never know what you’ll get at my house.

Can anyone tell me why they have remade “Halloween”?

And, will Michael Myers be in a William Shatner mask because that was my favorite part.

So many random questions that take me throughout my average Hooterville day.

The nieces went to Memphis yesterday to buy school clothes and go to the drive-in (yes, they are going to the drive-in in Memphis. I feel extremely old.)

They came back with the CD to Hairspray which is their new favorite obsession. I saw Hairspray at the Orpheum a few years back and it was a whole lot of fun although I haven’t seen the movie.

The wanted to hear the disk so I threw it in the Mac and, they were delighted.

And we danced. And then we danced some more.

And then I threw up from dancing so fast with an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old. But it was great.

And then we danced yet again.

And then I made them listen to Weapon of Choice and watch it on You Tube where they screamed at Christopher Walken “WILBUR!”

And then we danced some more.

And, my friends, it was of the good.

So, I guess I’m taking them to Hairspray, again, this weekend.

And I have no doubt that Zac Efron, who was also in High School Musical, had a bit to do with this frenzy, but, alas, it is a musical and they were having fun.

And this was one of those moments I will remember for a very long while.

Yeah, I’m smiling.

My new favorite song. It makes me laugh every single time.

[youtube=[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMl3S-V99GQ]

To cheer us up.

As a horror movie fan, this more than makes me happy:

“George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead,” written and directed by the man behind “Day of the Dead,” finds film students shooting a zombie movie in the woods confronting a real-life zombie invasion. The indie production stars Michelle Morgan and Joshua Close. “Stuck” opens with a car driver (Suvari) hitting a man (Stephen Rea) with her car while returning from a night of partying. It was directed by fantasy specialist Stuart Gordon (“Dagon,” “Edmond”). Also screening in the horror and gore program is British director Adam Mason’s “The Devil’s Chair,” a thriller starring Elize du Toit, Matt Berry, David Gant and Louise Griffiths.

Other Midnight Madness titles include Japanese director Hitoshi Matsumoto’s “Dai-Nipponjin”; Hong Kong director Wilson Yip’s “Flash Point,” starring actor/fight choreographer Donnie Yen (“Iron Monkey”); and “Frontier(s),” a thriller from French director Xavier Gens.

Stuart Gordon!!! George Romero!!!

As I am a huge fan of Bruce Campbell, for a variety of reasons but mainly because he’s just fun, I am watching a Bruce Campbell double shot on SciFi.

And, as I’m currently reading “Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way”, I have declared it Bruce Campbell day in the newscoma universe.

The Man With The Screaming Brain really sucked but it was Bruce so I’m staring at the television screen like a dog waiting for a Begging Strip and Alien Invasion isn’t much better. With this said, Alien Invasion is known as the highest rated film on the SciFi channel ever.

For some reasons that makes me chortle. And yes, that is Gabriella from Xena. Good B-movie fun.

And if you haven’t see Bubba Ho-tep, shame on you. Ozzie Davis as John F. Kennedy! Bruce Campbell as Elvis. What’s not to love about this? I saw it again for like the third time a couple of weeks ago and just swooned and you should see it. Why, you say. Because it was based on one of the greatest novellas ever written by the wonderful Joe Landsdale.

But this makes me happier than anything: BRUCE HAS A NEW TELEVISION SHOW!!!!!

Oh, I’m winded.

Now, it’s called Burn Notice. Oh, I so hope this doesn’t suck. It could, you know. And he’s not the star but I don’t care.

Dear Sam Raimi,

Put this man back to work. We need more Evil Dead kind of movies and less Spiderman. I realize this isn’t a good financial move but my pleasure is more important than, you know, anything else.

Your friend,

newscoma

And, yet again, more Bruce:

[youtube=[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg6bZSM48vU]

Hey, it’s the coolest thing.

Cuppa Joe Powell let me guest host today with a bevy of other folks on movies.

I’m talking about movies. Cinema Obscura. Darn it all, if I’m not honored.

Coolness. Go check it out.