Barkerburgh

Live action ‘Underdog’ with Jason Lee as the voice of Underdog.

Live action ‘Get Smart’ with Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart.

Can’t be sure.

I used to have an error message for my Atari ST that said the same thing.

The band is Crush Luther and this is their song ‘The Cools’.

Why do I like this song and the video?

1> I can understand the words.

2> It tells a nostalgic, bittersweet story of a high school boy, his band and his girlfriend.

3> It does not end well, but the boy gets through it. Bittersweetly.

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The next day. Like it? Hell, I love it. I watched it five times last night. The more I watch, the more I see.

I have to say, after seeing del Toro’s ‘The Devil’s Backbone’, I totally changed my expectation of what this movie would be like.

I now ‘knew’ it would be a dark phantasy (sic deliberately), and nothing like Harry Potter. I now ‘knew’ that it would probably deal with real world issues and events in a phantastical manner.

I did not expect to be so moved by the unfolding story, and definitely did not expect the ending, although I did.
The perfect quality of each actor’s performance within the story was enhanced by the fact that I did not know any of them, by name or reputation. So with no opinions on their skills or abilities to involve me or move me, I was able to immerse myself in the story almost immediately.

Having more than a passing familiarity with folklore and mythology, (and a tendency towards escapism in the real world, truth be told), I was nevertheless moved by an apparent contradiction: his traditional use of traditional motifs, and his sometimes sinister twisting of those same motifs against themselves in the service of the storytelling. (I say sometimes sinister because sometimes it’s not.)
If I am at all ambivalent about whether or not I like a movie, I can always tell I definitely liked it when the imagery keeps floating around my mind or bursting out unexpectedly when I am thinking about or working on something else.

I like this movie.

I wonder what a remake of ‘The Seven Faces of Doctor Lao’ would be like under the direction of Guillermo del Toro…

Finally saw it.  Wow. More later.

Inspiration! Vicky Pollard should be the Doctor’s new companion!

<br /><font title=”I made it up. ‘Vicky Pollard as the new companion?’ Phwoar!”>’You know Liz? Liz! Well, Cilla told me that Liz said that that slag Rose told her mum that that Shaniqua told Ricky that sometimes you-know that fat Madonna told Flavour-Hanif that she told him that she reckoned Rocky knew some slag who had a T.A.R.D.I.S. up her jumper.’</font>

Totally unprepared for my reaction to the death of Ed Mirvish.  He always impressed me and I thought he was cool, but since I spent half the Eighties buying cheap necessities from his store and not seeing his plays, I guess I sorta thought he was like our poor man’s Conrad Black.  I mean, make your money, you capitalist, but thanks for making it not so fast as the real Conrad Black, that slag.

My respect and shared grief to his widow and son.

(Shit, at one point I had dozens, maybe scores, of things from Honest Ed’s…)

I suppose I should mention about the play I was supposed to wright (sic) in June.

As I was making notes and writing dialogue, it kept wanting to turn into a humorous story about ghosts.

So now it’s a story called ‘The Return of the Ghosts’ for which Leslie and Luisa will each get credit for the ideas they submitted, while the rest of you ignored me.

Okay, I know. All of you who submitted ideas are all still awaiting anxiously my novel from 2006’s NaNoWriMo. Chill and be still, it’s coming.

And It’s Gonna Kick Ass.

(So, how did you like the title of this post?)

I’m doing a regular house-sitting gig for friends right now who have three cats; two late middle-aged lady cats who are set in their ways, and one young tom. I’ve known the ladies for years and respect them, and they know and exploit me. The boy is about a year and half old and knows where the catnip is, but not how to get to it. And I also get to look after wee Simon every so often, but haven’t for a bit.

Here’s the connection. I’m trying to remember to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to Simon when it’s appropriate so that, hopefully, he will pick up on it later. (The kid’s a wildman so I don’t have any predictions, but it couldn’t hurt.) This particular house-sitting episode I find myself telling young Soda Pop, when he’s sharpening his claws on the sofa by the front door, ‘Please don’t do that, Soda Pop.’ And then ‘Thank you’ when he stops.

But in my universe, if it works, it works. It ain’t Hogwarts or Yoknapatawpha County (Word Press spel-chacker just flagged Hogwarts but not Yoknapatawpha.)

Then, after thinking the 25th anniversary edition of William Goldman’s ‘The Princess Bride’ was the last word, I come across the 30th anniversary edition here where I’m house-sitting. Which exploitative escapade I guess I shoulda seen comin’ from Goldman, considering. It’s got afterwords and study guides and interviews with the characters.

The 25th anniversary edition had it that Stephen King was part Florinese

Now, while you’re reading the book, you can talk to the characters if you have the right bifocals.

You know what, WTF, I’m part Florinese, with a dash of belligerent Guilderian.

My ancestor was Sir Real.

‘Being chased by Columbo is like being nibbled to death by a duck.’