Ed O’C
@welt-schmerz
“One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” Omar El Akkad
I loved the atmosphere of this one, but I have to hand it to William Friedkin for remaking this into Sorceror (1977), a worthy if not must-see adaptation.
PSA: Watch the global version, which is 2hrs and 48 minutes. Do *not* watch the butchered US version. The global version has the correct and wonderful soundtrack (by Eric Serra) and the proper ending. In Amazon Prime, it looks like this:
I love him in Midnight Run of course. But have you seen him in Seems Like Old Times?
Loved him in one of his last films, Remember (2015), with Christopher Plummer, directed by Atom Egoyan.
Also, if you want a first rate examination of other worldly sentience, the kind perhaps evident in Backrooms (ie where the world appears to have a self awareness and of its visitors), then check out Solaris by Stanislaw Lem (1961). There are a pair of movies based on this but the book is best.
Speaking of Matthau, I watched The In-Laws (1979) with Alan Arkin. I can’t believe I’d never seen that one before. Absolutely hilarious, and with scenes in gritty NYC. The In-Laws sits alongside Hopscotch as one of my favorite old school comedies.
BREAKING: Tako the piano playing octopus has reportedly pulled out of his scheduled performance at the America250 celebration.
BREAKING: Musical performance artist **Ned Ryerson** of Punxsutawney PA has backed out of the planned America250 concert.
It is now confirmed that Lenny and the Squigtones will **not** be performing as part of the Freedom 250 concert lineup. The manager for Michael McKean is being sought for comment. @mjmckean.bsky.social