I'm smiling most of the time since 2009 when I retired. I burn one when I want to grin.
"My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"
President Harry S. Truman
Dude, my job, for the next month at least, is overseeing contractors at a marina. Most of the people who have boats at the marina are retired. There's a bridge where I can hang out and keep an eye out on all activities, and the locals cross it regularly. When I first got there, people would come up to me, and without exception, they would all say "Don't wait one more day, when you have the chance to retire, do it! Don't wait a day, don't wait a second! You'll never regret it." Preaching to the choir, but it's all good. I feel sorry for the people who feel empty in retirement.
Speaking of Westerns ; 2017's The Ballad Of Lefty Brown . Bill Pullman in the title role plays a slow witted long term partner to Peter Fonda's character , a newly elected senator , in the new state of Montana. Fonda is killed and Lefty trys to find the kiler(s). Action , plot twists , gorgeous outdoors scenery, a not typical story arc that keeps you guessing. I liked it , 8 of 10.
Also watched Spare Parts , a 2015 with Marisa Tormie , George Lopez. Illegal alien high schoolers compete in a robotics completion against well funded college competitors including MIT. Based on a true story , the movie just avoids the sap and is a feel good flic. 7 of 10 , power of the human spirit type stuff.
The Sunshine Makers--doc on two guys that made most of the orange sunshine variety of LSD back in the 60s and what happened to them. Fairly interesting.
A Quiet Place--it was fine, but I found it a bit underwhelming.
Japanese Story--same, it was okay, twist in the plot making it a bit contrived for me. YMMV
Watched Quadrophenia last night, which I hadn't seen in years. I didn't know that Toyah, the future Mrs. Fripp, was in it. Also a very young Timothy Spall in a bit part.
I wasn't aware Toyah was in it either. But it makes sense, she had a career as an actress and new wave vocalist for during the late 70's and 80's.
I had actually never seen Quadrophenia before a couple years ago, and I have to say, I really didn't think it was all that great. The best bits are where you're actually hear The Who's music. The rest of it is...I'm sorry, am I supposed to be impressed with a movie about a bunch of violent, pill popping jackasses?! Because that's all I see in this picture.
Death Wish (2018)
Same story, lackluster film, no surprises, I knew what I was getting into
I just wanted to see Willis pissed off.
no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone
The Grey (2011). Stars Liam Neeson. The FX were kinda lame, at least where the wolves are concerned. The movie requires some suspension of disbelief; again, where the wolves are concerned.
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
I'm pretty surprised you guys don't like it. I hadn't seen it in quite a while, and in fact I liked it even more on this viewing. I guess I was comparing it to a few things I've seen somewhat recently, and Quadrophenia seemed much better. One was a comedy called "How to Talk to Girls at Parties," about a group of punks in London, and a group of strange aliens (based on a story by Neil Gaiman). I was also thinking of a series called "The Inbetweeners" that my son showed me.
Anyway, I find it to be better than many other "rock movies" where the they tell a story using the music and something if the lyrical theme(s) of the album. Of course there are more extreme films like Tommy and The Wall, but somehow I find Quadrophenia to be a bit more human. I don't like all the characters, but I certainly don't in Tommy or The Wall either.
Also, I didn't know that the whole Mods vs Rockers thing was real, and they really did have a big battle in Brighton. So that whole background is kind of interesting. I liked how the movie added a few touches like the scooters having lots of rear-view mirrors of different sizes, which amplified the multiple personality angle.
We watched Avengers: Infinity War in the theater last night.
1. Good movie.
2. Not a happy movie for the Marvel superheroes.
3. Theater movie volume was louder than some rock concerts.
4. Get off my lawn.
I read an interview with Pete Townshend just after Quadrophenia was released, I think, and he talked about the mods vs rockers thing. He said the rockers were greasy bikers and caused all the problems. Yeah, it was all true. Made me want to see the movie, which I've never gotten around to doing.
BTW, it wasn't just mirrors. They also had lots of lights and horns, too:
Attachment 11893
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
I don't think I've ever watched the whole movie either, just caught parts of it, but did see The Who play the entire Quadrophenia album when Entwistle was still alive, and that was sublime.
I didn't realize the real mods did that with all the mirrors, lights, etc. Cool!
The movie got a very good, insightful review in the New York Times in 1979 - I agree with pretty much everything the review says, it's just how I felt about it the other night:
https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/02/a...d-rockers.html
Have to share this one...
I worked in a cinema in London when Quadrophenia premiered. I remember Pete Townsend turning up late and being a little the worse for wear.
I was talking about this online recently on another website, and I was prompted to look around for some photos online...and I was shocked to find this...utterly shocked. From 1979, a picture I never even knew existed until now. That's me on the left, very young, fresh faced and somewhat serious looking, trying to persuade a clearly inebriated Townsend to take his seat...
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail...hoto/852792906
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
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