Hear a recorded Greeting from Mister Ed Himself!
This is going to be a tirade written in stream of conciousness!
I am fully responsible for its content! If you are
offended by challenges to your sanity or intelligence, read no further!
Many thanks to the dozens of loyal readers who emailed me over the past two weeks
letting me know how hungry they were for a new column. That "Death Takes a Holiday"
construction took alot out of me...You folks out there in Readerland really
make me feel good about myself and inspire me to greater heights.
Today I'm going to give you a couple of really neat-o movies to watch so's you
can pretend to have a little class whenever you're at a fancy-dress cocktail
party. Like maybe at the White House or Cousin Merle's or the Weinerschnitzel.
The first flick is The Brother from Another Planet. It was directed by
John Sales, the brilliant fellow who brought you Lone Star and The Return of the Seacaucus 7.
(What!? You've never heard of that second one? Get it! It's the film Lawrence
Kasdan ripped off to get The Big Chill. Yes, I said ripped off!)
Brother from Another Planet stars an unknown by the name of Joe Morton as
a dark-skinned extraterrestrial who comes to Earth on the lam from interplanetary
cops. He has some pretty nifty powers, too, not the least of which are the ability
to regenerate his own severed limbs and a eerie way of making people feel some one
else's pain. The main character never speaks a word, and there are no clunky
voice-overs that beat you over the head to explain WHAT YOU CAN SEE WITH YOUR OWN TWO EYES!
The two cops are absolutely hilarious as they pursue the Brother through the
streets of New York. They obviously don't belong there, but what better place
to stalk about without attracting as much as a raised eyebrow? Along the way,
the Brother runs into some kind poor people and some mean rich guy, and even though
you know how things are going to play out, the way Sales presents the denoument
is priceless. You may need to call around to find this film, but it will be
worth the effort both in the enjoyment of the feature as well as the fun you'll
have recommending this hidden gem to others.
***
There you are at the video place and you'd like to rent a movie that you can watch
with your kids that DOESN'T involve talking animals, cartoons, or high, squealy
voices. You're in luck, because there is another treasure out there that is
stirring and entertaining without pandering to formula. It's called Windwalker.
It stars Trevor Howard as an old Cheyenne Indian who goes out for a walk one day
and thinks he may never come back. He falls into a snow-covered hole and begins
having visions of the life he has led over three generations of his family. Along the
way he does meet animals, but not the kind you're used to seeing in D*sney movies.
The film was directed by Keith Merrll, who brought us Harry's War, a rather
forgettable film about one man's struggle against the IRS. In Windwalker
though, understatement and rich cinematography make it a winner. Another great
film to bring up whenever folks are bragging about seeing Titanic fifty-seven
times. Ask one of those yahoos this question: "Did it take you that many times to
GET IT?! or did you just keep hoping that it would END DIFFERENTLY THIS TIME??!!"
Sheesh!
Written in the face of a howlin' hurricane westwind....2/28/98
