Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Broadway Danny Rose

I had to wait until the bride wasn't in house to watch this movie, she hates Woody Allen. By her own words, she hates Woody Allen almost as much as I hate Celine Dione.
Which raises a side-bar, for a long time I wondered why the singing of Celine Dione and Michael Bolton irritated me so much. Well, it turns out that most of their songs were written by the same asshole, a man who likes loudmouthed singers that think their talent makes them beautiful as well.
I would rather hear John Bolton singing the Titanic song. Not Michael.
Probably spelled her name wrong, but she does not deserve the effort to look it up.
Focus Otis, focus.
This movie is 25 years old, release in January 1984, and I think an under-rated Woody Allen film.
Filmed in black and white the plot takes place entirely in the metropolitan New York area.
The plot is, the central character, Mr. Rose, is an agent to bottom of the barrel entertainment acts. In this responsibility Danny attempts to rejoin a fat Italian lounge singer with his mistress. Danny playing the beard is mistaken as her lover by a jealous gangster, who attempts suicide and whose mother sends the two younger mafioso brothers to kill the helpless talent agent. In their flight from death, Danny and the girlfriend form a typical Woody Allen type bond, flawed.

The cast includes....

  • Woody Allen as Danny Rose, already described.
  • Mia Farrow as Tina Vitale, the big haired blonde girlfriend of Lou Canova.
  • Nick Apollo Forte as Lou Canova the fat Italian crooner with adultery and drinking problems.
  • Sandy , Corbett Monica, Jackie Gayle, Morty Gunty, Will Jordan, Howard Storm, Jack Rollins all play themselves as entertainers sitting the in Carnegie Delicatessen, having lunch and describing their funniest stories about Danny Rose.
  • Milton Berle as himself and, producer or his own television show that is considering Lou.
  • Howard Cossell as himself and friend of Milton Berle.
  • Herb Reynolds as Barney Dunn the stuttering ventriloquist, hilarious.
  • Danny Aiello has an uncredited cameo.
  • Sammy Davis Jr. as himself the Thanksgiving Parade's Grand Marshall.

My favorite dialog sequence from the movie was...

Tina Vitale: They shot him in the eyes.

Danny Rose: Oh my God, he's blind?

Tina Vitale: He's dead...

Danny Rose: Of course, the bullets would go right through...

I give this movie a rating of 41 of 50.

  • Character Development, 8 of 10. The plot covers a day plus Thanksgiving, there is not much room for an arc of character.
  • Screenplay, 8 of 10.
  • Acting, 8 of 10. Most of the folks played themselves so there is not much to criticize.
  • Photography, 8 of 10. The black and white thing, city life of New York
  • Plot, 9 of 10.

Was nominated for two Oscars, watch it.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Daniel Hannan

Labeled Daniel Hannan Speaks at The Army and Navy Club, August 2009.

I found a link to the YouTube clip at Grouchy Old Cripple.

The quotes of Winston Churchill and his professor make the nine minute plus clip well worth watching.

Conservatives: Your prejudices are correct!

Kitchen Doors

Three years ago, in an expression of largesse, we bought a new refrigerator, new clothes washer and new clothes dryer. Our kitchen has customer made cabinets and I was aware that the opening height for the refrigerator was limited.
For this reason we bought the shortest fridge in the stale my wife and I liked. Naturally, the damned thing would not fit. I took me 2 days to disassemble the cabinet from the wall, then a couple of weeks to modify the cabinet opening.
The problem created from the opening change was that the cabinet doors in that location were not 3 inches too long.
Over the last three years we spoke with three or four different men about either modifying the existing doors or making new complete.
The second to the last offered to either shorten the two doors or modify the cover molding above to make room, for $400.00. I would have paid the money, but he was trying to push us to bastardization, and I just could not get my arms around it.
Two months ago my manager at work, told me about one of his church friends that did cabinet work, a retired teacher.
I brought the two cabinet doors in to work, gave them to the boss for transfer and with a leap of faith, viola, two doors matched in color to the existing and pleased the bride. This from a man that I have yet to meet, for only $200.00. I will provide contact information to anyone who asks.