Camera Obscura - Walking Out On A Movie

Brad Pitt trying to remake "Bullitt"? Worst. Idea. Ever. (link)

George Romero says his new "Diary of the Dead" is a whole new take on the zombie epic he has created. I love Romero soooooo much.

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Let me ask you, have you ever paid for a movie and left it long before it was over?

I have admitted many times that I will watch almost any movie --- almost. I've even taken a movie which challenged my endurance or shocked me silly to movie parties, seeing how long it would take for the movie to 'clear the room.'

There was an article, which I found here at MetaFilter, about movies that prompted walkouts.

So, some of my own personal 'walkout' stories.

Once, while a student at MTSU during a summer session, I paid 50 cents for a ticket to see "The Sound of Music". I had never seen it and went to the student center to watch it. It was done out of overwhelming boredom and fear of the dorm roommate I had, who carried a gun and drank tequila by the bottle while smoking some weird mixture of pot and prescription sedatives. So I figured what the hey. The movie had to be better. I left after about 15 minutes. I found it excruciating. I ended up sitting in the dark, on a bench outside the dorm, wondering if I would ever get back into my room or if my roommate might shoot me if I came in before he was passed out. Suffice to say I left not only the movie, but MTSU.


When I was around 18, some friends and I paid money to see "Xanadu" with Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, all rollerblading and disco dancing like mad to the music of Electric Light Orchestra. I get queasy just thinking of the movie and I really think we must have been drunk to even go into to watch this crap. We wanted to leave, but started having too much fun loudly deriding the movie. The theatre sold godawful soybean-ish cheeseburgers and, drunk and hungry, I went to buy one.

For some reason I cannot recall, a scene made me so irritated I actually threw the burger at the screen. It stuck and then slowly slid down Gene Kelly's rollerblading legs. I remain utterly embarrassed by my actions, as I have never been so disrespectful to a movie screen before or since that moment. But in my heart, I still think my impromptu review was accurate.

A few weeks later, a friend and I went to see "Raging Bull". I was mesmerized by it, but for some reason it utterly freaked out my friend. With about a half an hour or less to go, he jumped up and said "We're getting out of here now!!!! NOW!!" and he bolted out the door. I reluctantly followed and he refused to ever talk about what bothered him and I have no idea to this day what dug into my friend. I went back the next night and watched it again, alone.

A few years Later, I took my girlfriend at the time to see "Brazil" when it came out. Again, I was mesmerized and apparently the movie sent her straight to Hell. And again, with less than half and hour to go, she starts loudly weeping and runs out of the theatre. I sat there for a minute NOT wanting to leave this movie for a second, but since she was so freaked, I did leave. But on my way to find her, I realized I liked the movie more than I liked dating her. (I know, I'm evil.) She was sobbing in the lobby and she said the movie reminded her too much of some recurring nightmares she had. I did my best to calm her down for a minute or so, but eventually (again, to my embarrassment) told her to stay put and I went back in to watch the rest of the movie. That was pretty much the end of our relationship.

As a paid movie critic, I never, ever walked out of a movie. A bad review, like a praiseworthy one, can often write itself. But some sure made me squirm like mad. Case in point - "Steel Magnolias". I get hives just thinking about that movie. My nasty reviews of it brought endless hate mail. But I realized hate mail and stalkers were better than that movie. And no, I'm not linking to that movie.

At home, there have been a few really cheesy Grade Z horror or sci-fi knockoffs I have fast forwarded through, but usually if I start it I will finish it. One that failed to keep me to the end recently was called "Seven Swords" by Tsui Hark. I had read some great pre-release press about this epic kung-fu movie, backed by the Weinsteins, and was really looking forward to watching it. So a few weeks ago I got the DVD and reluctantly shut it down after the first hour. It was just so convoluted and boring, despite a big budget and some OK acting. Even the worst of the old Sir Run Run Shaw movies were better.

My favorite walkout story though arrived courtesy of Andy Warhol and his "Flesh For Frankenstein" in 3-D.

This 1973 X-rated (now R-rated) movie showed up in a Morristown theatre in the early 1980s, just after some huge business for the movie theatre from the "Friday The 13th" in 3-D and "Jaws 3-D" movies. I nearly wrecked my car when I saw on the movie marquee: Andy Warhol's Frankenstein in 3-D.

I told some friends we HAD to go watch the movie, if only to see the audience get totally freaked. So we go into the first show on a Friday and the house was packed to the rafters -- including lots of parents and kids. I was almost hysterical with laughter even before the movie started, just imagining what this movie would do to the audience.

Within the first ten minutes, the spooked crowd started leaving, most of them visibly shaken by the Weirdness on the screen. 20 minutes in and the crowd was cut to less than half it's size. The "oh my Gods!" from customers made me wonder if the manager would shut the movie down before it ended. About 40 minutes into the movie, the deranged doctor F. is caught by his assistant, Otto, having sex with a female corpse. The room went deadly silent, and the doc yells at Otto the immortal line: "To know life, Otto, you must f**k death in the gall bladder!"

Boom!! A sonic blast occurred as the crowd fled at high speed, leaving only myself and my two friends behind as we laughed until we cried. We stayed and watched the whole movie, laughing the movie and the terrified crowd. The movie got yanked the next day. Oh, yes, that was much fun.

If you have a movie walkout story to share --- have at it!

The Neo-Con Alternative

The conservative alternative to YouTube is ... wait for it ... YouTube!


Much more unveiling of the ugliness and lies of FOX News via FoxAttacks.com. (And another tidbit of FOX goofiness via NiT.)

Freedom Day!

I'm glad to see that this Independence Day finds writers like Jack Neely and Elrod agreeing with me and other bloggers, like Brittney and ACK.

A poem lionizing the soldier above all other Americans is also disparaging of all others, as Neely says in his MetroPulse article.

No one "gave" us the Freedoms of American life -- we were all born with them. Yeah, sometimes any of us face situations wherein we can either defend and fight for the continuation of such Freedoms, or bail on our responsibility to ourselves and our country.

Elrod's post on Neely's article is nicely written:

"Yes, soldiers dedicate their lives to their nation and for that we should be grateful. But believe it or not, there is a difference between "America" and "freedom." As Neely rightly points out, none of our wars since 1812 have involved foreign adversaries with the capability to destroy our freedoms. Nearly all of our freedoms have been lost because of governmental paranoia in response to these various threats from abroad or from within. For example, it wasn't Osama Bin Laden who suspended habeas corpus rights. It was the US Congress and President Bush who passed a law to do so."

I hope you take time to read these opinions above and consider what they mean.

(NOTE: Both ACK and Brittney got some serious heat after posing doubts about the poem in question a month or so ago -- more info here.)

Kentucky Teens Charged With Stealing Monkeys

I had heard some snippets of this story both on television and online and finally got the skinny on the crime via the Daily Times in Maryville, where this picture was published.

Two wee, tiny female marmosets were stolen from a Sevierville pet store and Maryville police captured the suspects and found the wee, tiny marmosets in the suspects' vehicle. The tiny critters are now back at the pet store. And apparently the suspects were attempting to break into another pet store when apprehended.

Um.

Why did these teens from Kentucky steal wee, tiny marmosets?

Is there an underground stolen marmoset market in Kentucky? Perhaps they were to be put to slave labor making meth in some nightmare marmoset and meth manufacturing scenario? Were the teens gacked outta their brains on meth and thought the monkeys were some kind of new, fuzzy money?

Was it some crime of passion -- "Honey-bunny, you see them little monkey things? I'm gonna get em fer ya, even if I have to turn to a life of crime just so's I can prove my looooove fer ya"??

Maybe some crazy bet between the two teens - "i bet i kin steal more monkeys 'n you can!"

An idea born of some bizarre interior decorating scheme -- "You know what this duplex needs? Yep, marmosets."

Your theories are welcome.

I for one hope the critters crapped all over the car and peed in the ashtray.

Libby, The Law and The Bush Decision

Is there a fixed and certain standard within the Bush administration regarding the rule of law or is it a hodge-podge pattern of using the law to accomplish some nefarious mission?

Supporters and Critics alike have their own answers, yet so will the public and so far the overwhelming response to the President's decision to derail Scooter Libby's jail sentence is yet more reason to provide lower and lower approval for the 2-term president. I have to think that since the commutation order came within 5 hours of an appeals court ruling which said Libby must begin the jail term while the appeal process continued, then the decision and accompanying press release was made weeks if not months ago.

I do have great trouble in reconciling the Bush edicts that allow for people to be held in secret and non-secret jails without being charged or tried, and the notion that 2 and a half years in jail for obstructing justice and perjury in a national security case is "excessive."

"Excessive" is also the minimum sentence for such cases, and minimum sentencing has been constantly championed by Bush. Going from "excessive" jail time to none?

Clemency, pardons and commutations have never been a part of the Bush technique:

"Bush has granted fewer pardons -- 113 -- than any president in the past 100 years, while denying more than 1,000 requests, said Margaret Colgate Love, the Justice Department's pardon attorney from 1990 to 1997.

In addition, Bush has denied more than 4,000 commutation requests, and hundreds of requests for pardons and commutations are still pending, Love said."

There is also the infamous case of Karla Faye Tucker, whose request for a life sentence instead of the death penalty fell on deaf ears -- and included this response from Bush during an interview with Tucker Carlson in 1999:

"In the weeks before the execution, Bush says, a number of protesters came to Austin to demand clemency for Karla Faye Tucker. "Did you meet with any of them?" I ask. Bush whips around and stares at me. "No, I didn't meet with any of them", he snaps, as though I've just asked the dumbest, most offensive question ever posed. "I didn't meet with Larry King either when he came down for it. I watched his interview with Tucker, though. He asked her real difficult questions like, 'What would you say to Governor Bush?'" "What was her answer?" I wonder. "'Please,'" Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, "'don't kill me.'" I must look shocked — ridiculing the pleas of a condemned prisoner who has since been executed seems odd and cruel — because he immediately stops smirking."

Your complaints (or your praise) for this action can be sent to your congressional reps, but they have left town for vacation. The media will move on to report about 4th of July cookouts, toy robot movies, the war, the random attack, on to a commercial and back with more on the wrestler who had some steroid rage and a new Harry Potter movie!!!

History (or those who write it, I should say) may find some favor for Bush - no matter the reaction or response to his decisions, he never looked back (or ahead) with a different mind.

Some say the case against Libby should never have reached the courts -- however, what is certain is that the criminal investigation of a national security breach was stopped dead just outside the doors of the Oval Office by Libby's interference.

Summer Scenes 2007

My fine friend Chef Bill up in Chicago earned the award last weekend for Best Use of a Cell Phone. He called me up as he was enjoying the sunshine and summer at Wrigley Field watching his beloved Cubs battle the Brewers. The score, while important to the overall game, is not that important while actually watching the game live. I switched my TV over to WGN to watch as we talked and just about then the crowd began their traditional Take Me Out To The Ballgame singalong and Chef Bill just said "listen" and held the phone aloft while the crowd sang a summer classic.

Chef Bill also just finished his first year in an honest-to-Pete chef school last week, so big congrats for his achievement.

Wrigley Field is just one place I want to visit when I actually make the time and effort for a trip to Chicago. It is a holy place in baseball, built on grounds which were once home to a seminary, and having a hot dog and some beer while watching the Cubs on a summer's day sounds like perfection to me.

Speaking of food and chefs and summer, I must confess here that I have become over the last few summers rather addicted to a "reality show" called Hell's Kitchen which airs on Monday nights. Wannabe chefs compete for actual jobs in five-star restaurants and they compete not with oddball tasks and contests, but by performance in the kitchen. You just can't fake your way through the game, you either perform at your best or you're gone.

Chef Ramsey holds all the power in the contest and curses and swears at the wannabe chefs with a savage intensity and a pinpoint accuracy. Being an excellent cook working despite the failures of teammates and grueling pressure from Chef Ramsey is no task for the timid or the unprepared. So it isn't really a game - it's a real-world scenario in which you must compete at the job you want to have.

An angry Scotsman in the kitchen is always entertaining.

Also this week for the 4th of July, the 91st Annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest will be held at Coney Island and it looks to be one of the best matches ever. American Joey Chestnut will try again to defeat the astonishing Takeru Kobayashi who has won the contest for the last six years in a row, snarfing down nearly 54 hot dogs last year.

The record, until Kobayashi arrived, held steady at around 20 to 25 hot dogs and buns. He blew that away in 2000 by wolfing down 50 hot dogs and buns. In June of this year at a preliminary competition, Chestnut gobbled down 59 hot dogs and buns, so the mark for this week's big event may well top 60 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes.

Legend -- I mean WikiPedia - says:

"According to legend, on July 4, 1916 four immigrants had a hot dog eating contest at Nathan's Famous stand in Coney Island to settle an argument about who was the most patriotic. After twelve minutes, James Mullen had eaten thirteen hot dogs and was crowned the victor."

The POOF (Privately Owned Orbital Facility) Is Out There

Bigelow Areospace, based in Nevada, has been quietly working on new ways to haul components into orbit and create a space station. The tech centers on using inflatable and flexible modules and manned projects are planned for the near future

Genesis 2 launched on June 28th, and is the process of expanding it's dimensions and establishing camera connections.

Details of the current project and future plans are all available here.

Camera Obscura - Wild West Days & High School Hell

This fall will bring out heroes and villains alike who rely on the old-style vigilante justice in the movies. And a fresh to DVD release of a 1969 anti-establishment classic is still one of the most powerful movies ever made about public education.

First, a preview of a remake of a classic Western, "3:10 to Yuma", based on Elmore Leonard's novel and filmed before with Glenn Ford as the star. The remake stars Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda and Gretchen Mol. This version is by director James Mangold ("Walk The Line") in a story about the challenges a decent family man faces trying to uphold the law. Here's the preview:



Jodie Foster is back this fall in "The Brave One," as a woman whose husband is killed and their dog kidnapped by random thugs. The police don't seem to be helping solve the crime, and her process of coping with the loss includes making an alter-ego, "Death Wish"-style. Neil Jordan directs the movie. Even if the plot sounds familiar, the one thing I've learned about Foster is never, ever pick on her or treat her bad. And DO NOT hurt her dog. Here's the preview:



IN THE RUMOR MILL:

Rumors say two sequels to "Kill Bill" are being prepped by Quentin Tarantino, including one movie telling the story of Uma Thurman's daughter versus the daughter of Viveca Fox.

Also, I happened to watch the 1992 Hong Kong movie, "City on Fire", the alleged basis of "Reservoir Dogs." True, there are some common themes - the story is about an undercover cop falling in with a gang of jewel thieves - but the similarity pretty much ends there. Comparing the two movies shows how smart, innovative and inventive Tarantino is as a filmmaker as he took a routine story and re-told it so much better.

FRESH TO DVD:

I've waited a long time for this movie to come to DVD and the wait produced a must-have. A new 2-Disc Criterion release of the 1969 counter-culture classic "If..." boasts a beautiful remastered copy and another disc loaded with extras about how the movie was made.

The movie was the first for actor Malcolm McDowell and even at his young age, his performance dominates the movie. The story is of the often pointless and usually painful 'upholding of traditions' at a British school for boys. The authority figures here are posers and perverts, the institutions of education are now simple abuses of power enacted on any and all groups and sub-groups. The movie will often shift into black and white for certain scenes - some say it was a move to save money and others note how those scenes are done in counterpoint to the typical color world.

The ending may be more shocking to audiences today than when it was made. It may seem less a fearful fantasy of disaffected youth than an eerie prophecy of school days in our own age.

Real ID Act Tucked Inside Immigration Bill

UPDATE: The Senate has killed the immigration bill for this session.
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Got a new national law, which states have been voting to not enforce, and looking for a way to jam that proposed law down everyone's throats?

Hide it in the controversial Immigration Reform Bill under debate now in the Senate.(See UPDATE above)

I've written often before on how this bill is bad for America. It was originally hidden in a bill providing relief for victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia a few years ago.

This new ID will be mandatory for every American - without one, you could not open a bank account, buy an airline ticket, collect Social Security benefits (never mind that you have a SS ID card and number), you could not enter any federal facility, and you would not be able to operate a vehicle (never mind that current Drivers License you own.) In addition, security experts have stated the lack of wisdom in creating a single database which would contain so much information which identity thieves require to steal info about you. It would be a one-stop shopping center for identity thieves.

Tennessee's legislature voted to repeal the act, and that it won't enforce it unless the billions in costs related to creating the ID are paid for with Federal funds. 15 states have done the same, 10 more have voted to approve it in one section of their legislature and 6 more states have anti-Real ID legislation pending.

In defending the plan, The National Review claims:

"... states will have to secure their issuance processes, utilize tamper-resistant materials and production methods, and ensure that only legal U.S. residents receive state-identification documents for federal purposes" .....

Yo, there National Review --- isn't that the normal function NOW for state documentation? What magic wand will be waved over the Real ID program so that it works?

The current Immigration Reform Bill now being considered has an amendment to remove the ID Act from that bill, though it does not halt the program from being mandatory by 2013. This post via KnoxViews has links for you to notify your Senator to stop the Real ID in the Immigration Bill.

The ID plan turns the Dept. of Motor Vehicles into agents for Immigration, for Homeland Security and what if a state you travel to does not recognize your state's official ID? We could just inject every American citizen or legal immigrant with a "patriot-certified" radio-frequency chip to insure their identity, and just as quickly, forgeries for that will appear.

Good Cop, Baby Cop

Warning - some adult language

Cheney In Wonderland

So I was debating even posting this today - another post on Vice President Cheney? No one cares, the bending and twisting enigmatic tale of his tenure leads to less than concern among most. And then I see this story moving across the newswires:

"The Senate Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed the White House, Vice President Dick Cheney’s office, the Justice Department, and the National Security Council for documents related to President Bush’s warrantless domestic surveillance program

And:

Over the past 18 months, this Committee has made no fewer than nine formal requests to the Department of Justice and to the White House, seeking information and documents about the authorization of and legal justification for this program,” Chairman Leahy wrote in letters accompanying the subpoenas to Bush Administration officials. “All requests have been rebuffed. Our attempts to obtain information through testimony of Administration witnesses have been met with a consistent pattern of evasion and misdirection.”

So why not run the post I had planned to run -- seems timely as ever. And this story may just have legs after all, with some foot on the leg too, so it can kick awake the public to notice Cheney in Wonderland:

No law applies to him, he is the Unknown Entity, a cypher whose actions or inactions prompt the PR handlers inside Washington feign puzzlement about the myriad questions regarding Vice President Cheney to say things like "that's an interesting debate, but not one I can comment on."

Indeed, the Cheney Question might well be preceded by this phrase "You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into .... The Vice President Zone."

He says he is not bound by any law to inform anyone on how many people work in his offices, he does not have to follow the law regarding the handling of national secrets, or his meetings on policies he reviews and does not have to tell anyone who he includes in such meetings, his very location is typically secret, his political activity is beyond the scrutiny of any branch of government. He is the fourth (secret) branch of government.

Via Russ McBee, I noticed this exchange in a White House Press Briefing from Tuesday held by Tony Snow.:

It reads like a Washington version of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

On Iraq and the War:

"Q: The President had another VTC with [Iraq's] Maliki yesterday, right -- it seems more and more frequent; the administration is putting pressure on the Iraqi government. But can you tell us, any signs that they are making progress in any way?

Snow: We do know that they are obviously working toward oil law and distribution laws, and they've also talked about de-Baathification, but it's a parliamentary process and they'll have to make whatever --

Q That doesn't sound like any progress, Tony.

Snow: It may not, but on the other hand, it could.

At least some reporters at the briefing were trying to ask some pertinent questions. Especially about what function the VP plays in today's political world:

"Q Did the Vice President sign off on the decision made by the President last week with regard to --

MR. SNOW: As you know -- look, the President makes the decisions in the White House; the Vice President is an advisor. We also make a careful point, as we've said many times, to allow those deliberations to remain confidential.
......

Q But, originally, what they sent out was that he wasn't a part of the executive branch. Are they amending that now?

MR SNOW: Again, I'll refer that to the Vice President's office. What you're really talking about is trying to parse constitutionally --

Q I'm not; he is.

MR SNOW: Well, if you go back and, for instance, look at Article 2, there are no specified executive activities for the Vice President. The Vice President is the president of the Senate. It is a wonderful academic question and I'm just not going to go any further than we've gone to date. What I am trying to clarify --

Q Are you referring to there has been reported breaches being within the office of the Vice President or the White House?

MR SNOW: No, no, no. Again, the office of the Vice President is not covered by the executive order.

Q No, no, no, I'm sorry. You said there have been reported breaches --

MR SNOW: Within the government. But on the other hand, again, the Vice President and the President are not covered by the ISOO.

Q If there is a breach, who is reporting those --

MR SNOW: This is -- I don't know.

Q Does anybody know?

Q I mean, a separate White House security --

MR SNOW: This is something that the ISOO is responsible for overseeing. I'll try to get you the procedures on it.

Q But you get the question about oversight? If you say, yes, we're handling intelligence properly, but there's nobody that says, here's a breach, because there's nobody overseeing --**

MR SNOW: But the ISOO is overseeing -- what I'm being --

Q Not the President and the Vice President's office.

MR. SNOW: Well, that's -- yes, correct.

Q So, nobody's watching, basically.

MR SNOW: No, that's not what it's saying. That's not at all what it's saying.

Q Is this a White House security office who oversees --

MR SNOW: Again, you're trying to get in procedural stuff. I can't help you on it.

As clear as an unmuddied lake, yes.

Luckily, The Colbert Report explains the The New Fourth Branch of Government.

Another breakdown of the recent Msyterious V.P. keeps it short and to the point.

Cheney Rules via Double Secret Probation

THe VP has made plain his office is above the laws of the Executive branch of government, the Lesiglsative branch, and that no voter, no elected official, no federal agency has any oversight of his daily duties. You can't know how many people he employs at his Federal Fiefdom, and that even keeping a record of who he meets with via his duties is too important to share and again, is not a part of an open government, subject to national security laws. To question such philosophy, his backers say, is a sign that you and all the public and congress is a sign of delusion.

From matters of national security to federal laws and more, the VP says he is subject to none of the checks and balances of American government. His goal now is to eliminate the federal office who maintains records on the business of government. His claim is that there exists no way to apply the checks and balances of the Constitution to his office.

Many have been writing on this claim:

"The vice president is saying he doesn't have to follow the orders of the president," said Garrett Epps, a law professor at the University of Oregon. "That's a very interesting proposition."

Epps said the lines haven't been drawn that clearly: "The vice president spans, in some ways, the branches of government."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino brushed off questions about what branch of the government the vice president resides in, saying she doesn't know enough about the issue.

Susan Low Bloch, a constitutional professor at Georgetown University Law Center, called Cheney's position a "novel claim."

She said that while most people think of vice presidents as executive officials, it's really "a bit of a hybrid" role.

As vice president, Cheney receives his paycheck from the U.S. Senate, which also pays the salaries of much of his staff. However, he also sits in the president's Cabinet meetings and has an office at the White House."

More here and here

"Stealth is among Cheney's most effective tools. Man-size Mosler safes, used elsewhere in government for classified secrets, store the workaday business of the office of the vice president. Even talking points for reporters are sometimes stamped 'Treated As: Top Secret/SCI.' Experts in and out of government said Cheney's office appears to have invented that designation, which alludes to 'sensitive compartmented information,' the most closely guarded category of government secrets. By adding the words 'treated as,' they said, Cheney seeks to protect unclassified work as though its disclosure would cause 'exceptionally grave damage to national security.'

"Across the board, the vice president's office goes to unusual lengths to avoid transparency. Cheney declines to disclose the names or even the size of his staff, generally releases no public calendar and ordered the Secret Service to destroy his visitor logs. His general counsel has asserted that 'the vice presidency is a unique office that is neither a part of the executive branch nor a part of the legislative branch,' and is therefore exempt from rules governing either. Cheney is refusing to observe an executive order on the handling of national security secrets, and he proposed to abolish a federal office that insisted on auditing his compliance.

"In the usual business of interagency consultation, proposals and information flow into the vice president's office from around the government, but high-ranking White House officials said in interviews that almost nothing flows out."

You Have to Be Growed to Read This Blog

I noticed a few other bloggers I read have made use of some Web assesment dealie, where they determine the rating a blog would get if it were to fall under the movie ratings system of the MPAA.

I was a little surprised to see what rating I got. This is not a blog fer schoolkids nor does it thump to life daily from the very heart of average America, I know that. Anyway, here's what this blog was rated, thought the 'reasons' offered seem pretty silly.



Why such a rating? It's based on the presence of the following words, which they do not like:

• zombie (10x)
• sex (6x)
• meth (4x)
• dead (3x)
• torture (2x)
• tit (1x)

Camera Obscura - Guest Host Edition

A recent email discussion among some friends prompted me to ask them a question about movies, and then I thought I should bring the whole debate here for this regular Friday movie post.

Here's the set-up: along the lines of a guest-programmer on Turner Classic Movies, I asked my friends to submit a list of 5 movies they would pick for broadcast if they were the guest-host. I also said that more than one list of five was fine by me, so some of those who provided lists offer more than one -- I know the feeling!! It's impossible for me to select the 5 Best Movies, and just picking 5 movies to show on TV is also a tough call.

Choices could be just a list of favorites, a list of must-see-movies, movies that impacted you or the motion picture world forever, etc etc.

What follows are their choices, in the order I received them. Huge thanks to my friends for doing this, and it's something I plan to offer up again to other friends. My list is last because, well, I am always writing about movies so it's most polite to give preference to guests.

From T. Smasken:

L.A. STORIES

1. Sunset Boulevard—One of my favorites of all time! Billy Wilder’s creepy blend of noir and melodrama take you on the decrepit journey of a washed out silent-film actress and the cold indifference of a town that once worshipped her.
2. Chinatown-–Polanski in pure form with a visual menagerie of the darker side of the movie business. Nicholson and Dunaway have never been better.
3. Ed Wood—Burton’s child-like fable of the worst filmmaker ever and his brief stint in the annals of Hollywood history. Depp is charming as the transvestite-director and Landau is simply perfect as the washed-up, heroin addicted Bela Lugosi (of Dracula fame)—the unlikeliest of pairs.
4. The Player—Robert Altman’s brilliant who’s-who murder mystery of the stars. Casting actors as themselves and an improvisational script create a believability factor that doubles the impact of the ironic ending.
5. L.A. Confidential—a top-notch cast and dizzying script are pure gold in this gritty depiction of the seedy underbelly of 1950s Hollywood. One of the best films ever made.

No Future

1. 12 Monkeys
2. Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
3. Children of Men
4. Metropolis
5. The Wall

Haunted

1. The Changeling
2. The Haunting
3. The Shining
4. The Sixth Sense
5. The Devil’s Backbone

Ultimate Chick Flicks

1. Steel Magnolias
2. Far From Heaven
3. All That Heaven Allows
4. The Hours
5. Terms of Endearment
   

From Newscoma (I always seem to horn in on her movie posts, so I asked her to please provide her picks):

If I could host Turner Classic Movies, here are the ones that I would choose. I would also like to drink wine with Robert Osborne. Can we do that in my movie marathon? (Joe says oh yes to some wine and movies!!)

1. “Harold and Maude” - There have been millions of words written about this 1971 dark comedy by Hal Ashby and rightfully so. The movie really was one of the first “black” comedies and it resonates well today. A searing commentary on the Vietnam war, classism, elitism, dysfunctional families and death, “Harold and Maude” set a tone that has rarely been repeated in the 36 years since it hit the movie screen. This is more than a love story between Harold (Bud Cort) and Maude (Ruth Gordon) which some viewers may find be a bit queasy about (I personally thought it was well done and quite passionate), it is more about the dynamic of growing up in a world that has already written your biography for you. And as Harold strains to break those confines while fighting unmitigated fears is sheer movie brilliance. Mixing slapstick with raw emotion, this movie was truly one of those coming of age movies that resonated with me and was life-altering. Cat Stevens soundtrack enhances the experience. I can’t recommend this movie enough.
2. “Shattered Glass” – Stephen Glass was the hottest ticket back in the late nineties in the world of journalism. His work was revered and at the ripe old age of 26, he was the “IT” boy at the New Republic magazine. It appeared Glass was too good to be true, and that turned out to be the case. Glass just made stuff up. This movie eloquently tells a simple story of lies, deceit and a turning point of when the Internet displayed courageous journalistic skills as writer Adam Penenberg of Forbes Digital Tool figured out the “IT” boy was lying through his teeth. The movie is sympathetic to all of the characters involved which is not an easy thing to do, and although I’m not a fan of Hayden Christianson, I do think he nailed his portrayal of Glass well. Was Glass intentionally deceitful? Or was Glass’ continual deception the root of a psychological, inherent need to be something as naive as being liked by his peers, and the world? The inner struggle that Peter Saarsgard displays on his face with very little dialogue is worth the full price of admission. And you’ll never know how many times I’ve had to deal with writers like Chloe Sevigney’s character as Caitlin Avey. She nails the self-righteous young copyeditor that slowly realizes that truth is more important than protecting her friend. I work as an editor, and I must say, I recommend all my new hires see this film because it accurately shows the inner workings of a journalism staff and, more importantly, that everything they write must be backed up with facts because news is about truth. Or at least it should be.
3. “Female Trouble” – Oh, John Waters. How does a movie that stretches the bounds of good taste made in 1974 so accurately depict the celebrity media frenzy of 2007? I first saw this movie in the mid-eighties and it never gets old. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cheerfully disgusting, will make you cringe and was literally prophetic in it’s commentary on America’s need for 15 minutes of fame. Starring the late Divine, the movie tells the story of Dawn Davenport who begins a life of crime because her parents didn’t buy her a pair of cha-cha shoes. Davenport is a selfish young woman who basically destroys everything she comes into contact with, but it’s funny if you like the gross out as I do. (The best scene of the movie is when Divine has sex with Divine. Beautiful.) The movie explores in hideous detail the world of being famous with tongue-in-cheek and does it brilliantly.
4. “High Plains Drifter” – Another 70’s film that gets everything right. Clint Eastwood directed HPD in 1974 and it is part spaghetti western/homage to Sergio Leon/Akira Kurosawa and part ghost story. But the groovy thing is you get decide what you want it to be for yourself. Is the nameless anti-hero evil, is he the hand of retribution or is he just one ticked-off cowboy? Eastwood is lethal, taking whatever he wants whenever he wants it and took a bold chance of playing a character that wasn’t very likable during the beginning of his legendary popularity in celluloid. And the symbolic painting of the town red is downright inspirational. Seeing the leadership acting cowardly in the name of greed and for the “best for the town.” As I am a huge fan of horror movies, I tend to subscribe to the theory that it’s a ghost story and Eastwood is one mean revenge-seeking demon.
5. “Crash” – Joe Powell says this movie is like watching a car wreck, although that’s what it’s about. He’s right, you can’t help but want to look away but when you are watching it, you just can’t take your eyes from the screen. This movie is more than the graphic sexuality displayed throughout the David Cronenberg directed film, it’s about the need to feel something, anything, and that’s why it works. The premise is hard to figure out, because the sex is so in-your-face that it almost desensitizes viewers (I think that’s what Cronenberg set out to do), but it’s also about the inner workings of the minds that are so bored that they need to feel something as it hinges on the danger of finding sexual pleasure in the shadow of death. The lead characters of Deborah Kara Unger and James Spader are obviously bored and carry on an open relationship where they tell each other about their carnal exploits. When Spader has a car wreck and sees Holly Hunter expose her breast to him (they are both injured), he begins a journey of being sexually titillated by car crashes and develops a passion for it, something that was missing in his life. But the story is much more layered than just sex for sex’s sake. It’s about unleashing emotion and explores a fine line between death and sexual release. I find it interesting that everyone I’ve ever spoken to about this film has a strong opinion about it, and its usually negative. I’ve often wondered if it’s because as much as that certain people don’t want to relate to the plot, they do and it scares them.
   

From Cinemonkey:

Cinemonkey writes that he (Cinemonkey) is providing two lists, because they are small, & he is greedy.

Robert Mitchum Night -- Because he is my favorite actor, ever. He's fantastic at whatever role he takes on - hero, villain, drunk, priest - he makes them all real, multi-shaded, & multi-dimensional. A very abbreviated list of 5 Mitchum movies would include:

The Big Sleep - doing the best version of Phillip Marlowe automatically makes you the best film P.I.

Night of the Hunter - one scary-ass SOB.

Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison - one of Bob's (I call him Bob.....) plethora of war pictures, this one stands out because of Deborah Kerr's wonderful portrayal of a nurse trying diligently not to fall in love with Mitchum's character as he singlehandedly takes on a squadron of Japanese who have taken over the island they were stranded on.

The Enemy Below - another war picture, this featuring a cat-&-mouse game between Mitchum's weary destroyer captain & Curt Jurgen's noble sub commander.

El Dorado - Mayyy-be my favorite western. Not exactly an official remake of Rio Bravo, but close enough, & to me, a superior version of the story. Much as I like Dean Martin, Robert Mitchum is more able to go toe-to-toe with the Duke.

Oh, Those Wacky '60's! Night

Bikinis ! Spies ! Drugs ! H-Bombs ! What fun the '60's were ! During my formative years, there were some pretty weirded-out flicks. May be why I'm such a toon.

Our Man Flint - Derek Flint was the coolest spy whose initials weren't JB. And if I ever finish my time machine, I'm producing a live action Jonny Quest movie with James Coburn as Race Bannon.

The Pink Panther - The beginning of my Peter Sellers trilogy. I love heist movies. And I love slapstick. And Robert Wagner's role as Sir Charles Lytton's nephew, George probably led to "It Takes a Thief", which gains the movie points right there.

Casino Royale - David Niven again. And Peter Sellers. And Woody Allen. All as James Bond. Did I mention they did a lot of drugs in the '60's?

Dr. Strangelove - The ultimate spoof of just about everything, especially power.

Beach Blanket Bingo - Make fun of Frankie & Annette all you want (I won't stop you), because the reall star of this movie was the wonderful Bob Cummings. And not only did this movie spawn an entire genre, it also gave us one of the best comic villains of all time, the hapless Eric Von Zipper!

From the Sultan of Cinema:

Classics-

The Godfather - Possibly the best movie ever made and one I never tire of watching. Coppolla's best work. Excellent characters and performances, stunning cinematography, memorable lines and scenes, and great music. The final "hit" sequence is classic. Michael slow descent into the "family business" is so well played by Pacino. And that final shot, after looking his wife in the eyes and lying, when the body-guard slowly closes the door, locking Kaye out of the business.....

Alien - One of the greatest science fiction movies ever made. A haunted house in space. Incredible production design and pacing. From the opening birth scene to Ripley's hibernation we are drawn into a story that terrifies and fascinates at the same time. Great characters and performances.

Citizen Kane - Tops Godfather for best American film just because of the innovations to the media. Orson Welles' magnum opus of corruption and ambition. He later went on to do a version of Macbeth and I thought "Why, you already did it". The high contrast photography is so memorable in the viewing room and Kane's mansion. Every single aspect of the film-making industry is done to perfection.

Sunset Boulevard - William Holden's best role until Network. A classic look at old Hollywood. Nora Desmond is such a tragic figure. In fact, every person in the film is a tragic character. And the opening v.o. with the pool hooks you from the very start.
Silence of the Lambs - A much deserved Oscar for a film that returned the horror genre to what it should be. A movie that far out-shines the book with great performances and truly terrifying scenes. Demme's choice of intense close-ups is so unsettling and only a cast of this caliber could have pulled it off.

The Comedy List

Animal House - Although I dislike John Landis this is still one of the funniest movies ever made. A farce that perfectly captures the Lampoon and all of its comic style. The characters and lines are so memorable - from Blutto to Neidermeyer to the Dean. A movie that everyone is still trying to imitate.

City Lights - Chaplin's second best film. A comedy that transformed the silent movie from slap-stick comedy to character humor that had a heart. Chaplin's genius is captured so well in the final scene.

Raising Arizona - The Coen Brothers re-invent the comedy and bring "redneck humor" to life long before the Blue Collar boys. Almost every line is quotable and the filmmaking style of the brothers keeps the story barreling ahead down that Texas highway. Great characters like Nathan Arizona and the Warthog from hell!
Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery - An excellent example of true parody writing. Michael Myers captures every nuance of the Bond films and elevates them to grand farce. The names are great, the pacing is strong, and in-jokes are spot on. Yeah, baby!

Arthur - Just a favorite of mine. I loved Dudley Moore and Sir John Gielgud. The lines are hilarious and the humor is very well played - despite Liza Minnelli.

The Fantasy/Fun List - (I had to do one of these.)

Excalibur - Even though Boorman took great liberties with the Arthurian legend this is a great cinematic work. I like the armor and all of the performances by the RSC. Merlin was wonderfully played as was Arthur. I still quote the Charm of Making!

Star Wars - Nothing will top the feeling of sitting in that theatre when I was fifteen years old and having my mind blown away. It may be just a simple heroic space opera - but it was just magical. Lucas set the bar for special effects and showed that science fiction is still a great genre. Despite franchises, sequels, and retro-active history this is a classic film.

Hunt for Red October - Not a fantasy - but a film I could watch once a month. I simply, simply love it. It's got big submarines, nice intrigue, solid plotting and is just a fun ride.
Star Trek - The Wrath of Khan - Undoubtedly the BEST of the Trek movies. The classic show elevated to the motion picture realm in a great way. Every element is here including Shatner's over-acting "Khan!", and the ending I had wanted to see for years.

The Exorcist - Still the scariest movie I have ever seen. I saw it at a 9:00 in a completely deserted theater. I still shiver thinking about those slow tracking shots down the hall to the closed bedroom door. I just knew something bad was going to happen in the next scene. Watching it in years since I even like the extraordinary slow pace at the beginning. It lulls you almost to a stupor and then grabs you.

I had to do a Theatre List -

Camelot - Great music, great story, great Arthur.

All That Jazz - Bob Fosse in all of his glory - from story, to choreography, to to cinematography. By far the BEST look at a Theater director - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Does talent require ego. Bob says yes!

Oliver - A excellent adaptation of the stage play and one of the few musicals that I can say I like EVERY song in the work. Great period costume design and scenic work as well.
Sleuth - Another great adaptation and just a fun ride all the way through. A two-character piece that never lets up. And a very rousing theme song as well.

Lion in Winter - Goldman did an amazing job in adapting his own work and the cast is simply fantastic. Of course, Peter O'Toole is brilliant, but the interplay between him and Katherine Hepburn - the wit and parry that goes on is stunning.

Cup of Joe Picks:

I had a tough time with this experiment as I had to whittle down a list of 25 to 5. After much wrangling and such, I picked 5 movies that made me a movie fan, movies that made me want to be a movie-maker, movies that still entertain me and also educated me about making movies.

"It's A Gift" -- A masterpiece of comedy from W.C. Fields, which also pokes fun at America and the family life while also giving them a warm hug. Fields' script, physical comedy, casting choices are flawless and also capture the time it was made though it is a timeless story. Fields and family are about to sell their grocery store and head to California to run an orange grove, though little goes as planned. This scene from the grocery store is one of my favorites.

"The Maltese Falcon" - This 1941 movie from director John Huston and writer Dashiell Hammett invented the modern detective movie and gave America one of Humphrey Bogart's best performances. You never know for sure who is telling the truth here and Bogart works that angle like a pro. A lean and tight script under the hands of Huston has more layers than an onion.

"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" - In my mind, the modern template on which other action movies are drawn. Your hero choice is often simply the less bad among a group of bad men. The narrative is staggered into stages, and the musical score among the best ever.

"The Last Picture Show" - Melancholy tale of a dying small town and the arid emptiness inside those who live there. Trying to leave town is nearly impossible. This is one of many movies which made me want to make movies. It outwardly visualizes what is inside, but never really dips into impressionism. A great novel by Larry McMurtry, exceptional performances by the entire cast, and beautiful photography.

"The Red Shoes" - This 1948 musical is one of my favorite movies for many reasons (and I hate musicals).The movie had me both spellbound and terrified when I watched it when I was a kid, and it does the same today. It's a movie about the artistic process, about stage productions, fame and dreams, and it's also about the price the artist, or those who aspire to art, pay for their freedoms. The jaw-dropping photography includes an 18-minute dance sequence that is a phantasmagorical masterpeice.


Huge thanks to these fine movie fans and friends for offering their views. If you have a list of 5 movies you would like to offer, just post them in the comments!!

Bonnaroo 2007 Re-Visited and New Beastie Boys

Take an inside look at Bonnaroo 2007, courtesy of an ongoing re-cap from Atomic Tumor. Based in Camp Lando Calrissian, wavin' the AT Flag. It's the next best thing to being there. And no dust!

The Thursday write-up is here, and Friday's is here. More to come! Woot!!

Music-wise, I am most looking forward to next month's new release from the Beastie Boys. "The Mix-Up", an all instrumental album. They've released a few videos so far and much more details of their ongoing tour and the madness of the Boys can be found at their official site. It's like wandering into the garage of a garage band. Here's one of the new tunes, "Off The Grid", which starts out with some groovy funk and then just rocks and rocks some more.

Useless Rant Number 407

I know enough to realize that incompetence is as natural a human byproduct as carbon dioxide (that means exhaling, for all the anti-scientists out there). But there is a true difference between making mistakes and a consistently incompetent response to the world around you.

And (paranoid me) I'm sensing the rising level of sheer failure, and the dangerously disconnected worldview from the current Bush administration is indeed making things much, much worse. And the future is not bright.

No investigative reporters today can cover the White House as well as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Because no deep digging is needed. The information detailing the Incompetence rolls out for all the world to see and the general public knows stupid when they see it. It's right there. Example: let's say the Leader of the Nation, the Emperor, if you will, steps out butt naked in public heaping praise on his tailor for his new invisible clothes, the public says "Hey! The Emperor has no clothes!" while the major news outlets on TV would cover the story like this - "How will the Emperor's new approach to clothing affect the garment industry and fashion trends and how can your family benefit?"

Over the last week or so, I've been hearing from the White House press folks and spin doctors that no matter what the President does regarding the war in Iraq now, it will be the next President who really has the job of resolving the mess in the middle east. Since when do we give such unfettered power to a sitting president? Just go ahead and do whatever you want and we'll figure it out later??

Even when the president's own party controlled Congress, they could not muster the consensus needed to improve and update the Social Security system or the immigration system. When a natural disaster occurred, Hurricane Katrina, both the president and those he chose to lead the response provided another natural disaster on top of it. As a result, one of our major port cities remains in shambles. While attempting to create a new bajillion dollar federal agency to provide 'homeland security', the debate gets mired in how pay raises and salary negotiations will be handled. Likewise troubling is that nearly six years after the destruction in NYC, a gaping hole remains in that city - unlike say, the damage at the Pentagon, which was addressed with lightning speed.

Circumventing the laws -- whether it's the record-keeping process of e-mails, the appointment of officers in the Justice Department, the nearly 1,000 'signing statements' wherein the president says he will not uphold the laws passed in Congress, or any of losses of liberty enforced by the administration with secret prisons, secret wiretaps, torture of suspects who have not been charged, and on and on -- has been this administration's style. Challenge it, and you are a treasonous, scandalous, immoral, whiny quitter.

As for the idea of 'regime change' in Iraq, what we have is 'regime absence'. Even T.E. Lawrence back in the 1910s warned it would be impossible to pacify and reconstruct that territory (terror-tory?) with less than an army of half a million.

And the future? Well, not bright either. It's no wonder the latest polls in the first of next year's primary battles, in Iowa, released yesterday show that None of the Above (or Undecided) have the majority of votes.

I suppose my rant is over, allowing for the 25 to 28 percent of those who think we're doing jes' fine to vent on my evil ill-informed tirade. Go back to the coverage of Paris Hilton and those outrageous gals in Hollywood, go back to pondering if everyone from American Idol is doing well, go buy an iPod or an iPhone and carry on with your iSelves. Worry about foreigners, about fat content in double-cheeseburgers, about smoking and the official language of America.

We can deal with it all later, when someone takes an elected office in 2009 and we can blame them for not fixing the mess we are in now.

UPDATE: After I wrote this and pondered on it some, weighing its uselessness, I happened upon this post at KnoxViews, which takes you to a post featuring the video and transcript of a speech yesterdday from the blogger known as Digby. I've never read Digby, but sure seems we share some common thoughts on the problems of this administration and the attention that bloggers in general bring to the political debate. In fact, I seldom read the blogs she mentions, other than Crooks and Liars, as I daaily tread through both news and opinions on the Web. I was just sort of amazed that my comments above sort of followed the train of thought from Digby. Still, I think I am far more pessimistic than Digby. And I don't like being pessimistic.

From Digby's speech:

"We may argue about tactics and strategy, or the extent to which we are partisans versus ideologues (and believe me, we do), but there is no disagreement among us that the modern conservative movement of Newt and Grover and Karl and Rush has proven to be a dangerous cultural and political cancer on the body politic. You will not find anyone amongst us who believes that the Bush Administration’s executive power grab and flagrant partisan use of the federal government is anything less than an assault on the Constitution. We stand together against the dissolution of habeas corpus and the atrocities of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, and we all agree that Islamic terrorism is a threat, but one which we cannot meet with military power alone. And yes, a vast majority of us were against this mindless invasion of Iraq from the beginning, or at least saw the writing on the wall long before Peggy Noonan discovered that George W. Bush wasn’t the second coming of Winston Churchill."

UPDATE II: Or, as it has been put before:


"So, what are we, helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come, can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that count. That's when you find out who you are."

From a previous post.

The Monkey In The Heart of Memphis

The pic above is from Elvis' TV room in Graceland and is from a collection of pics made by Tits McGee, who was in Memphis last weekend to see her sister get married. Her photos of her trip to Graceland are jes' beautiful. Check them all out.

NOTE: Walking Elvispedia, aka Valley Grrrl points out in the comments on this post that the monkey in the picture is also the source of inspiration for Warren Zevon.

NCAA Bans Bloggers

Both reporters or anyone else who dares to write and blog about a sporting event while it is taking place are crooks, says the NCAA.

Mike Silence has been writing about the confrontation between the NCAA and the press and public at his page. Much of this was prompted by a reporter tossed from a game for live-blogging what the game status was.

Here's the NCAA stand, according to the Oregonian:

"The NCAA claims ownership rights to any during-the-game information and that it can be distributed only through those outlets to which it has granted rights. That means ESPN, in the case of the super-regionals. Lawyers quoted in press accounts seem to believe the NCAA is within its rights.

But it is perplexing as to how a newspaper blogging half inning by half inning -- posting information that has been on live TV many minutes before -- somehow threatens the NCAA or ESPN's revenue stream. One could also argue that once broadcast the information is public.

And we won't even get into the notion that the NCAA can threaten newspapers and their reporters, but also claims that no one anywhere in a stadium can blog during the game. Do they really think they will stop some fan with a PDA from blogging out of the left-field bleachers at the CWS, even if it is just to a few buddies back in the dorm in Corvallis?"

Mike has more info here and here. And he pretty much lays down the facts in the NCAA claims:

"If we sit back and take this, we have only ourselves to blame."

Strange Tech Gadgets

I think the idea of making an object which is meant to perform one function look like something utterly and totally different has been with humans a long time. I know there have been many such instances in my wee lifetime, often the weird mish-mash of objects is the selling point of the item. Such as telephones that look like ducks or footballs, a cigarette lighter that looks like an alien-head or a pistol, or even those odd household items you see like a candy dish shaped like a leaf. Why is it that people feel compelled to make a jittery plate of jello look like a Pilgrim or an art-deco ziggurat?

Techies today have been having some fun with the idea too, and a fine example is this flash-drive designed to look like, well, just what you see here: a headless teddy bear. Other items like this include little dogs that look like they are humping the computer. There is of course at least one list of the Top 10 Weirdest USB connectors, and the teddy bear isn't even on the list.

All these items were found at a blog I've been perusing for laughs, called Shallow and Tacky.

One item the blog mentioned over the weekend was the strange case in New Jersey where folks were getting liposuction done in some chick's garage. Yeah, smart idea. Just be careful when they start using that sand-blaster on yer hips.

Designers also offer a mouse for your computer which will monitor your vital health stats as you waste, I mean spend, time at your computer.

Banning Science and Mr. Coffee

Are science education in our schools and scientific curiosity in general being sacrificed in service to Fearful America?

As a result of state laws attempting to squash the home-made production of methamphetamine, once commonly obtained items like beakers and vials, as well as science programs in schools, are now part of an ever-growing list of banned items. Wired magazine talks about the issue here, noting:

"In the meantime, more than 30 states have passed laws to restrict sales of chemicals and lab equipment associated with meth production, which has resulted in a decline in domestic meth labs, but makes things daunting for an amateur chemist shopping for supplies. It is illegal in Texas, for example, to buy such basic labware as Erlenmeyer flasks or three-necked beakers without first registering with the state’s Department of Public Safety to declare that they will not be used to make drugs. Among the chemicals the Portland, Oregon, police department lists online as “commonly associated with meth labs” are such scientifically useful compounds as liquid iodine, isopropyl alcohol, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen peroxide, along with chemistry glassware and pH strips. Similar lists appear on hundreds of Web sites.

“To criminalize the necessary materials of discovery is one of the worst things you can do in a free society,” says Shawn Carlson, a 1999 MacArthur fellow and founder of the Society for Amateur Scientists. “The Mr. Coffee machine that every Texas legislator has near his desk has three violations of the law built into it: a filter funnel, a Pyrex beaker, and a heating element. The laws against meth should be the deterrent to making it – not criminalizing activities that train young people to appreciate science.”

Or making coffee. Yeah, I wonder if lawmakers considered banning, say Mason jars, too.

Couple that story with others, such as this one, which questions whether any of the recent alleged terrorist plots were even possible:

"I don't think these nut jobs, with their movie-plot threats, even deserve the moniker "terrorist." But in this country, while you have to be competent to pull off a terrorist attack, you don't have to be competent to cause terror. All you need to do is start plotting an attack and -- regardless of whether or not you have a viable plan, weapons or even the faintest clue -- the media will aid you in terrorizing the entire population."

An ever-confusing alarmist mindset will not serve anyone except those who use terrorism as political tactic.

Demonizing science can only dumb down the country. Replacing science with superstition isn't moving forward, it's racing backwards in time and abandoning rational thought.

Is this perhaps why we have a growing culture which is embracing ideas such as the one being offered in a 'museum' in Kentucky, where claims are made that the reason the T. Rex had long sharp teeth was so it could eat coconuts.