The Writer's Life 12/30 - Who & Why

Last night DecadesTV, channel 112 on Cablevision in NYC, ran Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971), a film so typical of the 70's. Believe it or not, it's not in the top 20 of longest movie title ever. It stars Dustin Hoffman as a successful pop star going through a mid-life crisis. It is told in non-linear form and features, almost exclusively, fanciful scenes, many of falling, which must have had those of a Freudian bent rushing into interpretation. The best thing that can be said about the flick is that it's different, experimental, for lack of a better word. Jack Warden plays a shrink with, I presume, an intentionally laughable Viennese accent. Dom DeLuise is along for the ride, as well as Barbara Harris, whose performance was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Does the scenario make any profound points? Not really. It's appeal is limited to those who appreciate the weird and outrageous. I am not a fan of '70's cinema, but there's no doubt that the artists of the era took far more risks than those of today, and that is to their credit. The film was directed by Ulu Grosbard, who was at the helm of only seven films, as he worked mostly in theater, ditto for the screenwriter, Herb Gardner, the author of the critically acclaimed A Thousand Clowns, and I'm Not Rappaport, which won a Tony. And the longest movie title ever is:

I find politics exasperating and disappointing, but it produces truly memorable moments, many of them unflattering. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel ended his vacation abruptly as his town, whose murder rate is tragic, has suffered another scandal involving a police shooting. And where was he vacationing? Cuba... In Iowa, only one person attended an appearance by presidential candidate Martin O'Malley, who must be clinging to the hope that Hillary will be indicted and arrested. As a writer I wish I'd come up with these stranger than fiction occurrences.

RIP Frank Malzone, long time Red Sox third-baseman. The six-time all-star hit 183 HR's, the most ever by a Boston second-baseman. Well done, goombah.

My thanks to the kind folks who purchased books today, especially to professor/author Barry Spunt, who overpaid for works focusing on Alan Ginsberg and Yoko Ono. Thanks also to Herbie, who donated a Lisa Scottoline mystery in hardcover. It was cold, but still not Decemberish. I was able to put in three hours, mainly because of the lack of wind.
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