Last night This-TV, 111 on Cablevision in NYC, aired The Who’s Tommy (1975), directed by Ken Russell and featuring a star-studded cast. I saw it in the theater when it first came out and found it chaotic and silly. I think even less of it upon this viewing. The most surprising aspect is the dullness of the numbers. The original album that inspired Russell’s screenplay at least had dynamic music to make up for the sketchy, goofy storyline and weak lyrics. The movie’s music is truly dreadful until the finale. What was curiosity about the vocals of the late Oliver Reed and Jack Nicholson is now passed, and both these wonderful actors failed miserably. But they aren’t singers, so they should only be praised for having taken an artistic risk. There's no excuse for the cringe-inducing work of Tina Turner on The Acid Queen and Elton John on Pinball Wizard. OMG! The best thing I can say about the flick is that it’s colorful. The late Russell was never one afraid to take chances. He experimented here, and should be applauded for that, but the work doesn't stand the test of time, if it ever did . Long ago I caught The Boyfriend (1971) on PBS and thought it ingenious, despite the fact that Twiggy is its star. I’m dying to see it again, but for some reason it is not available at Netflix. Tommy is rated 6.5 of ten at IMDb, so it does have its admirers. On a scale of five, I rate it one. The Boyfriend is rated 8.0 of ten, which only makes me more anxious to see it again, and more frustrated that it’s not in Netflix’s vast stock of DVDs. I just ordered a new player from Amazon. It set me back a little more than expected. The shipping wasn’t free, as it is being sent by a subsidiary. Still, after using the remainder of my gift certificate funds, it’s costing me less than $24. If it lasts only half as long as my previous machine, it will have been more than worth it.
Clint Eastwood, 83, has played scores of heroic roles in his storied career. At a dinner on the eve of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament, he was a hero in real life. Tourny director Steve John, 50, was choking on a piece of cheese when the Hollywood veteran sprung in to action. He performed the Heimlich Maneuver, lifting John, who is 203 pounds, three times in order to clear his windpipe. It was the second time John had the procedure done on him. How lucky has he been to have had knowledgeable people around? Kudos, Mr. Eastwood.
No longer able to sit on the sidelines, I took a limited edition of the floating book shop to the dreaded viaduct at E. 15th and Avenue Z, where there are less than half as many passersby than at my usual nook, where there is a pile of frozen snow that would require more than my plastic shovel to remove. Although the second location is only two short blocks away, I see very few people who recognize me there. And I had to lug the crates four blocks. Right now my arms feel as if I worked out with heavy weights. I didn't have any sales, but I did connect with a woman who said she'd look for me in the future. I hope so.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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