Continuing my weekly peek at my stills collection, here's a great staged shot from the comedy horror film "The Comedy of Terrors."

Seen here are Peter Lorre at the organ, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone standing behind him.

Needless to say there isn't a point in this nifty little comedy in which all of these characters are getting along! Throughout the film, Price is bullying Lorre, wanting to kill Karloff and almost succeeding in killing Rathbone.

The film is out on a double feature DVD with another Amerian International Pictures horror comedy "The Raven." Although I have plenty of affection for "The Raven," it is no where near as successful a film as "Comedy."

Roger Corman, who directed "Raven," was not as good a director as Jacques Tourneur was with comedy.

It's interesting to note through some contractual feature "Rhubarb the Cat" actually gets billing before Rathbone. That cat is good, but not that good.

***
If you're a Kevin Smith fan, head over to your local Best Buy for a special edition of Clerks II only that company has: a Mooby happy meal box that contains the film, plus a Mooby visor, name tag and drink cup. It's pretty damn cool.

Yes, I'm a fan boy: proud and geeky.

I like to thank all of the folks who have so far participated in the little food drive we’ve conducted at the newspaper (s) for which I’m managing editor. The drive is still on and if you’re in western Massachusetts, you can bring in a donation and receive two tickets to Big Time Wrestling’s show at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee on Dec. 1.

To encourage donations I gave away copies of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” and apparently the idea of getting the film was a good incentive, as there were not too many copies when I received the phone call.

You see, I had requested a screener of the film to review in my DVD column. Paramount surprised me by sending a box of 100 copies with no explanation. I just thought it was a special promotion and I dreamed up a way to make good use of the copies.

Fast-forward over two weeks later and I received a phone call from the company that sends out the DVDs to reviewers. It seems they wanted the copies back. I said I would send back what I had, but most were used as in our food drive.

I asked what was the big deal as DVDs are not expensive to reproduce and I was told these were special copies. In fact, the reason I had to send them back is that they were copies promised to Gore himself.

Somehow my address sticker was placed on the package instead of the former vice president’s.

So all of you who have a copy, now have a story to go with it.

So if by chance due to clipping service or Internet search the Veep reads this column, I want him to know his copies helped people in western Massachusetts feels a little more secure this holiday season.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Despite the fact that Thanksgiving is merely the speed bump on the commercial highway to Christmas, I’m old fashioned enough to want to count some of my blessings.

The fact is that underneath the cynical sarcastic shell of many of us who work in the media (an occupational hazard) beats the heart of a sentimental softie.

Hey I’m the animation historian who has never seen “Bambi” for fear of blubbering my way through it.

I’ve got a lot to be thankful for, not the least of which is my wife still actually wants to be with me after almost 28 years of marriage.

I’m thankful for our family and our friends.

I’m thankful I’m still employed. Many people in my industry aren’t these days.

I’m thankful to have had the opportunities that have presented themselves in my twisted career.

I’m thankful I have Friday off and have a pile of new DVDs to watch and I don’t have to go close to a store!

©2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs.

A two-disc visit with a film director, a preview of a collected
television series and five films starring the great Boris Karloff are in this week’s DVD column.

An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder

With just six low-budget cult films under his belt, one wouldn’t think
that director and writer Kevin Smith would be the celebrity he is, but Smith
has definitely entered the select club of film directors whose celebrity
transcend just being a film maker.

Like Cecil B. DeMille and Alfred Hitchcock, Smith has become a
personality. Perhaps the only other contemporary director who achieved this
kind of name recognition is John Waters.

Smith has had a regular segment on “The Tonight Show,” has popped up as
an actor in other productions, has appeared on several episodes of “Dinner
for Five,” written comic books, and has made a habit of appearing for
question and answer sessions on college campuses and other venues.

In 2002, some of these college appearances were shot for the
direct-to-DVD release “An Evening with Kevin Smith.” Four years later the
sequel, “An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder,” is being released
at the end of this month to coincide with the DVD release of “Clerks II.”

If you’re not a fan of Smith’s movies (“Clerks,” “Chasing Amy,” and
“Dogma,” for instance), then pass by this two-disc collection. If you think
you’re going to see something that resembles “Inside the Actor’s Studio”
with earnest conversations about the art of filmmaking you would be sorely
disappointed.

Instead these two appearances (one shot in Toronto and the other in
London before “Clerks II” went into production) are raucous meandering
conversations between Smith and fans of his work. They ask questions that
range from typical fan boy geek inquiries into the fictional universe Smith
has created to issues quite more personal.

And Smith doesn’t shy from any of it. In fact he seems to revel in the
opportunity to reveal things most people wouldn’t about his marriage and
career.

Smith’s subject matter is not only dicey, but his language is definitely
NC-17. Just like Smith’s movies, this isn’t a production for kids to watch.
As a Smith fan, I enjoyed the over three hours of Smith’s unrehearsed
repartee with his audiences, but I know this isn’t for everybody.

For more information, log onto www.sonypictures.com

Get Smart
I received a preview disc the other day on the up-coming release of the
classic television spy parody Get Smart on DVD. Time/Life is releasing the
show in two forms: the complete first season with 30 episodes of two hours
of bonus features and a collection of all five seasons – 138 episodes on 25
discs with over nine hours of bonus material.

That’s a lot of “Get Smart,” but if you’re a fan, this is good news.

“Get Smart” was a satire of “the Man from Uncle” and other mid-1960s spy
shows and movies. Starring the late Don Adams, Maxwell Smart was a bungling secret agent who ultimately succeeded either through luck, the help of his fellow agent 99 (played by Barbara Feldon) or occasionally through his own
skill.

Created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, “Get Smart” was full of puns,
witty send-ups of the spy genre and plenty of gadgets – my favorite was the
“Cone of Silence” in which people couldn’t hear themselves speak!

The preview disc had a sampling on what is in the two collections,
including the show’s pilot; the Emmy-winning episode “Ship of Spies;” and a
segment from “The Bill Dana Show” featuring the origins of Don Adams’s
character.

“Get Smart” was a favorite of mine while growing up and I still laughed
at Smart’s ineptitude. I think the shows hold up pretty well.

For more information, go to www.getsmartondeve.com.

The Boris Karloff Collection
I will readily admit I will watch anything with Boris Karloff. I’ve been
that way for years and even subjected my poor parents to taking me to “The
Ghost in the Invisible Bikini” back in 1966 – one of Karloff’s decidedly
lesser productions.

My fascination with classic horror films is what drove my interest in
film. For me Karloff remains the consummate character star – an actor who
clearly enjoyed changing his look and screen persona for every role.

So I have to be very objective about this three-disc set with five of
Karloff’s film as I enjoyed every one of them despite the fact this is not
the prime Karloff material.

Films such as “Bride of Frankenstein,” “The Black Cat,” or “The Mummy”
are not on this set. Instead the DVD producers present “Night Key,” “Tower
of London, “The Climax,” “The Strange Door,” and “The Black Castle.”

“Night Key” is an enjoyable B-movie with Karloff playing an elderly
inventor of a revolutionary security system. “The Climax” was Karloff’s
first color production and is basically a re-make of “The Phantom of the
Opera” with Karloff as a doctor obsessed with an opera singer. “The Strange
Door” and “The Black Castle” are both costume dramas with a horrific
undertone. Karloff plays a supporting role in each film.

The best film of the lot is “Tower of London” a sweeping re-telling of
the story of King Edward the Fourth of England whose overthrow is plotted by
his brother. With Basil Rathbone and Vincent Price – one of Price’s first movies – in the cast, this is a fun film.

Karloff is the evil executioner Mord, one of his most striking roles.

While not the best grouping of films, “The Boris Karloff Collection” is a must-have for fans such as me and, maybe, you.

For more information, log onto www.universalstudioshomeentertainment.com.

© 2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs. My words alone.

I have a quandary: I want to blog more but my job and other activities have to come first. So I've decided to load some images onto the blog for, hopefully, the entertainment of my readers.

So once a week, at least, I'm going to load up a still from my collection.

One of the greatest benefit of the digital revolution is the neat CD press kits we're sent by the studios. One of the worst things about the digital revolution is the neat CD press kits we're sent by the studios. While they are convenient, I'm enough of a Luddite to miss having physical movie stills.

Is any one going to collect these CDs (well I have some!)

Today's image is from the classic Marx Brothers movie Monkey Business. Groucho is joined by the beautiful Thelma Todd, a woman who should have become a great star but instead is best known for her murder by director Roland West.

One reason I love this still is the fact one can see so clearly that Groucho's moustache was painted one! It's a marvelous theatrical conceit that couldn't be done today.

© 2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs. Who is going to take offense at this?

Classic and contemporary television series as well as a double bill of forgotten crime films are in this week's DVD column.

Police Squad: The Complete Series

Leslie Nielsen had been a solid dramatic actors his entire career when he was included in the cast of a low-budget comedy titled "Airplane." That film not only changed the face of film comedy, but also gave Nielsen a whole new lease on his career.

Since then, the silver-haired actor has been known for his comedic roles in many films, including the "Naked Gun" series, also the product of the creative team behind "Airplane."

Before the "Naked Gun" movies, though, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams tried their hand at television with a hilarious parody of 1980s crime dramas called "Police Squad." These half-hour shows were part "Dragnet," and part all of those crime shows produced by Quinn Martin that were divided into acts and had an epilogue.

Dense with both jokes and sight gags, the show only lasted six episodes, and, as Nielsen describes in one of the disc's extras, it was the show's density that caused it to lose viewers.

The show demands your attention or you will miss something and apparently in 1982 that approach didn't make for popular television.

If you're a fan of Zucker, Zucker and Abrahams, this is must-have for your collection.

For more info, log onto www.paramount.com/homeentertainment.



CSI: Crime Scene Investigation The Complete Sixth Season

I enjoy the original "CSI" series (the New York version is tolerable, but I can't watch the pretentious Miami version) and this collection shows that after six years there is still some life and originality in the series.

After all, just how many ways can a person be killed? Wouldn't they be running out by now?

Apparently not. Although the number of ways a person can be killed may be limited, the circumstances seem be endless.

What has become the strength of the series is not the almost R-rated gore of the show although I'm sure that attracts some viewers but its evolution from a procedural cop drama to one in which we care about the characters.

So here we have Warrick (Gary Douran) getting married because his jobs teaches him that life can be fleeting and Nick (George Eads) going the extra distance for a little girl who everyone thinks is dead because of his own near-death experience.

While the sex and violence can get a little oppressive in some episodes -- this is not a series suitable for children -- the show can also be a tearjerker as well.

And I love watching show such as this one on DVD with no commercial interruptions!

For more info, log onto www.paramount.com/homeentertainment.



Forgotten Noir: Volume

The folks at VCI Entertainment have put together another good double feature of crime dramas from the lat 1940s and early 1950s.

Make no mistake. These are not big-budget classics. These are the kind of films found in neighborhood theaters or drive-ins. Both share a theme of showing the under-belly of what was then considered peaceful and prosperous post-World War II America.

First up is a nifty little film titled "Loan Shark" starring George Raft as an ex-con who just wants to go straight. Getting a job at a tire factory, his new boss wants him to go undercover to discover who is the loan shark prettying on his staff. Raft doesn't want to do it until the hoods kill his brother-in-law.

Raft played tough guys his entire career and never showed the versatility of actors such as James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson or Humphrey Bogart. He is effective though in this film as the guy who is willing to risk his life to find out who is at the top of the racket.

Filmed in a real tire factory, the film has a realistic quality that adds to its appeal.

"Arson Inc." is much more of a procedural crime drama with an actor playing the head of the Los Angeles Fire Department telling the audience the story of a young fire fighter (played by Robert Lowery) who goes undercover to smash an arson and insurance fraud ring.

Although its stock footage that contains shots of fire equipment that goes back to the 1920s doesn't help the film, generally the movies proceed at a steady clip telling its story. With just 63 minutes, there isn't much padding!

Lowery was a working class actor who never achieved great stardom but appeared in over 70 feature films in either starring or supporting roles. He is up to the task here or being charming in one scene and tough in another.

I'm a sucker for these kind of films and if you're the type to stay up late to see something on Turner Classic Movies you've never heard of before, you just might like this double-bill as well.

For more information, log onto www.vcient.com

©2006 Gordon Michael Dobbs. Standard disclaimer apples.

Our own local film festival is coming up with some interesting entries this year. Here's a piece I did on it. I think the festival has finally come into its own after many years of thrashing about searching for some sort of identity. It's not Sundance....thank God !

NORTHAMPTON While the Sundance Film Festival may get a lion's share of the attention from the media and Hollywood, David Leo, the director of the Northampton Independent Film Festival (NIFF), said the local festival is sticking to its "core values" of being committed to establishing a northeast center for the exploration, examination, and celebration of independent filmmaking.

"Our motto is 'Films for Independent Minds,'" Leo told Reminder Publications. "My personal vision is the festival is as diverse and accepting as the culture of Northampton."

And this year is no exception, as the festival, which runs from Nov. 8 through 12, will feature a wide variety of 130 films, a number of which were produced in New England.

NIFF "gives local and regional filmmakers a local audience and to compete with film made all around the world and country," Leo said.

Among the local films that will be screened are two shorts by Longmeadow filmmaker Scott Kittredge and "Cathedral Pines," a supernatural thriller produced by starring WRNX radio personality Donnie Morehouse.

The festival includes both films for children under the age of 12 and films from the "Best of the Boston Underground." There are also documentaries that "bring to life injustices," Leo added.

Leo sees the festival "take a higher place on the indie film stage, but I don't want to see it as commercial as others."

Screenings will be at the Academy of Music, Smith College, and the Pleasant Street Theater.

NIFF will begin with a reception Nov. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the Northampton Center for the Arts featuring some of this year's filmmakers. The film that will open the festival will be Vermont director Jay Craven's "Disappearances" at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy of Music.

"Disappearances" is based on the novel by Howard Frank Mosher, and stars Kris Kristofferson, Academy Award-nominee Genevieve Bujold, and Charlie McDermott in a story set in Prohibition-era Vermont.

NIFF's Saturday night lineup includes director Claudia Myers' romantic comedy "Kettle of Fish" at 7 p.m. in the Academy of Music. The film stars Matthew Modine as a lifelong bachelor who confronts his intimacy issues by subletting his apartment to a fetching biologist (Gina Gershon), and then is forced to move back in as her roommate. Producers Laura Bernieri (Next Stop Wonderland), Michael Mailer, and Christy Scott Cashman (who has a starring role in the film) will attend the screening and take questions from the audience.

On Nov. 9, "Cathedral Pines" will be seen at the Academy of Music at 7 p.m. Kittredge's two shorts, "Snacks" and "Terminal Conversation," included in a program of local and regional shorts on Nov. 12 at 3:15 p.m. On Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., The Norman Rockwell Code highlights a slate of comedy shorts. Set in Stockbridge's Norman Rockwell museum, the spoof of "The Da Vinci Code" was recently selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress' official film collection.

Western Massachusetts musician Roger Salloom is the subject of "So Glad I Made It: The Saga of Roger Salloom, America's Bets Unknown Songwriter," a documentary on his life and career that will be shown on Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m., Smith College's Stoddard Hall. Salloom will perform following the screening.

Rock and rollers The Unband are also the subjects of a documentary, "WE LIKE TO DRINK: We Like to Play Rock and Roll," showing Nov. 11 at 9 p.m. in Smith College's Stoddard Hall. Following the movie, The Unband will perform live at The Elevens in a special event sponsored by The Valley Advocate.

For Saturday and Sunday mornings, NIFF has partnered with the Coalition for Quality Children's Media/Kids First! to offer children's matinees each morning at 10:30 a.m. Tickets for the matinees will be $4 for children 12 and under.

NIFF has partnered with the Veterans Education Project and the Northampton Office of Veterans Services to present two films in honor of Veterans' Day weekend. On Nov. 9 at 7 p.m., the Pleasant Street Theater will show the critically acclaimed film " The Ground Truth." Patricia Foulkrod's documentary tells the story of patriotic young Americans who heeded the call to serve in Iraq, and offers an unflinching look at the war's physical and emotional impact on the soldiers.

Also on Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Academy of Music, filmmaker Daniel Lohaus will appear at a screening of his film "When I Came Home," which chronicles the stories of homeless veterans from Vietnam to Iraq.

Audiences will have the chance to get inside the independent filmmaking process with several panels discussions. On Nov. 11, "From Script to Screen" and "Producers Panel" will feature writers who have sold to the industry and producers who have made independent films discussing how to get an independent film made. On Nov. 12, award-winning filmmaker Larry Hott of Hott Productions/Florentine Films will present "Anatomy of a Documentary." Hott has received an Emmy Award, two Academy Award nominations, and a George Foster Peabody Award. All panels are free.

Tickets for individual screenings and all festival passes will be sold at the Academy of Music box office and all venues during the festival before each screening. Advance general admission tickets will be available starting Nov. 1 at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce and the Academy of Music Box Office.

Tickets are $8 for general admission and $7 for students and seniors, except for opening night ($10). WGBY Public Television members receive a $2 discount off individual tickets, and $15 off all festival passes. For more information, including a complete festival schedule, visit www.niff.org.

©2006 by G. Michael Dobbs. These words are mine alone.

Backstage at the show

Here's a recent story I wrote concerning our governor's race. Now many times I want to actually tell me people the literal truth of what happened, but I can't for fear that people would say I wasn't "objective."

So I thought I could tell the folks who read this blog the kind of things that can go on in a political story.

I arrived 20 minutes early and found one of the advance men setting up a portable lectern and speaker system. He said the candidate would be on time and things would start promptly at one p.m. I had time to go to the bank and returned in 15 minutes. I was the only member of the local press present. There was no candidate. A reporter from the daily paper came at 1 p.m. identified himself and was told the candidate would be forth-coming. He sat down near-by and read a paper and muched on a donut. It made me wish for a donut!

I was chatting with a local state representative and two of the three (!) supporters who had turned up.

It wasn't until 1:20 p.m. when a television reporter arrived that things started getting busy. Once Mr. TV had set up his camera, the candidate's aides made a cell phone call and the candidate stepped out of a car that had been parked on the corner. He was there for the entire time. He oculd have spoken with us and we could have been on our way.

But no. Like nearly all politicians, he waits for TV.

Some day, I'm just going to walk and tell the pol (whoever he or she is) to walk until their hat floats if they feel that have to make me waste MY time so they can get their 90 seconds on the local newscast.

Anyway, the story was a political distraction from real issues in the campaign.

SPRINGFIELD – Reed Hillman, the Republican candidate for lieutenant
governor, slammed Democrat Deval Patrick on Patrick’s stand to allow
illegal aliens to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses.

Hillman said that if allowed, Massachusetts would become “a magnet” for
illegal aliens from across the country.

Libby DeVecchi, a spokesperson for the Patrick campaign, told Reminder
Publications that Patrick expressed a personal opinion about granting
illegal aliens a license as a means of documenting them. It is not an
official position of the campaign.

Hillman was joined at a 1 p.m. appearance at the Federal Courthouse by
three supporters and State Representative Mary Rogeness (R-Longmeadow).

Rogeness said that every year a bill is filed in the Legislature to
allow licenses to be issued to illegal aliens and it has never been passed.
She said that keeping the existing statues intact is “critical.”

If Patrick is elected, Hillman said, “No doubt a bad idea will become
instant reality.”
With illegal aliens holding driver’s licenses there would be greater
insurance fraud and abuse, Hillman said. He envisioned a situation in which
illegal aliens could become involved in accidents, come back with a new
name, obtain a new license and drive without repercussion
.
He noted that a driver’s license is a “passport” to jobs, welfare
benefits and moving across the Mexican and Canadian borders.

According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, currently an
applicant “must produce at least four documents to apply for a permit,
license, or ID. These documents will be used to confirm your identity, date
of birth, Massachusetts residence, and signature. Three identification
documents must be from the List of Acceptable Forms of Identification and
must be satisfactory to the Registrar. At least one of the three
identification documents must be from the list of Primary Documents. The
fourth required document is your Social Security Card or your current US or
non-US Passport.”

The required documents include: Social Security Card or a current US or
non-US Passport; a document proving your date of birth; a document proving
you are a resident of Massachusetts; and a pre-existing document containing
your signature.

“Kerry Healey and Reed Hillman are once again trying to change the
subject from the current Romney/Healey administration’s failed record of
cracking down on state contractors who hire undocumented immigrants. Their
administration has failed to enforce state law. The Romney Healey
administration’s failed record also includes the Big Dig mess, property
taxes and fees going up by hundreds of millions of dollars and fewer cops on
the street,” DeVecchi said.

© 2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs. Blame me.

Two very different forms of comedy are in this week’s DVD column.

Nacho Libre

From the 1920s through the 1960s, many comedians working in films
routinely developed personas they carried from role to role and character to
character. In the last 25 years, though, we’ve seen comics such as Steve
Martin, Jim Carrey and Robin Williams who might have signature bits of
business they use in their films, but not a re-occurring character.

Adam Sadler has reversed this with his aggressive man-boy character and
Jack Black is another who has established a character he brings from film to
film.

Black has risen from being a supporting actor in films such “High
Fidelity” and “Orange County,” to a star in films such as “School of Rock”
and “Shallow Hal.” His roles tend toward aggressive blowhards with a manic
quality.

“Nacho Libre” marks a toning-down of his comic persona. Perhaps it was
the influence of director Jared Hess – known for his break-out film
“Napoleon Dynamite” – but Black’s character of Ignacio is one of his most
calm yet.

Ignacio is a cook at a Mexican monastery who is obsessed with being a
masked wrestler. He is torn between his love of the children at the
orphanage the monastery operates and his need to fulfill his destiny as the
best wrestler in Mexico.

Complicating matters is the arrival of Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la
Reguera) to the orphanage who becomes both an inspiration and an forbidden
love for Ignacio.

Ignacio’s somewhat unwilling tag team member is Esqueleto, a tall thin
young street person who doesn’t share Ignacio’s vision, but does like the
money even losing brings him.

Ignacio wants to earn money to buy the children better food and, despite
his obsession, he is really the first sweet character Black has played.
That’s what makes this film different. Despite the wrestling plot line,
there is actually a gentleness about the story. The result is this film
doesn’t have as many belly laughs as some of Black’s previous films, but it
might stand out a bit more as something decidedly different.

I liked the film a great deal, but then I’m a sucker for anything
dealing with Mexican wrestling.

For more information, log onto www.paramount
entertainment.com/homeentertainment.

Wonder Showzen: Season Two

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I popped in a disc from this two disc
set of the MTV 2 comedy series and I have to say that I was genuinely
surprised, amused and appalled at what I saw.

Imagine “Sesame Street” on angel dust and you might have a glimmer of
what this show is like. It’s not only a parody of the beloved children’s
show that features puppets involved with drugs and violence, it’s also a
show with a reality edge. There are regular sequences in which kids go out
on the street with un-scripted “man on the street” bits that are totally
outrageous.

My favorite reality sequence, I’m ashamed to admit, had a group of men
as part of a focus group in which they watched a calculatedly offensive
parody of “Hee Haw.” None of the these guys thought the show was in poor
taste. Their humiliation was increased when they were brought back months
later and shown how they were deceived on a national television show.

Some of the sequences are fairly funny and inventive, while others
pretty much horrified me.

This is very dark, cynical stuff and it most definitely not for
children.

For more information, go to
www.paramountentertainment.com/homeentertainment.

Two very different forms of comedy are in this week’s DVD column.

Nacho Libre

From the 1920s through the 1960s, many comedians working in films
routinely developed personas they carried from role to role and character to
character. In the last 25 years, though, we’ve seen comics such as Steve
Martin, Jim Carrey and Robin Williams who might have signature bits of
business they use in their films, but not a re-occurring character.

Adam Sadler has reversed this with his aggressive man-boy character and
Jack Black is another who has established a character he brings from film to
film.

Black has risen from being a supporting actor in films such “High
Fidelity” and “Orange County,” to a star in films such as “School of Rock”
and “Shallow Hal.” His roles tend toward aggressive blowhards with a manic
quality.

“Nacho Libre” marks a toning-down of his comic persona. Perhaps it was
the influence of director Jared Hess – known for his break-out film
“Napoleon Dynamite” – but Black’s character of Ignacio is one of his most
calm yet.

Ignacio is a cook at a Mexican monastery who is obsessed with being a
masked wrestler. He is torn between his love of the children at the
orphanage the monastery operates and his need to fulfill his destiny as the
best wrestler in Mexico.

Complicating matters is the arrival of Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la
Reguera) to the orphanage who becomes both an inspiration and an forbidden
love for Ignacio.

Ignacio’s somewhat unwilling tag team member is Esqueleto, a tall thin
young street person who doesn’t share Ignacio’s vision, but does like the
money even losing brings him.

Ignacio wants to earn money to buy the children better food and, despite
his obsession, he is really the first sweet character Black has played.
That’s what makes this film different. Despite the wrestling plot line,
there is actually a gentleness about the story. The result is this film
doesn’t have as many belly laughs as some of Black’s previous films, but it
might stand out a bit more as something decidedly different.

I liked the film a great deal, but then I’m a sucker for anything
dealing with Mexican wrestling.

For more information, log onto www.paramount
entertainment.com/homeentertainment.

Wonder Showzen: Season Two

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I popped in a disc from this two disc
set of the MTV 2 comedy series and I have to say that I was genuinely
surprised, amused and appalled at what I saw.

Imagine “Sesame Street” on angel dust and you might have a glimmer of
what this show is like. It’s not only a parody of the beloved children’s
show that features puppets involved with drugs and violence, it’s also a
show with a reality edge. There are regular sequences in which kids go out
on the street with un-scripted “man on the street” bits that are totally
outrageous.

My favorite reality sequence, I’m ashamed to admit, had a group of men
as part of a focus group in which they watched a calculatedly offensive
parody of “Hee Haw.” None of the these guys thought the show was in poor
taste. Their humiliation was increased when they were brought back months
later and shown how they were deceived on a national television show.

Some of the sequences are fairly funny and inventive, while others
pretty much horrified me.

This is very dark, cynical stuff and it most definitely not for
children.

For more information, go to
www.paramountentertainment.com/homeentertainment.

© 2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs. These words are mine alone.

The governor's race here in Massachusetts is heating up with daily press events and a slew of negative ads. What's a voter to do if he or she is undecided? That was my point of the following piece. Unfortunately, politics is a religion. Either you have the faith or you don't and too many people feel that to question their own status quo could result in finding out they are wrong.

And people hate to be wrong.

Hey what do I know? I voted for Mitt Romney thinking a political outsider who was an expert in job growth would be good for the state. Guess what? I was wrong.

That didn't hurt a bit.

The war of words in the gubernatorial race is getting more intense and three of the candidates seem to be trying to one-up each other.

Let me share with you excerpts from press releases I've received.

First, let me say I received several e-mails a day from the campaigns of Kerry Healey and Deval Patrick. Interestingly, I've never received anything from Grace Ross or Christy Mihos.

Here are two, both dated Oct. 4:

"Democratic Candidate for Governor Deval Patrick today was joined by public safety and law enforcement officials from across the Commonwealth who gathered to express their support for the Patrick/Murray ticket. The officials, part of a growing group of police officers and other law enforcement officials, praised Patrick's public safety plan, and pledged to work with him to fight crime and violence in Massachusetts...

"'Our response to crime must above all be firm. I see 1,000 new officers on the streets to restore community patrol ranks. Because prevention is the best and cheapest form of public protection, I will also implement proven prevention strategies, working together with youth workers, parents, civic leaders, schools and churches. We need to be tough on crime, and smart about crime, too,'" said Patrick...

"In the last 18 months, Patrick has received endorsements from several Massachusetts law enforcement and public safety officials and groups, including former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral, Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley, several sheriffs and district attorneys as well as the International Brotherhood of Police Officers and the International Brotherhood of Corrections Officers."

Okay, now here is the one I received from the Healey-Hillman campaign:

"Kerry Healey and Reed Hillman are the team Massachusetts can trust to be tough on crime and protect families, the State Police Association of Massachusetts and a broad coalition of law enforcement officials said today in endorsing the gubernatorial ticket.

"John Coflesky, president of State Police Association of Massachusetts, said Healey has been a leader and a champion of laws that crack down on sex offenders, drunk drivers and gangs, making Massachusetts' streets safer. Healey's leadership on Melanie's Law and tougher sex offender laws is evidence that she has what it takes to hold the Legislature accountable and pass tough anti-crime legislation.

"'Kerry Healey has refused to accept half-measures and Band-Aids, and pushed the Legislature until they got the bills right,' Coflesky said...

"Healey recently signed a new law mandating sex offenders be registered before being released from prison and extending the statute of limitations for prosecuting child rapists. Last week, she and running mate Reed Hillman called for dangerous Level 2 offenders to have their identities posted on the Internet, as is the current law for Level 3 offenders.

"Hillman spent 25 years with the State Police, with his final three years as Superintendent.

"Kerry Healey and Reed Hillman's extensive background in public safety and their priorities moving forward stand in stark contrast to Deval Patrick, who has been called 'soft on crime' by Attorney General Tom Reilly. Patrick supports restricting the content of criminal history reports available to employers and wants to give driver's licenses to illegal aliens."

Now who is the best when it comes to supporting public safety and fighting crime? Patrick has been a prosecutor with the Department of Justice, but also a defense attorney. He's being endorsed by Democrats and groups traditionally aligned with Democrats. There are few surprises there.

Healey has had expertise as a researcher on crime and Hillman was a State Trooper for 25 years. The endorsement from the State Police Association is as obvious as those supporting Patrick.

So on this issue who do you choose? That's the challenge. Voters must cut through the rhetoric to look at substance and try to discern the truth that works for them.

©2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs. My words alone.

The western Massachusetts crew is back from its triumph at the 2007 Rock and Shock Convention at the DCU Centre in Worcester, MA.

(First photo: myself and Amberly Ashe; second: The Rock and Shock Glowing Screen table crew of Jeff Allard, Matt House, Marty Langford, Darren Langford, Scott Kittredge, and Karl Konopka; third, Steve Bissette being interviewed; and last another shot of Amberly, what the hell!)

I say “triumph” because Marty Langford & Company sold a bunch of “Magdalena’s Brain” and the Western Mass Horror Show DVDs; I sold three-quarters of my “I Hate People” wristbands: and Amberly Ash managed, through handing out free candy to passersby, to sell quite a number of the horror film in which she appears, House of Carnage.

Honorary western Mass. resident (I can hear him snort now!) Steve Bissette also made a tidy sum on Sunday when he joined us. Steve is of course, the legendary cartoonist (“Swamp Thing,” “1963,” “Tyrant”), publisher (“Taboo”) writer (contributor to many books and magazines who now is a teacher at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, VT.

This was Steve’s first convention appearance in many years and people were gob smacked to see him behind a table once more.

Now Rock and Shock is an interesting concept in that it’s a horror film convention and a heavy metal rock show. We all went to it last year and were impressed enough we wanted to try to do something at it this year.

Steve and I worked a table at Chiller Con in New Jersey for years and this show is about one-tenth the size of that one. The advantage, though, is Rock and Shock is not as over-powering and as crowded as Chiller.

There were a number of guests selling autographs at $20 a pop and while I think it’s fine for actors to make money directly off their own fame, it’s sad that you simply can’t go up to them to say how much you admire their work without the awkward silence when they expect to sell you a photo.

Some of the my fondest memories of Chiller revolve around the guest stars coming around the tables and talking to you since at that time the Chiller staff mixed the guest and dealers together.

It all changed at Chiller the year that someone who shall remain unnamed convinced Mary Oromo and Barbara Steele that they were big stars that should charge people for their autograph even if it was on an item owned by the fan.

Working a show like Rock and Shock can be fun, but it’s also tiring. To get the folks to stop your table, you need to engage them in some way. Our technique was straightforward: say hello and try to establish eye contact. Of course this didn’t work so well with the guys wearing some sort of horror make-up and determined to stay in character.

Well, at Rock and Shock, film makers Marty Langford, Warren Amerman, Scott Kittredge, Jeff Allard, and Karl Konopka got to mix with other independent film makers, which was a plus at this show. Attendees were impressed with what these guys have done and rightly so.

I got the satisfaction of having accurately judged the audience and created a product that moved off the table at the right price point.

Media Blasters interviewed Steve for an extra on an up-coming DVD. His reward? A tee shirt!

And we all got a charge out of Amberly offering candy to guys walking by and then quickly convincing them to buy her film and an autographed photo.

Would we do it next year? It’s tempting to say “yes,” but I think we’d all want bring something new to the show and that’s the rub.


© 2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs. My private life has nothing to do with my professional one, so understand these words are my own alone.

Two great, but very different, documentaries and some classic television are in this week's DVD picks.

SCTV: Best of the Early Years
Before the great comedy show "SCTV" was a 90-minute weekly network show, it was a half-hour syndicated offering. This new three DVD set collects 15 of the very best episodes of the shows first broadcast between 1978 and 1980.

"SCTV" poked fun at television in a way that has seldom been matched. Despite many topical references, these shows are still very timely and funny today.

In these programs, the "SCTV" cast members developed their characters such as SCTV station owner Guy Caballero who uses a wheelchair to gain respect; station manager Edith Prickley; incompetent newsman Earl Camembert; horror show host Count Floyd; and über Canadians Doug and Bob McKenzie.

There's some very funny stuff here including the wonderful episode in which Woody Allen (played by Rick Moranis) tries to make a movie with his idol Bob Hope (impersonated perfectly by Dave Thomas). There's also another dead-on Moranis impersonation when he becomes Dick Cavett interviewing schlock comic and "SCTV" regular Bobby Bittman played with a crass appeal by Eugene Levy.

In some of the shows, John Candy and Catherine O' Hara are missing and were replaced with Robin Duke and Tony Rosato. These shows are a little weaker than those with Candy and O'Hara, but generally they are still more entertaining than much of what passes for comedy on network television today.

There's a great extra in the collection that is a vintage Canadian news story on the popularity of the McKenzies.

For more information, log onto www.shoutfactory.com.

Off to War: from Rural Arkansas to Iraq
If you missed this 10-part documentary series when it was first broadcast last year on the Discovery Times Channel, you now have the opportunity to catch it on DVD. The entire series plus extras will be available Oct. 17.

Two brothers, Brent and Craig Renaud, embedded themselves with the Arkansas National Guard between 2003 and 2005. They followed 57 men from one small town in Arkansas as they prepared to go to Iraq, their experiences in the war zone and their lives after their tour of duty.

The filmmakers clearly were not only interested in how the war affected the Guardsmen, but how it affected their families. An over-riding concern is how many of the Guardsmen would be able to make money once they return, as their jobs might not be waiting for them.

This is very compelling viewing. It poses many of the questions people have about the purpose and legitimacy of the war from the perspective of these citizen soldiers.

It's not easy viewing, either. The unit sustains casualties and fatalities and we see how these men react. We see how the families must cope with a wounded family member and how the nightly news reports fill them with dread.

It's also troubling to see soldiers fighting a war who don't understand what the war is all about or why they are fighting it.
This is television at its finest. You have to watch this series.

For more information, log onto www.kino.com.

Tales of the Rat Fink
Documentary director Ron Mann has fashioned a thoroughly original look at an American original: Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.

"Big Daddy" who?

If you don't remember the custom cars and crazy cartoon characters by Ed Roth in the 1960s, then you should know this is a man who changed American popular culture in some very big ways.

Roth was an artist, a mechanic, an iconoclast and a savvy businessman. A man who barely made it through high school, Roth was part of the hot rod culture of the 1950s. Out of that time, when he was building hot rods and designing custom paint jobs, Roth developed the first tee-shirt with a design to be worn just by itself. That's right, Roth is the guy who invented the style of tee-shirts that have become part of the modern American lifestyle.

He also was the first car designer to use fiberglass as the material to push custom cars from hot rods made from Detroit cars to works of moving art.

His character of Rat Fink - a reaction to Mickey Mouse - helped people embrace weirdness as a positive rather than negative social norm. Roth was a classic outsider who changed the mainstream of American culture. He helped make it possible for other outsiders to do the same thing.

Mann tells Roth's story in an unconventional but entertaining way. He includes few film clips - the standard documentary element - and instead uses animated photos of Roth that accompany a narration track by John Goodman who plays Roth. Goodman is a Roth fanatic who met the man and does a great job with the vocal performance.

Mann also has cars "tell" Roth's story and employs the talents of people such as ZZ Top member Billy Gibbons, artist Robert Williams, Beach Boy Brian Wilson, Jay Leno and Ann-Margaret to play the succession of custom automobiles.

Funny, nostalgic and educational, "Tales of the Rat Fink" is a great salute to a one of a kind man.

For more information, log onto www.shoutfactory.com.

© 2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs. My words alone.

First, the big news...the Inkwell Productions "I Hate People" wristbands have arrived. They will be making their debut at the Rock and Shock Convention in Worcester, MA this weekend, but you can order one from me for just $4 ($3 plus a dollar postage). E-mail me for ordering details. Comes in two sizes: large and extra large.

The following post is my story on the recent gubernatorial debate here. If you're a non-Massachusetts resident, I'm sure this wil be fairly boring, but for in state readers, I hope it will be an alternative to the debate coverage from the other local press.


SPRINGFIELD - Some debates are like boxing matches with two opponents trying to take each other out.

Others resemble the elimination wrestling bouts in which participants gang up on each other until two are standing in the ring.

The western Massachusetts gubernatorial debate on Oct. 3 at American International College was definitely more of a wrestling match with the four candidates squaring off at each other.

Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, the Republican candidate, and Democratic candidate Deval Patrick were clearly interested in engaging each other in the issues. Standing in their way, literally and figuratively, was independent Christy Mihos who was taking pot shots at Healey every chance he could get.

And although Green-Rainbow Party candidate Grace Ross might have been initially discounted as too far to the left to be taken seriously as a candidate, she showed an ability to talk about issues aimed at both the middle class and voters who are middle road.

***
Patrick began his time in Springfield with an afternoon press conference at which he and his running mate Mayor Tim Murray of Worcester received the endorsements of Mayors Rick Sullivan of Westfield, John Barrett of North Adams, Michael Sullivan of Holyoke, Charles Ryan of Springfield, James Ruberto of Pittsfield, Mary Clare Higgins of Northampton, Christine Forgey of Greenfield, Michael Tautznik of Easthampton and Michael Bissonette of Chicopee.

Patrick also received the blessing of Congressman Richard Neal and, perhaps more significantly, the endorsement of the Springfield Patrolman's Union. The local has traditionally backed Republican candidates for the corner office and when asked why the change this year Union President Tom Scanlon replied with a smile, "We've finally smartened up."

Patrick said that unlike one of his opponents - Healey - he is not a "criminal theorist." He said that he headed at the Department of Justice under President Bill Clinton, the largest criminal investigation in the history of the department prior to the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

He pledged to put 1,000 new police officers on the streets of the Commonwealth if elected and to use resources to help prevent crime as well.

Patrick's stand on crime was both a subject of the debate and of the days following the debate with news stories breaking that Patrick had written letters in support of a convicted rapist who he thought may not have received a fair trial.

The Healey campaign also brought to light a Florida trial in which Patrick successfully argued to reduce police killer Carl Ray Songer's death sentence to life in prison.

In a statement released on Thursday by the Healey campaign former Florida prosecutor Tom Hogan wrote, "Every voter in Massachusetts needs to know and understand the facts of this case, and the devastating effect it had on Trooper Smith's family and our community. Massachusetts needs to know these are the types of cases Deval Patrick agreed to take as a private attorney.

"In my career, I prosecuted numerous capital murder cases. No one deserved the death penalty more than Carl Ray Songer. Unfortunately, Mr. Patrick came in and worked to get his sentence reduced, on a technicality."

The Patrick campaign was also questioning Healey and running mate Reed Hillman's past in law and order issues.

In an Oct. 4 statement, the Patrick campaign wrote, "It is the height of politics-as-usual that the Healey/Hillman campaign is criticizing Deval Patrick today, when their Lt. Governor candidate Reed Hillman's record includes contacting the parole board on behalf of James W. Mitchell, a 'buddy,' who was accused of assaulting a police officer and other crimes; when Kerry Healey skipped more than half of the meetings of the Criminal History Systems Board during her two year appointment there; and when the Romney/Healey Administration has vetoed support for the sex offender registry and their record on crime and public safety is one of cuts in public safety initiatives and rising crime and violence."

***
Public safety was a concern with some of the demonstrators outside of the Sprague Cultural Center on the AIC campus. About 200 people carrying signs for their Sprague Cultural Center on the AIC campus. About 200 people carrying signs for their candidates were gathered and one group had signs that were more provocative than most alluding to Healey as "soft on crime."

The protesters were from the Massachusetts Corrections Officers Federated Union. The union's president, Steve Kenneway, explained the 5,000 member union wants voters to know the Romney-Healey administration has taken steps which have "endangered officers" in the Commonwealth's correctional facilities.

***
Although there are more debates scheduled this was the only one for western Massachusetts. Produced by WGBY, moderator Jim Madigan policed the debate's time limits to the best of his abilities, but it was clear that candidates were willing to stretch the rules.

Healey asked the first question to her opponents on whether or not they would go with the will of the voters and roll back the state income tax to five percent.

"Is your will more important than the will of the people," she asked.

Mihos said he would support a rollback, but any governor would need the support of the Legislature, something he said Healey has not sought.

Patrick said he would rather reduce property tax and fees.

Ross said that people in Massachusetts have talked about "no new taxes for 16 years and we're drowning in no new taxes."
She said she would work for a new formula for the state income tax so the lower economic groups would pay only their fair share.

Healey declared that no one had answered her question, a statement that might have been technically true - no one did address whether or not their will was more important than the will of the voter - but was disingenuous. All of the candidates had stated their goals for revamping the state income tax.

Mihos asked a question about all of the candidates crashing a closed door meeting on health care. Ross said with a smile, 'We're going," but Mihos's questions was clearly aimed at Healey and the transparency of a Healey administration.

"Answer me," he asked Healey. "You didn't answer me."

Looking at Patrick, Mihos said, "He'd go to the opening of a letter."

Finally, a slightly exasperated Healey said, "I'm not with you."

Patrick, taking on a parental role, said, "All right, you two."

Within the first few minutes of the debate the pattern of relationship had been struck, Mihos, who briefly discussed how he had been removed from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the board of the University of Massachusetts by Acting Governor Jane Swift as part of political payback, seemingly was in this race to be a spoiler.

He seemed fixed on a course on challenging Healey when political wisdom would have called on his challenging the status quo represented by both Healey and Patrick.

With the release of his television commercial in which officials place their heads in a difficult place to reach to avoid answering questions about Big Dig cost over-runs, one wonders if Mihos simply wants to be the monkey wrench tossed into the machine of this election.

Mihos, who in his concluding statement said with a broad smile, "It has been a pretty good debate," did get to specifics at several points during the hour-long forum.

When Patrick asked what three specific steps each candidate would take to rebuild the state's economy, Mihos said he would put a cap on property taxes; increase local aide to communities from 28 percent of the state budget to 40 percent; and eliminate any busing fee for Massachusetts school children.

Ross said that bringing in big corporations to develop jobs was a failed policy and she said she would increase the state minimum wage; develop a single payer healthcare and put more money into local infrastructure to " take the weight off of the taxpayer and small businesses."

Healey said she would lower taxes, reform the permitting procedures businesses face and change the state's automobile insurance system.

Patrick asked her why she and Governor Mitt Romney haven't already accomplished these goals, especially streamlining the permitting process. For Healey, this was an example of the double edged sword of having a record. She is both running on her record as the junior partner of the administration, while at the same time distancing herself enough to be seen as someone out of Romney's shadow.

Patrick said that he would be a governor who wouldn't go around the nation making Massachusetts the butt of his jokes as Romney has during his undeclared run for the Republican presidential nomination.

***
With the debate in Springfield questions on local affairs were raised including the future of the Finance Control Board (FCB) set in place by Romney and the Legislature to take over much of the governing of the financially strapped city of Springfield.

Patrick said that, while the FCB has been helpful in managing the city of its crisis, he would speak to local officials about the Board's future to ensure Springfield could stand on its own.

"I want to be an active participant" in the city's recovery, he said.
Healey credited the FCB for the city's ability to recover from a $40 million deficit and work toward a balanced budget. She thought the reforms the FCB instituted - putting the city's pension fund and health insurance plan into the systems run by the state and instituting merit pay for teachers - could be implemented around the state.

Mihos would "take the Board out as soon as possible." He thinks annual outside audits would prevent another financial collapse from happening again.

Ross said she didn't know the Romney administration supported democracy as they had "removed most of Springfield's." She said she would look for "realistic" plans to help the city.

"Springfield has brilliance that's not being tapped," she said.

***
The clumping of reporters around the candidates after the debate always is an interesting barometer of their popularity. The reporters seeking a post-debate quote mobbed Healey and Patrick, while Mihos attracted substantially less interest.

Ross seemed to care less about the ritual. She left the stage and went about the audience greeting supporters and talking with people.

© 2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs. My words alone. Blame no one else.

I posted the draft of the first chapter of my Fleischer book over on Made of Pen and Ink. Check it out! Chapter Two should come aboard some time this week.

Hey, I'll be joining my pal Marty Langford (Magadelina's Brain) at his table at the Rock and Shock Convention in Worcester, MA, Oct. 14 and 15. Marty will be selling his and other independent movies and I will have a new product firmly aimed at the disenfranchised....a black silicone wristband that reads I HATE PEOPLE.

Yes it's a wristband for the rest of us! Inkwell Productions is back in business with something no one needs but I hope a lot of people will want!

Big bad Steve Bissette will be making an super duper rare convention appearance by joining us on Sunday. He'll have goodies to sell and sign as well. If you are a Bissette fan this may be your only chance to see Steve at a convention for years to come! It's hard to pry him out of his Vermont mountain compound! We had to use a crowbar!

We may have a couple of other guests at the table as well, but they have yet to be confirmed. Our spot will be the place to be. I will be handing out complimentary Squirrel Nut Zippers as long as they last.

Google Rock and Shock and get the latest details.

© 2006 Gordon Michael Dobbs. Boy, I hope I haven't offended any one!

"Head Trauma," the new film from producer, director and writer Lance Weiler, was released on DVD on Sept. 26 and Weiler has avoided the sophomore curse.

Weiler and Stefan Avalos made history in 1998 when the pair produced "The Last Broadcast," the first motion picture that was shot digitally and then transmitted by satellite to theaters which used a digital projector to present the film.

What made the pair's accomplishment all so much more impressive is they did it as independents working far outside of the studio system.

While other filmmakers have tried to obscure this milestone, Weiler and Stefan made movie history. They also made a good movie, the premise of which was stolen by the producers of "The Blair Witch Project."

"The Last Broadcast" is being re-released on DVD in a new edition packed with extras on Sept. 26 as well.

Weiler is now back with his second film, which is a taut psychological thriller. Undoubtedly one of the savviest independents making films today, Weiler has been touring the nation with a theatrical release of "Head Trauma" prior to the home video release to build up a buzz among critics and fans.

He recently appeared at the Latchis Theater in Brattleboro, Vermont, with the film.

***
"Head Trauma" tells the story of George Walker, a homeless man who returns to his grandmother's house after a lengthy absence. Walker hopes to fix up the now condemned house - his grandmother has been dead for five years - and turn his life around.

It's not easy as there is a neighbor who wants the house demolished and Walker has no real resources to do the work that needs to be done.

What's worse though are the dreams he is having about a figure in a parka who clearly wants him out of the house. Walker increasingly is having problems distinguishing whether or not the hooded figure is actually real.

Anyone who has waken from a sound sleep wondering if what they experienced was just a dream will identify with Walker's situation.

The film is well directed and keeps viewers off-balance, as any good thriller should. Josh Cramer's editing and Sam Levy's photography matches the tone of the story perfectly.

Shot in an actual condemned house in Scranton, Penn., the film transcends many other current horror and thriller films by actually being about something - a man's redemption. Vince Mola as Walker is quite good in conveying the desperation of a man who yearns to be "normal" but has problems that prevent him from doing so.

Although Weiler could have added the elements that have become standard in the horror and thriller genres - sex and explicit violence - he avoids them. He opts for a clever story and a solid lead performance instead to carry the film.

"Head Trauma" shows what the potential is for independent films. In an era when bloated Hollywood films can fail to deliver the story-telling goods, Weiler proves again you don't need $50 million to make an enjoyable film.

***
Weiler shot "Head Trauma" on a 90-day schedule that was stretched over much of 2004. The complete production budget for the film was $126,000 - peanuts by Hollywood standards.

The film's story was inspired by a very bad car accident that Weiler had 12 years ago. His car was struck head-on by a garbage truck and Weiler spent five days in intensive care. He had very lucid dreams that he couldn't tell if they were real or not.

After spending two and half years and $1 million developing a television show for FOX only to have a new executive regime kill it, Weiler said he wanted to work on something over which he had complete control.

Based in Pennsylvania, Weiler asked city officials in Scranton if they could help him find an abandoned house that would be the centerpiece of the film. Since the city has lost 75,000 people with the closing of nearby coalmines, Weiler had many houses from which to choose.

"They were incredibly disturbing and disgusting," he said. He noted that the house he chose made the crew uncomfortable and few wanted to work in the house by themselves.

Weiler joked that working on the film "felt like head trauma."

True independent film makers - unlike those whose projects are backed by major studio boutique labels - have to "wear 15 hats," he said.

"Film making is problem solving. You're always trying to find creative ways to solve problems," he said.

For more information, log onto www.hereticfilms.com.

© 2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs. These are my words alone.

New England's great state fair is in town....here's some observations...

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The mixing of agriculture, state pride, gimmicks, gadgets, performances and corn dogs that is known as the Big E is back for its annual run and as usual the fair is its usual a blend of the familiar and the new.

This reporter spent an afternoon at the Big E looking for both the new and old and is happy to report he found both.
This year's edition posed the question whether or not martinis and state fairs are a good mixture. From the satisfied looks of the people enjoying the fair's new signature cocktail, the "E-tini," one might surmise the unlikely combination seemed to work.

Rick Hebert was behind the bar and he said the "E-tini" was a blend of locally produced V 1 Vodka, Godiva Dark Chocolate Liquor, vanilla extract, cream and chocolate sauce.

The idea behind the drink was to replicate the flavor of the popular Big E creampuff.

The "E-tini" was one of several being offered at the price of $8 and Hebert said that they were a hit with fair goers.

***
Some people may go to the Big E for the entertainment, while others enjoy the selection of fair food. I'm an example of taking the boy off the farm, but not taking the farm out of the boy.

The Mallory Complex is a favorite of mine with its "milking parlor" that allows children and adults like to see cows being milked to its exhibit of products made from New England wool.

I just like to wander around and look at the various animals. While I was there sheep judging was going on. The complex was filled with sheep and cows and the people were getting many of their livestock ready for the ring.

The animals in the Mallory Complex change over 13 times during the fair, so if you go multiple times to the Big E, you'll see something new there.

Other agricultural displays can be seen in the Farm-a-rama building. The displays of all that is grown on family farms had quite a few winners from western Massachusetts with Michael Pietruska of Southwick picking up third place.

***
I love gadgets and the Big E remains a serious gadget destination point. This year displays of wood stoves seem to be everywhere as well as various devices that pick up pet hair from furniture.

What always amazes me is the Big E continues to be one of the few places for a very old-fashioned - but effective - way of selling merchandise. The company that makes Oxy Clean has been at the fair for years and despite the fact they are selling their products in stores supported by national television commercials, they are back at the fair with an Oxy Clean detergent ball.

Their representatives do demonstrations that result in substantial sales - I saw dozens of people walking around with the detergent balls.

It's reassuring in this time, when so many exchanges between people are made through technology, to see this one-on-one salesmanship.

Now despite the promise I make to my wife every year, I couldn't resist getting something. As I've got a lot of painting to do I was intrigued by a device that rolls your masking tape onto windows and molding apparently effortlessly.

I elected, however, to buy a painting device that rolls your paint right next to molding perfectly without having to mask it. I'll let you know how it works.

***
I sometimes yearn for the days of 20 years ago when the fair had numerous traveling attractions from a car supposedly owned by Adolph Hitler to a wax museum on wheels to the world's smallest horse to the world's largest lobster.

Today there are fewer and fewer of these kind of features, but the best one at the fair is Bear Country. For $1, you get to see a variety of obviously contented and well-kept bears from a conservation farm in a clean and air-conditioned trailer. It's probably the best buck you'll spend at the fair.

Those attractions are part of what I call the inexplicable part of the fair: things you don't expect to see and are not quite sure why you're seeing them, but they are there.

For instance, there is one booth near the Better Living Center featuring items from Mexico and among them were rows and rows of colorful Mexican wrestling masks. Is there a demand for them? I don't know.

There was Bryan Berg in the New England Building who was building a replica of Fenway Park out of playing cards. It was fascinating in an odd way.

For $20, a company called "Dance Heads" would make you a DVD featuring three people lip-syncing to a popular song while their heads were superimposed onto animated cartoon bodies. The booth was drawing quite a few on-lookers to watch the process.

***
The State Buildings are always interesting because of the image each state wants to advance to the one million-plus Big E attendees. Each building has a delicate balance between industry, tourism and commerce.
Of course, I'm a partisan, so I like the Massachusetts offerings a lot because so many of them are from here, western Massachusetts. Koffee Kup Bakery, Chicopee Provisions, Wilbraham & Monson Academy, local farmers and honey producers, Atkins Farms, Shriners Hospital and the Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners were among those with displays.

So the face of Massachusetts the state chooses to present at the Big E is largely our face. Well, it is the Commonwealth's best side.

***
The Big E runs through Oct. 1.
©2006 Gordon Michael Dobbs. My words alone.

Just how do you view other states?

Quick, take my lightning round quiz. If I say "Alabama," you would say? How about Wyoming? New Jersey? Delaware?

In my e-mail box this week was an intriguing report from Global Market Insite, an international polling organization. The company undertook an international survey of how people view each of the 50 states in terms of branding.

The poll attempts to qualify each state as if it was a product and whether or not the survey participants identify each state as a positive, well-known brand.

The surveys reports "the most striking thing about the State Brands Index is the high level of knowledge of the respondents. Looking at the responses of over 21,000 people in 16 countries to a large number of questions about the 50 states of the Union really emphasizes the power and familiarity of Brand America. Surely no other country is - or has ever been - so famous that a sample of consumers from around the world know so much about its individual administrative regions.

The survey noted that different nationalities gave high marks to different states. The British ranked New England higher. Mexicans liked New Mexico, Illinois and Utah, while the Germans liked states that had traditional German immigrant populations.

The survey's questions ranked the states on their presence in the national arena; the climate and topography; the potential for business and the potential for recreation; the efficiency of the state's government; and who lives there.

Overall, California was ranked first; Florida, second and Hawaii, third. The last states were Delaware at 47, Michigan at 48, Alabama at 49 and New Jersey in the final spot of 50.

In New England, the top state was Vermont at 14, Maine at 21, Connecticut at 26, Massachusetts at 29, New Hampshire at 30 and Rhode Island at 35.

So what does this mean? The survey's author, Simon Anholt, notes that "most interestingly it is clear that quite a few states have a genuinely international brand that could prove to be an enormous business advantage in the increasingly border-less world, if the power of those images can be properly harnessed."

So here's a challenge to our elected leaders: how do we improve the image of the Bay State? And how do we make our current image work for us?

Here's one idea: how about asking - not legislating - that every product made in the state carries a symbol denoting it was made in Massachusetts?

© 2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs

New post at That's Thirty as well.

Two very different films are featured in this week's DVD column.



Beavis and Butt-head Do America

Ah, this film makes me nostalgic for those wonderful days in the 1990s when animation aimed at adults actually had originality and edge.

Nostalgic for Beavis and Butt-head? How long does it take for nostalgia to set in? Well "Beavis and Butt-head Do America" is 10 years old, but the decade has not dulled the film's satiric edge.

Once a staple of MTV, "Beavis and Butthead" showed what one could accomplish in limited animation given a clever concept, sharp writing and good vocal performances. B & B are two apparently unsupervised teenagers who are remarkably thick about everything else in the world except music videos. Their critique of the music they watch on MTV is as cutting as their behavior in the real world is dumb.

The premise of the feature film is to bring B&B out of their house, school and fast food jobs and into the country as a whole. When someone breaks into their home and steals their television set, they set out on a quest to find it.

They become implicated in the theft of a deadly viral weapon and are pursued by a FBI agent who orders cavity searches for everyone he encounters. They also may actually meet their fathers, although the four men are too dense to realize it.

The film is funny, although I readily admit that B&B's antics are an acquired taste.

The DVD features a pretty candid interview with B&B creator Mike Judge on the making of the film as well as a commentary by Judge and animation director Yvette Kaplan. It also has a useless bit called "The Smackdown," which features every scene in the film in which someone is getting slapped.

For more information, log onto www.paramount.com/

homeentertainment.

Mountain Patrol: Kekexili

This 2004 Chinese film is the first production bearing the label of "National Geographic World Films," and although it is not a documentary, the story it presents is based on fact and was shot in Tibet where the real story took place.

Zhang Lei plays a Beijing journalist who comes to Tibet in 1996 to write a story on a group of civilians who are attempting to strop the poaching of the endangered Tibetan antelope that is prized for its pelts.

He gets more than just a story, though, as he is accepted in the volunteer group headed by Ri Tai (played by Duo Bujie). When the poachers murder one of Ri Tai's men, there is a new level of intensity brought to the effort to stop the poachers.

As the patrol travels further in the desolate Kekexili region, they are the victims of unforgiving weather and terrain. As they go deeper into the area, more about the group and their motivations is revealed as well.

Shot in Tibet, the film has a riveting look. It shows us a part of the world that few of us are ever going to see. Chaun Lu's direction is understated. He understands that the land and the challenges that go with it have a greater impact on the viewer than flashy editing or over-the-top performances ever could.

It's interesting to read the production journal about this film on the National Geographic web site for it (www.nationalgeographic.com/mountainpatrol) as the filmmakers risked their health and lives making this movie in the high attitudes and the thin atmosphere of the Tibetan plains.

This is the kind of movie that is an antidote for the standard Hollywood fare that deadens our cinematic taste buds. Go rent it.

A fun but very dramatized bio pic, a blast from the 1980s and a movie that will still galvinize audiences 20 years after its release are in this week’s DVD offerings.

Take the Lead

Antonio Banderas proves once again he is one of the charismatic actors working today in the film based on the life and work of dancer and teacher Pierre Dulaine.

Now the movie is only "inspired" by Duliane's groundbreaking work in the New York City schools teaching ballroom dancing. If you want to see an accurate version of Duliane's work, then rent a copy of "Mad Hot Ballroom."

If you're looking for a fun and inspirational film on which kids with behavior problems work through their difficulties thanks to the discipline of learning how to dance, then this is your movie. It's not a classic, but it is a film that is thoroughly entertaining.

Banderas not only looks the part of the soft-spoke dance instructor, but he shows he can dance as well. His young co-stars also carry off the dance duties quite well.

Although Alfre Woodward plays the role of the doubting high school principal a little too broad and the conclusion of the film is sheer Hollywood hokum, these are minor distractions to an otherwise enjoyable film.

For more information, log onto www.taketheleadmovie.com



Tom Snyder's Electric Kool-Aid Talk Show

Deadheads and fans of the peace and love generation will want to see this new release from Shout Factory that packages several segments from Tom Snyder's "Tomorrow Show" from 1979, '80 and '81.

Snyder was a great conversationalist whose interview style could include hard-hitting questions mixed with personal observations. His long-running program on NBC came on after "The Tonight Show," and often featured guests who wouldn't be considered for prime time.

This DVD has two interviews with author Tom Wolfe, one with Dr. Timothy Leary, and another with author Ken Kesey and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, who performs four songs.

The interviews with Wolfe are pretty interesting as the veteran social observer speaks with Snyder about American society. The Leary interview is a little odd as Snyder clearly has some doubts about Leary and the role he played in make legitimizing illegal drugs.

If Shout Factory is going to mine "the Tomorrow Show" archives as it has with those of "The Dick Cavett Show," there should be many more interesting compilations.

By the way this DVD is of particular interest locally as Leary was a native of Springfield and Wolfe mentions Springfield in one of his interviews. He was a reporter for the former "Morning Union," in the 1950s.

For more information, go to www.shoutfactory.com



Body Double

Just in time to help promote the new Brian DePalma thriller, "The Black Dahlia," is one of the director's most controversial films. When released in 1984, "Body Double" angered many critics with what some people saw as anti-woman movie.

I saw the film then and haven't seen it again until the release of this DVD. It's no more misogynynistic than a million other Hollywood films. Actually it's a pretty clever collage of various cinematic styles and influences.

Craig Wasson plays Jake Scully, an unemployed actor, who gets a housesitting gig from another actor. The perk is not only the opulent house and amenities, but also the view of a beautiful neighbor who performs an erotic dance in front of her window every night.

What Scully doesn't realize is that he is being set up as a witness to a murder of that neighbor. The only person who can help him discover who the killer is a porn star named Holly Body, played by Melanie Griffith.

DePalma had made a name for himself as a latter day Hitchcock with films such as "Sisters," "Dressed to Kill" and "Blow Out." This film may be his most overt homage to Hitchcock with a little bit of "Vertigo" and "Rear Window."

The cinematic ingredients don't stop there, though. DePalma pulled a Quentin Taratino by adding a grisly murder straight out of a drive-in film. He also dabbled with "porno chic" by considering casting a prominent porn actress in the documentary on the film, DePalma wouldn't name just who in the "Holly Body" role. DePalma said that this actress did work with Griffith on her role.

With its lurid plot, significant violence and porn backdrop, "Body Double" still is a film that can polarize an audience. It's not for everybody, but if you like DePalma's work and if you've not seen this one as yet, it's well worth checking out.

For more information, log onto www.paramount.com/homeentertainment.

A local note here...Now through Sept. 28, Holyoke Community College is featuring an exhibit titled "Shockers" in the Taber Art Gallerty.

The exhibition features one-of-a-kind hand-painted movies posters from Ghana from the 1980s. At that time exhibitors would bring a TV and vcr from village to village to present movies. They commissioned local artists to paint these posters on cloth so they could be easily rolled up and carried from site to site.

Often times the artist had nothing more than a title to work on and they were told to emphasized those elements that would best draw in an audience...sex and violence.

The collection is owned by Michelle Gilbert, a faculty member at Sarah Lawrence College, and they are on sale for $350 each. If you search for similiar images on the web, you'll see an African firm selling these kind of posters from around $110 on eBay.

There will be a reception on Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. I'll be there!

©2006 Gordon Michael Dobbs. My words alone.