Destructible Man

Yojimboen - Thanks for confirming the title card i...

2011-07-20T15:33:23.551-07:00

Yojimboen - Thanks for confirming the title card issue -- for a few hours while we were putting this piece together on 2 coasts, we were a little confused since we were looking at 2 different versions of this film... Larch was one of those guys like John Vernon who, even late in his career, was being "introduced" in main title credits. Heads like that are irreplaceable to late 20th century mainstream American cinema.

Chip -- You bet your bottom bippy, The Black Klansman is on our deconstruction cue. Many and much thanks for stopping by and speaking up! And great job over at your own Cinemachine!!!

Great flick, great post. I recently saw "The...

2011-07-20T13:50:19.642-07:00

Great flick, great post.

I recently saw "The Black Klansman" ('66) which had another little black girl victim mannequin. What happened to it had me saying "holy shit" to the screen for about half a minute! A good outright race-hatred exploitation film overall, might be worth your time if only for the destructible!

Thanks JMF! Excellent association to Blade Runner,...

2011-05-20T14:51:09.594-07:00

Thanks JMF!
Excellent association to Blade Runner, as well! Both Bride and Blade are about vengeance with conscience, reflection and regret.

FYI your guess that the two title cards were creat...

2011-02-21T12:24:43.177-08:00

FYI your guess that the two title cards were created for European consumption is correct.

I saw the movie the movie a dozen times growing up in the UK and remember them well.

For my money though, the star of the movie was John Larch as the toothpick-chewing vacant-eyed thug, Clem Wilson.

I don't think Larch ever got the praise he deserved for creating such an iconic character.

Great telling of a terrifying time in the South. ...

2011-02-19T12:03:11.143-08:00

Great telling of a terrifying time in the South. Even more terrifying is what happened next. These monsters born of man didn't sink into the Earth or all get put behind bars. Instead they hit the road looking for fresh feeding grounds, one of the spots where some of them settled down was McIntosh county Ga. Clear the other side of the state of Georgia just south of Savannah on U.S. 95 the most used highway for folks to get to Florida. It was along this stretch of highway that this scum was allowed to set up business by a man so ruthless and cruel no one thought to defy him. His name was Sheriff Poppell and you can read his story and the story to follow Phenix City in 'Praying for Sheetrock' by Melissa Fay Greene.

I have the M-16 that like the one John hit against...

2010-12-03T19:31:05.609-08:00

I have the M-16 that like the one John hit against the tree and can tell by the magazine that it is the same one . I thought they were the same size as the real thing and guess they are. Didn't see where you mentioned that the M-16 stock is made by Mattel a toy company.

Glad you liked it . A nice insight to a great amer...

2010-12-03T19:28:46.401-08:00

Glad you liked it . A nice insight to a great american film . Better than hokey stuff like private ryan . Need to get the poster . Will have to show this movie to my Scout Troop for the American Heritage merit badge .Liked the insight to the movie making like Stanley Krubricks hidden messages . Another great director .

Great post! I saw The Bride Wore Black last night....

2010-10-13T04:41:37.073-07:00

Great post! I saw The Bride Wore Black last night.

I agree with you on the scarf motif, it embodied freedom and release. The end of Bladerunner comes to mind as well.

This analysis hits the point in noting that Wayne&...

2010-10-10T21:42:24.610-07:00

This analysis hits the point in noting that Wayne's Green Berets was targeted at kids. In my opinion New York Times film reviewer Renata Adler was right when she said of the film: "THE GREEN BERETS is a film so unspeakable, so stupid, so rotten and false in every detail that it passes through being fun, through being funny, through being camp, through everything and becomes an invitation to grieve, not for our soldiers or for Vietnam (the film could not be more false or do a greater disservice to either of them) but for what has happened to the fantasy-making apparatus in this country. Simplicities of the right, simplicities of the left, but this one is beyond the possible. It is vile and insane."

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=990ce1d8163ae134bc4851dfb0668383679ede&pagewanted=print

Another incredible post: Thanks! (While a senior i...

2010-09-14T10:31:38.272-07:00

Another incredible post: Thanks!
(While a senior in high school, I wrote an essay trying to explain why I liked The Green Berets, even while knowing that it was a bad film (not "bad" politically, but poorly written and directed). My teacher then proceeded to explain "camp" to me.)

thanks for posting this

2010-08-21T13:35:28.139-07:00

thanks for posting this

Great post about a great film. Very insightful.

2010-07-24T02:08:42.494-07:00

Great post about a great film. Very insightful.

Thank you, thank you and thank you! Glad you enjoy...

2010-06-14T21:37:33.472-07:00

Thank you, thank you and thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the cuisine. With fine guests such as yourselves, it's always a pleasure to fire up the grill!

GI Joe is not a doll, it's an action figure! ...

2010-06-05T19:33:53.798-07:00

GI Joe is not a doll, it's an action figure!

Brilliant deconstruction of this entire film, the times it was made, the Vietnam War and the marketing of war to children (GI Joe, toy soldiers and Ker-plunk bring back some serious memories which are now further jaded by your relationship of them to this film). We always have to wait months for your posts, but they are always worthy of our patience and never disappoint.

God, I do love this movie. God bless your work an...

2010-06-04T12:03:55.952-07:00

God, I do love this movie. God bless your work and God bless the United States of America!

Awesome, awesome piece on what many called "t...

2010-06-01T17:08:41.427-07:00

Awesome, awesome piece on what many called "the wrong film at the wrong time."

Awesome, just AWESOME!

2010-03-09T07:59:53.560-08:00

Awesome, just AWESOME!

Great post! The Zoetrope imagery in particular is ...

2010-02-24T06:30:50.430-08:00

Great post! The Zoetrope imagery in particular is something that never would have occurred to me, but presented as it is here, there can be little doubt of its correctness.

I never realized there were so many dummy deaths in these two films. I guess if you're not looking, you could miss them.

And those shots of Karloff after tossing the old lady down the hole are things of beauty--like a painting, almost. This Whale fellow knew what he was doing!

jeez, you guys are hardcore!...

2010-01-11T17:57:13.348-08:00

jeez, you guys are hardcore!...

You need to bring these shows around the country, ...

2010-01-10T15:56:28.822-08:00

You need to bring these shows around the country, Barnum & Bailey style!

p.s. You've been awarded: http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2010/01/10/blogger-awards-2/

I seriously enjoyed your analysis of this movie, h...

2009-12-30T14:30:59.127-08:00

I seriously enjoyed your analysis of this movie, however I stumbled upon it. However! May I respectfully point out- that the horse was called "a white MARE"-- a female. Technically, it was an albino, not 'white'-and I could not tell on the film whether it was in reality a mare. More likely a gelding-- since mare's would not rear up as in the film, as a rule.
There is no such thing as a white horse, only shades of gray-as in Life. And, movies ARE artforms-- as subject to analysis and personal interpretation as any other art. If I were to view the film-I might take extra time to analyze the reactions/actions treatment of the women, since I am one; or of the Indians, since I am one, now that I claim it;or of the Spanish/Mexicans, since I married into that culture. Since I am also a horse person-I might take extensive time to analyse the treatment of the horses as portrayed in that artwork. True art can function as a mirror, letting you see truths about your self. They are not necessarily the same for everyone. When I first saw Rodin's The Thinker-I thought- hmm, he's having a hard time crapping. I myself struggle with that physiological issue. Did you see that? What do you see when you look at, say, Rodin's She Who Used to be the Beautiful Heaulmere"--excuse the spelling, please. From your anaylysis-- I would say that you are a gay man possibly non white-who had an overbearing controlling father figure. That I look at the Heaulmere statue-and see someone mourning the ravages of time upon my earthly body-I mourn, too. So you can figure out that I'm a post-menopausal female. When I watched Westerns as a child living in Arizona-- it just-- WAS.
Fish who swim in the water rarely analyze the water-it just, is. I never analyzed the dynamic of the possible gay connotations-it was not in my comprehension at the time, nor was it upsetting that the folks were racist. It was just the way it was.
See what I mean? Art is a mirror of self - but it is nice that you shared these, your personal insights about this artform. Um. I doubt that the pictures on either side of the judge's bench meant anything-- it was just the normal kind of thing to have on the wall of a government office. But, who knows? Like that sled- Rosebud- sometimes artsy folks do stuff on purpose. But I doubt seriously that Frosty the Snowman's carrot nose was a phallic symbol... as some have presumed. I do rather wonder where one would get a carrot in the dead of winter-and why that would be the only edible part of the snowman.But to quote someone -- W C Fields? -"Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar". I do like your website and topics though- I love it that the movies used dummies at that time. Originally-they used to just use a real horse, a disposable one. I understand that movies have gone full circle-that some of the nastiest movies on the fringes are not done with special effects, but with real disposable people. Humans are so nasty, don't you think?

Alright, you caught us...Arbogast actually wouldn&...

2009-11-19T07:07:22.347-08:00

Alright, you caught us...Arbogast actually wouldn't even dream of showing up. We just had to lure as many cool, sophisticated readers in as possible. Baiting the old hook with all the false promises that showbiz can muster!!!
But 2 out of three ain't bad...unless you are one of the three, which you are... So... You are stuck with sleazy Chris... :)

WAITAMINNIT NOW! This is truly an embarrassment o...

2009-11-19T06:23:29.313-08:00

WAITAMINNIT NOW! This is truly an embarrassment of entertainment riches. I was already excited about watching an array of mannequin mutilation, and THEN I found out about the cupcakes (which, you should know, helped me pull at least two additional attendees--chicks dig cupcakes). And NOW I learn that the cold hand of mystery known only as Arbogast is going to be in the room as well...! Good grief--I am gobsmacked.

Word verification: aleak. As in, my brain has sprung aleak as a result of this massive overload of excellence.

Your wish is our command! LINEUP is in the queue! ...

2009-11-18T18:59:21.387-08:00

Your wish is our command! LINEUP is in the queue! We've actually had that written for nearly 2 years but was waiting for a better source for images. Our previous copy looked like it was printed on toilet paper:)

We are looking forward to meeting you, Ivan! Just float over to us afterwards and hang for a while!

Spread the word and thanx!

Right on! I intend to be there! Check out the re...

2009-11-18T18:12:01.290-08:00

Right on! I intend to be there!

Check out the recently released on DVD The Lineup (directed by Don Siegel). There's a some good simulcracide (love that word!) towards the end--I don't want to spoil the surprise, so I won't say much.

See you Friday!