'Best of TBH Politoons'
Ralph Cuts The Classics #7
Forbidden Planet
Ralph Cuts the Classics
Forbidden Planet is not a classic. It's classic science fiction. There is a difference. The 1950's science fiction genre is to filmmaking what diners are to cuisine. Now, I'll admit that I grew up watching movies like this on Channel 11 in St. Louis on Saturday afternoons or late nights when I waited for my dad to come home from working at McDonnell Douglas. There is, I will not dispute, a certain nostalgia here.
Forbidden Planet is the story of a military expedition to a planet where a scientific expedition had disappeared. When the ship (piloted by Leslie Nielson in his film debut) arrives that the planet, they are greeted by Robby the Robot, who takes them to the last survivors of the scientific expedition, Dr. Morbius (Walter Pigeon) and his scantily clad daughter Altaira (Anne Francis. I will leave the costuming decisions of Dr. Morbius for his daughter to Freudian psychologists, who would probably have much to say about this movie:
Morbius: "As long as you are in my house you'll live by my rules and you will not wear skimpy miniskirts!"
The scientists quickly learn that Morbius is up to no good, as he has stumbled on alien technologies that drive people insane. Morbius, with his massive ego, is able to contain the technology, but it appears that the dangerous part of the technologies hides within his subconscious.
Many sci-fi buffs call Forbidden Planet a cross between Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and Freudian psychology. As in all cases where you borrow from Shakespeare and attempt to introduce an additional element, filmmakers tend to muck up the ingenious simplicity. Stuck in Shakespearean dialog, which is an unnatural series of soliloquies and pronouncements, Forbidden Planet surely appeals to sci-fi buffs because of the attitude of Morbius, who is meant to be the villain, but turns out as some kind of strange hero that Poindexters who spend their lives hunched over computers can identify with, secure in the superiority of their knowledge. It takes superior actors than this cast to carry off Shakespeare.
There is also a classic theme: fear of technology and scientist. During the 1950's, a subtle change was underway in how Hollywood viewed science. Scientists went from being viewed as heroes and potential saviors to being viewed as a dangerous menace. This is an important lesson for us today. Hollywood is currently in this same cycle
where scientists invent germs that turn people into crazed monsters or genetically engineer monsters or develop technology that gets out of control
Forbidden Planet is, therefore, a kind of anti-science fiction movie. The heroes are warriors; the villain, ultimately, is the man of science.
Highlighting Forbidden Planet, I want to point out that, rather than being a classic, it is at best a classic of the genre, which is notorious for weak filmmaking.
Tip From Kip
The dB's
Donate for hurricane relief, and download a new recording by The dB's
New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund
The dB's are offering their newly recorded, previously unreleased version of
the Motown classic "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" to help raise money
for the displaced musicians of New Orleans.
Hurricane Katrina is a disaster of such epic proportions that it would be
pretentious to write about in the context of the website for a rock band.
Suffice it to say that New Orleans IS the home of American music. Period.
Not "was," either.
Not one but two members of The dB's have been made homeless by Katrina.
Peter Holsapple and his family are fine, but their home is almost certainly
beyond salvaging. Jeff Beninato is also fine but had to evacuate; his
second-floor apartment may or may not have escaped damage, he doesn't know
yet (and may not for a long time).
They don't need immediate financial help, but many New Orleans musicians do.
Jeff Beninato met with some great people at Chase Bank in Chicago and, in
conjunction with New Orleans Director of Music Development Scott Aiges, has
set up the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund. Donations to the fund will go
directly toward getting struggling musical artists back on their feet. It
will provide money for food and shelter to those without, and hopefully
replace musical equipment that was lost.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
FEMA's Blocking Of Relief Efforts -- An Amazing List (rense.com)
FEMA won't accept Amtrak's help in evacuations
Bush Quotes about Bin Laden
For your amusement and future reference, here's what Bush has said about bin Laden at various points in time, depending on how he was trying to spin things:
Andrew Tobias:MARRIAGE
The California legislature passed a gay marriage bill; Governor Schwarzenegger plans to veto it. He shouldn't. Take 30 seconds to discourage promiscuity, strengthen the social fabric (that's what stable, supportive relationships do), and add a little happiness to the world:
* Call Governor Schwarzenegger - 916-445-2841
* Press: 2
* Press: 1
* Press: 1 to support marriage equality
It's all automated. No need to speak to anyone. Thanks for the help.
MAHER
In case you missed HBO's "Late Night with Bill Maher," here was his open letter to the President: "Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you any more. There's no more money to spend--you used up all of that. You can't start another war because you used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people. ..."
Paul Krugman: All the President's Friends
(Click on "Columns," then on "All the President's Friends")
The lethally inept response to Hurricane Katrina revealed to everyone that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which earned universal praise during the Clinton years, is a shell of its former self. The hapless Michael Brown -- who is no longer overseeing relief efforts but still heads the agency -- has become a symbol of cronyism.
ROGER EBERT: Toronto #4: Festival notes
Gwyneth Paltrow starred in the stage version of "Proof," the story of a brilliant mathematician's equally brilliant daughter.
ROGER EBERT: Toronto #3: Stars galore
... a Nevada cop ... clocks him at 140 on the Indian and observes that while Nevada has no speed limit, drivers are expected to drive sanely. Good thing the cop doesn't know the Indian has no brakes.
New Yorker Cartoon
In Search Of A New Image
Re: Katherine Harris
Hi,
She is at it again. She is trying to show she's not just another pretty face.
Colby B
From the Frostproof place.
Thanks, Colby!
Berlin Art School Project
'The Punishment'
Kiez Avantgarde Kunstschule is a contemporary art project involving pre-teen children from Soldiner Kiez in Berlin, Germany. During a summer workshop, the artists Ondrej Brody (CZ), Ivars Gravleis (LAT), Kristofer Paetau (FIN) and Avdey Ter-Oganian (RUS) introduced a group of children into the practice of contemporary art...
Please have a look at: 'The Punishment'
Kristofer P
Vielen dank', Kristopher!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Still sunny & 15° cooler than seasonal.
Benefit Concerts & Events Continue
Hurricane Katrina
Upcoming celebrity benefits and Internet auctions to raise money for relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina:
The Roots will hold a benefit concert Friday in Philadelphia. Also performing will be Jill Scott, TV on the Radio, Deerhoof and New Orleans' TBC Brass Band. Proceeds will go to the NAACP's hurricane relief effort and the TBC Brass Band, who were left homeless following Katrina.
Kevin Smith is holding an online auction, ending Friday, on his Web site, http: 1/4 1/4http://www.ViewAskew.com, with items including a walk-on role in his upcoming movie, "Clerks 2: The Passion of the Clerks."
Jazz at Lincoln Center will host a benefit concert Saturday in New York, airing live on PBS. Participants will include Wynton Marsalis, Bill Cosby, Elvis Costello, Robert De Niro, Paul Simon and Bette Midler. Lawrence Fishburn will host and a CD of the concert will be later released.
The New Yorker will host "Parting the Waters," a benefit to be held Sept. 24 in New York featuring music and readings inspired by the artistic culture of the Bayou. Participants include Lou Reed, Woody Allen, Elvis Costello, Kevin Kline and Toni Morrison.
Film critics Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper will host a preview screening of "Walk the Line" in Chicago Sept. 25. With tickets $100 each, all proceeds will go to the Red Cross.
For a lot more - Hurricane Katrina
Happy to Be Working Clubs
Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle, who walked away from his hit TV series earlier this year, said working in front of smaller audiences is more his speed.
Chappelle, who sold out 10 shows at a northern Kentucky club, said doing standup is "like I'm hanging out with a bunch of people."
Chappelle has said he was unhappy with the direction of his show. His decision triggered reports that he had mental or drug problems, which he denied.
Dave Chappelle
British Salute
Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti has received a medieval British honor in recognition of his fundraising and humanitarian work with the Red Cross.
Pavarotti, 69, was given the Freedom of the City of London, a privilege which in medieval times allowed recipients to trade within the commercial center of the British capital.
The largely symbolic honor formerly bestowed the right to drive sheep across London Bridge and be hanged with a silken cord if handed the death penalty.
Luciano Pavarotti
Harry Shearer, Judith Owen Launch Label
Courgette Records
Harry Shearer has put his stamp on such iconic roles as Spinal Tap bass player Derek Smalls and "The Simpsons" nosy neighbor Ned Flanders, but he's about to add record label owner to his resume.
Along with his singer/pianist wife Judith Owen and her manager Bambi Moe, Shearer has founded Courgette Records, whose first release is Owen's latest album, "Lost and Found."
(Courgette is an English term for zucchini -- a wink to the infamous airport scene from "This Is Spinal Tap.")
The label, which will be distributed by Warner Music Group's Alternative Distribution Alliance, was the result of the couple's frustration with the major record companies.
Courgette Records
Baby News
Heidi Klum
German supermodel Heidi Klum has given birth to a baby boy in Los Angeles, and the mother and her son, named Henry, are doing well, Klum's spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
The 8-pound (3.6-kg) infant is Klum's first with British pop singer Seal, whom she married in May. She also has a 1-year-old daughter, Leni, from her previous relationship with Formula One race car manager Flavio Briatore.
Heidi Klum
Moon, Sun and Yosemite Align
Ansel Adams
Says Comments Were Disgusting
Laura 'Pickles' Bush
Earlier this month during a live hurricane relief broadcast on NBC, rapper Kanye West accused President Bush of not caring about black people. First Lady Laura Bush responded to the rapper's comments during a radio interview on Thursday (September 8). The First Lady said, "I think all of those remarks are disgusting, to be perfectly frank, because of course resident Bush cares about everyone in our country. And I know that. I mean, I'm the person who lives with him. I know what he's like, and I know what he thinks, and I know how he cares about people."
West, for his part, has attempted to clarify and offer an explanation for his statements. During the BET S.O.S. Telethon on Friday (September 9), the rapper said, "I just let my heart speak for itself without thinking about my image or how it's gonna hurt me financially. I felt the world needed to hear from me...I just do it and I say what I really feel."
Laura 'Pickles' Bush
Lousy Ratings
'Shelter From Storm'
While Americans are donating generously to Hurricane Katrina relief funds, they're apparently running out of patience for stars telling them to give.
Friday's benefit, "Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast," was seen by fewer than 24 million viewers despite being shown on 29 networks.
That's less than one third of the 89 million people who watched its model, the somber "America: A Tribute to Heroes," which ran shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to Nielsen Media Research.
It's also fewer than the number of people who typically tune in to a new episode of "American Idol" or "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."
'Shelter From Storm'
Son Ordered to Stand Trial
Chaka Khan
The son of R&B singer Chaka Khan was ordered to stand trial in the shooting death of a teenager at a party last fall.
Damien Patrick Holland, 26, is charged with fatally shooting 17-year-old Christopher Baily of Los Angeles in September 2004 as the two struggled for a gun during a fight. Holland surrendered to police in February.
Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner on Monday found sufficient evidence to allow the case to proceed, said district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons. Arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 26.
Chaka Khan
Pick Boy Successors
Olsen Twins
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen want to make Cole and Dylan Sprouse the male versions of their teenage girl merchandising empire, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The 13-year-old Sprouse twins shared the role of Julian in Adam Sandler's 1999 film, "Big Daddy," just as the entrepreneurial 19-year-old twin actresses played Michelle Tanner on television's "Full House," which aired from 1987-1995.
With the brand name of D.C. Sprouse, Cole and Dylan will be the face of a boys division that will include DVD movies, CDs and other merchandise for the Olsens' Dualstar Entertainment Group, the newspaper reported Monday.
Olsen Twins
Judge Freezes Assets
Marion 'Suge' Knight
A judge has frozen the assets of Marion "Suge" Knight in a ruling that favors an imprisoned drug dealer, who wants half of a $107 million court award to his wife.
In March, a Los Angeles judge ordered Knight and his companies to pay $107 million to Lydia Harris, who claimed she helped start Death Row Records and was owed money from the recording label.
Michael Harris, who is serving a 28-year sentence at San Quentin State Prison, argues that he's entitled to half of his wife's award.
Marion 'Suge' Knight
Connie's Husband Keeps Job
Maury Povich
Maury Povich has signed a new multiyear contract to continue hosting his syndicated talk show, "Maury," its distributor said Monday.
The details of Povich's new agreement were being kept under wraps, including the financial terms and the exact length of the deal. NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution would say only that the new agreement "will keep (Povich) hosting the hit talk show for years to come," but it's believed to cover a three-year term.
During the 2004-05 season, "Maury" averaged a 2.9 household rating, down 3% from the previous season, according to Nielsen Media Research, positioning it as the No. 4 syndicated talker behind "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Dr. Phil" and "Live With Regis and Kelly." The show, which kicked off its eighth season Monday, airs in more than 98% of the U.S.
Maury Povich
Prime-Time Nielsen
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Sept. 5-11. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.
1. (X) NFL Football: Oakland at New England, ABC, 18 million viewers.
2. (X) "2005 NFL Showcase," ABC, 16 million viewers.
3. (3) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 12.9 million viewers.
4. (17) "60 Minutes," CBS, 11.7 million viewers.
5. (109) "The O.T.," Fox, 11.5 million viewers.
6. (X) "CSI: Miami," CBS, 11.3 million viewers.
7. (8) "Without a Trace," CBS, 11.2 million viewers.
8. (X) "Two And Half Men," CBS, 11.2 million viewers.
9. (84) "The Simpsons," Fox, 11.1 million viewers.
10. (X) "Two And a Half Men," CBS, 10.5 million viewers.
11. (17) "Cold Case," CBS, 10 million viewers.
12. (X) College Football: Texas at Ohio State, ABC, 9.9 million viewers.
13. (X) College Football: Miami at Florida State, ABC, 9.7 million viewers.
14. (58) "Law & Order" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.)," NBC, 9.2 million viewers.
15. (109) "Family Guy," Fox, 9.1 million viewers.
16. (X) "The War at Home," Fox, 8.7 million viewers.
17. (23) "Law & Order," NBC, 8.7 million viewers.
18. (16) "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," NBC, 8.5 million viewers.
19. (X) "Prison Break," Fox, 8.5 million viewers.
20. (X) "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition-Sunday," ABC, 8.3 million viewers.
Ratings
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