Sunday, October 5, 2008

Zucker's Harpooning the Left Dead On Target

Saw An American Carol yesterday here in my small (22,000 population) Texas town 56 miles south of Dallas. Our cinema is a small fourplex with about 250 seats per auditorium. There were 27 people including me at the 1:25 showing I attended. The price of admission here is $2.25 before 6PM, so the cut for the producers was minuscule for this showing.



It even fleetingly passed my mind to drive up to Dallas and pay full price in order to put my mouth where my money is to show my support for a film finally espousing Conservative Views. However, those same Conservative Views looked upon the $20-$25 of gas needed to make a 112-plus mile round trip to Big D and back as a silly waste of money that would not add anything to the total box office of An American Carol.



Now, on to the film and be warned there is a “Spoiler Alert” within as there are a few in the following.



Of the actors, several stood out. Let me touch on just a few. Kevin Farley nailed his Michael Malone/Moore role, but the character's coming around in the ending didn't ring true to me as I suspect the real Mike Moore would never, ever attempt in any way to stop any terrorist bombing of Americans in real life.



PS Kevin, don't waste time expecting "SNL" to call.



Kelsey Grammer’s Georgie Patton was both campy and close to home to anyone who has a more than passing knowledge of the real George S. Patton verses the bastardized Hollywood left version that never really existed. Grammer's effort is well done, but I fear it will not be viewed as such for I feel Kelsey's 20 years as Dr. Frasier Crane will forever haunt him in any role as much as his Patton character haunts his nemesis in this flick. If I could somehow make a Zucker type campy film, it would be a takeoff on the Hope-Crosby Road Pictures with Kelsey playing Bob Hope, but that is for another day when I win a $300 million lottery to produce that sucker.



Of course, Zucker regular Leslie Nielsen (Gadzooks, is this guy older that Barry Sullivan? Sorry, very, very old school 1960ish inside Hollywood joke!) was his usual crazy, funny, zany self.



Chriss Anglin’s JFK was a home run hitting it out of the park with his showing “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty” quote was a pledge of American values completely outside the realm of today's anti-American Democrat Party.



Even though I am not a Bill O’Reilly fan at all, he was excellent playing a non-bloviating self and Vicki Browne's Rosie O'Connell was dead on in harpooning the real whalelike Rosie O'D!



Fred Travalena was unrecognizable as Jimmy Carter but then again, Jihadmmy himself is mostly unrecognizable as an American President in his nowadays love of anything unAmerican.



I have to add Gail O’Grady as a guilty pleasure as one of God's greatest creations I ever laid eyes upon even in her uglied up, dressed down part as one of the Michael Moore character's liberal cohorts.



The humor was very much in the Airplane/Naked Gun Zucker style and so very much hit the nail right on the head in targeting the Loony Liberal Left. I found myself not alone in laughing out loud many, many times as our merry band of 27 sounded at time several score loud.



Yet in all this zany madcap fun, there was a few moments that bought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eyes.



One was at the ending when a visualization of American fighting men from past wars was shown.



There was much said about David Morse playing George Washington in the HBO miniseries “John Adams” earlier this year. I watched it on DVD and had to agree Morse's acting was excellent in showing the stern, stoic Washington as history records.



Yet Jon Voight’s portrayal of George Washington absolutely floored me. In a sea of outragious comedy, seeing Voight in character was a stunning moment. The stark dignity and overwhelming humanity of the first view of this character was heart stopping. In the very brief scene his speaking of the dust within the chapel being the remains of the victims of 9/11 brought a chill to my spine and tears to my eyes.



Anyone who could watch this and not be similarly moved must be either a typical Obama Loving Liberal Democrat or Jihad Terrorist but it is so hard to tell the two apart.



But then again, isn't that the real message this film brings out?



And I could not agree more!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Biased or Just Opinionated?

After 40 plus adult years of watching Republicans and Democrats talk politics and being asked questions on their differing points, there are distinct differences in the style and methods of their answers in this day and time. That leads us to how the media covers the whole political enchilada.


Watching James Carville comment on Sarah Palin’s debate performance on CNN was akin to having a cat offer an opinion on how an ala carte lunch of mouse taste. Needless to say, James gave the Alaskan Governor marks that were below Beelzebub's views on original sin while Joe Biden was the Second Coming just behind the First Coming, Obama Himself.


What is the value of having Carville trash Palin like a bastard calf?


None at all unless you are a 100% Liberal Democrat.


Which lead us further down the political path to the value of asking any of today's Democrats any question?


Think back on all the questions asked of all Republicans and Democrats on all the political shows on all the news programs on both broadcast and cable the past 10 to 15 years.


For the most part, the Republicans give an answer and many times that answer is shaded with the Republican’s opinion, but it is an answer to what was asked. Now, 99 times out of 100 the Democrat never ever answers the question except for repeating the DNC’s daily talking points. The Democrat will most times continue this talking points tirade trying to talk over and drown out anyone else’s point of view.


Keep this in mind the next time you watch any time any Democrat is on the air answering any question other than the normal Mainstream Media's “Isn't Obama the greatest thing to ever happen to mankind?”


There is nothing wrong with having an opinion as it would be a very dull world if everyone agreed 100% on everything. But when one is biased everything they say is shaded with that outlook.


Example: the Obama campaign has implied that any criticism of his views are racist. If you do not agree with his every word, you are racist. If you do not follow him to the letter, you are racist. If you do not vote for Obama, you are a racist.


This view is a subtle undercurrent in four fifths of all news coverage getting us back to CNN asking James Carville’s opinion on Sarah Palin’s debate performance.


Which finally gets us to the proof in the pudding, are all the television news divisions and cable news channels overtly in the tank for Obama other than Fox News?


Yes, ABC, CBS, MSNBC and CNN are all so pro Obama that it is embarrassing to watch them claim to be unbiased while patting themselves on the back for showing how fair and banalced they are in trashing of any and all Conservative Republicans.


Combined with their fawning over Obama and presenting him in a Messianic light of epic proportions, to those of us old enough to recall, todays Mainstream Media's coverage of Obama is like the old days of Pravda, the Soviet version of truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth as the Kremlin says it, period!


Fox News is Fair and Balanced and one can readily agree that in a world of Liberal Spin offered as fact on the other news outlets, presenting both sides as Fox does can look odd. Just as a ray of light looks odd in a sea of darkness.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

...And she's a girl!

What I'd like to hear tonight:

“Hello, my name is Sarah Palin and if you have been listening or watching the main stream media lately, you will have heard that I have a funny name. That I do not look like the guys on the dollar bills. That I am a scary gun nut. That I have absolutely no experience at all. That I am a terrible parent and a criminal to boot. And by the way, do you know I'm a girl?

“We all know the pompous main stream media is in the tank for Barack Obama and the Liberal Democrat agenda while they cry aloud they are unbiased, only fair observers and wrapped up in the holy truth of impartial journalism. What a load of whoey!

“They are not fooling the American people, they are only fooling themselves. And this November, the American People will make them eat their words.


“Now, I am a reformer and have been in government from the local level up to the Governor of the largest state in the union. When you sit on a city council or are the mayor, you learn how to deal with matters that make a difference and you learn to make quick, firm decisions for your citizens. You decide correctly and you continue in service. You decide wrong and they vote you out.

“At the state level, the matters are larger and more important, but you still use the same experience and judgment to make those decisions again for the best interest of the citizens you serve. How well you do is measured by how your constituents view you, your methods, your judgment, your results.


“I do not think it would be bragging here to say the voters of my state of Alaska kind of like me, my judgment and my service to them.


"In Alaska, contrary to a certain refrain posted on youtube, we are proud to have few crack heads and law breakers. We believe in the rule of law and work hard to keep our state free and law abiding.

“The main stream media can take their shots at me and my husband. We are adults and can take the heat. We know know how to fire back at them. But this same brave, unbiased gaggle of reporters, anchors and pundits have taken aim at my children. That I do not accept as fair game and I will fight to the death to counter their scurrilous assaults on an innocent 17-year old girl and a baby only months old with Down Syndrome.


“Have the main street media any ethics? Any morals? Have they any shame?


“Evidently not when it comes to anyone who is a Conservative and a Republican.

“Does anyone noticed that while the elite liberal press can send hoards of their crack reporters up to Alaska to search for scandals and flaws in me, my family and my judgement while they turn a blind eye to the utter lack of any accomplishments by Barack Obama other than his running for President since almost the day he came to the US Senate less than two years ago?


“This ‘unbiased’ press does not care what experience Obama has as they want him and his liberal agenda elected at any cost, even at the cost of their so called journalistic integrity.

“I am an avid hunter and fully believe in the Second Amendment. It says the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The Supreme Court recently decided that was correct and the people of the United States have this right. If Barack Obama is elected, he will appoint Supreme Court Judges that will rewrite the Second Amendment and take away our right to keep and bear arms for defense of home and property. These same liberal judges will redo the Constitution by judicial fiat to where the original intent of our Founding Fathers will completely disappear.


“My time in local and state government has taught me the importance of serving the people to the best of my ability. I have created budgets and then made them work for the betterment of my constituents. I have run a state government and commanded the Alaskan National Guard.


“My executive experience is real and if you ask Joe Bide what executive experience he has, he will tell you he rode the rails between DC and Delaware.


“Ask Barack Obama what executive experience he has, he will tell you he has run for President.


“I am proud to accept your historic nomination for Vice President of the United States and I am doubly proud to run with a true American hero, John Mc Cain, the next President of he United States.


“Together we will go across this nation to ask for your votes and with your blessings, John and I will serve you all to the best of our abilities.


“Good night and God bless the United States of America.”


These words are copyrighted this 3rd day of September, 2008, by myself, Danny Clay Lee, yet I freely give Sarah Palin the right to use these in any way she feels best.


Go, Cuda, GO!


Sunday, August 24, 2008

Last time at the flicks and other semi-related ramblings...

Watched Street Kings and The Amatures on DVD recently and they were a mixed bag.


Street Kings really impressed me as I am not a fan of Keanu Reeves at all, but Keanu really impressed me with his acting. For the first time he played a character that I didn’t see as ‘ever so cool’ Keanu Reeves trying to act. Maybe he has finally grown up. The plot of Street Kings seemed to be an semi-update of LA Confidential that started really, really strong and kinda petered at the end with an ending I would have written much better had the pudknocker producers had me re-doctor the screenplay before shooting began. Hey, my script doctoring rates are pretty deadgum reasonable!


So, maybe there is hope for the 2008 remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still.


Then again... maybe not.


As to The Amateurs it was so-so as it had a lot of actors I really like (Tim Blake Nelson, Joe Pantoliano, William Fichtner, Glenne Headly, Lauren Graham, etc) in it, I was disappointed in Jeff Bridges' performance big time again! IMHO since The Big Lebowski in 1998, Jeff has gone down hill steadily with no bottom in sight! I thought he deserved an Oscar for Starman in 1984. He was great in The Fabulous Baker Boys & Wild Bill yet then came The Big Lebowski and pfftttft! (Polite way of saying “Dropping deeper and deeper in to the bottomless manure pit!”


BTW if you’ve not watched them, check out “Burn Notice” and “In Plain Sight” on USA cable channel and “Eureka” on the SCI FI Channel. They get my 100% Hot Babes About Seal of Approval and the storylines & plots are pretty darn good, too!


Now, sportfans, just a point to ponder with all this call for change as if there has not already been a boat load of change hereabouts!


My Grandfather was born in 1901 and he died in 1977. In the short 76 year span of his lifetime, mankind first took to the air in 1903 and landed on the Moon in 1969 and returned safely. By Grandpa’s death, man had been to the Moon six times and for all practical purposes abandoned further trips to develop the shuttle for low Earth orbit endeavors.


For all that to happen within one man’s life is amazing. That is not even mentioning the two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and many smaller wars that came and went. Mankind was barely talking on the telephone from city to city and electric lights was mainly in the big cities in 1901 but the roots of the World Wide Web were just around the corner in 1977. Henry Ford’s Model-T was not yet invented when Grandpa was born, but at his passing, the anti-American Middle East petro holdings was just beginning to be come a really, really big problem.


Well, I was born in 1947 and if, God willing and the creek don't rise, I reach Grandpa's age of 76, it will be 2023 and maybe, just maybe, we will have Americans back on the Moon for good and getting read for them to go on to Mars and beyond. If so, I will want many more years to see how it all comes out.


However, if Obama gets elected, I might just opt out early and save getting massacred when Barack's change to a silly 'let's all love each other' ways allows Al-Qaeda to nuke us.