Comments on: My Best Fiend (Apologies to Werner Herzog)

By: Rick

Rick — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:22:01 +0000

Yeah, I’ve always heard that the film is a hoot, but somehow just have never gotten around to it. Gotta get hold of it and see it.

By: Gloria

Gloria — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:36:31 +0000

I don’t know how to exactly describe it, but I could say it’s a very-very sixty/seventies (therefore a bit psichedelyc) film about a wealthy anarcho-capitalist played by Peter Sellers, who teams up with Ringo Starr to sabotage British Society, Arts and Sport. Pre-Monty Python John Cleese and Graham Chapman are also appearing (and collaborating in the script)

Plot-wise, is sketchy, but has some brilliant gags. It’s sort of Buñuelesque, for a British film.

there’s a good number of big names doing cameos there: Lee is one of them, and I’m not mentioning more people as I could be spoiling something (as some cameos are uncredited)

By: Rick

Rick — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:16:09 +0000

That’s true … they don’t seem to do as much of that as they used to. Maybe because there aren’t as many “big” personalities around, so nobody to do self-parody

I’ve never seen “The Magic Christian” … might have to check it out.

By: Gloria

Gloria — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:51:52 +0000

The other day I was watching “The Magic Christian” with my brother, and he was pretty amazed (and amused) when he realized that one of the characters wasn’t an actor imitating Christoher Lee, but Mr. Lee himself playing the vampire in a parodic vein… Come to think, there was a time when films could afford such luxuries.

By: bill r.

bill r. — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:26:21 +0000

Oh, the original. The remake…well, let’s call it misguided.

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:39:47 +0000

Bill –

Are you talking the original or the remake?

By: bill r.

bill r. — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:49:11 +0000

I’d be up for that. Let me know when you’ve seen it, and we can work something out. The thing is, I love The Wicker Man, but I think it’s often misunderstood even by those who also love it. It’s a fascinating movie.

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:25:16 +0000

Bill — Yes, the voice … I hope it’s natural, and it wasn’t because he screwed it up with cigarettes or something … but whatever it was, it was probably worth it … and look, he’s 86-years old this year, so it hasn’t killed him yet.

And yes, I’m a Presbyterian (U.S.A.) pastor. (we’re the liberal ones). I don’t make a big deal out of that around here, because if folks know, it alters their perceptions of me and my work. I’d just as soon be judged by what I write and say, and not by some preconceived notions of what pastors think or don’t think.

And as soon as I watch The Wicker Man, I’ll let you know. It’s on my Netflix list. Maybe we can do a cross-blog review of it or something. I’d like to do more of that multi-blog kind of thing.

By: bill r.

bill r. — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:11:46 +0000

And another thing…I really need to write a post about The Wicker Man some time. I have much to say about that film. Rick, I saw you refer to yourself once as a “man of the cloth”? Were you being serious? If so, I’d be very curious to know your take on that film.

By: bill r.

bill r. — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:59:40 +0000

And oh Lord, that voice. I don't know what he had to do to get those pipes, but whatever it was, I'll do it, too. As a PS - Cowboys for Christ started off as a novel by Hardy, which you can pay too much for to get a used copy of on-line (at least, it costs too much on Amazon). My understanding is that the novel has similar themes to The Wicker Man, but isn't a "re-imagining". At the same time, I remember Hardy trying to get another movie made that was also referred to as a re-imagining, to star Lee, called May Day, but that one has dropped off IMDB. So I don't know. Maybe Hardy decided to go with his original novel title, but Cowboys for Christ and May Day are really the same thing.