Big Weekend

Big weekend, salivating over Pop-Tarts World. 

Pop-Tarts World has opened in New York City. I'd surely enjoy the thrill rides, but I don't care to "FASTEN YOUR FRUIT FILLINGS."

How dare they say that to me?

Furthermore, "YOU HAVE TO BE THIS NOT PARTICULARLY NOURISHING TO RIDE."

---

Photo courtesy of Diaper, Creative Commons license.

Sux and the Mikey, Too

Although the Fox Theatre marquee publicized the wrong film, we played "Sex and the City 2" recently to an appreciative, mostly female audience.

The afternoon before, the hostage me, the all-by-myself all-male audience, sat alone in the immense auditorium to observe the feature's Digital Cinema print during a technical run-through. Someone had to do it and that someone was Projector Boy.

I rue the day I mentioned I had liked a chick flick. Word got out and here I was, against my will, force-fed widescreen botox and wall-to-wall twatters (which are below-the-belt titters).

Not even slightly assuaged by my presence on the company payroll, I persevered, borderline horrified from the first frame of the picture until the final fade, trapped within an 146-minute "Eek!"

"Ohmigod, it's Liza Minnelli."

"Ohmigod, it's Liza Minnelli impersonators.

"Ohmigod, it's only the first reel."

"Ohmigod, they're being Beyoncé."

"Ohmigod, 'Single Ladies.'"

"Ohmigod, put a ring on it."

"Ohmigod, if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it."

"Ohmigod, oh oh oh."

"Ohmigod, put a bazooka on it."

"Ohmigod, I'm thinking of doilies."

"Oh! My! God!"

'Singin'' 'n' the Train

ATLANTA, Ga. — After running Buster Keaton's locomotive "The General" (1926) for the lucky Fox Theatre throng, my projection partner and I stayed after hours to conduct a tech screening of "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), the next program in the 35mm summer film series.

Watching my favorite musical from the observation window, I was struck by how this night's unintended double feature is so perfect together. Each is one of the best comedies of its respective silent or sound eras, machinery propels both yarns, inventiveness is key, and rails play roles with either a train or a trolley. Furthermore, the plot of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Singin'" cleverly depicts Hollywood's growing pains, changing gears and moving moving pictures into the talkies era.

Gene Kelly image via Wikipedia

I first experienced "Singin' in the Rain" at age 18, through the good fortune of my high school's film appreciation course. I was also, naturally, the class projectionist, enabling me to get my hands on the 16mm print a few days before the students' viewing. I had planned to screen a minute or two for grins, but the snowball effect kicked in and I rolled the entire film down to "The End."

What a superlative movie. I've seen it, perhaps, two dozens times in the intervening years and plan to collect a few more, preferably with large, appreciative audiences, a practice I shun with lesser attractions.

Here's a moment, one of the many exceptional musical numbers spanning "Singin' in the Rain." I recall being alone, slouched in the darkness of my school's auditorium, looking on as 26-year-old Donald O'Connor (who would portray The Great Stone Face in "The Buster Keaton Story") made 'em laugh and took my breath.


"Singin' in the Rain: Make 'Em Laugh" via Google Video

Sea

"The Jack Benny Program: Horatio Hornblower Parody" with Mel Blanc via YouTube 
Specific clips of note at :00-1:11 and 3:51-5:07

See

"The Jack Benny Program" with The Tijuana Troubadours via YouTube 

The General on 'The General'

It did me good to hear the boisterous cheers and laughter coming from the large audience during the Atlanta Fox presentation of Buster Keaton's "The General," an 84-year-old silent movie, "the number 18 greatest film of all time," according to the American Film Institute.

Clark Wilson, resident organist of the Ohio Theatre in Columbus, was the nimble guest performer at the keys of the powerful Mighty Mo. He accompanied the film with his rousing, tender, and patriotic musical score, weaving together appropriate melodies of The War Between the States period. I found the evening moving. I was proud and happy for Buster.

As a projectionist, "The General" was also excellent because we had no need for the usual, somewhat tedious regimen of sound checks and adjustments. Boys and girls, silents are our friends!



"Buster Keaton Performing Stunts in 'The General'" via YouTube

Big Weekend

Big weekend, brooding, beaming brooding to beaming brooders.

We finished the annual Fox Theatre summer film festival with a downtown Atlanta showing of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," but I was still miffed over the events of a few days prior when I drew the occupational short straw, requiring me to be the one to pre-screen the motion picture. We projectionists troubleshoot related technical issues through this practice in advance of the public attending a film.

People say to me, "Oh, you get paid to watch the movies!"

True. I do. And to those people, I say, "Ernest Scared Stupid."

Not having seen the first two episodes of the "Twilight" franchise, I was at a loss as to what was unfolding before the balcony — something hotsy about commingled, overly-coiffed vampires, werewolves, and Dakota Fannings.

When the bite fest concluded, I sprinted a few blocks down Peachtree to the nearby hospital emergency room for a precautionary blood test and a good, old-school leeching. I avoided looking in mirrors and serpentined to sidestep any aloft silver bullets.

For the record, the series of rabies shots to the gut were less painful than my required pre-screening of "Sex and the City 2."

Yeah, hotsy.

Mikellaneous

My Recent Confessions and Observations on Twitter, Where Everything Must Be Said in 140 Characters or Less 

As of today, I have acquired all 190 Three Stooges comedy shorts -- and is there a pie in this house? No! There! Is! Not!

Sharing some 3 Stooges love, @WH2H_Radio threw me a virtual pie, which my wife intercepted. I'm off to Virtual Divorce Court & Laundromat...

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is super. I, The Boy With the Dragon Breath, connected with it. I give it four Tic Tacs.

Judge ruled it's OK to lie about military service. You know, I was in the Navy to get the gravy & the Army, I got the beans.

Actual Headline: "Suspect wore fake breasts, clown pants" ... Some days, I am afraid to read the news....

Tonite's Movie: THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS (2009) was like staring at goats.

I need to correct a previous post. Full disclosure: Watching THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS was like staring at eyelids. The inside of eyelids.

Why I Do What I Do: Because I am the only person posting to my accounts, I always get to sit in The Legs Chair.

I believe my Bruce Willis Eau de Parfum is a knock-off. It has a hair in it.

Press Release: "An Evening with Garrison Keillor, Wednesday, Nov. 17," Atlanta. Well, that explains the loud snoring noise over N. GA today.

Follow Me on Twitter
^{Twitter Birds by SpoonGraphics}