Frontline`s “Law and Disorder”-The Case of Henry Glover
If you haven`t seen Frontline`s Law & Disorder yet, you should certainly make a point to do so. You can watch it online and I will link it for you here (Law & Disorder). 11 civilians were shot by the New Orleans police in the days
after Katrina. The Frontline special mainly reports on the case of Henry Glover, but also covers the shooting of six civilians at Danziger Bridge.
You may have to watch this several times before it will completely sink in. On the link that I`m giving you there are a number of excellent articles that will spell out for you what happened in New Orleans right after Katrina. Reporters from Frontline, The New Orleans Times-Picayune and ProPublica worked together to bring us this shocking news.
A few of the important questions addressed in Law & Disorder are: was Martial Law ever declared in New Orleans?
Were the NOPD told to shoot looters once things starting getting crazy after Katrina? The New Orleans Police have a history, and much of this is documented under Timeline.
If you don`t mind getting some cold water splashed in your face, you`ll want to study up on this. I`m so in disbelief about this, that I`m focusing all the more on this. Katrina obliterated New Orleans. Once it did this, it looks like the NOPD lost it. At this point the police become the criminals. I can think of nothing as scary as this reality.
Spike Lee`s “If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don`t Rise”
Five years later, the devastation that is Katrina, its lasting effects on New Orleans, are obvious when watching Spike
Lee`s If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don`t Rise. I`ve seen and recorded hour two, three and four, but still need to see the first hour. If God Is Willing is essentially a sequel to When the Levee Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.
Spike Lee covers many topics, but attempts to trace the complex developments of New Orleans from August 29, 2005 up to the present. He initially intended on painting his documentary update with an optimistic brush, but the BP spill came along to snuff that out. So, the last hour takes up the BP spill as if it was a part of the Katrina story; somehow, the two are connected.
I will link for you two pertinent documents that will help you begin to get a grip on this sweeping new documentary of Spike Lee`s. Dave Itzkoff with The New York Times conducted an interview with Spike Lee, where he talks about his experience in making If God Is Willing. The other great piece I would like to link for you, is the only full-blown review that I could find on this documentary. It`s a review by Hank Stuever in The Washington Post.
Scratch that, I`m now finding some good reviews, like The Whole Damn Crew by Cynthia Fuchs for Pop Matters. My personal take is this is a wonderful follow-up to When the Levees Broke. We sink into the mire of the controversy, how can we rebuild New Orleans? I`m sorting through these problems now. Spike Lee spells out these issues and allows you take a fresh look with equal measure of hope and despair.
Hurricane Katrina: This Perfect Storm Still Gets Our Attention!
Five years after Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf coast (Monday, August 29, 2005), I`m still not
completely sure exactly what happened. And so we go back through the plethora of data, galleries of photographs, meteorological records, news footage and personal testimonies in search of answers to the mysteries of this Perfect Storm.
My favorite data source for Katrina is the documentary film by Spike Lee, When the Levee Broke. I`ve seen it at least three times, and will view it again later this week. And now Spike Lee has a new one that aired last night on HBO and a second installment can be seen tonight, If God is Willing and Da Creek Don`t Rise. Some of the older footage is included, but much of this is about the rebuilding of New Orleans.
An NPR story covers many of the excellent television specials that are out this week on Katrina. One that I missed last night, but which maybe will be shown again, is the National Geographic Channel`s Witness: Katrina. This two hour special gathers images and video recordings from Gulf citizens, who have their own personal account to tell. Wednesday (8/25) PBS`s Frontline will have one called Law and Disorder, which concludes that the shooting of a young man was probably done by the New Orleans police.
Yes, I feel a need to study Katrina, and this week is a good time to hit the DVR button or to collect articles from the internet. One fascinating site, that comes from the scientific perspective, is the NASA archive on Katrina. The satellite images of Katrina, as it evolved and progressed, give you data on rainfall, flooding and storm surge. Katrina literally altered the physical shape of the Gulf coast. These maps capture the metamorphosis as it happens.
The Tonight Show As A Talk Show Format Premieres On July 29, 1957
On this very night of July 29th, but way back in 1957, The Tonight Show was broadcast on NBC, with Jack Paar as host. This would be in the talk show format that we are familiar with. Johnny Carson went on to perfect and refine this
format. Jack Paar hosted The Tonight Show from 1957-1962. Johnny Carson hosted it from 1962 to 1992. I think most of us saw the very last show, May 22, 1992. You can still see it on YouTube.
It must be noted that it was Steve Allen who premiered The Tonight Show on September 27, 1954. This earlier version of the show, however, was more strictly an entertainment format. When Jack Paar took over it became a more serious talk show, with guests such as Peter Ustinov and a regular, conservative intellectual, William F. Buckley, Jr.
My main memories are of Johnny Carson and all of his outlandish characters, such as Art Fern, Floyd R. Turbo, Aunt Blabby and of course Carnac The Magnificent. If it weren`t for The Tonight Show I wouldn`t have been able to have a proper conversation with my Dad when I was growing up. Dad could laugh while we were watching the show and pontificate some important life lessons, most of which I tried to learn.
I`ll link for you some Classic Carson, when Dean Martin and Bob Hope were on some time in 1969. That pic is Johnny from that show with Deano and Bob. Look to see if you think Dean is really intoxicated or is merely acting the role. He`s certainly got his image down. We owe a lot to these early forefathers of late night TV. Jay, Conan and David carry on the tradition.
The Kids Are All Right-Great Movie, Great Soundtrack!
I saw The Kids Are All Right on Saturday. I didn`t expect too much, but was pleasantly surprised by the movie`s depth in dealing with dodgy issues, such as lesbianism, the nuclear family or lack of it, as well as the simple issue of preparing a child for college life. One thing that I immediately noticed was just how good the soundtrack was. Lots of instrumental guitar work against footage of an organic farmer, Mark Ruffalo, filling a basket of fresh fruit and self-grown vegetables.
One scene in the movie has Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo making a connection on their mutual love of Joni Mitchell album Blue. All I Want is included on the soundtrack. Galatea`s Guitar by Gabor Szabo is, I believe, the track I was thinking of that provides the wonderful ambience of a California organic farm, where many of the scenes are shot.
You will need to see The Kids Are All Right, there is so much going right in here. Lisa Cholodenko directed it and wrote the screenplay, which really works in every sense. And please be sure to check out the kids in the movie, Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson, they really make it happen! Search your storage facilities, too, for your old Joni Mitchell album Blue, a classic worth revisiting.
Who Should Play the ‘Barefoot Bandit’ in a Movie?
20th Century Fox has secured the rights for a film based on the escapades of the Barefoot Bandit, Colton Harris-Moore. Now that Colton has been captured, reporters can dig into his past and begin to psycho-analyze him in
exacting detail. The New York Times is running a piece today, written by William Yardley, that talks about his early days.
Colton was brought up poor and was often hungry. Apparently, his very first heists were stealing from a freezer of the Kostelyk family, who had property on the waterfront. His first purloined items were cookies or frozen pizza. And now there is much speculation about how he got the techno-savvy to teach himself to fly. He dropped out of school after ninth grade, but that doesn`t mean that he`s not smart.
There is speculation already about what young actor would be right to play Colton. CNN is running a story today that lists some actors who might be cast in the role of the Barefoot Bandit. A few of the potential actors slated for this important role are: Logan Lerman, Michael Cera, Zach Gilford, Anton Yelchin and Angus T. Jones. I must admit, I`ve never seen any of these guys films except Michael Cera. *(sources-CNN and New York Times)
It would be a misstep, however, if Michael Cera played Colton. He`s just too silly to be the clever BB! See, the myth is already building up. I believe that a documentary would be a much more effective way of telling the BB story. What do you think?
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
I found another interesting old VHS tape. This is a 1988 production done in the style of Kenneth Anger`s notorious book, Hollywood Babylon. It`s title is: Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies. It was produced by Ray 
Atherton and written by Ray Atherton and F.B. Vincinzo. This is just a guess, but it may have been a local production. I recorded the VHS tape up in Dallas in the late 1980s. The source is something of a mystery?
I love it nonetheless. Have always been a big fan of Kenneth Anger`s two volumes of Hollywood Babylon. In spite of the seething scandals of many of the stars, Anger`s book actually helped to revive the Cult of Hollywood in its own fashion. Perhaps the public delights in experiencing the downfall of so many of their stars.
Here`s a checklist of some of the stars covered in this obscure special. Ramon Navarro, Sal Mineo, William Desmond Taylor, Ted Healey, Albert Decker, Freddie Printz, George Reeves, Lenny Bruce, Clara Bow, Francis Farmer, Jayne Mansfield, Lupe Velez, Fatty Arbuckle, Vivian Lee, Sharon Tate and many others. Each of the vignettes are short and sweet with some very shocking pics.
The vignette on Thelma Todd caught my eye immediately. Thelma supposedly died of affixation from car fumes. I`ve been reading a book on the Black Dahlia murder that implicates Bugsy Segal in Thelma Todd`s unsolved death. These stories are interesting, especially the ones that are still unsolved.
The music against these sordid tales is organ music such as they must have used in the silent films of the 1920s. Great production! You won`t find it anywhere, but drop by and I`ll give you a viewing. The closing lines are classic: “These stars are sacrificial lambs on Hollywood`s pagan altar.”
“From Russia With Love”-Last Film that John Kennedy Ever Saw
That`s Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny and Sean Connery as James Bond in From Russia With Love. The film was released on October 10, 1963. President Kennedy had included the 1957 novel From Russia With
Love, written by Ian Fleming, as one of his top ten favorite books. This is the reason why the book was adapted to film.
It is considered the best James Bond film, according to Hot Tomatoes. I`m watching a beautiful remastered DVD print that I just received from my Netflix account. This is also John Barry`s first full soundtrack score for the Bond series. A lot of the action takes place in Istanbul and is looking most exotic to me, since I can`t afford an overseas vacation. I can experience it vicariously on my trusty 1999 Sony Trinitron.
That`s right folks, I have a Color TV! During the height of the Cold War having a color TV was something of a luxury. One sad thing I feel compelled to report to you, is that From Russia With Love is the last film John Kennedy ever saw, viewing it at the Oval Office on November 20, 1963. He departed for Texas the very next day. Wonder if JFK thought the movie measured up to the novel? *(sources-Wikipedia)
Is L.A.Confidential Fiction or Non-Fiction?
I`m of the opinion that the films of recent memory have been lackluster. Since I believe this to be true, I have been forced to dig into the past for more interesting titles. Like many people, I watched L.A. Confidential in its original
theater release. Just to refresh your memory, it was released September 19, 1997. I picked up a used DVD of this near-perfect movie at Cheapos just last Saturday.
I knew it was good when viewing it in 1997, but the plot was difficult to follow, and I seemed to have something else on my mind at the time, that curtailed my focus and concentration. But now I can play back the scenes and witness how its intricate plot of LA police corruption unwinds.
L.A. Confidential is based on a novel of the same name by James Ellroy. I need to read this novel; want to sort out what is fiction and what is true regarding the history of Los Angeles, in the early 1950s. I suspect much of this really happened. Narcotics, police corruption, the Mob, institutional racism, and tabloid journalism are given equal billing here, and I might add, with a brilliant Film Noir paintbrush.
And don`t forget the music was done by Jerry Goldsmith. The theme song is Accent the Positive, written by Johnny Mercer. Maybe something better will come out in the late summer. Perhaps Inception will be a winner? In the meantime, it`s all on the QT and very Hush-Hush.
Barbara Eden`s memoir, “Jeannie Out of a Bottle” will be published in 2011
Well, Barbara Eden`s memoirs will be out next year, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, where Barbara will reveal many of her closest kept secrets. I Dream of Jeannie, created by Sidney Sheldon, ran on NBC from 1965-1970. I was
a devoted fan and watched it every week, along with Bewitched, an ABC competitor. Both series were Screen Gem productions.
One clear memory I have is during the first season (1965) it changed from black and white to ‘living color.’ This was also the time when my family first got color TV. This is no big deal today, but at the time it was ‘keeping up with the Jones’ in suburban America.
The theme song for the zany series was written by Hugo Montenegro. Larry Hagman looks mighty young in this show. This must have been before he let the booze devastate him. That must have happened with Dallas. I Dream of Jeannie experienced only moderate success for NBC during its original run. It was only when it ran as repeats on cable that it was a smash hit.
Did Barbara Eden once have an affair with Elvis Presley? We`ll wait for her memoirs next year.