Favorite Scene Theater: American Graffiti (1973)

To celebrate the end of summer, here’s the cinematic heart of AMERICAN GRAFFITI, George Lucas’s 1973 sleeper success about his youth in the suburban drift of Modesto 1962. I’m assuming y’all have seen the film and if not, please step away from the blog to watch, then come back and discuss. Francis Coppola told Lucas to make a warmer film than the steely, brilliant THX-1138 (1971) so he dipped into his cruising memories to fashion a naturalistic yet metaphoric tale of the final night for a group of teens preparing for the world outside high school and the jukebox streets of Modesto, innocent prelude to the turbulent 60′s. Co-written by Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck, the film was reluctantly financed by Universal, and produced by Zoetrope, shot by legendary cinematographer Haskell Wexler  though he requested the title  “visual consultant” and whose influence here is unmistakable. Lucas used his excellent verite style to drive home the era’s reality, and the multi-cast, non-linear script was considered quite daring, especially by Universal, who hated the film (!) and suggested taking it to TV. Coppola threatened to buy the movie back after the ecstatic preview screening and the executives wisely backed off, resulting in a massive critical and audience success, the most profitable film in Hollywood history at the time on a cost to box-office ratio, and a slew of Academy Award nominations, including Lucas for Best Director. I saw this when it was re-released in 1978, and it had a quiet powerful effect on me, especially the film’s impactful coda followed by the Beach Boy’s elegiac, “All Summer Long.” Here’s my favorite scene, with suburban dreamer Curt trying to get a radio dedication on the air to a fleeting muse. Wolfman Jack deserved an honorary Oscar for his gentle performance while Richard Dreyfuss perfectly expresses the impatience of youth in the face of mystery and beauty. I love how Curt’s reaction shot at the end is kept in shadow, testament to the art and subtlety of this American cinema masterpiece.

Happy Birth, Ray!

Best Writer Ever. But I still hate prunes.

Jimmy Sangster RIP

The screenwriting force behind many of Hammer Film’s classic output has passed onto the gothic hall of fame…

Happy Birthday Elvis

Well, not quite Michelle Bachmann. But we all know that Elvis lives on in our hearts and hips. Here’s one of his greatest vocals in my opine, from his heralded 1969 Memphis sessions that led to his cultural resurrection:

People Are Zee Craziest Monkees

Paul Williams in full ape regalia doing his thing.

Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z

Friday Song: Vince Guaraldi

Happiness is…The musical magician of the Peanuts cartoons from 1965-1976 was Vince Guaraldi, the legendary San Francisco-based jazz pianist who enchanted generations with his hip, infectious melodies, conferring a coolness onto Charles Schultz’s post-modern characters. But you already know this. Without ado, here’s a live version of “Peppermint Patty,” my personal favorite theme from Peanuts cartoon canon and a perfect song to start your Friday – in fact, this song is the sonic equivalent to the start of the weekend as I sit here amid the mist and coffee of San Francisco…I know you kinda dig this song, Chuck, so go, man, GO.

Obama Versus The Liberal Hiptsers

Here’s a wise anonymous comment I pilfered from online:

“Liberals are turning into the “hipsters” of the political world. As soon as one of their “bands” gets big, they scream “sell-out!” and turn on it. It’s not “cool” to like Obama anymore, so they bond over their hatred of him. And then they cry if they’re not appreciated for it.”

Exactly.

I note that the constant gnashing of teeth in the liberal blogosphere over Obama is in direct proportion to the amount of naive HOPE some folks placed in him. I, being a realist, saw him for exactly who he was and is: a centrist Democrat pragmatic. And given the absolute bugfuck wave of attacks coming from the GOP and the insani-T Party, the undisguised bigotry and racism leveled at the first black president, I’m duty-bound to support him, despite the fact that I haven’t adored every decision. Liberals are always their worst enemy and despite the fact that Obama took out Trump and Bin Laden in ONE WEEKEND, passed historic (imperfect) health care and repealed DADT while presiding over the nation’s first legal gay marriage, the self-loathing defeatism of many on the left is senseless and dispiriting. The corporate media refuses to highlight his achievements in the name of some bullshit “both sides” equivalence while the billionaires on the right use all of their resources to take this country back to 1955. And the same liberals who sat out the 2010 election helped the Tea Party into power. Thanks! Apparently, they won’t be happy until President Romney and VP Bachmann are in the White House — then they’ll have something to really bitch about. To paraphrase Bill Hicks, “I’d give up too if it didn’t mean becoming one of you.” And yes, this is the last time you’ll see a LOLCat here.