It's Good But It's No....

For a few years a running gag between my brother and I involved a special kind of shorthand. Its editorial power was such that just a certain short sentence was all I had to say to sum up my feelings regarding a movie.

One beautifully sunny summer day in 1991 an acquaintance came by my apartment and asked me if I wanted to see a new movie release with him:

"Double Impact, Van Damme's new movie, is playing at the Cumberland (theatre)."

I said yes. My tastes are and were broad. It would also be a chance for us to hookup one last time since he was to leave Toronto the next day for a new job. Even though you would not know it by looking at him at the time, Mark was into the martial arts. His interest in the new picture made sense.

As we exited the movie theatre I told Mark that I enjoyed Double Impact. In fact, I found it to be a profoundly enriching and fun movie. (Yes, it had quite the impact.)

Jean-Claude Van Damme's then latest cinematic effort became a marker, a bar of platinum, if you like, whenever my brother and I would discuss a movie and our respective opinions came to the fore. My preferred comment might be a thoughtful: "It's good, but it's no Double Impact."

(My brother might laugh and editorialize: "Come on, man, that movie's s**t.")

"Battle of Britain" VHS Purge Special Feature - Repeat

Soon I hope to return to "My VHS Purge". Over the next few days I will be revisiting the original "Purge" postings. Yesterday, August 11th, I started the repeat series: Repeat My VHS Purge: Battle of Britain. Below is a special feature I wrote to accompany the original posting....


From March 6th, 2017:

"Battle of Britain" VHS Purge Special Feature

Yesterday (March 5th) I posted a piece on the 1969 movie Battle of Britain as part of my "VHS Purge" series. My initial draft was too lengthy but I decided to hold the personal experiences part of the article over for a separate story of its own:

My dad took me to see Battle of Britain when it hit the CFB Baden-Soellingen movie theatre. We were living in then West Germany, specifically in a small town, surrounded by Germans, which somehow enhanced my movie-going experience. Not only do I love the sound of that language but in this movie the Germans actually speak Deutsche.

To illustrate how big of a deal this movie was at the time, there was a live-from-London television special one evening celebrating its premiere. German television network ARD or ZDF (I can't remember which) picked up the live feed: There were searchlights and men dressed in vintage uniforms manning an ack-ack gun placement. I could hardly wait to see the movie.

Unfortunately, producing-studio and distributor United Artists lost a lot of money on Battle of Britain. The film did not 'travel' much outside of Europe (read: the USA), which it had to do in order to make back the investment. As a tie-in documentary hosted by actor Michael Caine outlined most effectively, regular folk, including those on the Isles, could tell you next to nothing about the battle. And this was less than thirty years after the events. The idea of an ignorance of one's own history as being an 'American' thing is a false one. (Author Clive Cussler recounts a sobering personal experience in his non-fiction book The Sea Hunters where he was taken aback by some of his fellow Americans -- politicians in this case -- not knowing, or, more importantly, not even caring about their own history.)

Director Guy Hamilton, guiding light of Battle of Britain, claimed that United Artists lost ten million dollars (late 1960s currency) on the deal.

As a child what I liked was Battle's spectacle: The wide-screen; the colour; the music; the you-are-there vibe.

The now-defunct "Festival Theatres" repertory chain here in Toronto would screen the film every few years, and I would be there with interested friends.

As I've told people over the years, "Battle of Britain was my Star Wars".

Repeat My VHS Purge: Battle of Britain

Soon I hope to return to "My VHS Purge". The series' most recent filing was done on March 5th of last year. Over the next few days I will be revisiting the original "Purge" postings....


From March 5th, 2017:

My VHS Purge: Battle of Britain

As part of a downsizing project eight years ago I purged most of my pre-recorded VHS tapes. I've never been a big collector of movies -- my DVD library is fairly small -- but the fact is I had accumulated around 70 tapes:

Battle of Britain (1969) A troubled production complete with massive cost overruns and a shoot that seemed to have no end, this historical aviation epic provides some satisfaction for those movie fans who want to see a breed of filmmaking that will never be seen again. No film company today could afford to make a film like Battle of Britain, at least not one using exclusively the same production methods -- much of it would be done using fake CG fakery, by people who've never taken the time to see how an aircraft, like a Spitfire or Heinkel, twists and turns in the sky. (Try YouTube.) As far as the film as a film goes: It depends on whether the viewer can enjoy a 132-minute story about a critical moment of history. The Royal Air Force's warding off of the mighty German Luftwaffe during the summer of 1940.

What one sees are grand air battles and an abundance of name-actors (at that time, of course). Christopher Plummer, Susannah York, Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine, Curt Jurgens, Robert Shaw, and Trevor Howard are a few of those stars who play historical characters or 'average people' swept up in that pesky thing we humans almost never ask for but often get: War. In this case World War II.

A highlight of many: The Battle in the Air. It makes me a firm believer in cinema's capabilities.

Kudos must go to director Guy Hamilton (1922 - 2016) for giving a somewhat unwieldy story, one with necessary density, some personality; and for remembering the people, who are so often forgotten in these epics.

My dad took me to see Battle of Britain when it hit the CFB Baden-Soelligen movie theatre. Tomorrow I will post a sort of 'VHS extras' piece....

A Happy Street For the People

"Everybody come on yeah yeah clap your hands
Ah ha Yeah."

Premier Doug Ford's new government of Ontario is not exactly as was promised. Political staffers "clap out" the press during news conferences in order to stifle reporters' questions. It's as disgusting and childish as it sounds.

The Conservative Party of Ontario's slogan during the last election was "For the People". Well, the people, the ones with open and critical minds, that is, want a vibrant and active press -- which is part of a healthy democracy.

What's the takeaway here? Take one guess. There was and is no "for the people". It was all a lie.

But....

"Everybody come on yeah yeah clap your hands
Come on and clap your hands."

To the Blog Proper

When coming to this blog through a discrete hit, say Post Celebrating International Cat Day, one can go to the blog proper, the main body of the blog, by clicking on the above banner: Simon St. Laurent, Squibber

Or, of course, just key-in simonstlaurent.blogspot.com

In either case the most recent post appears at the top of the blog page.

This method applies to any blog.

Post Celebrating International Cat Day

"That cat called your name!"

"He called your name!"

I turned to see Willie looking up at me and friend Mike wearing the face of incredulity.

My name is "Simon". If Mike had heard "Brunhilda", I would have been the first to think that that was too weird.

A Trimlined Oscars Telecast For Now

Today's Evening Edition of the Washington Post came in late this afternoon and one headline in particular got my subdivided attention: Best popular film? Academy announces changes for the Oscars, including a shorter telecast.

I've never seen an Oscars show; okay, I've seen minutes here and there over the decades, but nothing to give me a sense of what a complete edition offers other than excessive running times. Almost every year I hear "it ended late". The new version is to clock in at no more than three hours. Three hours?! What was it before?

By the way: What exactly would constitute a "Best Popular Film"? (Titles, please!) Sounds to me like that will be one competitive category!

Barley, Hops, Yeast, and Ford

On this morning's news is some discussion about Ontario premier Doug Ford's plan to implement a "buck a beer" sales structure. Of course many breweries have said they will not participate in the price reduction.

Good for them.

I really don't mind paying more for a beer. It's a treat. Not a loaf of bread.

Doug Ford and His Economic Theories Theory

Further to my post from this morning, A Buck a Beer - Great! Awesome! Dude!....

Ontario premier Doug Ford is seemingly fixated on returning to the idea of "a buck a beer". That whole notion is ludicrous and untenable. First of all, it conveniently ignores the reality of inflation. A buck from long ago was worth much more, containing more purchasing power, compared to one from today's hyper-inflated currency. I remember hearing this in 1980: "A dollar today is worth half of what it was worth in nineteen-seventy."

Mr Ford and his beer buddies clearly have no concept of inflation. He talks of how he will rejuvenate Ontario's finances ("make it great again"). Apparently Ford will grow the economy through a thorough and fundamental lack of understanding economics. And he's this great province's premier.

Scary.

A Buck a Beer - Great! Awesome! Dude!

Doug Ford, Ontario's new and vital premier, is in action.

As he promised during his election platform of no platform, we denizens of this great province can look forward to paying one dollar for "a beer". Wonderful. That's what I call an important step on the road to great social change.

An Ontario scholar spins his bottle.

A Quota Quickie: VFX Narrative Driving Films

During a discussion I had recently with an old friend, a "film" editor friend, we touched upon visual effects technology today and the "tent-pole picture". As I told him, I am no Luddite. The technology is wonderful, and filmmakers with little money can compete with the big boys, to some degree. (And television producers can work with smaller budgets than ever before.) The problem with this wonderful technology is producers go crazy with its processing power.

With today's blockbusters, at least, narrative drive is often propelled by the visual effects, where it should be the story. The narrative drive should be the natural exponent of "story".

Give me a good book. There, any special visual effects are in one's head and they never take over from the story.

Jean-Luc Picard and the English & French Question

Further to my post from about an hour ago, Jean-Luc! Jean-Luc!, many of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most dedicated fans have a problem with the good captain of the starship Enterprise (D!) having a French name but speaking seasoned English. I've never had a problem with that; in 1987, or now.

Look at my name: Simon St. Laurent

Actor Patrick Stewart's French may be bad, but mine is non-existent. (Hi, Jean-Denis!)

Jean-Luc! Jean-Luc!

The news is out that Sir Patrick Stewart is to reprise his Star Trek role of Jean-Luc Picard for CBS All Access. (Them again.)

A few years ago I re-viewed a few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and was reminded how generally bland that series is: including a surfeit of two-dimensional characters. (TNG has not aged well, at all.)

To repeat something I read recently: 'A good actor in a generally thankless role.'

The good news, for some, at least, is this will be a new series; a new shot at the character of Jean-Luc Picard. (His life after his captaincy.)

Toronto's Designer Fabrics to Close

Whenever I've designed a costume I would make a trip down to Designer Fabrics on Queen Street West. It's a warehouse.

With plans in hand I'd spend some time looking at bolts of material and trying to imagine what they would look like under the movie lights. Being a bit of a shooter (cameraman) I could give a reasonable best guess and grab the fabric that would do the trick.

This morning during my online newspaper reading I came across a Toronto Star story which brought out those special memories:

After 64 years, Toronto fashion industry staple Designer Fabrics is sewing it up


Photographs below: One, or two, of my master creations utilizing fabrics drawn from Designer Fabrics. (While I designed the costumes, a talented seamstress by the name of Mandy Armstrong built them.)

From Dead Wax to a Run-Out Groove

On July 22nd I reviewed The Vinyl Detective - Written in Dead Wax, a fab and fun book by Andrew Cartmel. Through some industrial editorial incompetence at this end I did not affix the above picture to my review.

The follow-up book in the Vinyl Detective series is The Run-Out Groove.

A Quota Quickie: Toronto's Heat and Humidity

The high heat and humidity is almost unrelenting.

Since late May we've been rolling in excessive warmth. Here in Toronto the most common answer to "what is your favourite season?" is almost always "Fall", especially so when the poll question is done during the summer.

Perhaps my favourite word this upcoming long weekend will be "Autumn!".

Notes from a Dependent Brat: Wasps

When I arrived back in Canada after an RCAF dependent's tour of duty in then West Germany I noticed some things were missing. Not in whole but in part: wasps, June bugs, and thunder & lightning.

Part Three: Wasps

At the back of the bus I heard a kid start to cry; he was sitting on the very end seat as he reached around to his backside. He had been stung by a wasp. He was seated waiting for the parked bus to finish loading up more schoolmates after a day at CFB Baden-Soellingen Elementary School, and that's what he gets for being a good and well behaved young man. I turned back to face the front and took in the sight of marshalling school kids. Not that I remember what I was thinking at that time but no doubt it was about wasps and how those buggers, even after even a modicum of human diligence and intelligence, would get you in the end....and sometimes in the end.

Wasps would build nests anywhere, it seemed. I seem to remember my German landlord having to constantly (and carefully!) remove nests from around the apartment building exterior during the summers I lived there. If there's a corner, there's room for an outpost or base of operations. I'm sure my then young brain would sometimes ask the big question: "Is West Germany all about the wasp?"

I never got it in the end. Not in West Germany, and certainly not here: "Where are the wasps?! I mean, did they stay in West Germany?"

Part One: Thunder & Lightning
Part Two: June Bugs

Notes from a Dependent Brat: June Bugs

When I arrived back in Canada after an RCAF dependent's tour of duty in then West Germany I noticed some things were missing. Not in whole but in part: wasps, June bugs, and thunder & lightning.

Part Two: June Bugs

"The skies were black!"

"You're exaggerating."

"Perhaps I am, a little bit. Okay, there were strips of black against blue sky. I've never again seen anything like that in my life."

My strongest such memory is of me sitting in the back parking lot of our Iffezheim apartment building. On a beautiful mid evening the darkening skies were blue, except where there were those "strips of black": mass flights of June bugs. As I sat on a concrete block I looked up at the dramatic aerial display above. Occasionally, the pretty brown little insects would drop about the ground around my outstretched feet. Mid-air collisions, perhaps. The bugs buzzed and rattled as they ended up on their backs, little feet outstretched. Of course, when one is young one looks with boundless fascination at nature; and its occasional random acts about. (As one gets older, one gets grossed-out.)

My return to Canada taught me something about nature: Canada, southern Ontario, at least, lacks June skies of certain bugs.

The skies were black!

Part One: Thunder & Lightning

Seth Rogen as the Voice of the TTC?

The news is out that actor and comedian Seth Rogen is being courted by the Toronto Transit Commission to voice their announcements.

They are in error.

The right person is obvious.

Douglas Rain. (Imagine the HAL 9000 'eye' distributed throughout the system: subway platforms, streetcars, trains, buses....)

Doug Ford Makes the Washington Post

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has done it again: this time he makes the Washington Post.

Doug Ford brings the American culture wars to Canada

"... Ford has brought a dangerous populist politics of cultural resentment and revenge to Ontario."

Indeed.

Ford's idea of governing is to run around his school room and kick over building blocks.