Brony-Yr-Aur

with Camen and the devil...

Go back and read my post in context. Brigante asked, "there was a war on drugs?" And I responded, "yes, and the drugs won" and then posted that photo (taken in Los Angeles). Where there are nearly 170,000 people in the county living on the streets, most of them drug addicts. Addicts NOT mainly from legal drug prescriptions, but from illicit drug use. Our mild Mediterranean climate, coupled with some bad policies, and the Los Angeles area is a magnet for dope users/addicts from all over the USA. You really have no idea how bad the situation has become. There are people living on the streets, the parks, beaches, highway green belts, river beds/flood control basins, or just camped out in front of other people's homes and businesses just about everywhere now. You're right, not pot head, but YES dope HEADS. And this claim about lack of affordable housing is all bullshit. If a million illegal aliens can come here and find work and shelter/housing, then it is BS to say these so called "homeless" are just some poor economically unfortunate people without housing options. NO, the live where they WANT to live; where it is EASY to continue in their drug addiction and drug lifestyle. So, when I say we lost the war on drugs, this is what I speak of.

Yep. and the drugs won. And now we have to live with dope heads everywhere.

and Jezebel O'Whore smiled knowingly...

I agree. Live your life large, don't rely on a grave marker to be your testament to when you were here.

Great scene: [Louis and Melanie are looking at a picture] Melanie : That's Japan. Louis : Uh, looks like... I can... It shows... Melanie : Wanna fuck? Louis : Yeah. [three minutes later] Melanie : That was fun. Louis : Yeah, that hit the spot. Melanie : Now, we can catch up. Louis : Yeah. [heavy breathing] Louis : Got a beer? Melanie : Sure. In the fridge. You are correct about the pacing, and Tarantino is great at that. Not just in Jackie Brown and Once Upon a Time, but also in the Kill Bill series---which had it been made by someone else would have had less dialog and much quicker edits within scenes. Tarantino being a huge fan of the spaghetti westerns, has never worried about rending his films down to what would fit into a 87 minute cleaned up airline version of a Hollywood film. Tarantino films are films you don't gulp--- you sip. And again, I'm going to complain about CHINA and the pandering to China by Hollywood studios today. They bend over backwards to appease what the Chinese audiences prefer, not only when it comes to editing certain content out, but all of that flash bang CGI crap too they like. Screw that! If I wanted to make the Chinese movie going audience (those in China not other places) happy as an artist, I would make a film about a guy Chinese guy who goes to France to learn culinary mastery, and then wows everyone on how he can make dog taste like escargot, while at the same time working as a spy to steal military secrets. Are you aware that the Chinese government banned Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? Yeah, they didn't like the Bruce Lee scene. The Red Chinese government demand that Sony Pictures take that scene out, and thankfully Sony didn't bend. But that is because Tarantino isn't some small time director I'm sure. Once China buys up all of our Hollywood studios you can expect films to be nothing but an extension of the Red Chinese propaganda machine.

Not sure if this was ever posted, but Johnny Crawford passed away this last April here in Los Angeles due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 75. Crawford is best remembered as playing Mark McCain in the TV series 'The Rilfleman' with Chuck Connors. Johnny was also one of the original members of Walt Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club (first season). RIP

was heard over the PA...

You know those big 96 gallon trash or recycling cans that have wheels and lid attached? Great interim storage device to use while you work out final "disposal" of a large thing needed to go away. So much easier than dragging around a large canvas bag or similar. Then just rent a moving van with a hydraulic lift gate; and relocate the disposal problem someplace else. Just be sure to not leave the trash can, especially if it has serial number assigned to your house, or anywhere in your neighborhood. Nobody would even bat an eye seeing someone moving a 96 gallon trash can around, they are common to every home and apartment, not like some other containers.

Interestingly, I don't believe Wonderful Life was a very big hit back when it came out. I think it's popularity grew over a few decades after it was being shown on TV, to then become a "classic". And I may be wrong, but I think the same may have been true about Casablanca as well. Popularity grew over time. I remember when Universal released The Blues Brothers, and how it didn't do very well in the theater or in sales. The film was super expensive to produce owing to the all star cast and all of the cars destroyed. I'm just so glad the film was made; some GREAT musical performances in it. But that film grew into a cult film exponentially over the years, and has made a lot of money for Universal after at first making the execs very nervous. Other similar films which ramped up: American Graffiti (made on a tiny budget) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Dazed and Confused Fast Times at Ridgemont High Stripes Caddyshack Shawshank Redemption and believe it or not, but Wizard of Oz actually started out in the red for MGM after it's initial release. The film was expensive to make, but made only about as much in revenue at the theater. It took TV broadcasts, and then home video to make it the money it eventually deserved. My all time favorite box office dud and cult film is 'Office Space' (1999)

Hey now! Are you saying something bad about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? Yeah, I know I go on and on about that film, but I'm not ranking it way high on any list, not even a list of Tarantino films. My favorite Tarrantino film is Jackie Brown. But Once Upon a Time I suppose for fans like Strider and I having grown up here in SoCal, just offers so many little "treats" to the eyes and senses when it comes to the locations, the local advertising, the radio station and the DJs, etc. So many things which people who aren't from here would never pick up on or understand. And then add this other layer of the Manson murders---something we lived through in fear; then I suppose that is the huge appeal. So, more of a glimpse back to a moment in time and how we here felt and experience that. And then beyond that, an entertaining film.

I prefer A Night to Remember (1958)

All of June is already sold out. A lot of people are itching to get back to the New Beverly Cinema. Do you ever go see films at the Aero?

Because smart people are the exception.

I took the OPs question about "most Americans" and then filtered that through my idea of what most "intelligent, inquisitive, art appreciating, well informed, and culturally enlightened Americans" would have seen, while leaving political ideology out of it. I just shot off 10 films I figured represented a small part of that, but had I had a few more slots to fill I would have added Citizen Kane, Birth of a Nation, The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Best Years of Our Lives, Midnight Cowboy, and so many more. You are right Strider, there is a "fracture" today more than ever on this subject, not just in films, but also music, books, and so much more. People who are your and my age I think experienced more variety than younger people today. We read books in school like Huckleberry Finn and Cather in the Rye, stuff most schools have cancelled and now replaced with whatever "woke" subject matter fits the agendas. I think we were brought up to appreciate variety of art---maybe just because film it was such a bigger industry back then. Today studios only make a fraction of the amount of films they used to make. Today they are all going for the blockbuster---or the subject matter which interests the movie goer in China who spends most of the money today. Today a story like Sunset Blvd would likely never get a green light to produce, just not enough explosions and robots. I feel sorry for anyone who would come up with a list with any of these in them: the Avengers films Star Wars films Harry Potter films Lord of the Rings films Jurassic films Transformer films Avatar Titanic (1997)

Since most murders are of spouses or people you know, it is pretty hard not to talk about them, or have the police ask you a lot of questions about them. Why not? Everyone would seemingly want to cooperate to help the police solve a murdered loved one, right? So, this is why you have to have an IRON CLAD story and timeline which you have practiced, but not so as to seem practiced. The best answer is: I don't know what happened. You are right, guilty people think they are smarter than cops and will like to add details hoping to throw them off. But then they end up making a mistake, and changing some small detail, and then are tripped up. Like OJ Simpson, how many times did he make inconsistent statements to the police? And yet he got away with murder by having a jury cover for his misdeeds. Good rule of thumb is to NEVER talk to the police, not without a lawyer present, and not just for the big stuff--- at ALL TIMES. Cops are always investigating, and when they talk to you, YOU are the subject of their interest, even when they are not asking anything about you. But I think you are under-thinking the camera thing. You would be shocked how much video the police can get on you in a very short time today. You can wear a hoodie and all of that, but I'll bet that you have neighbors who have cameras on both ends of your street somehow capturing images of your house that you don't even realize. But worst is the police are installing cameras everywhere now. It saves on patrol cars needing to be driving around. Big brother is watching you, so be careful. I have never hated anyone so much to even think those bad thoughts. Too much wasted energy. Easiest way to get people out of your life is to ignore them and move on. Killing someone would be a horrible option, however in self defense then that would be morally justified in my book. But if you can walk away, then DO THAT always.

It is not just the one camera you need to worry about. Like I said, they are everywhere. Which pretty much means that as soon as you leave your house, to the point of your destination and back, the police can easily create a timeline of your activities. Not that proves anything, but it is part of the puzzle the put together in an investigation. But this is mostly for anyone who you have a connection with, or some have made contact with. Random strangers are easier to get away with as we know. There is also your digital footprint today. Just you and I posting on this website is part of our digital footprint. People (not me) who are into smart phones have a huge digital footprint, as they establish certain patterns. Not only is there GPS trackers, geo tags, and other indicators, it works the other way too when there are gaps. For example: a guys girlfriend goes missing and is presumed dead, but for 12 hours his online / digital presence suddenly goes dark--- just at the same time this woman was last seen and then for many hours later. That doesn't prove anything, but it certainly means the cops are now looking hard at you until the find something. And BTW, cops don't need a warrant to collect any of your DNA which happen to just leave around for anyone to find. That hairbrush you threw away in the trash, and then set the trash can out by the curb---fair game. And again, your car has a plate/tag on it which is now being scanned just about everywhere by law enforcement. Not just patrol cars, but there are tag scanners along with cameras on most major intersections in many cities. True, all of this would just be circumstantial, but add enough to that mountain and now the police will always be looking at you, and chances are good they may find something. BTW-- I have never watched CSI ever in my life, not once. I do however have a friend who is a Los Angeles Country Sheriffs homicide detective and we talk all the time. He says is job is MUCH easier in the modern era with all of the technology. That and he is convinced people are just generally getting dumber too. But even he admits that the biggest trap for most criminals is their own mouth. Many people will always involve someone else. Unless you have an old school crime syndicate like the Mafia used to be, where NOBODY ever talked, chances are someone else will spill the beans on you.

Gone With The Wind Casablanca Ben Hur The Ten Commandments The Godfather (1 & 2) The Wizard of Oz Lawrence of Arabia It's A Wonderful Life The Searchers Doctor Zhivago