Favorite Scene Friday! Monty Python's The Meaning of Life: Better Get a Bucket

Did you ever wonder where the idea for Favorite Scene Friday came from? Well wonder no more. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the inspiration behind Favorite Scene Friday - the Mr. Creosote scene from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. It was thinking about this clip that made me want to share my favorite scenes every week. Sure it’s silly and undeniably disgusting. But it’s so funny! If you’re not familiar with this sketch movie about the meaning of life (click here if you want to know what that is) and this scene in particular, this is not for the weak of stomach. You’ve been warned...

...unfortunately the scene is broken into two parts, but I've got them both below...

...okay, here we go...

Remember that warning earlier? It's still very much in effect.

I've got a soft spot for this film. Sure it's not as well known as Monty Python and the Holy Grail but it's just so bizarre and different. That this perpetually (I'm assuming?) vomiting/nauseous man goes to a restaurant and just immediately needs to throw up (so, so much). And he’s an asshole about it! The fact that the restaurant staff is mostly nonchalant about the whole thing completes the scenario. Mr. Creosote barfs all over John Cleese's character more than once and he hardly seems to care. Speaking of Cleese, he's his usual hilarious self here. I love that he offers to serve Mr. Creosote's meal to him all mixed up in a bucket right of the bat. His interaction with that couple (specifically the wife) in the second part of the scene is bonkers as well. As if Mr. Creosote wasn't enough. My favorite part of the whole thing might be Cleese's insistence that Mr. Creosote eat that final "wafer thin" mint (was he trying to make him burst?). What can I say? Maybe I needed a disgusting scene after last weeks' light, romantic FSF.

Fun fact (and something I never knew until writing this post): Quentin Tarantino claims this is the only sequence in a film that's disturbed him. That's pretty impressive! Enjoy your weekend!

The Talkies with Richard Kelly at Sun-Ray Cinema

Not too long ago at all (okay, it was October 11th, just over a month ago), director Richard Kelly stopped by Sun-Ray Cinema here in Jacksonville to provide live commentary on his modern classic, Donnie Darko.

I've always been a fan of the film so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to watch it with the director. And Kelly wasn't alone - Frank was on hand to make sure everyone got into the theater okay.

I honestly thought this may have been Richard Kelly in disguise for a while.

Sun-Ray owners Tim and Shana play interesting clips preceding their screenings and, since Donnie Darko has such an awesome soundtrack, they played several music videos, including Tears for Fears' "Head Over Heels". That song plays over a sequence in the film where Donnie is walking through his high school.

Tim and Shana then introduced Richard Kelly and the screening began. In all honesty Kelly was a little soft-spoken at first but after some sound adjusting and time to get accustomed to his audience the screening went great. It was awesome to see the film on the big screen and Kelly was full of interesting facts and anecdotes about the movie. A few highlights of the evening:

• Kelly stated that one of the biggest misconceptions about the film is that it's a success. In fact, the film almost debuted on the Starz network.
• Jason Schwartzman wanted to play the role of Donnie.
• Kelly pointed out that the coverless book that Donnie's dad reads at one point in the film is Stephen King's "The Tommyknockers". Donnie's mom can clearly be seen reading Stephen King's "IT" earlier in the movie.
• The film is a metaphor for the death of the Reagan era. Kelly really focused on this point, as people have always questioned why the film takes place in the '80s.
• Kelly is crazy for Swayze and gushed about the actor. Swayze apparently took Kelly to his ranch where he recorded "She's Like the Wind".
• I'm not sure if I forgot or never realized it, but a very young Seth Rogen is in the film! He plays one of the bullies though.

Kelly stayed after the screening to meet fans and I was able to get a picture with him. I also got him to sign the Sun-Ray ticket below.

All in all I had a good time! Donnie Darko is an interesting, classic film and Richard Kelly was a great host. And Frank didn't mind taking a selfie with me.

Favorite Scene Friday! Stranger than Fiction: "(I'd Go The) Whole Wide World"

Is anyone else guilty of forgetting about Stranger than Fiction? I think I've only seen it all the way through once. But it's an undeniably solid film with an interesting story and great performances by Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Emma Thompson. It was one of Ferrell's first "Hey look at me I'm trying to act here," roles.

At its core, the film is about the relationship between Will Ferrell's Harold Crick and Maggie Gyllenhaal's Ana Pascal. The two start out as anything but friends (Harold works for the IRS and is auditing Ana) but they eventually fall for each other. Today's scene shows the moment that happens.

Ana has just cooked for Harold and the two have finished the meal. Ana starts to clean up in the kitchen while Harold wanders over to her guitar and, despite declining Ana's requests to do so, begins to play the one song he knows - "(I'd Go The) Whole Wide World" by Wreckless Eric. What happens next is fun and, dare I say it, pretty sexy. Let's watch:



I love right around 2:00 where you can tell Ana is really getting into Harold and she starts mouthing along with the song. And then at 2:30 where Harold notices that she’s watching him. When they finally kiss it seems as if they’re going to break the guitar between their bodies ala Val Kilmer and Lucy Gutteridge in Top Secret.

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

That passionate kiss is what makes this scene so great. Well, that and the buildup to it. The scene starts so mundane - Gyllenhaal is washing dishes and Ferrell is just wandering around the living room - but culminates in a great song and a kiss worthy of The Princess Bride. I guess that's the point of the film...don't be mundane, be passionate! Anyways, enjoy your Friday and your weekend. Learn the guitar! Be passionate! At the very least, watch Stranger than Fiction again.

Batch o' Hatch: Trek, LAMBCast, Thor 2, Halloween Withdrawals, All Cheerleaders Die

Attack the Trek

Did you see Attack the Block? According to JoBlo, Paramount is supposedly interested in getting that film’s director - Joe Cornish - to direct Star Trek 3. This could be an interesting choice. I honestly haven’t thought much about Attack the Block since I watched it but it was a decent film. Cornish clearly has an interest in sci-fi so Trek fans can probably breathe a small sigh of relief for now.

IMDb

Machete Kills on The LAMBCast

A little ways back I stopped by the LAMBCast again to participate in their Machete Kills episode. I talked helicopter kills and questionable sci-fi with Jay, Pat, Fredo, and Will. Give ‘er a listen.

Wikipedia

5 Great Bits of Thor on French Toast Sunday

I’ve got a new post over on French Toast Sunday and it’s all about Thor. Go check it out!

Halloween Withdrawals

I watched a few horror movies last month for the Halloween season but I - like always - wish I had watched more. Check out my list below.

The Amityville Horror - “Mother of God I’m coming apart!”
The Exorcism of Emily Rose - Only the second time I’ve seen this. Holds up pretty well.
Stir of Echoes - Classic. Never get tired of it.
Curse of Chucky - .....meh.
Night of the Living Dead (Rifftrax Live) - Pretty fun live show.
Halloween 3 - Listened to the How Did This Get Made? folks make fun of it and had to watch again.
Evil Dead 2 - Dressed as Ash this year for Halloween so I had to watch this again. Still amazing.
The Conjuring - Watched this the morning after my Halloween party. It was still scary as f*ck.
Hocus Pocus - I’ll be watching this for years to come. Probably the funnest flick about Halloween.
The Possession - This was surprisingly good and creepy. Guy who looked like Matisyahu turned out to be Matisyahu.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon - Showed this to a few friends who had never seen it before. Mixed results. I still love it. I want a sequel!!!
Jaws 3 - Pretty terrible movie.

All Cheerleaders Die

Here’s an interesting trailer (via Arrow in the Head) for All Cheerleaders Die, a horror flick I really haven’t heard much about. It looks pretty cool though! It was directed by Lucky McKee (anyone seen The Woman?).




Tweets

It's ok to discuss 12 Years a Slave without having to mention Django or any other movie. Let the movie stand on its own. It deserves that
— Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker) November 5, 2013

Couldn't agree more.

I am going to see The Royal Tenenbaums --my favorite movie -- on the big screen for the first time tonight. Pumped.
— Britt Hayes, Esq. (@MissBrittHayes) November 6, 2013

Ms. Hayes wrote an awesome piece about The Royal Tenenbaums a little while back. Check it out here.

*circles January 2nd on calendar* #Community
— Community (@nbccommunity) November 6, 2013

Apparently the fact that Community is coming back on January 2nd is old news! But I'm still stoked!

Well, guess I'm sticking with Netflix.
— CT (from Nerd Lunch) (@nerdlunch) November 7, 2013

CT from Nerd Lunch on (I think) the news that Netflix will be producing TV shows for Marvel.