Moving out
We're in the middle of a few busy weeks at work. The radio stations are moving up the street-- to 2141 Grand Avenue in Des Moines, in case you're planning to send well-wishes. The packing and cleaning, coupled with normal everyday duties, has seriously cut into my web-surfing time "on the clock," and it now threatens to temporarily hinder this blog.But I have come across some interesting subjects on-line.
In the wake of the filibuster dispute, Slate.com published this article regarding the political legacy of the Frank Capra film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." I bring it to your attention, not to highlight changes in the political structure, as this author does, but to make a point I've often made about Capra. His legacy, which mostly exists due to "It's a Wonderful Life," is that of the "All-American" optimist and idealist, but as Timothy Noah illustrates, "Mr. Smith" has been incorrectly remembered in that context. It's a cynical and dark film.
Christopher Hitchens is one of the world's great writers and independent thinkers. I disagree with his support for the Iraqi war, but I think he's written eloquently about the Left's failure to condemn the terrible atrocities under Saddam Hussein and others.
Here, the frequent guest of Dennis Miller and Bill Maher draws the ire of Jerry Falwell and his ilk. His website is www.hitchensweb.com.
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Actor Kevin Pollack was in St. Louis Monday to watch Tony LaRussa tie Whitey Herzog as the second-winningest manager in Cardinals history and talk a little business with the Redbird skipper. Pollack is interested in adapting Buzz Bissinger's LaRussa book, "3 Nights in August," into a feature-length motion picture. Pollack contends that the book already includes a three-act structure, courtesy of the team's three game series chronicled against the Cubs, and it comes complete with a Hollywood ending-- a walk-off home run by Kerry Robinson after LaRussa's frustrations with the outfielder's play earlier in the series.
I got to tell you, though. I've read the book, and I don't see it. The baseball accounts in the book are so minute, the stakes of a three game series in August, so low, that I would be shocked if it could be made to be compelling. We haven't seen Pollack in anything good lately. (If ever?) I suspect he's trying to cash in on the big screen success of Bissinger's other filmed adaptation, "Friday Night Lights."
posted by CM @ 10:44 PM
5 Comments:
Good movies where Keving Pollack can be found:
Avalon
L.A. Story
The Usual Suspects
Casino
Are you saying Kevin Pollack is no good or he has never been in anything good? I would say he has some decent credits to his name.
The Whole Nine Yards - he played Janni Gogolak
A Few Good Men - Lt. Sam Weinberg
Grumpy Old Men - Jacob Goldman
Of course the real issue of the story is why would anybody want to watch a movie about the Cubs losing 2 of 3. That's America's team. That wouldn't have nearly the draw of the blockbusters like Rookie Of The Year and Taking Care Of Business.
Why hasn't anyone made a movie about the Big Red Machine? And "Rookie of the Year" was essentially the Joe Nuxhall story- a 15-year-old pitching in the majors.
The Reds deserve a movie about them. (I don't count ESPN's "Hustle" as a movie.)
I can see I have different tastes in movies compared to the Moeller's. I guess I'm like George Costanza in that I like things you don't have to think about - "Puke. That's a funny word. Puke - you don't have to think about that."
I intended to imply that Pollack has never been in anything good, and with the exception of L.A. Story, which I don't remember him being in, I can't say I've changed my mind. In fact, by coincidence, I watched The Usual Suspects and Grumpy Old Men recently for the first time. I was disappointed. If you like Lemmon and Matthau, let me suggest their first on-screen pairing, Billy Wilder's "The Fortune Cookie" from 1966.
Of course, keep in mind my taste runs more towards high-brow fare, such as "Rochelle, Rochelle, A Young Woman's Erotic Journey From Milan to Minsk."
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