Al-Fake-a: Don't Believe the Hype

The current issue of Rolling Stone magazine puts Al Qaeda as moderate on its level of "Threat Assessment," forgetting that before 9/11 there was no such thing as "Al Qaeda," and that perhaps there still isn’t.

I'm still amazed at how liberally the fictional term ("Al Qaeda") is bandied about by everyone in the media as if they’ve done their research on the subject, and without anyone ever making the point that perhaps the moniker has no basis in reality. Does anyone really think that there is some corporation of terrorists calling themselves "Al Qaeda" as if they were the baddest gang of motherfuckers to put a rag in a bottle of alcohol?

Fortunately, in 2004 the BBC ran a three part documentary film series called "The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear" written and produced by Adam Curtis. Curtis clearly and succinctly connects the neocon movement to the radical Islamists movement by showing the history of each. I highly recommend it as a balm to the idiotic idea that citizens of the world are under any more of a terrorist threat than we’ve ever been at any other time in history. You can watch the complete documentary on your computer at http://novakeo.com/?p=131

So, the next time you hear the word "Al Qaeda," think to yourself, "Bullshit."

The Collins Bar Says Goodbye

The doorway to the immediate left of the porn palace that Travis Bickle enters in "Taxi Driver," after getting his hack job, is the doorway of 735 8^th Avenue – The Collins Bar (look in the upper left hand corner to see the Collins' famous "BAR" sign. The picture below shows a comparison of how the bar looked on its last day.

On Sunday, July 22, this fine Hell’s Kitchen drinking establishment will shutter its doors forever. It is a sad phenomenon indicative of changes occurring all over Manhattan where a glut of high-rise condos are springing up and squeezing out community gathering places like The Collins Bar. Sunday night (July 22) will be a blow out gathering of Collins Bar regulars. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by for a beer and soak up the last moments of a truly great old-school New York bar.

(The Collins Bar 7/20/07)

"Ace In The Hole"

At long last, Billy Wilder’s phenomenal "Ace In The Hole" has been released on DVD—on Criterion no less. I’m in the process of watching the supplements that includes an in-depth interview with Wilder. It’s a great coincidence that I just named "Ace In The Hole" as number one in my list of 100 top American films.

In case you don’t know about "Ace In The Hole," I pass along the Criterion synopsis:

One of the most scathing indictments of American culture ever produced by a Hollywood filmmaker, Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole is legendary for both its cutting social critique and its status as a hard-to-find cult classic. Kirk Douglas gives the fiercest performance of his career as Chuck Tatum, an amoral newspaper reporter caught in dead-end Albuquerque who happens upon the story of a lifetime—and will do anything to ensure he gets the scoop. Wilder’s follow-up to Sunset Boulevard is an even darker vision, a no-holds-barred exposé that anticipated the rise of the American media circus.

John Fucking Doe

While visiting Portland in June, I had the supreme pleasure of seeing John Doe at a great joint called Dante's, performing songs from his new album "A Year in the Wilderness" with Dead Rock West doing double duty as his erstwhile opening and backing band. When I lived in San Diego back in the early ‘80s, my friends and I saw "X" more times than I can remember. As far as I’m concerned they were by far the best punk band to come out of LA, and John Doe retains the group’s sense of musical purity in his solo work.

The show in Portland was the highlight of my time there, so if you get a chance to catch John Doe on tour this summer I highly recommend it, not the least because of Cindy Wasserman’s inspired backing vocals. You can check out the duo on You Tube at:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2S-FEjeBMKQ

 

The Fillmore Towne Cinema

Twice in the past year I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Fillmore Towne Cinema in the city of Fillmore, California, about 40 minutes from sunny Burbank. This delightful little movie palace only has one screening a day at 7pm, and the $8 ticket admits adults to the balcony section, which is little more than a long single row of perfectly placed seats. In December I saw "Night at the Museum" here and recently screened "Ratatouille." I can’t imagine a more ideal cinema to watch these kinds of movies where the timeless small town family atmosphere envelops you in its movie projector glow. As you can see from the July 2007 photo, the marquee doesn’t even announce the cinema’s name, and so it is that the mystique of this little gem remains a well kept secret in a place where orange groves cover the region.

Shout out to my friends at Rotten Tomatoes

I just want to thank Jen Yamato, Tim Ryan and all of my friends at Rotten Tomatoes for the great job they do of creating a central film community online. It was great hanging out with you guys in Cannes and I look forward to seeing you all there next year.

For anyone visiting my site who isn't familar with Rotten Tomatoes, by all means check them out immediately at www.rottentomatoes.com

Cole Smithey - The Movie Guy, Answers Your Questions

In an effort to further sort the wheat from the chaff, I am inviting your questions about all things film related. Each week I will pick three of your questions to publish.

So e-mail me any burning movie questions, and I’ll do my best to provide a quick and cogent answer.

Thanks to all of my readers who make this site possible.

Cole Smithey - Your Movie Guy