Sunday, November 30, 2014
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Burning Questions: Charlie Brown's "luck" on Halloween
OK, I know what you're thinking: "Rick, Halloween was weeks ago. Why are you talking about 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" in the middle of November?" Well, first, I finally make a new post after months on the sidelines, and you're gonna bust my chops over its timeliness? Second, hey, don't worry about when Halloween is or was or whatever. This isn't a Halloween post. Oh, no, no, no. It's a THINK PIECE!
"Pumpkin" is one of the funniest of all the Peanuts animated specials, what with Linus' devotion to the mythical Halloween icon, Lucy yanking the football away from Charlie, and Charlie's goofy dance when he gets the invitation to the big party. By far the best moment in the special is the trick-or-treating sequence. Discussing this one with a friend recently, I started to consider it in a new light.
To summarize: The kids assemble for trick or treating, and Chuck shows up wearing a sheet riddled with holes, meekly explaining, "I had a little trouble with the scissors." (Another of the show's great and understated lines) Yes, our hero took arguably the most half-assed costume concept of all, the ghost--rivaled only by the "wear old clothes and call yourself a hobo" strategy--and botched it.
The Peanuts gang heads door to door, pausing after each house to compare its goodies. Each kid boasts of some great item until poor Charlie adds, "I got a rock."
"I got an entire bag of candy bars!"
"I got a 25-pound lollipop!"
"I got a 5% ownership in the Hershey corporation!"
"I got a rock."
Each time this the sequence occurs, the rhythm is perfect, and Charlie Brown's pathetic delivery is outstanding. It cracks me up. But let's take a closer look. Why is Charlie getting a rock each time he goes to the door? Isn't this one of the most horrible things we've ever seen happen to a child?
It's amazing that every household in this neighborhood has the resources and energy to stock such a wide variety of treats in the first place, let alone to bother ensuring each child has a distinct prize. It's easy to find big variety packs of different candies nowadays, but during the actual event, nobody sizes up each child and attempts to match them with a distinct piece of candy. Instead, we either let the kids root around for something or we just drop a few pieces into their bags. Yet in "Pumpkin," each child comes away with a different treat.
We also know Charlie is the only one getting rocks. It's not even Pop Rocks or crack cocaine (at least that would have some resale value). We see them falling into the bag each time. Charlie's getting big ol' rocks. He can't eat them. He can't sell them. He's lucky his bag doesn't tear open each time one hits the bottom.
For years I assumed that it was just the Charlie-Browniest of luck that stuck him with a crummy deposit each time. Now I see it differently. I believe the parents are targeting Charlie and deliberately giving an awful "trick." The odds of this happening accidentally are infinitesimal.
So now the question is why is this happening? Is it because of the crappy costume? What kind of grown man or woman sees a kid wearing a crummy outfit and says, "Oh, that's weak. I'm gonna give that little SOB a rock"? These ones, apparently! Or--and this is even worse--do they give him rocks just because he's Charlie Brown?
See, I think that's the only explanation that makes sense, and it chills me. People don't keep rocks sitting around by their front door to hand out to trick-or-treaters. So this isn't a spontaneous reaction to seeing how Charlie bungled the ghost gear. What would happen if Charlie had a decent costume? Do you really think they would just hang onto the rocks and save them for next Halloween?
No, the logical conclusion is that all the adults got together and collected a bunch of rocks for the sole purpose of sticking it to Charlie Brown. This is one of the most egregious examples of collective sociopathy I've ever seen. Think about the effort it took to organize this kind of thing. But we laugh it off. You know, I have yet to find one documented case of someone dropping an apple with a razor blade into a kid's bag, but our parents warned us of that when I was growing up. For 50-some years, grown-ups have been dumping actual rocks into a little kid's sack of candy, and nobody says anything.
So, assuming that they planned this before Charlie screwed up his sheet, they did this just because...why? Because he's a loser? It's not like Charlie is a bully, a thief, or a bad influence. The only thing he does that directly impacts these grown-ups' lives is give up home runs and make the local sandlot team look bad. He's just a kid who tries hard but messes things up. Again, he tries hard. These people should point to him as an example of fortitude, of ganas, of never giving up.
Instead they decide, nah, we don't like this loser, so we're going to make his life miserable. Once you realize this, it makes these specials a lot harder to watch. That "humorous" speech pattern all the adults have suddenly feels sinister. No matter how he tries to improve himself, Charlie is never going to succeed in this place. The adults will break him whenever he is on the verge of succeeding. If he ever gets a real date with that little red-haired girl, I have no doubt that the cabal that runs the community will not only ensure she meets an "accidental" demise, Walter White style, but they'll frame Charlie Brown for it.
They don't want a bunch of Charlie Browns. In fact, they probably don't even want a bunch of Linus Van Pelts. My guess: They want a neighborhood full of Shermys. In my opinion, Charlie Brown doesn't need psychiatric help. He needs to get the hell out of town.
"Pumpkin" is one of the funniest of all the Peanuts animated specials, what with Linus' devotion to the mythical Halloween icon, Lucy yanking the football away from Charlie, and Charlie's goofy dance when he gets the invitation to the big party. By far the best moment in the special is the trick-or-treating sequence. Discussing this one with a friend recently, I started to consider it in a new light.
To summarize: The kids assemble for trick or treating, and Chuck shows up wearing a sheet riddled with holes, meekly explaining, "I had a little trouble with the scissors." (Another of the show's great and understated lines) Yes, our hero took arguably the most half-assed costume concept of all, the ghost--rivaled only by the "wear old clothes and call yourself a hobo" strategy--and botched it.
The Peanuts gang heads door to door, pausing after each house to compare its goodies. Each kid boasts of some great item until poor Charlie adds, "I got a rock."
"I got an entire bag of candy bars!"
"I got a 25-pound lollipop!"
"I got a 5% ownership in the Hershey corporation!"
"I got a rock."
Each time this the sequence occurs, the rhythm is perfect, and Charlie Brown's pathetic delivery is outstanding. It cracks me up. But let's take a closer look. Why is Charlie getting a rock each time he goes to the door? Isn't this one of the most horrible things we've ever seen happen to a child?
It's amazing that every household in this neighborhood has the resources and energy to stock such a wide variety of treats in the first place, let alone to bother ensuring each child has a distinct prize. It's easy to find big variety packs of different candies nowadays, but during the actual event, nobody sizes up each child and attempts to match them with a distinct piece of candy. Instead, we either let the kids root around for something or we just drop a few pieces into their bags. Yet in "Pumpkin," each child comes away with a different treat.
We also know Charlie is the only one getting rocks. It's not even Pop Rocks or crack cocaine (at least that would have some resale value). We see them falling into the bag each time. Charlie's getting big ol' rocks. He can't eat them. He can't sell them. He's lucky his bag doesn't tear open each time one hits the bottom.
For years I assumed that it was just the Charlie-Browniest of luck that stuck him with a crummy deposit each time. Now I see it differently. I believe the parents are targeting Charlie and deliberately giving an awful "trick." The odds of this happening accidentally are infinitesimal.
So now the question is why is this happening? Is it because of the crappy costume? What kind of grown man or woman sees a kid wearing a crummy outfit and says, "Oh, that's weak. I'm gonna give that little SOB a rock"? These ones, apparently! Or--and this is even worse--do they give him rocks just because he's Charlie Brown?
See, I think that's the only explanation that makes sense, and it chills me. People don't keep rocks sitting around by their front door to hand out to trick-or-treaters. So this isn't a spontaneous reaction to seeing how Charlie bungled the ghost gear. What would happen if Charlie had a decent costume? Do you really think they would just hang onto the rocks and save them for next Halloween?
No, the logical conclusion is that all the adults got together and collected a bunch of rocks for the sole purpose of sticking it to Charlie Brown. This is one of the most egregious examples of collective sociopathy I've ever seen. Think about the effort it took to organize this kind of thing. But we laugh it off. You know, I have yet to find one documented case of someone dropping an apple with a razor blade into a kid's bag, but our parents warned us of that when I was growing up. For 50-some years, grown-ups have been dumping actual rocks into a little kid's sack of candy, and nobody says anything.
So, assuming that they planned this before Charlie screwed up his sheet, they did this just because...why? Because he's a loser? It's not like Charlie is a bully, a thief, or a bad influence. The only thing he does that directly impacts these grown-ups' lives is give up home runs and make the local sandlot team look bad. He's just a kid who tries hard but messes things up. Again, he tries hard. These people should point to him as an example of fortitude, of ganas, of never giving up.
Instead they decide, nah, we don't like this loser, so we're going to make his life miserable. Once you realize this, it makes these specials a lot harder to watch. That "humorous" speech pattern all the adults have suddenly feels sinister. No matter how he tries to improve himself, Charlie is never going to succeed in this place. The adults will break him whenever he is on the verge of succeeding. If he ever gets a real date with that little red-haired girl, I have no doubt that the cabal that runs the community will not only ensure she meets an "accidental" demise, Walter White style, but they'll frame Charlie Brown for it.
They don't want a bunch of Charlie Browns. In fact, they probably don't even want a bunch of Linus Van Pelts. My guess: They want a neighborhood full of Shermys. In my opinion, Charlie Brown doesn't need psychiatric help. He needs to get the hell out of town.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Taking a break...
Thanks to all the loyal Cultureshark readers out there for your support. I have, as the American Dream Dusty Rhodes might say, some BIDNESS to attend to and don't have the time right now to maintain the blog. I hope to return soon.
In the meantime, though, keep watching ClassicFlix for my reviews and my ongoing TV Time column.
In the meantime, though, keep watching ClassicFlix for my reviews and my ongoing TV Time column.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Ok, wise guy, what SHOULD be on Hulu Plus?
I've been complaining about Hulu Plus for months, and ever since the streaming service announced the CBS library deal, I have nitpicked and clamored for more and different offerings than what we have received. Today I'm going to offer some suggestions for what should (and realistically could) be on there. For one thing, I'm looking for complete series runs or at least complete seasons, not the random assortment of episodes we are getting. That said, here are some CBS series I'd like to see join Hulu:
*The Phil Silvers Show/Sgt. Bilko: The series has looked a lot better on CBS' official DVD releases--a Best of and a Season 1--than on my AHEM set which is rife with 22-minute versions. A complete set is coming in the UK, and a certain licensor may be bringing it stateside late this year, but why not put the show on Hulu? It could use more classic sitcoms.
*The Wild, Wild West: It has been on Me-TV, and I think it was on RTV before the Paramount library left, but this has had a remarkably low profile in recent years. It's been complete on DVD for years, so it's not like you need to worry about cannibalizing video sales.
*The Fugitive: CBS finally got it right and did a gigantic complete DVD package a few years ago. Me-TV runs this, but it doesn't make a big deal out of it. One of the best TV series of all time deserves more of a presence.
*Perry Mason: Again, ME-TV shows it, it's complete on DVD--now is the time for a streaming presence. It would be particularly fun to have something like this on demand and be able to cherry-pick episodes with certain guest stars and whatnot.
*The Invaders: It's only two seasons, it's been complete on DVD for years, and I would think a cool genre show like this would be a nice add for Hulu.
*One Step Beyond: It's possible that the public domain cheapo DVD releases of this series killed sales when CBS finally decided to do a proper season one set, but I fear people just don't remember the series. It's not "Twilight Zone," but it doesn't deserve its current obscurity. Clearly no one else is interested in this. Put it online.
*Love American Style: I think I've read there is some kind of source material/elements issue preventing more DVD releases of this comedy anthology. Well, put 'em online. The show is dated, yes, and while that may slow video sales, it makes it a fun watch today. I'd love to be able to see these on Hulu.
*Love Boat: See what I said above about cherry-picking episodes with fun guest stars. I've seen some episodes online that look pretty darn good. Who knows what the DVD strategy is with this? It's not on any kind of fast track. Give Hulu access to these cheesy but iconic crapfest.
*My Three Sons: Even Me-TV only shows less than half of the series' long run, and nobody seems to want to show the black-and-white episodes with William Frawley. That's 5 seasons' worth! CBS screwed up the series by using abominable music replacement and splitting seasons, then gave up after two seasons. I'd really love to see the b&w Bub years since they aren't syndicated anymore.
OK, how about some more pie-in-the-sky scenarios? Here are some titles in the CBS/Paramount library that may have issues preventing their release. They certainly aren't coming to DVD anytime soon, so it would be great to see them online:
*The Millionaire: Me-TV showed some of these...right before I got Me-TV. The series is on someone's radar, I guess.
*The Lineup: The 1958 film is a blast. How about the San Francisco cop procedural series that spawned it?
*December Bride: This sitcom is way too obscure for something that had 156 episodes.
*The Defenders: I believe there is some kind of problem with source materials for this series. I don't know if that would preclude some kind of online streaming deal.
*Ben Casey: Warner Archive is putting out "Dr. Kildare" and is even streaming the first season on Warner Archive Instant. It would be nice to see this medical show back in circulation.
*Our Miss Brooks: Believe it or not, I have seen rumors that this show is being prepped for a possible DVD release. You know what? I don't believe it. But maybe we can see it on Hulu someday!
*The Phil Silvers Show/Sgt. Bilko: The series has looked a lot better on CBS' official DVD releases--a Best of and a Season 1--than on my AHEM set which is rife with 22-minute versions. A complete set is coming in the UK, and a certain licensor may be bringing it stateside late this year, but why not put the show on Hulu? It could use more classic sitcoms.
*The Wild, Wild West: It has been on Me-TV, and I think it was on RTV before the Paramount library left, but this has had a remarkably low profile in recent years. It's been complete on DVD for years, so it's not like you need to worry about cannibalizing video sales.
*The Fugitive: CBS finally got it right and did a gigantic complete DVD package a few years ago. Me-TV runs this, but it doesn't make a big deal out of it. One of the best TV series of all time deserves more of a presence.
*Perry Mason: Again, ME-TV shows it, it's complete on DVD--now is the time for a streaming presence. It would be particularly fun to have something like this on demand and be able to cherry-pick episodes with certain guest stars and whatnot.
*The Invaders: It's only two seasons, it's been complete on DVD for years, and I would think a cool genre show like this would be a nice add for Hulu.
*One Step Beyond: It's possible that the public domain cheapo DVD releases of this series killed sales when CBS finally decided to do a proper season one set, but I fear people just don't remember the series. It's not "Twilight Zone," but it doesn't deserve its current obscurity. Clearly no one else is interested in this. Put it online.
*Love American Style: I think I've read there is some kind of source material/elements issue preventing more DVD releases of this comedy anthology. Well, put 'em online. The show is dated, yes, and while that may slow video sales, it makes it a fun watch today. I'd love to be able to see these on Hulu.
*Love Boat: See what I said above about cherry-picking episodes with fun guest stars. I've seen some episodes online that look pretty darn good. Who knows what the DVD strategy is with this? It's not on any kind of fast track. Give Hulu access to these cheesy but iconic crapfest.
*My Three Sons: Even Me-TV only shows less than half of the series' long run, and nobody seems to want to show the black-and-white episodes with William Frawley. That's 5 seasons' worth! CBS screwed up the series by using abominable music replacement and splitting seasons, then gave up after two seasons. I'd really love to see the b&w Bub years since they aren't syndicated anymore.
OK, how about some more pie-in-the-sky scenarios? Here are some titles in the CBS/Paramount library that may have issues preventing their release. They certainly aren't coming to DVD anytime soon, so it would be great to see them online:
*The Millionaire: Me-TV showed some of these...right before I got Me-TV. The series is on someone's radar, I guess.
*The Lineup: The 1958 film is a blast. How about the San Francisco cop procedural series that spawned it?
*December Bride: This sitcom is way too obscure for something that had 156 episodes.
*The Defenders: I believe there is some kind of problem with source materials for this series. I don't know if that would preclude some kind of online streaming deal.
*Ben Casey: Warner Archive is putting out "Dr. Kildare" and is even streaming the first season on Warner Archive Instant. It would be nice to see this medical show back in circulation.
*Our Miss Brooks: Believe it or not, I have seen rumors that this show is being prepped for a possible DVD release. You know what? I don't believe it. But maybe we can see it on Hulu someday!
Friday, May 30, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
The Bob Newhart Show: The Complete Series: I normally start this column with the most high-profile recent theatricals debuting on DVD in a given week, but the slate is pretty weak this post-holiday release date. There is no way I am going to give a reboot of "Endless Love," of all things, the top spot in my column.
Instead, let's celebrate Shout! bringing the complete "Bob Newhart" to DVD in one big collection...while trying not to fret about the fact that as of now, no single season releases of 5 and 6 are available for fans who bought the previous releases from Fox. And let's not fret about the fact that those last two seasons don't look all that great and were apparently not at all remastered or anything.
The fact is, this often underappreciated classic sitcom is now available in its entirety, with some bonus features to boot, and that's a good thing. It's a heck of a lot gooder than another "Endless Love." Hi, Bob!
Endless Love: Uh, yeah, in case you haven't guessed, I don't have a lot to say about this one. At least it's not another "Blue Lagoon."
Gambit: A remake of the Michael Caine/Shirley MacLaine 1966 caper comedy starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz and written by the Coen brothers...and ignored until getting out on DVD Memorial Day week. Yep, we have a major bomb threat here, folks.
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: Were you a little disappointed when this Wes Anderson film was originally released? Well, you were WRONG! See? It's a CRITERION, son. Show some respect.
Red River: All kidding aside, I wouldn't mind taking a gander at this Criterion release of the classic Howard Hawks/John Wayne Western. The BD/DVD combo package even includes a copy of the out of print paperback that serves as the film's source material. How cool is that? Most DVDs these days barely give you anything to read on the back of the box.
WWE Presents Greatest Wrestling Factions: I like how at some point the term "stable" became verboten in WWE, along with the not-PG-friendly "gang," so we get the ever-awkward "faction" term all the time. This DVD combines a weak-sounding documentary of sorts with a bunch of matches. It looks serviceable (if you like the matches) but uninspired at best.
Men of the Fighting Lady is new from Warner Archive, and it looks pretty good judging by the preview clip on the website. It's a 1954 Korean War flick in color with an all-star cast.
And in streaming...
Warner Archive Instant hasn't added anything since my last update. I'm hoping that by saying this, I will somehow cosmically trigger a massive update that goes into effect shortly after this is published.
Hulu Plus has added several international series: Australian dramedy House Husbands, Canadian Jason Priestly vehicle Call Me Fitz, and Reef Doctors (guess which country that's from). An intriguing add is Foyle's War, which recently left Netflix. Unfortunately, only two seasons are there, which is a lot less than Netflix had and even less less (does that make sense?) than Acorn TV has right now. Nothing new to report on the CBS shows front.
There is chatter that Hulu is in talks to revive "Community." Oh, I'll watch if it's on, but I think the show's pretty much done. I'd rather see Hulu use that money on buying more catalog programming. Tell you what, next week I'll offer a list of shows that could/should wind up there--and I'll make them CBS shows, which should take care of two of my gripes with one shot!
Netflix added a few new ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries, including Bad Boys on the Detroit Pistons, and I'm glad to see they are still acquiring those. There's also a documentary called The Source Family about a hippie cult group in 1970s L.A. Another interesting add is Escape from Tomorrow, partially shot guerilla-style at Disney World, but from what I read, the story behind the story may be more compelling than the story itself.
This is a lame streaming update, I know, but I want to get the "This Week in..." posts a little bit more back on schedule, so we got to roll with what we have. Hopefully the weekend will bring lots of new content and next week there'll be a lot more to write about.
Instead, let's celebrate Shout! bringing the complete "Bob Newhart" to DVD in one big collection...while trying not to fret about the fact that as of now, no single season releases of 5 and 6 are available for fans who bought the previous releases from Fox. And let's not fret about the fact that those last two seasons don't look all that great and were apparently not at all remastered or anything.
The fact is, this often underappreciated classic sitcom is now available in its entirety, with some bonus features to boot, and that's a good thing. It's a heck of a lot gooder than another "Endless Love." Hi, Bob!
Endless Love: Uh, yeah, in case you haven't guessed, I don't have a lot to say about this one. At least it's not another "Blue Lagoon."
Gambit: A remake of the Michael Caine/Shirley MacLaine 1966 caper comedy starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz and written by the Coen brothers...and ignored until getting out on DVD Memorial Day week. Yep, we have a major bomb threat here, folks.
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: Were you a little disappointed when this Wes Anderson film was originally released? Well, you were WRONG! See? It's a CRITERION, son. Show some respect.
Red River: All kidding aside, I wouldn't mind taking a gander at this Criterion release of the classic Howard Hawks/John Wayne Western. The BD/DVD combo package even includes a copy of the out of print paperback that serves as the film's source material. How cool is that? Most DVDs these days barely give you anything to read on the back of the box.
WWE Presents Greatest Wrestling Factions: I like how at some point the term "stable" became verboten in WWE, along with the not-PG-friendly "gang," so we get the ever-awkward "faction" term all the time. This DVD combines a weak-sounding documentary of sorts with a bunch of matches. It looks serviceable (if you like the matches) but uninspired at best.
Men of the Fighting Lady is new from Warner Archive, and it looks pretty good judging by the preview clip on the website. It's a 1954 Korean War flick in color with an all-star cast.
And in streaming...
Warner Archive Instant hasn't added anything since my last update. I'm hoping that by saying this, I will somehow cosmically trigger a massive update that goes into effect shortly after this is published.
Hulu Plus has added several international series: Australian dramedy House Husbands, Canadian Jason Priestly vehicle Call Me Fitz, and Reef Doctors (guess which country that's from). An intriguing add is Foyle's War, which recently left Netflix. Unfortunately, only two seasons are there, which is a lot less than Netflix had and even less less (does that make sense?) than Acorn TV has right now. Nothing new to report on the CBS shows front.
There is chatter that Hulu is in talks to revive "Community." Oh, I'll watch if it's on, but I think the show's pretty much done. I'd rather see Hulu use that money on buying more catalog programming. Tell you what, next week I'll offer a list of shows that could/should wind up there--and I'll make them CBS shows, which should take care of two of my gripes with one shot!
Netflix added a few new ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries, including Bad Boys on the Detroit Pistons, and I'm glad to see they are still acquiring those. There's also a documentary called The Source Family about a hippie cult group in 1970s L.A. Another interesting add is Escape from Tomorrow, partially shot guerilla-style at Disney World, but from what I read, the story behind the story may be more compelling than the story itself.
This is a lame streaming update, I know, but I want to get the "This Week in..." posts a little bit more back on schedule, so we got to roll with what we have. Hopefully the weekend will bring lots of new content and next week there'll be a lot more to write about.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Instant Gratification Theater: Sly Stallone goes OVER THE TOP
We all have certain gaps in our film scholarship. Some of us have never seen a complete film by Bresson; others may have yet to experience Ozu. But it's not just world cinema that can elude us. I for one am unashamed to admit that many seminal works of the Hollywood canon have gone unwatched here at Cultureshark Tower. Fortunately, Netflix is available to help fill in the gaps.
Case in point: Over the Top (1987) by Menahem Golan, released by Cannon and starring Sylvester Stallone. If you haven't seen this epic meditation on fatherhood, arm wrestling, and trucker caps, see it before June 1 because it is leaving Instant Watching at the end of the month.
I could dissect this film in the form of a conventional "review," but how arrogant would I be to dare attempt to cover ground that hasn't already been trod in countless other critical studies? Instead, let me offer a list of things that amuse me about "Over the Top":
1) Stallone seems relatively uninterested throughout the movie. I guess he really did do this just for the money. Somehow, though, his lack of intensity becomes part of the charm.
2) The child actor who plays Stallone's son Michael, David Mendenhall, didn't exactly tear it up here, but he had a prolific career doing animation voiceovers and has continued working to this day.
3) Sly's character, a big rig operator/amateur arm wrestling superstar trying to reconnect with his estranged son, is named Lincoln Hawk. Say what you will about "Over the Top," but Lincoln Hawk is an outstanding moniker. I wish there were a sequel just so that we could enjoy more Lincoln Hawk. Really, that name is too good to use on just one middling 1980s film. I'd like to think somewhere in a drawer, Stallone has a treatment centered on someone (not even necessarily this one) named Lincoln Hawk. Say it with me, out loud: LINCOLN HAWK.
4) One of the credited screenwriters (along with Stallone himself) is Stirling Silliphant of Route 66 and Naked City fame.
5) Pro wrestling legend Terry Funk appears, sadly not for long. Several years later, "Road House" would more fully utilize his talents.
6) Awesome scenes involving Lincoln Hawks big semi:
--He rams it through the entrance gate of his rich father-in-law's property.
--He teaches his 12-year-old son to drive it by just switching places with him, impromptu, on the open road and letting him do it.
--Best of all, when the father-in-law's hired goons kidnap Michael at a truck stop and zoom off in their own pickup, Lincoln, despite their significant head start, hops into HIS big rig and chases them down.
7) The climactic tournament is filled with guys flexing, grimacing, and grunting.
8) That tournament is DOUBLE ELIMINATION, meaning even if you get defeated, you have another chance. Symbolism, anyone?
9) "What I do is I just try to take my hat and I turn it around, and it's like a switch that goes on, and when the switch goes on, I feel like another person. I don't know, I feel like a--like a truck, like a machine."--Lincoln Hawk explaining his pre-match routine.
10) While we all know and love "Meet Me Halfway," Kenny Loggins' classic ballad that appears throughout the movie, it's arguably not the showcase song. 'In This Country" by Robin Zander of Cheap Trick opens "Over the Top" and is heard again in the immediate aftermath of the big match (you know there's a big arm wrestling match). while Larry Greene is heard over the end credits with "Take It Higher." All these songs, incidentally, were written by Giorgio Moroder (music) and Tom Whitlock (lyrics), and so was Sammy Hagar's "Winner Takes It All," another single from the soundtrack. The only credited song not penned by that duo? Frank Stallone's "Bad Night."
Does this collection of 10 tidbits make you want to see "Over the Top?" Or have you already seen this iconic eighties hit? I am proud to finally be a member of the club. That's one more down from my bucket list. Next up, 'Floating Weeds!" Well, maybe after I finally get around to seeing all of "Cobra," that is.
Case in point: Over the Top (1987) by Menahem Golan, released by Cannon and starring Sylvester Stallone. If you haven't seen this epic meditation on fatherhood, arm wrestling, and trucker caps, see it before June 1 because it is leaving Instant Watching at the end of the month.
I could dissect this film in the form of a conventional "review," but how arrogant would I be to dare attempt to cover ground that hasn't already been trod in countless other critical studies? Instead, let me offer a list of things that amuse me about "Over the Top":
1) Stallone seems relatively uninterested throughout the movie. I guess he really did do this just for the money. Somehow, though, his lack of intensity becomes part of the charm.
2) The child actor who plays Stallone's son Michael, David Mendenhall, didn't exactly tear it up here, but he had a prolific career doing animation voiceovers and has continued working to this day.
3) Sly's character, a big rig operator/amateur arm wrestling superstar trying to reconnect with his estranged son, is named Lincoln Hawk. Say what you will about "Over the Top," but Lincoln Hawk is an outstanding moniker. I wish there were a sequel just so that we could enjoy more Lincoln Hawk. Really, that name is too good to use on just one middling 1980s film. I'd like to think somewhere in a drawer, Stallone has a treatment centered on someone (not even necessarily this one) named Lincoln Hawk. Say it with me, out loud: LINCOLN HAWK.
4) One of the credited screenwriters (along with Stallone himself) is Stirling Silliphant of Route 66 and Naked City fame.
5) Pro wrestling legend Terry Funk appears, sadly not for long. Several years later, "Road House" would more fully utilize his talents.
6) Awesome scenes involving Lincoln Hawks big semi:
--He rams it through the entrance gate of his rich father-in-law's property.
--He teaches his 12-year-old son to drive it by just switching places with him, impromptu, on the open road and letting him do it.
--Best of all, when the father-in-law's hired goons kidnap Michael at a truck stop and zoom off in their own pickup, Lincoln, despite their significant head start, hops into HIS big rig and chases them down.
7) The climactic tournament is filled with guys flexing, grimacing, and grunting.
8) That tournament is DOUBLE ELIMINATION, meaning even if you get defeated, you have another chance. Symbolism, anyone?
9) "What I do is I just try to take my hat and I turn it around, and it's like a switch that goes on, and when the switch goes on, I feel like another person. I don't know, I feel like a--like a truck, like a machine."--Lincoln Hawk explaining his pre-match routine.
10) While we all know and love "Meet Me Halfway," Kenny Loggins' classic ballad that appears throughout the movie, it's arguably not the showcase song. 'In This Country" by Robin Zander of Cheap Trick opens "Over the Top" and is heard again in the immediate aftermath of the big match (you know there's a big arm wrestling match). while Larry Greene is heard over the end credits with "Take It Higher." All these songs, incidentally, were written by Giorgio Moroder (music) and Tom Whitlock (lyrics), and so was Sammy Hagar's "Winner Takes It All," another single from the soundtrack. The only credited song not penned by that duo? Frank Stallone's "Bad Night."
Does this collection of 10 tidbits make you want to see "Over the Top?" Or have you already seen this iconic eighties hit? I am proud to finally be a member of the club. That's one more down from my bucket list. Next up, 'Floating Weeds!" Well, maybe after I finally get around to seeing all of "Cobra," that is.
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