Recent posts

#1

Entertainment / Re: Bands/ Artists You Don't H...

Last post by zombie no.one - Today at 05:30:04 PM

ASH

first Irish group to debut at #1 in the uk album chart... third album also went to #1. string of top 10 singles.... all over the radio here, circa mid 90s to mid 2000s...not heard anyone mention them in years

edit, still going apparently. done a couple of albums in the last 3 years

#2

Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...

Last post by Alex - Today at 03:54:48 PM

JD Vance's trip to Hungary to support Orban's party has instead led to a 3% drop in support for them only a few days before the election.

#3

Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...

Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 03:51:47 PM

Whatever this is

Just a classic case of deflection.

And he actually succeeded, with you now stepping in and suggesting a random topic.

Just trying to avert a flamewar. We all know (or should know) we're not going to change people's opinions on Trump here, so talking about it is pointless. That's what the outrage algorithm on FB/twitter/whatever is for.

#4

Entertainment / Re: Bands/ Artists You Don't H...

Last post by lester1/2jr - Today at 03:43:54 PM

Huey Lewis and the News.

#5

Good Movies / Re: Recent Viewings, Part 2

Last post by M.10rda - Today at 03:29:16 PM

"John Candy: I Like Me" (2025)
Colin Hanks (Tom's son) directed this documentary about the life and career of the late John Candy, the Canadian comic actor who took Hollywood by storm in the 80s. Clips from his film catalog and commentary from co-stars like Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Macaulay Culkin, and many more paint a portrait of a well loved guy who unfortunately struggled with anxiety off screen. A touching trip down memory lane.

JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME (2025):
I learned a lot about the subject from this documentary. I'm embarrassed to admit that, because of Candy's reputation for depression (and particularly one story I recall where he told Roger Ebert he felt lonely), I always figured he was single. It was gratifying therefore to find he was happily married for his entire career and had two children. But there are lots of ways to feel lonely.

My Dad died at age 47 when I was 17 and I spent 30 years feeling a lot of dread about that (and now feel weird to have outlived him). Candy's father died at age 35 when John was 5 (!) and that isn't quite the same thing - it's worse, obviously - but I can empathize to some extent w/ Candy's anxiety and ennui. Also, fwiw, both my father and John Candy were huge football fans/boosters w/ youthful aspirations to play that ended early in their lives due to bum legs. (According to this doc, Candy lived 25+ years w/o a kneecap on one leg - which seems impossible if true!) I know (and, uh, care) little about organized athletics, but the portion of this film that covered Candy's enthusiastic late-life ownership of a Toronto football team really delighted me.

Also, I'm a big fat guy who has spent his entire life having strangers or loose acquaintances say things to me like "You know who you remind me of?" And depending on what year it is, the answer has always been either John Candy, John Goodman, or Chris Farley. (Once in HS I was lucky enough to get "Peter Ustinov.") BTW I lost 60 pounds around 15 years ago and kept it off for a few years and a couple of people told me I looked like Crispin Glover  or Hugh Grant  , neither of which seem accurate to me either. (I look pretty much like the guy in the photo at left.) But it just goes to show that people simply are eager for any opportunity to remind a fat guy that he's fat. There's a brief sequence of archival clips in I LIKE ME where interviewers subject Candy to inappropriate jabs about his weight. He's understandably irritated, because his weight was something he rarely or never thought about. Of course, he should have thought about it a little bit more, as his widow ruefully comments. But the guy had a lot more weighing on his spirit than cheap fat jokes.

JC:ILM worked on a lot of levels for me - as character study, as celebration, but also as a valuable archival object on its own merits. Honestly I starting watching it for the Catherine O'Hara interview clips  and there are some good ones, as well as a clip of her eulogy at Candy's funeral (and her sister Mary Margaret singing at said funeral) and Candy/O'Hara outtakes from HOME ALONE. There's also good interview footage of Eugene Levy, Bill Murray, 100 year-old Mel Brooks, and other priceless folks who may never get their own feature-length documentary. (Okay, Murray might; Brooks has of course outlived everyone he worked w/ prior to the late 80s, so who would appear in his?) So there is a lot of value onscreen here.

4/5    Among many other highlights, Maureen O'Hara (no relation to the aforementioned O'Haras, besides spiritual) on late-night TV predicting that Candy would go on to a career as a serious actor and would play Charles Laughton's great roles.  Bless her... nobody ever compared me to Laughton!

#6

Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...

Last post by Alex - Today at 03:23:02 PM

Whatever this is

Just a classic case of deflection.

And he actually succeeded, with you now stepping in and suggesting a random topic.

At least he didn't launch a disastrous military campaign as a distraction.

#7

Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...

Last post by claws - Today at 03:15:02 PM

Whatever this is

Just a classic case of deflection.

And he actually succeeded, with you now stepping in and suggesting a random topic.

#8

Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...

Last post by Alex - Today at 03:00:46 PM

 

^Are you saying the people of Scotland actually "miss" Jeffrey Epstein???^

Not sure how you think that not knowing about something equates to missing someone, but hey, you go and believe whatever you like.

If you thought you'd somehow made a smart or cutting comment there, trust me you badly fell short, but hey have a pat on the head for the attempt and try again some time.

So do you miss Epstein, or are you just mad that he's dead???

Whatever this is, it's going nowhere. I suggest we move on to another random topic.

Far enough Rev I will move on. I will answer poor Cerbs question though and say I am mad he's dead. I'd have liked to see him stand trial and see what fell out of that. No one I follow politically would have anything to fear from that.

#9

Bad Movies / Re: Scary movie backstories

Last post by M.10rda - Today at 02:56:25 PM

Well, it is "partially lost".

#10

Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...

Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 02:50:11 PM

^Are you saying the people of Scotland actually "miss" Jeffrey Epstein???^

Not sure how you think that not knowing about something equates to missing someone, but hey, you go and believe whatever you like.

If you thought you'd somehow made a smart or cutting comment there, trust me you badly fell short, but hey have a pat on the head for the attempt and try again some time.

So do you miss Epstein, or are you just mad that he's dead???

Whatever this is, it's going nowhere. I suggest we move on to another random topic.