William Murray, Thespian. Part 1: Army Training, Sir!

Dipping my pen in many inks, er...as it were. Here's another new little corner of the blog. A tribute to one of the greatest actors of the last 50 years...nay, Ever! Join me as I revisit the films of Bill Murray. Tonight we're taking a freebloggin' approach (Drunk Movie Time-style) to the War Comedy, Stripes. Future entries might get more in-depth academically as I examine the multifaceted career of this singular genius.


Year: 1981

Director: Ivan Reitman

I think his son Jason is doing well in the family tradition.

John Winger’s Mantra: $100 shine on a $3 pair of boots.

My Mantra: Jai guru dava. Om.
Also: It is better to look good than to feel good. 

If I’m gonna do this I have to hold myself back from the urge to just regurgitate one liners. SO MANY!! 

“Madam, perhaps you’d like to eat your luggage.”

Okay, original content, GO!

When Cash Cab goes bad.

I love multi-lingualism generally (and cute latin and asian girls, specifically), but I just feel like this picture should be widely available on the interwebs for use by all of the grammar nazis out there. #justdoin’mypart.

I appreciate that Ramis had a couple solid acting credits. He’s not a great actor, but he lends a certain nerdy cred.

"Son of beach. Sheet!!" Best non-swear ever.

The bridge scene reminds me of the episode of "The Simpsons" when Marge goes crazy and NOT the end of Rise of The Planet of the Apes.

Possibly the best thing any English speaker can learn 


#well,maybemotownwouldbebetter

The music is an interesting mix. First we get this little raggy thing, then later the solid military riff.

Yay boobs.

There was a couple standing behind me at the bar the other night having this break-up convo. But they were even more terrible because he was the anti-Murray. Complete doucheapoid.

THAT BITCH!! NOBODY CALLS TITO PUENTE “STUPID” AND LIVES!!

I really do have Tito LPs that I play on the reg. Not because of this movie...because Tito is really THAT amazing. I often used to use the “one of these days Tito Puente’s gonna be dead” line...until he actually died.

Favorite missed line: “It’s a little cute...I’m part of a lost and restless generation. What do you want me to do...run for the Senate?”

Winger may be a bum, but he has a pretty solid little apartment. 

Love the take with Murray dunking, throwing the ball straight thru the window, Ramis tossing his coat on the rack, then taking the last beer out of the fridge. I try for perfect little random moments like that all the time, but usually my coat falls on the ground

A little awkward hearing Murray say “I gotta dry out or I’m gonna be dead before I’m 30.”

I had a similar moment a few years back. And I made it without joining the Army.


And it turns out Murray was 31 when he made this.

 My pushup form is slightly better than this, but I can do about 50.

The “are you homosexual?” question during their recruitment interview is quaint and hilarious. Even 30 years ago (geez) they were ahead of the curve of how ridiculous that was:

“No, we’re not homosexual...but we are willing to learn.”
“Yeah, will they send us somewhere special?”

Mmmmm lady in uniform. That is NTS.

I’m pretty sure she’s a replicant.

CANDY! 

"Orange whip? Orange whip?... Three orange whips!"

Really underrated and solid movie score by the "other" Bernstein. (Elmer, not Leonard.)

The Laroquette salute is an amazing little touch.

Ok, so Apocalypse Now it is not, but it’s still fantastic in its own way.

In the back of my mind I want to believe that Kubrick based the 2-halves of Full Metal Jacket on Stripes. I mean, Ziskey is Private Joker, and Winger is...Private Snowball? Maybe.

Poll: Who’s the more badass drill sergeant? 

Sgt. Hulka?

Or

Gunnery Sgt. Hartman?

Let the masses decide.

Love how pissed Psycho Soyer looks when he’s getting shaved. It's always seemed his character was loosely based on John Cassavetes' role in The Dirty Dozen, but I never bothered to look it up and still cannot confirm this.

Now that’s the closely-cropped John Candy we all know and love from Summer Rental.

Boxer or jockey? ”Got something in a low-rise bikini...mesh if possible?”

Top of his game.

“I thought I’d better join before I got drafted...”

A little odd that they can make fun of that. This was only like 6 years after the end of the Vietnam and still knee deep in the Cold War. Rebuilding trust in the military? A seriously different vibe than WarGames.

One of my favorite character statements is Ziskey’s: “I’ve always been kind of a pacifist. When I was a kid my father told me, “never hit anyone in anger, unless you’re absolutely sure you can get away with it.”


As much as I wish I were Murray, I’m probably closer to Ramis.

Another snap that should live more on the internet. Maybe too subtle?

There’s not a lot to say about the training section except: Montage!! Even Rocky had a montage.

Yay 80s voyeurism scene and gratuitous nudity!

Subtle things I catch but didn’t really get: Why does Winger put his dogtags in his shirt when he and Hulka go into “the office?” Is it just because he’s expecting a confrontation? Or is this a military thing? Just curious.

"No..don’t stop...I’ll still respect you...I’ll respect you even more...just use more whipped cream..." Definitely adding that to the repertoire.

It’s very convenient that the 2 hot female MPs from the bus station were also on duty the night that Ziskey and Winger had their little spat...otterwise the whole second half might have played out differently. (And yes I said "otterwise.")


Timothy Busfield (whom I almost called Gary Busey) ...Not quite thirtysomething. and it’s kinda depressing that you’d have to be at least thirtysomething to even know what I’m talking about. Because he’s now sixtysomething.

Worst thing he ever did was try to blow up that baseball diamond.

The Pom Pom is a testament to the ebbing of sexuality from the 70s into the 80s.

The Gary Templeton poster is a nice touch.

Soundtrack: The Spinners - Rubberband Man. Ow!

The MC is Dave Thomas. Not the Wendy's guy, the Great White North guy.

"We’ve been kickin’ ass for 200 years. We’re 10 and 1!"

I need to get me a "Death Before Disco" shirt. Reinhold is way underutilized in this movie.

They were still asleep in the motorcade at 1400 hours? dubious.

Also, they keep saying “graduation is at 2 o’clock.” Super dubious. Military time fail. Or maybe they really are just turrrrible soldiers.

I'm sure we've all seen the graduation scene. Just great stuff.

 I just want to note that if I ever hear anyone say "Razzle Dazzle!" they had better be talking about Stripes and not that god-awful episode of "LOST" with Billy Dee Williams.

When the news got out that the battalion was going to Italy, immediately the MPs knew they were in for the time of their lives? Is that why they gave each other that look?

Do they typically send Drill Sergeants anywhere in the world just to be with their prize platoons? Or did Hulka get promoted due to his injuries?

The Italian barracks looks an awful lot like the barracks from earlier. There’s just a sign that says they’re in Italy. Or maybe joining Police Academy.

Poll: Which would you rather have in a fight: 

The EM50 Urban Assault Vehicle or

 or Pee Wee’s X-1?

I'm not trying to influence your vote, but I will remind you that only the X-1 has a vicious lion mounted on the handlebars. 

I like the mishmash of random “European” clothing that the squad is wearing for their undercover mission.

Hulka’s gonna take things into his own damn hands. I hope someday someone designs a Stripes video game, Hulka’s Assault. Czechoslovakia never knew what hit em.

“C’mon, it’s Czechoslovakia, it’s like going into Wisconsin!

"Don’t order the schnitzel; they’re using schnauser!"

Aaahhh 80’s socialist stereotypes! What a country!

Gotta love the 80s video game graphics, too.

Ok, so they do the “Ox runs through the door to open it” bit, but I’d have to imagine that a door would be hard to flatten top to bottom like that. The hinges would break unevenly, so it would probably swing wildly out of whack. Someone call up Mythbusters.


A little shout-out to Joe Flaherty and his buddy: 

I’ve felt like that on many a Sunday morning.

Another meme in the waiting...?

Wait, so the rest of the company is already back in the States? I thought the whole mission was going to be denied by the DOD? Why do Winger and Ziskey get a parade?

The "News Update" ending is old hat now, but these are all pretty good. My faves:

Of course.

And:

The story reads: "After 27 years in the Army, local hero Sgt. Joe Hulka has announced his intentions to ‘turn in his fatigues.’ Well known for his courageous actions in Czechoslovakia, Sgt. Hulka has told the Examiner, ‘There’s big bucks in burgers and Springfield’s the...(cont. on page 3).” Classic.

Hmmm. Bill Paxton was a random soldier in this, too. He was on his way to a fine career.

I would also like to thank the James P. Beam Distilling Company for their fine work.

And I would like to thank you for following along. I'll be checking out another work of Murraypiece theater soon. Tune in!

Midnight in Paris & A Few Thoughts on Oscar Noms

Midnight in Paris --87/100--

While watching Woody Allen’s films usually gives me at least a little pleasure, in recent years his annual submissions have, with a couple of notable exceptions, been mostly lackluster. In 2011 he’s finally made slogging through the struggles well worth it, turning out his most magical and memorable piece in ages.

Midnight in Paris plays out like Field of Dreams for the erudite crowd, placing struggling writer Gil - a wide-eyed Owen Wilson - smack dab in the City of Lights with his fiancé Inez (Rachel McAdams). Allen once again employs a dab of fantastic whimsy that charmed audiences in Play it Again, Sam and especially The Purple Rose of Cairo, and through a mystical twist Gil ends up partying his Parisian nights away with a who’s who of 1920’s cultural icons. It starts with Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and Cole Porter and quickly snowballs from there; half the fun of the film is guessing what legend is waiting around the next corner and how he or she will be portrayed. Some of the names dropped by Allen may send some scrambling to wikipedia for the reference, but that’s not uncommon for any of his films. There are some great turns by some familiar faces, just keep your eyes peeled.

As in many of his films, Allen gives the surroundings an important role; in fact Paris is the most important character in the film, as it certainly has a life of its own and a million stories to tell. Evocative of his famous montage “Rhapsody in Blue” montage in Manhattan, and in what felt like a bit of homage to cityscapes of early cinema (notably Berlin, Symphony of a Big City), the volley of luscious street scenes that opens Midnight in Paris even has its own miniature story arc as the day progresses from a bright beautiful morning into rainy afternoon, through a calming dusk and then exploding into a lustrous evening. The entire film exudes the richness of the city’s offerings and serves as the type of carefully composed travelogue that makes one mentally plot out a dream vacation - or, in my case, consider a new career as a location scout.

Nostalgia has been a big theme at the cinema this year, as evidenced by some of the fellow Oscar nominees for Best Picture. While the current economic recession might play a role in that, I think it probably has more to do with these filmmakers finding ways to comment and come to terms with the digital era and a constant stream of technological advancement producing a contemporary film audience that mostly buys spectacle over substance. But while The Artist and Hugo recall a simpler time when the language of the art form was literally still being developed, Midnight in Paris balances that romanticism with a more levelheaded view, rejecting the idea that there was ever a single “Golden Age” of especial ingenuity in favor of a more universal celebration of all forms of human expression, past and present.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Oscar noms were announced yesterday, and I’ve already seen 7 of the 9 Best Picture nominees, so I already have a pretty good grasp on my feelings toward this particular set of films.

A couple of random initial thoughts simply on the nominations themselves:

-- I was kinda thinking they might throw a Best Pic bone to the Harry Potter finale as a nod to the high level of quality for the entire series. Not that I was expecting a Return of the King sweep by any means, but found it especially odd since they only decided to nominate 9 after upping the ante to 10 last year.

-- Based on reviews and other nominations I suspect there are about 5 or 6 others that could have filled that 10th spot. Of the stuff I’ve seen so far, I might have rooted for a dark horse like Warrior, but if it were my choice I would have picked Beginners. I liked it better than The Descendants, personally. Reviews for both forthcoming.

-- Not a real standout crowd in the Best Animated Film category, with none of them pulling a Best Pic nominee. Won’t be as easy to call as last year when Up was the obvious animated fave.

-- The Original Song category is down to only two nominees. Yikes. I can think of about 15 reasons they should probably just ditch this category altogether, but the memory of “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” winning gold makes me hope it comes back strong next year.

Still have a bunch of other stuff to catch and I’ll really get down to business over the next few weeks. Won’t/can’t say much more right now as I’m headed out the door to see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.