promotional photo, 1974
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Book Review: Caddyshack
Book Review: 'Caddyshack', by Chris Nashawaty
5 / 5 Stars
‘Caddyshack (The Making of a Hollywood Success Story)' was published in April, 2018 by Flatiron Books. It’s a small, 294 pp volume featuring an insert section of photographs of the film’s producers and cast.
When Caddyshack came out in late July 1980, I didn’t rush out to see it. The title song, 'I’m Alright’, had been released earlier in the month, and was getting steady airplay on FM radio, so I had some idea it was forthcoming.
‘Caddyshack (The Making of a Hollywood Success Story)' was published in April, 2018 by Flatiron Books. It’s a small, 294 pp volume featuring an insert section of photographs of the film’s producers and cast.
When Caddyshack came out in late July 1980, I didn’t rush out to see it. The title song, 'I’m Alright’, had been released earlier in the month, and was getting steady airplay on FM radio, so I had some idea it was forthcoming.
But there were a lot of movies being released that Summer: The Empire Strikes Back was still pulling in audiences, and a low-budget film titled Airplane, released at the beginning of July, was turning out to be the comedy film of the season. If any newly released film had a buzz, it was not Caddyshack, but rather Brian DePalma’s ‘explicit’ thriller Dressed to Kill, about a housewife who pays the price for indulging in a one-night-stand.
In July of 1980, Caddyshack struck me as yet another low-impact Bill Murray comedy (like Meatballs the previous year), or worse yet, another bloated movie designed to showcase over-rated Saturday Night Live cast members, like The Blues Brothers, which had come out just the previous month.
Needless to say, I had no idea that Caddyshack would, within a few short years, come to be regarded as one the most iconic and influential comedies in the history of American film.
Author Chris Nashawaty is the ultimate Caddyshack fanboy and his book is a celebration of how the film came to be, how it was shot (often chaotically) at a Florida golf club in the Fall of 1979, and how it got a disappointing reception upon its release.
Nashawaty starts his story in 1966, and ends it in September 1980, with the untimely passing of a major figure in the making of the movie. The book is thus not just a recounting of the making of the movie, but an examination of the rise of the new generation of comedies and comedians in American pop culture during the 1970s. It’s the story of The National Lampoon, Animal House, and Saturday Night Live, all of which made possible the making of Caddyshack.
Nashawaty takes care to cram his narrative with all manner of insider tales and anecdotes, and by so doing, stays consistently entertaining (as Nashwaty makes clear, it’s a minor miracle that Caddyshack turned out to be a watchable movie, given the improvisational, haphazard nature of the script, and the heavy drug use by both cast and crew). I won’t disclose any spoilers, but I will say that there are plenty of tales that will give the film some added shine when next you view it.
‘Caddyshack (The Making of a Hollywood Success Story)' is very much aimed at a Baby Boomer readership. If you are over the age of 50 then this book will certainly trigger nostalgia; it’s little less clear whether those under 40 will find it as engaging.
I am not a super fan of the movie, but I do treasure the stoner culture of the 70s and early 80s, and for me, this book was well worth picking up. Recommended !
Special effects team filming the animatronic gopher used in Caddyshack
In July of 1980, Caddyshack struck me as yet another low-impact Bill Murray comedy (like Meatballs the previous year), or worse yet, another bloated movie designed to showcase over-rated Saturday Night Live cast members, like The Blues Brothers, which had come out just the previous month.
Needless to say, I had no idea that Caddyshack would, within a few short years, come to be regarded as one the most iconic and influential comedies in the history of American film.
Author Chris Nashawaty is the ultimate Caddyshack fanboy and his book is a celebration of how the film came to be, how it was shot (often chaotically) at a Florida golf club in the Fall of 1979, and how it got a disappointing reception upon its release.
Nashawaty starts his story in 1966, and ends it in September 1980, with the untimely passing of a major figure in the making of the movie. The book is thus not just a recounting of the making of the movie, but an examination of the rise of the new generation of comedies and comedians in American pop culture during the 1970s. It’s the story of The National Lampoon, Animal House, and Saturday Night Live, all of which made possible the making of Caddyshack.
L to R: Doug Kenney, James Rivaldo, and Henry Beard of the Harvard Lampoon, 1968. Kenney would go on to produce Caddyshack
‘Caddyshack (The Making of a Hollywood Success Story)' is very much aimed at a Baby Boomer readership. If you are over the age of 50 then this book will certainly trigger nostalgia; it’s little less clear whether those under 40 will find it as engaging.
I am not a super fan of the movie, but I do treasure the stoner culture of the 70s and early 80s, and for me, this book was well worth picking up. Recommended !
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Meltdown Man progs 178 - 181
Meltdown Man
by Alan Hebden (story)
and Massimo Belardinelli (art)
from 2000 AD, Progs 178 - 181
September 1980 - October 1980
The series' premise borrowed somewhat from The Planet of the Apes: Nick Stone, a soldier in Britain's elite SAS unit, is on duty in a 'small kingdom' in the Persian Gulf. Stone has the misfortune to be caught in a nuclear blast and somehow teleported to another dimension, landing on a planet populated by Manimals called 'Yujees'.
The Yujees are ruled by their human overlord, an amoral aristocrat named Leeshar. Stone's willingness to accept the Manimals as 'people' sets him against Leeshar and guarantees a steady stream of frenetic adventures throughout the run of 'Meltdown Man'.
Like other 2000 AD comics during the early 80s, Hebden's writing for 'Meltdown Man' centered on action and satiric humor, and avoided the constipated, self-indulgent scripting that dominated American comics of the same era.
Massimo Belardinelli, who did an outstanding job providing the artwork for 2000 AD's 'Dan Dare' strips of the late 70s, was perfectly suited for illustrating 'Meltdown'.
The entire 1980 - 1981 run of the series has recently been reprinted in a trade paperback (below) from 2000 AD. It's available at your usual online retailers.
by Alan Hebden (story)
and Massimo Belardinelli (art)
from 2000 AD, Progs 178 - 181
September 1980 - October 1980
'Meltdown Man' debuted in issue 178 (September 20, 1980) of 2000 AD. Created by the writer of Harry 20 on the High Rock, writer Alan Hebden, and illustrated by Massimo Belardinelli, the series ran for 50 issues, ending in August, 1981 (issue 227).
Massimo Belardinelli, who did an outstanding job providing the artwork for 2000 AD's 'Dan Dare' strips of the late 70s, was perfectly suited for illustrating 'Meltdown'.
The entire 1980 - 1981 run of the series has recently been reprinted in a trade paperback (below) from 2000 AD. It's available at your usual online retailers.
Posted below are the first four episodes of 'Meltdown Man'.
Friday, May 11, 2018
Book Review: The Druid Stone
Book Review: 'The Druid Stone' by Simon Majors
2 / 5 Stars
'Simon Majors' was one of the pseudonyms used by the prolific American author Gardner Fox (1911 - 1986). The Druid Stone first was published in the U.S. in 1967; this New English Library paperback (111 pp) was released in February 1970.
The NEL could saddle its paperbacks with underwhelming cover art; that said, this has to be one of the worst cover illustrations I've ever seen on a book. But this also is one of those novels where, sadly, the poor cover art complements the poor text within.............
The Druid Stone is set in New Hampshire in the mid-60s. The protagonist, a man of the world named Brian Creoghan, is in a state of semi-retirement, losing himself in wandering the rural Autumn landscape during the days........ and sitting down beside the fireplace with a snifter of the best brandy in the evenings.
He draws the attention of two 'Goths': Ugony and Moira MacArt, a brother and sister living in a mansion nearby.
It seems that the MacArts are intently pursuing occult knowledge, knowledge that they hope will allow them to access Dis, the parallel dimension often referred to in old legends and myths as the world of fairy. They believe that Croeghan has the innate ability to access Dis, provided the right conditions are used to enable his Astral Transport.
Bemused by the idea, Creoghan consents to participate in a strange experiment: by touching the Druid Stone, an artifact in the possession of the MacArts, he will attempt to project his 'astral body' into Dis.
The experiment succeeds..........and upon lapsing into a coma in 'our' world, Creoghan finds himself reincarnated in Dis, in the body of a barbarian warrior named Kalgornn. Croeghan / Kalgornn then embarks on a series of adventures, all of which have implications for the survival of our world and its inhabitants.
Even making allowances for its brevity, The Druid Stone is a mediocre effort from Fox, who was content to rely on stilted, pulp-style prose when writing this novel.
Its underlying premise shows promise, and likely could have been worked into something impressive by a more dedicated author. For example, Fox shows hints of Lovecraftian events underlying what seems to be a conventional sword-and-sorcery tale, but these and other glimpses of imagination never are developed, and the narrative lumbers to a predictable ending.
I can only recommend The Druid Stone to those Gardner Fox devotees who must have every one of his novels in their collection.
'Simon Majors' was one of the pseudonyms used by the prolific American author Gardner Fox (1911 - 1986). The Druid Stone first was published in the U.S. in 1967; this New English Library paperback (111 pp) was released in February 1970.
The NEL could saddle its paperbacks with underwhelming cover art; that said, this has to be one of the worst cover illustrations I've ever seen on a book. But this also is one of those novels where, sadly, the poor cover art complements the poor text within.............
The Druid Stone is set in New Hampshire in the mid-60s. The protagonist, a man of the world named Brian Creoghan, is in a state of semi-retirement, losing himself in wandering the rural Autumn landscape during the days........ and sitting down beside the fireplace with a snifter of the best brandy in the evenings.
He draws the attention of two 'Goths': Ugony and Moira MacArt, a brother and sister living in a mansion nearby.
It seems that the MacArts are intently pursuing occult knowledge, knowledge that they hope will allow them to access Dis, the parallel dimension often referred to in old legends and myths as the world of fairy. They believe that Croeghan has the innate ability to access Dis, provided the right conditions are used to enable his Astral Transport.
Bemused by the idea, Creoghan consents to participate in a strange experiment: by touching the Druid Stone, an artifact in the possession of the MacArts, he will attempt to project his 'astral body' into Dis.
The experiment succeeds..........and upon lapsing into a coma in 'our' world, Creoghan finds himself reincarnated in Dis, in the body of a barbarian warrior named Kalgornn. Croeghan / Kalgornn then embarks on a series of adventures, all of which have implications for the survival of our world and its inhabitants.
Even making allowances for its brevity, The Druid Stone is a mediocre effort from Fox, who was content to rely on stilted, pulp-style prose when writing this novel.
Its underlying premise shows promise, and likely could have been worked into something impressive by a more dedicated author. For example, Fox shows hints of Lovecraftian events underlying what seems to be a conventional sword-and-sorcery tale, but these and other glimpses of imagination never are developed, and the narrative lumbers to a predictable ending.
I can only recommend The Druid Stone to those Gardner Fox devotees who must have every one of his novels in their collection.
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
You're the Love by Seals and Crofts
You're the Love
Seals and Crofts
May 1978
In May of 1978 I was a High School senior, and pretty much indifferent to what I was going to do once I graduated in the following month. I had vague ideas of maybe going to college.....or maybe, just doing nothing much at all.
Such an attitude would be anathema today, but back in the 70s, well........ things weren't so heavily scripted as they are nowadays.
Anyways......... as the month rolled on, I became aware of a new single playing on FM radio, creeping in amidst the constant rotation of Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London. The new single was by Seals and Crofts...........and it was a disco song.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????
I was of course well aware of Seals and Crofts, who were - by the standards of 70s album-oriented rock - a bit too 'mellow' to be hip with the under 21 set.
But for these 'mellow' musicians to do a disco song was mind-blowing.........needless to say, in the aftermath of the success of Saturday Night Fever the previous Winter, everyone was doing disco, but the idea of Seals and Crofts doing disco was as utterly alien a concept as......... Debbie Boone doing a heavy metal tune.
But when you listen to You're the Love forty years later, it's a great song. It holds up as well as - or better than - many of the competing flash-in-the-pan disco songs of the late 70s.
Released in April of '78, You're the Love (a single off the album Takin' It Easy) eventually reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in the Adult Contemporary charts.
The video is here.
Well love, you came to my rescue. I knew the moment I met you.
Lonely and I was cryin'. Hurtin', I felt like dyin'.
Oooo. You're the love, you're the love in my heart and soul.
You're the dream, you're the dream, you're the dream in my life.
You're the way, you're the way, you're the way that my feelings flow.
Oh, my love loves you, girl. You, ah ah. You, girl, girl. You.
Showed me that I was someone. Gave me the strength to go on.
Now that I'm flyin' and free. Thank you for what you gave me.
Seals and Crofts
May 1978
In May of 1978 I was a High School senior, and pretty much indifferent to what I was going to do once I graduated in the following month. I had vague ideas of maybe going to college.....or maybe, just doing nothing much at all.
Such an attitude would be anathema today, but back in the 70s, well........ things weren't so heavily scripted as they are nowadays.
Anyways......... as the month rolled on, I became aware of a new single playing on FM radio, creeping in amidst the constant rotation of Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London. The new single was by Seals and Crofts...........and it was a disco song.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????
I was of course well aware of Seals and Crofts, who were - by the standards of 70s album-oriented rock - a bit too 'mellow' to be hip with the under 21 set.
But for these 'mellow' musicians to do a disco song was mind-blowing.........needless to say, in the aftermath of the success of Saturday Night Fever the previous Winter, everyone was doing disco, but the idea of Seals and Crofts doing disco was as utterly alien a concept as......... Debbie Boone doing a heavy metal tune.
But when you listen to You're the Love forty years later, it's a great song. It holds up as well as - or better than - many of the competing flash-in-the-pan disco songs of the late 70s.
Released in April of '78, You're the Love (a single off the album Takin' It Easy) eventually reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in the Adult Contemporary charts.
The video is here.
Well love, you came to my rescue. I knew the moment I met you.
Lonely and I was cryin'. Hurtin', I felt like dyin'.
Oooo. You're the love, you're the love in my heart and soul.
You're the dream, you're the dream, you're the dream in my life.
You're the way, you're the way, you're the way that my feelings flow.
Oh, my love loves you, girl. You, ah ah. You, girl, girl. You.
Showed me that I was someone. Gave me the strength to go on.
Now that I'm flyin' and free. Thank you for what you gave me.
Monday, May 7, 2018
The Born Losers
The Born Losers
1967
He had just returned from the War….one of those Green Beret rangers.
A trained killer, people would say later.
Before the War, he had hunted down and broken wild horses in these mountains.
Some said the reason he was so good at these things, and the reason he lived alone in this forest, was that he had some Indian blood in him.
Others said that he simply didn’t like people.
All I knew, was his name………..
BILLY JACK.
(Billy Jack's Theme, written and produced by Mike Curb, co-produced by Al Simms. Performed by Davie Allan And The Arrows, as 'The Sidewalk Sounds' )
1967
A trained killer, people would say later.
Before the War, he had hunted down and broken wild horses in these mountains.
Some said the reason he was so good at these things, and the reason he lived alone in this forest, was that he had some Indian blood in him.
Others said that he simply didn’t like people.
All I knew, was his name………..
BILLY JACK.
(Billy Jack's Theme, written and produced by Mike Curb, co-produced by Al Simms. Performed by Davie Allan And The Arrows, as 'The Sidewalk Sounds' )
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