honeysuckle Blog

Drugstore Cowboy

honeysuckle — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 01:57:00 GMT

Drugstore Cowboy is an irreverant glimpse into the life of Bob and his gang of pharmacy-robbing dope fiends. I love this movie for both its visual effects and its terrific lines.

The opening line: I was once a shameless full-time dope fiend. Diane was my wife. I loved her, and she loved dope. So we made a good couple.

Other great lines in this movie (there are really so many it's hard to single out a few):

This just isn't like him. Bob's like a rabbit, in and out and no nonsense. That goes for a lot more than a hospital pharmacy.

A sheriff's convention no less! Why couldn't it have been a Tupperware convention?

If I ever see a hat on a bed in this house, man, like you'll never see me again. I'm gone.

As far as I'm concerned, Matt Dillon can never top what he did with this character. For an actor who's kind of limited, this is an awesome performance.

And who can dislike a movie that features a cameo by William Burroughs?

I love Gus Van Sant's movies. (I forgive you, Gus, for Psycho.) In the early nineties I named a cat after him. She died this past February.

Christ Symbolism in Cool Hand Luke

honeysuckle — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 16:17:00 GMT

I’m sure some of you have noticed the Christ symbolism in Cool Hand Luke.

The most blatant is the visual imagery in the famous “Nobody can eat fifty eggs” scene. At the conclusion of the scene, Luke’s disciples and detractors abandon him and the camera records him from above. Lying on the table, legs crossed at the ankles, arms splayed away from his body, head turned to the side, he looks very much like the image of Christ portrayed in some paintings. Add to that the fact that the egg is a symbol of life, and the scene really makes an impact.

Luke becomes a savior and a martyr. The other inmates are his disciples and, after his death, George Kennedy becomes his apostle, spreading the “word” in the oral tradition.

Now, did the makers of this movie do this on purpose or am I reading too much into it?

I count this movie in my top five. It’s funny and sad and devastating. And, of course, the source for one of the greatest movie quotes of all time: “What we've got here is a failure to communicate.”

Beautiful, soulless cinema

honeysuckle — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 01:30:18 GMT

This movie is a visual feast but it lacks soul. The imagery blew me away but the gore was a bit too beautiful. The men looked way too buff, as if they had been working out with Nautilus equipment. The semi-documentaries on The History Channel are just as entertaining as this movie.

I'll stick to Sin City.

Klute

honeysuckle — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 00:37:00 GMT

Watched Klute last night. I'm a bigger fan of Donald Sutherland than I am of Jane Fonda, but she was terrific in this movie. This film had a very crisp, clean look, considering the subject matter. Started thinking about the fascination cinema has had with prostitutes.

Child prostitutes in Pretty Baby and Taxi Driver.

Male prostitutes in American Gigolo and My Own Private Idaho.

Offbeat movies: Whore, Crimes of Passion.

Mainstream: Pretty Woman.

Others: Leaving Las Vegas, Blonde Venus, A Streetcar Named Desire

What's the fascination?