Another 1970s Classic: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Seeing as I am on a 1970s movie kick, I opted last night for one of the greatest '70s films of all -- indeed, a movie many consider one of the greatest ever made.

If you haven't seen it, you must. Long before Jack Nicholson became a caricature of himself, he played the cocky resident of a mental institution, a petty criminal who scammed his way into the place because he couldn't follow the rules in prison and figured serving his time in a nutbin would be easier. Unfortunately, he hadn't bargained on the miserable hag in charge of his ward, Nurse Ratched, played with chilling brilliance by Louise Fletcher, who won a best actress Academy Award for the role in the 1975 film.

Nicholson, perfecting the swagger that made him so famous, won best actor, Milos Forman won best director and the film itself won best picture. It also won the best adapted screenplay Oscar.

Cuckoo's Nest is hilariously funny -- among the lunatics we find a very young Danny DeVito and a wild-eyed Christopher Lloyd -- but in the end, it's profoundly sad and disturbing. Produced by Michael Douglas -- yes, that Michael Douglas, who should have stayed on that side of the camera instead of horrifying us with his saggy ass in "Basic Instinct" -- Cuckoo's Nest is a film that will stay with you a long, long time, and one of the most iconic movies of its generation.

An Oldie But a Greatie: The Conversation, Starring Gene Hackman

I am embarrassed to say that I had never seen this amazing film until last night, which was a big loss on my part. Francis Ford Coppola not only produced and directed this thriller about an audio surveillance guru played by Gene Hackman, but he also wrote the almost Orwellian screenplay. This film grabs you from the first first stunning opening frames, and doesn't let you go -- it's classic Coppola. The Conversation is smart, savvy and an example of the brilliance of both Coppola and 1970s film-making before the big action blockbusters showed up and ended one of the golden ages of American cinema.

Look for a young Harrison Ford playing a sinister corporate frontman and Cindy Williams -- yes, Shirley!! -- playing the seemingly doomed young woman Hackman's been hired to spy on.

An interesting bit of trivia: Godfather fans will recognize Fredo in the film -- John Cazale, a young Italian-American actor who starred in only five films before dying of bone cancer. The films -- Godfathers I and II, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter -- were all nominated for best-picture Academy Awards. Cazale was dying, in fact, when he made The Deer Hunter, and the studio wanted to fire him when they found out. But Meryl Streep, who was engaged to Cazale at the time, threatened to quit if he was removed from the film. Cazale, beloved for being a very kind-hearted, gentle and generous guy, died soon after.

Even though he has an exceptionally high forehead, I found Cazale disturbingly hot while watching The Conversation.

Most sensible article yet on Spitzer scandal

Since the Eliot Spitzer scandal broke, I've been shaking my head furiously at people's failure to understand it -- the idea that he wouldn't fool around because his wife was hot or unless he was getting the most tantric sex ever. Those things have nothing at all to do with it, as my new intellectual BFF, a former booking agent for high-priced Manhattan call girls, explains.

It is not about sex; it is about power. And the simple act of ordering up an anonymously pretty 22 year-old girl to do your bidding in the salubrious confines of a luxury hotel suite is an act of power.

My insights into the whoring culture were gained when I lived in Asia and discovered that almost all the men were paying for sex. Going to Thailand and getting laid was the thing to do and even men, who would have never dreamed of using prostitutes in their home countries, went along with it.

Lots of expatriate white women spent tremendous amounts of time and energy trying to figure out the sexual secrets they were sure the exotic Asian women must possess to seduce the foreign men. There were tales of women covered in scented oil who body surfed back and forth over their paying customers driving them mad with lust. And all I could think when I heard these stories was that this was not a practical activity for the average bedroom set-up -- it could only take place in a specially equipped all vinyl room with a dedicated clean-up crew.

Even back then, I just wanted to scream: "Don't you all get it?"

The only secret the sex workers had was knowing that the man with the money had the power and they were there to do his bidding and nothing else.

These kinds of stories are always all about power.

Now updated: Eliot Spitzer, WTF???!!!

Update: Well, I watched the resignation on CNN and there Silda was again, this time wearing a Hermes scarf while she stood by her man. According to the New York Times, she urged hubby not to resign, which makes me wonder if she's not something of an enabler.

The other thing about this whole scandal that's got me completely puzzled is the discretion of these call girls. I can't believe no one dished, especially if it's true that this had been going on for years. Or maybe if you move in that escort crowd, you don't follow the news...

Still, if call girls are this discreet, maybe the CIA could use a few for dirty tricks operations.

And is it just me, but am I alone in thinking, we could use a good Canadian sex scandal?
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Even more fascinating than the Eliot Spitzer scandal has to be the reaction to it.

I must admit, I had the same reaction as Amy Ephron over at the Huffpost:

Why did Silda Spitzer appear at her husband's side at his press conference today? The picture in the New York Times' is so telling, so sad, so perfectly humiliating. And you just want to ask, why? Why do political wives -- especially when they seemingly have no political aspirations of their own, it's not like Mrs. Spitzer is going to run for office -- show up for their husbands when their husbands have behaved so badly?

The comments on Ephron's are a psychology course in themselves. The favourite answer when I read through was "because she loves him." But even if she does still love him, why would he want her to have to go through that? What possible benefit is it for either of them for her to be standing up there beside him? I don't even see that such a "united front" helps their three daughters, who I pity to the depths of their teenage souls.

And while I'm ranting, the other opinion, that drives me round the bend is: "Wow, his wife is hot. Why would he do it?" You just know that the person who says something like this wouldn't notice if there was a serial killer next door either.

Chute Alors!

Dugan in the snow by victornado

Credit for the brilliant headline goes to the La Presse copy editor who came up with it and for the picture to Scottie photographer extraordinaire Victornado.

How is it where you are? The snowbanks are so high in Montreal there's nowhere to shovel the snow.

Readers in Toronto, how are you all coping?

Funny Little Kid Video

Charlie is a legend. This video already has 9 million hits on YouTube.

This Week's Wonder Product: Tsingtao Beer

It wasn't until I got into my 40s, and started cutting out wine, that I really started to appreciate beer. I didn't even like beer, in fact, until quite recently. Now I am very fond of lagers and ales and try to sample new ones all the time, and I have recently fallen in love with this one: China's Tsingtao.

Is it wrong to love a beer that is produced by a country with an appalling record of human rights violations? Probably. But it's a REALLY nice beer. And the beer-mad Germans, naturlich, did start up the brewery 100 years ago. So I will forgive myself for loving it so much. It's a light, lovely beer with a slightly herbal after taste -- my new favourite beer.