On The Threshold Of A Freefall

Happy New Year 2012!

sirwalter1967 — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:41:16 +0000

Happy New Year Everyone! Let’s make 2012 a better year! No accidents, heartache, illness or sadness!!! Just Love, Love Love!

Walter

An appreciation of the Anti-Comedy “Don’t Worry We’ll Think of a Title” (1966)

sirwalter1967 — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:03:06 +0000

I have always been a fan, a connoisseur if you will, of all things that are awful. Don’t get me wrong , I love the truly great also, be it The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, films by Martin Scorsese, you name it. But many years ago when I was in high school, I came acrossa book by the Medved brothers called “The Golden Turkey Awards”. In it they listed some of the worst films ever made, such as “Plan 9 from Outer Space” and “Robot Monster”. Films that were so ridicuously bad that you couldn’t believe actual people wrote, directed and acted in such abominations. I was hooked and had to make it a quest to see each of these awful films. Some were hilarious in their ineptitude and some were so boring that you had to struggle just to stay awake. Through the years I sat through some real stinkers (“Lara Croft” “Lost in Translation”) and recently I saw a Coen Brothers movie, “A Serious Man”, that outraged me in that I lost two hours of my life I will never get back. You see, the sign of a good or bad movie is one that arouses passion and the sign of a really bad movie is one that arouses boredom and bile.

So it was with quest in mind that I sought out a film written and produced by the late, great Morey Amsterdam of “The Dick Van Dyke Show”. This film was soley the brainchild of Morey, who I understand also put up most of the money along with some hapless investors. The film centers on a bumbling short order cook named Charlie who works at a diner with his friend, waitress (Rosemarie) and run by his boss (Richard Deacon) , both from the Dick Van Dyke show as well. The film is notable for it’s star-studded cameos (Danny Thomas, comedian Joey Adams and Moe Howard of the 3 Stooges in an unusually serious role). The film is so badly acted and the jokes are so lame, you sit there in disbelief in its sheer awfulness that you can’t believe the movie could get any worse. But it does. The jokes are so lousy and delivered with all the conviction of a second grade school play or a drunk shriners convention. Case in point:

Customer: Hello, Girlie?

Waitress: Did you call me, Sir?

Customer: No, I called you Girlie!

The actors play it up as if expecting to hear yuks coming from the audience, who are not there. The whole film falls flat from the cheap sets to the terrible espionage subplot. Henry Corden, a character actor who played in hundreds of films and sitcoms, from playing the landlord on “The Monkees” to the voice of Fred Flintstone, plays a spy and you have to wonder what he must have made of all this. I interviewed Henry a few years ago before he passed away and I wish I had known about this movie then. I would have loved to have asked him what the hell everyone was thinking during the production of it. The worst part is saved for the ending, a payoff so unbelievable that you have to wonder if riots broke out in the small handful of theaters that showed this messterpiece. Clearly, Morey had lost his marbles making this disaster. Needless to say, there would be no more directorial delights from him. He and Rosemarie would forever be banished to the land of Hollywood Squares and Match Game 74.

It took me years to track this film and find a bootleg copy. Imagine my surprise when it showed up on the Netflix on Demand system. Watch at your own peril but don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

Where the hell was I?

sirwalter1967 — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:04:12 +0000

So it’s been over a year since I posted a blog here. Where have I been? Working nights and being a zombie during the day. Got into a car accident with my girlfriend and it’s been a long, painful recovery. Some laughs, some tears, ups and downs, good times and bad ones. So Sandra has been posting on her blog, and it’s about time I started to also. So I will.

Thanks for checking in. I’ll be back on a regular basis and write stuff. Off to bed……

The night shift, living as a night creature

sirwalter1967 — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:46:34 +0000

2:43 AM and i feel like my mind is slowly slipping into a deep sludge of dreams and rememberances and doubts. Not knowing where i am and where i am going but where i have been. I have been in this place many times before and do not know myself. I only know the sun rises and sets and I rise and set on a different wavelength. Who am i and who i will be are irrelevant, the cycles inside me are off and i feel this urge to fly across this astral plane and go to a place of sun, warmth and peace.

Just some random thoughts at 2:43 am…..

The Clutter In My Life

sirwalter1967 — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 06:19:23 +0000

I have alot of stuff. If you look at my apartment its filled with stacks of books, cd’s, albums, music memorabilia, cassettes, magazines, you name it. My problem is how do you organize it all and make it so that its neat and accessible? My girlfriend says the place looks like a storage bin, which is a lie since we have 2 storage bins in the basement and I cant open them or else everything will fly out and bury me. I guess i overdid it on the spending, but what can you do when there is so much good stuff out there?

Back in the day i remember when a certain number of albums would com out in a given year. Books too. Now with ebay, amazon and the constant stream of releases every day, its hard not to get at least 20 or 30 new things a month. And do i have time to read, listen and watch all this new stuff? Of course not. Because there isnt enough hours in the day. So i find my self getting more stuff to throw on the “pile”.

SO now i fond myself with a department store’s worth of stuff. Any ideas????

Badfinger – I Won’t Forget You

sirwalter1967 — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:07:48 +0000

I had the pleasure of corresponding with Bob Jackson, former member of Badfinger many years ago and found him to be a lovely person. If you don’t know the story, Badfinger were signed to the Beatles Apple records and had hits such as “Without You”, “Baby Blue” and “No Matter What”. Unfortunately, tragedy plagued the band such as financial difficulties, mismanagement and an apathetic public, resulting in the suicides of chief songwriter Pete Ham in 1975 and then, Tom Evans a few years later. You can read about the group in Dan Manitovas excellent book “Without You” which stands a s a cautionary tale on the dark side of the music business.

Bob write a beautiful song in tribute to Pete, “I Won’t Forget You”. It is this live performance that features original members Joey Molland and Mike Gibbins. I hope you enjoy it!

Sunshine always follows rainy skies…

sirwalter1967 — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:07:21 +0000

Howdy buckaroos! Betcha been wondering what your old pal Walter’s been up to. What happened to the blog? Why isn’t he writing anymore? What is he doing?

Actually, not much to be honest with you. Except working the night shift at my job, sleeping days and being a walking zombie most of the time. Who would have thought that life and fortunes could take so many ups and downs. The past year has seen so many changes that it’s enough to make your head spin. Yet here I am, still standing. When I was a little kid, life seemed so simple, a straight path. School, college, work, marriage, kids and a whole adventure ahead. Nobody told me it would be like this. I sometimes sit down and wonder what life would have been like if i hadn’t made the choices I had, taken this fork in the road over that one. It’s crazy. You can’t live in regret but at the same time, I realize I could have had it so much easier. Even at my last job, If only I had done this better, worked harder, acted more polished. And what of the other jobs I passed through? I could have done so much better and yet I realize the mistakes I made. Such is life i suppose.

So I’m going to raise a glass to past glories and past failures. I equally value the lessons and the experiences each has provided. A toast to those I got to know on the journey and hopes that many will continue to get on the bus and that others will reappear in the future. And to you, dear reader, for following me and allowing me this simple indulgence.

Cheers!

The Bravery of Being Out Of Range

sirwalter1967 — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:02:37 +0000

Happy Holidays everyone! As much as i have promised to blog more frequently, the lack of sleep, strange work hours and general bullshit encircling my life has prevented me from even so much as flushing out any thoughts. Fear not, I am working on getting my Mojo back and hope to do a regular thing in this here space.

Its 3 am at work and my brain is fried, so i wish you a beddy good night and happy crimble. Speak to you soon.

Walter

Back Again

sirwalter1967 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:57:30 +0000

Well gang, its been a crazy three months. Got a new job, dealt with alot of drama at work and home. I could fill up pages but hey, why look back when i can look forward? So expect some more postings from me.

The Blue Nile are one of my favorite groups. They hail from Scotland and their album, Peace at Last is one of my favorites. One song in particular, Family Life, is particularly hearbreaking. Below find a live version recorded a few years ago.

Also, thanks for tuning into the blog even though I havent posted in forever. It seems people are responding to it and if you keep going back to older posts at the bottom of the scroll, you may see some cool stuff.

Anyway, thats it for now. Its 5 am and time for bed. See ya!

Arlo Guthrie – Motorcycle Song Live 1975

sirwalter1967 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:35:30 +0000

This was a live performance benefit for the Worthington Clinic in ’75. Sheer Brilliance. I love Arlo!