Dr. Strangelove at Wadsworth Atheneum

Original Trailer for Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

One of the sharpest satires of all time is playing this week in Hartford, at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Presented Thursday, June 4th, at 8 pm as part of "First Thursday: Phoenix Art After Hours" is Stanley Kubrick's razor sharp satire of the dangers of Cold War politics, Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. This 1964 film is still as relevant today as it was when it first came out, as it was during the Reagan Cold War era, and as it became more so during the Bush II Administration. If you've never seen it, you owe it to yourself. Come down to see Folkert de Jong's Shooting... at Watou in the gallery, then watch the movie in the Aetna Theater.

Having seen this film several times over the past few decades, it never ceases to both entertain and frighten me; the black humor accentuates the hubris of governments so eager to destroy one another that even in the face of total annihilation, US & USSR bicker like boys in a sandbox.

Read more...

Philibusted Happy Hour: Oh, it's on! Here come the Judge Reinhold!

Progressive Happy Hour - Your happy hour with the power of the people!
Brought to you at Red Rock Tavern, A Hartford Hangout for the people!
Confirmation Hearings or Philibust set for: Tuesday, June 2nd @ 9:30 pm
Be there!

Oh, it's on now! The Judge is coming to whoop some tuchas! Them GOPeeps just opened a whole can of whoopass on them Demobrats! This is cage match material! Can you hear the rumble? Can you smell what Barack is cookin'?! It ain't your gran'momma's Borked Burgers or your Aunt Harriet's Miers Curly Fries. It's some MAJOR... You could almost say it's So Too Major! Ok, it looks like Mayor but it's pronounced 'Ma-yor' and it sort of can mean 'Major' but don't tell the GOPeeps how to pronounce a name in the good ol' U. S. of A! They will filibuster Judge So-knee-yah So-toe-May-her' and no she may not!! Whoopin' and a hollerin'!

Seriously! Don't they know there is only one Supreme Judge, and that's Judge Reinhold! Now that was a lifetime appointment. The GOPeepers are gone take that li'l phillie and bust'er, y'betcha, and place Judge Reinhold in his birthright seat. They're gonna get all Bork on the Demobrats. And then the country can return to sanity.

This is Supreme Court Cage Match. Rumble in the Capitol. In one corner, the best example of pulling ones' self up from a hard life, a true American success story of hard knocks turned into gold, immigrants raising a child in the US, a kid with a funny name who went ahead and taught Eddie Murphy everything he knows, switched places with Fred Savage to learn a valuable lesson about being a dad, who has lampooned himself to great success on Arrested Development, JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDGE ReeIIIIIIIIINNHOOOOOOOLLLLDDDDD!

His opponent, in the other corner, is someone only a few lawyer nerds have heard about. Grew up Bronx, yadda yadda yadda, Yale something or other, Reverse Racist against the oppressed white conservative man like our Judge Reinhold, etc., etc., insists you pronounce her name correctly in Spanglish, is *empathic*... Judge So-nee-a Sotoughmama SoooooootttooooooMaaaaayoorrrrrrrrr!

Now, Let's Get Ready to Rummmmmmbbbbbblllllleeeeeee!

Main event will be tonight at the Red Rock Arena!
Progressive Happy Hour - Your happy hour with the power of the people!
Brought to you at Red Rock Tavern, A Hartford Hangout for the people!
Confirmation Hearings or Philibust set for: Tuesday, June 2nd @ 9:30 pm
Be there! As the Brunette from the Bronx takes on the GOPeeps Filiblustering shenanigans!

Followed by the midget wrestling league three-way championship bout:
Smiling Slow Joe Lieberman from Oa defending his Assclown Title Belt from challengers Ron RunWildMan Paul and Wild Bill the Pistol Kristol. Losers will be eaten alive by Rush the Crusher Limpbaugh. Children welcomed so they can be scared straight into knowing truth of world of politricks.

For those that need a reminder, glossary of words you might hear on Rupert Murdoch's Fox News about this appointment so we can all follow along. New ones appear first:

Reverse Racist: 1) to be of an ethnic background which is discriminated upon, yet suggesting that benevolent caucasian overlord minority is not infallible. 2) anyone that isn't a white conservative pundit on FOX News

Activist Judge: a judge that rules according to the law, even if the law doesnot support the corporate christian conservative agenda; exceptions can be made in the case of Gore V. Bush, where 5 conservative judges associated with defendants and thier families and party, ruled in favor of defendant instead of appropriately recusing themselves, especially Judge Scuzzlebutt Scalia who had been hunting with defendant Dickhead Cheney only weeks before. That is not 'activist judges'; more appropriately those are assclown judges.

Filibuster: Not to be confused with a filet-mignon. These do not taste good and just make for very annoying people discussing things.


Fascist: 1) One supporting the creation of a single-party state. In
direct opposition to liberal democracies and class-exploiting
communism. 2) Barack Obama.

Communist: A word you use to describe everything when your party didn't win.

Nazis: Obama lovers and ACORN, who fixed the election just so the
muslims can come bomb us again.

Empathetic: secret African code for "baby-killin'"

Tea Party: when patriots dumped tea in King George's bathtub to
protest the lowering of taxes of 90% of the population.

Socialist: Nancy Pelosi when she wants to buy all the banks and
hospitals and stuff with YOUR TAX DOLLARS.

lifetime appointment: a pretty sweet gig. I'm looking at you, Souter.

'merica hatin: America hating. And we're only talking about the REAL America.

Hitler: some guy slightly less worse than Obama.

Godwin's Law: huh?

Progressive Happy Hour: a gathering of great people doing great things
fueled by beer and fries.

Read more...

Remembering Bob MaCabre

Bob Austin as Bob MaCabre, from his personal collection.

Bittersweet moment today; I was a guest on one of my favorite podcasts, the locally produced Nine Panel Nerds podcast, which was great fun. At the end of the show, host and friend of the blog, David Krause announced that his friend Bob Austin died. As Bob MaCabre, Mr. Austin served as horror host on Springfield's ABC affiliate in the 70's. Mr. Austin was featured in a phenomenal episode of the podcast, where Dave spoke with him about his long and busy life: from playing dj to the troops, meeting and performing with Bob Hope and Lana Turner, managing a series of movie theaters throughout New England, and eventually hosting old horror films on Springfield's ABC affiliate, channel 40. He's a great story teller and has some great stories.

This is a must for horror fans, movie theater fans, and just any local that remembers when local television stations actually produced their own programming: Springfield's only horror host, Bob MaCabre. Mr. MaCabre was played by Springfield, MA local, Bob Austin, Highly recommend it.

From Dave's description:

Another special episode and this time it's a very personal show as we talk with Springfield Massachusetts only original horror host Bob MaCabre! Bob MaCabre was played by Bob Austin a very sweet man who has lived a very interesting life as you are about to hear. Bob has preformed with Bob Hope, auditioned for the role to play Barnabas Collins brothers on Dark Shadows, managed movie theaters and of course been the horror host he played back in the 80's. Bob talks about all this and more. Joining us is the voice of NPN Jim Kaye, who does the opening for the show. It's a long show but it's worth ever word. So join us and I hope you enjoy it!

Read more...