Black and White World
Me and the mister got with a couple of friends yesterday and trekked all the way out to Scottsdale to see the film Wordplay. I knew I was going to enjoy it since crosswords and puzzling have always fascinated me, but this documentary is one of the livelier and better made ones I’ve seen in recent years. Movies that have genuine heart and make you leave the theater with a smile are hard to come by, and this one has that in spades. Basically it covers all aspects of the current crossword puzzling world, with New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz guiding the viewer through a brief history of crossword (including a nice section on the Times‘ puzzling grande dame, Margaret Farrar) and what goes into the making and editing of puzzles. As editor of Games magazine in the ’80s, Shortz was responsible for popularizing a new kind of crossword that sparkled with overriding themes, cleverly worded clues and a sense of whimsy — qualities that make the Times puzzles in particular so addictive for their many fans. The film’s second half follows the major annual crossword puzzle tournament with an increasing intensity. The contestants profiled were appealingly geeky and not borderline-freaks like the Scrabble tournament players in Stefan Fatsis’ Word Freak and its companion documentary, Word Wars.
Based on this movie’s appearance of famous puzzlers like Jon Stewart and Bill Clinton, I have a theory. Crosswords tend to attract a more liberal, intellectually curious audience, while devotees of the inexplicably popular sudoku tend to be a more Republican bunch. That’s the only way I can figure it.
What a Concept
Browse through the A.V. Club’s 12 Delightfully Odd Concept Albums and be thankful that the Concept Album concept hasn’t translated to the digital download age. Even the Osmonds did one!
Holy Flashback!
This flickr photo of Dolly Madison fruit pie packages with Peanuts characters gave me a momentary “whoa, childhood flashback” moment. I can remember biking down to the local Circle K to buy them as a kid. Probably the pies resonated so well since they combined two of my favorite things — sugary pastries and Peanuts. Occasionally my mom would also take us to the Dolly Madison outlet store. The long drive into another town just for cheap bread and Zingers personally seemed like a waste of time, but on one such trip I was rewarded a copy of the Charles M. Schulz history Peanuts Jubilee (a book that I still have, twenty plus years later). Dolly and Peanuts eventually went through a quiet divorce that no one wants to talk about.
Speaking of flickr, I just posted something there from Christopher’s childhood — a box of Twinkles cereal from the early ’60s. This General Mills product had a children’s story starring Twinkles the Elephant printed on every box. Twinkles can be seen in his b&w animated glory in this commercial and mini-cartoon. Cute, huh?
Tokyo Drifter on TCM
Cool movie alert! Turner Classic Movies will be broadcasting director Seijun Suzuki’s 1966 film Tokyo Drifter late Friday night. I would describe this film as a nihilistic gangster tale with a groovy use of color and the occasional weird song. Hunky Tetsuya Watari plays Tetsu, an ex-con who tries to go straight but finds himself up against his former colleagues and assorted meanies in stylish ’60s Tokyo. Tetsu also gets to sing the title theme (a twangy, Gene Pitney sorta thing) and shoots at gangsters in the film’s unforgettable climax set at an empty but stylishly designed nightclub. Some of the film admittedly is pretty standard, but you can always sense director Suzuki pushing the envelope with the wild colors, music and energy.
Gruesome Twosome: Let Me Make Love Edition
The Esso Trinidad Steel Band: “If You Let Me Make Love To You, Then Why Can’t I Touch You”
LP: The Esso Trinidad Steel Band, 1971 | BUY
Ronnie Dyson: “(If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You?”
LP: If You Let Me Make Love To You, Then Why Can’t I Touch You?, 1970 | BUY
Happy Fourth of July. I have a couple of versions of the song “If You Let Me Make Love To You, Then Why Can’t I Touch You” to share here. Although the title indicates otherwise, this is not a country tune but a silky, soulful ode to the frustrations of not connecting on a personal level — the old “the sex is great, but he’s dumb as a rock” saw. Ronnie Dyson’s original lit up the charts in 1970 due to its warm, Latin-esque arrangement, which complemented Dyson’s beautiful and oddly feminine voice well. Unique outfit The Esso Trinidad Steel Band included “Let Me Make Love” among the repertoire on its self-titled 1971 LP (produced by Van Dyke Parks!). The band removes the tension in Dyson’s version and comes up with a summery instrumental perfectly suited to Mai Tais on the Carribbean sands. A cool NPR story on Esso’s unlikely tour with Liberace can be heard here.
A-Hiking We Will Go
Sometimes you have to say “goodbye” to oppressive desert heat and “hello” to cool, inviting pines. That’s what we’re doing for the long holiday weekend with a stay at my parents’ cabin, followed by a trip to — Prescott, Arizona. I hope to see at least one squirrel and perhaps a deer or two. Catch you later!
