Shadow of a Doubt {1943}.
Actor Joseph Cotten, in Alfred Hitchcock‘s Shadow of a Doubt {1943}, brings ambivalence to new heights in this scene from the famed director’s favorite of his films.
Cotten, as serial murderer Charles “Uncle Charlie” Oakley, seems somewhat less than thrilled with the prospect of being interviewed/photographed. Perhaps the fact that he has sought refuge at his older sister’s “normal” home— safe, secure, and far, far away from his litany of serial murders— yet is nonetheless in all likelihood on the precipice of being located/captured…perhaps this is playing no small role in re: his sudden enthusiasm-plummet. Nonetheless, he states for the record his Carpe Diem philosophy.
On occasion, Charlie lets slip his mask of the charming, urbane Uncle, and the less palatable, psychopathic elements of his personality take the helm. In this mesmerizing, chilling performance , specifically in this scene, Cotten metamorphoses from disarmingly lighthearted/congenial/convivial, to quite menacing/disquieting, in an almost imperceptibly seamless manner, right at the dinner table. His views on women who live in “The City” are not terribly flattering, as such.
Cotten is remarkable; a truly iconic performance. The film as a whole is a piercing early cinematic glimpse into the mind of a psychopathic murderer, and how denial and disbelief by those closest to him are not only typical…they are perhaps, together with his apparent normality, his greatest defense.
Your Boomtown Rats.
Bob Geldof displays qualities….drama, irresistibility, etc….in these live and promo performances.
Love My Way: The Psychedelic Furs.
Formed in 1977, The Psychedelic Furs, featuring lead Vocalist Richard Butler, became a seminal post-punk/new wave band in no time flat. This is their finest hour(s): Love My Way, written originally with the gay community in mind, is a masterpiece of inclusion/it’s OK-type compositions, not to mention…Pure Pop Wonderment is involved.
The Ween.
Ween . Starting in 1984 when Gene and Dean Ween—Aaron Freeman & Mickey Melchiondo—met, and, once initial-mutual-disliking formalities had duly run their course, found a common obsession, the band was off to the races. At that point, this “band” consisted of…Gene and Dean. And a Digital Audio Tape.
A mere decade passed in this fashion, with wildly eclectic, semi-crazed music more or less the result. A Ween “cult” grew. They did, in 1994 {now with a major label}, get a band together, with humanoid bipeds, and everything. They proceeded to do whatever the hell they wanted to; I, for one, am grateful they favored that direction. Some of the most epic live performances I’ve witnessed have been those of Ween.
Menu Brouhaha!
It all started innocently enough. Or, so it seemed. A certain Page, on a certain social media site, began offering a menu.
A certain brand of braggadocio began to manifest itself.
Swiftly accompanied by murmurs of dissent. Escalation was inevitable.
Perhaps it was the so-called “Hand-Skewering”. But a rather snide animus was upon us.
Pious-sounding auto-backslapping rhetoric was not met with approval, in certain…quarters. Ha!
The rest, is Silence.
Dolls!! {More!}
This disquieting collection quite possibly represents the apotheosis of Doll imagery. Warning: some are a tad disconcerting. {Oops! Too late!}
P. Bettany: Godlike Genius Thereof.
Paul Bettany displays his towering talent in his portrayal here of serial killer Ted Kaczynski. Such examples of the following phenomenon are not without precedent, but they are rare fowl indeed. Bettany manages to be more Unabomber-esque than the Unabomber himself. Sure, it’s not possible; but this seems to pose little hindrance. Like G. Oldman as Stansfield, Olivier as Christian Szell, and Brando as Lee Clayton, Bettany simply has that much power to spare. Icy, disdainful menace, cloaked in “polite” conversation…this constitutes the primary weapon. But there are many others, some even invoking something like…sympathy. Indelible.
The Burmese Ferret-Badger, of Burma 