On cinematic bloodletting

So if blood freaks you out or you have even a mild case of Hemophobia, just stop reading right now. go look at this or something.

SO I have been taking this phlebotomy (from the Greek "phleb" meaning vein and "otomy" meaning trying not to splash) class and it has gotten me thinking about blood in movies. I am not talking here about the gushing gore of slasher films, but about the use of blood ad bleeding in pop-cinema.

Reservoir Dogs- Ok I now this is a pretty graphic, even gratuitous example of exsanguination but Tim Roth owns it. And Harvey Keitel's conflicted cradling gives pause.

The Natural- this is subtlety. Roy Hobbs is about to knock the lights out and go back to the farm for the story book ending but first has to get past the pain, the scars from so long ago, from before he "got a little side-tracked."

Young Sherlock Holmes- yes Holmes, that damn cut from Rathe never seems to heal. but you need the image to strike a chord.

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade- River Phoenix explains both Harrison Fords chin scar and his affinity for the bullwhip.

Psycho- Hitchcock understand his medium and pours Hershey syrup down the bathtub drain (the only time in history that such behavior is accepatable)

The Untouchables- Sean Connery is mortally wouned after accusing one of his assailants of bringing a knife to a gun fight and then gets mowed down, but still crawls accross the floor as his cardigan gets soaked,
to share some final thought with Elliott Ness. And honorable mention to the bat at the dinner table scene

Code names

So Honeyface and i watched Vantage Point last night. We both found it entertaining and enjoyable, but one thing struck me about the prtrayal of the Secret Service: the lack of imagination regarding the President's code name. Vantage Point chose only to call the President POTUS. I have always found the Secret Service fascinating especially when it comes to their blatant lack of secrecy. Sure, as a bracnch of the Treasury, they do a bunch of covert, under-cover work to deal with couterfeiting and the like, but when it comes to protecting the President, They really go in for the overt. They want you to know that big dudes with big guns are all about. These guys are not posing as spectators, but are prominently looking, not at the dignitary, but at the crowd. And they are even forthright when it comes to the codenames of the folks they are protecting.
In film and literature, we have seen the President code named Traveler (In the line of Fire), Eagle (West Wing) and Swordsman (Tom Clancy novels). In real life they have given names Lancer and Lace to JFK and Jackie; Rawhide to Reagan; and Halo to JPII. But some of these names are, well, hilarious. Bush2 is also known as Tumbler. Nancy Reagan was Rainbow, Al Gore was Sawhorse, Ted Kennedy was Sunburn, Barbara Bush was Snowbank, and Frank Sinatra was Napoleon. Of course the best is the name given to Prince Charles: Unicorn.
So Honeyface and i decided to think up some code names for eachother. Here is what I have so far for her: Nightingale - Blue Bonnet - Espresso - Pooky Lumps - Gadiva - Straightener - Cocoa Bean - Accountant - Charlemagne - Giggler - Argyle - Alabaster - Demander - Cuddler - Sharps -Sugar Cookie.

my bro-in-law is awesome

So, I just wanted to share this memory...

bad ideas i've had

So, sometimes I am hit with these flashes of moronic or depraved inspiration. I am in the shower or at work or sitting on the couch and suddenly the cosmic forces align in the scar tissue of my mind and i am illuminated. Unfortunately, these eureka moments are informed, not by the oracles of brilliance, but by the ramblings of a lunatic.
Take for instance my idea of the "plenger" where the plunger meets the blender to restore free flow to even the toughest clogs in your drain. Problem: how do you clean the damn thing?
These ideas do not confine themselves to potential products available only on TV, touted by Billie Mayes. No, they also involve the entertainment industry, take this unlikely Paul Rudd, Hugh Laurie, Gwen Stefani vehicle: a musical in the style of Across the Universe but featuring the music of Burt Bacharach. It is the story of a love triangle, where one of the male leads (not sure which yet) is a stalking serial killer. we begin with the killer meeting our leading lady and breaking into Walk on By. we continue with the girl, whose cat has become stuck up a tree and is save by our hero whilst he croons Whats new Pussycat. Back to our antagonist, the serial killer lamenting of his unrequited love, longing to be Close to You. Back to the hero who is Wishin' and Hopin'. Back to the killer, now dismembering someone in a gory, sloppy mess as bloody Raindrops Keep Falling on his Head. Now he, the killer, abducts the girl, and while they make their way across country he explains that What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love. The hero pursues hitching a ride with a trucker (Jack Black cameo) who gets lost and has to ask Do you Know the Way to San Jose? When the hero catches up, he is also captured byt the killer who and the two expalin the predicament to the girl in a duet version of This Guy's in Love With You. The girl is terrified that her true love will fall victime to the killer's rage and tries to encourage the hero I Say a Little Prayer for You. The killer warns the hero to Make it Easy on Yourself, but his dastardly plans are foiled and the girl tells the hero Thats what Friends are For. And as we leave the happy couple all is not well because as they try to go on with their life together they find that ther is Always Something There to Remind Me.
So that is why I should keep my ideas mostly to myself.

twilight benny

This is classic.