White Line Fever (1975)
Rock Baby – Rock It (1957)
Blue Water, White Death (1971)
Top Gun (1986)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
L. Ron Hubbard’s SPY KILLER
L. Ron Hubbard
Spy Killer
1936 (2008 reprint, Galaxy Press)
In the middle of reading, I accidentally spilled beer all over my copy of this book and it’s just as well. These Galaxy Press reprints of L. Ron Hubbard’s early pulp fiction work ARE a little too spiffy. They could use some rough treatment to match the contents.
Also, while I have klutzed up some rare collectibles in my day, reducing $100 vintage, outta-print records or books or movies to $3 damaged goods with one spilled drink or false step, I’m not concerned about this one. My local Half Price Books has stacks of these Hubbard reissues for $2 each, which is also perfect. Pulp should be cheap.
Cheap and stained.
If you’re reading junk like Spy Killer, you should be fine with that.
The story of this 1936 novella is Goofball City.
THE PRISONER #4: Free For All
(October 20, 1967; writer: “Paddy Fitz”; director: Patrick McGoohan)
Star Patrick McGoohan both wrote and directed this episode (he assumes the name Paddy Fitz for his script credit) that takes the series to a striking new level of absurdity.
This is the one in which McGoohan’s “Number Six” learns that the position of the most powerful person that he’s met in The Village–that would be “Number Two”, who’s under the command of the still-mysterious “Number One”–goes up for election every year and that he’s very welcome to run for the job himself. In fact, the current “Number Two” (seasoned British film actor Eric Portman, a favorite of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger) encourages it. Not that it takes much effort to convince him, as McGoohan sees this as a possible chance to escape. Or to least learn more about The Village’s secrets.
Now, none of this makes a lick of sense because there’s a different “Number Two” in every episode. The Village is clearly does NOT run elections for that position. They are hiring and firing like Donald Trump. Crazy turnover in that position.
So, I don’t know what the hell kind of of logic is happening in this episode, but that’s okay. The Prisoner is already weird all over. Every episode begins with Patrick McGoohan waking up and hobbling toward the window of his room, as if he’s unsure if he’s dreaming or not. And maybe he is.
And this very episode is VERY dreamy.
Robert Pollard-Mania! #37: BULLDOG SKIN
Guided by Voices
Bulldog Skin
1997, Matador Records
I don’t hate “Bulldog Skin”. It’s a rocker, alright–and a trashy one, too, which is cool with me. It’s a song that sounds less like it was written than it was spat out–and there’s nothing wrong with that, either.
But I’m not passionate about it and I think I know why.