Post by Eddie Love on Jul 19, 2010 18:52:23 GMT -5
You can keep your J.T. Krul Stand-Up Guy Award, for me, being ridiculed on BitD was an honor and a thrill. That was truly hilarious! I loved it.
In my defense, firstly, my point wasn't that Flint isn't cool, (the bit with the makeshift turban proves otherwise), only they it's dull to hear people say he is rather than being shown it. But, as I said -- I don't like Flint and I don't like Matt Helm, and though clearly they were released to cash-in on Bond, it sucks that they're all lumped in with 007. (Tom mentioned that the makers of the Helm movies have contempt for the genre they're working in, but the thing is, I think the genre they're working in is schlock crap, and they're out to break records.)
When I said I may prefer Helm to Flint, I was at the start of a quixotic bid to cram for this show and re-watch the whole box-set. I lasted 'til about the first half-hour of MURDERER'S ROW. (You're better men than I am...) I got no further. It was pure pain. Looking back, the only times I watched these and enjoyed them, I was probably drunk or my voice hadn't yet changed.
Having said that, and risking further contempt, let me say a few words about the Helm films, which I agree, on balance -- suck. (I don't like Flint either, but clearly they're better natured, more fun than Helm. There I said it.)
Dare I say it, I think some of Dean's scenes in THE SILENCERS (which was directed by Noir mainstay Phil Karlson) do hint (I said hint, mind you) at a bit of real-life world-weariness. There's a germ of where these movies could have been good. (Also, I have to stick up in that film for Cyd Charisse -- who was forty-effing-five when she shot her dance numbers for that picture and she looks magnificent. )
But the main reason I think people should subject themselves to -- I mean, watch!-- at least one Matt Helm movie is that they are seriously weird. You mentioned it, but it bears repeating:
Dean. Sings.
The action stops and he croons this sort-of loungey narrartion. I'm sorry, but that's tacky, strange to the point of being almost surreal. That, plus all the poor man's Frank Tashlin style pin-up eroticism, it's jaw-dropping. Recently I was in San Fran and was clicking around and came across an episode of THE FLYING NUN. I stared at this just aghast. You can't imagine more trite, mainstream pablum, but at the same time -- it's almost avant garde somehow. That's what I'd lump the Helm movies in with. They really are one-of-a-kind cultural artifacts that leave you scratching your head thinking -- people thrilled to this? They found this amusing?
And yes, please do the Tony Rome pictures -- I was just about to post on them
And don't forget FATHOM! (which is better than the Flint movies: take that!)
In my defense, firstly, my point wasn't that Flint isn't cool, (the bit with the makeshift turban proves otherwise), only they it's dull to hear people say he is rather than being shown it. But, as I said -- I don't like Flint and I don't like Matt Helm, and though clearly they were released to cash-in on Bond, it sucks that they're all lumped in with 007. (Tom mentioned that the makers of the Helm movies have contempt for the genre they're working in, but the thing is, I think the genre they're working in is schlock crap, and they're out to break records.)
When I said I may prefer Helm to Flint, I was at the start of a quixotic bid to cram for this show and re-watch the whole box-set. I lasted 'til about the first half-hour of MURDERER'S ROW. (You're better men than I am...) I got no further. It was pure pain. Looking back, the only times I watched these and enjoyed them, I was probably drunk or my voice hadn't yet changed.
Having said that, and risking further contempt, let me say a few words about the Helm films, which I agree, on balance -- suck. (I don't like Flint either, but clearly they're better natured, more fun than Helm. There I said it.)
Dare I say it, I think some of Dean's scenes in THE SILENCERS (which was directed by Noir mainstay Phil Karlson) do hint (I said hint, mind you) at a bit of real-life world-weariness. There's a germ of where these movies could have been good. (Also, I have to stick up in that film for Cyd Charisse -- who was forty-effing-five when she shot her dance numbers for that picture and she looks magnificent. )
But the main reason I think people should subject themselves to -- I mean, watch!-- at least one Matt Helm movie is that they are seriously weird. You mentioned it, but it bears repeating:
Dean. Sings.
The action stops and he croons this sort-of loungey narrartion. I'm sorry, but that's tacky, strange to the point of being almost surreal. That, plus all the poor man's Frank Tashlin style pin-up eroticism, it's jaw-dropping. Recently I was in San Fran and was clicking around and came across an episode of THE FLYING NUN. I stared at this just aghast. You can't imagine more trite, mainstream pablum, but at the same time -- it's almost avant garde somehow. That's what I'd lump the Helm movies in with. They really are one-of-a-kind cultural artifacts that leave you scratching your head thinking -- people thrilled to this? They found this amusing?
And yes, please do the Tony Rome pictures -- I was just about to post on them
And don't forget FATHOM! (which is better than the Flint movies: take that!)
