I loved the book Reagan's War, by Peter Schweizer. It tells the story of Reagan's lifelong commitment to anti-communism. The most striking thing about Reagan's foreign policy was the breadth of his offensive against the Eastern Bloc. It wasn't just the overt moves: the arms race, SDI, the summits. He put a lot of resources into more subtle efforts to encourage democracy, most notably support for Poland's Solidarity movement. He also revitalized the Voice of America, which had lost sight of its original purpose as a propaganda tool.

No serious person doubts that Reagan's multi-pronged offensive worked. We should be using the same combination of threats, negotiation and propaganda against Iran. But Congress doesn't see it that way, as reported by ThreatsWatch:

From the House Committee on Appropriations comes word of the failure to fully fund the $75M requested by the administration to assist in broadcast/ telecast/ satellite communication efforts into the people of Iran.

"Promotion of Democracy in Iran - The committee did not fund the $75 million requested by the Administration for the promotion of democracy in Iran because it was poorly justified. Instead, $56 million was provided through proven, existing programs that will have an immediate, positive impact on the fostering of democratic ideals in Iran."

. . .

The $75M was not enough and, as it was, decades late in the game. To see Congress slash the belated efforts by nearly one-third out of the gate, in light of the current urgency, borders on disconcerting.

The Iranian problem is a very tough one, and we're in a situation which requires a creative solution. Of all the options available to us, encouraging regime change from within Iran is the least unattractive, in my opinion. Thus, I don't think now is the time to be skimping on resources devoted to that end.

Posted by: annika at 09:17 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Today let's take a look at two of Goldie's action comedies from the mid to late seventies: The Duchess And The Dirtwater Fox and Foul Play.

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox, 1976

Starring Goldie Hawn and George Segal (whom I loved in one of the meanest movies ever, the classic Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?).

The interesting thing about Duchess is how different Goldie's character is from her more timid roles of the early seventies. It seems that her roles had gradually become more assertive with each film, and this one went way off the scale.

The movie opens with Goldie and another chick rolling on the floor in a full-on bitch fight. She talks like a sailor, punches people out, handles a Winchester like a pro, and even flips the middle finger in one scene. A recurrent motif in the film are a couple of embroidered pasties that keep falling out of Goldie's purse at inopportune moments.

Goldie plays a hooker/cabaret dancer in 19th century San Francisco, who's always on the make. Segal plays a small time crook/gambler who's also always on the make. A bag of stolen money brings them together, and as I like to say, hijinx ensue.

At first Goldie doesn't like Segal, who's all hands when they first meet. But then she finds out about the money and plays along until she can steal it from him. He chases her, and a gang of outlaws chases him. Somehow or another Goldie gets mixed up with a band of Mormons on their way to Salt Lake City, including the great Conrad Janis. (I think there's the obligatory shot of a stagecoach going over a cliff, which must be stock footage because I've seen it in so many westerns it's not even funny.)

The comedy is pretty hit or miss, but the funniest scene takes place inside the stagecoach between Goldie and Segal. They're trying to concoct a scheme without Conrad Janis, who's sitting between them, figuring out what they're saying. So they speak in a comical pidgin German that's really well done.

The rest of the movie is kind of juvenile and the situations seem contrived. Goldie realizes she loves the gambler in the middle of a chase scene, while they're pretending to be guests at a jewish wedding. Later, they have sex in a rowboat, before going through the rapids. The bad guys eventually catch up with our heroes and tie them to stakes in the desert.

Finally, everything works out for the best, but I forgot if they get to keep the money or not. Costume-wise, the movie is heavy on red and black. The costume designer must have been a big Stendhal fan, I guess. One highlight of the movie is when Goldie sings a bawdy song called "Please Don't Touch Me Plums" with a bunch of kids, Julie Andrews style. Fans of Bobby Vinton should also like the sappy theme song, "Lemon Drops, Lollipops And Sunbeams."

Consider me not one of Bobby Vinton's fans. Nor am I a big fan of The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox, which I gave two stars on the Neflix scale. Goldie's performance was a standout (she was nominated for a Golden Globe). But the chuckles in this screwball comedy were too few and far between, and couldn't overcome the generally mediocre script.

Foul Play, 1978

This is the first of Goldie's two romantic comedies with co-star Chevy Chase. It's also an homage to the Hitchcock thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much, which is one of my favorites.

Despite his work in the classics Caddyshack, Vacation and Fletch, I've never really warmed up to Chevy Chase. I'm not quite sure why. In Foul Play, he's a San Francisco detective who protects Goldie Hawn from a gang of assassins out to kill the pope. I suppose people thought Chevy was sexy in those days, but he does nothing for me. Still, the romantic scenes between him and Goldie happen to be the most convincing of any movie she'd done so far.

Goldie's part was a complete 180° from her character in Duchess. In Foul Play, Goldie is a 30-something divorcee who's cute but dissillusioned by the dating scene and looking down the barrel of spinsterhood. She actually reminds me a lot of Meg Ryan's character in When Harry Met Sally, even down to the oversized 80's glasses.

There's not much to Goldie's character; she's kind of an everywoman who's only purpose is to hold the silly plot together. I can't help but like this movie though, despite it's myriad flaws. It's the supporting cast that makes Foul Play as enjoyable as it is. Look who else is in it: Brian Dennehy, Burgess Meredith, Billy Barty and Dudley Moore. (All are dead now, by the way. And don't tell me Brian Dennehy is still alive. You and I both know that Brian Dennehy and Brian Keith are/were the same person.)

Two scenes are absolutely worth the price of the rental. The first is the legendary American debut of Dudley Moore, which is the one scene everybody probably remembers most. While Goldie is trying to hide from a villain known only as "the albino," she asks Dudley Moore to take her back to his place. He misunderstands, thinking he's going to get lucky. It's rotfl funny, with Dudley's valentines day boxers, and the disco ball, and the helium filled blow-up dolls, and the murphy bed with its little trumpet fanfare. That one scene propelled Dudley Moore to stardom, and the next year he did 10 with Bo Derek.

Here's an interesting bit of Dudley Moore/George Segal trivia, which I got from IMDb.

[Dudley Moore was] the first choice to play Henry Fine in "The Mirror Has Two Faces," only to be replaced by George Segal (who was, ironically, replaced by Moore in the role of George Webber in "10"). In an interview following his announcement that he had supranuclear palsy, he revealed that he was dismissed from the role because he had trouble remembering his lines.

I did run into a little suspension of disbelief issue when Chevy and Goldie were racing through San Francisco trying to get to the Opera House in time to foil the assassination plot. They seemed to be driving through all the wrong neighborhoods. Maybe I know the City too well, but I was like: "Dude, it ain't that hard. Just take Gough, you'll get there in five minutes."

The costumes weren't all that hot. Goldie wears a lot of nondescript solid color sweaters. She ends the movie in a disco era powder blue décolleté that I don't like at all. The music however, was a strong point for me. Barry Manilow sings the Oscar nominated theme song and, as you know, I love Barry. Plus, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado is featured throughout.

I'm giving Foul Play three Netflix stars. It made me laugh a lot more than it had a right to. But the characters are lovable, and it definitely succeeds as fun and light entertainment.

Previous installments in the 1st Annual Annika's Journal Film Festival can be found here. I have three more to go. Next up, Seems Like Old Times.

Update: Congratulations to Goldie Hawn, who recieved the American Film Institute's Star Award in Aspen last Saturday. She's still hot.

Posted by: annika at 11:14 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Best quote: "I thought this thing was sick."

Have fun guys!

Posted by: annika at 06:38 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 Homina-homina-homina-homina . . . [uhhhHHH] [sigh] I'm going to take a nap now.

Posted by: Matt at March 17, 2006 07:09 AM (10G2T)

2 Hugo isn't gonna like it. I wouldn't mind getting one to keep the neighborhood vermin in check.

Posted by: d-rod at March 17, 2006 07:13 AM (k9puX)

3 This thing is phallic. There's nothing like having a bigger, faster, more powerful, more accurate weapon. You lug it around with pride. You yearn for opportunities to deploy it. “You can put six rounds on target in under three seconds,” Flanery said. “I thought this thing was sick.”

Posted by: gcotharn at March 17, 2006 10:15 AM (3Sbj7)

4 Yeah, the 203 always was a worthless piece of shit. It's about time our grenadiers had some firepower. Now if we only still had the flechette round.

Posted by: Casca at March 17, 2006 12:09 PM (y9m6I)

5 Yup, gotta agree with Casca, the 203 was a real piece of shit. You couldn't interdict a coca sack laden burro led by a ten year old in the Columbian highlands with it. I once fired one at a platoon leader in Granada and he still rode the wave on to the beach. Real crap piece of hardware. My fingers statred twitching when I read the piece on the M-32.

Posted by: Strawman at March 17, 2006 04:10 PM (0ZdtC)

6 Go away ya draft dodgin' shitstain.

Posted by: Casca at March 17, 2006 04:36 PM (2gORp)

7 The forerunner of this weapon can be seen on the old Christopher Walken movie Dogs of War. But it looks like this one has a higher rate of fire, and is more accurate. (Although you don't have to be too accurate with 40mm greandes)

Posted by: Kyle N at March 18, 2006 04:52 AM (FBJ4S)

8 Nice one Casca. You're such a good advert for the military mind ne step above a prokaryote.

Posted by: Strawman at March 19, 2006 01:09 PM (0ZdtC)

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From the AP:

Jane Fonda's 1972 trip to North Vietnam is haunting her again. The Georgia Senate on Thursday nearly unanimously defeated a resolution that would have honored the actress' charity work in the state.

. . .

"I can think of no living American who is less worthy of this honor," Republican Sen. John Douglas declared. "She is as guilty of treason as Benedict Arnold and Tokyo Rose."

Via commenter Shelly.

Posted by: annika at 08:46 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Check it out.

Via emailer Hannes.

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Woke up to this news today:

U.S. forces, joined by Iraqi troops, on Thursday launched the largest airborne assault since the U.S.-led invasion, targeting insurgent strongholds north of the capital, the military said.

The military said the operation was aimed at clearing 'a suspected insurgent operating area' northeast of Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, and was expected to continue over several days.

'More than 1,500 Iraqi and Coalition troops, over 200 tactical vehicles, and more than 50 aircraft participated in the operation,' the military statement said of the attack designed to 'clear a suspected insurgent operating area northeast of Samarra,' 60 miles north of Baghdad.

The province is a major part of the so-called Sunni triangle where insurgents have been active since shortly after the U.S.-led invasion three years ago.
Saddam Hussein was captured in the province, not far from its capital and his hometown, Tikrit.

Waqas al-Juwanya, a spokesman for
Iraq's joint coordination center in nearby Dowr, said 'unknown gunmen exist in this area, killing and kidnapping policemen, soldiers and civilians.'

Near the end of the first day of the operation, the military said, 'a number of enemy weapons caches have been captured, containing artillery shells, explosives, IED-making materials, and military uniforms.'

Posted by: annika at 08:44 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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As a teaser, I'm revealing one quarter of my tournament bracket for you all to harsh on.

I'm in Six Meat Buffet's ESPN group. As you can see, I'm really a believer in 'Bama. Also, the 'Zags don't make it to the sweet sixteen on my chart and Kent State gets shot down in the first round. But am I dreaming when I pick Memphis to make the final four? Stay tuned.

Update: Fuck. Oklahoma is out. There goes my Minneapolis bracket.

Posted by: annika at 08:07 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Now, I wouldn't have guessed Beck.

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The following poem is ascribed to St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, born a Roman citizen in Scotland in the year 387 and died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland on March 17, 493.

St. PatrickÂ’s Breastplate

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

Thomas Cahill doubts that the poem was written by St. Patrick himself, instead dating it to the 7th or 8th Century.

The earliest expression of European vernacular poetry, it is, in attitude, the work of a Christian Druid, a man of both faith and magic. Its feeling is entirely un-Augustinian; but it is this feeling that will go on to animate the best poetry of the Middle Ages. If Patrick did not write it (at least in its current form), it surely takes its inspiration from him. For in this cosmic incantation, the anarticulate outcast who wept for slaves, aided common men in difficulty, and loved sunrise and sea at last finds his voice. Appropriately, it is an Irish voice.

Posted by: annika at 07:33 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Top four for me were Katharine, Paris, Taylor and Chris, in that order. Katharine and Paris were almost tied, but I gave the edge to Katharine because I didn't expect her to be so polished as she was.

But let me tell you, there's a reason Stevie Wonder is an icon. When Randy, who's prone to exagerration, said that Stevie is one of the greatest singers in the known world, Randy was lying. Stevie is one of the greatest musicians in history. You could see how the top twelve struggled with what he makes sound easy.

And Stevie's effect on people reminds me of how devotees react when they get close to the guru. It's supernatural.

Finally, I think Kevin may have bought himself another week.

Posted by: annika at 10:20 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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What exactly is "civil war" and is Iraq really edging closer to it?

Iraqi authorities discovered at least 87 corpses — men shot to death execution-style — as Iraq edged closer to open civil warfare. Twenty-nine of the bodies, dressed only in underwear, were dug out of a single grave Tuesday in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad.

. . .

Police began unearthing bodies early Monday, although the discoveries were not immediately reported. The gruesome finds continued throughout the day Tuesday, police said, marking the second wave of sectarian retribution killings since bombers destroyed an important Shiite shrine last month.

In the mayhem after the golden dome atop the Askariya shrine in Samarra was destroyed on Feb. 22, more than 500 people have been killed, many of them Sunni Muslims and their clerics. Dozens of mosques were damaged or destroyed.

Underlining the unease in the capital, Interior Ministry officials announced another driving ban, from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 4 p.m. Thursday to protect against car and suicide bombs while the Iraqi parliament meets for the first session since the Dec. 15 election.

People are throwing the term "civil war" around a lot lately, and I think it's interesting that nobody defines what that means. So I looked to that unassailable source, the Wikipedia, which has this to say:

A civil war is a war in which parties within the same country or empire struggle for national control of state power. As in any war, the conflict may be over other matters such as religion, ethnicity, or distribution of wealth. Some civil wars are also categorized as revolutions when major societal restructuring is a possible outcome of the conflict. An insurgency, whether successful or not, is likely to be classified as a civil war by some historians if, and only if, organized armies fight conventional battles. Other historians state the criteria for a civil war is that there must be prolonged violence between organized factions or defined regions of a country (conventionally fought or not). In simple terms, a Civil War is a war in which a country fights another part of itself. [links omitted]

An insurrection is legally construed to be an organized and armed uprising for public political purposes; it may seek to overthrow the government, or it may seek merely to suppress certain laws or to alter administrative practice. A rebellion in general is considered to have a much more highly developed political and military organization than an insurrection; in international law it conveys belligerent status. Generally, such belligerent status implies that the belligerent government is attempting by war to free itself from the jurisdiction of the parent state, that it has an organized de facto government, that it is in control of at least some territory, and that it has sufficient proportions to render the issue of the conflict in doubt. An international war, on the other hand, is one between two or more independent states who are recognized members of the family of nations.

In international law the rights of parties to an armed conflict vary greatly with their status. Insurgents have a very limited status; they are not mere pirates or bandits, but their activities do not constitute 'war' in the de jure sense, and they cannot claim against neutrals the privileges of the laws of war. A full rebellion, on the other hand, is a 'war' so far as international law is concerned and the rebel government possesses all the belligerent rights of a fully recognized international state, toward both neutrals and the parent state. Needless to say, a parent state may attempt by force to suppress either an insurrection or a rebellion. In domestic law rebels may be criminals in the eyes of the parent state, and answerable to its courts if their movement fails. (Kelly, Harbison and Belz, The American Constitution, Its Origins And Development, 1955, 6th ed. at pp. 306-07.)

I think it's clear that there is no civil war yet, by any accepted definition of the term. Can it happen? Perhaps, but there would need to be a lot more organization on the part of the al Qaeda and Baathists who are currently running the opposition. I think that's a long way off. Right now, it's just an ad hoc campaign of violence, much like a gang war, with no clearly articulated end other than to chase the US out.

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You can thank me later.

Via Beth.

Posted by: annika at 08:46 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 hhhhmmmm, lets see, A)Go to church, possibly meet someone B)Go out to bars and nightclubs, probably get laid C)join volunteer organizations, might get laid D)get involved with artsy crap like community theater, definitly get laid e) go into chat rooms, low possibility of getting laid f) BLOG? - never, ever, get laid

Posted by: Kyle N at March 14, 2006 02:41 AM (1viF1)

2 I still don't know who won the game. See, I'm not into men's basketball. Too many prima donnas. Hockey, now...now, that's a game!

Posted by: Victor at March 14, 2006 05:08 AM (L3qPK)

3 They're confused. They're probably mistaking PlentyofFish.com for a blog. Why I met a wanton hussy there just this past weekend.

Posted by: Casca at March 14, 2006 06:21 AM (y9m6I)

4 Any stories you care to share in this regard, Annie dear?

Posted by: Hugo at March 14, 2006 03:06 PM (Yu24L)

5 Of course, Annika has more noble reasons for blogging.

Posted by: Mark at March 14, 2006 05:01 PM (Vg0tt)

6 there is nothing more noble than nooky.

Posted by: Kyle N at March 14, 2006 05:49 PM (MaXhp)

7 Was it good for me, too?

Posted by: shelly at March 15, 2006 06:10 AM (BJYNn)

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Cal beat Oregon last night, and will play #13 UCLA today for the PAC-10 championship! It's now an intrafamily rivalry Saturday, my dad being a UCLA graduate.

California (20-9) reached its first Pac-10 tournament final with a 91-87 double-overtime victory Friday over Oregon. The Bears, who finished third in the conference, likely will make the field of 65 regardless of the outcome of this game.

Forward Leon Powe claimed a Pac-10 tournament record for the second straight game, scoring 41 points to better the previous mark of 39, set by UCLA's Reggie Miller in 1987.

The senior, whose late basket forced the second overtime, established a new rebounding record Thursday by pulling down 20 in a victory over Southern California.

Ayinde Ubaka added 12 of his 17 points in the two overtime periods for Cal, which rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit and a seven-point gap in the final 2:45 of regulation.

The win gave Ben Braun his sixth 20-win season at Cal, moving past Hall of Fame coach Pete Newell for most in school history.

The teams have split two all-time Pac-10 tournament games, with Cal posting a 67-61 win in the 2002 quarterfinals. The road team won both games in the season series, with Bruins guard Arron Afflalo scoring 44 points in the two games.

Posted by: annika at 08:25 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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As you know, I did a marginally funny spoof of an e-mail to Lindsay Lohan well over a year ago. I got so many comments from Lindsay fans asking me to put them in touch with her, I had to close the comments. Now I just get tons of emails. It's tapered off to about one a week now.

Here's a new twist, though. Some emailers think I'm Lindsay! Which is inexplicable, especially if they've read even one or two posts of mine. Oh well, it's better than people thinking I'm Ashlee, which would truly be insulting.

From: "[redacted to prevent embarrassment]" [*]@hotmail.co.uk
To: coolconnector20@yahoo.com
Subject: to lindsey.lohan
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 15:00:50 +0000

hiya you dont know me but im one of your fans i always feel sorry 4 you when you get ppl taking pictures of you in the street when u want them 2 leave you alone. I would like 2 be in one of your films later in the years please could you add me email or send an email to me i aint sure if you are lindsey lohan or not if you are dont worry i wont telll any1 your email your in safe hands with me i look abit like you actually lol. i wish i was as pretty as u. ppl always say i do abit. i know alot about you that ive read on internet and makeup books i read.I wish we was m8s i always listen to your music and i think your are a good singer. Ive heard about your dad and i hope everythin goes well if it already has

my email addy is [*]@hotmail.co.uk

as i live in the uk lol of course

sorry 4 taking your time wish your ok and hope your brother and 11 year old sister is ok well guess shes nearly 12 now i want to be a celeb like you but i aint sure where 2 start and i also wants 2 live in america but my
parents moan that i need some1 2 support me as i want 2 live in florida loved all your movies i aint seen herbie yet but the clips i have seen are kool

sorry if i am rambling on lol i would like to know your addy so i can talk to you but if u think im a pain following you, then you dont need 2 add my email addy.

nice talking to you lindsey bye bye xxxxxxx

Posted by: annika at 07:45 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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annikagyrl: what do you get when you put the OC after AI?
bettyspaggetti: idk
annikagyrl: aioc!
bettyspaggetti: lol
annikagyrl: lol
bettyspaggetti: that wasn't funny

Posted by: annika at 09:18 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Oh, by the way, today is my three year bloggy-versary. Congratulations will be accepted.

Posted by: annika at 07:30 PM | Comments (28) | Add Comment
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1 You've outgrown the Terrible Twos. Congrats!!

Posted by: Thomas Galvin at March 09, 2006 07:53 PM (Cc94D)

2 Congrats, Annie. I can't imagine what we ever did without you!

Posted by: Matt at March 09, 2006 08:37 PM (2pfYW)

3 much amusement! Congrats!

Posted by: gcotharn at March 09, 2006 09:11 PM (3Sbj7)

4 Thank you for visiting, sweeties!

Posted by: annika at March 09, 2006 09:20 PM (fxTDF)

5 Congratulations!

Posted by: Josh at March 10, 2006 12:09 AM (f8ZUQ)

6 Felicidades! (from Barcelona)

Posted by: JdePols at March 10, 2006 01:01 AM (7/VoS)

7 congrats, annika!

Posted by: Chris at March 10, 2006 01:10 AM (us6mn)

8 U da bom grl

Posted by: Mike C. at March 10, 2006 02:27 AM (wZLWV)

9 your blog the only salve for the perineal buboes of my mind Kevin Cum grab your elation, Annika.

Posted by: Kevin Kim at March 10, 2006 04:52 AM (TDwc6)

10 Oh alright, I'll do it again. In Soviet Russia, they say, "yppah yrasrev-yggolb, akinnA!" BTW, I'm surprised Casca hasn't made his presence known in this thread already.

Posted by: reagan80 at March 10, 2006 05:25 AM (JZTU6)

11 3 years? I'd say that puts you a good position to take down Ann Coulter...feel free to make some mud wrestling analogy, Casca.

Posted by: Mark W at March 10, 2006 05:50 AM (yTuVc)

12 happy blog birthday!

Posted by: dawn summers at March 10, 2006 06:07 AM (0wAzz)

13 Annika is a skinny little thing, and Ann is well... the goddess of the right. The title of her latest column? IT'S HARD OUT HERE FOR A WIMP Three years? Sure seems longer, lol, thanks for the memories.

Posted by: Casca at March 10, 2006 06:21 AM (y9m6I)

14 I owe James a huge debt of grattitude for pointing me your way. Congratulations, kid! Hey, is James still alive?

Posted by: Victor at March 10, 2006 06:37 AM (L3qPK)

15 Congratulations and thanks for all the good work!

Posted by: Trevor at March 10, 2006 09:58 AM (GtBBB)

16 You were my first commenter, and the first person to link to me... you're my blog "big sis", and I love ya. Congrats!

Posted by: Hugo at March 10, 2006 10:33 AM (Yu24L)

17 Congrats, Annika! And, guys, Annika's way cuter than Ann Coulter, not to mention smarter. The mud wrestling wouldn't be a fair fight at all.

Posted by: The Law Fairy at March 10, 2006 10:43 AM (XUsiG)

18 Happy blog Anniversary Annika! Omedetoo gozaimasu!!

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at March 10, 2006 10:55 AM (Wz2Gp)

19 Three years? Good lord! Imagine all the productive things you could have done besides hang out with this rabble! Ah, but you were my first........linker, that is and the pictue of your desk revealed that we have similar interests. Happy three year!

Posted by: Pursuit at March 10, 2006 12:14 PM (n/TNS)

20 Thank you thank you. You all make it worthwhile!

Posted by: annika at March 10, 2006 12:33 PM (fxTDF)

21 Congrats girl! You totally fucking rock!!!!

Posted by: Blu at March 10, 2006 12:40 PM (QExPp)

22 Happy day! Here is wishing you many more...

Posted by: The Maximum Leader at March 10, 2006 01:05 PM (jiSuM)

23 Me, too! Many happy returns for the fun you provide.

Posted by: shelly at March 11, 2006 05:13 AM (BJYNn)

24 thanks so much, lindsey! luv ur blog and sorry if casca is a pain sometimes. he just wants to be as kool as u.. bye bye xxxxxxx

Posted by: d-rod at March 11, 2006 08:13 AM (aWqdX)

25 Annika, Belated congratulations. You provide a space not unlike my grammar school playground where as the kid who had ideas outside the mainstream I endured the distain and sometime violence of kids who, out of fear and misplaced patriotism (their parents of course), misunderstood liberty and what this country stood for. They thought that covering their heads in the corridors was an effective counter measure to the possible outcome of aggressive American nuclear policy. Now they have grown up and cover their asses with the shabby rhetoric of fear once again and support the slaughter innocents who are in the way of the continuing agressive militarism of this great but misguided country. I am greatfull to you and do wish you well in your (sucessful) endevour to create a space where all may share ideas. Keep your mind open.

Posted by: Strawman at March 11, 2006 11:34 AM (0ZdtC)

26 Thanks Straw, glad to have you!

Posted by: annika at March 11, 2006 12:21 PM (fxTDF)

27 Congrats, thanks, and best wishes on many more, Annie! This whole blogosphere thingie wouldn't be quite the same without you.

Posted by: Dave J at March 13, 2006 09:01 AM (CYpG7)

28 Am glad to see it come

Posted by: Scof at March 15, 2006 11:41 AM (a3fqn)

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. . . it's President Bush - 0, the base - 2

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Shampoo, 1975

Yes, the biggie, the classic. There's a lot to say about Shampoo, and a lot of good stuff has been written already.

In my view, this was a transitional movie in Goldie Hawn's career. She was thirty when the film came out. As Warren Beatty's girlfriend Jill, you still see the cute vulnerable waif from her previous comedies, but you also see flashes of the more assertive Goldie Hawn characters of the eighties and nineties. There's even a hint of that whininess she later honed to perfection in Bird On A Wire, Overboard and Private Benjamin.

Make no mistake, Shampoo is a Warren Beatty - Julie Christie vehicle, and Goldie is a supporting player.* But she had definitely arrived by 1975, and being cast in this film was merely proof of the fact.

Shampoo is another bedroom farce, but a vastly different one from Cactus Flower. Although set in 1968 (election day to be exact), Shampoo is a movie of the Seventies, or more accurately, that part of the Seventies which inspired the phrase "The Me Decade." Instead of slamming doors, each peccadillo is punctuated by a shot of Beatty tearing across Beverly Hills on his little Triumph 500.

Shampoo is about fucking. As much as each character can get away with. It's a very pre-aids movie. For a script that took eight years to write ― and the writing process was contentious at times ― there's not much of a plot. In a sense it's very much like a Dazed And Confused for the over 30 set. All the action takes place within about a 48 hour period. Beatty plays a vacant hairdresser juggling at least three women at the same time. Goldie is his easily manipulated girlfriend. Julie Christie plays an old flame who's also Goldie's best friend. And Lee Grant plays a client who's giving him a little something something on the side. Grant won an Academy Award for the role.

I must confess I didn't like Shampoo at first, mainly because I'm not a big fan of Warren Beatty. I hated Bullworth and Dick Tracy. And I was ambivalent about Bugsy, although I thought Splendor In The Grass and Reds were fantastic. But Shampoo has grown on me with each viewing. What it lacks in plot, it makes up in great lines. Like these:

GEORGE: Ever listen to women talk? I do till it's running out my ears. They only talk about one thing, How some guy fucked them over. That's all that's on their minds.

Here's some more classic dialogue. Lorna is the teenage daughter of one of the women Beatty's character is banging. She's played by Carrie Fisher in her first feature film role. I love this banter.

LORNA: Are you gay?... baked apple?... they're cold but they're good.

GEORGE: No thanks.

LORNA: Did you hear me?

GEORGE: Yeah.

LORNA: Well, are you? Are you queer?

GEORGE: yeah.

LORNA: (laughing) C'mon, are you or aren't you?

GEORGE: Gee, this is great.

He slices a piece of cheesecake. Lorna sits down, in the
chair nearest him now.

LORNA: C'mon, tell me. Don't be afraid.

GEORGE: Why do you wanna know so bad?

LORNA: See if you've been making it with my mother.

GEORGE: What would my being a faggot have to do with that?

LORNA: (shrugs) Nothing, I guess... have you ever made it with a guy?

GEORGE: Have you ever made it with a girl?

LORNA: I asked you first.

GEORGE: Yeah... I've made it with a girl...

Lorna smiles. A pause.

LORNA: Well, are you?

GEORGE: Am I what?

LORNA: Making it with my mother?

There's two or three scenes with Goldie that blew me away. The first that comes to mind is a short scene when Goldie is walking home from an audition, and stops at a fruit stand. It shows the actress's maturation from a comedienne who delivers lines with great timing, to an actress who can show her inner dialogue without speaking a line.

You know she's obsessing over her fight with George, and whether or not to take that acting job, and you can see it all in her face, along with her character's indecisiveness and insecurity. Then she picks up an apple, and for just a moment, you watch her agonize over whether to buy the apple or not until she finally tosses it back in the bin. It's really hilarious.

The shot below is from another scene I love. It shows Goldie just after she got out of a porsche at the election night party, and her boyfriend Beatty is there escorting her best friend into the restaurant. Goldie shoots him a look that is pure daggers. And Beatty has this look like, "oh shit, this is going to be a long night." And it was.

By the way, the silver dress she wore for that election night party was simply adorable, and about as short as legally possible.

There's another great scene at a psychedelic party on a large Beverly Hills estate. Jack Warden's character and Goldie's happen to bust in on Warren Beatty and Julie Christie while they're fucking in the poolhouse. Julie Christie plays Warden's mistress, and Goldie's best friend, so you can imagine both of them are horrified at this discovery. But their reactions are the exact opposite of what you'd expect. It's a terrific scene.

My rating was three stars (liked it), definitely worth a rental. Next up on the AJFF: The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox.
_______________

* Goldie also starred opposite Warren Beatty in 1971's Dollars. Unfortunately, that film is not yet on DVD, and therefore Netflix doesn't carry it.

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Okay, cuz I know you've all been waiting for my AI thoughts.

Top three for me were Ace, Gideon and then my crush, Chris. Kevin will be going home tomorrow night along with, unfortunately, Gideon. I'm a huge Gideon fan, but I'm afraid his genre is too old fashioned for the average voter. But he led the competition all the way tonight. All the way until Ace came on, that is. Ace completely blew away the field. Completely. It totally slipped my mind how well he can do an MJ song.

Check in tomorrow night to see if I'm right.

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Today is International Women's Day. Celebrate by visiting The Cotillion, where you'll find as many points of view as there are types of women. Unlike on the feminist left, where anyone who doesn't toe the party line gets the boot. (How's that for mixed metaphors?)

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