The poet and I talk of existential seafaring men

Gabbed a bit with Steve Kuusisto the other day.  He was calling from the deep freezes of Iowa where he teaches and where he and I met a hundred years ago.  As it often does, our conversation drifted to the important things in life.  For instance, he who yam what he yam.  Popeye the Sailor Man.

We’re both fans.

Be glad you weren’t listening in.

Steve and I can’t talk about Popeye without both of us cracking ourselves up with our dueling Popeye impressions, and neither of ours is all that good.

It’s worse for eavesdroppers when we talk about the Three Stooges.

Back when we were at the University of Iowa together, Iowa’s basketball team had a player named Jeff Moe.  Pretty good guard.  Drafted  by the Utah Jazz but as far as I know never played for them.  Watching games on TV, Steve and I couldn’t wait for the inevitable moment when the announcer said, “Moe’s got the ball.”  At that point one or the other of us or both together would start in.  “And Moe passes to Larry.  Larry shovels it to Curly.  Curly goes in for the lay-up and…he’s fouled.  ‘OH, a wiseguy, eh?’”

It would go on, and on downhill from there.

We didn’t get around to the Stooges this time.  Reason we were talking about Popeye anyway was that Steve had called to cast his vote for what movies to include in the upcoming First Ever I Hate Robert Altman Virtual Film Fest, which as I posted last month is going to be held right here, on this blog starting Thursday night, January 14, 2010.

Steve’s choice was Secret Honor, which, frankly, I think he chose because it allowed him to do his Richard Nixon impression.

Steve has never seen Popeye.  I have.  Didn’t care for it.  But it has some votes for the film fest and could wind up on the schedule if it gets enough more.

So here’s your chance.  Vote for Popeye or not.

So far the schedule’s shaping up to include California Split, Thieves Like Us, and The Player.  Secret Honor and Buffalo Bill and the Indians are both in the running and I’m thinking of doing them together in an Altman Fucks Around with History Night.

Two of the films a lot of people have let me know they’d like discussed, Brewster McCloud and Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean are not available on DVD, which is a crying shame.  Neither is HEALTH.  I don’t know if that’s a crying shame because I’ve never seen it.  Nobody has.  I don’t think even Altman himself got to see it.

Right now, Nashville and A Wedding are vying for a spot and there’s been votes for Cookie’s Fortune, an underrated and underseen late Altman that I think is far better than Gosford Park, which is a leading contender for inclusion.

So please chime in with your choice.  Don’t feel you have to pick from any of the ones I’ve mentioned.  There are plenty of dark horses in the running.  Steve also voted for Three Women and, if I was voting, I’d pick Gingerbread Man or Dr T and the Women.

Here’s Altman’s filmography.

Please let me know.  I’d like to have the schedule set by the beginning of next week.

And don’t shy away from Popeye just because I might start talking like him.

“Well, blow me down!”

Or worsk, laughing like him.

“Ack ack ack ack ack!”

Or even worsker than the worsk, singing like him:

Comments

[Jonathan Korman]

I vote Yes on Popeye. Sure the movie is a mess. But.

Elias Koteas delivered the Vaughn from Crash that I pictured when I read the novel. God gave us Marty Feldman so he could play Eye-gor in Young Frankenstein. Christopher Reeve is the real Superman. And Shelly Duvall was born to be Olive Oyl.

http://duvallpopeye.blogspot.com/

How can you skip that?

[Bill Altreuter]

I went on an Altman tear a couple of years ago, inspired by a trip to Nashville, which prompted me to re-watch the movie. It holds up, and in fact actually captured the sense of the place that I got from my visit. That said, I don't think it makes sense for your project. Anyone who is interested in Altman knows Nashville, and anyone who doesn't ought to catch up before undertaking a course in his other work. (Such people should also take in M*A*S*H, too.)

I saw Popeye when it was in theaters, and I thought it was a mess. It probably is, but another look may be in order. It wouldn't be the first time an artist has been out in front of my ability to appreciate a particular vision, and even if it doesn't work as a coherent whole, there may be things in it that I will understand better now.

[Ralph H.]

Did Bob Roberts make the cut? Loved the homage to Pennebaker.

[Dave]

What Altman did to both "Popeye" and to Feiffer's screenplay is alone enough to boot him from the pantheon. What a dreadful travesty. Thumbs down.

[Cleveland Bob]

M*A*S*H is a fine film as is Nashville. Popeye is a train wreck. It looks awful, sounds worse and the "style" of acting from Shelley Duval to Robin Williams to Ray Walston is abysmal. Horrible movie. Even the always dependable Paul Dooley stinks in Popeye.

Of course then again, I think that Ray Walston's best performance ever is that of Mr. Hand in Fast Times At Ridgemont High so what do I know?

Taste is a very subjective animal.

No shirt...no shoes...no dice.

[Delicious Pundit]

I'm bummed this post was not about the Fleischers.

As for the Three Stooges, I always think of Andy Kindler's line (I think it's his): "I figured out why women don't like the Three Stooges: They're not funny."

[Michael Bartley]

Okay, I'm getting obnoxious here, I'm still pushing for Buffalo Billy (I can hear Shelley Duval say the name). I like the sound of your theme night. I was at the local video store and asked the clerk, a serious movie guy, about Public Enemies and he went into a rant about movies and historical accuracy plus he didn't like Johnny Depp. I stood listening and smiling. Told him that I agreed that sometimes films can be frustrating that way but I'm just lookin' for a ganster shoot 'em up so what the hay. Anyway, made me think about the whole crazy mixed up Buffalo Bill story and thoughts on celebrity and, even, the ever changing role of Indians in film. Anyway part two, if you want great history/bio read Louis Warren's Buffalo Bill's America or Robert Utley's Sitting Bull book The Lance and the Shield. Both direct focused looks at their subject. Altman is storytelling and getting at something the long way around. Besides it cracks me up.

[Dave]

The irony of Kindler calling anyone else "unfunny" is overwhelming.

[Tom K Mason]

Is there no love left in the world for Altman's O.C. And Stiggs? I'm kidding of course. I was warned away long ago and away from it is where I've stayed. I like Popeye, though, so what do I know. I once met Feiffer for about 30 seconds and couldn't bring myself to mention the movie. I'd vote for Buffalo Bill and A Wedding.

[Brad]

I saw Health in the theater. Halfway through the picture Altman forgot that subtext was supposed to go unstated and he gave the whole setup away (Eisenhower v. Stephenson repeats as farce while Carol and Jim get their middle-aged mojo on).

I've never understood why some families consider Altman's Popeye to be a see-again-and-again classic. "He needs me, he needs me, he needs me, he needs me..."