"Don't Move or the Nose Gets it!"

Saturday Music for Paul Mazursky

THE FUTURIST! found this montage of clips from the films of Paul Mazursky set to music composed by one of his favorite musical geniuses. If any of you do not know who Paul Mazursky is and what films he directed, that is a shame. Mr. Mazursky has not made a LOT of films, but he was a shining light in the production of film during the 70s and 80s. He is a director and screenwriter and started as an actor. In many of his films, he will appear briefly as a minor character or just as a walk on. HE has, also, appeared in many other director's films as an actor. The many films he steered toward completion to the screen varied in subject matter; mostly dramas tinged with melancholy comedy that explored human relationships that encompassed wife swapping couples, the rocky road of marriage, divorce, infidelity, immigrants, social and class struggles and the lonely elderly all lost in a changing America. THE FUTURIST! wants to re-watch some of these films again and he anticipates a book on Mr. Mazursky arriving next Spring from the author Sam Wasson who recently wrote a very good tome on the film career of Blake Edwards.

The montage below does flow with visual teases from all of Mazursky's films; a few are missing. You will see one of THE FUTURIST!'s favorite underrated actors George Segal in these scenes and see images from:

BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE (1969)
BLUME IN LOVE (1973)
HARRY & TONTO (1974)
NEXT STOP, GREENWICH VILLAGE (1976)
AN UNMARRIED WOMAN (1978)
THE TEMPEST (1982)
MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON (1984)
DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS (1986)
ENEMIES: A LOVE STORY (1989)
THE PICKLE (1993)

The song you will hear accompany this images is played at the conclusion of BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE. It is played over the final sequence which rates very high in THE FUTURIST!'s favorite movie endings. It is an ending that might not play well for today's audience, but it is soul lifting, beautiful, and Felliniesque.

Listen and watch and then rent these films:


WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE
performed by Jackie DeShannon
composed by Burt Bacharach

Utter Despair Winter Olympics End This Weekend

Ice Figure Skater Gabrielle Du Bois ended her performance, dancing to a recitation of Sylvia Plath poetry set to Elliot Smith music, with a resounding climax. Her astounding quadruple axle was met with applause that, thankfully, drowned out the sound of broken sheetrock and her screaming.

And ....

THE FUTURIST! tried once again to battle the contender from Ennui, N.J. in cross country skiing. The first hill was a doozy, as you will witness:

THE FUTURIST! Always Leaves the Vermouth in the Glass

OLIVES! Yum Yum

See You Next Wednesday!

The Shaggy Accountant

The 1959 Disney film THE SHAGGY DOG was not a work of fiction.

THE FUTURIST! encountered his accountant's spouse on a walk along the Utter Despair River and started a conversation that involved the usual "Oh How Are You" moments of surprised meeting. THE FUTURIST! then told Christina, his accountant's wife, that he'd have to pop in soon to have his taxes reconciled by Everett (the accountant). She smiled. THE FUTURIST! noticed that she was walking a large sheep dog and asked when they had acquired a canine. Christina answered, "Oh ... well ... it's a long story." The dog then started barking and staring at THE FUTURIST!. There seemed to be a a strange look in the beast's eyes that was familiar to THE FUTURIST!. On a whim, THE FUTURIST! said, "Everett?" and the dog barked. Christina looked pulled back on the dog's leash. THE FUTURIST! then asked her, "Is that ... ?" She shook her head violently and said, "No ... I don't know what you mean." THE FUTURIST! then made a further test. Knowing that Everett had stated weeks ago that he detested the actress Sandra Bullock, THE FUTURIST! said this: "It's almost a sure thing that Sandra Bullock win snag that Best Actress Oscar this year." The dog snarled shook its mangy head, howled and urinated.

"Christina, is this dog ... is this dog Everett?" THE FUTURIST! asked.

Christina started to cry and recounted the sorry tale. Everett had been assigned to do the accounting of the Daniels Estate and came across an ancient ring that dated back to the Borgias. Rumor and legend stated that the ring was a shape shifting device used to elude the Borgia clan enemies. The recitation of the inscription on the ring produced an effect that made the one speaking the words change into a dog. Christina and Everett had been trying for weeks to reverse the spell, but it was proving fruitless. They had an appointment with a psychic/witch/Korean nail salon owner in Ennui, N.J. the following Tuesday. Hopefully, it would end soon.

THE FUTURIST! was assured that this would not stop Everett from working on THE FUTURIST!'s NJ and Federal Tax returns for 2009. Christina looked at her diary and said that Monday afternoon looked okay at 2 pm. Everett barked. She erased the entry, "Sorry, THE FUTURIST!, Everett has a prior engagement with the neighbor's Labrador for an hour of Frisbee catching and other backyard activities at that time ... how would 4 pm on Tuesday be?" THE FUTURIST! agreed.

Before THE FUTURIST! said his goodbyes, he asked if there were any positives to Everett's dog-state. Christina stated that he wonderfully house trained and alerted her when the postman arrived ... but then changed her mood and said that after she had discovered that Everett had had a dalliance with his secretary's Brittany Spaniel, she had him neutered the previous Tuesday. "A veterinarian is a Woman's Best Friend." she said.

HOW TO BATMAN Goes to a Winery

THE FUTURIST! has expressed his attraction to you, dear reader, regarding the strange comedy of HOW TO BATMAN on YouTube. There must be a new one each week posted, but not all hit their comedic marks. The best videos seem to be when the corpulent Caped Crusader ingests food or, in this case, goes to a winery to taste test some reds, whites and a delicious port. The way in which the common folk react so nonchalantly to Batman strikes THE FUTURIST!'s funny bone with great force. This one has some great asides by Batman. There is something about these videos that brings THE FUTURIST! great comfort. May they continue until he draws his last bearth.