Cinema Wellman: Origin Story II

 Cinema Wellman: Origin Story II

I had a thought immediately after posting the Cinema Wellman: Origin Story, and that thought was…I left stuff out. I actually left out several things that I thought were important to this story, and that’s why (like a lot of movies) there is a Part II. Hopefully it’s better than the majority of sequels I’ve seen over the years. I’ll try to keep it brief, also unlike the majority of sequels I’ve seen over the years. 

When I was writing about going to BU and being exposed to foreign films, I neglected to mention where I saw my first foreign films. It was in my own house on Saturday afternoons at 1:00, and it was called the “CBS Children’s Film Festival.”

Hosted by Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, it brought children’s films from around the world to your living room. It began as a special festival in 1967, running on Saturdays from mid-February to the end of March. It ran this way until 1971. Starting in September 0f 1971, it ran all year long. I’m thinking it was around this time that I became a fan.

Every Saturday, after the mandatory viewing of several hours of cartoons, KFO (Kukla, Fran, and Ollie) transported me to a different country for a new adventure. 

I got to see films from far away places like Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Ceylon. All of the films featured young protagonists, so it was quite interesting for me to see how kids in other countries lived. 

I found a list on the Interwebs of all the films KFO showed and it’s actually quite impressive. They did a wonderful job choosing the movies and mixing up the genres. 

Being a fan of this show certainly made me more willing to watch international films as I got older, and I’m very glad that happened! Thank you, Kukla, Fran & Ollie!

I mentioned going to the drive-in, but I only mentioned going there to get sauced with Donny and Andrew. Truth is, I also frequented the drive-in with my parents when I was a kid. We didn’t go “all the time,” but we went enough.

I remember taking a bath and putting on my pajamas before getting into the car. There would be a cooler (no grab bag for beers!) with treats when Vanessa and I got hungry (or restless). 

We’d pull into the vast lot with the funny up and down bumps, and settle into a spot. In the old days before they broadcast the movie on the radio, we had to hook one of those old timey speakers onto the partially opened window on dad’s side. 

As it got close to darkness, people began honking their horns attempting to speed the sundown. We always laughed about that. Ray thought it was ridiculous, but we always tried to goad him into honking our horn. Every once in a while he would, and he’d crack a wry smile.  Just to humor us, I’m sure.

A memorable family drive-in was when Ray took us to see Patton back in 1970. I was eight years old, Vanessa was ten. We got there pretty late and ended up parking in the very last row, under a weeping willow tree. The branches were actually touching the car! 

The other memorable part of this drive-in visit was the fact that Patton was filled with tons of profanity. Not major league stuff…it’s rated PG, but more than enough for an eight year old. Every “shit” or “son of a bitch” spoken was awarded a side glance at Ray from the passenger seat. 

The best part about every drive-in movie with my parents was pretending to be asleep on the ride home so dad would have to carry me to bed.  Can’t beat that. That’s a keeper. 

For what it’s worth, I can make the claim that I have finished every movie that I’ve ever started. The only movie I’ve ever walked out of in a theater was Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and that’s because Lysa and I wanted ribs more than we wanted to see those kids returned to normal size. Point being that I rented Honey I Shrunk the Kids when it came out on video and watched the rest of it. I felt I needed to. 

A student once loaned me the Lord of the Rings trilogy and it took me an entire three day weekend to get through it. I’d watch for 45 minutes or so, shut it off, and go back later. I’m pretty stubborn. 

This quirk is known as the “Glengarry Rule” and is named after the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross. I hated that movie so much that I shut it off and returned it to the video store.

Five years later I rented it again and watched it all the way through. In for a penny, in for a pound, as I always say!

According to the Interwebs, there have been a total of 581 films that have been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. 

I have seen 579 of them. 

The two holdouts are East Lynne (1931) and The White Parade (1934).  I have a feeling that there are a lot of movie buffs out there that have their list stalled at 579. I can’t be the only one who has attempted to see all of the Academy Award Best Picture nominees. The reason many of us are stuck at 579 is that the last two just aren’t available. I did some research and found out that the only place to find either East Lynne or The White Parade is at the UCLA Film & TV Archive. I have a feeling I’m going to end up there someday to check off these final two boxes!

Having seen almost 8,000 movies, there have to be several directors who pop up over and over. I was curious about this so I made it a “Covid Project” and added a page to the old IMDavidb (my database). 

Turns out that there are 123 directors out there that I’ve seen 10 or more of their movies!

There are 14 directors that I’ve seen 20 or more of their movies!

Then there is the rarified air. My “Mt. Rushmore” if you will. 

“I love making pictures but I don’t like talking about them.” ~John Ford

John Ford is tied for the third spot with a total of 31 films. My favorite John Ford movie is Mister Roberts, but I’m also a big fan of The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and Stagecoach. 

Ford is the absolute king of the western genre in my mind. He was one of Ray’s favorites because all of his exteriors were shot at Monument Valley in Arizona and Utah. Ray’s favorite part of a movie was always the cinematography. 

“I always like to think of the audience when I am directing. Because I am the audience.” ~Steven Spielberg

Tied with Ford in third place with 31 films is Steven Spielberg. Hands down, my favorite Spielberg film is Jaws. There is a ton of Jaws stuff in my house if you need proof. Other Spielberg films I love are Minority Report, Catch Me if You Can, and Duel. 

Funny to think that one of the most respected directors of all time was afraid he’d never work again after making Jaws. 

“There is no terror in the bang, only the anticipation of it.” ~Alfred Hitchcock

In second place is the “Master of Suspense” himself; Alfred Hitchcock. To date, I have seen 38 of Hitchcock’s films and enjoyed an overwhelming number of them. It is so difficult to pick a favorite by “Hitch,” so I’ll go with my two favorites: Rope and Shadow of a Doubt. I also love Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, and, of course, Psycho. He directed so many classics that deserve repeated viewings. 

In my opinion, you really can’t go wrong with a Hitchcock film when you’re looking for suspense. And his television series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents was excellent as well!

“Bring on the empty horses.” ~Michael Curtiz

In the first slot is Michael Curtiz. I have seen 44 films directed by Michael Curtiz, and at least half of them were watched ONLY because Curtiz directed them. I will watch anything he directed. How did he earn this stature? Well, he directed Casablanca. And Casablanca just happens to be a film that I look at as close to perfect. You give me Casablanca, I’ll watch anything and everything you do from that point on. You have earned it. Other Curtiz favorites of mine are Mildred Pierce, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and Angels with Dirty Faces. 

Not a bad Movie Director Mt. Rushmore: Curtiz, Hitchcock, Spielberg, and Ford. 144 movies and counting!

I have three tattoos, and they’re all movie related. My first was based on Donnie Darko, my second is the logo from Mad Max Fury Road, and my most recent addition is the Japanese word “Godzilla.” I’m already trying to figure out what the next one is going to be!

Something I had great fun with a couple of years ago was creating my own soundtrack for a silent movie. After watching the 1924 film He Who Gets Slapped, I decided to curate my own soundtrack and update things a bit. 

He Who Gets Slapped is a grim bit of business. From IMDb: “A bitter clown endeavors to rescue the young woman he loves from the lecherous count who once betrayed him.” The title relates to the fact that this clown, played by the great Lon Chaney, is slapped repeatedly in front of an audience as entertainment. Like I said, grim business. 

Since clowns and circuses are involved, I thought of a TOOL song that features a calliope sound titled “Intermission.” It’s a lead-in to the song “Jimmy” on the album Aenima. I thought that would have been a cool song to use with that film. I then decided to build an entire TOOL soundtrack for He Who Gets Slapped. 

I loved the way it turned out, and even showed it to my friend Andy, who approved. It’s not quite Dark Side of the Moon/The Wizard of Oz, but it matched up perfectly on quite a few occasions and it was a fun project. 

Speaking of projects, those are my “books.” My “Oscar Books.” This was also a Covid project. Within those binders (10 years at a time) is the history of the Academy Awards. I printed out the nominees for each year and I highlight them in the books as I see them. OCD much?

Thank you to Dakota for her help designing and making the covers. Each cover features the titles of 10 of my favorite films from that time period. That’s why the pink binder doesn’t have a cover yet. That won’t be ready to go until 2027. 

It’s funny that the guy who grew up loving movies, the guy who majored in film, the guy who has watched close to 8,000 movies, the guy who has now started a movie podcast neglected to mention that he got to work on a movie!

It happened last fall, and it happened because my friend Andy has a friend, Ross, who is a movie producer. They were talking one day and Ross was lamenting that he needed a teacher for his next production. Andy told him right away, “Oh, I have a teacher for you.” 

The film is titled “The Wound Wood” and it’s currently in post-production. It is a horror movie and was filmed in a mansion set for demolition in Concord, MA. 

It’s one of the best things I’ve ever taken part in. Just amazing. It’s hard to explain all the feelings I had on set. I was like a kid in a candy store. I had so many questions, but I tried to keep them in check as best as I could.

The experience was an unforgettable one. The young man I got to work with, Hudson, was amazing. He’s incredibly smart, so my job was actually pretty easy. We had great fun, and we still keep in touch. I like to think that I made a friend for life on that set. 

One of the best parts was being moved around the mansion into different rooms to act as our “classroom” to accommodate filming. We were all over that place, and each and every spot in which they put us ended up having its own distinct charm. We made the best of it. 

The only thing I DIDN’T like about working on the movie was the schedule. After 33 years of working the same hours every day, this was a jarring change to that. 

We wouldn’t get our call sheets for the next day until late the night before. I loved seeing that I was needed on set at 7:00 am, or 8:00 am. What I didn’t like was a call time for 1:00 pm, or 3:00 pm! Going to work at three in the afternoon?!? Madness!

When the film comes out, I will dedicate an entire episode to it with many more details, pictures, and behind the scenes info!

Now THAT should do it. That’s everything that has led me to my current place. Writing a movie blog and hosting a podcast about movies. Everything I’ve mentioned in these two episodes has led me here. 

And I’m glad you’re here with me. 

Coming Soon on the Cinema Wellman Podcast:

*September Screenings: Top 10/Bottom 5

*A Beginner’s Guide to Cult Movies

*Stephen King Adaptations: Top 10/Bottom 5

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Until next time…take care!