I've been sitting on this one for quite some time--I actually ate these biscuits like 9 or 10 months ago. They're the last find from the great Indian grocery I've referred to many times--India Bazaar in Stratford, NJ. The cookies were all from the Britannia company--their milk biscuits, their Nutri Choice biscuits, and their digestive biscuits.
All the packages for these cookies said that they were manufactured in Oman, so initially I thought I'd be talking mainly about that Arabian Peninsula country. However, when I looked into it, I learned that Britannia is actually an Indian firm. They do have factories around the world, obviously, but they are not an Omani company per se. Anyway, that's why I chose the title of this blog post.
The history of the Britannia company is a bit vague. The official company website noted that it was founded in 1892, by unnamed British businessmen. Sometime in the next 26 years Britannia was acquired by the Gupta brothers, led by Nalin Chandra Gupta. Aside from biscuits, the company markets bread, rusks*, cakes, and dairy products. They reported 2019 grosses of 1,500,000,000 (in U.S. dollars), and a profit of 160,000,000 (again, converted to U.S. dollars). Currently Britannia is owned by the Wadia Group. That company, in turn, was started way back in 1736 as a marine construction company (i.e., shipbuilding). As an aside, the Wadia Group constructed the famous British ship HMS Minden, upon which Francis Scott Key may have composed "The Star-Spangled Banner," eventually the American national anthem. I say "may have" because historians seem divided on exactly which ship Key wrote the song on--he evidently was transferred on and off several vessels during the day in question. Wadia also built the HMS Trincomalee in 1817, which is the oldest English warship that's still intact, and still afloat. (The HMS Victory is older, having been built in 1765, but has been in dry dock since 1922.) Furthermore, for all of my readers obsessed with nautical history, the oldest commissioned naval ship still afloat in the world is the American USS Constitution, built in 1797.
As for fun Omani trivia, the country is known for its rich history of breeding the superior Arabian horses. It's also one of the few places in the world where frankincense trees still grow wild. A website I consulted said that the folks in Oman really love the American soft drink Mountain Dew. The only film that is Omani-made to date is 2006's "Al-Boom" (aka "The Dawn.") Its current IMDB rating is 7.4, which is very respectable.
Britannia digestive biscuit: These were light brownish in color, round, with a diameter of about 2.75 inches (about 7 cm.). They also had holes punched not quite through them, and "Britannia" embossed on their surface. I found these to be a typical European-style biscuit--kind of bland, and not that sweet. Okay, but not delicious or anything.
Britannia milk biscuit: These cookies were light brownish-yellow, and rectangular in shape. About 6 cm. by 4 cm., or about 2.25 inches by 1.5 inches. They also had a waffle-like pattern on them. Like the digestive kind, they were alright, but not very sweet or strong-tasting. Maybe a bit better than the average European-style biscuit, but not by much.
Britannia Nutri Choice biscuit, 5 grain digestive: This sort was oval in shape, about 8 cm. by 4.5 cm. (about 3.25 inches by 1.75 inches). Had a light brownish hue, and "Britannia" was embossed on them. Dry and crunchy, like the others. Taste was pretty similar to the other kinds, except for a slight fruity flavor, which seemed raisin-y. (Although the ingredient list didn't have any fruit in it.) So these were also rather mediocre, but slightly better than the other two Britannia biscuits I tried. A decent, but unspectacular biscuit. And if you're curious, the five grains were wheat, millet, oat, corn, and rice.
* The other rusks (which are usually very dry, twice-baked breads/cakes) I've discussed are as follows:
Finnish flatbread--November 3, 2018 post
Zwieback--April 13, 2019
Brazilian toast--May 11, 2019
Bangladeshi cake rusk--February 8, 2020
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Underrated Horror Movie Gems--"Identity"
This one's a bit of a stretch. First off, some folks would classify "Identity" as more of a thriller, or a mystery. Also, it wasn't a box office bomb--it made 90,000,000 dollars on a 28,000,000 dollar budget. Even allowing for the unofficial rule that marketing can be about three times the stated budget, "Identity" should have at least broken even, or turned a small profit. The criticisms were similarly okay, but not spectacular--a 7.3 rating on IMDB, and 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. Nevertheless, I think this 2003 movie doesn't get the credit it deserves, so here we are. It'll be the same format as always--short spoiler-free synopsis, then a long, spoiler-rich recap, then a discussion of the movie's themes and strengths, and ending with some information about the cast and crew. Also, if you haven't seen this movie yet, I would highly advise not reading the parts with spoilers, as there are some plot twists that should remain unknown if you want to fully enjoy the movie.
A late night hearing is held at a courthouse, concerning a convicted murderer, Malcolm Rivers, who's scheduled to be executed in mere hours. There is also a strange situation going on at an isolated shabby motel in the middle of the Nevada desert. Ten guests and the manager are trapped, as a torrential rainstorm has boxed them all in. One by one murders start happening, done by an unseen psychopath. As the night progresses the events become more and more unlikely--even impossible. What's the reason behind the murder spree, and how does Malcolm Rivers connect to this?
(SPOILERS AHEAD UNTIL MARKED) "Identity" opens on the tape recording of patient Malcolm Rivers, which psychiatrist Dr. Mallick is listening to. We learn about Malcolm's bad childhood, and prostitute mother. Newspaper clippings allude to a string of brutal murders. A judge is then called to an emergency hearing at the courthouse. Some suppressed evidence may forestall Rivers' scheduled execution, for the six murders he committed. The scene abruptly shifts to a run down motel. For the next portion of the film, the audience sees various events, and then flashbacks to how they occurred. Alice York is accidentally hit by a car during a rainstorm, driven by limo driver Ed, who's transporting washed up actress Caroline Suzanne. Alice's husband George and son Timmy take her to the nearby motel, which is run by manager Larry. Paris, a prostitute, discovers that the road east is blocked by a flooded stream. Ed tries to cross to get to the nearest hospital for help, but he's unsuccessful. Ed and Paris make it back to the motel in a car driven by newlyweds Ginny and Lou, who report that the road going west is blocked, too. All the phones, include people's cellphones, aren't working either. All the stranded people reluctantly rent rooms. Back at the courthouse, Dr. Mallick finds out that Malcolm Rivers is on his way.
Back at the motel another car pulls up. Inside is policeman Rhodes, accompanied by a prisoner, murderer Robert Maine. Rhodes requests a room at the motel, and tells Ed that his CB radio isn't functioning, either. Maine is handcuffed to a room's toilet for safekeeping. Ed manages to sew up Alice's severe neck wound using a needle and thread. The boy, Timmy, is revealed to be mute, traumatized by his biological father leaving years before. The audience sees that Rhode's shirt under his coat has an odd red stain on the back, and Larry seems to be sneaking around and hiding things. Caroline gets a weak signal on her cellphone. She wanders the motel grounds in the rain, trying to get a signal strong enough to call out. Suddenly she's attacked by someone.
Ed hears a noise, and investigates outside. After a search he finds Caroline's severed head in a laundry room dryer, accompanied by a hotel room key. Ed, Larry, and Rhodes discover that Maine has escaped, too. They round up all the other guests and tell them what's happening. While Ed, Rhodes, and Larry look for Maine, Lou and Ginny return to their room and have a heated argument. Ginny reveals that she's not pregnant, and locks herself in the bathroom. After Lou bangs on the door and yells repeatedly, he suddenly goes silent. Ginny slips out the window, and she and the others then find that Lou's been stabbed to death. Then we see Maine on the run. He heads for a distant set of buildings, and breaks into one. He's astounded to realize that he's somehow back at the motel. He's then recaptured, and Ed and Rhodes tie him up in the storeroom. Larry is assigned to guard him, and Maine mentions that he has a secret, and suspects that Larry does too.
Ed and Paris have a talk. He tells her that he left the police force after he was unable to talk a girl out of committing suicide. Bad headaches and blackouts resulted, causing him to become a limo driver. Another motel room key is found on Lou's body, and then Maine is discovered dead, with Larry's bat in his mouth. Larry denies killing Maine, but admits to stealing Caroline's wallet. During a scuffle Larry threatens Paris, and then the freezer comes open, revealing a frozen corpse. Larry tries to escape, but accidentally crashes his truck and kills George. Back at the courthouse Rivers' diary is examined, and shows different handwriting and tones. Rivers himself is brought in.
At the motel Larry claims he lost all his money gambling in Las Vegas, and then found the real motel manager dead. When no one came to claim the body he just put it in the freezer and started managing the motel. Ginny brings up the alleged Indian burial ground curse on the area, and also references the "10 Little Indians" story. The survivors try to establish a connection between all of them. Paris and Larry are both from the same county in Florida, and Paris has just bought a citrus grove there. Alice is discovered dead, and with the usual room key. Ed tells Ginny, Paris and Timmy to leave in a car, and just drive around. However, an explosion rocks the car. Ginny and Timmy are presumed dead, but no remains of their bodies are found. The survivors find that all of the previous bodies are gone now, too. And all the survivors, plus the deceased, have the same birthday.
Ed regains consciousness in the courthouse proceeding. After being questioned, Dr. Mallick reveals that "Ed" is only one of Rivers' split personalities. Malcolm developed them all after being neglected and abused as a child, and doesn't remember killing the six people. The motel events are Malcolm's personalities confronting each other, and "killing" each other off until only one remains. Back at the motel Paris learns that Rhodes is a convict too--he murdered the cop transporting he and Maine, and stole his identity. Rhodes kills Larry, and then he has a gunfight with the returned Ed. Both die. Paris leaves and goes to Florida, starting her citrus grove. At the courthouse the judge stays the execution, and Malcolm is sent to a mental hospital under Mallick's care. Malcolm is exhibiting the "Paris" personality. However, in his mind Paris is killed by the Timmy personality, who's revealed in flashbacks to have been responsible for all the personality "murders." In the real world, Malcolm/"Timmy" kills Dr. Mallick, and the transport van comes to a stop.
Let's discuss the biggest issue about "Identity" first, that of its main plot twist. Multiple Personality Disorder, now called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), is a very controversial topic in modern psychiatry. Many doctors question its main causes, and think that psychiatrists might actually start the other personalities using hypnotic suggestion (whether the doctors are aware of this or not). Some psychiatrists even think that DID isn't a real disorder, or at the very least it is not nearly as common as some would claim. For one example, some doctors think that Shirley Ardell Mason, known as "Sybil" in the famous book and movie about her case, might have not really had DID at all. Instead, they think that her doctor, Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, may have made up the claim, or at least wildly exaggerated it, for professional and financial gain. So, at worst "Identity" may be about something that's a myth, and at best it's about something that is at least implausible. Along these lines, DID is something that fiction writers love, because it's such a dramatic twist. So one could also argue that it's a cliche, being overdone in soap operas, other television programs, and countless movies. Probably the only psychiatric disorder more overly utilized in fiction is amnesia. (Although to the movie's credit, it does contain the root cause that most adherents say is the usual one--severe childhood abuse.)
So with this admitted, why do I still enjoy "Identity," and why am I writing about it in such a positive way? The short answer is that I don't care. Yes, it's unrealistic, and exaggerated, and possibly about something that doesn't even exist, but so what? I don't really believe in ghosts, demons, werewolves, vampires, or zombies, for example, but I love many books and movies that feature them. It's dressed up enough to seem somewhat scientific, so I can let it go, and suspend my disbelief. I get that some people can't get past this point, and I can respect their opinion. But clearly I was able to move past it and still enjoy the film.
Another common criticism of "Identity" is that it tips its hand too soon, and ruins the big plot twist. Which I also disagree with. We don't see "Ed" revealed as one of Malcolm's personalities until about 75% of the way through the film. And even after that revelation, there's still tension, as we want to see a "good" personality triumph. So we don't want to see Rhodes prevail and kill off Larry, Paris and Ed. Even though the separate personalities aren't really people we still know them a bit, and like some of them. Therefore, I think the film unfolded in the best way it could have. Some explanation for the bizarre-ness of the situation was needed.
Related to this is the frequent red herrings sprinkled throughout the movie, which I found effective. The biggest is Malcolm, of course--we know he's a prolific murderer, so initially we think the motel events are real, and it's a flashback showing Malcolm killing the people off one by one. But there are others, to keep the audience off balance and confused. The motel is allegedly built on a Native American tribe's burial ground, so at times it seems like supernatural creatures, perhaps vengeful ghosts, are behind the killings. And early on we think that Robert Maine is doing the murders, since he's done it before, and was on the loose when some of them took place. There's even a case to be made that Larry's the real killer--he acts suspiciously, hides things, and seems nervous in general. Eventually we discover it's because he's a petty thief, and took over the managing job under false pretenses, but before that he seems culpable. Especially when the frozen body of the real manager falls out of the freezer, and Maine is killed during a time when Larry was supposed to be watching him. The final red herring is Rhodes. There are clues that he's not legit--we briefly see the blood on his shirt, and he seems shifty and incompetent, and later in the film we learn that he's a murderer, too. There's even another subtle reveal as he dies. He says, "I didn't do this" to Ed as he expires, stating he's not the mystery killer of most of the "people" (personalities), aside from Larry and Ed, obviously. Finally, the motel keys are a nice tangible clue, too--they're found to be counting down the total number of personalities left, and they don't actually match the room the victim had rented out. So maybe I'm slow at picking up who the real killer is in murder mysteries, but I thought this all unfolded in a cool way, that kept me guessing until the end. The implausibility of certain details, or outright impossibilities, grow more significantly as the movie goes. Which makes sense for the story, since the motel events are only happening in Malcolm Rivers' mind.
I also found it kind of neat to go back later and figure out why Malcolm developed the different personalities that he did. Timmy being maladjusted and nearly mute because of his father's abandonment is surely based on the real Malcolm apparently not knowing his own real father, and the bad feelings this produced. The ludicrously focused and loving stepfather George is presumably the type of father Malcolm wished he had. And Alice York is similarly the type of stable and caring mother that Malcolm always wanted, instead of the real prostitute mother he did have, who was neglecting and probably abusive. Larry is probably based on the real life sleazy motel manager at the place Malcolm was "raised" in as a neglected child. Paris is clearly a version of Malcolm's real mother, only a better one. She's a hooker, but she's decent, and looking to switch careers and improve her life. Robert Maine and Rhodes are probably based on real life murderous convicts that Malcolm met in prison, and/or perhaps the way he acted as an actual prison inmate. Ed is the guy Malcolm most wants to be--a cool, smart, and resourceful cop. Who, realistically, suffers from PTSD and blackouts, like Malcolm really did. The remaining personalities are more difficult to figure out. Ginny lying to Lou about being pregnant is a type of thing that Malcolm might have done in real life in order to stop a lover from leaving. I can't really figure what Lou and especially Caroline come from--I suppose in Malcolm's diseased mind developing personalities is like eating potato chips--the more the better!
Some viewers might be disappointed by the violence in "Identity"--there's not a lot of blood, and most of the murders are done off screen, and we just see the result. But, I think the scenes still have decent tension behind them. And given the plot twist, it was really the only choice the filmmakers could do. Granted, it's not a typical horror slasher movie, so if you're looking for that you'll probably be frustrated. But those who like a strange and tense, slow burning mystery will probably enjoy it.
(END SPOILERS--SAFE FOR ALL READERS) Director James Mangold has had a solid, busy career. Highlights of it include writing and directing "Copland" (1997), "Girl, Interrupted" (1999), "Walk the Line" (2005) and "Logan" (2017), and directing "3:10 to Yuma" (2007), "The Wolverine" (2013), and "Ford v Ferrari" (2019). He's also slated to direct the upcoming 5th Indiana Jones movie in 2022.
The cast of "Identity" includes a lot of recognizable names. Ed Dakota was played by John Cusack, arguably best known for roles in "Sixteen Candles" (1984), "The Sure Thing" (1985), "Better Off Dead" (1985), "Stand by Me" (1986), "One Crazy Summer" (1986), "Eight Men Out" (1988), "Say Anything" (1989), "The Grifters" (1990), "Bullets Over Broadway" (1994), "High Fidelity" (2000), and "1408" (2007). Samuel Rhodes was played by Ray Liotta, known for roles in "Field of Dreams" (1989), "Goodfellas" (1990), "Copland" (1997), "Hannibal" (2001), "Blow" (2001), "Narc" (2002), and "Smokin' Aces" (2006). Among Paris Nevada portrayer Amanda Peete's career highlights include "She's the One" (1996), "The Whole Nine Yards" (2000), "Changing Lanes" (2002), "Something's Gotta Give" (2003), "Syriana" (2005), "2012" (2009), and "Identity Thief" (2013). John Hawkes (Larry Washington) was in movies like "Freaked" (1993), "From Dusk til Dawn" (1996), "Rush Hour" (1998), "The Perfect Storm" (2000), "American Gangster" (2007), "Winter's Bone" (2010, for which he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar), "Martha Marcy May Marlene" (2011), "Lincoln" (2012), and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" (2017). Clea DuVall (Ginny Virginia) was in such films as "Can't Hardly Wait" (1998), "But I'm a Cheerleader" (1999), "Girl, Interrupted" (1999), "21 Grams" (2003), "Zodiac" (2007), "Argo" (2012), and on the HBO series "Veep" from 2016-19. Caroline Suzanne was played by Rebecca De Mornay, remembered for roles in ""Risky Business" (1983), "Backdraft" (1991), "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (1992), "Lords of Dogstown" (2005), "Mother's Day" (2010), and "American Reunion" (2012). John C. McGinley (George York) was in such films as "Platoon" (1986), "Talk Radio" (1988), "Wall Street" (1987), "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989), "Point Break" (1991), "Seven" (1995), "Office Space" (1999), "42" (2013), "The Belko Experiment" (2016), and television's "Scrubs" (2001-10). Jake Busey (Robert Maine) appeared in movies like ""Straight Time" (1978), "The Frighteners" (1996), "Twister" (1996), "Starship Troopers" (1997), "The Predator" (2018), and the Netflix series "Stranger Things" (2019). Malcolm Rivers was played by Pruitt Taylor Vince, who was in such films as "Angel Heart" (1987), "Jacob's Ladder" (1990, see my post on April 4, 2020), "JFK" (1991), "Heavy" (1995), "Natural Born Killers" (1994), "The Cell" (2000), "Constantine" (2005), "Butter" (2011), and "The Devil's Candy" (2015). Alfred Molina's (Dr. Mallick) resume includes "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981), "Ladyhawke" (1985), "Not Without My Daughter" (1991), "Species" (1995), "Dead Man" (1995), "Boogie Nights" (1997), "Magnolia" (1999), "Spider Man 2" (2004), and "Frida" (2002). Finally, the small role of the district attorney was played by Marshall Bell, probably best known for appearing in "Birdy" (1984), "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge" (1985), "Manhunter" (1986), "Stand by Me" (1986), "No Way Out" (1987), "Total Recall" (1990), "Natural Born Killers" (1994), "Starship Troopers" (1997), and "Capote" (2005).
Therefore, in summation, I think fans of intricate murder mysteries should give "Identity" a watch. It's nice and tense, and keeps you guessing until the end about exactly what's happening.
A late night hearing is held at a courthouse, concerning a convicted murderer, Malcolm Rivers, who's scheduled to be executed in mere hours. There is also a strange situation going on at an isolated shabby motel in the middle of the Nevada desert. Ten guests and the manager are trapped, as a torrential rainstorm has boxed them all in. One by one murders start happening, done by an unseen psychopath. As the night progresses the events become more and more unlikely--even impossible. What's the reason behind the murder spree, and how does Malcolm Rivers connect to this?
(SPOILERS AHEAD UNTIL MARKED) "Identity" opens on the tape recording of patient Malcolm Rivers, which psychiatrist Dr. Mallick is listening to. We learn about Malcolm's bad childhood, and prostitute mother. Newspaper clippings allude to a string of brutal murders. A judge is then called to an emergency hearing at the courthouse. Some suppressed evidence may forestall Rivers' scheduled execution, for the six murders he committed. The scene abruptly shifts to a run down motel. For the next portion of the film, the audience sees various events, and then flashbacks to how they occurred. Alice York is accidentally hit by a car during a rainstorm, driven by limo driver Ed, who's transporting washed up actress Caroline Suzanne. Alice's husband George and son Timmy take her to the nearby motel, which is run by manager Larry. Paris, a prostitute, discovers that the road east is blocked by a flooded stream. Ed tries to cross to get to the nearest hospital for help, but he's unsuccessful. Ed and Paris make it back to the motel in a car driven by newlyweds Ginny and Lou, who report that the road going west is blocked, too. All the phones, include people's cellphones, aren't working either. All the stranded people reluctantly rent rooms. Back at the courthouse, Dr. Mallick finds out that Malcolm Rivers is on his way.
Back at the motel another car pulls up. Inside is policeman Rhodes, accompanied by a prisoner, murderer Robert Maine. Rhodes requests a room at the motel, and tells Ed that his CB radio isn't functioning, either. Maine is handcuffed to a room's toilet for safekeeping. Ed manages to sew up Alice's severe neck wound using a needle and thread. The boy, Timmy, is revealed to be mute, traumatized by his biological father leaving years before. The audience sees that Rhode's shirt under his coat has an odd red stain on the back, and Larry seems to be sneaking around and hiding things. Caroline gets a weak signal on her cellphone. She wanders the motel grounds in the rain, trying to get a signal strong enough to call out. Suddenly she's attacked by someone.
Ed hears a noise, and investigates outside. After a search he finds Caroline's severed head in a laundry room dryer, accompanied by a hotel room key. Ed, Larry, and Rhodes discover that Maine has escaped, too. They round up all the other guests and tell them what's happening. While Ed, Rhodes, and Larry look for Maine, Lou and Ginny return to their room and have a heated argument. Ginny reveals that she's not pregnant, and locks herself in the bathroom. After Lou bangs on the door and yells repeatedly, he suddenly goes silent. Ginny slips out the window, and she and the others then find that Lou's been stabbed to death. Then we see Maine on the run. He heads for a distant set of buildings, and breaks into one. He's astounded to realize that he's somehow back at the motel. He's then recaptured, and Ed and Rhodes tie him up in the storeroom. Larry is assigned to guard him, and Maine mentions that he has a secret, and suspects that Larry does too.
Ed and Paris have a talk. He tells her that he left the police force after he was unable to talk a girl out of committing suicide. Bad headaches and blackouts resulted, causing him to become a limo driver. Another motel room key is found on Lou's body, and then Maine is discovered dead, with Larry's bat in his mouth. Larry denies killing Maine, but admits to stealing Caroline's wallet. During a scuffle Larry threatens Paris, and then the freezer comes open, revealing a frozen corpse. Larry tries to escape, but accidentally crashes his truck and kills George. Back at the courthouse Rivers' diary is examined, and shows different handwriting and tones. Rivers himself is brought in.
At the motel Larry claims he lost all his money gambling in Las Vegas, and then found the real motel manager dead. When no one came to claim the body he just put it in the freezer and started managing the motel. Ginny brings up the alleged Indian burial ground curse on the area, and also references the "10 Little Indians" story. The survivors try to establish a connection between all of them. Paris and Larry are both from the same county in Florida, and Paris has just bought a citrus grove there. Alice is discovered dead, and with the usual room key. Ed tells Ginny, Paris and Timmy to leave in a car, and just drive around. However, an explosion rocks the car. Ginny and Timmy are presumed dead, but no remains of their bodies are found. The survivors find that all of the previous bodies are gone now, too. And all the survivors, plus the deceased, have the same birthday.
Ed regains consciousness in the courthouse proceeding. After being questioned, Dr. Mallick reveals that "Ed" is only one of Rivers' split personalities. Malcolm developed them all after being neglected and abused as a child, and doesn't remember killing the six people. The motel events are Malcolm's personalities confronting each other, and "killing" each other off until only one remains. Back at the motel Paris learns that Rhodes is a convict too--he murdered the cop transporting he and Maine, and stole his identity. Rhodes kills Larry, and then he has a gunfight with the returned Ed. Both die. Paris leaves and goes to Florida, starting her citrus grove. At the courthouse the judge stays the execution, and Malcolm is sent to a mental hospital under Mallick's care. Malcolm is exhibiting the "Paris" personality. However, in his mind Paris is killed by the Timmy personality, who's revealed in flashbacks to have been responsible for all the personality "murders." In the real world, Malcolm/"Timmy" kills Dr. Mallick, and the transport van comes to a stop.
Let's discuss the biggest issue about "Identity" first, that of its main plot twist. Multiple Personality Disorder, now called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), is a very controversial topic in modern psychiatry. Many doctors question its main causes, and think that psychiatrists might actually start the other personalities using hypnotic suggestion (whether the doctors are aware of this or not). Some psychiatrists even think that DID isn't a real disorder, or at the very least it is not nearly as common as some would claim. For one example, some doctors think that Shirley Ardell Mason, known as "Sybil" in the famous book and movie about her case, might have not really had DID at all. Instead, they think that her doctor, Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, may have made up the claim, or at least wildly exaggerated it, for professional and financial gain. So, at worst "Identity" may be about something that's a myth, and at best it's about something that is at least implausible. Along these lines, DID is something that fiction writers love, because it's such a dramatic twist. So one could also argue that it's a cliche, being overdone in soap operas, other television programs, and countless movies. Probably the only psychiatric disorder more overly utilized in fiction is amnesia. (Although to the movie's credit, it does contain the root cause that most adherents say is the usual one--severe childhood abuse.)
So with this admitted, why do I still enjoy "Identity," and why am I writing about it in such a positive way? The short answer is that I don't care. Yes, it's unrealistic, and exaggerated, and possibly about something that doesn't even exist, but so what? I don't really believe in ghosts, demons, werewolves, vampires, or zombies, for example, but I love many books and movies that feature them. It's dressed up enough to seem somewhat scientific, so I can let it go, and suspend my disbelief. I get that some people can't get past this point, and I can respect their opinion. But clearly I was able to move past it and still enjoy the film.
Another common criticism of "Identity" is that it tips its hand too soon, and ruins the big plot twist. Which I also disagree with. We don't see "Ed" revealed as one of Malcolm's personalities until about 75% of the way through the film. And even after that revelation, there's still tension, as we want to see a "good" personality triumph. So we don't want to see Rhodes prevail and kill off Larry, Paris and Ed. Even though the separate personalities aren't really people we still know them a bit, and like some of them. Therefore, I think the film unfolded in the best way it could have. Some explanation for the bizarre-ness of the situation was needed.
Related to this is the frequent red herrings sprinkled throughout the movie, which I found effective. The biggest is Malcolm, of course--we know he's a prolific murderer, so initially we think the motel events are real, and it's a flashback showing Malcolm killing the people off one by one. But there are others, to keep the audience off balance and confused. The motel is allegedly built on a Native American tribe's burial ground, so at times it seems like supernatural creatures, perhaps vengeful ghosts, are behind the killings. And early on we think that Robert Maine is doing the murders, since he's done it before, and was on the loose when some of them took place. There's even a case to be made that Larry's the real killer--he acts suspiciously, hides things, and seems nervous in general. Eventually we discover it's because he's a petty thief, and took over the managing job under false pretenses, but before that he seems culpable. Especially when the frozen body of the real manager falls out of the freezer, and Maine is killed during a time when Larry was supposed to be watching him. The final red herring is Rhodes. There are clues that he's not legit--we briefly see the blood on his shirt, and he seems shifty and incompetent, and later in the film we learn that he's a murderer, too. There's even another subtle reveal as he dies. He says, "I didn't do this" to Ed as he expires, stating he's not the mystery killer of most of the "people" (personalities), aside from Larry and Ed, obviously. Finally, the motel keys are a nice tangible clue, too--they're found to be counting down the total number of personalities left, and they don't actually match the room the victim had rented out. So maybe I'm slow at picking up who the real killer is in murder mysteries, but I thought this all unfolded in a cool way, that kept me guessing until the end. The implausibility of certain details, or outright impossibilities, grow more significantly as the movie goes. Which makes sense for the story, since the motel events are only happening in Malcolm Rivers' mind.
I also found it kind of neat to go back later and figure out why Malcolm developed the different personalities that he did. Timmy being maladjusted and nearly mute because of his father's abandonment is surely based on the real Malcolm apparently not knowing his own real father, and the bad feelings this produced. The ludicrously focused and loving stepfather George is presumably the type of father Malcolm wished he had. And Alice York is similarly the type of stable and caring mother that Malcolm always wanted, instead of the real prostitute mother he did have, who was neglecting and probably abusive. Larry is probably based on the real life sleazy motel manager at the place Malcolm was "raised" in as a neglected child. Paris is clearly a version of Malcolm's real mother, only a better one. She's a hooker, but she's decent, and looking to switch careers and improve her life. Robert Maine and Rhodes are probably based on real life murderous convicts that Malcolm met in prison, and/or perhaps the way he acted as an actual prison inmate. Ed is the guy Malcolm most wants to be--a cool, smart, and resourceful cop. Who, realistically, suffers from PTSD and blackouts, like Malcolm really did. The remaining personalities are more difficult to figure out. Ginny lying to Lou about being pregnant is a type of thing that Malcolm might have done in real life in order to stop a lover from leaving. I can't really figure what Lou and especially Caroline come from--I suppose in Malcolm's diseased mind developing personalities is like eating potato chips--the more the better!
Some viewers might be disappointed by the violence in "Identity"--there's not a lot of blood, and most of the murders are done off screen, and we just see the result. But, I think the scenes still have decent tension behind them. And given the plot twist, it was really the only choice the filmmakers could do. Granted, it's not a typical horror slasher movie, so if you're looking for that you'll probably be frustrated. But those who like a strange and tense, slow burning mystery will probably enjoy it.
(END SPOILERS--SAFE FOR ALL READERS) Director James Mangold has had a solid, busy career. Highlights of it include writing and directing "Copland" (1997), "Girl, Interrupted" (1999), "Walk the Line" (2005) and "Logan" (2017), and directing "3:10 to Yuma" (2007), "The Wolverine" (2013), and "Ford v Ferrari" (2019). He's also slated to direct the upcoming 5th Indiana Jones movie in 2022.
The cast of "Identity" includes a lot of recognizable names. Ed Dakota was played by John Cusack, arguably best known for roles in "Sixteen Candles" (1984), "The Sure Thing" (1985), "Better Off Dead" (1985), "Stand by Me" (1986), "One Crazy Summer" (1986), "Eight Men Out" (1988), "Say Anything" (1989), "The Grifters" (1990), "Bullets Over Broadway" (1994), "High Fidelity" (2000), and "1408" (2007). Samuel Rhodes was played by Ray Liotta, known for roles in "Field of Dreams" (1989), "Goodfellas" (1990), "Copland" (1997), "Hannibal" (2001), "Blow" (2001), "Narc" (2002), and "Smokin' Aces" (2006). Among Paris Nevada portrayer Amanda Peete's career highlights include "She's the One" (1996), "The Whole Nine Yards" (2000), "Changing Lanes" (2002), "Something's Gotta Give" (2003), "Syriana" (2005), "2012" (2009), and "Identity Thief" (2013). John Hawkes (Larry Washington) was in movies like "Freaked" (1993), "From Dusk til Dawn" (1996), "Rush Hour" (1998), "The Perfect Storm" (2000), "American Gangster" (2007), "Winter's Bone" (2010, for which he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar), "Martha Marcy May Marlene" (2011), "Lincoln" (2012), and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" (2017). Clea DuVall (Ginny Virginia) was in such films as "Can't Hardly Wait" (1998), "But I'm a Cheerleader" (1999), "Girl, Interrupted" (1999), "21 Grams" (2003), "Zodiac" (2007), "Argo" (2012), and on the HBO series "Veep" from 2016-19. Caroline Suzanne was played by Rebecca De Mornay, remembered for roles in ""Risky Business" (1983), "Backdraft" (1991), "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (1992), "Lords of Dogstown" (2005), "Mother's Day" (2010), and "American Reunion" (2012). John C. McGinley (George York) was in such films as "Platoon" (1986), "Talk Radio" (1988), "Wall Street" (1987), "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989), "Point Break" (1991), "Seven" (1995), "Office Space" (1999), "42" (2013), "The Belko Experiment" (2016), and television's "Scrubs" (2001-10). Jake Busey (Robert Maine) appeared in movies like ""Straight Time" (1978), "The Frighteners" (1996), "Twister" (1996), "Starship Troopers" (1997), "The Predator" (2018), and the Netflix series "Stranger Things" (2019). Malcolm Rivers was played by Pruitt Taylor Vince, who was in such films as "Angel Heart" (1987), "Jacob's Ladder" (1990, see my post on April 4, 2020), "JFK" (1991), "Heavy" (1995), "Natural Born Killers" (1994), "The Cell" (2000), "Constantine" (2005), "Butter" (2011), and "The Devil's Candy" (2015). Alfred Molina's (Dr. Mallick) resume includes "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981), "Ladyhawke" (1985), "Not Without My Daughter" (1991), "Species" (1995), "Dead Man" (1995), "Boogie Nights" (1997), "Magnolia" (1999), "Spider Man 2" (2004), and "Frida" (2002). Finally, the small role of the district attorney was played by Marshall Bell, probably best known for appearing in "Birdy" (1984), "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge" (1985), "Manhunter" (1986), "Stand by Me" (1986), "No Way Out" (1987), "Total Recall" (1990), "Natural Born Killers" (1994), "Starship Troopers" (1997), and "Capote" (2005).
Therefore, in summation, I think fans of intricate murder mysteries should give "Identity" a watch. It's nice and tense, and keeps you guessing until the end about exactly what's happening.
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Borscht
Borscht is one of those foods that I've heard of since I was a kid, but never had. In fact, before this event, if you had asked me what exactly it was, I'd have probably guessed it was some kind of stew. But now I'm a bit more educated about it. The example I bought was Gold's classic borscht, which came in a large jar.
Let's start with the name. It's thought that it comes from a proto-Slavic word for hogweed, "bursci." But this then inspired the Yiddish word "borscht," which is how English speakers usually refer to it. Other spelling renditions include borsch, borsht, and bortsch. Okay, now we know the name--when was it invented? Alas, there's no clear answer to this. Supposedly the earliest mention in history was in a 16th century Russian compendium, entitled "Domostroy" ("domestic order.") But clearly it was developed long before that time. Location-wise, it's very common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. As to how it's made, and with what ingredients, the answer to these is "many ways," and "just about anything," respectively. The original way, like the name suggests, was a soup made from the hogeweed plant. However, cooks took the ball and ran with it. There's a rye, wheat, or cornmeal variety, which is a white color. A kind made from sorrel, spinach, collard greens, dandelions, or other greens results in a borscht with a greenish hue. But by far the most popular, and famous type is made with a beet base, which obviously results in a reddish dish. This scarlet soup is credited to the Ukrainians, and is what most people think of as borscht. All of these borschts usually have other other ingredients, not shockingly, and these can be many things. Cabbage, carrots, sour cream, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, beef, pork, lamb, fish, marrow, etc., etc. Essentially, pick a thing, and as long as it's not something ridiculous, like M & M's or dirt, and chances are good that someone puts it in their style of borscht. Cooking methods also vary, although slow cooking seems to be the most frequent way. Furthermore, it's eaten both hot, and cold (usually this way in the summer). Some even consume it as a thick beverage.
As far as my home goes, borscht in the U.S. was mainly introduced by Eastern European Jews and Mennonites, and usually the Ukrainian beet-based style. Some Americans, and some foreigners, may have heard of the "Borscht Belt." This is based on something that is depressing, but turned into something positive in the end. Antisemitism meant that Jews in the Northeast were often barred from popular resorts and hotels. So they started their own, located mostly in the Catskill Mountains in New York state. Entertaining at these resorts were various comics (many of whom were Jewish as well), some of whom went on to become famous and successful across the country, or even the world. Some of these were Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, George Burns, Lenny Bruce, Rodney Dangerfield, Phyllis Diller, Buddy Hackett, Jerry Lewis, Jackie Mason, Don Rickles, Henny Youngman, Joan Rivers, and Carl Reiner (who just passed away--RIP). The heyday of these resorts was the 1920's through the 1960's. So Borscht Belt can refer to the area, or the style of comedy that developed there.
Gold's, or to use their full moniker, Gold's Pure Food Products Company, Inc., was started by Tillie and Hyman Gold in Brooklyn, NY back in 1932. At that time most delis made their own horseradish, which was rather tedious and time consuming to do. Gold's marketed their own, and the business was soon a hit. Currently, aside from their flagship horseradish, they also sell mustards, sauces, various kinds of borscht, Fox's syrups, and schav (see my post on March 28, 2015). Gold's exports to Australia, Israel, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, and England. They also make and distribute Nathan's Famous condiments. Nathan's is famous (or infamous, depending on how you feel about it) for their annual hot dog eating contest. Which, by coincidence, is happening today, although not in front of a crowd due to the pandemic. If you're curious, Joey Chestnut is the reigning male champ, and also holds the record for most hot dogs and buns eaten in 10 minutes--74! Miko Sudo is the reigning women's champ, and has the record high of 41. Gold's sold its controlling interest to the La Salle capital investment firm in 2015, for those into business minutia. Finally, Guinness doesn't seem to keep a record listing for this, but allegedly Gold's at one time had the biggest root cellar in the world.
\
Gold's Pure Food Products Company, Inc., classic borscht: This came in a 24 ounce (680.4 gram) jar. The ingredients were simple--water, beets, sugar, salt, and citric acid. The color of it was obviously an intense purplish red, from the beets. The borscht itself was thin--mostly liquid, with finely minced up pieces of beet. I should note that I'm not usually a fan of beets. I can stomach eggs pickled in beet juice, but that's typically it. Therefore, I was quite surprised that I rather liked this borscht. The sour tangyness was pleasant. I didn't love it, but I did think it was decent. So now there are two soups I like--this and gazpacho (see June 23, 2018 post). I should note that I had it at room temperature, and then chilled. So I haven't changed enough to like hot soups. Moreover, I'm certainly aware that this borscht was no frills, and a basic, minimal take on the soup. But I would be willing to try more elaborate beet kinds, or even the green and white sorts. But only served cold!
One final note--if anyone's thinking of making their own, original gangster type of borscht, using hogweed as the base, be very careful. Many of the plants that closely resemble hogweed are poisonous. I'm familiar with the giant hogweed variant, from my years of field archaeology. That kind is also partially edible, but if the right parts of the plant are picked, or not properly processed, they can cause awful, photosensitive chemical burns. Check out the results on Google Images, if you want to be horrified! And the thought of those burning sores in your mouth and esophagus is nightmarish.
Let's start with the name. It's thought that it comes from a proto-Slavic word for hogweed, "bursci." But this then inspired the Yiddish word "borscht," which is how English speakers usually refer to it. Other spelling renditions include borsch, borsht, and bortsch. Okay, now we know the name--when was it invented? Alas, there's no clear answer to this. Supposedly the earliest mention in history was in a 16th century Russian compendium, entitled "Domostroy" ("domestic order.") But clearly it was developed long before that time. Location-wise, it's very common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. As to how it's made, and with what ingredients, the answer to these is "many ways," and "just about anything," respectively. The original way, like the name suggests, was a soup made from the hogeweed plant. However, cooks took the ball and ran with it. There's a rye, wheat, or cornmeal variety, which is a white color. A kind made from sorrel, spinach, collard greens, dandelions, or other greens results in a borscht with a greenish hue. But by far the most popular, and famous type is made with a beet base, which obviously results in a reddish dish. This scarlet soup is credited to the Ukrainians, and is what most people think of as borscht. All of these borschts usually have other other ingredients, not shockingly, and these can be many things. Cabbage, carrots, sour cream, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, beef, pork, lamb, fish, marrow, etc., etc. Essentially, pick a thing, and as long as it's not something ridiculous, like M & M's or dirt, and chances are good that someone puts it in their style of borscht. Cooking methods also vary, although slow cooking seems to be the most frequent way. Furthermore, it's eaten both hot, and cold (usually this way in the summer). Some even consume it as a thick beverage.
As far as my home goes, borscht in the U.S. was mainly introduced by Eastern European Jews and Mennonites, and usually the Ukrainian beet-based style. Some Americans, and some foreigners, may have heard of the "Borscht Belt." This is based on something that is depressing, but turned into something positive in the end. Antisemitism meant that Jews in the Northeast were often barred from popular resorts and hotels. So they started their own, located mostly in the Catskill Mountains in New York state. Entertaining at these resorts were various comics (many of whom were Jewish as well), some of whom went on to become famous and successful across the country, or even the world. Some of these were Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, George Burns, Lenny Bruce, Rodney Dangerfield, Phyllis Diller, Buddy Hackett, Jerry Lewis, Jackie Mason, Don Rickles, Henny Youngman, Joan Rivers, and Carl Reiner (who just passed away--RIP). The heyday of these resorts was the 1920's through the 1960's. So Borscht Belt can refer to the area, or the style of comedy that developed there.
Gold's, or to use their full moniker, Gold's Pure Food Products Company, Inc., was started by Tillie and Hyman Gold in Brooklyn, NY back in 1932. At that time most delis made their own horseradish, which was rather tedious and time consuming to do. Gold's marketed their own, and the business was soon a hit. Currently, aside from their flagship horseradish, they also sell mustards, sauces, various kinds of borscht, Fox's syrups, and schav (see my post on March 28, 2015). Gold's exports to Australia, Israel, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, and England. They also make and distribute Nathan's Famous condiments. Nathan's is famous (or infamous, depending on how you feel about it) for their annual hot dog eating contest. Which, by coincidence, is happening today, although not in front of a crowd due to the pandemic. If you're curious, Joey Chestnut is the reigning male champ, and also holds the record for most hot dogs and buns eaten in 10 minutes--74! Miko Sudo is the reigning women's champ, and has the record high of 41. Gold's sold its controlling interest to the La Salle capital investment firm in 2015, for those into business minutia. Finally, Guinness doesn't seem to keep a record listing for this, but allegedly Gold's at one time had the biggest root cellar in the world.
\
Gold's Pure Food Products Company, Inc., classic borscht: This came in a 24 ounce (680.4 gram) jar. The ingredients were simple--water, beets, sugar, salt, and citric acid. The color of it was obviously an intense purplish red, from the beets. The borscht itself was thin--mostly liquid, with finely minced up pieces of beet. I should note that I'm not usually a fan of beets. I can stomach eggs pickled in beet juice, but that's typically it. Therefore, I was quite surprised that I rather liked this borscht. The sour tangyness was pleasant. I didn't love it, but I did think it was decent. So now there are two soups I like--this and gazpacho (see June 23, 2018 post). I should note that I had it at room temperature, and then chilled. So I haven't changed enough to like hot soups. Moreover, I'm certainly aware that this borscht was no frills, and a basic, minimal take on the soup. But I would be willing to try more elaborate beet kinds, or even the green and white sorts. But only served cold!
One final note--if anyone's thinking of making their own, original gangster type of borscht, using hogweed as the base, be very careful. Many of the plants that closely resemble hogweed are poisonous. I'm familiar with the giant hogweed variant, from my years of field archaeology. That kind is also partially edible, but if the right parts of the plant are picked, or not properly processed, they can cause awful, photosensitive chemical burns. Check out the results on Google Images, if you want to be horrified! And the thought of those burning sores in your mouth and esophagus is nightmarish.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Kasseri Cheese, Plus Anthology Discount Code
Cheese is truly the gift that keeps on giving. No matter how many kinds I try, there's always a new one around the corner. Today it'll be kasseri cheese. Once again from my local Shop-Rite supermarket.
First off, there is debate on where the cheese's name originates. Some think it's from the Latin word for cheese, which is "caseus." Others claim it's from the Turkish word for kosher, which is either "kaser" or "koser," depending on the source. The controversy and confusion continues with this cheese's actual inventors. One theory is that it was first made by Greek shepherds in the Pindus Mountain region, in the early 1800's. Another claims that it was developed in the Turkish city of Edirne, by Jewish citizens, at an unspecified time. (This would help explain why the cheese was supposedly named for the Turkish word for kosher, clearly.) Anyway, wherever and whenever it was invented, kasseri is very popular in Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria. The traditional manufacturing method is to use mostly unpasteurized sheep's milk, combined with up to 20% goat's milk. (Modern variants allow up to 10% cow's milk.) Kasseri is also made without using rennet. This is important to Jewish consumers, since observant ones are only allowed to eat cheese made using plant-based rennets, or no rennet at all. Which again is evidence for the Turkish origin theory, I guess. Strictly speaking, kasseri is part of the pasta filata cheese family, which also includes provolone and mozzerella (see July 16, 2013 post for info about mozzerella made from water buffalo milk). Enthusiasts enjoy its pungent odor, salty flavor, and semi-hard, springy and stringy texture. It's commonly used as a table cheese, in sandwiches, or as a main ingredient in the kasseropite pie and saganaki dishes. It's also aged for at least 4 months.
The kasseri I had was the Stella brand, out of Wisconsin, U.S.A. An Italian diplomat, Count Bolognete, fell in love with the Wisconsin countryside and dairy tradition. Starting in 1923 he began making his own cheese there. Other cheese types made under the Stella name include ricotta, romano, Swiss, parmesan, provolone, Italian sharp, gorgozola, mozzerella, fontina (see March 4, 2017 post), feta, blue, and asiago. Stella itself was bought up by the Saputo company in 1997. Saputo, in turn, is based in Canada, and was stated by Italian immigrants Guiseppe and Lino Saputo back in 1954. Aside from Stella, Saputo also owns many other cheese and dairy brands, including Montchevre (See August 19, 2017 post).
Saputo, Stella brand kasseri cheese: Had a yellowish-white color, and a semi-hard, slightly crumbly texture. And had a slight odor. I had mine plain, and on a water cracker. Both ways it was very good--tangy and savory. I found it a bit reminiscent of parmesan cheese. So once again a cheese failed to disappoint me, and I highly recommend kasseri cheese. One thing to note, though. The kasseri I ate was pasteurized, unlike the traditional kind. I'm willing to try many different types of food and drink, but I draw the line at unpasteurized dairy products, since they can make people very sick. Also, the ingredient list didn't specify what animal milks were used in it, and at what percentages. So, all in all, some cheese purists might claim that I didn't have "genuine" kasseri cheese.
Switching to writing, I have more news about the upcoming anthology, "Shadowy Natures," which will feature one of my stories. I was recently given my discount code, which I'll reveal now:
Stansfield10
Putting this code in will give you 10% off the $14.99 cover price. As a reminder, the anthology goes on sale on September 10, 2020, but it can be pre-ordered now. To do so, go to the AM Ink website--aminkpublishing.com/shop and then choose "Anthologies/Short Story Collections" from the column on the left. "Shadowy Natures" is currently in the top row. (Dark Ink is AM Ink's horror imprint.)
And here's my personal png image:
First off, there is debate on where the cheese's name originates. Some think it's from the Latin word for cheese, which is "caseus." Others claim it's from the Turkish word for kosher, which is either "kaser" or "koser," depending on the source. The controversy and confusion continues with this cheese's actual inventors. One theory is that it was first made by Greek shepherds in the Pindus Mountain region, in the early 1800's. Another claims that it was developed in the Turkish city of Edirne, by Jewish citizens, at an unspecified time. (This would help explain why the cheese was supposedly named for the Turkish word for kosher, clearly.) Anyway, wherever and whenever it was invented, kasseri is very popular in Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria. The traditional manufacturing method is to use mostly unpasteurized sheep's milk, combined with up to 20% goat's milk. (Modern variants allow up to 10% cow's milk.) Kasseri is also made without using rennet. This is important to Jewish consumers, since observant ones are only allowed to eat cheese made using plant-based rennets, or no rennet at all. Which again is evidence for the Turkish origin theory, I guess. Strictly speaking, kasseri is part of the pasta filata cheese family, which also includes provolone and mozzerella (see July 16, 2013 post for info about mozzerella made from water buffalo milk). Enthusiasts enjoy its pungent odor, salty flavor, and semi-hard, springy and stringy texture. It's commonly used as a table cheese, in sandwiches, or as a main ingredient in the kasseropite pie and saganaki dishes. It's also aged for at least 4 months.
The kasseri I had was the Stella brand, out of Wisconsin, U.S.A. An Italian diplomat, Count Bolognete, fell in love with the Wisconsin countryside and dairy tradition. Starting in 1923 he began making his own cheese there. Other cheese types made under the Stella name include ricotta, romano, Swiss, parmesan, provolone, Italian sharp, gorgozola, mozzerella, fontina (see March 4, 2017 post), feta, blue, and asiago. Stella itself was bought up by the Saputo company in 1997. Saputo, in turn, is based in Canada, and was stated by Italian immigrants Guiseppe and Lino Saputo back in 1954. Aside from Stella, Saputo also owns many other cheese and dairy brands, including Montchevre (See August 19, 2017 post).
Saputo, Stella brand kasseri cheese: Had a yellowish-white color, and a semi-hard, slightly crumbly texture. And had a slight odor. I had mine plain, and on a water cracker. Both ways it was very good--tangy and savory. I found it a bit reminiscent of parmesan cheese. So once again a cheese failed to disappoint me, and I highly recommend kasseri cheese. One thing to note, though. The kasseri I ate was pasteurized, unlike the traditional kind. I'm willing to try many different types of food and drink, but I draw the line at unpasteurized dairy products, since they can make people very sick. Also, the ingredient list didn't specify what animal milks were used in it, and at what percentages. So, all in all, some cheese purists might claim that I didn't have "genuine" kasseri cheese.
Switching to writing, I have more news about the upcoming anthology, "Shadowy Natures," which will feature one of my stories. I was recently given my discount code, which I'll reveal now:
Stansfield10
Putting this code in will give you 10% off the $14.99 cover price. As a reminder, the anthology goes on sale on September 10, 2020, but it can be pre-ordered now. To do so, go to the AM Ink website--aminkpublishing.com/shop and then choose "Anthologies/Short Story Collections" from the column on the left. "Shadowy Natures" is currently in the top row. (Dark Ink is AM Ink's horror imprint.)
And here's my personal png image:
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Temple Oranges
It's back to a citrus fruit this week. Another hybrid, too. Admittedly, it's not that unusual a choice, but here it is. I got this temple orange at the local Shop Rite supermarket. If you're curious, I've discussed many citrus fruits/fruit hybrids over the years. Here's a list, with the post dates:
1) Fruit hybrids--March 20, 2013
2) Pummelo--February 20, 2014
3) Buddha hands--December 29, 2014
4) Ugli--March 6, 2015
5) More fruit hybrids--July 25, 2015
6) Sweetie citrus--January 27, 2016
The background of the temple orange is a bit complicated. One source said they're a hybrid of an orange and a tangerine. Another said it was the "child" of a Mandarin orange and a sweet orange. One of the issues is that different countries define a "tangerine" in different ways. Also, every type of citrus fruit is a hybrid of the original three kinds--the citron, Mandarin orange, and the pummelo. Suffice it to say, it appears that temple oranges are a hybrid mostly of oranges, and are a sub-type of them. This fruit also goes by a lot of other names. Kind of Siam, murcott, setoka, umatilla, and tanglor (a combination of "tangerine" and "orange"), to name just a few. They were reportedly discovered in Jamaica in 1896, apparently from a wild hybridization. Some accounts say the discoverer was named Boyce. Whatever his or her name was, somebody sent some budding branches to Florida, and they began to grow and thrive there. By 1919 they were being grown commercially. This new fruit was then named after a deceased famous citrus grower, William Chase Temple (more on him later). Their current modest popularity is helped by their ease of peeling and sectioning, relative lack of pith, and pleasing flavor. Consumers like them plain, in fruit salads, or as parts of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Like most oranges, temples are high in Vitamin C, as well as having some Vitamin B1, folate, and fiber.
Temple orange, from Seald Sweet out of Florida, U.S.A.: The one I bought looked mostly like a typical orange--its color was more reddish-orange, but not remarkably so. It was round, and had a diameter of about 7 cm. (about 2.75 inches), although some of its mates in the bin at the store were bigger. As advertised it was noticeably easy to peel, and to break into sections, and the inner whitish pith was less than in a typical orange. The pulp was yellowish-orange. The taste was okay, but very much like a regular orange. I don't know that I could have distinguished between the two in a blind taste test. So overall the temple orange was a decent snack, but I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't much different or unique in its flavor.
Getting back to this fruit's namesake, William Chase Temple was a bit of a Renaissance Man. He was successful in many business ventures, as he's listed as a "baron" of coal, citrus fruits, lumber, and sports. For the last one, Temple was co-owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1891-93. (He's also supposedly the first person to come up with the idea of the designated hitter, which was eventually adapted in the American League in 1973, and may well be by the National League very soon.) Then, he's credited as the first sole owner of a professional football club, the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club, from 1898-1900. Additionally, he was said to be an alleged silent owner of the Pittsburgh Stars, a team in an earlier pro league that was also named the National Football League, in 1902. (He denied this, but some historians think he was lying.) Still other positions held by him were the first President of the South Florida Chamber of Commerce, and a town mayor. Finally, he was also reportedly the first lifetime member of the American Automobile Association, the AAA. I realize all this biographical information is more than most readers probably care about, but I'm jonesing for sports, especially baseball, at this time. Clearly there are way more important societal concerns happening now, but the distraction of sports is nevertheless missed.
1) Fruit hybrids--March 20, 2013
2) Pummelo--February 20, 2014
3) Buddha hands--December 29, 2014
4) Ugli--March 6, 2015
5) More fruit hybrids--July 25, 2015
6) Sweetie citrus--January 27, 2016
The background of the temple orange is a bit complicated. One source said they're a hybrid of an orange and a tangerine. Another said it was the "child" of a Mandarin orange and a sweet orange. One of the issues is that different countries define a "tangerine" in different ways. Also, every type of citrus fruit is a hybrid of the original three kinds--the citron, Mandarin orange, and the pummelo. Suffice it to say, it appears that temple oranges are a hybrid mostly of oranges, and are a sub-type of them. This fruit also goes by a lot of other names. Kind of Siam, murcott, setoka, umatilla, and tanglor (a combination of "tangerine" and "orange"), to name just a few. They were reportedly discovered in Jamaica in 1896, apparently from a wild hybridization. Some accounts say the discoverer was named Boyce. Whatever his or her name was, somebody sent some budding branches to Florida, and they began to grow and thrive there. By 1919 they were being grown commercially. This new fruit was then named after a deceased famous citrus grower, William Chase Temple (more on him later). Their current modest popularity is helped by their ease of peeling and sectioning, relative lack of pith, and pleasing flavor. Consumers like them plain, in fruit salads, or as parts of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Like most oranges, temples are high in Vitamin C, as well as having some Vitamin B1, folate, and fiber.
Temple orange, from Seald Sweet out of Florida, U.S.A.: The one I bought looked mostly like a typical orange--its color was more reddish-orange, but not remarkably so. It was round, and had a diameter of about 7 cm. (about 2.75 inches), although some of its mates in the bin at the store were bigger. As advertised it was noticeably easy to peel, and to break into sections, and the inner whitish pith was less than in a typical orange. The pulp was yellowish-orange. The taste was okay, but very much like a regular orange. I don't know that I could have distinguished between the two in a blind taste test. So overall the temple orange was a decent snack, but I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't much different or unique in its flavor.
Getting back to this fruit's namesake, William Chase Temple was a bit of a Renaissance Man. He was successful in many business ventures, as he's listed as a "baron" of coal, citrus fruits, lumber, and sports. For the last one, Temple was co-owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1891-93. (He's also supposedly the first person to come up with the idea of the designated hitter, which was eventually adapted in the American League in 1973, and may well be by the National League very soon.) Then, he's credited as the first sole owner of a professional football club, the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club, from 1898-1900. Additionally, he was said to be an alleged silent owner of the Pittsburgh Stars, a team in an earlier pro league that was also named the National Football League, in 1902. (He denied this, but some historians think he was lying.) Still other positions held by him were the first President of the South Florida Chamber of Commerce, and a town mayor. Finally, he was also reportedly the first lifetime member of the American Automobile Association, the AAA. I realize all this biographical information is more than most readers probably care about, but I'm jonesing for sports, especially baseball, at this time. Clearly there are way more important societal concerns happening now, but the distraction of sports is nevertheless missed.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Underrated Horror Movie Gems--George Romero's "The Crazies"
When people hear the name George Romero, most of them, understandably, think of his ground breaking 1968 classic "Night of the Living Dead." However, Romero was much more than a "one trick pony"--he made several other very good to great films, some of which didn't even have zombies in them. His fourth movie, "The Crazies" (1973), is one of these, in my opinion. Its reviews at the time were mixed, and it did terribly at the box office, earning back only about half of its meager $275,000 budget. So here we go. It'll be the usual format--short spoiler-free synopsis, a longer spoiler-saturated recap, a discussion of some of the movie's themes and strong points, and ending with some cast and crew information.
Something's wrong in the small Pennsylvania town of Evans City. A few days after a plane crash, the military has moved in, and it effectively prevents anyone from leaving or entering. The citizens are acting strangely too--emotionally unstable, and sometimes violent. Firefighter David and his pregnant fiance Judy, along with David's friend Clank, try to avoid both the heavy handed soldiers and their neighbors. But the bodies keep piling up, and no one seems to understand what's happening. Will anyone make it out unscathed? And will what's happening here spread to other areas, or even across the globe?
(SPOILERS AHEAD UNTIL MARKED) "The Crazies" opens in a farmhouse in the countryside, where a little boy is teasing and trying to scare his sister. But very quickly they're both terrified, as they find out that their mother has been murdered, and their father lights their home on fire. Across the small town of Evans City the audience then meets Judy and David. David is a volunteer firefighter, while Judy is a nurse. They're expecting a baby, and a marriage is imminent. But, both are called away--David to the fire at the farmhouse, and Judy to Dr. Brookmeyer's office. At Brookmeyer's, Judy sees it's overrun with Tyvec and gas mask-suited soldiers, led by a Major Ryder. Judy learns from Dr. Brookmeyer and the soldiers that the town is under a strict quarantine. A recent military plane crash nearby is apparently the cause. Brookmeyer helps Judy to escape the office, as he knows she's pregnant.
More details start to emerge, especially after Colonel Peckem arrives to take charge. In an unnamed room, evidently in Washington, D.C., high level officials are going over the situation. Roadblocks are installed around Evans City, and telephone and ham radio messages are also blocked. The men also want a plane equipped with a nuclear bomb to fly over the town, to prevent something called "Trixie" from spreading. A doctor who worked on Trixie is forced to fly to Evans City. The townspeople are herded into the local high school building. Judy encounters David and his friend Clank returning from the fire, but right after they're caught by white suited troopers who force them into a van. Already inside are Artie Fulton, and his daughter Kathy. Back at the makeshift headquarters, Col. Peckem reveals that Trixie is a military bio-weapon, a highly contagious virus.
Although most of the townspeople are taken by force to the high school, some resist. Sometimes in weird, psychotic ways, like an old lady who repeatedly stabs a soldier with her knitting needles. David and Clank manage to overpower the soldiers transporting them, and drive off in the van now armed. Back at HQ Dr.Watts tells Col. Peckem that Trixie has no antidote, and exposure to it quickly leaves its victims dead or permanently insane. David and his group reach an abandoned country club to rest for the night, but Kathy is already acting strangely. Dr. Watts is taken to the high school, where he sets up a rough lab assisted by a technician. He wants to send some Evans City blood samples to Fort Detrick, but the military refuses to do so because of contamination concerns.
More scenes of carnage occur. Soldiers are shooting people, and burning their bodies. Townspeople are fighting back, often successfully. A priest even immolates himself as a protest versus the military. David's gang is spotted, but they manage to shoot down a helicopter and escape. Later, at a farm they encounter five more soldiers. Clank brutally murders them, even though this didn't appear necessary. As such, David becomes concerned that Clank has the disease as well. Back at the unnamed political meeting room, the men discuss the probable necessity of nuking the town, and then covering it up with a story about this being an accident.
At the farm Artie is clearly sick now, too, as he thinks that Kathy is his dead wife, and rapes her. Clank discovers this and beats Artie up. Clank is now clearly insane as well. David and Judy later find that Artie has hung himself out of regret, and Kathy runs out to greet some approaching soldiers. They quickly shoot her dead, fearing being contaminated by her. Judy, David, and then Clank flee into the woods. Clank realizes that he's sick, and goes to confront the soldiers. Although he slaughters many of them, eventually they kill him. Back at the high school Dr. Watts makes an important discovery, a possible cure. However, his frustration with the security measures on phone conversations causes him to rush out of the lab to tell Peckem in person, before explaining his findings to his assistant. The troops in the school mistake Watts for another infected person, and in the riot that follows Watts is mortally wounded, and his cure destroyed.
While hiding at a cement plant Judy starts to exhibit signs of being infected as well. After a pack of soldiers pass by, and David is forced to kill one, a pack of teens run up and mortally shoot Judy. David and one of the kids are captured by another squad of soldiers. At headquarters Peckem reports that 2100 of the original 3600 or so citizens of Evans City are still alive, but all of those survivors are insane. He's informed that he's being moved to Louisville, where another Trixie outbreak is feared. The medical staff tries to replicate Watt's cure, and there's word of an immune monkey at Fort Detrick. David appears immune, too, but he pointedly doesn't reveal this to the military doctors. Peckem then leaves in a helicopter, after being decontaminated.
I realize that some readers might think I chose this particular movie to talk about today to be timely, since we're currently still suffering though a viral pandemic. But, actually it was a coincidence--I was going through my collection of films, and this one just stood out. But I can understand how watching something like "The Crazies" might be too close to home for many viewers now. Or, perhaps the opposite--maybe some people might want to watch a movie similar to what they're experiencing. Anyway, there are huge differences, obviously, such as the fact that "Trixie" is a human made bio-weapon, and COVID-19 is natural. But it's kind of uncomfortable, too, as we see the peril of not following quarantine protocols, and social distancing. The movie's gas masks are more elaborate than our typical paper masks, but the idea is still the same.
One of the things that struck me about this movie was the lack of an actual villain. The townspeople commit horrific acts of violence, even murder, but they're blameless--through no fault of their own there were infected with a disease that drove them insane. The soldiers seem cruel at times, and we kind of cheer when the townsfolk fight back and kill some of them, but ultimately they're not really evil, either. They're regular people who are doing their job. And this job makes sense--if the disease spreads, people in the entire country, or even the world could be killed or driven mad. Even the scientists who created the Trixie bio-weapon aren't exactly evil--they were tasked with a job, too, trying to help their country's armed forces against enemies. I guess the real villains are the people who came up with the idea of a bio-weapon in the first place, but we don't really see them.
Arguably the most important theme in "The Crazies" is the importance of good communication, and how the lack of it can be devastating. Initially the military doesn't realize, or wasn't told, how serious Trixie is, so they drag their feet a little and let the disease be spread further throughout Evans City. And then when they do go in they don't properly communicate the seriousness of the situation to the town's mayor, doctor, sheriff, and other town leaders, or to the townspeople themselves. Which results in panic, and many people trying to flee, or fight back, using violence against the troops. (Granted, some of this is due to the people going crazy because of the disease, but you get what I'm saying.) During his time in Evans City later, scientist Dr. Watts is frustrated by the time it takes to talk to his comrades and Col. Peckem, with the complicated voice print security measures. Which leads him to run out of the lab in haste, before he's explained the possible cure to his colleague, which results in his breakthrough being destroyed, and therefore thousands or even millions of lives more lost, unnecessarily. And finally, David chooses not to tell the military doctors that he's probably immune, which again will result in many more people being driven insane or dying.
This last example leads to another question--why does David do that at the end? Is it revenge on the military, and the government, for creating the problem that lead to the death or insanity of most of the people he knows and loves? Is it possibly PTSD, from his time in Vietnam, plus the additional carnage he's just witnessed at home? If it is revenge, it's awfully drastic. Not to mention misplaced, since many other innocents will be hurt by his lack of disclosure. (Of course, it's also possible that this was done for purely dramatic reasons by Romero, to up the ante of the horror, but I mean within the logic of the story, and the character himself.)
Like Romero's zombie movies, another important theme is the fear of your fellows--your neighbors, your friends, your lovers, even yourself. The disease causes people to perform hideous acts of violence upon people they even love, such as Artie's rape of his daughter, and the opening scene's father killing his wife, and burning his kids. And the disease was caused by the people's own government, the people they elected into power. Then their own military is fighting against them. The enemy isn't a foreign invader, or even a natural disaster, or a regular, natural disease--it's us. Once we're infected, we become the enemy, the carriers of more bloodshed and death.
Distrust of the government is another point the movie makes. The government in "The Crazies" is arguably evil (or at least cynically amoral), with a willingness to create a hideous disease. One which, it goes without saying, violates every law of war or society. It just doesn't affect armed enemy soldiers, it affects potentially everyone. Like many diseases, people who couldn't possibly be a threat--the elderly, and the very young, will surely be impacted the most. To top it off, this government, and their military, are then cartoonishly inept, as they accidentally infect their own people, and then delay and bungle the response to it. They even consider nuking their own citizens! Which has a logic to it within the movie's situation, but is still horrible to contemplate. (And it's a plot point which "Return of the Living Dead" (1985) used to tragicomic effect.) I'm sure that this movie's tone was influenced by the debacle of the Vietnam War (aside from the battle footage, there's the priest immolating himself just like the protesting monks in Vietnam), but it's amazing how it was before the full details of the Watergate scandal became known. Think how cynical and jaded it would have been if it came out a few years later!
The addition of the insanity in the movie also helped make it traumatic and disturbing. A deadly disease is bad, sure, but I think everyone is afraid of losing their minds. The horror of the characters as they occasionally have moments of clarity and realize they're mad is heart-wrenching, even more so when they continue to commit horrible acts. And then they sometimes realize what they've just done, like Artie. Really grim stuff, but it really makes for a more scary story.
One quibble I have with "The Crazies" is about the nature of the disease. Like many movies and television shows, it makes an elementary mistake, of confusing diseases caused by bacteria with those caused by viruses. At one point Col. Peckem refers to Trixie as a bacteriological weapon, but for the rest of the movie it's called a virus. Which is impossible--it's either one or the other, they're completely different things. Assuming it is a virus, since that's the bulk of the references in the movie, that makes the military giving their soldier antibiotics as a protection very silly and useless, since antibiotics don't do anything against viruses. But this is a small complaint, which I can clearly overlook, and I can still enjoy the film overall. It's just something I noticed.
The average viewer probably won't recognize any of the actors or actresses in this movie. (Unless they're big fans of Romero, or of 1970's exploitation movies.) The cast is mostly unknowns, or at least fairly unknown at the time. Which I think benefits the movie. When a movie has established, famous, extremely attractive actors and actresses in it, it doesn't seem as realistic. The people in "The Crazies" are normal looking, anonymous folks, so it makes the situation seem more real, almost like you're watching a documentary.
(END SPOILERS--SAFE FOR ALL READERS) Writer/director George Romero had a long career in films. Alas, like many horror filmmakers, he often had problems getting funding, and so had to work on the fringes of the studio system most of the time. Meaning his output wasn't as high as it probably could have been. Anyway, other highlights in his directing and writing career are the previously mentioned "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), "Martin" (1978), "Dawn of the Dead" (1978), "Knightriders" (1981), "Day of the Dead" (1985)," "Monkey Shines" (1988), and "Land of the Dead." He also directed 1982's "Creepshow."
Of the actors, the most recognized name is probably Lynn Lowry, who played Kathy Fulton. She had roles in movies such as "I Drink Your Blood" (1970), "The Battle of Love's Return" (1971), "Sugar Cookies" (1973), "Score" (1974), "Shivers" (1975), "Cat People" (1982), "Basement Jack" (2009), and "Model Hunger" (2016). Also, I don't know if this info is accurate, but IMDB lists like 30 additional movies with her that are currently filming or are in pre-production. The character of David was played by Will McMillan, who was also in such films as ""The Enforcer" (1976), "Used Cars" (1980), "Christmas Evil" (1980, and see my post of December 21, 2019), "Salvador" (1986), "Aspen Extreme" (1993), "Jada" (2008), and "Eye of the Storm" (2011). Richard Liberty (Artie Fulton), is probably most notable for his role in "Day of the Dead" (1985). He also played parts in such movies as ""The Final Countdown" (1980), "Porky's II: The Next Day" (1983), "Flight of the Navigator" (1986), and "Just Cause" (1995). Lane Carroll (Judy) was reportedly mainly a casting director. The only other credits I could find for her were another Romero film, "There's Always Vanilla" (1971, and in my opinion George's worst one), and the infamous "Hercules in New York" (1970), Arnold Schwarzenegger's first film, in which his voice was ridiculously dubbed. Clank was played by Harold Wayne Jones, who also appeared in "Knightriders" (1981), "Down on Us" (1984), and "Provoked" (1989). Lloyd Hollar (Col. Peckem) was also in "Boardwalk" (1979), "Kiss of Death" (1995), and on the television shows "The Jeffersons" (1978) and "Lou Grant" (1978). One of the small roles, of "Soldier #3 in House", was played by Roger Aaron Brown. His career includes roles in films like "Star Trek" (1979), "Cobra" (1986), "Near Dark" (1987), "Action Jackson" (1988), "Alien Nation" (1988), "Robocop 2" (1990), and "Maniac Cop 2" (1990). Finally, the role of "Crazie shooting at doctor's office" was played by Bill Hinzman, who acted in such movies as "Season of the Witch" (1973), "Knightriders" (1981), "Santa Claws" (1996), "Shadow: Dead Riot" (2006), and "Mimnesis" (2011), and directed and acted in "The Majorettes" (1987) and "FleshEater" (1988). (He was also a busy cinematographer and camera/electrical department worker in many movies.) He's most famous, though, for playing the role of the first ever Romero zombie, in "Night of the Living Dead" (1968).
So, if you're a fan of George Romero's zombie classics, or even if you just want to check out a largely forgotten 1970's horror effort, you should give "The Crazies" a look. It's a fine film, a nice mix of scares and pathos.
Something's wrong in the small Pennsylvania town of Evans City. A few days after a plane crash, the military has moved in, and it effectively prevents anyone from leaving or entering. The citizens are acting strangely too--emotionally unstable, and sometimes violent. Firefighter David and his pregnant fiance Judy, along with David's friend Clank, try to avoid both the heavy handed soldiers and their neighbors. But the bodies keep piling up, and no one seems to understand what's happening. Will anyone make it out unscathed? And will what's happening here spread to other areas, or even across the globe?
(SPOILERS AHEAD UNTIL MARKED) "The Crazies" opens in a farmhouse in the countryside, where a little boy is teasing and trying to scare his sister. But very quickly they're both terrified, as they find out that their mother has been murdered, and their father lights their home on fire. Across the small town of Evans City the audience then meets Judy and David. David is a volunteer firefighter, while Judy is a nurse. They're expecting a baby, and a marriage is imminent. But, both are called away--David to the fire at the farmhouse, and Judy to Dr. Brookmeyer's office. At Brookmeyer's, Judy sees it's overrun with Tyvec and gas mask-suited soldiers, led by a Major Ryder. Judy learns from Dr. Brookmeyer and the soldiers that the town is under a strict quarantine. A recent military plane crash nearby is apparently the cause. Brookmeyer helps Judy to escape the office, as he knows she's pregnant.
More details start to emerge, especially after Colonel Peckem arrives to take charge. In an unnamed room, evidently in Washington, D.C., high level officials are going over the situation. Roadblocks are installed around Evans City, and telephone and ham radio messages are also blocked. The men also want a plane equipped with a nuclear bomb to fly over the town, to prevent something called "Trixie" from spreading. A doctor who worked on Trixie is forced to fly to Evans City. The townspeople are herded into the local high school building. Judy encounters David and his friend Clank returning from the fire, but right after they're caught by white suited troopers who force them into a van. Already inside are Artie Fulton, and his daughter Kathy. Back at the makeshift headquarters, Col. Peckem reveals that Trixie is a military bio-weapon, a highly contagious virus.
Although most of the townspeople are taken by force to the high school, some resist. Sometimes in weird, psychotic ways, like an old lady who repeatedly stabs a soldier with her knitting needles. David and Clank manage to overpower the soldiers transporting them, and drive off in the van now armed. Back at HQ Dr.Watts tells Col. Peckem that Trixie has no antidote, and exposure to it quickly leaves its victims dead or permanently insane. David and his group reach an abandoned country club to rest for the night, but Kathy is already acting strangely. Dr. Watts is taken to the high school, where he sets up a rough lab assisted by a technician. He wants to send some Evans City blood samples to Fort Detrick, but the military refuses to do so because of contamination concerns.
More scenes of carnage occur. Soldiers are shooting people, and burning their bodies. Townspeople are fighting back, often successfully. A priest even immolates himself as a protest versus the military. David's gang is spotted, but they manage to shoot down a helicopter and escape. Later, at a farm they encounter five more soldiers. Clank brutally murders them, even though this didn't appear necessary. As such, David becomes concerned that Clank has the disease as well. Back at the unnamed political meeting room, the men discuss the probable necessity of nuking the town, and then covering it up with a story about this being an accident.
At the farm Artie is clearly sick now, too, as he thinks that Kathy is his dead wife, and rapes her. Clank discovers this and beats Artie up. Clank is now clearly insane as well. David and Judy later find that Artie has hung himself out of regret, and Kathy runs out to greet some approaching soldiers. They quickly shoot her dead, fearing being contaminated by her. Judy, David, and then Clank flee into the woods. Clank realizes that he's sick, and goes to confront the soldiers. Although he slaughters many of them, eventually they kill him. Back at the high school Dr. Watts makes an important discovery, a possible cure. However, his frustration with the security measures on phone conversations causes him to rush out of the lab to tell Peckem in person, before explaining his findings to his assistant. The troops in the school mistake Watts for another infected person, and in the riot that follows Watts is mortally wounded, and his cure destroyed.
While hiding at a cement plant Judy starts to exhibit signs of being infected as well. After a pack of soldiers pass by, and David is forced to kill one, a pack of teens run up and mortally shoot Judy. David and one of the kids are captured by another squad of soldiers. At headquarters Peckem reports that 2100 of the original 3600 or so citizens of Evans City are still alive, but all of those survivors are insane. He's informed that he's being moved to Louisville, where another Trixie outbreak is feared. The medical staff tries to replicate Watt's cure, and there's word of an immune monkey at Fort Detrick. David appears immune, too, but he pointedly doesn't reveal this to the military doctors. Peckem then leaves in a helicopter, after being decontaminated.
I realize that some readers might think I chose this particular movie to talk about today to be timely, since we're currently still suffering though a viral pandemic. But, actually it was a coincidence--I was going through my collection of films, and this one just stood out. But I can understand how watching something like "The Crazies" might be too close to home for many viewers now. Or, perhaps the opposite--maybe some people might want to watch a movie similar to what they're experiencing. Anyway, there are huge differences, obviously, such as the fact that "Trixie" is a human made bio-weapon, and COVID-19 is natural. But it's kind of uncomfortable, too, as we see the peril of not following quarantine protocols, and social distancing. The movie's gas masks are more elaborate than our typical paper masks, but the idea is still the same.
One of the things that struck me about this movie was the lack of an actual villain. The townspeople commit horrific acts of violence, even murder, but they're blameless--through no fault of their own there were infected with a disease that drove them insane. The soldiers seem cruel at times, and we kind of cheer when the townsfolk fight back and kill some of them, but ultimately they're not really evil, either. They're regular people who are doing their job. And this job makes sense--if the disease spreads, people in the entire country, or even the world could be killed or driven mad. Even the scientists who created the Trixie bio-weapon aren't exactly evil--they were tasked with a job, too, trying to help their country's armed forces against enemies. I guess the real villains are the people who came up with the idea of a bio-weapon in the first place, but we don't really see them.
Arguably the most important theme in "The Crazies" is the importance of good communication, and how the lack of it can be devastating. Initially the military doesn't realize, or wasn't told, how serious Trixie is, so they drag their feet a little and let the disease be spread further throughout Evans City. And then when they do go in they don't properly communicate the seriousness of the situation to the town's mayor, doctor, sheriff, and other town leaders, or to the townspeople themselves. Which results in panic, and many people trying to flee, or fight back, using violence against the troops. (Granted, some of this is due to the people going crazy because of the disease, but you get what I'm saying.) During his time in Evans City later, scientist Dr. Watts is frustrated by the time it takes to talk to his comrades and Col. Peckem, with the complicated voice print security measures. Which leads him to run out of the lab in haste, before he's explained the possible cure to his colleague, which results in his breakthrough being destroyed, and therefore thousands or even millions of lives more lost, unnecessarily. And finally, David chooses not to tell the military doctors that he's probably immune, which again will result in many more people being driven insane or dying.
This last example leads to another question--why does David do that at the end? Is it revenge on the military, and the government, for creating the problem that lead to the death or insanity of most of the people he knows and loves? Is it possibly PTSD, from his time in Vietnam, plus the additional carnage he's just witnessed at home? If it is revenge, it's awfully drastic. Not to mention misplaced, since many other innocents will be hurt by his lack of disclosure. (Of course, it's also possible that this was done for purely dramatic reasons by Romero, to up the ante of the horror, but I mean within the logic of the story, and the character himself.)
Like Romero's zombie movies, another important theme is the fear of your fellows--your neighbors, your friends, your lovers, even yourself. The disease causes people to perform hideous acts of violence upon people they even love, such as Artie's rape of his daughter, and the opening scene's father killing his wife, and burning his kids. And the disease was caused by the people's own government, the people they elected into power. Then their own military is fighting against them. The enemy isn't a foreign invader, or even a natural disaster, or a regular, natural disease--it's us. Once we're infected, we become the enemy, the carriers of more bloodshed and death.
Distrust of the government is another point the movie makes. The government in "The Crazies" is arguably evil (or at least cynically amoral), with a willingness to create a hideous disease. One which, it goes without saying, violates every law of war or society. It just doesn't affect armed enemy soldiers, it affects potentially everyone. Like many diseases, people who couldn't possibly be a threat--the elderly, and the very young, will surely be impacted the most. To top it off, this government, and their military, are then cartoonishly inept, as they accidentally infect their own people, and then delay and bungle the response to it. They even consider nuking their own citizens! Which has a logic to it within the movie's situation, but is still horrible to contemplate. (And it's a plot point which "Return of the Living Dead" (1985) used to tragicomic effect.) I'm sure that this movie's tone was influenced by the debacle of the Vietnam War (aside from the battle footage, there's the priest immolating himself just like the protesting monks in Vietnam), but it's amazing how it was before the full details of the Watergate scandal became known. Think how cynical and jaded it would have been if it came out a few years later!
The addition of the insanity in the movie also helped make it traumatic and disturbing. A deadly disease is bad, sure, but I think everyone is afraid of losing their minds. The horror of the characters as they occasionally have moments of clarity and realize they're mad is heart-wrenching, even more so when they continue to commit horrible acts. And then they sometimes realize what they've just done, like Artie. Really grim stuff, but it really makes for a more scary story.
One quibble I have with "The Crazies" is about the nature of the disease. Like many movies and television shows, it makes an elementary mistake, of confusing diseases caused by bacteria with those caused by viruses. At one point Col. Peckem refers to Trixie as a bacteriological weapon, but for the rest of the movie it's called a virus. Which is impossible--it's either one or the other, they're completely different things. Assuming it is a virus, since that's the bulk of the references in the movie, that makes the military giving their soldier antibiotics as a protection very silly and useless, since antibiotics don't do anything against viruses. But this is a small complaint, which I can clearly overlook, and I can still enjoy the film overall. It's just something I noticed.
The average viewer probably won't recognize any of the actors or actresses in this movie. (Unless they're big fans of Romero, or of 1970's exploitation movies.) The cast is mostly unknowns, or at least fairly unknown at the time. Which I think benefits the movie. When a movie has established, famous, extremely attractive actors and actresses in it, it doesn't seem as realistic. The people in "The Crazies" are normal looking, anonymous folks, so it makes the situation seem more real, almost like you're watching a documentary.
(END SPOILERS--SAFE FOR ALL READERS) Writer/director George Romero had a long career in films. Alas, like many horror filmmakers, he often had problems getting funding, and so had to work on the fringes of the studio system most of the time. Meaning his output wasn't as high as it probably could have been. Anyway, other highlights in his directing and writing career are the previously mentioned "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), "Martin" (1978), "Dawn of the Dead" (1978), "Knightriders" (1981), "Day of the Dead" (1985)," "Monkey Shines" (1988), and "Land of the Dead." He also directed 1982's "Creepshow."
Of the actors, the most recognized name is probably Lynn Lowry, who played Kathy Fulton. She had roles in movies such as "I Drink Your Blood" (1970), "The Battle of Love's Return" (1971), "Sugar Cookies" (1973), "Score" (1974), "Shivers" (1975), "Cat People" (1982), "Basement Jack" (2009), and "Model Hunger" (2016). Also, I don't know if this info is accurate, but IMDB lists like 30 additional movies with her that are currently filming or are in pre-production. The character of David was played by Will McMillan, who was also in such films as ""The Enforcer" (1976), "Used Cars" (1980), "Christmas Evil" (1980, and see my post of December 21, 2019), "Salvador" (1986), "Aspen Extreme" (1993), "Jada" (2008), and "Eye of the Storm" (2011). Richard Liberty (Artie Fulton), is probably most notable for his role in "Day of the Dead" (1985). He also played parts in such movies as ""The Final Countdown" (1980), "Porky's II: The Next Day" (1983), "Flight of the Navigator" (1986), and "Just Cause" (1995). Lane Carroll (Judy) was reportedly mainly a casting director. The only other credits I could find for her were another Romero film, "There's Always Vanilla" (1971, and in my opinion George's worst one), and the infamous "Hercules in New York" (1970), Arnold Schwarzenegger's first film, in which his voice was ridiculously dubbed. Clank was played by Harold Wayne Jones, who also appeared in "Knightriders" (1981), "Down on Us" (1984), and "Provoked" (1989). Lloyd Hollar (Col. Peckem) was also in "Boardwalk" (1979), "Kiss of Death" (1995), and on the television shows "The Jeffersons" (1978) and "Lou Grant" (1978). One of the small roles, of "Soldier #3 in House", was played by Roger Aaron Brown. His career includes roles in films like "Star Trek" (1979), "Cobra" (1986), "Near Dark" (1987), "Action Jackson" (1988), "Alien Nation" (1988), "Robocop 2" (1990), and "Maniac Cop 2" (1990). Finally, the role of "Crazie shooting at doctor's office" was played by Bill Hinzman, who acted in such movies as "Season of the Witch" (1973), "Knightriders" (1981), "Santa Claws" (1996), "Shadow: Dead Riot" (2006), and "Mimnesis" (2011), and directed and acted in "The Majorettes" (1987) and "FleshEater" (1988). (He was also a busy cinematographer and camera/electrical department worker in many movies.) He's most famous, though, for playing the role of the first ever Romero zombie, in "Night of the Living Dead" (1968).
So, if you're a fan of George Romero's zombie classics, or even if you just want to check out a largely forgotten 1970's horror effort, you should give "The Crazies" a look. It's a fine film, a nice mix of scares and pathos.
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Vodkas Filtered Through Rare and Precious Stones
As I've mentioned in previous posts, when it comes to alcohol I'm mainly a beer guy. There are a few hard liquors I enjoy, like Jagermeister, Becherovka (see my July 27, 2014 post), and absinthe (see my October 18, 2015 post), but overall I don't drink much of the stuff. However, the other day I was in line at my local Canal's liquor store, and saw something interesting near the check out registers. Outer Space Vodka, allegedly distilled through 4,000,000 year old meteorites. Intrigued, I bought a tiny sample bottle (50 mL, or about 1.69 ounces). Keeping with the theme, the bottle was a neat little alien head. And this reminded me of another vodka I tried years ago, which also had a cool container, and also was filtered through a special kind of rock--Crystal Head Vodka.
At this point I'd like to tell you some background information about Outer Space Vodka, such as who exactly makes it, and the exact details about the meteorites, etc. Alas, this liquor's online presence is sparse. The official website which I consulted was only a list of the five countries where you can purchase it (the U.S., Canada, Korea, Australia, and the U.K.), and links to places where you can then acquire it. The other online mentions were a paragraph or two about it, and then a review. Even this terse data was contradictory--I read that the vodka was made in the U.S., using Iowa corn, but then my bottle label read "Product of France." Also, a photo of a slightly older bottle said is was "re-imported by the La Marsalle Company" out of Illinois, but this has evidently changed. The current listed importer is Stoller Imports, again out of Illinois in the U.S. Stoller's website didn't have much more about this drink. I even sent an email with my questions to the Stoller "contact us" address, but as of yet haven't heard back. (I'll of course update this post when and if I do receive a reply.) Anyway, all I can tell you now is that Outer Space Vodka apparently began in September of 2015, it's distilled five times, has an alcohol content of 40%, and won a Gold medal at the 2016 SIP Awards, held in California. Maybe that's the point? Perhaps the company is deliberately cagey about details, to appear mysterious, almost like.....an alien conspiracy?!
In contrast, Crystal Head Vodka's details are quite well documented.The vodka was created by actor and writer Dan Aykroyd, along with his artist friend Dan Alexander. The product was sold starting in 2008, with a distinctive glass skull bottle design, inspired by the 13 Crystal Skulls. After being distilled four times, each batch, made from a variety of Canadian sweet corn, is then filtered seven times, the last three times through Herkimer diamonds. Herkimer diamonds are actually a type of quartz crystal, which are double terminated and amazingly clear--hence they kind of resemble diamonds. They're found in Herkimer, New York, and also in the overall Mohawk River Valley, as well as in a couple of other places around the world. Folks who are crystal fans think that these rocks have special powers, such as the ability to heal. The 13 Crystal Skulls are reported to be ancient Mayan or Aztec artifacts, which are also imbued with special powers. One owner said they could cure cancer, cause visions, and even kill people. But, as a recently retired archaeologist, I'd like to insert some facts here which kind of destroy the fun story. None of the skulls can be determined to have come from Mayan or Aztec sites, or any ancient archaeological sites. They were first heard of, and displayed, in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Moreover, the scientific analysis that has been performed on them has proven that they were constructed using special drills only available in the 19th and 20th centuries. So, in short, they're hoaxes. (Also, as an aside, if a person owned an object that cured cancer, why wouldn't they be decent and cure thousands, or millions of afflicted people? They could assuredly make tons of money doing so as well, even if they were selfish and greedy.) But, back to the vodka, it's proudly made without common additives, such as citrus oil, sugar, and glycerol. A look online shows that it seems to be considered a quality vodka. And the distinctive bottle comes in alternative versions--some have a metallic coating, some are baked and colored, etc. Officially the drink is made by Globefill, Inc., out of Canada, and the bottle is made by Bruni Glass, out of Italy. And to those that care, Crystal Head Vodka is both gluten-free and Kosher. If you're curious, Dan Aykroyd is known for acting in such movies as "Trading Places" (1983), "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984), "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), "Tommy Boy" (1995), "Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997), "Behind the Candelabra" (2013), and "Get on Up" (2014). He also wrote and acted in "The Blues Brothers" (1980), "Ghostbusters" (1984), and on television's "Saturday Night Live" (1975-79). (And more notoriously, he acted, wrote, and directed the infamous "Nothing But Trouble" (1991).)
Outer Space Vodka, Stoller Imports, made in France (?): Since I'd never had it before, and since I'm not that into vodka, I bought the small bottle. It's very cool--it's a green glass alien head, complete with huge black eyes, and a tiny mouth and nose. The odor of it was typical--kind of astringent. The color was clear, of course. I tried it three ways--plain, mixed with orange juice (a screwdriver), and mixed with cranberry juice (often called a Cape Codder). Plain it tasted like regular vodka, no better or worse. It was okay as a screwdriver, and better as a Cape Codder. I know it's not exciting to hear that it was just mediocre and not great or terrible, but there we are. A cursory look at reviews online were similar--it doesn't seem to be thought of as anything but an average vodka. In that case, coming up with their bottle was a good marketing idea, I think. It worked on me, anyway!
Crystal Head Vodka, Globefill, Inc.: I had this one years ago, in 2009, so my memories are a bit hazy. Also, this one time was during a day of quite a bit of celebrating, so my memory was further hazed by other alcoholic beverages, if you get my drift. I happened to be visiting a friend in Cortland, NY (Hi Aaron!). We were in a local bar, and saw the distinctive bottle. The bartender was a friend of my friend, so he gave us small samples for a nominal price, or maybe even for free. We were also struck by the coincidence, as my friend was actually from the Herkimer area, where the filtering rocks were also from. Anyway, I recall being surprisingly impressed. It tasted much smoother and less harsh than most vodkas. Maybe it's the lack of additives. Or maybe it's the "magic stone" filtering. Or maybe it was psychological, because we liked the bottle and some of Aykroyd's movies. The point being, I would recommend it to people who like vodka. Although I don't think it will cure any of your diseases or medical conditions. Except for debilitating sobriety, I suppose.
I'll conclude by discussing meteorites a bit. These objects are solid debris which lands on a planet or moon, usually from an asteroid, comet, or another planet. They're called meteors when they're in the atmosphere, and meteorites if they don't completely burn up and make it to the ground. As of 2018 there have been over 59,000 documented ones, and over 1400 witnessed falls. The biggest meteorite crater is the Vredefort Crater in South Africa, which has a diameter of 300 km. (about 190 miles). Another famous one is the Chicxulub Crater off the Yucatan Peninsula, which caused the huge extinction of 75% of the world's animals 65 million years ago. Some meteorites are even older than our sun, which is 4.6 billion years old--some of the dust in the Murchison Meteorite (which fell in Australia in 1969) is up to 7 billion years old!
Finally, another thought. Maybe the Outer Space Vodka says it's a product of France, even though it's possibly American, as a deep cut reference to another Dan Aykroyd vehicle--the Conehead characters, from both the skits on "Saturday Night Live" and the movie. If you recall, the absurd Coneheads, who were obviously aliens, told people they were from France as well. But this is just another wild, unsubstantiated conspiracy theory. (Which in most cases is redundant. Zing!)
At this point I'd like to tell you some background information about Outer Space Vodka, such as who exactly makes it, and the exact details about the meteorites, etc. Alas, this liquor's online presence is sparse. The official website which I consulted was only a list of the five countries where you can purchase it (the U.S., Canada, Korea, Australia, and the U.K.), and links to places where you can then acquire it. The other online mentions were a paragraph or two about it, and then a review. Even this terse data was contradictory--I read that the vodka was made in the U.S., using Iowa corn, but then my bottle label read "Product of France." Also, a photo of a slightly older bottle said is was "re-imported by the La Marsalle Company" out of Illinois, but this has evidently changed. The current listed importer is Stoller Imports, again out of Illinois in the U.S. Stoller's website didn't have much more about this drink. I even sent an email with my questions to the Stoller "contact us" address, but as of yet haven't heard back. (I'll of course update this post when and if I do receive a reply.) Anyway, all I can tell you now is that Outer Space Vodka apparently began in September of 2015, it's distilled five times, has an alcohol content of 40%, and won a Gold medal at the 2016 SIP Awards, held in California. Maybe that's the point? Perhaps the company is deliberately cagey about details, to appear mysterious, almost like.....an alien conspiracy?!
In contrast, Crystal Head Vodka's details are quite well documented.The vodka was created by actor and writer Dan Aykroyd, along with his artist friend Dan Alexander. The product was sold starting in 2008, with a distinctive glass skull bottle design, inspired by the 13 Crystal Skulls. After being distilled four times, each batch, made from a variety of Canadian sweet corn, is then filtered seven times, the last three times through Herkimer diamonds. Herkimer diamonds are actually a type of quartz crystal, which are double terminated and amazingly clear--hence they kind of resemble diamonds. They're found in Herkimer, New York, and also in the overall Mohawk River Valley, as well as in a couple of other places around the world. Folks who are crystal fans think that these rocks have special powers, such as the ability to heal. The 13 Crystal Skulls are reported to be ancient Mayan or Aztec artifacts, which are also imbued with special powers. One owner said they could cure cancer, cause visions, and even kill people. But, as a recently retired archaeologist, I'd like to insert some facts here which kind of destroy the fun story. None of the skulls can be determined to have come from Mayan or Aztec sites, or any ancient archaeological sites. They were first heard of, and displayed, in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Moreover, the scientific analysis that has been performed on them has proven that they were constructed using special drills only available in the 19th and 20th centuries. So, in short, they're hoaxes. (Also, as an aside, if a person owned an object that cured cancer, why wouldn't they be decent and cure thousands, or millions of afflicted people? They could assuredly make tons of money doing so as well, even if they were selfish and greedy.) But, back to the vodka, it's proudly made without common additives, such as citrus oil, sugar, and glycerol. A look online shows that it seems to be considered a quality vodka. And the distinctive bottle comes in alternative versions--some have a metallic coating, some are baked and colored, etc. Officially the drink is made by Globefill, Inc., out of Canada, and the bottle is made by Bruni Glass, out of Italy. And to those that care, Crystal Head Vodka is both gluten-free and Kosher. If you're curious, Dan Aykroyd is known for acting in such movies as "Trading Places" (1983), "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984), "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), "Tommy Boy" (1995), "Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997), "Behind the Candelabra" (2013), and "Get on Up" (2014). He also wrote and acted in "The Blues Brothers" (1980), "Ghostbusters" (1984), and on television's "Saturday Night Live" (1975-79). (And more notoriously, he acted, wrote, and directed the infamous "Nothing But Trouble" (1991).)
Outer Space Vodka, Stoller Imports, made in France (?): Since I'd never had it before, and since I'm not that into vodka, I bought the small bottle. It's very cool--it's a green glass alien head, complete with huge black eyes, and a tiny mouth and nose. The odor of it was typical--kind of astringent. The color was clear, of course. I tried it three ways--plain, mixed with orange juice (a screwdriver), and mixed with cranberry juice (often called a Cape Codder). Plain it tasted like regular vodka, no better or worse. It was okay as a screwdriver, and better as a Cape Codder. I know it's not exciting to hear that it was just mediocre and not great or terrible, but there we are. A cursory look at reviews online were similar--it doesn't seem to be thought of as anything but an average vodka. In that case, coming up with their bottle was a good marketing idea, I think. It worked on me, anyway!
Crystal Head Vodka, Globefill, Inc.: I had this one years ago, in 2009, so my memories are a bit hazy. Also, this one time was during a day of quite a bit of celebrating, so my memory was further hazed by other alcoholic beverages, if you get my drift. I happened to be visiting a friend in Cortland, NY (Hi Aaron!). We were in a local bar, and saw the distinctive bottle. The bartender was a friend of my friend, so he gave us small samples for a nominal price, or maybe even for free. We were also struck by the coincidence, as my friend was actually from the Herkimer area, where the filtering rocks were also from. Anyway, I recall being surprisingly impressed. It tasted much smoother and less harsh than most vodkas. Maybe it's the lack of additives. Or maybe it's the "magic stone" filtering. Or maybe it was psychological, because we liked the bottle and some of Aykroyd's movies. The point being, I would recommend it to people who like vodka. Although I don't think it will cure any of your diseases or medical conditions. Except for debilitating sobriety, I suppose.
I'll conclude by discussing meteorites a bit. These objects are solid debris which lands on a planet or moon, usually from an asteroid, comet, or another planet. They're called meteors when they're in the atmosphere, and meteorites if they don't completely burn up and make it to the ground. As of 2018 there have been over 59,000 documented ones, and over 1400 witnessed falls. The biggest meteorite crater is the Vredefort Crater in South Africa, which has a diameter of 300 km. (about 190 miles). Another famous one is the Chicxulub Crater off the Yucatan Peninsula, which caused the huge extinction of 75% of the world's animals 65 million years ago. Some meteorites are even older than our sun, which is 4.6 billion years old--some of the dust in the Murchison Meteorite (which fell in Australia in 1969) is up to 7 billion years old!
Finally, another thought. Maybe the Outer Space Vodka says it's a product of France, even though it's possibly American, as a deep cut reference to another Dan Aykroyd vehicle--the Conehead characters, from both the skits on "Saturday Night Live" and the movie. If you recall, the absurd Coneheads, who were obviously aliens, told people they were from France as well. But this is just another wild, unsubstantiated conspiracy theory. (Which in most cases is redundant. Zing!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)