Open Thread Wednesday

Ted Kennedy's party-boy-in-crime, Chris Dodd is chairing the Kennedykare push.

Disgusting!

Ah, The Duke. I love it when AMC or TCM has an all-Wayne all day marathon. I think that's a big part of why I'm so addicted to classic movies. The actors and the stories all geared us towards an innocence and appreciation of life that you don't see as much in modern cinema.

That's something our elected officials seem to have forgotten. People in Wasington need to understand that they don't rule the country.

I read about the presentation to our children last night. I envisioned a bunch of green clad children with red stars on there caps waving flags emblazened with the Obama "O" cheering our great leader as they were instructed to convince there parents to following the "One" and report those who do not. A very bizzare and chilling episode in US history. Leave my kids ALONE!!!

I agree. They make me want to hurl. Too bad they actually had to bury Ted, or they could prop him up "Weekend at Bernie's" style, with a sign on his arm and cart him from place to place.

These elitist turds would beg to differ.

Here you go, Patriot. The quality is not so good, but the meaning is clear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3AX4nw6JDg

I never watched cartoons growing up, I watched The Duke. There aren't many men around like him anymore.

Correction, there aren't ANY men like him around anymore.

LONG LIVE THE DUKE!!!!

I read that with little surprise. A year ago I would have been mildly surprised, not now.

This administration is filled with these types of people, very troubling…..

I'm pretty sure the photo of John Wayne is from Rio Bravo. Excellent movie with a great supporting cast of character actors – Dude, Stumpie, the Kid, Feathers, Carlos, etc. Rio Bravo is one of my favorite because of the way Wayne takes a cast of characters, mustly down on their luck, and makes them into a force for good in a small town threatened by would be dictators and thugs.

I'm with you on that. My favorite John Wayne movie, with it's clone El Dorado a close second.

Hey, Thanks. I love that scene, but always hate it when the horse "gets it".

Sounds like a great opportunity to spend the day teaching them about real American history!

John Wayne – all time favorite actor
The Searchers – all time favorite movie

nuf said!

check out the Mass. bill about swine flue pandemic, and how if passed, will send people into homes without warrant, take action FOR you, etc. (see today's Drudge)…Mass. People's Republic now avowed police state….nice…glad I left years ago when I still could….

There aren't any in Hollywood.

Dodd is a disgusting over-age frat boy…I hope the voters of Conneticut wake up and boot him…he trails in the polls currently…2010 is a long way off…

It's way past time the people of this country END these political dynasties..no single family should be able to keep family members in place in Washington for DECADES…

Then this should REALLY get your blood pressure going:

http://nlpc.org/print/2508

Yes, Dean Martin was in it too. His character's name was Dude.

I have "Island in the Sky" and "The High and Mighty" on my netflix list.

Great link, I wonder what the Duke would think of our country now.

John Wayne was a real man..not like the punk actors we see in in hollyweird today.

Is there anybody out there that comes close to the Duke? Eastwood?Marvin? anyone in Hollywood. Is it now just a bunch of pretty boys?

Frank Sinatra and John Wayne : what do they have in common?

Their fans rarely seem to think either man ever made a bad recording or a bad film.

Even some rock-ribbed Elvis fans will admit that many of his films are poorly done and contain dreadful 'songs'.

Where is the objective criticism for Sinatra and Wayne.?

I wonder what John Wayne would say about the health care bill.

The Shootist is a great movie. I appreciated the way John Wayne seemed to gravitate to more realistic westerns in the latter part of his career. True Grit, The Shootists and both fine examples.

I'm trying to remember my favorite John Wayne western scene. He's with a young James Caan, chasing bad guys through a bar. They get to the back room where a local says they went out the back door. Then James Caan says wait a minute, this is the guy that directed us into the last ambush. So Wayne orders the local out the back door first. The local refuses, so Wayne shoots him. He still won't go, so Wayne shoots him again.

I love that scene.

And I'd rather hear Sinatra sing "I Get a Kick Out of You" than hear him sing "I've Got You Under My Skin.

I loved John Wayne in everything…True Grit is wonderful, but the girl who played Maddie bugged the living daylights out of me…not sure if that was on purpose or just the fact that her hair looked like it belonged on a Mod Squad fan poster.

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I think he would shed a manly tear…and then tell us to get off our butts and get to work to save it!!

I'd rather give my account number to a Nigerian lottery scam.

Most of Wayne's B-films were a little on the cheesey side. Sons of Katie Elder was not that great for me.

If you switch Colorado with Mississippi, and Dean Martin for Robert Mitchum, you basically have El Dorado. I've always been a big fan of "The Quiet Man" and "The Cowboys" myself.

Ohhh, The Quiet Man. My all-time favorite movie. Period.

“I have found a certain type calls himself a Liberal. Now I always thought I was a Liberal. I came up terribly surprised one time when I found out that I was a right-wing conservative extremist, when I listened to everybody’s point of view that I ever met, and then decided how I should feel. But this so-called new Liberal group, Jesus, they never listen to your point of view…”

- John Wayne

"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." Sir Winston Churchill

I completely agree. I'll take America warts and all over any other place on earth.

Ok – then name a good/great/fine/exceptional film of today that isworse than your admittedly bad THE CONQUERER, please.

Now there was a man…John Wayne…sighhhhhhhh…..

Anyone hear any rumors on the Mitch Rapp movie being contemplated. Its supposed to be Consent to Kill but when I went onto IMDB pro its Protect and Defend which is an awesome book. And on the same subject Will Smiths name has been bandied about as being considered for the role as Rapp. Before anyone who has not read the books asks why I have a problem with that let me explain. Mitch Rapp is of German and Irish descent. I am livid that anyone would even consider Smith for this role as he is totally unsuited for it. What is this, dodging the rascist name calling by CAIR by casting an African American? Its funny, 300 was given all kinds of crap by Iran etc. calling it rascist and American Propaganda and yet it made nearly a Billion Dollars. So someone needs to bring up a logical reason why a celebrity like Smith is being even being talked about as Rapp. To me this is purely politically correct, affirmative action casting and I swear I will boycott this movie if they ruin it this way.

I'd like to see the knucklehead to try and put his hands on John Freakin Wayne……

"…watched Memphis Belle a couple of weeks ago and remember thinking: "They wouldn't make this movie this way today."

Agreed – As Mathew Modine was the pilot, they would be dropping schwins instead of bombs.

Stay away from the 13th Warrior. Brutal scene of foot soldiers stopping charging cavalry. Historically the scene is pretty accurate, but not very pretty for horse lovers.

Other than that, it was a great movie, one of my favorites.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120657/quotes

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Merciful Father, I have squandered my days with plans of many things. This was not among them. But at this moment, I beg only to live the next few minutes well. For all we ought to have thought, and have not thought; all we ought to have said, and have not said; all we ought to have done, and have not done; I pray thee God for forgiveness.

Buliwyf: 'Lo, there do I see my father. 'Lo, there do I see…
Herger the Joyous: My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers.
Buliwyf: 'Lo, there do I see…
Herger the Joyous: The line of my people…
Edgtho the Silent: Back to the beginning.
Weath the Musician: 'Lo, they do call to me.
Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: They bid me take my place among them.
Buliwyf: Iin the halls of Valhalla…
Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Where the brave…
Herger the Joyous: May live…
Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: …forever.

The Duke made a few bad movies — his Mascot serials, and probably half the Loe Star westerns among them. But there is more character in something like "Tall in the Saddle" or "Dark Command" than in most action films today. I just watched "The Dark Knight," and at two hours, thirty five minutes, it is overblown and overlong. But how interesting is it that the most interesting character – The Joker – is the villain, and the hero is an empty cyborg?

I am afraid modern Hollywood pays far too much attention to moral ambiguity, and not enough to the defenders of our modern society.

"Leaving Las Vegas" is a good/great/fine/exceptional film of today?

This is disturbing. A police officer threatening a protester with a poster critical of the President.

http://lucianne.com/article/?pageid=free_speech

Open thread post, how the heck does one go about changing the icon associated with their account over at intensedebate? I've followed what appears to be the obvious procedure. Click on update, browse for image, than hit save.

But it never changes for me. Does anyone know if there's a requirement on image size, and file format, or something technical that escapes me?

LOOOOOOOOVE The 13th warrior!!!!

Well, you've got a point! Actually, somebody's been propping Ted up in one way or another for the past 50+ years.

? Toy Story was an "action/drama" film?? You're joking, right?

Okay, I'll suggest a few titles myself:

Space Cowboys
The Right Stuff
The Big Red One
Breaker Morant

I almost said Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I don't think it really has the 2nd trait I listed.

Anyway, not many movies fit the bill eh?