The Dailies 1/27/11: Who’s Harry Crumb and why is His Movie So Awful?

Trailerz

Metropolis (1927) – A-
· Directed by Fritz Lang
· Starring Alfred Abel, Gustav Frohlich, Brigitte Helm
· A monumental silent action-drama that still features some of the most memorable set pieces in movie history

True Grit (2010) – B+
· Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
· Starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld
· Awards: Nominated – Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Picture, Best Actor (Bridges), Best Supporting Actress (Steinfeld), Best Adapted Screenplay (True Grit is nominated for these awards for the upcoming Academy Awards)
· A sharp and fun remake that is nearly as strong as the original.

Gangs of New York (2002) – B-
· Directed by Martin Scorsese
· Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz
· Awards: Nominated – Best Actor (Day-Lewis), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Original Song, Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Original Screenplay
· An epic film about rival gangs in late 1800s New York City is derailed by a busy and confusing ending.

American Gangster (2007) – B
· Directed by Ridley Scott
· Starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin
· Awards: Nominated – Best Art Direction, Best Supporting Actress (Ruby Dee)
· A sleek dramatic thriller with an engaging story and strong performances all around.

Features

The 400 Blows (1959)
Directed by Francois Truffaut
Starring Jean-Pierre Leaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Remy
Awards: Nominated – Best Original Screenplay

We all knew those kids when we were growing up who were always in trouble. Maybe some of them ended up straightening themselves out, but many were forever lost, continuing to find themselves in compromising situations. For those of us who stayed the course and didn’t get into trouble very often, we saw those kids more and more sparingly as we grew older, only catching wind of their latest tribulation from the gossip of random acquaintances.

But how did those kids get that way? Could they have been good kids with real potential, who were never given a real chance? The 400 Blows looks at these types of situations from the point of view of Antoine, a French boy living in Paris in a cramped apartment with his parents. His parents share a loveless marriage, and Antoine receives little affection from either of them. To his parents, he’s a cute diversion at best, and a hopeless terror at worst. Antoine’s troubles are exacerbated by his demeanor in school, where he goofs off and talks back to his stuffy schoolteacher.

Antoine, no older than twelve, can never seem to do the right thing. With every misstep, his parents throw up their hands and wonder what’s to be done with him rather than provide any positive reinforcement. He is expelled from school and leaves home, and soon after he takes to theft as a way to eat and provide for himself. In one heartbreaking scene, Antoine is loaded into a paddy wagon full of thieves and prostitutes after being caught having stolen a typewriter. He peers through the bars of the wagon as they wind through the city streets, crying, but stoically accepting his punishment and his fate.

The 400 Blows is supposedly a semi-autobiographical account of director Francois Truffaut’s childhood; he was in and out of trouble throughout his youth and the cinema was the only thing that saved him from prison. Truffaut is one of the lucky ones, but how many children do we lose to loveless parenting and a lack of understanding? A.

Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989)
Director: Paul Flaherty
Starring John Candy, Jeffrey Jones, Annie Potts, Shawnee Smith

I recently went through an SCTV kick, where I watched a couple of full seasons of that influential Canadian sketch comedy show. It first ran on Canadian television, and later aired on NBC and Cinemax in the US. SCTV helped launch the careers of Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis, Dave Thomas, Catherine O’Hara (the mom from Home Alone), and John Candy. I don’t think anyone can dislike John Candy, and I’ve long loved his work in films like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck and Stripes. So after watching some SCTV I thought I’d delve a little deeper into the Candy catalogue with the 1989 film Who’s Harry Crumb?

Holy shit. John Candy always struck me as a guy who could make any film tolerable simply by being on screen. Who’s Harry Crumb? taught me that this is not the case. Candy plays Crumb, a bumbling detective brought in by his boss (played by pederast Jeffrey Jones) to solve a kidnapping case. You see (spoilers!), Jones is implicit in the crime, and he knows Candy is such a boob that he’ll never figure things out. Haha!

So we get an hour and fifteen minutes or so of pratfalls, car accidents, Candy in various idiotic and unfunny disguises and general “fat guy buffoonery”. Not a bit of it is funny. Even Candy seems disinterested, with a perennial empty smile on his face as the straight-man shitty detective who doesn’t realize what a fucking dope he is.

In one particular soul crushing scene, Candy is dressed as a Turkish/Russian air conditioner repairman to gain entrance to a hotel room. He encounters fellow SCTV alum Joe Flaherty (the “You will not make this putt!” guy from Happy Gilmore), who plays the security guard for the complex. They have a hilariously unfunny exchange, and soon Candy is in the vents, eavesdropping on a suspect in the case. But SHE TURNS THE AIR CONDITIONING ON, causing Candy to fly back through the vent, landing on the security guard. This gag required 10 minutes of build up. Oy.

A bunch of stupid stuff happens and none of it matters. Who’s Harry Crumb? lacks a story, it lacks care, it lacks heart, and most importantly, it lacks laughs. It’s a testament to Candy that not even this pile of shit can tarnish his legacy. F.

John Lacey

The Random Ten #21

#1) Atlas Sound – “An Orchid” – Logos (2009)

Atlas Sound is the solo project of Brandford Cox, better known for his work as the guitarist and lead vocalist of Deerhunter. “An Orchid” is very much a structurally sound psychedelic song, keeping a basic beat and acoustic guitar melody but distorting the vocals, causing them to ebb and flow with the music. This phenomenon is interesting, but much of the track is dull, pseudo-psychedelic fluff. The final third of the track introduces some changes to the melody, but “An Orchid” sounds more like an experiment than a song.

#2) Nick Drake – “Day Is Done” – Family Tree (2007; song was originally released on Five Leaves Left [1969])

“Day Is Done” originally appeared on Drake’s debut album Five Leaves Left and was subsequently included on this greatest hits/odds and ends compilation from a few years ago. This is an alternate take of the song and not the original studio version.

“Day Is Done” is an acoustic track with a melancholy tone, with Drake’s low singing voice helping to punctuate his sorrowful lyrics. Drake had a way of singing that hardly sounds like singing at all; his voice gently bends over the guitar and blends in with the music beautifully. This is an obvious outtake, with Drake flubbing his lines at one point and laughing at himself. It’s a nice addition to the collection, however, because it exposes a little of Drake’s humanity. When he was alive, he tried to hide it, and since his early passing, excessive mythologizing has robbed us of the rest of it.

#3) Led Zeppelin – “The Rover” – Physical Graffiti (1975)

YES. This is perhaps the best Led Zeppelin song ever. When I first heard “The Rover”, probably back in 1999 or so, I immediately decided that Physical Graffiti was my favorite Led Zeppelin album and that this was the best band of all time. Yes, I went through this phase.

“The Rover” is just so infectious. The guitar riff rules. The vocals rule. The drumming is great. The chorus kicks ass. Everything about it sounds so big; it’s a monolithic rock song on a monolithic rock album. Along with opening track “Custard Pie”, “The Rover” gets Physical Graffiti off to a legendary start and the album never lets up. Arguably Led Zeppelin’s finest hour.

#4) De La Soul – “Me Myself And I” – 3 Feet High And Rising (1989)

I don’t remember where I got 3 Feet High And Rising, but I can tell you that I’ve never listened to it. Travesty, I know. I’m aware that it is considered one of the finest hip-hop albums of all time and I should have given it due recognition years ago.

“Me Myself And I” is perhaps the biggest hit De La Soul ever had. It features one of those late 80s beats that immediately spring to mind when you think of a Jheri-curled Deion Sanders; I think Sega used a variation of this beat for most of the levels on the first Sonic the Hedgehog game.

But that’s not De La Soul’s fault. This is a legitimate hip-hop hit, and represents part of a mainstream movement away from the early days of hip-hop and over to a newer and more thoughtful (lyrically and musically) kind of rap. The sound is somewhat old-school, but the advancement between De La Soul and much of what came before them is more than evident.

#5) Ben Folds – “There’s Always Someone Cooler Than You” – Sunny 16 (2003)

Ben Folds will not stop appearing on the Random Ten. Comparatively speaking, I don’t have that much of his music, and yet he’s on here every other time. I long held out hope that he’d ditch the ridiculous hairstyle and make a triumphant comeback, but his recent appearances as a judge on NBC’s The Sing-Off have tempered those expectations.

Before his music pencil dived into the shitter, he released a series of EP’s between 2003 and 2004, with “There’s Always Someone Cooler Than You” coming from the second. The song is right in Folds’ wheelhouse, discussing the plight of someone being made fun of and wishing they were cooler (I think; I guess it could be about anything). Folds has made a living on being a sarcastic observer of youth culture and attitude, something that has failed him recently as he’s, you know, gotten old. But here he still has some teeth, and the melodies, though drenched in Foldsian childishness, are memorable.

#6) Radiohead – “Thinking About You” – Pablo Honey (1993)

We discussed Pablo Honey-era Radiohead here, when “Prove Yourself” was featured on the Random Ten. It’s still strange to hear standard pop-rock radio songs being played by this band. The song doesn’t bob and weave much, sticking to acoustic guitars that follow a simple and enjoyable melody.

It’s hard not to think of Pink Floyd when I hear Pablo Honey. Just like no one knew what Pink Floyd was capable of when they were noodling around on their guitars in acid dens in England, how could anyone know what Radiohead would go on to become from hearing this?

#7) Oasis – “Roll It Over” – Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants (2000)

Oasis recently split up again, with perennial dickhead vocalist Liam Gallagher being a dickhead and fighting his brother and guitarist Noel, causing the breakup. It’s too bad the band can’t keep their act together, and not just because of their music. Hearing the never-ending string of breakup/reuniting stories is getting incredibly boring and annoying in a Favre kinda way.

People compare Oasis to the Beatles, but they’re really more of a mash up of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, although not in the same league as either of those bands. Competent imitation, however, will lead to some good songs, “Roll It Over” being one. It’s big, dumb, and pompous, but it sounds good, and isn’t that what’s important?

#8) Brian Eno – “I’ll Come Running” – Eno Box II: Vocals (1993; song was originally released on Another Green World [1975])

“I’ll Come Running” is pulled from Brian Eno’s Another Green World album, a beautiful record on which only a few tracks actually have vocals, this included. Eno is considered the father of ambient music, and the early manifestations of that movement can be seen on the Another Green World album. “I’ll Come Running” might be the most poppy and straightforward number on that album, with a light piano and cheerfully detached vocals from Eno. In the context of the album, it provides a nice contrast to some of the more experimental things Eno was doing.

#9) The Clash – “White Riot” – The Clash (original U.K. version released 1977, this is from the U.S. version released 1979)

The Clash had it right. When you listen to them now, they don’t sound particularly threatening or heavy. But at the time, I’d imagine “White Riot”, from their debut record, was a revelation. Other punk bands certainly existed and some even had mainstream support, but few could write a song that seemed loud and dangerous but made you tap your feet.

That the Clash were able to write hit singles and endless catchy songs in a style of music people by and large deemed inaccessible is a tremendous feat. I guess it’s easy to figure out; the music and the hooks are really good.

#10) Wire – “Ex Lion Tamer” – Pink Flag (1977)

Somewhat similarly to the Clash, Wire created poppy punk songs with infectious hooks. Their music was a little looser and perhaps not as bright as some of the Clash’s work, but the result is often the same. Snarling, British vocals rasped over energetic and forceful instrumentation, repeated for 1:27 over and over until the album is complete. We’ve discussed this phenomenon with bands like Sebadoh in the past; if your songs are going to pass by quickly, you better include something memorable in them. Wire were experts at this and Pink Flag rivals anything the Clash ever did.

John Lacey