SHAWON-O-MEETUP

[john3047]

A powerful and gritty tale of a down on his luck Chicago underdog with hopes and dreams (and a stomach) as big as the Windy City itself. A testament to the strength of this piece is how much the audience cares about this character from less than 2 1/2 minutes of film.  Does Dave get close to being back on top, or is he destined to be a life-long loser like the Cubs he so much wants to be a part of? Was it a real call, or some homo-erotic dream? Truly worthy of feature film length.

[tywag]

The 'phone scene' intentionally ambiguous, so the viewer can decide who exactly is the target of the incoherent ramblings. It also begs the question, are we the viewer, the recipient of the call? This is a very nuanced film that leaves the viewer forced to derive their own conclusions and meaning of this provocative piece of work, and thus look inside themselves for unanswered questions not only about the film, but their own lives as well. This ranks with great filmes like the Seventh Seal.

[dcihla]

From T. Wagner:

OMG...LOL... he actually put the youtube link! That masterpiece will be much misunderstood and maligned by the common masses who have never experienced true works or art in the world of film. I shudder when I think of what comments will appear. Poor fools that they are!

The best part is, you got mentioned without even submitting a gratuitous photo of my favorite footballer wife, Sylvie Van der Vaart, with a cheesy photoshop of her holding the SOM.

[dcihla]

From J. Mathews:

NOBODY'S BUYING HOMES.....DON'T CHA GET IT!!! THE MARKET'S DEAD. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HIMSELF. NOW QUIT PICKIN ON HIM.

HE'S ALL PUMPED UP ABOUT BASEBALL....LET HIM DREAM ABOUT A CUBS WORLD SERIES. IT'S LIKE MORPHINE TO A DYING MAN.

JTM

PS-DAVE SEE WOODY FOR THAT PERSONAL LOAN....HE'S LOADED!!!

PSS-WOODY, COULD I GET A SHORT TERM LOAN OF ABOUT 10K????

[dcihla]

From B. Davies - Part 3:

Dave has said his peace for now. His mumbling tapers off. He stares at his shiny can of Pabst Blue Ribbon, slightly agitated and imprisoned, yet never alone with his memories of yesteryear."

[dcihla]

P. Olenski - Pt 2:

Answer the phone, give a quick greeting, (keep the distended belly, maybe add a fly on the lip like a Darfur refugee), profile shot, listen for a count of three, then go wide-eyed, drop the phone and faint (just like Helen Hunt at the end of Castaway. The receiver rests on the floor and slowly, very slowly, the shot tightens and the audio picks up and its the Lee Elia tirade building on the other end. Money, definitely Money.

Good shot at Telluride, maybe Sundance.

[dcihla]

From P. Olenski - Part 1:

I read this and I got a chill.

Were talking major release here.

This is raw and heart-felt, falls somewhere between Field of Dreams with Costner and Cleaver the Christopher Maltesonti noir piece staring Danny Baldwin.

One suggestion. Reshoot the telephone scene in the room.

[john3047]

"F Mickey Rourke! Dave C. took him to acting school!"

[dcihla]

From D. Scacco:

B - that's the funniest thing I've read in a long time. I'm looking forward to reading the entire "Bobble Head Diaries" (and of course writing my review).

DS

[dcihla]

From B. Davies - Part 2:

This spot at the bar---normally reserved for vet's with shell shock or the very early stages of Parkinson has been procured by a 45 year old man with a bum knee, a blindingly pasty complexion and a freakishly elastic belly crying out for attention. His daily removal from the bar on a permanent basis is intercepted by the bartender's guilt of ignoring his own "mentally challenged" brother in-law.

[dcihla]

From B. Davies - Part 1:

An excerpt from "Bobble Head Diaries"

"Dave is now looking down into a deep, dark well of exhausted history. He's practically living at the old man, neighborhood bar and relating Lucky Dave, OPRA and Shawon O Meter stories to every unsuspecting patron that walks in. When the patrons look to the bartender for guidance, the bartender flashes them a knowing smile.

[dcihla]

From Bri. Davies:

I cant believe Dave had the opportunity to do the pregnant stomach shtick and didnt do it with camera rolling.

[dcihla]

From P. Olenski - Part 2: He didnt feel well and his pitcher, played splendidly by Michael Moriarity, forces him to secretly see a doctor at Mayo clinic in Rochester, MN. Bruce then goes back to the team and later gets a call in the clubhouse. It informs him he has terminal cancer.

Well, call me emotional but Daves scene on the phone hit home.

[dcihla]

From P. Olenski - Part 1:

I apologize that I didnt respond when I viewed it yesterday. That was because I cried. Yes, I cried.

The phone scene did it. It reminded me of the baseball movie Bang the Drum Slowly. This was well ahead of baseball movies like The Natural and Field of Dreams. A very young Robert DeNiro plays catcher Bruce Pearson.

[dscacco]

Sound-sational! Part 2 - On the downside, despite the enhanced audio, we still really can't figure out WTF is happening in the "phone scene". Are we hearing two sides of a conversation? Is there actually someone on the other end of the line or is Cihla simply rambling incoherently to himself? Putting this major short-coming aside (and there are plenty of others), if you haven't watched this family classic recently you owe it to yourself to see it again! Bring your ears (and maybe a good book)!

[dscacco]

Sound-sational! Part 1- A generation fell in love with the original, now it's back with a "digitally remastered" audio track. The improvements, while subtle and somewhat dubious, are yet unmistakable. Like in the phone scene. Here we see our once mighty hero, his half-naked body clearly ravaged by time and alcohol abuse. The the echoing sound of the audio (almost as if it was recorded in a bathroom) seems to reflect the haunting, lonely echoing in Cihla's own head. Simply amazing "film-making".