Cult Classic: “Harold and Maude”

(Harold & Maude – Key Art)

Harold and Maude (1971) is a cult film written and produced by Colin Higgins. This was Higgins’ first script. He later wrote the screenplay of the popular 1978 comedy Foul Play, starring Goldie Hawn.

The story centers around Harold (Bud Cort), a young, wealthy eccentric whose troubled relationship with his selfish, domineering mother (Vivian Pickles) incites him to obsess over death and engage in bizarre, attention-seeking behavior. He attends funerals, drives around in a hearse, and stages scenes of his suicide for his mother’s benefit.

Maude (Ruth Gordon) is a quirky 79-year-old woman who attends funerals, steals cars, dodges the police, participates in anti-war protests, and lives life to the fullest. She makes plans for her 80th birthday with anticipation and fulfillment.

When these two lost souls meet at a funeral, they instantly bond, and magic happens. They fall in love. Their romantic adventure is thought-provoking, mind-bending, and surreal.

The comedy is sheer genius, and the soundtrack is from Cat Stevens, but this movie is about love’s transcending and transformative power. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something unusual and different.

Dawn Pisturino

August 23, 2023

Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

#dumbcriminals#

(Internet photo)

When the old man down the road lost his wife and moved away to live with his nephew, he left behind all of his belongings in the house and garage. It wasn’t long before I saw a bright yellow Corvette occasionally parked in the driveway. I knew where the owner of that car lived and didn’t think too much about it at the time, although I thought the woman who owned it was mighty strange.

My husband and I took a lot of walks together then, and as we walked, we began to notice peculiar things going on at that old man’s house. Sometimes, the garage door was left open. Other times, the side door was left open. We began to call the sheriff’s office whenever things didn’t look right, and a deputy would come out, check the property, close the doors, and contact the old man’s nephew.

This went on for a while, and then I happened to mention that I had seen a yellow Corvette parked in the drive. Things came to a head, and the sheriff’s office finally figured out what was going on. The deputy told me that the woman in the yellow Corvette had been robbing the old man blind. She claimed to be a friend of the family who was keeping an eye on the property. She sure was! The nephew thanked me for contacting the sheriff’s office. Not long after, a U-Haul showed up to move the old man’s belongings.

I don’t know what happened to the woman. I never saw her or her bright yellow Corvette again. The old man died, and his house was sold. I just know one thing:

If you’re going to rob your neighbor blind, don’t do it in a bright yellow Corvette in a neighborhood where everybody knows where you live!

#dumbcriminals

[Please note: I will not be posting anything until sometime after Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy your holiday!]

Dawn Pisturino

May 26, 2023

Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Twisted Limericks

(Classic illustration by Heinrich Hoffman)

I published my PDF chapbook for children and adults, Twisted Limericks, on Scribd.com about ten years ago and posted it on WordPress. I recently upgraded and revamped it to share again.

You can view/print/download it for free on Google Drive:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xyCYWrhUn6riYEiDltpC1T3RAICm4DdJ/view?usp=sharing

Thanks for stopping by!

Dawn Pisturino

April 17, 2023

Copyright 2011-2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Flying Fickle Finger of Fate

When the pilot for Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In premiered on TV on September 9, 1967, the Vietnam War raged in full gear, the Civil Rights Movement continued to explode, and the country was split by conflict and political divide. A forerunner of Saturday Night Live, Laugh-In used provocative satire and humor to comment on current affairs. The show featured well-known actors and actresses like Henry Gibson, Lily Tomlin, Goldie Hawn, Ruth Buzzi, Arte Johnson, and Richard Dawson. Sets used bright colors and mod art, reflecting the hippie culture of the time. Popular slang, like “Sock it to Me,” peppered the show. Strange characters, bold costumes, and mind-blowing music enthralled the audience so the show emerged again as a series on January 22, 1968, and ran until May 14, 1973.

There were no social media then and people frowned at curse words. Laugh-In compensated by inventing the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate award. Every week the hosts, Rowan and Martin, awarded some entity this award, which was the equivalent of giving the finger to unpopular governments, public officials, organizations, celebrities, and corporations. The first award was given on September 16, 1968. Over the years, winners included the Pentagon, the U.S. Congress, and the National Security Agency.

(Rowan and Martin awarding the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate to Soviet Russia.)

Dawn Pisturino

March 27, 2023

Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Vintage Halloween Cartoons

When the cartoon industry was relatively new, animators did not shy away from making spooky, fun, and memorable cartoons that both children and adults loved. These are the Halloween cartoons that our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents (depending on your age) would have watched in the movie theater.

The Haunted House (1929) – Mickey Mouse – Disney Cartoons:

Produced and directed by Walt Disney. Walt also provided Mickey’s voice! Chief animator: Ub Iwerks. Music composed by Carl Stalling. This short cartoon, which was part of a series of Mickey Mouse cartoons, was released and distributed by Celebrity Productions.

Silly Symphony – The Skeleton Dance (1929) – Disney Cartoons:

The Skeleton Dance, also produced and directed by Walt Disney, preceded The Haunted House and incorporated iconic “danse macabre” images (art which was popular during the Black Death era).

Getting in the Halloween mood?

Dawn Pisturino

October 24, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

The Clown School

(Red Skelton and Lucille Ball)

When my daughter told me she was going to go to clown school, I thought, Okay, what new adventure is this? Is she going to join the circus? The rodeo? What’s up with this?

After a few chuckles, she explained to me what clown school is — a school for performing artists to learn the intriguing history of clowns, a variety of new acting skills, and a way to incorporate playfulness and fun into theatrical acting.

The Clown School, located in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, is one of the top clown schools in America. People from TV and film attend the school in order to further their careers. My daughter, who is a professional singer and performer, has been taking their online classes, and she loves it.

One famous TV clown was Red Skelton, but Lucille Ball was also considered a clown. Her comedy routines, playfulness, and ability to make people love her and laugh, are legendary. I Love Lucy re-runs are still on traditional TV and streaming.

Clowns have been around for thousands of years. In 2400 B.C., Ancient Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty saw priests assuming the role of clowns in order to promote social and religious concepts. Jesters were common in China as early as 300 B.C. They were used in India as interpreters in 100 A.D.

Greek and Roman theater featured clowns and mimes. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance period, fools and jesters entertained members of the public and the royal courts alike. They were often used to promote religious concepts for the Church. In the 14th century, clowns began to appear on tarot cards.

The Aztecs were employing court jesters for entertainment when the Spanish arrived in 1520 A.D. The Commedia del Arte established the tradition of the three Zannis in 16th century Italy, which included the character of Harlequin.

Among Native Americans, clowns were used to make social and religious statements. Their antics made people laugh and think about the message the clowns were trying to deliver.

The first circus clowns were brought to England by Philip Astley in 1768. And Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837), a British entertainer, expanded the role of the clown and earned the title “Father of Modern Clowning.”

For more information about The Clown School, click here: http://www.theclownschool.com.

Have a fun-filled, happy day!

Dawn Pisturino

September 28, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Summer Funnies

Just thought I’d start out the week with a little humor! It was nice visiting with out-of-town relatives, and we were able to get started on some home improvement projects. With that in mind, I will mainly be posting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for a while.

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate all of you.

Dawn Pisturino

July 18, 2022

Hell on Wheels

(Photo by Dawn Pisturino.)

Hello! My name is Isis.

Don’t let my sweet, innocent little face fool you. Although I let my human mommy hold me on her lap and cuddle me and kiss me on the face, I’m the Queen of the Jungle. Whenever the OTHER cat comes into the living-room, I want to rip her ears off. A couple of weeks ago, I tried. My human mommy got mad at me, but she doesn’t understand. There can only be one Top Cat, and that’s me. My human mommy strokes my fur and tells me to be a good little girl. I try, Mommy, I really try! You know how I always stop in my tracks and listen to you when you scold me, but I just can’t help myself. I just have to attack my housemate cat, whether you like it or not.

I’m sorry. Please forgive me.

I love you, Mommy.

Isis

~

Dawn Pisturino

June 24, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Groundhog Day!

(Photo from Mental Floss)

Today, we wait with bated breath for Punxsutawney Phil to emerge from his burrow and decide whether to hibernate for another six weeks or to celebrate that an early spring is coming!

This annual ritual was borrowed from the Pennsylvania Dutch (Amish and Mennonite) farmers in Pennsylvania and dates back to the 1800s. Rumor has it that if Phil sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, an early spring is on its way. Allegedly, Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions have a 39% accuracy rate. Not too cool, Phil!

But, whatever he predicts, this fat, over-sized rodent is a fun way to mark the middle of winter. After all, the Spring equinox will arrive no matter what Phil says!

Here’s a cute video by CGP Grey which explains Groundhog Day:

And don’t forget to watch Bill Murray in the hilarious 1993 comedy, Groundhog Day!

Groundhog Day, if nothing else, is a great excuse to party!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Dawn Pisturino

February 2, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Following the Zombies

(Scene from Shaun of the Dead)

Yesterday, I followed the zombies around in Walmart. They were silent, shuffling along more slowly than usual, their shopping carts creaking between the narrow aisles. Their faces never changed. They just poked along, crouched over their carts with bent shoulders, looking at the same old products with dead eyes. I impatiently followed behind them and finally got stuck in the pain aisle between several carts. This is always the most popular aisle in the store. The next most popular aisle is the laxative aisle. It took several minutes before I could quietly maneuver my cart around the cluster of walking dead. Once I extricated myself, I headed for the checkout stand and got the hell out of there. I survived another trip through Walmart, unscathed. Next time, I might not be so lucky.

Dawn Pisturino

January 28, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

NOTE: No offense intended to real zombies.