Month: December 2010

Classic Movie Project: Marty


A couple of years ago, I started reviewing classic movies I had never seen as an inspiration to catch up on my movie viewing. I was going pretty good for a while but then fell off the tracks. Well, it’s time to get back in gear. I saw that Marty was gonna be on Turner Classics a few days ago, so I decided to watch. Here’s my review:

I think most people would agree, this is a very nice movie. Which strikes me as a bit strange, since most of the characters in this movie are anything but nice. In fact, most of them are incredibly selfish jerks. The brutal honesty of this film is somewhat astounding, and every character is absorbed with their own self interest. I’m not saying it isn’t real, but anyone who tells you that the world wasn’t a cruel place back in the “good ol’ days” should watch Marty.

Let’s start with Marty’s mother, who says she wants him to marry so she doesn’t look bad for having a bachelor son. Then, when Marty does find a girl, she tries to screw it up so her son won’t leave her lonely. She really wants her cake and eat it too. Then comes Marty’s best friend Ange, who refers to Marty’s girl as a dog and then, instead of being happy for his lonely buddy for finding a girl, gets mad because Marty blows him off for that girl. Some friend. Then there is Marty’s cousin Tommy, who ignores Marty’s pleas for advice so that he can carry on a fight with his wife Virginia (played by the impossibly gorgeous Karen Steele. Yowsas!) Then there is Tommy’s mother, who seems to exist to make everyone around her miserable.

And finally, there is Marty himself. Now before you get all riled up, I liked Marty a lot, and for the most part he was a stand up guy. But he was also quite passive aggressive and a bit immature. When Clara refuses to kiss him, he yells “Alright! Alright! I’ll take ya home!”, trying to make her feel bad for not kissing him. (Also, Marty, a quick piece of advice, never tell a girl you’ve considered suicide while on a first date.)

Now, you probably think that I’m being some sort of contrarian jerk who is trying to rip a great film. I’m not. In fact, just the opposite. I thought the darkness of the movie, and the selfishness and brusqueness of the characters, is in fact what made it so good. Yes, there were some very warm scenes, but they would not have been so poignant if they didn’t take place in an atmosphere of duplicity and shameless self interest. It goes without saying that we root for Marty throughout, not because he’s so sweet but because he’s so real. He is trying to balance his own self-interest with the interests of those around him, while at times getting so caught up in his own problems that he becomes a little selfish himself. We can all relate. If he had been more one dimensional (completely selfless and inscrutable at all times), this film would not have been nearly as good.

I am a big fan of good “Day in the Life” films, and this is one of those. Getting a peek at the Bronx in 1955 is a heck of a lot of fun. This was an excellent film, and I have no problem giving it a high mark. GRADE: B. (Grades are in comparison to other great films, not to all films in general.)

RELATED: Variety’s 1955 review.

It’s French Fry Thursday!

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Nothing like a good old fashioned quizzo match without an Eagles game going on in the background. A “Return to Normalcy” tonight at the Ugly American and Bards. We start at the Ugly American at 8 p.m., home of the $1 corn dog and $3 Kenzinger. We then move to the Bards at 10:15 p.m. where Lagers are $3 and we’ve been rocking the past few weeks. Of course it is French Fry Thursday, so I will be giving away free fries tonight. As for the theme round, it seems to be what everyone is talking about, so it will be “Weather”. Hope to see ya tonight!

Huge Quizzo Prizes on Big Money Tuesday!

scrooge-mcduck-make-it-rainAlright kids, three big money quizzes tonight, one in Center City, one in West Philly, and one in Manyunk. We begin at O’Neals. $50 GC first prize, $25 GC 2nd Prize, and total parity, with 4 different winners in the last 4 weeks. Action starts at 8 p.m. $3.50 margaritas.

We move to City Tap House at 10:15 p.m. Awesome specials and awesome food. $10 gets you a beer and a personal pizza, and $3 gets you a Sly Fox. They also have 60 beers on draft. And of course the best quizzo prize in the city. $100 GC for first place, $50 for 2nd.

And I will break precedent and give you tonight’s wild card round. I am totally fascinated by this Wikileaks affair, so tonight’s wild card round will be “International Affairs”. Might want to spend a minute or two poking around the BBC website instead of just spending your whole damn day on TMZ for once in your life. Cretin.

Of course, it is also big money Tuesday in Manyunk. Mike Minion explains:

This is the week for big bounties. After Ebonic Plague won again last week, I immediately placed a $20 bounty on them.  The Taproom’s wonderful bartender Ephraim immediately backed my play by adding $20 of his own.  You just gotta love a bartender who’s got the quizmaster’s back.  That should tell you a little bit about the spirit of quizzo at the Taproom.

What it means for all of you is that if someone can beat Ebonic Plague for first place, they will get an extra $40 in addition to the $25 gift certificate.  Not a bad payoff for having fun with a great group of people.

As if that’s not enough, the Challenge Round ended in a tie last week when one team crossed off a right answer that would have won the prize pool.  So tonight’s pool starts off HUGE and will easily top 100 “points”.

The Taproom also upgraded their already excellent menu.  I have eaten there several times and each time it has been a real treat. I would put their food up against any of the Main Street places and it would win hands down.

There’s LOTS of money and pride on the line tonight. So come on out and join an incredibly festive and enthusiastic crowd for one of the best nights of quizzo anywhere.

Mike Minion Posts Bounty on Group W

Here’s a few words from Mike Minion on tonight’s quiz at the Westbury.

That is, if your team is good enough. Despite a huge bounty on Group W and Duane’s World last week, they still finished first and second.  And if that wasn’t bad enough, Group W won the challenge round as well. So it’s time to wipe the smug grins off Group W’s collective faces. This week, any team  who can beat them for first place gets $40 extra, straight from my pocket. That’s in addition to the $40 gift certificate for winning the quiz.  Frankly, I thought teams on the JGT circuit had some pride. So why are they staying at home and letting these guys win week after week? Show some mettle and win $80 in the process.

All the rest of the festivities are as usual.  I’ll give away some books and CD’s before the quiz, and the hugely popular challenge round will take place immediatley after the main event.  There is a French Fry question after Round One where some lucky team will win a free basket of fries. And of course, there will be some incredible keg and bottle specials.

See ya there tonight!

ALSO TONIGHT: The return of Chip Chantry’s One Man Show! Show kicks off at Shubin Theatre (407 Bainbridge) at 8 p.m.

Hire Johnny For Your Event


awards.gif“Luckily for us, every weeknight there is a Quizzo owned and operated by one Johnny Goodtimes, who combines a serious trivia obsession with the knowledge that these things are supposed to be fun.” – City Paper

“The Bob Barker of quizzo hosts.” –Onion A.V. Club

“Each time we have worked together Johnny brings fresh new ideas to the table and has been a pleasure to work with.” – Franklin Institute

Johnny Goodtimes, widely acknowledged as one of Philadelphia’s foremost entertainers, has entertained at the World Cafe Live, the Palestra, the TLA, and the Franklin Institute. His quizzo has been named Best Quizzo by Philadelphia Magazine, been named Philly’s best in the City Paper 6 different times and has been named the Staff Pick for Best Quizzo in Philly Style Magazine. He has hosted major events for crowds of 500, small private parties for groups as small as 15, and has entertained groups of every size in between.

Quizzo is an excellent team building exercise, as well as an excellent ice breaker for any company function, and Johnny is unquestionably the most experienced and most entertaining person doing it. His rates are extremely reasonable, he can custom make the event in accordance with your wishes, and he is willing to travel. He has done numerous weddings, corporate events, and holiday parties, and is happy to provide references.  If you want to guarantee a fun, captivating, and interactive performance for your next company function, contact Johnny today!