Bill Murray Week: Where the Buffalo Roam

Welcome back my little campers to Day 2 of that funny man Bill Murray’s week.  I have been doing some digging for the more obscure titles that he has done as well as find something for me to watch and chuckle at.  Today’s bijou flick hails from the askew brain of one Hunter S. Thompson (American journalist of Rolling Stone magazine and author of such titles as: Where the Buffalo Roam, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Woman Found Dead in Elevator and The Rum Diary) the self proclaimed Gonzo writer that indulged in various drugs and alcohol prior to involving himself directly in the action of said story that he became the focal point of the story.  Now I am sure many of you saw Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Thompson in Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas but few can probably tell me of Murray’s likeness in today’s movie.  So grab that bottle of ether, do a few lines of this Bolivian dust and for God’s sake watch the road.  This is Where the Buffalo Roam.

Nick Nolte?? Oh no, wait it's Thompson.

Hunter S. Thompson:  In my case, you know, I hate to advocate spoilers or liquor, violence, insanity to anyone.  But in my case it’s worked.

Our film opens in the Colorado ranch of Dr. Thompson (Bill Murray of SNL, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and Lost in Translation) as he feverously tries to finish a story about his former attorney and long time friend Carl Lazlo (Peter Boyle of Young Frankenstein, Taxi Driver, Outland, NYPD Blue and Everyone Loves Raymond) when he suddenly flashes back to some shenanigans he and Lazlo got up to.  LSD can do this folks so don’t hunt for the formula. 

Murray's Batman audition as the Penguin does not go as planned.

In 1968, Lazlo is avidly fighting for some young kids in San Francisco who are getting stiff prison sentences for the possession of marijuana.  Yes 5 to 10 for grass, people.  Lazlo convinces Thompson to write an article about this injustice in Blast Magazine.  Thompson’s editor Marty Lewis (Bruno Kirby of The Godfather: Part II, Good Morning, Vietnam, When Harry Met Sally…, City Slickers and Sleepers) is at his wit’s end in reminding Thompson he has a little less than 19 hours to make the deadline.  During the trial the last kid get s a five year stretch for having a pound of wacky tabaccy in his possession and Lazlo reacts badly by beating the crap out of the prosecutor and jailed for contempt.

The story is a huge success and Lazlo disappears out of Thompson’s life for 4 years only to pop back while our hero is doing a freelance gig covering the Super Bowl, Lazlo tells him to drop the story and journey with him on a smuggling ring story instead and enlist with his freedom fighters.  

This whole film revolves around drunken antics, falsified representation in the search for the truth and benders that would put Charlie Sheen off his lunch.   It was said that to capture the character of Thompson that Murray hung out with him, drank, went shooting guns and in general had a great time but much to the chagrin of his fellow SNL cast members as he was still a bit “Gonzo” for the next season of Saturday Night Live.  Hey that just makes the audience’s show that more enjoyable, gang!

No smoking on the flight, sir!

BBC Week: A Bit of Fry and Laurie

Greetings and salutations my lovely readers and welcome to Day 2 of BBC Week.   Well now we have all heard of Bones, Kingdom, House and the Stuart Little series but who here has heard of an amusing duo that had a series of well-constructed short sketches and improve?  Imagine the hilarity of Monty Python but with a fraction of the crew.  Impossible you say?  Poppycock is it?  Well my ladies and gentlemen allow me to set the record straight to point out such craziness can ensue.   So critique the Common Market on its name, bash English poetry just for be occasionally glib and strap on your rubber Wellington boots.  This is A Bit of Fry and Laurie.

Spot the loony!

Hugh: Hello and welcome to “Flying a Light Aeroplane Without Having Had Any Formal Spoiler With…

The delights of comedy and drama have been held aloft to the big screen to the small.  Prior to either one of them coming across the pond and showing us the depth of the wittism and range of emotion they had to join forces to entertain the masses of Great Britian.  No easy task, mind you.  Touching on taboos such as sex and violence, homosexuality and police brutality you can see our divine duo well had their work cut out for themselves.  Wither it was about relationships, town hall vital issues or the odd bishop nude in a shop looking for chocolates, these gentlemen managed to pry laughter from around the world.

You see my car has up and buggered off.

Stephen Fry of (Blackadder Back & Forth, Baddiel’s Syndrome, Fourplay, Absolute Power, Kingdom and Bones) with Hugh Laurie (Alfresco, Black Adder the Third, Peter’s Friends, Blackadder Goes Forth, Jeeves and Wooster, and House M.D.) have made us laugh and cry and moved us to emotional depths we scarcely admit to our nearest and dearest. 

I have just a few key points about this show.  Similar to Monty Python’s approach of life, our good chaps turn the modern and mundane views of life and spun it on its ear.  From the blatantly absurd to the subtle jokes that may fly over the young ones heads but the adults were a bit flabbergasted.   These two men did their level best to make Britian’s hair stand on end.

There were no traditional reoccurring characters or sense of continuity which in my belief would have ruined the whole dynamic that made up this show.  With the exception of the only skit that had a re-occurrence to my recollection were Tony and his caffeine dependant boss Control as they spoke and interacted with one another in a stiff and almost robotic nature all the while dropping the odd innuendo.  These two extremely odd characters were allegedly part of the CIA and as a taxpayer I can just envision my money being pissed away in this very fashion.

While they had a very jaded opinion of America and its constant lolly gagging and I cannot say I blame them this humor can and will appeal to many and gives you an insight to the minds of two of Britian’s comedic and dramatic treasures.

A tad close here on the sofa, Reginald.