It’s actually coolish this morning.
I turned off the air conditioner. I may have to turn it back on again later, but it’s so nice to have quiet and birdsong, instead of the constant whir of the A/C.
I ran some errands yesterday. I know, big deal. But it was the first day I felt good enough to venture out for longer than a few minutes here and there. (More about the trip on Just Let Me Finish This Page.) The trip tired me out but I revived enough to do some weed whacking later on in the afternoon, while Don did a little mowing. Baby steps.
There was nothing worth watching on television last night, so we watched TCM On Demand. Don’s choice? A movie called Tentacles, made in the seventies and so dreadfully bad that it was good. You know what I mean. Sometimes there is a movie that is so bad that it makes for the perfect viewing experience. (As long as you’re not spending any money.) Clearly trying to build on the success of Jaws, the plot revolved around a giant octopus who was attacking and killing people in a coastal beach town. The producers were Italian and parts of the film were obviously dubbed. I don’t know how they got them, but the cast included Shelley Winters, John Huston, and Henry Fonda. Henry had sort of a cameo role, most of his scenes took place on a terrace and were, I’m sure, filmed in one day. He was part of a subplot that involved the work his company was doing on an underwater tunnel and the frequent use of high frequencies of sound that presumably created this monster octopus. Shelley played John Huston’s sister. Huston was a reporter and Shelley, a bit long in the tooth at this point in her career, as was Huston, was the mother of a little boy of about 10 or 12. What?? The whole thing was cheaply done, with bad special effects and closeups of a regular old octopus that were supposed to be terrifying. The plot got more absurd as the film went on, eventually involving some Shamu-type killer whales from a place not unlike Sea World that had been trained by the guy (played by Bo Hopkins) who was hunting the octopus (and who, by the way, had lost his wife, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and friend to the killer octopus, simply because they went out on a boat and used their radio to contact the Coast Guard – those sound frequencies again.) Bless them, those killer whales took on the octopus and killed him in a long scene that was so cheesy and blurry that I was unsure what I was seeing.
All this with a cheap sounding musical score created on a synthesizer.
I can’t make these things up.
It’s Friday. We have no plans for the weekend but Don does have a gig on Sunday. I have to catch up on my reading. I have books to read and review and I didn’t much feel like reading when I was sick.
Happy Friday.
The movie sounds like torture! My husband comes up with some of these movies too. I often wonder about Stars that are older that make such poor movies; good money I suppose is the motivating factor. Happy you are on the mend. Cool weather will only help.
But fun torture! I’m sure that money was the draw for those older actors – they were in that part of their careers where good parts just weren’t coming and they needed the money.
Glad you are feeling better Claudia. Cooler here as well (58 on our patio this a.m.!!). That movie sounds just awful!!! And silly at the same time. Have a wonderful weekend.
It was wonderfully silly, Vera. I kept singing along with the bad synthesizer music.
One of my guilty pleasures is 1950’s black and white space creature movies. My family laughs at me because I get excited when I find one on tv. They are so bad they are good.
We’ve watched our share of those movies. Such fun!
That movie sounds like some I’ve seen…they are bad…but I had so much time invested in watching…I had to see how it ended! Glad you are feeling better….nice and cool here so far…little rain showers…feels like fall! It’s a welcome change! ;)
It’s much nicer here today, Donnamae – I don’t know how long it will last, but I’m enjoying it.
You cracked me up Claudia and you sold me! Now I want to see that movie really bad just to see Henry Fonda in it. I can’t believe he’d be in a disaster flick or whatever you call that genre, creature invasion or something? And John Huston too! Can’t imagine it. Sure can imagine Shelley Winters though …
In my misspent teenage years, I hung out in Hollywood. None of us had a car and we’d hitch hike around town. One time my best friend and I were hitch hiking and Shelley Winters picked us up in her black Cadillac in West Hollywood. So much fun. She was really nice – and quirky. Just what you’d expect.
Happy weekend, glad you’re up and about!
They must have collected a nice paycheck, though I’m sure they did their best not to publicize it!
Nice to hear that Shelley Winters was a nice person! She was indeed quirky – but in a wonderful way.
Glad to hear you’re feeling better. And FUNNY post – made me LOL!!! Those schlocky movies really make you appreciate filmmakers who know what they’re doing. But they’re definitely entertaining in their way. A friend and I once started talking about that “Honey Boo Boo” program on TV. Neither one of us was aware that the other watched it on occasion – I mean, who would admit doing that? But somehow, we found out we did and now we have the most fun with it – a real guilty pleasure. For sheer entertainment value, we think it’s the best show on TV!
I’ve never seen Honey Boo Boo and don’t plan to. But I’m glad it makes you laugh – we all have those guilty pleasures, Janet! Thank goodness!
I remember a movie like that from long ago. I think the name of it was Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman. It was cheaply made but hard to not watch.
I think I’ve seen that one, Janie.
My brother and I saw Attack of the 50 Foot Woman when it came to our small town, a year or two after its initial release. It was the first time we were allowed to go to the theater alone, and that was to remain a rare treat since we just didn’t have the money for those Saturday matinees. I just read a synopsis that mentioned that she had gone after her cheating husband and can’t imagine our oh-so-protective parents letting us see that. What I remember is feeling so sorry for her. But then I was the kid who once stood up in the middle of a theater and shouted “Watch out!” to someone who was about to be ambushed in a Western. I was “there,” inside every story, no matter how unlikely it was.
The Swimmer with Burt Lancaster was so bad when we saw it at the theater long ago that I wanted to leave. Husband kept saying “No, something is going to happen soon.” It never did but now the movie is a cult classic. Did you ever see it?
Yes, I’ve seen it – or at least, part of it. Not sure whether I watched it all the way through, Dewena!
Really cheesy bad movies can be so fun and funny! Glad you are feeling better! I’m getting chores done this weekend before taking my vacation next week!
hugs,
Linda
You have to be in the right mood, and we were last night!
I actually woke up early this morning while it was still dark and I feel cold!..The end of July and I was covered with a blanket up to my chin Claudia..lol..I haven’t turned the AC on today yet..those movies sure are good for a laugh..it is kind of sad that these wonderful actors had to take such parts though..I always liked Shelly..she always seemed so bubbly and enjoyed laughing and joking..
We haven’t turned it on yet, either. And we just came in from a long lawn mowing session!
Claudia, I am amazed that Ted will sit through some of those made for TV movie on Lifetime., with me. LOL. Glad you are getting better, take the time to rest when you can. I am also very happy when the AC is off. I love having windows open and listening to birds. Blessings to you for a great weekend, xoxo,Susie
Don wouldn’t sit through those, Susie. I’m sure of it! There are some movies that I have to watch when he’s away.
I got a kick out of your movie review. So, do you give it a thumbs up, or thumb sideways, or a thumbs down? :) (Wait a minute, is it “thumbs” or “thumb” ?) Anyway, I am happy that you are feeling better~
I would give it a thumbs down for quality, script, and acting. I would give it a thumbs up for being so bad that it’s fun.