TAMING OF THE SHREW
Your June 2005 RMC Results Are in!
The Preshow Entertainment was: Carol Leifer, John Cougar, and Adam and the Ants.
Carol Leifer- Stand Up sure has changed throughout the years. And these three segments culled from early 1980s Letterman appearances prove it. Segues, content, and rhythms; all different.
I loved Carol Leifer's work. Watching it back, it was still funny, but not as much of a scream as I remember (of course, I have changed as well). But it's a great little time capsule. I still enjoy how likable she was when doing her bit. Lots of laughing at her own material, but just to punch the joke, not for any sort of ego. In Segment 1, she wore a sort of sailor suit (it was the early '80s). They also put a Chyron of her name over her while she was paneling, something Letterman hasn't done in 20 years. Leifer went on to write on SNL, SEINFELD (She dated Jerry, and Elaine's character was modeled after her), and LARRY SANDERS. And yes, she still does Stand Up.
Next up, John Cougar (he hadn't used his last name Mellencamp yet) right before he broke, with a good song and cheap video called AIN'T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT. In it, you can spot Eric Rosser, who played piano in the band. Or, more recently, you could watch AMERICA'S MOST WANTED and see him in cuffs, arrested for child pornography and molestation.
The Preshow Entertainment wrapped up with Adam and the Ants on Tomorrow (Tom Snyder). They played ANTMUSIC. Then Adam (nee Stuart Goddard) sat with Tom and had to answer such questions as, "I read about you, didn't you start off as a punker?" and "Why the pirate costume?" They finished with LOS RANCHEROS.
It was time to start the random movie. I have never seen a Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor movie before. I know this because I've only seen one Burton film (THE EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC, which was the first film I ever worked on), and two Taylor films (THE MIRROR CRACK'D and THE FLINTSTONES!). The movie is Franco Zeffirelli's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW.
Although I heard this was a play, I already knew the story from seeing 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. Okay, that's me trying to be funny. The truth is, I knew the story from KISS ME KATE.
In this version, Burton and Taylor not only chew the scenery, they break it into pieces. Prithee, for nary a scene playeth lest some knave toss and breaketh objects that reach well within a poor man's arm. And all this made noise. If only THX had been around in 1967.
I can only guess that there was plenty missing from this version, as the arc of Katharina's taming came pretty fast. There are a few people on this list that must know more, if they're willing to chimeth in.
It was one of the most vocal RMCs, as people spat their hit or miss quips at the screen. In spite of this (surely, I too was a stone caster), I still managed to enjoy this movie.
Also, halfway though, Stephen upped and left. And as per the RMC rules, no one said goodbye to him. It turns out that parting is not such sweet sorrow
after all.
Tags: random movie club, taming of the shrew, elizabeth taylor, carol leifer, john cougar, adam and the ants
