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David Elliott interviewed in San Diego Magazine

July 24th, 2008 by Scott Marks

I’d like to say good evening, and how do you do, ladies and gentlemen. Kup’s world ends tonight with a bunch of bon mots from the lovely Ginette Vicot. (I’d like to point out that long before Jesse Jackson’s corresponding verse, this rhymin’ Hyman had such a funny meter to the roar of his repeater, if you catch my drift.)

It’s been pointed out to yours truly, that not unlike legendary prankster Red ” Aaron Chwatt” Buttons, my friend Donald, err, uhh, David, I should say, Elliott never got a dinner.

You can’t blame a guy for wanting to throw back a few farewell stingers with Burl Stiff and his fellow penman at the Tickled Trout. More than sedi…cough…sentiment and supper, I mean, Dave wanted a chance to bid farewell to his loyal readers who couldn’t wait to rip open the Night and Day section to peruse his latest cinematic missives.

I gotta’ tell you that David was always a good man when we worked together at the Chicago Sun-Times, and according to Essee a very capable wordsmith. I preferred schmoozing with the stars to watching their dreck pictures where I frequently caught some shuteye. If only Elliott had written more about Bears great Sid Luckman, because I never was big on movie reviews. Besides, who am I to critique someone else’s writing? Truth be told, Essee writes most of this crap…Anyway, I’d like to go on record as personally thanking Dave for never letting it be known that I once let loose a trouser fillip in his presence while ascending the Chicago Theatre in their cramped elevator. Yes sir, two rode together and one blew! Heh! Heh!

Since I already ran a photo of Dave and his lovely daughter Samantha, I found it only fitting to publish a shot of his son Tarvis. That Elliott is one loyal foot soldier. I don’t care how much Marshall Field paid me, you’ wouldn’t catch me dead wearing a chazarai Sun-Times t-shirt. Only Manny’s in Elmhurst for this reporter!

Now Ivan Bunny, there’s one for movies! I tell ya’ he sees everything. He was the one that saw Meet Dave. You know, just recently, Bunny’s bald spot finally filled in. I’ll never forget the day he performed a self-inflicted Larry Fine in my office. It was right after he read where Elliott proclaimed The Road to Perdition “the greatest gangster film since The Godfather.” Now I going to stick up for the man because for this reporter’s money Perdition far outclassed Marty Scorceske’s Goodfellows or Casino. I think it was even better than Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot and Feds. (By the way, Mary Gross is a Chicago gal, I might add.)

Continue reading David Elliott interviewed in San Diego Magazine

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Filed Under Interviews, News

San Diego Does Cannes!

June 13th, 2008 by Scott Marks


by Earl Stiff

While most Americans can barely afford to go to the can, Uncle Burl and his pals docked the wave nuzzling, gas-guzzling Happy Days at the Cannes Film Festival. Forget about Edy Williams topless in a fountain; this year’s celebratory vat of escapist merchandising culminated in one of my Uncle’s penultimate achievements.

With many a top writer recently thrown overboard or forced to walk the plank, The Union-Tribune commissioned mon oncle to sail with him to this year’s festival and show the world just how easy it is to cover the film scene. The paper was right, of course. Seldom has journalism been this simple.

Wait until you read this column. It fills my heart. It fills my world. Look at the suave figure Mr. Copley cuts standing next to that lovely rum heiress. Also in attendance, Christian Slacker, all taut and ready to tackle the role of “Dad” in anything the Disney Channel throws his way, with his silver-cupped companion and Cannes cutie Tamara “Big” Melons. What can you say about handsome Charles Brandy except that he is the new Villalonga, but who is that tasty Tanya glued to his billfold?

And doesn’t nice Dominic Dunne look happy, knowing he has finally made it to the social summit, his reward after all those dreary days at the O.J. and Bobby Blake trials. I understand that he likes to hand-feed his poodles tapioca while wearing a pair of ill-fitting Bruno Magli’s.

I don’t know about that tootsie Mary Bilge. I think she is part of the bilge crew from the boat. That Madonna is a vixen from hell (she spoiled my nice feelings about Evita Peron) and better keep her man-grabbing paws off Andrew Shelton!

As for the text, what can anyone say except it makes Capote eat dust and is even better than Sidney Sheldon. One gripe - Uncle Burl should have been above those smarmy media-hog kid photos as they detract a little from his luster.

The closing words about the meals, with that cute little insider joke about Joan Collins being thick around the center, is simply priceless. And sharing the page with that pet adoption ad was just the right touch, a real zinger!

Still, there are some out there, jealous of Uncle Burl’s eminence, eager to throw him under a Bentley. City Beat’s Loathsome toady Kelly Davis wrote terrible things, so did the Reader’s guttersnipe Don Bauder. Other human refuse leaving comments on Bauder’s scabrous blog were JustWondering, HellcatCopley, Portofinoan, and Johnny Vegas, all showing their ignorance.

Uncle Burl’s fingers bled after completing of this column. It’s been too long since the Maestro was afforded this much space and it’s safe to say never has one man done so much with so little.

Copyright 2008 The Shelter Island Lutheran Picayune

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Filed Under Rants

Remembering Mel Ferrer…or was that Jose?

June 4th, 2008 by Scott Marks

It came as quite a surprise that the San Diego Union Tribune didn’t once mention Mel Ferrer’s co-founding of the La Jolla Playhouse in their obit. Isn’t this the paper that has vowed to combat the flood of on-line news coverage and attract a bigger audience by focusing on local events? Instead, they were content to pick up the wire tribute by Bob Thomas. Never would have happened on David Elliott’s watch.

The tributes keep pouring in on imdb.com. Of the 69 photos on the site, all but one features Audrey Hepburn. The general consensus on the message boards favors Lili as Ferrer’s best film. Mel as a lame puppeteer opposite perky Leslie Caron makes for one of the dullest musicals from Metro’s otherwise Golden Age.

After a cursory scan of Mel’s filmography, santafesheriff ranks Wait Until Dark in Ferrer’s top five. Too bad Mel produced and never appears on screen. fulcilives2001 was brazen enough to call Eaten Alive his second best effort. It features Sig Sackowicz in a bit role as a sheriff and even that isn’t enough of an incentive to suggest that you sit through it.

The award for the most insightful imdb’er goes to FilmSon for writing, “My favorite is the one Mr Ferrer won the Oscar for: Cyrano De Bergerac.” His father must have been Irv Kupcinet. Hey, sonny, Jose took home the gold not his sister Mel. Go crawl back in your hole.

If I had one Mel Ferrer film to rewatch it would be that gorgeous three-strip Technicolor and CinemaScope print of Oh…Rosalinda that was shown when The Film Center of the Art Institute did their Powell & Pressburger retrospective many moons ago. That would probably be an impossibility, so in its place I’d opt for another visit to Guyana: Cult of the Damned. I don’t really remember Mel in the picture, something than can be said of most of the movies he appeared in. I long to reexamine Stuart Whitman’s riveting performance as Jim Jones and a dizzying cameo by an over-the-hill Yvonne DeCarlo.

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Filed Under News, Obituaries

San Diego Union Tribune loses film critic David Elliott

January 16th, 2008 by Scott Marks

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David Elliott is my friend, easily the most intelligent, compassionate and loyal influence on my life this side of my mother. We may disagree when it comes to certain films (the gag reflex still kicks in when I think of his ** review of Goodfellas), but if there is a finer writer practicing the art of film criticism for a daily newspaper in the United States, please forward me their reviews.

Anything I have to say concerning David’s termination would be fueled with both bias and bile. David wrote for the San Diego Union Tribune for going on 24 years and the paper’s recent attempts to increase profits by firing staffers stinks. As much as I would love to prick myself and bleed for you, out of respect for our near-30-year friendship, I will hold my tongue.

In addition to feeling a friend’s loss, what troubles me almost as much is the way film criticism has been cheapened over the past ten years. I still remember the 60s when critics battled over art. Ebert and Siskel with their goddamned thumbs helped transform an art form into an electronic tip sheet peppered with blurbs and one-liners.

Who will replace David? Wire copy. Editors figure that unlike plays or concerts, films pretty much open on the same day across the country. Why bother to pay a local critic when it is so much easier (and cheaper) to run with wire reviews? Never mind individuality or pride in ownership. In Chicago, a day didn’t pass where I failed to see the faces of Roger Ebert or Mike Royko or Irv Kupcinet leering back at me from buses and billboards. These journalists were star players and were treated as such. In the depths of their ignorance, the U-T pooh-poohs the concept of journalist as superstar. If you didn’t know that the paper employed a phenomenal critic, they sure in hell weren’t going to tell you.

Is film criticism so expendable that individual voices must be whittled down into a few souls fortunate enough to be syndicated? And what about the voices on the fountain of misinformation highway that want so much to court studio favor that they fawn over all things projected? These aren’t critics, they’re reviewers who fill a paragraph with plot description and stick stars at the top of the page.

As much as I love goofing on Burl Stiff’s column/society roll call (this guy should have the word “gift” printed across the top of each paycheck and they ax Elliott) you will never again see me carrying a copy of the Union Tribune. I’d rather read the Poway Penny Saver. If I need a Stiff fix there is always their impossible to navigate website which, even though it’s free, is still overpriced.

UPDATE

While my passionate anger keeps me from spilling my guts, that won’t stop me from finding other writers who are eager to discuss publisher David Copley.

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In response to the recent spate of layoffs, City Beat’s Kelly Davis wrote a wonderful article discussing Mr. Copley’s extravagant lifestyle.

Here is a link to Kelly’s City Beat article.

Here is a link to my KPBS Film Club partner Beth Accomando’s thoughts.

How stands the Union now, Mr. Copley?

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Filed Under News