Musical Mondays Week 9 Pete's Dragon (1977)

[tomspanks 9039]

In addition to Elliot's dental issues, I was concerned with Lampy's long-term chronic alcohol abuse and how nobody else was concerned about it! More specifically, I was concerned about Lampy developing/having Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS). It's caused by a deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B1), which is an essential nutrient, especially for the brain. Most long-term alcoholics are thiamine deficient. This can lead to WKS, which is characterized by confusion, poor muscle coordination, and memory problems. Sound like someone we know?

 

Anyway, this has been a PSA.

 

[FisterRoboto 7499]

This can lead to WKS, which is characterized by confusion, poor muscle coordination, and memory problems. Sound like someone we know?

Please don't talk about me like I'm not here.

[kateacola 2440]

To go off what I said earlier about some of the actors over-doing it. I think Mickey Rooney & Jim Dale (Dr. Terminus) may have slightly been over-doing but in their cases I appreciated that. They definitely weren't phoning it in. I enjoyed their performances and especially Dale's as Terminus.

 

I think Hoagy (Red Buttons) was trying a bit too hard to bring a similar type of performance as the others were. And I dunno it was a little too much sometimes/ a little cheesy but that probably does play better towards the young audience.

But otherwise he did a better job with his performances in the songs. But when he had just straight dialouge he went a little too far?

[kateacola 2440]

In addition to Elliot's dental issues, I was concerned with Lampy's long-term chronic alcohol abuse and how nobody else was concerned about it! More specifically, I was concerned about Lampy developing/having Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS). It's caused by a deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B1), which is an essential nutrient, especially for the brain. Most long-term alcoholics are thiamine deficient. This can lead to WKS, which is characterized by confusion, poor muscle coordination, and memory problems. Sound like someone we know?

 

Anyway, this has been a PSA.

 

 

Lol. the cat scratch fever post for Sleepwalkers and now this one.. I'm seeing a theme...maybe a reoccuring segment "Tom's Health PSAs"

https://youtu.be/JQghgR9kbRs

[Cameron H. 23786]

To go off what I said earlier about some of the actors over-doing it. I think Mickey Rooney & Jim Dale (Dr. Terminus) may have slightly been over-doing but in their cases I appreciated that. They definitely weren't phoning it in. I enjoyed their performances and especially Dale's as Terminus.

 

I think Hoagy (Red Buttons) was trying a bit too hard to bring a similar type of performance as the others were. And I dunno it was a little too much sometimes/ a little cheesy but that probably does play better towards the young audience.

But otherwise he did a better job with his performances in the songs. But when he had just straight dialouge he went a little too far?

 

I really enjoyed Mickey Rooney and Jim Dale. I think you're right though, Red Buttons never really found his "thing."

 

BTW-Jim Dale narrates the Harry Potter audiobooks and he's really great--even if his pronunciations are a bit wonky.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I just want to go back a bit and point out how backwards and dumb the town folks are. Like already mentioned Pete comes to town and Elliot starts wrecking havoc all over the place, but yet giant foot prints and things that are beyond the strength level of a orphan boy get blamed on Pete. The townsfolk are quick to blame him. I can see the headline in the paper now, "Boy Comes To Town, Ruins Everything." Then fishing takes a down turn. He's been there all of like two days and all of a sudden it's Pete and Elliot's fault that they can't catch fish? The invisible dragon has scared them all away in the matter of a few days? Yet at first they don't even believe in the dragon and sing a song about it. They are willing enough to make it a scapegoat for their problems. Then following day when the fish return this to is due to Elliot? How? He got rid of a family of dirt farmers who didn't live there and the snake oil salesman also left but he was going to be leaving soon anyway. In fact he only stayed longer because of Elliot. How did anything that happened lead to him bringing the fish back? Why would they be so happy to believe in him and think he's good then?

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I brought this up on letterboxd but it really bothered me.

 

The Gogans are awful stereotypes of hideous garbagepeople. Sure, we've got that. And somehow, in this idyllic 1950's rendition of Maine, alcoholism is rife, women are objects, and slavery is not only legal but normalised. So, in the society that has been established, the Gogans have spent $50.50 on Pete, which a HUGE amount of money relative to the time - ten times more than Dr. Terminus offers Pete to buy Elliott - and they want him to be their servant at their farm. It seems like they're mean and wish to do Pete harm, but maybe they're mostly mean because their high-priced slaveboy has run off with his imaginary friend? They have a legal bill of sale, so it's not like they are illegal slaveowners. So whenever they show up, they're exercising their legal right to hold on to Pete. Now, it's not right, and it's not good, but could it be... just a little bit... that they're hard done by with Elliott's ultimate gesture of setting their contract on fire? If we posit a society where child ownership is not only legal but unremarkable (which this is - so contemporary attitudes towards slavery should be set aside), I would say the Gogans have an excellent case to make in any court for the return of their property. What I would have much preferred would have been to see Nora give them fifty bucks to go away, then they're not out of pocket. Look at them! Can they afford to throw fifty bucks away? And those two boys, do they really look like they'd be useful on the farm?

[Cameron H. 23786]

I brought this up on letterboxd but it really bothered me.

 

The Gogans are awful stereotypes of hideous garbagepeople. Sure, we've got that. And somehow, in this idyllic 1950's rendition of Maine, alcoholism is rife, women are objects, and slavery is not only legal but normalised. So, in the society that has been established, the Gogans have spent $50.50 on Pete, which a HUGE amount of money relative to the time - ten times more than Dr. Terminus offers Pete to buy Elliott - and they want him to be their servant at their farm. It seems like they're mean and wish to do Pete harm, but maybe they're mostly mean because their high-priced slaveboy has run off with his imaginary friend? They have a legal bill of sale, so it's not like they are illegal slaveowners. So whenever they show up, they're exercising their legal right to hold on to Pete. Now, it's not right, and it's not good, but could it be... just a little bit... that they're hard done by with Elliott's ultimate gesture of setting their contract on fire? If we posit a society where child ownership is not only legal but unremarkable (which this is - so contemporary attitudes towards slavery should be set aside), I would say the Gogans have an excellent case to make in any court for the return of their property. What I would have much preferred would have been to see Nora give them fifty bucks to go away, then they're not out of pocket. Look at them! Can they afford to throw fifty bucks away? And those two boys, do they really look like they'd be useful on the farm?

 

Just curious...how'd you narrow it down to the 50's? Did I miss something? Because homeboy's ship looked positively 18th century, they're still in horse drawn carriages, slavery's apparently still legal, but they also have such amenities as fresh baked bread delivery. I was having real issues trying to peg down when exactly all this shit was happening...

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Just curious...how'd you narrow it down to the 50's? Did I miss something? Because homeboy's ship looked positively 18th century, they're still in horse drawn carriages, slavery's apparently still legal, but they also have such amenities as fresh baked bread delivery. I was having real issues trying to peg down when exactly all this shit was happening...

Yeah, great point. I think I just went with the wholesome 1950's picket fence look, but of course the schooling and the dirt streets and quack doctors and horse drawn carriage and really you're right it's much earlier and OMG PETE'S DRAGON IS BASICALLY THERE WILL BE BLOOD

[FisterRoboto 7499]

but they also have such amenities as fresh baked bread delivery.

Not to mention eggs delivered by a guy whose sole mission seems to be finding a way to be in front of Pete and Elliot while carrying a ridiculously large stack of egg crates.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Not to mention eggs delivered by a guy whose sole mission seems to be finding a way to be in front of Pete and Elliot while carrying a ridiculously large stack of egg crates.

 

Fuck that guy. He deserves anything bad that happens to him.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

This site - http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Pete-Dragon-Movie-Take-Place-71954.html - suggests that the 1977 version was set in the first decade of the 20th century, long after slavery was abolished.

[kateacola 2440]

Just curious...how'd you narrow it down to the 50's? Did I miss something? Because homeboy's ship looked positively 18th century, they're still in horse drawn carriages, slavery's apparently still legal, but they also have such amenities as fresh baked bread delivery. I was having real issues trying to peg down when exactly all this shit was happening...

I was not sure about the time period 100% either, but did assume it was a bit earlier too...

 

I would say the Gogans have an excellent case to make in any court for the return of their property. What I would have much preferred would have been to see Nora give them fifty bucks to go away, then they're not out of pocket. Look at them! Can they afford to throw fifty bucks away? And those two boys, do they really look like they'd be useful on the farm?

I agree, I guess if they had paperwork and it was widely accepted at the time they have a case. And I thought too maybe Nora was going to throw money at them to make them go away / settle their whole thing about paying $50 plus legal for him.

 

But also fuck them because they were awful.

Maybe they hadn't (or were going to do) all the things they said in their songs. But even just saying that shit would be emotionally traumatizing and mental abuse.

 

"put his head in the river, let the pup drown.."

"gonna paw him, claw him, saw him in half"

"beat him, heat him, eat him for dessert"

.."fill him full of lead"

 

like damn..

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

I was not sure about the time period 100% but did think it was a bit earlier too...

 

 

I agree, I guess if they had paperwork and it was widely accepted at the time they have a case. And I thought too maybe Nora was going to throw money at them to make them go away / settle their whole thing about paying $50 plus legal for him.

 

But also fuck them because they were awful.

Maybe they hadn't (or were going to do) all the things they said in their songs. But even just saying that shit would be emotionally traumatizing and mental abuse.

 

"put his head in the river, let the pup drown.."

"gonna paw him, claw him, saw him in half"

"beat him, heat him, eat him for dessert"

.."fill him full of lead"

 

like damn..

 

Maybe you "bought" orphans back then? Isn't the adoption process still pricey?

[kateacola 2440]

Cakebug-- did this make your kids cry?

[tomspanks 9039]

I also couldn't pin down the time period. I wasn't sure if the clothes were from a certain time period or maybe it was modern-yet-quaint fishing village chic? Also adding to my time confusion was Lampy's modern bicycle.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Cakebug-- did this make your kids cry?

Cry with BOREDOM

[Cameron H. 23786]

Oh, shit...

 

Cam Bert, I think your mother is going to have a hard time this week deciding who's Ted Neeley Handsome* this week.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm guessing Jim Dale--if she's into magicians. I guess Nora's beau isn't too bad either. He kind of has a Richard Kiel quality about him though. Fun Fact: Richard Kiel played a steel toothed henchman in the Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor movie Silver Streak a year before debuting as Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me.

 

 

 

 

*Max, every movie, since learning Cam Bert's mother had a huuuuuuuuge cruch on Ted Neeley (AKA Jesus Christ Superstar), she tells us who the most bangable person in a movie is.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I think all four of those men you posted are certifiably TNH.

[kateacola 2440]

Oh, shit...

 

Cam Bert, I think your mother is going to have a hard time this week deciding who's Ted Neeley Handsome* this week.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm guessing Jim Dale--if she's into magicians. I guess Nora's beau isn't too bad either. He kind of has a Richard Kiel quality about him though. Fun Fact: Richard Kiel played a steel toothed henchman in the Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor movie Silver Streak a year before debuting as Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me.

 

 

 

 

*Max, every movie, since learning Cam Bert's mother had a huuuuuuuuge cruch on Ted Neeley (AKA Jesus Christ Superstar), she tells us who the most bangable person in a movie is.

They all have mustaches (think Jeff Conaway's is a dirt mustache there though -lol) but no creepy blonde mustaches like from Cabaret. And we established Cam Bert's mom is not for wispy blonde mustaches. (Max was the character's name right from Cabaret?)

 

So all could be TNH

 

but I'm guessing either Terminus or Paul too.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

My 100%, no-doubt, ABSOLUTE favourite moment of this movie came when Lampy was with Pete and Pete howled out like he was a little feral dragon boy. And a look flickered across Mickey Rooney's face, ever so briefly.

 

And you knew exactly where his mind went.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlZ5oGibiDc&t=1m12s

 

(the timestamp embedding doesn't work on that link so jump ahead to 1.12)

 

ETA: Now actively advocating for a mash-up called Puck's Dragon.

[JammerLea 2070]

My 100%, no-doubt, ABSOLUTE favourite moment of this movie came when Lampy was with Pete and Pete howled out like he was a little feral dragon boy. And a look flickered across Mickey Rooney's face, ever so briefly.

 

My roommate just made me play that video three times in a row we're dying omg

[tomspanks 9039]

 

I'm guessing Jim Dale--if she's into magicians. I guess Nora's beau isn't too bad either. He kind of has a Richard Kiel quality about him though. Fun Fact: Richard Kiel played a steel toothed henchman in the Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor movie Silver Streak a year before debuting as Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me.

 

At first I read this too quickly and thought it WAS Kiel. Then I read it more carefully and was disappointed.

I spy a bobo Frank Stallone over bobo Jaws' shoulder.

[JammerLea 2070]

I agree with a lot of the comments here! The movie was much longer than I remembered or expected it to be. It really did have a lot going on for something that is supposed to entertain kids.

 

I think I enjoyed the more exaggerated characters like Dr. Terminus. Tbh I loved his outfit??

 

But yeah, the songs, while catchy, were drawn out a bit too long (were the dance numbers that necessary?), so I was ready to forget them once they were over. I do still hear "Every Little Piece" in my head lol

 

The opening song though... I had trouble figuring out what the goal of the Gogans were in having Pete. Like... did they just want slave labor? Or to kill him? Or to eat him? Maybe it's all three. You'd think if they put their life savings into purchasing one lone child to work the farm, that maybe they'd consider taking a little bit better care of him. (I was also amused how they weren't just dirty, but so dirty literal dust was flying off of them.)

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

The opening song though... I had trouble figuring out what the goal of the Gogans were in having Pete. Like... did they just want slave labor? Or to kill him? Or to eat him? Maybe it's all three. You'd think if they put their life savings into purchasing one lone child to work the farm, that maybe they'd consider taking a little bit better care of him. (I was also amused how they weren't just dirty, but so dirty literal dust was flying off of them.)

 

"Oh, Petey. Oh, Petey. Come home and replace the son we lost..."