Comments on: The Terrorists Are Coming, the Terrorists Are Coming! http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:10:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: foolery http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-3165 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:20:13 +0000 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-3165 I sure wasn't looking for this but I stumbled upon this post today and had to comment. "TRAC!TRAC!" is one of my all-time favorite movies, for all of the above reasons (Arkin is wonderful) but for one additional: it was filmed not on the east coast, but in Mendocino, California, which is one of my childhood places. My grandparents lived there in the '60s-70s, and my grandfather and his best friend were extras in the movie. The casting director wanted people who looked like east coast fishermen, and those two were west coast fishermen. Papa showed up in his red plaid hunting jacket and furry hat with his rifle, and Cliff was similar attired. They were front and center during the angry mob scene, and in the above photo of the mob scene you can just see Papa in the bottom right corner (I think). The church in the big finale is the Mendocino Presbyterian church and is featured in nearly every postcard of Mendocino. My parents were married there. Papa's only memories of the movie that he shared with me were all the "darned hippies" who elbowed their way to the front in the mob scene -- take a look: do YOU see any hippies in that scene? and Papa was in the front row, ha ha -- and that Jonathan Winters practiced mugging in front of a mirror to crack the extras up. Thank you for this unexpected treat, and for indulging me as a huge blowhard. No one I know knows this movie, so it's fun to find people who appreciate it. -- Laurie LaGrone, Orland, CA I sure wasn’t looking for this but I stumbled upon this post today and had to comment. “TRAC!TRAC!” is one of my all-time favorite movies, for all of the above reasons (Arkin is wonderful) but for one additional: it was filmed not on the east coast, but in Mendocino, California, which is one of my childhood places. My grandparents lived there in the ’60s-70s, and my grandfather and his best friend were extras in the movie. The casting director wanted people who looked like east coast fishermen, and those two were west coast fishermen. Papa showed up in his red plaid hunting jacket and furry hat with his rifle, and Cliff was similar attired. They were front and center during the angry mob scene, and in the above photo of the mob scene you can just see Papa in the bottom right corner (I think).

The church in the big finale is the Mendocino Presbyterian church and is featured in nearly every postcard of Mendocino. My parents were married there.

Papa’s only memories of the movie that he shared with me were all the “darned hippies” who elbowed their way to the front in the mob scene — take a look: do YOU see any hippies in that scene? and Papa was in the front row, ha ha — and that Jonathan Winters practiced mugging in front of a mirror to crack the extras up.

Thank you for this unexpected treat, and for indulging me as a huge blowhard. No one I know knows this movie, so it’s fun to find people who appreciate it.

— Laurie LaGrone, Orland, CA

]]> by: Victor http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-1656 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:38:37 +0100 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-1656 As a russian viewer, I must say it's one of the few movies where american actors speak russian rather good (maybe because of Mr.Arkin's russian background). Usually russian language sounds awful even in contemporary movies - when everything is messed up. P.S. I found your blog just recently and I must say I'm really impressed - you've been doing a great job, thank you! As a russian viewer, I must say it’s one of the few movies where american actors speak russian rather good (maybe because of Mr.Arkin’s russian background). Usually russian language sounds awful even in contemporary movies - when everything is messed up.

P.S. I found your blog just recently and I must say I’m really impressed - you’ve been doing a great job, thank you!

]]> by: cinebeats http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-999 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:40:16 +0000 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-999 Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jeremy! I'm glad you got the chance to watch this recently. I think my main problems with Little Miss Sunshine were the hype surrounding it when I saw it and the sentimentality just didn't really work for me. Arkin was terrific though! I wish the film had been all about him. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jeremy! I’m glad you got the chance to watch this recently.

I think my main problems with Little Miss Sunshine were the hype surrounding it when I saw it and the sentimentality just didn’t really work for me. Arkin was terrific though! I wish the film had been all about him.

]]> by: Jeremy http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-996 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:32:34 +0000 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-996 I just watched this last night after burning it off TCM last week... I enjoyed it for the most part. I thought the first half was a bit stronger, as the second felt like it could have been tightened up a bit. I specifically felt like the last thirty minutes really drug on... Still, I liked the film and love many in the cast, including Arkin and Law. As for Little Miss Sunshine...I liked the film a bit more than you did but frankly couldn't comprehend it getting a nomination for best picture. Parts of it don't work at all, and it really tested my patience in the second half. I thought specifically the hospital sequence was incredibly stupid and overdone...that said, Arkin was fantastic in it... Oh, and I really dig Brian Dennehy as well and look forward to his programming... I just watched this last night after burning it off TCM last week…
I enjoyed it for the most part. I thought the first half was a bit stronger, as the second felt like it could have been tightened up a bit. I specifically felt like the last thirty minutes really drug on…
Still, I liked the film and love many in the cast, including Arkin and Law.

As for Little Miss Sunshine…I liked the film a bit more than you did but frankly couldn’t comprehend it getting a nomination for best picture. Parts of it don’t work at all, and it really tested my patience in the second half. I thought specifically the hospital sequence was incredibly stupid and overdone…that said, Arkin was fantastic in it…

Oh, and I really dig Brian Dennehy as well and look forward to his programming…

]]> by: cinebeats http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-992 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:06:57 +0000 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-992 You may thought about the movie a little more than me Jonathan but thanks for sharing your thoughts on it. I just felt it was a predictable and rather dull dramedy that Hollywood/Sundance has been releasing on the public for years now. The whole story got on my nerves. Also, all the critical hype about the movie completely confused me... but it often does. If Arkin wasn't in it I couldn't have gotten through the movie, and by the time he left I was ready to stop watching the damn thing. You may thought about the movie a little more than me Jonathan but thanks for sharing your thoughts on it. I just felt it was a predictable and rather dull dramedy that Hollywood/Sundance has been releasing on the public for years now. The whole story got on my nerves. Also, all the critical hype about the movie completely confused me… but it often does. If Arkin wasn’t in it I couldn’t have gotten through the movie, and by the time he left I was ready to stop watching the damn thing.

]]> by: Jonathan Lapper http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-984 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 06:42:01 +0000 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-984 Well, since you brought up <b>Little Miss Sunshine</b> let me say just a couple of things about it. First, it's fairly innocuous so I can't say I have any intense like or dislike for it. And I thought everyone was very good in it although Arkin was my favorite. My problem with the movie was in the extraordinary convergence of catharses going on. In the course of one short road trip the father discovers his business plan/book is a failure and won't happen, the brother-in-law sees the student he loved and almost killed himself over in a gas station on the highway and the son finds out he's color-blind and can't get into the Air Force because his little sister just happened upon a color blind test at the hospital. <i><b>She happened upon a color blind test??!!!?!?!</b></i> And all of these problems are compounded by the fact that the grandfather has died and is in the back of the van. It all just felt too clever, too convenient and too cliched. Had it passed by unnoticed except for Arkin I probably would've liked it better but given the praise heaped upon it I found myself at a loss to understand its appeal to critics. I fully understand its appeal with audiences. Again it's innocuous enough that if people want to be mindlessly entertained for a couple of hours with cliched characters I accept that's pretty much how it goes. But the critics, people whose careers require they see hundreds of films a year and thus become acutely aware of cliche, that I couldn't understand. I walked into the movie under the distinct impression that I was going to be seeing something on par with the best Woody Allen observational character comedies. Ahem... it was not. Well, since you brought up Little Miss Sunshine let me say just a couple of things about it. First, it’s fairly innocuous so I can’t say I have any intense like or dislike for it. And I thought everyone was very good in it although Arkin was my favorite. My problem with the movie was in the extraordinary convergence of catharses going on. In the course of one short road trip the father discovers his business plan/book is a failure and won’t happen, the brother-in-law sees the student he loved and almost killed himself over in a gas station on the highway and the son finds out he’s color-blind and can’t get into the Air Force because his little sister just happened upon a color blind test at the hospital. She happened upon a color blind test??!!!?!?! And all of these problems are compounded by the fact that the grandfather has died and is in the back of the van. It all just felt too clever, too convenient and too cliched. Had it passed by unnoticed except for Arkin I probably would’ve liked it better but given the praise heaped upon it I found myself at a loss to understand its appeal to critics. I fully understand its appeal with audiences. Again it’s innocuous enough that if people want to be mindlessly entertained for a couple of hours with cliched characters I accept that’s pretty much how it goes. But the critics, people whose careers require they see hundreds of films a year and thus become acutely aware of cliche, that I couldn’t understand. I walked into the movie under the distinct impression that I was going to be seeing something on par with the best Woody Allen observational character comedies. Ahem… it was not.

]]> by: cinebeats http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-982 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:34:06 +0000 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-982 Thanks for the feedback Jonathan! I totally agree with you about Arkin. I've always liked him a lot too. A couple of his other best films are the wonderful but rarely seen <strong>Little Murders</strong> (1971) with Elliot Gould, which Arkin even directed. He really didn't get enough praise for that terrific and funny film. I also like him in <strong>The In-Laws</strong> (1979) with Peter Falk a lot. I was happy that he won an Oscar too recently. He was really the only reason to watch <strong>Little Miss Sunshine</strong> since he was easily the best thing the movie (at least in my not so humble opinion). TCM has been terrific so far! I'm so glad I got to see <strong>Black Moon</strong> earlier (it might be my favorite Malle film now) and I'm really looking forward to watching the British comedy <strong>The Wrong Box</strong> soon. You can expect a review of it here after I do! Thanks for the feedback Jonathan! I totally agree with you about Arkin. I’ve always liked him a lot too. A couple of his other best films are the wonderful but rarely seen Little Murders (1971) with Elliot Gould, which Arkin even directed. He really didn’t get enough praise for that terrific and funny film. I also like him in The In-Laws (1979) with Peter Falk a lot.

I was happy that he won an Oscar too recently. He was really the only reason to watch Little Miss Sunshine since he was easily the best thing the movie (at least in my not so humble opinion).

TCM has been terrific so far! I’m so glad I got to see Black Moon earlier (it might be my favorite Malle film now) and I’m really looking forward to watching the British comedy The Wrong Box soon. You can expect a review of it here after I do!

]]> by: Jonathan Lapper http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-981 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:04:56 +0000 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-981 Alan Arkin has always been one of my favorite actors and I love him in this. He gave so many great performances in the sixties (<b>Wait Until Dark, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22 (1970)</b>) but for whatever reason he just never caught on with the masses. I'm so glad he finally won an Oscar but I wish he'd been nominated more in the sixties and seventies. I watched this again the other night too and I still find it enjoyable. I think it's compared to <b>It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World</b> also because it's one of the last of the "sixties" style comedies before the whole modern sense of comedy took over with works in the mold of Richard Lester (frenetic pacing), Mel Brooks (crude, off-color humor) and Woody Allen (one-liners, dialogue comedy). A combination of Lester and Brooks (fast-paced, very crude) still dominates comedy to this day. This movie really feels gentle and warm in comparison to what followed. It has a sense of ease with its subject and doesn't make you squirm with awkward slapstick. And aside from Arkin, I agree that Brian Keith and Carl Reiner are very good indeed. But Arkin's my favorite. What a talent he is. Thanks for great post, and so glad you have TCM now. I've had the opportunity to see so many movies again from childhood thanks to this channel and I'm glad now that you can too. Alan Arkin has always been one of my favorite actors and I love him in this. He gave so many great performances in the sixties (Wait Until Dark, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22 (1970)) but for whatever reason he just never caught on with the masses. I’m so glad he finally won an Oscar but I wish he’d been nominated more in the sixties and seventies.

I watched this again the other night too and I still find it enjoyable. I think it’s compared to It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World also because it’s one of the last of the “sixties” style comedies before the whole modern sense of comedy took over with works in the mold of Richard Lester (frenetic pacing), Mel Brooks (crude, off-color humor) and Woody Allen (one-liners, dialogue comedy). A combination of Lester and Brooks (fast-paced, very crude) still dominates comedy to this day.

This movie really feels gentle and warm in comparison to what followed. It has a sense of ease with its subject and doesn’t make you squirm with awkward slapstick. And aside from Arkin, I agree that Brian Keith and Carl Reiner are very good indeed. But Arkin’s my favorite. What a talent he is.

Thanks for great post, and so glad you have TCM now. I’ve had the opportunity to see so many movies again from childhood thanks to this channel and I’m glad now that you can too.

]]> by: cinebeats http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-980 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:24:11 +0000 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-980 Thanks for your enthusiastic comment Keith! I think you'd still find things to like about the movie if you saw it again. Reiner and Arkin are really good in it and I can watch John Philip Law in anything. Thanks for your enthusiastic comment Keith! I think you’d still find things to like about the movie if you saw it again. Reiner and Arkin are really good in it and I can watch John Philip Law in anything.

]]> by: Keith http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-979 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:21:23 +0000 http://cinebeats.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/the-terrorists-are-coming-the-terrorists-are-coming/#comment-979 Hey Kimberly. What a great blog. I haven't seen this film since I was a kid. I loved it back then. Me and all my friends laughed so hard watching it. I'll have to give it a shot now to see if I still enjoy it as an adult. It's nice to see that you're a fan of it as a child and adult. I do think this film has a timely message for us now as well as then. We can never let mass hysteria rule our lives. We've got to keep our wits and reason. There's always a new boogeyman out there. Hey Kimberly. What a great blog. I haven’t seen this film since I was a kid. I loved it back then. Me and all my friends laughed so hard watching it. I’ll have to give it a shot now to see if I still enjoy it as an adult. It’s nice to see that you’re a fan of it as a child and adult. I do think this film has a timely message for us now as well as then. We can never let mass hysteria rule our lives. We’ve got to keep our wits and reason. There’s always a new boogeyman out there.

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