For a brief moment after last week’s election upset in the U.S., it was suggested that the main feature for the Dunvegan Recreation Association’s first “Saturday Night Movie” event be replaced. The fear was that some folks might be unable to appreciate the ironic nature of Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks’ scathing satire, and would take it as a licence to become a redneck. Luckily, common sense prevailed and the program remains unchanged. As event organizer, Laurie Maus told me, “thankfully, we’ve been saved from an evening of Shirley Temple reruns.”
If you’ve never seen it, Blazing Saddles is a tongue-in-cheek western directed by Mel Brooks. As actor/director Jon Vogel sums it up in the summary on the IMDb web site, the film is the: “Ultimate Western Spoof. A town where everyone seems to be named Johnson is in the way of the railroad. In order to grab their land, Hedley Lemar, a politically connected nasty person, sends in his henchmen to make the town unlivable. After the sheriff is killed, the town demands a new sheriff from the Governor. Hedley convinces him to send the town the first Black sheriff in the west.”
One of the joys of watching classic films like these is reading about goofs spotted by diehard fans. For example, keep your eyes peeled for the scene where the Sheriff encounters Count Basie and his band. Apparently, the band isn’t actually playing the music you hear on the film’s soundtrack. I’m told this is glaringly obvious if you focus on the drummer. His drumsticks remain at rest when the sound of a drum is heard.
The rib-tickling event is scheduled for this coming Saturday, November 19th at 7 PM. Movie goers are encouraged to bring their own chairs or pillows as the hall seating lacks plush padding. It’s also suggested you bring along the snacks or beverages you favour. There is no concession stand, although the DRA will be dishing out hot-buttered popcorn.
Before we leave this topic, I wanted to mention that Western regalia is welcome. Often with these cult films, fans will dress up or bring props to pull out during key scenes. The newspaper hats that many audience members don during the “Over at the Frankenstein Place” scene in the Rocky Horror Picture Show comes to mind.
Laurie tells me that she and Vivian Franklin are coming dressed as cowpersons. However, in keeping with Laurie’s dry sense of humour, she admits that, “when I looked at what I would normally be wearing, I don’t think anyone will notice a difference.” PS: Since we’re Canadian and it’s 2016, gunslingers will be asked to check their six-shooters at the door.
Everything but the Carols
If you’re one of those who plan on giving the DRA’s 2016 Music & Mayhem Christmas concert a miss — because you saw it last year — you’re making a BIG mistake. Rosemary Chatterson, the show’s writer/director, guarantees me that ALL the material in this year’s production is brand new. “Except for the Christmas carols,” quipped Rosemary. “I didn’t think people would want us rewriting those.”
Despite these reassurances, as your Dunvegan representative, I thought it best to check things out firsthand. So I attended last week’s rehearsal. And to sum up my impressions in a single word… WOW! I was flabbergasted as Audrey Nixon, Jim McRae, Gerry Schmidt, Shashtin and Jim Winchester, Rosemary Chatterson, Allan MacDonald, Flip Flockton and keyboardist Elizabeth Caddell strutted their stuff. AJ’s singing debut, Jim McRae’s guitar solo and Gerry’s “aged Elvis” impression are just a few of the treats the troupe has in store for you. Even the production’s rushed-off-their-feet stagehands, Alyson Graham and Wendy MacLeod, are a joy to behold. In my humble opinion, I think that Rosemary and her talented cast of performers have come up with yet another hit show.
And Alexandria’s Caisse Populaire Desjardins agrees with me. They’ve signed up to be a major sponsor of this year’s concert and that’s really good news for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. It means that every single penny of ticket sales (and more) goes toward this worthwhile charity. But I wouldn’t leave purchasing a ticket to the last minute, unless you have no other choice. They just went on sale last week and I suspect they will be snapped up quickly.
This year, there will be three performances: Friday, December 2nd and 9th at 7:30 PM… and Sunday, December 11th at 2:00 PM. The price of advance tickets is $10 per person, and they are available at the Home Hardware in Maxville, The Quirky Carrot in Alexandria and The Review in Vankleek Hill. If there are any tickets left for a performance, they will be available at the door for $12 each. For ticket assistance or more information, you can reach Rosemary at 613-525-1336.
Soup’s on…
This coming Friday, November 18th, the DRA Euchre Luncheon will feature our popular “Soup & Sandwich” format. Admission is only $5 and includes a piping hot bowl of soup with crackers, platters of homemade sandwiches and a desserts tray by Sandra Daigle. A 50/50 draw is also part of the fun. Held in the DRA Hall at 19053 County Road 24, the luncheon/euchre tournament starts at 12:00 noon and wraps up around 3:30 PM. Everyone is welcome to join us.
By the way, it should be noted that while Ann Stewart is recuperating from her less than ideal encounter with our public healthcare system, Dytha Dixon and her partner Doug “Tigger” Benson from Bourget have taken her place as tournament major-domos. Without their support, the Dunvegan event might have been in deep do-do. They both deserve a big round of applause.
The Invisible Man
I’m willing to bet that many of you are unfamiliar with the name of the leader of the Ontario Conservative Party. (It’s Patrick Brown.) And even more wouldn’t recognize him if they were to trip over him on the streets of Dunvegan or even Cornwall, which incidentally is where he was last week. While some say he deserves credit for acknowledging that the Quebec border doesn’t extend all the way to Kingston, I’m told some of the citizens with whom he met were brutally honest.
They pointed out in no uncertain terms that, like Hudack (the leader he replaced), Brown is doomed to once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Less than two years from the time when Ontario residents have yet another chance to toss out the criminally spendthrift Liberals, Brown and his party have had about as much impact on voters as a whisper in a wind storm. It’s enough to make small “c” fiscal conservatives weep.
The mood of many voters (at least those not members of public service unions the Liberals have bought off) is shifting to one of discontent. These days, Wynne just has to parrot McGuinty’s green energy bromides to get heckled. But, have the provincial Conservatives recognized the opportunity staring them in the face… or started screaming about the province’s net debt that’s projected to top $350 BILLION by 2020-21? Nope. Instead, I suspect they’re looking around for that idiotic “1 Million Jobs” sign they had made for the last election by the same folks who designed George W. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” banner.
What’s my prediction? For the good of the party, Wynne will resign sometime next spring and be replaced by a “new” leader who will promise to right all wrongs. That, combined with healthy doses of goodies for urban voting blocks like the Toronto District School Board teachers, will help sweep them back to power in Ontario’s 42nd general election, scheduled to be held on or before June 7, 2018.
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