Elvis stops for Gas

Clambake

1967

 

Elvis’ red sports car in the film is a one-of-a-kind 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray concept car. Originally silver in color, this car was the design inspiration for the “C2” generation of Corvettes (1963 – 1967), which took the name “Stingray” from this vehicle.

Clambake was a 1967 movie starring Elvis Presley, and co-strarring Shelly Fabares, Bill Bixby, and Will Hutchins.

A wealthy young man, Scott Heyward (Elvis Presley) wants to experience life outside of his privileged upbringing. When he meets Tom Wilson (Hutchins), an earnest water-skiing instructor, Scott offers to trade places with him. As Tom warms up to the good life, Scott gets used to a less luxurious existence and falls for Dianne Carter (Shelley Fabares), who, ironically, is hoping to meet a rich man. Sticking to his humble guise, Scott tries to woo Dianne without the benefit of his true status.

I saw this movie when it came out in 1967. I was just 9 years old and at that age movies like this; James Bond 007 films, One Million Years B.C. starring the vivacious Raquel Welsh, and Sinbad The Sailor mesmerized me. It’s totally different weeing movies in theaters on the big screen when you’re an adult and when you are a child, in your mind every new and exciting new thing is so much more magical in your child mind. The older you get the feeling dissipates, but I remember still getting that feeling on my first trip to Europe, especially in Rome as a young man of 27, I still felt the magic and euphoria of a child. The place I watched mostly all these movies was Saturday and Sunday matinees at the famed Riviloi Theater in Rutherford, New Jersey,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’M WALKIN HERE ! I’M WALKING HERE !”

Dustin Hoffman in MIDNIGHT COWBOY 

1969

 

 

 

Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 American buddy drama film. Based on the 1965 novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy, the film was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, with notable smaller roles being filled by Sylvia Miles, John McGiver, Brenda Vaccaro, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Salt, and Barnard Hughes. Set in New York City, Midnight Cowboy depicts the unlikely friendship between two hustlers: naive prostitute Joe Buck (Voight), and ailing con man “Ratso” Rizzo (Hoffman).

The film won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Midnight Cowboy is the only X-rated film ever to win Best Picture (though such a classification no longer exists), and was the first LGBT Best Picture winner. It has since been placed 36th on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest American films of all time, and 43rd on its 2007 updated version.

In 1994, Midnight Cowboy was deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

 

Midnight Cowboy Art

Buck carries Rizzo

 

ALSO in 1969

Man Landed on The MOON

 

Neil Armstrong

The 1st MAN to EVER WALK on The MOON

July 20 , 1969

 

 

 

.

 

.

.

GRANDMA BELLINO ‘S COOKBOOK

RECIPES From MY SICiLIAN NONNA

 

.

 

 

 

Yes, “I Fucking Love GREEN BOOK,” which was without question, the Best Movie I’ve seen in 10 Years, “Seriously.” “What’s not to Fucking Love” Tony Lip would probably say himself, if the movie wasn’t about him, but he was watching a movie with the same exact story about his life and adventure when he worked for World Renowned Pianist Doctor Donald Shirley (Mahershala Ali), driving him on a concert tour around the South and Mid-West of America in 1962 ..

The movie opens in a sccene at the Copacabana ight Club in New York City, where Tony Vallelongo (Viggo Mortenson), aka “Tony Lip” is the Maitre’d / Bouncer of the club.  Italian-American singer Bobby Rydell (Robert Ridarelli) of Philadelphia is the headliner and is singing on stage when the movie opens in the Copa. Viggo Mortenson ‘s character “Tony Lip” gets into a fight that night with a Mobster, and the Copacabana is subsequently closed down for a couple months for so-called renovations. Tony is out of work and needs to pay the Rent and put Bread on the table for his wife and two sons. By the way, Tony Vallelungo is what many would call a typical Italian-American Blue-Collar New Yorker who lives up in the Bronx, and his a thick New York Italian accent, swagger, and attitude to go with it. The guy needs a job. Soon after he’s put of work, a close friend tells Tony he knows how he can make a quick easy $50 .. Tony is put into a Hot Dog Eating Contest at the local diner. It’s between Tony and some other guy who can eat the most Hot Dogs. The record at this joint is 18 Hot Dogs. Tony takes the guy on, who ends up eating 24 Hot Dogs. Tony eats 26 and wins the Fifty Bucks, but Tony still needs a job, he can’t keep eating mass quantities of food like the 48 White Castle Cheeseburgers they he ate previously.

A good friend sets Tony up on a job interview to chauffeur a renowned piano player around for 2 months on his upcoming concert tour. Tony goes on the interview which is in the piano players apartment above Carnegie Hall. This scene is quite entertaining, and gives a good insight into what similar situations are about to unfold in the movie which is the stark contrast of two very different men, who have completely different lives, personalities, education, and general demeanor. Such a strong contrast between characters usually makes for good humor and entertainment, and the contrast between Tony Lip and Don Shirley is verging on epic. The situations and moments these two men have together is often funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and often quite sweet and heart warming. 

As Director Peter Farrelly said, in his acceptance speech for Best Picture, this movie is about love. Yes the movie is about love, and great friendships and acceptance between human beings who are different from one another. We all are, really. We’re different and the same, we’re human beings with attributes and faubles, and we go through life with many ups and downs along the way, but we should all be compassionate, helpful, and warm to our fellow human beings. Wouldn’t this all make for a better world? You know it would, and that’s just what these two humans, two “real life humans” (it’s a true Story) who are thrown together and though they are both hugely different, they come together and help each other, and become fast friends along the way. I got choked up and almost cried a couple of times during the film, and a walked away with warmth and good feelings, and maybe a little bit more of an understanding of life and other people, that I feel will make me a better person along the way.

Green Book? Yes, “I Fucking Love It!”

Go see it please.

Basta!

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

.

GREEN BOOK OSCAR WINNER For : #BestPicture Pete Farelly and Nick Vallelungo

Best Supporting Actor for #MahershalAli and Best Original SCREENPLAY for Nick Vallelungo and Peter Farrelly

 

Did you notice that there was a lot of food in Green Book. Viggo Mortenson (Tony Lip) eating Kentuck Fried Chicken, Hot Dogs, and Steak & Eggs at a Diner, and talking about eating White Castle Cheeseurgers. And for the Grand Finale as far as Food and Green Book goes, the last scene of the movie, may have gone un-noticed by many as the special Italian Christmas Eve Dinner of “The Feast of The Seven Fishes,” known as La Vigilia in the Italian language. Well, most who saw the movie may have not picked it up, but as I did, I’m sure many (but not all) Italian-Americans did.

if you’re interested in creating your own Italian Christmas of The Feast of 7 Fish? You can. Just get yourself a copy of Daniel Bellino-Zwicke ‘s “Feast of The 7 Fish.” Everything is in there, all the recipes to make your own “Vigilia,” The FEAST of The 7 FISH, on Amazon.com

The FEAST of THE 7 FISH

Just Like VIGGO MORTENSEN ‘S

in GREEN BOOK

 

“It’s all about Viggo”

… Peter Farrelly in his acceptance speech at The OSCARS

 

 

.  #ViggoMortensen 

.