movie reviews: April 2008 Archives

I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but I never saw "The Blues Brothers" ever in my life.  Jackie called me randomly today during work, informing me that it was playing for one night only (tonight!) at the Metro.  I didn't have anything better to do...and she chatted it up quite a bit, insisting it was the best movie ever made, surpassing even "The Princess Bride," "The Outsiders," and "Look Who's Talking."

Oh my goodness, I had no idea how epic a film that was!!  I really thought it was just a dumb SNL movie filmed in a bunch of bars.  I didn't know there was a plot, or a record amount of car chases.  And crashes!  I will admit that I was laughing a lot, and sometimes dancing, and sometimes squealing in my seat with delight.  But of all the things to be excited about or impressed with...what impressed me most were the cameos.  And I'm not talking about John Candy or Steven Spielberg or the captain from "21 Jump Street."  That's not what I freaked out about.  I freaked out...

....about the massive number of cameos of people with bit parts on "Dallas"!!!  Okay, not massive.  But two!

Dallas Cameo #1: Walt Driscoll

In the scene where Jake and Elwood crash the fancy restaurant where their old trumpet player is working, I knew I was supposed to keep my eyes peeled for Pee Wee Herman.  I was not expecting to see the former chairman of the Office of Land Management, Walt Driscoll! 



I just finished the series of episodes where Walt succumbed to JR's bribes and granted him those oil variances, and then had to skip the country, then wound up being JR's conduit to illegally sell oil to the embargoed Cuba.  Then when JR double-crossed him, Walt later went on to try to murder JR via vehicular manslaughter only to accidentally ram into the JR's Mercedes when Sue Ellen was driving it drunk.  And Lucy's boyfriend (and Ray Krebb's cousin) Mickey was in the car trying to save Sue Ellen, and was injured the most severely out of everyone
and will probably be paraplegic (haven't gotten to that resolution yet, Season 8 is coming soon) and the guilt ate Walt up so bad that he committed suicide.

Dallas Cameo #2: Carl Daggett

Just as I was remarking that Bob's Country Bunker reminded me a whole lot of Porky's, suddenly Carl Daggett shows up as the leader of the Good Ole Boys band!



Carl, as you may remember, was instrumental in helping Bobby sway the opinion of George Hicks, who was the only man in the state who could rescind the aforementioned oil variances that Driscoll granted to JR.  You see, Carl ran a stable of very fine and willing ladies, one of whom they used as bait to blackmail Hicks.

Some completely unrelated, yet fascinating trivia on the actor who portrayed Carl Daggett:

Charles gave up a lucrative career as a professional squaredancer to move to Hollywood.