sir82 : That was one of the best pieces you've written on here.
Oh, thank you.
Fun times makes for great memories.
I'm pulling together my so-called memoirs which I've been collating for
many years. I definitely am going to publish it as my 3rd book if can finish editing.
My JW years, my prison years, my Parole, escaping the cult and moving to California, Art business and Hollywood, 4 wives and 4 divorces, yep--it won't be dull, fer sure :)
Posts by Terry
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15My Hollywood Memory : Sean Connery and Michael Caine
by Terry inthe year is 1983.. two new james bond films are slated for release, one of which will star the one, the only, sean connery, while the other one sports jolly roger moore.. never say never again vs octopussy, and i am one of the original james bond fanatics--so, how can i possibly miss out on the opportunity to attend the world premiere of connery’s flick?
the premiere was to be held at the mann national theater in westwood california.. was i excited or what?!.
tickets were impossible to obtain--unless--you had contacts in “the biz” and fortunately for me, i did.
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Terry
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15
My Hollywood Memory : Sean Connery and Michael Caine
by Terry inthe year is 1983.. two new james bond films are slated for release, one of which will star the one, the only, sean connery, while the other one sports jolly roger moore.. never say never again vs octopussy, and i am one of the original james bond fanatics--so, how can i possibly miss out on the opportunity to attend the world premiere of connery’s flick?
the premiere was to be held at the mann national theater in westwood california.. was i excited or what?!.
tickets were impossible to obtain--unless--you had contacts in “the biz” and fortunately for me, i did.
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Terry
Frank Oz directing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exqXoi878M4 -
44
The idiots Hollyweird destroys the Bond Franchise
by rockemsockem in99% of the people who go to bond films want a straight white english bond with a bit of light sexism and some bond girls thrown in.
they do not want a tranny bond or a gay or lesbian bond.
and they do not want a black woman bond.
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Terry
Mind-reading isn't possible.
None of us can know what "other people" think or want.
Even when a subject is polled, how is any particular group being sampled and how is it
provably representative who ticket-buyers at large?
Trolls stir the pot. It's the very definition of Troll.
Look at it this way: Every major motion picture is surveyed and polled over and over again, passing from group to group, changed here and there - and still no guarantee exists the final product will have a heart and soul.
The latest incarnation of THE LION KING is almost a shot-for-shot remake of the animated version and it is gorgeous and all that -but cold and without soul.
I'd compare it with Gus van Sant's shot for shot remake of PSYCHO.
All the above to say this, many (if not most) controversies are simply the grass fires some troll set to watch it burn.
Hardcore fans almost never like anything new or different, do they?
So, there's that.
Creativity is almost anathema in Hollywood. Too dicey.
Melody is seldom allowed in music underscoring because some genius said out loud
it was old-fashioned and manipulative.
Dirty Harry was fascist.
Elvis was vulgar.
The Beatles looked like girls.
And on and on and on and on... -
15
My Hollywood Memory : Sean Connery and Michael Caine
by Terry inthe year is 1983.. two new james bond films are slated for release, one of which will star the one, the only, sean connery, while the other one sports jolly roger moore.. never say never again vs octopussy, and i am one of the original james bond fanatics--so, how can i possibly miss out on the opportunity to attend the world premiere of connery’s flick?
the premiere was to be held at the mann national theater in westwood california.. was i excited or what?!.
tickets were impossible to obtain--unless--you had contacts in “the biz” and fortunately for me, i did.
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Terry
I'm looking forward to Once Upon A Time in Hollywood for Tarantino's examination
of the 3 stages of Hollywood "fame".
It's gotta be good. -
15
Surviving Idiots
by Terry insurviving idiots.
there is in every species a "best" at surviving.. .
99.99 % of every species which has ever existed has perished.. .
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Terry
One of the finesse moves of politics is to re-frame an issue in a particular specific way.
AOC wants all aliens at the border to be seen as asylum seekers.
Calling anything exactly what it is - is almost unheard of in political discourse.
I live in Texas and I know the border towns are in chaos with more illegals in custody than border patrol officers. Cities have the burden of food, medicine, child supervision, crime control, etc.
In RULES for RADICALS we find tactics listed for bringing down your opposition.- "Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have."
- "Never go outside the expertise of your people."
- "Whenever possible go outside the expertise of the enemy."
- "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules."
- "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon."
- "A good tactic is one your people enjoy."
- "A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag."
- "Keep the pressure on."
- "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself."
- "The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition."
- "If you push a negative hard and deep enough it will break through into its counterside."
- "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative."
- "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."
Overwhelming law enforcement is a good way to provoke responses which can then be framed as brutality, inhumane treatment, etc.
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Surviving Idiots
by Terry insurviving idiots.
there is in every species a "best" at surviving.. .
99.99 % of every species which has ever existed has perished.. .
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Terry
I have thought many times how worthless most politicians are in their job;
how little they DO, and how pompous and privileged they are in the process.
They are trained to say what people want to hear and hardly held accountable once elected for failing to try to make good on promises.
Sociopaths beat a well-worn path into that profession.
I would love to see REAL debates where these characters could face off without moderators and handlers and sink their teeth into each other.
They are far too protected to ever let an honest debate break out.
"How would you solves X problem? You have thirty seconds to answer?"
That kind of question is an insult to voters. -
15
My Hollywood Memory : Sean Connery and Michael Caine
by Terry inthe year is 1983.. two new james bond films are slated for release, one of which will star the one, the only, sean connery, while the other one sports jolly roger moore.. never say never again vs octopussy, and i am one of the original james bond fanatics--so, how can i possibly miss out on the opportunity to attend the world premiere of connery’s flick?
the premiere was to be held at the mann national theater in westwood california.. was i excited or what?!.
tickets were impossible to obtain--unless--you had contacts in “the biz” and fortunately for me, i did.
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Terry
Are you serious? That was Rhonda Fleming's husband's theater?
OMG! Thank you for solving a huge mystery. -
27
It was all GREEK to me
by Terry inaround 1976 i got the wild idea i'd like to learn greek (for my study of the christian greek scriptures and to 'get to the bottom' of whether i was wasting my time being even a token jehovah's witness.
) i would read the actual text and avoid my denomination's opinion commentaries, you see.. .
i learned the characters in the greek alphabet rather quickly and started reading an interlinear (english/greek) bible aloud - practicing my enunciation.
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15
My Hollywood Memory : Sean Connery and Michael Caine
by Terry inthe year is 1983.. two new james bond films are slated for release, one of which will star the one, the only, sean connery, while the other one sports jolly roger moore.. never say never again vs octopussy, and i am one of the original james bond fanatics--so, how can i possibly miss out on the opportunity to attend the world premiere of connery’s flick?
the premiere was to be held at the mann national theater in westwood california.. was i excited or what?!.
tickets were impossible to obtain--unless--you had contacts in “the biz” and fortunately for me, i did.
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Terry
SEAN CONNERY and MICHAEL CAINE
(Hollywood Memory)_________________________
The year is 1983.
Two new James Bond films are slated for release, one of which will star the one, the only, SEAN CONNERY, while the other one sports Jolly Roger Moore.
Never Say Never Again VS Octopussy, and I am one of the original James Bond fanatics--so, how can I possibly miss out on the opportunity to attend the WORLD PREMIERE of Connery’s flick? The premiere was to be held at the Mann National Theater in Westwood California.
Was I excited or what?!
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Tickets were impossible to obtain--UNLESS--you had contacts in “the Biz” and fortunately for me, I did. I was friends with a celebrity photographer at the time, Dick Zimmerman, and he owed me a favor. Zimmerman, a Scientologist, shot top celebs for magazine covers and publicity events. He was invited to everything, of course.
Terry: “Dick, let me get right to the point without pretext: I need 2 tickets to Never Say Never. Can you get them for me?”
Zimmerman: “No. Everybody who's anybody will show up. Even people who used to be somebody will show up. Hell, people who nobody has heard of in years will want tickets. So, I’m sorry--I can’t help you. I’m using my tickets for myself.”
Terry: “Dick--do I have to say the magic words?”
Zimmerman: “What--what magic words?”
Terry: “You know.”
Zimmerman: “What the fuck are you talking about? What are these magic words?”
Terry: “Okay. You have left me no choice. YOU OWE ME.”
Zimmerman: (Silence.)
Terry: “So, when can I pick them up?”
Zimmerman: (Pouting) “Tomorrow at noon at my studio. Bastard!”
Terry: “Thank you, Dickie-bird!”
Zimmerman: “Fuck you.”
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Now I know you are curious.
So here it is. I was friends with set decorators from MGM Studios and I came up with the idea of putting Zimmerman together with those guys for the purpose of using Zimmerman’s photography studio (a fabulous location) for shooting TV and feature films.
The studio was in close proximity to MGM and Zimmerman would pick up $$ (covertly paid without tax liability) for the use of his location after hours. A sweet deal for both parties.
Favor done. Favor owed.What did I get out of it? Well, if you are paying attention: TICKETS to the world premiere of Never Say Never Again with Sean Connery!
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I was living in Redondo Beach, California at the time in a condominium not all that far from the ocean. I mean, if you step out on the sundeck, squint your eyes, crane your neck around the side of the condo, and the light was j-u-s-t right, you could glimpse into the Pacific Ocean.
Sort of.
Pretty neat, eh?
I told my wife, Jadzia (Yah-jah) “Wear something very ‘Hollywood’ because we’re going to a Premiere!”
She had something slinky and gorgeous, of course, and off we zoomed in the FIAT convertible (top down) for the dream event of my lifetime!______
Zimmerman was right!
Every breathing Hollywood relic appeared for the klieg lights, cameras and Entertainment Tonight stroll by microphone interviews. Some of these old stars, up close, didn’t appear to be human--so much make-up and face-lift engineering had gone into their facade of glamor.
Zsa Zsa Gabor, for example. When the lights hit her cheeks, they gleamed like the leather on a tuck n’ roll seat cover in an old Rolls Royce. She wore a red silk sort of Chinese thingy and her diamond earrings dangled like chandeliers from the Paris Opera.
Dudley Moore appeared bedazzled by the hubbub, standing next to his 6 ft. tall blonde date, Susan Anton (who did all the talking).
The question of the night asked by newsy folks: “When have you said 'Never Again?"
Susan Anton: (Nodding toward little Dudley) “I said I’d never go out with HIM again.”
Zsa Zsa: “I said I’d never again divorce!” (She had 9 husbands!)
Robert Culp: “I said I’d never do I SPY again.” (He later said he would and then changed his mind)
Neil Simon: “I have never said never. Well, just once. No, I never have.”
Larry Hagman: (Gesturing toward his wife, Maj, next to him). “I said I’d never get a divorce and we’ve been married 29 years.”
Michael Caine: “I said I’d never again go to a movie premiere...and here I am.”
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Movie premieres are silly but fantastic fun!
This one was a charity event for the WCIL (Westside Community for Independent Living).
My wife Jadzia and I arrived early so we’d nab great seats.
My coerced Zimmerman tickets were in the V.I.P. section, as it turned out.
We didn’t have to worry about reserving a good spot.
We elected to stand just inside the front entrance rather than outside on the sidewalk with all the chaos and commotion.
A-list celebrities would perforce enter directly in front of us!Co-star Barbara Carrera is the epitome of stunning in her red dress and sleek black hair and flashing eyes.
HOWEVER--my eyes were riveted on Sean and Michael!
As they walk past us, I fell in behind as close as I could without looking like an idiot.I felt a tug at my elbow--my wife had clutched my arm and yanked me backward.
“Don’t abandon me like that--it’s rude!”
Well--oops. I did have a pretty good excuse. How often would I find myself standing next to Sean Connery and Michael Caine?
(The answer to that is contained in the title to this story.)_____
The two of us were starving.
I elected to buy a large container of buttery popcorn. We stood rooted near the entrance, munching away as half of Hollywood's elite traipsed past us--staring at the popcorn with envious eyes, I might add.What happened next, is just plain nuts.
Golden Hollywood era actress and red-haired Rhonda Fleming (carefully preserved at the age of 60) marched up to my wife and with her flouncy out-of-date evening gown and teased hair confronting us directly with hands on hips.
As nutty as it sounds, this lady was acting as a kind of bully. (I can’t tolerate bullies.)Rhonda: “You aren’t allowed to eat down here during the ceremony.”
Terry: “Hi, Rhonda.”
Rhonda: “Did you hear me? Eating is unseemly.”
Terry: “What was that 3-D movie you were in 30 years ago? Those Redheads From Seattle ?”
Rhonda: “You’ve been warned!”
Terry: “Thanks for stopping by.”
No--I don’t have the slightest idea what THAT was all about or who died and made her Empress of the Premiere.
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In no time at all the signal was sounded for the throngs of worshipers and elite to take their seats. Bearing V.I.P. tickets we were shown to our seats. I almost died when I saw who was seated behind us: we were seated directly in front of Mr. and Mrs. Sean Connery and his best buddy, Michael Caine!!
I swear I just about lost it. I’m not a fanboy...not usually. I’ve seen or met plenty of actors and actresses. However--you have to cut me some slack here. This was JAMES BOND!
The lights dimmed. Cue the projector. We’re off to the movies!!
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About halfway through the film, I needed to pee. I mean BIG TIME!
I held it for as long as I could--then arose and sauntered up to the aisle and out the door searching for a restroom. An usher was standing close by.
“Sir--the V.I.P. restroom is up to the stairs in the private room to the right."
Well awwww ri-i-i-i-ight!
I leaped like a gazelle upward on the stairs skipping two at a time until I found the private door.
I swung it open and found three lovely urinals lined up on the other side of a lavish gold and marble bathroom with subdued lighting.
I took my spot directly in the center urinal and reached for my zipper at just about the exact moment I heard the door behind me opening.
(Cue the magic about to happen)The voices of the 2 men who entered were absolutely unmistakable!
SEAN and MICHAEL!
Here I am, my plumbing in my hand, Sean Connery on my left and Michael Caine on my right--and they are CONVERSING with me in the center!
Not only could I NOT release the contents of my bladder...I was almost losing consciousness!
I haven’t a clue what either of them said to each other or how long I stood there producing nothing but memories!
Yet--there you have it--not only my brush with fame...but my flush with fame.
As Hollywood memories go--this may be my favorite!!
Dazed and confused by the incident, I stood posed like one of those garden fountain statues in Europe with a stream of --well, you get the picture.
The rest of that gala evening is blurred in memory.
I got back to my seat and leaned over and whispered into my wife’s ear:
“I just peed with Sean and Michael.”
My wife gave me her classic strange glance (as one might) and merely replied,
“I hope you washed your hands or no more popcorn for you.”
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13
Arguing with Still-in best friends : hard heads and broken hearts
by Terry in(re :johnny santa cruz).
i found an old diary entry from 15 years ago.. .
i ended up posting it in 2004.... .
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Terry
Do Jehovah's Witnesses really think the 'witnessing work' they do compares in quality, depth, and
thoroughness compared to the previous generations of JW's?
I doubt they give that any consideration.
They are kept in thrall to fear-mongering. It's all Great Tribulation ballyhoo substituting for
Armageddon scares.