Short Attention Span Review: White Hunter, Black Heart (1990)

When people talk about Clint Eastwood's astounding filmography, one title that is often overlooked is a project that was very near and dear to him, White Hunter, Black Heart.  This unique effort is a thinly veiled take on legendary director John Huston and the making of The African Queen.  Eastwood plays John Wilson, a maverick filmmaker and a larger-than-life figure who plays by his own rules.  The fact that he does so in a profession that requires a considerable amount of teamwork presents numerous clashes and complications, and things only grow more difficult when this cranky director becomes obsessed with killing an elephant while on location in Africa.  The early stages of White Hunter, Black Heart make it clear that the picture Wilson is set to direct is critical to his financial well-being, yet this stubborn and thoroughly entertaining rebel never prioritizes it over anything else that catches his fancy, to include women, fisticuffs, incessant verbal sparring with his producer, and hunting.  It's the hunting that presents the most problems for the making of the movie within the movie, as Wilson's obsession is maddening to even those who understand him the most.  In one of the film's most revealing moments, it becomes clear that Wilson himself is a bit disturbed and confused by his intense desire to kill an elephant.  While Eastwood is front and center throughout, looking and sounding completely different than we've come to expect, Jeff Fahey is also on hand to balance things out as the only person involved in the production who seems to genuinely like or understand the crazed director.  Yet even he is pushed to the brink as Wilson becomes more and more desperate to bag his trophy and the production of the film becomes more and more volatile as a result.  Fahey's character, Pete Verrill, is based on Peter Viertel, who wrote the first-hand account of the making of The African Queen that this picture is based on.  An able performer who I'm exceptionally fond of, Fahey's performance here will surely lead audiences to wonder why he was seldom offered roles of this stature in major studio efforts.  In the end, this unruly and quixotic movie belongs to Eastwood, who also served as director, and I think it stands as one of his most engaging and challenging offerings.  It is a meditation on passion, madness, individuality, and filmmaking, and it raises many potent questions on its way to a fascinating conclusion.

Final Grade: B+

Clint Eastwood is a man obsessed in White Hunter, Black Heart.

Happy Halloween from the wacky Waylands!

Well, chalk up another successful Halloween for those wacky Waylands.  We have returned, and we have returned with booty!

I think everyone had a great time, and these kids have enough candy to last for quite a while.  Well, they've got a lot of candy.  We'll see how long it lasts . . .
Anyhow, when I left you earlier, we were gearing up for the costume phase.
Alaina Rachel wanted to be a vampire princess and Taryn Grace wanted to be a rainbow fairy princess.  We found cool costumes and we got a make-up kit.  Kristen felt that it would be best if I handled the vampire princess and she did the rainbow fairy princess.  I've never applied make-up before, but I've seen every horror film known to man, and I've seen most of them twice, so I welcomed the challenge.
Here's how I did:

Not too shabby, huh?  Anyone who has read my book knows that I like my vampires scary, so I didn't pull any punches. 
And here's what Kristen came up with for Taryn:

If I had snapped a better photo, you would have a better look at the rainbows on her cheeks, but she was positively gorgeous.
Now, here's a look at our ladies in costume.  Behold, the vampire princess and the rainbow fairy princess:

I think they looked awesome, and they scored rave reviews all night long. 
Oh, here's our little elephant:

Adorable, right?
I even got Kris to provide me with a group photo op:

Those are our jack-o-lanterns hanging out in the shot, which reminds me, I shared our first two efforts with you, but I never got around to showing you the third.  Our second choice was a spooky face (that's him in the middle) so we opted for a silly face on this one:

This was another unique design, and I think it turned out great.  I can't tell you how much fun carving a pumpkin is if you have children (hell, I would enjoy it even if I didn't, but their happiness is a treasure all its own) and it never hurts to take active measures toward warding off evil spirits.  Who wants evil spirits hanging around their house?  Not us.

We hit up two "trunk or treats" and then we dropped in on the Momser and made our rounds in Fieldale.  Everyone racked up, but Kris and I couldn't help ourselves.  Yeah, we stopped at Food Lion on the way home and nabbed even more candy for the occasion.  Hey, Halloween only hits once a year, right?
Anyway, when I told you we were looking to make the most of it, I wasn't playing.  I hope you've enjoyed these Halloween blogs, and I hope to keep you entertained here in the Land of Way.
Halloween isn't over yet, so I'm going to grab my wife and make her watch a gross and utterly disturbing film of some sort.  I hope you make the most of your night as well, ghouls and goblins.
Happy Halloween!