Monday, April 23, 2018

Today's Blind Items - Stranger Things Have Happened - A Himmmm Blind Item - Part 1

(NOTE: be WARNED: A very long true story. TL/DR if you don't like long reads, but you may skip it if you don't enjoy these. Or save/bookmark it for later.  It is in 10 parts for your convenience.  Possibly NSFW language too. This is NOT part of our four-part Crazy Days/Nights Blinds/Stories.  That fourth and last installment will be published as soon as SOMEONE gets off his arse and sends it, possibly via rickshaw messenger.  This was going to originally be our first – but it's been difficult to finish due to emotional reasons. It was written WITH the help and love of one of the people in the story and her words and blessing.  Consider it a "bonus" to our series.  Please check our Twitter if you desire.  We post added items there too. We humbly thank you all so very much.)


I got this phone call just this year.  It went like this.  She said: "Jeez what balls on these guys.  These pricks have the gall to ask me to endorse their half-assed remake plans.  Worse, they want me to get YOU to come advise on it.  Can you imagine that?"

I replied: "Yes, I can. Nothing they do shocks me. Tell them to give us and Cissy, all three of us - script approval and final cut.  Hell, tell them we'll buy them out NOT to make it.", I said.

That was what I told her.  Right before the overwhelming tidal flood of memories began to pull me down.  I had to call her back, and four hours later we'd relived the entire ordeal again.  In tears, in laughs…together again.  The HER in this case? A dynamic woman whom I once dated, and is my best friend's sister.  We'll call her "Nin", which is her nickname.  She's a C list actress/celebrity offspring, who was mostly in a few direct-to-video/cable-style action movies and has also been a businesswoman.

She's the daughter of a former permanent A++list (action) mostly movie actor.  She's also the sister of a former A-list (action) mostly movie actor too.  We will call him "Buddy" and he's not just her brother; but also my best friend/buddy for over 20 years.  Our families were always very close.  She and I have known each other since childhood, and we even dated in the early 90's. She called me on this day to fume and spit nails about an idiotic studio that wants to remake a legendary iconic movie (which is very personal for us both).  Worse, they want us and others to endorse it.  No chance in hell.

The Cissy person to whom we referred was a former development executive back in the day, who worked for this foreign born, former A-list action director (who is still trying to get back up the ladder).  Since I had a lot of business with that director, I knew Cissy well, and introduced her to set up Buddy on a date.  They wound up engaged later.  She and Nin became like sisters, and Nin called her Cissy (like "Sissy" but with odd spelling and all).  She was a beautiful, brilliant, and tough young lady bound for big-shot future success as a producer in Hollywood.  Back then, many nights were spent hanging out, drinking, or sneaking into $1 midnight movies.  Carefree and careless.  We were pals and delinquent products of "showbiz" childhoods (from our parents - not us).  Just basically American kids rolling headlong into the bright big future where the world was our oyster.  All we cared about? Music, movies, fun, convertible tops down, and more extra butter on our popcorn. Pretty please.

Buddy was my best friend, like my big brother, and my partner in crime going back to our childhoods in the 70s and 80s.  He was a few years older than me, but it never mattered.  When you're a kid even a few years age difference can be a huge canyon.  For us? Never.  We were like twins.  We used to watch movies and shows when we were growing up – imitating what we saw.  Dukes of Hazzard, Stripes, SWAT, A-Team, and the original Batman.  Our favorite movie of all times? The Cannonball Run.  Of course.  We loved pro wrestling.  We would beat…the…hell, out of each other.  Like boys do.  Like brothers do, playing ball in the yard.  His mom always spanked our butts harder than my mom.  So we spent a lot of time at MY parents place getting into trouble.  We'd ALWAYS get caught, but Buddy would win Mom over with that little glint in his eyes and his charming little-boy grin.  Our saying was always: "stranger things have happened".  Every time our Moms would yell at us, or threaten us with grounding for life or shipping us to military school – we'd say in unison: "stranger things have happened".  Then we'd run.  We learned to be fast.

71 comments:

  1. Well thanks for the warning. See ya tomorrow.

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  2. Ten parts, come on Enty, three or four parts are enough.

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  3. Charles Bronson the perm A actor/Katrina (“”non”/her brother Tony-Buddy?

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    Replies
    1. He goes by Tony but Anthony Bronson. Katrina is an actress /writer/producer.... the project could be one of Bronson’s projects...

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    2. Once upon a Time in the West, maybe? Director sounds like Luc Besson

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  4. Replies
    1. China Chow is now dating Billy Idol..uggh.

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  5. will wait for conclusion of the ten parts.

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  6. TEN PARTS?

    Maybe e-book or Scribd or something is the way to go with these things?

    I will say that the first part is well-written and interesting right out of the gate. But TEN PARTS?

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  7. Bruce/Brandon/Shannon Lee

    This is going to be about Brandon's death.

    Cissy is Lisa Hutton.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, looks like you're right.

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  8. "Half-assed remake plans" should help narrow it down. What hasn't had a half-assed remake yet at this point?

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  9. I'll read 10 parts of this kind of writing and detail, prefer the shorter segments as well.

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  10. If it's Brandon Lee, then remake is the Crow.

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  11. From Lee's wikipedia page - In 1990, Lee met Eliza "Lisa" Hutton at director Renny Harlin's office, located at the headquarters of 20th Century Fox. Hutton was working as a personal assistant to Harlin, and later became a story editor for Stillwater Productions, in 1991.

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  12. There have been talks about remaking the Crow for years, and it appears to be very close and has been picked up by Sony.

    Obviously this would be very personal to the Lee family and anyone close to Brandon.

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  13. I was going to say forget it,bit it starts out good...

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  14. Thanks, pkelly - now I can walk the dog & check in later for the full scoop.

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  15. FFS, it's a Himmmm blind--I don't care how many parts it is!

    Plus thx for mentioning the Himmmm twitter--just read the Syd Barrett story and loved it!

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    Replies
    1. Also, for those that haven't notices, these blinds are also filled with auxiliary characters that are always fun to guess.

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    2. That story was so cool.

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  16. Anonymous10:30 AM

    The former A list action director is probably Renny Harlin -- there was a Himmmm blind indicating he and at least one Himmmm were friendly

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  17. Himmmm very recently had the Renny Harlin blind, plus a "reader" sent in the Bruce Lee thing.
    Add with timing, and this all checks out.

    Well done, CDANers. That was quick.

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  18. Anonymous10:32 AM

    If this is the Bronson's, they are talking about Death Wish. However, I agree this is probably the Lee's, with the proposed Crow remake starring Jason Momoa

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  19. I find the best way to deal with these long-winded posts is to scroll down to the guesses, if the names pique your interest then read the full post.

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  20. +1 Pkelly - Buddy is Brandon Lee, Nin is sister Shannon Lee, the remake is The Crow, aren’t Harlin for the action director and I’m not sure yet about Cissy. This one is going to hurt :(

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    Replies
    1. Renny, not “aren’t” - I hate my phone.

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  21. lol you folks are mean I thoroughly enjoy the himmmm blinds! especially since I think they are roundabout my age so I like when they reference childhood playthings. kinda mirrors that of my own sans celebrity and well the copious cash. reenacting TV shows? lol you got me beat there too. Charlie's Angels was my favorite but I was youngest so I had to be Bosley :(
    and if my sister had a friend over I was made to be Charlie and yell from other room..Hutch was no picnic either.
    regardless, I dig the himmmm blinds. write on!

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  22. If this is about Brandon Lee and The Crow,
    I'm IN.

    In high school, I watched the Crow over and over and over again.
    Romantic, dark, dreamy...
    I escaped into that movie every single time.

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  23. and I was wondering if it was the Twilght Zone - Vic Morrow and the two children. Just awful. I cannot watch it to this day.

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  24. http://variety.com/2018/film/news/the-crow-release-date-2019-jason-momoa-1202715956/

    Maybe?

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  25. I also love the himmmm blinds. I don't care how long.

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  26. Hmmmm on Twitter has liked a lot of the Lee family posts so I will say that it's likely about them.

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  27. Oh man, not Jason Momoa as Eric Draven, come on. Did we learn nothing from the Conan reboot? Jason Momoa is excellent at playing Jason Momoa, he's not exactly a character actor.

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    Replies
    1. Jason is to bulky and menacing WITHOUT the makeup. I never saw any of the remakes/sequels. There was ONE Crow/Eric Draven. BRANDON LEE.

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  28. It's not like A++ action star with A action star son is a long list.

    The Lees it is.

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  29. I will definitely be interested as well if this is about The Crow. Love me some 90s nostalgia.

    @OB - which Syd Barrett story are you referring to? I'm interested!

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    Replies
    1. Go to the Himmmm Twitter: @theHimmmm. Right near the top od the posts there's a 9 part tweet about one of the Himmmms meeting a guy named Roger at an art gallery in London in the early 80s. Twitter posts run from latest to earliest so look for the one numbered 9 to 1 and go back to the 1. Its a good story

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  30. so this is Bill Allen writing this, correct?

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  31. Is this being told by himmmm, or as told to Himmmm?
    Because this would be 3/4 if this is himmmm's personal story.

    Also, just because it's creepy. Robert Wagner was in "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story". The movie involving at least 2 who control the rights mentioned in the blind, plus Jason Scott Lee.

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  32. Pretty sure this is the INXS himmmm telling the story again.

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  33. still confused, is Himmmm Bill Allen?

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  34. @Sal, yes I believe this to be the same himmmm that told the INXS story. Not the one that was actually in INXS.

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  35. I'm enjoying it so far, looking forward the the other 9 parts

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  36. I’m rivited by this and would read 100 parts honestly. Thanks Himmm for sharing this story. This movie was my everything as a teen and getting this inside story of the tragedy and insight into Brandon Lee is amazing.

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  37. I love the Himmmm blinds. I never saw The Crow or knew much about the Lees, so if the blind is indeed about them it won’t be the emotional kick in the heart that the INXS one was.

    I also don’t mind the length of the Himmmm blinds. Sometimes it takes a lot of words to tell a good story.

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  38. A nice and simple read - this one. Thanks Himmmmm 1, 2, 3 or 4. So much so that it was easy to ferret out the characters - down to the Himmmmm. I'm going to keep that little bit to myself however, and simply enjoy the next nine installments. It promises to be a doozy!!

    On the edge of my seat (metaphorically).

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  39. And I humbly thank you @himmmm for the posts.

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  40. I was living in Wilmington when they shot it.... Sleeping with the Enemy, Weekend at Bernies, Betsy's Wedding not long before.

    Himmmm, you hang out on Front Street? Not a far drive from those Studio Gems/Carolco 23rd street studios. Ortons? That shitty dive bar at Johnny Mercer's?

    If y'all would like to know more about Lee's death, http://variety.com/1993/film/news/brandon-lee-killed-on-set-105553/

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  41. Thank you all so much for your compliments and your kind, warm words of caring. We really appreciate it.

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  42. Jesus Christ I am not reading all this shit. What a waste of a few hours for whoever wrote this.

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  43. Yep @sandybrook, see y'all tomorrow. I don't need any more Himmmm fiction, like that phony tear-jerker about the Oscar-night last dance.

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  44. If you've never seen The Crow, by all means watch it as soon as possible. Absolute masterpiece, bar none. It has resonated with me since its release and has never let me go.

    I don't have the words for this

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  46. haaaaard pass on these blinds.

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  47. Part 10 of the Russian novel. No, uh, the Hollywood bs novela.

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  48. Would read 100 of these blinds. Love the throwback memories to my youth. I miss the A team!

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  49. @Doug

    " I don't need any more Himmmm fiction, like that phony tear-jerker about the Oscar-night last dance."

    Thankfully, you said it first.

    Oh boy. Not only was it schmaltzy, it stole scenes from movies everyone loves to make a story. Hmmm has done this before.

    Awful

    (running away now...)

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  51. Add me to the list of people who don’t care how long a himmmm blind is... I am going to read it and love it! I actually like the multiple part ones.

    Sign me up for a book of short stories and memories told by the himmmms.

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  52. Are the Himmms pitching a show based on 80s & 90s celebuspawn & their highjinx?
    If so, we’re the test audience - i believe each blind is an episode.

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  53. So far I'm on board with The Crow/Brandon Lee guess and am enjoying the writing.

    If I'm right, then I am in complete agreement that this movie shouldn't be remade. Lee's death was heartbreaking, and the film stands as such a tragic tribute to him and his talent.

    I saw this movie six times in our local dollar theater before it ended its run. (I was a broke college freshman who didn't have a lot of free time, so I would even skip class to go to this theater.) It was the first movie I really fell for, and I wasn't even a dark emo goth girl type (far from it). My little brother was getting into his all-black/heavy metal stage at this point, though, and recommended it. It means SO much to both of us because we weren't ever very close growing up (again, far, far from it), and this was one of the first things that started bringing us closer together.

    Anyway, if this is about Lee, I'm so sorry for your loss. There aren't really any words.

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  54. Those of you who are complaining that the posts are too long/too schmaltzy/too boring - you know you can easily move along without making comment? Himmmm gives you a detailed heads-up right at the start to allow you to skip the line. Given that it’s clear what and who this story is about, it might be nice to take your rain check without the negativity.

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  55. Well said Jessorella. It's really easy isn't it. If you have no interest in it, just move along. I could care less about the Kardashians or housewives or c-list reality stars or whatever so guess what, I just skip to the next blind and waste no energy on the blinds that doesn't interest me.

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  56. @jessorella

    You are absolutely correct. But see, bitching is part of my process. Sometimes I can muzzle it, sometimes I can't.

    Also, the comments are usually more entertaining and impart more information than any of Enty's BIs do.

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  58. @Mandeeba

    1. Please don't openly out the himmmm's.

    2. This Himmmm is not KS. It is someone else who is very connected, as were both of his parents and grandfathers.

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