October 23, 2009

101 Movies to Avoid
FOUND by Deb C. in Hobart Lending Library, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Found this post-it inside the cover of "101 Movies to Avoice," a book by Allan Smithee, which of course is the name that movie's producers or directors give when they don't want to be known. The reader obviously didn't think much of the content but it didn't deter me ... I wanted to know what was so offensive.
Birch in alley
Okay, I don't know about this book, but I'm interested in a film which is a cross between Animal House and Zombie Strippers. Haha
+ October 23, 2009 01:09 AM +
Farmer in The Dell
z-zz
+ October 23, 2009 03:29 AM +
Eusta B. in Love
I'm with you, Farmer. Up in the hayloft, snoring. I don't know about the rest of you, but I had to wade through three days of OLD posts to get to the new. It sure wasn't worth it for this pathetic find. Me, with my high-price, slow speed, unreliable satellite internet. I put up with it yesterday. I hope it's fixed by tomorrow.
+ October 23, 2009 05:19 AM +
Librarian in the woodwork

A "complete tosser"? Well, at least the author isn't a dwarf tosser. Drunks tossing dwarves in bars just isn't right. Even if both parties consent.

Also, hey, if you're going to use $10.00 words to put down someone, at least spell them correctly.
+ October 23, 2009 06:31 AM +
Ian in Edinburgh
I suppose a cross between Zombie House and Animal Strippers is out of the question..? It's the thought of those saucy little meerkats...
+ October 23, 2009 06:54 AM +
Feeling in coherent
Not only is Dwarf Tossing wrong Librarian, it's illegal in Florida, New York, and Morsang-sur-Orge, France!!
+ October 23, 2009 07:05 AM +
orinoco womble in wimbledon burrow
Tosser = wanker= jerkoff.

Telling people to avoid a book is usually the best way to insure they will read it. That is not to say that there isn't a great deal of wasted paper on the market--because there is.

I'm glad to learn about Alan Smithee...I am an indie cinema fan and I like trivia like this.
+ October 23, 2009 07:11 AM +
Doctor Jones in videodrome
I absolutely, definitely have to read this book.
+ October 23, 2009 07:20 AM +
Terrie-Is-So-Very in totally-unique-ville
They have a movie sort of like that, it's called "Inbred Redneck Alien Abduction."
+ October 23, 2009 07:34 AM +
Sticky Note in the Wind
Smithee is very cool. I always listen to what he says.
+ October 23, 2009 07:42 AM +
fooch
I just finished reading a book and the main character's name was Smithee Ide.

+ October 23, 2009 07:58 AM +
Librarian in the woodwork

@ Doctor Jones ...

"101 movies to avoid: the most overrated films ever! [by] Allan Smithee [apparently a pseudonym here for Pete Daly]. London: Cyan, 2006. (212 pages, paperback; ISBN: 1905736061 and 9781905736065)

@ orinoco ... according to "Michael Singer's film directors: a complete guide," c1995, p. 353-354, Alan [alternate spellings alson include Allen and Allan] Smithee is the pseudonym designated by the Director's Guild of America for those members who wish to remove their names from the screen and advertising credits of a particular film. This is usually the result of studio and/or network interference with their intended cut of a film, and therefore a loss of creative control.
+ October 23, 2009 08:00 AM +
Hiplainsdrifter in South Portland, Maine

It's "101 Movies to Avoice," - not "Avoid"
can't you "Tossers of Salad" get anything right?

+ October 23, 2009 08:28 AM +
Doctor Jones in dy
@ Librarian: thanks! I was being sarcastic, though :-)
+ October 23, 2009 08:59 AM +
crime in the city
I've read this book and it's good to see someone else has and also hated it. I don't exactly agree with the sentiments of the note writer, but it is an awful book, badly written, by someone who doesn't seem to know anything about film and about what makes a good film. I also find it ironic that 'Alan Smithee' should use that pseudonym for the book, becuase if I'd written it I wouldn't want my real name to be on the front either.

Happy reading folks!
+ October 23, 2009 10:00 AM +
Sammy Davis Junior Jr
I really hate it when people are mysoganistic. I generally try to avoid them at all costs.
+ October 23, 2009 10:00 AM +
Eusta B. in Love
(I just had to check back & see if the problem has been fixed. Nooooo....) When I log onto FOUND, it opens with Flying Mice on the screen. Then I have to laboriously click through 6 old finds to get to today's. Is anyone else having this problem?
+ October 23, 2009 10:01 AM +
Al in Smithee
One of my favorite movies is "Vamp," a movie about some frat pledges who go to a club full of vampire strippers -- including Grace Jones.

Not exactly Zombies, but a fun film nonetheless.
+ October 23, 2009 10:03 AM +
Eusta B. in l
While I'm here:

@Librarian: How do you feel about people leaving stick-it notes in your books?

I was in a discussion the other day, and we were talking about what we use for bookmarks. I said stick-it notes, and one gal (a former librarian)said No-No-No! Stick-its leave a residue that discolors the pages. Is this TRUE? I love books! I would never intentionally deface one.

What is the weirdest thing you've found left in a book (as a bookmark). I found somebody's (personalized)bank deposit slip once. Wouldn't think that's a good idea either. I hate finding people's hair and food crumbs in books. Ugh!
+ October 23, 2009 10:15 AM +
Nose in a book
I just finished a book that prominently featured Zombies. HORRIBLE book. But it was 50 cents and it has a great title so I plan to alter it. Can't do that without reading the entire book first- at least once.

Gawd it was awful. A real TOSSER. (something that should be tossed into the nearest available trash bin, as soon as possible.)

Eusta, clear your cookies, see if that helps. I'm not having the problem you describe. Sometimes Found is just.. wonky. What the heck? it's Friday.

+ October 23, 2009 10:15 AM +
Eusta B. in Love
@Nose: Thanks for the suggestion. I'll go Toss My Cookies.
+ October 23, 2009 10:22 AM +
Librarian in the woodwork

@ Eusta ... your gal pal is right. The research in paper conservation all (yes, ALL!) says that some of the adhesive from the notes does remain behind. Over the years, as they both age, it'll probably do bad things to your book's paper.

On the other hand, let's be sensible, if you're reading a copy of this Allan Smithee title, maybe that doesn't matter one whit. But if you're marking your place while you read your Gutenberg Bible, or a first edition Nathaniel Hawthorne, or anything I've ever written ... please don't use these sticky notes to mark your place.
+ October 23, 2009 10:35 AM +
gramma nazi in spell-czech mode
misogynistic
+ October 23, 2009 11:04 AM +
Eusta B. in Love
Well, this is sad. I cleared cookies & rebooted. It must be a personal problem. How many more days will I click forward from Flying Mice before I finally give up in lonely despair?

+ October 23, 2009 11:06 AM +
missing link
Hmm. I have no solution to your dilemma, sorry. Well, remember that one day when Found took us to some random Find from December of 2005? That was kind of an adventure!

Maybe the gods of the internets are trying to tell you something.
+ October 23, 2009 12:12 PM +
Hiplainsdrifter in South Portland, Maine
D-Day: War's over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.

Bluto: Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Zombie Strippers bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Otter: Zombie Strippers?

Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.

Bluto: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...
[thinks hard]
+ October 23, 2009 12:28 PM +
Eusta B. in Love
STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! I'm ashamed to confess this totally "du-u-uhhh" moment to the world! RITFGroaning!

I bookmarked Found on the Day of the Flying Mice. That's why it kept taking me there. Du-u-uhhh.... So I changed the bookmark to "About Found", now all I have is one click to the current find.

@missing link: Yes...it's definitely a "sign." I've been in trouble with this before. ...But I'm not gonna worry about it now.
+ October 23, 2009 12:50 PM +
Words in no particular order
At least he's not a homophobic misogynist.
+ October 23, 2009 01:34 PM +
remembering running
I loved that book about Smithy Ide
+ October 23, 2009 07:56 PM +
Journalist in The Cupboard
Hmm . . . misogynist and a homophobe. So he hates women and gay men. Only appreciates films about straight men? Do you think this note was written by a straight man, a gay man, or a woman?
+ October 23, 2009 11:47 PM +
Eusta B. in Love
I just had to return to this, because nobody mentioned "xenophobic." The way I interpret this: the note-maker hates women and is afraid of gays and foreigners.

Now I have to admit, I'm a bit of a xenophobe myself. I get real paranoid when folks are talking in any language other than English. Especially if their conversation is laced with laughter. Are they laughing at ME?

This must be the reason I've never traveled abroad. Then I'd be the foreigner and I'd be afraid of myself. I wonder if there's a phobia for "scared of self?"
+ October 24, 2009 07:53 AM +
Night in gale
@Ian, you're the naughty one now, aren't you? Best comment today!
+ October 24, 2009 09:28 PM +
Deb C in Hobart
Cool, I've been posted, even if I spelt a word wrong.

I must admit I only borrowed the book because of the post it. I hate people who decide to correct the author in the margins but I love secret post it reviews by odd Aussies! Also post it's don't ruin the book... might start it myself.
+ October 26, 2009 06:26 PM +
UTAS Sister in Colorado
Hobart has a lending library? Is this like the "lending library" in Ward, CO, where you take a book and promise to either return it or replace it with a better book when you've finished reading it? And the "library" is an unlocked shed in the middle of town?

If so, I must get the location so I have something to look forward to next time I'm in Oz!
+ October 29, 2009 10:55 AM +

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