[1] According to my poll last week, two of my readers think that I should be castrated because of my cleavage column… But nobody called me the “Anti-Christ” and for that, I’m more than a little disappointed.
[2] Kobe Bryant is REALLY good… I know that sports don’t go over really well on this blog, which is fine, but he scored EIGTHY-ONE POINTS on Sunday… 81! In one game!? That’s like, um, a lot.
And [3] I am very susceptible to advertising… For whatever reason, over the past year or so my area has been hit with commercials for the “Sonic” fast food chain. I have only seen a Sonic twice in my lifetime. Once in Houston, and once in Virginia near my Grandmother’s house.
Now I can’t watch a football game without seeing commercials featuring Sonic’s chili-cheese fries and these weird fruit mix drinks. It's driving me crazy.Finally, I broke down last night and went to their website… There MUST be a Sonic near by if they’re showing all of these commercials for it, Right?
Wrong. It turns out the closest one to me is the one by my Grandmother’s house, 4 hours away. So what’s with the commercials? Maybe they’re planning to expand to my area or something, who knows… Whatever their plan is, I must give their advertising people props because even though I have NO idea if Sonic has good food, I’m ready to run through a brick wall for some chili-cheese fries, and a Cherry Limeade. But I digress.
And now, onto Film Vault Tuesday:
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Title: La Bamba [1987]Credits: ‘The’ Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales
Why: I get sucked into this movie time and time again. Everything from the over-the-top acting from “the” Lou Diamond Phillips, to the amazing sound track by Los Lobos.
I can't watch it without falling for Rosie, hating Donna, wanting to hug Esai, and crying at the end. It's a classic.
Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of flaws in this movie (bad acting, a corny script, terrible Hollywood foreshadowing, etc)... My friend Kevin and I even had a name for Lou Diamond Phillips' over the top, super cocky, "do you know how famous I am?" acting chops... We called it "The Lou Diamond Experience." He's in the over-the-top acting Hall of Fame right next to Patrick Swayze.
Now does "The Lou Diamond Experience" take away from the movie? Absolutely not. For some reason, it makes me like it more. Go figure.
And that's not the only flaw that for some reason doesn't bother me... Usually, I hate when a movie changes the facts just to make the plot better… but even though this movie clearly tried to make this movie as perfect and “American Dreamy” as possible, I don’t care.
Frankly, I could find out that the whole movie was a bunch of crap and that Ritchie was a lipsyncer who didn’t even have a brother, and was never a sharecropper… I wouldn’t care.
It doesn’t even bother me that much that Lou Diamond Phillips isn’t Mexican and doesn’t look like the real Ritchie Valens… whatever! My love for this movie is unconditional.
Remote Stopper Scene: I absolutely cannot turn the channel until I see young Ricardo Valenzuela break into the "live" performance of La Bamba… It simply cannot be done. It’s in my Top 20 favorite Movie Scenes of All-Time. Even if you hate this movie, you know you like that part… Just admit it to yourself and you‘ll feel better. Go ahead.
Goosebump/Tear Factor: RITCHIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Overall Rating: * I shouldn’t be allowed to rate this movie. I would give it a very high rating but deep down, I know it’s not that good of a movie… I mean, just because I love it doesn’t mean it was actually good.
It takes me back to childhood when I was an 8 year old Gabachito running around the house in my Scooby Doo underwear trying to sing La Bamba while our confused family dog watched on. I even had a little plastic toy guitar. It didn’t look like Ritchie’s but it got the job done.
I also used to have a poster of "The Lou" with the guitar at his side and the classic “Lou Diamond Experience” look on his face. The best part about the poster is that he's pointing his finger directly at the camera, so it looked like he was pointing at you from any spot in the room.
Everybody had dumb posters on their wall when they were little, so my "Lou" poster wouldn’t be so bad... except for the fact that it was only four years ago when I finally decided to take it down… (It was more for comedy purposes at that point than anything else- nothing is more inspirational than waking up in the morning and seeing ‘The Lou’ pointing at you and then you point right back at him and say “No Lou, it’s you. It’s all you.”)
So, is "La Bamba" corny? Yes… Does the non-Esai Morales acting suck? Absolutely… Can you see la Bamba playing on TV and NOT watch it? I dare you to even try, because it can't be done…
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16 comments:
I completely feel you on this one. I almost ashamed to tell you I own it on DVD. I blame it on my wife. I will have to do my best to watch. If it is on the television, I have to watch it no matter what.
i watched this movie again...for like the hundredth time...while i was in mexico. i totally agree with you about being such a bad movie but i just can't help myself. Lou Diamond Phillips gets on my nerves in this movie yet i keep on watching on it. Don't get me started on Donna and her dad!!!do i stop watching it? noooo!!! great pick, great pick :-)
Oh I love this movie. I remember the first time i watched it, it was the first movie to make me cry. :(
The Richie parts makes me goosebump too!
Yeah, yeah, La Bamba is a guilty pleasure, let's get to Sonic!
I think Sonic is definitely planning on expanding in your area. The commercials are paving the way for future (and, sorry, impressionable) customers. A similar trend happened here with Carl's Jr. And I totally fell for it.
The most effective fast food commercials aired in this area are Whataburger commercials where they do a long, slow, close-up of a burger-under-construction. Makes you think of nothing else.
As for the taste of Sonic, it's tasty, I won't lie to you, but you aren't missing a whole heck of a lot. Hope that relieves the Sonic fever.
Marie - Quack......Quack.....Quack....Quack...Quack..Quack.Quack
Vanessa - Thanks for the update on Sonic. I will be looking for those, soon.
DCNats - Yeah, I'm leaving comments to the bloggers that are leaving comments to you . Whaddya gonna do about it?
great pick! i'm so glad that you hated donna, too. ugh.
dcn i'm seriously concerned about your friend moe.... ;-)
Santiago- You're talking to a guy who owns all 3 Karate Kid's on DVD, so don't be ashamed.
Sonrisa- Thanks, yeah Donna and her Dad need to go... And about Moe, what would you ay if I told you he wa sthe father of 3 children? Scary huh?
CAD- I cry everytime I see it and I've seen it WAY too many times.
Marie- I must admit that I've seen the first Might Ducks a few times, I can see how it could be a guilty pleasure... But only the first one, I can't condone anyone over 12 watching the second and 3rd versions.
Vanessa- Thanks for the Sonci update... but I have to believe that those fruitdrinks are at least pretty good.
Moe- What is this Fight Club?
Jennifer- I think this movie is like Selena is for you.
DCNats - The first rule about Fight Club is...you don't talk about Fight Club.
I'm loving these Film Vault posts, keep them coming 'cause they're fucking great! I just saw a chance to see Los Lobos in concert last week, they're one of my favorite bands, and this movie couldn't have altered their career. Some say that it killed them commercially (like their name didn't) but if it wasn't for La Bamba the band wouldn't have made the incredible La Pistolla y El Corazon or better yet, that masterpiece called Kiko...
You know La Bamba (the movie that is) was the first film my dad ever took me to see, yet my dad didn't realize the theater was sold out, so he took me to see Robocop instead. To this day, I don't know if that's the best thing to happen to me or not, either way, I too have a certain affection for this film.
I hope one day they can pull of a great music film about a Mexican-American artists (uh, Selena, maybe...pero...). Right on, Joel. :)
Sonic is awesome. Every town I lived in out west had a Sonic nearby, so I pretty much grew up on their food ... much more so than any McD's.
As for La Bamba, you're right about the scene where he plays La Bamba. The acting is bit overdone, the script is corny, but that scene clinches it everytime.
la bamba is the last movie we went to see as a family when i was little. and for that very reason it feels like such a classic--corny or no corny acting.
i wouldn't castrate you. i did see that Kobe scored 81pts...i don't like him but dang that was an awesome basketball moment.
i don't get Sonic ads here...i'm mocked by "steak and shake" ads. there's no S-n-S in the city but the ads are always on tv. i think they are only in the suburbs of chitown. i have thought about going to the burbs for some "steak and shake". so far, i have resisted, but u know once one makes it in the city, i will be there.
and oh yeah...
RITCHIE!!!!!!!
sniff sniff...every time
Julissa- I don't know the name of that song but it has that creepy guitar solo that always gets me.
EMC- I gotta give Los Lobos a pass on being a part of a commercial movie... I mean, it was for Ritchie Valens, so how could you say no?
Cincy- I love McDonalds, but if pressed, I would have to say that Sonic is my fav, despite the fact that, you know, I umm, have never actually been to one... damn advertisers!?!
CC- I think any movie that comes from childhood tends to stick with you and can't help but overlook the flaws... like if we saw La Bamba now, we'd hate it, but because we all have it stored in a special place from childhood, it will be remembered fondly.
Dr.V- Steak and Shake? I'd only need to see one to two commercials before I was in my car out to the suburbs to give it a try... as for the "RITCHIE!!!!!!!" scence, it always gets me, but the scene where ireally get the tears flowing is the phone call he and Esai share before he dies... "Where still brothers... right?"
OMG that song is so creepy... As my little sister Jess would say, "That song is SO rape city!"
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