I feel the pain, Juan C.V.

I understand the angst and bile which flow from your fingers my Mex... uh, Colum... uh, Hispanic friend. Earl, Zimpter, and I received the same reaction from the Academy to our two Magnum Opi (is that right?), The Land That Fish Forgot and Lameduck Refuseniks. Two fine films exposing the lives of ordinary people and the travails of moderate talent and low production values. The two films were screened for top industry executives and lauded as ahead of their time, before we found out that the textile industry was not really the outlet we were looking for. Allow me to summarize the films for the great unwashed, Earl feel free to fill in where I may not recall.

TLTFF, as it is known to its multitude of fans, was a series of poignant vignettes set in a rustic mountain setting. The intro was the epic search for the meaning of life, as we see a saintly figure roaming on a seemingly endless journey to find that which will fulfill all his wants and desires. In an expression of post modernist consumerism we find that true peace can only be found under the Golden Arches of Nirvana (mid-south division). The next vignette concerns the musings of one Lukas P. Short, an entrepreneur and amateur cable personality who dispenses cogent bromides to the masses such as "These is drugs and this is alcohol", throws away bag of drugs and takes a colossal drink of whisky, "Don't take drugs, they'll kill ya". Then there was the story of Captain Crusader...and Bucky that contained what is probably the first superhero rap performance on film, a breakthrough for the time. Finally, we have the story of one Angus MacCrowley, a kilt wearing Bondesque hero, who defies his archenemy Mr. Thunderhead and returns a prize article to a friend of his. This portion of the film was hailed by critics for the midnight car chase scene that took film noir to untouched depths.

Lameduck Refuseniks, known to many as simply Lame, was our fusion of surrealism and not quite surrealism into a film that quite frankly confuses many who see it. Whether it was the depth of character (and the knife) in "Fishing with Lonnie & Steve" or the visual feast which was "The Fly" one could always find something to love about the film. Many saw the "Merchant Bank Sketch" as a plea for help, a moving grasp for the gold ring by a sleazy man of ill repute. The scene featuring George Takei alone has brought grown men to tears and frightened many small children. Truly powerful stuff from Triple Bypass Surgery Productions.

I know the Academy does not take into consideration the vast popularity of these films but the writing, cinematography, and costume work is something that may never grace the big screen again. Even the shorts "Mr. Pajamawaffle V" and "The One Containing the S2 Thiever" should have been considered for Short Subject awards but were overlooked by the high and mighty "Academy". Shame on them.