Two Words: Jeff Ellis

Thursday, March 18, 2004

Actress Mercedes McCambridge is dead. Most of the obits that I've seen (very few as I just learned of the actress's death about ten minutes ago when I skimmed by the entertainment news on Yahoo), have centered around her providing the voice of the demon in The Exorcist. And while that was quite possibly the best voice-over performance in the history of American film (Certainly far more Oscar worthy as Robin Williams' supposedly snubbed turn in Aladdin many years later), it has overshadowed two wonderfully eccentric performances given by this woefully underrated actress. First, there's her turn as the moralistic lesbian in Nicholas Ray's beserkly Freudian western Johnny Guitar. Secondly, yet another menacing lesbian (though, and this is a testament to her ability as a performer, the character's aren't menacing because of whatever innuendo might be present about their sexuality but because McCambridge truly created two truly frightening human beings), this time a leather-clad biker in Orson Welles' Touch of Evil.

Much like her work in The Exorcist, these were two characters who could have been smirkingly played for a sleazy laugh or two and who showed up in films that featured plots that could have easily veered into high camp. The fact that you never laugh at any of these characters and the fact that these films rank as the best American film has to offer is largely due to the unique, never really appreciated talents of Mercedes McCambridge. It's hard to think of any mainstream actress working today who could have brought any of these roles to as brilliant a life as McCambridge.

One thing that's never changed in the movies -- we like our leading ladies to be kooky, wacky, or whatever cutesy term you want to use. We want them to be like Drew Barrymore in an early '90s teen movie -- wild but ultimately safe, a bad girl who is a virgin at heart, a free spirit that yearns to conform. When a genuine eccentric like McCambridge comes along, it seems that no one knows what to do with them. Too talented to be ignored yet too unique to be safe, the career of an actress like Mercedes McCambridge reminds us of the dangers of being unconventional while still never letting us forget just how worthwhile the end results of that risk can be.

RIP, Mercedes McCambridge. ¶ 6:27 PM

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Blogs

Reva Renee Renz -- Renz would have won my vote in 2003's California recall election, if not for the fact that I'm not a resident of California. Anyway, Renz was one of the more likeable candidates in that free-for-all, one of the few who took it seriously without giving into meglomania. Her blog gives the details of her run and her life after. Renz is the owner of Deva's Bar in Tustin, California and I have to admit that the only reason I currently desire to visit California is to have a beer at that bar. Renz stands as proof that Republicans are a lot more fun than most people care to admit.

Yankee From Mississippi -- Shannon Black's blog, featuring writing that often puts me to shame. Plus, isn't that just an amazingly cool title for a blog or anything else for that matter?

Crime

The Charley Project -- A huge site, detailings hundreds of cold cases dealing with missing persons. This site is actually far superior and better written than the similar and better known Doe Network.

Crime News 2000 -- Despite the 2000, this is a daily updated listing of all the latest developments in all the morbid and disturbing stories that tend to capture the national psyche nowadays.

Doe Network -- One of those web sites that justifies the existence of the internet in the first place, the Doe Network is a huge database of missing persons and unifidentified remains from around the world.

Is this girl Tara Leigh Calico? -- This web site details the disappearance of a 19 year-old girl in New Mexico back in the late '80s. The details of Tara Calico's disappearance have haunted me for years now and served as the genesis for my current interest about missing person cases in general.

Politics

Charles Jay -- Personal Choice Party Candidate For President In 2004 -- I wrote in Jay's name for President in 2004. I think about 228 other people -- mostly in Utah -- agreed with me.

D.C.'s Political Report -- With Politics1 on indefinite hiatus, this is now the best place on the web to find continually updated listings of who is running for what and where.

Homepage of the Libertarian Party -- I am a member of the Libertarian Party, even if the party itself can't ever quite seem to get it's act together.

National Review -- The magazine for both true conservatives and Libertarians who think Ayn Rand was a hack

Politics 1 -- The site is officially on hiatus but there's still the occasional update. The archival information on the various candidates in the 2000 and 2004 Presidential races always makes for interesting reading.

Pop Culture

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Writing

Amazon.com -- I've posted quite a few reviews of books, film, and music on this site and I've gotten a good deal of very gratifying and very positive feedback from them. (I've also managed to piss off just about everyone who cried when they saw Titanic for the 10th times but that's another story...) Those reviews can be found by searching the site for Jeffrey Ellis from Richardson, Texas.

The Homepage of Gregory Alan Norton -- Homepage of one of my favorite liberals, fellow writer Greg Norton who I published in the premier issue of Jack the Daw way back in 1995. His site quotes my review of his excellent first novel, There Ain't No Justice, Just Us and includes information on how to order the book.

Xlibris -- Homepage for Xlibris, the publishers of It's Impossible To Start A Fire If You Have No Desire To Burn