A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

BILL AND WAYNE'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES IN THE QUIRKY WORLD OF FILM


I don’t know about you folks, but I’m less than impressed with the modern day movie theater experience. The product is hardly worth the ten bucks admission. As for the theatergoers, forget it. Babies cry, children run, an insipid galaxy of blinking cell phones lit up by text messengers destroys all semblance of concentration, people hold conversations with each other or talk on their cell phones.


“Hello. Yeah, I’m at the movies. What’s up?”

Nincompoops.


I’ll steer clear of movie theaters whenever possible, thank you. I’ll stick with the dollar movie rentals in the red box at the grocery store. Better yet, I’ll pick up a couple of bagels head over to Big Wayne’s house for a Saturday morning quirky classic matinee.

Wayne and I recently enjoyed the 1966 comedy musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, staring comedic geniuses Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford and Buster Keaton. You might remember Jack Gilford as the guy from the Cracker Jacks commercials – if an ARP card and Buster Keaton for his silent film comedies – if you’re a ghost. This was Buster Keaton’s last film role. Based on the Broadway musical, set in ancient room and shot somewhere in Spain, the film provides an endless array of one-liners, running gags, pratfalls, and gorgeous women.


Wayne and I laughed out loud – a lot.

Here are a few of my favorite lines:

“For us there will never be happiness.”

“Then we must learn to be happy without it.”
“Was one a good year for wine?”

“Oh, her bridal bower becomes a burial bier of bitter bereavement!"
“Very good! Can you say "Titus the tailor told ten tall tales to Titania the titmouse"?

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was well worth the price of a couple of bagels.
I'm giving this classic comedy musical a solid thumbs up, baby.

I'm William Snyder, the author of The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son, a collection of mostly true stories about growing up in1970s Southern California. It'll make you laugh.
You can purchase the book at your local book store or order a copy by clicking on the link below. Go ahead, laugh a little...
http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-William-Snyder/dp/1468142585/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334182364&sr=8-1-fkmr0