Great Drunks: McNulty

In honor of the return of Mark's copies of "The Wire" from Ithaca, I've decided to take the season on, all by myself, before I have to return the damn things this Friday. The show lacks the lyrical, artful finish of "Sopranos," yeah. But, my god, does David Simon have a gifted ear for dialogue. And it doesn't that his writing partners are mostly Ed Burns and Richard Price. Simon has a knack, and the observant writing is the high point of "The Wire." The writing enables everything to succeed.

But, most importantly, David Simon created one of the first great drunks of the 21st Century: Detective James, "Jimmy" McNulty of the Baltimore Police Department.

A talented, intuitive and mostly true grit kind of cop, McNulty is the rock of the series. When he's being a good cop, he's really damn good. But when he lets his drink out, he's an out of control mess. And yet, we watch, fascinated. Somehow, Dominic West's portrayal of McNulty and the show's naturalist style make him seem like something more than a cliched, drunken Irish cop who's bummed out about a divorce. Then again, I'm still in the Third season... but they did advertise his drunken-ness in Season 5. Oh well.

But, that's McNulty.

Ladies and gentlemen, his drunk:

The Frugal Theater: "Withnail and I"

Again. Someone offers you the chance to watch something on Criterion for free, the answer should be an ecstatic "YES."

Check out this ultimate cult classic of '60s Brits and one amazing alcoholic. Like seriously, freakin' drunk. You'll be screaming "SCRUBBERS" and drinking lighter fluid in no time. If this were set now, these two would be filthy college room-mates...

CLICK HERE to watch (http://crackle.com/c/Withnail_And_I).

CLICK HERE to read Ebert's nerdy "Great Movies" article (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20090325%2FREVIEWS08%2F903259987%2F1023).

Still not sold? Take a sip of this:

Welles Week: Drunk

You don't get that size as a drunk, unless you're a total lush. Welles, most certainly was, a lush.

Here now are some Drunk gems:

It's an odd, awful and un-needed argument, but where are the talented drug-users these days? Yes, they all died sadly, but where are the Hustons, Cassavettes, Bukowskis and Reeds? Earlier today I saw a doc on the making of "Natural Born Killers" where Oliver Stone brags about his shroom consumption and damn the torpedo attitude. It got me wondering about drug use and art these days. I'm not saying it makes work better necessarily, but, interesting and unique, it does.

Also, imagine what Robert Altman's work would have been like, had he not spent every day on rye and mash.

I don't know. Maybe I should take up oxicontin? I spell that right?

Welles was a fish, but a talented, worthwhile one. Even if he was a pain in the ass to deal with. His final years may seem tragic nowadays, but it seems standard for the period, and only enabling of his talents more so.

Post Stuff: Random - Penguin

Like a conversation between myself and Brent really.



Eh. Hehe.

Post Stuff: "Serbo and Rakija"

To quote Matt Hopkins, aka the@Hopkizzle, when I showed him this:

"He is lovin' life."

At least he isn't actually driving? Umm...

1. Is it wrong that I laugh?

2. This will appear again, in my five-point list of reasons for buying a Yugo.

Discuss.

Post Stuff: "Kitten Mittens"

I'm proud to say I found this, and "favorited" it at only 12 views. I've probably contributed to 400 of its current views. My friends and family? Like, 1500.

When you watch "Malcolm in the Middle" at 7 in the morning, before work, you catch good, odd advertising such as the following:



Now, we have the newest meme/catch-phrase/phenomenon from "Sunny" almost 2 months early. Well, it was two months when I found it, I swear.

Plus, you know this plot device is killing when people are screaming it and drunk-dialing it (*cough*).