Adrastos, Diary, Film, Music, Odds & Sods, Television

Saturday Odds & Sods: Hocus Pocus

Large Variety Show with Dancer and Magician by Max Beckmann.

We’ve gone from the proverbial frying pan to the fire. It was around 100 degrees when we left New Orleans. It’s ever hotter in Las Vegas; at least we have industrial strength air dish but, damn, it’s hot. No cracks about low humidity: hot is hot and it’s fucking hot. WTF was Bugsy Siegel thinking?

I’ve been too busy to throw together a full-blown Odds & Sods post; consider this a half assed one. We do, however, have a featured image and theme song that reflect the fact that I’m seeing Penn & Teller tomorrow. It should make the crazy climate change driven heat somewhat tolerable. I’ll try not to melt.

This week’s theme song was composed in 1971 by Thijs van Leer and Jann Akkerman. It was an unlikely American hit two years later for their band, Focus. In case you haven’t figured it out on your own, Focus is a Dutch prog band and a damn good one.

We have two versions of Hocus Pocus for your listening pleasure: the studio original and Focus live on The Midnight Special.

Here’s a 1964 jazz instrumental with the same title:

We begin our second act by skipping it altogether. We do, however, have a last word from The Cars:

Does Ric Ocasek believe he can walk on water? Discuss amongst yourselves.

We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature.

Separated At Birth Casting Edition: It’s a future president playing a guy named for a past president: Ronald Reagan as Hall of Fame pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander.

Your Weekly Oscar: I bet OP would have been good at card tricks. He had the digits for prestidigitation.

Have I told you lately how much I love Oscar Peterson?

The Best Of Fool Us: Here’s a somewhat gross clip. Will it make Teller scream like a small child? Not bloody likely.

Mr. Cuddles gave me a benign earworm:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Saturday GIF Horse: It’s a follow-up to yesterday’s FCH: Elvis and Ann-Margret in Viva Las Vegas.

Ann-Margret sings:

That song should not be confused with this Meters influenced Steely Dan tune:

Tweet Of The Week: I was hoping to find a GIF of shotput deity Ryan Crouser striking this pose, but a picture will just have to do.

The Junk Drawer: This Southwest Airlines barf bag is patented. Who knew?

We usually close down this feature with some music, but a movie clip will just have to do.

Saturday Closer: When I saw Honeymoon In Vegas on the big screen, this scene made me laugh so hard that I nearly fell out of my seat. Will it stand the test of time?

It’s still funny.

That’s all for this week. The last word goes to Penn & Teller:

2 thoughts on “Saturday Odds & Sods: Hocus Pocus”

  1. I accidentally saw Focus play Hocus Pocus live at a concert hall in Springfield, MA summer of 1977. I was actually there for the opening act, a newish artist I’d just seen on the well known pop music show, Fernwood 2 Night (really), Tom Waits. Tom (and the brownie I consumed earlier) did not disappoint that night. Focus, meh.

    1. I first saw Tom Waits open for Zappa and the Mothers. Liked him immediately.

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