This has been a difficult week both personally and politically. I’m dealing with a minor but painful recurring health issue and an serious illness in the family. And the whole Nazi thing disturbs me on a visceral level.
Shorter Adrastos: I’m not feeling funny and humor is the essence of the Saturday post. Hence this abbreviated edition.
I have tried to preserve some of my Halloween spirit by posting an image from Son Of Frankenstein featuring Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone, and Bela Lugosi. It’s one of the best OG Universal horror films as well as the most underrated.
Our regular readers know that I’m not big on uplift. If a movie is described as uplifting or heartwarming, I avoid it but sometimes a bit of uplift is in order. This is one of those times.
Trevor Rabin and Chris Squire wrote this week’s theme song in 1991. It ended up on that mishmash of a Yes album, Union. It brought the band’s warring factions together but it’s a mess, probably the Yes album I’ve listened to the least. Lift Me Up is easily the best song on this bad album.
We have two versions of Lift Me Up: the 1991 studio original and a 2018 live version by Anderson, Rabin, and Wakeman.
There’s also a Jeff Lynne song with the same title. I might as well post that one too. We all need all the lifting up we can get.
That’s all for this week. The last word goes to the Young Frankenstein gang: Terri Garr, Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, and Mel Brooks.
I’m so sorry I don’t have anything much to lift you up when you need it. 😔 Does it help you to know that ever since I stumbled into “First Draft” a year ago(?), I have been a daily visitor? The unique takes on news stories combined with music and movies and good humor always lift me up and I hope that better health and, maybe, a few positive news cycles will come your way! Strength! 💪😃
I’m fine. Thanks for the kind words and for becoming a First Draft reader. Your comments are a swell addition to our community.