Of Wolves and Girls in Hoods: Sam the Sham

 

I am fairly certain everyone reading this knows the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" (if not, read this and this, and then come back) and possibly even a few horror stories (by they film or comics) based on it. Some of you may even have seen more "adult" adaptations of the story.

This month, we're going to spotlight a few of the more unusual versions of the "Little Red Riding Hood" story. We're kicking things off with a couple of songs from Sam the Sham. (There are no neat visuals with them... that'll come with the cartoons when we post them.)

First, it's Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs with a song conveying a modernized, tongue-in-cheek version of the Little Red Riding Hood story, as seen through the eyes of the Big Bad Wolf. In 1966, this song was a smash hit on AM radio and reached the Top 5 and even better on numerous charts. 

Striking while the iron was hot, Sham and his back-up singers--the Sham-ettes, recorded and released a sequel/point-of-view reversal on the relationship between the wolf and the maiden in the first song. And the wolf may be in for a surprise. Without further ado, we invite you to click below and enjoy "Big Bad Wolf" by the Sham-ettes.

(Maybe I've seen too horror movies, or read too many horror stories, but in my imagination, these two songs add up to a couple of psychopathic stalkers finding that they're each other's soulmate and then go skipping off in search of victims.)

Happy birthday, Alyssa Diaz

Born in 1985, actress Alyssa Diaz has been a fixture on television since landing her first recurring role on the daytime soap "As the World Turns" at age 15. Most recently, she's been a member of the spectacular ensemble cast on the ABC police series "The Rookie" for three seasons. Here are some pictures in celebration of her 36th birthday... and a celebration of the fact we'll be seeing her on a fourth batch of "The Rookie" episodes (which are going to begin on ABC on September 26)!

Musical Monday with David Hasselhoff

We could introduce this video for David Hasselhoff's cover of Iggy Pop's "The Passenger" with comments on how nicely done it is, both musically and visually.

Instead, we're just going to say: "When KITT is in the shop, but you still have to cross town to stop the bad guys..."


The Passenger (2021)
Starring: David Hasselhoff
Director: Jens Eser
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

"The Passenger" is included on Hasselhoff's just-released album, "Party Your Hasselhoff". We don't know if it's any good (aside from the one song featured here), but we're giving it Six Stars for that title alone.

(That said, the very nature of this blog is a constant reminded that we're all getting old... but Hasselhoff... jeeze! He got OLD!)

Bones Coffee's Salted Caramel

 It's Sunday, so that means another post about coffee we've been drinking here at Shades of Gray! Like most reviews so far, this one is based on coffee made from a pre-ground 4-oz. sample pack that made about 15 cups via a drip coffee maker.

Lily Gao: Caffeinated and ready to kill zombies!

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: SALTED CARAMEL

This is another of the flavored blends from Florida-based Bones Coffee. Like most of the ones we've had by them, it's a medium-roast using Brazilian Arabica beans, so it starts with a perfect foundation.

Opening the package was itself an experience; I could detect the aroma of caramel even before actively taking a whiff of it. That wonderful smell remained strong during the brewing process, and I could smell it all the way down the hall in my office.

And things only got better.

If you've read any of the previous entries in this series, you already know that I'm a wimp when it comes to coffee; I'm always putting almond milk and/or various creamers in everything I brew, from breakfast blends to the darkest of roasts...
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But this blend? This one I can drink straight without needing to cut it. What a FANTASIC blend! Who needs to head to Starbucks or any such places when you can just brew a pot of Bones' Salted Caramel blend?!

Hot and fresh from the pot into the cup, this blend carried a perfect blend of caramel and salt and tangy coffee. Even as the coffee cooled, the flavor remained pleasing, with the various elements remaining in balance with one another. (This factor may be more important to me than some of you out there; I drink my coffee while working or reading, so it tends to sit awhile and grow cold as I drink it.)

At no point did I feel like my cups of this Salted Caramel blend needed any almond milk or sweetener, but, to remain consistent with other reviews of Bones' products, I did it anyway. 

When I added unsweetened almond milk, I felt it detracted from the flavor instead of enhancing it, washing it out instead of making it palatable. I also tried a cup with just a dash of Italian Sweet Cream-flavored creamer, which was a little better. The sweetness of the creamer blended well with the caramel and seemed to bring out more saltiness.

⁠Speaking of saltiness, when this blend was consumed chilled and over ice, the salty flavor emerges a bit stronger than when it is hot, but it mixes pleasantly with the caramel and coffee, instead of becoming overwhelming and ruining the flavor as happened with the Sinn-a-Bon blend. Over all, though, the flavor remained fairly stable whether I was drinking it hot or cold, the Salted Caramel flavor was perfect.

Although I was perfectly happy with the "uncut" taste of this blend over ice, I tried drinking it with unsweetened almond milk added, just so I could remain conistant with my other reviews. While I felt the milk detracted from the blend when hot, it didn't seem to add or reduce anything. The milk mixed with the existing flavors, but otherwise didn't seem to really seem to enhance or detract from my enjoyment. I didn't bother trying it with the Italian Sweet Cream creamer, because... well, because there's just no way to improve upon Bones' Salted Caramel blend.  

So--thanks, Bones! Now I can have maximize my caffeine intake with a minimum of fuss and effort, even if I'm in the mood for fru-fru coffee! I can have delicious Salted Caramel flavored coffee without spending waaaay too much money at a retail outlet and without even having to leave my home!

Modern Living with Richard Sala

 I have worked in the downtown area of a major American city for about five years now. During that time, the urban decay has been evident and accelerating. I imagine this cartoon from the late, great Richard Sala must reflect how people who actually live there live their lives. (Click on the cartoon for a larger, more easily read version.)

It's Cinderella!

Actually, it's Camila Cabello who plays Cinderalla in the latest film version of "Cinderella". It premieres today, September 3, 2021, on Amazon Prime after a year or so worth of Covid-19 and Developmental Hell delays.

Cabello got her start in show business as part of the successful girl band Fifth Harmony, but has recently found even greater popularity as a solo act. Now she's adding "actress" to her resume, although she does more than a little singing during her starring turn as the famous fairy tale character. Here are a few pictures of Cabello in celebration.

Picture Perfect Special with Salma Hayek

Celebrated Mexican actress Salma Hayek turns 55 today, September 2, 2021. We extend our best birthday wishes to her and celebrate this milestone with a few pictures that demonstrate the Unifying Theme.

The Avengers: Quick-Quick Slow Death

Qiuck-Quick Slow Death (1966)
Starring: Diana Rigg, Patrick Macnee, Eunice Gayson, Maurice Kaufman, James Belchamber, David Kernen, and Larry Cross
Director: James Hill
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

A bizarre accident puts government agents John Steed (Mcnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) onto a dance school that's serving as a conduit for infiltrating enemy spies into Great Britain. The pair set out to unravel the operation with some infiltrating (and dancing) of their own.

"Quick-Quick, Slow Death" is one of the funniest and overall comedy-oriented episodes of "The Avengers" that I've watched yet. It's crammed full of bizarre characters and even more bizarre situations and it gets goofier and goofier as it unfolds

In fact, it's so goofy that this episode is best enjoyed if one doesn't think too much about the hows and whys of the plot and the complicated scheme being executed by the bad guys, nor the clues that Steed and Peel uncover or how they're delivered (although that tattooed garlic sausage has got to be a highwater mark for comedic absurdity). For all those reasons, I'm keeping this review short, as I think this episode is one that's best experienced cold. 

I will say that Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg are at the top of their comedic game, with their deadpan or droll reactions to the various bizarre characters and situations that Steed and Peel are confronted with as the episode unfolds. Although Macnee gets to be the comedic center in a couple of scenes, it's the way he and Rigg serve as "straight men" to other performers that make this episode that much more fun. I think that's also one of the reasons that the climactic ballroom scene with dancers and partners being switched around works when it really shouldn't have: Macnee and Rigg are pitch-perfect in every scene throughout.

Speaking of dancing, the little comedy tag at the end of this episode is possibly also one of the best so far, with the fictional characters of John Steed and Emma Peel twirling across the dance floor and fading away as the end credits begin.

Picture Perfect Wednesday with Zheng Shuang

Chinese actress Zheng Shuang has brought down the ire of the totalitarian "Communist" government of her nation for, as far as I can tell, being too popular. They've come down on her harder than they did on those infected with a virus that didn't even infect humans in Wuhan, with trumped up scandals and tax evasion charges. They've also literally cancelled her by banning a television series she's in from state-run television and commanded producers to no longer hire her for their films and movies.

So, it seems like a perfect time to feature some pictures of her here on Shades of Gray while reminding everyone of the Unifying Theme.

Still relevant, sixty years later

The Fat and the Thin (1961)
Starring: Roman Polanski and André Katelbach
Director: Roman Polanski
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

A scrawny slave (Polanski) labors to keep his slovenly, obese master (Katelbach) happy... until one day, he decides to escape to the promise of a better life in the city. His master, however, has a plan to keep him obedient and trapped...

Great works of art continue to feel relevant decades and centuries after they were made. The relevancy may or may not relate to the circumstances under which the work was created, nor the message the creator was trying to convey, but the fact that it speaks loudly to future generations and continues to feel fresh is the hallmark of an artistic masterpiece.

"The Fat and the Thin", one of the first works Roman Polanski completed after leaving his homeland of Poland for France. Sixty years after its release, this feels like it could have been made yesterday. The events of this absurdist silent comedy can be taken as an allegory for several different social conditions, most of which originate with power structures and how they can be abused. (One can even see the film as a statement about commercial 

As with all short films from the dawn of Polanski's career, "The Fat and the Thin" is a silent movie, and one so well-executed that no dialog would even be needed if it wasn't, nor were any intertitles required. Everything the audience needs to know is communicated by the actions of the characters on the screen. The only problem with this film is that it drags a little close to the halfway mark. I understand that Polanski was trying to drive home the sense of drudgery and boredom that slave felt, but he was perhaps just a little too effective... or maybe not effective enough. Regardless, the film could have benefitted from some trimming in the middle. 

 But why don't you take a look at the film for yourself by clicking below? Watching this true classic from one of the 20th century's best filmmakers is well worth it; maybe you can even leave a comment below with a few words about whether or not you think "The Fat and the Thin" still has relevance today, and why.