Daily Dirt for Friday, Aug. 22, 2025
After witnessing The Heartbreak Kid, I fell deeply in love with Cybill Shepherd for years. Welcome to The Daily Dirt’s Vol. 1,381: Three Thoughts for Today.
1. I like to call it revisiting .
In my opinion, revisiting sounds more professional, especially when it comes to movies, even though the average person might choose to see it again.
Some movies just need to be seen more than once in order to catch details you might have missed, like the expression of a character who wasn’t in the main frame, a line that seems insignificant but ends up being crucial, some background music you might have missed the first time, or dozens of other details that each had a unique impact on the storyline.
Rewatching, oops, revisiting some of the 1970s films that were overlooked by many but that I found fascinating for a number of reasons is one of my autumnal priorities. I’m going into this with an open mind, not knowing if I’ll appreciate these films even more or less.
The five movies I have selected are as follows:
When I first saw The Heartbreak Kid (1972), I was a freshman in college and was enthralled with Cybill Shepherd, who was 22 at the time. I didn’t give the narrative and plot a serious opportunity until I saw it twice and three times. The movie’s concept is that Charles Grodin’s character, who has just married another female, falls in love with Cybill Shepherd. It is, by no means, excellent, but it is really watchable because of some of the unexpected turns and turns. I want to take another look at those turns and twists.
Klute (1971): I’ve always thought that this picture, which is about Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda), a call girl in New York City, was on the verge of being a great one. Perhaps another viewing would elevate it more on my own ranking. Although I won’t give it away here, the finale is kind of intriguing. I enjoy movies that make you think, and this one does. The male protagonist is played by Donald Sutherland, who plays detective John Klute.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976): I think I’ve seen this Clint Eastwood classic six or seven times, and every time I watch it, something new seems to come up. There are some intriguing spinoffs in this specific story of the old west, even though it’s your typical Eastwood-style western with a lot of violence motivated by retaliation woven throughout the plot. In many ways, the movie presents a more humane image for Eastwood, but it doesn’t lessen the violence that most viewers anticipate. When I watch it again, I want to focus more on Eastwood’s evolving personality.
Of all the films I have ever seen, Dawn of the Dead (1978) has one of the best endings. My friend and I had gone to see this timeless horror gem at a movie theater in Ohio, and I could feel my jaw dropping to the floor. When it comes to the zombie apocalypse genre, the 1978 adaptation of Dawn of the Dead is still the standard. When the massive, ravenous appetites of elite zombies are revealed, it’s easy to miss the subtle humor, which is what I’ll be searching for on my most recent watching. Ving Rhames’s portrayal of Sgt. Kenneth Hall is my favorite character in the movie.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): Yes, I am aware that I have mentioned two horror movies, but neither is your typical bloodbath. For the most part, this little dandy’s success may be attributed to the fact that it is not your usual slasher movie. And you can tell what type of night it will be when the main character in the movie is called Leatherface. I’ve seen this a number of times, and each time I’m able to catch some strange conversation that I had missed the first time. I anticipate that the next viewing will be the same.(We’ll also be seeing movies from the 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s again in the future.)
2. Did you know (Part 464)
- That famed Friday the 13th villain Jason was originally to be named Josh .
- That the original title thought of for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was Head Cheese . Glad they went with Plan B.
- That it only took eight days to film The Blair Witch Project .
- That Psycho was the first film a flushing toilet was shown on screen.
- That in Carrie, the high school is named Bates High after Norman Bates in Psycho .
3. The best of this week s Found on Facebook
- Last night I yanked out of a couple of nose hairs just to see if it hurt. Judging by how fast my wife woke up screaming, I m guessing the answer is yes.
- I crashed my bike in 1973 and scraped my knee. We didn t have internet then, so I m telling you now.
- I understand being a responsible adult, but every single day? Every single day? That seems a little excessive.
- Singing in the shower is all fun and games until you get shampoo in your mouth then it becomes a soap opera.
- I started jogging today. I didn t want to, but the ice cream truck kept driving.
Every day, Steve Eighinger contributes to Muddy River News. I couldn’t look away from Moonlighting’s Cybill Shepherd.
