This sent me down the rabbit hole of trying to find Beverly Hills Buntz, the very-short-lived Hill Street Blues spinoff starring Franz. The pilot episode was directed by HAL ASHBY??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MzSckyDTjQ
Some late 80's tv that I adored: Crime Story (Dennis Farina) and Wiseguy (Ken Wahl). A way back De Palma your Dad and I both admired, in real time, The Fury (1978). Crime Story and The Fury took place in Chicago. This was a lovely read. Fran on Franz IS classic.
Uncritical support for Film Forum, Fran, but I want to point out that Metrograph's membership is $50/year (FF's is $75) and that a member-priced ticket @ Metrograph is $10. Metrograph membership also gets u a discount at the commissary (I've never been, but still) and access to their streaming library. FF's is tax-deductible, but I would still lean Metro. I just had this exact conversation w/ a friend, so my talking points were already prepped.
it's true that this is also a good deal – I think their membership was maybe pricier when I first moved to NYC. I really only make it out to Metrograph about once a year, though...
good q… I like it just fine but no desire to revisit. I had fun seeing with a big crowd at MOMI (all De Palma is fun in a full theater) but what I took away feels more gestural than specific
No one I know of yet... I mean I am NOT complaining about seeing some of these but trying to find any unifying sense of things besides "they all appear in this memoir" is not cutting it.
You know, but Fran on the taxonomy of Chicago guys is my dream thing to read. So this was a delight!
Dennis Franz loomed large, institutionally, in my life as a kid because the ads for NYPD Blue (which I was not allowed to watch) ran during Spin City and Alias (which I was allowed to watch). I felt like I knew the characters and plots from the commercials and opening scenes! I've seen the first few seasons of NYPD Blue and every episode of the original Law and Order, and the best part of Franz is NYPD Blue is how evil and complicated all the cops are. It is very easy to say "these things are copaganda," but it is also pretty easy to watch and say "they're all breaking the law all the time!" L&O has kind of already transitioned to "only heroes" story telling by the time Dennis Farina arrives on the scene, though I like how often he flirts with witnesses in Italian.
Also striking about the Chicago taxonomy is that Sipowicz on NYPD Blues is supposed to be from New York, which is like when they make Joe Pesci be from Chicago in Casino, or in Godfather Part III when Joe Mantegna is supposed to be from New York. They do not attempt this kind of prevarication in L&O: Dennis Farina can only ever be from Chicago .
This is my favorite Franz video, probably. Unsurprisingly the best bit is at 1:18 when he says "R"
oh yeah for all they try to convince you that Sipowicz is a classic NOO YAWK kinda guy - it's always so clear he's from Chicago, like there's no question. and yes agree re: the copaganda stuff. I think ABC in particular (the Disney of it all?) has made these shows go hero mode, and yes, L&O has been that way for a minute, but you used to get crooked cops on network TV all the time!
This sent me down the rabbit hole of trying to find Beverly Hills Buntz, the very-short-lived Hill Street Blues spinoff starring Franz. The pilot episode was directed by HAL ASHBY??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MzSckyDTjQ
omg... did NOT know about this....
Some late 80's tv that I adored: Crime Story (Dennis Farina) and Wiseguy (Ken Wahl). A way back De Palma your Dad and I both admired, in real time, The Fury (1978). Crime Story and The Fury took place in Chicago. This was a lovely read. Fran on Franz IS classic.
thank you MOM!
Franz Magazine: Issue #1
THIS
Fran on Franz, instant classic. Franz shoulda been in Thief!
AGREE
Uncritical support for Film Forum, Fran, but I want to point out that Metrograph's membership is $50/year (FF's is $75) and that a member-priced ticket @ Metrograph is $10. Metrograph membership also gets u a discount at the commissary (I've never been, but still) and access to their streaming library. FF's is tax-deductible, but I would still lean Metro. I just had this exact conversation w/ a friend, so my talking points were already prepped.
it's true that this is also a good deal – I think their membership was maybe pricier when I first moved to NYC. I really only make it out to Metrograph about once a year, though...
Fran, what's your take on Femme Fatale? I have only seen it once and I was sort of like, miss me with the cult fandom..
good q… I like it just fine but no desire to revisit. I had fun seeing with a big crowd at MOMI (all De Palma is fun in a full theater) but what I took away feels more gestural than specific
Love categorizing “Chan is Missing” as Bodacious lolol - curious if anyone else watched the Film Geek doc….
No one I know of yet... I mean I am NOT complaining about seeing some of these but trying to find any unifying sense of things besides "they all appear in this memoir" is not cutting it.
You know, but Fran on the taxonomy of Chicago guys is my dream thing to read. So this was a delight!
Dennis Franz loomed large, institutionally, in my life as a kid because the ads for NYPD Blue (which I was not allowed to watch) ran during Spin City and Alias (which I was allowed to watch). I felt like I knew the characters and plots from the commercials and opening scenes! I've seen the first few seasons of NYPD Blue and every episode of the original Law and Order, and the best part of Franz is NYPD Blue is how evil and complicated all the cops are. It is very easy to say "these things are copaganda," but it is also pretty easy to watch and say "they're all breaking the law all the time!" L&O has kind of already transitioned to "only heroes" story telling by the time Dennis Farina arrives on the scene, though I like how often he flirts with witnesses in Italian.
Also striking about the Chicago taxonomy is that Sipowicz on NYPD Blues is supposed to be from New York, which is like when they make Joe Pesci be from Chicago in Casino, or in Godfather Part III when Joe Mantegna is supposed to be from New York. They do not attempt this kind of prevarication in L&O: Dennis Farina can only ever be from Chicago .
This is my favorite Franz video, probably. Unsurprisingly the best bit is at 1:18 when he says "R"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnHTQS5WLbM
oh yeah for all they try to convince you that Sipowicz is a classic NOO YAWK kinda guy - it's always so clear he's from Chicago, like there's no question. and yes agree re: the copaganda stuff. I think ABC in particular (the Disney of it all?) has made these shows go hero mode, and yes, L&O has been that way for a minute, but you used to get crooked cops on network TV all the time!
Don't forget his run doing Nextel ads in the 2000s.
wait I did forget this 😭😭
Thank you for honoring his various sweaty performances in De Palma films. They are all great.
Vyampiyer