Proud Mom (that’s me) wants you to know that son Charlie Howell is in a film which can now be seen on Amazon Prime! In it he plays himself and co-star, Maurice LaMarche plays the late Gordon Bressack who, in real life was Charlie’s writing partner for 30 years. The film, based on a script by Gordon, was directed by his son James Cullen Bressack. As one critic said: “… a genre-fluid film-within-a-film is a monstrously meta memorial to the director’s father.
Says Rotten Tomatoes: Basically, the plot involves two playwrights, George (Gordon) and Charlie, who are tasked with the challenge of creating the next “avant-garde, surrealistic, mind-bending neo-noir thriller”. As they write, the story comes to life in real-time. However, their own emotions and arguments also begin to manifest on film, creating sharp twists and turns that affect the entire movie. Filled with hilarity and chaos, “Murder, Anyone?” is a comedic play-within-a-play-within-a-movie that contemplates the complexities of language, art, theater, film, and more.
Charlie in “Murder, Anyone?”
Rotten Tomatoes gives it an 89% rating and the audience score they post is 95%! Wowie Zowie! How proud Gordon would have been of son Jimmy! And how proud I am of Charlie!! And how I wish my folks and Nyel were here to clap and cheer with me!
It all put me in mind of the days of my childhood when we had a crank phone in the kitchen and all long distance calls went through the switchboard operator in Ilwaco. I don’t know what time the “exchange” closed down for the night — maybe 11 p.m. — but I’d be willing to bet that if there was an emergency, there was a way to get through — even if it was a midnight drive in the Model A to roust J.A. Howerton, owner of the Ilwaco Telephone & Telegraph Company.
There are two areas in this house that I have considered the most important ever since I was a very little girl. First is the library where we gather in front of the fireplace, especially in the late afternoons, to visit and catch up with our days — past and present. And second is the dining room where we do the same thing except with the addition of food.
Discussions are lively, non-stop, and cover every imaginable subject. Sometimes everyone is involved in one gigantic exchange. Or there might be two or three separate conversations taking place — sometimes on the same or, more often, on unrelated subjects. No topics seem to be off-limits and all of us seem to have something to say about whatever is under discussion. Which reminds me that I’ve always been told that the Espys come in two varieties — the loquacious and the taciturn. I’m here to tell you, there’s not a quiet one among this group. Except Nyel. Who, after all, is technically not an Espy…
They were a little droopy on arrival but came with perking-up powder and by this morning looked quite revived. I decided to combine them into one huge, colorful bouquet which I’ve placed on the dining table where all the blooms are calling out to anyone listening, “Look at us! Look at us!”
