If You Feel, You Heal

[ChiO]

Has anyone else seen GREASER'S PALACE (Robert Downey, 1972), which TCM showed last weekend after Downey's PUTNEY SWOPE?

Imagine Sam Peckinpah directing a spaghetti Western written by Luis Bunuel (oh, and I suppose there's a pinch of Jim Jarmusch). An absurdist Western with a touch of violence and a zoot-suited Jessy (Allan Arbus aka M.A.S.H. the TV show's Dr. Sydney Freedman) who parachutes to Earth for "I'm on my way to Jerusalem to be an actor/singer. It is written that the Agent Morris awaits me," healing those who Seaweedhead Greaser thinks he's killed.

It is a Christian allegory...or a satire of Christianity...or something (there is a Father and a character who walks around covered by a white sheet looking like, yes, a Ghost and, of course, the healing Jessy). This is going to take several viewings to decide whether it is a work of genius or a crock. But there's no losing interest in it. As Jessy says:

I bring you a message. Exactly six miles north of Skagg Mountain in the Valley of Pain, there lives an evil devil-monster. His name is Bingo Gas Station Motel Cheeseburger With A Side Of Aircraft Noise And You'll Be Gary Indiana. And he loves to hurt people. The last time I saw Bingo Gas Station Motel Cheeseburger With A Side Of Aircraft Noise And You'll Be Gary Indiana, he told me what he wants to do. He wants to come down here and kill each and every one of you! But I said to him: "Bingo, wait a minute." And the reason I said that is because I believe in you people. I believe you can do the job. I believe you can help each other. I believe you can make this world a better place to live in. That's it.

Fascinating. Amen.

(Edited to change "the hearing Jessy" to "the healing Jessy". Aaaahhh...now it all makes sense.)

[Mr. Arkadin]

One I've had in the "to watch stack" for awhile, but still haven't gotten around to. I guess I need to have a little devotional time soon.