Well gather 'round people and listen to this . . .

During the Great Depression, an aging Tennessee hermit decides to come to town and hold a living funeral for himself. Things proceed from there. That's the premise of Aaron Schneider's Get Low (2009), set for limited American release at the end of this month.

From the press kit:

For years, townsfolk have been terrified of the backwoods recluse known as Felix Bush (Robert Duvall). People say he‘s done all manner of unspeakable things -- that he‘s killed in cold blood; that he‘s in league with the Devil; that he has strange powers -- and they avoid him like the plague. Then, one day, Felix rides to town with a shotgun and a wad of cash, saying he wants to buy a funeral. It‘s not your usual funeral for the dead Felix wants. On the contrary, he wants a "living funeral," in which anyone who ever had heard a story about him will come to tell it, while he takes it all in. (For more, see http://www.sonyclassics.com/getlow/)

Add Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray, Lucas Black and others, actors who've turned in many a strong performance.  Will it work?  More will be revealed . . .

Reminds me of two things right off. First, "Play Guitar Play," one of Conway Twitty's best songs penned by the man himself, a number one Country and Western hit in 1977; and Iggy Pop's "The Ballad of Cookie McBride," from which today's header derives, orginally from  "Zombie Birdhouse" (1982).   Iggy's song is so bad it's become a real favorite -- that's how bad it is!  Where he got the idea, God knows. But it makes me chuckle every time. Jack London?  Sample lyric:

Well gather 'round people and listen to this
I am a hermit of burial ridge
Once I was shaven and worked every day
But the call of the wild just lured me away . . .

And onward, complete with "bears in the area and wolves at the door" . . .

This odd and darkling ditty may have inspired John Waters to cast Iggy as Belvedere Rickettes in Cry-Baby (1990) alongside Johnny Depp.  Who knows?

Today's Rune: Fertility.