Hi. My name's Rob Schamberger. I'm that guy who paints rasslers. And other stuff. Why can't I free your doubtful mind, and melt your cold, cold heart.

The Last Picture Show (1971): Duane and Jacy’s Kiss

Watercolor on 9” x 12” watercolor paper

#3 in the 40 movies I haven’t seen from the AFI 100!

There’s a few movies from this list that I was already planning to see and this was one of the two big ones (the other being In the Heat of the Night, coming up in a few weeks) and that anticipation paid off. It’s funny, I knew a lot about this movie going into it without knowing much of anything about its actual plot. I’ve seen and listened to several documentaries on its director and co-writer Peter Bogdanovich that talk all about the behind-the-scenes stories so I didn’t come in blind. I’m also a fan of its co-writer Larry McMurtry, who wrote the book its based on as well as the Lonesome Dove books.

WHAT A MOVIE, though.

On its surface it’s almost an American Graffiti-esque story of high school seniors preparing for adulthood, having wild adventures and all horned-up in the process. There’s that and it’s enjoyable enough on its level although it can seem sort of hollow as it would appear that none of the characters have an arc if viewed only in that way. But there’s this other story under the surface about these kids, already getting chewed up by the adults in their small Texas town, trying to find a way to escape this life or to consign their fates to it. Very haunting. The movie may be in black and white but its characters live in the gray areas.

The movie has a wonderful cast that revolves around Cybill Shepherd in her debut role, and not only is it physically shot to make her shine but it’s very clear why she became a gigantic star immediately. Sure, yeah, she’s beautiful and that’s all the town seems to see of her character Jacy, but both Shepherd and Jacy have a universe of thoughts and emotions behind those sparkling eyes.

With the painting I wanted to speak to the menace of the male gaze on one side, but also Jacy’s own desires and the lengths she’ll go to fulfill them. Jeff Bridges’ Duane is almost a spectral threat in this kiss, but the hint of red in his shadowed face is also present in her flushed skin from the thrill of it. The movie holds multiple truths and I want the painting to do the same.

Next Week: Frank Capra’s timeless It’s a Wonderful Life!

Here’s a preview of Thursday’s new Jamie Hayter painting.

Card subject to change.

Rob’s Art on ShopAEW
###
Rob and Jason Arnett's novella Rudow Can't Fail!
###
Rob’s prints and shirts at Pro Wrestling Tees
###
Bluesky
Cara
YouTube
###
Katy’s book Oldest Kansas City

Last weekend Katy and I started watching The West Wing season one, her first time and my first in about a decade. I recently heard the show described as ‘competency porn’ and man that’s accurate and part of what makes it an equally pleasant and emotional watch right now. The idea of the people in the White House being competent and empathetic and there to help the population feels so alien at the moment, and it’s arguable that it’s something that ever truly existed, but it was at least something strived for. The walk-and-talk, manic screwball comedy nature, and the heart of it all is a lovely escape.

Since I loved the movie and am a fan of his books, I listened to the audiobook for The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry while working. The movie is a faithful adaptation but the book adds so much more of what’s happening internally for all of the characters, switching perspectives around rapid fire to give a more well-rounded emotional accounting of the story and its impact. Plus there’s a scene with a blind cow that’s going to haunt me to my dying day.

I also listened to the audiobook for Nightshade by Michael Connelly, definitely not a piece of all-caps LITERATURE but as I describe the majority of Connelly’s work: Easy listening. This one’s a murder mystery on Catalina Island featuring a new batch of characters in the larger Bosch Universe, where the police force there are considered a literal island of misfit toys. There’s a Slow Horses vibe to it in that everyone on the force are discards from the Pasadena Police Department and LA County Sheriffs, either riding things out or trying to earn their way back to the mainland. A body is found off the coast, setting off a series of reveals of the vacation spot’s seedy underbelly.

Speaking of LA, Los Monstruos by James Robinson and Jesus Merino is a fun noir story where Los Angeles has been turned into a city of literal monsters. A werewolf private eye is hired to find an old man’s lost vampire love, a search that many in power (mummies and Frankenstein’s and the like) want to put a stop to. It’s like LA Confidential meets Guillermo del Toro by way of Alan Moore and Gene Ha’s Top Ten. Merino is having a clearly great time populating these scenes with every kind of fun monster done up in 1930’s fashions walking around and interacting with an LA of that time.

A bit of a gamut this week with my warmups. The first one from Monday was me trying to release some frustrations after therapy in the morning. Pure emotion. The two pink ones from Tuesday and Wednesday were color palette and technique experiments for a Kyle Fletcher painting I was doing. Similarly, Thursday and Friday’s were the same for an Okada painting. Friday’s in particular is a cubist sort of thing to see how some colors would work together for that. So yesterday, I thought it’d be fun to do a full on geometric type of portrait, but still very organic to play into the nature of watercolor.

Gosh, I love doing these.

CONTENT WARNING: After this lovely picture of a breakfast casserole I’m talking about the events of the past week in Minneapolis. If for any reason you’d rather not read that right now I thought it’d be good for you to know. If that’s the case, just know that I love and appreciate you and I’ll see you in Thursday’s email.

Friend, I’m personally struggling. The murder of Renee Good by ICE officer Jonathan Edwards is omnipresent in my mind. The administration and their failures-as-human-beings supporters lying about it, telling us to not believe the evidence of our eyes is unconscionable but to be expected from pathological narcissists. I found out that she used to live just a few blocks away from me. Probably drove by her, or ate in a restaurant at the same time or stood in line behind her at the grocery store.

I’m using all of my therapy tools to keep going. Listen, yeah, this tragedy’s not about me but I’m still feeling it like so many others. I have empathy and that leads to anger and sadness and being overwhelmed. I’m purposefully allowing other things to be true and to allow other experiences to happen. I made a goddam breakfast casserole so that I could have a full sensory experience for a little bit of time. My cats are being pet nonstop. I volunteered a shift at the museum to be around other humans in a controlled environment.

I’m trying. It’s hard.

It’s hard to see the country fall this far. It’s hard to see the people in my life, or more accurately no longer in my life, cheering this all on. My anger at those who voted for this, who continue to support it, is on par with those enacting it. It’s not ‘political differences’ when there’s secret police murdering people in broad daylight.

Renee Good’s final words were, “I’m not mad at you.”

“F***ing b**ch,” was the first thing Jonathan Ross said after murdering her.

I watched Spartacus on Friday night for my AFI 100 project and there’s a line in it from screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who was on the Hollywood blacklist during the Red Scare. It speaks to the slave revolt against the Roman Empire, to the hysteria of the 1950’s Red Scare, and to the times we’re living in now:

“Just by fighting them, we won something. When just one man says, ‘No I won’t,’ Rome begins to fear.”

We have the power to say, “No I won’t” one more time than they can say, “Yes you will.” We can say it to the state, we can say it to our abusers, we can say it. We have that power.

Love you more,
Rob