FAREWELL, (GRADY) DEMOND WILSON

You were like a friend--no, more like a big brother--thanks to your portrayal of Lamont on Sanford and Son. Even in later years (well beyond the 1970s), your influence prevailed, enough that I even emulated Lamont's style of attire and made his work ethic my daily guide.

I also stayed on top of your career after Sanford and Son, following you into The New Odd Couple, Baby ... I'm Back!, Full Moon High, The Love Boat, Today's FBI, Girlfriends, Praise the Lord and Me and the Kid.  (I also appreciated your earlier appearances on All in the Family, for the classic, "Edith Writes a Song," Mission: Impossible and the Sidney Poitier headliner, The Organization.) 

I respected and admired your service in Vietnam and paid strict attention to your insightful words and recollections about the world in general, which isn't so surprising since you did become an ordained minister. You knew the word and had the right elocution for it. 

I'm sorry you're gone, Mr. Wilson, and because of your passing, I feel that a part of me has vanished,  but then again, I can always revisit you and will do so often. Sanford and Son is a consistent part of my life ... and therefore, you'll only ever be a mere step away.

FOR THE FUN OF IT:

DANN MICHALSKI'S GOD ON THE PLANET OF THE APES

I discovered a fascinating book, God on the Planet of the Apes: Uncovering the Lessons of the Lawgiver, a 222-page, speculative analysis by Dann Michalski. 

As one reared on Christian faith and an impassioned, Apes afficionado, Michalski ties the original, five movies (based on Pierre Boulle's influential novella), as well as the 2001 reboot and the newfangled, Caesar trilogy, to Biblical verse, though professes that his observations (culled from significant scenarios throughout the franchise) are personal and aren't meant to be (pun intended) gospel. As the author indicates, art has the means to inspire and sway interpretation, and for the sake of the Apes saga, Michalski has achieved that admirable angle.

Though the 1968, blockbuster holds a number of Biblical allusions, in particular through its lawgiver component, Michalski leans on Beneath the Planet of the Apes as the most prolific example due to its prayer-service segments, punctuated by the fable's cathedral climax, where the Alpha-Omega bomb becomes more than a mere, misled worshipping device.  

Michalski presents an equivalent, apocalyptic tie-in to Escape from the Planet of the Apes, doing so with convincing contemplation for its particular, fish-out-water novelty (a clever twist on what one finds in the novella and the initial movie). 

However, for Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Michalski uses relevant, scripture to underscore the chapters' social context. Truly, one won't watch these two in quite the same way again, after absorbing his insights and opinions.  

The 2001 "redux," as well as Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War of the Planet of the Apes, which pull from Conquest ... and Battle ..., also receive Michalski's shrewd scrutiny and additional, uncanny, Biblical parallels. 

All the chapters are divided by sub-sections, with plot overviews and critical outcomes being most prevalent, but there are also segments on the saga's "Divine Spark" and "Good Shepherd" elements. (I appreciate the latter since such tackles the concept of compassionate heroism, a storytelling trope that extends even beyond Apes mythology, as any Superman fan can attest.) 

I'd love to see Michalski compose a revised edition where he applies his techniques to the 1970s, live-action and animated Apes, television series, along with the period's comic-book offshoots and of course, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. I'm certain that such simian quadrants would only further fortify his theological theories.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRC4VV37?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

REMIND MAGAZINE (FEB '26): TOP COWBOYS OF TV & MOVIES ISSUE

 

Yee-haw! ReMind's February 2026 issue is a real western gem, spotlightin' the genre's "Top Cowboys" of TV and movies, with a fetchin' cover featurin' Bonanza's Cartwright men, Dan Blocker's Hoss, Lorne Greene's Ben and Michael Landon's Little Joe. 

In addition to the Bonanza gang, one can say howdy to John Wayne's Rooster Cogburn, David Carradine's Caine, James Arness' Marshal Matt Dillon, Clint Eastwood's Preacher, Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name, Lee Van Cleef's Angel Eyes, Gary Cooper's Will Kane, Henry Fonda's Wyatt Earp, Hugh O'Brian's Wyatt Earp, Richard Boone's Paladin, Alan Ladd's Shane, Chuck Connor's Lucas McCain, James Garner's Jason McCullough, Guy Madison's Wild Bill Hickok, Steve McQueen's Vin Tanner, Yul Brynner's Chris Adams, Jimmy Stewart's Lin McAdam, Lee Marvin's Liberty Valance, Ward Bond's Seth Adams, Walter Brennan's Will Sonnett, Randolph Scott's Will Westrum, Clint Walker's Cheyenne Bodie, Will Hutchins' Tom (Sugerfoot) Brewster, Gregory Peck's Ringo, James Drury's the Virginian, Barbara Stanwyk's Victoria Barkley, Gail Davis' Annie Oakley, Guy Williams' Zorro, William Boyd's Hopalong Cassidy, Dale Robertson's Jim Hardie, Sidney Poitier's Buck, Bruce Campbell's Brisco County Jr., Ben Murphy's Jed "Kid" Curry/Thaddeus Jones, and the dynamic duos of Clayton Moore's the Lone Ranger (John Reid) and Jay Silverheels' Tonto, John Wayne's Sheriff John T. Chance and Dean Martin's Dude, Kurt Russell's Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday, Cleavon Little's Bart and Gene Wilder's Jim, Robert Redford's Sundance Kid and Paul Newman's Butch Cassidy, James Coburn's Pat Garrett and Kris Kristofferson's Billy the Kid, Robert Conrad's Jim West and Ross Martin's Artemus Gordon, plus those seasoned, stalwart standbys, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, and still more in the hardy queue. 

As with other ReMind issues, the Feb '26 submission treats readers to theme-related trivia, puzzles and prizes, in this instance embellished by sentimental journeys to Al's Wild West Museum and The Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum, supplemented by an article on the Gunsmoke stars who (ahem) hated each other and a sentimental reflection from Patrick Wayne on how his dad gained the name, Duke.

ReMind's "Top Cowboys" issue is a treasure trove of rip-snortin' fun and can be procured (along with a convenient subscription) at

https://www.remindmagazine.com/order/add

BUREAUCRATIC SNOWBLOWERS & THE HELP THAT NEVER CAME

New Jersey's top, ineffectual bureaucrats enjoyed being on camera and patting one another on the back for a job well done for January 26th's reputed snow/sleet/ice removal, but what they claim goes contrary to the truth. 

Oh, I do realize that some municipalities did an exemplary job clearing their prime roads and even their side streets, but if any salt was dropped from trucks in the Trenton, it was minimal at best. One knows that specific look of salt on the roads after a snow/ice storm, and if major passages were cleared, it was only due to the natural flow of traffic. 

It's a week after the fact and by golly, each and every side street I can see--and I've seen many during my walks and drives--is still bumpy and mound-laden. Try to walk or drive down any of them; you can't without extreme risk to your well being.

My heart goes out to the elderly and disabled, who've been restricted from making/keeping medical appointments or taking casual journeys for basic necessities, all because the governmental hotshots were more concerned with a photo op than honest results. (Standing next to a monitor and watching the snow pile is nothing to brag about. Any schmo can acknowledge that sleet is spitting from the sky.) 

For those of us who pay taxes up the wazoo, the bureaucratic claims of success have made us all the more jaded. Our "illustrious" leaders can pat themselves on the back, but they've failed us yet again, and so in the immortal words of the beleaguered George Taylor, I must point my finger and decry, "God damn you all to Hell!"

PINUP TIME: DARYL HANNAH AT 50 FEET

HALEY HEAVYMETAL'S BIRTHDAY BASH & FEAR FAM #2

As most Bizarrechats readers are aware, Haley HeavyMetal's latest horror production, Birthday Bash, starring the incomparable Eric Roberts and the ravishing Brinke Stevens, is nearing completion. Additional perks are now available through Kickstarter, which will go toward the film's polishing. Please check such out at the below link. The embellishments are affordable and quite attractive.

In addition to Birthday Bash, Haley is commencing with Fear Fam #2, which will be vampire based. I'm happy to report that I'll be contributing to this issue, as well. 

For what it's worth, one can contribute to both Fear Fam and Birthday Bash. The twofold effort would be well worth it, as Haley's slasher-salute issue proved a winner, and Birthday Bash, a bold mashup of Evil Dead & Porky's, will no doubt hit it outta the park, if her innovative Friday the 13th/Blade Runner mashup, Neon Fear, is any indication.  

Again, please take a peek at what's percolatin'. I'm confident you'll be impressed:  

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/471707873/birthday-bash-horror-movie

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY 2026 (2/2)