Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Only now does it occur to me... 12 ANGRY MEN!

Only now does it occur to me... exactly how goddamned unsanitary nondisposable bathroom towels used to be! Seriously, though. I love 12 ANGRY MEN, but only upon the latest viewing did I comprehend the full ramifications of the following:

Jack Warden combs his greasy head, then proceeds to wipe the comb on the communal towel:



Henry Fonda dives in right after him like Pete Rose, smothering his face in the exact greasy spot,


then nonchalantly drying his hands as if it's the most natural thing in the world.


And maybe it is. Maybe the mollycoddlin' 21st Century has made a pantywaist germaphobe out of me, and for that I am truly ashamed.

But really, though. Communal bathroom towel? Communal sweat, grease, fluid, urine, excrement, what-have-you? I tell you, those men had reason to be angry.

All joking aside– if you haven't already, see this movie, go do it now. It may very well possess some of the finest blocking ever arranged in a constricted space and some of the more volatile (and sweaty) performances in filmdom. Pass the paper towels!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

The new Criterion edition is incredible. You get to see that filthy towel dispenser in HD!!

Sean Gill said...

I did indeed see all the grimy details in glorious HD– what a great edition that Criterion put out. I see that you've just reviewed it, and I'll be reading that in a bit!

Maurice Mitchell said...

Love that movie but...ew. Never noticed that.