A Harry Dean Stanton Centennial Appreciation & A Few Thoughts About "Alien" & "Paris, Texas"

 

This past July 14th marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of actor Harry Dean Stanton. In tribute to Stanton, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, The Brattle Theatre showed more than a dozen of his films in a retrospective called "The Stanton Rule: A Harry Dean Stanton Centennial".

The Stanton Rule was coined by the late film critic Roger Ebert (who also attributed the rule to M. Emmet Walsh) stated, "No movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in supporting role can be altogether bad."

I only viewed two of those films - Alien (1979) and Paris, Texas (1984) which I did last night and this afternoon, respectively. With that, let me discuss these films in reverse order.

Paris, Texas

Those of you familiar with dispatches will know that Paris, Texas is among my favorite films ever made. I wrote about my experiences viewing Paris, Texas at The Brattle in December 2021 so I won't add too much here. It is one of those films which I will pay to see if it is playing in a theatre. I saw it again at The Brattle in November 2024. It was a Saturday night, and it was the longest lineup I've ever been in to see a movie at The Brattle.

I wish Harry Dean Stanton had been given more chances to be a film lead. Yet with that said, if he had more chances to be a film lead then perhaps Paris, Texas wouldn't be as a special as it is. Stanton had a face you couldn't keep your eyes off of and a voice which conveyed authority when it was heard. At the same time, Stanton could go half a film without uttering a word as he did in Paris, Texas and convey the same sort of presence. 

Stanton's portrayal of Travis Henderson is mostly sympathetic, but we get indications of his cruelty and darkness towards his estranged wife Jane (Nastassja Kinski). While Travis never reverts to that state, he knows all too well that is where he will go should he reunite with Jane. So, he makes the decision to reunite Jane with his son (Hunter Carson) with whom he only recently reconnected and disappear from their lives forever. 

It is not a Hollywood ending but it wouldn't be a Wim Wenders film if it was a Hollywood ending. Indeed, most of us will not have Hollywood endings and sometimes the best we can hope for is to walk away for the greater good.

Alien

Let me begin with a confession.

This was the first time I have ever seen Alien.

Of course, I am aware that this film was Sigourney Weaver's breakout role and I am also aware that an alien came out of John Hurt's stomach and would do so again nearly decade later at the end of Mel Brooks in Spaceballs. But I did not know the story.

It was only the second film Ridley Scott ever directed. Much of the film is very deliberate and quiet with brief interludes of classical music. This reminded me a great deal of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey which I saw most recently at the Brattle on New Year's Eve 2022 in a double feature with Everything, Everywhere All at Once. 

Aliens features a seven-person cast aboard the cargo ship Nostromo starring Tom Skerritt (Dallas), Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), John Hurt (Kane), Ian Holm (Ash), Yaphet Kotto (Parker) and Harry Dean Stanton (Brett). OK, there is an orange cat named Jones.

As for Stanton, Brett doesn't have that much to do in the film as Parker's engineering assistant other than say "yep". His big scene is when he is sent off alone to find Jones on the ship though he does so with his Stantonesque charm making the most of his limited screen time. As soon as he is sent off by himself, you know full well he is going to be eaten alive by the alien.

Ah, yes, the alien. There is a lot of food for thought here though it isn't very appetizing. The crew of the Nostromo is dispatched to a planet where there appears to be intelligent life. Dallas, Lambert and Kane go down to the planet's surface to investigate. During the course of their investigation, an alien life form attacks Kane and clings to his body.

When Dallas and Lambert bring Kane back to the Nostromo, Ripley refuses to let them back in for fear of contaminating the ship citing unspecified quarantine regulations. But Ash overrides Ripley and lets them in with disastrous results which eventually leave Ripley and the orange cat as the only survivors. 

Yet there is no guarantee that disaster would have been averted had Ripley not let them in. While Ripley had an arguable point, I don't think she thought things through. As Dallas and Lambert argued, Kane was near death. Had Ripley refused to allow Dallas, Lambert and Kane into the ship all three of them could have perished as the planet's surface was well below freezing.

But let us suppose that Dallas, Lambert and Kane had survived the quarantine period. It doesn't change the fact that they were dealing with a species of unknown origin. The incubation period could have been well beyond the quarantine. In other words, the Nostromo could have faced the same fate - quarantine or no quarantine.

Even Ripley didn't weigh her choices as she should have, she wasn't faced with a good choice and bad choice but rather several risky choices with no guarantee of success even if Ash hadn't interfered and let the trio aboard. Of course, as it turns out, Ash was an android who had a secret directive to capture the alien and bring it back to them regardless of the crew's safety. Mix this into the equation and the crew of the Nostromo was in a no-win situation. 

Under the circumstances, it is easy to see why Alien held its own with Star Wars in the pantheon of late 1970's space-based science fiction movies precisely because it wasn't trying to be a science fiction movie but rather a horror film. 

Of course, it didn't hurt that Harry Dean Stanton was in the film. It never does.

Spain Triumphs Over Argentina & Other World Cup Thoughts

(YouTube screenshot of Ferran Torres' game-winning goal to give Spain a 1-0 victory over Argentina)

The 2026 World Cup has finally ended with Spain defeating defending champion Argentina 1-0 to win their second World Cup title on an extra time goal by Ferran Torres. Spain previously won in 2010.

Latin America and much of the world were rooting against Argentina for a myriad of reasons - having Lionel Messi, being the defending world champion, being a perceived favorite of FIFA and being the beneficiary of questionable referee calls and just plain old politics. Some of the animus towards Argentina is motivated by anti-Semitism as a sports analyst in Algeria recently claimed the "Jewish lobby" was trying to fix another title for Argentina.

From where I sit, I am deeply troubled by the Spanish government's visceral hatred towards Israel and belligerent mobs running after Jews for being Jews while shouting "baby murderers". Conversely, the Argentinian government wants Latin America to have closer relations with Israel although Jews are in danger there as we are the world over.

In fairness, Spain's soccer team does not represent the Spanish government. There is no question they are the best soccer team in the world. Indeed, Spain conceded only one goal during the entire tournament and that was against Belgium in the quarterfinal. It is the fewest goals ever conceded by a team at a World Cup. Spain has cause for celebration.

The only matchup I watched for any extended period was between Argentina and Cape Verde during the Fourth of July weekend. But with Cape Verde's near upset of the Argentinian squad, I got into the spirit of things if only briefly.

There were certainly some good things about the World Cup which standout.

The first was Scottish fans coming to Boston drinking us under the table until we had no more, cleaning up after themselves and falling in love with the place. I have no doubt the Scots will visit us again - World Cup or no World Cup.

The second was how soccer fans knew John Denver's "(Take Me Home) Country Roads" even if they weren't from this country. Even if people never set foot in West Virginia, most people have an idea of what their "almost heaven" is like. Of course, I set foot in West Virginia last year and now have a first-hand appreciation of what John Denver sang about even if he, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert had never been there when they wrote the song more than half a century ago.

But then there were some not so good things.

There was President Trump personally demanding FIFA overturn a red card suspension of Team USA player Folarin Balogun which they did. His stifling presence loomed today as he presented Spain with the World Cup trophy to lusty jeers from the crowd assembled in New Jersey.

And then there were was the anti-Semitism. Aside from accusations of the "Jewish lobby" trying to ensure an Argentinian victory, there was the spectacle of a fan with an Israeli flag being confiscated while Palestinian flags were permitted during Iran's matchup against New Zealand. Egyptian fans, egged on by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, blamed Jews and Zionists for their loss to Argentina. Things were considerably uglier in The Netherlands after Moroccan fans chanted, “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas,” after their team was ousted by France in the quarterfinals. 

Some soccer fans get their kicks out of hate. Yet I shudder to think what is in store for Jews during the 2030 World Cup.

Former Blue Jays Reliever Duane Ward Dies Suddenly Amid Team Reunion

 

Former MLB relief pitcher Duane Ward, who played nearly his entire career with the Toronto Blue Jays died suddenly amid a team reunion in Toronto this weekend. He was 62.

A native of New Mexico, Ward is only one of 35 players from the Land of Enchantment to play in MLB. In 1982, the Atlanta Braves selected Ward as their number one draft pick and was the ninth pick in the nation overall.

Ward would reach the big leagues with the Braves in 1986 on the Opening Day roster. However, by July, the Braves would ship Ward to Toronto in exchange for veteran starting pitcher Doyle Alexander. A little over a year later, the Braves would trade Alexander to the Detroit Tigers for another pitching prospect - future Hall of Famer John Smoltz.

As for Ward, he did not establish himself as a big-league pitcher until the 1988 season when he became Tom Henke's setup man out of the bullpen. Yet Ward would get opportunity to close out games and would reach double digits in saves each of the next five seasons including in 1992 when the Jays won their first World Series title against Ward's old franchise, the Atlanta Braves.

Ward's best big-league season came in 1993 when he became the team's closer after Henke signed a free agent contract with the Texas Rangers. That season Ward would save a club record 45 games earning his lone AL All-Star Team selection and a second consecutive World Series title during which he saved 2 games against the Philadelphia Phillies. To this day, no other Blue Jays pitcher has ever recorded 40 saves in a season.

Unfortunately, Ward sustained biceps tendinitis which forced him to miss all of the 1994 season. When Ward returned in the 1995 season, it was clear that he just didn't have his stuff anymore and after only four games never pitched again at the big-league level. In 9 MLB seasons, Ward made 462 appearances (all but two games in relief) and went 32-37 with a 3.26 ERA along with 121 saves. Those 121 saves remain second in franchise history only to Henke who recorded 217 in his eight seasons in a Blue Jays uniform.

After his playing career ended, Ward occasionally worked as a color commentator for the Blue Jays on both TV and radio and was involved with the team organizing baseball camps across Canada. In 2020, Ward was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame with his Blue Jays' teammate John Olerud and Minnesota Twins great Justin Morneau.

The Blue Jays held a moment of silence in honor of Ward prior to this afternoon's game against the Chicago White Sox in the presence of his former teammates who will sadly never see him again. R.I.P.

Red Sox Climb Over .500 & Grab 3rd AL Wild Card Berth With 12th Straight Win

The Boston Red Sox have grabbed the bull by the horns and beat the first-place Tampa Bay Rays 7-6 on the strength of two 2-run HR by Wilyer Abreu.

Not only is it the Red Sox's 12th straight win but it puts them over the .500 mark for the first time in 2026 with a 49-48 record. 

That 49-48 record is good enough for the third AL Wild Card berth which they now share with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians. A mere 24 days ago, the Red Sox were 6 games back of that AL Wild Card berth.

At the All-Star Break, I noted the Red Sox would immediately be tested by the Rays. With yesterday's doubleheader sweep and today's victory, they have passed the test. 

And yet it remains unclear if the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers at or before the August 3rd trade deadline.

At this point, I'm not sure how the Red Sox could be anything other than buyers. Yes, there are arguments for the long term. But right now, the Red Sox have captured lightning in a bottle. This is a team that can make the post-season. How deep they can go is anyone's guess. But this is true of any team up to and including the Los Angeles Dodgers despite back-to-back World Series titles. 

The objective of any team in any sport is to win the championship. Some teams will have a better chance than others. Three and a half weeks ago, the Red Sox's chances didn't look so good. Today, things look very good. 

There are 14 games between now and the August 3rd trade deadline. Boston plays Tampa Bay tomorrow afternoon. The Red Sox then host a 3-game series against the Baltimore Orioles and the 3-game series against the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays. From there, the Sox travel to the West Coast to play a 4-game series against the Athletics before facing the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers.

The Orioles have been on a roll themselves winning six in a row. The Jays have been one of the most disappointing teams in the AL this season, yet one cannot discount them. Nor can one discount the Athletics despite the fact they have lost 10 in a row and have been struggling since Memorial Day weekend. Well, the Dodgers are the Dodgers and have the best record in MLB. 

If the Red Sox regress over the next couple of weeks, then they could be sellers after all. But if they play .500 ball or better the Red Sox have to go for it. To do otherwise would be a disservice to the players, the fans and the spirit of competition.

ICE Officer Who Killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero Had History of Severe Mental Illness & Violent Behavior

According to a story from the Associated Press, the ICE officer who executed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in broad daylight in Biddeford, Maine this past Monday had a history of mental illness and violent behavior going back to childhood.

The story identifies the ICE officer as David Brouillette. Long attracted to law enforcement and the military, Brouillette enlisted in the U.S. military about 20 years ago. Initially rejected because of his mental health history, recruiters encouraged him to stop taking his medications and reapply which is what he did. Eventually, Brouillette would be deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and spent 9 months there.

As one of his relatives put it, "Afghanistan destroyed him - trained him to be a killing monster, a machine. They took someone who was extremely mentally ill and turned him into a killing machine." This would only get worse once he joined ICE:

In late 2025, around the time he joined ICE, he ex-wife Ashley said he left a three-minute voicemail mocking her for taking out a restraining order against him. According to the message she shared with AP, he repeatedly called her "disgusting" and suggested that she and the other women and girls in her "bloodline" should die.

"And all of you should have your f------g throats cut," the voicemail said. "Yeah, you should. Am I threatening that I'm gonna do that? Nope. Nope. But do I think that you should have your f-----g throats cut? Or should have had them cut?" Yep."

In view of these facts, it was only a matter of time before Brouillette was going to kill someone. To be sure, Brouillette's violent tendencies were refined by the U.S. military. But these are qualities which ICE seeks and encourages.

And so long as the Trump Administration or a succeeding administration which shares it mission, Brouillette will not answer for his actions never mind the ICE officers responsible for killing Renee Good, Alex Pretti and Lorenzo Salgado Arajuo. Indeed, there will be plenty more David Brouillettes. Which means there will be plenty more Johan Sebastián Durán Guerreros to follow.

Athletics Lose 10 in a Row After Being Pounded 23-4 by Nats

The Athletics began the second half of the 2026 season last night with a big thud falling 23-4 to the Washington Nationals.

The loss was the club's 10th in a row. During this stretch, the Athletics have been outscored 91-25.

On May 24th, the day before Memorial Day, the Athletics had a record of 27-26 and were atop the AL West leading the division by 2½ games over both the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners.

The Athletics have gone 14-30 since including the 10-game losing skid as well as losing 14 of their last 15 games. They enter action today now in fourth place in the AL West 8 games back of the Rangers. 

Losing All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz to a thumb injury hasn't helped matters, but the team's pitching both of the starting rotation and the bullpen has also been unequal to the task as pitching coach Scott Emerson was dismissed prior to the All-Star Break. But last night's results indicate that it will take a lot more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic to resolve the A's pitching woes. Playing in a minor league ballpark in Sacramento also isn't conducive to long-term success but they will be stuck there until the move to Las Vegas in 2028.

With most teams in the AL still having a fighting chance at the post-season, I suspect the Athletics will be looked upon as sellers with the August 3rd trade deadline coming soon. In which case, it will be another long season in Sacramento.

Ron Hunt Turned Getting Hit By a Pitch Into an Art

Former MLB infielder Ron Hunt passed away on July 15th of complications of Parkinson's Disease. He was 85.

His passing was expected after it was announced he was in hospice care earlier this month.

Hunt was best known for his ability to get hit by pitches and would lead the NL in this category in the final seven seasons of his 12-year MLB career.

A native of St. Louis, Hunt signed with the Milwaukee Braves prior to the 1959 season. After four seasons in the minor leagues, the Braves sold Hunt's contract to the New York Mets where he would become the fledgling team's first star player.

In 1963, Hunt finished runner up to Pete Rose in NL Rookie of the Year balloting hitting .273 with a career best 10 HR along with 42 RBI.

The following season, Hunt became the first Met to ever be elected to the NL All-Star Team as its second baseman besting Pittsburgh Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski. Hunt would also earn a trip to the All-Star Game in 1966.

However, following that season the Mets would trade Hunt along with outfielder Jim Hickman to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfielder Tommy Davis and Derrell Griffith, the latter of whom would never play a big-league game in a Mets uniform.

Hunt only played one season with the Dodgers before being traded yet again to the San Francisco Giants along with fellow infielder Nate Oliver in exchange for catcher Tom Haller. It was while wearing a Giants uniform when Hunt began to find his niche as a big-league player - getting hit by pitches. In each of his three seasons in San Francisco, Hunt would lead the NL in this category. 

Prior to the 1971 season, the Giants traded Hunt to the Montreal Expos for first baseman Dave McDonald. Curiously, the Expos purchased McDonald back from the Giants during spring training.

The trade would prove a double-edged sword. In 1971, the Giants would win the NL West thus depriving Hunt of a post-season opportunity. Nevertheless, Hunt had a remarkable inaugural season in Montreal setting a MLB record when he was hit by a pitch 50 times that season breaking a record set by Hughie Jennings for the old Baltimore Orioles in 1896. However, years later, researchers discovered that Jennings had been hit by a pitch two additional times that season thus giving the record back to him.

Nevertheless, it was a remarkable achievement for Hunt. The closest anyone has come in the modern era to being hit that many times in a season was when Don Baylor got plunked 35 times for the AL champion Boston Red Sox in 1986. 

Hunt remained with the Expos until he was released late in the season and was picked up on waivers by his hometown Cardinals. He would only play 12 games with the Redbirds before calling it a career. In 12 MLB seasons, Hunt collected 1429 hits for a lifetime batting average of .273 with 39 HR and 370 RBI while being hit by pitch 243 times which is 6th on MLB's all-time list.

Several players would surpass Hunt's career total - Jason Kendall (254), Don Baylor (267) and Hall of Famer Craig Biggio (285). Jennings has the all-time record with 287 with fellow 19th Century player Tommy Tucker ranking third at 272 HBP.

To put Hunt's achievements into perspective, Kansas City Royals outfielder Starling Marte leads active players being hit by pitch at 169. After Marte, it is Boston Red Sox first baseman Wilson Contreras with 143 HBP followed by San Diego Padres catcher Ty France who is tied with five other former players at 134 HBP.

Unfortunately for Hunt, some of those HBP were in the head. Coupled with several baserunning collisions, it is believed to have contributed to the onset of Parkinson's.

Yet Hunt took it all with good humor. He famously said, "A lot of people give their body to science. I gave mine to baseball."

It is a fitting epitaph. R.I.P.