This is the Pincushion Flower.

The more formal name for this one is, I think, “Scabiosa columbaria” (from my Wikipedia research — I love Wikipedia). The plant is said to be a traditional herb used to treat skin disorders, such as scabies, hence the unflattering but thankful name. The Scabiosas are native to Africa, Europe and Asia, but now they are “around-the-world” wildflowers. I bought this one at a sale of Texas “native” plants. If it’s not from Texas, sure enough Texas will adopt it and you — if you let us. Texas is a friendly place. My name for this pincushion flower is “Purple Mist.”

Thinking about pincushions got me thinking about this song.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3aLTl1pa9c[/embedyt]

Wow! That took a while to get. I had to obtain a “YouTube API Key” from Google to imbed the video. Worth doing, but time consuming. Now, to continue with the pincushion theme. By the way, Sonny Bono (of Sonny and Cher) is one of the authors of “Needles and Pins.” Sonny was quite the guy — songwriter, singer, mayor of Palm Springs and Congressman, before his untimely death in 1998 from a skiing accident at Lake Tahoe. Well remembered, Sonny is the only member of Congress ever to have had a #1 Pop single. You guessed it. “I Got You Babe” was Sonny and Cher’s first big song. It topped the charts for three weeks in August of 1965. The year before The Searchers recorded the above version of “Needles and Pins.” It’s a favorite of mine. And, the lyrics go, in part,

“And I knew

I had to run away

And get down on my knees . . .”

And that, that is my transition to the movies. “Finally!” you may be saying. I didn’t forget.

The next Oscar-winning Best Picture, the 1990 winner and #63 on the list of top films, has a delightful scene where Kevin Costner is running, getting down on his knees and jumping up with a wolf. It looks to the amazed Indians watching the young Lieutenant’s antics as if the man and the wolf are dancing on a pincushion — at least to me.

So, did “Dances” continue the good run of the last two shows?

It did, and here is the summary sentence from the EthnoFamilyMovieOgraphy audience to prove just that:

“Dances with Wolves” is a beautifully filmed and scored picture; the relationships between Kevin Costner and his horse, wolf and the Indians are endearing, idyllic, nostalgic and probably overplayed; the presentation of the soldiers and their brutal acts is barbaric, senseless, numbing and probably overplayed; this may be a history of the Last Frontier but it is seen through a lens of soaring dream and plunging nightmare — this is Hollywood and it is magically, if disturbingly, entertaining while being appreciated for different and complex reasons; the EthnoFamilyMovieOgraphy audience assigned the picture an average rating of 9.15, placing the show at #9, high on the list of the first 63 Best Pictures; and the film was “retrieved” by everyone from the hillside and assigned a “yes” for message by every reviewer, reflecting an elevated appreciation in the midst of picturesque, graphic, mixed and conflicting imageries and themes.

Yes, “Dances with Wolves” is the third film in a row for every viewer to “retrieve” the poor fellow on the hillside and answer unanimously with a “yes” that the message of the film is still relevant today. Wowsi Zowsi, this has not happened before in the our continuing and chronological watching of all the Best Pictures. “Rain Man” (1988, #61), “Driving Ms. Daisy” (1989, #62) and “Dances with Wolves (1990, #63) represent together the most positive run of highly entertaining films in the history of the Academy. If you are looking for the three Best Pictures in a row to watch, start right here. Truly, with these three films, “There ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb.” Enjoy the climb and don’t be on needles and pins. The view at the top is great.

I can only imagine. For “Dances,” the one word, abstracted from the viewers’ comments, was “imageries.” I can not imagine a compilation of images being more imaginary than these three.

See you at the movies and here for the next review.

Jim Enjoying the Shows