And by that what I mean is... I can't for the life of me figure out how it ever got made - considering the storyline. There is nothing about that story that I felt would appeal to Hollywood... other than the incest aspect.

All around great movie, if not particularly entertaining as far as 'storyline'... and certainly not 'comforting'. I especially liked the depiction of LA during that era... very unlike all, (to my knowledge), other LA films ever made.

It also had great appeal to me because I was a farmer. "Infrastructure" was always part of my job.... but something that most people simply take for granted and give little consideration. So in a way it was kind of like Hollywood came out to my farm to make a movie about how I irrigated my crops.

Ok, a tangent. John Houston. I've talked a few times about my favorite narrators in movies. I always bring up two that really stand out to me... Kim Stanley in "To Kill A Mockingbird" and Levon Helm in "The Right Stuff"... magnificent. There are others..... but reading your post one came to mind that I don't think has ever been mentioned... John Houston in a movie that was lambasted by critics and nearly as lambasted by movie-goers.. "Cannery Row". (I adored the movie, btw). John Houston's narration was on par with Kim's and Levon's. - JamesJM