Movies, Mom & Me

• 
  Commentary:  Hmmm. What to say about this movie? Well, firstly, it was almost universally panned by The Critic Class. You know who I mean. The critics who get published in newspapers and magazines. Roger Ebert didn't even touch it. Surprisingly, there were two major critics who gave it high ratings: The critic for the LA Times (review attached to the title of this post) and the critic for the San Francisco Chronicle (here's the link for the sfgate review). Otherwise, the pros just generally stomped all over this production. However, secondly, among plebian movie watchers (myself included), it was almost univerally enjoyed and well rated. My experience is that I saw the movie on some streaming service not long after it was released for theatrical viewing and then pulled from theaters. I don't remember what service, nor do I remember what provoked me to watch it, but it stuck with me, so much that, when I was reminded of the movie earlier today (in an article delineating "movie stinkers") I decided, let me check the price on this, oh, it's reasonable, more than reasonable, in fact, it's a bargain, and I ordered it.
    The LA Times review, by the way, includes cast reactions to the audience and critical reactions, as well.
    I didn't know, until today, searching out the movie, that it was universally panned by critics and universally enjoyed by plebes, including me. Realizing this is a large part of why I decided to acquire it. I am not above enjoying movies that (many professional) others find downright detestable (and, believe me, many professional critics placed this film into that category).
    So saying, since it isn't a popular movie, it'll take a few days to make it to my doorstep (or mailbox, whatever). I'll report back. I'm so very curious to see how this movie hits me, now, and, by the way, pleased to add it to my collection, in large part because of the contention surrounding it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Antonio Banderas	Carlos Rueda	Emma Thompson	Cecilia Rueda	Leticia Dolera	Teresa Rueda	Maria Canals	Esme Palomas
  Rubén Blades	Silvio Ayala	Irene Escolar	Eurydice	Fernando Tielve	Orfeo/Enrico	Mariana Seligmann	Guzman Tochter
  Andreas Tang	Himself	Carlos Kaniowski	Rubén Mendoza	Claire Bloom	Sara Sternberg	John Wood	Amos Sternberg

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2003
    Directed by Christopher Hampton.

Labels: emma-thompson, haunting3, historical5, magical-realism, political5, tragedy3, war3

# posted by gail @ 16:38    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    I have seen this movie only once, before my mother died (I can't recall if she watched it), but it has such staying power that each time I think of it, I feel as though I saw it just yesterday. It is not only a detailed, devastating story of interpersonal conflict, it is a precise-to-the-point-of-being-painful character study of two people who hash out their differences while not really understanding what their differences are.
    The last time I thought of it I vowed that if I was at home the next time it came to mind, I would immediately order it. It will be arriving here within a few days. I await it with somber anticipation.
    More later.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jennifer Connelly	Kathy Nicolo	Ben Kingsley	Col. Massoud Behrani	Shohreh Aghdashloo	Nadereh "Nadi" Behrani	Ron Eldard	Lester Burdon
  Frances Fisher	Connie Walsh	Jonathan Ahdout	Esmail Behrani	Kim Dickens	Carol Burdon	Carlos Gómez	Lt. Alvarez
  Navi Rawat	Soraya Behrani	Al Rodrigo	Torez	Marco Rodríguez	Mendez	Aki Aleong	Tran
  Kia Jam	Ali	Cooper Thornton	Gary	Ray Abruzzo	Frank	Spencer Garrett	Auctioneer

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2003
    Directed by Vadim Perelman.

Labels: ben-kingsley, character-study, haunting3, jennifer-connelly, tragedy3

# posted by gail @ 01:20    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. 
   Commentary:  I think this movie may have been one of the last I saw in the theatre alone. It is a dream of a movie for me. As well, I like, and have watched a fair amount, of Indian cinema. I'm surprised that this is the only one I own. I look forward to watching it, with or without Mom. From what I remember, I think she'll be transfixed. Sort of an Indian Sex and the City.
   UPDATE 2/24/06:  For lack of anything better to do that interested Mom, I decided to pull out this movie and view it with her, her first viewing of it. She, too, was entranced by the color and composition of the movie, the dancing and the stylized movements (which actually cause the movie to be more like theater than a movie) and the music. Although there is some full female nudity in it and obvious suggestions of sex (both of which actually make this movie less than a true East Indian cinema), she enjoyed it immensely and was transported back to Guam, primarily because that is where she became familiar with East Indian customs and clothing. We talked about Guam, and a store called Radhi's, which shared a space with Eileen Kershaw's. She remembered the sari material she'd bought which I'd transformed into a table cloth and the rich, stunning Asian fabric selections at Radhi's [which, apparently, still exists, although I found an article (internet access to which no longer exists), dated February 12, 2006, that lamented the closing of Eileen Kershaw's, among other stores with which I was very familiar when Guam was our family's home].
     At one point in the movie, when Maya was explaining to Tara how to seduce her husband, essentially telling her that it was simple, I laughed and said, "See, Mom? Men are easy in every culture."
     She laughed and added, "Men have always been easy and always will be."
     Such a woman!
   Update 2/8/18:  All updates on stores on Guam, above, were added today.
   Update 5/8/22:  This post was originally published on 2/7/2005, but I accidentally deleted it a few days ago. Now, it's back, in its original glory.
     

   Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
   Indira Varma	Maya	Sarita Choudhury	Tara	Naveen Andrews	Raj Singh	Ramon Tikaram	Jai Kumar
   Khalid Tyabji	Biki	Rekha	Rasa Devi	Avijit Dutt	Vazir	Zoya Akhtar	Rasa Devi's courtesan

   
     Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
     Release Date: 1996
     Directed by Mira Nair.

Labels: character-study, dramaF, erotic, haunting3, indira-varma, period6, romance5, tragedy2

# posted by gail @ 16:21    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    I've been looking forward to watching this movie for a long time, mainly because, well, I just can't imagine ...
    When I decided to obtain the movie, in large part because it was on stupendous sale, I'd read no reviews, nothing about it's reception, and, despite the fact that I now know it was universally lauded, didn't know anyone who'd seen it and can't remember ever noticing it in theatre line-ups locally. Of course, we don't have very many local theatres, but, even so ...
    I did know it was based on a novel, and that put me off, a bit, the thought, you know, that this kind of thing never really happened ... except it did. This article exposes the truth on which the novel is based, which is even more horrifying than the novel/movie by Emma Donoghue. Once I knew this, I was even more eager to watch the film, perhaps, even, read the book.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Brie Larson	Joy "Ma" Newsome	Jacob Tremblay	Jack Newsome	Joan Allen	Nancy Newsome	William H. Macy	Robert Newsome

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2015
    Directed by Lenny Abrahamson.

Labels: §3, father-daughter-dynamics, haunting3, horror2, joan-allen, mother-son-dynamics1, violence4

# posted by gail @ 16:10    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    I saw this movie decades ago, on TV, I think. Although I enjoy Diana Ross' voice and, here and there, enjoyed songs released by Diana Ross and the Supremes, I never bought their records. Although I had quite a record collection back in the day, The Supremes were so ubiquitous on radio that I never felt the need to own theirs.
    I was, however, intrigued that Diana Ross was playing Billie Holiday, some of whose music I did own, I'm embarrassed to admit, by accident, when I "inherited" a collection of old recordings from someone who was leaving my vicinity. I found them provocative and played some of the 78s over and over and over. Finally, I was seduced by a clip from one of the tragic, emotional scenes from the movie. Long story short, much to my surprise, not only was I not disappointed by the movie, I have remembered bits and pieces of it for decades, which is why, when given the chance and presented with a stupendous sale price, I snapped up this movie. I expect to sit back and enjoy this movie for decades to come.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Diana Ross	Billie Holiday	Billy Dee Williams	Louis McKay	Richard Pryor	Piano Man	Virginia Capers	Sadie Fagan Holiday

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1972
    Directed by Sidney J. Furie.

Labels: §4, biography3, haunting3, musical2, tragedy2

# posted by gail @ 14:44    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  I don't actually have this movie in my collection, yet; it's on the way. But, I watched it last night, uncut, without commercials, at this link, The Day After, courtesy of Super Critical Podcast. Thank you, Super Critical Podcast! In case, Dear Reader, you're interested in knowing the ruminations of Super Critical Podcast about this movie, the link for that episode is here. I recommend you check it out. In fact, I've fallen in love with this channel and recommend it to you if you have any interest in movies featuring nuclearity.
    So, yes, I've watched it. It is the most devastating nuclear apocalypse movie I've seen, thus far. It is not for the faint of heart, but, despite its high level of tragic believability, it's worth it. There was a small but not annoying issue of video fuzziness at the beginning of the movie but I think that may have been due to either my TV or connection, because it corrected itself almost immediately. It is loaded with well-defined characters and scenarios that won't let go of your mind, even after the final credits.
    It was a TV production broadcast during the hey-years of nuclear apocalyptic films, the early 1980s. Of all the nuclear apocalyptic movies I've seen, so far, I have to say that this is the most riveting because it is the most well done and leaves nothing to the imagination. It's been less than 12 hours since I finished the movie and I continue to have images from it pop up, unbidden, in my memory. As you watch, you'll recognize several actors who hadn't yet become readily recognizable when this film was released who later went on to become big-deal-actors. You'll also notice the obvious seriousness with which this production was approached. This was one of the best blendings of message and movie I can recall, without a hint of preachiness in the script. Just daily life lived under a literal nuclear cloud.
    I'll be watching it again, later after I receive it, so I may have more to say about it. Or, you know, not. It was devastatingly realistic and I have a feeling that sense of devastation doesn't let up after multiple viewings. This movie, by the way, is the film that had a huge impact on U. S. President Ronald Reagan and was responsible for causing him to rethink his nuclear war policy.
  Update 1/25/22:  Extra Credit Question: Who do you know (including yourself) who you think would be capable of ordering the launch of a nuclear bomb? Don't worry, Dear Reader, I'll explain and elaborate later.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jason Robards	Dr. Russell Oakes	Georgann Johnson	Helen Oakes	John Cullum	Jim Dahlberg	Bibi Besch	Eve Dahlberg
  Lori Lethin	Denise Dahlberg	JoBeth Williams	Nurse Nancy Bauer	Calvin Jung	Dr. Sam Hachiya	Steve Guttenberg	Stephen Klein
  John Lithgow	Joe Huxley	Amy Madigan	Alison Ransom	William Allen Young	Airman 1st. Billy McCoy	Arliss Howard	Tom Cooper

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1983
    Directed by Nicholas Meyer.

Labels: apocalyptic, bibi-besch, dramaE, haunting3, jason-robards-jr, john-lithgow, nuclear, reflective, tragedy2, TV3, war3

# posted by gail @ 13:02    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  If you read comments left about this movie on Amazon.com (from where I purchased it) you'll notice that many of the commenters mention how long it's been since they first saw it: 30 years, 35 years; for me it's been 38 years. That was also the last time I saw it. In all these years, I haven't forgotten it. It was the first movie on my list of "nuclear movies to acquire" that I drew up a couple of months ago. No, it wasn't a long list. There aren't that many, and I wasn't interested in a lot of the movies I discovered.
    During a significant portion of the Cold War, during my raising from elementary school through college, I lived on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that was definitely a tactical target for bombing by U.S. "enemies", in part because it housed the B-52's that busied themselves, daily, with trips to and from Southeast Asia, in part because it was the U.S. Naval home of the nuclear submarine "Proteus", in part because the island was a strategic communications center for about half the earth, in part because Australia also had a stragetic communications center there and in part because the island was constantly surrounded by Russian "fishing trawlers" that monitored all communications coming into and leaving the island, while the crews gambled at cards with the local fisherman. Although our family was civilian when we lived there, everyone on the island was aware that the island was so small that, if it were bombed, it would be as though nothing ever existed at its coordinates. This was not of particular concern to anyone, except, perhaps, the U.S. military installations on the island. The rest of us, well, why worry about something we couldn't influence? I remember that, for instance, there were no "duck and cover" drills in any of my classes, whether they be elementary, high school or college. I didn't even become aware of the phrase "duck and cover" for many years after having left the island. After all, one blast and everyone on that island would be on their way to the afterlife.
    This is why, having seen the movie some years after leaving that island, I became fascinated with it. I didn't immediately relate to it. The situation we lived in during those early years of nuclear threat was nothing like what was portrayed in this movie. I mean, really, radiation sickness? No one living on that island during a nuclear attack was ever going to have to worry about that!
    However, although my life on that island had long ended when this movie came out, by that time I was living in the U.S. Nuclear culture. I continued having no fear of nuclear attack and it's aftermath, having been well schooled, throughout my entire youth, in "don't worry about it, you won't survive it" culture, but was riveted by this culture I'd missed and whether I shouldn't seriously consider it, since moving from an island where obliteration in nuclear warfare was a given to a country where, well, it wasn't.
    Take a look at this list: Films about the nuclear holocaust. It contains 61 titles. I'm assuming that it is not complete, and may never be, since these films continue to be churned out, but it starts in 1951. 1951, people! That was the year I was born! The most recent on the list was released in 2019: Chernobyl, a fictionalized account of a real nuclear disaster. There is even a punk rock musical on this list, Population: 1, released in 1986.
    Staggering, really! You'd think ... well, what would you think?!?
    I haven't [re]watched this movie, Testament [this review, by Glenn Erickson, DVD Savant/Cinesavant is illuminating about the history of nuclear apocalyptic films, as well as being an excellent review of this movie, in case you're interested], yet. I'm going to do that, today. I don't know if I'll write anymore about it. Possibly, since most of what I've written above is about the "genre", not this movie. But hang on, readers. We'll see.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jane Alexander	Carol Wetherly	William Devane	Tom Wetherly	Ross Harris	Brad Wetherly	Roxana Zal	Mary Liz Wetherly
  Lukas Haas	Scottie Wetherly	Philip Anglim	Hollis	Lilia Skala	Fania	Leon Ames	Henry Abhart
  Lurene Tuttle	Rosemary Abhart	Rebecca De Mornay	Cathy Pitkin	Kevin Costner	Phil Pitkin	Mako	Mike

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1983
    Directed by Lynne Littman.

Labels: apocalyptic, dramaE, female-director3, haunting3, nuclear, reflective, tragedy2, TV3, war2, william-devane

# posted by gail @ 13:06    0 comments    email......this post