Saturday, June 04, 2022
Funny Face
- Commentary: Yes, yes, yes, I own this silly, cotton candy movie. Let me explain. When I had cable TV it used to show up often enough on TCM to satisfy my need for a Funny Face fix. Once I disconnected, though, at least once a year I would find myself on my local library site placing a hold on the movie (it comes from another library in the local system) so I could watch it yet again. And, no, I don't watch it for the story, I watch it for the fashion, for the dances and for the delight that was and is Audrey Hepburn. I know Hepburn has been in many other movies, most notably Breakfast at Tiffanys. Movie gods forgive me, I don't like it. I don't like the "thriller" she's in with Peter O'Toole. I don't like Charade. I can handle Roman Holiday (it reminds me of The Princess Diaries, which I can also handle but wouldn't bother to own) and Sabrina (a bit more than Roman Holiday) but would never seek them out. The Nun's Story is interesting and I might check that one out again but, well, maybe not. The Children's Hour is equally interesting, but I'm not sure I'd check that one out again, either. There are, of course, others. Many. I just don't seek them out. Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. But Funny Face, all I can say is, when I find myself in an Audrey Hepburn mood, only Funny Face will do! And, by the way, Kay Thompson is a hoot, a perfect foil for, and as much of a draw in this film as, Audrey Hepburn. Think pink!
Update 8/12/2021: Can you handle it? One more excellent, in depth review of Funny Face researched (that's right, I do mean researched!) and written by The Blonde at the Film, Cameron.
Update 6/2/2022: This post was originally published on 2/5/2018 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Audrey Hepburn Jo Stockton Fred Astaire Dick Avery Kay Thompson Maggie Prescott Michel Auclair Prof. Émile Flostre Robert Flemyng Paul Duval Dovima Marion Jean Del Val Hairdresser Virginia Gibson Babs Sue England Laura Ruta Lee Lettie Alex Gerry Dovitch Suzy Parker Specialty Dancer Pink Number
The Wikipedia write-up for this film is here.
Release Date: 1957
Directed by Stanley Donen.
Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, comedy1, dance, fred-astaire, me-favorite1, musical1, period2, romance1, spectacle1
Moana
- Commentary: Truth is, I first watched this movie when it was on Netflix and I was in the middle of an at-ends evening and didn't want to do anything, let alone watch a movie that would require mental involvement on my part. I figured this would be a good movie to watch and expected it to be the first in an evening that promised a lot of movie switching. I couldn't imagine I would like the movie or stay with it long. See, I was raised on an island for the bulk of my childhood and young adulthood. I was absolutely positive that Moana would get everything, everything psychological and emotional, anyway, about the island experience wrong. Turns out, I was wrong.
Despite the fact that it featured yet another wide-eyed, plucky, Disney heroine, the type I loathe, it got a surprising number of island-heart things right. The fear of swimming, for one thing. This was standard on the island on which I was raised. The chickens, Cuban Cocks, to boot. Ye gads! Cuban chickens were everywhere on my home! I wasn't pleased with the protrayal of the Cuban Cock sidekick. I thought he either could have been improved, along the lines of the mini-dragon in Mulan, or dropped altogether from the story. The resolution of the conflict in the movie, which ends with Te Fiti curling up and "going to sleep" as an island was intriguing in light of the legends I'd learned about the creation of my home island. And all the characters were well drawn, particularly Moana and Maui. "Yep," I thought after watching it, "this movie I have to own, even if it is a Disney cartoon."
Update 2/10/18: I know, Moana isn't the classic super-hero, but Te Fiti is, and Maui is a demigod with possibilities of becoming a super-hero. By the end of the movie it's easy to wonder if Moana might have turned him around in his tracks through her display or non-super heroism.
Update 6/2/2022: This post was originally published on 2/5/2018 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Auliʻi Cravalho Moana Dwayne Johnson Maui Rachel House Tala, Moana's Grandmother Temuera Morrison Tui, Moana's Father Nicole Scherzinger Sina, Moana's Mother Jemaine Clement Tamatoa, Coconut Crab Alan Tudyk Heihei, Rooster/Villager #3 Oscar Kightley Fisherman
Release Date: 2016
Directed by Don Hall & Chris Williams.
Labels: adventure1, animated, coming-of-age1, drama5, musical1, popcorn-and-soda2, road-movie, super-hero2
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Holiday Inn
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: none
- Commentary: This was one of the last Christmas movies we purchased before Mom's death. I'd often wanted a copy of it because Mom had fond, though vague, memories of it. The version we purchased included the black-and-white and color editions. Although there are several b&w movies I'd refuse to watch in color, It's a Wonderful Life, for instance, or High Noon (yee gads, what a horrible idea, High Noon in color), the usual Tracy/Hepburn movies, Miracle on 34th Street (the original one), I have to say, I like this one in color better than the b&w version, although, in it's favor, that's the version we watched first. I gave Mom a choice and she chose color first. This edition contains a special feature which documents the colorization process. Once I understood how it's done, the idea didn't seem quite so disgusting. But, I still want my Now, Voyager in black & white.
Review opinions on this movie run the gamut. I've linked a negative review to the title of this post. Here's a foursome of much more positive reviews of the film. So, you know, watch the movie, take your pick.
Update 5/24/22: Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Bing Crosby Jim Hardy Fred Astaire Ted Hanover Marjorie Reynolds Linda Mason Walter Abel Danny Reed Virginia Dale Lila Dixon Louise Beavers Mamie Irving Bacon Gus James Bell Dunbar from Hollywood
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1942
Directed by Mark Sandrich.
Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, Christmas, comedy1, dance, fred-astaire, louise-beavers, musical1, popcorn-and-soda3, romance2
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
The Red Violin
- Commentary: I didn't buy this movie for the story, I bought it for the music and the performance of Joshua Bell, but I enjoy the story well enough and will likely watch it, again. It's lively, involving, wide-ranging and, for the most part, the actors are good, if a bit hammy. And, it's not the story of people, really, it's the story of a musical instrument and, desire for, as Samuel Jackson's character says, (I paraphrase) the desire for perfection and beauty, for which we all yearn and which is curious and provocative to contemplate. The movie case says the violin has a "shocking secret", but it's not shocking to me, just delightfully surprising.
The score won an Academy Award in 1998; that is how I learned of the movie. The score is full of beautiful classical-standard-sounding pieces, all written by John Corigliano [see, also Wise Music's page on John Corigliano or, if you prefer, his Wikipedia page, which is surprisingly sparse, considering his accomplishments], a much lauded composer who, at this writing, is alive and continuing to compose and teach. I heard the intriguing music before I knew anything about the story contained in the movie.
I think, as well, this movie is one my mother would have absolutely loved, dementia-lite or not. And, yes, I continue to enjoy watching movies that my mother loved or I think she would have loved. These movies bring my mother back into the living room, into her rocking chair, next to me, whenever I watch them.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Samuel L. Jackson Charles Morritz Colm Feore Auctioneer Carlo Cecchi Nicolò Bussotti Irene Grazioli Anna Rudolfi Bussotti Christoph Koncz Kaspar Weitz Jean-Luc Bideau Georges Poussin Jason Flemyng Frederick Pope Greta Scacchi Victoria Byrd Joshua Bell 1st Violin Sylvia Chang Xiang Pei/Her Mother) Liu Zifeng Zhou Yuan Sandra Oh Madame Ming
Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this film.
Release Date: 1998
Directed by François Girard.
Labels: adventure2, drama2, historical1, musical1, mystery1, samuel-l-jackson
Tuesday, November 05, 2019
The Lion King 2019
- Commentary: I confess that I have not yet seen this movie. When I picked it up at Costco I was delighted I was finally able to purchase it, remembering my pleasure in the 1994 (and original) version of this story.
I haven't yet watched this movie. Suffice it to say, I expected to watch it the day I purchased it. Then, I looked up the Wikipedia article about this version and completely confused myself with the stridently divided critiques of it. While praising the voice acting, critics simultaneously called the movie various versions of "soulless". How is it possible for excellent voice acting to render a "soulless" movie, I wonder? Maybe some critics had a problem with the cgi-animation. Frankly, I love cgi-animation, so, we'll see. Soon.
Maybe today.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Donald Glover Simba Seth Rogen Pumbaa Chiwetel Ejiofor Scar Alfre Woodard Sarabi Billy Eichner Timon John Kani Rafiki John Oliver Zazu Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Nala James Earl Jones Mufasa Florence Kasumba Shenzi Keegan-Michael Key Kamari Eric André Azizi
In case you're curious to see what information Wikipedia has to offer about this latest film rendition of the story, here's the link.
Release Date: 2019
Directed by Jon Favreau.
Labels: §, adventure2, animated, cgi-animation, coming-of-age1, kids, musical1, royals
Swing Time
- Commentary: The story is silly and forgettable but the dancing is divine - "an exuberant celebration of its stars' chemistry, grace, and sheer joy in the act of performance", per the back of the movie case. This movie remains one of the standards of dance musicals. It may be old, it may be black & white, but it is, as I note in the labels, a spectacle. Such a spectacle, in fact, that Roger Ebert has named it one of his "Great Movies", as the link affixed to the title of this post will explain.
And, yes, Mom loved this movie, too. We didn't own it, but it was ever-available through our county library system and we liberally took advantage of that. That's why I decided to own it, now. Since my mother's death, it's been a frequent check-out of mine. Why not own it?!? In fact, why not own the Criterion edition of it?!?
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Fred Astaire John Garnett Ginger Rogers Penelope Carroll Victor Moore Edwin Cardetti Eric Blore Mr. Gordon Helen Broderick Mabel Anderson Betty Furness Margaret Watson Georges Metaxa Ricardo Romero Landers Stevens Judge Watson
Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 1936
Directed by George Stevens.
Labels: Criterion1, dance, dramedy1, fred-astaire, me-favorite1, musical1, popcorn-and-soda1, romance1, spectacle1
Monday, November 04, 2019
Nashville
- Commentary: Owning this movie is a long time coming for me. I've just reviewed a list of Altman's motion pictures (vs. his "short industrial films", etc., of which there are many) and discovered that I've seen almost all of his films but do not universally love his work, although I admire and am grateful for the entire body of his motion picture work. He tried everything, tried to tackle everything, sometimes succeeded, sometimes, well, didn't, but what he finally committed to film stock was (and is) always interesting.
I think this film, Nashville, is his greatest work. It is observant, reflective, entirely non-judgmental from the perspective of the film maker while allowing his characters and their stories to make their own judgments. Mind you, I am not a classic Country Music fan. There have been many episodes in my life when I have, literally, cringed when listening to a radio station and hearing the first few wails of a slide guitar. But, this movie isn't about country music. It's about the United States. Using the offhand medium of Country Music concerts, Altman captured the ambivalence of the United States' dual in-your-face, get-off-my-property character. The movie is gorgeous. On all levels. I never get tired of watching it; which is why, when I discovered I had a chance to own it, I jumped on it.
In addition, Roger Ebert wrote a second review for Nashville when he christened it one of his "Great Movies" twenty five years after his first review.
I'm inaugurating a new label with this movie: reflective. Likely, that category fits a few other movies, here. I will, eventually, get around to attaching it to the appropriate films. In the meantime, when I'm done, here, entering my new acquisitions, I think I'll settle into a viewing of this movie. Again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role David Arkin Norman Barbara Baxley Lady Pearl Ned Beatty Delbert Reese Karen Black Connie White Ronee Blakley Barbara Jean Timothy Brown Tommy Brown Keith Carradine Tom Frank Geraldine Chaplin Opal Shelley Duvall Martha Henry Gibson Haven Hamilton Jeff Goldblum Tricycle Man Scott Glenn Pfc. Glenn Kelly Michael Murphy John Triplette Lily Tomlin Linnea Reese Keenan Wynn Mr. Green Thomas Hal Phillips Hal Phillip Walker (voice)
Release Date: 1975
Directed by Robert Altman.
Labels: comedy1, Criterion1, drama3, musical1, ned-beatty, reflective, road-movie, robert-altman, satire1, tragedy1
Monday, July 01, 2019
Mary Poppins Returns
- Commentary: Yep, yep, yep, I bought this movie on a whim when I saw it at Costco (which, by the way, almost never carries movies anymore, unless the movies are theater blockbusters), without consideration, even though my initial reaction to the first Mary Poppins was disappointment (which I wrote about in the review for that movie).
Not disappointed, this time. First of all, I adore Emily Blunt's work and was excited to see her as Mary Poppins. She is, yes, Mary Poppins' (Julie Andrews') improved-edition daughter. Second, I knew that even if I was ambivalent about this one, I would watch it with much nostalgia and would want to buy it. So I didn't bother to check it out of the library (which the length of the hold list promised wouldn't be available to me for at least a couple of months) before purchasing it. Third, I don't know, something about Mom and her enjoyment of the first Mary Poppins movie, something about my sisters and me as kids in Honolulu that summer when we saw the first Mary Poppins, blah, blah, blah ... well, Mary Poppins Returns more than met my expectations. Emily Blunt kills it! The script is, well, it's a "Mary Poppins" script, but it's interesting and the historical timing works with the story. The songs are fun and catchy and, frankly, in my opinion, the musical accompaniment is better, more musically magical, than in the first Mary Poppins movie. I like Jack better in this movie than Bert in the last, but I think that's because it was impossible, in the first, to think of Bert as not-Dick-Van-Dyke. In this movie Jack is just Jack for me. I find it interesting, though, that Bert, who was a jack-of-all-trades (primarily a chimney sweep), is transformed into "Jack" in this sequel. Also, I seem to remember that Bert was more integral to the story than is Jack, but that's one of the reasons I'm planning on watching the 1964 movie again before rewatching this one. Oh, yeah, and the star cameos! Yikes! It seems that everyone wanted to get into this one, including some of the cast for the original Mary Poppins! Hello, Bert ...
I have yet to watch this new one a second time, but I want to watch the original before watching this one again. Just for some comparison fun.
You know, I'd like to see Mary Poppins updated for the 1960's ... can you imagine that? With the music and fashion revolutions that were going on, especially in England, but in the U.S., as well, and, how about an update for the 2000's ... and, say, for every thirty-five to forty years, for every generation, as MCN would say, "Wouldn't that be fun?" I wonder if anyone (with greedy pockets, of course), is considering that ...
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Emily Blunt Mary Poppins Lin-Manuel Miranda Jack Ben Whishaw Michael Banks Emily Mortimer Jane Banks Julie Walters Housekeeper Ellen Pixie Davies Annabel Banks Nathanael Saleh John Banks Joel Dawson Georgie Banks Colin Firth William Wilkins Meryl Streep Topsy David Warner Admiral Boom Jim Norton Mr. Binnacle Jeremy Swift Hamilton Gooding Kobna Holdbrook-Smith Templeton Frye Angela Lansbury Balloon Lady Dick Van Dyke Mr. Dawes Jr.
Just in case, here's the Wikipedia write-up for the movie.
Release Date: 2018
Directed by Rob Marshall.
Labels: angela-lansbury, colin-firth, emily-blunt, emily-mortimer, kids, meryl-streep, musical1, period1, popcorn-and-soda2
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Evita
- Commentary: This is one of the musicals I watched when I was in deep consideration of La La Land [see my write-up for An American in Paris for a meticulous discussion about my ad hoc study of musicals in order to try to understand, well, something about my niece's, and, frankly, the world's overwhelming veneration of La La Land, which I have not bought and will not be buying, BTW]. Although I was surprised at how thoroughly Evita involved me, I was even more surprised at how many times, over the next few weeks prior to my purchasing it, I was recalling scenes from the movie. Many things about this movie engaged me: The caliber of the actors' performances; the interesting adaptation of this particular musical to film, which almost seemed more appropriate than a theater performance (although, I must confess, I have not seen a theater performance of this movie); the staging; the pathos; the cinematography. I could go on. Suffice it to say, finally, a few weeks ago, after checking it out of the library yet again, strictly for my own pleasure, I decided, yes, I'm adding this movie to my collection. Bravo, everyone involved in this production! Striking and, as one film critic, Zach Conner, put it, "... pretty damn fine ..."!
You will notice that I've labeled this, in addition to other designations, an "oliver-stone" movie. According to the Wikipedia write-up of this movie, Stone's involvement is convoluted, at best, but IMDB lists it as one of his writing credits.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Madonna Eva Perón Antonio Banderas Ché Jonathan Pryce Juan Perón Jimmy Nail Agustín Magaldi Victoria Sus Doña Juana Ibarguren Julian Littman Juancito Duarte Olga Merediz Bianca Duarte Laura Pallas Elisa Duarte Peter Polycarpou Domingo Mercante Andrea Corr Juan's Mistress Alan Parker Tormented Film Director Peter Hughes General Francisco Franco
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1996
Directed by Alan Parker.
Labels: drama4, historical2, jonathan-pryce, musical1, oliver-stone, period2, political2, spectacle1
Monday, March 26, 2018
An American in Paris
- Commentary: Why did I come by this one? Hmmm ... one day about a month ago I decided to check out La La Land from the library. Mind you, other than it being a musical that was heralded and had won lots of awards, and who starred in it, I knew nothing about it. Hadn't read anything on it, laudatory, critical or otherwise. I happened to mention to my niece, the actor with whom I share a love of films, that I'd borrowed it for a line-up of movie watching. She confessed to me that it was her favorite film and asked to know my reactions once I'd watched it. I trust her tastes and instincts so I was ready to love the film. As well, I knew it was written and directed by the same guy who is responsible for Whiplash, a movie I loved, so I was excited to see it. Still and all, it took me a couple more weeks to get around to watching it. By that time, my anticipation level was through the roof. I should have remembered my experience with Mary Poppins decades ago. Oh well.
Certainly, I enjoyed watching La La Land, but my anticipation was not satisfied. I did, however, notice significant correlations with Singin' in the Rain, which I own, and An American in Paris, which, at the time, I didn't own. I decided I wanted to do a comparison of La La Land with both. I borrowed An American in Paris from the library, watched it and was reminded of how intriguing and masterful that film is. That's when I looked it up, found a reasonably priced copy and decided to buy it. Although I've noticed, since buying and watching it (twice, and once for all the special features, which are very interesting), that Singin' in the Rain is celebrated more than An American in Paris, well, let's just say, An American in Paris is such a treat I'm surprised we never bought it when Mom was alive.
Since watching it, I've become curious about musicals as a form in themselves, and have been working my way back through my own meager collection and checking even more out of the library. Considering what I own, this is a worthy addition.
In case you're curious, here's what my initial verdict on La La Land was to my niece:I just finished my first viewing of "La La Land". I say that because I'm convinced I'll have to watch it again, probably tomorrow, while it's fresh in my mind. That's because I'm, well, ambivalent.
Frankly, I prefer An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain and, dare I say it, all the other musicals I own, over La La Land. But, it was the watching of La La Land that has launched me on a serious consideration of musicals (I've made a list of several I'm planning on borrowing within the next months) and the ownership of yet another, this one. For that, I'm grateful.
I was prepared to love it because it was written and directed by the same guy who wrote and directed "Whiplash", which I absolutely loved. When I learned that he is responsible for "La La Land", without knowing anything about the movie (including before I watched it this evening) [I know, hard to believe but I didn't look it up anywhere before I watched it and didn't run across any material about it prior, even though it was such a smash], except that it is a musical, I figured the movie must have a really interesting take on Hollywood musicals because, well, holy shit, this guy did "Whiplash"! So, I was shocked to discover how wrong I was. That realization is taking some getting used to. It is obvious, though, that the writer/director has serious chops, being able to do "Whiplash", then turn around and do "La La Land".
Right off the bat, here are some things I loved about the movie. Ryan Gosling, for one, but, I love him in anything. He could play a mushroom and I'd love him. "The Fools Who Dream" song, for another; that whole sequence, in fact. Sounds like my theme song! Sounds like I'm Mia's aunt, except for the whole Paris thing. Even better, though, I'm your aunt, and Emma Stone is merely a stand-in for you in that movie! I'll just go to Paris, and invite you!
The movie is clearly a revival of the old-time Hollywood musical. I easily recognized many parts of "An American in Paris" (which I saw with Mom too many times to recall, on TCM; it was a regular, so we never needed to own it) and just about every Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire movie in existence (all of which I saw more than once with Mom on TCM). The brilliant color is taken right out of just about every musical Gene Kelly ever made. Sadly, neither Emma Stone nor Ryan Gosling are very good singers or dancers. [Frankly, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire were only passable actors, but Ginger Rogers was good; even more so, Leslie Caron.] That was mildly disturbing. But, I think I can forgive them that, since both are, clearly, well developed and flexible actors. It would have been nice, though, if great actors who were also stellar singers and dancers had been given the parts. Hollywood should spend more time checking out stage musical actors. I'm not sure why such people weren't sought out for roles like this. I really like those old musicals, too, so I was ready to be wowed by this reinterpretation ... but I wasn't. I loved how Chazelle worked in the day-dream sequences, how he introduced them, what he did with them. The final one when Mia and her husband were watching Sebastian in his club was lovely. That's right out of "An American in Paris", including the use of the road. He must have a thing for that movie. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't attempt to resurrect Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. To be fair, there was stuff from "Singin' in the Rain", too, specifically Gene Kelly's work. And, the dancing on stars and clouds? Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astaire.
Initial impressions of the story: Sad, sometimes sober, sometimes delightfully silly, sweet, sweet, sweet. The music? Aside from the "The Fools Who Dream", which I loved, okay. Definitely enjoyable. The production was made for the big screen, rather than the home screen, I think. My TV screen sometimes had trouble with the spotlighting techniques used. It seemed to me that there were places where the movie story went flat, but it never stayed that way and I'm willing to concede, upon a second viewing, that it may have just been me.
One more tiny, tiny thing about the movie: The end disappointed me. I don't usually have problems with movies in which initial relationships wither and evolve into others, like the branches of a tree. For some reason, though, and I'll have to reconfirm this with a second watching, Chazelle did not prep his audience well for it in this movie. It was, frankly, an unpleasant denouement to see Mia with a throw-away husband and kid, even as she was a famous actor. And the suggestion that Sebastian was alone in his personal life. Yes, I know, I saw the two something-or-others he was frying up in the pan before going to his nightclub, but, where was his throw-away wife and kid? Better yet, there never was a really good explanation for why Mia and Sebastian weren't married to each other with a kidlet, and an international acting career, and a successful night club. Not good story construction. Chazelle needs to work on crafting realistic, believable and successful love relationships.
Update 11/18/21: By the way, each mention of the name of this movie in this write-up is linked to a different review (including the last link, which is the Wikipedia write-up). This is such a famous movie and so many people are familiar with it, I thought it would be fun to scatter the availability of internet reviews throughout this write-up. I know, my sense of fun doesn't have much to recommend it, but it's mine and I enjoy it.
Update 6/4/22: Yet another movie made during the year I was born!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Gene Kelly Jerry Mulligan Leslie Caron Lise Bouvier Oscar Levant Adam Cook Georges Guétary Henri Baurel Nina Foch Milo Roberts Eugene Borden Georges Mattieu John Eldredge Jack Jansen Anna Q. Nilsson Kay Jansen
An American in Paris [Wikipedia write-up attached] is breathtaking. I'm glad I own it.
Release Date: 1951
Directed by Vincente Minnelli.
Labels: birth-year, dance, dream1, fantasy1, film-art1, mom-favorite1, musical1, popcorn-and-soda2, romance1, spectacle1
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Flashdance
- Who's watched: Watched and bought this movie AMD
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I admit it. I'm a Flashdance junkie, just like millions (maybe billions, considering its stunning entry into the global cultural lexicon; if you doubt this, watch Caro diario; my library system used to have this film; it doesn't, anymore, I just checked). Yes, the story is dumb, yes it's pretty much badly acted, yes it's a pussy flick, but I don't care. I love the music/dance sequences. My favorite is the Maniac sequence. My second favorite is the Manhunt sequence: LOVE it when the dancer crawls across the floor! My third favorite is the one that features a reaction to television, Imagination. This is not to say that I don't like any of the other dance sequences. I found myself craving this film after my mother died, (much as I craved, with much personal embarrassment, the movie City of Angels) because I felt like I needed to feed off its energy. It worked, and still works. I guess, with City of Angels, I needed to feed off its grief process. Did my mother ever watch it? Possibly, during one of its infamous (but infrequent) television reruns, although I can't remember. Whether or not she saw it, would she have liked it? Absolutely, for exactly the same reasons I like it. I refuse to say any more on the grounds that it might incriminate both of us.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jennifer Beals Alexandra Owens Michael Nouri Nick Hurley Lilia Skala Hanna Long Sunny Johnson Jeanie Szabo Cyntha Rhodes Tina Tech Kyle T. Heffner Richie Blazek Lee Ving Johnny C Ron Karabatsos Jake Mawby
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1983
Directed by Adrian Lyne.
Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, audio-visual, coming-of-age1, dance, me-favorite2, musical1, popcorn-and-soda2, pussy-flick, romance1
Across the Universe
- Who's watched: Watched and bought this movie AMD
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: Although this movie was released before Mom's death, I didn't watch it until after she died, when it became available for rental. On first watching I determined that I wasn't particularly interested in owning it, even though it was entertaining. I wasn't impressed by the story. I did, however, find myself keeping the movie for several days and re-viewing the music segments, some of which I found captivating, and playing it in the background because I found that the reproductions of the songs by various artists added flavor to the compositions. I still resisted owning it, though, until I stumbled across a severely marked down copy. I don't find it an adequate substitute for The Beatles, but it's an interesting and informative adjunct.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Evan Rachel Wood Lucy Jim Sturgess Jude Joe Anderson Max Dana Fuchs Sadie Lynn Cohen Grandmother Karrigan Dylan Baker Mr. Carrigan Carol Woods Gospel Singer Harry Lennix army sergeant James Urbaniak Manager Bill Bono Dr. Robert Eddie Izzard Mr. Kite Salma Hayek Bang Bang Shoot Shoot Nurses
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up for this film.
Release Date: 2007
Directed by Julie Taymor.
Labels: animated, audio-visual, drama6, dylan-baker, fantasy2, female-director1, film-art1, musical1, period3, romance1, spectacle1
Friday, April 10, 2009
Singin' in the Rain
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: I don't care why critics think it's a great movie...I just love it. Every single moment of it; especially the dancing and singing in the rain and the dance sequences with Reynolds, Kelly and O'Connor. LOVE watching O'Connor and Kelly together. They both looked like they just "[Had]'ta Dance"! Mom loved this movie, too. The only reason we didn't own it before last year is that it showed on TCM so much that it seemed as though we didn't need to own it...until I ran across a copy of it on the cheap and decided it was time. Also, I consider this movie film art because of the way dance was translated to the screen.
Roger Ebert, by the way, wrote twice about this movie, once in 1998 (the review linked to the title of this post) and again in 1999, for his "Great Movies" collection of reviews.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Gene Kelly Donald Lockwood Debbie Reynolds Donald O'Connor Cosmo Brown Katy Selden Jean Hagen Lina Lamont Millard Mitchell R.F. Simpson Cyd Charisse Dancer Douglas Fowley Roscoe Dexter Rita Moreno Zelda Zanders
If you still feel the need for the Wikipedia article on this movie, it's here.
Release Date: 1952
Directed by Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen.
Labels: comedy1, dance, debbie-reynolds, film-art1, musical1, popcorn-and-soda3, romance2, shared-favorite
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: none
- Commentary: I resisted placing this movie in our collection for some years, even though Mom insisted on watching it every time it came on TV and, I have to admit, I love the dancing, especially the "athletic" (as one critic called it) sequence involving the testosterone soaked brothers against suitors of the town vying for the affections of seven sprightly town maidens. Finally, winter before this last, I found it at Costco and brought it home for a weekend surprise. We watched the movie twice in a row, at Mom's request (and have watched it several times since). I was fascinated to discover that my mother's favorite dance sequence was the one done in the dead of winter while the seven brothers are chopping wood and bemoaning their singular (pun intended) fate. As she would watch that sequence, every time, she'd mention how much she liked it, her body would weave to the adagio accompaniment of the silken cowboy ballad and she'd swing her arm in an arc from her elbow each time an axe swung to a down beat. She loved the rest of the movie, as well, the Sabine Women sequence, in particular, and I loved watching her watch it. I will continue to love watching it and remembering the her high pleasure in the production.
Update 5/18/2022: By the way, here's a YouTube video by coldcrashpictures in which he talks with his mom (for a long time) about why she likes this movie. I loved listening to it! It took me back ...
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Howard Keel Adam Pontipee Jane Powell Milly Pontipee Jeff Richards Benjamin Pontipee Julie Newmar Dorcas Gaylen Matt Mattox Caleb Pontipee Ruta Lee Ruth Jepson Marc Platt Daniel Pontipee Norma Doggett Martha Jacques d'Amboise Ephraim Pontipee Virginia Gibson Liza Tommy Rall Frank Pontipee Betty Carr Sarah Kine Russ Tamblyn Gideon Pontipee Nancy Kilgas Alice Elcott Ian Wolfe Reverend Elcott Howard Petrie Pete Perkins
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1954
Directed by Stanley Donen.
Labels: action1, dance, dramedy1, musical1, period3, popcorn-and-soda3, romance2, shared-favorite, spectacle1
Friday, March 09, 2007
Fiddler on the Roof
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I'm not sure it's even necessary to talk about why my mother loves this movie. It has been easy for me to forget to purchase because there is something about Topol's performance that irritates me, but, I like everyone else's performances, love the dances, love the fiddler, love most of the songs, usually sing along to them when the movie plays...so, when it showed up on cable one day a month or so ago and Mom was so sure we owned it that she asked me to replay the dancing at the wedding party, I realized, oops, it's time to purchase it!
Update 8/2/21: Funny thing about this movie. Although I donated it to my local library branch quite a while ago, like, years ago, every time I run across it on television, I watch it, once per appearance on whatever channel. I continue to feel exactly the same way I wrote, above, but, I don't know, maybe it's the musical numbers, maybe it's that watching this movie brings my dead mother back into my living room ... I'm not sure. As long as my library has copies of this movie, though (and, it has several, it remains very popular and easily viewable), I'll not be replacing it in my collection.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Chaim Topol Tevye Norma Crane Golda Rosalind Harris Tzeitel Michele Marsh Hodol Neva Small Chava Molly Picon Yente Paul Mann Lazar Leonard Frey Motel Kamzoil Paul Michael Glaser Perchik Raymond Lovelock Fyedka Elaine Edwards Shprintze Candy Bonstein Bielke
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1971
Directed by Norman Jewison.
Labels: dance, drama7, musical1, period3, romance2
Funny Lady
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: Mom like this one better than Funny Girl. I'm not sure which I like more. From my point of view, these two movies are completely different and this one almost doesn't, in my mind, qualify as a sequel to the first. Everything seems different about the Fanny Brice character Barbra Streisand plays in this one; so much so that her continued infatuation for Nicky Arnstein seems unbelievable. There are some splendid production numbers in this movie, Ben Vereen is incredible and James Caan is a huge surprise. We watched this on TCM during their "31 Days of Oscar" this year and Mom's eyes popped when she watched it. They're still popping...we've watched this movie a couple of times since I purchased it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Barbra Streisand Fanny Brice James Caan Billy Rose Omar Sharif Nick Arnstein Roddy McDowall Bobby Moore Ben Vereen Bert Robbins Carole Wells Norma Butler Larry Gates Bernard Baruch Eugene Troobnick Ned
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1975
Directed by Herbert Ross.
Labels: barbra-streisand, biography1, dance, dramedy1, musical1, romance2
Saturday, November 11, 2006
The Lion King 1994
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Again, I'm not a fan of animation, but this pulled me in when the shot of the zebras on the plain, at the beginning of the movie, dissolved into the shot of ants carrying leaves along a tree branch; or vice versa, I'm not sure which way the shot dissolved. At any rate, I find it very entertaining. So does my Mom. It has, though, been awhile since we've seen this one.
Here's a link to a site called "The Lion King World Wide Web Archive - The Unofficial Fan Resource". It's grown quite a bit since I last visited it (I'm writing this on 7/31/21). It's very well done, very up-to-date and loaded with all kinds of stuff related to The Lion King franchise and fandom.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matthew Broderick Simba Jeremy Irons Scar James Earl Jones Mufasa Moira Kelly Nala Nathan Lane Timon Ernie Sabella Pumbaa Robert Guillaume Rafiki Rowan Atkinson Zazu Madge Sinclair Sarabi Whoopi Goldberg Hyena Shenzi Cheech Marin Hyena Banzai Jim Cummings Hyena Ed
If you're in the mood for a quicker take, here's a link to the Wikipedia article about this particular movie.
Release Date: 1994
Directed by Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff.
Labels: adventure3, animated, coming-of-age1, kids, musical1, royals, shared-favorite, whoopi-goldberg
Friday, February 10, 2006
The Sound of Music
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I actually asked Mom, when I noticed the 40th anniversary edition of this movie at Costco, if she wanted me to purchase a copy. Silly question. Although most of the songs are too catchy to be believed and I have good-but-not-quite-reverent memories of this movie, if she'd said "No" I would have heeded her request. Some years ago, when one of my nieces was much younger, this movie was her absolute favorite, always playing at her family's house to the point where I entered "The Sound of Music" overload and have yet to exit that state. I have to say, though, "watching" the movie while doing chores and tending to my mother is pleasant and my mother is thoroughly entertained, singing along, rocker-dancing, etc. As well, this edition includes the Biography channel program about the real Von Trapp family, which is enormously interesting, so much so that we found ourselves searching through movie scenes afterwards to compare fact with fiction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Julie Andrews Maria Christopher Plummer Cpt. von Trapp Eleanor Parker Elsa von Schraeder Richard Haydn Max Detweiler Peggy Wood Mother Abbess Charmian Carr Liesl von Trapp Daniel Truhitte Rolf Gruber Nicholas Hammond Friedrich von Trapp Angela Cartwright Brigitta von Trapp Marni Nixon Sister Sophia Anna Lee Sister Margaretta Portia Nelson Sister Berthe
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1965
Directed by Robert Wise.
Labels: biography2, christopher-plummer, julie-andrews, musical1, period4, popcorn-and-soda4, romance2, spectacle2
Monday, November 14, 2005
De-lovely
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: Pure delight for both Mom and me. One of my favorite aspects of this film is the presentation of each song. These presentations are specfically suited to the song by performer and setting. It seems fitting, since Cole Porter was a popular entertainment song writer. This is a keeper and one we'll watch frequently. Alanis Morissette is one of these performers.
Update 2/7/18: Although I rarely update one of these blurbs to include another link, I'm going to, this time. Roger Ebert wrote a lovely (yes, lovely), meticulous review of this movie which I always remember whenever I think of, or watch, it (yes, I continue to watch it; sometimes, nothing else will do). Check it out in the title to this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Kevin Kline Cole Porter Ashley Judd Linda Lee Porter Jonathan Pryce Angel Gabriel Kevin McNally Gerald Murphy Sandra Nelson Sara Murphy Allan Corduner Monty Woolley Peter Polycarpou Louis B. Mayer Keith Allen Irving Berlin
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2004
Directed by Irwin Winkler.
Labels: biography2, historical3, jonathan-pryce, kevin-kline, musical1, shared-favorite
Saturday Night Fever
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I have, for a long time, been shy about mentioning my adoration for this movie. Something about the way it's put together from the beginning. Something about its nonmusical musical quality. Something about its datedness, which was dated when it was made and thus makes it a period piece. Something about the coarse vulnerability of the characters. Something about the title song. Mom likes watching it because it's a dance movie. That's good enough for me.
Update 2/6/18: Roger Ebert wrote two interesting reviews of this movie: one about his own feelings toward the movie and one about Gene Siskel's veneration of this movie in one of his "Great Movie" reviews. I've included both. Sadly, I was unable to find a complete review of this movie by Gene Siskel. There are bits and pieces all over the internet, mostly of his October 1999 review of the movie.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role John Travolta Anthony Manero Karen Lynn Gorney Stephanie Mangano Barry Miller Bobby C. Donna Pescow Annette
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1977
Directed by John Badham
Labels: coming-of-age2, dramaA, john-travolta, me-favorite3, musical1, period5, popcorn-and-soda4
