Friday, August 09, 2024
All that Jazz
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Mom: This is, to my surprise, one of my mother's favorite's of any type, despite it's darkness and irony. She's especially hooked on the last spread, the death number. I think part of the attraction for her is that it is a very well done, very watchable musical. I'm not sure about the rest of her attraction.
Me: Its simply one of my all time favorites. We watch it every couple of months.
Update 11/17/2021: This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Roy Scheider Joseph Gideon Jessica Lange Angelique Leland Palmer Audrey Paris Ann Reinking Katie Jagger Ben Vereen O'Connor Flood Erzsébet Földi Nichelle Gideon Deborah Geffner Victoria Porter John Lithgow Lucas Sergeant
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 1979
Directed by Bob Fosse.
Labels: dramaD, john-lithgow, satire3, shared-favorite
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Election
- Commentary: Under construction.
Never seen this one. Always wanted to. Stay tuned.
Peculiarly, although I've seen most of her filmography and enjoyed most of what I've seen, I have very, very few films that feature Reese Witherspoon. I mean, for instance, I love Legally Blonde but I don't own a copy, mostly because I haven't thought to own it, mostly because it remains imminently available on even the few streaming services to which I have access and through my local library system, as well. Looking over her filmography, though, there are at least a few more I'd like to add to my collection, including the sometimes-difficult-to-appreciate Vanity Fair. Say what you will about the production, Reese Witherspoon, in my opinion, is devastatingly good in the role of Becky Sharp, at least as good, if not better, than Miriam Hopkins, whose version I also love (and own).
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matthew Broderick Jim McAllister Reese Witherspoon Tracy Enid Flick Chris Klein Paul Metzler Jessica Campbell Tammy Metzler Phil Reeves Principal Walt Hendricks Molly Hagan Diane McAllister Colleen Camp Judith Flick Nicholas D'Agosto Larry Fouch
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1999
Directed by Alexander Payne.
Labels: black-comedy, Criterion6, political5, reese-witherspoon, satire3, teaching
Sunday, November 27, 2022
Being There
- Commentary: Under construction.
Roger Ebert reviewed this movie twice. The first time he christened it at one of his Great Movies (review attached to the title of this post). In an unusual move, his second review was published after his christening review.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Peter Sellers Chance the Gardner Shirley MacLaine Eve Rand Melvyn Douglas Ben Rand Richard Dysart Dr. Robert Allenby Jack Warden President Richard Basehart Vladimir Skrapinov Than Wyenn Ambassador Gaufridi David Clennon Thomas Franklin Fran Brill Sally Hayes Ruth Attaway Louise Denise DuBarry Johanna Sam Weisman Colson Alice Hirson First Lady Arthur Rosenberg Morton Hull Jerome Hellman Gary Burns James Noble Kaufman
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1979
Directed by Hal Ashby.
Labels: Criterion5, jack-warden, satire3, shirley-maclaine
Thursday, October 27, 2022
The Stepford Wives
- Commentary: Roger Ebert did not like this movie (his review is linked to the title of this post). That delights me, because I love this movie! Roger Ebert didn't like this movie because he was a man. Men almost never get it. It doesn't occur to them that this movie isn't about Joanna Eberhart or Bobbie Markowe. It's about the men in the movie, all of them. And, not only was it about 1975 men, it's about men, now. Unfortunately. But, undeniably.
I have more to say, but I think I'll wait until I view this movie once again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Katharine Ross Joanna Eberhart Paula Prentiss Bobby Markowe Peter Masterson Walter Eberhart Nanette Newman Carol van Sant Tina Louise Charmaine Wimperis Carol Rossen Dr. Fancher William Prince Ike Mazzard Patrick O'Neal Dale Coba Carole Mallory Kit Sundersen Toni Reid Marie Axhelm Judith Baldwin Patricia Cornell Barbara Rucker Mary Ann Stavros George Coe Claude Axhelm Franklin Cover Ed Wimperis Robert Fields Raymond Chandler Michael Higgins Frank Cornell Josef Sommer Ted van Sant Remak Ramsay Mr. Atkinson Mary Stuart Masterson Kim Eberhart Ronny Sullivan Amy Eberhart
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1975
Directed by Bryan Forbes.
Labels: feminist, goflexB, horror2, me-favorite4, psychological2, satire3, thriller3
Six String Samurai
- Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jeffrey Falcon Buddy Justin McGuire The Kid Stephane Gauger Death Lex Lang Voice of Death
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1998
Directed by Lance Mungia.
Labels: §5, apocalyptic, comedy3, goflexB, nuclear, satire3
Friday, October 14, 2022
Nightcrawler
- Commentary: In high school and college I was a journalist for a couple of local commericial papers on the island on which I lived. I covered it all: news, sports, the arts, opinion, often bylined. I even had my own column, for awhile. I was not the kind of injure-the-dragon-for-ratings journalist played, in this movie, by Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo, but I knew some and, truth be told, in one of my opinion columns I attempted to rouse the rabble a bit on a local issue involving separation of economic classes and construction. I was successful. The issue became the center of a heated debate and resolved itself by favoring inclusion over separation. It's interesting to note, here, that, in the last couple of decades, the issue has resolved itself, again, in favor of separation. A rabble rouser's work is never done. And, yes, of course I still keep up with news and issues about the place where I was raised. Don't you?
Anyway, yes, I am considering this post "under construction". Before I write any more about this movie and its issues, I want to watch it again. I won't be able to do that until tomorrow. In the meantime, here's an interesting article from RogerEbert.com containing interviews with the two stars of this movie. It was, in fact, these interviews which reminded me of the film and revived my interest in it.
Stay tuned.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jake Gyllenhaal Louis Bloom Rene Russo Nina Romina Riz Ahmed Rick Bill Paxton Joe Loder Kevin Rahm Frank Cruze Michael Hyatt Detective Frontieri Ann Cusack Linda Carolyn Gilroy Jenny
There are, by the way, several IRL journalists who appear as themselves in this movie.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2014
Directed by Dan Gilroy.
Labels: dramaF, jake-gyllenhaal, journalism, neo-noirA, satire3, thriller3
Thursday, June 09, 2022
Tampopo
- Commentary: A Japanese Western about ramen?!? Count me in!
Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Tsutomu Yamazaki Gorō Nobuko Miyamoto Tampopo Kōji Yakusho Man in White Suit Ken Watanabe Gun Rikiya Yasuoka Pisukin Kinzō Sakura Shōhei Yoshi Katō Noodle-making Master Hideji Ōtaki Rich Old Man Fukumi Kuroda Man in White Suit's Mistress Setsuko Shinoi Rich Old Man's Mistress Yoriko Dōguchi Pearl Diver (Oyster Girl) Masahiko Tsugawa Supermarket Manager
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1985
Directed by Juzo Itami.
Labels: §4, comedy2, food, satire3
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
The Apartment
- Commentary: Under construction.
This movie was originally listed in the post Movies I've Seen, Do Not Own but Can't Forget. I own this movie, now. Here is the commentary I wrote for it in my wish list post: "It's taken a long time for me to get around to wanting this movie in my collection. What clinches my decision is that, at odd times throughout any particular month, some event in a day suddenly brings forth a snatch of dialogue between Jack Lemmon's character and one of the many characters he encounters during his messy attempts to climb the corporate ladder, especially Shirley MacClaine's character. In this movie, although the dialogue is dependent on the situation, the dialogue is the scene stealer. It stays with you. For years, decades, even."
I will be writing more, later, once I have a chance to watch it, again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jack Lemmon Calvin Clifford Baxter Shirley MacLaine Fran Kubelik Fred MacMurray Jeff D. Sheldrake Ray Walston Joe Dobisch Jack Kruschen Dr. David Dreyfuss David Lewis Al Kirkeby Edie Adams Miss Olsen Hope Holiday Mrs. Margie MacDougall Joan Shawlee Sylvia Naomi Stevens Mrs. Mildred Dreyfuss Johnny Seven Karl Matuschka Joyce Jameson Blonde in Bar Hal Smith Santa Claus Willard Waterman Mr. Vanderhoff David White Mr. Eichelberger Lynn Cartwright Elevator Supervisor
One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
The Wikipedia write-up on this film is here.
Release Date: 1960
Directed by Billy Wilder.
Labels: dramedy3, romance4, satire3, shirley-maclaine
