William Powell and Carole Lombard in supreme screwball classic ‘My Man Godfrey’ screened at Loews Jersey City Landmark on Saturday night
by Sam Juliano
Proms, graduations and and various end of the school year celebrations are ready to go, while others have completed vacations plans. Here in the New York City area, a Film Forum Festival on spaghetti westerns has launched, (I really want to see Django especially) while the Erich Von Stroheim Monday program continues on tonight with screenings of Hello Sister! (1933) and As You Desire Me (1932). Meanwhile, the comedy poll has commenced with final Top 60 ballots being cast and forwarded by Marilyn Ferdinand, Ed Howard, Maurizio Roca, Allan Fish, Bob Clark, Dennis Polifroni and Your Truly. The final deadline is July 1st. Richard R.D. Finch is gearing up for his widely anticipated Wyler blogothon at The Movie Projector, which will be running from June 24th to the 29th. It is hoped that Wyler and classic film fans will be making The Movie Projector a prime stop during the six days the blogothon will be conducted.
Here at Wonders in the Dark, much of the blogger interest has been aimed at Allan’s year-by-year voting for the top categories in the cinema, but stellar work by Jamie Uhler, Jim Clark, Jaime Grijalba, Bob Clark and Allan himself continues in force, with everyone pursuing a theme or continuing series.
Lucille and I didn’t see any new releases this past week (actually that’s wrong as Lucille and my two daughters, Melanie and Jillian did see a Saturday matinee of Snow White and the Huntsman which I stood back on) but we did see three screen classics, one a beautiful restored presentation at the Film Forum, and two in nice prints on the 50 foot screen of the Jersey City Loews Landmark movie palace. We also took in a staging of Night of the Living Dead: The Musical at an off-Broadway lower eastside theatre.
What can I say here about Night of the Dead: The Musical? Well, it was a nice albeit hot -but with no humidity- Thursday evening, and the theatre was comfortably air-conditioned. I liked the outside decor as you entered the theatre. I also liked the slice of broccoli pizza Lucille and I ate at a nearby corner pizzeria, and I enjoyed the container of blueberries I bought for desert from a sidewalk fruit vendor. I loved listening to Jerry Goldsmith’s score to The Sand Pebbles on the car CD riding in, and was relieved and excited when the actors stepped up to take a bow after the 70 minute production ended. Ah yes, what about that production? I won’t go there. The real question is why did Lucille, Broadway Bob and I attend it in the first place?
The three screen classics we watched on the big screen during the six day period since Tuesday morning’s Diary are as follows:
All Quiet on the Western Front ***** (Film Forum) Tuesday night
My Man Godfrey ***** (Jersey City Loews Landmark) Saturday night
Bringing Up Baby ***** (Jersey City Loews Landmark) Saturday night
The two screwball comedy classics again were marvelous to take in, especially on the super-large screen, and they were coincidentally positioned as the comedy voting is presently underway. Lewis Milestone’s war classic All Quiet on the Western Front lost nothing of it’s power on what was the umteenth viewing in my lifetime, but thrillingly the first for my fifteen-year old Son Sammy, who loved it, and asked questions about it all the way home in the car.
My 13 year-old son Danny received his confirmation on Friday night at Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church in Fairview, my lifelong hometown parish, and here is his picture, sporting the name of his “sponsor,” who is his 81 year-old grandfather and my father (Samuel Juliano Jr.) outside Our Lady of Grace:
Danny Juliano with his sponsor and grandfather
We all enjoyed a great meal at Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant afterwards in Elmwood Park, New Jersey.
As the last Diary was only six days ago I have decided to re-post the past scroll with a few re-visions, though most sites are still highlighting with the same post:
Judy Geater at Movie Classics has posted a fantastic contribution to the ‘Mary Pickford blogothon’ with a fascinating review of one of the star’s most celebrated films, the 1910 “Daddy Long Legs”: http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/daddy-long-legs-marshall-neilan-1919/
Patricia at Patricia’s Wisdom has penned an appreciative review of a volume titled “Search Inside Yourself: the Path to Success and Happiness”: http://patriciaswisdom.com/2012/05/search-inside-yourself-the-unexpected-path-to-achieving-success-happiness-and-world-peace-chade-meng-tan/
Jon Warner has penned one of his greatest pieces at Films Worth Watching on Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Ivan’s Childhood”: http://filmsworthwatching.blogspot.com/2012/05/ivans-childhood-1962-directed-by-andrei.html
Film preservation is again the worthy theme in Marilyn Ferdinand’s tremendous piece on John Huston’s 1946 documentary “Let There Be Light” at Ferdy-on-Films: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/?p=14547
Tony d’Ambra’s new post at FilmsNoir.net takes a marvelous discerning look at Mitchell Leisen’s “No Man of Her Own”: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/no-man-of-her-own-1950-sudser-or-noir.html
Roderick Heath has a new extraordinary mega-essay up on Howard Hughes’ “Hell’s Angels” at Ferdy-on-Films: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/?p=14594
John Greco offers up an excellent review on 1912′s “A Beast at Bay” for the Mary Pickford blogothon at Twenty Four Frames: http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/a-beast-at-bay-1912-d-w-griffith/
Laurie Buchanan explores ‘frame of mind’ in her thoughtful new post at Speaking From The Heart titled “Chop Wood Carry Water”: http://holessence.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/chop-wood-carry-water/
Joel Bocko has made quite the triumphant return at The Dancing Image with a marvelous piece on Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye”: http://thedancingimage.blogspot.com/2012/05/long-goodbye.html
Roderick Heath has posted “an academic piece” on the film “Gallipoli” at This Island Rod, and it truly looks like spectacular stuff: http://thisislandrod.blogspot.com/2012/05/civic-mythology-sequence-from-gallipoli.html
Richard R.D. Finch has posted a definitive piece on Vittorio DeSica’s neo-realist masterpiece “Shoeshine” at The Movie Projector: http://themovieprojector.blogspot.com/2012/05/shoeshine-1946.html
A mid-day oil painting lesson at the Creativepotager’s blog is quite the magnificent feast for the eyes: http://creativepotager.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/midday-in-navy-channel-oil-painting-by-terrill-welch/
At Cinemascope the amazingly prolific and resilient Shubhajit Laheri keeps up the pace with a terrific capsule on Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye”: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2012/06/long-goodbye-1973.html
At Mondo 70 Samuel Wilson offers up another exceptional piece on a pre-code Stanwyck: http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2012/06/dvr-diary-ever-in-my-heart-1933.html
Ed Howard at Only The Cinema has penned a brilliant essay on avante garde cinema: http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2012/06/image-in-snowthe-plague-summerthe.html
Jaime Grijalba has come through big-time for the Film preservation blogothon with a terrific essay on “Psycho” at Exodus: 8:2: http://exodus8-2.blogspot.com/2012/05/alfred-hitchcock-presents-psycho-1960.html
At Doodad Kind of Town Pat Perry’s splendid contribution to the For the Love of Film Preservation blogothon is on Hitch’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”: http://doodadkindoftown.blogspot.com/2012/05/hitch-does-rom-com-for-love-of-film.html
At Scribbles and Ramblings Sachin Gandhi takes a fascinating look at two high-profile Spanish films at ‘Euro 2012′: http://likhna.blogspot.com/2012/05/spanish-films.html
David Schleicher is proud to announce that ‘Issue Two’ of the Stone Digital Literary Magazoine’ is now available. It’s over at The Schleicher Spin: http://theschleicherspin.com/2012/05/15/issue-two-of-the-stone-digital-literary-magazine-now-available/
Just Another Film Buff has penned a terrific capsule on Satoshi Kon’s 1997 “Perfect Blue” at The Seventh Art: http://theseventhart.info/2012/05/19/ellipsis-61/
At The Last Lullaby, the ever delightful filmmaker Jeffrey Goodman takes a look at part sixteen of his long running quartet series: http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/2012/04/favorite-four-part-sixteen.html
At Vermillion and One Nights Murderous Ink has written an extraordinary scholarly piece on gender roles in post-war Japan, making compelling reference to 1949′s “Green Mountains”: http://vermillionandonenights.blogspot.com/2012/05/someone-who-looks-like-gary-cooper.html
There’s plenty of good stuff up at The Long Voyage Home by way of capsules and screen caps courtesy of Peter Lenihan: http://thelongvoyagehome.blogspot.com/
Stephen Russell-Gebbett at Checking on my Sausages again offers up a thoughtful post, this one on the film “Super 8″:http://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.com/2012/05/unearthing-grief-and-love-in-super-8.html h
Greg Ferrara at Cinema Styles has written a splendid essay on ‘The Ranking of Rock’: http://cinemastyles.blogspot.com/2012/06/insincerity-insecurity-and-self.html
A notable artistic collaboration leads the way at Michael Harford’s heartening Coffee Messiah’s blog: http://coffeemessiah.blogspot.com/2012/05/collaborations.html
Hokahey has penned a terrific takedown of “Battleship” at Little Worlds: http://hokahey-littleworlds.blogspot.com/2012/05/boom.html
At The Cooler Jason Bellamy and Ed Howard discuss two-time Cannes winner Michael Haneke for the latest phenomenal ‘Conversations’ dialogue: http://coolercinema.blogspot.com/2012/05/conversations-michael-haneke.html
At The Blue Vial Drew McIntosh asserts “It’s in the Eyes!”: http://thebluevial.blogspot.com/2012/05/its-in-eyes.html
J.D. offers up a fascinating essay on “The Transformers The Movie” at Radiator Heaven: http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2012/06/transformers-movie.html
Adam Zanzie has posted a superlative review of Lawrence Kasdan’s “Dreamcatcher” at Icebox Movies: http://www.iceboxmovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/dreamcatcher-2003-lawrence-kasdans.html
Dave Van Poppel has a tremendous batch of short reviews up at Visions of Non Fiction on the Toronto Film Festival: http://visionsofnonfiction.blogspot.com/
Congratulations to Danny. What Saint did he choose for his confirmation name?
I took advantage of the retrospective Lincoln Center just finished today for Ridley Scott. I would’ve liked to have seen all of the films showing, but the timing wasn’t right, and they only screened most of the movies once or twice, at most. In the end, I wound up seeing two films I’ve already seen in theaters before, “Alien” and “Blade Runner”, and two that were new for me, “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Legend”. I’m kicking myself for not taking advantage of seeing rarities like “The Duelists” or “1492: Conquest of Paradise” on the big screen, or even well known stuff like “Thelma & Louise” and “Someone to Watch Over Me”. Hell, I’d have seen “Hannibal” again if it weren’t for the time and money. But all in all, I don’t feel too left out of not seeing the bulk of his 00′s work, which I already saw in the theaters, mostly (I think I saw “Gladiator” in an Oscar rerelease, but who knows). Hopefully some of these will go into repertoires somewhere.
Just finished watching the season finale of “Game of Thrones”, besides that. Gotta admit, it’s kinda anticlimactic, even taking into account how hard it is to follow last week’s stunner of an episode. Still, that’s our big reveal? Zombies? The North of the Living Dead? Man, I will be so happy when the whole zombie meme is done and pop culture can move on to the next genre fad.
Bob—
Thanks for the congrats, which I will relay to Danny. And that ‘Saint’ comment definitely wins approval in these parts! Ha! Bob, I also saw BLADE RUNNER several years ago at the AMC Empire on 42nd Street with none other than Allan, who was here from the UK. It was a fantastic experience as you well know. And ALIEN is obviously a great one for the big screen too. I have seen KINGDOM OF HEAVEN and LEGEND as well as 1492, although not THE DUELISTS. (I saw that one on DVD) Yes, the Zombie gig is wearing thin! Sammy appraised me of the final episode of GoT, which I plan to see on re-run before the week is out.
Thanks as always my friend! Have a great week!
Congrats to Danny! – I still remember my Confirmation well.
Really quick – on Netflix I saw -
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN – * – Umm, no we don’t! What a train wreck – a completely faux artiste film without a single authentic moment or anything meaningful to say about the human condition riddled with in-your-face “LOOK, MA – I’M A DIRECTOR” symbolism and idiotic narrative time-shifts. It’s also an insult to anybody who has suffered through similar tragic events that are mocked in this film with its repugnant “devil child with a cold mother” antics used to explain a high-school kill spree. Tilda Swinton (normally very good) was so one-note and vacant and non-human it was painful to watch her. And I would’ve shot John C. Reilly with a bow-and-arrow, too – what a moron of a non-character! The more I think about and comment on this vile piece of trash – the more I hate it. (Okay – sorry, that wasn’t so quick!)
CORIOLANUS – **** – Near brilliant update of the Shakespeare tragedy successfully brought to modern time by Ralph Fiennes while still staying true to the traditional language. Really riveting stuff, though there were some sluggish parts.
Oh you are so right about We Don’t Need to Talk About Kevin. But in fairness to Tilda and John, the book appears to have been just as rotten. A few friends of mine read it and ALL refuse to see the movie because the book was so wretched and pointless. They warned me, but I went ahead and suffered through it.
Must agree with your friends, Jason, the book was terrible – I read it at the same time as a couple of friends and we all hated it – I haven’t seen the movie as yet. Had hoped it might be better than the book, but it doesn’t sound like it from your comments, David and Jason.
David (and Jason and Judy), be rest assured I am not as big a fan of this film as Allan, Maurizio, and Jamie, (I can’t remember what Jaimie, Jim or Bob thought) but I am not quite as far down on it as you three. I am not a fan of of Lynne ‘style over substance’ Ramsey, but there are some who find her work and this particular film profound. The acting is top-notch, I will say that, but it does get bogged down here and there. I see Pierre also likes it. I do like CORIOLANUS David and much appreciate your fine-tuned capsule assessment! Thanks as always my friend. Have a great week! And thanks for the congrats for Danny!
David I’m with you on Kevin. I watched it on Saturday. Actually not sure it’s 1 star material, but it was quite phony I felt. I liked some of the expressionist shots, but the child actors were AWFUL!!!!! They drug the whole thing down for me.
Wow Jon, another naysayer on KEVIN! I’m straddling the middleground, or as Allan says ‘sitting on the fence!” Ha!
Yeah and I like Ratcatcher. So it’s not like she hasn’t made something I liked before. Kevin was splashy but lacking real drive.
I’m jealous. While you were enjoying some of my favorite movies on the big screen, I was suffering through Battleship and The Intouchables. (Is that even a word?) Well on the plus side I’m looking forward to a screening of Tootsie at the historic Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, one of the few remaining old movie palaces in the city. I have to admit, though I love Tootise and there are vague promises of some starts of the film being there, I am more interested in sitting in the theater and experiencing a movie the way my grandma did when she visited theaters on Broadway when she living in the city in the 1930s and 1940s.
Oh, and I don’t care what you say, I SO want to see Night of the Living Dead — The Musical. Even if it’s awful, it’s still a story to tell the grandkids. “Yes, Suzy, THAT actually happened on a real indoor stage…”
Jason—
At least you saw some ‘new’ material there. It’s true that I saw masterpieces, but they are film we’ve both seen many times. You have soured me on the INTOUCHABLES, though my colleague Broadway Bob is hinting that he will exercise his week to call the shots by choosing it for this coming Friday night. But I could imagine the torture you suffered with BATTLESHIP. I completely agree with you that when films are screened in the old movie palaces it comes down to the awe-inspiring building itself. Though TOOTSIE of course is always a pleasure. Enjoy! hahahaha on what you say about NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD THE MUSICAL. Broadway Bob and I were startled that there wasn’t a single made-up zombie in the entire 70 minute show. That might be part of what we saw as the problem. But then there was the music. Ugh. The singers though, did their best. But yes that Suzy story would make it somewhat redeemable. LOL!!!
Thanks very much my friend! Hope all is very well, and have a great week!
The family Juliano continues to conquer!
Hahahaha thanks for that Rod! 3 down and 2 to go! LOL! It was a fun night though, I can’t deny it. Have a great week my friend.
Hi! Sam Juliano, Allan, and WitD readers…
Thanks, for sharing the lovely, confirmation photograph Of yours and Mrs. Lucille Juliano’s son Danny Juliano, and his grandfather Sam Juliano Jr.(?)…Nice!
and Congratulation! are most definitely, in order for this occasion.
“Ah yes, what about that production? I won’t go there. The real question is why did Lucille, Broadway Bob and I attend it in the first place?…”
After reading your comment I think no more words have to be spoken…LOL
“The three screen classics we watched on the big screen during the six day period since Tuesday morning’s Diary are as follows:
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” “My Man Godfrey,” and “Bringing Up Baby.”
Two out Of Three isn’t bad…LOL…That’s as far as I’m concerned…Tks, for the round-up… as usual!
deedee
Thanks so much Dee Dee for the splendid comment! Yes, we were all proud about Danny. The confirmation mass at OLG was standing room only and it lasted about 90 minutes because of the Bishop’s address to the candidates. My other two boys (Sammy and Jeremy) attended too, and were very well behaved, all things considered. My father’s recommendation for an Italian restaurant was quite good. It is only a few blocks from the apartment where his lady friend lives out in Elmwood Park. Danny ordered rigatoni with meat sauce, and loved it. Yes, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD THE MUSICAL was a zany idea that I thought might work on camp alone. But they took few chances, and the music was the real killer, sad to say. I know you are a big fan of GODFREY and BABY, and I couldn’t agree more.
Thanks as always my friend, much much appreciated, and have a great week!
By the way, WitD readers… The second poll question(s) have been posted…Thanks,
Thanks for adding them Dee Dee. I did cast my own vote this afternoon, though I don’t think my choice would surprise anyone! Ha!
Congrats to Danny! A great photo spanning the generations. Every blessing to you all.
Film-wise I watched the new DVD release of No Man of Her Own, with a 42yo Barbara Stanwyck in top melodramatic form, and then she had me smiling in the preposterous and thoroughly enjoyable The Lady Eve, a ‘devilish’ post-pre-coder – if that makes sense. I finished the week with a fizzer 50s noir from Phil Karlson, The Brothers Rico, saddled with a lumbering script that not even elegant shooting from Karlson and his DP Burnett Guffey could redeem.
FilmsNoir.Net has been granted media accreditation for the Sydney International Film Festival which kicks off on Wednesday. I hope to catch a couple of Nikkatsu noirs from the 50s.
Laters.
Thanks so much for that Tony! Yes the three generations were present there, and the gorgeously ornate Our Lady of Grace Church (built in 1934) is a family mainstay through the years. As I stated under your excellent review of that Leisen classic with Barbara Stanwyck, the film is a riveting and well-crafted melodrama propelled by one of the finest actresses the US has ever produced. Yes ‘devilish pre-coder’ is certainly applicable to THE LADY EVE, which is one of the all-time comedy classics, and similarly your dismissal of that Karlsen can’t be contested even with that distinguished lensman as part of the equation.
That is fantastic news about the accreditation for FILMSNOIR.NET, which will now enable to to catch a few offerings. The choice of the Nikkatsus is buffo! I greatly look forward to your possible report afterwards! The Sydney International Film Festival sounds great. Whenever I think of the city I envision that world famous opera house, which I bet you’ve seen an endless number of times. I know it’s a prime tourist attraction. But the festival as I noted, has some great stuff! Have a great week my friend. Many thanks as always!
Lovely picture of Danny and your father, Sam, and congratulations to you all. There’s quite a resemblance between you and your Dad!
I went to the cinema twice this week – first off I saw Wes Anderson’s ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, which I can see is beautifully produced but I must admit I didn’t like as much as I’d hoped to and didn’t think it was anywhere near as good as ‘The Darjeeling Limited’. To me the quirkiness felt a bit too calculated at times and I’d have liked to see more screen time for Bruce Willis and Ed Norton, who are both wonderful, and less of the film being carried by the children. But maybe I’ll react differently when I see it again – Anderson often grows on me.
Also saw a British release, ‘Hunky Dory’, directed by Marc Evans and starring Minnie Driver, about a school in South Wales putting on a production of ‘The Tempest’ featuring David Bowie songs in the famous long hot summer of 1976. I thought this was too slow and felt a bit like a TV soap opera at times, to be honest, but it has a good cast and does get a flavour of the 1970s.
At home, I watched three greats from 1941 (‘Sullivan’s Travels’, ‘Citizen Kane’ and ‘Suspicion’ – all brilliant of course, except for the ending of ‘Suspicion’), and two 1930s films, ‘Theodora Goes Wild’, which I’d wanted to see for ages, and ‘Wings in the Dark’, a 1935 melodrama with Cary Grant and Myrna Loy as pilots, which I enjoyed though it does get too much at the end.
Thanks very much for the plug, Sam, and wishing a good week to you and all at Wonders!
Thanks for the very kind words Judy! Others have also noted a resemblance now that I am older. Judy,, while I will admit I liked MOONRISE KINGDOM quite a bit more, I can certainly understand how and why Wes Anderson is pretty much a hit and miss proposition. Hence I would be the last person to be-grudge you being underwhelmed, in view of his rather uneven career. Willis and Norton were outstanding, and you make a smart point about added screen time. Broadway Bob liked the film, but among his ‘issues’ was that he though the kids were ‘caught’ too soon in the film. I hope you saw some fair enough Benjamin Britten appreciation there.
Wow, I’d certainly like to see HUNKY DORY, with THE TEMPEST and the Bowie songs! Yes you saw some masterpieces there, and completely agree about the end of SUSPICION. And those other two fine films for good measure! Thanks again my very good friend, and have a terrific week!
Sam, thanks so much for the great mention.
I was so happy to read that you saw the Milestone again. I know, by now, that it is one of your all-time favorites, and I can only imagine how tremendous it must have been on the big screen.
This week I was able to take in a couple of things. I saw Manoel de Oliveira’s ABRAHAM’S VALLEY and DW Griffith’s WAY DOWN EAST. I was really happy to see them both, but what stood out to me most was Gish’s performance in the latter. It’s very possibly the most emotive thing I’ve ever seen her do and at times recalled some of Falconetti’s harrowing moments in Dreyer’s great film.
Here’s to another awesome week, Sam. Thanks so much for all that you do!
Jeffrey! I watched Way Down East this past week as well!!! Yes Gish is amazing and angelic. Wonderful stuff.
Jeffrey, as always thank you for your resilience and remarkable support! yes, I guess ALL QUIET is one film that will work on repeated viewings because it’s just so powerful and humanist. That one scene when Paul Baumer talks to the dead French soldier, is one of the most gut-wrenching and moving scenes in the history of the cinema, and it’s the definitive anti-war statement. It was such a thrill to have my son Sammy see it for the first time, and he was genuinely affected. Few films exhibit that kind of deep feeling. And coincidentally enough Sammy was studying trench warfare in World War I in his freshman high school history class.
That is quite a statement there comparing Gish to Falconetti, but having seen WAY DOWN EAST (I see Jon has chimed in here as well) I can certainly respect it. Gish is a national treasure of course, one of the greatest of all actresses, and I agree with you on the greatest of that Griffith work. I love de Oliveira, but I did not yet see ABRAHAM’S VALLEY. I just noted it. Again, I can’t thank you enough my friend. Have a great week!
Sam –
As I drink my cuppa tea this morning you’ve got me cracking up at your non-revealing paragraph about “Night of the Dead: The Musical?” Topped off with, “I won’t go there. The real question is why did Lucille, Broadway Bob, and I attend it in the first place?”
BRINGING UP BABY is one of my all-time favorites! Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant make me laugh just thinking about it. I’ve never seen it on a BIG screen like you described — that’s got to be pretty darned cool!
CONGRATULATIONS to Danny! That’s a wonderful photograph of two very handsome gentlemen — a great one to frame for the family mantle. Your dad doesn’t even look close to 81 years; please tell him I said so.
Thank you for pointing to Speaking from the Heart.
Laurie—
I am laughing while reading this myself! Ha! I figured I’d adhere to the old adage that many grandmothers have passed down: “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.” As I stated above, I was seduced by the price and the hope of some campy fun.
Yes BRINGING UP BABY is a comedy classic that is only enhanced at the big show! I completely agree.
Thanks so much for those flattering words about my father. He will be 82 in September (he is a retired police chief) and is a great cook with a buffo eggplant parmigiana dish for years that is known all over the town. I will pass them on to him! I can’t thank you enough for your wonderful vibes and peerless support my friend! Have a great week!
Hi Sam!!
Very nice picture you’ve shared there and congratulations to Danny. Very nice moment indeed. Thanks as always for the kind mention my friend. Your support is always a great encouragement. Well My Man Godfrey and Bringing Up Baby are 2 of the top 25 comedies of all-time IMO. Glad you got to see them on the big screen. Also All Quiet on the Western Front must have been wonderful to watch with your son. I spent the last week catching up on lots of things around the house and on the movie front. I re-watched The Producers (hilarious stuff), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (much funnier than the last time I watched it), Heathers (wonderful dark satire of teen and high school films). Also I saw We Need to Talk About Kevin, which had some potential to be good, but did get bogged down in its own dogma and excess. I did like some of the expressionist shots, but oh my goodness…..the child actors. They were absolutely see-through pathetic. No depth. They brought nothing to the cinematic table. Especially the older Kevin. Wow, let’s glare at the camera and pretend to look cool and menacing. I have rarely seen a film come to such a dragging halt due to the ineptitude of the child actors. Ultimately, the film does not come together and is poorly paced. I kept looking at my watch.
Actually the film of the week though, was Way Down East, which I had seen before but felt like I was seeing it for the first time. Of course the film is wildly melodramatic, which is the point, but Gish is so tremendous. I’ve been re-watching some of her films lately and am just totally entranced by her. I am prepping a few essays for Way Down East and Orphans of the Storm. I also wish that they would put out a decent DVD of The Wind! Not to mention The Scarlet Letter (1926) which I’ve never seen! I need more GISH!!!! Give me GISH!!!
Anywho, I am totally pumped for the comedy countdown and am refining my list as I write this. I am re-watching several titles though soon: Being There, Blazing Saddles, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Harold and Maude. Also will catch some I’ve been meaning to see: Road to Morocco, Born Yesterday. Hope you have a super week ahead!!!!
Jon—
Thanks so much for the exceedingly kind words and sustained enthusiasm! Your work at FILMS WORTH WATCHING has really been sizzling as of late, and the IVAN’S CHILDHOOD review is a prose treasure. It was coincidental that you saw WAY DOWN EAST and KEVIN since both have already come up on this thread (from Jeffrey and David) and let’s just say that I am with you lock, stock and barrel in both instances. Great to hear you are prepping reviews of those two Griffiths!!! Gish of course is a screen icon!!! I am a HUGE fan of THE PRODUCERS and MONTY PYTHON and I do well remember HEATHERS. Re-watching BEING THERE, HAROLD AND MAUDE and BLAZING SADDLES is cinematic bliss!!! I am not surprised of your great enthusiasm for GODFREY and BABY, and I am thrilled that you are really immersing yourself in the comedy countdown much as you did for the musical polling. There’s plenty of excitement ahead! Many thanks my friend, and have a terrific week!
Sam -
Congrats to Danny on his Confirmation (a big milestone for a Catholic, as we both know.) That is a great picture of him with your Dad.
How wonderful to have seen those screwball classics on a big screen (and timely, too, considering the approaching Comedy Countdown). My shameful confession is that I have never seen MY MAN GODFREY in its entirety, something I hope to rectify before I submit a final ballot for the countdown. I saw BRINGING UP BABY in a theatre in Paris in 1992 – the friend I was vacationing with had never seen it, so we decided to take in a Parisian cinema one night. It was in English with French subtitles; the audience loved it, and I read French just well enough to find the akward translations of some of the dialogue almost as funny as the film itself.
Here, I am enjoying a much-needed respite of calm now that my home is on the market at last, so have dived into some “refresher” viewings of comedy classics in order to finalize my Comedy Countdown votes. Enjoyed a Jacques Tati double bill (on the home screen) yesterday, PLAYTIME and MR. HULOT”S HOLIDAY. I expect to catch up on some long unseen Laurel and Hardy and Buster Keaton classics during the coming week – as well as to get at least one blog post up.
Thanks for link, and to you and everyone at WITD, have a wonderful week!
Pat—
Thanks so much for the kind words about Danny. Yes, it is indeed a milestone, and one to be proud of for sure. We had a great time at the Jersey City Loews seeing those comedy classics on the mega-screen, and as you note at an appropriate time, what with the countdown imminent. That was a wonderful experience in Paris there with BRINGING UP BABY and thanks for sharing it. Great to hear you are moving forward for the sale and have some time to devote towards viewings and relaxation. I hope everything works out for you. The Jacques Tati double feature there is bliss, needless to say, and I’m sure they will both be showing up for the party. As far as Keaton and Laurel & hardy, I’m sure you will be further whisked off to comedy heaven. I’ll keep my eyes open on DOODAD KIND OF TOWN. have a great week my friend. Hope you get in more viewings.
Great picture of young Danny and your father Sam!
I enjoyed your sarcasm about the musical Night of the Living Dead. lol. What exactly was the reason you decided to go if I might ask?
Anything on that Jersey City screen is an event.
Thanks Frank!
Yes, I was being facetious there of course! Ha! To answer your question, Broadway Bob recommended that we give it a shot since the tickets were up on TDF (Theater Development Fund listings) and were only $9 each. I figured what the heck, we can’t get burned, but you know the old saying ‘you get what you pay for.’ Ha!
Yes, I quite agree with what you say about the JC Loews. It’s always an exciting time!
Thanks and have a great week my very good friend!
Didn’t a production of ‘Night of the Living Dead-The Musical’ run on Broadway about ten years ago?
Congrats and all the best to Danny boy!
Peter, there was indeed a production, but I’m still trying to figure if it was the same play. I will investigate further. Thanks for the nice words about Danny my friend and have a terrific week!
Danny looks so handsome in that pic – and granddad looks so young!
I finally saw “Bernie” (on my birthday). Overall I liked it quite a bit, although it didn’t always strike the correct tone for me. The film sometimes wandered toward the territory of being condescending toward its subjects — something the Coens have been accused of in the past — but when I realized the townspeople were played by – the townspeople! – I saw the piece in a different light. Jack Black was quite good – I’m a fan of his talent if not some of his characters. Oddly, Maclaine seemed flat – I’m not sure whether she didn’t quite understand which way to go with her character, whether she and Linklater didn’t communicate well about the character, or whether I simply wanted to be more entertained by a character that ultimately wasn’t entertaining at all. Will have to think about that one for awhile. . . .
My reactions to We Need to Talk About Kevin (see above) are quite different than some here. I think it’s a very good film – but equally difficult to watch. And Coriolanus – which I admittedly have only seen about 20 minutes of – struck me as the product of a talented actor-turned-first-time director who hasn’t mastered the technical nuts and bolts of filmmaking but nevertheless has something artistic and probing to say. The sound, however, seemed absolutely atrocious to the point of taking me out of the film.
Thanks for the nice words there Pierre! Yep, my father will be 82 in September, and he holds his age well. He’s diabetic, but he seems to have that well under control. He was diagnosed with it in his early 60′s and it’s a family affliction.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did not know your big day just passed, or I would have sent on an e mail greeting! Certainly you did see a splendid film, and happy to hear you were on balance quite positive. I agree that Jack Black was far better than he ever was in any film, and I also agree that I have never in the past cared for his characters. But who can resist a goody two-shoe who opts for murder? Ha! I liked MacLaine this time, but I can see her work here as being somewhat disconcerting. I’d say this was my very favorite Linklater film. I know you like KEVIN more than a few of the others on this thread (however, Allan, Jamie and Maurizio like it quite a bit) and it’s the kind of film that should be watched again, and CORIOLANUS contains some breathless filmmaking and excellent performances (especially by Vanessa Redgrave) but I can understand why it is jarring.
Thanks again my friend and birthday boy! Have a great week and we’ll talk soon!
I’d have to see MacLaine’s “Bernie” performance a second time to even begin forming a definite opinion of it. I’ve seen “Kevin” twice now – it retained its hold on me upon 2nd viewing. Regarding Coriolanus, if I’d been watching it alone I would’ve stuck with it out of curiousity and fairness. But my friend got irritated by it.
Thanks for the belated birthday greeting!
Sam, I hope you end up liking Django better than I did. I remember eagerly grabbing its initial VHS release and being stunned with disappointment. Sergio Corbucci made better spaghettis (e.g. The Great Silence) and Django itself struck me as the fount from which all the decadent gimmickry that ruined spaghettis sprung. On the other hand, that stuff is what a lot of people like about the genre. But speaking of violent stories set in 19th century America, my main viewing over the weekend was Kevin Reynolds’s Hatfields and McCoys, the six hour miniseries (closer to five without the commercials) broadcast on the erstwhile History Channel last week. It certainly bears the personal stamp of its producer and star, Kevin Costner, a person almost pathologically determined to craft a film persona of sulking glumness for himself. For all that, the show wasn’t bad. It was actually admirably successful in individualizing a large cast of characters thanks to a decent ensemble, and Reynolds filmed the action well. But I can understand if viewers were repelled by the unrelieved meanness and wretchedness of the story. It hardly counts as an American tragedy because you see little evidence that either family showed promise of any sort. It might count as a realist horror story of codependent mutual destruction, best illustrated by Bill Paxton’s descent from self-righteous piety to alcoholic madness. But apart from its horror value I wonder if it’s a story worth telling at such length.
I did find time for other things, as you’ve seen for yourself. The most noteworthy thing on DVD was Jiang Wen’s Let the Bullets Fly, The period crime story might look like a letdown after Devils on the Doorstep but at least it was highly entertaining thanks largely to Jiang himself in the starring role and Chow Yun-Fat as his antagonist. Clearing out the DVR queue I saw William Keighley’s Ladies They Talk About with Stanwyck as a tough moll in prison; Joseph H. Newman’s torpid King of the Roaring ’20s, an Arnold Rothstein biopic; George Archimbaud’s Silver Horde, an early talkie set in Alaska and featuring a very young and very bad Joel McCrea and Jean Arthur; Terrence Young’s The Valachi Papers, a dramatization of the famous mob expose distinguished by Charles Bronson and Lino Ventura but too captivated by the novelty of its revelations to succeed as drama; and a highly fictionalized account of some of the same events, Edward L. Cahn’s Inside the Mafia, filmed before Valachi sang and forced to cover its ignorance with an assassin-takes-hostages plot borrowed from Suddenly and lots of melodramatic violence.
I’m not a religious man but I’ll congratulate you on your son’s milestone, anyway.
Samuel—
We shall see about DJANGO. I am planning to see it on Thursday, June 21st. Tomorrow night I will be taking in a Corbucci double of THE GREAT SILENCE at 7:40 and NAVAJO JOE at 9:45. I am assuming you have seen both and know them well? I have seen neither, but am greatly looking forward to them. Last night’s viewing of THE MERCENARY was most interesting for a number o reasons, including the appearance of Tony Mussante for the Q & A. I have great admiration for your incomparable background in the spaghetti western genre. Ah yes, the Reynolds-Costner alliance in force again. No doubt all those debit issues will have many unimpressed, but I take note of your “sill, but” here. I can’t imagine finding time for this in the near future, but i’ve taken note of this interesting assessment. I love DEVILS ON THE DOORSTEP, but haven’t seen this other Wen films with Chow Yung-Fat. Perhaps Allan has. As I mentioned before I did enjoy the pre-coder LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT, with Babs Stanwyck in irresistible form as the prison moll (saw it months back at the pre-code festival) Of the others I have seen THE VALACHI PAPERS, which I always found weak compared to the famed mobster pictures that followed it, and INSIDE THE MAFIA isn’t anything special.
Thanks for the kind words about Danny my friend, and have a great week!
Geez, I am seriously thinking about seeing Corbucci’s COMPANEROS at 9:50 P.M. tonight at the Film Forum, but at this point it’s 50-50.
Haven’t seen Navajo Joe but am aware that Burt Reynolds doesn’t think highly of it. Meanwhile, Great Silence is widely regarded as Corbucci’s best and some think of it as the best non-Leone spaghetti western. I might not go that far but it’s top-ten stuff in the category. I have a disc of Companeros but haven’t watched it yet.
Thanks for the info on Burt Reynolds, Samuel. I am really looking ahead to THE GREAT SILENCE.
Sam,
Congrats, sounds like quite a memorable weekend for you and your family, but ‘Night of the Living Dead- the Musical’?
I’m stil trying to sort out my feelings on ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’ after watching it on Sat. night. The effect was like John Cassavetes improvising on an old Joan Crawford chestnut. A very pleasurable, atypical Scorsese film, the lull between the twin assaults of ‘Mean Streets’ and ‘Taxi Driver’ (Jodie Foster’s petty delinquent in ‘Alice’ almost could have morphed into the runaway child-hooker of ‘Taxi Driver’). I’m still figuring out my responses to the film, though, so til tomorrow.
Just a few more quick ruminations on ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’, a film which goes off in so many directions it’s sometimes hard to get a handle on. Pace, Pauline Kael, “Alice” is NOT a feminist movie — it’s a fantasy, a comedy (the bantering between Burstyn and Lutter is like vaudeville patter), a road movie, a tiny musical, untidy and formless and improvisatory in the Cassavetes manner, and you never know where it’s going next, the characters just keep accruing along the way — first there’s Ellen Burstyn, Alfred Lutter, Billy Green Bush, Lelia Goldoni (of Cassavetes’ “Shadows”), and then along comes Harvey Keitel (frightening as a quasi-maniac), Diane Ladd, Kris Kristofferson, Jodie Foster, Valerie Curtin and Vic Tayback. It’s the most electic cast of a 70s American film I know outside Altman’s ‘Nashville’. The remarkable Burstyn is a single mom who at one point wears a waitress uniform just like Joan Crawford did in “Mildred Pierce”, with Diane Ladd and her skyscraper hairdo playing the wisecracking Eve Arden sidekick, only much, much saltier. (Burtsyn prepared for the part by reading Studs Terkels’ “Working”, perhaps a case of overzealousness on the actress’s part). And I wonder if Alice Hyatt, who dreamed of being a singer when she was a child, was named after Alice Faye by her presumably starstruck mom–the movie opens with Faye singing her signature tune “You’ll Never Know”, and at times the movie’s colors are in the Douglas Sirk or Vincente Minnelli overlush manner. But despite all its fuzzy, unfocused dissonance. ‘Alice’ is highly pleasurable, sometimes even laugh-out-loud funny, occasionally disturbing, but whatever you do don’t take it as a strident feminist tract for the 70s, because that would only turn ‘Alice’ into a buzzkill, and overall the film is way too much of a kick for that. Four (**** ) stars — no, wait I gave ‘Taxi Driver’ four stars. Make ‘Alice’ 3-3/4 stars just because of its diffuse, disjointed nature.
Yep Mark, I really hit rock bottom there with the attendance at that abysmal stage production, but let’s just say I was deduced by price, convenience and the wish of others. ha!
Thanks so much for the typically brilliant and comprehensive assessment of a film, in this case ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE. The feminism is more of the kind of a woman relying on her own instinct and resolve with the kind of tenacity usually shown by single mothers. The price to pay is trepidation and a realization that she won’t overcome all issues that befall her on the trip of self-discovery. The ending does make some unfortunate compromises, but the film poses some proper disorientation (a Scorsese specialty) a fearsome element (Keitel) and some hard-edged realism and humor.
Burstyn is magnificent, as are several others, and the film boasts a terrific soundtrack. The diffue and disjointed nature you attest to would probably raise the film to 4.5 for me. Thanks as always my friend for imparting your usual brilliance, and have a great week.
yeah, after rethinking ‘Alice’ and ‘Taxi Driver’, I’ve likely underrated both films — so it’s a 4 for ‘Alice’ (love Burstyn’s funny-pathetic audition for her job at the piano bar) and a 5 for ‘Taxi Driver’, though Manny Farber (sometimes a bit eccentric even for my tastes) and Rosenbaum vehemently dislike ‘Taxi Driver’, especially Rosenbaum, but then he reads films, especially American ones, through a leftist sociopolitical screed, attacking ‘Taxi’ for its glorification of America’s gun culture.
Later, my good friend, and p.s. I’m going on a spending spree at Barnes & Noble where I spotted ‘The Organizer’, Fassbinder’s ‘World on a Wire’, ‘Night and Fog’, ‘The Phantom Carriage’, and Daryl Duke’s superb country-and-western opus ‘Payday’ from ’73 or ’74.
Hello Sam and everyone!
Well, congratulations to your son on his confirmation! I remember mine, all the way back in 2006, and it was a real emotional moment for me and my grandmother which acompanied me through the process. It was a two-year preparation, but I was happy that day and I still remind it till this day.
Well, you sure went the classic way on your screenings this week, and sadly I must say that I’ve seen none of the three and I do really want to see them, specially Bringing Up Baby, which I can’t really get myself to finish it.
And “Night of the Living Dead: The Musical” what can you say? How do you think one can go there and expect something brilliant, is like going to Evil Dead The Musical and not expecting silly songs and puns.
Anyway, my week was work and work: pre-producing the short and getting the people to work at it, cinematographer, sound and acting are primordial right now, and finding a 30 year old actress that looks and can play the part is difficult, but I’m moving forward. I also took some time off to go to the now customary horror film marathon last saturday at the usual bar, so that’s that.
My week movie wise:
- Aphex Twin: Windowlicker (1998, Chris Cunningham) **** A short film/videoclip with strange and disturbing visuals, a nightmarish concept and a funny idea to parody rap music videos from the 90′s. The editing and makeup/prosthetic work here is top notch, and the song… well, I do kinda like it at the endi, but you have to really get into Aphex Twin to really enjoy it through.
- Black Devil Doll (2007, Jonathan Louis Lewis) *1/2 Oh my God. This was seen at the marathon and of course it was cheered and all, but what was the difference between this and porn, I don’t really know. It’s not really violent since it’s cheaply made, but it was extremely sexual and nudity filled, which would be arousing in other less stupid circumstances. This one has a black doll that fucks and kills white chicks and when he has orgasms he thinks of the Black Panters. Nuf said.
- Brass Eye (1997/2001, Michael Cumming, Tristram Shapeero) **** I saw this series… well Allan will hit me in the face, but I thought this series was coming earlier last week in terms of posting for his british TV countdown, but I guess I was wrong. I’ll fully comment whenever it comes out.
- Drácula (1931, George Melford, Enrique Tovar Ávalos) ****1/2 I was bored one evening so I decided to see this one and try to understand why I liked it so much the first time in the face of so many negative comments about it. It’s the shooting style, the creative choices and the style that the camera moves in or out of the frame. The acting is a bit weak, but there are some performers that nail it perfectly.
- Feast (2005, John Gulager) **1/2 This creature feature is quite good when ti starts, it builds a suspense and a good set of characters, and I like the choice of having a real ensemble with good acting in a horror film. But then, as it goes along, not only do the characters make dumb choices, which is a given in horror and you can forget that, but then it gets dark and I can’t see what’s going on with the characters anywhere. So, what’s the first and most important thing? Being able to see the movie. Seen at the horror marathon.
- Mad Monster Party? (1967/Jules Bass) ***1/2 Fantastic to see something so early in terms of full-lenght stop-motion animation. Great to see the characters we all love in a full comical manner that doesn’t diss them but actually augments their characteristics. The humour is childish, but this was a child’s picture, and in that, it’s quite amazing. But still, the script is a bit weak, and the songs really killed it for me, sorry, this is a musical that doesn’t work.
- Seven Up! (1964, Paul Almond) **** The first installment on a classic documentary series that had its latest installment premiered early last month, so I’m prepping up by watching all of these in sequence and getting to know the characters. The experiment itself is interesting and I like to see how it evolves.
Thanks Sam and have a good week!
Thanks again Jaimie for posting a remarkable weekly report here, and for the negotiation of a tireless week in every sense! As you did receive your own confirmation in 2006, and you attest to the extensive preparation, you can well understand that Danny went through much the same. My first three kids have now received it, with two more to go, Jillian in two years and Jeremy in three. The mass went about an hour and a half, and the religious instruction for the confirmation like yours went over two years. The day will always be remembered indeed.
Yes I went the “classic” way this past week basically for two reasons -the new releases were dire, and there were some irresistible big-screen showings of great films, one (ALL QUIET) a lifelong favorite, and the other two comedies supreme classics that were well-timed with the comedy countdown approaching. In addition, the previous week was all new stuff. This coming week looks to be a mix, as I saw a spaghetti western last night, will see two more of those tomorrow night, and have a new film set for Friday, and two more movie palace big screen features for Saturday, which the kids are really pumped for: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE and the 1971 WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen the latter, and as to the former I have seen it when it opened, but my kids are hopeless Potter addicts, even hard-to-please 16 year-old Melanie. BRINGING UP BABY is not everybody’s cup of tea, and there are some people I respect who find it silly and overwrought. But yes, you might want to give it another shot, or a viewing with a finish. I did dread at how NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD THE MUSICAL might wind up like, but I figured the price made the gamble sting less. Ha!
I see you are still immersed in the short film, and hope you will achieve the success you are aiming for. You are involved in a number of capacities there.
I will watch the Spanish DRACULA again during mid-Judy’s UNIVERSAL 75 YEARS FESTIVAL at the Film Forum, and will remember what you say here. I agree the songs ruined MAD MONSTER PARTY, but like you I am a big fan of that continuing documentary series, starting with the memorable SEVEN UP from the mid-60′s.
Thanks as always for the spectacular wrap my friend, and have a terrific week. Take things moderately! Ha!
Sam,
Thanks for the shout out and congrtulations to young Danny on this milestone event. A terrific photo to add to the family album. In addition to the feature films below I watched a few Our Gang comedies including Dogs is Dogs (****1/2) a touching and well constructed short, one of their best. Also watched Spanky (***), Readin’ and Writin’ (***1/2 and Shiver My Timbers (***1/2).
Storm Center (****) Small town librarian Bette Davis faces pressure from the town council to remove a controversial book from the library shelves. She refuses, is fired and faces the distain of small minded, small town folks. Cast includes Kim Hunter and Brian Keith. The film seems to have been met with mixed reviews but for me the story is powerful enough to overcome its shortcomings (an unconvincing performance from a young kid actor and some mundane direction by Daniel Taradash).
The Killer is Loose (***) – Mild mannered bank clerk Wendell Corey is the inside man on a robbery. The police soon discover his involvement and during the investigation, his wife is shot and killed by detective Joseph Cotton. Corey is sent up the river but swears revenge. What makes this film so terrifying is Corey’s characterization; the man is like a ticking bomb. He is uncomfortably soft spoken, never raising his voice yet he is filled with hatred and anger.
Dr. Crippen (***1/2) Mild mannered doctor (this seems to be my week for mild mannered criminals) is arrested and convicted of killing his nagging wife so he can be with his young lover. Donald Pleasence’s performance as the notorious doctor is worth the price of admission.
Inside the Mafia (1/2 *) Terrible, terrible, terrible. The only redeeming fact is the short running time that I managed to sit through.
Thanks so much John on the kind words about Danny and the latest addition to the ‘family album.’ I am a very big fan of DOGS IS DOGS, which could be my favorite OUR GANG comedy of them all, one that has a deeply affected premise, even with some great comedy throughout. The scene in the kitchen when Stymie cons the spoiled boy Sherwood to cook some ham and eggs because they “talk” is a classic. The others there are fine too, with READING AND WRITING tops of the three, but seems you feel the same way. Agreed on MAFIA and STORM CENTER, the latter of which I’d give the same 4 star rating, but sad to say I haven’t yet seen THE KILLER IS LOOSE nor DR. CRIPPEN I do agree that Donald Pleasance is a fantastic actor who makes just about every film he is in worth the price of admission. I have taken note of this one!
Thanks as always John for the terrific wrap, and kind words. have a great week!
Hi! Sam Juliano…
“Two out Of Three isn’t bad…LOL…That’s as far as I’m concerned…Tks, for the round-up… as usual!”
[Translation Please: This comment meant that I have never watched the film "All Quiet on the Western Front."
Therefore, I'm not sure how many stars it deserve and I would have to say that my mother is a big fan Of the films “My Man Godfrey,” and “Bringing Up Baby.”
[I would say that I have watched the original "My Man Godfrey" once or twice? and "Bringing Up Baby,"...Hmmm...maybe three times?!]
deedee
Dee Dee—
I suspected that as to ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, that you hadn’t yet seen it. While it’s a very powerful and great film (one of the finest war films ever made) you might find the raw and grueling trench warfare a hard pill. It’s a film where just about nobody is left unscathed. I’m not at all surprised that your mother likes BRINGING UP BABY and MY MAN GODFREY as I’m sure she has great taste and these are timeless classics of screwball comedy. But as you yourself have seen them multiple times you know exactly where I am coming from. Have a great week my very good friend, and thanks as always!
Hip Hip Hurray for Danny and his Grandfather – good to have the team working together to insure success.
I watched Bringing Up Baby years ago…have added it again to my list.
Doc Martin season 5 comes out on DVD rental this week – I just loved that series so put it in my queue. I have a huge week of writing to do because my IT person is taking a 5 days vacation and needs to get 3 posts in place early
Finished all my book reviews until July…so now must work on writing
After reading Terrill’s words about Albert Nobbs, I was able to rent of a copy of that and my partner and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so well told.
My book group enjoyed watching POETRY, but it went so long that folks have set up another time to discuss it.
Wishing a cool and interesting week ahead…I wish I knew a good Italian Restaurant…that sounds yummy too
Thanks so much Patricia for the compliments on Danny and Dad! That was certainly a night for the family scrapbook so to speak! You certainly can’t go wrong with another viewing of the likes of BRINGING UP BABY. There are a number of television series that I need to catch up with, and DOC MARTIN is one I haven’t yet come upon. I do have netflix, so I could certainly add it to my queue. Fully understand there what you say about the need to commit to writing this week. ALBERT NOBBS has split the audiences (and critics for that matter) down the middle. Yet I appreciate that several who have reported on here have had some positive feelings, especially for the performances of Glenn Close and Janet McTeer. I’m sure POETRY, a very great film, was a big hit with the group. Oh this neck of the woods does boast many great Italian restaurants, but maybe that’s part of the bigger problem? LOL! That cuisine is yummy though and as an Italian-American with a long-standing hankering for this kind of food, who’s to argue?
Have a great week my friend, hope everything words out, and will talk soon!
Sam,
Congratulations to Danny on Confirmation! Nice photo of Danny and your father, I just am happy to see you have such a warm and wonderful family. Thank you for sharing the invaluable moment.
“My Man Godfrey” is my all-time favorite among the Hollywood classics, probably one of my “desert island DVDs”. Not because it is the best film ever produced, (we can argue that forever) but because, to me, it is the symbol of classic Hollywood filmmaking and the most enjoyable one at that. Old-school director with well-tuned skills (LaCava), fabulous leads (Powell & Lombard), lovable supporting actors (from Alice Brady to Pallette to Auer to Pangborn), gorgeous production, wonderful screenwriting and quiet yet beautiful cinematography, all aspects of filmmaking are seamlessly sewn together. Besides, this is one of the first films I used for my English learning, as I spent hours to catch every word spoken in the film. It may sound strange choice, but I love how Powell pronounce words like “propriety”. “All Quiet…” is another masterpiece for sure, and, boy, I still feel the deep piecing agony I felt when I saw that endless sweeping machine-gun shots for the first time when I was a kid. I’m glad to hear your son also appreciated it. That’s one of few films that make us realize human hasn’t evolved much, only its demonic tools did.
I saw Kaneto Shindo’s “Sakura-tai Chiru (1988)” and “Grandi Magazzini (1939)” recently. Shindo’s documentary film is about troops of actors who happened to be in Hiroshima on that day in 1945. One of the actresses who died of massive radiation was Keiko Sonoi. She is largely forgotten today, but she had such an unforgettable quiet expression and acting style that she probably would had been one of the most symbolic female player in Japanese cinema if she had survived. The film is a solid production and Shindo’s direction is near perfect.
Thank you again for mention.
MI
Thanks M.I. for those wonderful words about Danny and the family. My mom passed away in 2003 at the age of 72 very sad to say, but my father (whose own father lived to 96) is doing fine, even with some nagging minor issues. My brothers and sister and others have all stayed very close, and we get together every Sunday, and live in the same town. MY MAN GODFREY is your absolute Hollywood screwball comedy? Nice. It’s a very great one for sure, and for all those glorious affirmations of craftsmanship you rightly attest to. Wow, it was one of the first films you watched that help you learn English? Wow, that’s some serious staccato learning there! Ha! Powell certainly had one of the most distinguished voices, and he wa sin prime form in that film! You really did hit the bullseye there when you say: “ALL QUIET……”is one of those few films that make us realize humanity hasn’t evolved much, only its demonic tools did.” Baumer’s heart-wrenching episode in the trench with the French soldier Duval speaks directly to the absurdity of war and how underneath the imposed bravado there’s a vulnerability, a realization that there isn’t a right or wrong in this lethal game.
Thanks for the insights into those two Shindo films, which you make so appetizing. Sad to say neither is presently available on DVD. Tragic to know that Sonoi died from the radiation Her survival would indeed have been symbolic and inspiring. Shindo was a supreme master, and now that he is gone a full re-assessment is in order.
Thanks as always my friend for the marvelous submission, and have a great week!
Thanks a lot Sam for the kind mention. Though I do not have much knowledge about the “Confirmation” that you’ve spoken about, from what I’ve gathered it seems to be a landmark moment. So do forward my congratulations to your son for that. It was a decent week for me as well. Summer is slowly giving way to autumn in the city where I’m residing, and though monsoons haven’t arrived yet (though it seems it’ll arrive anytime now), the weather has been improving each day, and its especially beautiful & confortable today morning.
Anyway, I watched the following movies in the past week:
- Louis Malle’s terrific drama (possibly even his greatest film), Le Feu Follet
- the second downbeat Bob Rafelson-Jack Nicholson collaboration, and a reasonably good movie too, The King of Mervin Gardens
- the brilliant and deeply affecting Italian wartime romantic tragedy, Estate Violenta
- Billy Wilder’s courtroom drama, Witness for the Prosecution – though a good film with some memorable moments, personally I didn’t love it as much as the kind of classic status it enjoys, on account of overuse of comical interludes & melodrama; I’d have loved it more had it been grittier and/or edgier
As for the comedy poll, I’ve drawn up a rough draft, and shall be mailing my final list across to you within the next few days.
Shubhajit—
In the Catholic faith, the confirmation is one of the seven sacraments that a Catholic receives during their life, and the one where the young person (13 or 14 years old) receives the “Holy Spirit.” While Lucille and I are Catholics who are bringing up all our children as such, we are not year-round devout churchgoers, and I am no fan from some of the church’s conservative stands. But I do attend all wedding and funeral masses. Thanks for the congrats and the very kind words. That is amazing that ‘summer is giving way to autumn’ in an area in the northern hemisphere! But if the weather is improving, who can complain. Wow, you really like LE FEU FOLLET. It is a great film indeed and can be argued as Malle’s best. I’d certainly have AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS, LACOMBE LUCIEN and ATLANTIC CITY in the running with it. THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS is a minor classic and WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION is made unforgettable by Laughton’s performance, methinks. But I respect what you are saying there and about the desire for a gritter/or edgier drama. I haven’t seen ESTATE VIOLENTA to this point.
Thanks for the great wrap my friend, and do have a wonderful and comfortable week!