Catching Up with Christmas Movies

Wow, I am REALLY bad at Holidailies.  I knew I wouldn't be posting every day, but I thought I'd do a little better than I have.  But now that all most of the shopping is done, cards and packages mailed, and decorating complete, I'm hoping I'll have a little time to relax a bit and do some blogging.

And some Christmas movie watching, too.  So far, we've only seen a few of them: the Turner Classic Movie channel was showing The Man Who Came to Dinner the other night, and Michael and I both like that one.  And then last night, after we finally got the last gifts in the mail, we watched The Polar Express.  That's become one of my favorites over the years, although I think it's probably not a good movie to start with - a little too melancholy.  But it's a very cute film, and I've managed to hook Michael on it, too.  This year, he even added the Lionel Polar Express model train to our Christmas decorations - he's always wanted a train to go around the Christmas tree, just like the ones he had as a child.

Actually, I guess we started with A Charlie Brown Christmas and The Grinch (the real original animated version with Boris Karloff voicing the Grinch).  Those are obligatory, as far as I'm concerned.  If I don't see those, it isn't Christmas.  But I don't really consider them movies, since they were originally TV shows. 

Generally, I like to start the movie-watching with the Griswolds and their Christmas Vacation - I think it's become my absolute favorite Christmas movie; I can watch it over and over and still fall on the floor, laughing. That's probably next on the schedule.

Aside from those, there are only a few other movies I feel I need to watch every year: It's a Wonderful Life (of course), and A Christmas Story ("You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"), and The Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant makes such a debonair angel).  

It seems to me that's about as many Christmas movies as one should ever really need.  But Michael has a list of must-see holiday films as long as his arm - must be a couple of dozen by now.  So there are plenty to choose from.  He's already a little miffed that we've waited so long to start the viewing, so I guess it's time to pull out those DVDs!

The Great Christmas Show: The Rest of the 1940s

I'm falling behind in putting together my list of favorite holiday movies. Figured I would. Actually, I've been falling behind in viewing them, too. Gotta get a move on. So today, here are a few more favorites from the 1940s -- probably the Golden Age of the Christmas movie.

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

Directed and Produced by Frank Capra
Screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Jo Swerling, and Frank Capra
Based on "The Greatest Gift," by Philip Van Doren Stern
Starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers, Thomas Mitchell

This is, I suppose, the archetypal Christmas movie. But I was never a big James Stewart fan, so it's really never been one of my favorites, even though I do feel a certain obligation to watch it -- just out of tradition if nothing else. Actually, I've always seen the film as something of a horror epic: I really want George Bailey to get away from Bedford Falls, and live the life he wants to live. Every time I watch the show, I'm rooting for George when he says, "I'm shaking the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm gonna see the world." And every time, he goes right ahead and gives his college money to his brother, marries the boring hometown girl, and takes over the old building and loan, just the same!

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Directed by Henry Koster
Screenplay by Leonardo Bercovici and Robert E. Sherwood
From the novel by Robert Nathan
Starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Woolley, James Gleason, Gladys Cooper, Elsa Lanchester, Sara Haden

I think this is my favorite of all the favorites from the 1940s. And it's one I had never seen until my husband made me watch it after we were married. Now it's one of the two or three films I absolutely must see every holiday season, even though it's rather heavy-handed in the "author's message" department. Not something I'd usually be attracted to, but I think the humor saves it. I love the exchanges between Grant and Niven; and the scene where the very proper Bishop Brougham (Niven) gets stuck in an armchair and can't get out is almost worthy of the Marx Brothers. Great movie. (And there's Monty Woolley again!)

Holiday Affair (1949)

Directed and Produced by Don Hartman
Written by John D. Weaver and Isobel Lennart
Starring Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey, and Gordon Gebert

This is another one of my husband's favorites that I've come to love, too. Well, anything with Robert Mitchum in it is worth watching, right? Although I think the main reason the hubby likes it is that a model train figures prominently in the plot.

See other Holidailies posts:

The Great Christmas Show: 1944 and 1945

Continuing on with my list of movies I like to watch during the holidays. I'm going through the list by year, and last time I covered 1942 (Holiday Inn and The Man Who Came to Dinner). So today, I've got a few from the mid-40s.

Since You Went Away (1944)

Directed by John Cromwell
Written and Produced by David O. Selznick
Starring Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Shirley Temple, Joseph Cotten, Monty Woolley, Robert Walker, Hattie McDaniel

Another one that's not, strictly speaking, a Christmas movie -- it was released in July 1944. I'm including this one because it was a huge favorite of mine when I was a kid and used to see it on TV every year. I think I liked it mainly because of Shirley Temple, but also because of the house the family lived in -- for me, growing up in post-war ranch-style suburban sprawl, it seemed like the perfect storybook home. Now that I'm older, I'm more critical -- the movie is almost revoltingly sentimental and preachy, and about an hour too long. But, like all of Selznick's films, it's a gorgeous thing to watch; and Monty Woolley, Hattie McDaniel and Joseph Cotten provide welcome bits of comic relief. It's no longer a film I seek out, but I usually end up watching it (or part of it) every Christmas season.

The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

Directed by Leo McCarey
Written by Leo McCarey and Dudley Nichols
Starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman

I don't really think of The Bells of St. Mary's as a Christmas movie, although it's come to be associated with the holiday. One of my favorite films in general, I could (and do) watch it any time of year. The scene where Ingrid Bergman, in her nun's habit, teaches one of her young pupils to box is worth the price of admission all by itself.

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Directed by Peter Godfrey
Written by Lionel Houser, Adele Comandini, and Aileen Hamilton
Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet, Reginald Gardiner, S.Z. Sakall

Wonderful little film -- if I had to rate the movies on my list, it would be very near the top. It's one of the funniest of all the Christmas films, and I can really identify with the idea of a woman who has no domestic skills whatsoever!

See more Holidailies Posts:
The Great Christmas Show, Day One

The Great Christmas Show: 1942

The Diaries of Yesteryear

The Great Christmas Show: 1942

Today I'm continuing with my list of favorite Christmas movies and TV shows -- I started it here with a post about the 1965 Charlie Brown Christmas special. I'm trying to keep the list in chronological order as much as possible, so today I've got two black & white films from 1942. (A year that's very special in my book, since it's the year my parents got married!)

Holiday Inn

Directed and Produced by Mark Sandrich
Written by Irving Berlin, Elmer Rice, and Claude Binyon
Music by Irving Berlin
Starring Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale, Walter Abel, and Louise Beavers

In Holiday Inn, former musical-act partners Jim Hardy (Crosby) and Ted Hanover (Astaire) battle for the affection of lovely singer Linda Mason (Reynolds). Hardy falls in love with the beautiful performer and persuades her to come to work at the country inn he's opening, but his ex-buddy Hanover wants her to be his new dance partner. The setting for most of the film is Jim's supper club, Holiday Inn, which is only open on holidays (get it?) -- and that schtick provides the excuse for lots of big production numbers.

OK, this isn't really a Christmas movie exclusively -- it's about all the holidays throughout the year. But it introduced us to one of the iconic holiday songs, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," and I always watch it at some point during the season.


It's schmaltzy and some of the musical numbers and dialogue probably wouldn't make it into a movie filmed in these politically correct times, but it's still fun to watch Crosby and Astaire going through their paces back when they were at the top of their game.

The Man Who Came to Dinner

Directed by William Keighley
Written by Julius J. Epstein and Philip Epstein
From the play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman
Starring Monty Woolley, Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Jimmy Durante, Billie Burke, and Reginald Gardiner

When the world's most famous (and most obnoxious) theater critic, Sheridan Whiteside (Woolley) slips on the front steps of a provincial Ohio businessman's home and breaks his hip, he and his eccentric entourage take over the house indefinitely.


Again, technically this isn't really a Christmas movie, although it does take place over the Christmas holiday. And it wasn't one of my favorites until a few years ago when my husband got hooked on it and added it to his "must see" list for the holidays. Now I'm a fan, too. And oddly enough, Monty Woolley is one of the co-stars in at least three of my favorite Christmas movies (besides this one, he appears in The Bishop's Wife and Since You Went Away).

See another Holidailies Post:
The Great Christmas Show, Day One

The Great Christmas Show: Day One

So Christmas time has rolled around once again. Did 2011 have fewer months than other years, or what? Just doesn't seem like it should be the holiday season already, does it? Or maybe I'm just falling victim to one of those typical geezer diseases -- Lost Time Syndrome, perhaps.

Anyway, now that it is holiday time, and everyone is posting about their favorite holiday movies, I thought I'd do the same. Nothing elaborate -- just some short posts about the movies and TV shows I love to watch during the Christmas season. Some of them are favorites from childhood, and some have been added to my list in recent years. And, to save myself from having to rate each one, I think I'll talk about them in chronological order, starting with the oldest and working up to the ones made most recently.

Except for this post. I just have to start with this one, even though it's not the earliest.


A Charlie Brown Christmas is without a doubt my favorite Christmas show. I think I've seen it at least once every Christmas since it first appeared in 1965. For me, the holiday season just doesn't start until I've seen Charlie and Linus and Lucy and Snoopy and all the rest of the gang go through their Christmas play rehearsal and decorate that scrawny tree.


I love the music, too -- I've got an old CD of the soundtrack that I play over and over during December and into January. I'm surprised it hasn't driven my husband to murder me in my sleep after all these years. But fortunately he's a nostalgia junkie, too -- at least, when it comes to Christmas.

At the Movies

Sherlock Holmes
USA/UK, 2009

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material.

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

Written by: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, and Simon Kinberg (screenplay); Lionel Wigram (story)

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong

Synopsis:

Sherlock Holmes (played by Robert Downey, Jr.), along with his trusted ally Dr. John Watson (Jude Law), investigates a string of brutal ritualistic murders in this 2009 effort from British director Guy Ritchie. When Holmes and Watson arrive upon the scene just in time to prevent the aristocratic villain, Lord Blackwood, from doing away with his latest victim, the evil lord warns them that death has no power over him. And, seemingly, he's right about that: After Dr. Watson witnesses Blackwood's hanging and pronounces him dead, Blackwood reappears in London and continues on his murderous path. Scotland Yard is flummoxed, but Holmes is back on the case. And as they search London for Blackwood in order to put a stop to his evil shenanigans, Holmes and Watson are involved in a world of dark arts and dangers more deadly and surprising than any they've faced before.

My Thoughts:

Boring movie, really; nothing but special effects – and extremely annoying special effects, at that. The characters of Holmes and Watson were completely unrecognizable, but since the film was aimed at an audience that obviously had never read the Conan Doyle stories, I guess that really doesn't matter. I suppose the fact that the movie was based on a comic book version of the Holmes tales (by Lionel Wigram) should be a good indication of what to expect. I know I'm fighting the entire trend of the 21st Century here, but I really long for the days when movies had real sets, real locations, and real actors.

And about those real actors – Robert Downey was as watchable as ever, but even his performance couldn't save this one. And Jude Law seemed to have abandoned Dr. Watson in favor of a sort of stiff-upper-lip portrayal of Wilde's Dorian Gray. I'm afraid the rest of the cast wasn't very memorable, but then they had all those special effects planted firmly between them and the audience.

We watched this one on DVD, so maybe the experience of seeing it on the big screen might have improved my opinion. But I doubt it.

Nutshell Review: The best thing about this movie was the poster.

At the Movies

Ten Items or Less

USA, 2006

MPAA Rating: R for language

Written and Directed by: Brad Silberling

Cast: Morgan Freeman, Paz Vega, Bobby Cannavale, Anne Dudek, Jennifer Echols, Jonah Hill, Jim Parsons

Synopsis:

Once a world-famous movie star, Morgan Freeman's character (called only "Him" throughout the film) is now an aging actor who finds that his fear of failure has brought his career to a standstill. Now he's considering a role in a low-budget independent movie and, ever the professional, he's doing research for the role by spending a day in one of L.A.'s Latino community markets. While there, he's taken with the fiery young clerk (played by Paz Vega) in the "10 Items or Less" check-out lane, and when he's abandoned by his driver and can't remember his new home phone number, Scarlet agrees to drive him to his home in another part of the city. But Scarlet, who's hoping to get away from her dreadful dead-end job in the market, has a job interview scheduled, and as he rides along, the Movie Star gets involved in her plans. Their trek through Los Angeles takes them through unexpected situations and personal revelations, building an odd but compelling relationship that affects both their lives.

My Thoughts:

Wonderful little film, produced by Freeman. Funny and heart-wrenching by turns, it really should have gotten more attention. I'm a big Morgan Freeman fan – he never turns in a less-than-stellar performance, and he's amazing in this one. But the rest of the cast is pretty amazing, too – especially Paz Vega (a young Spanish actress I had never seen before although she's apparently a pretty big star in Europe) who plays Scarlet, and Jim Parsons (of The Big Bang Theory fame) doing a campy turn as a ditsy building company receptionist. Anne Dudek is also noticeable, as Lorraine, another check-out clerk; I kept thinking she looked really familiar but just couldn't place her until I found out she played Francine, Betty Draper's pal in Mad Men (my favorite TV show right now).

This one is definitely worth seeing. The DVD we watched also included a documentary about the making of the film which is also interesting if you're a film fanatic – it's almost as long as the movie itself, and very detailed. As M said, it's like a little tutorial in the making of low-budget independent films. But for us normal folk, it can get a little tedious – maybe your time would be better spent watching another Morgan Freeman movie.

Watching Hollywood Watching Itself

We watched the Academy Awards last night. A mistake, and I knew it would be, but there wasn't much of interest on any of the other channels, and I probably won't feel like taking on a movie until I get my new eyeglasses next weekend. So, the Oscars it was. And, as awards shows go, it wasn't really bad. Nobody misbehaved or broke down uncontrollably or made crude remarks (well, if you don't count all that nonsense Sandra Bullock came up with about Meryl Streep). In fact, it was so smooth it was downright boring. There were no gate crashers (at least they didn't show up on stage), no streakers, no protesters. Nothing really to set it apart. In fact, even the "tribute to the dead" part wasn't really as wrenching as usual – it went by so fast, it seemed like there must have been only three or four industry-types who died last year.

I could have done without all that silly preamble stuff – actors telling us about what they think of other actors before the awards were actually announced. Who cares who loves who? Just get on with opening the envelopes, please!

I didn't like the interpretive dance production in the middle of the show, either. What was that all about anyway? It seemed to go on for hours, and I never really understood exactly what they were supposed to be interpreting.

And I didn't care much for all the beautiful teenaged presenters, either. I guess that makes me a curmudgeon, huh? Or just a mean old broad, but that's OK. I know the networks have to try to appeal to the "younger audience" (or think they do) – but it would be nice if the kids could at least look a little more engaged, and a little less bored when they're on stage. Sullen is sullen, no matter whether it's done by an adolescent vampire-movie star or the local McDonald's cashier. And it ain't pretty, folks.

I don't usually watch the show, these days. There was a time when I wouldn't have missed it for anything, but I'm really not that much of a movie fanatic anymore. M and I hardly ever go out to movies (although we did make it out over the weekend – more on that later); and although we do see quite a few movies on DVD (thanks to Comcast and Netflix), our tastes are esoteric and extremely selective. Long gone are the days when we saw every film that comes out during the year, domestic and foreign. So it's not at all uncommon for me to have seen not a one of the nominated films or performances. In fact, of the films mentioned in any of the categories this year, I've seen exactly two – Star Trek and Crazy Heart. I was glad Jeff Bridges won for Best Actor – he was truly magnificent as Bad Blake in Crazy Heart; but not having seen any of the other performances, I really didn't have any other candidates to root for.

It was not the greatest show the Academy has put on. Steve and Alec were OK hosts, but they seemed really reigned in all night, and all but disappeared halfway through. Not exactly two wild and crazy guys. I'm hoping for a return of Billy or Whoopi or Ellen or even Jon next year. Not that I'm promising to be watching next year. About midway through the show, M switched over to the Celtics/Wizards basketball game, and after that we watched the Oscars in bits, here and there. Which didn't seem to detract too much. The game was much more exciting, and everyone involved looked like they really wanted to be there.

*****
Cross-posted at Old Broad On Parade.

Monday's Movie: Vitus

A Novel Menagerie hosts Monday's Movie every week, and invites everyone to "write about any movies, television or big screen, that you’ve seen over the past week."

This was a pretty good movie-watching week for Joysweb. Watched one new (new-to-me, anyway) film on DVD, and also got to see three of my absolute all-time favorites (thank whatever gods may be for Ted Turner and his Turner Classic Movies channel).

The new film, Vitus, was one M ordered from Netflix – don't know how he found out about it, but I was skeptical. The description made me think it was likely to be either too depressing or too cutesy for my taste, so we delayed watching for several weeks while other DVDs came and went. Now, of course, I'm sorry we waited so long, because the film was absolutely charming – in fact, it was so mesmerizing I hardly even noticed the subtitles. And for me, that's high praise indeed!

Vitus

Switzerland, 2006

MPAA Rating: Rated PG for mild thematic elements and language.

Written by Peter Luisi and Fredi M. Murer
Directed by Fredi M. Murer

Cast: Teo Gheorghiu (Vitus, age 12), Fabrizio Borsani (Vitus, age 6), Bruno Ganz, Julika Jenkins, Urs Jucker

Synopsis: (from the Rotten Tomatoes website)

In this engaging drama from Switzerland, a child prodigy finds a unique way of dealing with being different. Vitus is no normal child. With a 180 IQ, a voracious appetite for knowledge, and a preternatural gift at playing the piano, he finds it hard to fit in with his peers. Like many parents of exceptional children, his mother and father (Julika Jenkins and Urs Jucker) are overbearing, eager to see their child succeed. But as his parents push and fellow children jeer, Vitus's grandfather (Bruno Ganz) simply allows the boy to be himself. Though VITUS follows the blueprint for childhood prodigy movies a bit too closely at times, it's saved by a great cast and some interesting twists. As the 12-year-old Vitus, Teo Gheorghiu, himself a piano prodigy, heightens the sense of realism in the film. The classic music he plays is beautiful, and the actor's playing itself is remarkable. Audiences used to seeing hand doubles in films about musicians will be . . . surprised to see that there aren't any cuts, displaying Gheorghiu's incredible talent. Veteran actor Ganz has literally played everything from an angel to Hitler in his decades-long career, and he's wonderful here as Vitus's warm grandfather and best friend. As a result of great performances like these, it's easy to see why VITUS was the Swiss entry to the Oscars.

My Thoughts:
Well, I really wouldn't agree with that part about Vitus's parents being overbearing – they're actually very caring and loving people. But his mother does develop into something of a classic "stage mother" over time, forcing her little wunderkind to keep up with his practice and controlling every aspect of his life until the boy engineers his own unique method of escape. There are some wonderfully moving and funny scenes with Vitus and his grandfather (played by the amazing Swiss actor, Bruno Ganz), and a very touching (and also funny) relationship is portrayed between Vitus and baby-sitter, Isabel. Vitus falls in love with the older girl, and when she protests he explains his theory that since a woman's libido matures faster than a man's, women should always marry men who are at least six years younger! All of the actors are terrific, but the children are especially impressive; and Teo Gheorghiu is himself a true wunderkind. I'm rating this one four bags of popcorn – I'd love to see it again.

The three other movies – all from my list of top favorites – were Casablanca, The Haunting (the original version from 1963), and Young Frankenstein. Great movies! I won't say anything more about them – especially in the case of Casablanca, it's all been said before and more eloquently than I ever could. They all get five bags of popcorn, or all the bags of popcorn you've got!

Monday's Movie: Bee Movie

A Novel Menagerie hosts Monday's Movie every week, and invites everyone to "write about any movies, television or big screen, that you’ve seen over the past week."

This wasn't a huge movie-watching week for us, as we were at the beach for most of it and had other activities to keep us busy. But last weekend, we did manage to watch one new movie on DVD (new to us anyway), although (as usual) we didn't go out to see any. For some reason (well, for many reasons, actually), it's getting harder and harder to drag myself out to see a movie when I can wait a few weeks and see it on DVD in the comfort of my own living room. Without all that chatter from the people sitting behind me. And without all those cell phones going off at crucial moments. And the popcorn is fresher, too.

Anyway, back to the subject.

Bee Movie

USA, 2007; animated feature

MPAA Rating: Rated PG for mild suggestive humor, and a brief depiction of smoking.

Written by Jerry Seinfeld, Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, and Andy Robin

Additional screenplay material by Chuck Martin and Tom Papa

Directed by Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith

Voices: Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Patrick Warburton, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, Barry Levinson, Ray Liotta, Sting, Larry King, Oprah Winfrey, Larry Miller, Rip Torn, Michael Richards

Synopsis (from the Bee Movie website):

From creator Jerry Seinfeld comes "Bee Movie," a comedy that will change everything you thought you knew about bees. Take a close look at the world through the eyes of one bee in particular – Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld). A recent college graduate, Barry wants more out of life than the inevitable career that awaits him and every other worker in New Hive City – a job at Honex . . . making honey. Barry jumps at the chance to venture out of the hive, and soon encounters a world beyond his wildest dreams. When Barry inadvertently meets a quirky florist named Vanessa (Renee Zellweger), he breaks one of the cardinal rules of beedom – he talks to her. A friendship soon develops, and Barry gets a guided crash course in the ways of the human race. When he shockingly discovers that anyone can purchase honey right off the grocery store shelf, he realizes that his true calling is to stop this injustice and set the world right by suing the human race for stealing the bees' precious honey.

My Thoughts:
I really wasn't expecting much from this one. Without the added surrealistic-neurotic influence of Larry David, I thought Seinfeld's humor might be a little too whimsical and cutesy for my taste. But I like animated films, so I decided to give it a try, and was pleasantly surprised. If you liked Seinfeld the TV show, then you'll probably like Bee Movie. It has the same kind of humor, and quite a bit of the same edge.

Barry B. Benson is recognizably Jerry Seinfeld, and much of the movie echoes the old TV show's plots and story lines. Even the parental units seem familiar – especially when Barry's mom (played by Kathy Bates) hopes that his new girlfriend is "Beeish," or when she sees him in court on TV and says (in the way of mothers everywhere, I suppose), "I wish he'd dress like that all the time. So nice!"

I think my favorite character was probably Ken, the human boyfriend of Barry's love interest Vanessa. Ken is played by Patrick Warburton who also played David Puddy on the Seinfeld show. Puddy was always one of my favorite Seinfeld characters, too – and Ken and David are obviously related. At one point, when his dating schedule is interrupted by the bee crisis, Ken loudly moans, "Why does yogurt night have to be so difficult?" Pure Puddy, that.

I'm rating this one four bags of popcorn out of five. I think it's definitely one I could happily watch again.

Monday's Movie: The Horror and the Heist

Over at A Novel Menagerie, Sher is hosting Monday's Movie, in which she invites everyone to "write about any movies, television or big screen, that you’ve seen over the past week."

This is my first time participating, and as I only have a couple of movies to mention (we don't go out to movies much anymore, and I'm trying to keep myself focused on reading instead of staring at the TV screen), I'm going to combine them in one post.

Acacia
Korea, 2003
Written and Directed by Ki-hyeong Park
MPAA Rating: R for violence and language

Synopsis from SundanceChannel.com:
"Korean filmmaker Ki-Hyung Park (Whispering Corridors) serves up an unsettling tale of muted dread about a childless couple's attempts to forge a family. Despite her mother's disapproval, Mi-sook (Hye-jin Shim) and her husband (Jin-geun Kim) adopt Jin-seong (Oh-bin Mun), a quiet, artistic six-year-old boy. Soon Jin-seong evinces an obsessive attraction to a dying acacia tree in the backyard, which he associates with his birth mother. Yet even more unsettling events are in store when Mi-sook unexpectedly becomes pregnant."

My Thoughts:
Strange and definitely "unsettling" film with two adorably spooky kids who looked a little too much like the wraiths in The Grudge for my taste. Pretty good psychological suspense drama with a supernatural touch. One of those films that make the viewer work a little to figure things out. Kept me guessing about what was actually going on, and it delivered surprises right up to the end. Gorgeous cinematography and nice spare settings; even though the film was in color, it almost comes across as black-and-white so that the violent splashes of red in the final scenes are all the more shocking. If you're contemplating adoption, you'll probably want to stay away from this one.

This film kept me watching all the way through, even with its unpleasant subject matter and some pretty graphic violence (including, it should be noted, one rape scene), so I'd give it two bags of popcorn, out of five.

The Thomas Crown Affair
USA, 1999
Directed by John McTiernan
Screenplay by Leslie Dixon and Kurt Wimmer
MPAA Rating: R for some sexuality and language

My Thoughts:
Part of my ongoing attempt to watch some of the movies I missed during the 1990s. This is a remake of director Norman Jewison's 1968 classic starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo in the lead roles. The original Thomas Crown was one of the greatest "heist" films of all time, and arguably Steve McQueen's best on-screen work. Playing against type as the urbane, well-educated and fabulously wealthy Crown, McQueen brought the role to life in a performance that's a thrill to watch, even forty years later. Brosnan, although he's a fine actor and an appealing screen presence, never really sizzles here. And where Dunaway was beautiful, brainy, alluring and classy, Russo is abrasive, unkempt and just downright trashy at times. As my husband said, if you haven't seen the original version, this newer film would be a perfectly acceptable entertainment. But if you haven't seen the original, you're missing a great movie experience.

I'm not quite sure why directors want to try to tinker with film classics; it seems a shame to waste all that money and talent. I wasn't as charmed by this one as the hubby was. I thought the best things in it were Faye Dunaway (doing a cameo as Crown's rather unorthodox psychiatrist) and the reuse of the original's signature song "Windmills of Your Mind." So I'd give it a single bag of popcorn, out of a possible five.


Cross-posted on Joy's Blog.

Movie Musings: Hot, Hot, Hot

M and I have been watching a lot of TV lately – a habit I'm really trying to kick. But since we "went digital" back around Christmas time, we've been blessed (surely that's not the right word) with dozens (nay, hundreds) more channels than we used to have back in the bad old pre-HD days, including a dozen or so that show nothing but old movies. And since movie-watching is one of M's favorite pastimes (he'll watch just about anything that flickers), it's very hard to pry him away from the tube in the evening.

Last night, we watched Body Heat, the 1981 neo-noir crime drama written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Hadn't seen this one in years – possibly not since the 1980s. It's a sort of updated take on Double Indemnity, with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner in the Fred MacMurray / Barbara Stanwyck roles. And early on in the film, Kathleen Turner delivers one of my absolute favorite-of-all-time movie lines:

"You're not very smart, are you? I like that in a man."

And William Hurt's character, the subject of her remark, really wasn't very smart – in fact, he was stupid, stupid, stupid! But I won't say any more about that – you should go watch it for yourself.

The movie had a lot more nudity and graphic sex than I remembered – and both Turner and Hurt were, of course, nearly thirty years younger and in great shape. So they were nice to look at. But there was a lot of coupling. And panting. And sweating. And soaking in tubs of ice (no, really!). All very hot and steamy. Well, it was set in Florida during a heat wave. And as I was watching, it struck me that they all could have saved themselves a whole bunch of grief if they had just invested in a good air conditioning system.

My First Thursday Thirteen (TT#1)

Well, I should have said something in yesterday's post; but of course, that was Wordless Wednesday, wasn't it? But it was also my one hundredth post on this blog. I'm up to 250-something on my other blog (Joy's Blog), and I never thought I'd be able to keep two blogs going for so long. Guess I'm gabbier than I thought, huh?


Anyhoo, for today's post I thought I'd try a Thursday Thirteen. Never done one before, so this will be my First Edition, and I'm starting off slow. I've noticed lots of other people have already done this list, so here goes:

My Thirteen Favorite Christmas Shows (not necessarily in this order)

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (well, I think this one is my number one favorite)


2. A Christmas Story (probably the perfect Christmas movie – everyone can identify)


3. The Polar Express (just added this one a couple of years ago – Tom Hanks makes a wonderful cartoon character, doesn't he?)


4. The Bishop's Wife (had never seen this one until after I got married and my husband made me watch it – one of his favorites – now I love it, too)


5. Comfort and Joy (the one directed by Bill Forsyth – ice cream wars at Christmas time in Glasgow)


6. A Charlie Brown Christmas (not officially Christmas until I've seen it at least twice)


7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the animated one from 1966 – not the Jim Carrey atrocity)


8. Love, Actually (actually, I'm in love with Bill Nighy)


9. The Bells of Saint Mary's (yes, it's schmaltzy, but Bing and Ingrid are so cute together)


10. The Fabulous Baker Boys (well, much of it takes place between Christmas and New Year's, and in our house, that makes it a Christmas movie)


11. It’s a Wonderful Life (although I see it more as a horror flick than a Christmas story)


12. Christmas in Connecticut (I can so totally identify with a woman who's a complete flop at being the perfect housewife)


13. White Christmas (Why didn't Rosemary Clooney make more movies?)

I like Holiday Inn, too, and it does have Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" for the first time. But it's about a whole year of holidays, not just Christmas. And I haven't seen Scrooged, but I'm sure if I had, it would be on the list, too. I'm such a huge Bill Murray fan – don't know how I've managed to miss this one all these years. Something to look forward to.

Oh, and one more – Holiday Affair, a little movie from 1949, with the very young Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh. But I left that off the list because the reason I like it has less to do with the Christmas theme than it does with the fact that Robert Mitchum was one gorgeous hunk of a guy!

Just a Classic Couple

So the other day, I blogged (here) about taking the Classic Dames Test and finding out I'm Myrna Loy. Well, not Myrna Loy herself – I'm not talking reincarnation or anything. But I'm a Myrna Loy type. Which delighted me no end because she's one of my favorite stars from the classic films of the '30s and '40s. I always loved her in those "Thin Man" movies with William Powell and Asta.

And it just so happens that "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," the movie she stars in with Cary Grant, has always been a favorite of mine and a favorite of my husband's as well. In fact (and if you're familiar with the movie you'll understand this), that film is probably one of the main reasons we've never thought seriously about building our own house. If you haven't seen it, and you're planning to do any construction soon, I'd recommend renting the movie and watching it first.

Anyway, I thought the Classic Dames Test was so much fun, I roped my hubby into taking the male equivalent, the "Classic Leading Man Test." And we were both amazed (well, I was amazed – he seemed to think it was a perfectly plausible outcome) to find that he's Cary Grant!


His results said:

"You are the epitome of charm and style, the smooth operator who steals the show with your sophisticated wit and quiet confidence. You are able to catch any woman you want just by flashing that disarming smile. When you walk into a room, the women are instantly intrigued and even the men are impressed. When you find yourself in trouble, you are easily able to charm your way out of it, or convince others to help you. You're seen as dashing, suave and romantic. Your co-stars include stylish women who know a class act when they see it. "

Hmmmm. Well, he can be very charming when he sets his mind to it. And he's definitely witty and confident. He does have a disarming smile, and he can even pass for sophisticated when the situation calls for it. I'm not so sure about the "smooth operator" label, or that "dashing, suave and romantic" part. I think that might be pushing things a bit.

But, at any rate, it's obvious we were made for each other – or maybe we were just made for the same classic movies.

Of course, that bit about his co-star being a stylish woman – now that's something I'm really happy to hear.

One Classic Dame

So I took one of those online personality test thingies – the Classic Dames Test, to see what kind of "Classic Dame" I am. That's classic dame from the movies, of course. And it turns out I'm the Myrna Loy type. Which is great – she's always been one of my favorite movie stars from the 1930s and '40s. Actually, I was hoping I'd get to be Myrna Loy. Yay!


The results said:

"You are class itself, the calm, confident 'perfect woman.' Men turn and look at you admiringly as you walk down the street, and even your rivals have a grudging respect for you. You always know the right thing to say, do and, of course, wear. You can take charge of a situation when things get out of hand, and you're a great help to your partner even if they don't immediately see or know it. You are one classy dame. Your screen partners include William Powell and Cary Grant, you little simmerpot, you."

Simmerpot?

And the numbers were:

Grit = 45/100 You scored 21% on grit, higher than 45% of your peers.
Wit = 61/100 You scored 29% on wit, higher than 61% of your peers.
Flair = 21/100 You scored 29% on flair, higher than 21% of your peers.
Class = 77/100 You scored 38% on class, higher than 77% of your peers.

Hmmmm. I would have thought Myrna Loy would have scored a little higher on grit, wit and class, wouldn't you? I mean, she helped William Powell solve all those Thin Man mysteries, didn't she? That took a lot of grit. And she was always pretty darn witty and classy all the while.

Ya think maybe I'm expecting a tad too much of the Classic Dames Test? Oh, well, maybe I should just be content with that part about being the "perfect woman." My husband should be amused to hear that it's finally official: I've been telling him that for years!

The Astronaut's Wife

(1999) Film
Written and Directed by: Rand Ravich
Starring: Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron, Joe Morton, Clea DuVall, Donna Murphy, Blair Brown, Nick Cassavetes, Tom Noonan, Samantha Eggar

Astronauts Depp and Cassavetes are on a mission to repair a damaged satellite when NASA loses contact with them for two minutes while they're outside their ship. Returned to earth, they seem unharmed until Cassavetes dies of a massive stroke a short while later. After Depp and wife Theron move to NYC where he takes a job with an engineering firm, she begins to notice changes in his behavior. Things turn scary after she gets pregnant and starts having misgivings about the pregnancy. Then she’s contacted by a former NASA employee who says he has secret information about the “accident” in space and about the twin babies she’s carrying. After that, the real weirdness breaks out.

Rosemary’s Baby with space aliens instead of witches. So I guess it’s appropriate that Charlize Theron looked like a taller 1990s version of Mia Farrow in that movie. But I’m not sure why Johnny Depp was got up to resemble Val Kilmer in Top Gun – and the Mississippi farm-boy accent seemed to be a real on-again/off-again thing. Maybe the alien presence decided it didn’t want to sound so much like Elvis all the time.

This was a visually stunning film – the set decorators must have had a blast. I thought the two stars turned in mostly pretty wooden performances, but the supporting cast was very fine. Well, to give him his due, Johnny Depp really wasn’t on screen that much – it was definitely Theron’s film. I thought Blair Brown and Tom Noonan were excellent as the older couple – the Roman and Minnie Castavet roles, I guess. I know, I know – Rosemary’s Baby again. But it sort of fits. And with Nick Cassavetes (son of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands) in the cast, the comparison seems inevitable.

Star Trek: Insurrection

(1998; film)
Directed by: Jonathan Frakes; Written by: Rick Berman, Michael Piller
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, F. Murray Abraham, Donna Murphy, Anthony Zerbe

This was, I believe, the third feature-length film for the Next Generation crew. This time they head to a mysterious world where “metaphasic radiation” has halted the aging process of the inhabitants, called the Ba'ku.

Picard and company must help save the gentle Ba'ku from a conspiracy to relocate their population and steal their planet’s power. And in the process, the Enterprise crew are affected by the youth-making radiation themselves. Riker and Deanna rekindle their long-abandoned romantic relationship, Geordi's optic nerves begin to regenerate, and Worf develops a gorch (Clingon for pimple) just like an adolescent. And Beverly Crusher and Deanna share some girl talk about how their “boobs have started to firm up.”

Very enjoyable. I think I was more impressed with the earlier Star Trek: First Contact, but this one certainly deserves high marks as well. Scores another A, if not quite an A+. And it has that wonderful bit where they ask Mr. Data what they should do as they're handing around the weapons. He tries to caution them not to be too rash:

Data: “I feel obliged to point out that the environmental anomalies may have stimulated certain rebellious instincts common to youth, which could affect everyone's judgment. . . Except mine, of course.”

So Dr. Crusher asks, “Okay, Data, what do you think we should do?”

And Data grabs one of the weapons, and says with great authority, “Saddle up. Lock and load!”

It’s worth watching the whole movie just for that one scene.