Miscellaneous Movie Musings - Page 476

Alex · 08-28-2009, 02:13 PM

What? It wasn't the roller skating in Xanadu?

innerSpaceman · 08-28-2009, 02:13 PM

Hahaha, nirvanaman only knew the song Singin' in the Rain from A Clockwork Orange.

I'm sure neither he nor Isaac were aware (!) of the over-iconic status of the number, but it was made plain with flashbulbs going off throughout the song as if Gene were alive and being stalked by paparazzi, and no less than four rounds of applause during that single number.

I've loved the song and it's message since early childhood. It doesn't rain nearly enough in Southern California, because I sing it every time it does ... and that's never enough.

innerSpaceman · 08-28-2009, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWBear

While I adore SITR, imo his masterpiece is the American in Paris ballet sequence.

IMHO, the American in Paris ballet sequence is an overbloated, far overlong, pretentioius segment of nonsense and non-musicality.

By contrast, the swift, tight, ultra-musical, story-in-five-minutes Broadway Melody ballet in SitR is genius incarnate.

Less is more.

Snowflake · 08-28-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWBear
While I adore SITR, imo his masterpiece is the American in Paris ballet sequence.

iSm said:
IMHO, the American in Paris ballet sequence is an overbloated, far overlong, pretentioius segment of nonsense and non-musicality.

By contrast, the swift, tight, ultra-musical, story-in-five-minutes Broadway Melody ballet in SitR is genius incarnate.

Less is more.

Difference:
American in Paris - Vincent Minnelli
Singin in the Rain - Stanley Donen

IMO, Donen always, always had a much lighter touch and easy feel with the films and musicals he directed.

Minnelli, while admittedly an artist has always struck me as pretentious. He's also left us one of the hootiest fun films in The Cobweb (and a few other stinkers, too). As much as I love looking at The Pirate, it's a misfire. Lush, yes, but a little too rich sometimes. I'm with iSm on this, I think. Then again, I will watch Oscar Levant in anything. :-)

Strangler Lewis · 08-28-2009, 02:22 PM

I like the Broadway Melody sequence even though it really sticks out like a sore thumb in the movie. However, I will commit heresy by saying that Cyd Charisse was too big for him, was too facially wooden even within the context of her character's impassivity, and moved like a truck.

Snowflake · 08-28-2009, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

I like the Broadway Melody sequence even though it really sticks out like a sore thumb in the movie. However, I will commit heresy by saying that Cyd Charisse was too big for him, was too facially wooden even within the context of her character's impassivity, and moved like a truck.

Girl Hunt Ballet in The Bandwagon (which is my favorite MGM musical, for the record) Much sillier numbers, but it's Fred Astaire, always wins my heart.

But I do love both Kelly and Astaire, greeeeeeeeeat dancers (and Gene Kelly had a really nice tush, too)

innerSpaceman · 08-28-2009, 05:17 PM

What is UP with the missing bit of footage in the Cyd Charrise segment? Has anyone EVER seen it? Is there any story about how and when it went missing.

I don't remember the jarring moment from my first viewings as a kid, but I won't trust those long-ago memories. But from when I first starting seeing SitR in revival theaters circa 1976 or so, that horrible jump of missing slinky Charrise footage was there.

I mean, WTF? This is one of the most famous films all all time. What happened?

Gemini Cricket · 08-28-2009, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

What happened?

Censorship.

innerSpaceman · 08-28-2009, 06:32 PM

I feel I must report that Isaac is watching the over-iconic number Singin' in the Rain on his iPhone at this precise moment.

And censorship? Did Gene's Kelly pop out of his pants at that moment? Or could you somehow plainly see the boner that practically every man in America has sported at that time? He's wearing black pants, so i don't think so.

Alex · 08-28-2009, 08:42 PM

I've always understood that jump cut was always there (though I didn't see it when it was first released like you did) and that it was simply a necessity when they were forced to edit two master shots together.

They're not completely uncommon in the old dance musicals where video monitors weren't available to immediately spot a lot of issues only to be found later and the nature of the long master shots used in dance numbers made unexpected editing difficult (in a modern movie, who'd notice?).

08-28-2009, 02:13 PM	#4751
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	What? It wasn't the roller skating in Xanadu?
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08-28-2009, 02:13 PM	#4752
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Hahaha, nirvanaman only knew the song Singin' in the Rain from A Clockwork Orange. I'm sure neither he nor Isaac were aware (!) of the over-iconic status of the number, but it was made plain with flashbulbs going off throughout the song as if Gene were alive and being stalked by paparazzi, and no less than four rounds of applause during that single number. I've loved the song and it's message since early childhood. It doesn't rain nearly enough in Southern California, because I sing it every time it does ... and that's never enough.
	Submit to Quotes

08-28-2009, 02:22 PM	#4755
Strangler Lewis Doing The Job Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In a state Posts: 3,956	I like the Broadway Melody sequence even though it really sticks out like a sore thumb in the movie. However, I will commit heresy by saying that Cyd Charisse was too big for him, was too facially wooden even within the context of her character's impassivity, and moved like a truck. __________________ Live now-pay later. Diner's Club!
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08-28-2009, 05:17 PM	#4757
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	What is UP with the missing bit of footage in the Cyd Charrise segment? Has anyone EVER seen it? Is there any story about how and when it went missing. I don't remember the jarring moment from my first viewings as a kid, but I won't trust those long-ago memories. But from when I first starting seeing SitR in revival theaters circa 1976 or so, that horrible jump of missing slinky Charrise footage was there. I mean, WTF? This is one of the most famous films all all time. What happened?
	Submit to Quotes

08-28-2009, 06:32 PM	#4759
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	I feel I must report that Isaac is watching the over-iconic number Singin' in the Rain on his iPhone at this precise moment. And censorship? Did Gene's Kelly pop out of his pants at that moment? Or could you somehow plainly see the boner that practically every man in America has sported at that time? He's wearing black pants, so i don't think so.
	Submit to Quotes

08-28-2009, 08:42 PM	#4760
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I've always understood that jump cut was always there (though I didn't see it when it was first released like you did) and that it was simply a necessity when they were forced to edit two master shots together. They're not completely uncommon in the old dance musicals where video monitors weren't available to immediately spot a lot of issues only to be found later and the nature of the long master shots used in dance numbers made unexpected editing difficult (in a modern movie, who'd notice?).
	Submit to Quotes