Miscellaneous Movie Musings - Page 49

Gemini Cricket · 07-03-2006, 05:31 AM

In celebration of Olivia deHavilland's birthday, I watched 'Gone With the Wind' last night. I remember watching this film when I was younger and kind of feeling sorry for Scarlett O'Hara. Unrequited love thing and all. Lately, I've been watching it and thinking how evil she AND Rhett Butler are. Makes me feel sorry for her in a whole different way.

Although some of it drags, there are some really fine moments in this epic. Love the Belle Watling character. I always get misty eyed in the carriage scene with her and Melanie. "When you see me in town, you don't have to say hi to me, I'll understand." (Or something like that...) Gets me every time.

Love the scene where Scarlett shows up to Ashley's birthday party 'dressed for the part' as Rhett says. It's a lovely full shot of Leigh that's a dream shot for any actress.

And Mammy steals each and every scene she's in...
"It ain't fittin'. It ain't fittin'. It jes' ain't fittin'! ...It ain't fittin'."

Snowflake · 07-03-2006, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

In celebration of Olivia deHavilland's birthday, I watched 'Gone With the Wind' last night. And Mammy steals each and every scene she's in...
"It ain't fittin'. It ain't fittin'. It jes' ain't fittin'! ...It ain't fittin'."

I caught big bleeding chunks of this on Saturday night (it was a TCM "Essential") I agree with you whole-heartedly on your commentary on Hattie McDaniel, she was simply marvelous in every scene. Richly deserved her Academy Award.

Ernie Haller gets the real props on this film for me, it was stunningly photographed. I need to see this in the theater again sometime, it really needs a big screen.

True to form, on Olivia's birthday on Saturday, I enjoyed Adventures of Robin Hood. Pure fluff, but one of the best of the adventure/swashbuckler films of that or any period if you ask me. Flynn was never more handsome, deHavilland never more lovely, Rathbone and Rains, never more evil. Lots of good sword fighting, loads of lovely scenary all in glorious technicolor. Sadly the parkland in Pasadena they filmed in, plowed over now.

Ghoulish Delight · 07-03-2006, 08:15 AM

We watched Philladelphia Story last night (one of the items on our queue that I'm sure shocked GC). Actually, believe it or not, that may have been the first Hepburn movie I've seen in whole, unless something's slipped my mind. Not that I've been avoiding them, but with 50 or so years of movie history happening before my birth, it takes a fella a while to get to everything. But I did enjoy PS.

Gemini Cricket · 07-03-2006, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

(one of the items on our queue that I'm sure shocked GC).

That one and 'Citizen Kane'.

I'm glad you liked 'Philadelphia Story'. It's a fun film.

There are a ton of Kate Hepburn movies that I like. Not all of her films are good, but there are some really classic moments in a lot of them.

If you haven't seen 'Lion in Winter', see it. It's heavy in places but there are so many great one liners in it. Another I recommend is 'Stage Door' (not to be confused with 'Stage Door Canteen') this has a stellar cast and Hepburn does her classic 'the callalilies are in bloom' line in it. There are many, many more...

Ghoulish Delight · 07-03-2006, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

That one and 'Citizen Kane'.

Citzen Kane is one of those that I might as well have seen. I've never sat and watched it beginning to end, but I've seen at least 80% of it over the years in various bits and chunks. It's on the queue because I do eventually have to view it in whole, but it none of it will really be news to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

but what was more interesting was just the "wrongness" of it by contemporary standards.

Same with Philladelphia Story. The movie starts with a man threating to punch his wife, only to show amazing restraint by just shoving her to the ground by her face. It then proceeds to show respectable people getting hammered. Though there was a message of "drinking is bad", it still showed some binge drinking in a humorous light, something you most definitely wouldn't see today. Oh, and there was the humorous dirty old uncle who liked to pinch girl's asses.

€uroMeinke · 07-03-2006, 08:24 AM

We saw the Yellowstone Cubs yesterday - one of those World of Disney animal pics. Typically cute to be sure, but what was more interesting was just the "wrongness" of it by contemporary standards. There are long segments of tourists feeding bears, children feeding bears, people trying to pet the bears. I mean it's entirely authentic for the period, that's what you did in Yellowstone despite the "Do not feed the Bears" signs but I bet this is one film the Park Rangers never gets seen again.

Alex · 07-08-2006, 12:53 PM

Watched two movies yesterday.

The first was the new documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? It is mostly about the life and death of GM's EV-1 all electric car but touches on the larger issue of altnernative fuel cars. While the movie admits that the market failure of the car is complex and has many causes it is obviously slanted towards blaming the car and oil companies for actively fighting campaigning against them. Normally, I am somewhat suspicious of such conspiracy theories (as one guy in the movie says "GM would sell you a car that ran on pig **** if enough people wanted to buy one") but it makes its case reasonably well. The interests the oil companies have in resisting all-electric cars is obvious but why would GM resist production if there was a profitable level of demand?

The movie never really makes the case that demand was sufficient for a major auto manufacturer to continue mass production (at its peak, GM was making only 4 EV-1s per day). So it is easy to accept that GM simply wasn't making enough money to continue production. But it is how they behaved towards the cars already built and in the hands of consumers that is eyebrow raising. They had never allowed outright purchase of the cars but only leased them. As the leases ran out, GM refused to release or sell the cars, repossessed them and then destroyed almost every single one of them (a few disabled ones ended up with auto museums). This despite more than enough demand for the vehicles already constructed and an offer of $1.3 million to buy the last 70 or so temporarily stored in a lot in Southern California. Ford, Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota, all did similar things with their full-electric models (remember the Th!nk? or the electric Rav-4?)

I'm not completely sold on the overarching story they tell in the movie but it is an interesting presentation.

The second movie was The Verdict from 1982. This is a Paul Newman when he was in that slightly awkward looking stage between extremely handsome young buck and extremely handsome old fogey. He plays a washed-up attorney that has given in to alcholism and self-loathing. When a case falls into his hands that both the defense and the clients want to settle he decides it is his final chance as self-redemption and proceeds against everybody's wishes. It is a legal thriller without much thrill and while there are some good things in it I'll probably have mostly forgotten it by the end of the month. An elderly James Mason plays opposing counsel and I must say that Mason may just have the best voice in all cinematic history; I just love listening to him. Jack Warden is also interesting in a completely straight role rather than the comedic curmudgeon he usually plays.

innerSpaceman · 07-03-2006, 08:35 AM

It was so cool to see The Philadelphia Story at the cemetery. I'd seen the film dozens of times, but always by my lonesome. It's a fantastic comedy, and it was such a treat to finally see it with an audience.

Snowflake, cheesy and ancient as it is - - no movie's got anything on The Adventures of Robin Hood. Tops in its class - - in many ways unsurpassed to this day!

Gemini Cricket · 07-03-2006, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Snowflake, cheesy and ancient as it is - - no movie's got anything on The Adventures of Robin Hood. Tops in its class - - in many ways unsurpassed to this day!

And it's way better than the Kevin Costner one...

Snowflake · 07-03-2006, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Snowflake, cheesy and ancient as it is - - no movie's got anything on The Adventures of Robin Hood. Tops in its class - - in many ways unsurpassed to this day!

Did I call it cheesy? Not my intention! I agree with you 100% it is unsurpassed. As Mary Poppins would say, practically perfect!

It is also one to be seen on the big screen. The first time I saw it, it was a sparkling new print off the nitrate negative and I sat for the first 10 minutes just awestruck by seeing true three-strip techinicolor for the first time.

07-03-2006, 05:31 AM	#1
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	In celebration of Olivia deHavilland's birthday, I watched 'Gone With the Wind' last night. I remember watching this film when I was younger and kind of feeling sorry for Scarlett O'Hara. Unrequited love thing and all. Lately, I've been watching it and thinking how evil she AND Rhett Butler are. Makes me feel sorry for her in a whole different way. Although some of it drags, there are some really fine moments in this epic. Love the Belle Watling character. I always get misty eyed in the carriage scene with her and Melanie. "When you see me in town, you don't have to say hi to me, I'll understand." (Or something like that...) Gets me every time. Love the scene where Scarlett shows up to Ashley's birthday party 'dressed for the part' as Rhett says. It's a lovely full shot of Leigh that's a dream shot for any actress. And Mammy steals each and every scene she's in... "It ain't fittin'. It ain't fittin'. It jes' ain't fittin'! ...It ain't fittin'."
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07-03-2006, 08:15 AM	#3
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	We watched Philladelphia Story last night (one of the items on our queue that I'm sure shocked GC). Actually, believe it or not, that may have been the first Hepburn movie I've seen in whole, unless something's slipped my mind. Not that I've been avoiding them, but with 50 or so years of movie history happening before my birth, it takes a fella a while to get to everything. But I did enjoy PS. __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
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07-03-2006, 08:24 AM	#6
€uroMeinke L'Hédoniste Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: A.S.C.O.T. Posts: 8,671	We saw the Yellowstone Cubs yesterday - one of those World of Disney animal pics. Typically cute to be sure, but what was more interesting was just the "wrongness" of it by contemporary standards. There are long segments of tourists feeding bears, children feeding bears, people trying to pet the bears. I mean it's entirely authentic for the period, that's what you did in Yellowstone despite the "Do not feed the Bears" signs but I bet this is one film the Park Rangers never gets seen again. __________________ I would believe only in a God that knows how to Dance. Friedrich Nietzsche
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07-08-2006, 12:53 PM	#7
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Watched two movies yesterday. The first was the new documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? It is mostly about the life and death of GM's EV-1 all electric car but touches on the larger issue of altnernative fuel cars. While the movie admits that the market failure of the car is complex and has many causes it is obviously slanted towards blaming the car and oil companies for actively fighting campaigning against them. Normally, I am somewhat suspicious of such conspiracy theories (as one guy in the movie says "GM would sell you a car that ran on pig **** if enough people wanted to buy one") but it makes its case reasonably well. The interests the oil companies have in resisting all-electric cars is obvious but why would GM resist production if there was a profitable level of demand? The movie never really makes the case that demand was sufficient for a major auto manufacturer to continue mass production (at its peak, GM was making only 4 EV-1s per day). So it is easy to accept that GM simply wasn't making enough money to continue production. But it is how they behaved towards the cars already built and in the hands of consumers that is eyebrow raising. They had never allowed outright purchase of the cars but only leased them. As the leases ran out, GM refused to release or sell the cars, repossessed them and then destroyed almost every single one of them (a few disabled ones ended up with auto museums). This despite more than enough demand for the vehicles already constructed and an offer of $1.3 million to buy the last 70 or so temporarily stored in a lot in Southern California. Ford, Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota, all did similar things with their full-electric models (remember the Th!nk? or the electric Rav-4?) I'm not completely sold on the overarching story they tell in the movie but it is an interesting presentation. The second movie was The Verdict from 1982. This is a Paul Newman when he was in that slightly awkward looking stage between extremely handsome young buck and extremely handsome old fogey. He plays a washed-up attorney that has given in to alcholism and self-loathing. When a case falls into his hands that both the defense and the clients want to settle he decides it is his final chance as self-redemption and proceeds against everybody's wishes. It is a legal thriller without much thrill and while there are some good things in it I'll probably have mostly forgotten it by the end of the month. An elderly James Mason plays opposing counsel and I must say that Mason may just have the best voice in all cinematic history; I just love listening to him. Jack Warden is also interesting in a completely straight role rather than the comedic curmudgeon he usually plays.
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07-03-2006, 08:35 AM	#8
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	It was so cool to see The Philadelphia Story at the cemetery. I'd seen the film dozens of times, but always by my lonesome. It's a fantastic comedy, and it was such a treat to finally see it with an audience. Snowflake, cheesy and ancient as it is - - no movie's got anything on The Adventures of Robin Hood. Tops in its class - - in many ways unsurpassed to this day!
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