50 Years Too Late

Yes, I Killed Paul Newman

2008-09-29T08:32:00.004-06:00

I foolishly decided to show The Sting for Old Movie Night this weekend. Big mistake! Knowing my history of killing people by movie watching, I actually had the thought a couple weeks ago that this may kill Paul, but I was hoping this time would be different since I was making plans in advance to watch it. The last three times it happened, I had watched the movie on a whim and the death came the next day. But this was scheduled! It was different! But really I only killed him sooner.

So I'm sorry, world, for taking the wonderful Paul Newman. Meanwhile, I loved The Sting! It went over well at Old Movie Night and I served a number of Newman's Own products. It was a lovely tribute evening.

I really need to watch The Sting again because 1. I know there are a lot of things I missed ... it's pretty complicated, and 2. It's awesome. Paul Newman is so smooth and cool and funny and rather dreamy. Where has he been all my life?? A friend of mine also gave me Butch Cassidy to watch and I'm looking forward to that. I sure hope Robert Redford is in good health.

The Women

2008-09-17T08:44:00.022-06:00

TCM showed The Women the other night, I'm guessing because the remake just came out which looks to be basically terrible. However, I found the original 1939 version to be fabulous!

I was thinking about renting it last week after all the talk about the remake, but lucky me, TCM was one step ahead of me. I do love them.

Anyway, the film follows a group of incredibly spoiled housewives who are friends only in that they see each other regularly. I'm not sure you can call many of their interactions friendly, per se; they're generally pretty cruel to each other. Nevertheless, they continue to have lunch parties and observe all the usual proprieties while mostly complaining to each other about their husbands. These are the ties that bind.

The opening credits involve each woman being compared to an animal. It's a little odd to say the least. I couldn't figure out the exact meaning of some of them, but I just know I wouldn't want to be the one compared to a cow.

As the film progresses we begin to learn more about each character, though it mostly revolves around Mary, played by Norma Shearer, a housewife living in her own little fairy tale world, totally oblivious to the fact that her husband is cheating on her with a perfume saleswoman, (Joan Crawford). Mary was generally much too happy and she often pranced around instead of walking like a normal person. Perhaps her husband was super annoyed by this as well. However, when she's finally crushed after hearing the news about her cheating husband, she stops prancing, thank heavens.

The best character in the film is the gossip-happy, basically insane Sylvia played by Rosalind Russell. She's just amazing and hilarious and has a very special taste in clothes. Along with her sidekick, Edith Potter (the cow in the opening credits), she easily spreads the news about Mary's husband and craziness ensues. This part was perfect for Rosiland Russell as she can talk about a mile a minute and her juicy gossip seems to fly out of her mouth before she can stop it.

The rest of the characters range from the cynical old maid to the perky young newlywed. They pretty much cover all the bases.

In some ways it reminded me of a very old fashioned Sex in the City or the like. Talking about men, some drama, some fights, and so on. It's nowhere near real life, but many of the issues they deal with can touch close to home. I think it's safe to say just about every woman can relate to at least one of the characters, unrealistic as they may be.

So I highly recommend it. It's funny in parts and serious in parts, but overall pretty entertaining. But see the remake at your own risk!

Wizard of Oz at McDonald's

2008-09-05T08:45:00.003-06:00

Good news, McDonald's is bringing back their Wizard of Oz Madame Alexander Dolls starting September 12th! The line up looks much better than last year's. I was so displeased with their decision to include the Wicked Witch of the East last year that I wrote a very strange letter of complaint. It was all a joke really, but apparently I was right ... at least about the flying monkey thing!

Mmmm ... Paul Newman

2008-09-03T09:59:00.002-06:00

I have to be honest, I haven't seen very many Paul Newman movies. As I look through his filmography on imdb.com it's mostly the not-so-famous ones I've seen: What a Way to Go! (during my Shirley Maclaine phase, a mediocre film), The Towering Inferno (a fairly famous one I suppose, but also kind of lame), and The Hudsucker Proxy (a newer one, but good).

Clearly, I have some Paul Newman movie watching to do. I fully intend to show The Sting at Old Movie Night sometime soon. And some friends of mine watched Butch Cassidy last summer and loved it, so I guess I need to check that out. Any other suggestions?

Meanwhile, even though I can't really recommend any Paul Newman movies, I can tell you this: His figs are exceptional. I'm not kidding. Go to the grocery store of your choice and pick up some Fig Newmans. I'm eating some right now. They blow Fig Newtons out of the water, I'm telling you. Plus they're organic and have a clever name.

Musicals

2008-08-27T09:25:00.005-06:00

I just love musicals. Really, I think it's safe to say they're my favorite movie genre. What can beat people randomly breaking out into song? Nothing.

It's been a good week for musicals. On Sunday, we showed our first musical ever at Old Movie Night: Singin' in the Rain. I think it went over fairly well, though there are always going to be people who just don't get musicals. I feel sorry for them. I believe that Sunday was the first time in my life that I didn't fast forward over the ridiculously long ballet scene with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. It's not that I don't love both of them, it just goes on forever. It's right up there with the painfully long ballet in Oklahoma and the Uncle Tom's Cabin thing in The King and I.

Last night I enjoyed Grease in Grant Park with about a bazillion other people. It's really best watching a musical in such a large group. I love when people sing along clap for the songs.

Last week, I saw Mamma Mia, and I'm a little bit ashamed to say that I loved it. It was painfully corny, but isn't that what's so fun about musicals? As long as the songs are good, the corniness is acceptable. The only real problem with it was Pierce Brosnan's offensive singing. But I still highly recommend it, especially if you're an ABBA fan.

Movies in the Park

2008-07-31T14:24:00.005-06:00

I've been enjoying the Grant Park Classic Film Fest these past couple weeks. Sure, it's kind of a pain to get down there, and parking is ridiculously expensive, but for some reason watching a movie outside with hundreds of other people is way fun.

The Odd Couple was their first feature. I had rented it awhile back and enjoyed it, but for some reason it was significantly more hilarious on the second viewing. I highly recommend this movie.

Then came The Blues Brothers this week. I was pretty excited to have the chance to watch it in downtown Chicago. It seems appropriate. There were even a few people dressed up. I'll be honest, I didn't find it as funny as The Odd Couple, but there are still some hilarious moments. About an hour and a half into the movie, the rain started pouring down and I ran for cover, missing possibly the best part of the film. It seems I may never know how this movie ends as I've tried to watch it many times, but haven't been able to see it all the way through. It's getting annoying.

I'll be on vacation for the next two weeks so I'm going to miss those movies, but when I get back they'll be showing one of my favorites, An Affair To Remember. Will I cry? Possibly.

Hello, WALL•E!

2008-07-12T08:39:00.004-06:00

I went to see the latest Pixar film, WALL•E, last night. It was excellent. Quite different than most Pixar films in that it's basically heart wrenching. I think I almost cried a few times. Luckily I kept myself under control. I never thought a robot's life could be such an emotional roller coaster.

By far the best part of the film was their brilliant use of two songs from Hello, Dolly: "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes a Moment." I had heard they used some clips from Hello, Dolly so I was looking forward to seeing it, but I no idea of what a large part they played in the film. WALL•E the robot has an old video tape of the movie and watches those songs constantly. They teach him about love and dancing. Isn't that what all musicals teach us, really?

So good job Pixar for integrating a great classic musical so well into a movie primarily about robots. I highly recommend seeing WALL•E. And Now I need to go watch Hello, Dolly.

Cyd Charisse

2008-06-18T15:44:00.004-06:00

I got a dreaded “TCM Schedule Change Alert” email today informing me that Cyd Charisse died yesterday. You know it's never a good sign when TCM is changing their schedule.

Strangely enough, I just happened to watch The Harvey Girls on monday night—with Cyd Charisse in one of her first film roles.

This is the third time someone has died the day after I watch one of their films. It’s starting to weird me out. Seriously. I know I watch a lot of old movies starring many people that are near death, but still. What are the odds?

Anyway, in honor of Cyd Charisse I will share my favorite Cyd Charisse moment from Singin' in the Rain:

Happy Birthday Judy!

2008-06-10T08:17:00.007-06:00

Today would have been Judy Garland's 86th birthday. TCM is having a Judy marathon that I cannot enjoy as I, unfortunately, have a full time job that prevents me from sitting around watching TCM all day. I'm celebrating by listening to Judy Garland all day. I also had this conversation with my mother:

Me: It's Judy Garland's birthday
Mom: she's dead
Me: mom
Me: that doesn't mean I can't celebrate her birthday
Mom: it means she doesn't have any more birthdays

She doesn't understand me.

There's not really much to say about Judy that I haven't already said, so I'm just going to make a nice list of past Judy related posts:

My Judy birthday tribute from last year.

My Top Ten Judy Movies

Two posts on Easter Parade

Thoughts on In the Good Old Summertime

Judy Meets Julie. Creepy!

My Fair Lady Remake

2008-06-09T11:56:00.003-06:00

So they're planning on remaking My Fair Lady. I've heard rumors of this for awhile, but they've now officially announced it. I'm excited and a little disturbed. It has the potential to be really amazing or really terrible.

They're saying Keira Knightly will play Eliza. I don't have any particular feelings towards this really; she could be good, could be bad. I'm not particularly attached to Audrey Hepburn as Eliza given the whole Julie Andrews debacle, so I'm pretty indifferent. Can Keira sing? I have no idea. But does it really matter? It's not like Audrey Hepburn sang! (I'm not bitter)

I'm much more concerned about their choice for Henry. He's really a hit or miss. From my experience, either Henry is done very well—smart, clever, and pretty mean—or is extremely effeminate and gay. I suppose one could argue that Henry is in fact gay, but I don't buy it and that's not the kind of Henry I want. Sure, there's a fine line between overly academic British man and gay British man, but we know they've done it right in the past. If they'd just copy Rex Harrison, I think we'll be pretty safe.

Is That Fred Astaire?

2008-06-07T13:41:00.002-06:00

I'm watching a film right now called On the Beach on TCM. It's really weird.

I came in on the middle and the first thing I saw was a guy in some sort of sci fi looking space suit. I thought it was going to be some crazy sci fi film so I stayed with it. Space suit man was wondering through some old warehouse and found a morris code machine, so he started morris coding.

Cut to a scene of a bunch of navy guys listening to his message. First I see a man baring a strong resemblance to Fred Astaire. I couldn't believe it was actually him ... this isn't the kind of movie I'd expect to see Fred in. Two seconds later, I realize Gregory Peck is standing next to him. Then I spot Anthony Perkins. This seems like such an odd combination.

Apparently it's not really a sci fi movie so I don't know what all that space suit business was about. I guess I'm going to finish watching it. We'll see how it goes.

My Favorite Doris Day Movies

2008-06-04T16:45:00.011-06:00

I'll be honest, I certainly haven't seen every Doris Day movie. I just don't really enjoy the early ones. But of the ones I've seen, these are my favorites:

-The Pajama Game. This one's just ok. It's a musical, so that's a plus, but Doris kind of freaks me out in it. Plus, her name is Babe. Plus, most of the songs are pretty cheezy. But for some reason, it's the only Doris movie I've actually written about on this blog.

-That Touch of Mink. First things first, Cary Grant is in this movie. That's important. Also the woman from the Honeymooners plays Doris's roommate. Anyway, the movie is good, Cary is cute of course. There are some funny moments and plenty of 60's sexual innuendos, if you go in for that sort of thing.

-Send Me No Flowers. Rock Hudson. That's all I really need to say. In this one they're married, which makes it a little less interesting than the others (more on those soon), but it's still pretty hilarious. Rock is a hypochondriac who thinks he's dying and attempts to find a nice man to marry Doris when he bites the dust. Lots of confusion and lots of good times.

-Move Over Darling. This one's a remake of an amazing film called My Favorite Wife starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunn. Honestly, I prefer the original but Doris's version is great too. Mostly because it stars the dreamy James Garner. The best part is James trying to get out of actually sleeping with his new wife, Bianca. She's really annoying.

-Pillow Talk. The historic, very first Rock Hudson/Doris Day film. It's great because it features a womanizing Rock Hudson, a party line, and a doctor that thinks Rock is pregnant. There's an amazing song in this one, Roly Poly. I think you have to just hear it to truly understand how incredible it is. This is also the first film to feature what I call the "pre-sex song." This is the song that Doris sings while she's contemplating/getting ready for/feeling guilty about the prospect of having sex with her leading man. Typically, it's a terrible song and I almost always fast forward over it. But still, it's an integral part of many Doris Day pictures.

-The Thrill of It All. A powerful commentary on working moms and the suffering their families endure as a result of their soap commercial jobs. James Garner is in this one again, and again, looks rather dashing. It's a good one.

-The Glass Bottom Boat. This one stars Rod Tayler (of The Birds fame), playing a scientist who courts Doris after he accidentally strips her of the mermaid suit she's wearing while swimming around beneath her father's glass bottom boat. His NASA buddies soon come to believe she's a spy and madness ensues. This one features lots of ridiculous 60's futuristic gadgets, none of which actually exist today. It also includes a pre-sex song.

-Lover Come Back. I think this is my favorite. It's probably one of the dumbest, but for some reason I love it. Doris plays an advertising exec trying to land the "Vip" account—a product that Rock Hudson, a fellow advertising exec, made commercials for even though it doesn't exist. She ends up basically courting Rock, whom she believes to be the scientist that invented this Vip, and ends up singing her pre-sex song after Rock plays the "no one will ever love me" card, and she feels the need to show him how much of a man he really is.

So there you go. I highly suggest watching all of these movies. And I've come to realize that I really only watch Doris Day movies for the handsome men that star in them.

Carousel

2008-05-23T15:10:00.002-06:00

I just got done watching Carousel for the first time. Now, I don't really like sad movies, so I've avoided watching it. But it happened to be on TV so I figured I'd check it out.

I only managed to catch maybe an hour ... and I cried three times. I can't imagine how many times I'd cry if I actually watched the entire picture.

I've always had a problem with certain songs making me cry. My whole life there have just been random songs that I would cry at, and today I discovered a new one: You'll Never Walk Alone. Every time they sang it I cried uncontrollably. And they sang it like 10 times.

Meanwhile, since I came in at the middle, I don't know exactly what this movie is about. But, I'll be honest, what I saw was a little weird. I think Gordon MacRae was in heaven. Or maybe purgatory. I don't really know. He was dead, but not. And of course it featured the signature Rogers and Hammerstein way-too-long ballet sequence that doesn't make any sense. Nevertheless, I'm tempted to watch it again. I would like to see it in its entirety. I'll just have to make sure I'm up for the crying that will surly ensue.

Julie, Julie, Julie

2008-05-12T18:28:00.007-06:00

I just finished Julie Andrews' memoir Home: A Memoir of My Early Years. It was pretty fabulous.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it since I knew it was only about her life up to Mary Poppins, but learning about her childhood turned out to be very interesting if not a little bit depressing. She has a great attitude despite it all. The stories she tells about the war and her vaudeville work in England as a child are especially fascinating. And of course her stories about My Fair Lady and Camelot are great.

I also learned that Julie and I share some interesting characteristics such as a fear of balloons popping (although she actually has a good reason, growing up hearing the bombings during the war. I don't have such a good reason. Actually, I have no reason), and a tendency to cry at a particularly beautiful or sad piece of music.

The most exciting part of Julie's life by far (according to me) was when she went to see the Judy Garland concert at Carnegie Hall! And she loved it. Awesome. I have so much more respect for her knowing she's a Judy fan.

Monkey Business

2008-04-28T11:50:00.008-06:00

To be honest, I was not expecting this movie to be good. I’m typically a little leery of movies that feature actual monkeys, but Cary Grant was in it, so I figured something good had to come out of it. Turns out it’s fabulous!

The story centers around Dr. Barnaby Fulton played by Cary Grant and his wife, Edwina, played by Ginger Rogers. Barnaby is a chemist in the process of creating a magic potion that will make everyone young again and Edwina is his obedient wife who selflessly supports him at the expense of all her wants and needs. Despite the fact that Marilyn Monroe’s picture is plastered all over the case and DVD, she only plays Barbaby’s boss’s completely idiotic secretary ... barely a supporting part, but whatever. Her random one-liners are hilarious.

Anyway, Barnaby has begun to test his magic potion on monkeys who are caged in his lab. One night when the lab is empty, one of the apparently brilliant monkeys breaks out of her cage and begins mixing her own version of the potion. I was shocked at how well trained this monkey was. Then, for some inexplicable reason, she takes her potion and dumps it into the water cooler. Needless to say, insanity ensues when pretty much everyone takes a drink from the water cooler of youth and, depending on how much they drank, goes back to a different stage in their lives. Apparently they were all completely insane in their younger years.

The movie was made in 1952 when Cary Grant was mostly playing the classy, debonair type, but in this film he goes back to his slapstick comedy days. He and Ginger were completely hilarious especially when they drink a few cups of coffee made with water from the water cooler of youth, and turn into ten-year-olds who wreak havoc on everyone they come into contact with.

Watching it reminded me of my absolute favorite movie what was ever featured on Mystery Science Theater, The Leech Woman, about a woman desperate enough to be young again that she kills pretty much every man she sees. That one has darker theme, obviously ... and no monkeys, but the main idea is still there. Plus, the woman in it ends up looking like a monkey, so that’s something.

Charlotte²

2008-04-14T11:46:00.017-06:00

The next installment in my Bette Davis phase is Now, Voyager, an excellent film about an incredibly ugly spinster named Charlotte who goes to the loony bin, gets a makeover (thank heavens!), falls in love with a married man on a cruise, defies her overbearing mother, and eventually becomes the confident, lovely woman she was meant to be (cue inspirational music)! It’s quite the uplifting story without being too corny, though I’m not really sure the ending left me completely satisfied. But nevertheless, you’re pulling for poor Charlotte throughout the film, and she doesn’t disappoint.
This is considered one of Bette Davis’s best movies, and I have to say it’s probably my favorite so far. She was nominated for a best actress Oscar, but lost to Greer Garson for Mrs. Miniver. I’m a little disappointed that Bette didn’t win anything for this movie considering how terribly ugly she had to look in the beginning of the film. Now let’s be honest, Bette is a little strange looking to begin with. So intentionally uglifying her is near painful. She had some guts. The eyebrows. They haunt me.

In other movies where Bette Davis plays a character named Charlotte, last month I watched Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte. This provided many jokes while watching Now, Voyager, given the same name thing. Anyway, in Sweet Charlotte, Bette again plays a crazy person who falls in love with a married man, but this time she’s old and lives with her crazy maid in a huge old house that is going to be torn down to make room for a new highway.
Many years earlier (when she was young and not as crazy), Charlotte had plans to run off with her married boyfriend. Shortly after discussing their plans he was brutally murdered, sending Charlotte into a black hole of insanity. The movie picks up years later when she’s old and crazy (and screams a lot!), and is wondering, along with the rest of the town, who killed her former married boyfriend. In the meantime, she refuses to move out of her house and causes much trouble for the local government types who are trying to tear it down, so they bring in Charlotte’s younger cousin, Miriam, to take care of things. Craziness ensues as Miriam has other plans that don’t so much involve getting Charlotte to move out of the house as they do making Charlotte just go completely crazy. It’s basically an insane movie and Bette Davis is a little weird in it, to say the least. I’m not sure I’ll watch it again, but it had some interesting twists and some disturbing moments if you like that kind of thing.

So if you’re trying to decide between the two, Now, Voyager is certainly the more legit, quality film. But if you’re up for some screaming, crazy, old Bette Davis action (who isn’t now and then?), you might want to check out Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte.

Charlton Heston

2008-04-05T23:12:00.003-06:00

Well this is weird. Charlton Heston died tonight at 84 ... the night after I watched my very first Charlton Heston movie! Now I feel a little bad about making so much fun of of the movie, but I still say it deserves it.

Anyway, the reason this is freaking me out is because a very similar thing happened when Katherine Hepburn died. PBS happened to be showing Pat and Mike one night and though I'd heard of it and had seen parts, I'd never bothered to sit down and watch the whole thing. But that night I decided to watch it, and the next day Katherine Hepburn died. I was a little weirded out because I really don't watch Katherine Hepburn movies on a regular basis. It all seemed very odd.

So now I'm a little wary of watching any movies starring people who are near death. But tonight I'm watching a Bette Davis movie, so I think I'm safe.

Damn Dirty Apes!

2008-04-05T13:43:00.004-06:00

Last night AMC showed Planet of the Apes. I'd never seen it before, and for some inexplicable reason I felt the need to watch it. At least to get the jokes.

All I can say is: weirdest.movie.ever.

I really didn't quite know what I was in for when I committed to watching it. I'd probably seen a couple clips and heard lots of people making fun of it ... and rightly so, but I didn't really know the story or the ending.

In addition to being really, really strange, I thought the story was a little uncreative. Ok, so apes and humans switched places. Basically everything that was an issue for the apes in the movie has at one time been an issue for humans in real life. Every debate we've had concerning religion/science/evolution was the exact same debate for the apes. They even called Charlton Heston the "missing link." Couldn't they come up with a new phrase?? Plus they spoke English. I was a little disappointed that they couldn't produce something more original! Pretty much any 5 year old could come up with the same concept.

And why, why did the apes ride horses?? Couldn't they come up with some other animal that real life humans don't ride? Just for something more interesting. Maybe a buffalo.

And why can't the humans speak? If they really lived long before these apes as we do now, did they like devolve and loose the ability to speak? Doesn't make sense.

I'm also not quite sure what the point of the movie was. Are we supposed to feel bad for the animals in the zoo? Do they want to convince us that evolution is true and someday a talking ape is going to show up and be the missing link? Is it supposed to prepare us for the day that apes inevitably take over the world?

Ok, there are a lot of unanswered questions here. Perhaps if I bothered to find answers to them, I'd have much more respect for the movie. But I don't plan on taking the time for that. I'm pretty sure it's one of those movies only men can understand. And I'm ok with that.

No Wire Hangers!!

2008-04-01T11:30:00.004-06:00

The other evening I watched an interesting Joan Crawford movie, Sudden Fear, with Jack Palance. The only other thing I'd seen him in was City Slickers where he was quite old, and let me tell you, as a young man he's very, very strange looking! That worked for this movie, however, as he played Joan's husband whom she suspects is trying to kill her. It wasn't a bad movie. There were definitely some very corny moments, but overall I enjoyed it.

This movie came as part of my sort of Joan Crawford phase that started last month when TCM showed this amazing documentary, and a marathon of Joan films. The documentary was great and I learned that she was basically nuts. She embodied pretty much every crazy Hollywood stereotype, and that is why I love her!

Her daughter was interviewed in the documentary and let me tell you, that girl doesn't sugar coat anything! It was fascinating and made me wanted to watch Mommie Dearest since I hadn't seen it in many years. All I have to say is, that movie is weird!

First of all, Faye Dunnaway just looks creepy through the whole movie. Joan didn't always look that creepy!

If you don't know, Mommie Dearest is based on the book by Joan's daughter, Christina, who is ridiculously bitter towards her mother. I have no doubt that Joan was a terrible mother, but Christina tries so hard to make sure everyone knows what an awful person she was that it just gets kind of embarrassing. It's pretty obvious that she's most bitter about being left out of Joan's will, along with the rest of Joan's kids. So Christina basically uses the movie (and book) as payback, especially at the end when she so slyly points out that Joan didn't manage to get the last word. Ok, we get it, your mother was terrible, bla bla. It was also a great way to make money off her mother, since Joan didn't actually leave her anything. Brilliant!

Anyway, all this to say that this did not change my view of Joan Crawford. In fact, I may like her more. I intend to watch many more Joan Crawford movies.

Questions Answered

2008-03-24T11:17:00.002-06:00

I use Google Analytics to see how many visitors come to this site and where they come from. By far the best feature is the search keywords report that shows you what people are searching for to get to your site.

I noticed there are a number of questions that people search for on a regular basis, so I figured I’d try to answer the most common (and interesting) questions all in one neat little post.

—Did Christopher Plummer like The Sound of Music/Julie Andrews/the children?
This is by far the most common question (it comes in many different forms), mostly because of this post about his commentary on the DVD. He definitely did not like working with the kids at first because they stole his thunder, but he seemed to warm up to them. I also think he resented the fact most people only knew him from that movie. But it seems he's gotten over it for the most part.

—When is Debbie Reynolds' birthday?
April 1, 1932

—When is Julie Andrews' birthday?
October 1, 1935

—Is Tony Curtis gay?
He may look/act/sound gay, but I would say he isn't. Actually, he's been married 6 times; kind of the opposite of gay.

—Is Julie Andrews still alive?
Yes

—What color are Bette Davis's eyes?
I have no idea because, as I stated here, I've never seen a color Bette Davis film. Ok, i just looked it up, they were blue.

—Are Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett gay?
Uhhh ... not that I know. Though I don't know for sure, of course, but seeing as they're both married (to men) and have been for most of their adult lives, I'd say it's unlikely.

—How does "Some Like it Hot" relate to "The Graduate?"
I have no idea. I'll be honest, I've only gotten one search for this, but I thought it was fascinating.

—Is Charmain Carr still alive?
Yes, she's not even that old. Goodness!

—i love love julieandrews !!!!!!!!!!11
Yeah, I know it's not a question, but it's funny.

I Could Write a Sonnet, About Your Easter Bonnet

2008-03-21T21:21:00.007-06:00

As is my tradition, I am watching Easter Parade to celebrate the season. Here is my post from last Easter.

This year, I'm sharing my favorite things about Easter Parade, compiled while watching the movie. Here are my Easter Parade favorites:

Judy moment: When she makes her terrible face in order to show Fred she can get the attention of random men walking down the street.

Coat: Peter Lawford's ridiculously ugly fur coat.

Quote: Don Hewes: A girl dancer has to be exotic; she has to be - a peach.
Hannah Brown: I suppose I'm a lemon!

Musical number: The "vaudeville" type medley; especially when fred says "pow" in the train song at the end.

Fred moment: Probably Steppin' Out with My Baby. With an honorable mention for the Drum song.

Pointless scene: When the stupid waiter takes 10 minutes to explain every detail of his salad to Judy and Peter Lawford.

Dashing British man: Peter Lawford

Insane dancing: Anne Miller during Shakin' the Blues Away. Especially when she spins out of control and her hair whips her in the face.

Costume: Judy's purple and blue outfit for the second half of the piano song. Especially the bring purple shoes!

She's Got Bette Davis Eyes

2008-03-20T20:15:00.004-06:00

I can't believe I've never written about Bette Davis. I apologize for that gross oversight. She's amazing!

Anyway, this evening I enjoyed a fabulous Bette Davis picture, Dead Ringer. In it, Bette plays a down-and-out middle aged bar owner in desperate need of a corset, who murders and assumes the identity of her well-to-do, corset-wearing sister (also played by Bette, of course) who married the man she was in love with some twenty years earlier. Unfortunately, she doesn't plan things out quite as well as she should have and things quickly go awry, making for a fantastic picture. I like to think it could make a nice sequel to The Parent Trap.

This is just one of the many weird, creepy Bette Davis movies I love. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane is, of course, a favorite. I tend to like the old, creepy Bette to the younger, creepy Bette. She's really quite interesting; at times she can be rather glamorous, but at other times she's downright disturbing. I guess that's what makes her great.

I recently saw All About Eve for the first time, which was excellent. I vaguely remember this Mr. Skeffington movie, featuring a more glamorous Bette.

The sad thing is, these are about all the Bette Davis movies I've ever seen. I also realized tonight that I've never actually seen a color Bette Davis film. I'm not even sure that she made any movies in color. I need to look into this.

The Bad Seed

2008-03-13T19:50:00.003-06:00

Wow, this movie is incredible. If you like movies about blond little girls murdering people, this one is for you!

I won't divulge too much of the story because there was a nice little message at the end of the film asking me not to. But basically, the prim and proper 8 year old Rhoda is all sweetness on the outside, and all evil on the inside. And when her nemesis at school drowns mysteriously, everyone starts to wonder about sweet little Rhoda. And things just get better from there.

I'll be honest, this movie is incredibly corny. On the bright side, the joke possibilities are endless. It's not supposed to be a comedy, but it certainly can be with little effort. There's lots of 50's psychological theories thrown around, which is always ... enlightening. There's also a fabulous drunk lady that points at people a lot.

The first half of the movie is a lot of talking, but in the second half, when everyone starts freaking out, things really pick up. Yes, it's very, very corny, but there are enough disturbing parts to make it so worth the watch.

Max and Elsa Sittin' in a Tree

2008-03-07T18:14:00.002-06:00

Ok, maybe this is a thought everyone's had, but I just realized it yesterday: Max and Elsa are perfect for each other!

I'm talking The Sound of Music, of course. I stayed home sick yesterday, and seeing as daytime TV is incredibly lame, I threw in The Sound of Music figuring I could try to fall asleep to it. As I laid on the couch with my eyes closed just listening to it, I realized that Max and the Baroness are meant to be.

First of all, she laughs at his ridiculous jokes that no one else thinks are funny. He must appreciate that. Secondly, they're equally conniving and manipulative. Together they'd be unstoppable! Thirdly, when the Captain dumps her, she states that she needs someone who needs her money. Certainly no one needs her money more than Max. He's basically a leech! Plus it's very convenient that the Von Trapps leave Austria; Max and Elsa are free to express their love without any awkwardness between Max and the Captain.

Granted, the Baroness is way too pretty for Max, but really that shouldn't matter. He probably should have made a move right after the Captain dumped her before she left for Vienna, but I think he still has time. Hopefully he realizes how perfect she is for him and takes some action. I think they'd be very happy together.

Cary Grant + Grey Suit = Love

2008-03-03T20:19:00.003-06:00

Wow, Cary Grant is amazing. I watched North by Northwest last night for the first time ever. Of course I’d seen the scene with the plane and the end where they’re on Mount Rushmore, but I never had any idea what was actually going on.

This movie is incredibly long, but I didn’t get bored. There were a couple parts that probably could have been cut shorter, but they weren’t too bad.

Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill, a Madison avenue exec, who gets mixed up with some bad guys, out of no fault of his own. They think he's this Kaplan fella, a guy the CIA made up in order to trap them. Thornhill realizes they’ve made a mistake, but can’t convince them, and manages to get into all kinds of trouble (and meet a very forward blond) ... all while wearing the same grey suit. He wears this suit for like 3 days straight at least. Lucky for him, he looks pretty hot in it. And it matches his hair nicely.

This movie is one of the more confusing Hitchcock ones, I think. Not quite like Vertigo (I still get confused about that one), but there’s a lot to it and you have to pay attention. But isn’t that what’s great about Hitchcock? He doesn’t miss anything.

As far as Hitchcock movies go, I probably still prefer Psycho or The Birds, but this is definitely one I’ll be watching again.

Did I mention I love Cary Grant in a grey suit?