"Back home everyone said I didn't have any talent. They might be saying the same thing over here but it sounds better in French."

Well, welcome back.  I'm finally able to get the opportunity to write for this blog on a regular basis again... which means it should end pretty soon.  But with the semester winding down, I can get down to the basics: research, exercising, and writing for this blog (hopefully in that order!).  So this review dabbles with one of my secret passions: the musical.  There's just something about them that really keeps my butt in the seat.  I guess because I grew up seeing a musical almost once a year for a long time meant that I grew accustomed to the genre, whether on stage or on television.  And I'm amazed I had never seen this musical until now, An American in Paris.

Pretty simple story: American artist in Paris who's trying to make a living selling his works gets taken in by a socialite who falls for him.  Artist falls for another girl who's engaged to French singer.  Artist's neighbor is struggling concert pianist who's friends with singer and realizes that the artist and singer are in love with the same woman.  Artist expresses his love to girl at party, being overheard by singer.  Girl walks away with singer, while artist dreams about what it would be like to see all of Paris with girl but is awoken from daydream by carhorn because the car brings the girl back to artist, and they embrace one another in only a way 1950s musicals show romantic embraces.

Now I wasn't sure what to think of this film.  I love Gene Kelly, a multi-talented actor who can sing and dance.  Combine that with George and Ira Gershwin music, and I'm sold on the idea.  I thought the SO might get into it for the dancing, especially the big number at the end, but she looked like she was having a root canal done, her face contorted in ways I didn't know were possible for the human face.

Of course the plot was predictable but the music was what keeps you wanting more.  And because I did experience Paris for a bit, I did reminisce about my time over in Europe.  But I didn't see an American artist dancing in the streets to the tune of "I Got Rhythm."  That's probably the major difference between the movie and real life.  Anywho...

Solid four-star movie that was just released on Blu-ray, it's something that truly needs to be seen, and if I need a Gene Kelly fix, I know I have another choice (after Singin' in the Rain, of course!).  Good pick from TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, I would see if it's on the network again, so go see it...come on, go...I mean it!  Later!

"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that."

I totally apologize for not writing for over two weeks on this blog.  If it wasn't lab work, it was school work.  If it wasn't school work, it was a sinus infection that made my head feel like someone was squeezing out the last drop of toothpaste from my noggin.  But with a majority of these distractions quieting down now, I can get back to more important things, and this is one of them.  In the time that I've been away, I've seen 4 movies, but not all were seen in one continuous loop.  I'll explain with the first of four reviews.

Almost two weekends ago, the SO  wanted to lighten up the memory load on the DVR, and since most of the movies I had kept on it were "boring" to her, it came as no surprise that we would watch 2001: A Space Odyssey.  I really don't where to being to describe the plot of this movie, but here goes...

Cue "Thus Spake Zarathustra" theme, which we all know as the theme to 2001, where we see the moon, earth, and sun in alignment.  We then go into the "Dawn of Man."  This basically entails where primates first learned to use bones as weapons to not only hunt but also to take down enemies.  They learn this all-important skill from a huge black bar, or monolith.  How this happens, I haven't a clue.  But at this end of this phase of the movie, the primate throws his weapon up into the sky and we move to the second phase of the movie, which is untitled.

Described as TMA-1, we are introduced to Dr. Heywood Floyd who travels to Clavius base, which is a U.S. base on the moon.  There has been a huge mystery surrounding this base, as no contact has been received from this region in some time.  The thought is an epidemic has broken out and killed any individuals there.  Dr. Floyd's actual purpose is to investigate an strange anomaly dug up on the moon that emits a magnetic signal.  This anomaly is described as "Tycho Magnetic Anomaly One," or TMA-1.  When Dr. Floyd and a group of scientists travel to this site, the huge black monolith is the anomaly, which emits a high-pitched signal and the second phase of the movie ends.

Third phase is described as "Jupiter Mission: Eighteen Months Later," or as I like to call it, "I knew we shouldn't have given computers artificial intelligence."  Yes, this is where we meet two space pilots headed to Jupiter with three scientists cryogenically frozen until they reach Jupiter, and HAL-9000, the computer that gives everyone the heebie-jeebies.  Everything is working fine until one day HAL reports something is wrong with the communications system.  When the two pilots start to question HAL, that's when HAL goes nuts.  Well, to make a long story short (which I'm sure the SO would like to have known BEFORE we started watching the movie), HAL is turned off and we find out from a video that the mission to Jupiter is because the monolith on the moon was sending the signal to Jupiter.

The final phase of the movie is called "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite" or as I like to call it "It's time to do drugs and watch the pretty colors part of the movie."  Really, it's totally trippy as we follow the surviving pilot from the Jupiter mission continue his travels to Jupiter, but as he's getting there there are all these weird colors and lines the we see, which are intermittently disrupted by a close-up of the pilot's eye (in weird colors).  This goes on for what seems like 10 minutes, until we end up in a room with a slightly older version of the pilot.  We follow this version until it witnesses an even older version, until we eventually see the version ready to "kick the bucket" and at this point the monolith returns.  Then all of a sudden we see a fetus in a bubble and the musical theme of 2001.

So yeah, totally trippy movie from 1968, when it seemed like it was encouraged to take acid or smoke the mary jane and create a movie, besides using these drugs while watching it.  The SO said she had to watch it because it's considered the movie that is the foundation for science fiction movies since its premiere... but she wouldn't watch it again.  She said this after the third phase of the movie, when the DVR recording stopped...

Yeah, missed the last twenty minutes of the movie because TCM had it only going for two hours, and the movie is two hours AND twenty minutes long.  Kind of a bummer really, because we had to wait until it was on again five days later on another movie channel.  Kinda killed the buzz, especially if you were hoping to get the entire experience over quickly.  Which I think is how the SO felt, who was just dying during the slow parts of the movie (which is most of it, for her anyways).  And the strange singing/screaming when the monolith entered the film...

So at least we won't have to buy the DVD.  And even though it is this monumental film, when it first premiered in theatres, it was panned.  Only after watching it a second and third time did reviewers give it the praise it has received for over forty years.

Funny story (not really funny at all...for me, anways), the first time I watched this movie was with my father which was not a good idea.  Imagine watching this movie with your dad, who's strong in his Christian beliefs and the start of the movie begins with an evolutionary theme.  Awkward...

So it's a historical movie for science fiction, but I'm going to guess it's the only time the SO will ever watch it.  I think it's pretty cool, at least for the music, but it's going to remain one of this films that only will be viewed by these blue eyes when I have to introduce it to someone naive to the movie.  Hoping that will be a long time from now...

Later!

"I'm going out to get some popcorn and pink lemonade. I've just seen a three-ring circus"

So this weekend I couldn't get a break from the action of March Madness to get the SO to choose a DVD to watch.  But I did the next best thing:  movies on the DVR.  And this weekend I went with something that is tried and true.  I went with a comedy...starring Cary Grant...need I say more?  That right there tells me it's a winner, and of course I went with the first movie in which Grant shows off his comedic abilities with The Awful Truth.

If you haven't seen this film, it's pretty simple.  Husband comes homes after not being in Florida, wife comes home with singing teacher.  Husband gets jealous, they get a divorce and hilarity ensues.  Wife, Lucy Warriner (Irene Dunne), moves in with her aunt and becomes engaged to an Oklahoman visiting his mother in the big city (I believe New York, but don't quote me on that).  Husband, Jerry Warriner (Grant), still waiting for the divorce to be finalized, finds ways to mess up this new engagement.  The spin? Lucy and Jerry still love each other but don't know each other loves the other!  (Wow, there's some bad grammar for you... thank you, public high school out in the corn fields!)

For some reason, there's just something about Grant.  His good lucks, his voice, his charm, his comedic timing.  You're not really thinking someone like him is going to have the comedic presence, but he pulls it off, each and every time I watch one of his films.  And with this being the first of his films with his slapstick comedic style, I was blown away by how good he was even at the beginning.  And you know what this means?

Yep, I have to buy it now.  Somehow this Monday Review post has turned into a Future Purchases post.  And if I remember correctly, Borders had it as 30% off last week, which means that's not the case now.  So I missed the boat on that one.  But at worst case it's $15 bucks.  I can handle that, but I think I'll wait until I get another sweet coupon in an e-mail.

Don't know what the SO thought of it as she didn't watch it.  Not sure she would have appreciated it, especially since it's a classic and she doesn't do well with that kind of movie.  It's okay, she can watch it with me when we get the DVD!  Oh, how I can feel the flames from her angry eyes right now...

Later!

Devastating...

That's the only word I can describe about Sunday.  No, it's not about how bad my team is doing in basketball or even the state of the economy...

On Sunday, we were without... CABLE!

AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

It was terrible, I came back from working in the lab around 2pm to have the SO tell me the cable wasn't working.  I didn't think much of it.  Thought I could just unplug and plug it back in and it would be fine.  Worked all the other times the cable was acting funny.  Not this time.  So I called the cable company, and they said the area was out and the service people were out working on it right now.

That was all fine and dandy, except it was out until 8:47pm!  I know, terrible...

And the worst thing?  Because there was no cable (and obviously no DVR), one of the movies I wanted to watch from TCM's 31 Days didn't get recorded!  I know, a travesty, a sham, a sham of a travesty!  So I won't be able to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Tear.

Luckily, Fox (and almost every network) posts episodes of their shows online, so we could watch "Simpsons" and "American Dad."  But it's hard to forgive the cable over Encounters.  Oh well, I'll just DVR it again, if it ever is on TCM again...

Sorry for the delay over this weekend's DVD review.  Been busy, and that's no excuse.  So it will be up and posted very soon, that's my guarantee.  Later!

And as a way of asking for forgiveness, I present you with this, something that describes me to a "T" (or whatever letter works in this situation... probably not "Q", that's got a bad rap... maybe "M"?  No, that's weird... how 'bout "S"?  I'll have to think about that one):

"You ain't heard nothing yet."

Well, it seems most relevant to watch a movie that I had made reference to in Friday's post.  And of course, thanks to TCM's 31 Days I could actually accomplish this goal.  No, I didn't watch Soul Man.  I'm pretty sure that movie has been buried along with E.T. the Video Game.

No, what I watched is one of those movies that screams "classic" (for a number of reasons, but I'll get into those later).  The first motion picture accompanied with sound, The Jazz Singer introduced us to the "talkie."  For most of you, you're probably like I was before seeing this movie, that a talkie meant the entire movie had sound.  You would be in the wrong.  Only those parts of the movie with actors singing did we actually get the "talking" part.  It's hard to trust Wikipedia on this subject, so I'm going to guess that the introduction of sound into movies was rather expensive, much like it is today to have IMAX cameras in use throughout the entire production.  Therefore, to cut costs and yet be profitable, only those important parts would actually have sound.  The most important parts of the film would most likely be with the actors singing, and that's what you have with The Jazz Singer.

Now that you know what the first "talkie" was like, in terms of... talking, the synopsis is rather simple.  In New York, a young Jewish boy Jakie Rabinowitz wishes to be an entertainer -  a jazz singer.  Father catches him in a jazz hall, and tells the boy he will follow in his father's footsteps, to be a Cantor in the Jewish Synagogue.  Boy runs away and the movie moves chronologically to some time later, Jakie is a grown up Jack Robin (Al Jolson) trying to make his name in Hollywood.  A few breaks go his way, and he lands in a Broadway revue in New York.  Jack goes back home to see his parents.  Mom is excited to see her, Father is not.  Father still wants him to be a Cantor, but Jack has his heart set on being a jazz singer.  Father gets ill, so Jack has to choose between doing the show or replacing his father as Cantor.  Jack at first chooses show biz, but chooses to be Cantor for one night.  Father professes his love for his son, and passes away as son sings in synagogue.  Son does blackface while singing in revue?

Confusing, I know.  Throughout the film, Jack sings but without having to paint his face so that he pretends to be an African American.  So why does he have to put on blackface on Broadway?  I'm guessing it could be explained the show he's doing calls for it, and because blackface wasn't an issue in 1927.  Still, it doesn't make sense why he has to do this.  Jack is just fine singing without it, and it actually diminishes the appeal for the movie.  Without it, it's a fine picture.  With blackface, I feel disgusted.

So what did I learn from this movie?  A "talkie" doesn't mean there's sound throughout, blackface obviously meant earning more money at the box office in the late 1920s, and Jewish humor always makes a movie that much better.  Although I'm not personally Jewish, the SO likes to think I am with the way I always have to pick up change from the ground.  Seriously, it adds up!  And in this day and age, it can mean a huge difference.  I'm just saying...

So The Jazz Singer was something to watch, mostly from the historical aspect and for what it did to the film industry, but it will not need to be included in my DVD collection.  At the rate I'm going with watching the films from TCM'S 31 Days, I'll be waking up early for quite a few more Saturdays just to clean out the DVR.  But it will be worth it, mostly so I know whether or not I would like to own these movies!  Just kidding.  Gotta save money for all those Future Purchases...

Just one more post for this weekend to go.  And it's a doozy of a film, something that really warms the soul, like a large glass of wine (wink wink).  Later!

"Well, what goes good with Ratzkywatzky?"

Well, what can you say at this point?  VDay morning, watched Ninotchka, VDay afternoon, played Guitar Hero World Tour. VDay evening?  How about a movie?

After all the possible decisions I could have done with my time away from the SO, I pulled something totally out of left field (What?  Thought I'd say out of my... you know, your posterior, your bum, your butt!  Well, not so much your butt as mine) and ended up renting GHWT, and I got hooked.  And I say hooked because when you play 3 hours straight and stop just because you're getting tired, that means you like it more than just like - that's right, I like like GHWT!

But what to do when you're tired from playing video games?  I could go for a walk, or read a book, or... dare I say it, watch a movie!  (Answer: Watching a movie.  Question: What will completely turn your brain into mush after 3 hours of GHWT?).  Obviously, I chose a movie, and since I wasn't in the mood for a thinking movie, I went with a movie that deals with partying, fooling around, impromptu marriage, unplanned pregnancy, and bigomy!  Of course I'm talking about The Miracle of Morgan's Creek.  Released in 1944, the movie tells of how a small town can be just as crazy as a big city.

In this small town of Morgan's Creek, the town constable's daughter, Trudy Kockenlocker (Betty Hutton) wants to go to a dance for the boys being shipped off to war, in this case, World War II.  Maybe you're heard of it.  Kind of a big deal, like Ron Burgundy big deal.

And we're back!  So Trudy tries to go, but her Dad won't let her.  Knowing Norval Jones (Eddie Bracken) would eat the SO's Mac & Cheese if she told him to (not a good idea!), Trudy gets Norval to take her "out to the movies" so she can party it up with the boys going to war and leaving Norval at the theater all night and morning.

We find out that during that night of partying and dancing that Trudy did a little more.  What's a little more?  Well, how about marrying a soldier under a false name and not remembering the soldier's name.  And the icing on the cake is she's pregnant!  Because it's a small town, word would get around real quick about her busy night.  Here comes Norval to the rescue, deciding to pretend to be the soldier (and deciding the soldier's name is Ignatz Ratzkywatzky - a very common name) so she and Trudy can get "married" and then get it annulled.

The only problem is that it would actually result in bigomy, which is a crime.  On top of that, Trudy is a minor, so Norval appears to be abducting her.  For Norval, it means getting busted by the justice of the peace, the county police, the federal investigator, AND the army!  The only way out is busting out of jail, but because Norval is too nice of a guy, it takes Trudy and her constable father to force him out, costing the constable his job.

Six months later, Norval comes back to town, ready to see Trudy.  Too bad he's caught again.  Somehow the pardon of all pardons happens for him, allowing him to see Trudy... in the hospital!  The baby is ready to pop out, only it's not one baby - it's SIX!  Because of this, Mussolini resigns, Hitler demands a recount, and the U.S. is ready to kick some evil axis butt!  In the end, Norval and Trudy end up together, although six kids seems to knock the wind out of Norval.  You really can't blame him, he's not even the father, because it's a miracle!

The movie is hilarious, a comedic gem.  It really keeps your attention, mostly because of the ridiculousness as the movie reel turns.  When a movie is able to keep you on the edge of your seat, especially a comedy with a mystery, you know it's good.  I'm not sure I feel like purchasing it, but if it were to miraculously appear at my doorstep, I wouldn't complain.

So this weekend was void of a movie from my DVD collection, but that can only mean two movies next weekend!  Although I still have a dozen or so still on the DVR, along with a rental, so I'm pretty sure I'm dead like Luca Brasi (at least in the eyes of the SO).  Well, here's ending on a high note!

Later!

"Comrade, I've been fascinated by your five-year plan for the last fifteen years."

The two movies that consumed a portion of VDay both had to do with romance and World War II.  Interesting combination, but alas, the war (that occurred because the 'war to end all wars' didn't end ALL wars) does create an environment for love, from Paris to small town America.  Too bad the SO missed out on these movies (well, missed out, in that of the two movies, she saw half of the first, none of the second, and probably wouldn't understand their appeal if she had the Cliff Notes...) because as much as they might not appear as comedies to her, they truly make you laugh.  And in a time of war, sometimes a laugh can help.

And what truly gives me the giggles is Communist Russia.  You don't agree?  Well you haven't seen Ninotchka.  I know, the name just rolls right off the tongue.  In this movie, Grand Dutchess Swana (Ina Clare) of the Soviet Union finds out that three comrades (Iranoff, Buljanoff, and Kopalski - sounds like a Russian law firm) are in Paris, selling her jewels (sorry, no sexual joke - the Commies considered her property the property of the State... depressing, isn't it?).  The three comrades have trouble selling them, mostly because the Grand Dutchess sends Comte Leon d'Algout (Melvyn Douglas) to tell them a lawsuit will be on their hands.  Leon loosens them up a bit with a little champagne, a few cigarettes, french maids...

That's when the Commies send in Nina Ivana Yakushova, aka Ninotchka (Greta Garbo), a no nonsense woman who gets the job done at any cost (well, not any cost, because somehow a night in a Parisian hotel could be spent to buy a cow - the movie is making fun of the communist's ideals!).  In some chance meeting, Leon bumps into her on the street, and the chemistry between the two actors is perfect.  The timing of the punch line can be crucial, and Douglas and Garbo don't disappoint.  Leon softens Ninotchka, and Ninotchka makes Leon all hot under the collar.  Unfortunately, their love is not meant to be.

I thought that all Russians could hold their liquor, but Ninotchka seems to be the exception.  Because of this, she passes out in the hotel, the Grand Dutchess steals her jewels back, and Ninotchka is blackmailed into leaving for Moscow in order to get the jewels back.  Seems the Grand Dutchess didn't care that Ninotchka stole Leon from her.  Ninotchka and the three comrades return home, friends for life.  But Leon can't be held back.  Even if he couldn't get into the USSR, he could get Ninotchka out.  And with some fancy handiwork, Ninotchka is swept off her feet by Leon in the end.

What I draw from this movie is, again, the chemistry between Leon and Ninotchka.  Even though the Cold War would be years away (this film was released in 1939), the communists and the capitalists weren't exactly friendly to one another.  Obviously propaganda is a huge part of this movie, showing that a communist's heart can melt for love.  The same way I try to get the SO to like classic films (well, any films that I like - can you believe she doesn't care for Star Wars?  I know, the nerve of that woman!  Bad enough she likes Jar Jar...), this movie plays into the stereotype that communists are barely human, but on the other side, capitalists seem to be smooth talkers.

If you were to ask me if I would buy it, I would say no.  Definitely a movie to see, but not on my waiting list.  Worth renting to see because of the comedic banter between Douglas and Garbo, but not enough to make me own.  I do appreciate the films made during the time of World War II, and it plays a part in the next movie I review as well.  Who couldn't find comedy in it?

How can you fail with Hitler in a comedy?  Or for that matter, how could an assassination attempt on Hitler's life fail as a movie?  (Oops!  Sorry, Tom...)

Later!

"Perhaps you prefer a gentleman...Those panting hypocrites who like your legs but talk about your garters."

You couldn't ask for a more perfect Friday the 13th.  I mean, two, TWO, movies in one evening!  That never happens with the SO.  So to pull this off means she either was loopy from something (possibly from the concoction she tried to pass off as mac & cheese - she made up for it with NoBake Oreo Dessert...mmm!) or because she couldn't go to sleep before 11, so she had to pass the time somehow.  Either way, it helped empty the DVR just a little more, and that's always a good thing (especially when it helps create room for more movies!).

So the second of two horror movies Friday night was the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  That's right, the version from 1931.  An oldie but a goodie, as I like to call them.  You all know the tale...Doc believes their are two sides to each human, a good altruistic side and an animalistic bad side.  And he believes that he can create some chemical solution that can bring the bad side out.  With the use of only four beakers (but plenty of action going on behind those beakers with all kinds of glassware with other solutions not even remotely used) he mixes stuff together with a pipe in his mouth (how cool is that) and stirs out what has to be "dry ice."  Dry ice makes anything look cool.

Well, the explosion is cool, doesn't mean the people associated with it can count.  But I digress...

When the Doc takes the stuff, he turns into his animalistic side, Mr. Hyde.  I guess your bad side means you get hairy all over, your eyes sink into their sockets, and your teeth turn British.  Remind me NOT to have what he's having.  Anywho, the Hyde side can do anything Jekyll can't do because Jekyll must be on his best behavior at all times.  But when his bride-to-be leaves for a month, he must use Hyde to have a good time (meaning he can sleep around with the... you know, a woman who receives money so a guy can... you know... okay, a prostitute, Hyde gets a prostitute!)  but soon Jekyll learns that Hyde can come out at any time, whether or not the potion was consumed.

One thing leads to another, Hyde kills the prostitute, and Jekyll is screwed because eventually he will get caught.  As much as he may repent, in the end, Hyde is in control and that leads to the untimely death of the Doc (I guess Hyde, too, unless someone makes a cheesy horror sequel where Hyde magically escaped Jekyll's body and inserted himself into another unsuspecting fool... If you're reading this, Hollywood, just forget I even mentioned it!)

Because I already read the book, I really wanted to study the filmography of this classic.  What I got out of this were two things.  The camera angles are amazing.  Starting out with the camera as Jekyll's view is really amazing, especially when in front of a mirror!  I'm not sure you could do that anymore with films.  I think it's a lost art.

And two, the symbolism oozes out of every corner.  The boiling pot in Jekyll's laboratory seems to bubble and boil more as the story progresses until the solution boils out, just like Hyde.  Even with some of the less-than-stellar acting, the film stands the test of time and really makes you wish you could make a movie half as good as it.

The movie has potential for purchase, based on its filming creativity.  But I would say that it would be on a waiting list, just like those waiting on an organ transplant list.  It'll be a long time before I find an extra twenty lying around to buy the DVD.  But I do hope that I stumble upon it again in the future, so I can intensely study each detail of the movie, because one viewing is not enough.  Hopefully you can stumble on it, too.  If you appreciate the classics, or if you like creative filming techniques, you've got to watch this movie.

So that was Friday night, but the movie viewing didn't end there.  I've still got to go through the comedies I watched (well, they are comedies even if the SO doesn't think so - I think it has to do with her only watching HALF of the movie) and also what I ended up doing on VDay.  So in review, don't drink anything that might let the bad side out, because we all know what can happen if you do...

I'm talking to you, Steven.  Don't let George spike your punch again!

Later!

"I looked in the Yellow Pages. 'Furniture Movers we've got; 'Strange Phenomenon', there's no listing."

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed their VDay weekend.  I know I did.  When thinking about VDay, I think about love, flowers, chocolate, and horror movies!  Of course you do, too.  That's what happens when you have Friday the 13th right before VDay.

Wait, you didn't watch horror movies all night Friday like the SO and I did?  What did you do?  Restaurant?  Romantic Comedy?  Who are you people?  Don't you realize the significance of Friday the 13th and how you have to watch horror movies?  Well, I'll forgive you, since you do have 2 more opportunites this year (March and November) for Friday the 13th.  Hopefully Hollywood won't try to fill the screens with mind-numbing garbage (I'm talking to you, Freddy...).

We can get into details about how VDay went for me and the SO, but let's get to something a lot more important: movie reviews!  So many movies, so few lines to write them in.  Of course, with TCM's 31 Days, we had choices galore!  But because of time constraints (well, more like the SO and I couldn't keep our eyes open for much longer), we were able to watch two movies Friday night.  I know, it was movie madness, and there were three more days to Prez Day weekend.  So I had to pace myself.

So in this post, I will review Poltergeist, a classic movie about how building on a cemetery without removing the graves can all kinds of bad things - you know, furniture moving on its own, trees trying to swallow children, a vortex hole to a purgatory-like world in the closet - those kind of bad things.  Before we're privileged to that key info about the cemetery, we're introduced to Steve and Diane Freeling, an unassuming couple who live in a new housing development.  Steve (Craig T. Nelson) is responsible for most of the home sales.  He probably gets his suave rapport from the pot he smokes nightly with Diane(JoBeth Williams).  Really?  I can't see my parents doing that kind of stuff.  Even better when the kids know about it.

At the beginning of the movie, Carol Anne, the youngest daughter, is found talking to the TV (with the snow screen - I think she got into Mommy and Daddy's "snacks").  But it appears some spirit (most likely the Devil but it's not quite clear to me) is talking to her like a child, so she's more open to the spirit.  Somehow, this family is privileged to having all hell break loose on their house and no one else.  In order to save the family (including Carol Anne who gets sucked into a vortex in her closet), the Freelings rely on a group of parapsychologists and a spiritual medium in the form of Tangina Barrons, a short lady who appears to actually enjoy all of this, to get Carol Anne back.

Too bad they still live on a cemetery, thanks to Steve's boss, who decided to save a little money (I think the home sales people of today didn't watch this movie too closely!) by moving the grave markers and not the actual graves.  Probably also doesn't help that Diane put the kids back in their room that tried sucking them into the vortex.  That logic made this movie go from a scary movie to an absurd movie.  Again... really?!?  Well, that leads to the kids almost getting sucked in again, Diane having to swim with skeletons (which were real human skeletons - good thing they told Williams AFTER she swam with those bones).  Of course, everyone gets away, and the spirit sucks the entire house into the vortex, and the movie ends with the family going to a motel.

End of story, right?  Nope, two more sequels!  Of course, you have to milk the series for all it's worth.  As far as this film?  Pretty good.  I did enjoy the creatures and the use of special effects, unlike the CGI crap forced down our necks today.  As far as scary, not to me.  The SO gets frustrated because I don't scare easily from horror movies.  Which is bad because the SO easily gets startled.  Why is this bad?  For some reason, the SO thinks we have to make actual tactile stimulation in the form of sitting next to each other during a movie.  So when she jumps, she screams right next to me, so then I jump because I hate (HATE) when she does that, especially when the scene wasn't scary.

So, as far as a horror movie, pretty good but not scary.  As far as a film on its own merits, I would say that it follows a formulaic pattern from the 1980s.  Not saying that's a bad thing, but it does date the movie.  Don't worry, I won't be purchasing it any time soon.  So the collection won't be growing because of this film.  Although it would be nice to have more Craig T. Nelson...

I've got plenty more posts where that came from.  Another horror movie, and then it's on to classic comedies, where you can never go wrong.  Until then, later!

A VDay without the SO. Best. Idea. Ever.

Or at least I think it will be the best idea ever.  But it can only happen with a plan in place.  So the SO has already planned on going with a friend to the movies on Valentine's Day to go see Confessions of a Shopaholic.  I know, that is the biggest waste of money since yesterday (what can I do to stimulate your mind about what I'm talking about?).

Yeah, I said it and I'm not taking it back.  Back where, do you say?

Why, back...to the future!

Okay, so I went a little crazy there.  Okay I went octuplet mom crazy, but still, back to this post.

So the SO will not be around Saturday, which leaves me with a conundrum: what can I do with this time alone?  It's not going to be spent in lab.  That's just silly.  It comes down to three things.

1. Play The Force Unleashed on the Wii.  As much as it was given grief because it was too short on gameplay and because we can't be Vader for very long, I'm really into this game just for the sheer fact that the Wii allows for a little more interaction with the Force (viewer discretion advised):

2. I could watch some of the TCM 31 Days films I have stored up on the DVR.  I have this fear that it could get out of hand really quick if I don't watch more than one a weekend, so this is looking promising.  And it also saves the SO from watching these classics.  I already have at least 8 movies on the DVR, and it's not even halfway through the 31 days.  I feel like, like...

3. Finally, I could watch a season from a TV show I have on DVD.  If I really wanted to watch a single DVD selection a week, then watching an entire season of a TV show could prove hard as it takes more than a couple hours to watch.  And as the SO has the patience of a tick, this may be the best time to do this.  But what show should I watch?  Maybe...

If all else fails, I could set up all the TVs in the house in the living room, and arrange them so I could do all three tasks at once.  I could Wii it up on the 36", TCM it on the 27", and DVD it on the 13".  I'm not a multi-tasker, but I'm all for new things.  Although I haven't considered whether this could be detrimental to my health.  It could cause strange things to happen...

I know, it could be THAT scary.  Not to mention what it could do to the space-time continuum or the 1.21 gigawatts necessary to power all three TVs at the same time...

Well, I don't know about gigawatts, but if you notice a dip in power around my neck of the woods, you'll know why.  So after much deliberation on the three possible choices, my decision is...

"I'd like to spell it out for you... only I can't spell! "

This will be the first of three posts related to this past weekend.  Because of course, I like to watch old movies at 6:30 in the morning.  There really isn't a greater time to watch, mostly because the SO isn't up (well, usually) and that means that I can watch half of the movie in peace and the other half all I hear are moans and complaints about how old movies (I like to call them classics - which is more than I can say for most modern movies, but that's for another tangent) are so boring.  This is the same SO who can't get enough of National Lampoon's Van Wilder (so you get my drift about her taste in movies).

This may be the first of many posts this week for movies that come from TCM's 31 Days, mostly because the DVR will get backed up quickly, so let's begin.  Saturday morning, I was delighted and amazed at the classic comedy "The Apartment."  Starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, this movie follows the life of Lemmon's C.C. Baxter, a poor sap who uses his apartment to get ahead in the insurance biz.  Unfortunately, he's not getting the ... (yes, I went the sexual joke route).

Baxter allows his apartment to be used for his uppers' trysts (don't try Googling "tryst" - you'll get some interesting first websites).  In order to boost his potential for one day being an executive himself in the company, he goes along with it, allowing four execs the opportunity to use his apartment for their affairs with mistresses.  And all Baxter wants is his own office.  Of course he's the nice guy getting duped, and his neighbors believe he's the scum of the earth (mostly because they think he's the one having the lavish lifestyle).  Along the way we meet MacLaine's Fran Kubelik, an elevator girl that Baxter has a thing for but won't initiate anything.  We know she notices him, but unfortunately we have to find out that she's in on an affair with Fred MacMurray's Jeff D. Sheldrake (who uses Baxter's apartment - you see where I'm going with this).

When Baxter finds out, and when Kubelik realizes Sheldrake won't leave his wife, the two are put in a most difficult situation.  Baxter has to decide if he'll allow this to go on in his apartment, and Kubelik decides life's not worth living.  As far as a comedy goes, this is when it gets dark.  Suffice it to say, everything in the end is what each person deserves.  Some leave with a happy ending (the obvious character, well, characters) and one person celebrates New Year's empty-handed.

For as much as the SO complained, the movie is funny from the get-go.  It's only when Baxter helps Kubelik back to health when it gets a little dark.  The dialogue, the score, everything really works.  You have to feel for Baxter because he's been put in this situation and doesn't know how to get himself out of it.  Sometimes you just have to stop what you're doing and start over.  In this case, starting over somewhere else.  Even if it weren't on any all-time movie lists, I know that this would still be a winner in my book.  Maybe if the SO watched both halves, she'd understand, too.  One post down, two more to go.  Later!

"Great"

And so it begins, actually, the day before TCM's "31 Days of Oscars."  I'm talking about my review of 20 movies from the huge event (for those of us who love movies, it's a huge event).  So, actually the first movie I get to review from TCM actually isn't part of the 31 days, but it is part of AFI's comedy list (see earlier posts), so it counts for me.  A movie that takes the word "great" and turns its meaning upside-down.  I'm talking about the movie Shampoo.  

It seems apparent the type of character George Roundy (Warren Beatty) is going to be throughout the movie, with a married woman, Felicia Carp (Lee Grant) in his bed at the beginning and he has to go see his "girlfriend" Jill (Goldie Hawn) across town.  With a wonderful head of hair, George is a hairdresser to all kinds of women, well-to-do and the up-and-coming, and all of them want to sleep with him.  All George wants is his own hair salon...and women.  And it seems his ability to get his own salon will involve more than one female companion.

The only way it could get more difficult is the addition of another woman, which of course happens when Jackie Shawn (Julie Christie) enters the picture as Felicia's husband's mistress.  I know, and you thought George was the only sleazebag in the movie.  And it's not clear what is more important to George, the salon or sleeping with women.  With a very interesting couple scenes with Felicia's daughter (Carrie Fisher), George can't get much lower as a human being.

That's until Felicia and Jackie meet at an election night party (for Richard Nixon back in 1968) and the two women's looks at each other sends shivers down the spine (you know what I mean), but George's love for loving, he ends up screwing up all his relationships with women.  When he does figure out he wants to be with Jackie, she ultimately tells him he's too late, and he's left to himself as Jackie runs away with Felicia's ex-husband.  At the end, I'm not sure if I should feel sorry for him.  No, I don't feel sorry for him not getting the woman.  It doesn't seem possible to feel that way for George.  Actually I feel sorry for him because he's never going to find true love.  Whether or not Jackie was "the one," I'm not sure he would have stayed faithful to her.  There's nothing in this movie that makes me feel empathy for George.  But he'll most likely end up with a number of young and older women, and most likely one of them will have a significant other who doesn't take too kindly to George and will have him put away like a bad perm.

So this is not the comedy movie where you laugh at slapstick.  This is a movie that makes you think and chuckle at how absurd each person is in this complicated love triangle (rectangle? octagon?).  I'm glad to say I have seen this movie, but it's pretty certain that this will not be a movie added to the collection.  As much as I am jealous of Warren's hair, I will have to pass.  Even though the SO hasn't read this yet, I can already hear the sound of joy in her heart knowing that I won't be spending more money on DVDs.  I hope she's happy...

Well, I still have to tell you about a great purchase, and I also have two movies to review (it was the SO's weekend, so of course it's gotta be twice the torture...pleasure for movie viewing).  Later!

And it begins...

Not even all the way through my previous post, the SO was complaining about the 18 (now 20 - I found Shampoo was on last night, and I completely missed The Miracle of Morgan's Creek in the 31 Days) movies we have to watch, but then she caught herself when she finally read that it would be 18 (now 20!) times the SO would complain about watching that many movies.  If she would only learn to read all the way through, she wouldn't be so predictable in her response...

Sorry for the short post (I'll have something tomorrow about a great deal at a great place with an eye for style, possibly a bull's...) so I'll leave you with this:

Why this clip?  Who knows?  All I know is it's funny, and we all need a laugh once in a while...

Later!

31 days of AWESOME!

So I just got the schedule for TCM's "31 Days of Oscars," where they show movies that received Academy Award nominations.  "Why is this awesome", you say?  "And shouldn't you be watching all of your DVDs first?"  Hell, no.  And I'll tell you why.

A little thing called the AFI (American Film Institute) come out with lists every year since 1998 highlighting some of the best films and actors in American film history.  I've been trying to complete two of the lists.  The first is the 100 greatest films of all time (1998 version).  The other is the 100 greatest comedies of all time (2000).  I started out with films I could rent from the library (and there are a lot!).  But I haven't been able to really dedicate my time to fulfilling these lists since graduate school.  Yeah, so five years have gone by and I'm not much closer than I was before.

But that will change with what TCM is doing.  I know they have had this before on the cable network, but this year I have the viewing list and I have DVR and the world is good...

So in the next month or so, there will be 11 movies from the greatest films list and 8 from the comedies list (of these, the only repeat for both lists is The Apartment).  So that means 18 movies, 18 times to hear the SO complain that we're watching another movie.  And I like it!  The DVR will definitely get a good workout, and my reviewing skills should get some practice, too.

What?  You thought I'd only review the movies from my DVD list?  Well, I thought about it, and since these are movies, and I'm trying to work on my mad skills as a writer and a film critic, I should at least critique these movies that Oscar decided were worthy of accolades.  So in the next week, you'll be getting a lot more of me.  And a lot more stories about the SO.  Should be a good time.  Later!