- Awards
- 24
Yesssss. But in Rosemary's she was more like Minnie Castevet...
What was the last film you watched?
- Thread starter Mel O'Drama
- Start date
- Copy link Copy link
- Awards
- 44
- Awards
- 9
Yes that's precisely what I recall reading -- I'm just not clear how the timeline works out if Christie died a year before Ustinov played the role!
- Awards
- 44
The Lady In The Van (2015)
Almost as incredible as this (mostly) true story is, what's even more incredible is that it's had so many lives: a 1989 essay; a 1990 book; a 1999 stage play; a 2009 radio play, and then this film.
Alan Bennett, of course, is the man behind them all, as well as being one of its subjects (well, two or three subjects, really, since his duality is represented here by two Bennetts, as well as the real McCoy making a cameo appearance). Alex Jennings is very convincing as Alan Bennett. The very specific look helps, of course (the glasses, the fair hair, the very specific wardrobe), but not only is Jennings adept at capturing the right inflections and mannerisms (I wasn't sure about the Leeds accent at first, but was quickly won over by the performance as a whole), his features also greatly resemble those of the person he's playing.
The film is also Maggie Smith's third outing as the eponymous character. Having previously done the stage and radio plays, she had a history with the part going back a decade and a half.
It's a triumph for both, with no shortage of Bennett's wry and memorable dialogue ("Who are you, coming in here and asking if the Archbishop likes meringues?", an incredulous nun asks Bennett at one point). As far as Maggie Smith goes, it's a truly great performance. It's as unglamorous as it gets, which I'm guessing she loved. Much is made of the woman's body odour and unsanitary habits, with her excrement popping up in the most unlikely places. But her every line and every look fascinates, and there's a great depth to it all that's true compelling. The balance of comedy and tragedy is as perfectly artful as it gets so it hits the right note every time.
There's a wealth of familiar faces, from Frances de la Tour as Ursula Vaughan Williams (Mrs Ralph Vaughan Williams) to Gwen Taylor as Bennett's Mam. Jim Broadbent's there, too. As is Rosalind Knight, best known to be for some British films of the late Fifties and early Sixties (most notably a couple of Carry Ons) . And then almost the entire cast of The History Boys appear in cameos.
It's a really lovely film that perfectly captures time and place (the passing of time marked by details such as the cars providing the street furniture, or Bennett's changing spectacles) while at the same time being timeless and universal.
I'd definitely be up for a second look at this at some point, and it's also reminded me that I need to explore more of Alan's works. A DVD with six of his plays currently sits unopened on my shelf, while I've been eyeing up some of his other material for some time.
Almost as incredible as this (mostly) true story is, what's even more incredible is that it's had so many lives: a 1989 essay; a 1990 book; a 1999 stage play; a 2009 radio play, and then this film.
Alan Bennett, of course, is the man behind them all, as well as being one of its subjects (well, two or three subjects, really, since his duality is represented here by two Bennetts, as well as the real McCoy making a cameo appearance). Alex Jennings is very convincing as Alan Bennett. The very specific look helps, of course (the glasses, the fair hair, the very specific wardrobe), but not only is Jennings adept at capturing the right inflections and mannerisms (I wasn't sure about the Leeds accent at first, but was quickly won over by the performance as a whole), his features also greatly resemble those of the person he's playing.
The film is also Maggie Smith's third outing as the eponymous character. Having previously done the stage and radio plays, she had a history with the part going back a decade and a half.
It's a triumph for both, with no shortage of Bennett's wry and memorable dialogue ("Who are you, coming in here and asking if the Archbishop likes meringues?", an incredulous nun asks Bennett at one point). As far as Maggie Smith goes, it's a truly great performance. It's as unglamorous as it gets, which I'm guessing she loved. Much is made of the woman's body odour and unsanitary habits, with her excrement popping up in the most unlikely places. But her every line and every look fascinates, and there's a great depth to it all that's true compelling. The balance of comedy and tragedy is as perfectly artful as it gets so it hits the right note every time.
There's a wealth of familiar faces, from Frances de la Tour as Ursula Vaughan Williams (Mrs Ralph Vaughan Williams) to Gwen Taylor as Bennett's Mam. Jim Broadbent's there, too. As is Rosalind Knight, best known to be for some British films of the late Fifties and early Sixties (most notably a couple of Carry Ons) . And then almost the entire cast of The History Boys appear in cameos.
It's a really lovely film that perfectly captures time and place (the passing of time marked by details such as the cars providing the street furniture, or Bennett's changing spectacles) while at the same time being timeless and universal.
I'd definitely be up for a second look at this at some point, and it's also reminded me that I need to explore more of Alan's works. A DVD with six of his plays currently sits unopened on my shelf, while I've been eyeing up some of his other material for some time.
Same here. It's certainly a mystery.
The page mentions Christie's daughter making a comment to Ustinov, so perhaps that was in some way interpreted as an official statement from the estate, which has come to be (mis)interpreted as the view of Agatha herself. It's all guesswork, though.
This is also possible, I suppose. If it is the case, it must have been telegraphed well in advance, since Christie died in January 1976 and it looks like shooting commenced in late 1977.
I suppose it's also possible there was speculation about who might play Poirot in future films, just as people speculate today about who might play the next Bond or Batman.
- Awards
- 10
I read Lady in the Van in its original incarnation in Writing Home, many years ago, and followed all the incarnations.
It is remarkable how she just turned up outside his house and how he tolerated her for years. He says the smell from the van was often disgusting, but he developed this peculiarly touching relationship with her.
Do explore some of his other works too. A Question of Attribution has Prunella Scales playing one of the most convincing portrayals of the late Queen I can remember seeing.
Last edited:
- Awards
- 27
THE MAN WHO HAUNTED HIMSELF (1970)
At long last I found a new copy but was a little alarmed by the Network label. They never do subtitles and I have a long history of Network DVDs behaving very temperamentally.
Luckily, no problems at all this time, and there are subtitles that helps me to decipher the muffled and/or floridly old-fashioned British dialogue.
Quite bizarrely, the DVD is housed in a slim case, something I had previously only seen as part of a collection or box set (e.g. Knots Landing, Falcon Crest).
And perhaps this is also the case (no pun intended) for TMWHH because the image posted here shows bluray and dvd and the one I have only has the DVD logo on it.
I guess I could say something about the film....
The story opens with Roger Moore as boardroom executive Harold Pelham driving his car, unfastens his seat belt and starts to drive fast and recklessly.
The grimace on his face plus the visual overlapping with a different car strongly hints at a supernatural force taking over Pelham's behaviour.
Not surprisingly this journey ends with a crash. It doesn't look too exciting - some traffic cones get smashed in the process.
He almost dies in surgery but is revived with two different heartbeats.
The story makes a post-recovery time jump and that's when things become very complicated for Pelham. He's been in places and has said or done things he can't explain.
Since these events contradict what we see on screen it's kinda obvious that there is in fact a physical doppelganger wheeling and dealing and sleazing on behalf of our confused protagonist.
Still, the story leaves enough room for themes like short-term amnesia or gaslighting, and eventually Harold Pelham ends up on the couch, so to speak.
The psychiatrist is...similar to how a gay man or French person would be portrayed in a British film from the 1970s. Very colourful. In fact, I kept thinking of Dr. Lawrence Jacoby from Twin Peaks.
Nevertheless, this therapy session reveals the possibility of an internal, sociological conflict. Harold's impersonator is the man Harold wants to be: the confident, greedy, pre-eighties yuppie without scruples. So here we have a distinctive 1970s connection with Man At The Top and Colin Baker in The Brothers.
The only reason why both Pelham and I refuse to buy into it is because we're too focused on the thriller aspect of the story. It's got to be something more sinister than that.
In the film's final act it does indeed seem like a case of supernatural villainy, including the wrong man being accused of the identity theft.
But then New Harold explains to Old Harold that Old Harold wasn't supposed to have survived the accident, and when Old Harold dies (or disappears?) in the second car chase, New Harold grabs his chest as if he's losing one of the two hearbeats. But we don't know which one...
And so it turns out that the wacky psychiatrist was right after all. Conventional, suburban Harold wanted to break free from his midlife crisis.
The ending could also suggest, in a "It's A Wonderful Life" sort of way, that it was Old Harold who survived the second accident and regained his personality.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service gets mentioned, by Roger himself, and perhaps it capitalised on George Lazenby's peculiar introduction in that Bond film, or the idea that Roger Moore was considered for the role (before he did it a few years later). It's always nice to overthink stuff, isn't it.
The DVD has the loveliest special feature I've ever seen: a 34 minutes suite of Michael J. Lewis' original score.
In the film, that score also came from an LP record.
Of course. A Souvenirs From Greece, how very Euro seventies.
All things considered, the film's a nice pastime but it hasn't aged wonderfully. The theme had been done before and has been done after TMWHH but that shouldn't be an obstacle, imo. I've seen hundreds of Get Carters before I saw the film from 1971, and yet that seventies film sizzles with authentic menace and sleaze.
TMWHH isn't "sexy" enough and doesn't look particularly cinematic - except for the traffic cones,of course.
I don't think I'll put it on the shelf....which inadvertently solves the problem of the funny-looking DVD case.
At long last I found a new copy but was a little alarmed by the Network label. They never do subtitles and I have a long history of Network DVDs behaving very temperamentally.
Luckily, no problems at all this time, and there are subtitles that helps me to decipher the muffled and/or floridly old-fashioned British dialogue.
Quite bizarrely, the DVD is housed in a slim case, something I had previously only seen as part of a collection or box set (e.g. Knots Landing, Falcon Crest).
And perhaps this is also the case (no pun intended) for TMWHH because the image posted here shows bluray and dvd and the one I have only has the DVD logo on it.
I guess I could say something about the film....
The story opens with Roger Moore as boardroom executive Harold Pelham driving his car, unfastens his seat belt and starts to drive fast and recklessly.
The grimace on his face plus the visual overlapping with a different car strongly hints at a supernatural force taking over Pelham's behaviour.
Not surprisingly this journey ends with a crash. It doesn't look too exciting - some traffic cones get smashed in the process.
He almost dies in surgery but is revived with two different heartbeats.
The story makes a post-recovery time jump and that's when things become very complicated for Pelham. He's been in places and has said or done things he can't explain.
Since these events contradict what we see on screen it's kinda obvious that there is in fact a physical doppelganger wheeling and dealing and sleazing on behalf of our confused protagonist.
Still, the story leaves enough room for themes like short-term amnesia or gaslighting, and eventually Harold Pelham ends up on the couch, so to speak.
The psychiatrist is...similar to how a gay man or French person would be portrayed in a British film from the 1970s. Very colourful. In fact, I kept thinking of Dr. Lawrence Jacoby from Twin Peaks.
Nevertheless, this therapy session reveals the possibility of an internal, sociological conflict. Harold's impersonator is the man Harold wants to be: the confident, greedy, pre-eighties yuppie without scruples. So here we have a distinctive 1970s connection with Man At The Top and Colin Baker in The Brothers.
The only reason why both Pelham and I refuse to buy into it is because we're too focused on the thriller aspect of the story. It's got to be something more sinister than that.
In the film's final act it does indeed seem like a case of supernatural villainy, including the wrong man being accused of the identity theft.
But then New Harold explains to Old Harold that Old Harold wasn't supposed to have survived the accident, and when Old Harold dies (or disappears?) in the second car chase, New Harold grabs his chest as if he's losing one of the two hearbeats. But we don't know which one...
And so it turns out that the wacky psychiatrist was right after all. Conventional, suburban Harold wanted to break free from his midlife crisis.
The ending could also suggest, in a "It's A Wonderful Life" sort of way, that it was Old Harold who survived the second accident and regained his personality.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service gets mentioned, by Roger himself, and perhaps it capitalised on George Lazenby's peculiar introduction in that Bond film, or the idea that Roger Moore was considered for the role (before he did it a few years later). It's always nice to overthink stuff, isn't it.
The DVD has the loveliest special feature I've ever seen: a 34 minutes suite of Michael J. Lewis' original score.
In the film, that score also came from an LP record.
Of course. A Souvenirs From Greece, how very Euro seventies.
All things considered, the film's a nice pastime but it hasn't aged wonderfully. The theme had been done before and has been done after TMWHH but that shouldn't be an obstacle, imo. I've seen hundreds of Get Carters before I saw the film from 1971, and yet that seventies film sizzles with authentic menace and sleaze.
TMWHH isn't "sexy" enough and doesn't look particularly cinematic - except for the traffic cones,of course.
I don't think I'll put it on the shelf....which inadvertently solves the problem of the funny-looking DVD case.
- Awards
- 20
A Dog's Journey (2019)
This is one of those sequels that doesn't really need to exist, but is nonetheless a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.
I still think the fantasy aspects sit rather uneasily with the dramatic plotlines, but I knew what to expect this time so it wasn't as jarring.
This is one of those sequels that doesn't really need to exist, but is nonetheless a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.
I still think the fantasy aspects sit rather uneasily with the dramatic plotlines, but I knew what to expect this time so it wasn't as jarring.
- Awards
- 20
I haven't seen this in literally decades but I remember being very impressed with it. I see it listed in the TV guide from time to time. I should PVR it when I get the chance.
- Awards
- 24
I re-watched a Hitchcock classic this last week: "Rear Window". Starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly and the amazing Thelma Ritter.
Yes, in Spain it was titled "The Indiscreet Window", for once better than the original title.
I had seen this one multiple times, in English and Spanish, but this time I was terrified at how awful the translation of some lines were. As you may know, this is one of 5 movies that Hitch "left" to his daughter Pat and were not screened for decades, along with others from the same period. Since the Spanish dialogue score probably was damaged (or heavily, pettily censored), it was re-dubbed for the re-release and TV airings at mid-80s. The dubbing casting was great, but I just couldn´t believe the way some of the words were translated, or maybe it was "professional deformation" from moi...
Not a spoiler: this is probably the most heartbreaking
moment in the whole movie.
Aside from that, I liked it as much as the first time I saw it. It´s not one of my 5 Hitch favs, but I find it impeccable and more a concept movie à la "Rope" than the telling of a suspenseful story, not that there is not suspense in it. The main characters are quickly introduced and defined, and the stars just use their talents to connect with the audience, and probably Ritter is the one who manages to get the most out of her character. She might as well have been Birdy from "All About Eve" doing a supplementary job after-hours after attending Margo Channing...
"Now I´m leaving, Margo. If you b**** paid me
enough, I shouldn´t have to moonlight as a nurse,
and keep an eye on that Eve slut!"
Kelly never looked lovelier and Stewart never acted naughtier, which was a great combination. The new conclusion I got to was that it´s a "vignette movie" with a string of comic strips, and a lot of ongoing stories put through a prism of black comedy and candid voyeurism. I was surprised at how lightly the murder plot was taken, and how quickly was swept under the rug at the end. The murderer also looked like a caricature... and eventually, you realize that it´s a minimalist masterpiece.... or two hours of (kinda) sexy entertainment. Very recommendable.
I lol´d when Princess Grace showed up
wearing this Angelica Nero outfit...
Here is a very interesting documentary (subtitled in Spanish but spoken in English) about the movie. Enjoy it!
Yes, in Spain it was titled "The Indiscreet Window", for once better than the original title.
Not a spoiler: this is probably the most heartbreaking
moment in the whole movie.
Aside from that, I liked it as much as the first time I saw it. It´s not one of my 5 Hitch favs, but I find it impeccable and more a concept movie à la "Rope" than the telling of a suspenseful story, not that there is not suspense in it. The main characters are quickly introduced and defined, and the stars just use their talents to connect with the audience, and probably Ritter is the one who manages to get the most out of her character. She might as well have been Birdy from "All About Eve" doing a supplementary job after-hours after attending Margo Channing...
"Now I´m leaving, Margo. If you b**** paid me
enough, I shouldn´t have to moonlight as a nurse,
and keep an eye on that Eve slut!"
Kelly never looked lovelier and Stewart never acted naughtier, which was a great combination. The new conclusion I got to was that it´s a "vignette movie" with a string of comic strips, and a lot of ongoing stories put through a prism of black comedy and candid voyeurism. I was surprised at how lightly the murder plot was taken, and how quickly was swept under the rug at the end. The murderer also looked like a caricature... and eventually, you realize that it´s a minimalist masterpiece.... or two hours of (kinda) sexy entertainment. Very recommendable.
I lol´d when Princess Grace showed up
wearing this Angelica Nero outfit...
Here is a very interesting documentary (subtitled in Spanish but spoken in English) about the movie. Enjoy it!
Last edited:
- Awards
- 44
What a fascinating exercise. Do you have a preferred incarnation, and are there any significant differences between versions (other than the book presumably containing more detail than the essay or stage, screen and radio versions)?
Thanks. Every time I read Alan Bennett's name I feel a pang of guilt that I'm not more familiar with his works.
I love how international versions of films come with their own stories and, from what you say, their own politics and troubles. Now I'm curious about "heavily, pettily censored" films that you've seen. And I'm also intrigued by the curious translation even in the re-dubbed version, and how this affected the story.
Twenty years ago when I first thoroughly explored Hitch's works I remember Rear Window being my favourite. I'm not sure it would be today, but I'd say it's a contender for a Top Five.
I'd agree with it being a concept movie, and that's why it appeals to me so much. Like Rope, what really grabs me is the theatrical tone, with all of it taking place on one set and seen from one person's perspective. Both feel like they're adapted from stage plays. There's a sense of artifice and they're clearly on sets, but the viewer quickly becomes immersed in this alternative world.
Yes. It's quite soap operatic as well. I've wondered if this concept might adapt to an ongoing series, with each season focussing on a very specific sequence of events, and each episode seen from a different resident's POV.
Yes, it feels quite irreverent, which adds another layer to it. I love the scene where Thelma Ritter casually talks about how he would need to use the bathtub to chop up the body, and it feels as though she's enjoying it.
All three of the main characters begin enjoying themselves as things unfold. Something exciting is happening to them, and they don't disguise that enjoyment out of moral propriety or societal expectation. In that regard it's very politically incorrect, which makes it refreshing (certainly by today's standards) and hugely enjoyable.
- Awards
- 20
Fear the Night (2023)
The "Moments of Truth" episode of Knots Landing meets Die Hard.
A group of women go out to an isolated farmhouse for a bachelorette party (as one does) where they are confronted by a pack of armed attackers. Fortunately, ex-marine and erstwhile Nikita Maggie Q is among their number.
The "Moments of Truth" episode of Knots Landing meets Die Hard.
A group of women go out to an isolated farmhouse for a bachelorette party (as one does) where they are confronted by a pack of armed attackers. Fortunately, ex-marine and erstwhile Nikita Maggie Q is among their number.
- Awards
- 24
Here is my tribute watch of a David Lynch movie I had never seen ("Eraserhead" is the other one): "Wild at Heart".
Again, another story that seems to develop in a sort of universe parallel to "Twin Peaks". Cage is an ex-convict who went to jail for killing a man who threatened her girlfriend Laura Dern (quite far from her posher roles of late). Real-life Dern´s mama plays her screen mama, a total lunatic Jessica Lange would have killed to play for: long nails, various wigs, hysterical voice and possessive with her daughter.
Does this image reminds you another from "Knots"?
Well, there is more: Dern´s character is called LULA,
which rhymes with SHULA, Val´s birthtown.
Did Lynch watch "Knots"...?
The couple hit the road when he is released from prison, and things start to happen. The supporting cast is as inspired as it could be: a very warm-hearted Harry Dean Stanton, a supercreepy Willem Dafoe, a blonde Isabella Rossellini, and, briefly, three "Twin Peaks" alumni: Sheryl Lee (as Glinda, yes that one!!), Sherilyn Fenn and Grace Zabrisky, aka the woman who shot Karen Fairgate and gave birth to Laura Palmer.
It´s Lynch on full mode: bright reds, unexpected gore, mention of UFO´s and The Wizard of Oz, etc. I´d say that this is the one that seemed to me more consistent and entertaining, although my favorite is his least Lynchian "The Elephant Man". A lot of simulated sex and nudity in this, by the way (I was surprised that Isabella didn´t end up nude at one or other scene, but she´s hardly seen in this!). Cage was never more contained and the soundtrack is brilliant, with that amazing "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak heard in its second hour.
Again, another story that seems to develop in a sort of universe parallel to "Twin Peaks". Cage is an ex-convict who went to jail for killing a man who threatened her girlfriend Laura Dern (quite far from her posher roles of late). Real-life Dern´s mama plays her screen mama, a total lunatic Jessica Lange would have killed to play for: long nails, various wigs, hysterical voice and possessive with her daughter.
Does this image reminds you another from "Knots"?
Well, there is more: Dern´s character is called LULA,
which rhymes with SHULA, Val´s birthtown.
Did Lynch watch "Knots"...?
It´s Lynch on full mode: bright reds, unexpected gore, mention of UFO´s and The Wizard of Oz, etc. I´d say that this is the one that seemed to me more consistent and entertaining, although my favorite is his least Lynchian "The Elephant Man". A lot of simulated sex and nudity in this, by the way (I was surprised that Isabella didn´t end up nude at one or other scene, but she´s hardly seen in this!). Cage was never more contained and the soundtrack is brilliant, with that amazing "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak heard in its second hour.
Last edited:
- Awards
- 24
This weekend I watched several movies with my best friend, and the first of them was a rewatch...
"Tootsie": A Sydney Pollack film starring Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange (in her first Oscar-winning role), Dabney Coleman (who seems to be reprising his "9 to 5" part), Charles Durning, a fantastic Teri Garr, Bill Murray and a beginner Geena Davis, among others. More on these others at the end of the post.
Davis debuted in movies as one of the cast
members in the soap, sharing her dressroom
with "Dorothy Michaels".
One of my favorite all-time comedies, it keeps its fast pacing from beginning to end. The story is about a 40something actor (Hoffman) who can´t make a living and randomly ends up taking a female role in a soap called "General Hospital" (which I´d assume is NOT that GH soap). He hits it big and falls in love with a fellow actress (Lange) in the process, also affecting the lives of a small group of people and changing his view and attitude towards women.
"Anyone saw my pearls, dears?"
This is a pure classic and hasn´t changed in 40 years, or maybe it´s even funnier to watch because of the careers most of its cast eventually had. Is it PC? It succeeds even in that aspect: its subject is not trans people, or crossdressing, or gayness. It´s about survival and the consequences of faking who you are, and who hasn´t lied in their lives? It´s a really pleasant movie to watch. The Dave Grusin score is like a massage for your brain, and Stephen Bishop´s songs are either romantic or funny. The legend says that Hoffman secretly directed it (pulling a Barbra), and Pollack ended up sick of him.
You can´t fail with these two...
And then Jessica. Oh Jessica! This was released the same year than "Frances", and she was nominated for both movies, though the "Tootsie" one was for supporting actress, which she won. It took her over 10 years to win the "big" one for a minor movie called "Blue Sky". Through the years she has become one of the best, most beloved actresses of her generation and the next too, with her many roles for TV, including the 4 seasons of "American Horror Stories" she starred in.
Don´t miss this video, with Jessica looking so shy and sweet!
A time when legends gave Oscars away and actors kissed each
other instead of punching! It´s the end of the world!
The movie also got nominations for best film, actor, supporting actress (Garr), director, screenplay, cinematography, sound, editing and song. That film season was also remarkable for queerness, with such roles as John Lithgow´s trans character in "The world according to Garp" and the ultra-classic "Victor / Victoria", with all kinds of crossdressing, homosexuality, lesbianism and bisexuality all rolled into one amazing treat of a movie.
The funniest scene in a comedy ever.
And now, guess who I found in a "wink-and-miss" appearance in "Tootsie"?
Yesss, it´s HER!!!
The April woman digging for some gold in one party at about 50´of the film!!
I had no idea and it was my friend who recognized her. Congrats Miss Wilson
for appearing in an Oscar-nominated movie!!
PS: The movie is so early 80s that you can´t miss the fact that it represents the world of nighttime soaps as much as the daytime soaps, when everybody stopped doing everything to watch their favorite shows, when actors got "killed" if they asked too much money, and when people talked about the plots the next morning. Anecdotically, the Spanish-dubbed version features an homage to "Dallas" in the scene where Murray mentions that Indian Americans are as American as the Barrymores and Danny and Marie Osmond. In Spanish, he says "and Pamela and J.R. from "Dallas" (since nobody knew the Osmonds here). Seriously.
"Tootsie": A Sydney Pollack film starring Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange (in her first Oscar-winning role), Dabney Coleman (who seems to be reprising his "9 to 5" part), Charles Durning, a fantastic Teri Garr, Bill Murray and a beginner Geena Davis, among others. More on these others at the end of the post.
Davis debuted in movies as one of the cast
members in the soap, sharing her dressroom
with "Dorothy Michaels".
One of my favorite all-time comedies, it keeps its fast pacing from beginning to end. The story is about a 40something actor (Hoffman) who can´t make a living and randomly ends up taking a female role in a soap called "General Hospital" (which I´d assume is NOT that GH soap). He hits it big and falls in love with a fellow actress (Lange) in the process, also affecting the lives of a small group of people and changing his view and attitude towards women.
"Anyone saw my pearls, dears?"
This is a pure classic and hasn´t changed in 40 years, or maybe it´s even funnier to watch because of the careers most of its cast eventually had. Is it PC? It succeeds even in that aspect: its subject is not trans people, or crossdressing, or gayness. It´s about survival and the consequences of faking who you are, and who hasn´t lied in their lives? It´s a really pleasant movie to watch. The Dave Grusin score is like a massage for your brain, and Stephen Bishop´s songs are either romantic or funny. The legend says that Hoffman secretly directed it (pulling a Barbra), and Pollack ended up sick of him.
You can´t fail with these two...
And then Jessica. Oh Jessica! This was released the same year than "Frances", and she was nominated for both movies, though the "Tootsie" one was for supporting actress, which she won. It took her over 10 years to win the "big" one for a minor movie called "Blue Sky". Through the years she has become one of the best, most beloved actresses of her generation and the next too, with her many roles for TV, including the 4 seasons of "American Horror Stories" she starred in.
A time when legends gave Oscars away and actors kissed each
other instead of punching! It´s the end of the world!
The movie also got nominations for best film, actor, supporting actress (Garr), director, screenplay, cinematography, sound, editing and song. That film season was also remarkable for queerness, with such roles as John Lithgow´s trans character in "The world according to Garp" and the ultra-classic "Victor / Victoria", with all kinds of crossdressing, homosexuality, lesbianism and bisexuality all rolled into one amazing treat of a movie.
The funniest scene in a comedy ever.
And now, guess who I found in a "wink-and-miss" appearance in "Tootsie"?
Yesss, it´s HER!!!
The April woman digging for some gold in one party at about 50´of the film!!
I had no idea and it was my friend who recognized her. Congrats Miss Wilson
for appearing in an Oscar-nominated movie!!
Last edited:
- Awards
- 20
Get Christie Love! (1974 telefilm)
This holds up better than I expected. It's very much of the seventies in style and fashion and, having read Dorothy Uhnak's original novel series a while back, I can say that the film could certainly have benefited from greater use of the character development therein. But the plot based on a the third novel "The Ledger" is still clever and involving.
This holds up better than I expected. It's very much of the seventies in style and fashion and, having read Dorothy Uhnak's original novel series a while back, I can say that the film could certainly have benefited from greater use of the character development therein. But the plot based on a the third novel "The Ledger" is still clever and involving.
- Awards
- 44
A Simple Plan (1998)
This is a completely new one for me. I'd never heard of it until I added it to my watchlist recently. As I began to watch, all I knew of the film was the poster image (sans tagline) and a brief overview from the listing:
This is a completely new one for me. I'd never heard of it until I added it to my watchlist recently. As I began to watch, all I knew of the film was the poster image (sans tagline) and a brief overview from the listing:
It was vague enough to allow the film to go in any direction so had potential to surprise, which was enough to lure me in.
The film opens with characters wishing one another "Happy New Year", but it tuned out that these scenes were set in the daytime on New Year's Eve. Is this standard in America, or is it a creative choice for the film? I've never known anyone to say this before the clock strikes midnight, and in Britain this would probably be considered rather inappropriate (and probably very unlucky according to the superstition that drove the tradition in the first place).
What a surprise to see first Danny Elfman's name in the credits, and then Sam Raimi as director. These were the only clues as to when the film was made, because visually it felt simultaneously contemporary and timeless. It looked really nice, particularly the snowy canvas on which it plays out.
Another paradox was that the film was far more eventful than expected whilst also feeling very slow-paced at times. There was a lot of breathing room and there were scenes that felt almost dull, but then it would escalate and build and with the big picture, everything was important.
The performances are all top-notch. Bill Paxton was torn wonderfully. Billy Bob Thornton's character was somewhere between Lenny from Of Mice And Men and Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, though visually I kept seeing Austin Powers (and he had Jack Duckworth's trademark taped specs). Bridget Fonda's character started out appearing to be the most ethical but money has a way of changing these things. Brent Briscoe had a nice undercurrent of threat to his performance, while Gary Cole was nicely oblique as the FBI agent.
The fact that the charactes live in a small rural community adds to the sense of paranoia. Everyone knows everybody else - and their business - yet homes are remote enough to create a sense of isolation.
The film's themes are most compelling. I'd hoped for a moral dilemma about what to do with the money found, and I got it. There's also the conspiracy element, with closely-tied people sharing a secret, which allows for increasing paranoia. Do they screw over the others before they themselves are screwed, or are they better off keeping everyone on side? A lot of nuance is created around this element and it makes for very taut viewing. Each attempt to cover up the secret involves another moral choice, and it's fascinating to see how much can be justified in these conditions.
Ultimately, the big questions are around the effect of money: whether it will solve all one's problems or create more; whether it will allow people to be free and happy or confine them; whether it will make relationships easier and more loving, or destroy them. And it doesn't shy away from answering them.
The film opens with characters wishing one another "Happy New Year", but it tuned out that these scenes were set in the daytime on New Year's Eve. Is this standard in America, or is it a creative choice for the film? I've never known anyone to say this before the clock strikes midnight, and in Britain this would probably be considered rather inappropriate (and probably very unlucky according to the superstition that drove the tradition in the first place).
What a surprise to see first Danny Elfman's name in the credits, and then Sam Raimi as director. These were the only clues as to when the film was made, because visually it felt simultaneously contemporary and timeless. It looked really nice, particularly the snowy canvas on which it plays out.
Another paradox was that the film was far more eventful than expected whilst also feeling very slow-paced at times. There was a lot of breathing room and there were scenes that felt almost dull, but then it would escalate and build and with the big picture, everything was important.
The performances are all top-notch. Bill Paxton was torn wonderfully. Billy Bob Thornton's character was somewhere between Lenny from Of Mice And Men and Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, though visually I kept seeing Austin Powers (and he had Jack Duckworth's trademark taped specs). Bridget Fonda's character started out appearing to be the most ethical but money has a way of changing these things. Brent Briscoe had a nice undercurrent of threat to his performance, while Gary Cole was nicely oblique as the FBI agent.
The fact that the charactes live in a small rural community adds to the sense of paranoia. Everyone knows everybody else - and their business - yet homes are remote enough to create a sense of isolation.
The film's themes are most compelling. I'd hoped for a moral dilemma about what to do with the money found, and I got it. There's also the conspiracy element, with closely-tied people sharing a secret, which allows for increasing paranoia. Do they screw over the others before they themselves are screwed, or are they better off keeping everyone on side? A lot of nuance is created around this element and it makes for very taut viewing. Each attempt to cover up the secret involves another moral choice, and it's fascinating to see how much can be justified in these conditions.
Ultimately, the big questions are around the effect of money: whether it will solve all one's problems or create more; whether it will allow people to be free and happy or confine them; whether it will make relationships easier and more loving, or destroy them. And it doesn't shy away from answering them.
- Awards
- 20
A Dog's Way Home (2019)
This is not another sequel to the two dog movies I also watched recently.
It does share the device of having the dog act as narrator, but it's more like a modern-day version of the original Lassie Come Home, with Littlest Hobo-like vignettes as "Bella" travels cross-country to rejoin the family she has become separated from.
This is not another sequel to the two dog movies I also watched recently.
It does share the device of having the dog act as narrator, but it's more like a modern-day version of the original Lassie Come Home, with Littlest Hobo-like vignettes as "Bella" travels cross-country to rejoin the family she has become separated from.
- Awards
- 44
"Let Him Have It" (1991)
While I've never watched this before, I had previously done some reading up on the case of Derek Bentley, so I had an understanding of the bare bones of this story. Still it was good to finally have the details fleshed out in a very well-made film.
There's a lot to love about this. The period details are wonderful and it looks surprisingly expensive.
The writing is strong, and the story told in a compelling way. I believe these people, from the stern authority of the courts to the cheeky blighters at school (it never occurred to me that kids casually collecting guns and bullets they've found and kept as souvenirs was a "thing" in the wake of WWII, but I take it this is based on fact and, of course, it does make a kind of sense). Most of all, I believe the family at the heart of the story, with each member impeccably cast.
This was the film that gave Christopher Eccleston his first major film role, becoming a significant breakthrough for him. Watching this performance it's easy to see why. Derek Bentley is a challenging role, but he is terrific every step of the way and creates such a strong rapport with the viewer it feels increasingly subjective, which makes the ending even more powerful.
Tom Courtenay's role is equally challenging, as the father who is worried about his son's choices, but who - given the era - isn't demonstrative. It's incredibly moving to see him backing his son to the hilt. He has a number of the film's most quietly effective moments. There's an interaction with the postman at the very end of the film where, drained of emotion, he doesn't say a single word. Some of it is even in a very long shot. But the combination of direction and the actor's body language bring it home. Eileen Atkins is most familiar to me as one of the creators of Upstairs, Downstairs than as an actress. And funnily enough, while I watched this, before I knew who she was, she reminded me of Jean Marsh, star and co-creator of that very series. Again, she gives a lovely performance and shows Lilian to be strong and loving. Claire Holman, too, isn't known to me (even though she felt very familiar) and her loving chemistry with Eccleston, as his sister, is really sweet. The scenes with these as a family feel so truthful and are what make it all work. Their final visit to Derek, as hope is fading, breaks your heart.
The only person I knew was in this ahead of time was Paul Reynolds. I suppose he registered as back when the film came out he was still appearing in Press Gang. I'm on the fence about his performance. He gives good smug, but I found him a little one-note at times (certainly, at least, when compared with the nuanced performance of Eccleston with whom he shared most of his scenes). He did great work with his rooftop meltdown, though, and felt genuinely unpredictable. Since this was a pivotal scene, I have no complaints about him being here.
Outside of that, it's a veritable who's who of familiar British character actors. Few of them are "stars" or "legends", but all are masters of the craft. The magnificent Michael Gough is quite terrifying here as notorious 'hanging judge' Lord Goddard who looks right down the lens and into the viewer's eyes (fortunately, we're spared the sight of him ejaculating, as Goddard was reputed to routinely do whilst passing death sentences). Super Gran's Scunner Campbell plays David Maxwell Fyfe. Brookie's Harry Cross is the Foreman Of The Jury, with Bill Dean, unusually, affecting a London accent. Boon's Michael Elphick has a nice little part as a kindly prison officer who writes letters for Bentley and reassures him that the family is rallying up support. And Norman Rossington - best known to me from early Carry Ons - is the friendly postie, bringing sackfuls of letters from all over the country.
The film's title comes from the most fascinating part of the argument over Bentley's guilt: whether his shouted plea "let him have it, Chris" was a request for his acquanitance to hand over the gun, as the officer had requested immediately before, or an instruction to open fire, as his acquaintance did moments after. And so his guilty or innocent verdict hinged on semantics, and how those words are interpreted by the jury, without having heard their intonation.
When watching, I was too absorbed in the characters and the tragic story to think ahead. Even though I knew it was coming, the outcome still felt shocking and almost surprising, in large part because I was seeing it unfold through the characters' eyes.
While there is, of course, an underlying statement about capital punishment, it never feels that there's any kind of agenda.Rather, the film trusts the viewer to understand the implications and, perhaps, to do a little reading up on the case and its part in changing hearts and minds. I've done just that, and the more I read, the more tragic it becomes. Something that struck me as cruel was that, despite his family's lifelong campaign for justice, Bentley wasn't pardoned until one year after his sister had died, and many years after his parents' deaths.
While I've never watched this before, I had previously done some reading up on the case of Derek Bentley, so I had an understanding of the bare bones of this story. Still it was good to finally have the details fleshed out in a very well-made film.
There's a lot to love about this. The period details are wonderful and it looks surprisingly expensive.
The writing is strong, and the story told in a compelling way. I believe these people, from the stern authority of the courts to the cheeky blighters at school (it never occurred to me that kids casually collecting guns and bullets they've found and kept as souvenirs was a "thing" in the wake of WWII, but I take it this is based on fact and, of course, it does make a kind of sense). Most of all, I believe the family at the heart of the story, with each member impeccably cast.
This was the film that gave Christopher Eccleston his first major film role, becoming a significant breakthrough for him. Watching this performance it's easy to see why. Derek Bentley is a challenging role, but he is terrific every step of the way and creates such a strong rapport with the viewer it feels increasingly subjective, which makes the ending even more powerful.
Tom Courtenay's role is equally challenging, as the father who is worried about his son's choices, but who - given the era - isn't demonstrative. It's incredibly moving to see him backing his son to the hilt. He has a number of the film's most quietly effective moments. There's an interaction with the postman at the very end of the film where, drained of emotion, he doesn't say a single word. Some of it is even in a very long shot. But the combination of direction and the actor's body language bring it home. Eileen Atkins is most familiar to me as one of the creators of Upstairs, Downstairs than as an actress. And funnily enough, while I watched this, before I knew who she was, she reminded me of Jean Marsh, star and co-creator of that very series. Again, she gives a lovely performance and shows Lilian to be strong and loving. Claire Holman, too, isn't known to me (even though she felt very familiar) and her loving chemistry with Eccleston, as his sister, is really sweet. The scenes with these as a family feel so truthful and are what make it all work. Their final visit to Derek, as hope is fading, breaks your heart.
The only person I knew was in this ahead of time was Paul Reynolds. I suppose he registered as back when the film came out he was still appearing in Press Gang. I'm on the fence about his performance. He gives good smug, but I found him a little one-note at times (certainly, at least, when compared with the nuanced performance of Eccleston with whom he shared most of his scenes). He did great work with his rooftop meltdown, though, and felt genuinely unpredictable. Since this was a pivotal scene, I have no complaints about him being here.
Outside of that, it's a veritable who's who of familiar British character actors. Few of them are "stars" or "legends", but all are masters of the craft. The magnificent Michael Gough is quite terrifying here as notorious 'hanging judge' Lord Goddard who looks right down the lens and into the viewer's eyes (fortunately, we're spared the sight of him ejaculating, as Goddard was reputed to routinely do whilst passing death sentences). Super Gran's Scunner Campbell plays David Maxwell Fyfe. Brookie's Harry Cross is the Foreman Of The Jury, with Bill Dean, unusually, affecting a London accent. Boon's Michael Elphick has a nice little part as a kindly prison officer who writes letters for Bentley and reassures him that the family is rallying up support. And Norman Rossington - best known to me from early Carry Ons - is the friendly postie, bringing sackfuls of letters from all over the country.
The film's title comes from the most fascinating part of the argument over Bentley's guilt: whether his shouted plea "let him have it, Chris" was a request for his acquanitance to hand over the gun, as the officer had requested immediately before, or an instruction to open fire, as his acquaintance did moments after. And so his guilty or innocent verdict hinged on semantics, and how those words are interpreted by the jury, without having heard their intonation.
When watching, I was too absorbed in the characters and the tragic story to think ahead. Even though I knew it was coming, the outcome still felt shocking and almost surprising, in large part because I was seeing it unfold through the characters' eyes.
While there is, of course, an underlying statement about capital punishment, it never feels that there's any kind of agenda.Rather, the film trusts the viewer to understand the implications and, perhaps, to do a little reading up on the case and its part in changing hearts and minds. I've done just that, and the more I read, the more tragic it becomes. Something that struck me as cruel was that, despite his family's lifelong campaign for justice, Bentley wasn't pardoned until one year after his sister had died, and many years after his parents' deaths.
- Awards
- 27
Gladiator II (2024)
I really liked the original Gladiator when I saw it in the early 2000s (it may have been a VHS rental, before everything changed to DVD) but on a recent rewatch I was put off by the emotionally-manipulative schmaltz and the simplistic black-and-white situation.
But I know there are a lot of people who (still) love it, and it's not unusual to feel protective of our favourite films or music especially when it comes to sequels and remakes.
Because I don't belong to that Gladiator fanclub, watching this sequel should give me the advantage to enjoy it for what it is rather than hating it for what it isn't i.e. the original.
And yet the reason I watched it is because I wanted to see for myself just how bad it really is - a morbid curiosity, as it were.
Gladiator didn't need a sequel in 2002 or 2005, but this one actually follows the story's timeline in real time, 25 years later, which, at least, makes it a little bit more deserving of getting a sequel. Furthermore, it's a continuation that actually makes sense because it's about Lucilla's song Lucius, a character that exists in the original rather than a new one haphazardly retconned into the story.
Gladiator certainly didn't need the remake that Russell Crowe himself wanted: the return of Maximus. So much for "respecting" the original.
So anyway, while I was watching this sequel I wondered when the bad stuff (that what makes so many people hate this film) would start to happen, because all I saw was a gloriously over-the-top and eye-popping Ancient Rome spectacle for the modern ages.
Monster-monkeys, rhinos....sharks!! I seriously wish Ridley Scott had had the audacity to combine it with the Mount Vesuvius disaster...and why stop there? Bring on the UFO!
I also don't understand how this film can be seen as a rehash of the original because it's much more a Rome story than a one man's journey.
Characters including Lucius himself are far more political driven which gives the film an epic feel that's different from the first one, although I admit that it lacks the emotional punch of the original (albeit too emotional for my taste).
At the same time I appreciate that it pays some homage to the original without milking it for all it's worth. It was exactly enough to make the connection work.
It's funny that another renowned filmmaker brought Rome to New York in 2024 while Gladiator II brings New York to Rome especially in the character played by Denzel Washington, a fabulous, cape-flapping Disney villain.
His vision that ancestry is irrelevant and that everyone can make it to the top seems very much like the archetypal Nouveau Rich American attitude (or at least the way it used to be).
In essence, I support that vision, but it all depends on what we're willing to sacrifice and also how much of that success we like to share with other people.
Oh, and there's even funny "graffiti" on the walls.
This, and The Apprentice, are now my favourite films of 2024, but I hope there will be more. I've already decided to support Nosferatu because I saw an interview between Robert Eggers and Willem Dafoe and it's super-cool.
Apparently, the nudity warning now also applies to bare arms.
I really liked the original Gladiator when I saw it in the early 2000s (it may have been a VHS rental, before everything changed to DVD) but on a recent rewatch I was put off by the emotionally-manipulative schmaltz and the simplistic black-and-white situation.
But I know there are a lot of people who (still) love it, and it's not unusual to feel protective of our favourite films or music especially when it comes to sequels and remakes.
Because I don't belong to that Gladiator fanclub, watching this sequel should give me the advantage to enjoy it for what it is rather than hating it for what it isn't i.e. the original.
And yet the reason I watched it is because I wanted to see for myself just how bad it really is - a morbid curiosity, as it were.
Gladiator didn't need a sequel in 2002 or 2005, but this one actually follows the story's timeline in real time, 25 years later, which, at least, makes it a little bit more deserving of getting a sequel. Furthermore, it's a continuation that actually makes sense because it's about Lucilla's song Lucius, a character that exists in the original rather than a new one haphazardly retconned into the story.
Gladiator certainly didn't need the remake that Russell Crowe himself wanted: the return of Maximus. So much for "respecting" the original.
So anyway, while I was watching this sequel I wondered when the bad stuff (that what makes so many people hate this film) would start to happen, because all I saw was a gloriously over-the-top and eye-popping Ancient Rome spectacle for the modern ages.
Monster-monkeys, rhinos....sharks!! I seriously wish Ridley Scott had had the audacity to combine it with the Mount Vesuvius disaster...and why stop there? Bring on the UFO!
I also don't understand how this film can be seen as a rehash of the original because it's much more a Rome story than a one man's journey.
Characters including Lucius himself are far more political driven which gives the film an epic feel that's different from the first one, although I admit that it lacks the emotional punch of the original (albeit too emotional for my taste).
At the same time I appreciate that it pays some homage to the original without milking it for all it's worth. It was exactly enough to make the connection work.
It's funny that another renowned filmmaker brought Rome to New York in 2024 while Gladiator II brings New York to Rome especially in the character played by Denzel Washington, a fabulous, cape-flapping Disney villain.
His vision that ancestry is irrelevant and that everyone can make it to the top seems very much like the archetypal Nouveau Rich American attitude (or at least the way it used to be).
In essence, I support that vision, but it all depends on what we're willing to sacrifice and also how much of that success we like to share with other people.
Oh, and there's even funny "graffiti" on the walls.
This, and The Apprentice, are now my favourite films of 2024, but I hope there will be more. I've already decided to support Nosferatu because I saw an interview between Robert Eggers and Willem Dafoe and it's super-cool.
Apparently, the nudity warning now also applies to bare arms.
- Awards
- 52
I'll be interested to read what you think of Nosferatu because I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would.
I think my favourite film of 2024 would probably be Anora.