Thursday Film Picks- Birthdays

 

The month of May is a busy month for me as there are 8 birthdays with my hubby’s 68th birthday on the 25th and mine coming up June 2nd. Ok, yes, June, but it’s so close to my husband’s so I just include it in the 8. Friends, my brother and the 2 of us went out to a nice restaurant for dinner which is a tradition we do with my friends, Peter and Ron, both born in October. So I chose 3 films that are about birthdays and hope you enjoy the read…

1. ON GOLDEN POND-1981

This was Henry Fonda’s last film but it’s a good one with Katherine Hepburn, playing his wife and Jane Fonda playing his daughter which was not out of keeping since she is Henry Fonda’s daughter. The old couple travel to their cottage to hear the loons and celebrate Fonda’s 80th birthday. He is a curmudgeon and talks about death while his wife tries to make him believe in life. Their daughter( Jane Fonda) comes with her fiancée ( Dabney Colman  who just starred with Fonda as her sleazy boss in 9 to 5) and his young son. It’s a tense time since father and daughter had a difficult relationship, very similar to their real life relationship,  and are unsure how to be with each other. They celebrate his 80th birthday before taking off to Europe for a month leaving the kid with the old couple. From there, the kid and the old man develop a special bond and the young kid learns so much. Both Fonda and Hepburn won Oscars for their roles but, I believe, Fonda won because, he never did and was going to die so better give one to him now. Jane Fonda credits Hepburn for helping her heal the wounds between her and her dad. It’s a nice film worth seeing.

2. 16 CANDLES-1984

I think this is the first film directed by John Hughes who also wrote this and stars many of his ensemble cast including Molly Ringworm..oops…Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, John Cusack and Joan Cusack. Molly plays the younger sister to her older sister who is getting married. She is just happy that it’s her 16th birthday but her happiness is dashed when she realizes that none of her family remembers her birthday because they are all consumed with the wedding. At school, you realize she has a crush with the football guy but she is pursued by the nerd who thinks he’s the coolest thing since nightmare whip. Enter her grandparents who say the most inappropriate things and bring their foreign exchange student whom they help out. There is the teen dance followed by a big party where Duck Dong enjoyed along with booze, Molly loses her panties to the nerd for a favour and the wedding day turns into a bit of a clown show. It’s a good movie even though I don’t care for Molly Ringworm and never got how she made it big. I don’t care about how bad it was to show Dong as a typical gag or that the popular girl is so drunk she could be taken advantage of because it’s just supposed fun so just enjoy and fast forward through the parts you dislike.

3. 13 GOING ON 30-2004

Jennifer Garner is a 13 year old who is having her birthday but is frustrated with her life and wishes she could be 30. When she awakes ( in a closet) she is 30 and is, at first scared but later embraces being 30. Somehow, she meets up with her childhood chum, played by Mark Ruffalo, convincing him she is the 13 year old whom, he thought, disappeared all those years ago. She gets a big job and is able to resurrect a dull executive party by dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. I just watched this a couple of months ago and it was better than I thought it would be. It’s cute and fun and forgettable so perfect when you just need to unwind. 

What birthday movies can you think of? I can’t wait to hear some of your choices.

Eurovision As I Age

 

I was not quite finished from Last week’s theme about music from another country and so I decided to go the Eurovision route choosing 3 stages of my age, 1964, 1974 and 1994. I was born in 1964 and went to 10 years old and 30 years old. Why did I skip when I was 20? Well, I took a look at who won that year and, not meaning any disrespect but that song and boy group that won, just made me want to hurl. I have to see whom they were up against and then, still wonder how that boy group won. If you want to check it out, just look up who won in 1984, go to YouTube and bring a tums with you so you won’t feel nauseous. This week it is freebie week over at Monday Music Moves Me and I hope you check out the others.

1. NON HO L’ETA SUNG BY GIGLIOLA CINQUETTI FROM ITALY

This sweet girl with a sweet voice was the big winner the year I was born. I never heard f her before nor the song but, I thought, it was lovely to listen to.

2. WATERLOO SUNG BY ABBA FROM SWEDEN

 Um, Hello! My favourite band ( along with the Moody Blues and ELO) and the most famous to have won this contest is ABBA. It all started here with this iconic song. Be thankful they didn’t use, “The King Kong Song” because, I think, they would have had a different outcome.

3. ROCK N’ ROLL KIDS SUNG BY PAUL HARRINGTON & CHARLIE MCGETTIGAN FROM IRELAND

When I read the title of the song, I was scared that it would be a bunch of kids singing like they were in a rock and roll band but was I ever pleasantly surprised when I heard this song from these 2 Irish dudes who made this song one of nostalgia. I was 30 years old….S@&$! I’m almost 31 years older and I think I’m only 33. Oh well, I really like this song. 

So, what songs came out when you were born, or when you were 10, 20, or 30?

Psychiatrists, Therapy and Menace, Oh My!

 

I received a box set of Film Noir movies that I have been watching and am surprised how many involve psychiatry which became very popular after the war. This corresponds with  how many though Freud was the next best thing to popcorn and out came the ink blotches, the couch and the dreaded shock therapy ( Vivien Leigh underwent this more than once, you know her as Scarlett O’Hara). One of the more famous films is The Snake Pit,” which stars Olivia DeHavilland and it is quite a good film but I went with 3 films that I recently watched. Here are 3 Film Noir/ Psychosis movies..what a combo!

1. THE DARK MIRROR-1946

I hope this is a half-decent film trailer on this film that stars Olivia DeHavilland in 2 roles, twin sisters, one good…and one evil( I wonder if she used her actual sister, Joan Fontaine as inspiration for the evil twin because, they hated each other’s guts). The good sister works at a store frequented by a very nice, intelligent and good looking psychiatrist, played by Lee Ayres. When a man is found dead and the cops zero in on sweet Olivia, they soon realize that she has a twin…evil Olivia so they enlist the aid of the doctor to ferret out what the hell 8s going on. He can soon discern which twin is which and realizes that the good Olivia has been manipulated almost her whole life. It’s well acted and gives an insight into the fascination people were having with psychiatry. I thought the acting was solid and I like the dark noir vibe. 

2. SHOCK-1946

I’m not giving anything away with this clip since it is near the beginning of the film. A sweet, anxious girl comes to a hotel to meet up with her husband whom she has not seen for a long time due to the war. She is nervously waiting for him and looks out her balcony window when she sees a husband and wife arguing viciously. Suddenly the man picks up a candlestick and  “Wonk!” The woman is dead. The sweet gal goes into a catatonic shock and does not move even when her husband finally arrives in the morning. He is beside himself and calls the doctor who says she must have witnessed something so traumatic that she is paralyzed in shock ( geez, what would she do now?). No worries because the doc knows a great psychiatrist who can help and in enters…the killer…aka Vincent Price. He recommends she be taken to his hospital/sanitarium to help her. When they all arrive at the home, you meet the nurse, vixen Lynn Bari who has her hands all over the Doc and he has his all over her. Now they must find a way to make sure the sweet gal never remembers. The acting from the young bride is not the best but I just love the mild speaking Price as well as va va vavoom Bari who is one bad ass Femme Fatale. I like the look of this film and, even though, I have seen better films, I enjoyed the cat and mouse play.

3. WHIRLPOOL-1950

Poor Gene Tierney is married to a very nice psychiatrist, played by Richard Conte, who likes his woman to be…traditional… it is the post war vision of women in high heels making bread while all dressed up. Anyway, his remark, makes Gene go a little crazy where she steals things because she is a closet klepto. When she is ready to be arrested, in comes Jose Ferrer to save the day and he wants nothing in return…if you believe that I have some great swamp land to sell you. Before one can say blackmail, she is at his mercy but not if her husband has anything to say about it as well as the cops. This is a nice little psychiatric  noir that makes you wonder when everything will unravel or will it? It’s well acted film with manipulation at its core even by the good natured husband who wants his wife to be the way he wants her to be setting in motion the klepto in his wife’s psyche. I hope you get a chance to watch this which must have been tough, somewhat, for Gene to do since she also had mental issues and was dealt more than one blow in her life time.

What psychological films can you think of? 

Who Won The Oscar Song 1948

 So,  I have chosen the year, 1948 for the songs that were nominated for an Oscar, with one winning but there were many that were not even nominated. Over at Curious As A Cathy, the Monday Music Moves Me theme are international songs and songwriters which is pretty interesting and had me thinking how to combine both so let’s see if I did it well and let’s see if you can choose who won the Oscar, who was nominated and which got nuttin’…

1.  A COUPLE OF SWELLS SUNG BY FRED ASTAIRE AND JUDY GARLAND

This song is from the great musical, “Easter Parade” with all songs written by Irving Berlin. Irving is known as the American Songwriter but Irving was born in the Russian Empire. His family was Jewish and did not want to be part of the Pogroms, one which did destroy their village. Irving was only 5 when they emigrated to the States but he was part of his family’s beliefs and Jewish heritage even though he embraced his new country. This song is one of the best and one which both, Fred and Judy, enjoyed doing.

2. BUTTONS AND BOWS SUNG BY BOB HOPE

This song is from Hope’s big success, “ The Paleface” where he co-starred with Jane Russell  and it’s such a nice song that became a 2nd signature song for Bob Hope. It was written by Ray Evans( music) and Jay Livingston( lyrics) both born and raised in the U. S. Of A. This movie is quite funny and enjoyable.

3. THIS IS THE MOMENT SUNG BY BETTY GRABLE AND DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR

This song was written by Frederick Hollaendar who left Germany back in 1933 when Hitler came to power and found his way to Hollywood. He actually wrote a couple of famous songs that Marlene Dietrich sang ( Falling in Love Again) and made quite the name for himself before returning to live in Germany in the 1950s. He wrote the music while Leo Robin, born in America, wrote the lyrics. I’d love to see this film because it sounds like a fun movie.

So, I kinda met the theme…lol but, it is the time when I ask you if you know which song won the Oscar, which was nominated and which came up with nothing. 

Thursday Film Picks- Berlin Wall

 

I have always had a fascination with this wall probably because my mom escaped from the East to the West, but not over this famous wall. She escaped an hour's drive south since she lived near Wittenberg. It was just guard towers and barbed wire and, yeah, she would have been shot if found, but not near Berlin. This infamous wall did not actually appear until August 1961 and went up, literally overnight. Over the years there were many who tried to escape, some made it, others did not. I remember when I was a kid, I heard, on the news, that a husband and wife, with their small child, jumped into the Spree River creating quite the calamity because the Stazi were shooting at them. The police, in the West, held their guns ready, in case the Stazi shot at the family when they reached the West. Unbelievably, they made it! It was a dumb move because most who tried that route died. I never forgot that nor my parents’ reaction to their bravery..or stupidity, taking that route with a babe. Sadly, most people don't even know about this wall and the political upheaval, but I watch whatever I can about this time. Here are 3 films about this divided city...

1. THE MAN BETWEEN-1953

This is one of my favourite films, starring James Mason and Claire Bloom, right after the Second World War in Berlin. Claire's brother works for the British consulate, married to a German and lives in one of the few homes left standing. She is visiting her brother and appears quite naive but she soon sees her sis in law talking with a mysterious man, Mason, and is intrigued. Soon, you find out that Mason is an agent for the East Germans because they know too much about him. They want him to bring back the brother's wife but, a case if mistaken identity happens and the British sister is taken. This could become a national incident, but, as often as it happened, the Stazi would just say they have no one with them by that name. Mason decides to bring her back but, at what cost? It's a riveting picture shot in Berlin when you see how ravaged it was by all the bombs. I love the music, the acting and the cinematography. It is worth seeing.

2. ESCAPE FROM EAST BERLIN-1962

I have not seen this film in decades but it still resonates with me. It's based on true events about a huge, daring escape using a tunnel. A U.S. soldier and an East German guard decide to bring across the German's sister and a couple of others but, it expands to more people( including Werner Klemperer better known as Colonel Klink from Hogan's Heroes). The soldier and the sister fall in love while digging the tunnel. It is a tense film that is well played out since this actual event recently happened.

3. BERLIN TUNNEL 21-1981

Ok this is not the TV film starring Richard Thomas but I could not find a trailer for it, sadly. I thought this is the next best thing. This is a TV remake of the film I talk about above but I like it so much that I had to include it. There are a few variations here but, overall, it's a taut movie with some really good acting especially by Richard Thomas, who was mainly known as John-Boy from "The Waltons". I'd like to see this movie again because I saw it back when it appeared on TV. It looks like I can see it on YouTube so I might check it out again.

Any films about the Berlin Wall you saw? 

Fences

 

Finally, we are getting a new fence that no one can complain about and our home won’t look like an eyesore after our beautiful ivy fence had to be torn down. So many people have come up to my hubby asking what happened, because they loved our fence. When he told them, they were on our side and so upset that this had happened. We just hope we will get our fireflies back and praying mantises. Getting our fence built gave me the idea for the songs this week which I am joining Monday Music Moves Me and one song came into my head right away…

1. DON’T FENCE ME IN SUNG BY BING CROSBY AND THE ANDREW SISTERS-1944

This song was written by Cole Porter ( with Robert Fletcher helping with the lyrics) of all people. I thought  it would have been written by some country western star but, nope, the elegant Cole Porter, mind you, he didn’t really like this song. Of course, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans sang the song and Kate Smith also made it a hit but Bing made a ton of money on this song for 1/2 hour in the studio. 

2. I’M GONNA MEND MY FENCES SUNG BY DORIS DAY AND HOWARD KEEL-1953

I was certain this must have come from her hit film, “ Calamity Jane”  but I did not see it listed and, I don’t remember it in this film. I think it’s a fun but sweet song. I love their voices together and so glad they appeared in this film. This was written by Robert Fletcher with an assist by Cole Porter so I almost think this is like a sister to Don’t Fence Me In,

3. SITTIN’ ON A FENCE SUNG BY THE ROLLING STONES-1965

Isn’t this a great song that does not actually sound like The Rolling Stones. I love the  instruments in this song and feel that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were exploring different styles of music. I find this a refreshing change even though I do love their music.

Any Fence song you can think of?

Who Should have Won the Oscar— Cinematography 1941

 

1941 was a volatile year because it was the year of Citizen Kane. Orson Welles and Herman Mankiewicz created a portrait of a newspaper tycoon who becomes a bloated narcissist dying in his huge mansion all alone with his last word being, “Rosebud.” To say William Randolph Hearst was livid was an understatement and he, along with Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM, tried to buy up the film rights to have it destroyed. Ya see, Hearst was the biggest Newspaper tycoon in the States who built his mansion with the largest zoo that was privately owned and who tried to make his mistress, the lovely Marion Davies, into a star like Garbo. He never could see Marion’s gift for comedy but, unlike the film, she did have talent and did care for the old goat. Today, it’s considered, arguably, the greatest film made but it did not win best film, that went to “How Green Was My Valley”. I do like this film and don’t like all the disparaging remarks it receives but  it gets dissed because it was up against and won the Oscar instead of Kane. I am not choosing  best picture, but best cinematographer.

1. CITIZEN KANE- GREGG TOLAND

Gregg Toland is a master of his craft and nothing shows that more than in the film, Citizen Kane. From the very beginning when Kane dies to the shots when Kane is walking through his mansion, you can’t help but love how the camera is used to create emotions and depth of the characters. One of my favourite scenes is the montage of his marriage to his beautiful wife. In a few short moments, we see them loving and happy to distant, cold and so finished. The deep focus photography, viewing image from the bottom up to the ceiling and so much more unique shots were just not done in that style  and so it confounds me that he did not win the Oscar. I can only assume it was due to the powers at be making sure it would not win. This film should have won for the best cinematography but it didn’t and Gregg Toland was robbed.

2. HOW GREEN IS MY VALLEY- ARTHUR MILLER

This film won for Best cinematograph for Arthur Miller and, if it was for another year, I would say he deserved it but not this year. To be clear, I love this film about a miner’s family and the travails they endure including their only daughter falling in love with the local priest. The black and white photography is used to such great effect from the miners leaving their work to walk back into the nearby town to the home of the miner and his many kids. The home feels small, but cozy and the great expanse of the sky against the village just creates a warmth for the people that live and work there. I just believe that Gregg Toland deserved the Oscar over Miller.

3. SUSPICION- HARRY STRADLING JR.

From the glowing milk that Cary Grant is bringing to his wife to the opulent home he and his wife, Joan Fontaine, live in, you enjoy all the nuances that the look of the film creates the tension that Hitchcock was wanting. I am surprised that this film was not even nominated but “The Chocolate Soldier” was. I just don’t get it, because the scene, when they are playing scrabble, is a great moment in tension heightened by the cinematography. Poor Hitchcock never won an Oscar either but Joan Fontaine won her Oscar for this performance and I can’t help but feel that the way she was filmed helped her attain this award ( much to her sister’s chagrin ( Olivia DeHavilland). 

What do you think? Do you agree or would you choose another film or do you agree with the Academy for this year?