Welcome to the 142nd Edition of my blog. I just made my film debut as an extra in the upcoming 2009 film MY NAME IS JERRY. If I should appear in this movie, it will be in the funeral scene. It was a long but fun day in my suit and tie for about five hours. I met actor Doug Jones who plays the Silver Surfer in FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER and as Abe in the HELLBOY movies. He was a pretty good guy and I didn't really picture him looking like that since he is usually in some kind of make-up in his roles. I also met DRAKE AND JOSH alum Allison Scagliotti who also stars in this movie. The other actor in this movie but not present at the time is THAT 70s SHOW alum Don Stark who was Donna's Italian father. It's good to finally be able to say that I was in a movie even if I don't show up on screen. OKLAHOMA went very well but it is now over so I don't know what I am going to do now, well I will work on these so get out your queues and get ready.
Beat the Devil (1953): John Huston directed and co-wrote this script with Truman Capote which stars Humphrey Bogart in this satire of deceit and greed. Bogey stars as a married couple with Gina Lollobrigida who are on their way to Africa and come across four criminals, one of them is an older Peter Lorre. All of them are headed to buy land apparently loaded with Uranium and they meet a mysterious British couple which make funny things happen. It's a very underrated Bogart film that should be checked out.
Shattered Glass (2003): Billy Ray directed this independent true story which stars Hayden Christianson (spelling? I really don't care though) as Stephen Glass, a young reporter who was found to be fabricating his compelling stories. I'm not usually a fan of Hayden but I did find myself kind of liking him in this movie. Peter Saarsgaard plays the head of the magazine who has the unenviable task of being his boss and having to do what he had to no matter what the opinion is of others. This movie did a good job of having both characters be understood and even Glass for his fabrication of his work. This is a decent independent film that I found on IFC. BIG LOVE star Chloe Sevigny, Rosario Dawson, and Hank Azaria co-star.
Annie Was a Wonder (1949): This is a John Nesbitt short film which I found on TCM. A couple weeks ago I featured his short film OUR OLD CAR. John narrates this story of Annie Swenson, played by Kathleen Freeman, an immigrant who became the housekeeper in the Nesbitt household and telling the story of her impact in their lives through the years. These are fun short films that John Nesbitt wrote about his personal life.
Spartacus (1960): Stanley Kubrick directed this movie of the slave who makes a violent revolt against the Roman army, along with other slaves. Kirk Douglas stars as the title character who only wants freedom. Peter Ustinov is funny as the Gladiator trainer. There is really not much to say here except we have quite a classic here which also stars Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis and many others. We also have the great "I'm Spartacus" scene. Just check it out. Anthony Mann was the original director but he had a falling out with Douglas, so Kubrick was brought in late.
The Seventh Seal (1957): Ingmar Bergman directed this Swedish classic. Max Von Sydow plays the knight Antonius Block, a knight during the crusades in the time of the Black Death. Death, played by Bengt Ekerot, tells Block it is his time but Block challenges him to a game of chess. They then must deal with the harsh times in their own different ways. It is a visual masterpiece which looks at the meaning of life. The image of the death character has been used a lot including BILL AND TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY.
See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989): I come to you with the comedy duo of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor in this 80s comedy. If you're looking for a blockbuster, this may not be it. The plot is rather absurd but the movie is still quite entertaining. Wilder plays a deaf man and Pryor is a blind man and when becoming friends, they are set-up for a murder where they must work together to clear their names. Look for a young Kevin Spacey as one of the criminals. The two leads make this worth watching and the aspect of the blind helping the deaf and vice versa.
Gone With the Wind (1939): I decided to view this one after learning that Evelyn Keyes who plays Suellen recently died. Victor Fleming is credited as the director though he was brought in late like Kubrick in SPARTACUS and also has his name to other 1939 classic THE WIZARD OF OZ. What can really be said about this epic about Civil War life in the south. We have Vivian Leigh who stars as Scarlet O'Hara who is rather snobby but is willing to do whatever she can to survive and for her loved ones. Scarlet is in love with Ashley, played by Leslie Howard, who is to marry another woman but at a party meets the immortal Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable who have a loving but destructive relationship. This movie depicts life very well in the south. Hattie McDaniel plays the servant who seems to have a lot of authority in the house and she was the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award when she won Best Supporting Actress. We also have many quotes that still live on through time like the most memorable "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" which required a $5000 fine by the Hollywood Production Code to be able to use that line and that was a lot of money in those days.
Chicago (2002): This is part two in my musical series. Rob Marshall directed this musical which helped bring popularity back to the genre. Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb wrote this musical and has been around for a long time. This movie takes place in Chicago if you haven't already guessed. Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as a nightclub singer named Velma who is arrested for murder for killing her husband and sister. Renee Zellweger stars as Roxie Hart who is an aspiring singer who kills her boyfriend and is arrested. They must fight for publicity and do whatever it takes to get it. Richard Gere stars as smooth attorney Billy Flynn in what I believe is his best role. Queen Latifah is great as the head of the prison Mama. All the actors did a great job in the musical. The musical numbers were a bit strange at times with them doing the music in an imaginary world. Both the Muncie and Anderson theaters have made attempts to get this show but it always gets resigned at the last minute so that community theaters can't do it. I would like to play the role of Amos someday which was played by John C. Reilly here and he is the husband of Roxie who don't seem to have a happy marriage. This is something that apparently John Travolta had a chance but once again turning it down where Richard Gere gets the role.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997): This is one of the many movies that started the teen horror craze. PARTY OF FIVE alum Jennifer Love Hewitt, BUFFY alum Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr. all star as high school buddies who hit someone and assume him dead and vow to never speak of it again. Hewitt plays Julie James who gets a card in the mail with the title on it a year later. This was nothing great but a classic in my opinion compared to its sequal.
Atonement (2007): Joe Wright directed this interesting movie. I really had to pay attention and I had my doubts at times but I did end up liking this. We focus on the Tallis family and the 13 year old Briony accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit which changes the course of life for many people. Keira Knightly plays the older sister. We first see Briony at age 13 played by Saoirse Ronan and I really believed her deception. Romola Garai plays her grown up. Both unknown actresses did a good job in their role and I really liked the ending.
Well, that is it for this week. Leave your comments of what you like and what you hate, I know this one will contain some mixed opinions.
Oh wow, I didn't realize that Hank Azaria was in Shattered Glass!
And props for mentioning the man, Ingmar Bergman, may he rest in peace.