Welcome to the 111th Edition of my series. This is my last post of
the 2007 year and I will be back next year, next week to be exact. It is
hard to believe how long I have lasted but I have and I will keep going
as long as I can so here we go.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946): A big injustice happened this year on
Christmas Eve. My tradition of watching this movie on NBC did not happen
this year, I assume it has something to do with rights issues but I was
pissed this time so I feature this out of protest. Frank Capra directed
this classic which stars James Stewart as small-town boy George Bailey
who seems to care about everyone but himself and prayers from both
friends and family get through to heaven so they decide to send
second-class angel Clarence, played by character actor Henry Travers, to
help George and make him realize the effect he has had on people and
what the world would be like without him. Lionel Barrymore plays the
crooked Henry Potter who wants to take over Bedford Falls but can't get
that small business of the Bailey family. I always enjoy watching this
movie and I guess I need to buy it on DVD now. Donna Reed plays George's
love interest in this movie. Listen for the interesting reference to
two names who would go onto become famous characters on SESEME STREET,
Bert and Ernie, coincidence or not? Also look very closely for a
grown-up Alfalfa from THE LITTLE RASCALS.
Hot Shots (1991): Spoof master Jim Abrahams directed this spoof
mostly to TOP GUN which stars Charlie Sheen as Topper Harley who is
haunted by the death of his father and is asked to come back to the Navy
for a special assignment since going to live with indians, a la DANCES
WITH WOLVES. Valeria Golino plays a psychiatrist sent to evaluate Harley
but I think you might know what happens here. Lloyd Bridges is great as
the inept admiral. John Cryer plays a pilot with limited sight and he
and Sheen would reunite years later for the successful sitcom TWO AND A
HALF MEN. Movies buffs will have a great time with all the movie
references.
Road To Morocco (1942): This is I believe the third Road movie which
stars Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Many say this is the best one but I
don't know because it's the only one I have seen so far. In this crazy
adventure, they end up in an Arabian land where they compete for a
Princess, played by Dorothy Lamour but must get through the mean Sheik,
played by Anthony Quinn. There are a few musical numbers, mostly by Bing
of course. A very funny scene includes the ghost of a dead aunt talking
to them. They made a pretty good comedy duo, sometimes overlooked
today.
Psycho 2 (1983): This movie could have been a horrible idea and it
probably seemed like one at the time but this had surprisingly good
results. Anthony Perkins reprises his role from the original 1960
classic from Hitchcock where he gets out of the mental institution after
2 years and must adjust to the changing world and changes to the Bates
Motel but he just can't seem to get his mother out of his head. Vera
Miles also reprises a role from the original classic as Lila Loomis and
is angry that Bates is now back in society. Meg Tilly, sister of
Jennifer Tilly, plays the girlfriend of Norman Bates who is trying to
accept him. Look for a young NYPD BLUE alum Dennis Franz. I felt the
ending was a little out there but if you want a half-way decent sequal,
look here, it probably beats the Gus Van Zant remake. Also listen for my
favorite Beethoven piece Pathetique Sonata which Norman plays on his
piano
Cries and Whispers (1972): Here is my Swedish film for the week
directed by the lengendary Ingmar Bergman. This movie centers around
three sisters, Karin, Maria, and Agnes. Agnes is dying of cancer and the
other two aren't doing much to help so she tries to remember the good
times in her life and with her dysfunctional sisters. It was amazing how
scenes of beauty turned into a very disturbing scene so quickly. This
is a great artistic film that just needs to be watched, not much more
can be done to explain.
Shut Up and Sing (2006): This is a documentary on the Dixie Chicks in
the aftermath of lead singer's infamous anti-Bush comment at a London
concert and the way the whole country world just turned on them. I love
this documentary but I will say I don't have any albums from the Dixie
Chicks, I have never seen any of their concerts but it's because I'm not
a big country fan. People were threatening boycott to radio stations if
they played anything from the Dixie Chicks. Did their music change
after she made that comment? Her comments were directed mostly towards
the war, then to Bush. Maybe they were ignorant, maybe it wasn't the
right place, but to later go onto protest in front of their later
concert in the States. I'm not asking you to like Bush or to not like
Bush or to even support the war or to be against the war, but don't we
have that opinion as Americans? People get by with that in the Rock and
Roll world. Look at Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, and
John Mellencamp. What I admire is the ability for these three girls to
stick together no matter what happens. Only one might have said the
comment but the other two seemed in on it too. What was interesting was
when they did the concert in the States and all the people protesting
that they are traitors, they are anti-American and so on and so forth.
There were signs even wanting them tried for Treason. I bet that if
these comments were in the Clinton Administration and she had said had
commented towards his sex life, they would have been loved. These
Americans seem quite brainwashed in their love of Bush because
apparently it is their duty to do so. I know I have a lot more to say
than usual and I will stop now but their songs have never been geared
against Bush or even really against the war so stop burning your cds and
start listening to them again. Their music still contains the exact
same words before and after the comment, stop letting your love for Bush
cloud your judgement.
Nobody's Fool (1994): I decided to check out this later performance
of the great Paul Newman. He plays aging misfit Sully, who never really
got his life together and starts to reconnect with his estranged son,
played by NIP/TUCK's Dylan Walsh, and grandkids. Jessica Tandy co-stars
in her last role as his landlady who allows him to live in her home and
does not believe that he is a bad person. Sully later falls in love with
local mobster's wife, played by Melonie Griffith. Bruce Willis plays
that local mobster. This is a great movie showing that it is never too
late to change.
Calamity Jane (1953): This is a musical on the western female legend
which takes place in Deadwood, Kansas. Doris Day stars as the title
character and Howard Keel plays Wild Bill Hickok and they are both in
love with two other people but they keep finding each other. I believe
this is a pretty fictional account and that Jane and Bill did not live
happily ever after. Some may cite more racism towards indians in this
movie but those were the times of film and of the western. Good
performances by the leads and good music make this good entertainment.
King Kong (1933): I decided to take another look at the original of
the big ape. I love this and the Peter Jackson version and what hooks me
in on the Peter Jackson version is that bond between Ann Darrow and
King Kong but all-around the original is still better, albeit their
special effects which I'm sure were nothing short of amazing at the
time. Robert Armstrong stars as overzealous director Carl Denham who
decides to shoot a movie on a strange island no matter how dangerous or
how much he compromises the life of his other workers. He decides he
needs a good female so he recruits desperate actress Ann Darrow, played
here by Fay Wray, whose life would forever change on arrival to the
island. Upon arrival they witness some strange creatures and an
indigenous tribe which I have heard criticism upon as well in our
over-politically correct country. That tribe eventually abducts Ann
Darrow and that is when we are introduced to that big ape who develops a
love for the actress and tries to protect her in every way possible and
fights many creatures. Carl and his crew are able to capture the big
ape, take him to New York where upon escape, havoc is wreaked.
The Simpsons Movie (2007): I close 2007 out with this movie adaption
to the long running animated series. My dad got this for Christmas so I
decided to use it. In this feature-length film, Homer takes in a pig
which leads into many bad things for the hapless father trying to do
everything right but just can't. It was great seeing references to some
of the older episodes like the Springfield Gorge one and the beginning
where they make fun of making movies from tv shows. It is mostly for
Simpsons fans but has the great song
SPIDER-PIG.
Well, that is it for this week, thank you for a great 2007 and I look forward to 2008.
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