Dracula, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Morph and Superman

Sometimes I just don't know where the weekend goes, it just zips right by and I feel like I've done nothing. I did manage to squeeze in a little bit of culture between a couple of movies and some World Cup action. On Friday I went with some friends to hear the Minnesota Orchestra perform Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana", probably one of my favorite pieces of music (it must be, I've heard it live four times). It's a piece for orchestra and voices and it sounds like it's religious music, but if you read the translation of the lyrics, it's a bawdy song. I just love it because it's so BIG, two pianos, multiple percussionists, a choir, and three soloists just to name a few components. I don't think it's the stereotypical stodgy classical music that scares people off, and I'm glad my friends enjoyed it. I'm thrilled the Minnesota Orchestra is back in business and I look forward to future visits. So, after my late night out I was wrecked on Saturday (I am too old to be getting home at midnight) and it rained (again), so it felt good to be lazy.

6/28/14 Bram Stoker's Dracula, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Makeup, 1992

I'm randomly going through The List, at the whim of the library and Netflix and my own peculiar moods. I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I added Dracula to my list, but I am very happy that I didn't watch it with my friends last week. Friends don't make friends watch crappy movies. That's pretty much my review right there, but that's kind of lazy, and I feel like I should at least put forth some effort at snarkiness because I would hate to disappoint. In my younger days, I would watch 'horror' movies like the Friday the 13th series, The Exorcist, Carrie, The Silence of the Lambs, I saw Poltergeist five times in the theater, but something happened between then and now, and I really don't like movies like that, and I have no interest in adding them back to my movie palette unless they are on the damned list. Damn, damn, damn. Okay, fine, put on your big girl pants and watch the damn movie, I mean, the Alien series wasn't horrible, right? I think my luck ran out here. Bram Stoker's Dracula stars Gary Oldman as Dracula, Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing, Winona Ryder as Mina Harker/Elisabeta, and Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker. I like Gary Oldman, he does quality work; and Anthony Hopkins, delightful, even when he's in crap movies, he's wonderful. I'm not as sure of Winona Ryder or Keanu Reeves (I love The Replacements, but it's more because of Gene Hackman and the football action that Keanu's mopey quarterback). To state the obvious, Bram Stoker's Dracula is a telling of the Count Dracula story, beginning in the 15th century and Vlad Dracula and his fight against the Turks to defend the Church, and the suicide of his wife (Elisabeta). Flash forward to the mid 19th century, and Jonathan Harker, a clerk in a law firm, is sent to Transylvania to carry out some legal work. He meets Count Dracula (Gary Oldman in some very incredible makeup) and then things get a little creepy, okay, a lot creepy. I don't there are any big surprises to the Dracula story. There is something mildly pornographic about this movie, which from what I read, was intentional, because it's important to cover up a crappy movie with sex and pretty costumes and makeup and then nobody will ever notice. The acting was awful, and I actually feel badly for Reeves because he seems to get the brunt of the bad acting comments, but really, those remarks should be shared among the cast. Overacting, hammy acting, inept acting. I'm just glad James Cameron didn't direct (Francis Ford Coppola gets all the credit here) because it would have been three hours of torture. I was pretty close to tears a few times. I am seriously thinking about writing some kind of escape clause so I can skip some of these movies, but then, you never know what gem I might miss. If you like the Van Helsing stories, I might have been one of the few people who liked Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman, or perhaps try The League of Extraordinary Gentleman (neither is great, but I didn't think they were tasteless and they didn't make me cry because they were so horrible).

6/28/2014 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Best Music, scoring of a musical picture, 1954

As much as I curse the list for Dracula, I am so happy about this next movie, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, one the many great musicals from MGM. Directed by Stanley Donen (who also directed or worked on the choreography for movies like Singin' in the Rain, On the Town, Funny Face, Damn Yankees! Anchors Aweigh), the movie stars Howard Keel (Showboat) and Jane Powell, and a cast of professional dancers (as opposed to actors teaching them to dance); three other names that may be familiar are Russ Tamblyn, who played Riff in West Side Story, Jacques d'Amboise (who was on loan from the New York City Ballet), and Julie Newmar (later better known as Catwoman from TV's "Batman"). I feel like I grew up with American musicals on the brain, not all of them, and I'm not an expert, but they are very much a part of my DNA; my first theatrical production was "The Sound of Music" at the Cleveland Playhouse in the 1970s, and my parents had all kinds of musical soundtracks at home and The Sound of Music and West Side Story were mandatory watching when they were on (this is in the decades before everyone had their own television and families watched TV together). Anyway, I have never seen Seven Brides for Seven Brothers before, and I thought, uh-oh, cornfest, but it can't be too bad. Ha, it was great. I have figured out I like musicals when there is also dancing, and I don't mean prancing around, I mean dancing like Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire, with a little muscle, athletic, almost gymnastic, and you get that by the yard here. The premise of the story is that the seven Pontipee brothers live in the backwoods in Oregon in 1850 and they are all of marrying age, but they're not very sophisticated and men outnumber women by more than 2:1. The oldest brother Adam (Howard Keel) (the brothers have biblical names, all in alphabetical order) goes into town to find supplies, and maybe a wife. He finds Milly (Jane Powell) and they get married after the world's shortest courtship; there's a lot Milly doesn't know about Adam or his six brothers, but she's no shrinking violet, so don't worry about her. Milly meets the other six brothers, and realizes that Adam didn't need a wife so much as a housekeeper, cook and den mother; Milly uses her opportunities with the 'boys' to try and teach them a few manners and a little culture, which they'll need if they want to marry a girl from town. The music is pleasant enough, Keel has a powerful voice and I didn't know Powell could sing so well, but it's really the dancing that I loved. And you get a fabulous look at the choreography of Michael Kidd (Guys and Dolls, Hello, Dolly!) about 30 minutes into the movie at the barn raising. I watched this scene a couple times because it was so fun. It's got tumbling, ballet-type moves, country dancing, everything but the kitchen sink. At the barn raising the Pontipee brothers find six young ladies that they are immediately smitten by and want to court. Since they have alienated the townspeople by their behavior at the barn raising, it won't be easy to court the girls, but Adam (who sometimes seems like a big lunkhead) decides the brothers should go into town and take the women (he relays the story of The Rape of the Sabine Women or "The Sobbin' Women" and thinks if it's good enough for the Romans, it's good enough for them). The rest of the movie is about the taking of the girls (which appalls Milly, who also becomes a big sister to them), the girls finally settling in to life in the woods, Adam's decision to take the girls back to town, and then ultimately a happy ending (ok, look the move is sixty years old, this cannot be a surprise to you). As much as I vehemently recommend that you never watch Dracula, I recommend that you watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (it's not very long at all, so you could double it with Anchors Aweigh). They don't really make musicals quite like this anymore, I'm not sure that American tastes would really support it, there's no CGI, no blood, no nudity, no guns; but when you're looking for a family movie, you can usually turn to a musical (my only hesitation is how do you explain "the rape of the Sabine women" to a kid? perhaps they wouldn't ask about it and just enjoy the dancing).

Kickstarter updates: I have been supporting different Kickstarter projects for over a year now, and I love it. Most of the projects have been documentary or photography projects, an occasional food or music project. I love it when a project gets funded and even more so when a project is successful. One of the earliest projects that I funded just completed and that was with Peter Lord of Aardman Studios (The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Wallace and Grommit, Chicken Run) and his desire to create 15 one and a half minute shorts for his characters Morph and Chas. Just this past week, I finally received my reward for supporting the project and that was the link to download and watch the short films. They will be available shortly on Youtube on Morph's own channel. I watched the shorts last night. They are hilarious. Ideas for story lines were solicited from supporters (I honestly could not think of a single original idea). The brief stories use items from everyday life, a smartphone, a video camera, a desk fan, and then it's up to Morph and Chas to play with them or try to figure out what they do. Their voices are mainly squeaks, with occasional words being said; but that's okay, you can figure out what's happening.

Another Kickstarter project that is trying for funding is a documentary on the creators of Superman, Siegel and Shuster: Legend & Legacy. Siegel and Shuster were from the Glenville neighborhood in Cleveland and many feel they have not really gotten their due. If you're ever in Cleveland, you can stop by the houses and see Shuster, Siegel and Lois Lane Lanes. I really hope this gets funded. There's lots of great stuff out there, and you never know, one of these films or animated shorts could be nominated for an Oscar.

Summer is here - Her, Ernest and Celestine, The Abyss, The Way, Way Back and more

The past week or so has been full of movies, television shows, concerts and even a road trip. Who says the Midwest is boring? I had the great pleasure of seeing Eddie Izzard on his "Force Majeure" tour of America. It was the first time I had seen him live, but I have been a fan for a long time. He is brilliant, switching voices to play different characters (he didn't invoke his famous James Mason-as-God impersonation though), using history, current events and peculiar observations (Myanmar, Liberia and the US are the only countries not using the metric system, think about that) to engage his audience. If you have a chance to see him, do not miss the chance. This past Thursday I also saw Brit Floyd, a Pink Floyd tribute band. I must be a bigger Pink Floyd fan than I thought, because I knew most of the songs and had a great time. The light show was tremendous. Something you might see at a real Pink Floyd concert. The show wasn't sold out, which is too bad, but the the audience was really into it. Shine on.


6/15/14 Her, Best Original Screenplay, 2013

Ah, Spike Jonze, how you vex me. When I saw the preview for Her, I was initially intrigued by the concept of a human/Operating system relationship, then I thought, eh, don't really care, and then it was nominated and won an Oscar and it ended up on my list. Her is set in the future where you can personalize your own Operating System and have a virtual relationship with it. Joaquin Phoenix is Theodore Twombly, a man who redefines morose; Theodore just isn't very happy with life, he misses his soon to be ex-wife; has a great, but platonic relationship with Amy (Amy Adams) a video game designer; and isn't having much luck in the dating world. Theodore gets a new operating system with artificial intelligence and she names herself "Samantha" (Scarlett Johannson). Samantha evolves and eventually develops emotions and feelings, and helps Theodore to shed a good part of the dark cloud that hangs over him like Mount Doom. Theodore and Samantha can't have a physical relationship, but it does become intimate in a virtual way. Unfortunately for Theodore, Samantha has constant desire to grow and learn and have more relationships with others, including other Operating Systems. I like Joaquin Phoenix, even when he's in a crap movie (The Master), he is fully committed to the role and I am quickly becoming a Scarlett Johansson fan (I think I was indifferent before), and she did a great job as this disembodied character, using only her voice to act (even in animation, there is a character to relate to), and as I mentioned, I was interested in the concept. But, I guess, as the movie wore on, I was less and less interested. Whatever emotional or intellectual chord Spike Jonze strikes in other people, totally misses with me. I guess it made some people cry at the end. Her was nominated for several Oscars, but with the fields so deep in the acting, picture, song and other categories, it was a long shot.

6/21/14 Ernest & Celestine, nominated for Best Animated Feature, 2013

Haven't heard of it? Unfortunately, that's probably a pretty common response. Ernest & Celestine is not a blockbuster, it's not filled with special effects, CGI or a big soundtrack, but what it is is more important. It's a wonderfully small, cozy, charming movie. Ernest & Celestine was nominated for Best Animated Feature, going up against Frozen, Despicable Me 2, The Croods and The Wind Rises; if Frozen wasn't such a box office monster, Ernest & Celestine might have had more of a chance. Ernest is a bear (voiced by Forest Whitaker in an English version) who is very hungry and he goes into town. Celestine (Mackenzie Foy) is a young mouse, living in what seems to be an orphanage and is governed by The Grey One (the inimitable Lauren Bacall) who tells stories of big bad bears and what they want to do to little mice. Celestine is the only one who doesn't have this fear. Ernest and Celestine meet in some unusual circumstances and forge a strong bond (half the fun was being surprised at the turn of events, so you will have to see it for yourself). There are several other notable actors voicing characters, including Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, William H. Macy and Paul Giamatti. There are some very dramatic scenes that younger kids may find scary, but they don't last too long and they are in between funny and heartwarming scenes. The story is wonderful and it would be nice to have a few more movies that are suitable for all ages (I actually watched this with my usual movie family sans the kid this time) and we all loved it. The animation is very subtle, with a watercolor feel and a muted palette. There's always a discussion about strong role models for young girls, and even though Celestine is a mouse, she's very brave and loving and wants to follow her dream (being an artist). Her relationship with Ernest is anything but traditional, but in a time where the definition of "family" is constantly being updated, this film accomplishes a lot in less than 90 minutes. I would give this two fist pumps and encourage you to get this from Netflix or your local library for your next family movie night.

6/22/14 The Abyss, Best Visual Effects, 1989

This movie suffers from a sever identity crisis. Is it a suspense film, an alien film, a sci-fi film? Yeah, I don't know either. A US submarine is inexplicably sunk, the crew is lost, but the Navy has to get it back because it has nuclear warheads on it. They don't have the equipment to go down, but a private oil firm does, and they send Ed Harris and his crew, with some Navy S.E.A.L.S. along for expertise with the armaments. Visually, the movie is pretty cool, and just reading about some of the filming techniques, very cool, but otherwise, I didn't care, don't care and you can't make me. It is like a waterlogged version of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I thought this would be suspenseful, it really wasn't; I thought it might be scary, it wasn't either; the aliens weren't even very cool. James Cameron is in love with himself; there is a director's cut of the movie that runs 170 minutes - that is almost three hours. I don't know, I just kept waiting for something else to happen. Maybe they should have just made it a rescue movie, a la The Poseidon Adventure. It won for Best Visual Effects, beating out The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen, which I saw in the theaters when it was first released, and I thought the effects were spectacular. I guess I'm glad I don't get a vote. There are scarier movies, more suspenseful movies and better acted movies, so unless you have a list to check, I'd skip it.

6/19/14 Crazy Love, Documentary, 2007

I don't remember how I stumbled upon this documentary, I probably saw something somewhere and followed it down the Wikipedia rabbit hole. Crazy Love is a documentary about Burt Pugach and Linda Riss; Pugach and Riss dated in the late 1950s, early 1960s, until Linda found out that Burt was still married. Linda tried to break off the relationship, but Burt was extremely possessive and jealous. He infamously hired some thugs to throw lye in Linda's face which ultimately blinded her. Pugach was found guilty and sentenced to jail time. Throughout this whole thing, Burt continued to profess his love for Linda. After Burt was released, fourteen years later, Burt and Linda began dating again and eventually married. Yes, that would be the "crazy love" part. They actually remained married until Linda died a few years ago, and despite some bickering captured during the interviews, they seemed to be in love. Burt Pugach really comes across as a schmuck, and you have to wonder what Linda saw in him before or after, although several people close to them say he treated her very well. There are a lot of documentaries out there, and unless this story really grabs your interest, you can probably skip it.

6/19/14 Rabbit-Proof Fence, 2002

This movie kept popping up in my Netflix recommendations and I kept ignoring it until I found out that Peter Gabriel had done the movie score, so I got it from the library and finally watched it. Rabbit-Proof Fence is set in Western Australia in the 1930s and is about the treatment towards young mix-race aboriginal children, called half-castes by the Australian government's protector for the aborigines, A.O. Neville. The movie is based on a true story and taken from a book written by aboriginal writer, Doris Pilkington Garimara about her mother. Kenneth Branagh plays A.O. Neville with just the right amount of paternalism and fervor, who believes in his righteous course of actions, actions that include tearing children away from their families to make them be 'more white'. Molly, her little sister, Daisy and their cousin, Gracie, are taken from their mothers and grandmother over 1500 miles away to the Moore River Settlement, where they can only speak English, must pray in the 'English way'. Girls who try to escape are inevitably caught by Moodoo the Tracker and whipped and put in an isolation box. Despite this threat, Molly is determined that the girls will find their way back, using the rabbit-proof fence, going through wilderness, going hungry, with the territorial authorities and Moodoo looking for them. Neville is beside himself that these three little girls could escape, and elude capture. Everlyn Sampi plays Molly with a strength and determination that is rarely found in grownups, much less a child, but she knows she will get home to her mother, she refuses to give up. Cool Hand Luke would have been proud of her. This film tells a story of the Stolen Generations that is probably not widely known in America, although America has its own parallel with the Native American Indian boarding schools where Native American children were taken from their homes and sent to schools to learn the European-American culture, speaking English, etc. Both practices were continued through the latter part of the 20th century; and they were carried out by people who really believed that they were doing these things in the best interests of the children. It does make it hard to watch at times, but it's worth it. Gabriel does his usual brilliant job at capturing the atmosphere of the moment (Birdy,  Passion) and uses a vast array of international musicians.

6/21/14 The Way, Way Back, 2013

I had seen the trailer for The Way, Way Back in the theater and knew I wanted to see it; and then of course, there were a million movies I had to see and it didn't happen. Do you remember sitting in the back of your parents' or family friends' station wagon, and sitting in the 'way, way back'? Yeah, it was cool then, you were away from your parents' hearing and you could just hang out and be cool and perhaps make inappropriate gestures to the cars behind you, or wave, if you had manners. But, there is something uncool about Duncan (Liam James)sitting in the way, way back of his mother's boyfriend's station wagon on the way to the beach; it isolates him and separates him from his mom. Trent (Steve Carrell) is a total jerk, belittling and harassing Duncan in the guise of 'making it work'. Pam (Toni Collette) is Duncan's mom and is torn between her son and her boyfriend. Duncan doesn't really fit into the beach scene and stumbles across Water Wizz and Owen (Sam Rockwell), who has a don't give a shit attitude about most things. Duncan starts working at Water Wizz and finds a place he belongs and is happy, although he doesn't share his new-found happiness with his mom. The movie does a great job of balancing the humor of being an adolescent with some difficulty of coming from a divorced home and the usual angst of being a teenager. We had some laugh out loud moments, usually attributed to Allison Janney, who plays the intrusive, but well-meaning neighbor, Betty or Lewis (Jim Rash), the Schleprock of Water Wizz. Owen and Duncan forge a strong bond and you get the feeling that both actors really enjoyed themselves, and actually the whole cast. If you haven't seen it, add this to your list; it might be one to watch with your older kids (if you have them, I mean, don't go get some kids just to watch this movie). The soundtrack was really good and fit well with the movie. I wish I had seen this sooner, but I imagine I will watch it again. Collette and Carrell were both in Little Miss Sunshine, a movie that surprised me by how much I loved it; Janney was in Juno, Finding Nemo and "The West Wing", among others and can be funny or dramatic; Sam Rockwell pops up in movies, and some of those movies aren't very good, but he works as Owen, who could easily become overbearing and obnoxious.

June 2014, Above Suspicion, Series 1-4, TV series

"Above Suspicion" is an ITV series based on the novels of Lynda LaPlante, the same write who brought us "Prime Suspect". "Above Suspicion" stars Kelly Reilly and Ciaran Hinds as DI Anna Travis and DCS James Langdon. They frequently butt heads, Langdon being a very demanding governor. I binge-watched the series over the past two weeks, and I hope they do more. You can see Travis get her footing and feel more comfortable in challenging her co-workers and Langdon. The crimes in "Above Suspicion" are very graphic, especially in the first series, very similar to what was shown in "Prime Suspect"; it's no Miss Marple or Midsommer Murders; it's violent and full of profanity. Ciaran Hinds is so good; he portrays Langdon as blustery, somewhat chauvinistic, a flawed, but good copper. Reilly as Travis is also flawed, sometimes forgetting she is part of a team, annoying her co-workers; let's face it, nobody's perfect, but you are interested to see if maybe one day she will be the next DCI Tennyson.

Whew. I probably would have had a few more movies, but I took a little road trip down to Winterset and Van Meter, Iowa. In Van Meter, I went to the Bob Feller Museum to pay homage to one of the best pitchers, and gentlemen, in baseball. If you're a baseball fan, and close to Iowa/Minnesota, make a stop. And also of interest to a cinephile is the birthplace of Marion Morrison, better known as John Wayne, in Winterset, Iowa. The birthplace is only 12 miles away from Van Meter. The tiny house packs a wallop with a lot of memorabilia from The Duke's over 150 movies (that's right over 150 credited roles), including an eye patch (I think it's from True Grit), replicas of shotguns and revolvers, signed letters and photographs from Hollywood legends like Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan, Maureen O'Hara and others. They are building a new museum near the house. The guide for our tour was very knowledgeable about Wayne's career and had stories about other visitors who knew Duke. I also saw two of the Bridges of Madison County, and while I thought they were cool, my heart didn't go pitter patter when I saw them; but bridges aren't my thing. So, for those of you who thought Iowa was just flyover country or a place where political pundits gather every four years, think again. It's really nice down there and perhaps I'll venture out and visit the Amana colonies next time.

Spanning over seven decades from Sunrise to Breakfast at Tiffany's to Beetlejuice

Yes, it was a weekend filled with variety and not a television series in the batch. There is really something for everyone in this group of movies.

6/7/14 Sunrise, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Cinematography, Best Unique and Artistic Production, 1927 (awarded 1929), #82 on AFI Top 100 Films, National Film Registry

It's been a while since I have reached back into the archives, but I thought it was time. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (very melodramatic) was released in 1927, but due to the different scheduling for the early years of the Academy Awards, it did not receive its three awards until 1929. Two of the three awards have since been changed: originally the Best Actress and Actor Awards were for an actor's performance for that year, so Janet Gaynor won for her performances in Sunrise, Seventh Heaven and Street Angel. Best Unique and Artistic Production was only awarded for the first Academy Awards. So, now that the history lesson is over, on to the movie. German director. F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) directed this film that starred Janet Gaynor and George O'Brien, known only as The Wife and The Man, respectively. The movie opens with The Man stepping out on The Wife with The Woman from The City (the lack of character names is not uncommon in silent films, and in this case is meant to show the universality of the characters and the story). The Man is smitten by this woman of easy virtue and is almost persuaded to help his wife accidentally drown. The Man goes through various emotions, lust, love, regret among them, as he and his wife get reacquainted and fall in love again. The Man and Wife are from the country, which seems like an idyllic and pure place which has been 'contaminated' by The Woman from The City and her loose ways. Some of the drama or melodrama seems very over the top, very exaggerated, which is another common theme in silent movies; in this movie there are actually very few intertitles used, the viewer must rely on the emoting of the characters to infer the what is going on and move the story along. This was a little hard for me at first, but it works, and the climax of the movie was very gripping and I was surprised by the ending. It was very good storytelling. Also, this wasn't really silent, there is actually sound that was recorded as part of them film, horns honking, crowds yelling, wind blowing, but no talking among the characters. Silent films are not for everyone, and while there are others I would recommend (Gold Rush, City Lights, Seventh Heaven) before this one, this still deserves a look.

6/7/14 Beetlejuice, Best Makeup, 1988

I may be the only person in America in my age group who had never seen Beetlejuice, just not my thing, I guess. I have heard about it, seen clips, heard "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice", but really had no idea. I find I have this ambiguous feeling quite a bit with Tim Burton movies, when he is good, I think he is really good, and then, when he is not, well, kiss 90 minutes and $10 goodbye. Michael Keaton stars as Beetlejuice an annoying, 'i-want-to-punch-you-in-the-face' kind of character; Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis are Adam and Barbara Maitland, recently passed over into the next world, also known as 'recently deceased'. Adam and Barbara are not having an easy time in their new lives, still living in their dream house as ghosts, while a new family, the Deetzes (Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones and Winona Ryder) move in and take over. The movie is mostly about Adam and Barbara's attempts to get rid of the Deetzes and then get rid of Beetlejuice. There are some great scenes here, one of my favorite is the dancing scene, with the living humans being made to dance to 'Dayo'. It's pretty funny. Michael Keaton is crazy as Beetlejuice (if this was made ten years later, it might have been played by Jim Carrey); he totally owns the makeup, crazy hair and costume. He is obnoxious, which is exactly the point. The movie won for Best Makeup and there wasn't really a lot of competition for this year (that's not taking away from it, but usually there is something you can compare it too and the two others in the category didn't have a chance: Coming to America and Scrooged).

6/7/14 The Prince of Egypt, Best Original Song, 1998

I'm a sucker for a good Exodus story, seriously, the story of Moses was one of my favorites growing up (that and Solomon, but I digress). The Prince of Egypt is about Moses, his relationship with Rameses, and the eventual exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. Val Kilmer is the voice of adult Moses, Ralph Fiennes is Rameses, Patrick Stewart is the voice of Rameses and Moses's father, Seti (Moses's adoptive father); Sandra Bullock and Jeff Goldblum are Moses's sister and brother, so definitely an all-star cast. There are not a lot of surprises, I mean the story is several thousands of years old, how many surprises could there be? But I thought focusing on the relationship of Moses and Rameses was different than in The Ten Commandments, and Kilmer and Fiennes were really good. I enjoyed the movie and if you haven't watched it with your kids (or without kids), it might be fun to put on around Passover time. It's old school animation, as in hand drawn and not CGI, so I liked it for that fact. It won the award for Best Original Song ("When you Believe" sung most notably by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston), and while not a lot of the other songs stick in my head, I guess my personal favorite would have been "That'll Do Babe" by Randy Newman, sung by Peter Gabriel.

6/8/14 Breakfast at Tiffany's, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, National Film Registry, 1961

I have some mixed feelings about this classic film starring the elegant Audrey Hepburn, and I think they are of my own making. I read the book by Truman Capote only a day before I watched the movie. Usually it's years or months between reading the book and seeing the movie or vice versa, so everything was pretty fresh in the old noggin. Breakfast at Tiffany's is an iconic movie, people who have not seen it have heard of Holly Golightly (Hepburn's character), heard the song "Moon River" (the movie won for Best Original Song with "Moon River" which was written by Johnny Mercer and Cleveland's own, Henry Mancini), are familiar with the fashion of the film, but I remember watching it for the first time years ago and not liking it, not liking Holly, not understanding the fuss (sometimes when a film is so "locked" into a period it does not translate well to a generations after it). I only wanted to watch it again so I could give a fair report to you, and then I thought, hell, I should read the book, a novella really, by Capote. Briefly, Hepburn plays Holly Golightly, a woman of some sophistication and dubious income; Holly is really all about Holly and only casually concerned about those around her, she's flighty and impetuous. Holly encounters her new neighbor, whom she calls 'Fred' but his name is Paul Varjak, played by George Peppard (younger audiences may know him as Hannibal Smith from "The A-Team"). The other major character is Manhattan (it may seem odd that I keep including cities as characters, but sometimes, they really are), but it's hard to imagine this story taking place anywhere else. The movie follows Holly and her somewhat mysterious background and friendships with a variety of men, her perplexing relationship with Paul, and Paul's relationship with Emily Failenson (played by Patricia Neal). Blake Edwards (of Pink Panther fame as well as The Great Race and many others) directed and injected some of his humor into the film by using Mickey Rooney in the role of one of Holly's other neighbors, Mr. Yunioshi and greatly exaggerating stereotypical traits of someone of Japanese heritage (in the book, I did not get the sense that there was any of that and the role of Yunioshi was pretty minimal). Fifty years later, Rooney's portrayal seemed so obviously out of touch and offensive, but at the time of filming, Edwards said he didn't think of it like that and just wanted to be funny. As Holly and Paul's friendship evolves, they also have quarrels because Paul must be the practical one and not so loosey-goosey. There are several times the story and the movie diverge and once or twice, they are pretty big divergences, in fact, the ending in the movie is SO different from the book (I was told by a friend of mine this is actually a Seinfeld episode). Here is my struggle: I actually really liked the novella so much better than the movie (and the other short stories in this collection), but I love Hepburn as well. Can glamour ooze? Is that oxymoronic? Because she just walks onto the screen and nothing else matters. I didn't dislike the movie as much as I did the first time, I think I had a better understanding of Holly's personality and her motivation for doing things. You can probably watch the movie and not read the book and be perfectly content, but because Capote's writing is so good, watch the movie and then wait a few months and read the book.

6/8/14 Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, Best Documentary, 2000

Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport is a very powerful and moving documentary about the 10,000 children from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia who were sent to England in the late 1930s to escape the grasp of the Nazis and almost guaranteed annihilation. The movie interviews almost a dozen 'kinder' about their experience, leaving Europe and their families, where they were ostracized, harassed and threatened to a country where they didn't speak the language, had to learn about a new culture, and sometimes still harassed but not to the extent they were in their homeland, they also faced the burden of trying to get their parents out, and later knowing that their parents were in danger. These survivors (and they are survivors) are older now, many in their 70s and 80s, but their memories are clear and vivid as they tell about the last time they saw their parents, how they felt when they met their first (sometimes not the last) foster families, what it was like to learn English. Very often stories from the Holocaust stories focus on the camps and life in the ghettos, there are not very many movies about these children and the people who took them in (perhaps most famous among them is Sir Richard Attenborough's family who took in two sisters), so this is definitely worth your time to hear this part of history. The stories have one thing in common, the children were sent to England, but after that and before that, their narratives are unique: the orphan who pretty much raised himself, then was deported, then came back to fight for Britain; the young girl who was sent from family to family, and later was able to bring her parents to England; the sister and brother who convinced their uncle to bring their baby sister over; the young girl whose father was so desperate not to be separated from his daughter that he pulled her off of the train, almost guaranteeing she would be sent to a concentration camp. I will say - this one made me cry.

Post script: Monuments Men is now available on DVD, and as a reminder, that movie looks at the US-led efforts to recover works of art stolen by the Nazis. I recently finished a book that examines the period when the art was stolen, focusing on a particular piece of art by Gustav Klimt, known as "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer" or "The Lady in Gold" (this is also the name of the book by Anne-Marie O'Connor). The book transports us back to late 19th century and early 20th century Vienna, Austria, and the art movement known as "The Secessionist Movement", and the intellectual salons and gatherings hosted and supported by the Viennese Jewish community, focusing on Klimt's painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer and her family. O'Connor traces the lineage of several of Klimt's paintings as they went from being part of the Bloch-Bauer family to being confiscated or forcibly donated to the state of Austria. O'Connor follows the fortunes or misfortunes of the Bloch-Bauer family as some were able to emigrate to America or neutral or Allied countries, and others were not so lucky. There is a great twist at the end, and since this is a true story, the ending is even more moving. What I liked about this book as a bookend to Monuments Men is that it tells the story of the people who had the art, and it wasn't just about paintings, it was about how the paintings or sculptures were taken and that there were people at the other end of those paintings, not some immobile institution (it seems to me that there was only a very vague nod to the people who had the art stolen from them in the movie when Matt Damon returns a painting to an empty house), it adds a level of humanity that wasn't quite there in the movie (that wasn't its purpose, so I'm not criticizing, just pointing it out).

Ssh, I'm watching a movie here - X-Men: Days of Future Past, Il Postino, Misery and a few random documentaries

5/30/14 X-Men: Days of Future Past (not yet nominated)

After being so disappointed by Spiderman, I was really nervous about how X-Men: Days of Future Past would go, especially with so many characters involved. Would it be too much, not enough, confusing, or anti-climatic? Well, I wasn't even sure I was going to finish the movie due to some extraordinarily obnoxious teenagers, who apparently thought they were at their parents' homes where chatting and texting are the norm, and being rude is totally acceptable. They were removed from the theater less than 10 minutes into the movie, much to their surprise. I was reminded of the scene in Fried Green Tomatoes where Kathy Bates' character gets cut off by two young obnoxious girls. She has had enough and starts ramming their car and says something like "I'm older and I have better insurance." Lesson: shut the hell up and watch the movie or kiss your $10 goodbye. So, once the distracting adolescents were out of the theater, we could sit back and enjoy. I don't want to give anything away, so here are a few things to keep in mind: I would recommend that you re-familiarize yourself with the previous X-Men movies, especially the characters and plot points; there is a LOT going on, especially during the action scenes, I wish I could have paused the movie, rewound it and started them over; don't get too hung up on how the time travel happens, you might give yourself an aneurysm. Enjoy the special effects, I would seriously think this could be nominated for visual effects, sound editing, maybe another technical award or two. One of my complaints about Spiderman 2 was the introduction of Rhino for no real reason, it didn't advance the story, it just added 20 minutes to an already long movie; I was afraid that might happen here because there are probably 5 times the super hero characters in X-Men:DOFP, but they didn't bog down the story, they were part of the action. I gave Captain America: Winter Soldier one fist pump when it was over, Spiderman got a WTF?, and X-Men got two fist pumps. My only 'complaint' is there isn't enough background on some of the characters, many I have not heard of before, and I didn't have my Marvel encyclopedia handy; oh, and they could have added another 30 minutes of fighting and action scenes.

5/31/2014 Misery, Best Actress, 1990

Wikipedia describes Misery, based on the novel by Stephen King, as a 'psychological horror thriller'; these three words together are enough to make me say, um, no thank you, which is why it has taken over 20 years for me to watch it. It was taut with suspense, but I would not call it a 'horror' film, maybe just 'psychological thriller' and then I would have watched it only 10 years ago instead. Misery was really a breakthrough role for Kathy Bates who won the Best Actress award for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes who is a little nuts, to put it simply. James Caan is writer Paul Sheldon who has just finished his most recent novel in Colorado. On the drive back to New York, Sheldon crashes his car and is 'rescued' by Annie Wilkes, who tends to his broken legs and reveals herself as his biggest fan, who is very protective of Sheldon's character 'Misery Chastain' and does not approve of his desire to shelve Misery and start writing books in another genre. Annie exerts a lot of control over the virtually helpless Sheldon, and when he decides to try and escape, Annie inflicts a punishment so harsh, I had to close my eyes. Since this is a thriller, I can't reveal too much more (I know, what a cop out), but it was nice to see Lauren Bacall as Sheldon's agent; you can't ever have too much Lauren Bacall. Richard Farnsworth and Frances Sternhagen play the local sheriff and his deputy (they are also married and provide some of the comic moments in the movie, and in my opinion, they could have had a great television series together). Kathy Bates really is fabulous as the woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown, if you're lucky, and homicide, if you're not. She takes Annie right up to the edge, then makes her almost likable, and then back again. James Caan is more like his Brian Piccolo (Brian's Song) than Sonny Corleone (The Godfather) in that he is not in a power position, he is very vulnerable and does a lot of his acting from the bed or a wheelchair. He cannot have the outbursts that Sonny had. I really enjoyed the movie and if you have not seen it, you might enjoy it as well (even if you're a scaredy cat, it will be okay).

6/1/2014 Il Postino, Best Music, Original Score, 1995

Pompeii, 2006

This is going to sound horrible, but we've been through too much together for me to lie to you: I fell asleep during this movie, but what I saw, did not interest me in the least and I never recovered, even when I woke up. The movie was up for numerous awards and I really feel like I should have liked it or appreciated it, but I didn't. If you enjoy poetry, and I have a friend who does, you may enjoy this more. That's all I have. Sorry. It's set on an Italian island, so please enjoy my photo from Pompeii (not an island, but still).

Muscle Shoals, 2013

Muscle Shoals is a music documentary that focuses on the music made in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Bob Seger, Lynrd Skynrd, the Allman Brothers and so many others made music in this part of the southeastern United States. Its sound is as identifiable and unique as the Motown sound or the Stax sound predominant in the 1960s and 1970s. There is a lot of history poured into this 100 minute documentary, and the music is amazing; I knew about the Muscle Shoals sound, but I did not know how far-reaching it was. The film includes interviews with some well known musicians like Steve Winwood, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Aretha (she doesn't even need a last name), and others, as well as the studio band, most of whom are not well-known. There are two studios that are in this story, FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, which was founded by four of the FAME Studios musicians. FAME Studios is still run by Rick Hall, who produced so many of these great songs and records; I love music and know lots of bits and bobs, but I had never heard of Rick Hall. He certainly had the touch. One of the things that gets talked about a lot in the film, and also comes up in Standing in the Shadows of Motown was the question or issue of color and race; many people did not know that the Muscle Shoals musicians were black and white, and some people were surprised that they were white; 'how could they get that sound if they're white?' kind of thing. The musicians themselves and the artists all said that color wasn't an issue for them, it may have been an issue when they left the studio for others (white musicians socializing with a black singer, like Wilson Pickett), but not for them. The Motown musicians said the same thing. The music was the bond; their love and appreciation of good music and great musicianship. I didn't look, but I will, to see if there is a companion soundtrack, because I'm going to get it. If you liked 20 Feet From Stardom and Standing in the Shadows of Motown, then you will like this as well.

Dear Mr. Watterson, 2013

If you grew up reading Calvin and Hobbes in the comics, then you will want to watch this documentary about the elusive Bill Watterson and his work. The movie is at a slight disadvantage because it has no interviews with Watterson, just a few quotes and a lot of fellow illustrators and writers and cartoon historians giving their analysis and observations. A lot of the analysis about Calvin and his appeal to so many audiences is very insightful, and clearly, Watterson influenced a lot of illustrators. I remember reading Calvin and Hobbes in the paper, munching my cereal. I was old enough to read the comics to myself by the time Calvin  came out, but I have great memories of my dad reading the comics to me on Sundays. There is some discussion about the passing of the Golden Age of the newspaper comics and how younger generations may be missing out on this collective experience, and could Calvin and Hobbes be as successful as today. There is also commentary on the fact that Watterson did not license his characters the way Garfield or The Peanuts were, there were no animated specials or movies; Calvin and his tiger pal, Hobbes are in several books that were published. One other fact, and I cannot let it go unmentioned, but Watterson is from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, a town east of Cleveland with a waterfalls and a nice ice cream shop and other little shops. He still lives there and paints for himself. This was not the best documentary I have ever seen, I don't think it tugs on any emotional heartstrings and it doesn't lift you up, like 20 Feet From Stardom or Undefeated, and I think it does miss the voice of Bill Watterson. That's not to say it's bad, but it didn't make me cry.