Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Another reason to like Vanity Fair right now...

VanityFair.com is featuring a web exclusive slideshow of Leonard Schrader's collection of lobby cards. (Frank - You'll definitely get a kick out of these!)

Plus an article on them called Hollywood's Buried Treasures.

Check it out now! There is also a Leonard Schrader Collection website.

My particular favorite from the slideshow is the Norma Shearer/Devil's Circus card. Of course!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Oscar Night

I went out to an Oscar party at the Brattle Theatre with my good friend Kevin on Sunday night. It was great to dress up and watch the Academy Awards in a real theatre. Lot of talk is going around about this year's Oscars being disappointing. Here are my thoughts, reactions and fun quips on the show (or at least the 2-1/2 hours I watched!)

  1. Presentation/Acceptance Montage and Theme - I liked this! But I get really emotional when they show images of classic film stars who have since passed on accepting or presenting awards. Especially when Celine Dion belts the Titanic song in the background. Do they want to make me cry?
  2. Memorial Montage - I'm actually glad I missed this in the theatre. I didn't bring any tissues with me and I would have been a complete mess. Best to watch these kind of things at home when I have some kleenex nearby.
  3. Marion Cotillard - I seriously have a girl-crush on her. I think she's amazing and I can't wait to watch La Vie En Rose!!!
  4. Jon Stewart - Funny without being offensive. That's really the way it should be.
  5. Mickey Rooney - The Oscars are not the Oscars without Mickey Rooney! I love that guy!
  6. Amy Adams - She sings?! Wow! Talk about a double-threat. And I was slightly embarassed that I confused her with Isla Fischer. Oops.
  7. Atonement didn't win Best Costume - I'm glad. I'm very particular about Best Costume, since I have a personal interest in period costume design. The only thing I didn't like about Atonement is how they sacrificed historical accuracy, for beauty in the clothes. The clothes seemed more '20s than '40s.
  8. Cate Blanchett played Bob Dylan in a movie - Where have I been?
  9. Sarah Polley wrote and directed Away From Her - Where the heck have I been? Oh yeah that's right, in graduate school! I'm so out of the loop.
  10. In conclusion - I need to watch more movies!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Love Scenes

I read an article in this morning's newspaper about how one can connect with a mate by divulging what their favorite cinematic love scene is. I thought it was an interesting concept. It could reveal a lot of what their concept of romance is and how they feel about love in general.

Deep thoughts in my mind oftentime need to be compartmentalized into buckets. Such a mental bucket could be in the form of a list! What I'm really getting at is that it's "List time"! Here are my top 10 favorite classic romance scenes (nothing post 60's!). In no particular order...

  1. An Affair to Remember (1957) - I don't want to ruin it for people, since really the scene I'm talking about is in fact the ending. So, let's just say its the ending and yes, I do have to have a box of tissues nearby.

  2. The Facts of Life (1960) - Who says love can't be funny? I find the naughty scene with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball at the drive-in hilarious. They almost get caught by Bob's neighbor, who's in the neighboring car, so they lock lips and drive away just like that; lip-locked. And Lucille and Bob juggle the gas and break pedals while still lip-locked. Hilarious! Now that's commitment to an extramarital affair!

  3. On the Waterfront (1954) - Any scene where Marlon Brando's character is clumsily romancing Eva Marie Saint. It's simple and innocent but driven by a repressed passion that is bulging at the seams. Caliente!

  4. A Patch of Blue (1965) - Selina is so innocent that she can't help but show her attraction to Gordon. Their kiss and her shame of being "done over" makes me want to go outside and scream "why can't they just be together!!!".

  5. Now, Voyager (1942) - Being content with being in close proximity to each other and not being actually together is a difficult task to accomplish. But you believe it when Bette Davis tells Paul Henreid not to wish for the moon, when they have the stars.

  6. Woman of the Year (1942) - The reason why Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were together for so long. The moment the two characters meet is electric. I almost fall out of my chair everytime I see it.

  7. All That Heaven Allows (1956) - I am particularly captivated by the quiet scene when Rock Hudson has a coffee and a roll with Jane Wyman. You see the very first sparks light up. At that point, you know there is overwhelming passion to follow.

  8. The Magnificent Obsession (1954) - All of us dream of the bad boy who changes his ways when he falls in love with the right woman. Hello! Rock Hudson goes from spoiled brat to do-gooder when Jane Wyman loses her husband and her sight but steals his heart. When he starts to woo her, when she is blind, you want to hate him but you just can't!

  9. The Apartment (1960) - Shirley Maclaine's character tries to commit suicide. Jack Lemmon nurses her back to health. The gin rummy game they play shows what a genuinely romantic guy Lemmon's character is. Sometimes the good guy does get the girl.

  10. Rear Window (1954) - Do you ever notice that in Hitchcock movies, the girl is usually wooing the guy? Hmph! I like it in Rear Window though. Especially the scene when Grace Kelly smothers James Stewart with kisses. She wants to commit but he's very reluctant. Sometimes ya gotta work to woo your man!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Out of the Past - Into the Now ~ Vanity Fair's Tribute to Hitchcock

I came out of my hiatus just to tell you to watch the newstands for the March 2008 Hollywood Issue of Vanity Fair. It features a photo spread in tribute to the great Alfred Hitchcock! Yay! I saw a bit about it on TV. Basically they take well known contemporary actors and dress them up in scenes from different Hitchcock films. I am hungrily searching for a copy as I don't have one yet.

Here is what is in the issue...

Seth Rogan - As Cary Grant in North by Northwest
Renee Zelwegger - As Kim Novak in Vertigo
Scarlett Johansson - As Grace Kelly in Rear Window
Javier Bardem - As James Stewart in Rear Window
Naomi Watts - As Tippi Hedren in Marnie
Charlize Theron - As Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder
Keira Knightley - As Joan Fontaine in Rebecca
James McAvoy - As Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train
Emile Hirsch - As Farley Granger in Strangers on a Train
Jodi Foster - As Tippi Hedren in The Birds
Marion Cotillard - As Janet Leigh in Psycho
Gwenyth Paltrow- As Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief
Robert Downey Jr. - As Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief

Life Boat
- Tang Wei; Josh Brolin; Casey Affleck; Eva Marie Saint; Ben Foster; Omar Metwally; Julie Christie


I almost hyper-ventilated when I saw the bit on TV. I need to buy a copy or two!!! Go out and get one, especially if you are a hardcore Hitchcock fan like myself! Check it out!

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Turner Classic Movies 31 Days of Oscars

Don't forget me while I'm away! Come back to this site and check out TCM's DayORam for their 31 Days of Oscars festival.



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