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!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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!)
- 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?
- 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.
- 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!!!
- Jon Stewart - Funny without being offensive. That's really the way it should be.
- Mickey Rooney - The Oscars are not the Oscars without Mickey Rooney! I love that guy!
- Amy Adams - She sings?! Wow! Talk about a double-threat. And I was slightly embarassed that I confused her with Isla Fischer. Oops.
- 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.
- Cate Blanchett played Bob Dylan in a movie - Where have I been?
- 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.
- 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...
- 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.
- 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!
- 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!
- 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!!!".
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Popular Posts
-
For anyone who loves the 1940s music, dance and overall style, discovering Soundies is an absolute treat. What is a Soundie you may be ask...
-
I saw this the other day on Twitter. Really? That's a fact? I don't buy it. Okay maybe it's the case with Panic in the Streets...
-
Holiday Affair (1949) Janet Leigh's film career began when retired actress Norma Shearer saw a photograph of the young Leigh dressed i...
-
I've returned with an exciting new edition to my classic film book round ups. Every time I curate these lists I worry that this will be ...