Tuesday, January 6, 2009

New Year's with the Marx Bros.

As I've said before, watching the Marx Bros. on New Year's has been an annual tradition that I thoroughly enjoy. Last year I invited my good friend Kevin to watch one of them with me on the big screen at the Brattle Theatre. Unfortunately, he got stuck in a snowstorm on his way back from Vermont and couldn't make it. No worries, because we made up for it with a 4:30pm viewing of Monkey Business (1931) on New Year's 2009! Kevin hadn't seen a Marx Bros. movie before and Monkey Business was new to me, so we were both in for a treat. And in the way only the Marx Bros. could do, hilarity ensued. We laughed as Groucho delivered his rapid-fire one-liners, as Harpo chased women and honked, as Chico misinterpreted and schemed and as Zeppo romanced. The audience seemed to enjoy Groucho and Harpo's antics and didn't necessarily appreciate Chico's famous misinterpretations. Maybe because they take a few seconds for the brain to process where as Groucho's jokes are instantly funny. However, it was very good to see so many people in the audience, many of whom bought all-day passes for the Marx Bros. marathon and had settled in for an afternoon of popcorn and laughs. It was really great to share the Marx Bros. with Kevin and I recommended he watch The Night at the Opera (1935) for even more laughs. And two hard-boiled eggs.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Quel Interprétation: The Fortune Cookie (1966)

I've decided to expand the concept of "Quel Interprétation" into general interpretations inspired by classic films and not just limit it to dress-up. My latest (and tasty) installment is inspired by Billy Wilder's comedy The Fortune Cookie (1966) . In this film, Harry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon) is a cameraman who gets knocked over by footballer player Boom Boom Johnson (Ron Rich) during a play and has to be taken to the hospital. Harry's brother-in-law Willie (Walter Matthau) is a scheming lawyer who sees this accident as an opportunity to sue the big guns at the TV studio for major dough. Willie uses Sandy, Harry's no-good and money hungry ex, to lure Harry into the scheme of pretending the injuries are worse than the are. All the while Boom Boom is feeling terrible guilt about the incident and is doing everything possible to make it up to Harry.

In one particular scene, Boom Boom cooks Harry an authentic Hungarian meal which consists of Paprika Chicken with egg noodles, red cabbage and apricot dumplings. We don't get to see the food, but all of us, including the two detectives spying across the street, are left with mouths watering.

It's unusual for me to find a meal served in an old movie appetizing. So when my tastebuds started to tingle, I knew I just had to make this meal! I did some research, got some recipes, and then made it for New Year's Eve dinner. I made some adjustments to the recipes and instead of apricot dumplings, which were too complicated, I made apricot cobbler. I took plenty of pictures too. Enjoy!

Braised Red Cabbage

Ingredients:
1/2 Head of Red Cabbage cut into chunks
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

1 teaspoon of cider vingegar
1/4-1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable broth



(Although the glamour shot of the red cabbage shows an onion and a head of garlic, neither is necessary for this recipe.) Head some olive oil in a wide pot. Add red cabbage, salt and pepper and cook until the cabbage's tough structure begins to give a little. Add the splash of cider vinegar and the broth. You can also add a couple tablespoons of sugar if desired. Cover pot with lid and let simmer 20-30 minutes. Strain of excess liquid (which is now bright red) and serve.



Paprika Chicken

Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
olive oil
Paprika and Salt for seasoning
1 14.oz can of whole tomatoes, drained and seeded
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
1-1/2 teaspoon of flour mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
2 tablespoons of sour cream



Season chicken breast with salt and paprika.




Heat wide skillet (that has a lid) with olive oil. Add chopped onions, salt and paprika to taste. Cook onions until they get tender, about 5 minutes. Push onions to the side of the skillet.


Add seasoned chicken breasts to hot oil. Sear on both sides. Mix back with onions. Add canned tomatoes and break them down a bit with a wooden spatula. Add broth and simmer for 10 minutes covered. Then simmer uncovered for 5-10 more minutes until sauce has reduced a bit.


In the meantime, cook 2-3 cups of egg noodles in boiling salted waters for about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside. Don't let them sit too long or they'll dry out.


Remove chicken breasts from pan and set aside. Add flour mixture and sour cream to sauce and mix. Turn off the heat and stir until well mixed. Add back the chicken breasts. Serve chicken and sauce over egg noodles. Garnish with some parsley.

Vegetarians could easily substitute the chicken for vegetables or leave it out altogether.



Apricot Cobbler

Ingredients:
6 apricots sliced
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup of cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1 egg slightly beaten
Splash of vanilla

Note that this makes a very small cobbler. Double or triple measurements depending on size of baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add sliced apricots and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mix until apricots are fully coated and glistening.

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add in slightly beaten egg and splash of vanilla and mix until incorporated. Then with your hands gently knead in cold cubes of butter until mixture is crumbly. Don't try to incorporate all the butter. Little blobs are good. They melt in the oven and make the topping crispy and yummy.

Cover apricots fully with crumbly mixture. Add baking dish to oven on a middle-rack and cook for 30-35 minutes (more if it's a bigger dish) until golden brown on top.


Serve hot or at room temperature by itself or with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream.



The Fortune Cookie (1966) is available on DVD and TCM will be airing it on January 14th (at an ungodly hour) and February 28th.

Friday, January 2, 2009

The Naked City (1948)



The plot of The Naked City (1948) is pretty straight-forward noir fare. A young model is killed in New York City and detectives are on the case to find out who committed the crime. As far as plot go, it's pretty unremarkable. However, the film itself was ground-breaking. It's the first movie ever to be filmed on location in New York city. Scenes were shot in the streets, in real apartments, in real buildings and with real people. The "extras" were real bystanders walking the streets. The movie was a sort of documentary/film hybrid. The story is fictional but the locations and all their elements are very real.


The film is narrated by Mark Hellinger, the producer. In the very beginning he introduces the movie, himself, the director Jules Dassin, etc. all by name. How many movies acknowledge within the context of the narration it's existence as a film and those responsible for its creation? What movie ever acknowledges itself as a movie? Occassionally, the acknowledgement comes as a joke buried deep within the center of the plot, however, The Naked City introduces itself in all seriousness as a movie. Reality is juxtaposed with fiction to create a vehicle unseen by moviegoers at that time.


This is the city as it is. Hot summer pavements, the children at play, the buildings in their naked stone, the people, without makeup.

These words are read by Hellinger at the end of the film's introduction and they are important. The film is stripped down of any of the glamour Hollywood was known for. It is literally a film without makeup. None of the actors in the film are particularly glamorous or showy. None are big name stars. They look like average folk working their way through a naked and gritty version of New York City. In fact, the only glamour in the film is killed off in the very beginning. The young model is murdered in her apartment and she is seen only in shadow and darkness. Her jewelry and other baubles are stolen and we never see them. Even the model's friend, who works in the same industry, is seen in a less glamorous light than one would expect. She is more victim than celebrated beauty. In this film, fanciness was removed and the grit was exposed. What we see throughout the rest of the movie are slices of the lives of the working class and shots of the city in all its naked, bare beauty. These elements make this not only an excellent film noir, but a superb movie all-around.


Sad Note: Producer/Narrator Mark Hellinger died of a heart attack in 1947, but survived long enough to have seen a preview of the ground-breaking film.

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