When a new person comes into your life in a significant way things inevitably change. If you are lucky, that new person improves your life and your outlook on it. This is what I call the "new-person dynamic" and so many great stories in literature and film are based around this concept. Personally, I have found that this dynamic always proves to be enriching. Everyone brings their own perspective and one can't help but see things differently when exposed to that other perspective. Think about the important people in your life that were introduced to you at one point and how they changed your life afterwards. Now think about your favorite film and how the new-person dynamic was a catalyst for the story. Kind of eye-opening isn't it?
Friday, July 17, 2009
"You're too hungry..." ~ The Hustler (1961)
When a new person comes into your life in a significant way things inevitably change. If you are lucky, that new person improves your life and your outlook on it. This is what I call the "new-person dynamic" and so many great stories in literature and film are based around this concept. Personally, I have found that this dynamic always proves to be enriching. Everyone brings their own perspective and one can't help but see things differently when exposed to that other perspective. Think about the important people in your life that were introduced to you at one point and how they changed your life afterwards. Now think about your favorite film and how the new-person dynamic was a catalyst for the story. Kind of eye-opening isn't it?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Lookie what I found!
And just look what they had in their window display. A Gone with the Wind (1939) lunchbox! It was so endearing I just had to snap a picture of it.
Now I'm not a big Gone with the Wind fan, but if I were I would have pulled out some cash for this little darling!
TCM will be airing a documentary called "1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year". It will be on again July 31st and it's available On Demand for Comcast customers. This year produced many superb films, GWTW and The Wizard of Oz just to name 2 biggies.
So what 1939 film would I like to see in lunchbox form? A Norma Shearer film of course!
Idiot's Delight (1939) - Image - Clark Gable being carried away by his blonde entourage after singing Puttin' on the Ritz. Elegant wigged Norma Shearer is in the background smiling.
What is your favorite 1939 film? What film would you like to see on a lunchbox? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
God Speed Karl Malden (1912-2009)
Malden is famous for being "that guy" in films like A Streetcar Named Desire (1952), Gypsy (1962) and On the Waterfront (1954). And that's only the tip of the iceberg. If you look at his filmography, you'll see he's been in numerous top-notch films.
There are three Malden films that I especially enjoy because of him specifically....
Baby Doll (1956) - Malden plays Archie, the frustrated cotton gin owner that just wants to consummate his marriage, but goes crazy because he can't. You can see the frustration popping out of his veins!
Parrish (1961) - Malden plays Judd Raike, the cold-hearted greedy Tobacco tycoon. Read my review of the film here.
Come Fly With Me (1963) - Malden plays Walter Lucas, a widower flying coach to Europe, who falls in love with a beautiful young stewardess. The stewardess, Bergie, falls in love with him before she finds out he's a millionaire. I don't blame her for falling in love with him, because I did a little too.
God Speed Karl Malden....
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Guest Post Sarah ~ Romeo & Juliet (1936) & West Side Story (1961)
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Disclaimer – it may help if you know the stories of Romeo & Juliet and West Side Story to read this post :)
So we all know that West Side Story is a modern retelling of the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet. While they are similar, they also have their differences and my job is to show them to you! Raquelle made me...just kidding, I volunteered :)
Maria and Juliet both have fake deaths.
In R & J, Friar Laurence gives Juliet a potion to make her appear to be dead though she is really in a deeeeeep sleep. Deep enough to make her not have a pulse. Don't quite know how that one worked out, but okay...
Romeo doesn’t get the memo that Juliet isn’t really dead, so when he goes to see her ‘body’, he gets all upset and drinks poison to be with Juliet. She wakes up like, 3.5 seconds later and discovers Romeo all drawn out next to her. She has vice versa thinking and stabs herself with Romeo’s dagger to be with him.
WSS is totally different however because Anita gets upset after being harrassed by the jets and tells them that Chino shot Maria for loving Tony. Tony catches wind of this, runs out into the streets calling Chinos name begging him to shoot him too so he'd be with Maria. Tony and Maria find each other and while running towards each other all Bo Derek and Dudley Moore in 10 , guess what; Chino heard Tony yelling his name and shoots him. Insert a few dramatic moments and Maria walks away. The End. It isn’t shown or explained if Maria really did kill herself, so that’s one difference between the two stories.
Paris/Chino and the relationship between Tybalt/Bernardo and Nurse/Anita are completely different.
Paris in R & J has been arranged to marry Juliet. Chino in WSS has been arranged to marry Maria. Obviously both gals fall in love with other guys and these two are just left to their own devices.
Chino – kills Tony after he finds out about his relationship with Maria meaning he will probably end up in jail for quite a while.
Paris – After Juliet kills herself, he’s just sort of left in the dust. Poor Paris :(
Also, Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin. Nurse is kind of a confidant for Juliet. In the Shakespeare story, they’re not romantically involved, although Nurse shows some affection for Tybalt at the masked ball. Also, when Tybalt dies in the street fight, Nurse is visibly upset at his death. However, in West Side Story Anita and Bernardo are clearly lovers. Both Nurse’s and Anita’s reactions are similar in that they are both very upset at the deaths.
Romeo and Juliet are actually married while Tony and Maria are fake married.
R & J go to Friar Laurence (the same guy who give Juliet the “it’ll make you look dead” potion) to get married, like for real. Nobody knows about their holy matrimony except Nurse. Tony and Maria have a do-it-yourself wedding in the bridal shop (how appropriate) resulting in the scene that everybody hates and think its such a corn-fest, but…I kinda love it.
Do you see the “cross” above them? ;)
Mama will make him ask about your prospects.
Many!
If you go to church…
Oh, always.
Yes…Papa might like you.
Heh. Watch it here.
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