If you haven't watched the prematurely cancelled Freaks and Geeks, you should. If you have then why don't you re-watch it on Netflix, hm?
Showing posts with label movie pick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie pick. Show all posts
Laughs & Lies
Lately I've noticed a number of vintage photographs with amusing, however inaccurate captions beneath them. The above picture was labeled "in 1921, early suffragettes often donned a bathing suit and ate pizza in large groups to annoy men…it was a custom at the time.” On tumblr this image was reblogged thousands of times and people added, "great form of protest--let's bring it back." I agree it would be an awesome form of protest, however while the picture is from 1921 it's actually from a pie eating contest at Tidal Basin. The only statement these women were making was that they liked pie and wanted to win a contest.
Another photograph I've noticed falsely labeled is the picture below, which was captioned "sex education class, 1929." Additional commentary was added for each person's unique expression and while the reactions would be quite hilarious if it was a candid, that's not the case. This picture is a screen capture from the film The Wild Party, starring Clara Bow. With that picture the caption is easier to debunk--candid 1920s photographs of classrooms really don't exist and also--why didn't everyone immediately recognize Clara Bow? The term "it girl" was coined after her, Betty Boop was modeled in her style, and even the more recent film The Artist directed the lead actress to follow her style of high-energy acting. There's a wonderful BBC documentary on the actress that I recently spent an afternoon watching, available here. Like my earlier post on Louise Brooks, Clara Bow was a quintessential flapper who was first celebrated and then vilified for her more "modern" ways and humble roots. Hollywood loved her because she was box office gold, but other actors wouldn't socialize with her and despite the 56 films she made during her short career she is often forgotten when remember silent movie stars.
Aside from my tangent on Clara Bow, the question for me remains: why with the fake captions? Is this some wonderfully effective Internet prank--a joke between friends that went viral? Further, how many other joke captions out there am I believing? The second image brought an instant eye roll from me only due to my familiarity with Clara Bow; other silent movie stars are more difficult for me to place and thus photographs featuring them easier to deceive. I suppose all this serves as another reminder to not believe everything you read on the Internet...
Looking For Lulu
I recently spent a Saturday tucked away in my AC'd home doing laundry and watching documentaries. One very engrossing documentary was Looking For Lulu, an hour-length watch about silent film star Louise Brooks (narrated by another favorite actress, Shirley MacLaine) that can be found online here. I stumbled across some of Louise Brooks films during college when I went through a silent film phase and while I enjoyed the high energy antics of Clara Bow there was a depth of emotion in Brooks' acting that stuck with me. While I've read a bit about Brooks before, the documentary featuring friend and family interviews and some of Brooks' own words, was a more in-depth peak into her life and personality than I had previously had. A woman often more remembered for her iconic hairstyle than her films lived as a life as dynamic and tragic as the characters she portrayed.
Louise Brooks was in many ways a quintessential flapper--she even began her career as a dancer and performed in the Ziegfield Follies (a stage show known more for the skimpy costumes and beauty of the performers than choreography). Despite her quick rise to fame in her youth and her undeniable talent, Brooks burned bridges with her personality and refusal to give in to bullying. Her most notable career move was equal parts disaster and genius. As studios began to move into talkies Paramount tried to pressure the actress into a new contract with a pay cut, Brooks refused and went to Berlin on impulse where director Georg Wilhelm Pabst was waiting to cast her as his Lulu in Pandora's Box. Paramount spitefully blacklisted her and she would never again be the golden girl of Hollywood. However, the two films she made with Pabst (Pandora's Box and Diary Of A Lost Girl) secured her present legacy. Both films were shocking in their time and explore themes of sexuality and society that films still struggle to depict accurately today. They're beautiful films that stand outside of time and when watching them Louise's delicate style of acting quickly makes the viewer forget they're watching a silent.
One of the most arresting points this documentary makes is: Louise Brooks is not a success story. She rose to fame and fell from it. After starring roles in big budget films she was forced to take small roles in B-films before retiring from the industry when she was barely 30. Her life had further downward spirals and she spent a good portion of time turning more reclusive and addicted to alcohol. Towards the end she did recover to the point of writing about films (most notably her experiences compiled into Lulu In Hollywood) and working with film historians. Still, despite her young rise to fame, her talent, and brilliance she spent much of her life destitute and alone. We remember her fondly today, noting how ahead of her time she was, but we don't like to acknowledge that she is the lost girl of beautiful destruction she played in her best-remembered films. Talent and hard work don't guarantee success. Being right, standing up for yourself can be your downfall. I don't think a dramatized movie of her life would be successful--Hollywood would rather package us pretty stories of people who struggle, work hard, and ultimately triumph (they get the girl, the dream job, etc). But it's a misleading story, not everyone is responsible for their tribulations...
Louise Brooks was in many ways a quintessential flapper--she even began her career as a dancer and performed in the Ziegfield Follies (a stage show known more for the skimpy costumes and beauty of the performers than choreography). Despite her quick rise to fame in her youth and her undeniable talent, Brooks burned bridges with her personality and refusal to give in to bullying. Her most notable career move was equal parts disaster and genius. As studios began to move into talkies Paramount tried to pressure the actress into a new contract with a pay cut, Brooks refused and went to Berlin on impulse where director Georg Wilhelm Pabst was waiting to cast her as his Lulu in Pandora's Box. Paramount spitefully blacklisted her and she would never again be the golden girl of Hollywood. However, the two films she made with Pabst (Pandora's Box and Diary Of A Lost Girl) secured her present legacy. Both films were shocking in their time and explore themes of sexuality and society that films still struggle to depict accurately today. They're beautiful films that stand outside of time and when watching them Louise's delicate style of acting quickly makes the viewer forget they're watching a silent.
One of the most arresting points this documentary makes is: Louise Brooks is not a success story. She rose to fame and fell from it. After starring roles in big budget films she was forced to take small roles in B-films before retiring from the industry when she was barely 30. Her life had further downward spirals and she spent a good portion of time turning more reclusive and addicted to alcohol. Towards the end she did recover to the point of writing about films (most notably her experiences compiled into Lulu In Hollywood) and working with film historians. Still, despite her young rise to fame, her talent, and brilliance she spent much of her life destitute and alone. We remember her fondly today, noting how ahead of her time she was, but we don't like to acknowledge that she is the lost girl of beautiful destruction she played in her best-remembered films. Talent and hard work don't guarantee success. Being right, standing up for yourself can be your downfall. I don't think a dramatized movie of her life would be successful--Hollywood would rather package us pretty stories of people who struggle, work hard, and ultimately triumph (they get the girl, the dream job, etc). But it's a misleading story, not everyone is responsible for their tribulations...
Jaws
I was recently brainstorming about classic summer movies and my usual standbys of Gidget, Endless Summer, or Mr Hobbs Takes A Vacation suddenly leapt to the slightly more recent flick Jaws. Despite the fact the shark might scare you out of the ocean for a few months, is there really any more appropriate film for the season (after all the film opens on Fourth of July weekend)? Jaws is decidedly a classic not because of the scares, but the wonderful Hitchcockian suspense. If you somehow have managed to miss this film, I definitely recommend a viewing this year. Full of memorable one-liners, clever visuals, a stunning soundtrack, and effective thrills--Jaws is not your typical summer adventure flick of flash and no substance.
The Philadelphia Story
The Philadelphia Story is a whirlwind romantic comedy that takes place over a single weekend. Tracy Lord's (played by Katharine Hepburn) wedding weekend to be exact. In the midst of last minute preparations her ex-husband, C. K. Dexter Haven (Grant) blackmails his way into the house with a team of tabloid reporters in tow. Of course things aren't what they seem on the surface, Dexter isn't an ex-husband bent on last minute revenge, Tracy isn't a fulfilled bride marrying her equal, and even reporter Mike Connor (Jimmy Stewart) has hidden depths. While some of the storyline is dated, it still surpasses the musical remake with Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby and many romantic-comedies of today. While Tracy Lord is often cut-down to size by nearly every male in the film, ultimately she is given the final decision of choosing her romantic lead and new husband...
Super 8
While it might not hold a candle to Spielberg's original alien movie, Super 8 has an undeniable charm all its own. Full of visuals that echo earlier summer classics the young heroes of Super 8 seemed poised between brief romances and adventure before summer camp and a frightening dose of science fiction. One wonders if they'll be able to ride out either storm on their bicycles. Yet it's through a child's eyes that everything is ultimately revealed--the adults are slow to piece together the clues of disappearing dogs and malfunctioning electronics while the children find the order in the chaos. Perhaps that's an allusion to how children are often left to find order in chaos--in our main hero Joe's coping with his mother's death while his father is distant and no adult has explained the exact circumstances. In the end Super 8 is the perfect summer film--nostalgic for past film making, nostalgia for childhood past, and even just those good old days of summer when adventure seemed to be lurking around every corner.Roman Holiday
I try not to feature Audrey Hepburn in all my movie picks (she's not even my favorite actress), but for all the sub-par movies she made the ones that persist and we watch again and again fit certain moods so perfectly. Roman Holiday for example always feels like a summer movie, alongside Gidget or Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation. It's not that it necessarily takes place in summer, it's that for a brief moment Audrey's character Ann gets to escape from her normal life and go on an adventure--and that is what summer usually represents. A break from normalcy. I mean it starts with her passing out on public benches, cutting off all her hair, and leads Gregory Peck to attempted theft of cameras from school children, driving on the wrong side of the road, starting a bar brawl, and so on. Although shot in black and white and features Audrey in the most prim skirts down to her ankles if there was a song to describe this film it might be Last Friday Night. But don't worry as Ann states herself after their release from the police, "I won't overdo it" and the film is just that--the perfect balance of whimsy and fairytale with real heart and deft acting.
How To Marry A Millionaire
In spring and summer my movie tastes definitely tend towards lighter fare, meaning more comedies and less dramas. I just want to laugh, you know? This film How To Marry A Millionaire fits the bill nicely. Want another laugh? It supposedly was based off a nonfiction book by the same name, although only the title was saved in the final script. Still, isn't that a book you'd like to read? The plot is rather simple: three buxom blondes working as models in New York rent an apartment they can't afford all as part of a plot to land themselves rich husbands. As you might predict, things don't go as planned for the women. I'm not always a fan of Marilyn Monroe, but I do get a kick out of her slap-stick blind routine in this movie. Another bonus: silly fashion show thrown in for no apparent reason. I really love fashion shows in old movies, the styles they showcase are usually ridiculous and not how the everyday woman would dress, but man are they entertaining.
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