Weekly Mishmash: May 24-30
Babel (2006). Well-made, admirable and pretentious multi-continent epic from Mexico’s Alejandro González Iñárritu. This was the director who also helmed the brilliant Amores Perros (Love’s A Bitch) in 2000, an infinitely more modest film with which this venture pales a bit in comparison. I really enjoyed this, however. Despite some overlong and self-indulgent sequences (such as the Japanese nightclub scene), the ambitious multi-country scope is handled well with several noteworthy performances. Several questions linger in my mind about the plot, however. Such as — what was Cate Blanchett doing in Morocco if she hated it so much? Why was the nympho deaf girl featured so prominently? And, where was the ending for the Mexico storyline?
Crime Wave (1954) and Decoy (1946). Two films that could loosely be called noirs, although the only thing they really share is a single Warner Home Video DVD. Scenes from the gritty Crime Wave were included in the making-ofs on the expanded L.A. Confidential DVD. With its unadorned scenes of the workaday dealings of L.A. cops, I could see the influence on the latter. Gruff Sterling Hayden stars as a detective trailing an ex-con (Gene Nelson) who has been unwillingly roped into another crime by his unsavory former cellmates. Fun location footage in and around Glendale, California adds to the realism. If Crime Wave is the treat, the unimpressive ‘B’ Decoy must be the trick. A cheap melodrama produced by z-grade studio Monogram, this film follows a ruthless woman (played by the obscure but oddly compelling Jean Gillie) as she plots with an unsuspecting doctor (bland Edward Norris) to grab a box of loot buried by her jailbird beau (Robert Armstrong, looking a lot older than in King Kong). Ludicrous story is given a painfully dull treatment. Strangely enough, this film was championed by DVD Savant‘s Glenn Erickson, whose opinions I normally agree with.
Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959). Colorful Disney hokum about leprechauns, most notable for having a young and toothy Sean Connery (who even sings!) in one of his earliest film roles. Predictable as all get out, but I loved the special effects creating the illusion of a secret enclave of wee men (the DVD included a fun featurette explaining how it was done). Very impressive, even by today’s standards.
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003). Movie Channel recording. Pretty good, somewhat blandly made documentary on the seminal punk band. I didn’t know about the band members’ infighting, which makes the fact that they kept the band going for 20 plus years a remarkable feat. I think Dee Dee (who died of a drug o.d. in 2004) was the most fascinating character in the Ramones. His bizarre sideline as a rapper in the late ’80s, with a look that strangely prefigured Kid Rock’s, was one of the most interesting parts of the doc. It was also cool to hear about the opposing political viewpoints of Joey and Johnny Ramone. For a band that epitomized the opposite of slickness, this film could have used a tighter approach with considerably less rambling interviews, but it was compelling enough.
Edu Lobo – Sergio Mendes Presents Lobo. My second iTunes album download was this ’69 gem from that bastion of grooviness, A&M Records. This was an attempt to break Brazilian songwriter Edu Lobo in America, under the tutelage of Brasil ’66 hitmaker Sergio Mendes. While I’m not sure if it was successful saleswise (to my knowledge, Lobo never recorded another LP here), the album is a warm and wonderful delight. It sounds like a more authentic Brasil ’66 record, only without the loungey female vocals. It actually goes into a lot of daring territory rhythmically. Lobo has a pleasant voice and he acquaints himself well with the English language, especially with the six minute “Crystal Illusions” (also recorded by Mendes and the Brasil ’66). He also wrote all the songs here, with the exceptions of arranger Ermeto Pascoal’s tropical instrumental “Sharp Tongue” and an understated cover of the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” Great album.
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006). Sundance Channel recording. Fun ’60s spy spoof from France, a more loving and good-natured tribute than the vulgar Austin Powers movies could ever muster. Jean Dujardin manages to be both suave and silly as secret agent OSS 177, ’50s soldier turned spy investigating some kind of international brouhaha having to do with chicken farms in exotic Egypt. Although this didn’t elicit a lot of laughs from us — it was more goofy than funny — we enjoyed the film’s chi chi look and fidelity to the period. Even the filming techniques were on the money (lots of back screen projection). A sequel set in Brazil just came out in France. Whenever that comes over to our shores, I’ll be on it.
We Are Married, Too
From Christopher: “I want to let you know about a new blog I have started called We Are Married Too over on blogspot. It is intended to be a showcase for lesbian and gay couples around the world who have been legally married.”
The first entry is on our July 3, 2008 union. Awww. Wanna contribute? Contact Christopher at wearemarriedtoo (at) yahoo.com.
And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon
This strange segment from the 1934 Janet Gaynor comedy Servants’ Entrance represents one of the few projects Walt Disney’s animators did for an outside studio (20th Century Fox). It’s cute, and baffling. Read more about it at 2719 Hyperion.
Okay, I Love This
A muppet parody of R. Crumb’s famous Cheap Thrills album cover — brilliant! (via Drawn!)
Weekly Mishmash II: May 17-23
Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic (2005) and John Waters: This Filthy World (2006). Showtime recordings of live performances. I’ve occasionally enjoyed Sarah Silverman on talk shows and such; Jesus Is Magic reveals that the woman is best digested in very small doses. There were a few good jokes here, but her “cute chick with a filthy mouth” shtick doesn’t hold up on a feature that is mercilessly padded out with stupid musical numbers and backstage banter. John Waters fares much better with this filmed lecture (I hasten to call it a stand-up act), talking about every single film he’s done with engaging honesty. Despite already hearing much of this stuff, I enjoyed it. Waters may look like a pencil-mustached cadaver, but he has the most elegant sounding voice. Even when discussing bizarre sexual fetishes, the man sounds like buttah.
Boz Scaggs — Silk Degrees. As I was compiling my 40 Years, 40 Albums post last year, I noticed the severe lack of mid- to late-’70s albums in my collection. This was remedied a bit with a download of this smasheroonie from 1976. I can see why this was a huge seller, since it captures a peculiar merging of pop, rock, soul, disco, blues, and even a bit of reggae (“Love Me Tomorrow”) — all smoothly produced enough not to alienate anyone. A good vehicle for Scaggs’ smooth and charismatic voice, which buoys the album’s weaker first half well. I always dug “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle,” but the two lesser-known hits “It’s Over” and “What Can I Say” are nice surprises. Especially the latter tune, which encapsulates that super-slick L.A. summery pop sound as well as anything from that particular Qiana-and-margaritas era. p.s. Since my sweetie gifted me with 50 free iTunes downloads, I will be doing five different albums over the next five weeks. Something else to look forward to, kiddies.
Star Trek (2009). Could it be — we actually saw a movie in the theater? Last Friday, we made a fun day of seeing this along with a trip on our light rail system to lunch and dessert downtown. This was a good one. As far as movies go, J.J. Abrams never disappoints. That is possibly because he prizes compelling storytelling over all else. This one wasn’t as much of a radical reboot of the Trek universe as I feared; it fleshes out the characters’ backstories nicely with cool special effects and great action sequences. The only scenes I felt weren’t necessary were those of Kirk and Spock’s childhoods. The casting and direction seemed spot-on to me, with Uhura being the only character that didn’t have as much continuity with the TV show and previous films (without spoiling, there’s something going on with her here that seemed out of left field). Most importantly, this was a fun, fun movie — something that’s been lacking in every Trek venture from Next Generation onward. Is Abrams working on a sequel? I hope so.
Tallulah! The Life and Times of a Leading Lady by Joel Lobenthal. Tallulah Bankhead was one of the most lively, outsized personalities of the 20th century. Although one sees a bit of the real Tallulah in Joel Lobenthal’s impeccably researched bio, the book was a huge slog to get through. If there was ever a book that can’t see the forest for the trees, this is it. Every single project in Bankhead’s voluminous stage career gets a comprehensive going-through here. A good idea in concept, maybe, but one must read through long and detailed descriptions of forgotten drawing room comedies and melodramas before getting into any insights on what made the woman tick. I was looking forward to a well-rounded portrait within these pages, something that counters her campy image — but this project feels like a magnificent opportunity squandered. One also gets the sense that, although he has an admirable passion for the stage, Lobenthal is mortified by Bankhead’s promiscuity and ribald outspokenness. Interesting, but not successful.
Weekly Mishmash I: May 17-23
Once again, the Mishmash has gotten so unwieldy it must be split in two. Look for Weekly Mishmash II: The Sequel in tomorrow’s scrubbles.net.
Bordertown (1935). I vaguely recall watching this one a long time ago, when I was delving into Bette Davis’ lesser-known vehicles. A second viewing, courtesy of TCM’s great Latino Images In Film fest, confirms why it didn’t linger in the memory. It’s a pretty lousy melodrama with ugly racist overtones. Paul Muni hams it up as an earnest Mexican lawyer who turns to saloon keeping after losing his one big case. Davis enters the picture when she commits a crime of passion to get her share of Muni’s cojones. She then has little to do but grow progressively more insane as the film goes along. I enjoyed the pretty and understated Margaret Lindsay as Muni’s other romantic interest, but her character does a jarring 180 degree turn at the end. Ridiculous as it was, this story got an equally ludicrous but more entertaining re-do as They Drive By Night (1940).
The Conformist (1970). I actually first heard about this Bernardo Bertolucci film via the 1992 cinematography doc Visions of Light. Gotta tell you, this is one gorgeous looking movie. Widescreen vistas of shiny marble, blowing leaves, pastel colored oriental lanterns, and light streaming through horizontal blinds are lovingly captured by Vittorio Storaro’s camera. The storyline, about a restless man who is assigned to rub out his one-time college mentor in Mussolini-era Italy, also delivers the goods. Somewhat oblique at times, but very chic and beautiful. This film doesn’t have any recognizable actors in the cast (not to me, anyhow), which aids tremendously in its spell.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006). An escapist fantasy in the mold of a Sex and the City episode, albeit one redeemed by fun performances from Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt. This was pretty much what I expected — nothing more, nothing less. The drama is diluted by the fact that Anne Hathaway’s character appears never to be in much danger, a central theme in Chick Lit (how I hate that term!). Mostly I came for La Streep and the fabulous wardrobe, neither of which disappointed.
L.A. Confidential (1997). Watched this for the third time, after purchasing the super duper deluxe-o DVD edition. Still amazing. Wonderfully cast, dense and satisfying plot, perfect eye for ’50s Los Angeles. It still slays me that the treacly blockbuster Titanic stole the Best Picture Oscar award from this. There is truly no justice in this world.
Party Girl (1995). Flix recording. A half-baked indie comedy that floats by on the considerable charm of its star, Parker Posey. As a party girl turned serious librarian, Posey strikes all the right brittle yet appealing notes. This film’s plot, what little there was, had a strange message (live it up now, or you’ll end up a bitter, fat old busybody?). Ms. Posey was all right, but what little enjoyment I got from this film came from its tres ’90s urban settings, wild fashions, and phat music. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.
The Mall — of the FUTURE!
At a local Goodwill recently, I bought this strange little book for kids that was originally published in England. Titled Department Store, it’s a career guide from 1979. I liked browsing through it to see what swanky department stores looked like in the ’70s, British ones at that (shades of Are You Being Served?). The book also contains some hilariously awful illustrations, some of which are the latest additions to my Kiddie Korner flickr set.
My favorite section was this speculative illustration on what the department store of the future may look like. They certainly got the shopping from home part right; other ideas appear interesting enough in concept, but never caught on (click the illustration to see a larger view).
Fascinated by Cheryl Ladd
Of all the things I thought of today, how on earth did the subject of Cheryl Ladd’s singing career come up? The actress released a few albums during her Charlie’s Angels heyday, even scoring a minor hit with “Think It Over” in 1978. The clip below features Ladd performing “Fascinated.” I’ve actually written about this catchy tune before, only it was a rendition by The Gong Show‘s Jaye P. Morgan. Cheryl’s version appeared on a Japan-only release in 1981 (the Japanese really dig singing actresses, apparently). I don’t know if this footage was taken from a TV special or music video, but it is, uh, fascinating. I can’t decided which part I like best. Could it be where Cheryl is wearing a spacey gold sequined outfit and ’80s hair — or maybe where she’s photographing mannequins, then suddenly becomes a mannequin?
As if that wasn’t cool enough, the song can be downloaded at Cheryl’s own website. She’s gorgeous, and she approves of file sharing — what more could you want?
Home Movie Time
Amateur filmmaker Sid Laverents has died at age 100. Although I’ve never heard of Laverents before, his story is one of those heartwarming examples of someone whose hobby eventually defined their life. For Multiple SIDosis, Laverents spent four years filming multiple versions of himself performing a sprightly “Nola.” It’s a charming little film that ranks among the few amateur works included in the Library Of Congress film preservation collection. What slays me about the obit was that he didn’t start doing this until after he turned fifty years old!
Weekly Mishmash: May 10-16
Factory Girl (2006). Showtime recording. Remembering the mixed reviews that this Edie Sedgwick bio got, this one got avoided until Christopher put it on the TiFaux recently. Sedgwick’s life, as a ’60s socialite turned habitué of Andy Warhol’s Factory turned burnt out druggie, certainly has the makings for a good film. Too bad this superficial thing isn’t all that. Going by the dim memory of reading Jean Stein’s terrific oral biography Edie: American Girl in high school, I could tell the filmmakers took many liberties with facts, hiding behind it with music video-like flash and dazzle. No doubt about it, this is Edie for Dummies. Not that everything here is awful; I thought Sienna Miller did an admirably good job as Sedgwick, and Guy Pierce did the best of any actor in capturing Warhol’s creepy narcissism. 1996′s I Shot Andy Warhol was an infinitely more rewarding and realistic portrait of that scene. For those who are curious about Edie, the only thing I have to say is — read the book.
Full Moon High (1980). Flix recording. While we’ve been enjoying the free premium cable, I’ve been checking out plenty on the unwanted stepchild in the Showtime family — Flix. This must be the place where all the weird little old movies that nobody really asked for on DVD go, including this genial werewolf spoof from z-budget movie auteur Larry Cohen. A youthfully cute Adam Arkin stars as a ’50s teen who ventures to Romania with his wingnut dad (Ed MacMahon), only to be bitten in the wrong place at the wrong time. As parody, this movie is an unfunny failure. Its cheesiness and “throw it against the wall and see if it sticks” humor reminded me, in a bad way, of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Mostly I enjoyed it for the oddball cast: Kenneth Mars, Bill Kirchenbauer, Roz Kelly, Elizabeth Hartman, Demond Wilson, Pat Morita, Bob Saget, Jm J. Bullock. Adam’s dad, Alan Arkin, even shows up as a straight-shooting doctor. You would never see that constellation of actors together on anything, outside of a Love Boat repeat.
The Lookout (2007). Excellent indie suspenser with Joseph Gordon Levitt as a former high school hockey star who is left brain damaged after a terrible auto accident. Falling in with a manipulative young man (Matthew Good, unrecognizable from Match Point), he becomes coerced into participating in a heist at the bank where he works. Although some of the characters seemed a bit cut-and-dried, this was a dynamite story with a nicely desolate small-town atmosphere. Levitt was outstandingly good; that Third Rock from the Sun kid has really matured into a good actor.
There Will Be Blood (2007). Showtime recording. Also excellent, although I think we missed a lot of the gorgeous photography in this regrettably panned-and-scanned showing. Daniel Day Lewis definitely earned his Oscar here. Compelling story, long but richly rewarding. Both of us could tell that he used John Huston as his vocal inspiration, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Thomas Kemper Black Cherry Soda. Yep, it’s been several months and I’m still making my way through the specialty bottled sodas I bought last Fall. Truthfully, I need to be in a special mood for a full-on serving of sweetened soda. Whenever I want something sweet, it’s more than anything else likely that I’d do a mixture at a restaurant soda fountain (try four parts Diet Pepsi to one part Manzanita Sol Apple; it’s delicious). Bottle-wise, my next victim was the honey-sweetened black cherry flavor from Portland-based Thomas Kemper. This was really good, fizzy in texture with a subtle woodsiness to the cherry flavor. The sweetness didn’t hit me over the head, which is just the way it should be. The root beer is Thomas Kemper’s signature flavor; now I want to try that.
Twitter Bird
Advertising Age‘s Simon Dumenico analyzes why Oprah Winfrey and Twitter might not be such a good match. I gotta admit that I’m really taking to Twitter. I enjoy reading the 71 people I follow there (which really isn’t that many, all things considered), and I often post a “tweet” once or twice a day. If I think of something short and pithy, my first impulse is to post a simple Twitter tweet rather than do a long weblog entry. It’s a fun diversion, but it doesn’t replace blogging for me.
It’s interesting to note the Twitter users who, unprovoked, chose to follow me. Some are bloggers that I follow, or ex-bloggers who fell off my radar. Others are perfectly random people. Often I’ll get a fellow designer or illustrator that I never heard of before (similar to Flickr). Sometimes I’ll follow a famous person, and be thrilled when they follow me back. Then I’ll check their profile and find that they’re following 17,000 other Twitterers — oh well.
Love Is Company
Last night, the spouse surprised me by taking me to a performance of the legendary Stephen Sondheim/George Furth musical Company. Although the original cast recording is tattooed on my brain, this was the first time I’d seen this show live on stage. For a budget-constrained local production, it was very good, energetically performed, and surprisingly timely for a show on contemporary relationships that is closing in on forty years old.
Speaking of Company, how about a clip from the fantastic D. A. Pennebaker documentary on the recording of that original cast album from 1970? This scene has the dynamite Pamela Myers singing “Another Hundred People” while Pennebaker’s camera focuses on the various instrumental sections. One thing that is really evident here: the recording’s brilliant musical arranging by Jonathan Tunick, with bits and pieces of melodies “quoted” from other songs in the show (notice the trumpets’ “Bobby baby” around 1:55). As was customary back then, the album was recorded in one all-night session during the show’s opening weekend, a crazy process brilliantly captured in this doc. More scenes here.
Federal Man to the Rescue!
The University of Nebraska has a swell archive of vintage comic books published by the U.S. Government. The files are in easily downloaded pdf format, so you can look at them nice and big. How about I’ve Got Wings! (excerpt above), or Earthquake Preparedness for Children with Yogi Bear? Perhaps those who are feeling really adventuresome could try the unheralded 1978 opus Preventive Maintenance of Lead-Acid Batteries.
Weekly Mishmash: May 3-9
Blonde Ice (1948) and High Wall (1947). Two strictly average noirs that operated on vastly different budgets. High Wall was an MGM production with a distinctly paranoid, “Warner Brothers” feel about a war veteran (Robert Taylor) accused of murdering his wife. Committed to a psychiatric hospital, Taylor comes under the observation of a sympathetic female doctor (Audrey Totter) who helps him unscramble his memories and prove his innocence. Unusual film with an interesting premise. MGM usually cast Robert Taylor in roles that were beyond his abilities, and this was no exception. He’s decent, but bland. Christopher mentioned how this part would have been much better played by Montgomery Clift; an edgy actor like him would have elevated this film beyond the routine. I loved Audrey Totter, however, in a role that went beyond her usual femme fatale image (Ms. Totter is in her 90s and still with us, by the way).
Contrastingly, this week we also saw the grubby looking, independently produced ‘B’ Blonde Ice. This melodrama with noir elements went out of circulation for several decades before getting re-released on a fancy (by VCI Home Entertainment standards) DVD. This film is about a San Francisco society columnist who marries and kills man after man, but don’t get your hopes up. Mostly it consists of scenes with wooden actors standing around talking to each other. The one thing I’d recommend here is actress Leslie Stevens, enjoyably uninhibited in the title role. I could tell that Stevens saw the uniqueness in the part and played it to the hilt. Up against High Wall, we actually enjoyed this one a bit more.
Heavy Traffic (1973). Ugly, strange and totally watchable Ralph Bakshi film combines animation with still and live action footage into a trippy stew, like an underground comic come to life. This one hangs a thin story about a New York City cartoonist and his jivey gal pal on a cacophony of racist and sexist imagery. The portrayal of a ghetto teeming with non-stop violence and crude sex was severely off-putting at first, but eventually I got into it. The animation is crude and not particularly well-done, but at least the film aimed for something different and in that respect it succeeded.
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway (2007). Showtime taping. Not being much of a theater geek, I didn’t expect much of this comprehensive look at four different musicals premiering in the 2003-04 Broadway season. Surprisingly, it turned out to be one of the best documentaries I’ve seen recently. Here’s a sign of how good this was — even though I knew the ending, I was still swept up in it. Helping immeasurably is the fact that the filmmakers started this project during an excellent season. Wicked, Avenue Q, Caroline, Or Change and Taboo are followed from modest workshops though grueling rehearsals, openings, critical and audience receptions and the final blowout at the Tony awards. All four shows get a probing, insightful treatment. The filmmakers are unsparing in showing that the Boy George/Rosie O’Donnell project Taboo had a troubled journey to opening night, but everyone involved comes across sympathetically. The civil rights-themed Caroline, Or Change is presented as more of a hard sell. Although the show seems like the very definition of “critic’s darling,” from the clips here it looks like a heavy-handed, tuneless bore. I also liked the contrast between the ultra-smug critics dishing in trendy restaurants with the hard working gyspies demonstrating that it takes real sweat to put on a show. The main thrust of the film, however, lies between the scrappy but likable outsider Avenue Q and the audience-pleasing, overproduced Wicked (which, honestly, looks horrid to me). Both shows wound up being huge hits, of course, but they each embody the fact that Broadway is a constant battlefield between commerce and art.
Small Town Gay Bar (2006). Nicely subtle doc about gays and lesbians finding community in the conservative backwoods of Mississippi. Even though the film ambles and loses focus occasionally, I enjoyed it. The only section I didn’t like came when the filmmakers interviewed that hateful blowhard, Fred Phelps. Why, I don’t know. They could have included a less extreme religious figure and still gotten their point across. Aside from that, pretty good.
The Discovery Channel
I like the lively opening sequence of the ABC Sunday morning kiddie show Discovery ’68 (spotted on Grainedit’s Twitter feed). Very fun. This show ran for several years with the year appended to the title, a la Match Game.
In a similar vein, get an eyeful of the ABC logo’s quasi-psychedelic permutations from their Fall 1971 promo. ABC was considered the little guy of the three networks back then, with a lineup of sugary sitcoms like The Brady Bunch. It’s interesting to see how they decided to market themselves with the sweeping landscape views and mellow, Free Design-like music.
