The Blues Brothers (1980) and Every Which Way But Loose (1978)

I recently had a craving to watch The Blues Brothers again for the 3rd or 4th time. I didn't have the DVD in my collection, so instead of renting or streaming it, I decided to buy the blu ray to add it to my collection. Then enjoyed it again. It was great to see all the legendary music performances by Aretha, Ray, James Brown, and Cab Calloway again. With another repeat viewing I picked up on some subtle jokes and humor I missed the previous times. It's really a crazy movie and even ridiculous and absurd at times but it is still really funny to me to see the Brothers' building blown up, and then in the next shot, see them climb out of the rubble unscratched and unhurt and walk off to their next stop. The chase in the mall is also hilarious to me. It was cool to see all Chicago locations again, and I forgot that Steven Spielberg appears at the end. It is one of those movies I'll enjoy again sometime soon.

For the first time ever, I watched a movie that has long been on my "to-see" list - the Clint Eastwood comedy Every Which Way But Loose. I liked it. It kind of reminded me of the Blues Brothers because throughout the whole movie, Clint and his friends are chased by people that either want to kill him or get revenge for something. 

It's another crazy road movie but instead of blues, there's a country vibe to it, and even features a few cameos by country singers Charlie Rich and Mel Tillis. Eastwood manages to get into a lot of dive bar fights, enters street fights for quick cash, and even tries to get his pet orangutan laid at the Santa Fe zoo. Ruth Gordon has a small part as the mother, and she's pretty funny in it, too. She keeps failing her driver's license test, but eventually passes at the end, sort of predicable. 

Pretty much the entire movie is ridiculous but really amusing. 

Throughout the whole movie, Clint pursues a woman (Sondra Locke), but then at the end when he does meet up with her she blows him off. I liked that ending; it's so unconventional. In the climatic fight at the end Eastwood nearly beats the best street fighter in the nation, but he decides to go down and lose  because...well, its left to the audience to decide why. I think it's because he didn't want the fame and reputation. 

Eastwood's best friend (or was it his brother - I don't remember) in the film is played by Geoffrey Lewis, who is really good in this part, very believable and funny. Never saw any movie with him before, so I checked out what else he did on IMDB, where I also learned that his daughter is Juliette Lewis. I never knew that.  

Read another blog post about this movie from  Diary of a Movie Maniac here

Incidentally, the other day I was in a Hallmark store and saw a new Juliette Lewis/"Audrey Griswold" Christmas Ornament for the 2022 season; it's part of a new set of "Christmas Vacation" ornaments -- the others in the set are Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo (who is also in Every Which Way But Loose), and Johnny Galecki ("Rusty Griswold"). Geoffrey Lewis died a few years ago but I'm sure he would have been proud to have an ornament feauring his daughter's likeness, maybe. 

Knives Out (2019), Death on the Nile (2022), and Murder by Death (1976)

Knives Out is a fun comedy-mystery "whodunnit" movie that I really enjoyed! It features a great cast and great actors that I really like such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, and Michael Shannon, who is once again playing a sleazy, cold-hearted antagonist who is one of the suspects. The movie features Daniel Craig as the chief inspector/detective solving the case, and he creates a new movie character that is similar to other classic detectives but unique and original in his own regard. A murder was committed in a mansion and everyone is a suspect. The main lead in the movie (and one of the suspects) is Ana de Armas who plays a the patriarch's assistant. 

What I love about this movie is that even once you know the outcome, it's still a fun movie to watch again and enjoy a second time. (I enjoyed this one twice so far).

2022's Death on the Nile was not as good, in my opinion. It's a remake of a 1970s version that I haven't seen so I didn't know the outcome. However the movie could have used a bit more humor in my opinion. It stars and is directed by Kenneth Branaugh, who is a fan of the Poirot detective mysteries, but I feel something didn't work about the movie. Maybe it was the cast. Maybe it was that I just didn't care about the characters enough to invest emotionally into it. I don't recommend it. 

Another take on Death on the Nile from She Likes Movies

Finally on a related theme, I watched the 1976 spoof of murder mysteries Murder By Death, which was written directly for the screen by Neil Simon, a fan of mysteries who wanted to make an homage. The detectives that are spoofed are Poirot (played by James Coco), Marples (played by Elsa Lanchester), Nick and Nora, Sam Spade, and Charlie Chan, a Chinese detective which today modern audiences would consider an outdated and offensive character due to his stereotypical presentation. Back in the 70s, I think the audience of the time would be more familiar with the character. Peter Sellers plays the role in "yellowface" makeup and heavy accent. He's trying to make fun of character, but its also offensive at the same time. 

All the detectives are invited to Truman Capote's dinner party where he promises there will be a murder. Not sure why Sherlock Holmes wasn't invited or why no one jokes about that in the film.  I found some of this movie to be amusing but it mostly falls a little flat 40 plus years later. 

What's unfortunate is that the movie has a phenomenal cast, including Oscar Winners and Nominees. Alec Guiness plays a butler, and Maggie Smith and David Niven play the Nick and Nora characters. Sam Spade is Peter Falk, who was huge on tv with Columbo at the time. James Cromwell has a supporting role. It feels as if everyone was hoping this would be a classic comedy for the ages, but it's one that few remember. It's worth seeing if you like anyone in the cast or are interested in a spoof on detectives. Or if you liked the movie Clue and want to see something similar to that. 

Another take on Murder by Death from Diary of a Movie Maniac

Small Change (1976) directed by François Truffaut

A friend of mine recommended this film to me earlier this summer, and I'm so glad I watched it because I really enjoyed it!

If you're not familiar, the film is a series of humorous vignettes starring unprofessional child actors (mostly boys under 13 or 14 years old) and each vignette is seen from their point of view. Critic Roger Ebert named it his #1 film of 1976.

I haven't seen all of Truffaut's films, and I'm not sure if any of his other films are quite like this one. It's so unique. And delightful. I read somewhere that Truffaut had been collecting humorous anecdotes about children for several years, and this was the culmination of his work.

An older blog post from the blog Moon in the Gutter calls the film "one of his finest works" (another post from the same blogger highlights some of the movie's advertising and promotional art -- in most countries outside the US it was called Pocket Money -- I love all of these stills and poster images - they really capture the feel of the movie in my opinion)

I love how the entire film is centered around the beginning of a school season. The school setting ties the movie together in my opinion, since it is essentially plot-less, even though the characters are all interconnected.

Some of the teachers have their own brief vignettes, but there is usually a child involved such the little mischievous two-year old who lives in the same apartment building as one of the teachers. He's a cute boy named Gregory and really made me smile and laugh.

Another character is a neglected boy from an abusive household; he wears the same clothes every day, and carries a worn and dirty satchel. I could relate to this character the most. I remember feeling like a misfit in my own school days, and befriended some, too.

The film also reminded me of feeling embarrassed, awkward, bored, and a little rebellious. In another vignette, two mates give another a questionable haircut. And in another, a young pair experience some romantic attraction for the first time. Almost all of the kids have a little bit of small change - pocket money - on them that they use in various ways.

One of my favorite scenes (though there are many) comes at the beginning of the film, where one child mails a postcard to her cousin. It's so rare nowadays seeing children communicate with each other without a cellphone, and kind of refreshing to see as well.

Recently I stumbled upon an interesting interview here with director Wes Anderson who talked about this movie with the New York Times in 2002; he's a big fan.

Not everyone likes this movie, though.

A recent blog post from The Seventh Art posted an excerpt from the book Luc Moullet’s Piges Choisies (2009) on Truffaut and this film. Moullet is critical of the film, calling it "a series of gems without any connection between them, a collection of interesting scenes that Truffaut couldn’t put in his previous films. It doesn’t work because Truffaut didn’t deploy his master weapon, narration. No principal story, no connecting thread. Like all failures, Small Change is negatively more revelatory of its auteur’s art than his perfect successes." I am not sure I agree; I didn't watch it comparing it with the other director's films.

It was filmed and takes place in Thiers, France. Though I have not been there, the movie reminded me of my trip to France. Some memories and photos are below, if interested.

It was June 2004 when I traveled with a friend on a 12-day trip. 6 days were spent Paris. Of course, one day was devoted to the Louve (though many more could have been). I loved seeing some of the paintings that I studied in school. On other days, we went inside the cathedrals of Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, and Saint Chappelle. We rode the Metro to almost everywhere. A photo of me at Notre Dame at right.

There were several Paris museums on my list, including a museum dedicated to medieval art (Cluny museum) and nearby was an ancient Roman area which is now a park. There were so many outdoor markets, and saw so many people carrying baguettes to take home. Also visited an American grocery store where there were food items to buy where you couldn't get anywhere else, such as certain brands of cereal.

Giverny

My friend and I wanted to see more of France, so we scheduled several trips trips out of Paris to fit our schedule. One trip was to the Versailles Palace and gardens which was very impressive. Then we took a train to Giverny to visit the home of Monet and to see his gardens that inspired his paintings. A photo at right.

The second trip was by train up north to Normandy, to visit a few WWII museums and to see the beaches and cemetery. It was the 60th Anniversary that year. We also visited Mont St. Michel, to visit the ancient cathedral and town. The third trip was by train down to Nice, where we visited a museum dedicated to Marc Chagall. We also took a train to Monte Carlo, where we mainly hiked around for the day.

We did not go to Thiers, France, where Small Change takes place. But we may have passed through it on the train to Southern France. Here are some more pictures of my Paris trip if interested. 

Movie showing at the time: Shrek 2

Outside the Louvre

Inside the Louvre

Eiffel Tower

I really loved visiting Paris and France, and hope to have a chance to visit again one day!

Thanks for reading! Be sure to visit The Lady Eve’s Reel Life and Silver Screen Modes as they host the Viva La France! Blogathon on August 25 and 26, 2019.  

Nashville (1975) and Jeff Goldblum as the Tricycle Man

In today's post, the spotlight is on Jeff Goldblum and his role in Nashville (1975), an American satire blending music, politics, and more. The film was directed by Robert Altman, known for his ensemble casts and interwoven storylines. Nashville features 24 characters, not counting cameos and an unseen Presidential candidate.

Jeff's role is smaller compared to some of the others. It's also one of the rare times when his character does not speak in a film. Hard to imagine Jeff not saying anything. But his presence is essential in my opinion.

This was only his 3rd film credit, and his largest role at the time.

Jeff''s involvement in the film is covered in the superb book The Nashville Chronicles by Jan Stewart (published in 2000; Goodreads link here). It's a really great book if you are fan of this film and want to learn more behind-the-scenes stories, and want to read more interviews with the cast and crew.

As recounted in the book, Robert Altman saw Jeff perform in a play in New York. The play, which opened in 1973, was a musical cabaret/burlesque called El Grande de Coca-Cola. Jeff 's role required him dance, perform magic acts, perform various physical stunts, and play the piano. New York Times theater critic Clive Barnes raved about the show in his 1973 review here. Some photos from the show could be found here from the New York Public Library digital archives, and some newspaper advertisements here from the blog It's All The Streets You Crossed. 

Altman was really impressed with Jeff's talents, and eventually cast him in a small role in his latest film project, California Split (1974). The part required Jeff to fly to California to film his scene, even though it was very brief.  

Altman also wanted Jeff in his next project (Nashville), and told him that his part would involve riding a motorcycle. The script (written by Altman and Joan Tewkesbury) was still in development. In the meantime, Jeff eagerly enrolled in some riding courses in New York to begin practicing for his part, but eventually failed his motorcycle license test.

Nashville began filming on location in the summer of 1974. 

When Jeff arrived on set to start filming, he learned that he now had to ride a longer three-wheeled motor bike. He recalls in The Nashville Chronicles, "I wanted to get as much practice as I could, so I drove it to and from the set. Till I sort of mismanaged my fuel tank one day and it ran out of gas on the highway going to the location." Someone from the local teamsters eventually picked him up.

Surely inspired by the quirkiness of the character in El Grande del Coca Cola, Altman also wanted Jeff to include some magic tricks in the film, but wasn't sure when and where they'd be used.  Jeff practiced a number of new tricks and showed them to Altman, who liked them and asked that he bring the the props on set every day and be ready to perform them when the time came. And he did, silly and wonderfully. 

Because he doesn't speak in the film, he's like a mime; he's either on his bike, enjoying a show, or just hanging out.  I think of his character as being comedic relief when we need him, because a number of storylines delve into some serious subject matter (infidelity, exploitation, racism, etc). 

Just seeing The Tricycle Man do one of his silly tricks every so often brings a smile.  

The film never explains what the character is doing in the city of Nashville. Is he a local? Is he on vacation? I don't think we don't need to know. He's just traveling through. And I'm glad he's there. 

At the end of the book The Nashville Chronicles, the author writes about Jeff: 

Who could have predicted that the strange tall guy on the long bike with the funny glasses would endure as Nashville's most recognizable veteran? But the funny glasses and mute posturing of the Tricycle Man concealed an actor with a slouching sexiness and oddball insouciance that came to the fore time and again in The Big Chill, The Fly, Silverado, Jurassic Park, and Independence Day.

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This blog post is part of the Jeff Goldblum Blogathon hosted by emmakwall (explains it all) and Realweegiemidget Reviews

Just released: the latest director's cut of Apocalypse Now

Apparently a new director's cut of Apocalypse Now is being released in theaters this weekend. I haven't watched the film in a very long time and I remember not liking it very much on first watch.

But now the new cut is out, I might watch it with a new set of eyes.

Here's an article that goes into more details about how the new film has been edited:

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/08/apocalypse-now-final-cut-francis-ford-coppola-interview

Killer of Sheep (1978) and director Charles Burnett in person

On July 26, 2019  I attended a screening of Killer of Sheep at the University of Chicago, sponsored by several film student groups. I've never seen the movie, but knew of its reputation as a landmark independent film about African American life in the 1970s inner city, and knew that it's a movie that is often shown to college students.

It was a really good film; I really enjoyed it. It's very simple, no traditional plot structure. But I love the scenes of ordinary life, centered around one family living in South Central Los Angeles. The father (Stan) works in a slaughterhouse. There are some great scenes with his wife, kids, and friends, as well as some other characters we meet for only a scene or two, but they're memorable (including some people Stan meets in a liquor store). More often than not, characters plan to do something promising, only to have their dreams shatter, which of course happens in real-life.

The director, Charles Burnett, appeared in person afterwards and talked about the making of the film; it was a college project for him that took several years to finish because of licensing rights to songs (there are alot of good songs in it). He also talked about how almost everyone in the film was one of his friends. He lived in Watts, Los Angeles in the '60s, so he was very familiar the community.

Q&A with Burnett at the University of Chicago

There was also a time of Q&A which was really interesting, too; about a dozen people had questions. One person commented that the film was reminiscent of Italian neo-realism, and asked Burnett if any films of that era influenced him. He said, yes, and mentioned that he had numerous opportunities to see a lot of international films on the college campus and elsewhere in LA. He remembered going to all of the latest film from well-known international directors, and said some of them came to his campus to speak occasionally; one was Satyajit Ray. Burnett talked more about his college days, and said that he often had discussions with his friends and classmates about what constitutes "a black film". With Black Sheep, he said he intended for it to be a film about the community for the community to see, and only expected it to be shown locally. Someone else asked him about what he thought about being part of the "New Rebellion" of black filmmakers; he said that he doesn't like labels, but he praised other filmmakers part of the movement.

Now I really want to see his follow-up movie, My Brother's Wedding. I have seen To Sleep With Anger and The Glass Shield many years ago and want to watch them again as well.

Also, I found an interesting review from the New York Times from 1978, below.

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'Killer of Sheep' Is Shown at the Whitney: Nonprofessional Cast

By Janet Maslin | November 14, 1978

"Killer of Sheep," which opens today at the Whitney Museum, is a film to make one mindful of the difference between genuinely abstract art and iciness for its own sake.

The program notes say that Charles Burnett, the director, thinks the idea of the film "is to try to recreate a situation without reducing life to a simple plot," but his film has just enough of a story to make it taxing.

The action, which of course is hardly supposed to be action at all, revolves around a black man whose only measure of prosperity is the fact that he's well enough off to give things to the Salvation Army. He is remote and depressed. His wife is bored and sexually frustrated, and she's depressed, too.

He has two children, whom we see eating breakfast and scratching and walking around the neighborhood. He has a lot of young and reasonably attractive male friends who live with grotesquely bloated women; sometimes the men get together and fix cars, or worry.

The central character works in a slaughterhouse, hence the none-too-apt title.

To all this monotony and alienation Mr. Burnett brings an estrangement of his own.

The film consists of loosely linked glimpses of the characters' lives, punctuated by occasional cuts to the slaughterhouse. It is acted by non-professionals, who call attention to the falseness of many of the situations.

It is beautifully photographed in black and white, and very spare.

The dialogue, which is read with either insufficient or excessive emphasis by the nonactors, is often buried under a soundtrack of vintage blues, making it doubly hard to follow.

Even the slaughter of the sheep is numbingly uneventful.That may be Mr. Burnett's very point, but he makes it so studiedly that the character's estrangement from his surroundings overlaps too conveniently with the director's arty detachment from his material.

And for all its air of starkness, "Killer of Sheep" is more often arid than it is genuinely economical. Mr. Burnett obviously has a keen eye for tiny moments — the way a child pulls up a sock, the way a man's hands move on machinery — but he doesn't demonstrate the kind of coherence that might give them larger meaning.

 Nonprofessional Cast KILLER OF SHEEP, by Charles Burnett, Principal performers are Henry G. Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy, and Angela Burnett. At the Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Avenue. Running time: 87 minutes.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Sidney Lumet directed this film about a bank-heist gone awry based on a true incident. Al Pacino (Sonny) and John Cazelle (both from The Godfather) decide to rob a bank and take it over, holding everyone inside hostage. The robbers use guns to scare and intimidate but Pacino's character doesn't want to hurt anyone. It's a great performance and you are convinced that he's this character, who wants the money to pay for his lover's sex change surgery. Chris Sarandon plays the lover who calls Sonny on the phone a few times; it's a small part but memorable. Charles Durning is also good as a cop who wants to negotiate and deal with Sonny to let the people out. Meanwhile, the local crowd outside gathers and even cheers on Sonny as a hero, and the hostages inside are getting hungry. In one of my favorite scenes, Sonny decides to order a pizza and cokes; the pizza delivery guy comes and you get the sense that this is his greatest claim to fame so far in life. The ending is sad, as the police follow Sonny and Cazale to the airport where they think they are going to be let go and fly away. It's an interesting film that shows how one criminal incident can grow into a cultural and news media sensation. 

The Shootist (1976)

Wayne plays aging gunfighter who travels to a small town to visit an old doctor friend played by Jimmy Stewart who tells Wayne that he only has a few months to live.

Wayne decides to stay in the town to live out his last days.

He rents a room from Lauren Bacall who has a young son (Ron Howard).

Wayne's old enemies find out he's camping out in the town and decide to offer him one last challenge.

The movie is filled with some pretty cool shootout scenes, and gets rather bloody at times.

Kind of reminded me a little of Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, a better movie.

Also starring Hugh O'Brian, Scatman Carothers, and Gene Barry, who passed away on Dec 9 2009.

Rocky 1-5, Rocky Balboa, and Creed

To celebrate the release of Creed this fall, I rewatched all of the Rocky movies on Blu-Ray. here's my take on each one, with my favorites being the original Rocky, Rocky III, and Rocky Balboa (followed by Rocky II, V, Creed, and IV).

Rocky (1976)
On this re-watch, what stuck out to me the most was how lonely Rocky is, and how he really doesn't have any family. Even on Thanksgiving Day, he has no where to go except by Paulie and Adrian's. He keeps a photograph of his parents in his apartment, but we don't learn much about them or the details of his growing up. It made me want to see a movie about a young Rocky growing up; maybe someone will make that movie one day. Another thing that I hadn't noticed before is a photo of Paulie in his younger days when he was in the Navy.

Rocky II (1979)
Picks up immediately after the last movie, and we get a rematch between Apollo Creed and Rocky. In the meantime Rocky gets a job hauling meat and raising a newborn son after marrying Adrian. His proposal in the zoo by the tiger cage is classic: "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind marrying me too much?" One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Mickey has Rocky chase a chicken, which Rocky does with Donnie Creed in Creed (2015).


Rocky III (1982)
Great montage in the beginning showing how Rocky becomes champion of the world, set to the "Eye of the Tiger" song. Then Rocky prepares to fight Clubber Lang (Mr. T) and is trained by Apollo when Mickey dies. Fun movie and it's great to see Apollo and Rocky become friends. There's a private fight at the end of the movie between them, and we as the audience never learn who won until 2015's Creed, when Rocky reveals that Apollo won. I also love the painting at the end of the movie, which ends up in Rocky's restaurant in Rocky Balboa and Creed. We assume that it was painted by Paulie. I also had forgotten that this was the movie where the "Rocky" statue was unveiled. Wow - that's been up for over 30 years!

Rocky IV (1985)
My least favorite of all the films, but it is still fun to watch especially the final fight between Rocky and the Russian boxer played by Dolph Lundgren. I didn't like the actor that played Rocky's son; he just isn't convincing to me that he's the son of Rocky and Adrian.


Rocky V (1990)
I like this movie, and it really does feel like an early 90s film thanks to the soundtrack. Rocky has to deal with some health issues and is faced with retirement. But a young boxer comes to visit him seeking a mentor, and Rocky slips into the "trainer" role for the first time. I also liked the subplot involving Rocky and his "rocky" relationship with his son (played very good by Sage Stallone, rest in peace). Another subplot involves Rocky losing all of his wealth and having to sell off everything in an auction. It seems almost unbelievable that these types of things can happen to a superstar, but sadly it does happen---for example, Burt Reynolds recently had to do the same thing due to his many debts. I liked the streetfight at the end too, even though we don't get Rocky in the ring.  Another thing I liked is the flashback scene with Rocky and Micky, which is really sentimental but gives us a little bit more of a glimpse into their relationship.

Rocky Balboa (2006)
This movie is the most sentimental of all the Rocky movies, but that's exactly why I love it. The final fight scene is cool, but what I love the most about the movie is all the other stuff happening leading to that fight. For starters, we learn that Adrian died, and that Rocky started a restaurant business and named the restaurant after her. The restaurant looks like an awesome place to visit, by the way. Rocky even allows his old rivals to come and work there part time. I like how a minor character from the first movie - "Little Marie" - steps back into Rocky's life and we get to see what became of her. Finally, it's interesting to see how Rocky's son doesn't follow in his father's footsteps. Instead, he works for a corporate firm in downtown Philly, which is exactly what Rocky wanted to do in Rocky II. After the events of Rocky V, it's not surprising that the son doesn't become a boxer.

Creed (2015)
Not a bad film; and it's packed with an emotional punch. I enjoyed it and would watch it again, even if its story seems very similar to the original 1976 Rocky and a little bit of 1990's Rocky V as Rocky becomes the trainer and doesn't box. Michael B. Jordan gives a good performance as "Donnie" Creed - who seeks mentorship from Rocky and calls him "uncle". Early on in the movie we see Donnie working in an office - and getting a promotion even - but decides to become a fighter full time. I liked the relationship that blossoms with the girl he meets in his apartment, and how he helps Rocky deal the health issues he's facing. My favorite scene in the movie happens right before the final fight sequence--when Rocky and his training team walk out to the ring from the locker room with Donnie. It's a long walk that takes maybe a minute or two but the camera shows them as if we are following right behind them the entire way. That's a cool shot; the cinematography in general is very good. It's also nice to see Rocky at work in his restaurant again. One of the saddest moments in the entire film is when Rocky explains to Donnie that his son had no interest in boxing, moved out of town, and started a new life in Vancouver. It made me think that Rocky is so alone in the world, without much of any family nearby. And here comes Donnie, who becomes a long lost "son" who is almost like the boxer"son" that Rocky always wanted. And sure enough, I left the theater wanting to see more of this saga. And surely more Rocky! Maybe another movie? If that happens, I would definitely go see it.  It would be really cool if we get to see Rocky's son again, and maybe be introduced to Rocky's grandson (or daughter).

The Sunshine Boys (1975)

I first watched this movie on television about 25 years ago, and it was a pleasure to watch it again for the first time in so many years. It's still a very funny film and I found myself laughing many times throughout. I love the character that Walter Matthau brings to life - an old vaudevillian comedian who will not give up acting, even if it means working in commercials. It sort of reminded me of when Betty White and Abe Vigoda did a Snickers commercial a few years ago for the Super Bowl.

Richard Benjamin plays the nephew who is trying to reunite the old man with his old comedy partner played by George Burns.

Some modern productions of The Sunshine Boys  update the characters to be pioneer TV stars rather than vaudevillians, which I suppose works just as well. But in the original play and this film, the whole vaudeville thing really works well. George Burns was an actual vaudevillian, so he was absolutely perfect for the role as Matthau's partner. When this movie came out in the 1970s, we still had vaudeville stars still living, but today there aren't any around anymore. Mickey Rooney was probably the most famous vaudevillians still living until he passed away this year.

I like Burns' line when he says to Matthau, "You know...I don't think we get along too good". That really sums up the movie in a way. The two comedians are able to reunite, and in a way say their last goodbye, realizing they are better off going their separate ways. I love the movie because it portrays two people who can't get along, but really love each other - sort of like a family member or friend you use to have, but just can't be with them too often. Such a great story, and great humor by Neil Simon.

It'd be cool to see this show performed live on stage.

Hester Street (1975)

Hester Street tells the tale of a young Jewish couple's migration to New York at the turn of the 20th century.

Carol Kane is very good as the young wife torn between her traditions and modern American culture. Doris Roberts, in an excellent supporting performance, plays a neighbor in the apartment building where the couple lives (if you've only seen her in her television roles then you haven't seen one of her best performances).

The immigrant husband is played by Steven Keats, an actor who sadly passed away at a young age several years ago.

The film, shot in black-and-white with much of the dialogue in the language of the immigrants, is so authentic in its recreation of this era - at times I felt I was watching a documentary.   The costumes, music, and set design are all impressive and deserve praise.

Available on DVD. Other reviews of the film:

The Movie Night's Group Guide to Classic Film

Cinema Fanatic

Vintage Everyday

Laura's Miscellaneous Musings 

Midnight Express (1978) and Brokedown Palace (1999)

I recently heard a podcast interview with Billy Hayes as the guest. Billy wrote the book "Midnight Express" in 1977 about his incarceration in a horrific Turkish prison in the early 1970s.

In the interview, he talked about a new book with all of his letters he wrote from prison, which sounds interesting. He also explained how the actual escape in the film is different from the real escape. I couldn't remember how the film ended (I last saw it in 1999), so I decided to watch the 30th Anniversary DVD, a special edition which has some really good special features about the making of the film and interviews with screenwriter Oliver Stone and director Alan Parker. They talked at length about why they made the changes they did from the book.

In Express, Brad Davis plays Billy. Once he gets caught in the Turkish airport with marijuana taped to his stomach, and you start to hear "The Chase" by Georgio Moroder, everything goes downhill from there: chased, beaten, raped, tortured, and more for five years before finally escaping. It's interesting that the movie isn't all about the escape. It's really about survival in the prison when you don't deserve to be there, not unlike Shawshank Redemption. It also makes you think of how unjust legal systems are, another theme of the film.

John Hurt and Randy Quaid give exceptional performances as Billy's friends in prison. And Paul L Smith is a brutal guard; I can see why he was the perfect choice to play Bluto in  Robert Altman's Popeye (1980). And you can't forget the other guard, Rifiki played by Paolo Bonacelli.  These two should be the Top 100 of the meanest screen villains of all time.

There are so many great scenes in this film, especially when Billy's dad and girlfriend come to visit him and try to get him out.

I remember seeing Brokedown Palace back in 1999 and remember thinking how it had been influenced by Express. Today Brokedown is almost a forgotten film, but an interesting watch if you are a fan of Claire Danes or Kate Beckinsale.

The Great Santini (1979) starring Robert Duvall

I like how Roger Ebert described the film in his 4-star review: "Like almost all my favorite films, The Great Santini is about people more than it's about a story. It's a study of several characters, most unforgettably the Great Santini himself, played by Robert Duvall."

At the start of the movie we learn that Duvall's character - a marine fighter pilot  - is not only a strict disciplinarian, but he's also a jokester who loves to pull all kinds of practical jokes on his comrades, such as pretending a can of soup is vomit. His nickname is "Great Santini" but it's never really explained. In this classic scene, he thinks his buddy is in the stall next to him, and his prank goes wrong ---

   

He also has a bit of a drinking problem. But as his superior officer tells him, he's a great leader, and gives him a new assignment training pilots in South Carolina where he moves with his wife and 4 children (the film is set in the 1960s)  Here's another scene with Duvall with his new squadron:

   

I also love the part where he meets his new maid, played by Theresa Merrit of the 70s TV show That's My Mama!.  She steals the scene when she declares she can take a punch just like a man and challenges Duvall to a fight. It's hilarious. There are some other funny bits in the film, such as when his daughter gives him a taste of his own medicine when she jokes that she's been impregnated by a pacifist. 

But the movie is not solely a comedy, though there are quite a few light moments. There are also some serious and touching moments, especially near the end.

The main focus of the story is on Duvall and his oldest son played by Michael O'Keefe.  This is the only other movie I've seen with O'Keefe besides Caddyshack;  I was really impressed with him in this role and all the scenes he has with Duvall - the arguments, fights, and even moments of bonding, especially when Duvall takes him out for a drink on his 18th birthday and he has a funny "drunk" scene.  I also love the scene where Duvall wakes the son up at 4 in the morning to give him his birthday gift - his old WWII bomber jacket.    

But throughout the film there is tension between the two. Duvall puts pressure on him to be the best, whether its being the best future pilot or being the best athlete on the team.  

There's a subplot in the film is about O'Keefe's black friend (Stan Shaw) who stutters and is teased by some of the local white racists.  At first I wondered if this subplot was necessary. but as I thought about it more I realized that it is meant to show real hate and its consequences. At the end of the film we realize that Duvall and O'Keefe never really hated each other, even if it feels like hate. 

With Blythe Danner (as Duvall's wife).

Robert Altman's A Wedding (1979)

Robert Altman's A Wedding is a humorous wedding satire where a blue collar girl marries into a wealthy family with mob connections.  The humor is a bit dark at times, especially when the matriarch of the higher-class family (Lilian Gish) passes away in her upstairs room of her mansion while the wedding takes place downstairs. Another scene involves a car crash.

The film is discussed by several members of the cast and crew in the book Robert Altman: The Oral Biography by Mitchell Zuckoff (2009, Random House), In the book, screenwriter John Considene remembers that Altman wanted to make a film about "The American wedding industry".  Considene and Altman created over twenty characters and numerous story arcs, carefully planned in advance.  Co-screenwriter Allan Nichols remembers, "If anything A Wedding was about gossip and how gossip spreads and how gossip hurts, and how gossip helps and how gossip kills and how gossip kills the right guy sometimes."  In the same book, Carol Burnett (who plays the mother of the bride) remembers that Altman said to the actors "Please if you have an idea for a scene, come to me with it. I want to hear it. Some of the best scenes in my movies have come from the actors' ideas". 

Altman pledged all of his profits from the film to the proposed Equal Rights Constitutional Amendment, although the profits from the film were not much.

With Mia Farrow, Peggy Ann Garner, Howard Duff, Mia Farrow, Paul Dooley, Geraldine Chaplin, Dina Merril, Lauren Hutten and Desi Arnaz, Jr.

Whatever happened to director Michael Cimino

I've always wondered what happened to Michael Cimino, the Oscar winning director of The Deer Hunter (1978).

Just this week, news from the Hollywood Reporter came out that he has given a rare interview, his first interview in years.

 The story can be found here from The Hollywood Reporter website.

He shares his thoughts about American Sniper, and how it compares with Deer Hunter. He says,

"Every first-rate film about war is an anti-war movie. You think of All Quiet on the Western Front directed by Lewis Milestone. There's nothing good that comes out of war. It's simply hell on earth, and people survive and people don't."

Midway (1976)

Midway was shown on American network television in June of 1992, and I remember watching it and really enjoying the battle scenes, and learning a little about the battle of Midway.

Toshiro Mifune plays Japanese Admiral Yamamoto and Henry Fonda plays American Admiral Chester Nimitz. The battle is planned and executed.

There is a subplot involving American naval captain Charlton Heston and his son played by Edward Albert, whose girlfriend is Japanese. The interracial romance was reflective of the times and relevant to the audiences of the 1970s but otherwise the film isn't  too remarkable.

It's an all star cast, so if you know your classic movie stars, you can play the game "Oh look it's .....". James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Robert Wagner, Dabney Coleman, Pat Morita, Erik Estrada, Robert Mitchum, Hal Holbrook, Tom Seleck, Cliff Robertson and more.

Read another review from the blog Mike's Take on Movies here. 

Top 10 Box Office Stars of 1976 (USA)

1932| 1933| 1934| 1935| 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948| 1949 | 1950 | 1951 |1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959|1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 |1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977-present

The rankings come from Quigley Publishing Co.'s annual list (since 1932) of top money making stars in the USA, which based on a poll of hundreds of theater executives. The list does not rank stars only on how much cash their films made, but on what theater owners say about who attracts audiences on their star power alone.

Since this is the year I was born, this will be the last year that I'll post box office stars with photos.

1. Robert Redford

2. Jack Nicholson

3. Dustin Hoffman

4. Clint Eastwood

5. Mel Brooks

6. Burt Reynolds

7. Al Pacino

8. Tatum O'Neal

9. Woody Allen

10. Charles Bronson

1932| 1933| 1934| 1935| 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 |
1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948| 1949 | 1950 |

1951 |1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959|1960 |
1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 |1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977-present

Top 10 Box Office Stars of 1975 (USA)

1932| 1933| 1934| 1935| 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 |
1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948| 1949 | 1950 |
1951 |1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959|1960 |
1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 |1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977-present

The rankings come from Quigley Publishing Co.'s annual list (since 1932) of top money making stars in the USA, which based on a poll of hundreds of theater executives. The list does not rank stars only on how much cash their films made, but on what theater owners say about who attracts audiences on their star power alone.

1. Robert Redford
2. Barbra Streisand

3. Al Pacino

4. Charles Bronson

5. Paul Newman




6. Clint Eastwood


7. Burt Reynolds

8. Woody Allen


9. Steve McQueen

10. Gene Hackman

1932| 1933| 1934| 1935| 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 |
1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948| 1949 | 1950 |

1951 |1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959|1960 |
1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 |1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977-present