Babylon (2022)

Fair warning: some spoilers in this review.

My friend and I went to see Babylon today at a local theater. Before the movie, two of its stars - Margot Robbie and Diego Calvas who plays "Manny" - introduce the movie and assure us - the audience - that we're watching the film "the way it was meant to be seen - on the big screen and then they say "we hope you enjoy Babylon".

I hoped so too since it's a 3 hour long movie. But really was curious about it since it was about old Hollywood and the seedy world behind the scenes, from the same director who made La La Land. I didn't love that movie because it ended on such a depressing note. It made me never want to watch it again, even though I liked some of the dancing scenes and set pieces. That was 6 years ago.

After watching Babylon, I never want to watch the movie again, except for maybe a few scenes that I really liked. For example, I really liked the scenes where the outdoor silent movie scenes were filmed. There's a camera pan sequence that shows all of the different movies that were being made on the same outdoor lot - a bar scene, a jungle scene, a battle scene, etc. There was a similar scene in Peter Bogdonovich's Nickelodeon (1976) which also was about silent filmmaking. 

In the first 5 minutes of Babylon, there's a scene in the desert showing how an elephant is being pushed up a hill to be an attraction at a Hollywood party. And then we see it's anus shoot out a gush of wet dung and squirting all over two people pushing the truck uphill. Am I enjoying the movie yet? 

What I thought might be a true ensemble film (like a Robert Altman film) really isn't. It focuses primarily on 3 characters and how they react to the transition from silents to talkies. 

The character of Manny, a Mexican immigrant who becomes a servant to one of the studio heads and later works his way up to an executive, is one of the three major stories told. 

The other prominent stories are of white actors played by Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. Their characters are very similar to those of Jean Dujardin in The Artist (2011) and Jean Hagen in Singin In the Rain (1952), respectively. In The Artist, the lead character thinks of killing himself, and even points a gun to his head (before his dog saves him). But in Babylon, Brad Pitt actually uses it on himself. Tragic. But not unheard of for actors to do that. George Sanders and George Reeves were two examples. In Babylon, we sort of get a sense of what let the Pitt character to pull the trigger.

There were two other very interesting characters that were in the movie that I wished had gotten more to do in the film. In fact, both of their stories would make for a great feature film, I think.

The first is a Black trumpet player who first starts out as a musician on the studio set and playing at lavish parties. He then works his way up to be an early film star like Dizzy Gillespe or Cab Calloway (their names are not mentioned, but the movie heavily implies this could be part of their story). The other is a singer / supporting film player and studio staff member that is a characterization of Anna May Wong. A different name is used but we get the idea that this is partly her story, too. 

Great idea here - how about a long overdue biopic of Anna May Wong for a change? I think we're ready for her story in 2023!  And lets see more films about the early Black films of the early 1930s. Let's see a movie about The Nicholas Brothers, for example. 

There's even a female director on the silent movie set, which I suspect is a tribute to Alice Guy-Blaché, who did make silent films. At one point in Babylon, the director character even utters Alice's trademark line "Be Natural", which is the same name of the great documentary on Alice's life. But no biopic of hers has ever been made either. 

In the final analysis, my friend and I both felt that the character types played by Robbie and Pitt have been told many times in other movies. 

This film focuses on the tragic stories behind the transition from silents to talkies, but it's so long, and the gross-out humor is over the top. At the same time it is self-indulgent tribute to old Hollywood. Unfortunately, what's left out are the other stories of actors who succeeded the transition like Lilian Gish who lived to be almost 100 and had great acclaim in the "talkie" era and beyond. 

Sigh. I really wanted to completely enjoy this movie, and even love it. But in my opinion, it's unfocused, it's way overly sentimental at the end, and it's missing so much. Another blogger, Self Styled Siren, also did not like it. 

This new blog post from Bobby Rivers talks about Babylon and I agree with his assessment of the film, too. (I tend to agree with Bobby most of the time in his movie assessments)

Another perspective by Surrender to the Void.

Another vlogger that I usually agree with is Deep Focus Lens, who loves musicals more than I do. In their video review of Bablylon they use the phrase "thematically muddled", and also they emphasize how the characters "don't exist in the times they live in", and compare it to Boogie Nights and Casino where some parts they don't  like (and are "awkwardly inserted") and some they do. Check out the revie below:

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Oscar Nominations, Joker (2019), and Harriet (2019)

The Oscar nominations were announced on Jan 13, and there were a few movies I saw (Harriet was the only film nominated that I saw and liked) but most I haven't seen yet. The Farewell was one of my favorite films of last year but was shut out.

A couple of notable things I noticed: Netflix had a ton of nominated films; this article from Wired talks about that https://www.wired.com/story/oscar-nominations-netflix/

Also many of the nominated films this year are biographical or about real people or have characters that are real people. The Irishman, Ford Vs. Ferrari, Richard Jewell, Jojo Rabbit, Bombshell, The Two Popes, Harriet, Rocketmann, the Mr. Rogers movie with Tom Hanks, and Judy with Renee Zellweger. Even Tarantino's fantasy movie had Sharon Tate as a prominent character, even though she lives at the end which is not true to life.

Biographical/historical films are among my favorite type of movie so I think this is great that biographicals are getting recognized.

Harriet was the movie I was most eager to see in 2019. Here is a big-screen movie about Harriet Tubman --- her story never told on the big screen feature before in over 100 years of film history. It was exciting to think about! In my opinion I feel this movie is one of the most important films of last year. I think we need a film like this more than ever, with so much ignorance of our past history and with all the racism that still exists to this day.

I went to see it in the theater to see Harriet and really enjoyed it. The one thing that I didn't like about it was that it was too short. This film deserves three or 3.5 hours in my opinion. Earlier in the year I sat through 3 hours of a Tarantino fantasy that skewed history, but here was a movie about one of the greatest  people in history that could have been longer. I would watch a mini-series about Harriet if it were made; maybe one day. I do remember the tv film A Woman Called Moses but didn't have a chance to rewatch it yet.

My favorite parts of the movie involved the traitor who snitches on Harriet; I'm guessing this may have been a composite character but it I thought it really added to the drama and suspense. When Harriet makes it to Philadelphia her life takes on a new direction.

It's disappointing that Harriet wasn't nominated for Best Picture; up to 10 movies can be nominated nowadays, and only 9 made the cut this year, including Ford Vs Ferrari - really? Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

Back in 1993, I was in high school and had a black tutor, and we talked about the 65th Oscar nominations that were announced in February of 1993. He pointed out that Malcolm X only received two Oscar nominations (and later no wins) and saw something wrong with that picture -- and I'm feeling  the same almost 30 years later.

In a recent commentary, Mary McNamara of the LA Times observed:

“Harriet,” is the kind of historical epic that generally pleases motion picture academy voters (and one that defies cultural conventions predating film itself), got dinged in many reviews for being too formulaic. This is despite Cynthia Erivo’s astonishing, and Oscar-nominated, performance as a former slave turned verifiable action hero — a female character that somehow never made it to the center of a film before. It was never even discussed as a possibility for best picture, despite there being 10 slots available. If only filmmaker Kasi Lemmons had thought to follow Harriet in a single shot through a world war complete with cameos by British heartthrobs past and present; if only Tubman had been forced to have imaginary conversations with best friend Jefferson Davis. If only “Harriet” had been made and marketed by Netflix. Please do not willfully misunderstand. I’m not saying that “1917,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “The Irishman,” “Marriage Story” and “The Two Popes” are not great and/or awards-worthy films; I’m just saying that “formulaic” often wins big at the Oscars, but only when it’s a certain formula.

I think I understand her point. It seems like the movies that are being recognized this year for the major awards are more "showy" films. But really, Ford Vs Ferrari nominated for Best Picture? Even The Post was nominated for Best Picture a few years ago. I liked that movie alot. But it wasn't any more showy than Harriet.

And then there's Joker, a movie whose title conjures up memories of the comic book villain, my action figure I played with as a kid, my trading cards, Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson's portrayals (and Heath Ledger's too). Many have pointed out that it's not really about "The Joker" from the comics or TV....It's more a satire in the same vein as Taxi Driver that has a message about today's society.

But come on. Joker. I can still hear Jack Nicholson in my mind say "You can call me....JOKER!...and as you can see I'm alot happier!"  Not typically interested in comic book movies, I skipped the movie Joker when it first came out.

But then I heard filmmaker Michael Moore praising the film recently on his podcast recently, and he spoke with the director Todd Phillips. It turns out that they both have some similar connections going back almost 20 years, and I really enjoyed their conversation where they talk about their respective careers and movies in general.

Michael Moore talks about Joker and interviews director Todd Phillips in the clip below:



So I decided to give it a chance and watched Joker but I hated it. I didn't like the character, I didn't like the tie-ins with Batman characters. I didn't like Taxi Driver either so I probably should have known I wouldn't like this.

The the type of person that Joker is in the film might be the type that would shoot up an office building or a school.

It just seems so unnecessary to me to bring all the Batman lore and stuff, and there's no need to set in the 1980s either. Just set the movie in today's era. If you want to make a realistic movie, make it realistic. The moment you mention "Gotham City" or "Bruce Wayne" or "Wayne Manor", I'm rolling my eyes...

Which movie will be more remembered in 25 or 30 years? or 50 years?  Joker or Harriet? Or both? Or neither?

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

The movie poster's tagline reads: "A Hollywood Story". It certainly is one of the most famous and best movies ever made about Hollywood life, even though fictional, and brilliantly co-written by Billy Wilder, who also directed. Much like "Streetcar Named Desire", it's a film that is just as much about the emotionally-needed and mentally-troubled leading lady (Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond) as it is about the man in her life who feels trapped and caught in the middle of something he never asked for (William Holden). Holden is an unemployed Hollywood screenwriter who accidentally enters the life of has-been silent film actress Norma Desmond, who lives in her own world and pays Holden to write her comeback film. Co-star Nancy Olsen has never been better as Holden's love interest, completely unaware that Holden has moved into Desmond's home and treated like a king while being smothered by the reclusive's love hungry tendencies. A morality play, about jealousy, neediness, fame, wealth. Billy Wilder was able to recruit some well known silent stars to appear in cameos: HB Warner ("Lost Horizon") and Buster Keaton, as well as director Cecil B. DeMille, who plays an important role in the story. Arguably, DeMille is probably most remembered for his role in this film than any of his other movies outside of "The Ten Commandments". Gloria Swanson herself was a silent film star, and this also her most famous role. Holden and Wilder worked together again in one of my favorites: "Stalag 17" two years later.

Hollywood Trip and Cinerama Fest, Day 3 of 3 recap: This Is Cinerama

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Sunday, September 30, 2012: Several films were on the dock at the Dome today, but I only planned on the 8 PM showing of This Is Cinerma.  The other shows were Russian Adventure (narrated by Bing Crosby) and Windjammer, which no doubt promised some breathtaking sailing scenes. Those films were shot in a different process than the "true" three-camera Cinerama, and were released in the mid 1960s as Cinerama began to lose its popularity. Another film shown that day was Its A Mad Mad Mad Mad World; I had seen that movie before and tickets were sold out for weeks, so I didn't make it to that screening, either. 

So, for most of the day I kept busy in and around Hollywood --- there is always SO MUCH TO DO, you are never bored here! I had a chance to go to morning services at Oasis Church on Wilshire Blvd. Then I started at the very end of the Walk of Fame on LaBrea Ave, and started looking for stars on the Walk....Had to pay my respects to the late great Andy Williams. RIP. I then visited The Hollywood Museum and saw alot of cool things, including the largest collection of autographs I've ever seen. I started posting some pics on my other blog, Olivia & Joan, and will post more on this blog in time. 

8 PM: This Is Cinerama (1952) 

(below, the curved screen that is Cinerama)

I couldn't wait for this movie to start. Been looking forward to seeing this movie for over 20 years. It was so neat to be there.  Before the film, John Sittig came and gave a brief introduction and noted that 60 years ago TO THE DAY, the film This Is Cinerama had its grand premiere. Neat! Then the overture started and lasted a couple of minutes. Then the film began with a black and white film and a voice saying "Lowell Thomas speaking"....Mr Thomas then presented a lecture on the history of motion in art and film, and film clips were shown that would not be unfamiliar to film students ("The Kiss", "The Great Train Robbery", etc). This was all a buildup to Cinerama, something audiences have never seen. 

Then came Lowell Thomas' immortal announcement:

Ladies and gentlemen, THIS IS CINERAMA! 

....then came that THRILLING roller coaster ride! 

Seeing this on the enormous screen was thrilling; I got dizzy - seriously! Just like those folks did 60 yrs ago.

The rest of the film included other short sequences meant to show off the technology; filmmakers tried to find the coolest things imaginable to show on the ginormous screen. For example, the sequence immediately following the roller coaster sequence was a colorful ballet scene, supposedly inserted here in order for people to catch their breaths from the roller coaster! Then there were some areal views of Niagara Falls (a favorite Cinerama locale), a performance of the Vienna Boys Choir (some of the boys' facial expressions were priceless), and a candlelit choir that I'm sure was torture to anyone who was not religious. There were times during the other sequences when I thought - "no more singing - bring on more rollercoasters!". There were some cool bullfights in Spain and a Venice gondola ride, but in my estimation nothing matched the thrills of the rollercoaster other than the amazing water show sequence at Cypress Gardens, a spectacular sequence lasting about 25 -30 minutes. Usually you only see the stunt performers from a distance, but seeing them up close (from the camera's POV on the boats) was cool.  The film ended with a number of areal shots of various American parks such as Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. 

After the movie, historian Foster Hirsh came out and talked with two crew members of the film who were there 60 years ago at the premiere. They were both in their late 80s.

Then, a 25 minute short film called "In The Picture" (2012) screened. It was an homage to Cinerama's travelogues, and featured Stanley Livingston who appeared in HTWWW. He takes his wife, daughter, and her fiancee on a tour of Los Angeles, and they go to such tourist attractions such as Angel's Flight train. And they actually used original Cinerama cameras to film this! Someone said this was the first Cinerama film to use the three-camera process in 50 years! It was neat. 

Then the final film of the evening was a short documentary film called "The Last Days of Cinerema" (2012) directed by Michael Celestino. Mr Celestino came out and introduced the film, which is essentially about what the title suggests - that these could very well be the last days of Cinerama. "Who will pick up the mantle and continue  supporting Cinerama?" is one of the questions raised. Will anyone want to make another Cinerama film? Will Cinerama films ever been short in their original format again? It's really hard to say in this digital age. Crew members who worked on 2012's "In The Picture" were interviewed, and  they confirmed how cumbersome the process was - even making a short 25 minute film. Who would ever want to make another film like it??

Then I met John Sittig,  the head of Cinerama organization,  and he signed my photo below that I purchased at the Larry Edmunds bookshop:

In the lobby were some exhibits explaining how Cinerama films are being digitally restored:

Hope you enjoyed this recap! I'll have reviews of each of the 7 films in more detail to come. 

Cinerama Weekend: Day 1 of 3 recap

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

It was a great weekend at the Cinerama festival. I first learned about these movies over 20 years ago after reading Susan Sackett's book on the most popular films of the twentieth century. She wrote about Cinerama in such a way that captured my imagination. I never thought I'd ever see one of the films, let alone on the big screen.

Last weekend, my dreams came true. I ended up seeing seven films over three days, all of them being what historians call the "true" Cinerama films: This Is Cinerama, Cinerama Holiday, Seven Wonders of the Words, Search for Paradise, South Seas Adventure, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, and How The West Was Won. I'll be reviewing each film in more detail in subsequent posts.

It was also a bittersweet event as digital becomes the standard, and fans wonders how/if Cinerama films will be shown 50 years from now. A number of the films were shown in the original 3-film projection format, and some were digitally remastered by a company called Image Trends which is currently restoring several other titles.  PS - I haven't had time to download all my photos yet, but I found some neat ones already posted by Andres M. Olson (view that post here). 

Friday September 28, 2012

11:55 AM 

The movie to be shown at noon was South Seas Adventure (1958), a travelogue with some added narrative for interest (boy meets girl on the cruise ship, etc).

Arrived at the Arclight/Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Met my friend who attended a number of screenings with me. Big crowd outside. Felt like a movie premiere. Inside, crowded. An original Cinerama camera was on display. Saw Leonard Maltin in the lobby. (PS - Mr. Maltin recently wrote a blog post about Cinerama here) Lots of people dressed in Hawaiian shirts and leis. A number of surviving actors from the film were in attendance.

12:00 noon
Sat near the front in one of the "sweet seats".

John Sittig, the president of the Cinerama foundation, introduced the film (he delivered the intro for each screening). He announced that the music was composed by Alex North, and that some of the members of Alex North's family were in attendance.

Heard Orson Welles' voice (he provided the narration) and knew I was in for something cool.

Then I was blown away with what I saw on the giant screen. Gorgeous views of the ocean and mountains. So much to look at on the screen. Felt like I was right there on the cruise ship boarding for Hawaii. An amazing sequence of surfers riding the waves. One surfer had his dog on the board.

Here's a little taste of the movie:



At the halfway mark, a colorful illustrated title card came up; it had the letters "INTERMISSION" in a pretty font and had some flowers smiling and smoking, signaling a "smoke break". lol

Then after the movie, we all had to clear out and make way for the staff to clean the theater.

3 PM 

The next movie began.  It was a digitally remastered print of Cinerama Holiday, which came out in 1954 and was released earlier than South Seas (the movies were not shown in order of release year).  The movie begins with a crude looking black-and-white film explaining Cinerama. Then the curtains open to reveal a wider picture and breathtaking aerial shots of locales such as the Swiss Alps, Paris, and a number of regions in America. A 2-minute bobsled ride sequence left me dizzy. I can now cross off bobsledding from my bucket list. The picture and colors looked so bright and sharp.

7 PM

The next film on the dock was How The West Was Won (1962). Had a seat up front. John Sittig gave a little intro, and then brought in one of the actors from the film, Stanley Livingston, who played Jimmy Stewart's son. They talked about the film for a bit. Didn't realize they filmed it in 27 different states, including Illinois (!). A stunt man from the film, Loren James was also there, and explained that his big scene was at the end when he jumped off the train right into a cactus.

Then the projectors started - all three of them. I looked up and saw three beams of light pointing to the screen criss-crossing each other. It was really neat to see the three-camera projection at work.  It was my first time watching the film all the way through. It was really entertaining and gave me a renewed appreciation for our pioneer settlers. When Loren James' cactus scene came up, everyone cheered and applauded.

The movie ended about 10:30 pm. I was getting tired. Called it a night.

Loews Theater Policy trailer (1984-96)

Seeing this clip was a blast from the past. I saw so many movies in theaters in the late 80s and early 90s, and this jingle played before the movie at any Loews Theater at that time. My friend and I would see this so many times; we'd make fun of the "Thank You For Coming To Loews" jingle each time we saw it!

The Artist (2011)

Last night, I had the experience of seeing the delightful tribute to classic films, The Artist and thought it was great. At times I was really convinced I was watching a film from the 1930s. The sets and costumes are Oscar-worthy. All of the actors have "that look" as if they just stepped out of an old movie. And the dog....he really steals the show! There is a sequence in the film that reminded me of one in Hugo, where the only copies of old silent nitrate film are burned and lost forever, giving us a bit more of an idea as to why there are so many lost  films. Exciting, romantic, fun. I give The Artist an A

Great opening/closing credits

I like these animated opening credits:

Grease (1978)
any Pink Panther film (1964-2009)
Earth Girls Are Easy (1989)
Ruthless People (1986)
Christmas Vacation (1989)

The opening to The Great Muppet Caper (1981) is pretty cool, too. The Muppets are in a hot air balloon and comment on the credits that appear all around them. When cinematographer Oswald Morris' name appears, Fozzie asks, "what does 'B.S.C' stand for?" Kermit: I dunno.



For best closing credits, some that are really good are:

Around the World in 80 Days (1952)

Lena Horne (1917-2010)

Legendary singer and actress Lena Horne, one of the most beloved entertainers of the twentieth century, has passed away at the age of 92. She lived a long life, and it was filled with music, movies, and memories.

At 16 she joined New York's Cotton Club where she became an orchestra singer, often touring with Cabell "Cab" Calloway and other jazz greats. She also performed on the radio, and eventually landed in short subjects & low-budget comedies such as The Duke Is Tops (which was reissued once she became famous and retitled "Bronze Venus"). MGM was so impressed with her that they signed her to a long term contract in 1943, breaking racial barriers. She first appeared as a singer in Panama Hattie and then in two films that remain favorites among her fans: Cabin in the Sky and 20th Century Fox's Stormy Weather (where she worked on loan from MGM). She appeared in other fondly-remembered musicals such as Til the Clouds Roll By and Thousands Cheer. During these WW2 years, she also entertained the troops for the USO, produced a number of "V-Discs", and was a favorite pin-up for soldiers.

With her angelic voice, she continued to perform on stage and television throughout the decades, winning a Tony and Grammy. She also received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Honor from the Kennedy Center, as well as many other awards. And, like alot of people my age, I grew up watching her on Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, where Kermit (played by Jim Henson) described her as "a performer whose name is synonymous with style, taste, and talent". Her life and career is the subject of numerous documentaries, films, and books. Her legend lives on.

Lena's Filmography:

The Duke Is Tops (1938) - Renamed "Bronze Venus"
Panama Hattie (1942)
Thousands Cheer (1943)
Cabin in the Sky (1943)
Stormy Weather (1943)
I Dood It (1943)
Swing Fever (1943)
Broadway Rhythm (1944)
Boogie-Woogie Dream (1944)
Two Girls and a Sailor (1944)
Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)
Ziegfeld Follies (1945)
Words and Music (1948)
Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
Death of a Gunfighter (1969)
The Wiz (1978)
That's Entertainment! III (1994)






Below: Lena sings "Stormy Weather" from the film:

100 movies, 100 number quotes

If you have about 10 minutes to spare, you've got to watch this awesome video: scenes from 100 movies -- you'll hear 100 snippets of numerically-laced dialogue. Watch how the clips count down from 100 to 1. Thanks to Meaghan, for posting a link to the clip, where I fist saw it the other day.