When Gojira Travels, He Likes Only The Finest Accommodations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Author Note:  As long as the film title is mentioned, the star will be referred to as "Godzilla."  All other times, he will be called by his Japanese name, "Gojira."

                                  Gojira and Baby Gojira have been after me to write a post on "Godzilla Vs. Kong: The New Empire," which David and I went to see a week ago today.  The opening and closing shots are adorable, as Gojira likes to sleep in the Roman Coliseum, from which he is awakened from a slumber he would rather go back to, but has to help world peace, in dealing not only with Kong, a baby Kong, but a cameo by Mothra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      It is key that Gojira and Mothra do not appear in the same scene.  I am pretty sure Gojira made that clear when he signed his contract to do this film, which, crudely put, he must have done for the money to help the Sisters Of Mercy, and needy children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       "Godzilla Vs. Kong: The New Empire" is all over the place, with actors like Rebecca Hall spouting verbal nonsense as if the movie had to be explained to audiences, who only came to see the creatures in the Monsterverse , particularly Gojira.  Who, I feel, gets too little screen time over the ape and his mini clone.  The latter is supposed to be sweet and cute but has a mean streak that does away with his good qualities.  Or maybe he is just in adolescence!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            As for Mothra, she has not aged well, and where are the two girls?  Even Mothra seems bored with the whole thing and makes a hasty retreat back to Infant Island!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            And Gojira?  He knows when he has had had enough.  The money is worth it, but not for him to do extra!  So, he goes back to the Roman Coliseum.  That is, until another crisis for world peace will awaken him, necessitating him to step in and help.

                                             Gojira gives the film his all.  Including turning blue and pink during his atomic breathing, which I believe is a measure of his anger.  The colors, I mean.

                                                 But enough is enough, and when he returns to his favorite accommodation, we cheer him on mightily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    Gojira, not only are you the best reason to see the movie, but you are also the only one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                      Just like Celia, in "Mother Play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                         

Celia Once Again Works Her Magic, In Paula Vogel's "Mother Play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                   When the divinity that is Celia Keenan-Bolger, enters from an audience curtain, ascends the stage to face out at the audience, stage right, at the start of "Mother Play," the American theater is instantly reclaimed!!!!!!!!!!  And when that throat catching voice, with its razor-sharp diction, begins to speak Vogel's dialogue, beauty and heartbreak are sure to follow.  And they do.

                                       What Celia brings to this play is invaluable and remarkable.  Invaluable because there isn't much else here, and remarkable, because, without her, the play would not be worth sitting through.

                                            But let me back up a minute.  Paula Vogel has assembled a sterling cast, including Jim Parsons and Jessica Lange, and gathered them all in a sort of "Glass Menagerie" update.

                                             There is nothing technically wrong with this.  I know Vogel had a hard life, and what she achieved is remarkable.  But, unlike some of her other works, the language is flat, and the poetry is missing.  I kept thinking of Tennessee Williams or William Inge during this, but the beauty of their writing is lacking here.

                                                 Celia, brilliantly, does her eternal child-woman thing, and no one does it better. Vogel was extremely lucky to get her.  And Jim Parsons, as brother Carl, amazingly keeps up with Celia's technique, going from child to man with ease and conviction.

                                                    Unfortunately, Jessica Lange, to me at least, demonstrates she is uncomfortable on the stage.  Oh, she knows her lines, and her projection is OK, but watching her act, one can see the wheels turning.  In a solo scene on stage, in a red robe, devoid of speech, she comes across as Amanda Wingfield and Blanche Du Bois.  Does she know what play she is in?  I am not sure.

                                                      That Celia and Jim can make the audience care so much speaks volumes about their performances, especially when both are off the stage.  Had "Mother Play" been done with a lesser cast, no one might have seen it at all.

                                                         I was disappointed Paula's writing did not live up to what has gone before.  But thanks to an extraordinary cast, especially Celia, theatrical magic is generated.

                                                           It is she for whom this play should be seen.  No one else!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Hayley Mills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      I look upon April as such a cruel month, because over my life I have lost a lot of people I cared about during this month.  But I overlook some of the good events in April.

                                        For instance, on April 4, "Follies" opened on Broadway, 53 years ago, at the Winter Garden Theatre.

                                         I recalled Hayley Mills' birthday as being in April, but I thought it was the ninth.  That it is today I am so happy to relate, as she is certainly worthy and more of a post on my blog.

                                            Today, Hayley Mills turns 78.  Can you believe it?  I should look so good when I reach that age.

                                              Let us all wish Hayley Mills a happy birthday, and all good wishes for the coming year.  Have a tea or a drink or two on all of us.

                                              And to commemorate this day, I will play the Hayley Mills song I used to dance to, and which always cheers me up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Here is Hayley singing "Cobbler, Cobbler!!!!!!!!!!"  Happy Birthday, Hayley Mills, and enjoy this, everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Francis Spufford Is The One Author Who Can Get Away With Being......Dystopian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         If there is one word I hate, it is "dystopian," and as soon as I hear a novel being described as such, I turn away from it.  But not if the author is Francis Spufford.

                                          Spufford goes dystopian, but never lets up on character or narrative.  What he gives the reader here is a sort of Cormac McCarthy noir.   Set in a Mississippi town that resembles Harlem in the 20's, the world he creates is as believable as one can expect of plopping a section of Manhattan down into the heart of Mississippi.  Both a social critique and a murder mystery that had me stumped, "Cahokia Jazz" adds another notch to the author's gallery of quality fiction.

                                              And yet...it did not blow me away.  I kept going, but always wanted something more.  Maybe Spufford was reaching too high, for bars set by McCarthy and Colson Whitehead.

                                                 I want to see what he does next.  As good as his current novel was, it could have been better.

                                                  Tea at four, darlings???????????????

Girls, I Want To Tell You, This Film Was Such A Disappointment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             I know how much I have mentioned on here how I want to see "Curucu, Beast Of The Amazon."  I kept wishing "Svengoolie" would show it.  It has Beverly Garland in it, and the poster suggests something really terrifying.

                                Well, I saw the film finally a few weeks back.  To add insult to injury it was a black-and-white print.  But, after viewing the entire film, I can say the poster outdoes the movie.

                        Here is Curucu.  He is supposed to be a giant, walking parrot with claws, that kills people.  While color enhances him, this is the most ridiculous monster I have seen since Tabanga, in 1957's "From Hell It Came."  'Curucu' was made in 1956, so maybe the makers of "From Hell It Came" were influenced by it.  I don't know why, because, actually, "From Hell It Came" has a better story!

                          There is a big reveal, which I won't expose, that ruined the entire film for me.  But it had one thing going for it.

                                       Girls, you have got to see the scene where Beverly Garland is asleep in her tent, and awakens, staring straight into the face of Curucu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The scream is loud, but, honestly, her mouth is open so wide one can practically see her tonsils!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  As usual, Bev gives it all to whatever crap she appears in.  This brief moment elevates the entire film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                       To think this was released in drive-ins, on a double bill with "The Mole People>"  That film should have been top billed, not 'Curucu.'  Ah, for the days of drive-ins, where one could watch trash films, get stoned on popcorn, soda, or stuff even stronger, to convince oneself  of seeing a masterpiece.  Such days of innocence, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Take it from me, girls!  Skip 'Curucu.'  It is an enormous disappointment!

                           No sequel for this one, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

What Would Scarlett Think???????????????????????

                             On Sunday, April 7, which marked the seventeenth anniversary of this blog, David and I went to celebrate another anniversary--the eighty-fifth anniversary of the release of "Gone With The Wind."  I can't quite recall the number of times I have viewed it, but I would guess somewhere in the forties.

                              As I stated previously, this film has the greatest wardrobe of all time.  But I came out of this particular viewing with some very specific questions, which I will try to answer.

                              What would Scarlett, were she here today, think of the South as it is?

                                Scarlett, I can tell you, is all about adaptability.  She had no use for fools who would not help themselves, nor did she suffer fools gladly.  She was one to move forward, and never look back, and that is why I think she would turn her back on today's South.  Marjorie Taylor Greene and that MAGA crowd go against everything Scarlett stood for.  A shrewd entrepreneur in her time, in ours she would glom on to social media, if it meant making a profit.  Scarlett, in her own way, might have become, and probably would, as successful as ANNA WINTOUR. Who by the way, called Scarlett "the most fashionable woman in literature."  Hail to you, ANNA!

                                 What would have happened, had Bonnie lived????????????

                                  Well, for a time, things might have improved with Scarlett and Rhett.  But children do grow up, and once Bonnie hit puberty, my guess is she would start showing some of her mother's good and bad traits.  Which would hurt Rhett to see, as he doted on her in childhood.  This might even drive a wedge between she and Rhett.  Though sad, it was probably inevitable that Bonnie died; by the time she reached young womanhood, Scarlett and Rhett would not have a child to live for.  Which would drive an emotional wedge between them now, and Rhett ultimately would have left Scarlett.

                                  What about Ashley???????????????????????????????

                                   After the war, Ashley was clearly a broken man.  Today it might be said he suffered from PTSD.  Melanie was his rock, and when he lost that, he lost everything.  But Scarlett promised Melanie she would look after Ashley, and his son, Beau, and if it is one thing Scarlett did, it was to keep her promises.  Beau would grow up with all the things Melanie would have wanted for him, thanks to Scarlett, and Ashley might, in time, mend, free of Scarlett's maddening infatuation, and start focusing on himself.   The world Ashley loved is gone forever, but Scarlett would slowly help him emerge into the world that is.

                                   And, in response, to the question most often asked--

                                  No, she never got Rhett back.  Two such strong personalities could not exist under one roof.  But all having gone before would allow Scarlett some time to think.  As she aged, she most likely mellowed, with Beau compensating for what she was unable to give Bonnie, and while still pursuing wealth with all the zeal and success of before, a sense of empathy and caring might emerge in her later years.

                                       To paraphrase Dickens, these are the shadows of what I see.  You are welcome to agree or disagree.

                                        Still, this story has one of the greatest narratives of all time, which makes one wonder about the characters, after the story has ended.

                                          "After all, tomorrow is another day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Cigarette Holder, She Kisses, Over Your Shoulder......................"

 

                                    And don't we all want to look like this, darlings?????????????????????

                                    Of course, were it I, I would opt for a Gene Tierney shoulder back flip, and my cigarette holder would contain something non-smokable.  But the effect is just dazzling, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Imagine walking into a room like this!

                                     Of course, cigarette holder girls do have questionable reputations.

                                     Here is where many hang out.

                                     That's right, girls! The "Satin Dolls" club in New Jersey.  Where they all are "out cattin'".  I may even know someone who works there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         If this be your choice, girls, have fun on the town!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!