This Is Definitely A Film Worth Re-Visiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                From watching all those celebrity picks from YouTube on The Criterion Closet,  I was always interested in how "All That Jazz" would turn up on many people's picks.  I had never really given it a thought beyond 1979.  Oh, but let me correct myself.  The film was released on December 20, 1979, which means I did not see it till sometime in early 1980.  This was especially a harsh time in my life.  My mother had died eight months before, I had not found my working niche yet, and relations were beginning to call me out on it.

                                When I finally saw the film, at the Ziegfeld Theater, with my friend Doug, who was obsessed with the film, particularly Jessica Lange as The Angel Of Death, what stayed with me was the opening sequence, where a dance audition is held, and they dance to "On Broadway."  I kept thinking this is how "A Chorus Line" should look, if transferred to film.  Was Bob Fosse consciously trying to beat Michael Bennet, whose show "A Chorus Line" was?  Unfortunately, he did, because the 1985 film version of "A Chorus Line" was disgraceful, and Bennett died soon after that in 1987.  Maybe Baayork Lee is the only hope for putting it on film, but then would she want to?

                                 Seeing "All That Jazz" yesterday, after 46 years, made me realize the passage of time, because I remember so well the 70's New York theater scene, which the film so accurately captures.  Those who do not, recall it, and who are not familiar with whom the film's characters are based on, may not have a clue as to what they are watching.  I mean, how many folks out there will know that Leland Palmer's (What ever happened to her?) Audrey Paris was a stand-in for Gwen Verdon, or that Erseber Foldi, as daughter Michelle, stood in for Fosse's daughter Nicole, or that Ann Reinking's character essentially played herself?  This knowledge is tantamount to understanding and liking this film, which is why gays and Theater Queens of a certain age are especially drawn to it.

                                    And while Roy Scheider's performance as Chief Brody in "JAWS" was fine, nothing could have prepared me for what he does here.  Playing Joe Gideon/Bob Fosse, he gives the performance of his life, putting all he has into the role in a way I never ever thought him capable of.  And he was still good looking here.

                                     Having seen Ben Vereen onstage in "Pippin" back in the day, his number and the skill with which he pulled it off were no surprise to me.  What a pity there are no choreographers around like Fosse or Bennett.  Where are they?  But then, where is there great material for them to work on?  There used to be Susan Strohman and Warren Carlyle.  I had high hopes for them, as I still do for Justin Peck and Christopher Gattelli.  Only time and show quality will tell.

                                         Seeing "All That Jazz" a second time after a lifetime was both joyous and sad. Fosse's skill and razzle dazzle are there for posterity, but the era the film portrays when anything creative was possible has given way to crass commercialism.

                                           "Where's discretion of the heart, where's passion in the art, where's craft?"

                                            It is happily preserved in this film, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Introducing Gay Film #4--1945's "Mildred Pierce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                             This photo was my first exposure to this film as a child, as it was used as an advertisement in TV Guide, when Channel 5, at 9PM would show "Movie Greats."  I got the idea it was about a woman contemplating jumping off the wharf, and I wanted to know what made her get to that point.  And I was only a child.  Now, my mother's name happened to be Mildred, so after this I began calling her "Mildred Pierce," and when I saw the movie sequence where Mildred opens all the restaurants saying "Mildred's," I wanted my mother to open restaurants.  Not because I wanted money, but because I wanted to see her name all over the place.

                           "Mildred Pierce" is the perfect follow-up to "Now, Voyager," because it reverses the conflict.  In the 1942 film, the mother is the villain, the daughter the victim.  In "Mildred Pierce," it is the daughter who is the villain--and what a villain! --and the mother is the victim.  But remember, darlings, since the role is played by Joan Crawford, she is almost a willing victim, being self-sacrificing and masochistic.  This is the ultimate Joan Crawford performance, and it is no surprise that she won the Oscar for "Best Actress Of 1945."  She deserved it too.

                              The film is perfect for exposing young gays to social class distinctions.  Now, I already had a sense of them myself, having grown up on the North Side of town, and away from that trashy Goat Alley.  But when Ann Blyth, as daughter Veda, speaks of Mrs. Biederhof as being "distinctly Middle Class," the film is off and running, because Veda really livens up this picture.  And then some.  To think Ann Blyth was only 16 when she did this role; I am surprised, being a minor, she was allowed to play it.  But she earned an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress, as did Eve Arden, for her role as Ida Corwin, who is on to Veda from the start.  That is the problem.  Everyone is on to Veda except her mother; even Veda, in her own way, tries to tell her, but Mildred insists on being one of the great enablers, like Agnes Wickfield in "David Copperfield," of all time.  And where does it get her?

                             Well, that final shot, when Mildred and her ex-husband Bert (Bruce Bennett) leave the police station, with the two washerwomen shown scrubbing the floor, suggests this was also a morality tale, not to elevate one's social stature too much, and to never forget where one came from.

                               Zachary Scott and Jack Carson give two of their best performances ever, and even Butterfly McQueen turns up as Lottie, the maid.  Director Mchael Curitz knew how to assemble a great cast and put them through their paces

                              Yet, "Mildred Pierce" remains underrated in the "film noir" category.  Everyone is always screaming about "Double Indemnity," and you know what?  I think that one is overrated.  "Mildred Pierce has a compelling character and story, but most of all, the way Curitz uses light and shadows in the opening sequence at the beach house, when Mildred steps out of the darkness onto the wharf, and again, with the light on her at the beach house when she spots Monty and Veda, demonstrates he wanted to give this film a distinctly noir look, and he is so successful it outshines almost any film noir out there.

                               I don't want to give away too much of the plot, except to say it is framed around a murder mystery.  The James M. Cain novel on which it was based was not even this good.

                                "Mildred Pierce" is great for young gays, giving them a look into elegant, stylish dressy, and witty, bitchy epigrams.  I always loved the one about Mrs. Bieferhhof being "distinctly Middle Class."  Oh, and there is a lovely performance by Jo Ann Marlowe as younger daughter Kay, and a gorgeous music score by the brilliant Max Steiner.

                                      Warner Bros. made it; no surprise there.  And it was nominated for "Best Picture."  A shame it did not win.

                                         As Bette Davis said in "Now, Voyager," "A spinster aunt is an excellent person to select presents for young girls."  "Mildred Pierce" is the perfect film to set young gays on the path.

                                           But don't even think about getting away with murder.

                           "Oh, Mother, I'll be different.  I'll change!"                                                                                                     Yeah, right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  

                               

Girls, These Are The Real "Spinster City" Apartments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                          I have seen entries on the Internet referring to this month as Spinster September, and I cannot figure why!   Are spinsters supposed to get their due?  Are they now being honored?  During my 24 years of spinsterhood, from 31 to 55 (one is not designated a spinster till one reaches the age of 31) I did not feel especially honored, but I got around, to compensate for my being alone Now I have experiences to look back on and write about.

                              The building here in question is The Ansonia Apartments, at 501, Raritan Avenues, in Highland Park, New Jersey, my hometown.  The entrance is actually on Fifth Avenue in a secluded corner with beet red walls suggesting something mysterious.  The lobby is a tiny spinster lobby, and I had always thought I would end up in one of the front windows, hopefully on the third or fourth floors, looking out on the town.  

                                  Can you imagine, darlings?  This is how I had scripted my life!  The bus stop just across the street would take me to New Brunswick, from which I would take the bus to New York!   If things had turned out this way, I might have been in a mental hospital repeatedly reading "The Bell Jar," by Sylvia Plath!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Instead, the apartments David and I are in now are hardly spinsterish.  And New York is only a subway ride away.

                                          Sometimes a change in script can make a difference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, Please Do Me A Favor And Save Yourselves The Time And Money Involved In Seeing This Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         I cannot say "Paranormal Activity" was my worst theater experience, but it certainly ranks among the top ten.  I was expecting, hopefully, something imaginative and mildly entertaining.  At worst, I thought it would be like a cheesy amusement park spook house ride.   Well, I am telling you right now, those rides are better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Back in 2007, still riding on the found/filmed footage genre generated by "The Blair Witch Project" back in 1999, someone had the idea of making a film called "Paranormal Activity."  It involved people living in a house and filming the mysterious things happening when they don't see them. All I can recall are doors opening by themselves and things moving mysteriously.  That is how much of an impression the film made on me.  The show in question made even less.

                                           First of all, Chris Fisher and Abby May, who designed the illusions and lighting, had no idea what they were doing.  When entering the August Wilson Theatre to take my seat, the lighting was so dim, I could not read my Playbill.  Occasionally, the title, inscribed on a black floor length stage curtain in front of me would blink the titular words at the audience.  Oh, boy, this is supposed to give us some big scare thrill?????????????  Whom are they kidding???????????????

                                              I really cannot fully blame Felix Barrett for his direction, because Levi Holloway's script is not much to work with.  The two leads, whom I will get to, used so many f-words and other profanities that even David Mamet would blush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              Now, these actors, Cher Alvarez and Travis A. Knight.  They are making their Broadway debuts, and I say enjoy it while it lasts.  Because with this script, neither will get a second chance, nor will their careers go anywhere.  They play a married couple, with the wife having some kind of anxiety and he trying to pacify her.  Or is this really the case?  Because, in Act Two, we get two people who have done misdeeds in their pasts and were never held accountable for them.  Is this what is happening now?  Does anybody care?  I did not. Shannon Cochran as the mother livens things up, but Linda Lavin would have done it better.  Except Linda would have turned this script down.  And so would I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               Alvarez speaks with a pretentious accent, suggesting a desperate Juilliard auditionee.  Knight may be nice to look at, but his hetero posturing is unbearable   And can any of them read a line?  I am telling you, producers could pull anyone from the street nightly to perform and would still get better results!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  There are supposedly 40 special effects in the show.  With the dim lighting, I was barely able to see four of them; never mind the other 36.  At an hour and forty five minutes this play belongs in the slush pile.  It is a wonder how it got to Broadway.  There is much more untapped, genuine talent out there.

                                                     Save for David and I, the audience ate it up!  And the house was packed; maybe even sold out.  Have we finally arrived at the dumbing down of Broadway?  Are new audiences being sought to replace the old, those of us who go to the theater for something of entertainment and substance?  Because if so, that audience will soon disappear, and like me, stay home with their Criterion Collections!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                           This is as poor a start to the theater season as one can imagine!  But who am I to talk?  The show will probably run indefintely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                              Bur for those who REALLY care about theater, run for the hills, and avoid this trash altogether!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, Make Sure To Watch "Svengoolie" Tonight At 8PM, Because This Is The Last Good Film He Is Showing This Month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     I am not a spoiler, but, really, darlings, next week he is showing one of the worst movies ever, "The Ghost And Mr. Chicken," with Don Knotts, which some demographic out there loves, but it certainly is not this house.   Then, the following week, The Sven Squad is going to host--are you ready? --a presentation of the 1990 color remake of "Night Of The Living Dead!"  I mean, why????????? The black and white Romero 1968 film is a masterpiece.  Who had the nerve to remake it?  I do not even recall it.

                                       Baby Gojira and I have been talking, and we agreed that for these weeks David can pick the alternate movie.  But it will come with some caveats, which will be revealed on here next week!!!!!!!!!!

                                            So enjoy "Svengoolie" tonight, while you can.  Because after that he is scraping the bottom of the barrel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               If he keeps this up, he may not lose his audience, but he will lose us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy "Frank Mills" Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           This is it, darlings, the day I go to the Waverly, stand in front and sing "Frank Mills" to one and all on this day.

                                            Also, a tribute to the legendary Shelley Plimpton, who introduced the song in both the original Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of "HAIR."

                                           Get ready, girls, I'm on my way!  Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           But not before leaving you with a special gift to enjoy.

                         

                                    Here is Shelley inimitable rendition!  Cherish it, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There Is No Way To Prettify This Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      I cannot believe it has been twenty-five years.  A quarter of a century.

                                    Like the headline says, this is a sad day, which is why I chose the photo above.

                                   This will always be a benchmark day in my life.  I remember exactly where I was, where I had been living, the circumstances that landed me in the West Village just in time to see the second tower collapse before my eyes, which is when I realized this city was in big trouble.

                                      I still fear another attack.  Not in NYC, but perhaps elsewhere.

                                      People talk about resilience.  But how does one get over this?  I was lucky not to have lost any friends or loved ones, but I think of those who did, and I cannot imagine how awful this day is, and what it brings up.

                                        They, along with the firefighters, policemen, volunteers, and those suffering subsequent 9/11 illnesses are the ones whose resilience we should be saluting.

                                           However, we have gone twenty-five years without another incident.

                                           May that continue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Never forget, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!