Girls, I Really Don't Encourage Anyone To Watch This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     The reasoning behind this 1966 film was the same as for "The Ghost And Mr. Chicken."  Because Don Knotts was so popular on "The Andy Griffith Show," Hollywood figured he could carry a film.  Well, dolls, we all saw how that went!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         "The Munsters" with its superb comedic cast and atmospheric look was enormously popular, and Hollywood thought they could carry a film.  They could not, but in this case I would say it was not their fault, but the scriptwriter's.  Also, the idea that a half hour sitcom, while hilarious, cannot be expanded into a two-hour feature.

                                               So, I encourage my girls to stay away from this one.  I will let you know what we watch tomorrow.  However, for true "Musters" devotees who have never seen this film, be my guest!  But I guarantee you will not return to it again.

                                              When will artists learn when to let things be?

                                               You hear that, Zoe Kazan????????????????

This Film Foreshadowed Both "Nashville" And "Network!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                   I would bet you dollars and donuts, girls, that before Robert Altman and Paddy Chaeyefsky created their masterworks, at some point prior, they had seen this 1957 film, directed by Elia Kazan.

                                      I had heard of "A Face In The Crowd" for years, but had no idea until yesterday, when I finally saw it, of its impact.

                                      Andy Griffith gives the performance of his life.  Forget Sheriff Taylor of Mayberry, he should have followed this path, maybe becoming a great actor and not a sitcom icon.  Patricia Neal is as usual brilliant, and the title comes from her character's radio program, which showcases unknown people.  Griffith is both game and fool enough to allow it to propel him to extremes.

                                         They are supported by Walter Matthau, Lois Nettleton, and, in her film debut, a young Lee Remick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            This is one of the best screen examinations of the corruption of fame.  Be careful what you wish for, darlings!  The ending is haunting, and the final shot masterful.  I could not stop thinking about this film for hours.  The amazing thing was how it was overlooked when it came out--no Oscars or critics' awards!  Was it ahead of its time?  Or was America just as dumb as I suspect it always was?  Think about that one, girls!

                                                  Speaking of Andy Griffith and what he does here, it made me think of one other show cast member.

                                                   What if Frances Bavier had done "The Killing Of Sister George?"

                                                      Now, that would have been a hoot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cathy Ames Or Scarlett O'Hara? You Tell Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                         

                            Girls, I have not yet seen the Florence Pugh 2026 "East Of Eden," but I am not satisfied with how Zoe Kanzan--what nerve!!!!!!!!!!--had the temerity to soften Cathy's narrative impact to bring her story into the Me-Too movement, where it does not belong.

                             Cathy Ames, the Eve of John Steinbeck's "East Of Eden" is the most evil woman in American literature.  A while back, I wrote a post asking what the worst thing was Cathy did.  I said it was driving her Latin teacher, James Grew, a failed seminarian, to suicide by sexual manipulation, which he both wanted but felt guilty over, leading him to kill himself.  She did this when she was only 14.

                             I know Florence Pugh is the acting toast of the moment as Cathy, but is her Cathy really Steinbeck's or Kazan's?  It will be interesting to find out.

                               Now, as to Scarlett O'Hara, she is both pure Margaret Mitchell and pure Vivien Leigh.  The worst thing she does is marry her sister's beau, Frank Kennedy.  But then she did it to keep a roof over everyone's heads. and, girls, let's face it, with Sue's pinched look, had Frank not come along, she would have been an old maid anyway.

                                  No, Scarlett is not even on the same level as Cathy Ames; the latter is actually closer to Veda Pierce.  Now, the word bitch is very overused, and with the women I have mentioned has been used extensively.  But Cathy, by Steinbeck, is by far the worst.

                                   I can't tell you mor about Pugh, until I see it.  But my expectations are not high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How Could I Have Missed "Klute?" After All These Years???????????????????????

                          "Klute" was a big surprise, because it is not just one, but three, movies.  It is first an exposition of New York City in the Seventies, when the city was at its worst.  It takes the viewer inside the life of a professional call girl, circa 1971, and it is also a film noir mystery.

                         And it is Jane Fonda's show.  As Bree Daniel, she commands the screen every time she is on it, which is quite a bit, for the good of this film.  The film also exposes American suburban hypocrisy, because not only is the antagonist foreshadowed, I spotted him right from the start. His is played by Charles Cioffi, and the monologue he has with Fonda near the end is a masterwork in acting, and line delivery.

                         It is also a taut screenplay, written by Andy Lewis and David E. Lewis.  Who the hell are they, and how did they get this far?  Did they ever write anything else?

                          The film starts at a suburban party where the workers of a corporation are gathered and bemoaning the disappearance of the hostess' husband. Tom Gruneman on a New York business trip awhile back.  Did something happen to him?  Was there another woman?  He is asked by his boss, Peter Cable, to go to New York and investigate.  And once we get to New York, darlings, we see all aspects of life there, and I know my 16-year-old self would have been fascinated The city was drawing me in, even then.

                              What follows is a detailed maze of sexual intrigue, led by the brilliance of Fonda, but supported, in turn, by a surprisingly sexy performance by Donald Sutherland.  I have never, under any circumstances, thought this man sexy, but director Alan J. Pakula taps something dark and lurking within him.  It is one of his best performances as well.

                                  Had I seen "Klute" in 1971, it would not have stopped me from coming to New York but might have given me more of an insight into what I might be in for.  No, girls, none of my experiences matched Bree's, but we all have our stories to tell about New York, don't we, darlings?

                                    Few movies dissect New York City as sharply as "Klute."

                                    But, girls, please--not that Jane Fonda hairstyle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     

                                     

                                     

Coyotes In Central Park? Oh, My!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                         Not having been in the park for some time--and no, girls, I have never gone near the Ramble; I had some standards, you know--I was not aware of coyotes, but I approve and am concerned Isn't the one pictured the cutest thing?  I understand there is a whole family of them in the park The parents are named Romeo and Juliet!!!!!!!!! They like to hang out, among other places around the Delacorte. Which leads me to what I want to question.

                        Raccoons are common at the Delacorte but is an actor really safe playing on that stage with coyotes roaming about?????????? Has one ever crossed the stage?  And what would an actor do, if one did????????????

                         I always wanted to play the Delacorte, but with the possibilities of wildlife, running about, if not upstaging me, I am not so sure.  Blythe, dear, how did you do it?

                         Maybe they would all cotton up to me, just like the animals in my neighborhood.  That would be so sweet.  But I hope they are OK.  I do not want to happen to them what happened to Flaco!!!!!!!!!

                              So, I welcome the coyotes to the park, but don't approach them let them approach you.  And how did they get here; did they hop a train from the upstate mountains to get here?  Were they formerly domesticated pets?  Did they have a yearning for the high life?  Who could blame them?

                               Love and respect all creatures in the park, darlings, but please be careful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Introducing Gay Film #5--1950's "All About Eve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                  Midway is the perfect spot for this film for burgeoning gay youngsters.  When first submitted, Joseph L. Mankiewicz' script was entitled "Best Performance."  Which is pretty accurate because every actor AND every character in this film is giving a performance, but who the hell is the best one?

                                        "All About Eve" makes more sense, for it gives the characters a central point around which they can all revolve.  This film is ideal for young gays in the throes of puberty, because its real title should have been "How To Be A Bitch."  Every character is an absolute bitch; even the understated Karen, played brilliantly by Celeste Holm, and whose fur coat I want to wear!  Because this film prepares young gays for the world, because, let me tell you, darlings, in order to survive in this world as a gay person, you have to be a bitch.  This film, and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara will teach you how.

                                       Really, it is one of the best written screenplays, and almost every line is quotable.  I will share a few of my favorites at the end, but I admired Mankiewicz using theater to poke subtle fun at Hollywood.  And lunch at 21?  Oh, girls, if you haven't, you simply must.  And, of course, with hats.

                                           My favorite scene is in the theater, when Margo pretends not to know Eve is her understudy.  Probably the best example of ensemble acting captured on film.  Regretfully, Celeste Holm is not in this scene.

                                              Marilyn Monroe, as Miss Caswell, a graduate of The Copacabana School Of Dramatic Arts, has a line I have often wanted to use--"You won't bore him, honey.  You won't even get a chance to talk.'"  A star in the making!

                                                   I also want the dress Celeste wears in The Cub Room scene.  Which ends in her breaking understatement with peals of laughter, realizing something no one else around her will--that Eve has abased herself for nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                     The best thing I can say about this film is it is a learning experience, a pleasure to watch, and the verbal sparring is unequaled.

                                                       If this doesn't make you a bitch, nothing will, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                       Favorite Lines                                                                                                                                                 Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe): "It is about time the piano realizes                                                         it has not written the concerto!"                                                                                                                     Karen Richards (Celeste Holm):  "Don't run out of adjectives, dear."                                                           Birdie (Thelma Ritter) "Well, let's say she thinks only about you."                                                              Margo: "Nice speech, Eve.  But I wouldn't worry too much about                                                              your heart.  You know you can always put that award where your                                                                heart ought to be."

                                                        Max Fabian:  May I say something?                                                                                                              Lloyd Richards:  NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                         Eve:  "She was a liar!  She was a LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                                        Watch and learn, juniors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                        

Happy Feast Of Saint Francis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                   Today is the day to honor the patron saint of animals, and as an animal lover, I try to be as kind as I can to all God's creatures.

                                     This is also a chance to honor all my animal friends who have passed--Baby Mouse (the French poodle of my youth, from 1969 to 1979), Dexter, Cujo, Chloe, Mellow, Rowdy and Nicholas.  I miss them all, and hope to see them again someday.  One of my therapists said that when I pass, Dexter will be waiting for me.  I hope so.

                                        Yes, I am known as The Dog Whisperer in my neighborhood.  I have compassion for pit bulls, and acknowledge them with a smile and a wave, but that is as far as it goes.  I also love cats, like Mr. Kitty Kat and Bodega Cat.  And not to forget my German Shepard friends Bova and Vera, and my favorite canine trio, Naya, Pasta and Obi Wan.  Just a hug and kiss from these still living animals can make my day.

                                           So, I urge all to follow the example of St. Francis.  You don't have to own a pet but be kind to the animals you see.

                                              And if one needs a hug, give it to them!

                                              It will make your day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike Leigh's Talent Is Still Evident, Despite The Tawdriness Of This Film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       I saw two of Leigh's later films, "Secrets and Lies," (1996) and "Vera Drake,"(2004) watching them with great admiration.  "Naked" is an earlier film from 1993, and while I admired it filmically, I found the subject and characters distasteful.

                                        "Naked" struck me as a British version of Martin Scoresese's 1985 film, "After Hours," with Griffin Dunne.  Both are about young men wandering the night lives of respected cities, London and New York.    But the earlier film was never as tawdry as this.  Perhaps Leigh in his own way was trying to replicate or present his own version of the Nighttown sequence in Joyce's "Ulysses."

                                           David Thewlis, in an excellent performance, plays Johnny, a drifter from Manchester (at least that is what we're told, because the script is not big on information) who has come to London for who knows what?  The opening shows him shagging a woman, then stealing her car.  He then goes on to have sex with just about every woman he encounters, including an old flame of his from back home, Louise, played by Lesley Sharp.  She seems to be the most stable character in the film--certainly her roommate Sophie (Kaitlin Cartlidge) is not--but why would Louise take up with this loser, not to mention a sadist who calls himself Sebastian, but is really Jeremy?  Does anyone care about these characters?  I certainly did not!   And are any of them some kind of catch?  No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Whether this is Leigh's central point, a cautionary tale for single women, a depiction of the sordidness of lower life in London--and John Osborne did that better--or all of the above is anyone's guess. Mine would be the last.

                                               But there is no doubt Leigh catches the eerie nighttime beauty of lower-class London, the quiet, the desperate characters, the kind unseen during the day.  Vampires, maybe? Well, of a kind.

                                               Legh's mastery of his actors is impeccable.  His script could have used some trimming.  The point of "Naked" is made, long before its ending.

                                                 Now, go put on some clothes, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               

                                                    

You Are FORBIDDEN From Watching This TONIGHT, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Tonight, at 8PM, "Svengoolie" and The Squad are going to desecrate one of the most influential and important films of the twentieth century--"The Wizard Of Oz."

                                        "Svengoolie's" show is not meant to showcase the greatest films of all time.  They will make fun of it and desecrate its sacredness.  I forbid all my readers from watching this.  If you want to see it, rent it on YouTube or buy a DVD.

                                             There is no film like "The Wizard Of Oz."  When it is show properly!

                                            This is my all-time favorite film!  How dare they do THIS??????????

                                          

Girls, Has There Been As Visually Beautiful A Film Since 1978's "Days Of Heaven?????????????????????"

                                Before this film, the last I recall was David Lean's sweeping and snow capped "Doctor Zhivago."

                              "Days Of Heaven" begins in 1916, in Chicago.  Richard Gere and his sister Linda (Linca Manz is superb in the role; what happened to her?) meet up with Brooke Adams on a train bound for the Texas panhandle where most of the film is set. Work is hard, and one goes where it is.  The film is low on narrative, but what it makes up for in beauty is worth it.

                                 Watching "Days Of Heaven" is like opening a vintage photo album from the period and staring at the pictures as though they come to life.  Which they do on the screen.  Drawing from the works of American painters like Edward Hopper and Grant Wood, adding in blazing shots of sunrise and sunset, with live shadowed figures silhouetted against them, the film is almost a poetic visual meditation on human existence.   Don't be fooled by the slow pacing; this is probably Terrence Malick's best film.

                                   I can tell you that it is, because I saw his "The Thin Red Line" in 1998, and while striking in spots, it was a bore.

                                    "Days Of Heaven" exemplifies filmmaking and a filmmaker at the height of his powers.

                                      Don't wait for 48 years, like me, girls, to see it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      A MUST for cineastes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I Think The Ground Just Shook 'Cause Everywhere You Look/ALL You See Is/ BABES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                 Oh, girls, I am telling you!  I just loved the theme song to "Babes."  This was some sort of outgrowth of "Hairspray" (from John Waters in 1988) to give a voice to plus sized women.  The show told the story of three sisters in a city (Was it New York of L.A.?  I cannot remember!) who, like all of us at one time, were trying to become career girls!  The gimmick was their size, and Wendie Jo Sperber, standing, was the biggest and the best of them.

                               The show debuted in 1990, lasted a season, and had a moderate success in reruns.  I can still hear the theme song running through my head.  The show only did something for Sperber, who, sadly died in 2005 at the age of 47 from breast cancer.  What a shame.

                                 And what a shame TV still does not give plus sized women a chance!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 Unless casting for a circus sideshow.  The double standard still applies!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   Hey, Beanie Feldstein!  How about a reboot of "Babes?????????????????"

                                 

 

Happy Feast Of The Guardian Angels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     I salute my guardian angel, darlings, because I know he/she has a full-time job having been assigned to me.  But I am grateful he/she has gotten me out of many scrapes during my youth, and I know I have him/her to thank.

                                       Alas this is also a sad day.  Last year, on this day, a classmate I had known since junior high, Lenise, passed away from pancreatic cancer.  David and I had stayed at her house in Highland Park, NJ during the time of my 50th high school reunion.  I cannot believe that is now three years ago, and she is not here.  Very sad, but as always, may she rest in peace, and may her memory be a blessing.

                                        What a time I have had, girls!  Yesterday we were in the city, seeing a film I had always wanted to see--Terrence Malick's 1978 "Days Of Heaven."  I will do a separate post on that.  The night before we had dinner with friends, a lovely gay couple, one of whom is a former coworker of mine, at Marseille on Ninth Avenue and 45th Street.  It was a delightful evening.  And we took the subway home at night--and survived!!!!!!!!!!!  But, as I told David, he is not to get the idea that this is going to be a habit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              We also went to see our lawyer, to update our wills, and change our executors.  Now, girls, listen, this is very important.  Whenever selecting a doctor or a lawyer, there are two requirements to remember--he must be accredited and he MUST be good looking!  Without the last, dears, it just will not work.  The lawyer assigned to us was absolutely good looking, as are all my doctors!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I would not have it any other way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              To make matters worse, my left foot is killing me.  Several weeks ago, I had a blister on my big toe and then one of the smaller toes next to it, and they rubbed together and hurt.  Walking was killing me.  With the bad weather we had in September, and forced to stay indoors, the blisters healed pretty well, but now they are back.  And even though, after the film, David let me go to Barnes And Noble, to scout their Criterion Collection--I found four films:  "The Damned," by Luchino Visconti," "The Last Picture Show," by Peter Bogdanovich, "Mulholland Drive," by David Lynch (Girls, I just HAD to have that!) and Mike Leigh's "Naked."   I think we will watch that one tonight.

                                                 And, yes, I made an appointment with my podiatrist, but I could not get one before November 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Can you believe it?????????????????????????

                                               Right now, girls, it is a pleasure to be writing this blog, because at least I get off my feet, and give them a rest.  Heaven help me if I became a dancer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                Really, hons, it's been a taxing couple of days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome, Victorian October!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      It's been a long day, girls, and a busy one, so I will post what I did today on tomorrow's post, which is a special day for two reasons, one happy, and one sad.

                                     Happy October, darlings!  Ghoulies, ghosties and goblins!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      The month feared by diabetics, but loved by dentists!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Have a good and safe one, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Thirty Days Hath September............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           And here we are at the thirtieth day!  What happened?  September went by so fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          But not without incident.  We celebrated the Jewish holidays, saw the worst piece of Broadway theater yet--"Paranormal Activity," I finally read "Whistler," by Ann Patchett.  I also saw some outstanding movies, courtesy of my project, like Francois Traffaut's "The 400 Blows," Ingmar Bergman's "Autumn Sonata," John Cassavetes' "Husbands," and Dorothy Arzner's 1932 film "Merrily We Go To Hell.'  I also completed my study of David Lynch's work; discovering his short film, "Rabbits," which, girls, I am telling you, you just HAVE to see!  I have a few more films to watch before proceeding to the next director whose work I am going to study--Richard Linklater!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            I am slowly climbing out of a reading slump when I discovered I could not get into "The Brothers Karamazov," and then when I tried "Tom's Crossing," by Mark z. Danielewski, I knew I could not get through this 1200 pager epic.  Not because of the length, but the print was hard on my eyes, and, at my age, holding a book like that in my hands is difficult.  I may have to limit myself to novels under 1000 pages.  To quote Edward G. Robinson in "Little Caesar--" "Mother of mercy; is this the end of Rico????????????"

                                                My left toe still gives me trouble, so walking can be difficult at times.  I will be seeing my podiatrist.  And who can forget the embarrassment David caused us all in the household, by making us watch "The Baby???????????"  Baby Gojira was appalled.

                                                   So, all in all, an exciting September.  Now comes October with its ghosties and ghoulies.

                                                    Get out your broomsticks, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                     See you next month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, What Happened To The Elegance Of Fifties Department Store Fountain Tearooms???????????????????????

                         On that famous 'Lucy' episode I mentioned the other day, where she was deriding Phipps, she mentioned their "fountain tearoom."  This used to be a staple of department stores; what happened to them?  For that matter what has happened to department stores????????????

                         Going shopping, as I can recall, used to be such an elegant experience.  That was part of the excitement of it all, And most stores of this era had fountain tearooms.  Remember the Birdcage Restaurant at Lord And Taylor's?  I dined there many times. Now, both it and Lord And Taylor are gone.

                         Culture and class are going to hell in a handbasket.  Are we turning into a nation of slobs? Does the workplace still demand people dress impeccably?  I mean, before we know it, tank tops will be Summer work ware, if they are not already!  And, as I have said often, there are just some people who ought not to be seen in tank tops.  Only they do not realize it.

                             Who knew one could learn so much from an episode of "I Love Lucy!"

                              My childhood in the early Sixties was where one had to dress up visiting relatives, or going to an important place, like an airport.

                                Now, people dress like bums!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 Like the song says, "Whatever happened to class?????????"

                              

What Is It With People Climbing Out Of Manholes??????????????????????

                               Girls, I am telling you, what are we coming to?  First there is a singular incident of this, now they seem to be occurring all over city?  Are struggling actors trying to enact their own versions of "Les Misérables?"  Are people suddenly developing a fecal fascination with what is underground?

                                 I have walked over manholes, praying they don't explode, but I never displayed any interest in what lies beneath.  Why should I?

                                  And why should anyone?  Have people--even criminals--have nothing better to do than sneak undergrounds through manholes??????????  Really, guys, I gave you more credit for being cleverer than that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Yes, the city is sinking to new lows, but why should it be taken literally?  This is an outright embarrassment to the people who live her, and those maladjusted who are doing this!

                                      I want my manholes covered and in place where they belong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Otherwise, darlings, you are simply full of shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Think This Was Before "Toxic Masculinity" Entered The American Vernacular!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                      This was the choice I chose as an alternative to "Svengoolie."

                                      I had wanted to see some of John Cassavetts' film work, and I recall this having gotten some good notices, let alone having a superb cast, so I decided we should watch "Husbands."

                                        It was almost the opposite of "Autumn Sonata."  Where that was detailed and structured, "Husbands," is as if Cassevates threw script pages in the air, let them fall where they may, and then shot each one individually.

                                         He always did have an improvisational style, and the actors--Ben Gazara, Cassavetes  himsef, and Peter Falk, who gives the film's best performance. --are all up to it.   Three lifelong friends, their wives and families, all living in some Long Island neighborhood, but working in Manhattan, have unexpectedly lost through death their fourth friend and colleague, and the film is a long detailing of their expressions of grief, from singing maudlin, drunken songs, to flying to London and trying to make it with hookers.  This film may put some off, but it has an unmistakable style of its own.  My big complaint was that some scenes went on too long.  For example, the episode of them crowding into the stalls of a bar's Men's room, throwing up and curing, was too long for my taste.  Cassavetts' talent sometimes gets the better of him, and he does not know when to quit.

                                       Despite the trio's almost immature antics, the stature of the actors enables them to embody each character with a degree of sympathy, best present in the end when they return home to their wives.  I wish the film had ended with the son saying to his father, "Boy, are you in trouble!" but I guess Cassavetes wanted to end on a sympathetic note for the men.

                                          Gene Siskel--who ever took him seriously? --chose this as one of The Ten Best Films Of 1970!  Are you kidding?  And Criterion offers a boxed set of Cassavetes' work, but I am certainly not going to buy it.

                                             Nevertheless "Husbands" should be seen and viewed as the kind of directorial creativity that does not exist anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                And actors of these statures?  Sadly, they are gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          

"But The Mother And Child Reunion Is Only A Moment Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

                                    Ingamar Bergman's better films--and "Autumn Sonata" is one of them--always have an exciting theatricality to them, revealing his theatrical background.  The actors at times seem to be looking directly at the camera, addressing their speech as if to an audience while they are on stage.

                                      This works to great effect in "Autumn Sonata," where a mother and daughter--fiercely competing for the other's attention, despite Mother being a renowned pianist--go at each other in a series of monologues revealing hatred and resentment.

                                          That the mother and daughter are played by Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullman helps because this is their show and the film is like a master class in acting, taught by these two ladies. Ulman's daughter plays her sister, Helena, neglected by their mother due to some neuro-physio illness that is never explained though it is suggested it was brought on by her father Viktor sexually abusing her.

                                                 Girls, this is very strong stuff, and even I was not prepared for this.  Bergman's camerawork is probing and there are some lovely shots along water ways that lend a relaxing, poetic feel to the trauma before and afterward.  And the colors are muted browns and blacks, suggesting a very autumnal look.  No detail escapes Bergman's eye.

                                                      To think it took me almost half a century to see this.  I highly recommend it, but make sure you are emotionally prepared.

                                                         It's like Tolstoy said, "......every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                               

This Film Was Pretty Daring For 1932!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   Before getting into my thoughts, darlings, let me say this was made before the implementation of the Hays Production Code; otherwise, this picture could not have been made.

                                    Let me make it absolutely clear this film has nothing to do with the Kaufman and Hart play "Merrily We Roll Along," or the 1981 Sondheim musical of the same name.  Though there are a few show biz and party scenes suggestive of it.  But the play was not even produced until 1934!

                                       Lastly, while I urge those never having seen it to do so, there are some spoilers necessary for discussion.  If you want to remain surprised, stop when you hit the word "pregnant."

                                        The film stars two of the era's most underrated actors, Frederic March and Sylvia Sydney.  The film was an adaptation of a 1931 novel by Cleo Lucas called "I, Jerry, Take Thee Joan."  The plot is simple.  It is about two people who never should have gotten married in the first place.  The film wants to suggest that this is the way of the world, and in some cases, it is, but there are marriages that do work out, including yours truly.

                                         The problem is the viewers can see what the characters cannot.  From the first five minutes, it becomes apparent that Jerry Corbett (March) a newspaper reporter and struggling playwright, is also a definitive alcoholic.  A chance meeting with Joan Prentice (Sydney) at a party reveals her to be a naive but loving heiress who has never faced the harshness of the world, and whose father (George Irving) has done his loving best to protect her.

                                             You know the trajectory, girls.  Things are wonderful, until they are not.  When Jerry has a string of hits he resumes partying and drinking again, two timing Joan with the play's lead actress.  Joan finally decides two can play at this game and steps out on the town with Charles Baxter, played by a young Cary Grant.  Sylvia Sydney especially demonstrates quite an acting range, especially when she goes from the mousy Joan to the wild one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Girls, we all want to be wild Joan!!!!!!!!!!  Or maybe we have been, in youth!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               But codependent need keeps drawing them back, and when Joan walks out for good, Jerry makes every effort there is to win her back, but her father tells her no dice.  Months later, he reads that Joan, home in Chicago is in the hospital, having given birth to a baby boy.  Ecstatic, he goes there but is told by Mr. Prentice that the baby is dead.

                                                 Which brings up a lot of questions.  Is the baby actually dead?  Because when Jerry forces his way into Joan, they hold each other aa if to cling forever, and the film closes with them clenched, and she is muttering, "My baby, my baby."

                                                     Who even knew Joan was pregnant?  I don't think the film was allowed to acknowledge or show it.  She could have made the discovery while home in Chicago, but the viewer will never know.  Again, as for the baby being dead, is it actually?  And the final words--whom are they directed to--the allegedly lost infant son, or Jerry himself?  My guess is the latter.

                                                          Dorothy Arzner's direction and the script of Edwin Justus Mayer lays out a troubled marriage in spite of the couple genuinely loving each other.   The answers to the questions I have asked I think they intentionally leave to the individual viewer to make up.

                                                            I was once told by someone wise that making the wrong decision about marriage can turn into a nightmare.  This film illustrates that.  I do think they will get back together, child or no child, and the cycle will begin all over again.

                                                              I wonder if a young William Inge saw this?  Maybe it inspired him to write "Come Back, Little Sheba!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                                                

Under No Circumstances Is This To Be Watched!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Girls, I am telling you, "Svengoolie" is really scraping the bottom of the barrel by offering this.  I never knew George Romero's 1968 masterpiece was ever remade, and I do not want to see it.

                                                  I mean, darlings, who can forget the original's opening with Barbara (Judith O'Dea) and her brother Johnny, (Russell Streinver) looking like a nerd /serial killer, going to visit the gravesite of a loved one.  Barbara is all decked out with a hairstyle suggesting Candace Hilligoss in "Carnival Of Souls," only she cannot pull it off as she is not that pretty.  Clearly, she is headed for spinsterhood, which is a kind of death in itself, so when Johnny becomes one of the undead, and Barbara gradually loses her mind, rushing into a pack of zombies, thinking she has finally found Johnny, she either becomes a zombie or is consumed by them.  Since this is the last time she is seen in the film, I would vote for the latter.  But since spinsterhood was ahead for her, why not?

                                                    But the original had stunning black and white photography, and who could forget Karen Cooper, who stabs her mother on camera with a spatula?  And one of the dead eating a bug from a tree?  This was a big deal in 1968, and, viewed today, it still is.

                                                       Whomever thought they could remake this classic is sadly mistaken. The only remake I can endorse--and it is one of the few better than the original--is Judy Garland's 1954 "A Star Is Born."

                                                           But then Judy Garland says it all.  We have chosen a more sensible alternative for tonight than last week, and I will share that with you tomorrow.

                                                           I am pleading with you, girls, skip "Svengoolie" tonight altogether.

                                                           You will not regret it or miss a thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dickens A La Francais!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                I cannot believe it took me this long to see "The 400 Blows."  I had no idea what I was missing.  The performances of its leads, including the young Jean-Pierre Leaud as Antoine Doniel are spot on.  Anyone who has been through adolescence will easily relate, and those on the verge of it should see this film as a cautionary tale of what to watch out for.

                                 Adolescents, in all sorts of ways, act out.   I know I did.  I never drank or smoked, but I was always acting Barbra Streisand, singing "I'm The Greatest Star," or doing hysterical monologues, like Natalie Wood in "Splendor In The Grass."  My poor parents.  Now I understand what they were going through.

                                    Antoine's parents, though wonderfully played by Albert Remyand Claire Maurier, are sub-par.  The father overworks to support the family, while the mother is a tramp, two timing her husband with the boss, and neglecting the boy, because she feels he is too much of a burden.

                                         So, he acts up in school, reminding me of those years when I resented some of the teachers for the way they taught or did not, and feeling I knew more than they did, which I still do. I did not become a juvenile delinquent like Antoine, but I had my meltdowns.  And I had problems with authority!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             The boy ends up in a reformatory, which is straight out of Dickens, but with a French twist.  The film captures the more austere sides of Parisian life, but there is a poetic shot of boys running through a flock of pigeons, as if foreshadowing "Les Yeux Sans Visage," and the opening has some wonderful poetic shots of Paris, and some interesting, almost noir, camerawork.  I was more moved than I expected to be.  The final shots of Antoine running along a beach , the ocean in the background is beautifully filmed.

                                                I thought the film ended abruptly, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.  The film ends asking its audience the question "So what's next for this boy?"

                                                  Being it is semi-autobiographical I would say the future was bright, for Truffaut emerged as one of our most brilliant filmmakers, despite a troubled past.

                                                    "My only adolescence, my pretty adolescence, my shitty adolescence........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                                       

"Phipps Are Great Big Bunch Of Gyps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                        Remember the famous "I Love Lucy" episode where she did the Phipps Foam Mattress commercial thinking it was a dress rehearsal, only it was live?  Well, that is how David and I felt Wednesday after visiting the Centennial exhibit at The Paley Meida Museum.

                          The exhibit, meant to celebrate 100 years of NBC, is only running for a week, so it is not like I can tell you, darlings, to dash right to it.  Even if it had a longer run, I would tell you to avoid it.

                             What a disappointment!!!!!!!  Let's start with certain displays having such small decals, placed inappropriately on the ground, that only a midget could read what was on them.  Hello?  Does this museum have a curatorial staff.  And what kind?  This was such a chintzy attraction it was not worth our while to come into the city.  No gift shop?  Nothing groundbreaking or exciting!  At my former workplace better exhibits were put on with much more material, if not much more time.  The point is--theirs were better than this.

                                I don't know who was responsible for this reprehensible presentation but shame on them.  I could have come in and mounted a superior exhibit. How about some footage of "Hullabaloo," with Michael Bennett, and Donna McKechnie??????????  Does anyone at Paley know who they are?  I doubt it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Really, this exhibit is not worth anyone's time, let alone putting it up.

                                     Go to The Morgan, and see the Tarot Exhibition, now playing through October 4.

                                      There, darlings, you will see masterful curatorial work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

16 Years Ago Today....................

                                   Well, it was actually at night; my guess around 8:50PM.

                                   You really did not think I would let this day go by without remembering Tyler Clementi now, do you?  What is sad is Tyler would be in his early 30's now, maybe working at a Jersey or NYC research plant, and hopefully living life with a partner.

                                      These were the opportunities he had.  But they were denied him because of what the actions of Dahrun Ravi and Molly Wei did to his psyche.  I blame them, and not Tyler.  By the way, where are they now?  Living their lives?  Well, I hope a little remorse or a sense of having to live with what you did to this individual penetrates your two sorry lives.

                                           Tyler was a wakeup call and still a symbol for youth suicide, gay or otherwise, in this society.  And a cry for the end of the vulnerable being bullied.  I speak from personal experience.

                                              Take a moment in your day to remember Tyler, darlings!

                                              And send good thoughts out to his parents and brothers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Never to be forgotten, as long as I live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, Proserpina Returns To Hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                    Which means, darlings, that the twenty-first of September is here, and Autumn begins.  And with it comes Ceres' grief, over losing her daughter for the next six months. which will cause both she and Proserpina grief.

                                      The leaves will turn color and fall, the days will get shorter, and the weather colder, with snow falling and those of us having to stay more indoors.  I love cozy Winter evenings, but not getting out enough can contribute to seasonal affect disorder.

                                         With this time comes Thanksgiving and the holidays, so there are things to look forward to, during this period.  And in November I face another birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            I will keep posting, viewing movies and writing about them and reading my books, with my beloved David.

                                            As Ann-Margret said, "I've got a lotta livin' to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                           Happy Fall, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David Lynch Pushes The Envelope Further!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                       This was David Lynch's final theatrical feature, and it saddens me to see he did not go further on screen, because it would be interesting to see just how far he might have gone.

                                       Laura Dern plays Nikki Grace, a successful actress living in a gorgeous California mansion, and also Susan Blue, a character in a film she is shooting.  But is she?  Again, Lynch's distortion of space and time, referencing "The Wizard Of Oz," and the duality of personality are trademarks of his and used well here.  Since "Blue Velvet," one could say his narrative schemes are sketchy, but this one questions the concept of narration or even the boundaries of it.  The world that Laura as Nikki/ Susan wanders through is a disturbing one, recalling to me John Parker's 1955 film "Dementia," also known as "Daughter Of Horror."  I would guess Lynch has seen this film, because if I were to show it to a group of people not knowing the credentials, I would guess some of them would say it is a David Lynch film.

                                        The two are similar in that they involve a woman's downward trajectory into madness.  But the question remains is it Nikki or Susan?  Because when she dies on the streets of L.A. as a gutter whore, I was sure it was Nikki.  But then one of the last shots in the film is Nikki smiling contentedly in her California mansion.  So, what happens is anyone's guess.

                                          But Lynch's work is so visually fascinating it almost does not matter.  His colored shots of California catch the underbelly of life there, while the shots of Dern wandering an almost black and white world offer an almost noir look.  "Inland Empire" challenges with its length, but it is exhilarating in its visual detail.  And his ability to acquire interesting actors--Jeremy Irons, Diane Ladd, Justin Theroux-- is genius; but then who wouldn't wanted to have worked with David Lynch?  I would have loved to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          So, darlings, this is where we leave our study of David Lynch, remembering a true genius and visionary, only to ask where are such today?

                                            Even worse, will we ever get any?????????????????

Darlings, You Have GOT To See This Short Film By David Lynch!!!!!!!!!!!!! There Is Nothing Like It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                 

                            Footage from this film was used in his 2006 film "Inland Empire," which I will eventually write about.  As this footage was some of the more interesting parts of the lengthier film, I did an investigation and found that the footage was excerpts from a short film he had made back in 2002, the year after "Mulholland Drive."  And three actresses from that film--Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, and Rebekah Del Riio--appear in the film.

                              Or do they?  Because the most fascinating thing about "Rabbits" is its look.  The living room set looks like a miniature doll house, with miniature furniture, so are the rabbits stop animation creatures with the actors' voices or was Lynch somehow able to shoot this with the real actors and then give it a miniaturized look?  That is just one of the questions surrounding this film, which on one level is about a quiet evening at home on a rainy night, but on another level raises the question of the daughter's having been raped, and someone else murdered.    There are also odd bits of humor; for example, when Jack walks through the door, there is always canned audience applause.  And sometimes, after delivering a monologue, rabbits just disappear.  And while delivering said monologues, fire appears over the living room entrance.

                             "Rabbits" is clearly David Lynch.  It is also close to situation comedy, which I think is what Lynch is saying, that American culture, via the sitcoms we all grew up with, has reduced its citizenry to a sitcom outlook on life that distorts reality.  Disagree with me all you might.

                               As for Rebekah Del Riio, her almost otherworldly nightclub appearance gives another persona to Jane, a trademark clearly from David Lynch but highly influenced by Ingmar Bergman. 

                                 To those of a certain age, "Rabbits" may come across as a surreal "Davey and Goliath."  For those beyond our generation, I leave your interpretations to you.

                                   But there is no question this is a masterpiece.  I am so glad he incorporated it into "Inland Empire," because otherwise I might not have discovered this short gem.

                                   And not a single carrot appears in the film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!