list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around It's a Wonderful Life on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/It_s_a_Wonderful_Life/17554/default.aspx Title: It's a Wonderful Life
Year: 1946
Director: Frank Capra
Plot: This is director Frank Capra's classic bittersweet comedy/drama about George Bailey (James Stewart), the eternally-in-debt guiding force of a bank in the typical American small town of Bedford Falls. As the film opens, it's Christmas Eve, 1946, and George, who has long considered himself a failure, faces financial ruin and arrest and is seriously contemplating suicide. High above Bedford Falls, two celestial voices discuss Bailey's dilemma and decide to send down eternally bumbling angel Clarence Oddbody (Henry Travers), who after 200 years has yet to earn his wings, to help George out. But first, Clarence is given a crash course on George's life, and the multitude of selfless acts he has performed: rescuing his younger brother from drowning, losing the hearing in his left ear in the process; enduring a beating rather than allow a grieving druggist (H.B. Warner) to deliver poison by mistake to an ailing child; foregoing college and a long-planned trip to Europe to keep the Bailey Building and Loan from letting its Depression-era customers down; and, most important, preventing town despot Potter (Lionel Barrymore) from taking over Bedford Mills and reducing its inhabitants to penury. Along the way, George has married his childhood sweetheart Mary (Donna Reed), who has stuck by him through thick and thin. But even the love of Mary and his children are insufficient when George, faced with an $8000 shortage in his books, becomes a likely candidate for prison thanks to the vengeful Potter. Bitterly, George declares that he wishes that he had never been born, and Clarence, hoping to teach George a lesson, shows him how different life would have been had he in fact never been born. After a nightmarish odyssey through a George Bailey-less Bedford Falls (now a glorified slum called Potterville), wherein none of his friends or family recognize him, George is made to realize how many lives he has touched, and helped, through his existence; and, just as Clarence had planned, George awakens to the fact that, despite all its deprivations, he has truly had a wonderful life. Capra's first production through his newly-formed Liberty Films, It's a Wonderful Life lost money in its original run, when it was percieved as a fairly downbeat view of small-town life. Only after it lapsed into the public domain in 1973 and became a Christmastime TV perennial did it don the mantle of a holiday classic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 239
Number of Lists: 102
Number of blog posts: 13
Number of discussion threads: 22
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:56:53 GMTIt's a Wonderful Life1946Frank CapraThis is director <a href="/players/P____84082/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Frank Capra</a>'s classic bittersweet comedy/drama about George Bailey (<a href="/players/P____68236/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>James Stewart</a>), the eternally-in-debt guiding force of a bank in the typical American small town of Bedford Falls. As the film opens, it's Christmas Eve, 1946, and George, who has long considered himself a failure, faces financial ruin and arrest and is seriously contemplating suicide. High above Bedford Falls, two celestial voices discuss Bailey's dilemma and decide to send down eternally bumbling angel Clarence Oddbody (<a href="/players/P____71634/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Henry Travers</a>), who after 200 years has yet to earn his wings, to help George out. But first, Clarence is given a crash course on George's life, and the multitude of selfless acts he has performed: rescuing his younger brother from drowning, losing the hearing in his left ear in the process; enduring a beating rather than allow a grieving druggist (H.B. Warner) to deliver poison by mistake to an ailing child; foregoing college and a long-planned trip to Europe to keep the Bailey Building and Loan from letting its Depression-era customers down; and, most important, preventing town despot Potter (<a href="/players/P_____4295/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Lionel Barrymore</a>) from taking over Bedford Mills and reducing its inhabitants to penury. Along the way, George has married his childhood sweetheart Mary (<a href="/players/P____59251/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Donna Reed</a>), who has stuck by him through thick and thin. But even the love of Mary and his children are insufficient when George, faced with an $8000 shortage in his books, becomes a likely candidate for prison thanks to the vengeful Potter. Bitterly, George declares that he wishes that he had never been born, and Clarence, hoping to teach George a lesson, shows him how different life would have been had he in fact never been born. After a nightmarish odyssey through a George Bailey-less Bedford Falls (now a glorified slum called Potterville), wherein none of his friends or family recognize him, George is made to realize how many lives he has touched, and helped, through his existence; and, just as Clarence had planned, George awakens to the fact that, despite all its deprivations, he has truly had a wonderful life. Capra's first production through his newly-formed Liberty Films, It's a Wonderful Life lost money in its original run, when it was percieved as a fairly downbeat view of small-town life. Only after it lapsed into the public domain in 1973 and became a Christmastime TV perennial did it don the mantle of a holiday classic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide239Tag Target (>10)10213223http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u46232fetpr.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/It_s_a_Wonderful_Life/17554/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/9/28/44047.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 9/28/2009 4:17:41 PM
Body: This is the fourth feature length film I've seen by director Frank Capra. I chose to watch this film based on previous good ratings I've given other films by this director and to better my favorite directors by algorithm listing. Arsenic and Old Lace I can't stop rating every Frank Capra movie I see a 10. I don't know if this is some pattern that I have established myself that I cannot break myself from, or if it's a pattern that Capra established with his amazing career! I felt hesitant about giving this movie another 10. I kept second guessing myself. Wouldn't a 9 really be more appropriate? The movie doesn't have the same kind of morality that Capra's other movies I've seen had. In fact there are even some reprehensible characters that it seems like we are supposed to feel sympathetic for! But the movie was a lot of fun. But was it really THAT much fun? It seemed to be done really well, but was I just somehow associating Capra with his past films?? This movie can't be better than a 9. But maybe I'm just saying that because it seems silly for me to be giving every movie this guy made a 10! But I basically do the same thing with the movies of the Coen Brothers. Have I fallen into a trap with them as well? That's my own internal decision making process. Essentially a filmed stage play. Capra knows how to keep it exciting and take advantage of the capabilities of film without adding or doing anything unnecessary just to differentiate this as a film over a play. For instance, the whole play pretty much takes place in one house. And Capra never sets the action outside of it, or even in other rooms that normally wouldn't be seen in a play, unless it's really essential for making the movie better. Regarding the elements of time and space it's a much less epic film than the other Capra movies I've seen. But regarding character and plot elements, there is no shortage of depth or quantity. A lot of fun, with some real silly acting from Cary Grant. This should be a Halloween staple in the same way It's A Wonderful Life has become a Christmas staple. If you get the time, slip this one between your Halloween horror movie marathons this year. Frank Capra:Total feature length films seen: 4Previous average film score: 10New average film score: 10 Rating: 10/10
]]>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:17:41 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog9/28/2009 4:17:41 PMThis is the fourth feature length film I've seen by director Frank Capra. I chose to watch this film based on previous good ratings I've given other films by this director and to better my favorite directors by algorithm listing. Arsenic and Old Lace I can't stop rating every Frank Capra movie I see a 10. I don't know if this is some pattern that I have established myself that I cannot break myself from, or if it's a pattern that Capra established with his amazing career! I felt hesitant about giving this movie another 10. I kept second guessing myself. Wouldn't a 9 really be more appropriate? The movie doesn't have the same kind of morality that Capra's other movies I've seen had. In fact there are even some reprehensible characters that it seems like we are supposed to feel sympathetic for! But the movie was a lot of fun. But was it really THAT much fun? It seemed to be done really well, but was I just somehow associating Capra with his past films?? This movie can't be better than a 9. But maybe I'm just saying that because it seems silly for me to be giving every movie this guy made a 10! But I basically do the same thing with the movies of the Coen Brothers. Have I fallen into a trap with them as well? That's my own internal decision making process. Essentially a filmed stage play. Capra knows how to keep it exciting and take advantage of the capabilities of film without adding or doing anything unnecessary just to differentiate this as a film over a play. For instance, the whole play pretty much takes place in one house. And Capra never sets the action outside of it, or even in other rooms that normally wouldn't be seen in a play, unless it's really essential for making the movie better. Regarding the elements of time and space it's a much less epic film than the other Capra movies I've seen. But regarding character and plot elements, there is no shortage of depth or quantity. A lot of fun, with some real silly acting from Cary Grant. This should be a Halloween staple in the same way It's A Wonderful Life has become a Christmas staple. If you get the time, slip this one between your Halloween horror movie marathons this year. Frank Capra:Total feature length films seen: 4Previous average film score: 10New average film score: 10 Rating: 10/10 http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/5/21/42365.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 5/21/2009 2:06:53 PM
Body: This blog entry is part of my "movie year countdown round #2". Read more about that here. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Mr. Frank Capra scores a hat trick with me! This is the third film of his I have seen, and I give all three a perfect score of 10 out of 10. No man can craft a better sappy, emotionally manipulative story that absolutely works for me! There's no mystery to these stories. With this film, It's a Wonderful Life, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the stories are clearly about a pure man of innocence and morals in a world that seems to be all against him but reveals itself to be full of many people just as good as him. Why do Capra's movies of this sort work over other formulaic films that attempt the same kinds of sappy stories? Well on one side it's clearly excellence in all of the major aspects of solid movie making of this type. Fantastic writing, filming and editing, and perfect casting and acting, especially for the leads. On the other side, it must be just a kind of mysterious magic that Capra possesses. Some people just have the intuition for certain things, and for Capra it was presenting you with this kind of sappy story without making you feel guilty for feeling emotional. Well, that's the way it works for me at least. Rating: 10/10
]]>Thu, 21 May 2009 18:06:53 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog5/21/2009 2:06:53 PMThis blog entry is part of my "movie year countdown round #2". Read more about that here. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Mr. Frank Capra scores a hat trick with me! This is the third film of his I have seen, and I give all three a perfect score of 10 out of 10. No man can craft a better sappy, emotionally manipulative story that absolutely works for me! There's no mystery to these stories. With this film, It's a Wonderful Life, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the stories are clearly about a pure man of innocence and morals in a world that seems to be all against him but reveals itself to be full of many people just as good as him. Why do Capra's movies of this sort work over other formulaic films that attempt the same kinds of sappy stories? Well on one side it's clearly excellence in all of the major aspects of solid movie making of this type. Fantastic writing, filming and editing, and perfect casting and acting, especially for the leads. On the other side, it must be just a kind of mysterious magic that Capra possesses. Some people just have the intuition for certain things, and for Capra it was presenting you with this kind of sappy story without making you feel guilty for feeling emotional. Well, that's the way it works for me at least. Rating: 10/10 http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/27/40694.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2009 6:01:36 PM
Body: One of the most popular sex scenes of all time is the kitchen scene from the 1981 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice. But many people find the more implicit parts of the 1946 version to be sexier. These people include the earlier film’s female lead, Lana Turner, who wrote in her autobiography, “[The makers of the 1981 film] didn’t have to worry about the censors. I’d had to project a rather intense sexual presence, but always with my clothes on. I was amused to read that [NY Times film critic] Vincent Canby considered the remake a pale, rather sexless imitation of my version.” Yes, a film with neither nudity nor simulated lovemaking can be quite sexy, likely sexier than an explicit remake, for innuendo and other teasing maneuvers around either the Hays Code or the MPAA ratings board’s restrictions are far more tantalizing than any bare and balls-out displays of graphic sex common in movies today. Though many classic implications of sex on the big screen were rather obvious and quick, giving the audience a nudge but hardly a rise (think the Eisensteinian metaphors of a train entering a tunnel in North by Northwest or fireworks exploding in To Catch a Thief), loads of films turned up the heat through the use of careful camerawork, daring dialogue and more subtly suggestive actions. Sometimes such sexy moments of tension and/or playfulness are definite forms of foreplay and serve as lead-ins to actual sex acts, on or off screen. But not always. Everyone has his or her own ideas of what’s sexy, so feel free to disagree with our choices and/or suggest your own (I can guess what the first suggestion will be). Consider our list simply a starting point for discussion. “‘Makin’ Whoopee’ scene,” from The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) Basically, this famous scene, in which Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) sings “Makin’ Whoopee” while wriggling around atop a piano, is a slightly classier version of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” music video. Just as loads of metal heads dreamed they were David Coverdale’s Jaguar, a few years later tons of moviegoers wished they could have been that piano. “Bogie gets wet,” from The Big Sleep (1946) Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) and the unnamed bookseller (Dorothy Malone) may actually get it on offscreen following this flirtatious exchange, but even if their little rye-drinking party is purely an innocent moment between two strangers waiting out a rainstorm, there’s no denying the sexual energy going on between them. While it may be hard for a guy to understand the appeal of the quite blunt and rude Marlowe (are the glasses really that big a turn-off, Bogie?), Malone is very sexy when communicating her eagerness for whatever, even before she complies with the eyewear request and then voluntarily lets down her hair. Just watch her reaction when he says, “I’d a lot rather get wet in here.” “Airplane scene,” from Chungking Express (1994) As far as suggestive imagery goes, the way Cop 663 (Tony Leung) plays with that toy airplane around the half-clothed stewardess (Valerie Chow) is only slightly subtler than the aforementioned montages from North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief, but Wong Kar Wai is much more sensual in the way he films his symbolic object. Certainly there is more direct sexiness to be found without Eisensteinian cutaways, anyway, and the additional innuendo provided by the airline safety instructions and the stewardess’ spilling of her beer gives the scene a delectable feeling of reciprocation. “Kiss scene on the beach,” from From Here to Eternity (1953) This scene is a bit of an obvious choice, and in a way it barely counts because the whole thing involves an explicit form of intimacy between two lovers (Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr) that can hardly be considered completely non-sexual. But the reason we’re including it is because it’s one of the greatest and most unmistakable substitutes for an actual, outright sex scene ever put on film. That’s why so many films have imitated it so faithfully, even in times when it’s been more favorable and more acceptable to recreate the scene without the bathing suits. “Gable takes off his shirt,” from It Happened One Night (1934) Unlike Bogie’s come on, the appeal of Gable’s undressing is completely understandable, to either sex. And it’s not just clear in the way Ellie (Claudette Colbert) stares and then rushes off to her side of the room all hot and bothered. Male audiences also recognized the sexiness of the scene, evidenced in the film’s infamous influence on the (misfortunate) undershirt business. There’s plenty of sexual tension going on in the rest of the “walls of Jericho” sequence, and Colbert’s behind-the-sheet undressing is also quite sexy (as is her iconic hitchhiking display in another scene), but considering male stripping in cinema is rarely so inviting, we have to go with this narrowed-down choice. “The phone scene,” from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Were you aware that such a seemingly family-friendly director as Frank Capra gave us so many sexy scenes? There’s not much in It’s a Wonderful Life that’s as arousing as those mentioned moments from It Happened One Night, but one of the all-time best shots depicting sexual tension is in this holiday favorite. If George (James Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed) hadn’t finally kissed at the end of this scene, audiences would probably have just burst in their seats. “‘Moonglow’ dance,” from Picnic (1955) Beginning with Kim Novak’s sultry wiggle down the steps, this is one of the sexiest dances in cinema, and that’s compared to hundreds of more explicit numbers throughout film history. Even without the graphic double crotch shot, which is used to frame Susan Strasberg (though surely you’re not actually focusing on her, right?), the scene is as clearly a substitute for sex as the beach scene from From Here to Eternity. “Jane changes clothes in silhouette,” from Tarzan and His Mate (1934) It wasn’t the first time a silhouetted stripping scene was used in a film. But we just couldn’t include the moment from the “Petting in the Park” number from Gold Diggers of 1933, because the voyeuristic kid makes it just a little too creepy. Besides, the idea of a nude woman silhouetted against a tent wall is a more iconic image, one that’s been constantly redone both erotically and comically. A later scene in the film, in which Jane (Maureen O’Sullivan, though replaced at this moment by Olympic swimmer Josephine McKim) goes skinny-dipping with Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), is also quite a sexy non-sex scene. “Lusty eating scene,” from Tom Jones (1963) Did anyone else see the recent special episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations about the concept of food porn? Or, has anyone else felt a little dirty watching Padma Lakshmi bite into an apple during Top Chef promos? Well maybe not all cinephiles are also foodies, but for those that are, the feast of food and foreplay in Tom Jones is certainly relatable. Watching Tom (Albert Finney) and Mrs. Waters (Joyce Redman) may not directly turn you on, but if you understand the erotic power of food, you should at least be able to appreciate the sexual energy here. “Returning stolen goods,” from Trouble in Paradise (1932) Far more than Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitsch was responsible for many of the sexiest films of the ‘30s and ‘40s, but it’s arguably Trouble in Paradise that tops them all. Using his signature “Lubitsch touch,” he had a way of getting around censors by only carefully alluding to censorable things, all through the trust in the audience’s ability to read between the lines and imagine what’s happening behind closed doors. His sexiest scene, however, is more blatant than all that; two master criminals (Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marshall) fall in love while returning the items they’ve pickpocketed off each other. Decades later, people will see a similar sexiness in a scene from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, clearly derivative of this scene, in which Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pat each other down for weapons while dancing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:01:36 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/27/2009 6:01:36 PMOne of the most popular sex scenes of all time is the kitchen scene from the 1981 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice. But many people find the more implicit parts of the 1946 version to be sexier. These people include the earlier film’s female lead, Lana Turner, who wrote in her autobiography, “[The makers of the 1981 film] didn’t have to worry about the censors. I’d had to project a rather intense sexual presence, but always with my clothes on. I was amused to read that [NY Times film critic] Vincent Canby considered the remake a pale, rather sexless imitation of my version.” Yes, a film with neither nudity nor simulated lovemaking can be quite sexy, likely sexier than an explicit remake, for innuendo and other teasing maneuvers around either the Hays Code or the MPAA ratings board’s restrictions are far more tantalizing than any bare and balls-out displays of graphic sex common in movies today. Though many classic implications of sex on the big screen were rather obvious and quick, giving the audience a nudge but hardly a rise (think the Eisensteinian metaphors of a train entering a tunnel in North by Northwest or fireworks exploding in To Catch a Thief), loads of films turned up the heat through the use of careful camerawork, daring dialogue and more subtly suggestive actions. Sometimes such sexy moments of tension and/or playfulness are definite forms of foreplay and serve as lead-ins to actual sex acts, on or off screen. But not always. Everyone has his or her own ideas of what’s sexy, so feel free to disagree with our choices and/or suggest your own (I can guess what the first suggestion will be). Consider our list simply a starting point for discussion. “‘Makin’ Whoopee’ scene,” from The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) Basically, this famous scene, in which Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) sings “Makin’ Whoopee” while wriggling around atop a piano, is a slightly classier version of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” music video. Just as loads of metal heads dreamed they were David Coverdale’s Jaguar, a few years later tons of moviegoers wished they could have been that piano. “Bogie gets wet,” from The Big Sleep (1946) Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) and the unnamed bookseller (Dorothy Malone) may actually get it on offscreen following this flirtatious exchange, but even if their little rye-drinking party is purely an innocent moment between two strangers waiting out a rainstorm, there’s no denying the sexual energy going on between them. While it may be hard for a guy to understand the appeal of the quite blunt and rude Marlowe (are the glasses really that big a turn-off, Bogie?), Malone is very sexy when communicating her eagerness for whatever, even before she complies with the eyewear request and then voluntarily lets down her hair. Just watch her reaction when he says, “I’d a lot rather get wet in here.” “Airplane scene,” from Chungking Express (1994) As far as suggestive imagery goes, the way Cop 663 (Tony Leung) plays with that toy airplane around the half-clothed stewardess (Valerie Chow) is only slightly subtler than the aforementioned montages from North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief, but Wong Kar Wai is much more sensual in the way he films his symbolic object. Certainly there is more direct sexiness to be found without Eisensteinian cutaways, anyway, and the additional innuendo provided by the airline safety instructions and the stewardess’ spilling of her beer gives the scene a delectable feeling of reciprocation. “Kiss scene on the beach,” from From Here to Eternity (1953) This scene is a bit of an obvious choice, and in a way it barely counts because the whole thing involves an explicit form of intimacy between two lovers (Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr) that can hardly be considered completely non-sexual. But the reason we’re including it is because it’s one of the greatest and most unmistakable substitutes for an actual, outright sex scene ever put on film. That’s why so many films have imitated it so faithfully, even in times when it’s been more favorable and more acceptable to recreate the scene without the bathing suits. “Gable takes off his shirt,” from It Happened One Night (1934) Unlike Bogie’s come on, the appeal of Gable’s undressing is completely understandable, to either sex. And it’s not just clear in the way Ellie (Claudette Colbert) stares and then rushes off to her side of the room all hot and bothered. Male audiences also recognized the sexiness of the scene, evidenced in the film’s infamous influence on the (misfortunate) undershirt business. There’s plenty of sexual tension going on in the rest of the “walls of Jericho” sequence, and Colbert’s behind-the-sheet undressing is also quite sexy (as is her iconic hitchhiking display in another scene), but considering male stripping in cinema is rarely so inviting, we have to go with this narrowed-down choice. “The phone scene,” from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Were you aware that such a seemingly family-friendly director as Frank Capra gave us so many sexy scenes? There’s not much in It’s a Wonderful Life that’s as arousing as those mentioned moments from It Happened One Night, but one of the all-time best shots depicting sexual tension is in this holiday favorite. If George (James Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed) hadn’t finally kissed at the end of this scene, audiences would probably have just burst in their seats. “‘Moonglow’ dance,” from Picnic (1955) Beginning with Kim Novak’s sultry wiggle down the steps, this is one of the sexiest dances in cinema, and that’s compared to hundreds of more explicit numbers throughout film history. Even without the graphic double crotch shot, which is used to frame Susan Strasberg (though surely you’re not actually focusing on her, right?), the scene is as clearly a substitute for sex as the beach scene from From Here to Eternity. “Jane changes clothes in silhouette,” from Tarzan and His Mate (1934) It wasn’t the first time a silhouetted stripping scene was used in a film. But we just couldn’t include the moment from the “Petting in the Park” number from Gold Diggers of 1933, because the voyeuristic kid makes it just a little too creepy. Besides, the idea of a nude woman silhouetted against a tent wall is a more iconic image, one that’s been constantly redone both erotically and comically. A later scene in the film, in which Jane (Maureen O’Sullivan, though replaced at this moment by Olympic swimmer Josephine McKim) goes skinny-dipping with Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), is also quite a sexy non-sex scene. “Lusty eating scene,” from Tom Jones (1963) Did anyone else see the recent special episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations about the concept of food porn? Or, has anyone else felt a little dirty watching Padma Lakshmi bite into an apple during Top Chef promos? Well maybe not all cinephiles are also foodies, but for those that are, the feast of food and foreplay in Tom Jones is certainly relatable. Watching Tom (Albert Finney) and Mrs. Waters (Joyce Redman) may not directly turn you on, but if you understand the erotic power of food, you should at least be able to appreciate the sexual energy here. “Returning stolen goods,” from Trouble in Paradise (1932) Far more than Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitsch was responsible for many of the sexiest films of the ‘30s and ‘40s, but it’s arguably Trouble in Paradise that tops them all. Using his signature “Lubitsch touch,” he had a way of getting around censors by only carefully alluding to censorable things, all through the trust in the audience’s ability to read between the lines and imagine what’s happening behind closed doors. His sexiest scene, however, is more blatant than all that; two master criminals (Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marshall) fall in love while returning the items they’ve pickpocketed off each other. Decades later, people will see a similar sexiness in a scene from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, clearly derivative of this scene, in which Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pat each other down for weapons while dancing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/4/40232.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/4/2009 10:00:51 AM
Body: Publisher Quirk Books and author Seth Grahame-Smith have come up with the best way to make a literary work more accessible since the creation of Classics Illustrated comic books: they’ve added “all-new scenes of bone crunching zombie action” to Jane Austen’s 19th century novel Pride and Prejudice. This new version, out in stores this May, is titled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now With Ultraviolent Mayhem! And if you didn’t think it was a masterpiece before, chances are you will now. Could we do the same thing to classic films? Well, the technology to add extraneous enhancements to movies exists. Just check out The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for proof. But like Pride and Prejudice, we’d need to “enhance” films in the public domain if we wanted to get away with it. Fortunately, there are hundreds of such titles (see a list at Wikipedia), some of which actually already have zombies (Night of the Living Dead, White Zombie, Revolt of the Zombies, and in a way the “scientific” film Experiments in the Revival of Organisms). Avoiding the majority of public domain movies already consisting of horror and science fiction elements, we’ve come up with ten great classic films that would be even greater with the addition of zombies. Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstin, 1925) New title: Mutinous Zombies of the Battleship Potemkin Synopsis: A Soviet cinema masterpiece, Eisenstein’s film depicts the 1905 uprising of zombies on the titular vessel against the oppressive officers of the Tsarist regime. It begins when soldiers aboard the Potemkin are forced to eat rotten, maggot-infested meat, which turns the men into mutinous zombies. Later, the city of Odessa becomes overwhelmed with undead citizens and the Tsarist military is sent in to massacre them. In the end, though, even the soldiers are converted. Other Eisenstein films, particularly October, may also appropriately receive similar special zombie editions. The General (Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton, 1927) New title: The General and the Zombies Synopsis: Buster Keaton’s greatest silent blockbuster is kind of like the Shaun of the Dead of its time. The film begins with Keaton’s character losing his girlfriend due to his inability to prove he’s not a coward and a bum, but then by happenstance he ends up a hero and, most importantly, salvages his relationship in the process. In this special edition, Johnnie Gray still has to rescue his train (and his girlfriend) from the Union army, but now those Northern spies are zombies. Like the title character in Shaun of the Dead, Johnnie must in one new scene impersonate a zombie in order to fool them. The stone-faced Keaton is a natural for this masquerade, but of course then soldiers on his side mistake him for being a Union zombie, with hilarious consequences. Abraham Lincoln (D.W. Griffith, 1930) New title: Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies Synopsis: Griffith’s biopic about the 16th President of the United States was filled with historical inaccuracies when first released almost 80 years ago. The main complaint? Griffith left out Lincoln’s triumphant one-man battle against a Confederate brigade made up completely of zombie soldiers (yep, the South had them, too). Now, in a special edition release timed to coincide with Honest Abe’s 200th birthday, scenes depicting that battle, as well as a new ending, in which Lincoln recommends the enslavement of zombies, because they are not technically men and therefore are not guaranteed Constitutional freedom, are included. Also, on the DVD: a bonus behind-the-scenes supplement featuring a still-undead Lincoln zombie overseeing the restoration; an exclusive look at Lincoln’s famous stovepipe hat, which he wore to keep zombies from getting at his brains. (The above image of Abe Lincoln, Zombie Hunter is from this t-shirt.) At the Circus (Edward Buzzell, 1939) New title: At the Zombie Circus Synopsis: The Marx Brothers’ films were crazy enough without the addition of zombies, but this late episode from Groucho, Harpo and Chico just wasn’t anarchic enough for their fans. So, now the plot involving the stolen money has been eliminated and the film consists of the three Marx boys trying to stay alive inside a circus tent filled with zombies. There’s a strong man zombie, a dwarf zombie, and then there’s Margaret Dumont, who is so dull Groucho thinks she’s a zombie. Or maybe he just stabs her in the brain for fun? His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940) New title: His Girl Zombie Synopsis: Despite the new title, Rosalind Russell is never turned into a zombie. Rather, the zombies are merely in the background, causing even more fast-paced hysterics (yes, they’re the quick sort of zombies that are all the “rage” these days). Actually, at one point Ralph Bellamy’s character is thought to be a zombie, but then it’s realized that as much as he appears to be the walking dead, he’s just too slow to be one of the zombies running around outside the courthouse. Again, His Girl Zombie has something in common with Shaun of the Dead (not to mention Twister), in that it’s another story in which a couple attempts to separate but is thrust back together during a chaotic event. Angel and the Badman (James Edward Grant, 1947) New title: Angel and the Badman and the Zombies Synopsis: In this early precursor to the ‘80s Harrison Ford classic Witness Zombies, John Wayne plays a shootist and womanizer who is wounded near a Quaker family home. Brought in and nursed back to health, he attempts to tame himself after falling for a young Quaker woman. But his desire to become a pacifist is made difficult when brain-hungry zombies attack the house, and he must choose to either commit himself to the Quaker ways and “die” with his new religious society of friends, or go out and kick some zombie ass. D.O.A. (Rudolph Mate, 1950) New title: Z.O.A. Synopsis: The film begins with Frank Bigelow, filmed from behind, entering a police station to report that he’s been murdered. The reason he is able to do this is not because he’s not yet died from the poison; it’s because he is a zombie, which we finally discover when the camera finally shows us his face. The film then goes to flashback and details the events that lead to Bigelow’s zombification. After the back-story is complete, the film returns to the scene in the police station, where cops proceed to shoot Bigelow in the head. His file is then marked “Z.O.A.,” meaning “zombie on arrival.” Royal Wedding (Stanley Donen, 1951) New title: Zombie Wedding Synopsis: Fred Astaire and Jane Powell star as a brother and sister song and dance duo in this musical classic, which features two of Astaire’s most famous scenes. “Zombie Jumps” has him dancing first with a coat rack, then with a corpse, Weekend at Bernie’s-style. The latter of these objects ends up coming to life, a metaphor for Astaire’s famous ability to animate the inanimate. In “You’re All Zombies to Me,” Astaire playfully escapes from the zombie he’s created by dancing on the walls and ceiling of a room. Beat the Devil (John Huston, 1953) New title: Beat the Devil and the Zombies Synopsis: It’s been called the first camp movie, but unfortunately it wasn’t the first camp zombie movie. That all changes now with newly added scenes in which Humphrey Bogart and a great ensemble of character actors, including Peter Lorre, must fight off zombies while killing time at an Italian port. It’s very likely that Huston and co-screenwriter Truman Capote would have no problem with this additional subplot. Anyone familiar with the background of the film knows its makers didn’t take it seriously in the least. Actually, let’s just go ahead and add zombies into every section of the film. Zombies on the boat, zombies in Africa, zombies everywhere. Heck, make Bogie a zombie due to a lack of money. After all, as his character sets it up with the line, “I’ve got to have money. Doctor’s orders are that I must have a lot of money, otherwise I become dull, listless and have trouble with my complexion.” It’s a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946) New title: It’s a Zombie Life Synopsis: On Christmas Eve, George Bailey wishes he were a zombie. But before he can find another zombie to bite him, an angel comes down from Heaven and shows him what his life would be like if he were undead. Zombie George infects the whole town of Bedford Falls, all except the wealthy Mr. Potter, who manages to take over the town by enslaving and exploiting the zombified citizens. In the end, George realizes that he’s better off simply shooting himself in the head so that he can’t possibly become a zombie. (Note: It’s a Wonderful Life is actually no longer in the public domain, but we just couldn’t not include it). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:00:51 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/4/2009 10:00:51 AMPublisher Quirk Books and author Seth Grahame-Smith have come up with the best way to make a literary work more accessible since the creation of Classics Illustrated comic books: they’ve added “all-new scenes of bone crunching zombie action” to Jane Austen’s 19th century novel Pride and Prejudice. This new version, out in stores this May, is titled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now With Ultraviolent Mayhem! And if you didn’t think it was a masterpiece before, chances are you will now. Could we do the same thing to classic films? Well, the technology to add extraneous enhancements to movies exists. Just check out The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for proof. But like Pride and Prejudice, we’d need to “enhance” films in the public domain if we wanted to get away with it. Fortunately, there are hundreds of such titles (see a list at Wikipedia), some of which actually already have zombies (Night of the Living Dead, White Zombie, Revolt of the Zombies, and in a way the “scientific” film Experiments in the Revival of Organisms). Avoiding the majority of public domain movies already consisting of horror and science fiction elements, we’ve come up with ten great classic films that would be even greater with the addition of zombies. Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstin, 1925) New title: Mutinous Zombies of the Battleship Potemkin Synopsis: A Soviet cinema masterpiece, Eisenstein’s film depicts the 1905 uprising of zombies on the titular vessel against the oppressive officers of the Tsarist regime. It begins when soldiers aboard the Potemkin are forced to eat rotten, maggot-infested meat, which turns the men into mutinous zombies. Later, the city of Odessa becomes overwhelmed with undead citizens and the Tsarist military is sent in to massacre them. In the end, though, even the soldiers are converted. Other Eisenstein films, particularly October, may also appropriately receive similar special zombie editions. The General (Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton, 1927) New title: The General and the Zombies Synopsis: Buster Keaton’s greatest silent blockbuster is kind of like the Shaun of the Dead of its time. The film begins with Keaton’s character losing his girlfriend due to his inability to prove he’s not a coward and a bum, but then by happenstance he ends up a hero and, most importantly, salvages his relationship in the process. In this special edition, Johnnie Gray still has to rescue his train (and his girlfriend) from the Union army, but now those Northern spies are zombies. Like the title character in Shaun of the Dead, Johnnie must in one new scene impersonate a zombie in order to fool them. The stone-faced Keaton is a natural for this masquerade, but of course then soldiers on his side mistake him for being a Union zombie, with hilarious consequences. Abraham Lincoln (D.W. Griffith, 1930) New title: Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies Synopsis: Griffith’s biopic about the 16th President of the United States was filled with historical inaccuracies when first released almost 80 years ago. The main complaint? Griffith left out Lincoln’s triumphant one-man battle against a Confederate brigade made up completely of zombie soldiers (yep, the South had them, too). Now, in a special edition release timed to coincide with Honest Abe’s 200th birthday, scenes depicting that battle, as well as a new ending, in which Lincoln recommends the enslavement of zombies, because they are not technically men and therefore are not guaranteed Constitutional freedom, are included. Also, on the DVD: a bonus behind-the-scenes supplement featuring a still-undead Lincoln zombie overseeing the restoration; an exclusive look at Lincoln’s famous stovepipe hat, which he wore to keep zombies from getting at his brains. (The above image of Abe Lincoln, Zombie Hunter is from this t-shirt.) At the Circus (Edward Buzzell, 1939) New title: At the Zombie Circus Synopsis: The Marx Brothers’ films were crazy enough without the addition of zombies, but this late episode from Groucho, Harpo and Chico just wasn’t anarchic enough for their fans. So, now the plot involving the stolen money has been eliminated and the film consists of the three Marx boys trying to stay alive inside a circus tent filled with zombies. There’s a strong man zombie, a dwarf zombie, and then there’s Margaret Dumont, who is so dull Groucho thinks she’s a zombie. Or maybe he just stabs her in the brain for fun? His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940) New title: His Girl Zombie Synopsis: Despite the new title, Rosalind Russell is never turned into a zombie. Rather, the zombies are merely in the background, causing even more fast-paced hysterics (yes, they’re the quick sort of zombies that are all the “rage” these days). Actually, at one point Ralph Bellamy’s character is thought to be a zombie, but then it’s realized that as much as he appears to be the walking dead, he’s just too slow to be one of the zombies running around outside the courthouse. Again, His Girl Zombie has something in common with Shaun of the Dead (not to mention Twister), in that it’s another story in which a couple attempts to separate but is thrust back together during a chaotic event. Angel and the Badman (James Edward Grant, 1947) New title: Angel and the Badman and the Zombies Synopsis: In this early precursor to the ‘80s Harrison Ford classic Witness Zombies, John Wayne plays a shootist and womanizer who is wounded near a Quaker family home. Brought in and nursed back to health, he attempts to tame himself after falling for a young Quaker woman. But his desire to become a pacifist is made difficult when brain-hungry zombies attack the house, and he must choose to either commit himself to the Quaker ways and “die” with his new religious society of friends, or go out and kick some zombie ass. D.O.A. (Rudolph Mate, 1950) New title: Z.O.A. Synopsis: The film begins with Frank Bigelow, filmed from behind, entering a police station to report that he’s been murdered. The reason he is able to do this is not because he’s not yet died from the poison; it’s because he is a zombie, which we finally discover when the camera finally shows us his face. The film then goes to flashback and details the events that lead to Bigelow’s zombification. After the back-story is complete, the film returns to the scene in the police station, where cops proceed to shoot Bigelow in the head. His file is then marked “Z.O.A.,” meaning “zombie on arrival.” Royal Wedding (Stanley Donen, 1951) New title: Zombie Wedding Synopsis: Fred Astaire and Jane Powell star as a brother and sister song and dance duo in this musical classic, which features two of Astaire’s most famous scenes. “Zombie Jumps” has him dancing first with a coat rack, then with a corpse, Weekend at Bernie’s-style. The latter of these objects ends up coming to life, a metaphor for Astaire’s famous ability to animate the inanimate. In “You’re All Zombies to Me,” Astaire playfully escapes from the zombie he’s created by dancing on the walls and ceiling of a room. Beat the Devil (John Huston, 1953) New title: Beat the Devil and the Zombies Synopsis: It’s been called the first camp movie, but unfortunately it wasn’t the first camp zombie movie. That all changes now with newly added scenes in which Humphrey Bogart and a great ensemble of character actors, including Peter Lorre, must fight off zombies while killing time at an Italian port. It’s very likely that Huston and co-screenwriter Truman Capote would have no problem with this additional subplot. Anyone familiar with the background of the film knows its makers didn’t take it seriously in the least. Actually, let’s just go ahead and add zombies into every section of the film. Zombies on the boat, zombies in Africa, zombies everywhere. Heck, make Bogie a zombie due to a lack of money. After all, as his character sets it up with the line, “I’ve got to have money. Doctor’s orders are that I must have a lot of money, otherwise I become dull, listless and have trouble with my complexion.” It’s a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946) New title: It’s a Zombie Life Synopsis: On Christmas Eve, George Bailey wishes he were a zombie. But before he can find another zombie to bite him, an angel comes down from Heaven and shows him what his life would be like if he were undead. Zombie George infects the whole town of Bedford Falls, all except the wealthy Mr. Potter, who manages to take over the town by enslaving and exploiting the zombified citizens. In the end, George realizes that he’s better off simply shooting himself in the head so that he can’t possibly become a zombie. (Note: It’s a Wonderful Life is actually no longer in the public domain, but we just couldn’t not include it). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Movies_Spout_Needs_to_Watch/643/39535/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 1/14/2009 3:11:06 PM
Body: [quote user="csprague"] [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="csprague"] So, every week at Spout we watch a movie and discuss it. Sounds fun, no? Well, it is. However, selecting the movie every week is not without it's challenges and as the lucky person who fills up our queue, I feel a lot of pressure to meet several requirements that often seem conflicting. 1) The movie needs to be one which we would not normally watch. The point is to be stretched outside of our movie comfort zone. 2) If you pick a really tough movie that ends in a really uncomfortable way every week, people will stop coming to watch. 3) There is a wide spectrum of movie preferences/tolerances present at Spout. We aren't all the movie freaks that you would expect. Many of us consider ourselves to be fairly average in our movie knowledge and preferences. Often, watching something with subtitles can seem like a challenge. 4) It needs to be short. We can't spend more then 2 hours on a movie out of our work day. So yeah, we are looking for short/normal length movies that will stretch us, but won't make the average movie goer want to run and hide every week at movie time. I greatly anticipate your suggestions. the unpopular movie-picker, Christi [/quote] Do you have a list of everything you've watched so far? And even better, to go along with the list, which selections seemed to be the most successful? [/quote] Here's a list of all the movies we have watched so far: http://www.spout.com/films/1287614/ViewFilmList.aspx The popular stuff was either the fun documentaries like Just for Kicks or Wordplay, or classics like It's a Wonderful Life. The Unpopular stuff was I'm Not There, Being There, and The Rules of the Game. [/quote] Thanks. Here are the first two movies that popped into my head with those qualifications The Devil and Daniel Webster - a classic1) I doubt many people have seen it. I would consider it a "classic" but even many people who watch a lot of older movies or classics may not have seen it.2) There's nothing that will make people too uncomfortable. But it does certainly allow for a lot of reflection.3) No subtitles4) Runtime: 107 minutesLike It's a Wonderful Life it has supernatural elements and lessons learned. Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story - a fun documentary1) Not many people have even heard of this one2) There's a lot of fun quirky people in this. Nothing that will keep people from coming back.3) No subtitles, except for a few fun sing-a-longs4) Only 58 minutes long!I just watched this one recently. It's quite fun! I actually love The Rules of the Game, but I didn't as much the first time I watched it. I would recommend to anyone not sold on it to listen to the commentary and watch all of the special features on the Criterion Collection DVD set. You will get a better understanding why this is often called the greatest movie ever made. I also liked Being There, but it wasn't necessarily my absolute favorite. I think it takes a certain kind of appreciation. I'll give some more suggestions later if you'd like
]]>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:11:06 GMTRisseladaCommunity Recommendations1/14/2009 3:11:06 PM[quote user="csprague"] [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="csprague"] So, every week at Spout we watch a movie and discuss it. Sounds fun, no? Well, it is. However, selecting the movie every week is not without it's challenges and as the lucky person who fills up our queue, I feel a lot of pressure to meet several requirements that often seem conflicting. 1) The movie needs to be one which we would not normally watch. The point is to be stretched outside of our movie comfort zone. 2) If you pick a really tough movie that ends in a really uncomfortable way every week, people will stop coming to watch. 3) There is a wide spectrum of movie preferences/tolerances present at Spout. We aren't all the movie freaks that you would expect. Many of us consider ourselves to be fairly average in our movie knowledge and preferences. Often, watching something with subtitles can seem like a challenge. 4) It needs to be short. We can't spend more then 2 hours on a movie out of our work day. So yeah, we are looking for short/normal length movies that will stretch us, but won't make the average movie goer want to run and hide every week at movie time. I greatly anticipate your suggestions. the unpopular movie-picker, Christi [/quote] Do you have a list of everything you've watched so far? And even better, to go along with the list, which selections seemed to be the most successful? [/quote] Here's a list of all the movies we have watched so far: http://www.spout.com/films/1287614/ViewFilmList.aspx The popular stuff was either the fun documentaries like Just for Kicks or Wordplay, or classics like It's a Wonderful Life. The Unpopular stuff was I'm Not There, Being There, and The Rules of the Game. [/quote] Thanks. Here are the first two movies that popped into my head with those qualifications The Devil and Daniel Webster - a classic1) I doubt many people have seen it. I would consider it a "classic" but even many people who watch a lot of older movies or classics may not have seen it.2) There's nothing that will make people too uncomfortable. But it does certainly allow for a lot of reflection.3) No subtitles4) Runtime: 107 minutesLike It's a Wonderful Life it has supernatural elements and lessons learned. Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story - a fun documentary1) Not many people have even heard of this one2) There's a lot of fun quirky people in this. Nothing that will keep people from coming back.3) No subtitles, except for a few fun sing-a-longs4) Only 58 minutes long!I just watched this one recently. It's quite fun! I actually love The Rules of the Game, but I didn't as much the first time I watched it. I would recommend to anyone not sold on it to listen to the commentary and watch all of the special features on the Criterion Collection DVD set. You will get a better understanding why this is often called the greatest movie ever made. I also liked Being There, but it wasn't necessarily my absolute favorite. I think it takes a certain kind of appreciation. I'll give some more suggestions later if you'd like http://www.spout.com/groups/The_Imagination_of_Fantasy/Re_The_Best_Fantasy/47/38868/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: The Imagination of Fantasy
Post Date: 12/26/2008 9:31:00 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] I had to check your list to see how broadly you classified a movie as being fantasy. I see you put Groundhog Day on there which really doesn't have a lot of fantastical elements other than one basic anomaly that causes him to keep reliving the same day over and over. Other than that, each day is actually pretty normal without any magic or strange creatures or fantastical geography. So it's kind of hard for me to determine in my mind which movies that have some fantastical element are fantastic enough to be considered "fantasy" Here are a few good ones though: Ugetsu Monogatari - although ghosts aren't that uncommon in East Asian storytelling. I think more people have historically considered them a part of reality more than in the west. The Devil and Daniel Webster - again, how real this is may depend on your belief in the spritual world, but mostly it's an alegory. Groundhog Day / It's a Wonderful Life - Groundhog Day is a great movie, and if we are going to include that, I think we should inclued It's a Wonderful Life too. The Seventh Seal - I guess it looks like most of my absolute favorites feature spiritual or ghostly elements. Here we have Death personified. Star Wars - the whole first trilogy of course! No Such Thing - kind of an exploration of fantasy and monsters and why the human race needs or no longer needs these characters Who Framed Roger Rabbit All of Miyazaki's movies Stalker - Stunning! Sleepy Hollow / Beetlejuice - some of my favorite Tim Burton fantasy Shoot, I'm going over 10. Let me list a couple more: Alice in Wonderland, The Sword in the Stone, Pete's Dragon, The Green Mile, Time Bandits, Hellboy, The Thief of Bagdad [/quote] Ah, but see in our Fantasy group, it's not all about dragons and magic and elves and unicorns and things. If you'll notice, the other lists include topics like "What If?" movies because, basically, if you're imagining an answer to a "what if?" that could take on many shapes and sizes, you're engaging in fantasy. Case in point: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, just released, imagines a what if scenario asking the question "what if a person is born old and grows young?" Maybe that's too obvious, though. Groundhog Day imagines, "What if you were stuck in the same day over and over again, what would happen or what would you do." Similarly, It's a Wonderful Life imagines, "What if you were never born?" Those are all questions that involve flights of imagination, and fantasy. Note dictionary.com's uber-available definition (noun form only): fan⋅ta⋅sy   /ˈfæntəsi, -zi/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fan-tuh-see, -zee] Show IPA Pronunciation noun, plural -sies, verb, -sied, -sy⋅ing. –noun 1. imagination, esp. when extravagant and unrestrained. 2. the forming of mental images, esp. wondrous or strange fancies; imaginative conceptualizing. 3. a mental image, esp. when unreal or fantastic; vision: a nightmare fantasy. 4. Psychology. an imagined or conjured up sequence fulfilling a psychological need; daydream. 5. a hallucination. 6. a supposition based on no solid foundation; visionary idea; illusion: dreams of Utopias and similar fantasies. 7. caprice; whim. 8. an ingenious or fanciful thought, design, or invention. 9. Also, fantasia. Literature. an imaginative or fanciful work, esp. one dealing with supernatural or unnatural events or characters: The stories of Poe are fantasies of horror. Besides, the AFI validates Groundhog Day and It's a Wonderful Life on these fronts, if you have any truck with them: http://www.afi.com/10top10/fantasy.html So, yes, this is a long-winded way of saying let's include them, we like it all here, but you did go over 10. Can you limit your list and pick the absolute 10 best fantasy films from your nominations? I know it'll be a challenge, but I'm going to hold myself to that too! If you can't, that's ok, but there's a method to the madness...:-)
]]>Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:31:00 GMTpippin06The Imagination of Fantasy12/26/2008 9:31:00 PM[quote user="Risselada"] I had to check your list to see how broadly you classified a movie as being fantasy. I see you put Groundhog Day on there which really doesn't have a lot of fantastical elements other than one basic anomaly that causes him to keep reliving the same day over and over. Other than that, each day is actually pretty normal without any magic or strange creatures or fantastical geography. So it's kind of hard for me to determine in my mind which movies that have some fantastical element are fantastic enough to be considered "fantasy" Here are a few good ones though: Ugetsu Monogatari - although ghosts aren't that uncommon in East Asian storytelling. I think more people have historically considered them a part of reality more than in the west. The Devil and Daniel Webster - again, how real this is may depend on your belief in the spritual world, but mostly it's an alegory. Groundhog Day / It's a Wonderful Life - Groundhog Day is a great movie, and if we are going to include that, I think we should inclued It's a Wonderful Life too. The Seventh Seal - I guess it looks like most of my absolute favorites feature spiritual or ghostly elements. Here we have Death personified. Star Wars - the whole first trilogy of course! No Such Thing - kind of an exploration of fantasy and monsters and why the human race needs or no longer needs these characters Who Framed Roger Rabbit All of Miyazaki's movies Stalker - Stunning! Sleepy Hollow / Beetlejuice - some of my favorite Tim Burton fantasy Shoot, I'm going over 10. Let me list a couple more: Alice in Wonderland, The Sword in the Stone, Pete's Dragon, The Green Mile, Time Bandits, Hellboy, The Thief of Bagdad [/quote] Ah, but see in our Fantasy group, it's not all about dragons and magic and elves and unicorns and things. If you'll notice, the other lists include topics like "What If?" movies because, basically, if you're imagining an answer to a "what if?" that could take on many shapes and sizes, you're engaging in fantasy. Case in point: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, just released, imagines a what if scenario asking the question "what if a person is born old and grows young?" Maybe that's too obvious, though. Groundhog Day imagines, "What if you were stuck in the same day over and over again, what would happen or what would you do." Similarly, It's a Wonderful Life imagines, "What if you were never born?" Those are all questions that involve flights of imagination, and fantasy. Note dictionary.com's uber-available definition (noun form only): fan&sdot;ta&sdot;sy&ensp; &ensp;/ˈf&aelig;ntəsi, -zi/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fan-tuh-see, -zee] Show IPA Pronunciation noun, plural -sies, verb, -sied, -sy&sdot;ing. &ndash;noun 1. imagination, esp. when extravagant and unrestrained. 2. the forming of mental images, esp. wondrous or strange fancies; imaginative conceptualizing. 3. a mental image, esp. when unreal or fantastic; vision: a nightmare fantasy. 4. Psychology. an imagined or conjured up sequence fulfilling a psychological need; daydream. 5. a hallucination. 6. a supposition based on no solid foundation; visionary idea; illusion: dreams of Utopias and similar fantasies. 7. caprice; whim. 8. an ingenious or fanciful thought, design, or invention. 9. Also, fantasia. Literature. an imaginative or fanciful work, esp. one dealing with supernatural or unnatural events or characters: The stories of Poe are fantasies of horror. Besides, the AFI validates Groundhog Day and It's a Wonderful Life on these fronts, if you have any truck with them: http://www.afi.com/10top10/fantasy.html So, yes, this is a long-winded way of saying let's include them, we like it all here, but you did go over 10. Can you limit your list and pick the absolute 10 best fantasy films from your nominations? I know it'll be a challenge, but I'm going to hold myself to that too! If you can't, that's ok, but there's a method to the madness...:-) http://www.spout.com/groups/The_Imagination_of_Fantasy/Re_The_Best_Fantasy/47/38814/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: The Imagination of Fantasy
Post Date: 12/24/2008 1:01:46 PM
Body: [quote user="pippin06"] Hi fantasy lovers! You may have noticed if you joined the group that there is a list, currently locked, called "The Best Fantasy." I created that list when I created the group, mostly because it was an excuse for a list I could create, but most of the entries are what I think are the best. I locked it because I realized - I think we need a compiled list from the membership. Something a la some of these other groups I belong to...something like a poll, or a Top 5, or a list of collaborative recommendations (and credit to all from whom I am, uh, tweaking the idea). Therefore, it's time for you to weigh in! Pick your favorite fantasy movies. No fewer than one, no more than ten. Tell us why you think they are the best! With enough responses, we can compile our very own Best Fantasy list, and then, perhaps, we can Spout it for all of Spout to hear! Mwa ha! After all, who better to make this list than us? I'll let you get the ball rolling, since I already made that list...give us a start. I'll contribute my faves asap! [/quote] I had to check your list to see how broadly you classified a movie as being fantasy. I see you put Groundhog Day on there which really doesn't have a lot of fantastical elements other than one basic anomaly that causes him to keep reliving the same day over and over. Other than that, each day is actually pretty normal without any magic or strange creatures or fantastical geography. So it's kind of hard for me to determine in my mind which movies that have some fantastical element are fantastic enough to be considered "fantasy" Here are a few good ones though: Ugetsu Monogatari - although ghosts aren't that uncommon in East Asian storytelling. I think more people have historically considered them a part of reality more than in the west. The Devil and Daniel Webster - again, how real this is may depend on your belief in the spritual world, but mostly it's an alegory. Groundhog Day / It's a Wonderful Life - Groundhog Day is a great movie, and if we are going to include that, I think we should inclued It's a Wonderful Life too. The Seventh Seal - I guess it looks like most of my absolute favorites feature spiritual or ghostly elements. Here we have Death personified. Star Wars - the whole first trilogy of course! No Such Thing - kind of an exploration of fantasy and monsters and why the human race needs or no longer needs these characters Who Framed Roger Rabbit All of Miyazaki's movies Stalker - Stunning! Sleepy Hollow / Beetlejuice - some of my favorite Tim Burton fantasy Shoot, I'm going over 10. Let me list a couple more: Alice in Wonderland, The Sword in the Stone, Pete's Dragon, The Green Mile, Time Bandits, Hellboy, The Thief of Bagdad
]]>Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:01:46 GMTRisseladaThe Imagination of Fantasy12/24/2008 1:01:46 PM[quote user="pippin06"] Hi fantasy lovers! You may have noticed if you joined the group that there is a list, currently locked, called "The Best Fantasy." I created that list when I created the group, mostly because it was an excuse for a list I could create, but most of the entries are what I think are the best. I locked it because I realized - I think we need a compiled list from the membership. Something a la some of these other groups I belong to...something like a poll, or a Top 5, or a list of collaborative recommendations (and credit to all from whom I am, uh, tweaking the idea). Therefore, it's time for you to weigh in! Pick your favorite fantasy movies. No fewer than one, no more than ten. Tell us why you think they are the best! With enough responses, we can compile our very own Best Fantasy list, and then, perhaps, we can Spout it for all of Spout to hear! Mwa ha! After all, who better to make this list than us? I'll let you get the ball rolling, since I already made that list...give us a start. I'll contribute my faves asap! [/quote] I had to check your list to see how broadly you classified a movie as being fantasy. I see you put Groundhog Day on there which really doesn't have a lot of fantastical elements other than one basic anomaly that causes him to keep reliving the same day over and over. Other than that, each day is actually pretty normal without any magic or strange creatures or fantastical geography. So it's kind of hard for me to determine in my mind which movies that have some fantastical element are fantastic enough to be considered "fantasy" Here are a few good ones though: Ugetsu Monogatari - although ghosts aren't that uncommon in East Asian storytelling. I think more people have historically considered them a part of reality more than in the west. The Devil and Daniel Webster - again, how real this is may depend on your belief in the spritual world, but mostly it's an alegory. Groundhog Day / It's a Wonderful Life - Groundhog Day is a great movie, and if we are going to include that, I think we should inclued It's a Wonderful Life too. The Seventh Seal - I guess it looks like most of my absolute favorites feature spiritual or ghostly elements. Here we have Death personified. Star Wars - the whole first trilogy of course! No Such Thing - kind of an exploration of fantasy and monsters and why the human race needs or no longer needs these characters Who Framed Roger Rabbit All of Miyazaki's movies Stalker - Stunning! Sleepy Hollow / Beetlejuice - some of my favorite Tim Burton fantasy Shoot, I'm going over 10. Let me list a couple more: Alice in Wonderland, The Sword in the Stone, Pete's Dragon, The Green Mile, Time Bandits, Hellboy, The Thief of Bagdad http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Collaborative_List_Movies_I_Fall_Asleep_to_at/643/38596/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 12/19/2008 12:45:11 PM
Body: Miracle on 34th St. & Its a Wonderful Life are both holiday snoozers for me. Its a Wonderful Life is actually a great film, but the mellow, sleepy nature of the film combined with the fact I have seen it approx. 1,212 times means it puts me right out. Miracle on 34st. just has too many WTF!? moments to keep me engrossed in the plot. [quote user="rjsprague"] I would like to nominate White Christmas as the film to which I inevitably pass out while in a cookie-and-pie-induced-stupor. Usually I am trying to suspend my disfigured midsection so as to provide some relief to my straining digestive system. [/quote]
]]>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:45:11 GMTseelyCommunity Recommendations12/19/2008 12:45:11 PMMiracle on 34th St. &amp; Its a Wonderful Life are both holiday snoozers for me. Its a Wonderful Life is actually a great film, but the mellow, sleepy nature of the film combined with the fact I have seen it approx. 1,212 times means it puts me right out. Miracle on 34st. just has too many WTF!? moments to keep me engrossed in the plot. [quote user="rjsprague"] I would like to nominate White Christmas as the film to which I inevitably pass out while in a cookie-and-pie-induced-stupor. Usually I am trying to suspend my disfigured midsection so as to provide some relief to my straining digestive system. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_December_15_Ho_Ho_Ho/625/38426/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 12/15/2008 8:36:32 PM
Body: Alright, so it's about a week and a half before Christmas and I'm trying to think of a new theme for this week. The problem is, all of these damn Christmas movies I've been seeing lately have really been distracting. So, screw it, let's go. I have been re-watching quite a few of them recently. It's a Wonderful Life is one of those that is really easy to forget just how incredible it is. If you haven't seen it in recent history, I suggest you refresh your memory................ or an angel will be set on fire. I was surprised at how well Gremlins stood the test of time. I hadn't seen this one since I was just a lil' whipper snapper and I had just as much fun with it this time around. And I was actually really taken aback at how much I still love A Christmas Story. I usually catch this one on tv just about every year but I never really sit down to watch it. Well I bought the dvd for the family last week and we all sat down to watch it. A fun time was had by all. Danny Boyle made a Christmas movie called Millions... I liked it.. I would also suggest that everyone check out Joyeux Noel. This is a Christmas movie that takes place in the trenches of WWI. It is absolutely one of the most endearing stories ever told. So, in a pinch - there you have it. I guess I'm really interested in hearing which holiday films (if any) actually put you in the spirit. Or are we all just a bit too old for that now? I know Christmas is an entirely different experience when your all grown up but I have to admit, watching Ralphie give a beat-down to the local bully while sreaming, "FRIGGLE FRAGGLE MACK'N DOG SMUCKERS JACKER SNACKER" brings it all back.
]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:36:32 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme12/15/2008 8:36:32 PMAlright, so it's about a week and a half before Christmas and I'm trying to think of a new theme for this week. The problem is, all of these damn Christmas movies I've been seeing lately have really been distracting. So, screw it, let's go. I have been re-watching quite a few of them recently. It's a Wonderful Life is one of those that is really easy to forget just how incredible it is. If you haven't seen it in recent history, I suggest you refresh your memory................ or an angel will be set on fire. I was surprised at how well Gremlins stood the test of time. I hadn't seen this one since I was just a lil' whipper snapper and I had just as much fun with it this time around. And I was actually really taken aback at how much I still love A Christmas Story. I usually catch this one on tv just about every year but I never really sit down to watch it. Well I bought the dvd for the family last week and we all sat down to watch it. A fun time was had by all. Danny Boyle made a Christmas movie called Millions... I liked it.. I would also suggest that everyone check out Joyeux Noel. This is a Christmas movie that takes place in the trenches of WWI. It is absolutely one of the most endearing stories ever told. So, in a pinch - there you have it. I guess I'm really interested in hearing which holiday films (if any) actually put you in the spirit. Or are we all just a bit too old for that now? I know Christmas is an entirely different experience when your all grown up but I have to admit, watching Ralphie give a beat-down to the local bully while sreaming, "FRIGGLE FRAGGLE MACK'N DOG SMUCKERS JACKER SNACKER" brings it all back. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/5/37991.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/5/2008 1:01:45 PM
Body: Every Wednesday in the Spout offices, we effectively close down to watch a movie. Movie Watchin’ Wednesday we call it…kind of cheesy, I know, but it works for us. This past Wednesday we watched It’s A Wonderful Life and a curious thing happened. Although I have personally seen this movie at least once a year for the past 30 or so, many of the people in our office had effectively avoided it or only seen clips. What a shame! This is such a fantastic film and the origin of so many tropes. If you haven’t seen it before, now is your chance. Close your office down, gather the kids, surround yourself with your loved ones and be prepared for that warm Christmasy glow. Merry Christmas from the team at Spout! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:01:45 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/5/2008 1:01:45 PMEvery Wednesday in the Spout offices, we effectively close down to watch a movie. Movie Watchin’ Wednesday we call it…kind of cheesy, I know, but it works for us. This past Wednesday we watched It’s A Wonderful Life and a curious thing happened. Although I have personally seen this movie at least once a year for the past 30 or so, many of the people in our office had effectively avoided it or only seen clips. What a shame! This is such a fantastic film and the origin of so many tropes. If you haven’t seen it before, now is your chance. Close your office down, gather the kids, surround yourself with your loved ones and be prepared for that warm Christmasy glow. Merry Christmas from the team at Spout! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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