Rebel Without a Cause's Recent Activity

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Post By: pippin06
Post To: Reel Thoughts
Post Date: 8/12/2009 8:22:37 PM
Body: What's the AFI Project, you ask? For more information, or if you just enjoy my bemused ramblings, read here:http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/3/1/25756.aspx Rebel Without a Cause is on the following AFI list: The Original Top 100 (#59) What I love about this AFI Project is that I get to see films I’ve always heard about and never actually had the chance to see. Rebel Without a Cause has the distinction of being James Dean’s last film, and while I’m not familiar with his overall body of work, I’d always heard tidbits about this film because of the notoriety attached to his untimely passing as well as about the genuineness and sincerity of his performance. It was the latter element above all else that intrigued me about the film, which I watched instantly on Netflix. Jimmy Stark (Dean) and his family move to their new California town because it seems Jimmy can’t stop getting into trouble, and his parents’ solution has traditionally been to move away each time Jimmy stumbles. Brimming with rage at parents who cannot understand his frustration with their own constant bickering and a tendency to enable him with anything he wants, Jimmy engages in underage drinking only to spend one of his first nights in town at the local police station, where an understanding officer/social worker offers a sympathetic ear and a few words of advice. Determined to begin in his new home on a better foot, his plans go awry when he encounters girl-next-door yet rebellious Judy (Natalie Wood), who yearns for the love of her pathologically repressed (yes, I stole this description) father and seeks his attention by running with a shady crowd. Jimmy sees her first in the police station, after she ran away from home, and attempts to make small talk as they walk to school, but she initially shuns him in favor of her hoodlum boyfriend. Late to a subsequent field trip to the planetarium, Jimmy finds himself the unwitting target of Judy’s friends’ obvious malaise. Meanwhile, a shy, friendless boy named Plato (Sal Mineo), tormented by a crippling abandonment complex, sees a father figure in Jimmy and latches onto his confidence even as he attempts to protect him from the machinations of Judy’s crowd. When a knife fight, in which Jimmy refuses to back down, morphs into a game of vehicular chicken and the death of Judy’s boyfriend resulting from the plummet from a high seashore cliff, Jimmy, Judy, and Plato find solace in each other even as the adult world threatens to bear down on them, leading to disastrous emotional and physical consequences for the trio. The magic of this film centers on two primary concepts: the very real, very organic performances of the three lead actors, and the visceral and frank depiction of adolescent frustrations during a decade when repression was preferable to open emotion. Technically, this film did not boast any cinematic breakthrough not already employed in other contemporary films. I think the AFI earmarked this film for greatness, at least and only on its original list, because of the sheer guts of the thing. Dean’s performance held me completely enrapt throughout the film’s entire two hours. Obviously, he was not only a pretty face. His connection to his character was so complete and so unwavering that it was difficult not to command a similar connection to the viewer. I don’t know much about Mr. Dean’s life outside of film, but I have to think that some echoes of the frustration and rage of the Jimmy character rang true for him, thereby eliciting a truly otherworldly display of emotion that serves as the precursor for all teen dramas and comedy-dramas to follow. Judd Nelson and other members of the brat pack – at least - owe much to this film and to James Dean. Similarly, Sal Mineo as the sweetly innocent and yet clearly disturbed Plato offered an equally gutsy performance. I think that in more modern times, his performance or his character motivation could be interpreted as having some underlying homosexuality also informing his character’s attachment to the Jimmy character, but Plato’s many layers were explored to heartbreaking effect by another young actor who died too soon. In fact, it’s tragic how all three of these lead actors seemed cursed to die young, either before or not long after the release of this film. The eerie connection makes the haunting quality of each of the three actors’ performances and the frank and important story being told much more resonant and unforgettable. For that reason, I sort of loved this movie. James Dean was a marvelously handsome man, but I can also imagine the kinds of ripples a story and film of this kind created during the decade of white picket fences, pearl necklaces, Father Knows Best, and tidy aprons. This thought renders the film a classic for me in every sense of the word. Unfortunately, the AFI did not see it this way completely, failing to rank it on its Revised list (Nashville, newly added to the Revised list, replaced it). In fairness, the film did have some slight pacing issues, particularly as the Plato character unhinged, and it became a pendulum swing from slow to fast paced and back again while the authorities and his friends sought him out, but the pacing issues were minor. As a result, I can’t say the film was perfectly entertaining, and, therefore, I feel the film merits a rank of 8.5, between minor flaws/very good and perfectly entertaining. As to the test, I’m not sure how I feel about repeatedly watching it. I probably won’t purchase it (the subject of the test, after all), but I can see myself pausing to watch it again on cable, like on Turner Classic Movies or something. At any rate, anyone who enjoys teen or adolescent dramas or similar films should check out Rebel Without a Cause – the original teen drama. Even if one is not a fan of such films, watching this one could provide a chance to watch a pioneering, satisfying story unfold around some great performances.
]]>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:22:37 GMTpippin06Reel Thoughts8/12/2009 8:22:37 PM What's the AFI Project, you ask? For more information, or if you just enjoy my bemused ramblings, read here:http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/3/1/25756.aspx Rebel Without a Cause is on the following AFI list: The Original Top 100 (#59) What I love about this AFI Project is that I get to see films I’ve always heard about and never actually had the chance to see. Rebel Without a Cause has the distinction of being James Dean’s last film, and while I’m not familiar with his overall body of work, I’d always heard tidbits about this film because of the notoriety attached to his untimely passing as well as about the genuineness and sincerity of his performance. It was the latter element above all else that intrigued me about the film, which I watched instantly on Netflix. Jimmy Stark (Dean) and his family move to their new California town because it seems Jimmy can’t stop getting into trouble, and his parents’ solution has traditionally been to move away each time Jimmy stumbles. Brimming with rage at parents who cannot understand his frustration with their own constant bickering and a tendency to enable him with anything he wants, Jimmy engages in underage drinking only to spend one of his first nights in town at the local police station, where an understanding officer/social worker offers a sympathetic ear and a few words of advice. Determined to begin in his new home on a better foot, his plans go awry when he encounters girl-next-door yet rebellious Judy (Natalie Wood), who yearns for the love of her pathologically repressed (yes, I stole this description) father and seeks his attention by running with a shady crowd. Jimmy sees her first in the police station, after she ran away from home, and attempts to make small talk as they walk to school, but she initially shuns him in favor of her hoodlum boyfriend. Late to a subsequent field trip to the planetarium, Jimmy finds himself the unwitting target of Judy’s friends’ obvious malaise. Meanwhile, a shy, friendless boy named Plato (Sal Mineo), tormented by a crippling abandonment complex, sees a father figure in Jimmy and latches onto his confidence even as he attempts to protect him from the machinations of Judy’s crowd. When a knife fight, in which Jimmy refuses to back down, morphs into a game of vehicular chicken and the death of Judy’s boyfriend resulting from the plummet from a high seashore cliff, Jimmy, Judy, and Plato find solace in each other even as the adult world threatens to bear down on them, leading to disastrous emotional and physical consequences for the trio. The magic of this film centers on two primary concepts: the very real, very organic performances of the three lead actors, and the visceral and frank depiction of adolescent frustrations during a decade when repression was preferable to open emotion. Technically, this film did not boast any cinematic breakthrough not already employed in other contemporary films. I think the AFI earmarked this film for greatness, at least and only on its original list, because of the sheer guts of the thing. Dean’s performance held me completely enrapt throughout the film’s entire two hours. Obviously, he was not only a pretty face. His connection to his character was so complete and so unwavering that it was difficult not to command a similar connection to the viewer. I don’t know much about Mr. Dean’s life outside of film, but I have to think that some echoes of the frustration and rage of the Jimmy character rang true for him, thereby eliciting a truly otherworldly display of emotion that serves as the precursor for all teen dramas and comedy-dramas to follow. Judd Nelson and other members of the brat pack – at least - owe much to this film and to James Dean. Similarly, Sal Mineo as the sweetly innocent and yet clearly disturbed Plato offered an equally gutsy performance. I think that in more modern times, his performance or his character motivation could be interpreted as having some underlying homosexuality also informing his character’s attachment to the Jimmy character, but Plato’s many layers were explored to heartbreaking effect by another young actor who died too soon. In fact, it’s tragic how all three of these lead actors seemed cursed to die young, either before or not long after the release of this film. The eerie connection makes the haunting quality of each of the three actors’ performances and the frank and important story being told much more resonant and unforgettable. For that reason, I sort of loved this movie. James Dean was a marvelously handsome man, but I can also imagine the kinds of ripples a story and film of this kind created during the decade of white picket fences, pearl necklaces, Father Knows Best, and tidy aprons. This thought renders the film a classic for me in every sense of the word. Unfortunately, the AFI did not see it this way completely, failing to rank it on its Revised list (Nashville, newly added to the Revised list, replaced it). In fairness, the film did have some slight pacing issues, particularly as the Plato character unhinged, and it became a pendulum swing from slow to fast paced and back again while the authorities and his friends sought him out, but the pacing issues were minor. As a result, I can’t say the film was perfectly entertaining, and, therefore, I feel the film merits a rank of 8.5, between minor flaws/very good and perfectly entertaining. As to the test, I’m not sure how I feel about repeatedly watching it. I probably won’t purchase it (the subject of the test, after all), but I can see myself pausing to watch it again on cable, like on Turner Classic Movies or something. At any rate, anyone who enjoys teen or adolescent dramas or similar films should check out Rebel Without a Cause – the original teen drama. Even if one is not a fan of such films, watching this one could provide a chance to watch a pioneering, satisfying story unfold around some great performances. Spout Post: 10 Great Performances Released After a Star’s Death http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/7/37067.aspx

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/7/2008 3:01:08 PM
Body: Opening today, Soul Men features the final performance from Bernie Mac, who died unexpectedly on August 9. The movie also includes a cameo from Isaac Hayes, who died one day later. Both men join a long list of people whose last films were released after their deaths, a list that includes Brad Renfro, whose final performance, in The Informers, can be seen in theaters come next May. Unlike some names on that list, Bernie Mac, whose voice can also be heard in the new animated sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, isn’t likely to receive a posthumous Oscar nomination as a tribute to his final work. But as one of the most underrated comic actors of the past few years, Mac likely gives a great performance as soul singer “Floyd Henderson,” enough to fall in with the crop of posthumously released roles we’ve showcased below: 1. Spencer Tracy in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Tracy died from a heart attack June 10, 1967, a couple weeks after finishing his work on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which was released that December. It would end up one of his most distinguished performances, earning him a posthumous ninth Oscar nom for Lead Actor. 2. James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause Dean received two posthumous Oscar nominations, but it’s easy to forget that neither of them were for Rebel Without a Cause, despite the film being Dean’s first posthumous release. Were it possible under the Academy’s rules, Dean could have been nominated for playing iconic teen Jim Stark, but he was instead recognized solely for East of Eden (the first official posthumous Oscar nomination for acting), which had been released a few months prior to Dean’s accidental death. Meanwhile Dean’s costars in Rebel, Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood, were each nominated for this film. 3. James Dean in Giant This film became Dean’s second posthumous release and earned him his second posthumous Oscar nomination (he won neither). The actor had pretty much finished his work on Giant right before his death, though some post-production vocal work had to be performed by a substitute later on, and the film wasn’t to come out in theaters until two months after the first anniversary of Dean’s death. 4. Clark Gable in The Misfits Like the death of Heath Ledger (see below), Gable’s was blamed on the demands of a role. Whether his performance in The Misfits was too physically demanding or he experienced immense tension from lack of things to do or he lost too much weight too quickly to prepare for the film, there may not have been one single thing that led to his having his third heart attack and then ultimately succumbing to coronary thrombosis mere weeks after finishing up principal photography. A few months later, on Gable’s birthday, his performance was unveiled to the world, and while not as historically remembered as his characters in Gone With the Wind and It Happened One Night, nor one of his three Oscar-nominated roles, it is arguably his greatest work. 5. John Cazale in The Deer Hunter Cazale should have been honored with a posthumous Oscar nomination at some point (I can’t believe I left him off that list), if for no other reason than to recognize his achievement of acting solely in features nominated for Best Picture (including The Godfather Part III, in which he’s only shown in archive footage). But an even bigger reason is that Cazale was a damn good supporting actor and he actually would deserve that statue. For all the talent he displays in The Deer Hunter, though, he was easily upstaged by his costar Christopher Walken, who actually took home the Oscar. 6. Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon There are tons of artists who didn’t live long enough to see their work become huge successes. Unlike most of them, though, Lee at least experienced some level of stardom prior to his death on July 20, 1973. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to see his final film, Enter the Dragon, open to huge numbers in the U.S., eventually even topping the box office chart here after a few months in theaters. He also tragically never got to see how iconic, influential and culturally significant his performance would become. 7. Brandon Lee in The Crow Bruce Lee also never got to see his son grow up to have a #1 movie, too. Sadly, neither did the son, Brandon, who died accidentally from a malfunctioned prop gun on the set of The Crow. And while the star’s then-mysterious death may have helped to make the movie more popular than would otherwise have been expected, it’s primarily Lee’s performance, not his legacy, that has allowed the movie to remain worthwhile viewing 15 years later. Even if some of that performance was assisted through a controversial yet groundbreaking use of stunt doubles and digital effects. 8. Richard Harris in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets There have now been more Harry Potter films released in which Michael Gambon portrays Albus Dumbledore, yet Harris will forever be remembered more clearly and favorably in the role. Even those of us who like Gambon as the Hogwarts headmasterhave more vivid memories of Harris’ performances in both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the latter of which arrived in theaters less than three weeks after the actor’s death on October 25, 2002. Surely some fans would have preferred to see Harris reprise his role in the subsequent films courtesy of effects wizardry similar to that done in The Crow and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (see below). 9. Laurence Olivier in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow It may have been morally wrong for Kerry Conran to digitally create a villainous performance from Olivier 15 years after the legendary actor’s death, but who doesn’t want to keep getting new performances from such a master thespian, even if it it technically consists of nothing but archive footage? Besides, it’s still better than making him posthumously hawk beer, vacuum cleaners, or McDonalds cheeseburgers. Too bad the film as a whole was such a disappointment. 10. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight His performance as The Joker is better than anyone ever dreamed it would be, before or after he died suddenly last January. He’ll get an Oscar nomination, at least, and will probably even win. Will his final performance, in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, yet to be seen or released, be as remarkable? It’s quite possible that if this list is ever rewritten in the future that Ledger will join Dean as another actor with two slots, for two monumentally great performances released posthumously. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:01:08 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/7/2008 3:01:08 PMOpening today, Soul Men features the final performance from Bernie Mac, who died unexpectedly on August 9. The movie also includes a cameo from Isaac Hayes, who died one day later. Both men join a long list of people whose last films were released after their deaths, a list that includes Brad Renfro, whose final performance, in The Informers, can be seen in theaters come next May. Unlike some names on that list, Bernie Mac, whose voice can also be heard in the new animated sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, isn’t likely to receive a posthumous Oscar nomination as a tribute to his final work. But as one of the most underrated comic actors of the past few years, Mac likely gives a great performance as soul singer “Floyd Henderson,” enough to fall in with the crop of posthumously released roles we’ve showcased below: 1. Spencer Tracy in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Tracy died from a heart attack June 10, 1967, a couple weeks after finishing his work on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which was released that December. It would end up one of his most distinguished performances, earning him a posthumous ninth Oscar nom for Lead Actor. 2. James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause Dean received two posthumous Oscar nominations, but it’s easy to forget that neither of them were for Rebel Without a Cause, despite the film being Dean’s first posthumous release. Were it possible under the Academy’s rules, Dean could have been nominated for playing iconic teen Jim Stark, but he was instead recognized solely for East of Eden (the first official posthumous Oscar nomination for acting), which had been released a few months prior to Dean’s accidental death. Meanwhile Dean’s costars in Rebel, Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood, were each nominated for this film. 3. James Dean in Giant This film became Dean’s second posthumous release and earned him his second posthumous Oscar nomination (he won neither). The actor had pretty much finished his work on Giant right before his death, though some post-production vocal work had to be performed by a substitute later on, and the film wasn’t to come out in theaters until two months after the first anniversary of Dean’s death. 4. Clark Gable in The Misfits Like the death of Heath Ledger (see below), Gable’s was blamed on the demands of a role. Whether his performance in The Misfits was too physically demanding or he experienced immense tension from lack of things to do or he lost too much weight too quickly to prepare for the film, there may not have been one single thing that led to his having his third heart attack and then ultimately succumbing to coronary thrombosis mere weeks after finishing up principal photography. A few months later, on Gable’s birthday, his performance was unveiled to the world, and while not as historically remembered as his characters in Gone With the Wind and It Happened One Night, nor one of his three Oscar-nominated roles, it is arguably his greatest work. 5. John Cazale in The Deer Hunter Cazale should have been honored with a posthumous Oscar nomination at some point (I can’t believe I left him off that list), if for no other reason than to recognize his achievement of acting solely in features nominated for Best Picture (including The Godfather Part III, in which he’s only shown in archive footage). But an even bigger reason is that Cazale was a damn good supporting actor and he actually would deserve that statue. For all the talent he displays in The Deer Hunter, though, he was easily upstaged by his costar Christopher Walken, who actually took home the Oscar. 6. Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon There are tons of artists who didn’t live long enough to see their work become huge successes. Unlike most of them, though, Lee at least experienced some level of stardom prior to his death on July 20, 1973. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to see his final film, Enter the Dragon, open to huge numbers in the U.S., eventually even topping the box office chart here after a few months in theaters. He also tragically never got to see how iconic, influential and culturally significant his performance would become. 7. Brandon Lee in The Crow Bruce Lee also never got to see his son grow up to have a #1 movie, too. Sadly, neither did the son, Brandon, who died accidentally from a malfunctioned prop gun on the set of The Crow. And while the star’s then-mysterious death may have helped to make the movie more popular than would otherwise have been expected, it’s primarily Lee’s performance, not his legacy, that has allowed the movie to remain worthwhile viewing 15 years later. Even if some of that performance was assisted through a controversial yet groundbreaking use of stunt doubles and digital effects. 8. Richard Harris in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets There have now been more Harry Potter films released in which Michael Gambon portrays Albus Dumbledore, yet Harris will forever be remembered more clearly and favorably in the role. Even those of us who like Gambon as the Hogwarts headmasterhave more vivid memories of Harris’ performances in both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the latter of which arrived in theaters less than three weeks after the actor’s death on October 25, 2002. Surely some fans would have preferred to see Harris reprise his role in the subsequent films courtesy of effects wizardry similar to that done in The Crow and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (see below). 9. Laurence Olivier in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow It may have been morally wrong for Kerry Conran to digitally create a villainous performance from Olivier 15 years after the legendary actor’s death, but who doesn’t want to keep getting new performances from such a master thespian, even if it it technically consists of nothing but archive footage? Besides, it’s still better than making him posthumously hawk beer, vacuum cleaners, or McDonalds cheeseburgers. Too bad the film as a whole was such a disappointment. 10. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight His performance as The Joker is better than anyone ever dreamed it would be, before or after he died suddenly last January. He’ll get an Oscar nomination, at least, and will probably even win. Will his final performance, in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, yet to be seen or released, be as remarkable? It’s quite possible that if this list is ever rewritten in the future that Ledger will join Dean as another actor with two slots, for two monumentally great performances released posthumously. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog Spout Post: Re:Recast GARDEN STATE (2004) http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_Recast_GARDEN_STATE_2004/563/36851/1/ShowPost.aspx

Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 10/31/2008 4:19:04 PM
Body: Turner Classic Movies: Garden State (1956) How did James Dean ever assemble this amazing cast? See below. James Dean ... Andrew Largeman Natalie Wood ... Sam Marlon Brando ... Mark (the gravedigger) Dick Miller (who'd be younger than in this photo) ... Jesse (the flaming arrow archer) Humphrey Bogart ... Gideon Largeman Ingrid Bergman (she'd be 41, older than in photo) ... Carol Chuck Berry ... Diego Hot off the success of Rebel Without a Cause, the now-megastar James Dean becomes confident enough to pitch his script of a very different kind of coming-of-age story. He approached director Nicholas Ray (with whom Dean developed a special rapport throughout the filming of Rebel), and Ray instantly saw Dean's Garden State script was exploding with potential. As far as Dean and Ray were concerned, Natalie Wood was the only person who could play Sam. Wood happily joined the project, and suggested Marlon Brando for the role of the morally dubious gravedigger, Mark. Dean and Ray met with Brando over lunch to give him the pitch. Brando initially hid his excitement (as he would reveal in later interviews); Brando only agreed to join the project on the condition that they cast an unknown actor, Dick Miller, as the eccentric and wealthy Jesse. Dean and Ray were nervous, but because it was Brando (Brando!) they nervously agreed. When they met Dick Miller the next week, they saw they had nothing to worry about. (Dick Miller of course would go on to star in A Bucket of Blood, the subversive Beat Generation classic). By now all Hollywood was buzzing about the stable of young stars gathered to make Garden State. A script found its way into the hands of Ingrid Bergman, who read it (in one sitting) and immediately called Dean. "I simply must play your mother," she said, "and I know who must play your father." It took some convincing to get Bogey on board, but after lengthy conversations with Bergman and Ray, he understood that to invert the Casablanca chemistry he had with Bergman--to play her ex-husband--would be a choice that critics and audiences would talk about for years to come. Of course this film became (in)famous for portraying divorce, 20s angst, and "questionable morals" in adults and youth alike. It's interesting to see how many of the critics who called the movie "immoral" took major issue with the prevalence of rock and roll in the film. Few audiences at the time were hip enough to recognize Chuck Berry as the bell hop, Diego. Little did they know that within 10 years time, every person in America would be listening to music that he inspired. Rock and roll became the country's new music, and Garden State became the inspiration for more films than we can count.
]]>Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:19:04 GMTSkyPilotFilmgaming10/31/2008 4:19:04 PMTurner Classic Movies: Garden State (1956) How did James Dean ever assemble this amazing cast? See below. James Dean ... Andrew Largeman Natalie Wood ... Sam Marlon Brando ... Mark (the gravedigger) Dick Miller (who'd be younger than in this photo) ... Jesse (the flaming arrow archer) Humphrey Bogart ... Gideon Largeman Ingrid Bergman (she'd be 41, older than in photo) ... Carol Chuck Berry ... Diego Hot off the success of Rebel Without a Cause, the now-megastar James Dean becomes confident enough to pitch his script of a very different kind of coming-of-age story. He approached director Nicholas Ray (with whom Dean developed a special rapport throughout the filming of Rebel), and Ray instantly saw Dean's Garden State script was exploding with potential. As far as Dean and Ray were concerned, Natalie Wood was the only person who could play Sam. Wood happily joined the project, and suggested Marlon Brando for the role of the morally dubious gravedigger, Mark. Dean and Ray met with Brando over lunch to give him the pitch. Brando initially hid his excitement (as he would reveal in later interviews); Brando only agreed to join the project on the condition that they cast an unknown actor, Dick Miller, as the eccentric and wealthy Jesse. Dean and Ray were nervous, but because it was Brando (Brando!) they nervously agreed. When they met Dick Miller the next week, they saw they had nothing to worry about. (Dick Miller of course would go on to star in A Bucket of Blood, the subversive Beat Generation classic). By now all Hollywood was buzzing about the stable of young stars gathered to make Garden State. A script found its way into the hands of Ingrid Bergman, who read it (in one sitting) and immediately called Dean. "I simply must play your mother," she said, "and I know who must play your father." It took some convincing to get Bogey on board, but after lengthy conversations with Bergman and Ray, he understood that to invert the Casablanca chemistry he had with Bergman--to play her ex-husband--would be a choice that critics and audiences would talk about for years to come. Of course this film became (in)famous for portraying divorce, 20s angst, and "questionable morals" in adults and youth alike. It's interesting to see how many of the critics who called the movie "immoral" took major issue with the prevalence of rock and roll in the film. Few audiences at the time were hip enough to recognize Chuck Berry as the bell hop, Diego. Little did they know that within 10 years time, every person in America would be listening to music that he inspired. Rock and roll became the country's new music, and Garden State became the inspiration for more films than we can count. Spout Post: 10 Posthumous Oscar Nominations That Should Have Been http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/7/16/32630.aspx

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/16/2008 3:00:59 PM
Body: Though I first buzzed about an Academy Award nomination for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight more than a month before his death, I now want to take it all back. I feel all the talk of Ledger’s posthumous Oscar chances will cloud my mind when I finally do see it, and it will probably also cloud the Academy’s judgment, too. Six months from now, when the nominations are announced on January 22 (coincidentally the one-year anniversary of Ledger’s death), if Ledger is not recognized for his role as The Joker, there will surely be an uproar — actually, Hollywood might just up and self-implode. I’m not the only one annoyed by all the Oscar buzz. Terry Gilliam, who directed Ledger in The Brothers Grimm and the upcoming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, is calling “bullshit” on the whole thing, particularly against Warner Bros., which Gilliam accuses of exploiting Ledger’s death and chance of a posthumous Oscar for publicity purposes. Considering most Oscar campaigns for live actors are really just part of movie marketing, he has a good point. Sure, I would love to see Ledger honored. I’ve believed in his Oscar worth since 10 Things I Hate About You . But in February, if he receives a posthumous award, it will surely feel, at least in good percentage, that it’s because he died young. In that case, why not also give supporting noms sight unseen to Rob Knox for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Brad Renfro for The Informers? Despite the more than 10 posthumous nominations in Oscar history, however, it’s not obligatory for the Academy to hand out such accolades every time someone dies before his final movie is released. Just check out the following list of talent who probably deserved posthumous Oscar recognition as much as Ledger does: Jean Vigo for L’Atalante - One of the greatest, most influential films of all time, L’Atalante premiered in France in 1934, a few months before Vigo died of tuberculosis at the age of 29. It eventually made its way to the U.S. 14 years later, just in time for the debut of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. And considering the first recipient, Vittorio De Sica (for Shoeshine), would win again two years later (for Bicycle Thieves), the Academy should have recognized Vigo’s film, even if it was more than a decade old. Unfortunately, it would be many decades before L’Atalante received the kind of esteem it deserves. James Dean for Rebel Without a Cause - Dean starred in only three feature films, one of which, East of Eden, was released prior to his death. He received posthumous Oscar nominations for that film and his final appearance in Giant, which came out a year later. But wouldn’t it have been wonderful if he’d also been nominated for his most iconic role in Rebel Without a Cause? Sure, he’d have posthumously gone up against himself in 1956, but that’s what movie gods like him were made to do. Richard Harris for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Not only should Harris have received a nomination, he should have won, too. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t the greatest performance by the actor, who’d previously been nominated for 1963’s This Sporting Life and 1990’s The Field. It’s that Harry Potter fans would have tuned in and saved that year’s telecast from being the least-watched in years. Just imagine how many people will be tuning in to next year’s show just because of the (inevitable) Ledger nom. Heather O’Rourke for Poltergeist III - I know that I’m only one of maybe three people who like the third Poltergeist movie, but even if you think the movie itself is bad, you have to give little Heather O’Rourke credit for being giving creepily terrific performances throughout the series. Compare her talent to some other young actresses who’ve been nominated. Especially Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine. And had she lived, she’d probably be a better actress today than Oscar-winner Anna Paquin. F.W. Murnau for Tabu - His Sunrise was pretty successful a few year earlier, at the 1st Academy Awards, but he wasn’t even nominated. In fact, the man who also gave us Nosferatu, Faust and The Last Laugh was never nominated for an Oscar, a fact that might have been different had the Oscars been founded a decade earlier or had he not died tragically in a car accident at age 43. I’m sure, at least, that Floyd Crosby, when winning for his cinematography work on Tabu, raised the statue to the sky and said, “this is for Murnau.” Peter Sellers for The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu - Whether or not you believe the Academy hates on comedic actors, you should agree that Sellers should have won an Oscar before he died. Or after he died. If he’d been nominated for this critical and commercial failure, though, it would of course have been one of those “he deserved it for ______, but this will do” kind of situtations. Stanley Kubrick for Eyes Wide Shut - If Scorsese can finally win with The Departed, Kubrick should have finally won posthumously with what is often thought of as his worst film. If anything, he at least deserved to be nominated instead of M. Night Shyamalan. Adrienne Shelly for Waitress - Didn’t it seem like a sure thing the writer-director-actress, Shelley, would get the nomination this year? Considering Diablo Cody had already (unofficially) won the actual Oscar before the nominations were even announced, could it have hurt to include the tragically murdered screenwriter? Or were there already too many ladies on the screenwriting ballot this year? Thelma Ritter for What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? - If ever there was a supporting actress who should have won an Oscar, Ritter was she. After six nominations (four of them consecutive), a posthumous seventh should have come with this movie (even if I’ve never personally seen it, I bet she’s great as usual). Unfortunately, the ballots were likely already in when she had her heart attack in February 1969. Also, she probably would have lost to Ruth Gordon anyway. Brandon Lee for The Crow - Laugh all you want, but in a crazy year that saw John Travolta recognized with a nomination and Tom Hanks recognized with a win for one of his silliest performances ever, would it have been so strange if the Academy had given Lee the slot filled by Morgan Freeman (obviously Oscar had little love for The Shawshank Redemption as it was)? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:00:59 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/16/2008 3:00:59 PM Though I first buzzed about an Academy Award nomination for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight more than a month before his death, I now want to take it all back. I feel all the talk of Ledger’s posthumous Oscar chances will cloud my mind when I finally do see it, and it will probably also cloud the Academy’s judgment, too. Six months from now, when the nominations are announced on January 22 (coincidentally the one-year anniversary of Ledger’s death), if Ledger is not recognized for his role as The Joker, there will surely be an uproar — actually, Hollywood might just up and self-implode. I’m not the only one annoyed by all the Oscar buzz. Terry Gilliam, who directed Ledger in The Brothers Grimm and the upcoming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, is calling “bullshit” on the whole thing, particularly against Warner Bros., which Gilliam accuses of exploiting Ledger’s death and chance of a posthumous Oscar for publicity purposes. Considering most Oscar campaigns for live actors are really just part of movie marketing, he has a good point. Sure, I would love to see Ledger honored. I’ve believed in his Oscar worth since 10 Things I Hate About You . But in February, if he receives a posthumous award, it will surely feel, at least in good percentage, that it’s because he died young. In that case, why not also give supporting noms sight unseen to Rob Knox for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Brad Renfro for The Informers? Despite the more than 10 posthumous nominations in Oscar history, however, it’s not obligatory for the Academy to hand out such accolades every time someone dies before his final movie is released. Just check out the following list of talent who probably deserved posthumous Oscar recognition as much as Ledger does: Jean Vigo for L’Atalante - One of the greatest, most influential films of all time, L’Atalante premiered in France in 1934, a few months before Vigo died of tuberculosis at the age of 29. It eventually made its way to the U.S. 14 years later, just in time for the debut of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. And considering the first recipient, Vittorio De Sica (for Shoeshine), would win again two years later (for Bicycle Thieves), the Academy should have recognized Vigo’s film, even if it was more than a decade old. Unfortunately, it would be many decades before L’Atalante received the kind of esteem it deserves. James Dean for Rebel Without a Cause - Dean starred in only three feature films, one of which, East of Eden, was released prior to his death. He received posthumous Oscar nominations for that film and his final appearance in Giant, which came out a year later. But wouldn’t it have been wonderful if he’d also been nominated for his most iconic role in Rebel Without a Cause? Sure, he’d have posthumously gone up against himself in 1956, but that’s what movie gods like him were made to do. Richard Harris for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Not only should Harris have received a nomination, he should have won, too. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t the greatest performance by the actor, who’d previously been nominated for 1963’s This Sporting Life and 1990’s The Field. It’s that Harry Potter fans would have tuned in and saved that year’s telecast from being the least-watched in years. Just imagine how many people will be tuning in to next year’s show just because of the (inevitable) Ledger nom. Heather O’Rourke for Poltergeist III - I know that I’m only one of maybe three people who like the third Poltergeist movie, but even if you think the movie itself is bad, you have to give little Heather O’Rourke credit for being giving creepily terrific performances throughout the series. Compare her talent to some other young actresses who’ve been nominated. Especially Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine. And had she lived, she’d probably be a better actress today than Oscar-winner Anna Paquin. F.W. Murnau for Tabu - His Sunrise was pretty successful a few year earlier, at the 1st Academy Awards, but he wasn’t even nominated. In fact, the man who also gave us Nosferatu, Faust and The Last Laugh was never nominated for an Oscar, a fact that might have been different had the Oscars been founded a decade earlier or had he not died tragically in a car accident at age 43. I’m sure, at least, that Floyd Crosby, when winning for his cinematography work on Tabu, raised the statue to the sky and said, “this is for Murnau.” Peter Sellers for The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu - Whether or not you believe the Academy hates on comedic actors, you should agree that Sellers should have won an Oscar before he died. Or after he died. If he’d been nominated for this critical and commercial failure, though, it would of course have been one of those “he deserved it for ______, but this will do” kind of situtations. Stanley Kubrick for Eyes Wide Shut - If Scorsese can finally win with The Departed, Kubrick should have finally won posthumously with what is often thought of as his worst film. If anything, he at least deserved to be nominated instead of M. Night Shyamalan. Adrienne Shelly for Waitress - Didn’t it seem like a sure thing the writer-director-actress, Shelley, would get the nomination this year? Considering Diablo Cody had already (unofficially) won the actual Oscar before the nominations were even announced, could it have hurt to include the tragically murdered screenwriter? Or were there already too many ladies on the screenwriting ballot this year? Thelma Ritter for What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? - If ever there was a supporting actress who should have won an Oscar, Ritter was she. After six nominations (four of them consecutive), a posthumous seventh should have come with this movie (even if I’ve never personally seen it, I bet she’s great as usual). Unfortunately, the ballots were likely already in when she had her heart attack in February 1969. Also, she probably would have lost to Ruth Gordon anyway. Brandon Lee for The Crow - Laugh all you want, but in a crazy year that saw John Travolta recognized with a nomination and Tom Hanks recognized with a win for one of his silliest performances ever, would it have been so strange if the Academy had given Lee the slot filled by Morgan Freeman (obviously Oscar had little love for The Shawshank Redemption as it was)? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog Spout Post: Fans of Comic Books, Meet Fans of Dead Actors http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/3/28/26711.aspx

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/28/2008 1:00:53 PM
Body: There is so much going on these days in the marketing of The Dark Knight (see Chris Thilk’s most recent update/summary here), but Warner Bros. may be wasting a lot of time and money on its campaigns. If we’re to believe an AP story from yesterday, there’s already enough interest in the Batman Begins sequel coming from two separate directions: comic book fandom (”the magnitude of a comic-book franchise with an illustrious 70-year history”) and, of course, the cult of celebrity death (”arguably the biggest movie featuring a posthumous role in Hollywood history.”). The article highlights a number of posthumous film releases, including those of James Dean (Rebel Without a Cause and Giant), Spencer Tracy (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner), Will Rogers (Steamboat Round the Bend), Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon), his son, Brandon Lee (The Crow), John Candy (Canadian Bacon and Wagon’s East!), Natalie Wood (Brainstorm), Carole Lombard (To Be or Not to Be), Oliver Reed (Gladiator), Clark Gable (The Misfits) and Aaliyah, whose Queen of the Damned is implied to have only been successful on account of the singer/actress’ accidental demise. However, none of these performers, the article argues, had the benefit of having such a blockbuster swan song as a Batman movie (coupled with the Terry Gilliam movie, of course, but Ledger’s actual final film is considerably less anticipated and so may be less notable). So certainly Ledger will be winning the contest for Biggest Posthumous Box Office. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:00:53 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/28/2008 1:00:53 PMThere is so much going on these days in the marketing of The Dark Knight (see Chris Thilk’s most recent update/summary here), but Warner Bros. may be wasting a lot of time and money on its campaigns. If we’re to believe an AP story from yesterday, there’s already enough interest in the Batman Begins sequel coming from two separate directions: comic book fandom (”the magnitude of a comic-book franchise with an illustrious 70-year history”) and, of course, the cult of celebrity death (”arguably the biggest movie featuring a posthumous role in Hollywood history.”). The article highlights a number of posthumous film releases, including those of James Dean (Rebel Without a Cause and Giant), Spencer Tracy (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner), Will Rogers (Steamboat Round the Bend), Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon), his son, Brandon Lee (The Crow), John Candy (Canadian Bacon and Wagon’s East!), Natalie Wood (Brainstorm), Carole Lombard (To Be or Not to Be), Oliver Reed (Gladiator), Clark Gable (The Misfits) and Aaliyah, whose Queen of the Damned is implied to have only been successful on account of the singer/actress’ accidental demise. However, none of these performers, the article argues, had the benefit of having such a blockbuster swan song as a Batman movie (coupled with the Terry Gilliam movie, of course, but Ledger’s actual final film is considerably less anticipated and so may be less notable). So certainly Ledger will be winning the contest for Biggest Posthumous Box Office. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog Spout Post: Rebel Without a Cause on Reel 13 http://www.spout.com/blogs/jjgittes/archive/2008/2/4/24718.aspx

Post By: jjgittes
Post To: jjgittes Blog
Post Date: 2/4/2008 4:08:32 PM
Body: Every once and a while, a movie comes around that defines a generation. Easy Rider, All the President’s Men and The Breakfast Club are all examples (Does anyone have a sense of a film that defines the 90’s? I think in its own derivative and anti-linear way, Pulp Fiction was that film. Maybe American Beauty. Any thoughts? Or is it still too soon to tell?). I would argue, however, that no film better defines the generation it came from than Rebel Without a Cause, which aired last night on Reel 13. As a matter of fact, the cultural impact of the film as well as the legend of its star, James Dean, almost seem to overshadow what I was reminded of last night – what an artfully and skillfully crafted film it is. The first thing that struck me about Rebel upon rewatching it was the extraordinary richness of the color. Director Nicholas Ray was shooting in “Warner Color” (at the time, each studio was working with various labs to patent their own color process), but it’s more than just the film stock or processing. Much of the beauty of the color has to do with the choices Ray makes in terms of the wardrobe or the objects – the red of Natalie Wood’s overcoat in her first appearance, the colors in the observatory presentation, the yellow of an apron donned by Dean’s screen father, Jim Backus (a.k.a. Mr. Magoo), the mustard color of Sal Mineo’s wardrobe or the famous bright red coat Dean wears through much of the film. They all combine to create a beautiful palette worthy of paintings in the Louvre. The second thing that I noticed was consistently inspired framing and angles – and a lot of camera motion, which was not as prevalent in the period as it is today. Ray knows exactly when to be wide and just when a close up is called for. It seems as if he shot a lot more coverage than most directors of the period and used it to perfection. The scene where Wood and Dean are alone in the mansion is notable in the sense of how tightly the two of them are framed together in such a big house – as if they are the only two people in the world. Another example is during the first showdown at the observatory when the cool kids sit on Dean’s car while he looks on from overhead. A few times, Ray cuts to an extreme low angle shot with the cool kids in the foreground with Dean and Sal Mineo very small and high in the way background. An unusual shot to be sure, but effective and telling. Other unorthodox ideas Ray sets forth in the film include the occasional Dutch angle (shots off the standard axis) that he uses in moments of extreme crisis (the scene with Dean’s parents on the stairs and at the climax of the film). Ray has only recently been recognized as one of the era’s premiere auteurs and his ahead-of-his-time work in Rebel only cements that theory. The third thing I noticed was the incredible subversiveness of the film, particularly in regards to the potential promiscuity of Natalie Wood’s character (Judy) and the sexuality of Sal Mineo’s character (Plato). Neither of these subjects were dealt with head-on as they were taboo at the time, but Ray certainly plants the seeds with subtleties and a clever usage of the mise-en-scene. In the beginning, the police detective subtly hints at why Judy was picked up and her relationship with her father seems awfully unusual – even for the time period. As to Plato, Sal Mineo’s effemininity is one thing, but details like the picture of a male actor in his locker and the way he gazes at Dean throughout the film are strong clues as to the truth of Plato’s problems – he is not just a boy whose parents abandoned him – he is a young gay teen in a society and era that rejects homosexuality. What’s particularly interesting about how careful and hidden these subtexts are is that the film works hard to spell out the surface problems each of the characters have. At one point, Dean, who is still a high school student, theorizes that Plato was trying to make he and Judy his surrogate family (quite an analysis for a 17 year-old). These “surface” issues that the characters have are almost too easy and laid out for us that I wonder if the extent to which they offer analysis was in part to mask or draw attention away from the more subversive aspects to the film. If Ray is the brains behind the artistry of Rebel, James Dean is the heart and soul. As many of you know, he was a disciple of the Actors Studio in New York and their style of method acting, which was slowly permeating its way into the movies in the mid-50’s (Streetcar was the first major film that prominently featured this performance style). Out of his three films, East of Eden features the most method actors, Giant is about half and half and as a result is a weird hybrid film in terms of performance and Rebel puts Dean all alone on his method island – which in a way, fits the narrative. It almost seems as if he’s acting in a whole different movie. Wood is no match for him and is actually not very believable, particularly in her more emotional scenes. Similarly, Mineo’s old-school theatrical performance style seems particularly archaic when pitted with Dean. Actually, only consummate character actor Edward Platt (who always seems to be playing lawyers, cops or doctors) seems to be anywhere close to Dean’s level as the police psychologist Ray Fremick. With that said, Jim Backus (best known to most as Thurston Howell III on Gilligan’s Island) is extremely sweet in his role as Dean’s father. While he is by no means a naturalistic actor like Dean, his portrayal of weakness (read: spinelessness) is at times both bold and quite beautiful. Actors generally don’t like to play characters that are weak, but Backus manages to do it with layers and dignity.
]]>Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:08:32 GMTjjgittesjjgittes Blog2/4/2008 4:08:32 PMEvery once and a while, a movie comes around that defines a generation. Easy Rider, All the President’s Men and The Breakfast Club are all examples (Does anyone have a sense of a film that defines the 90’s? I think in its own derivative and anti-linear way, Pulp Fiction was that film. Maybe American Beauty. Any thoughts? Or is it still too soon to tell?). I would argue, however, that no film better defines the generation it came from than Rebel Without a Cause, which aired last night on Reel 13. As a matter of fact, the cultural impact of the film as well as the legend of its star, James Dean, almost seem to overshadow what I was reminded of last night – what an artfully and skillfully crafted film it is. The first thing that struck me about Rebel upon rewatching it was the extraordinary richness of the color. Director Nicholas Ray was shooting in “Warner Color” (at the time, each studio was working with various labs to patent their own color process), but it’s more than just the film stock or processing. Much of the beauty of the color has to do with the choices Ray makes in terms of the wardrobe or the objects – the red of Natalie Wood’s overcoat in her first appearance, the colors in the observatory presentation, the yellow of an apron donned by Dean’s screen father, Jim Backus (a.k.a. Mr. Magoo), the mustard color of Sal Mineo’s wardrobe or the famous bright red coat Dean wears through much of the film. They all combine to create a beautiful palette worthy of paintings in the Louvre. The second thing that I noticed was consistently inspired framing and angles – and a lot of camera motion, which was not as prevalent in the period as it is today. Ray knows exactly when to be wide and just when a close up is called for. It seems as if he shot a lot more coverage than most directors of the period and used it to perfection. The scene where Wood and Dean are alone in the mansion is notable in the sense of how tightly the two of them are framed together in such a big house – as if they are the only two people in the world. Another example is during the first showdown at the observatory when the cool kids sit on Dean’s car while he looks on from overhead. A few times, Ray cuts to an extreme low angle shot with the cool kids in the foreground with Dean and Sal Mineo very small and high in the way background. An unusual shot to be sure, but effective and telling. Other unorthodox ideas Ray sets forth in the film include the occasional Dutch angle (shots off the standard axis) that he uses in moments of extreme crisis (the scene with Dean’s parents on the stairs and at the climax of the film). Ray has only recently been recognized as one of the era’s premiere auteurs and his ahead-of-his-time work in Rebel only cements that theory. The third thing I noticed was the incredible subversiveness of the film, particularly in regards to the potential promiscuity of Natalie Wood’s character (Judy) and the sexuality of Sal Mineo’s character (Plato). Neither of these subjects were dealt with head-on as they were taboo at the time, but Ray certainly plants the seeds with subtleties and a clever usage of the mise-en-scene. In the beginning, the police detective subtly hints at why Judy was picked up and her relationship with her father seems awfully unusual – even for the time period. As to Plato, Sal Mineo’s effemininity is one thing, but details like the picture of a male actor in his locker and the way he gazes at Dean throughout the film are strong clues as to the truth of Plato’s problems – he is not just a boy whose parents abandoned him – he is a young gay teen in a society and era that rejects homosexuality. What’s particularly interesting about how careful and hidden these subtexts are is that the film works hard to spell out the surface problems each of the characters have. At one point, Dean, who is still a high school student, theorizes that Plato was trying to make he and Judy his surrogate family (quite an analysis for a 17 year-old). These “surface” issues that the characters have are almost too easy and laid out for us that I wonder if the extent to which they offer analysis was in part to mask or draw attention away from the more subversive aspects to the film. If Ray is the brains behind the artistry of Rebel, James Dean is the heart and soul. As many of you know, he was a disciple of the Actors Studio in New York and their style of method acting, which was slowly permeating its way into the movies in the mid-50’s (Streetcar was the first major film that prominently featured this performance style). Out of his three films, East of Eden features the most method actors, Giant is about half and half and as a result is a weird hybrid film in terms of performance and Rebel puts Dean all alone on his method island – which in a way, fits the narrative. It almost seems as if he’s acting in a whole different movie. Wood is no match for him and is actually not very believable, particularly in her more emotional scenes. Similarly, Mineo’s old-school theatrical performance style seems particularly archaic when pitted with Dean. Actually, only consummate character actor Edward Platt (who always seems to be playing lawyers, cops or doctors) seems to be anywhere close to Dean’s level as the police psychologist Ray Fremick. With that said, Jim Backus (best known to most as Thurston Howell III on Gilligan’s Island) is extremely sweet in his role as Dean’s father. While he is by no means a naturalistic actor like Dean, his portrayal of weakness (read: spinelessness) is at times both bold and quite beautiful. Actors generally don’t like to play characters that are weak, but Backus manages to do it with layers and dignity. Spout Post: James Dean Remembered http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2008/1/16/23958.aspx

Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 1/16/2008 1:21:06 PM
Body: James Dean RememberedThere's no Spout link for this movie. It was a television documentary from 1974 that was included on the bonus features DVD of the movie Rebel Without a Cause. I've never felt a much of an affinity for the 70s. I was born in 1981 so I missed it, and I'm kind of glad. Seeing this documentary turns me off to that era even more. Here we see such freaks as Peter Lawford, Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood and others recount James Dean. The James Dean obsession itself kind of makes me ill, but all of these personalities talking about him seem so flaky. I bet they all think they are so hip, and groovy, and real with it man. In the most sophisticated way of course. Yeesh.I didn't feel like I got too much information about Dean, nor did I care too much anyways. Watch it only for a strange time-warp experience if you aren't already watching lots of old videos from the 70s.Rating: 4/10
]]>Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:21:06 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog1/16/2008 1:21:06 PMJames Dean RememberedThere's no Spout link for this movie. It was a television documentary from 1974 that was included on the bonus features DVD of the movie Rebel Without a Cause. I've never felt a much of an affinity for the 70s. I was born in 1981 so I missed it, and I'm kind of glad. Seeing this documentary turns me off to that era even more. Here we see such freaks as Peter Lawford, Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood and others recount James Dean. The James Dean obsession itself kind of makes me ill, but all of these personalities talking about him seem so flaky. I bet they all think they are so hip, and groovy, and real with it man. In the most sophisticated way of course. Yeesh.I didn't feel like I got too much information about Dean, nor did I care too much anyways. Watch it only for a strange time-warp experience if you aren't already watching lots of old videos from the 70s.Rating: 4/10 Spout Post: movie year countdown #52 - 1955 - Rebel Without a Cause http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2008/1/14/23874.aspx

Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 1/14/2008 2:44:52 PM
Body: This blog entry is part of my “movie year countdown”. To read more about that check out my first Spout filmblog entry.Rebel Without a CauseI wonder what kind of iconic performances James Dean might have created beyond this if he had survived. His style was very loose, engaging, real, emotional, but very individual. What could he have evolved into?There's no question this role and performance were one of the most iconic in screen history. I was infatuated by Dean at times, but I haven't been converted into joining his cult following. And I think the movie overall is well done for what it is, but to me it can be rather corny.Interesting to get a few peeks of an early Dennis Hopper though.Rating: 7/10
]]>Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:44:52 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog1/14/2008 2:44:52 PMThis blog entry is part of my “movie year countdown”. To read more about that check out my first Spout filmblog entry.Rebel Without a CauseI wonder what kind of iconic performances James Dean might have created beyond this if he had survived. His style was very loose, engaging, real, emotional, but very individual. What could he have evolved into?There's no question this role and performance were one of the most iconic in screen history. I was infatuated by Dean at times, but I haven't been converted into joining his cult following. And I think the movie overall is well done for what it is, but to me it can be rather corny.Interesting to get a few peeks of an early Dennis Hopper though.Rating: 7/10 Spout Post: #59 On AFI's Best American Films http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/10/10/20585.aspx

Post By: JakeStevens
Post To: JakeStevens Blog
Post Date: 10/10/2007 3:01:53 PM
Body: I can't believe I've never seen a one of James Dean's film before tonight. AFI named this the 59th Best American Film and with good reason - Dean's face is expressive and malleable, and although some of the acting is overly melodramatic, the themes presented are universal and timeless. Jim Backus (best known as Thurston Howell III on TV's Gilligan's Island) is pathetically docile as Jim Stark's (Dean) father, and I love how disconsolate a picture is painted of 1960's nuclear family, particually in Natalie Wood's family's case. Great film - I'll have to own it one day...
]]>Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:01:53 GMTJakeStevensJakeStevens Blog10/10/2007 3:01:53 PMI can't believe I've never seen a one of James Dean's film before tonight. AFI named this the 59th Best American Film and with good reason - Dean's face is expressive and malleable, and although some of the acting is overly melodramatic, the themes presented are universal and timeless. Jim Backus (best known as Thurston Howell III on TV's Gilligan's Island) is pathetically docile as Jim Stark's (Dean) father, and I love how disconsolate a picture is painted of 1960's nuclear family, particually in Natalie Wood's family's case. Great film - I'll have to own it one day... Spout Post: Imitation of Angst : Gypsy 83 http://www.spout.com/blogs/jlgdrd/archive/2007/8/14/18033.aspx

Post By: jlgdrd
Post To: Wicked Fun
Post Date: 8/14/2007 3:09:00 AM
Body: Often there comes a time when a bad (or inept, or failed) movie will unwittingly tip its hand. It could be a piece of dialogue that encapsulates a central flaw, or it might be a device that functions as damage control. In Gypsy 83, it’s a chapter when Gypsy and Clive, en route to a singing competition in New York, spend an evening with a more or less retired singer, Bambi LeBleau (Karen Black). She is congenial, down-to-earth, unperturbed and dishonest only in the sense that she is trying to put a brave face on adversity. Black has been acting for at least thirty years now (Five Easy Pieces, Nashville, Easy Rider) and her screen presence and skill are so effortless that they too often go unnoticed. Her performance appears to infect Sara Rue (Gypsy) and Kett Turton (Clive) who seem completely different in this sequence, and outshines them in the rest of the film. She’s invested in the role, but experienced enough to trust her intuitions. When they decide to leave Bambi behind as if she were some kind of albatross, the irony could bring down a skyscraper. And you have to wonder if even the director, Todd Stephens, was in on the joke. Twenty minutes into Gypsy 83, watching Clive and Gypsy tape each other in a graveyard, chilling in Clive’s basement and shocking the bourgeoisie bumpkins in Sandusky, Ohio, I wanted to pull out my hair. It’s not that I couldn’t understand why they loved each other, spent all their time together, or sought refuge in Goth regalia. Living in a middle-class, Midwestern wasteland, I’m sure jet-black hair dye and purple eye shadow would provide a great sense of relief. But it all felt so contrived. So lame. When I compare it to other films where we’re asked to sympathize with outcasts and fringe dwellers or at least enjoy their anarchy, it rings hollow. In movies like Rumble Fish , Prey For Rock and Roll , Better Luck Tomorrow, even Rebel Without a Cause, we care about the protagonists, we understand their struggles, but we never feel sorry for them. When the Greasers kicked ass at the end of The Outsiders, you’d better believe I was cheering for them. I was yelling at the screen. Gypsy and Clive don’t even play out as antiheroes, they’re just a little too waiflike. To an excessive degree, Stephens doesn’t trust us to recognize their frailties without having them spelled out in dialogue. To let the camera convey meaning. Sara Rue’s best moments are when she’s singing, though I think making her a Stevie Nicks clone was a mistake. She’s confident and instinctive, and it’s truly pleasurable to listen to her gravelly, magnificent voice. The rest of the time her performance and Kett Turton’s feel just horribly forced. They look really good, but lack conviction. And frankly, I never thought a film of this sort could be so hokey. During their road trip to The Big Apple the two pick up an Amish hitchhiker (Anson Scoville) and he’s so stiff (not because he’s Amish but amateurish) that you get the impression Stephens chose him solely on pretty-boy appeal. In an early scene where Gypsy tells off a dowager, clearly intended to represent Decent Society, the movie just comes to a halt. The old woman’s speech sounds so flat and didactic. This may be in a sense accurate, but it’s bad writing, bad acting. The two women aren’t connecting with each other or the audience. It’s pretty sad when a film can’t incite animosity for a character we’re predisposed to hate. Gypsy 83 has all the earmarks of a project that looked good on paper. And it has the plot elements for good narrative: search for identity, the missing mother, coming clean, owning up, painful truths, escape to the shining Metropolis, the homoeroticism behind fraternities. Though, of course, the problem is less about content than execution. Stephens wastes numerous opportunities to dramatize what he pisses away on text. The film is 92 minutes long, but goes it on and on. There are plausible, impressive episodes like when Gypsy succumbs to fear at a karaoke contest, or Zechariah (Amish boy on the lam) spontaneously kisses Clive on the mouth, but unfortunately, these are rare. It’s unusual, I think, to find a low-budget, Independent film that seems so facile, so self-congratulatory. There’s no tension, no enhancement between the interpretive attitude of the filmmaker and the attitude of the actors. Such as it is. There isn’t a lot of steam behind Rue and Turton’s work. They don’t seem to be tapping into genuine passion or seething with it underneath. In a way it’s inexplicable, we see Clive and Gypsy at times of emotional upheaval; traumatic, humiliating, life-changing moments when we want to empathize, but there’s nothing to engage us. To pull us in. When we care less about the characters than we would for a Smurf.
]]>Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:09:00 GMTjlgdrdWicked Fun8/14/2007 3:09:00 AM Often there comes a time when a bad (or inept, or failed) movie will unwittingly tip its hand. It could be a piece of dialogue that encapsulates a central flaw, or it might be a device that functions as damage control. In Gypsy 83, it’s a chapter when Gypsy and Clive, en route to a singing competition in New York, spend an evening with a more or less retired singer, Bambi LeBleau (Karen Black). She is congenial, down-to-earth, unperturbed and dishonest only in the sense that she is trying to put a brave face on adversity. Black has been acting for at least thirty years now (Five Easy Pieces, Nashville, Easy Rider) and her screen presence and skill are so effortless that they too often go unnoticed. Her performance appears to infect Sara Rue (Gypsy) and Kett Turton (Clive) who seem completely different in this sequence, and outshines them in the rest of the film. She’s invested in the role, but experienced enough to trust her intuitions. When they decide to leave Bambi behind as if she were some kind of albatross, the irony could bring down a skyscraper. And you have to wonder if even the director, Todd Stephens, was in on the joke. Twenty minutes into Gypsy 83, watching Clive and Gypsy tape each other in a graveyard, chilling in Clive’s basement and shocking the bourgeoisie bumpkins in Sandusky, Ohio, I wanted to pull out my hair. It’s not that I couldn’t understand why they loved each other, spent all their time together, or sought refuge in Goth regalia. Living in a middle-class, Midwestern wasteland, I’m sure jet-black hair dye and purple eye shadow would provide a great sense of relief. But it all felt so contrived. So lame. When I compare it to other films where we’re asked to sympathize with outcasts and fringe dwellers or at least enjoy their anarchy, it rings hollow. In movies like Rumble Fish , Prey For Rock and Roll , Better Luck Tomorrow, even Rebel Without a Cause, we care about the protagonists, we understand their struggles, but we never feel sorry for them. When the Greasers kicked ass at the end of The Outsiders, you’d better believe I was cheering for them. I was yelling at the screen. Gypsy and Clive don’t even play out as antiheroes, they’re just a little too waiflike. To an excessive degree, Stephens doesn’t trust us to recognize their frailties without having them spelled out in dialogue. To let the camera convey meaning. Sara Rue’s best moments are when she’s singing, though I think making her a Stevie Nicks clone was a mistake. She’s confident and instinctive, and it’s truly pleasurable to listen to her gravelly, magnificent voice. The rest of the time her performance and Kett Turton’s feel just horribly forced. They look really good, but lack conviction. And frankly, I never thought a film of this sort could be so hokey. During their road trip to The Big Apple the two pick up an Amish hitchhiker (Anson Scoville) and he’s so stiff (not because he’s Amish but amateurish) that you get the impression Stephens chose him solely on pretty-boy appeal. In an early scene where Gypsy tells off a dowager, clearly intended to represent Decent Society, the movie just comes to a halt. The old woman’s speech sounds so flat and didactic. This may be in a sense accurate, but it’s bad writing, bad acting. The two women aren’t connecting with each other or the audience. It’s pretty sad when a film can’t incite animosity for a character we’re predisposed to hate. Gypsy 83 has all the earmarks of a project that looked good on paper. And it has the plot elements for good narrative: search for identity, the missing mother, coming clean, owning up, painful truths, escape to the shining Metropolis, the homoeroticism behind fraternities. Though, of course, the problem is less about content than execution. Stephens wastes numerous opportunities to dramatize what he pisses away on text. The film is 92 minutes long, but goes it on and on. There are plausible, impressive episodes like when Gypsy succumbs to fear at a karaoke contest, or Zechariah (Amish boy on the lam) spontaneously kisses Clive on the mouth, but unfortunately, these are rare. It’s unusual, I think, to find a low-budget, Independent film that seems so facile, so self-congratulatory. There’s no tension, no enhancement between the interpretive attitude of the filmmaker and the attitude of the actors. Such as it is. There isn’t a lot of steam behind Rue and Turton’s work. They don’t seem to be tapping into genuine passion or seething with it underneath. In a way it’s inexplicable, we see Clive and Gypsy at times of emotional upheaval; traumatic, humiliating, life-changing moments when we want to empathize, but there’s nothing to engage us. To pull us in. When we care less about the characters than we would for a Smurf. Spout Tag:love http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:28:29 GMT124783381480Tag Spout Tag:Classic http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
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