list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Big Sleep 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/The_Big_Sleep/3229/default.aspx Title: The Big Sleep
Year: 1946
Director: Howard Hawks
Plot: The definitive Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall vehicle, The Big Sleep casts Bogart as Raymond Chandler's cynical private eye Philip Marlowe. Summoned to the home of the fabulously wealthy General Sternwood (Charles Waldron), Marlowe is hired to deal with a blackmailer shaking down the General's sensuous, thumb-sucking daughter Carmen (Martha Vickers). This earns Marlowe the displeasure of Carmen's sloe-eyed, seemingly straight-laced older sister Vivian (Bacall), who is fiercely protective of her somewhat addled sibling. As he pursues the case at hand, Marlowe gets mixed up in the murder of Arthur Geiger (Theodore Von Eltz), a dealer in pornography. He also runs afoul of gambling-house proprietor Eddie Mars (John Ridgely), who seems to have some sort of hold over the enigmatic Vivian. Any further attempts to outline the plot would be futile: the storyline becomes so complicated and convoluted that even screenwriters William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, and Jules Furthmann were forced to consult Raymond Chandler for advice (he was as confused by the plot as the screenwriters). When originally prepared for release in 1945, The Big Sleep featured a long exposition scene featuring police detective Bernie Ohls (Regis Toomey) explaining the more obscure plot details. This expository scene was ultimately sacrificed, along with several others, in favor of building up Bacall's part; for instance, a climactic sequence was reshot to emphasize sexual electricity between Bogart and Bacall, obliging Warners to replace a supporting player who'd gone on to another project. The end result was one of the most famously baffling film noirs but also one of the most successful in sheer star power. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 18
Number of Lists: 39
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 12
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:57:28 GMTThe Big Sleep1946Howard HawksThe definitive <a href="/players/P_____7027/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Humphrey Bogart</a>/<a href="/players/P_____3116/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Lauren Bacall</a> vehicle, The Big Sleep casts Bogart as <a href="/players/P____84666/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Raymond Chandler</a>'s cynical private eye Philip Marlowe. Summoned to the home of the fabulously wealthy General Sternwood (<a href="/players/P___226618/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Charles Waldron</a>), Marlowe is hired to deal with a blackmailer shaking down the General's sensuous, thumb-sucking daughter Carmen (<a href="/players/P____44333/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Martha Vickers</a>). This earns Marlowe the displeasure of Carmen's sloe-eyed, seemingly straight-laced older sister Vivian (Bacall), who is fiercely protective of her somewhat addled sibling. As he pursues the case at hand, Marlowe gets mixed up in the murder of Arthur Geiger (<a href="/players/P____73845/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Theodore Von Eltz</a>), a dealer in pornography. He also runs afoul of gambling-house proprietor Eddie Mars (<a href="/players/P____60187/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Ridgely</a>), who seems to have some sort of hold over the enigmatic Vivian. Any further attempts to outline the plot would be futile: the storyline becomes so complicated and convoluted that even screenwriters <a href="/players/P____89444/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>William Faulkner</a>, <a href="/players/P____82718/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Leigh Brackett</a>, and Jules Furthmann were forced to consult <a href="/players/P____84666/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Raymond Chandler</a> for advice (he was as confused by the plot as the screenwriters). When originally prepared for release in 1945, The Big Sleep featured a long exposition scene featuring police detective Bernie Ohls (<a href="/players/P____71342/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Regis Toomey</a>) explaining the more obscure plot details. This expository scene was ultimately sacrificed, along with several others, in favor of building up Bacall's part; for instance, a climactic sequence was reshot to emphasize sexual electricity between Bogart and Bacall, obliging Warners to replace a supporting player who'd gone on to another project. The end result was one of the most famously baffling film noirs but also one of the most successful in sheer star power. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide18Tag Target (>10)396124http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t79633m8f3z.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Big_Sleep/3229/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_July_27_Games_of_Chance/625/43299/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/28/2009 9:57:28 PM
Body: We're throwing caution to the wind and hoping for a windfall this week. There's a reason Las Vegas is such a popular destination: the strippers and all you can eat buffets are a distant second to the lure of taking a chance on the endless stream of slot machines, roulette wheels and poker tables where a single stroke of luck can bring you unimaginable riches (or at least pay for a go at the buffet later). I've always loved those smokey gambling dens of iniquity where the liquor is cheap and so are the woman such as those in The Big Sleep, Gilda, and Dick Tracy. The dangerous illegal gambles where life is on the line are also rather intriguing like in the inconceivably funny The Princess Bride, ultra realistic Intacto and historical accurate Barry Lyndon. Recently I've taken a liking to Texas Hold'em and movies such as Rounders, Ocean's 11, Casino Royale and My Blueberry Nights do the game justice (with losers like Lucky You and All In making a mockery of it). So what other movies are there about gambling / games of chance?
]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:57:28 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme7/28/2009 9:57:28 PMWe're throwing caution to the wind and hoping for a windfall this week. There's a reason Las Vegas is such a popular destination: the strippers and all you can eat buffets are a distant second to the lure of taking a chance on the endless stream of slot machines, roulette wheels and poker tables where a single stroke of luck can bring you unimaginable riches (or at least pay for a go at the buffet later). I've always loved those smokey gambling dens of iniquity where the liquor is cheap and so are the woman such as those in The Big Sleep, Gilda, and Dick Tracy. The dangerous illegal gambles where life is on the line are also rather intriguing like in the inconceivably funny The Princess Bride, ultra realistic Intacto and historical accurate Barry Lyndon. Recently I've taken a liking to Texas Hold'em and movies such as Rounders, Ocean's 11, Casino Royale and My Blueberry Nights do the game justice (with losers like Lucky You and All In making a mockery of it). So what other movies are there about gambling / games of chance? http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_May_4_Express_Yourself/625/42043/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 5/5/2009 4:33:09 PM
Body: M is probably the film that stands out as one of the great Expressionist films made. It's such a creative, thrilling film; something which surprised me when I first saw it years ago as I hadn't seen too many films pre-1950 and those that I had I couldn't really get a feeling for. Some of the noir films that I have loved and which embrace a certain amount of Expressionistic ideas are The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, Gilda and Sunset Boulevard. Hitchcock utilized Expressionist techniques in pretty much all of his films: Psycho and Vertigo being my favorite. Aside from Batman and Batman Returns, which I LOVE, Dark City is another recent film that tried to recapture the overall feeling of an authentic German Expressionist film. Saving the best for last: Nosferatu. I just can't get enough of this movie and it gives me the willies every time I watch it. As I'm sure everyone who watches it describes it, it is hauntingly beautiful. Like M, the filmmaker combined such startling techniques with an interesting story and their power has not diminished in the decades since their initial release.
]]>Tue, 05 May 2009 20:33:09 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme5/5/2009 4:33:09 PMM is probably the film that stands out as one of the great Expressionist films made. It's such a creative, thrilling film; something which surprised me when I first saw it years ago as I hadn't seen too many films pre-1950 and those that I had I couldn't really get a feeling for. Some of the noir films that I have loved and which embrace a certain amount of Expressionistic ideas are The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, Gilda and Sunset Boulevard. Hitchcock utilized Expressionist techniques in pretty much all of his films: Psycho and Vertigo being my favorite. Aside from Batman and Batman Returns, which I LOVE, Dark City is another recent film that tried to recapture the overall feeling of an authentic German Expressionist film. Saving the best for last: Nosferatu. I just can't get enough of this movie and it gives me the willies every time I watch it. As I'm sure everyone who watches it describes it, it is hauntingly beautiful. Like M, the filmmaker combined such startling techniques with an interesting story and their power has not diminished in the decades since their initial release. 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/groups/Sundance/10_Worst_Sundance_Sensations/532/39566/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Sundance
Post Date: 1/15/2009 2:34:28 PM
Body: Reading Chris Campbell's 10 Worst Sundance Sensations is sort of like listening to someone bash your old friends. My affection for some of these films makes it hard to say whether I agree with any of his picks, which include Napoleon Dynamite, Garden State, and Brick. I can't argue with someone who says Napoleon Dynamite isn't funny, but I will argue with Chris when he says "Napoleon Dynamite is not comedy. It is merely quirky, which is not the same thing as funny." I don't mean to sound like a philosophy undergrad, but you asked for it, Chris: what is "funny"? He made me smile when he called Garden State a "homecoming of age" movie that spawned a hundred like it. Get this, though: "Any idiot can write a script of this type and fill it with quirky scenery and an obnoxious yet adorable love interest." Obviously Chris knows a lot of talented idiots. I appreciated his writing about Brick, especially the part where he says "Who wouldn't rather watch a double feature of The Big Sleep and Heathers?" Then I thought, 'I liked Brick. I thought it was gritty and exciting. How is Chris changing my mind when he's not even explaining why the movie is bad?' But maybe Chris's oldest selections are a good indicator of his judgment? I haven't seen Boxing Helena (1993) or The Brothers McMullen (1995), and I didn't even know Ed Burns was a writer/director! One of my coworkers just told me Burns was a really 'in vogue' filmmaker for a while. What do you guys think, are Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), and Zack Braff along the same lines? In another ten years, will people be saying, "I didn't know Zack Braff was a writer/director!"
]]>Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:34:28 GMTSkyPilotSundance1/15/2009 2:34:28 PMReading Chris Campbell's 10 Worst Sundance Sensations is sort of like listening to someone bash your old friends. My affection for some of these films makes it hard to say whether I agree with any of his picks, which include Napoleon Dynamite, Garden State, and Brick. I can't argue with someone who says Napoleon Dynamite isn't funny, but I will argue with Chris when he says "Napoleon Dynamite is not comedy. It is merely quirky, which is not the same thing as funny." I don't mean to sound like a philosophy undergrad, but you asked for it, Chris: what is "funny"? He made me smile when he called Garden State a "homecoming of age" movie that spawned a hundred like it. Get this, though: "Any idiot can write a script of this type and fill it with quirky scenery and an obnoxious yet adorable love interest." Obviously Chris knows a lot of talented idiots. I appreciated his writing about Brick, especially the part where he says "Who wouldn't rather watch a double feature of The Big Sleep and Heathers?" Then I thought, 'I liked Brick. I thought it was gritty and exciting. How is Chris changing my mind when he's not even explaining why the movie is bad?' But maybe Chris's oldest selections are a good indicator of his judgment? I haven't seen Boxing Helena (1993) or The Brothers McMullen (1995), and I didn't even know Ed Burns was a writer/director! One of my coworkers just told me Burns was a really 'in vogue' filmmaker for a while. What do you guys think, are Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), and Zack Braff along the same lines? In another ten years, will people be saying, "I didn't know Zack Braff was a writer/director!" http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/13/39472.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/13/2009 5:01:36 PM
Body: Getting ready for the Sundance Film Festival can be very exciting. As we await the event’s Thursday opening, we can’t stop wondering what will be the next big thing. Will this year’s hit be the highly-anticipated Michael Cera project Paper Hearts, or will it be something that we as of yet know nothing about? It’s easy to forget, however, that oftentimes the next big thing is also the next lamest thing. Sundance sensations, those films that are much-buzzed-about, that sell for a lot of money, that go on to be marketed like crazy and ultimately receive Oscar recognition, tend to lend themselves most easily to backlashes. Usually such derision is deserved, as in the case of the following ten films, each of which made a big splash at Sundance despite being bad. 10. Brick (Rian Johnson; 2005 Sundance premiere) When Blade Runner was first released, critics attacked its novelty of combining film noir with science fiction. Yet when Brick arrived in Park City, its similar genre-bending mix of film noir and teen films was welcomed as the most original film in years. In both circumstances, critics were wrong, and while Blade Runner ultimately became a classic, Brick is retrospectively even sillier now than it was when it won a Special Jury Prize “for originality of vision” four years ago. Yes, the film is a fresh idea in theory, but it doesn’t really work on screen, no matter how much you want it to or think it does. It’s simply a novelty gag for film geeks who love noir — while not quite as enjoyable for fans of the teen genre. Is there really anyone who wouldn’t just rather watch a double feature of The Big Sleep and Heathers? 9. Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris; 2006 Sundance premiere) Never mind its impact on the culture of Sundance. The annoying “what will be the next Little Miss Sunshine?” idea was just a substitute for similar questions going back as far as 1990 (“what will be the next sex, lies, and videotape?”). The real problem with LMS is that it’s a decent dysfunctional family comedy that falls apart in the third act. On the positive side, it finally got Alan Arkin an Oscar. But on the more glaring negative side, it also got Abigail Breslin an Oscar nomination. Hardly worthy, also, of its Best Picture nod or its Best Original Screenplay win, the film’s success is the product of a terrific marketing team and moviegoers’ acceptance of cheesy endings — and has nothing to do with the quality of the film. 8. The Brothers McMullen (Edward Burns; 1995 Sundance premiere) While the name Fox Searchlight is now synonymous with marketing the hell out of “indie” sensations like Little Miss Sunshine, Juno and Slumdog Millionaire, the specialty division has been overdoing it with unworthy films since the very first Sundance hit they distributed. The Brothers McMullen is not necessarily a bad film, but it isn’t anything special either. Some say the 1995 fest was the downward turning point for Sundance, whether because it showed us a major “sellout” who wasn’t actually as good as he’d been celebrated as being (Kevin Smith, who disappointed with his sophomore effort, Mallrats) or because a lackluster picture like McMullen won the Grand Jury Prize. And like Smith, Edward Burns ultimately revealed himself to be something of an embarrassment, talent-wise, to the reputation of Sundance alums. 7. Garden State (Zach Braff; 2004 Sundance premiere) 2004 was the year that indie quirkiness got out of hand at Sundance (see #3). Sure, Garden State got us all into The Shins, but it also got filmmakers too into a genre I call “homecoming of age” movies, those banal stories about twenty- and thirty- somethings who revisit their homes due to a dying or dead parent and involve themselves with wacky townies in the process. Any idiot can write a script of this type and fill it with quirky scenery and an obnoxious yet adorable love interest. Sundance must still be getting countless submissions of this kind of film, but unfortunately for the rest of the world’s idiot filmmakers, they aren’t TV stars like Zach Braff. 6. SherryBaby (Laurie Collyer; 2006 Sundance premiere) Sundance has long been a haven for depressing films involving junkies and/or incest, but few have been as overrated as SherryBaby. Once again, it’s all about the star power, as the film might not have been so hyped had Maggie Gyllenhaal not been in the lead. Then again, it might have actually been a better film without her. Grandly over-praised for her performance as the easily played rehabilitating mom, the actress got undeserved kudos simply for being raw and despicable. Her Oscar snub was a relief, at least. 5. Born Into Brothels (Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman; 2004 Sundance premiere) It may have won the documentary Audience Award at Sundance and the documentary Oscar a year later, but that doesn’t excuse Born Into Brothels from being a disgrace to nonfiction filmmaking. One of the most self-satisfying docs ever made, the film will forever be marked by its footage of co-director Zana Briski figuratively patting herself on the back during a fundraiser, with which she sinfully seeks sainthood for involving herself in the lives of her film’s subjects. If documentary was synonymous with charity, Born Into Brothels would indeed be a great film, but documentaries like this should merely be an inspiration to charity, not charity itself. 4. Masked and Anonymous (Larry Charles; 2003 Sundance premiere) One of the most anticipated films of the 2003 festival due to a script co-written by Bob Dylan and an unbelievable cast including Dylan, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Penelope Cruz, Ed Harris, Luke Wilson, Mickey Rourke, Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange and many other big names, the very messy Masked and Anonymous therefore ended up the biggest disappointment of that year. Its worth was later defended and praised by such critics as Jonathan Rosenbaum, who included it in his 2003 Top Ten list, and Salon.com’s Stephanie Zacharek. But most of us are in agreement that it’s one of the biggest wastes of talent in years. 3. Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess; 2004 Sundance premiere) Napoleon Dynamite’s inclusion on this list is likely to upset more people than Brick’s, but at least the Brick devotees can defend their fandom with more than just shouts of “It’s funny!” Because the thing is, Napoleon Dynamite is not comedy. It is merely quirky, which is not the same thing as funny. Jared Hess’ pop culture phenomenon does feature some highly original characters and situations, but his execution of these elements is obvious and uninteresting. “Gosh!” is neither a good punchline nor a good catchphrase. 2. The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez; 1999 Sundance premiere) It must be appreciated as much as attacked for its groundbreaking marketing campaign, and in many ways the film itself can be acknowledged for having a terrific premise with an almost perfect realization of that idea. But for the most part, The Blair Witch Project is a basic, amateur and poorly concluded effort that turned the appeal of indie simplicity on its head. Almost a decade earlier, when filmmakers saw Slacker and said “I can do that,” they were mostly mistaken. But The Blair Witch allowed every schmo with a digital camera to declare, “I can do that,” and be relatively correct in his or her statement. It’s okay for indie filmmaking to seem easy, but when it really is that easy, it degrades the truly talented. 1. Boxing Helena (Jennifer Lynch; 1993 Sundance premiere) Cult appeal notwithstanding, Boxing Helena was one of the first really awful movies to be up for Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize. And although in the 17 years since, the festival has been easily criticized for allowing bad films with lots of buzz and/or big name talent to be included in competition, no film has been as unworthy as this. Had it starred original choice Madonna in the part of the titular amputee, Boxing Helena might have really deserved to at least become a midnight movie. However, with its lesser-name casting, it’s barely even good enough for Skinamax programming. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:01:36 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/13/2009 5:01:36 PMGetting ready for the Sundance Film Festival can be very exciting. As we await the event’s Thursday opening, we can’t stop wondering what will be the next big thing. Will this year’s hit be the highly-anticipated Michael Cera project Paper Hearts, or will it be something that we as of yet know nothing about? It’s easy to forget, however, that oftentimes the next big thing is also the next lamest thing. Sundance sensations, those films that are much-buzzed-about, that sell for a lot of money, that go on to be marketed like crazy and ultimately receive Oscar recognition, tend to lend themselves most easily to backlashes. Usually such derision is deserved, as in the case of the following ten films, each of which made a big splash at Sundance despite being bad. 10. Brick (Rian Johnson; 2005 Sundance premiere) When Blade Runner was first released, critics attacked its novelty of combining film noir with science fiction. Yet when Brick arrived in Park City, its similar genre-bending mix of film noir and teen films was welcomed as the most original film in years. In both circumstances, critics were wrong, and while Blade Runner ultimately became a classic, Brick is retrospectively even sillier now than it was when it won a Special Jury Prize “for originality of vision” four years ago. Yes, the film is a fresh idea in theory, but it doesn’t really work on screen, no matter how much you want it to or think it does. It’s simply a novelty gag for film geeks who love noir — while not quite as enjoyable for fans of the teen genre. Is there really anyone who wouldn’t just rather watch a double feature of The Big Sleep and Heathers? 9. Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris; 2006 Sundance premiere) Never mind its impact on the culture of Sundance. The annoying “what will be the next Little Miss Sunshine?” idea was just a substitute for similar questions going back as far as 1990 (“what will be the next sex, lies, and videotape?”). The real problem with LMS is that it’s a decent dysfunctional family comedy that falls apart in the third act. On the positive side, it finally got Alan Arkin an Oscar. But on the more glaring negative side, it also got Abigail Breslin an Oscar nomination. Hardly worthy, also, of its Best Picture nod or its Best Original Screenplay win, the film’s success is the product of a terrific marketing team and moviegoers’ acceptance of cheesy endings — and has nothing to do with the quality of the film. 8. The Brothers McMullen (Edward Burns; 1995 Sundance premiere) While the name Fox Searchlight is now synonymous with marketing the hell out of “indie” sensations like Little Miss Sunshine, Juno and Slumdog Millionaire, the specialty division has been overdoing it with unworthy films since the very first Sundance hit they distributed. The Brothers McMullen is not necessarily a bad film, but it isn’t anything special either. Some say the 1995 fest was the downward turning point for Sundance, whether because it showed us a major “sellout” who wasn’t actually as good as he’d been celebrated as being (Kevin Smith, who disappointed with his sophomore effort, Mallrats) or because a lackluster picture like McMullen won the Grand Jury Prize. And like Smith, Edward Burns ultimately revealed himself to be something of an embarrassment, talent-wise, to the reputation of Sundance alums. 7. Garden State (Zach Braff; 2004 Sundance premiere) 2004 was the year that indie quirkiness got out of hand at Sundance (see #3). Sure, Garden State got us all into The Shins, but it also got filmmakers too into a genre I call “homecoming of age” movies, those banal stories about twenty- and thirty- somethings who revisit their homes due to a dying or dead parent and involve themselves with wacky townies in the process. Any idiot can write a script of this type and fill it with quirky scenery and an obnoxious yet adorable love interest. Sundance must still be getting countless submissions of this kind of film, but unfortunately for the rest of the world’s idiot filmmakers, they aren’t TV stars like Zach Braff. 6. SherryBaby (Laurie Collyer; 2006 Sundance premiere) Sundance has long been a haven for depressing films involving junkies and/or incest, but few have been as overrated as SherryBaby. Once again, it’s all about the star power, as the film might not have been so hyped had Maggie Gyllenhaal not been in the lead. Then again, it might have actually been a better film without her. Grandly over-praised for her performance as the easily played rehabilitating mom, the actress got undeserved kudos simply for being raw and despicable. Her Oscar snub was a relief, at least. 5. Born Into Brothels (Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman; 2004 Sundance premiere) It may have won the documentary Audience Award at Sundance and the documentary Oscar a year later, but that doesn’t excuse Born Into Brothels from being a disgrace to nonfiction filmmaking. One of the most self-satisfying docs ever made, the film will forever be marked by its footage of co-director Zana Briski figuratively patting herself on the back during a fundraiser, with which she sinfully seeks sainthood for involving herself in the lives of her film’s subjects. If documentary was synonymous with charity, Born Into Brothels would indeed be a great film, but documentaries like this should merely be an inspiration to charity, not charity itself. 4. Masked and Anonymous (Larry Charles; 2003 Sundance premiere) One of the most anticipated films of the 2003 festival due to a script co-written by Bob Dylan and an unbelievable cast including Dylan, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Penelope Cruz, Ed Harris, Luke Wilson, Mickey Rourke, Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange and many other big names, the very messy Masked and Anonymous therefore ended up the biggest disappointment of that year. Its worth was later defended and praised by such critics as Jonathan Rosenbaum, who included it in his 2003 Top Ten list, and Salon.com’s Stephanie Zacharek. But most of us are in agreement that it’s one of the biggest wastes of talent in years. 3. Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess; 2004 Sundance premiere) Napoleon Dynamite’s inclusion on this list is likely to upset more people than Brick’s, but at least the Brick devotees can defend their fandom with more than just shouts of “It’s funny!” Because the thing is, Napoleon Dynamite is not comedy. It is merely quirky, which is not the same thing as funny. Jared Hess’ pop culture phenomenon does feature some highly original characters and situations, but his execution of these elements is obvious and uninteresting. “Gosh!” is neither a good punchline nor a good catchphrase. 2. The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez; 1999 Sundance premiere) It must be appreciated as much as attacked for its groundbreaking marketing campaign, and in many ways the film itself can be acknowledged for having a terrific premise with an almost perfect realization of that idea. But for the most part, The Blair Witch Project is a basic, amateur and poorly concluded effort that turned the appeal of indie simplicity on its head. Almost a decade earlier, when filmmakers saw Slacker and said “I can do that,” they were mostly mistaken. But The Blair Witch allowed every schmo with a digital camera to declare, “I can do that,” and be relatively correct in his or her statement. It’s okay for indie filmmaking to seem easy, but when it really is that easy, it degrades the truly talented. 1. Boxing Helena (Jennifer Lynch; 1993 Sundance premiere) Cult appeal notwithstanding, Boxing Helena was one of the first really awful movies to be up for Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize. And although in the 17 years since, the festival has been easily criticized for allowing bad films with lots of buzz and/or big name talent to be included in competition, no film has been as unworthy as this. Had it starred original choice Madonna in the part of the titular amputee, Boxing Helena might have really deserved to at least become a midnight movie. However, with its lesser-name casting, it’s barely even good enough for Skinamax programming. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Need_more_Noir/643/39308/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 1/9/2009 12:06:52 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="Risselada"] I've seen all of these except for Fury, and they are all fantastic!! You MUST see these: Born to Kill Murder, My Sweet Out of the Past And these are also highly recommended and are all listed as film-noir on IMDB (for what it's worth): Sunset Blvd. The Big Sleep White Heat The Night of the Hunter Strangers on a Train The Third Man The Maltese Falcon And if you liked Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street you should check out another one of my favorites from him, Shock Corridor. [/quote] Thank you thank you, the only ones of these I've seen were Night of the Hunter, - which had a pretty dark story but I really didn't like that it was all done in a studio. And Third Man was pretty incredible. I haven't seen The Big Sleep, but I have seen The Big Heat (Fritz Lang) which was the one I was actually trying to think of when I mentioned Fury. I think Fury would actually probably be considered pre-noir. I've kinda been on a Sam Fuller kick ever since I watch Shock Corridor earlier this year. I friggin' loved that one. I just got White Dog in the mail the other day but I haven't watched it yet. [/quote] Yeah, if you see any of them, especially one of the first three, I'm excited to hear what you think! Let me know how White Dog goes.
]]>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:06:52 GMTRisseladaCommunity Recommendations1/9/2009 12:06:52 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="Risselada"] I've seen all of these except for Fury, and they are all fantastic!! You MUST see these: Born to Kill Murder, My Sweet Out of the Past And these are also highly recommended and are all listed as film-noir on IMDB (for what it's worth): Sunset Blvd. The Big Sleep White Heat The Night of the Hunter Strangers on a Train The Third Man The Maltese Falcon And if you liked Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street you should check out another one of my favorites from him, Shock Corridor. [/quote] Thank you thank you, the only ones of these I've seen were Night of the Hunter, - which had a pretty dark story but I really didn't like that it was all done in a studio. And Third Man was pretty incredible. I haven't seen The Big Sleep, but I have seen The Big Heat (Fritz Lang) which was the one I was actually trying to think of when I mentioned Fury. I think Fury would actually probably be considered pre-noir. I've kinda been on a Sam Fuller kick ever since I watch Shock Corridor earlier this year. I friggin' loved that one. I just got White Dog in the mail the other day but I haven't watched it yet. [/quote] Yeah, if you see any of them, especially one of the first three, I'm excited to hear what you think! Let me know how White Dog goes. http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Need_more_Noir/643/39294/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 1/8/2009 10:47:21 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] I've seen all of these except for Fury, and they are all fantastic!! You MUST see these: Born to Kill Murder, My Sweet Out of the Past And these are also highly recommended and are all listed as film-noir on IMDB (for what it's worth): Sunset Blvd. The Big Sleep White Heat The Night of the Hunter Strangers on a Train The Third Man The Maltese Falcon And if you liked Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street you should check out another one of my favorites from him, Shock Corridor. [/quote] Thank you thank you, the only ones of these I've seen were Night of the Hunter, - which had a pretty dark story but I really didn't like that it was all done in a studio. And Third Man was pretty incredible. I haven't seen The Big Sleep, but I have seen The Big Heat (Fritz Lang) which was the one I was actually trying to think of when I mentioned Fury. I think Fury would actually probably be considered pre-noir. I've kinda been on a Sam Fuller kick ever since I watch Shock Corridor earlier this year. I friggin' loved that one. I just got White Dog in the mail the other day but I haven't watched it yet.
]]>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:47:21 GMTleeroy711Community Recommendations1/8/2009 10:47:21 PM[quote user="Risselada"] I've seen all of these except for Fury, and they are all fantastic!! You MUST see these: Born to Kill Murder, My Sweet Out of the Past And these are also highly recommended and are all listed as film-noir on IMDB (for what it's worth): Sunset Blvd. The Big Sleep White Heat The Night of the Hunter Strangers on a Train The Third Man The Maltese Falcon And if you liked Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street you should check out another one of my favorites from him, Shock Corridor. [/quote] Thank you thank you, the only ones of these I've seen were Night of the Hunter, - which had a pretty dark story but I really didn't like that it was all done in a studio. And Third Man was pretty incredible. I haven't seen The Big Sleep, but I have seen The Big Heat (Fritz Lang) which was the one I was actually trying to think of when I mentioned Fury. I think Fury would actually probably be considered pre-noir. I've kinda been on a Sam Fuller kick ever since I watch Shock Corridor earlier this year. I friggin' loved that one. I just got White Dog in the mail the other day but I haven't watched it yet. http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Need_more_Noir/643/39286/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 1/8/2009 6:53:11 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] I feel like I've recently re-discovered the noir genre. I just watched The Killing last night and I loved it. As with Fuller's Pickup on South Street. I had previously been a fan of Fritz Lang's older German movies, but now I've seen Fury and I need to see more of his American stuff. And after watching Touch of Evil, I can't understand why Citizen Kane is known as Orson Welle's best work.. I mean c'mon....!!! Charlton Heston just grows a mustache and presto!!! He's a Mexican. You can't beat that! Anyways what are some of the films I'm missing?? [/quote] I've seen all of these except for Fury, and they are all fantastic!! You MUST see these: Born to Kill Murder, My Sweet Out of the Past And these are also highly recommended and are all listed as film-noir on IMDB (for what it's worth): Sunset Blvd. The Big Sleep White Heat The Night of the Hunter Strangers on a Train The Third Man The Maltese Falcon And if you liked Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street you should check out another one of my favorites from him, Shock Corridor.
]]>Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:53:11 GMTRisseladaCommunity Recommendations1/8/2009 6:53:11 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] I feel like I've recently re-discovered the noir genre. I just watched The Killing last night and I loved it. As with Fuller's Pickup on South Street. I had previously been a fan of Fritz Lang's older German movies, but now I've seen Fury and I need to see more of his American stuff. And after watching Touch of Evil, I can't understand why Citizen Kane is known as Orson Welle's best work.. I mean c'mon....!!! Charlton Heston just grows a mustache and presto!!! He's a Mexican. You can't beat that! Anyways what are some of the films I'm missing?? [/quote] I've seen all of these except for Fury, and they are all fantastic!! You MUST see these: Born to Kill Murder, My Sweet Out of the Past And these are also highly recommended and are all listed as film-noir on IMDB (for what it's worth): Sunset Blvd. The Big Sleep White Heat The Night of the Hunter Strangers on a Train The Third Man The Maltese Falcon And if you liked Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street you should check out another one of my favorites from him, Shock Corridor. http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_A_new_pack_of_RESERVOIR_DOGS_1992/563/32750/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: theunemployedshortstop
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 7/18/2008 9:44:33 PM
Body: The Epic Tale of "The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge." The Conceit: Due to a trans-dimensional rift caused by the AWESOMENESS of the Inglorious Bastards screenplay Quentin Tarantino is able to jump into a dimension where the world is perpetually in the early fifties. The impish auteur (also great collaborator) is eager to see what some of his favorite directors and writers would do with his material. He gives a vague outline of Reservoir Dogs to Carl Foreman. Bitter over the HUAC hearings of 1947, Forman takes the idea of the mole cop and turns it into a commentary on witch hunting (like the Crucible set in the American West… with action and no weeping, whining, or three hour yawn-fest… just kidding). Production: The studio loved the concept and saw Anthony Mann as the director. His surprising presentation of the morally grey double agents in T – Men and his success as a visual director of both noir and westerns would yield a fantastic visual motif. Foreman set the film in an abandoned camp… rumored to have once been a lush valley, the area is now a barren gorge of salt (Hence Gomorrah Gorge though the studio would want to back off of this title… hence the title of Guthrie's song). Mann shot the film in the Colombia River Gorge and the surrounding desert like region of Eastern Washington. It was more visually arresting than the Rocky Mountain back drop of The Naked Spur. Rewrites: Leigh Brackett (script doctor supreme: The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Empire Strikes Back) is hired to tone down the political commentary and add some sex appeal. Miss Brackett split the role of Nice Guy Eddy (now Cow Puncher Bob) into two roles: Two siblings competing for their father's approval (much like Duel in the Sun) Cow Puncher Bob, a slick but incompetent rustler, and Grifter Gurdy, modeled after Lauren Bacall's con women / gambler characters from To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep. The love triangle between Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy pleased the studio (however they were angered when they saw Anthony Mann's finished product because of the homosexual overtones that Clift brought out in the mentor relationship between Cub and Timber Wolf). Casting: Gary Cooper as Mr. White/ Timber Wolf: Cooper's leadership and bravery in taking a role that John Wayne thought was un-American is stellar, comparable only to his work on High Noon. Cooper's earnest desire to save the dying "Cub" is palpable. And his seeming asexuality highlights Clift's subversive performance. Montgomery Clift as Mr. Orange / Cub: Mann chose Clift because of the actor's work in Red River. His youth and energy light up as the conflicted double agent. And the women love him in those chaps (this is why the studio eventually shelved the film, which was never to see the light of day) Jack Palance as Mr. Blonde / Coyote: Actor Alan Ladd happened to see the dailies of The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge before the studio locked them away. The star was so impressed by Palance's cool contained rage that he forced Shane director George Stevens to put Palance on the short list for the role of Jack Wilson. The rest, as they say, is history Denis O'Keefe / Loren Bacall as Nice Guy Eddy / Cow Puncher Bob / Grifter Gurdy: O'Keefe's star had fallen a bit after poor reviews of Mann's Raw Deal. Mann liked to see the suave actor portray slick con men (part of his role in T – Men) so he snuck him into the film despite argument from the studio. Bacall was obvious due to Brackett's revisions, however Jennifer Jones was considered until Mann saw and disliked her in King Vidor's Duel in the Sun. Dean Martin as Mr. Pink / Skunk: Martin was originally offered the role of Coyote. Mann thought his cool domineer would create great contrast between the perception of the character and his violent actions. Dean Martin's record label was afraid that their star was being derogatively stereotyped… an Italian in the role of an evil thief, gangster and ear removing murderer (though Frank thought it would be o.k.). Dino opted to go with the drunken comic relief instead. The scene during the second act brake where he belts out "The Ballad of the Scavengers of Dry Gorge" to the nervous thieves pined down in the gorge by the Cavalry (eerily similar to a scene in Rio Bravo) is something I wish all could see. In the time line of the story this is where Coyote removes the young deputy's ear… off camera and covered in vague dialog. Jimmy Stewart as Joe Cabot. As always the elder statesmen Stewart gave his all in a both commanding and haunting performance as the ring leader of the train robbery gang (this would be the beginning of the psychologically conflicted, obsessive characters Stewart would be remembered for: Vertigo and The Naked Spur). Only Jimmy Stewart could corral these wild wolves. Though on the set for just a few days this cameo would prove to form a lasting friendship and yield much collaboration between Mann and Stewart. Ralph Meeker as Mr. Brown / Hyena: Ah crazy Ralph Meeker. I think if you watch Kiss Me Deadly or The Naked Spur you can see why he would be fantastic spouting off long, near incoherent, hyper macho dialog trying to get approval from the other thieves. He's a forgotten American treasure (And from MPLS!!! Walter Brennen as Mr. Blue / Grey Wolf: It's hard to imagine a western with out Walter Brennen playing the old coot that tells the hero they are full of it. In this film he is taunting poor Dean Martin for his alcohol problems: Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): And you're Skunk. Skunk (Dean Martin): AH… now that ain't even a Wolf, Joe?! Grey Wolf (Walter Brennen): Ye don't gits ta be no Wolf cas' ya stink ta' high heaven boy. (High pitch HEYUCK sound… repeat). Meebe if ya lay of that HOOCH ya could be a wolf. Right now yas just a smelly varmint (continues laughing). Skunk (Dean Martin): Ah cram it old timer! (Skunk shoots at Grey Wolf and misses). Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): Knock it off you two! Now (stutter) Now where was I… oh yeah the train. Alfred Ryder as Young Cop who gets his ear cut off (Deputy who gets his ear cut off… off camera [revealed in illusive dialog]): Alfred Ryder played the other undercover agent in Anthony Mann's T – Men. His character is found out and killed by the gangsters he is trying to infiltrate. His ability to show both competence as an agent for the government and fear as a mortal in trouble is HAUNTING. Ward Bond as Holdaway (Mr. Orange's Undercover training officer) (Sheriff Holdaway): Much like Walter Brennen, it's not a great western unless you've got Ward Bond (high school football team mate of John Wayne, famous for his roles in many of Wayne's films such as the Calvary Captain/ Reverend Samuel Johnston Clayton in The Searchers). Carl Foreman envisioned this part as a Fortinbras like character that the thieves would talk about but would only appear on screen a few times to create suspense. Sheriff Holdaway leads the posse that traps the bandits in Gomorrah Gorge, which forces Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy to play their final hands. Hank Worden as Bumbling Train Operator: Foreman didn't go for the flash back structure of Tarantino's outline. His story is much more linear, leaving Cub's allegiance a mystery. He replaces the drawn out training sequence in Reservoir Dogs with the train heist that Tarantino was too cleaver to bother with. It was played for both laughs and action. Most of the laughs came from Hank Worden who some of you will remember as Mose Harper in The Searchers ("thank you… thaaank you kindly"), but more of you will remember as senior drool cup (ancient room service guy) in Twin Peaks ("thank you… thaaank you kindly"). That's it. Thanks for reading all of this non-sense.
]]>Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:44:33 GMTtheunemployedshortstopFilmgaming7/18/2008 9:44:33 PMThe Epic Tale of "The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge." The Conceit: Due to a trans-dimensional rift caused by the AWESOMENESS of the Inglorious Bastards screenplay Quentin Tarantino is able to jump into a dimension where the world is perpetually in the early fifties. The impish auteur (also great collaborator) is eager to see what some of his favorite directors and writers would do with his material. He gives a vague outline of Reservoir Dogs to Carl Foreman. Bitter over the HUAC hearings of 1947, Forman takes the idea of the mole cop and turns it into a commentary on witch hunting (like the Crucible set in the American West&hellip; with action and no weeping, whining, or three hour yawn-fest&hellip; just kidding). Production: The studio loved the concept and saw Anthony Mann as the director. His surprising presentation of the morally grey double agents in T &ndash; Men and his success as a visual director of both noir and westerns would yield a fantastic visual motif. Foreman set the film in an abandoned camp&hellip; rumored to have once been a lush valley, the area is now a barren gorge of salt (Hence Gomorrah Gorge though the studio would want to back off of this title&hellip; hence the title of Guthrie's song). Mann shot the film in the Colombia River Gorge and the surrounding desert like region of Eastern Washington. It was more visually arresting than the Rocky Mountain back drop of The Naked Spur. Rewrites: Leigh Brackett (script doctor supreme: The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Empire Strikes Back) is hired to tone down the political commentary and add some sex appeal. Miss Brackett split the role of Nice Guy Eddy (now Cow Puncher Bob) into two roles: Two siblings competing for their father's approval (much like Duel in the Sun) Cow Puncher Bob, a slick but incompetent rustler, and Grifter Gurdy, modeled after Lauren Bacall's con women / gambler characters from To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep. The love triangle between Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy pleased the studio (however they were angered when they saw Anthony Mann's finished product because of the homosexual overtones that Clift brought out in the mentor relationship between Cub and Timber Wolf). Casting: Gary Cooper as Mr. White/ Timber Wolf: Cooper's leadership and bravery in taking a role that John Wayne thought was un-American is stellar, comparable only to his work on High Noon. Cooper's earnest desire to save the dying "Cub" is palpable. And his seeming asexuality highlights Clift's subversive performance. Montgomery Clift as Mr. Orange / Cub: Mann chose Clift because of the actor's work in Red River. His youth and energy light up as the conflicted double agent. And the women love him in those chaps (this is why the studio eventually shelved the film, which was never to see the light of day) Jack Palance as Mr. Blonde / Coyote: Actor Alan Ladd happened to see the dailies of The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge before the studio locked them away. The star was so impressed by Palance's cool contained rage that he forced Shane director George Stevens to put Palance on the short list for the role of Jack Wilson. The rest, as they say, is history Denis O'Keefe / Loren Bacall as Nice Guy Eddy / Cow Puncher Bob / Grifter Gurdy: O'Keefe's star had fallen a bit after poor reviews of Mann's Raw Deal. Mann liked to see the suave actor portray slick con men (part of his role in T &ndash; Men) so he snuck him into the film despite argument from the studio. Bacall was obvious due to Brackett's revisions, however Jennifer Jones was considered until Mann saw and disliked her in King Vidor's Duel in the Sun. Dean Martin as Mr. Pink / Skunk: Martin was originally offered the role of Coyote. Mann thought his cool domineer would create great contrast between the perception of the character and his violent actions. Dean Martin's record label was afraid that their star was being derogatively stereotyped&hellip; an Italian in the role of an evil thief, gangster and ear removing murderer (though Frank thought it would be o.k.). Dino opted to go with the drunken comic relief instead. The scene during the second act brake where he belts out "The Ballad of the Scavengers of Dry Gorge" to the nervous thieves pined down in the gorge by the Cavalry (eerily similar to a scene in Rio Bravo) is something I wish all could see. In the time line of the story this is where Coyote removes the young deputy's ear&hellip; off camera and covered in vague dialog. Jimmy Stewart as Joe Cabot. As always the elder statesmen Stewart gave his all in a both commanding and haunting performance as the ring leader of the train robbery gang (this would be the beginning of the psychologically conflicted, obsessive characters Stewart would be remembered for: Vertigo and The Naked Spur). Only Jimmy Stewart could corral these wild wolves. Though on the set for just a few days this cameo would prove to form a lasting friendship and yield much collaboration between Mann and Stewart. Ralph Meeker as Mr. Brown / Hyena: Ah crazy Ralph Meeker. I think if you watch Kiss Me Deadly or The Naked Spur you can see why he would be fantastic spouting off long, near incoherent, hyper macho dialog trying to get approval from the other thieves. He's a forgotten American treasure (And from MPLS!!! Walter Brennen as Mr. Blue / Grey Wolf: It's hard to imagine a western with out Walter Brennen playing the old coot that tells the hero they are full of it. In this film he is taunting poor Dean Martin for his alcohol problems: Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): And you're Skunk. Skunk (Dean Martin): AH&hellip; now that ain't even a Wolf, Joe?! Grey Wolf (Walter Brennen): Ye don't gits ta be no Wolf cas' ya stink ta' high heaven boy. (High pitch HEYUCK sound&hellip; repeat). Meebe if ya lay of that HOOCH ya could be a wolf. Right now yas just a smelly varmint (continues laughing). Skunk (Dean Martin): Ah cram it old timer! (Skunk shoots at Grey Wolf and misses). Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): Knock it off you two! Now (stutter) Now where was I&hellip; oh yeah the train. Alfred Ryder as Young Cop who gets his ear cut off (Deputy who gets his ear cut off&hellip; off camera [revealed in illusive dialog]): Alfred Ryder played the other undercover agent in Anthony Mann's T &ndash; Men. His character is found out and killed by the gangsters he is trying to infiltrate. His ability to show both competence as an agent for the government and fear as a mortal in trouble is HAUNTING. Ward Bond as Holdaway (Mr. Orange's Undercover training officer) (Sheriff Holdaway): Much like Walter Brennen, it's not a great western unless you've got Ward Bond (high school football team mate of John Wayne, famous for his roles in many of Wayne's films such as the Calvary Captain/ Reverend Samuel Johnston Clayton in The Searchers). Carl Foreman envisioned this part as a Fortinbras like character that the thieves would talk about but would only appear on screen a few times to create suspense. Sheriff Holdaway leads the posse that traps the bandits in Gomorrah Gorge, which forces Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy to play their final hands. Hank Worden as Bumbling Train Operator: Foreman didn't go for the flash back structure of Tarantino's outline. His story is much more linear, leaving Cub's allegiance a mystery. He replaces the drawn out training sequence in Reservoir Dogs with the train heist that Tarantino was too cleaver to bother with. It was played for both laughs and action. Most of the laughs came from Hank Worden who some of you will remember as Mose Harper in The Searchers ("thank you&hellip; thaaank you kindly"), but more of you will remember as senior drool cup (ancient room service guy) in Twin Peaks ("thank you&hellip; thaaank you kindly"). That's it. Thanks for reading all of this non-sense. http://www.spout.com/blogs/dibot/archive/2008/6/3/30449.aspx Post By: dibot
Post To: dibot Blog
Post Date: 6/3/2008 11:19:01 PM
Body: I really enjoyed Dark Victory. Bette Davis ("Wicked Stepmother") stars as a young socialite diagnosed with a brain tumor. She then must decide how to live out the last days of her life. I couldn't take my eyes off Davis, she just lights up the screen, even when she's dying. Humphrey Bogart ("The Harder They Fall") has a cameo as a horse trainer and his scenes with Davis are some of the best. Though the plot description sounds depressing and I did end up crying, it's not necessarily a sad film. There's a lot to think about here. Also, a young Ronald Reagan ("The Killers") puts in an appearance. Jezebel is another Bette Davis film, and though this is directed by William Wyler ("The Liberation of L.B. Jones"), Davis won an Oscar for her role and the film was nominated for best picture, I had some real problems with it. I know it's set in the Pre-Civil War South and Davis plays a Southern Belle, but really, the racism was hard for me to take. I know that slavery was not even part of the story, but it kept distracting me. It's really a love story/character study of Davis' character Julie and how she looses the man she loves and does many horrible things trying to win him back. Some of it was interesting, but in the end, this is just one of the classics that doesn't live up to it's reputation. Little Children is one of the most perfect looking films. Each shot is well composed and lit and feels right. Good job director Todd Field ("In the Bedroom"). It's also well acted, I especially loved Kate Winslet ("The Holiday") and Jackie Earle Haley ("Semi-Pro"), one of the creepiest child molester characters ever. The stories just seemed a bit off. I know everything was supposed to tie together and make us uncomfortable and think. And I was uncomfortable, several times, I just didn't think the whole added up to the sum of it's parts. It seemed like I had seen this movie before. I always hear people say that Zathura is just another Jumanji, and that may be true. But is it really a bad thing? Director Jon Favreau ("Iron Man") has a knack for creating a bright, vivid, fun world and still not skimping on the emotion. Brothers Danny (Jonah Bobo, "Choke") and Walter (Josh Hutcherson, "Firehouse Dog") fight constantly, and this continues throughout the film in a very realistic, amusing style. But the game brings them closer together, of course, in the end. I really enjoyed this film. It's not new, but it's a good way to pass a dull evening. The biggest reason to see The Big Sleep is the chemistry between Humphery Bogart ("The Harder They Fall") and Lauren Bacall ("The Walker"). They are just burning up the film. It's also a really interesting story that's impossible to follow. I can't really even break it down except to say that Bogart plays Philip Marlowe, a detective investigating the involvement of a society girl in the death of a pornographer. (Thank you TCM). Just see it. I plan to watch it again. And possibly even again.
]]>Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:19:01 GMTdibotdibot Blog6/3/2008 11:19:01 PMI really enjoyed Dark Victory. Bette Davis ("Wicked Stepmother") stars as a young socialite diagnosed with a brain tumor. She then must decide how to live out the last days of her life. I couldn't take my eyes off Davis, she just lights up the screen, even when she's dying. Humphrey Bogart ("The Harder They Fall") has a cameo as a horse trainer and his scenes with Davis are some of the best. Though the plot description sounds depressing and I did end up crying, it's not necessarily a sad film. There's a lot to think about here. Also, a young Ronald Reagan ("The Killers") puts in an appearance. Jezebel is another Bette Davis film, and though this is directed by William Wyler ("The Liberation of L.B. Jones"), Davis won an Oscar for her role and the film was nominated for best picture, I had some real problems with it. I know it's set in the Pre-Civil War South and Davis plays a Southern Belle, but really, the racism was hard for me to take. I know that slavery was not even part of the story, but it kept distracting me. It's really a love story/character study of Davis' character Julie and how she looses the man she loves and does many horrible things trying to win him back. Some of it was interesting, but in the end, this is just one of the classics that doesn't live up to it's reputation. Little Children is one of the most perfect looking films. Each shot is well composed and lit and feels right. Good job director Todd Field ("In the Bedroom"). It's also well acted, I especially loved Kate Winslet ("The Holiday") and Jackie Earle Haley ("Semi-Pro"), one of the creepiest child molester characters ever. The stories just seemed a bit off. I know everything was supposed to tie together and make us uncomfortable and think. And I was uncomfortable, several times, I just didn't think the whole added up to the sum of it's parts. It seemed like I had seen this movie before. I always hear people say that Zathura is just another Jumanji, and that may be true. But is it really a bad thing? Director Jon Favreau ("Iron Man") has a knack for creating a bright, vivid, fun world and still not skimping on the emotion. Brothers Danny (Jonah Bobo, "Choke") and Walter (Josh Hutcherson, "Firehouse Dog") fight constantly, and this continues throughout the film in a very realistic, amusing style. But the game brings them closer together, of course, in the end. I really enjoyed this film. It's not new, but it's a good way to pass a dull evening. The biggest reason to see The Big Sleep is the chemistry between Humphery Bogart ("The Harder They Fall") and Lauren Bacall ("The Walker"). They are just burning up the film. It's also a really interesting story that's impossible to follow. I can't really even break it down except to say that Bogart plays Philip Marlowe, a detective investigating the involvement of a society girl in the death of a pornographer. (Thank you TCM). Just see it. I plan to watch it again. And possibly even again. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
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