Life continues to be super busy. I haven't actually watched a film since The Big Clock! Crazy! I have, however, managed to watch the first season of "The Tudors."
So, because I have zero content today and I haven't posted in ages, here's my answers to a fun meme involving movies and writing!
Name up to ten films that have had significant influence on your creative work.
In no particular order:
Ben-Hur - because of the ill-fated friendship storyline, and because Messala was the first fictional character I fell in love with whom my dad hated, and that forced me to really think hard about why I liked him anyway. Learning and exploring who Messala was and why he did what he did helped me understand areas of human motivation and need that I still use in character development today.
The Hunt for Red October - because it introduced me to Sam Neill, who is still the celebrity love-of-my-life, who influenced the creation of several novels, more than any other actor.
Star Wars - because that day I first saw it in 1977 changed my life and nothing in my life, creative or otherwise, would be where it is today without that film and its universe.
Where Eagles Dare - because it led me to Alistair MacLean and no single person has influenced me more in my writing than MacLean.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - because it gave me my lifelong obsession with submarines and beauty and dark characters.
Patriot Games - because I loved the book, and the movie sucked, and I learned quite a bit about stories exploring why the movie failed and the book succeeded. It also gave me Sean Bean, who has influenced nearly as many novels as Sam Neill.
Dragonslayer (1981) - because of how beautifully plotted it is, because of the plot twists, because of the climax, because it plays fair, because it showed me how everything put in a story matters - it must play out or it doesn't belong. (And Vermithrax is still the best dragon ever put on film).
Help! - because my first completed novel would not even have been started without this movie as a rough guide.
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) - because of the beauty of the islands and that need to find a place like that, because of abused authority and the rise up against it, because of the juxtaposition of harsh life on that boat vs. idyllic life on the island. All themes that I took to heart thanks to Clark Gable and Franchot Tone. This is the only movie version to date that I like.
Tosca - yes, it's an opera, but even though I'd seen it and heard it a jillion times as a child, it was the 1979 movie version filmed at the actual locations in Rome, with Domingo, Milnes, and Kabaivanska that really cemented this story, characters, and emotions in my mind. Elements of Tosca continue to be reflected in most of my writing.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, February 07, 2010
The Big Clock (1948)
I've been wanting to see this movie a very long time, ever since I found one of my favorite modern movies was based on it (No Way Out, 1987). No Way Out came out just after I graduated high school, when I was in the height of my Navy/spy/conspiracy obsession and this movie was made to order for that. I'd fallen in love with Kevin Costner in The Untouchables, and I thought he was great in No Way Out. Add in Gene Hackman, Will Patton, George Dzundza, and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
The Big Clock has the same basic premise -- innocent, framed man is put in charge of hunting himself down for the murder for his boss's mistress -- but that's about the only similarities. The Big Clock takes place at a publishing house. I have to admit, it took me awhile to get into it. The opening voice over was poorly written and set the wrong tone for me. The set up took far too long and didn't actually make me care for the characters involved. All surface, no depth, no heart. I didn't care about these people, as I'd cared about the people in No Way Out. But then, finally, it kicked into gear after the murder. From then on, it just kept getting better and better and better.
There were similar elements to No Way Out -- such as the eye-witnesses combing the building, the trusted second-in-command (George Macready in this case, Will Patton in No Way Out) covering for the boss, pushing hard and violently for results -- but they all played out differently and I really loved those differences. Ray Milland is married, and his wife gets to play an active role in events. I just loved how both Ray Milland and Charles Laughton's characters keep catching little things about the crime and trying to either expose or cover it up as they go. I loved Harry Morgan skulking about just aching to do some violence for his boss. And I loved the ending and how it all ultimately played out. Very satisfying. Charles Laughton is cold and precise and menacing and I would not want to work for his character here in any capacity. And he sports a truly awful and unnecessary mustache that belongs over in Kate's list here.
The Big Clock also has Elsa Lancaster in a priceless turn as a painter who can identify Ray Milland. Her character is hilarious, touching, and a little bit pathetic, and her sections of the movie were probably my favorites. The drawing she sketches to identify the killer is wonderful and brilliant. I love her more and more with every performance I see her in.
I couldn't actually say which film I like better. Both are good movies, and both have things that make them stand out from the other. I think I need to go find the book now and read the original!
Plus: Klaberjass alert!! Ray Milland goes to ask the two piano players to play him something, and one of them indicates the cards in his hand and says, a bit irritated, "It's klaberjass!" and Ray Milland dismisses that with a wave of his hand and tells the piano players, "Oh schmeiss, play me some music." I love it! (Schmeiss is klaberjass terminology for a bidding move to prevent the other player from getting to call trump and keeping trump in your own hand. However, it also indicates a weaker hand (since you didn't call it outright) and can backfire badly and get you set.) I wish people still played cards these days.
There were similar elements to No Way Out -- such as the eye-witnesses combing the building, the trusted second-in-command (George Macready in this case, Will Patton in No Way Out) covering for the boss, pushing hard and violently for results -- but they all played out differently and I really loved those differences. Ray Milland is married, and his wife gets to play an active role in events. I just loved how both Ray Milland and Charles Laughton's characters keep catching little things about the crime and trying to either expose or cover it up as they go. I loved Harry Morgan skulking about just aching to do some violence for his boss. And I loved the ending and how it all ultimately played out. Very satisfying. Charles Laughton is cold and precise and menacing and I would not want to work for his character here in any capacity. And he sports a truly awful and unnecessary mustache that belongs over in Kate's list here.
The Big Clock also has Elsa Lancaster in a priceless turn as a painter who can identify Ray Milland. Her character is hilarious, touching, and a little bit pathetic, and her sections of the movie were probably my favorites. The drawing she sketches to identify the killer is wonderful and brilliant. I love her more and more with every performance I see her in.
I couldn't actually say which film I like better. Both are good movies, and both have things that make them stand out from the other. I think I need to go find the book now and read the original!
Plus: Klaberjass alert!! Ray Milland goes to ask the two piano players to play him something, and one of them indicates the cards in his hand and says, a bit irritated, "It's klaberjass!" and Ray Milland dismisses that with a wave of his hand and tells the piano players, "Oh schmeiss, play me some music." I love it! (Schmeiss is klaberjass terminology for a bidding move to prevent the other player from getting to call trump and keeping trump in your own hand. However, it also indicates a weaker hand (since you didn't call it outright) and can backfire badly and get you set.) I wish people still played cards these days.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Fun surprises on Route 66
When I watch older television shows for the first time, I try not to read the description or look up the episodes at all ahead of time. I don't like to know what's coming, because I love the sheer delight of being surprised by who ends up guest staring. This week, the first disc for the third season of Route 66 arrived.What's the first surprise in the second episode ("Journey to Nineveh") on the disc?
Wow! That was unexpected! And how fun to see Buster Keaton (and Shaggy, his character's dog) cruising along the highway with Tod and Buz!
And then? John Astin shows up!
And then? Edgar Buchanan!!
How cool is that? Guy Raymond (who I mostly know as the long-suffering bartender in Star Trek's "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode, but he shows up in lots of stuff), and John Davis Chandler (who I know as one of the nasty Hammond brothers from Ride the High Country) also show up, as father and son, LOL!
The episode itself is just light-weight fluff with a very silly (but kind of funny) plot. There's a bit too many silent routine antics which, alas, fall a bit flat, and the ending fight... huh? Where'd that come from? But the cast makes up for it. I love the courtroom scene at the end, that's got the right touch of subtle humor and seriousness. Love the dog and Joe E. Brown's dilapidated ancient truck. Love the birthday cake.
And just how cool is it to see these guys turn up on the show?
Sunday, January 10, 2010
New Year's Day viewings
I finished off the second disk of the Barbara Stanwyck show last year and enjoyed it as much if not more than the other disks. The first three episodes were very strong. The fourth was the only ep not to star Stanwyck. Milton Berle was the lead... and it creeped me out immensely. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to make of the ep. It's not quite humorous enough, but not quite serious enough either, just a weird amalgam of both, and it just gave me the willies. At least it had a cat in it. All in all, the three discs of Vol 1. were well worth watching, and I do hope more episodes are released in the future.
I try to watch a Dana Andrews' movie every Jan 1st, in honor of his birthday, but I just wasn't in the mood this year. I watched Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) and Black Rain (1989) instead. I know, odd combination, but both offered emotional outlets I was seeking. I love Fort Bravo, mostly for the beginning and the end. The middle gets bogged down with dances and weddings and plans and characters falling in love. Fortunately, I love all the actors in this one. William Holden is in his prime here. The other two Williams -- Campbell and Demarest -- are hilarious and have the best dialogue as they constantly nag, tease, and snap at each other, but always affectionately. John Lupton is a long-time favorite (he was in one of my favorite Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode), and he's young and earnest here. And I even like Eleanor Parker. She's clever and strong in this one, beautiful but not afraid to get dirty. Dig it. And the entire last third of the film is one of the tensest stand-offs in a Western I've ever seen.
(ahhhhh, perfection...)
(The other two Williams)
There is the First Viewing of a Movie experience, and then, there is the Every Other Viewing experience. Usually they're quite different. The first time, you don't know what's going to happen (unless you've been spoilered) and the unknown always ratchets up the tension. After that first viewing, when you know how it turns out, it's never quite the same. Most of the time, movies just get better and better with subsequent viewings. But sometimes, they're lacking and you discover what made it work so well the first time was your innocence as a viewer. Fort Bravo is a bit like that. The First Viewing experience is outstanding. Not knowing what was going to happen, I was on the edge of my seat the last third. At one point, I actually paused the DVD because I was too wrapped up and had to break the tension, just for a minute.
But the second viewing of Fort Bravo was very different. That tension was gone. I knew what happened. I couldn't quite get as into the moment as I did the first viewing, and I found myself mildly disappointed on New Year's Day. On the other hand, I started liking more of the first half, which had bored me in the first viewing (so much so that the very first time I tried to watch this movie a few years ago, I turned it off halfway through. I need action in my Westerns, and it wasn't delivering. Silly me. If I'd only had another ten minutes of patience...)
Black Rain was also a re-watch. It's one of my favorite Ridley Scott films, and the first one of his films I saw in the theater when it came out. It's still my favorite Andy Garcia performance. I adore him in this movie, even more than in The Untouchables, which is saying a lot. It was also one of the first movies to make me start liking Michael Douglas. I even like Hans Zimmer's score for this film, minor miracle. It think it's probably the only Hans Zimmer score I truly like. But it had genuine character. Yusaku Matsuda, who played Sato, was absolutely brilliant in his role (one of the best things about the movie), and I still remember how shocked and sad I was when he died of cancer just a few months later. He was so young. I'm always fascinated by how alien and unnerving the streets of Japan are in this movie. It's nothing like any city I've been to. I think half of what makes the movie work so well is the setting.
I try to watch a Dana Andrews' movie every Jan 1st, in honor of his birthday, but I just wasn't in the mood this year. I watched Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) and Black Rain (1989) instead. I know, odd combination, but both offered emotional outlets I was seeking. I love Fort Bravo, mostly for the beginning and the end. The middle gets bogged down with dances and weddings and plans and characters falling in love. Fortunately, I love all the actors in this one. William Holden is in his prime here. The other two Williams -- Campbell and Demarest -- are hilarious and have the best dialogue as they constantly nag, tease, and snap at each other, but always affectionately. John Lupton is a long-time favorite (he was in one of my favorite Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode), and he's young and earnest here. And I even like Eleanor Parker. She's clever and strong in this one, beautiful but not afraid to get dirty. Dig it. And the entire last third of the film is one of the tensest stand-offs in a Western I've ever seen.
(ahhhhh, perfection...)
(The other two Williams)There is the First Viewing of a Movie experience, and then, there is the Every Other Viewing experience. Usually they're quite different. The first time, you don't know what's going to happen (unless you've been spoilered) and the unknown always ratchets up the tension. After that first viewing, when you know how it turns out, it's never quite the same. Most of the time, movies just get better and better with subsequent viewings. But sometimes, they're lacking and you discover what made it work so well the first time was your innocence as a viewer. Fort Bravo is a bit like that. The First Viewing experience is outstanding. Not knowing what was going to happen, I was on the edge of my seat the last third. At one point, I actually paused the DVD because I was too wrapped up and had to break the tension, just for a minute.
But the second viewing of Fort Bravo was very different. That tension was gone. I knew what happened. I couldn't quite get as into the moment as I did the first viewing, and I found myself mildly disappointed on New Year's Day. On the other hand, I started liking more of the first half, which had bored me in the first viewing (so much so that the very first time I tried to watch this movie a few years ago, I turned it off halfway through. I need action in my Westerns, and it wasn't delivering. Silly me. If I'd only had another ten minutes of patience...)
Black Rain was also a re-watch. It's one of my favorite Ridley Scott films, and the first one of his films I saw in the theater when it came out. It's still my favorite Andy Garcia performance. I adore him in this movie, even more than in The Untouchables, which is saying a lot. It was also one of the first movies to make me start liking Michael Douglas. I even like Hans Zimmer's score for this film, minor miracle. It think it's probably the only Hans Zimmer score I truly like. But it had genuine character. Yusaku Matsuda, who played Sato, was absolutely brilliant in his role (one of the best things about the movie), and I still remember how shocked and sad I was when he died of cancer just a few months later. He was so young. I'm always fascinated by how alien and unnerving the streets of Japan are in this movie. It's nothing like any city I've been to. I think half of what makes the movie work so well is the setting.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Delightful things in 2009
The best thing about 2009 was discovering George Raft. February 2009 brought me Invisible Stripes and with it, an actor who rapidly captured my heart and stayed there (eep, that means I need to redo my top ten favorite actors list, huh?). My love for him is undiminished, if anything it gets stronger with each movie of his I see. I recently watched a VHS tape of Souls at Sea (1937). Oh man, love! I never had a chance to review the film here, but I loved it, and George's character broke my heart in it and made me cry. I even didn't mind Gary Cooper at all. They made a very fun pair. Love their duets.
There were two other actors I had minor flings with this last year. Gilbert Roland, who I've always liked, but I finally got to sit down and watch a bunch more of his work. Still adore his Cisco Kid series. And a current actor... Colin Firth. I've had friends who've always liked him, but I never saw the appeal. Just never liked the romantic comedy character types he seemed to be locked into playing. I guess I was just waiting for him to appear in a movie where he played against that type. Turns out that movie was The Last Legion (2007), a Roman/Arthurian legend retelling that I really enjoyed it, despite the fact that while the first half of the movie is really good, the second half rather sucks. But what I enjoyed most was simply seeing Colin Firth in an action role. Ahhhh, finally! He's damned good at it too. So, watched a whole bunch of his movies, but with the exception of Fever Pitch (1997) (which I really really loved), the rest were meh and did nothing for me. Which just makes me plain cranky. Damn it all, can't I write him a movie script or two? Please?
Movies I bought this year after catching them on Netflix:
Alvarez Kelly
Escape from Fort Bravo (I owned a taped copy of this, but I wanted a clearer DVD copy to better enjoy all the lovely William Holden-ess of it. I particularly love the end of this movie.)
Picnic (another one I owned on tape, but wanted a clearer DVD copy)
The Black Swan (though this was gifted to me before I could buy it myself!)
Road to Perdition (also gifted before I could buy it!)
I will be buying The Last Legion, I just haven't yet. And I really want to own Rio Conchos, but alas, it's not out on DVD yet. Grr. And I think I also need a copy of Pixar's Up for myself. (I got one for my nephew for Christmas.) Now, everything I've seen by Pixar is very good, but Up tops them all. What a wonderful, crazy, beautiful, emotional ride! It only took one viewing to make it my favorite Pixar film.
New movies I actually saw in the theater:
Wolverine
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Star Trek
Avatar
Kind of funny, really. All big budget types. But then, given how infrequently I go to the cinema, not surprising. I had much more fun watching classic movies. If only I lived closer to Hollywood and its revival theaters. I'd be going to the theater all the time. So many good classic movies appeared that if I had the resources, I'd go see on the big screen. This next year, I'll see if I can remedy that a bit, make the trek.
2009 was a good year for me. I have no complaints. Here's looking forward to 2010!
Happy New Year!
There were two other actors I had minor flings with this last year. Gilbert Roland, who I've always liked, but I finally got to sit down and watch a bunch more of his work. Still adore his Cisco Kid series. And a current actor... Colin Firth. I've had friends who've always liked him, but I never saw the appeal. Just never liked the romantic comedy character types he seemed to be locked into playing. I guess I was just waiting for him to appear in a movie where he played against that type. Turns out that movie was The Last Legion (2007), a Roman/Arthurian legend retelling that I really enjoyed it, despite the fact that while the first half of the movie is really good, the second half rather sucks. But what I enjoyed most was simply seeing Colin Firth in an action role. Ahhhh, finally! He's damned good at it too. So, watched a whole bunch of his movies, but with the exception of Fever Pitch (1997) (which I really really loved), the rest were meh and did nothing for me. Which just makes me plain cranky. Damn it all, can't I write him a movie script or two? Please?
Movies I bought this year after catching them on Netflix:
Alvarez Kelly
Escape from Fort Bravo (I owned a taped copy of this, but I wanted a clearer DVD copy to better enjoy all the lovely William Holden-ess of it. I particularly love the end of this movie.)
Picnic (another one I owned on tape, but wanted a clearer DVD copy)
The Black Swan (though this was gifted to me before I could buy it myself!)
Road to Perdition (also gifted before I could buy it!)
I will be buying The Last Legion, I just haven't yet. And I really want to own Rio Conchos, but alas, it's not out on DVD yet. Grr. And I think I also need a copy of Pixar's Up for myself. (I got one for my nephew for Christmas.) Now, everything I've seen by Pixar is very good, but Up tops them all. What a wonderful, crazy, beautiful, emotional ride! It only took one viewing to make it my favorite Pixar film.
New movies I actually saw in the theater:
Wolverine
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Star Trek
Avatar
Kind of funny, really. All big budget types. But then, given how infrequently I go to the cinema, not surprising. I had much more fun watching classic movies. If only I lived closer to Hollywood and its revival theaters. I'd be going to the theater all the time. So many good classic movies appeared that if I had the resources, I'd go see on the big screen. This next year, I'll see if I can remedy that a bit, make the trek.
2009 was a good year for me. I have no complaints. Here's looking forward to 2010!
Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Musings on movies
I've been musing on Avatar since I saw it (impossible not to). It made me realize a couple things. One is exactly why I hate 95% of movie comedies so passionately. Old ones, new ones, ones in the middle... sure, there are some exceptions, but they more often than not leave me cold. I've never been able to put into words before why I hate comedies. Well, it all has to do with why we go to the movies. Or more specifically, why I go to the movies. Most people I know don't feel this way. But I do not go to the movies to laugh. I do not go to be amused. Those are probably the last reasons I'd go to see a movie. I have plenty of laughs at home. Life is full of laughs. This morning, I was at my sister's, and all we did was talk and laugh for an hour or so. I'm quite fulfilled in the giggle-department in real life. I don't want or need that in my fiction.
I know I've talked about this before, but I go to the movies for one reason: to escape into a fictional world. The more completely I can escape, the happier I am. This is one of the reasons why I believe in seeing movies on the big screen, because, I'm sorry, it ain't the same when you're sitting on a couch watching a film on television, or worse, sitting at your desk chair, watching a film on your monitor. I do it, but the screen is small and my peripheral vision takes in the rest of my living room. There's cars driving down the street, the dog wanting out, the cats wanting on my lap, and a hundred other things to pull me out of the moment. I HATE being pulled out of a movie by real life. Hate it. Passionately.
Which brings me back to comedies and why they don't work for me: there's always an awareness that they're targeting you, trying to make you laugh, aiming at an audience that is outside the film. And I don't want to be outside.
Which brings me back to Avatar, and why it is the perfect movie for me: it immerses me in its fiction, and the beautiful 3D? Pulls me in even more. I was there, running along a tree branch or diving off a cliff. One of my first despairing thoughts when it ended was "I don't want to go back to 2D movies now." I disappeared completely into this movie, and that is what I want out of my films. I don't come out of a comedy with a heightened sense of being alive, with my adrenalin kicking, with wanting to take off at a sprint through the parking lot, whooping just for the sheer joy of it. I don't soar when I come out of a comedy. And I need to soar. It's why I go to the movies. I still haven't come down off the high of seeing Avatar. I probably won't for awhile. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
I know I've talked about this before, but I go to the movies for one reason: to escape into a fictional world. The more completely I can escape, the happier I am. This is one of the reasons why I believe in seeing movies on the big screen, because, I'm sorry, it ain't the same when you're sitting on a couch watching a film on television, or worse, sitting at your desk chair, watching a film on your monitor. I do it, but the screen is small and my peripheral vision takes in the rest of my living room. There's cars driving down the street, the dog wanting out, the cats wanting on my lap, and a hundred other things to pull me out of the moment. I HATE being pulled out of a movie by real life. Hate it. Passionately.
Which brings me back to comedies and why they don't work for me: there's always an awareness that they're targeting you, trying to make you laugh, aiming at an audience that is outside the film. And I don't want to be outside.
Which brings me back to Avatar, and why it is the perfect movie for me: it immerses me in its fiction, and the beautiful 3D? Pulls me in even more. I was there, running along a tree branch or diving off a cliff. One of my first despairing thoughts when it ended was "I don't want to go back to 2D movies now." I disappeared completely into this movie, and that is what I want out of my films. I don't come out of a comedy with a heightened sense of being alive, with my adrenalin kicking, with wanting to take off at a sprint through the parking lot, whooping just for the sheer joy of it. I don't soar when I come out of a comedy. And I need to soar. It's why I go to the movies. I still haven't come down off the high of seeing Avatar. I probably won't for awhile. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Hey! A new movie!
I went and saw Avatar yesterday. I never even saw a preview of this movie, had no idea who was in it (other than Sigourney Weaver), couldn't have told you what it was even about other than an alien planet. But I'm a huge James Cameron fan, and I went to see this movie on the strength of my faith in him as a director. Boy, was I not disappointed. This has to be the most beautiful and visually stunning movie I've ever seen. Holy smoke. The 3D was wonderful. It was never intrusive, never in your face, or used as a trick. It merely let you be a part of the world. I loved the characters, loved the world, loved James Horner's music, loved the sense of wonder the film evoked.... I haven't been this thoroughly grabbed by a modern movie since... er... I can't remember when. I can barely stand not heading back to the theater today to see it again this instant.
I don't know about your film experiences, but modern film audiences can be rather rude. Not in this movie. Nobody got up, nobody talked, nobody's cell phones went off. They were thoroughly attentive to the film and nothing else. I was sitting next to some young kids... you couldn't even tell they were there, they were so engrossed in the movie. The only time I noticed them was when they started bouncing in their seats and cheering at one point in the movie (an entirely appropriate moment; I felt like doing the same thing). They didn't budge otherwise. Can't tell you how refreshing that was.
Highly recommended. And definitely see it in 3D. In the theater. This is a movie that will never be the same on the small screen.
I don't know about your film experiences, but modern film audiences can be rather rude. Not in this movie. Nobody got up, nobody talked, nobody's cell phones went off. They were thoroughly attentive to the film and nothing else. I was sitting next to some young kids... you couldn't even tell they were there, they were so engrossed in the movie. The only time I noticed them was when they started bouncing in their seats and cheering at one point in the movie (an entirely appropriate moment; I felt like doing the same thing). They didn't budge otherwise. Can't tell you how refreshing that was.
Highly recommended. And definitely see it in 3D. In the theater. This is a movie that will never be the same on the small screen.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Vol. 3
Yes, I did skip Vol. 2 by accident. Will come back to it. I liked this third disc. Talk about a lot of story crammed into a very short time. The first three episodes on this disc were the most interesting (and the most melodramatic). My favorite had to be the second ep, called "Confession," with Lee Marvin as Barbara's guest star du jour. Loved it! Sort of a Double Indemnity murder type story, (Barbara even compares it in her opening statements), with a spouse the wife wants to escape, a sap who proposes a way to do it... but then it twists the expectations around to paint the story in different colors. Plus, Lee Marvin's ambulance-chasing lawyer character lives over a merry-go-round, how crazy and cool (fictionally speaking) is that? Naturally, the merry-go-round plays into the story. Fun, solid entertainment.
I also really enjoyed "The Sisters," if for no other reason than they managed to portray a lot of the possible complexities of a sibling relationship, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
"Big Career" was my other favorite ep, mostly because I didn't anticipate where it was going. This is a slightly confused episode, though, with a bunch of rather mixed messages (do capable women belong in the work force, or minding the home as a housewife?). Has more useless, sponging men, strong women running businesses, and a tough old mother-in-law, this time played by Elizabeth Patterson (aka Mrs. Trumbull on I Love Lucy, among a jillion other things).
The other two eps were also enjoyable, but not as complex as the first three.
I also really enjoyed "The Sisters," if for no other reason than they managed to portray a lot of the possible complexities of a sibling relationship, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
"Big Career" was my other favorite ep, mostly because I didn't anticipate where it was going. This is a slightly confused episode, though, with a bunch of rather mixed messages (do capable women belong in the work force, or minding the home as a housewife?). Has more useless, sponging men, strong women running businesses, and a tough old mother-in-law, this time played by Elizabeth Patterson (aka Mrs. Trumbull on I Love Lucy, among a jillion other things).
The other two eps were also enjoyable, but not as complex as the first three.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Vol 1
Just finished enjoying the first disk of this show. It's nice to have an anthology series featuring a strong woman protagonist in almost every episode. There are five eps on this first disc. I have to admit, since I'm a huge Vic Morrow fan, I got this disc more to see his ep, "Keys to a Killer," than anything else. Alas, his ep had one of the weaker stories in the bunch, which is too bad, as everything else was great about it. Barbara Stanwyck plays a deputy and sheriff's wife, transporting wanted killer (Vic Morrow) to the authorities. The car crashes, and Vic goes on the run, Barbara in tow because they're handcuffed together, and, to not let him escape, she throws the handcuff key off a cliff, banking on him not shooting her because he won't want to drag her dead body around. She's right, of course, and then she sets about trying to figure out what will break him while leading him in circles. The ultimate answer is way too easy and neat and tidy and made me want to smack the television in irritation. Just get rid of that part, and it would have been quite goood in all aspects.
Vic Morrow is one of those actors who understands subtext and how to use it. He often slips in visual things that belie the dialog, exposing what the character is really feeling. He was a master of this, it's one of the reasons I love watching him in films and television. It's his acting that elevates characters as potentially cliche and throwaway as his Leroy Benson in this ep. He has one super neat moment in this ep that is pure Vic at work. Minor plot spoilers follow...
He finally realizes he's not getting anywhere fast handcuffed to Ms. Stanwyck. His only option to get away, he decides, is to go back and get his switchblade... and cut Barbara Stanwyck's hand off. Way gruesome and so unexpected in a 1960's tv show! But the thing is, he's come to rather like her. She's treated him relatively nicely as she draws bits of his life story out of him, and he doesn't really want to do it. He just doesn't see any other option, and if it's her hand or his life, he knows which way he has to choose.
His dialog is straight-forward, unrepentant, all "I gotta do this, and that's all there is to it" type stuff. The words don't say he's sorry or that he regrets this choice, but his actions do. His body language, his eyes... he's freaking out inside at the very thought of what he's going to do to her while the dialog says something else. And for one lovely moment in the midst of it, he presses his head to her hand, as if begging silently for her forgiveness. Subtext in action, baby. Dig it. I do so love Vic Morrow.
As for the other eps on the disk, their plots seemed to get consequtively better. My favorite of the eps was "The Secret of Mrs. Randall," a convoluted little melodrama about betrayal and love and redemption that was right up my alley. Barbara plays the president of an oil company, whose mother-in-law (who's chairman of the board!) gave her the position of president when her husband couldn't cut it! WOO! Gotta love strong women running oil companies! Barbara Stanwyck is excellent in every ep, as are the supporting casts. I loved Doris Packer, who played her mother-in-law in this ep. The two have some very nice scenes together.
I'm definitely looking forward to getting the rest of the discs.
Vic Morrow is one of those actors who understands subtext and how to use it. He often slips in visual things that belie the dialog, exposing what the character is really feeling. He was a master of this, it's one of the reasons I love watching him in films and television. It's his acting that elevates characters as potentially cliche and throwaway as his Leroy Benson in this ep. He has one super neat moment in this ep that is pure Vic at work. Minor plot spoilers follow...
He finally realizes he's not getting anywhere fast handcuffed to Ms. Stanwyck. His only option to get away, he decides, is to go back and get his switchblade... and cut Barbara Stanwyck's hand off. Way gruesome and so unexpected in a 1960's tv show! But the thing is, he's come to rather like her. She's treated him relatively nicely as she draws bits of his life story out of him, and he doesn't really want to do it. He just doesn't see any other option, and if it's her hand or his life, he knows which way he has to choose.
His dialog is straight-forward, unrepentant, all "I gotta do this, and that's all there is to it" type stuff. The words don't say he's sorry or that he regrets this choice, but his actions do. His body language, his eyes... he's freaking out inside at the very thought of what he's going to do to her while the dialog says something else. And for one lovely moment in the midst of it, he presses his head to her hand, as if begging silently for her forgiveness. Subtext in action, baby. Dig it. I do so love Vic Morrow.
As for the other eps on the disk, their plots seemed to get consequtively better. My favorite of the eps was "The Secret of Mrs. Randall," a convoluted little melodrama about betrayal and love and redemption that was right up my alley. Barbara plays the president of an oil company, whose mother-in-law (who's chairman of the board!) gave her the position of president when her husband couldn't cut it! WOO! Gotta love strong women running oil companies! Barbara Stanwyck is excellent in every ep, as are the supporting casts. I loved Doris Packer, who played her mother-in-law in this ep. The two have some very nice scenes together.
I'm definitely looking forward to getting the rest of the discs.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Nano 2009 wrap up
Finished writing my 50,000 brand spanking new words today, which successfully completes my sixth successive nano. This year was a tough one, and I learned a big lesson. Do not write the second half of an unfinished novel when you have rather large problems with the first half and you've done zero planning on the second half. It is so much easier to start a novel for nano. There's all that room to explore and you can just go with the flow. Finishing a novel though... I was tying up threads when I wasn't even quite sure yet how everything comes together. I needed more thinking time than I could spare and still meet my word count.That aside, every scene had a critical change, and every chapter ended on a cliffhanger, and my muses did not let me down once, but kept me going even when I thought for sure I had nothing to write next. Several things surprised me, though not in hindsight. Typical. The subconscious knows what it's doing. I so liked where the second half went, that when I start novel revisions, a good chunk of the first half will go out the window so I can work with the new directions I uncovered. I also left off tonight right before The Scene, aka the cool scene that made me want to write the novel to begin with, the scene I've been writing towards since day one, so continuing through the last bit to complete the first draft won't be hard.
Random things about this year's nano:
- I had two zero word count days this go-round.
- On the rest of the days, the least I wrote was 313 words. The most was 3149. Considering the previous years where I always had some 4-6K days, this was definitely the slow and steady year. I also finished later in the month than I've ever done. Only one day to spare.
- I was never able to write before work or on lunch break. Most writing was done between 8-10 pm, and 99% of the time I was in bed by 10:30. Which is a really good reminder that 1) I can work a full-time job, 2) eat/walk the dog/do chores/watch movies/read/have a life, and 3) still write that much a day and be in bed on time.
- The day's I felt most stuck ended up being the days I got the most words in.
- I watched nine new movies during November.
- Most listened to music while writing was James Newton Howard's score to The Water Horse.
- This is the first nano I didn't skip dinner at least once.
- The internet is by far my worst enemy for stealing away writing time. More discipline required in that department, yessiree.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Son of Fury (1942)
Nano sure has done a number on my blogging time! I've made time to watch all kinds of movies, but haven't written about any of them. I wanted to finish off my Tyrone Power movie binge with a write up on the last of his movies I had lined up, Son of Fury. Except I watched it close to a month ago and I've forgotten all the details I wanted to write about!
I did enjoy the movie. Nothing outstanding, but good, solid entertainment. I'm still a sucker for South Sea island tales, and I got that in part here. George Saunders is our bad guy again, very suave and cocky and cruel. A very young and gorgeous Gene Tierney shows up as our hero's love interest. They work very well together. Elsa Lancaster gets a brief role, helping Tyrone's character escape the police, and she's as scene-stealing as ever. I loved her little part.
So, instead of a proper review, a few pictures...
In nano progress, it goes. I got stuck for a bit, but came unstuck a couple nights ago when a few consecutively nastier surprises happened. Now my hero is on the run from both the police and the bad guys, and whenever I'm writing action, I write very easily. I'm hoping it'll keep up, as I'm only at 27K in nano (77K for the novel as a whole). I also need to start figuring out how to wrap this novel up. It'll probably go over 100K at this rate, as the 20+K remaining is about 10 scenes, and I simply can't see how I'd pull all the threads together in just 10 scenes. Though you never know, I may be farther along than I thought.
I did enjoy the movie. Nothing outstanding, but good, solid entertainment. I'm still a sucker for South Sea island tales, and I got that in part here. George Saunders is our bad guy again, very suave and cocky and cruel. A very young and gorgeous Gene Tierney shows up as our hero's love interest. They work very well together. Elsa Lancaster gets a brief role, helping Tyrone's character escape the police, and she's as scene-stealing as ever. I loved her little part.
So, instead of a proper review, a few pictures...
In nano progress, it goes. I got stuck for a bit, but came unstuck a couple nights ago when a few consecutively nastier surprises happened. Now my hero is on the run from both the police and the bad guys, and whenever I'm writing action, I write very easily. I'm hoping it'll keep up, as I'm only at 27K in nano (77K for the novel as a whole). I also need to start figuring out how to wrap this novel up. It'll probably go over 100K at this rate, as the 20+K remaining is about 10 scenes, and I simply can't see how I'd pull all the threads together in just 10 scenes. Though you never know, I may be farther along than I thought.