As we enter the season, we face the old question-- which star-studded Irving Berlin song and dance fest is the better choice? Let's look at some of the key points...
Score vs Score
WC actually has more songs than you remember, with many flitting by as incidental scene music. Even "Blue Skies" makes a brief appearance. HI sticks to the holiday catelog, which gets you Easter Parade, but also the somewhat mediocre "Singing a Song of Freedom." But WC is stuck with "Choreography."
Kaye vs Astaire
I love Danny Kaye in his own filmic universe, but his hyperkinetic high strung style simply grates against the laid-back charm of Crosby and, well, everybody else. Plus he comes across as the kid brother who is trying way too hard to hang out with the big kids. He's great-- but he doesn't belong in this movie. Astaire, on the other hand, is perfectly placed. He is exactly to dancing what Crosby is to singing-- relaxed, debonaire, and willing to get out of the way of the material. Kay sucks up way too much oxygen in WC.
Ladies
Tell the truth-- you can't even remember who that woman in HI is. Vera Allen is some anatomical freak of nature, and Clooney's acting seems to be saying, "I should NOT have eaten that enchilada." But if all she did was walk out and sing "Love You Didn't Do Right By Me" she'd have earned her spurs.
Other Support
WC saddles us with Generic Geezer, Life-Sucking Wench and a Billy deWolfe wannabe. Let's face it-- with Astaire and Crosby, how much support do you need. Oh, and Magic Negro maid and her cute children. Yikes. WC wants Kaye to be a leading man AND supporting cast, but it does give us the awesome Mary Wickes and Dean Jagger's surprisingly subtle and touching general. We'll just ignore his aggressively plain 25 year old granddaughter. And some guy who serves as Vera's nameless smiling gay dance partner.
Embarrassments
Oh, blackface number. Oh, Kaye's ridiculous stalling tactics layered on top of a protracted manufactured plot of misunderstanding. A toss up.
Heart Tugging
The one arena in which WC shows a commanding lead. The HI romance is intriguingly nuanced-- Crosby's manipulations should be appalling, but it's hard not to forgive his desperation. But anyone who claims not to feel even a little lump when the troops finally salute the general on Christmas Eve is simply a big lying Grinch.
Other
HI rips along with style and pace, while WC seems to last ten or twelve lugubrious plot-free hours. HI has some great Astaire dancing; WC has Vera Allen and the guy with some Kaye thrashing around. In other words, not so much. HI may be black and white, but WC is almost a technicolor assault
Special conservation note. If you will watch both, notice that Berlin steals the bridge from "Holiday Inn," slows it down and re-installs it as the bridge for "Count Your Blessings."
In the end, I declare Holiday Inn superior entertainment, even if it doesn't deliver the weepy finish of White Christmas.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Understand, I am not a Potter fan. I'm not opposed to HP, but I've never gotten around to reading the books. I am currently watching through the movies because Amanda has informed me that I will be seeing the final two-part installment in the theater, so I had better be up to speed.
The first five were, I thought, serviceable. Pleasant enough children/family films, well-acted and reasonably well filmed.
But this one I really liked. In particular I thought the script was very well-done-- the characters were very well done-- round, rich, but economically revealed, clear without being over-simplified. And the script made them sound like real Brits, not that faux-Brit Shakespearean film-speak that makes them sound like residents Generivania. Some scenes actually made me laugh out loud.
As for story, the movie balances the personal with the Big Time Drama exceptionally well. There is an overall darkness and sombreness to the tone that helps this film feel like a "real" movie and not something for a juvenile niche market, and yet the main characters are the most warm and lovable that they've been yet.
I have no idea how faithful this is to the book (though, unlike other installments, I did not have the distinct impression that I was missing some explanations that must have been left on the page), but it's a good, exciting, warm, funny, suspenseful, moving film. I suppose you kind of have to invest the 11-12 hours required to watch through the five prequels, but I think it's actually worth it.
The first five were, I thought, serviceable. Pleasant enough children/family films, well-acted and reasonably well filmed.
But this one I really liked. In particular I thought the script was very well-done-- the characters were very well done-- round, rich, but economically revealed, clear without being over-simplified. And the script made them sound like real Brits, not that faux-Brit Shakespearean film-speak that makes them sound like residents Generivania. Some scenes actually made me laugh out loud.
As for story, the movie balances the personal with the Big Time Drama exceptionally well. There is an overall darkness and sombreness to the tone that helps this film feel like a "real" movie and not something for a juvenile niche market, and yet the main characters are the most warm and lovable that they've been yet.
I have no idea how faithful this is to the book (though, unlike other installments, I did not have the distinct impression that I was missing some explanations that must have been left on the page), but it's a good, exciting, warm, funny, suspenseful, moving film. I suppose you kind of have to invest the 11-12 hours required to watch through the five prequels, but I think it's actually worth it.
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Emperor's New Groove
An overlooked gem, dissed by theater audiences and generally an underperformer for the house that Walt built.
True, there was a long and troubled production (it started out as an Incan Prince and the Pauper on the grand scale of The Lion King) and was nearly shut down numerous times. True, it is not actually a musical (though the Tom Jones theme song is a thing rolicking awesomeness). True, there's no romance; just a main character happily married (to what may be the first ever pregnant character in a Disney flick).
The Disney film it most closely resembles in tone is Alladin, or maybe Hercules. But mostly it plays like an extended Warner Brothers cartoon. The gags are fast, furious, and delightfully randomly anarchic. The final fifteen minutes of this movie made me laugh as hard and continuously as Young Frankenstein.
David Spade and John Goodman make a great team, but Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton run off with giant hunks of the film.
Striking images, self-skewering antics, hilarious performances, and more straight-on fun than the average Disney flick, this is a movie that is oft-avoided that should be seen by way more folks.
True, there was a long and troubled production (it started out as an Incan Prince and the Pauper on the grand scale of The Lion King) and was nearly shut down numerous times. True, it is not actually a musical (though the Tom Jones theme song is a thing rolicking awesomeness). True, there's no romance; just a main character happily married (to what may be the first ever pregnant character in a Disney flick).
The Disney film it most closely resembles in tone is Alladin, or maybe Hercules. But mostly it plays like an extended Warner Brothers cartoon. The gags are fast, furious, and delightfully randomly anarchic. The final fifteen minutes of this movie made me laugh as hard and continuously as Young Frankenstein.
David Spade and John Goodman make a great team, but Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton run off with giant hunks of the film.
Striking images, self-skewering antics, hilarious performances, and more straight-on fun than the average Disney flick, this is a movie that is oft-avoided that should be seen by way more folks.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Ultraman
In the late sixties, Japan sent this gem of a series over here, and a lucky few of us got to see it.
Every episode brought a mini-Godzilla movie with the monster of the week squaring off against the giant silver superhero. If you saw the show, you remember that much. Here are some things you might not recall:
The Big U was played by the man who wore the Godzilla suit (in fact, the Godzilla suit, slightly modified, appears as one episode's monster).
It can be sometimes a bit brutal for a kiddie show. Ultraman did not fight to restrain or arrest the monsters-- mostly he killed them. And not always prettily-- in one episode, UM rips the monster's arm off and we get to see it try to fight with its blood-covered stump.
Uman's appearances were generally brief. It's the Science Patrol squad that does most of the work. The writing doesnt develop those characters much, but by virtue of the acting, its the officers that become the most developed character, even above the one guy who is secretly Ultraman (and who may or may not be actually dead).
However-- it's 1967 and the single female character is pretty useless.
The show is cheesy, but it's not lazy. Faced with a fairly simple problem (how do we get a giant monster in Ultraman's way this week), the writers come up with a different solution every week, using everything from space to sea to folklore to the kitchen sink. Monster design is not always awesome (eyes are a big problem) but the show is generally well shot, with a nice use of angles and colors in a day when everything had to be done physically.
Original japanese with subtitles is a fun choice. The theme song is better (mercifully, the episodes don't included the closing credits) and the translations are saltier ("damn" turns up frequently). If you go with English dubbing, some scenes are still in Japanese-- these are the scenes trimmed for the US version.
It's a cheesefest, but a really inexpensive one, and for fans of the style, a real treat. Or just a nostalgiafest. But I believe that Ultraman could kick the Power Rangers' collective kiesters.
Every episode brought a mini-Godzilla movie with the monster of the week squaring off against the giant silver superhero. If you saw the show, you remember that much. Here are some things you might not recall:
The Big U was played by the man who wore the Godzilla suit (in fact, the Godzilla suit, slightly modified, appears as one episode's monster).
It can be sometimes a bit brutal for a kiddie show. Ultraman did not fight to restrain or arrest the monsters-- mostly he killed them. And not always prettily-- in one episode, UM rips the monster's arm off and we get to see it try to fight with its blood-covered stump.
Uman's appearances were generally brief. It's the Science Patrol squad that does most of the work. The writing doesnt develop those characters much, but by virtue of the acting, its the officers that become the most developed character, even above the one guy who is secretly Ultraman (and who may or may not be actually dead).
However-- it's 1967 and the single female character is pretty useless.
The show is cheesy, but it's not lazy. Faced with a fairly simple problem (how do we get a giant monster in Ultraman's way this week), the writers come up with a different solution every week, using everything from space to sea to folklore to the kitchen sink. Monster design is not always awesome (eyes are a big problem) but the show is generally well shot, with a nice use of angles and colors in a day when everything had to be done physically.
Original japanese with subtitles is a fun choice. The theme song is better (mercifully, the episodes don't included the closing credits) and the translations are saltier ("damn" turns up frequently). If you go with English dubbing, some scenes are still in Japanese-- these are the scenes trimmed for the US version.
It's a cheesefest, but a really inexpensive one, and for fans of the style, a real treat. Or just a nostalgiafest. But I believe that Ultraman could kick the Power Rangers' collective kiesters.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
2012
Let me say one thing right up front: this is a bad movie.
It frequently violates laws of physics and often fails to even maintain internal consistency (exactly how does a 1500 meter wave clear 24,000 meter mountains?) It is awesome throwback in its gender attitudes (women sit in the back with the kids while we menfolk take a look at what to do next). The plotting hinges on a variety of exceedingly improbable coincidences. The characters are barely two dimensional and the deployment of them is predictable (given a triangle between Marquee Star, Marquee Star and Guy You've Never Heard Of, how do you guess things will be resolved). Dialogue is awesomely ridiculous, particularly at the Deep and Heavy moments-- there's a spot where Thandie Newton earns an Oscar for a reaction shot in which she acts as if her scene partner has just been profound when he hasn't even made sense.
But these guys are the kings of spectacle. As they did in Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla and Day After Tomorrow, they convey the scale and scope of events in a manner that lets you really feel how awesome such a sight would be. It is gloriously destructive. Millions of people die in anonymous manners-- it's either reprehensible that we don't really feel it or comforting that we don't really see it, but mostly it's disaster staging that doesn't force us to look away.
The actors really sell it; Cusack does his action film thing well, Harrelson chews the scenery with glee, the little girl is convincingly sad, Danny Glover really does look old and tired, and Chiwetel Ejiofor really really feels it all.
Repeated viewings only give you more things to make fun of while you're enjoying the awesome pictures, and there's an alternate ending that proves that even Roland Emmerich has limits to just how cheestastic he can get. Do yourself a favor and don't watch the extra ending until you've had a chance to really soak up and appreciate the rest of the film.
The Destruction of LA and the Eruption of Yellowstone are worth the price of admission all by themselves. If you are only going to buy one guilty pleasure this year, make it this film.
'
It frequently violates laws of physics and often fails to even maintain internal consistency (exactly how does a 1500 meter wave clear 24,000 meter mountains?) It is awesome throwback in its gender attitudes (women sit in the back with the kids while we menfolk take a look at what to do next). The plotting hinges on a variety of exceedingly improbable coincidences. The characters are barely two dimensional and the deployment of them is predictable (given a triangle between Marquee Star, Marquee Star and Guy You've Never Heard Of, how do you guess things will be resolved). Dialogue is awesomely ridiculous, particularly at the Deep and Heavy moments-- there's a spot where Thandie Newton earns an Oscar for a reaction shot in which she acts as if her scene partner has just been profound when he hasn't even made sense.
But these guys are the kings of spectacle. As they did in Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla and Day After Tomorrow, they convey the scale and scope of events in a manner that lets you really feel how awesome such a sight would be. It is gloriously destructive. Millions of people die in anonymous manners-- it's either reprehensible that we don't really feel it or comforting that we don't really see it, but mostly it's disaster staging that doesn't force us to look away.
The actors really sell it; Cusack does his action film thing well, Harrelson chews the scenery with glee, the little girl is convincingly sad, Danny Glover really does look old and tired, and Chiwetel Ejiofor really really feels it all.
Repeated viewings only give you more things to make fun of while you're enjoying the awesome pictures, and there's an alternate ending that proves that even Roland Emmerich has limits to just how cheestastic he can get. Do yourself a favor and don't watch the extra ending until you've had a chance to really soak up and appreciate the rest of the film.
The Destruction of LA and the Eruption of Yellowstone are worth the price of admission all by themselves. If you are only going to buy one guilty pleasure this year, make it this film.
'
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
We're talking the original 1974 version.
From the first eruption of the kick-ass soundtrack, it is clear that this is a crime thriller for grown-ups. Robert Shaw leads a quartet of dangerous and semi-dangerous men who take a New York subway train hostage.
You may recall that in the mid-seventies, NYC seemed on the verge of utter collapse, and that is reflected in the picture of the politicians, mid-level managers and regular stiffs trying to deal with the crisis-- this is one of those quintessential New York City movies.
The battle of wits between Shaw and a rumpled but clever Walter Matthau is gripping and the chaos that surrounds the crime is riveting. It's a fun and exciting caper that influenced, among others, Tarentino. Smart, funny, suspenseful-- the film delivers on many levels.
(Note-- you'll recognize many many familiar faces from film and tv here, but you might not catch that one of the bad guys is played by Earl Hindman, whose face went on to become famously unknown as Wilson on Home Improvement)
From the first eruption of the kick-ass soundtrack, it is clear that this is a crime thriller for grown-ups. Robert Shaw leads a quartet of dangerous and semi-dangerous men who take a New York subway train hostage.
You may recall that in the mid-seventies, NYC seemed on the verge of utter collapse, and that is reflected in the picture of the politicians, mid-level managers and regular stiffs trying to deal with the crisis-- this is one of those quintessential New York City movies.
The battle of wits between Shaw and a rumpled but clever Walter Matthau is gripping and the chaos that surrounds the crime is riveting. It's a fun and exciting caper that influenced, among others, Tarentino. Smart, funny, suspenseful-- the film delivers on many levels.
(Note-- you'll recognize many many familiar faces from film and tv here, but you might not catch that one of the bad guys is played by Earl Hindman, whose face went on to become famously unknown as Wilson on Home Improvement)
Monday, January 4, 2010
Note by Note/Story of Anvil
Here are two documentaries that make you proud and excited to be a musician.
Note by Note follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand piano, from the point when it was just a tree to the time when it takes its place as one of the world's premiere performance instruments.
Steinway still makes these by hand, and the creation of such a piece of artistry takes a full year. The film does not honor just the piano itself, but the hand-made craftsmanship that produces it. The film-makers pointedly show how the piano comes out of a setting not unlike any other blue-collar factory, and the craftsmen who create it look like guys who would also be at home in Pittsburgh making steel.
Interspersed are interviews with a variety of piano giants, and these help heighten the sense of craftsmanship and technique, the sheer artisanship behind any sort of piano performance. Anyone who spends time around pianos needs to watch this.
The Story of Anvil is another animal entirely. Anvil is a hair-metal band, born in the eighties and influential for a short time, before fading into near-obscurity. This documentary catches up with the two founding members today, and while the entire feature has a certain real-life Spinal Tap quality (the band heads out on a European tour "organized" by a woman whose love of the music far exceeds her actual talents as a manager), it is ultimately a heart-breaking movie.
The two players are full of heart and love for what they do, despite the fact that thirty years on, they still can't afford to quit their day jobs. If you are not a heavy metal fan, you will still be moved and entertained by this film (if you are a fan, you may find that the inclusion of actual Anvil music is a bit sparse for your tastes). Their partnership goes back to their early teens; they fight and struggle and act generally like brothers. Their stories are fascinating and their journey is an odd sort of inspiration for anyone who feels the need to play.
Note by Note follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand piano, from the point when it was just a tree to the time when it takes its place as one of the world's premiere performance instruments.
Steinway still makes these by hand, and the creation of such a piece of artistry takes a full year. The film does not honor just the piano itself, but the hand-made craftsmanship that produces it. The film-makers pointedly show how the piano comes out of a setting not unlike any other blue-collar factory, and the craftsmen who create it look like guys who would also be at home in Pittsburgh making steel.
Interspersed are interviews with a variety of piano giants, and these help heighten the sense of craftsmanship and technique, the sheer artisanship behind any sort of piano performance. Anyone who spends time around pianos needs to watch this.
The Story of Anvil is another animal entirely. Anvil is a hair-metal band, born in the eighties and influential for a short time, before fading into near-obscurity. This documentary catches up with the two founding members today, and while the entire feature has a certain real-life Spinal Tap quality (the band heads out on a European tour "organized" by a woman whose love of the music far exceeds her actual talents as a manager), it is ultimately a heart-breaking movie.
The two players are full of heart and love for what they do, despite the fact that thirty years on, they still can't afford to quit their day jobs. If you are not a heavy metal fan, you will still be moved and entertained by this film (if you are a fan, you may find that the inclusion of actual Anvil music is a bit sparse for your tastes). Their partnership goes back to their early teens; they fight and struggle and act generally like brothers. Their stories are fascinating and their journey is an odd sort of inspiration for anyone who feels the need to play.
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