#it's possible I want to be a peter lorre lovely | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rheallsim · 1 year

Text

Azure Keahi for @wrixie's "Jumping for Juniper" Bachelorette Challenge

Let me introduce Azure Keahi! 🏝️

Age: 23 y.o.

Pronouns: They/Them

Traits: Jealous, Maker, Vegetarian

Azure is a trans non-binary sim from Sulani. They're an only child, but they were the youngest by a couple years of all the other children living nearby, so they were constantly treated like a baby by friends and relatives. This lead to a bit of a tendency to over-achieve, rebel against authority, and try to prove to people that they're more grown up than they look.

[More under the cut!]

That being said, Azure is a bit of a quiet, old-soul. They're really into fixing up old things and engineering new furniture out of scraps they find around the island. They spend more time thinking and observing than they do talking, and love spending time outdoors in nature whenever they can.

They're a socialist anti-capitalist and have so far only worked odd jobs around the islands to supplement their family's rather meager income. One of their dreams is to live in a commune where its members help each other out and try to be as self-sufficient as possible. That may not be very feasible, but they live their life around the ethos of trying to consume as little as possible (and sticking it to 'The Man' whenever they can).

When it comes to love Azure is pretty inexperienced (never been kissed!), but they're impatient and eager to find their special someone and have so much love to give. They're very attracted to hard-working feminine sims, and love nothing more than sitting on the beach around a campfire talking about hopes and dreams for the future long into the night. <3

(They were assigned male at birth but take female hormones.)

Fun Facts:

Has had many burning crushes, but hasn't yet had the courage to act on them 😥

Their family has an ancient pet iguana named Humphrey that was treated like Azure's sibling growing up

They absolutely love anything with cherries in it 🍒

They're responsible for much of the "If it's called 'tourist season' why aren't we allowed to shoot them" graffiti hidden around Sulani 😅

Loves old-timey film noir and mystery movies (The Maltese Falcon is their absolute favourite movie of all time and they have a powerful crush on Peter Lorre 👀)

Still doesn't have their driver's license (not much call for it in Sulani, though they are pretty good at piloting boats of all kinds!)

Likes: Film noir/mystery movies, cherry-flavoured everything, grunge music and aesthetic, tinkering, thrifting, thunderstorms

Dislikes: being condescended to, pessimism, capitalism, cooking, littering, tourists, the colour pink, shopping

I tried my best to make them as CC-Free as possible! Wrixie, please feel free to dress them up or re-do them however you like to match your aesthetic/preferences. ^^ Also get in touch if you want more info or have any other questions. I'm so excited to see how this BC goes! <3

Here's a screenshot of their likes/dislikes and traits in-game:

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 #jumping for juniper #ts4 bachelorette challenge #s4 #TS4 Bachelorette Challenge Entry #TS4 CAS Noodling #CAS Noodling #junipersBC

39 notes · View notes

peterlorres21stcentury · 11 months

Text

I often get frustrated with some of the heroines paired up with Peter (not the actresses, just the characters they are playing). Imagine: here you are married to this exceedingly polite and charming European professor, you live snug and secure in this beautiful cozy home and he is content to do literally nothing each evening except be as comfortable and attentive as possible, and YOU, ungrateful fool that you are, had to go and have an affair with some guy whose personality is vaguely on par with an uncarved block of wood. Well anyway, drink up that nice hot rum that your sweet husband mixed for you, he definitely doesn't know about your affair and it's certainly not poison or anything, no indeed. 😈

Incidentally, and assuming for the moment that there isn't any poison: is there some precise word for the feeling this conjures up, of being safe indoors with your loved one in warmth and comfort and not wanting to move from it, in other words the singular thing that my lonely self writes about constantly... if such a word for this perfect state of being exists, in any language, someone please tell me what it is. 🥺

The full show can be heard here!

#peter lorre #suspense #radio shows #old time radio #I'm totally blanking but I'm not sure english has a singular word for that #german might though

3 notes · View notes

thealmightyemprex · 2 years

Text

Top 10 Films I watched in 2022

So I'm gonna start 2023 by looking at the films I watched in 2022 and sharing my faves

10.All Through The Night

Big thanks to @goodanswerfoxmonster,who reccomended this movie to me.This is a comedy thriller about Gangster fighting Nazis ,with a cast led by Humphrey Bogart ,Conrad Veidt,Peter Lorre ,and Judith Anderson

9.The Witch

A film I have put off watcching for years ....And it turned out to be very good.Its a horror film but it is spooky in ways I didnt expect

8.Dog Soldiers

Soldiers vs Werewolves.......WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT ??? Great Premise and great effects ,plus I love me some werewolves and these are some of the best ever

7.The Rabbis Cat

Big thanks to @ariel-seagull-wings who recommended this film ,I enjoyed the philosophical discussions between the Rabbi and his cat

6.House

On paper its about a bunch of girls staying at a friends aunts house,who is actually a ghost trying to eat them .....Thats on paper in practice this film is bonkers as hell and I love it

5.The Fabulous Baron Munchausen

Probably the most visually striking films I saw this year ,this is one of the most gorgeous fantasy films I have ever seen

4.How Green Was My Valley -

Possibly my favorite John Ford movie with one hell of an amazing early performance by Roddy McDowell ,this film about a Welsh mining family was really emotional to me.Also I think it is a very well deserved Best Picture winner

3.Mikey and Nicky

A character piece about two gangster who are best friends.The movie is basically that old saying "With friends like these who needs enemies " ,with a great dynamic between Peter Falk and John Cassevetes

2.Elvira Mistress of the Dark

This movie is great and I am not surprised it is aclassic among the LGBTQ community . It is both highly entertaining but you can tell this is a personal film

1.Guillermo Del Toros Pinocchio

A beautifully animated and voice acted telling of the classic tale of Pinocchio but exploring what it is to be mortal ,the relation ship between fathers and sons ,and oh yeah the villains are literal fascists' .I saw some people who were shocked by this....They clearly dont follow the career of Guillermo Del Toro .I was overtaken by how beautiful and emotional this film was and it is my favorite film I saw this year

What are your favorite films you saw this year for the first time

@themousefromfantasyland @ariel-seagull-wings @amalthea9 @angelixgutz @princesssarisa @the-blue-fairie @goodanswerfoxmonster @filmcityworld1

14 notes · View notes

niniane17 · 1 year

Text

So apparently a HP series has been confirmed.

No, I'm not planning to watch it, and I realize that this is the least of Rowling's issues, but I really need to rant. I'm angry at myself that I even have feelings about it, but there is nothing I can do so I might as well scream into the void here.

I thought I didn't care this time, I really did. I thought I had it easy, since I already don't like any of the HP content post 2007, including some really embarrassing content in the interviews and on Pottermore.

But...a new series is something I had wanted for years. I've been angry at the movies since at least the Prisoner of Azkaban came out* Even as a child I could tell there had been a shift after that, that the movies had become something different, not quite like the books I so loved, and it only became worse from there. If you watch all of them in a row, you can tell they grew more and more preoccupied with keeping up with the popular trends, and fitting in with the Hollywood conventions of the time. We all know the famous example, and any (ex) fan can tell you their least favorite (mine is Hermione's perfect hair). It got to the point that Radcliffe acted more like Harry Potter when he was joking around on the set than when he was delivering his lines.

Works like A Very Potter Musical had shown that it was absolutely possible to represent a more flawed version of the characters and people would like them (Hermione especially!).

Up until a few years ago, I was hoping that somebody, perhaps somebody who grew up with the books, would remake them in the next decades, but after the fandom crashed in 2020 I realized that it was better to just enjoy the characters as I pictured them in my head.

But now it's finally happening, and I know it's only happening because Rowling has a grudge and wants to take revenge on Warner Bros, the movies' leading actors and generally all the people who told her or implied that Harry Potter can exist without her. And I also know this will inevitably lead to the "re-evaluation" of the movies and the cast as the DEFINITIVE version of the characters, or even more woke (a take that unfortunately already exists about movie!Hermione, for example), unlike the new cast that will be labeled as "pandering".

(Except Snape. In his case, there will be countless digital ink spilled about how he's not problematic enough, how some scenes in which he was rude abusive to the cast were missing, and wouldn't it be better if he just beat up his students? It was clearly implied in the books, right????) (I also DO NOT WANT to see a new Lily discourse unfold in real time on Twitter. That alone should be a good reason not to do this)

On a purely artistic level, I just don't trust this series to be good, since this is coming from an extremely petty place and Rowling isn't the type of writer that performs well when she's in that mood. Her latest book is an obvious example, but a lot of faults in the later Harry Potter books can be traced back to this. If it goes well, it will be tainted by all the bad things happening around Rowling. If it doesn't, it will be another nail in the coffin of the Harry Potter fandom, which truly doesn't deserve it.

And...well, I'm sad. This is truly something I had wished for, and, if circumstances were different, I'd jump around with joy. But then again, if circumstances were indeed different, there would be no new series at all, since Rowling wouldn't have anything to prove. Still, for somebody who once claimed not to care in the least about her own legacy, this is quite a decision to make. I only wish she truly didn't care, and let the fandom tries to piece it all together, and it's done since 2007.

*which I still condider a bad movie even as "its own thing", I don't care how many homages it pays to German expressionism. Also Peter Lorre didn't need some gross makeup to show he was the bad guy, did he? So why did poor Timothy Spall? It undermines the whole point of evil being undetectable at first and also the great lengths Voldemort went through in his search for power and...ok, sorry, I just don't like this movie very much.

#harry potter #anti jk rowling #that woman has the power to turn me into a furious teenager #warning: unpopular opinion about the prisoner of azkaban movie on the inside #not that anyone will care about this but still

2 notes · View notes

rustbeltjessie · 2 years

Photo

I finally finished listening to both Jack Terricloth tributes, and I’m having feelings.

Endless Possibility: A Tribute to Jack Terricloth

All the clips of Jack talking had me tearing up. Especially this one, not only because it’s about death but also cuz an old Infernite friend whom I haven’t seen or talked to in 13 years once put it on a mix tape for me but I have never, ever, ever been able to find it on the Internet, until now.

There are no tracks on this I dislike, but the following are my faves (the ones marked with an * are the ones that made me cry):

Worriers - Grasping at Straws*

Catbite - A Night in the Woods

Emilyn Brodsky - All the World is a Stage (Dive)

Choked Up - Just the Best Party

Will Wood - The Velocity of Love

The Slackers - Zen and the Art of Breaking Everything in This Room

The Unlovables - The Politics of Passing Out*

Demander - Thumb Cinema

The Ratchets - Citizen of Jazz

Vic Thrill - Only Anarchists Are Pretty*

My Favorite - Heart Attack ’64*

It Has to Be Sincere: Songs for Jack

Again, no tracks I dislike, but several tracks stood out:

Teorema - Sekai

Res Novae - Cynical

Matt Dallow - 3 Parts, OK, Seriously WTF

Iris Paralysis - Friend to the Friendless

Faustbot - I Wouldn’t Want to Live in a World Without Grudges

The Skirts - Jerusalem Boys

Yula Be’eri - Goodnight, Peter Lorre

Maybe I’m a little biased towards Res Novae and Matt Dallow, as Matt is a friend of mine, as is Aaron Hammes of Res Novae. But I think I’d dig both tracks anyway. Res Novae’s “Cynical” is a killer cover of a Sticks & Stones song, and “3 Parts, OK, Seriously WTF” has got an electro-swing vibe with samples of T’cloth himself singing.

Anyway my most favorite track on this compilation is Yula Be’eri’s “Goodnight, Peter Lorre.” It is an objectively sad & beautiful song even if you’re not a long-time World/Inferno fan who’s also obsessed with Peter Lorre, but if you are? Yeah, get ready to weep.

#world inferno friendship society #sticks and stones #jack terricloth #jack terricloth forever #music #compilation #tribute #current jams

3 notes · View notes

peterlorrefanpage · 2 years

Text

Peter Lorre had a cameo in They Met in Bombay (1941) as Captain Chang, a mercenary freight skipper who double-crosses jewel thieves played by Clark Gable and Rosalind Russell.

I can't resist posting this homemade slo-mo clip that is entirely low budget (I held my phone up to the TV) but - that look he gives at the end before the cutaway! Also my phone shot in a blue tint for some reason and I just left it as such 'cause it looked neat.

The movie isn't so bad - the first half is quite entertaining even as I was waiting the whole time for the Lorre part to come up.

After he was off-screen, I lost interest (alas) even with such great actors as Gable and Russell. The war era made for a predictable ending.

Speaking of eras...

This time period (late 30s-early 40s) wasn't all roses for Lorre, who was put in a bunch of movies he didn't altogether enjoy, much as we might enjoy his performances. Hollywood typecasting of him as a villain, whether campy or erroneous horror, was taking its toll:

"Lorre wanted out, but he had nowhere to go. He feared betraying himself and his future by acquiescing to public expectations and studio obligations, but he gave nothing less than his creative best—sometimes in spite of himself.

"By taking his assignments one at a time, he kept his perspective and his sense of humor, which 'was wicked, frequently obscene, but always in good taste. His was a wonderfully wry humorous touch, well salted with the comical scatological rejoinders. He had a rare bawdy approach to life that was never offensive that swept you along with his realistic appreciation of the "lovelies" who were never outraged by the tongue-in-cheek forthrightness of his glistening-eye approach.'" - actor Don Beddoe.

From The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre.

#it's possible I want to be a peter lorre lovely #peter lorre's wicked sense of humor would have been delicious to witness first-hand #an unoffensive bawdy approach to life #sign me up #peter lorre #peter lorre movies #captain chang #They Came to Bombay #1940s movies #peter lorre quotes #peter lorre gifs

19 notes · View notes

angelamontoo · 3 years

Text

You know what? Fuck it! I'll give a million thoughts and headcanons

So let's get real, first. Louie is possibly the most adorable character peter lorre has played and thats saying something. The way he rubs his eyes when he wakes up, the way he feels so dang good about himself in his nice suit, the way he just wants lobster with thermidor, his big sad eyes whenever he's scared or worried. I...just love him so much, man

Honestly, the characters in this flick are adorable in general. My favourite Peter Lorre film is aaol and the main reason is that every character in it is so loveable or at the very least enjoyable. I find this is actually pretty rare for a Peter film, where usually the only loveable character is him and maybe to a lesser extent, one or two others and everyone else can go jump in a lake. But I'll give a million is the only other Peter lorre film I can think if where im so invested in so many of the characters

Jeans definitely the second best character. I love her so much! So peppy and nice and no nonsense. I love her voice, I love her fun outfits, I love the way she's ready to throw hands with a cop for bothering her friends and I especially love the way she just lies so much. Even when she probably didn't have to, like saying Tony was cool with getting shot out of a canon if the other guy couldn't do it. Queen.

I'm a big fan of uncle Victor too. He such a chill, nice old man and I love him being the one to fill the role of the brides parents at the wedding

Something that is a bit uncomfortable about IGAM is how unsympathetic it is towards the homeless. I mean yeah, what can you expect from a film from 1938, but the homeless are mostly portrayed as freeloading drunks and criminals. Even louies implied to be a drunk and is stealing shit at the end(although I chalk that up entirely to kopelpeck making him do it). I guess the more well off people in the film are shown to be greedy, unkind scumbags themselves tbf, but still

Speaking of, it's crazy how far being nice to peter lorre gets you where likeability is concerned-at least for me. I feel like I should hate Tony for his lack of self awareness about how much better his life is than most peoples. But Tony has a redeeming quality that most similar leading male characters in Peters films don't. He's not a complete see-you-next-Tuesday to the loveable peter lorre character for no godamn reason. This is especially admirable in IGAM since he's honestly the only character who doesn't kick poor louie around at least a little

Maxie is so gross. But! so fun to watch. Mr fritz Feld did an amazing job. Wonder if this guys the French nephew of kasper Gutman

Speaking of headcanons, Wikipedia says that Louies full name is Louie Monteau, but he's referred to as a German in the restaurant scene. So im thinking Louie was born and raised in Germany to a French father and a German mother. Maybe he moved to/ran away to France hoping to have connections from his French family that didn't end up working out, possibly due to them rejecting him because they disapproved of his mother since that sounds about right giving the films trend of everyone just being awful to Louie

Louie and kopelpeck is probably my most obscure ship rn. The good thing about nobody else having seen this film is that there are no fun police to reprimand me for grasping at the fact that they were sitting next to eachother at Jean and Tony's wedding as proof that they became a couple

I also HC Kopelpeck as being kind of the jealous type and disliking/not trusting Tony because he thinks Louie has a crush on him. Whether or not Louie actually does have a crush on Tony is something I go back and fourth on since he does call him handsome and a gentlemen and talks about him pretty dreamily, but if he didn't, kopelpecks distrust would fit the theme of people rudely accusing louie of things

That guy at the end who narrates Tony's actions with the cheque book is pretty good too. Again, like aaol this film has a lot of great small bits with characters who are barely in the film

#ill give a million #louie the dope #Kopelpeck #jean Hoffman #tony newlander #max primerose #victor #i dont think anyone has put this much thought into this film since the script was first written #ive really gotta start tagging long posts

4 notes · View notes

chiseler · 3 years

Text

Hammett Made It Easy

To put it bluntly, it is simply, humanly impossible to watch Roy Del Ruth’s original 1931 film version of The Maltese Falcon without drawing comparisons and parallels with John Huston’s much more popular (if not exactly “timeless”) version from a decade later. After all, in many fundamental ways the films are a nearly identical match, scene for scene and line for line. Almost, anyway. Enough so that you’d notice.

The fault for this lies squarely on the shoulders of author Dashiell Hammett. whose 1930 novel made straying from the original source material extremely difficult. The sharp dialogue, the snappy pacing, and the already cinematic scene structure are all so very good that there was little reason to go messing with it. In fact, as the story goes, when screenwriter John Huston made the decision to move into directing, Howard Hawks gave him a copy of the book as a potential first project shortly before Huston left on a vacation. Huston handed the book to his secretary and told her to type it up in script format. She did, and it was that initial version straight from the book that was green-lighted by the studio—even before Huston had had a chance to read it.

Huston later made a few minor changes and additions, but one has to wonder if ten years earlier screenwriters Maude Fulton and Brown Holmes didn’t work much the same way, given how much of the 1931 film’s dialogue reappears verbatim in Huston’s—with the notable exception of the Shakespeare quote that closes the latter (a line supposedly suggested by Humphrey Bogart).

Granted, Huston’s film runs twenty minutes longer than Del Ruth’s spiffy 80-minute number (for a number of reasons, including a much larger role for the hapless gunsel Wilmer and an extended final sequence), but nevertheless if you remove the script from the equation, comparing the two films becomes much easier. At that point the remaining important factors are the directors and their styles, and the casts and their performances.

By 1931, Del Ruth was already well underway in a directing career that would find him making comedies, musicals, dramas, Westerns, and even the occasional horror film. Although comedies were his real forte (he would soon direct Lee Tracy in Blessed Event), taking on something like the Hammett novel was not that unusual. He was not a particularly remarkable director, and stylistically his films resembled most other standard films of the day. The scenes were quick, the camera was static, he didn’t have much time for pizzazz. As was the case of so many of the films of the era, his pictures often resembled filmed stage plays. He was on a tight schedule, and as soon as he finished one he had to be on to the next in a couple days. In the end he crafted an entertaining, well-told story, and that’s all the studio and audiences were looking for.

Meanwhile, The Maltese Falcon was going to be Huston’s directorial debut after having solidly established himself as a respected screenwriter. Some of the suits at Warner Brothers were hesitant to let him make the leap, so he had to prove to them he could do it, and approached the film with the kind of energy and big ideas you find with so many first-time directors. Although the film wasn’t as flashy and inventive as Citizen Kane, Huston did pull out a few tricks, like the famed seven-minute take, and the camera work was fluid and energetic. Even if audiences didn’t notice a number of his little flourishes, it was still a very confident film. More importantly, it was an entertaining, well-told story—and that’s what the studio and audiences were really looking for.

(It’s worth noting, however, that Huston’s version was much tamer than Del Ruth’s—perhaps for obvious reasons. In Del Ruth’s version there’s no pussyfooting around the fact that Sam Spade really is having an affair with his partner’s wife. Nor is there any question what happens after Spade accuses Ruth Wonderly/ Brigid O'Shaughnessy of only using money to buy his allegiance.)

What Huston really had on his side was, if not star power exactly, then at least a handful of familiar faces. It might have been Sydney Greenstreet’s film debut, but audiences certainly recognized Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Elisha Cook, and Bogart. Up until this point of course Bogart had only been a character player, but his star was definitely on the rise, and broke with this film.

Del Ruth, on the other hand, was working with an armload of good, available B actors. Most of them worked regularly, but they weren’t exactly Joan Blondell or Douglas Fairbanks.

It’s in looking at the performances of the two groups that the real differences between the films arises. Take the character of Sam Spade, for instance. Bogart’s performance as the womanizing, sharp tongued private dick always struck me as stiff and stagey—you can almost hear him thinking of each gesture before he makes it, and each line before he speaks it. There’s something tangibly artificial in his performance, the feeling that we really are watching an actor, and moreover one who’s not trying very hard. Or maybe one who’s letting his stage training get the better of him, thinking the dialogue alone will carry the day. I of course love Bogart, just not here, particularly.

Ricardo Cortez (in reality the NYC-born son of Austrian immigrants) portrayed a much looser, more easy-going Spade, always ready with a quip and forever chasing skirts. He gives a much more relaxed performance that often borders on the straight comic. In spite of the fact that Cortez is much more comfortable in the role, it seems, his Spade is almost out of place here, smirking his way through a double murder investigation.

Seen today, Greenstreet’s Gutman seems so unique a performance that it immediately became iconic, and a character and performing style he would go on to recreate for the rest of his career. It seems unique anyway, until you see Dudley Digges Gutman from a decade earlier. The similarities between the two performances are shocking. The intonation, vocal tones, the side mutterings, the laughter, the gestures, even the facial expressions are so nearly identical it’s almost as if Greenstreet studied Digges’ performance closely and decided to recreate it for the remake. Strange thing is, for American character actor Digges, it was a unique role quite unlike anything else he’d played before or would play again. Unless you care to argue that the spirit of the true Kasper Gutman inhabited both actors (and then stayed in Greenstreet), it’s a mighty remarkable coincidence.

One of the more interesting distinctions can be seen in the character of Spade’s secretary, Effie Perine, and more specifically it boils down to a single line reading.

In one of the first and most famous lines of the film, Effie informs Spade that a new client is waiting to see him. In the Huston version, bubbly Lee Patrick says, “You’ll wan to see this one anyway—she’s a knockout!” She seems awfully enthusiastic about it, happy to encourage her boss’s assorted flings. It seems a little odd, but then she spends the rest of the film running errands for Spade and we never give her another thought.

In Del Ruth’s version, Una Merkel’s Effie does not smile and does not chirp when she says dourly, “You’ll want to see this one anyway. She’s a knockout.” There’s so much stifled bitterness, frustration, and jealousy in the line that we can read her entire character—almost her whole life—in those few words. And for the rest of the film, whenever Spade asks her to run another errand or do another favor, we know what she’s thinking when she agrees. Thanks to Merkel, Effie becomes the one honestly tragic figure in the entire story, with the possible exception of Wilmer.

As Gutman’s henchman and punk, far be it from me to compare anyone with the great Elisha Cook, Jr.—unless of course it’s the equally great Dwight Frye. Sadly Frye has been given very little to do here except look sullen and angry. In fact he’s only been given a single line of dialogue (“I’ll fog him”). Still, he’s always fun to watch—though admittedly not as much fun here as Cook, who gets to give Bogart a vicious kick in the head.

In the end and over time, the choice of which, if either, version is superior is a simple matter of taste. It does become easier to understand, though, why in the 1950s Del Ruth’s version was redubbed Dangerous Female in order to distinguish it from Huston’s.

by Jim Knipfel

4 notes · View notes

365days365movies · 3 years

Text

March 5, 2021: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) (Recap: Part Two)

This movie is fuckin’ hilarious, and it’s 77 years old!

The Three Caballeros came out this year, Mount Vesuvius erupted again, the...Holocaust was still happening, fuck, right, World War II. Um...yeah, I’m sure this movie provided some MUCH needed humor for American audiences.

I will say, the play for this film came out in 1941, and was MASSIVELY popular. Apparently, the stage play is just as funny, and I would absolutely love to see it in theatres one day, if it ever comes back. Anyway, the film trailers actually used the popularity of the play to market the film, which was also received very well!

And honestly...I don’t know if I can disagree. We’ll see, I guess! On with the show! Check out Part One of the Recap right here!

Recap (2/2)

So, who’s our mysterious scarred visitor and his friend?

The man strides into the place, calling it his childhood home. Abby and Martha, startled, ask who he is. It’s their long lost nephew Jonathan Brewster (Raymond Massey), and his alcoholic plastic surgeon and accomplice, Dr. Herman Einstein (Peter Lorre). Damn, Peter Lorre’s in this movie? Well, holy shit!

Well, they don’t recognize him because of Einstein’s work. That’s because he looks like Frankenstein, and the good alcoholic doctor may have been that film and had a bit too much to drink during the surgery. They plan on fixing that...in the basement, where Teddy’s still digging “the lock” for the Panama Canal. They also have another problem: a body in their car. Apparently, somebody insulted Jonathan by saying he looked like Boris Karloff. Which, to be fair...

As they’re trying to figure out where to put the body, Einstein becomes aware of the hole in the basement, unaware that it’s being dug for a body. The two plan on bringing their body there...even though there’s already a body that needs to go in there. Jesus, this entire family is FUCKED. Some misadventures lead to Jonathan and Einstein bringing the body in through the window, and into the cellar, next to the aunt’s grandfather’s laboratory. Oh, uh, their grandfather had a laboratory, by the way. This family is FUUUUUUUUUUUCKED.

As Jonathan and Einstein stumble in the darkness, we see them carry a body down to the cellar. But wait...no, they bring him in through the window, right after Einstein falls into the window seat, which is...empty...ohhhhhh. Guess the Panama Canal’s full again. And as these two are trying to get their body in, somebody knocks on the door. And oh fuck, it’s Elaine!

Elaine’s now coming to find Mortimer, or the two aunts. Instead, she runs into these two murderous chuckleheads. She’s aware of Jonathan’s identity from past conversations with the aunts, and his presence seems to explain the strange goings on that day. As they apprehend her, believing her to be dangerous to their enterprises, they kidnap her and bring her into the cellar. Just then, the two aunts come out in funerary grieves, questioning the screaming from downstairs. Elaine escapes from Einstein, only for Mortimer to finally arrive with the sanitarium folks. Dear Lord, that’s a lot.

Jonathan proves his identity by stating their past as children, during which he shoved needles underneath his fingernails in his sleep JESUS FUCKING CHRIST WHAT THE FUCK DID HE SAY THIS FAMILY IS FUCKED

By the way, we are an hour in, and this movie is fuckin’ BUMPING. It’s a LOT, and I love every second of it. Anyway, after much His Girl Friday fast banter from Mortimer, Elaine is absolutely FINISHED. Flabbergasted by Mortimer’s negligence of her near murder by Jonathan, she storms off and renounces their marriage (understandably). Mortimer hasn’t quite caught on, but he now has another concern: to get Teddy committed, he must get a signature by a doctor.

Not sure what to do, he sits on the window seat and thinks. He checks in on Mr. Hoskins...only to find Jonathan’s murder victim there instead! Egads, there’s another one!

He immediately blames the aunts, and talks to Aunt Abby about the body. But she doesn’t recognize him, and calls him an impostor! She refuses to hold the funeral services for a total stranger. He accuses her of lying, and she’s upset that she would accuse him of telling a fib! The nerve! I love this movie. Jonathan, intent to stay at the house permanently, comes down to kick Mortimer out, and Mortimer returns the sentiment. But when the aunts come out to look at the strange body, BOTH of the brothers run to the window seat! Mortimer figures out that the body is Jonathan’s doing, and the look he gives him is goddamn hilarious.

Mortimer now has the leverage he needs to kick Jonathan out, and threatens to call the police on him. And JUST THEN, Officer O’Hara shows up! He’s simply come in to check on the couple, and is about to leave when he realizes that Mortimer is an author, and asks if he’d like to read his screenplay. He agrees, and tells Jonathan that he will keep the cop busy IF Jonathan and the doctor leave with their body.

Jonathan is intent on coming back here, after dumping the body in the harbor. But just before they do that, Einstein finds the body of r. Hoskins in the cellar! Fuck, there goes Mortimer’s advantage. And as negotiations are about to continue between the brothers, O’Hara comes in, only for Mortimer to rush him out. Mortimer goes off himself, warning Jonathan once again to be gone.

Jonathan at first believes Mortimer to be the murder, only to quickly learn that the aunts’ past deeds, to his own actual surprise. This also greatly amuses Einstein, who notes that his aunts’ record is tied with Jonathan’s, in terms of murder. This awakens Jonathan’s competitive nature, and he decides that he needs to kill one more person to beat his aunts once and for all. Meanwhile, Mortimer arrives with Dr. Gilchrist (Chester Clute), just as the aunts are holding their service for Mr. Hoskins. He brings Teddy out to him, and this would appear to settle the matter. He finally goes to Elaine, who’s still quite upset (understandably). And that’s not made worse by the fact that he breaks off their marriage. Why? Well...

That’s actually a great line. And decent rationale, because Mortimer’s come to realize that mental illness runs in his family, and he’s afraid that he may one day be afflicted. But, he can’t resist Elaine, and the two kiss passionately...which is interrupted by Dr. Gilchrist, the new Ambassador of Bolivia (according to Teddy). He agrees to sign the papers, and a frustrated Elaine slams the window on Mortimer’s fingers (understandably).

Mortimer goes back to the house, finding his aunts upset by the fact that Jonathan is burying his victim (a “foreigner”, according to the aunts) in the same grave as Mr. Hoskins, which upsets them greatly. He promises to take care of that, before they go to the police! Downstairs, Jonathan sets his sights on killing Mortimer, and plans on doing it slowly at that! But Einstein’s tired of all of this, and actually tries to get Mortimer to leave, for his OWN safety at this point.

Mortimer’s not listening, despite Einstein’s actually good intentions for once. Instead, Mortimer makes a speech about a play he’d seen about a man in a house full of murderers, who refuses to leave, waiting to be trussed up and gagged. He sits down with his back toward the murderer, but never turns around. And as he mocks the typical protagonist of movies or plays like this...well...he was right.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: I love this movie, and it’s funny as shit. Jonathan’s got Mortimer now, and he’s planning on killing him slow and painfully. Unhappy at seeing the whole affair, Einstein goes through his supply of alcohol. Jonathan forces him to do this procedure, but Einstein can’t possibly do it without a drink! They grab the elderberry wine from before, and JUST as they’re about to take a drink, Teddy interrupts with his bugle, causing them to spill the wine!

And THEN, O’Hara comes back, and sees Mortimer tied up. Einstein fuckin’ nat 20′s on his Bluff check, and tells O’Hara that Mortimer’s simply re-enacting a play for them, and he believes it! Mortimer asks him to untie him...but now he has an actual captive audience, O’Hara instead tells him about his play.

THIS MOVIE IS FUNNY AS SHIT

Mortimer’s listening, unwillingly, and reacting through his gag, and it’s fuckin’ funny as FUCK, dude. Just then, Jonathan is about to kill the cop with a knife, but a fed-up Einstein knocks him out with a shoe! When O’Hara turns around, Einstein tells him that the play put him to sleep, and he AGAIN believes it, and he keeps going on about his play!

Just then, the OTHER cops come by, looking to warn the aunts that the neighbors are tired of the bugling by Teddy. Coincidentally, they find Jonathan there, and arrest him, as he’s VERY wanted. But he retaliates by telling the cops about the bodies in the cellar. As they’re about to go down there, Mortimer tries to stop them from doing so, still tied up. But they never get down there, as O’Hara says that Jonathan looks like Boris Karloff, which starts a fight between him and the three cops present.

Mortimer breaks free, and as the fight takes place, he’s just...he’s just done. He monologues to himself about this crazy-ass day, as the chaotic fight takes place in the background. And, again, FUCK ME IT’S FUNNY

The fight dies down, and Lieutenant Rooney (Jack Gleason) arrives. He reveals that Jonathan’s a wanted man, and also suspends O’Hara for being a dumbass and not reporting in for the entire night. He also berates the men for falling for Jonathan’s story about 13 bodies in the cellar. But just then, Teddy comes downstairs, and seemingly confirms it. However, they also ignore this statement, and Teddy comes willingly with them (believing that he’s going to interrogate Jonathan, a suspected spy.

Rooney goes to speak with Mortimer, and looks over the papers to commit Teddy. However, he signed the papers as Theodore Roosevelt, making them completely useless. AND JUST THEN, Dr. Witherspoon shows up to commit Teddy. Mortimer gets Teddy to sign with his real name, and tells him that Witherspoon is there to take him to Africa (AKA the Happy Dale Asylum).

Upon hearing this, the aunts are quite saddened. Rooney insists that Teddy has to go, though. And so, if Teddy’s going, well...they want to go, too! Mortimer definitely is all for this, but Witherspoon insists that they never take sane people at Happy Dale. Rooney also mocks this idea, and says that Teddy must go because he’s touting the idea that there are 13 bodies in the cellar. Which the aunts, uh...just straight-up admit.

Mortimer, realizing that they’re FUCKED, decides to distract Rooney by making himself appear insane, grabbing Teddy’s bugle and charging up the stairs in a show. Oh, and as this happens, Elaine is watching the WHOLE THING through the window. He manages to convince the men that the women are also in need of admittance, for their delusions. Mortimer also gets Dr. Einstein to sign the papers, just as he’s leaving. Meanwhile, Elaine makes her way into the cellar from the outside.

One more signature needed: next of kin, which is naturally Mortimer. But as Witherspoon leaves for a moment to help Teddy pack his things, Abby and Martha speak with Mortimer, worried about the signatures on the papers. They want to go to Happy Dale, but they’re worried that they’ll investigate the signatures, and find that Mortimer’s is a fraud. And why?

Because Mortimer’s not their next of kin.

He’s not a Brewster at all.

I fucking love this movie. Anyway, as Mortimer is (understandably) celebrating this discovery, a scream is heard from below as Elaine finds the bodies! She ALMOST blows the whole operation, but Mortimer intercepts her and literally stop her from talking by kissing her OUT OF THE HOUSE

And after that, the two finally reconcile, and they CHAAAAARGE off to their honeymoon. Which, by the way, also drives the cabbie insane. Yeah, dude’s been here the whole movie waiting for them to leave, and I haven’t mentioned it, because this movie is chock-full of jokes, and I legit didn’t have the time!

And, yeah; that’s Arsenic and Old Lace! And I find myself once again saying...I get it, Mom. I get why you like this movie. Hot damn. See you in the Review!

7 notes · View notes

fandomlurker · 4 years

Text

A Ponderous Rewatch: Battle for the Planet and Cameos

You know, I keep trying to be minimal with the amount of images I put in these posts, but I think it’s kind of a losing battle…especially when it comes to episodes animated by TMS like the second one coming later on today. I can’t help it, some of the expressions and poses are just too good to not be shared.

In any case, let’s begin with one very small cameo appearance in “Space Probed”:

Our little duo have apparently found themselves abducted by aliens, only to be kept in lab conditions much like the one on Earth at ACME Labs. This is one of those times where I wish I could know the production order of these episodes and not just the air date order… Why? Well, because this small cameo could potentially line up really well with an upcoming episode. Just keep that in mind for now.

With that out of the way, we move on to our next full skit:

And we begin with the Brain expositing to Pinky about how he came up with the plan for this episode.

“Halloween, Pinky: 1938. Mercury Radio Theatre presented an adaptation of H. G. Wells’ ‘War of the Worlds’ that was so realistic, people actually fled the cities believing that creatures from Mars were attacking the Earth. It proved that radio was a powerful tool…and now, Pinky, the advance of technology has brought us an even more powerful tool. Do you know what that is?”

Before we move on, how many of you reading this have heard about this? And how many of you know that this is actually an incident that happened in real life? Yes, people actually fled their homes after hearing this broadcast. Not a lot of people, of course. Not by a long shot. Most just made panicked phone calls to their local police station or to the radio station itself to find out what was really going on. The incident also wasn’t nationwide or anything like that, it was quite local. If anything, the radio play caused much more outrage after the fact than initial panic.

Another amusing anecdote is that Orson Welles was the man who directed, narrated, and played a main character in the broadcast. For those of you who may not be in the know, although Brain was initially based on animator and writer Tom Minton at Warner Brothers, Brain’s voice actor Maurice LaMarche based his voice on Orson Welles. Or, well, as Mr. LaMarche puts it: “The Brain is 70 percent Welles, 20 percent Vincent Price, and I don't know, there's another 10 percent of something else in there. I don't know what. Some people think it's Peter Lorre. I don't know what it is.”.

Strong references aside, I’m betting most of you can see the massive holes in the Brain’s plan already. Hoo boy…

“Umm… The rubber band?”

“The workings of your mind are a mystery to me, Pinky.”

“Ooo! I love a good mystery, Brain!”

You know, this little sequence with Brain nonchalantly stretching the rubber band while walking away from Pinky and Pinky determinedly holding on until Brain lets go off camera and sends Pinky flying is… Well, I don’t know what it is about it, but it’s kind of cute in a weird slapstick way? Like, it’s hard to tell if Brain did that on purpose to send Pinky flying for not understanding his plan…or if he actually wanted Pinky to follow him and tried to lead him to where he was walking but Pinky thought it was some kind of tug-o-war game and Brain got exasperated and let go of the rubber band.

Either way, Pinky doesn’t seem to mind.

“Television, Pinky, is our new tool!”

“We will pirate the airwaves and stage a hoax like ‘War of the Worlds’!”

Brain, you’re very good with that lasso. I’m impressed!

“Three cameras, Brain?”

“Yes… A technique pioneered by the great Desi Arnaz. And with them we will scare the people of the cities, leaving no resistance behind. We will have taken over the world!”

Well, Brain, that technique first being used by Desi Arnaz is a myth (it was more than likely actually pioneered by Jerry Fairbanks around 1947), but I’m going to give you a pass on this because you likely couldn’t fact check this very well at the time.

I do have to give Brain credit for being as dramatic as possible while announcing his plan, though. He really does know how to put on a show.

“Egad, Brain, brilliant!”

And Pinky is, as usual, full of praise and extremely excited about the plan. Look at him clapping and hopping around, aww… I’m starting to think that half the reason Brain goes through with these long, expository explanations of his plans to Pinky despite Pinky not quite following along a lot of the time is just to impress Pinky. Brain needs reassurance and Pinky always provides.

“Oh! Oh, wait, no, no…”

“Why would they be scared of us? We’re so small and we’re practically the size of mice, Brain.”

“We are mice, Pinky.”

“Oh, right! Well, there you are, then. Eh heh heh…”

…Okay, so, Pinky also tends to deflate the praise a bit when pointing out potential flaws in the plan like this, but it’s the initial thought that counts.

Yeah, I know, Brain. I know. But Pinky really is trying to be helpful.

“It’s not a question of size, Pinky. It’s a question of scale! Watch the monitor.”

“*gasp* Zounds, Brain! You’re gigantic!”

“Television, Pinky: The Great Deceptor!”

“Narf~…”

No, you aren’t seeing things. Pinky just…just stands there in front of the TV looking at live footage of a close-up of Brain and sighs in awe and affection while clasping his little hands together. I don’t even think I need to make a “Fellas, is it gay to--?” joke here. All that’s missing is little hearts appearing around his head.

We cut to a little while later, where the duo has everything set up for their broadcast. It looks like Pinky must have done the lettering for their props, since it actually looks decent and nothing like Brain’s scrawlings. Yes, I’m going to continue roasting Brain’s terrible penmanship. It amuses me.

“How is my disguise, Pinky?”

“OH! Is that you, Brain?!?”

“You flatter me, Pinky. Now, throw the switch and let us begin…the Battle for the Planet!”

Title drop! Also, aww. To be fair, Brain, I’m not sure Pinky was intending to be flattering so much as he was actually unsure if that really was you or not. But the fact that you took it as flattery is very telling, I think.

Pinky throws the switch, and the plan is officially underway!

According to the Animaniacs wiki, these people bear a striking resemblance to Elmyra’s family. If that’s what was intended, this is quite the early omen for the horrible “Pinky, Elmyra, and the Brain” spin-off that was made after the regular PatB spin-off. I don’t think I’m going to fully cover that show in the far future. It’s not the fun kind of terrible…it’s just terrible.

Oh hey, they were watching Family Matters! Too bad this is many, many years before they could bear witness to Dark Urkle Tribute.

And there’s Ralph, enjoying coffee and a doughnut.

And…some TV station broadcast folks. It kinda bothers me that these two basically have the same model except for different hair colours.

“We interrupt your regular broadcast to bring you this important news bulletin…”

“What is that?!”

“Someone’s pirated the TV lines!”

“Scientists have just reported that a large, unidentified flying object seems to be heading towards Earth. There is no cause for alarm…”

“…But there probably will be.”

Subtle, Brain.

Oh, hi, Warners! You certainly picked a good time to escape tonight.

“We take you now to our satellite view of the planet, perhaps to catch a glimpse of this fearful courier of the unknown.”

Cue Pinky making ridiculous “shoosh” and “shoom” and “weee!~” noises. Very convincing.

“I’ve just received word that the UFO is about to crash land nearby. There should be a great explosion!”

“I said, THERE SHOULD BE A GREAT EXPLOSION!”

“Hmm? Oh! OH, right, Brain! Narf!”

Nice blep, pinky.

Somehow, people watching the broadcast are still terrified. I’ve gotta admit that I didn’t expect this plan to go this well for this long.

…Okay, maybe I spoke too soon.

“Sorry, Brain…”

“…We’ll go live to the crash site momentarily.”

He says before near-instantly cutting to the “crash site”, still in the same disguise. Brain, honey, I know you’re probably trying to reduce broadcast downtime so that the audience doesn’t start to question what they’re seeing, but you do know that quick cuts like this ruin the illusion of this being a live broadcast…right?

Oh, who am I kidding? Of course he doesn’t know that. As usual, Brain has tunnel vision and expects his plans to go one certain way, and any details that don’t fit his internal narrative are discarded or not even thought about.

Just let me slide on in…

“I’m reporting to you live from the crash site and I…I’m at a loss for words. Can we get a shot of this very frightening scene?”

He’s right. That’s the most frightening…ly obvious cardboard spaceship I have ever seen.

But okay, I love these tiny prop improvisations they had to do. The bare cardboard wings taped to some kind of spray can for the body of the ship, a stray water cooler cup for the cone, test tubes for the thrusters, random little sewing pins for some kind of antenna, a dirty beige blanket to simulate soil for the crash zone… It’s so hastily cobbled together yet so goddamn cute.

Ralph still seems convinced that this is real, though that isn’t saying much.

“I am now positioned close to the…well, I can only assume that this is a vehicle from outer space, its occupants here to destroy the Earth.”

“Oooo!~ OoooOOOooo!~”

“Wait! There is a strange noise emanating from inside. Something seems to be coming out of the ship!”

They made a glove into an alien space suit with a tiny peephole to accommodate Pinky’s face and they fashioned a little belt from something for it, aaaaa! This is so adorable! Look at Pinky trying to be scary! He’s just all >:B throughout this entire scene.

BUG FOGGER

WARNING

CONTENTS UNDE

EXTREME PRESS

GAS

I’m wondering why they couldn’t label it as “bug spray”. I’ve honestly never heard of it being called “bug fogger”. Is that an American thing? (Also: Tiny sandbag wall!)

“Oh my! It’s hideous! Ladies and gentlemen, I can hardly describe this terrifying creature before me, except to say: Run for your lives! Go on! Empty the cities! Leave everything behind!”

“I…I don’t know how long I can stay on the air. I’ll try to get to our aerial view in chopper five!”

Okay, it seems even Elmyra’s family and the broadcast folks are still under the impression that this is actually happening. And Brain instantly cuts again to the aerial view. Brain, I think you’ve been watching too many movies.

“Chopper five, high above the city. The horrible creatures from Mars…invading…destroying everything in their path! Oh, the humanity!”

Since this is a still image the impact is lessened but Brain is rapidly beating his fist against his side to simulate the sound of helicopter blades and it’s actually pretty effective. Well done, lil guy, I never would’ve thought to do something like that. Your foley work is great!

The milk carton buildings still have straws in them to make chimneys! There’s little Chinese takeout boxes as buildings, too! I’m so charmed by all these quaint ways they’ve made their props.

Also, the Pinky-alien has apparently grown to kaiju size now, somehow. Brain, you’ve got to make your hoax at least a little consistent!

“This is no hoax, ladies and gentlemen. I urge you to run for your lives while you can! We’re not making this up just so we can take over the world!”

Goddamnit, Brain. You are the worst liar in the history of forever.

“Oh no! It’s heading this way! Run for your lives! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”

I just thought these cowering poses Brain did were funny and cute. He is so small and vulnerable…

So Pinky starts to menace the camera itself and—

—Oops. This isn’t going to go well.

Poor, poor Pinky.

“We did it, Pinky. Brilliant performance!”

Holy shit, sincere praise from Brain! I’m sure Pinky will treasure it.

“Undoubtedly, the population has fled in fear from their ‘terrifying enemy’, HA!”

Umm. About that, Brain…

“Let us make haste…to The White House!”

Brain, you may want to at least wait a little while so that people can actually—

Ouch.

WOW, who needs Twitter in this universe when the press is this fast?

“’Battle for the Planet is a comedy smash… World laughs together. Stay home for this one!’”

“Pinky, are you pondering what I’m pondering?”

“Well, I think so, Brain…but if we didn’t have ears, we’d look like weasels.”

“[sighs] No, Pinky… Our hoax…no one went anywhere! No one fled the cities! They found us…humorous.”

If it helps any, boys, I also found you incredibly adorable.

“Where are you going, Brain?”

“Back to our cage, Pinky. We must plan for tomorrow night.”

“Why? What are we going to do tomorrow night?”

I like how Pinky is at first concerned about Brain’s mood and then we he sees that Brain is just walking home to plan for tomorrow night he’s bouncing on his tip-toes after him.

“The same thing we do every night, Pinky: Try to take over the world!”

TO BE CONTINUED because apparently Tumblr finds this post too long otherwise,

#Pinky and the Brain #PatB #Battle for the Planet

12 notes · View notes

introvertguide · 4 years

Text

Casablanca (1942); AFI #3

I am very proud to present the next film on the AFI list, Casablanca (1942). It is truly one of the best examples of fine film from Hollywood's Golden Age. I was surprised to find out that the film only received 3 Oscars and none for the acting. Lead actress Ingrid Bergman was actually nominated for another film that she had made that year (For Whom the Bell Tolls), but it is was highway robbery to think that Humphrey Bogart did not get a Best Actor award for this film. On the bright side, the 3 Oscars were for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. But maybe it really isn’t a good idea to try and compare older films, but instead recognize a masterpiece for what it is. I would love to continue complimenting the movie, but first let me relay the story to you. Oh yeah. One other thing as well:

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!! WE GOT ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME HERE!!! GO AND WATCH IT!!! DON’T LET ME SPOIL IT FOR YOU!!! SERIOUSLY!!!

The film starts out with stock footage and a map showing the plight of many Europeans and how they were being herded to Casablanca and looking for a way out to Lisbon and eventually to America. It is December 1941 and it is the height of the exodus in an attempt to escape Nazi invasion of France and any French colonies. In Casablanca, Morocco, there is an expatriate American that owns a bar in the city that serves both refugees and locals, French and German soldiers. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is the American and he is known for taking no sides and only looking out for his own best interest.

It is stated on the radio that two German couriers have been killed for their letters of transit and that people in Casablanca will pay top dollar (and by that I mean anything and everything) to get those papers so that they can leave the country. A conniving thief named Ugarte (played by the great Peter Lorre) entrusts Rick to hold on to the letters. Rick allows the local corrupt police captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) to arrest the thief and Ugarte dies in jail before revealing who has the papers. Things are getting a little hot and Rick is considering leaving the country so he is very happy to have the letters. It would take a lot for him to even consider selling the letters...that is until...

The reason that Rick is so cold and cynical walks in the door and asks the piano player to play “As Time Goes By” and it becomes apparent that this women has hurt Rick and is his kryptonite. A flashback shows that the two had met and fallen in love in Paris. When the city was raided and Rick and Ilsa were supposed to leave together on a train, he only found a letter that said she could never see him again. Even worse, it turns out that the woman, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), is with her husband, the notorious Czech Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) who is attempting to escape to Lisbon. A German major name Strasser has also arrived in Casablanca to make sure that Laszlo does not leave and ideally can be arrested or killed without making him into a martyr.

To really exemplify how bad the situation has gotten, a couple of very short side stories show a young wife that is willing to sleep with the French captain in order to get a plane ticket for herself and her husband. At the bar, a proud French woman is drinking with a German soldier because she feels that some promiscuities might keep her safe and even get her out of Africa. Rick allows the young husband to cheat at roulette so that the wife can keep her honor and the two will have enough money to purchase a passport. Famously, the German that the promiscuous French woman is drinking with starts singing Die Wacht am Rhein and Laszlo asks the band to play La Marseillaise to drown out the German singing. Rick gives the OK, and the band plays the French nationalist song and causes a patriotic fervor, including the French woman who leaves her German partner and sings along with tears in her eyes. The German captain does not like this and tells Renault to close down the club, which he does.

Ilsa and Laszlo hear that Rick has the letters and she goes to try and get them. Rick does not want to give them up and she actually threatens to shoot him. She cannot follow through and she admits that she is still in love with Rick. It turns out that she was married before she met Rick and was under the impression that Laszlo had been killed when she was with Rick in Paris. She suddenly disappeared because she found out that he husband was alive and telling anyone where she was going would be a risk to both her and Rick. The bar owner finally melts off that icy crust. He is willing to give a letter to Laszlo and have Ilsa stay. However, Laszlo has been at a meeting that was broken up and he wants Rick to go with Ilsa to Lisbon to make sure she is safe.

Renault tries to arrest Laszlo on some fake charge that will only hold him the night, but Rick promises to set him up for a more serious crime. Rick pretends to turn on Laszlo, but he actually has used the time to arrange for Laszlo to leave on a plane that night. The German commander is informed and races over to the airport to stop everything and Renault is being held at gunpoint by Rick until Ilsa and Laszlo can leave. A final showdown occurs at the airport hanger where Rick is holding the two officers at bay while Laszlo and Ilsa leave. She is hesitant and that is when we get the famous “maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow” speech. It is beautiful and poignant, making for maybe the best couple of sentences of dialogue in American cinema. Strasser tries to warn the tower but Rick shoots and kills him. The French Captain tells his men to round up the usual subjects, not revealing who actually killed the German officer. Rick and the French captain walk away discussing what they will do next, ending the film with the famous line, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

I am so happy to have watched this film again because it puts me in a great mood every time that I see it. Not surprisingly, the AFI has a strong affinity for this film and gave it accolades whenever possible. The film was #37 on the top 100 thrills, #1 on the top 100 passions, #4 greatest film hero for Rick Blaine, #2 song for “As Time Goes By,” 6 different lines on the top 100 movie quotes, and #32 on the top 100 cheer films. I have to be a little careful when I watch this films because it has a carryover effect and can make the films I see immediately before and after seem like garbage. Speaking of which...

I was surprised watching All the President’s Men with how close to the actual event that the movie was produced, yet Casablanca did it even closer in time and did a much better job. There are stories of soldiers that joined the military after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and saw the film before leaving to take part in Project Torch, which was the Allied mission to retake North Africa including Casablanca. The IMDB trivia mentions that some of the actors that played the extra Nazi officers were German Jews that escaped to America. The actress that played the French woman who was cavorting with the German officers is shown crying during the famous French National Anthem scene...that wasn’t scripted. She was a French citizen who had family fighting against the Germans back home and she was upset. The German singing was supposed to be a Nazi rally song, but the film producers could not acquire the rights without having to deal directly with Nazi representatives and possibly pay royalties to the group. That sure as hell wasn’t happening so they picked a royalty free German song.

There were a lot of Americans in the US at the time that did not think that the Nazis were all that bad and were more focused on the clear and present danger of Japan. There were many people that were confused why the US was fighting in Africa when Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. At some level, this film served as a form of propaganda to help drum up support for the war in Europe and Africa. It worked well. The beginning intro to the film that explained the volatile situation in North Africa was news to many moviegoers at the time (it kind of was for me as well).

I have spent the week praising this film, but I do have to point out a couple of egregious flaws with the special effects. There is a scene of Rick and Ilsa back in Paris and, since the country was occupied, there was no way lo film on location or even get any up-to-date establishing shots. Therefore, all they had was old background roll for driving and at a café, so that is what they two characters did in France: took a terrible looking car ride and sat at a café. It looks pretty terrible, but luckily it does not last and accounts for a very short portion of the film. They also couldn’t get permission to fly planes so low over Hollywood lots so they just paper used cutouts layered over the film to show the planes taking off and landing at the airstrip in Casablanca. It is blatant, but the movie is so old and is otherwise so perfect that it is more charming to me than anything else.

So does this movie belong on the AFI top 100 as #3? Sure does. This is one of the quintessential American movies that should be seen. There was some discussion amongst my group of whether the film was too high because of films like Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz being lower, but there was no argument that it is Top 5 as far as greatest American films. Do I recommend it? Of course! It is a time capsule of the 40s, it is an excellent story, it has quotes that are excepted as part of American English vernacular, and it stars two of the biggest actors in all of Hollywood cinema history. Please go and watch it. And tell me what you thought, because I have not had anybody who was sorry that they took the time for a viewing. You will thank me later.

#casablanca #humphrey bogart #ingrid bergman #peter lorre #hollywood golden age #black and white #greatest movies #AFI films #Oscar winner #world war 2 #nazis #introverts #introvert #top 10 films

7 notes · View notes

peterlorres21stcentury · 9 months

Text

My dream this morning: a slightly warped continuation of my latest weight gain story, in which Peter Lorre as the fat Baron visits another nobleman (or possibly a doctor or something? we'll just call him a lord for now) played by Conrad Veidt. Lord Conrad lived somewhere in German Expressionist Land ™️ with his ethereal doll-faced wife, who looked something like this:

Der Cabinet des Dr. Conrad

Whereas the Baron's home was built to be as comfy as possible and just a little bit spooky, everything in Lord Conrad's castle was built on the bias and made no sense, all tilting staircases and oddly-placed doors and a general sense of shadowy unease. The whole village looked like this too, with thin and ghostly-looking people to match.

Lord Conrad and Baron von Baum did not get along, mostly because the Baron was forever frustrated with the limited variety and quantity of food he was served, and Lord Conrad (a vegetarian) was disgusted by the Baron's excessive meat-eating and general gluttony. He did make some concessions for the Baron's pregnant wife, who was also visiting ("I suppose I could boil her some eggs") but the food remained bland and terrible. The rest of the dream involved them all getting lost in the insane labyrinth that was Lord Conrad's wine cellar/formal garden (?)

I kind of love all of this and I want it in my next story in some form. :D

#dreams #dream journal #writing ideas #notes to myself #there's a lot of potential here :3

3 notes · View notes

thenightling · 5 years

Text

Films and shows to get you ready for Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman

Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is getting adapted into a series by Netflix. Though this is a DC comics property, The Sandman is NOT like Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman. The Sandman is a gorgeous and surreal fantasy that only partially takes place in the human world. A big part of it takes place in the fantasy realm known as The Dreaming.

There is very little combat action though there is horror. To give you an idea of what you are in for (Or if you are a Sandman fan already and want something to hold you off) here are twenty-five films and shows that share some of the traits (or atmosphere) you might find in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.

25. The Raven (1963 film). This might seem like an oddball one to list since it’s a Gothic Horror fantasy comedy from the 1960s but it gets referenced in The Sandman by Matthew imitating Peter Lorre and later Matthew compared Cain to Vincent Price. I think it’s safe to say Matthew was a Price (or Roger Coman) fan.

24. Death. Death is a short animated film from DC and was featured as bonus content for the Blu Ray of the animated movie Wonder Woman: Bloodlines.

Though she looks younger (appearing about nineteen-years-old) Death is the older sister of Morpheus AKA Dream of The Endless, the main protagonist of The Sandman. She was first introduced in The Sandman issue 8, The Sound of Her Wings.

23. Stardust.

Stardust is a fantasy film based on the novel (and graphic novel) by Neil Gaiman. Though there are liberties taken, this should give you some idea of what his fantasy writing is like.

22. Beetlejuice the animated series.

If you want an idea of what The Dreaming (realm of Dreams) is like then I urge you to check out the surreal Neither (that’s not a typo) World from the Beetlejuice animated series. The monsters that inhabit this realm are the stuff of fantasy and nightmares. Some are living puns. And they are ruled over by a broody Goth who makes it rain when he’s depressed and feeling melodramatic, much like a certain Dream Lord from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman...

21. Bonus listing: The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.

One major antagonist of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is a nightmare entity known as The Corinthian who escapes into the waking world and becomes a serial killer. Had Sandman been adapted in the mid-90s I think many would have loved a crossover with Freddy Krueger.

20. Return to Oz.

If by some weird chance you have never seen The Wizard of Oz or any faithful (read: Not 2010) version of Alice in Wonderland I would recommend those first. But under the assumption you may have already seen those I would suggest watching Return to Oz. Return to Oz features an adorable Jack-o-lantern headed character called Jack Pumpkinhead. Jack Pumpkinhead was the loose inspiration for the grounds keeper dream entity character of Mervyn Pumpkinhead in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.

19. Tales from the Crypt (TV series).

Issue 2 of The Sandman is called Imperfect Hosts because all of the characters introduced in that issue are former horror host characters from horror anthology comics. Cain and Abel were DC’s answer to The Crypt keeper and The Vault Keeper. For a good idea of who Cain actually is (assuming he’s in the show along with his House of Mystery) I strongly recommend checking out the TV show Tales from the Crypt.

18. Tales from the Cryptkeeper (animated series)

In the mid-1990s there was an animated series adaptation of Tales from the Crypt called Tales from the Cryptkeeper. Season 2 featured the three original EC comics horror hosts of the Cryptkeeper, Vault Keeper, and the Old Witch. These storytellers might give you an idea of who (or what) some of Morpheus’ Nightmare minion are in The Sandman.

17. Hocus Pcous.

I chose to put this one here because the three witches of Hocus Pocus very much remind me of the Hecatae version of The Three-in-one from The Sandman Issue 2. There’s also a powerful Grimoire that is a plot catalyst.

16. The 10th Kingdom.

The 10th Kingdom was a fantasy mini-series that aired on NBC in 2000. It dealt with a twenty-seven-year-old young woman who discovers that her estranged mother is the evil queen in a faery tale world. It is very much a story about stories (much like parts of The Sandman) and shows you the original dark and unvarnished versions of some classic faery tales as well as how those characters (and their descendants) carry on centuries later.

15. Once Upon a Time (TV series. Particularly seasons 1 through 3.)

Much like with 10th Kingdom we have here a story about stories and those characters from classic stories trying to live in the human world with varying degrees of success. You see how important their stories are and how carefully and intricately each tale was interwoven with each other. (...Until around season 4 that is...)

Also it begins with a very powerful creature imprisoned and later undergoing an extremely long redemption arc and a sense of guilt tied to the death of his own son.

14. Constantine: City of Demons.

John Constantine appears in one issue of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. Issue 3. Constantine: City of Demons gives a good crash course on who Constantine is and where he comes from. John Constantine’s ancestor, Johanna Constantine is a recurring character in The Sandman.

13. Justice League: Dark animated movie.

Justice League: Dark is the first animated movie to feature The House of Mystery. The House of Mystery is a building whose roots are in The Dreaming in The Sandman.

12. Constantine (2014 series).

In 2014 Constantine got his own live action series but it only lasted for one season.

11. Locke and Key.

Only recently did I learn Locke and Key will be doing an official crossover with The Sandman Universe.

10. Lucifer TV series.

The TV show Lucifer is an oddball thing since it was based on a comic that is actually a spin-off of The Sandman. The storyline that introduces us to Mazikeen, where Lucifer quits ruling Hell, opens Lux, and takes up playing Piano all come from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.

When Fox got the rights to Lucifer no one thought The Sandman was going to be getting an adaptation, at least not in the near future. As a result several conversations and key pieces of dialogue that originally passed between Morpheus and Lucifer in The Sandman comics now went to Lucifer and his therapist, Linda, and his angel-brother, Amenadiel.

Bonus: If at all possible check out the Crisis on infinite Earths event from the CW as the real Crisis on Infinite Earths (original comic event) eventually gave way to things like The Sandman.

9. The Witches (1990) and Coraline (2009) I couldn’t decide which one to put here so I put them both.

The Witches is a children’s horror film based on the book by Roald Dahl. I suggest this here for its darker themes and you get a group of dangerous, child-killing witches attending a meeting at a hotel, much like The Corinthian’s Serial Killer convention in The Sandman.

Coraline is a stop motion fantasy / horror story for children and can give you some idea of what certain aspects of The Sandman are like, as it is by the same author.

8. Pan’s Labyrinth.

The Sandman is very much part fantasy and part Gothic horror and no director alive quite fits that criteria now better than Guillermo del Toro and possibly Tim Burton. Pan’s Labyrinth has the surreal beauty and darkness you are likely to see in The Sandman.

7. Doom Patrol.

Doom Patrol was the first DC show that made me have faith that yes, they CAN adapt Sandman respectfully and unafraid of the strangeness it might entail. Doom Patrol seemed unafraid to tackle the strange, quirkiness of it’s own content. From a talking roach, to gender-queer sentient street named Danny, Doom Patrol was not afraid to be strange.

6. Swam Thing (2019 TV series from DC Universe Streaming Service).

I mostly suggest this for one character in particular. Matthew Cable. After Matthew died in The Sandman comics he chose to spend his afterlife as Morpheus’ raven.

Besides featuring a character from The Sandman Swamp Thing gives a very good Gothic atmosphere and supernatural content, giving you an idea of the sort of horror DC can do.

6. Justice League Action: Trick or Threat. And Justice League action: Supernatural adventures in Babysitting.

The episode of Justice League Action called Trick or Threat features Cain, a nightmare character from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, as well as The House of Mystery. This was Cain’s first appearance in media. The version of Cain in the TV show Lucifer is nothing like his comic book counterpart. This cartoon is the first and only faithful adaptation of the character from the comics.

The episode of Justice League Action called Supernatural Adventures in Babysitting features the Magdalene Grimoire. This is the grimoire used to summon Morpheus in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. It also features John Constantine.

5. She-Creature: The Mermaid Chronicles (2001 film)

This is an odd from about some humans have a captured mermaid. The majority of the film is about her escape and revenge on her captors. You will see something similar to that with Morpheus in the very first episode of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.

4. The Company of Wolves.

The Company of Wolves is a story about stories. In the ontemporary world a pubescent girl sleeps during her first period. She dreams that she is Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother tells her horrific stories about werewolves. The wolves become metaphors For puberty, masculinity, and waking sexuality. Toward the end Rosealeen (the protagonist) becomes one of the wolves. You get random stark reminders that this entire film is set in a dream world, and yet it’s still strangely easy to forget.

3. The Nightmare before Christmas.

The Nightmare before Christmas is a fantasy musical about the king of Halloween. Though he’s adored by his subjects he longs for more. The surreal landscape and strange creatures can be reminiscent of The Sandman.

2. Labyrinth.

One of the earliest efforts to talk me into reading The Sandman entailed someone telling me that Morpheus was “Like a Goth Jareth.” This effort (at the time) failed to entice me though I do love Labyrinth.

1. Over The Garden Wall.

I only saw Over the Garden Wall for the first time about a year and a half ago and loved it very much. This is a strange animated mini-series about two brothers lost in a forest called “The Unknown.” The setting has been debated among fans as to if it’s purgatory (a place between life and death), a dream realm, or something else entirely. I choose to believe that though it may be a place between life and Death that it’s also a part of The Dreaming, especially with so many surreal and Gothic visuals, and characters and creatures directly out of vintage seasonal cards.

#The Sandman #Neil Gaiman's The Sandman

14 notes · View notes

myfellowfreudian · 4 years

Text

The Genius of Peter Lorre

IT WAS IN Fritz Lang's M that Peter Lorre first captured attention, captured it with horrifying vividness as a child murderer. Nobody who saw that film could fail to realise that he might be watching a great actor; might be, because the filmgoer learns caution, because he needs more than one film to tell how much credit is due to the director, because he has been deceived often by a lucky part into believing that a Scarlet Empress is a Blue Angel.

But we were right when we thought there was more than a brilliant melodramatic director behind Lorre. There was nothing of the bogey, the lighted turnip, the Karloff about his performance: I still remember the expression of despairing tenderness he turned on his small victim, the hopeless struggle in his face against a habit he could not break.

He exhibited the same sympathetic grasp of a psychological "case" in his third film, the rather inferior melodrama of Karl Freund's, The Hands of Orlac. He acted the part of the depraved surgeon Gogol who grafts the hands of a guillotined murderer on to the smashed stumps of his rival. A part you would have said of cheap Grand Guignol horror, something to frighten children, and a reading of the script would not have altered your view. It was to Lorre alone we owed the goodness, the tenderness of the vicious man. Those marble pupils in the pasty spherical head are like the eye-pieces of a microscope through which you can watch the tangled mind laid flat on the slide: love and lust, nobility and perversity, hatred of itself and despair jumping out at you from the jelly. His very features are metaphysical.

Lorre has run the usual course, from Germany to America and then to England, but in his case it is not the chart of a rising and then falling reputation. He has never failed, although he has never appeared in a good film since M. His nearest approach to failure was in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much. He was given a perfunctory Peter the Painter part, but the director was too proud of his little melodramatic tricks to be interested in character.

Lorre — perhaps it is a misfortune — can do almost anything. He is a genius who sometimes gets his finest effects independently of his director (as I have said there is nothing in the script to explain his Gogol, the seriousness he introduced into the trivial film), but he is also a thoroughly reliable repertory actor, and so in his last film, Hitchcock's deplorable Secret Agent, he made a great success of a humorous "character' part. There was no doubt there about his humour and the gusto with which he acted, and Hitchcock deserves some credit for developing the hint of comic powers observable in Sternberg's glossy popular Crime and Punishment, when as Raskolnikov he bated his sister's pompous suitor. It was a cheap little piece of comic relief, but Lorre got from it every possible laugh.

But that is not the Lorre one most wants to see: better Gogol a thousand times, and I have a horrible fear that film directors will find it easier to follow in Hitchcock's steps and provide Lorre with humorous character parts than discover stories to suit his powerful genius, his over-powering sense of spiritual corruption. He is an actor of great profundity in a superficial art. It will always be his fate to be cramped, not only by the shortcomings of directors, not only by the financiers with their commercial demands, but by the Board of Film Censors. The financiers are not interested in psychological truth, and the Board do not recognise morality.

#graham greene

1 note · View note