#like cary grand and Audrey Hepburn in charade!!!

[lesbiancolumbo]

For the canon ask: 8, 199, 76

first of all. love your icon.

harold lloyd isn't my favorite of the silent comedians (that honor belongs to buster keaton, who is on my list, and mabel normand, who sadly was just edged out) but safety last centers on a singular set piece that is just so incredible that i wanted to celebrate it here.

i really waffled with putting clemency on my list.... not because this film isn't a masterpiece. it's a film i think everyone should see, and yet i wouldn't want to subject it to anyone. it's just.... a lot. damning and powerful, alfre woodard not winning an oscar for this is highway robbery, fuck renee for her stupid judy cosplay, like seriously, i don't get heated about awards shit, but that she wasn't nominated and didn't win will irk me forever. i have not and will never forgive neon for burying this film. like, genuinely they're on my shit list and they know it. aldis hodges deserved a fucking oscar too, like shit, one scene in particular with him burns on the inside of my brain. thinking about it makes me want to throw up. i walked out of this film at the sundance film festival in 2019 and said, this movie is gonna win the whole thing. people laughed at me, and chinonye chukwu became the first black woman to win the grand jury prize. it's easily one of the best films of the last ten years. it's on hulu.

my stepdad <3 charade is my favorite non-musical stanley donen film, and i've talked about it a bit in the last few days because i saw it saturday, but it's a film that only gets better, funnier, sexier, scarier, and more fun as you revisit it. audrey hepburn gets to play an actual adult woman, cary grant is in my favorite mode (silly), the supporting players are fun, it's just a great time at the movies. you can't ask for more.

[jasonfry]

I’ve fallen behind on a winter’s worth of Movies Everybody’s Seen But Me and now it’s baseball season again, so some overdue capsule reviews....

Dark Victory (1939) 

A melodrama about Bette Davis as a young socialite diagnosed with brain cancer, with no hope for a cure -- “prognosis negative,” as she spits in one key scene. Loses its footing at the end, with a simultaneously idyllic and faintly ridiculous switch to Vermont and Davis dying accompanied by a yowling celestial choir. Humphrey Bogart is miscast as an ambitious horse trainer but Davis is terrific, blasting defiance at all and sundry, fate most of all. Bonus: Ronald Reagan doing good work as a bilious, rich sometimes-do-well.

Dark of the Sun (1968) 

Rod Taylor and Jim Brown share the screen as mercenaries hired by Congo’s president to save a town of European miners from a rebel incursion. Grim and considered horrifically gory for its time, it’s definitely uneven, but a few set pieces -- such as Taylor battling a former Nazi with chainsaws and the horrors of night in the rebel-held town -- will stay with you.

Charade (1963)

Often called the best Hitchcock movie not directed by Hitchcock (it’s Stanley Donen’s work), and it’s easy to see why. Stylish  throughout and wonderfully funny at times, with George Kennedy and James Coburn stealing the show as villains, but so fizzy that it ultimately floats away. And once again, Audrey Hepburn gets shackled with a leading man old enough to be her father. This time at least it’s Cary Grant, but it’s still gross.

Badlands (1973) 

Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek carve a murderous trail across the Great Plains in a retelling of the Starkweather spree. Both are terrific, with Spacek’s flat, affectless voiceovers particularly chilling. Ripped off repeatedly in the decades since its release, with True Romance a particular offender -- it even nicks the music.

All the King’s Men (1949) 

Anchored by a towering performance by character actor Broderick Crawford, who gives Willie Stark a poisonous, rotten charisma that’s equal parts riveting and repellent. Stark is based on Huey Long, but his grip on the mob that sees him as a messiah feels very of the moment. Mercedes McCambridge is wonderful, as always, as a political operative fairly boiling with resentment and cynicism. And the movie feels very modern, with documentary-style cinematography and jarring cuts. But all that’s good about it -- which is a lot -- gets undercut by its melodramatic excesses and flights of purple dialogue.

Death in Venice (1971) 

Too arty for my tastes, and most of it’s set on the Lido, which isn’t the filmmakers’ fault but still feels like cheating.

The Lady From Shanghai (1947) 

Another Orson Welles film taken away from him and recut, which much of the footage lost and what might have been much lamented by film fans. Welles isn’t particularly believable as an Irish sailor and there are few if any characters you root for, but after a few minutes in her presence you’d kill for Rita Hayworth too. The movie is always fascinating to look at, with the camera never quite where you expect it, and the scenes on the yacht are suffocating and disturbing, as Welles tries to escape the traps set by him by his employer and his associates.

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) 

Slight but entertaining, with Monty Woolley having a grand time merrily chewing several films’ worth of scenery. He’s worth the price of admission even if the rest of the movie fades fairly quickly from memory. 

[stormgambit]

My true love gave to me… my thoughts on White Christmas. 

I love White Christmas it’s one of my favorite movies. I’ve seen it twice so far this Christmas season… but the first one doesn’t really count as it was before Thanksgiving. I will say the most satisfying viewing of White Christmas was when I went to the State Theatre a few years ago and saw it on the big screen.

I love going to the State Theatre, can’t you tell.

This year I decided to watch White Christmas today while my brothers were outside playing football in the snow. They then got mad at me because I upset their normal video game schedule. Anyways let’s talk White Christmas.

One of the things I love about this movie are the costumes… specifically Rosemary Clooney’s. First off is this amazing periwinkle number. It’s so light, fluffy, and simple, it really make’s Vera-Ellen’s dress look a bit gaudy (although that one is pretty too).

Such a pretty color.

Rosemary Clooney also gets some of the best performance outfits.

My favorite is this black sparkly dress, if I were to ever do a red carpet this is what I would wear. It shimmers every time she moves and it just looks so fantastic on her.

I even love the poofy red train on this dress. 

This goes without saying but Edith Head knew what she was doing.

I also rally like the dress she wears while performing at the Carousel Club. It’s a classic revenge dress she’s mad at Bob so she gets revenge by singing Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me wearing this fantastic black dress, and he happens to be in the audience.

Betty first sees Bob and she looks good.

The costumes were designed by Edith Head and that’s kinda amazing.

The last of Rosemary’s dresses I want to bring attention to is the green velvet cocktail dress she wears to the cast party.

Me when I hear family members say they have never seen White Christmas.

I love this dress so much.

If you know me you know I absolutely adore velvet, and this dress is such a dark green color it showed up black on my TV. I would love to own this dress I would wear it absolutely everywhere. I have never been in love with a dress like I am with this one.

Also one honorable mention to the General’s grand-daughter, she has some fantastic costumes too.

This is like the only picture of this dress on the internet, and I would wear this checked number everyday.

So pink and pretty.

It’s a pity that there isn’t more photos of Susan’s outfits out there, they are absolutely adorable and again I would wear these dresses all the time if I had them.

Now onto the plot, there are two things I don’t like, and they are 1) the weird choreography scene and 2) Bing seemed a little old for Rosemary Clooney.

What is going on.

So, why is choreography part of this movie? I know it’s part of their stage show but in the clip for the opening night it says they are doing a new musical like not one of their stage shows which I assume would have a variety of acts.

How are you a musical?

  This brings the question what in the world was that musical about? It had the choreography dance, minstrel show, and Bing wanted to add the blessings song to it, and then at the end of the play they sing White Christmas dressed like Santa? Like what in the world was the plot to that? Is Vera-Ellen’s character in the play “Playing Around” called Mandy, and also was in the army, doesn’t like choreography and is also Mrs. Claus? Why are there two Santas? How does any of this connect? It will probably forever remain a mystery. 

Now onto Bing and Rosemary, when filming White Christmas Bing Crosby was 51 years old and Rosemary Clooney was 26. That’s a bigger age gap than what’s between me and my parents, he was old enough to be her father. You can tell he’s quite a bit older and I guess they had to find a girl who could realistically have nine children for Bob. You can really tell the age difference in the sandwich scene, Bing feels more like a father figure than a romantic interest. Yeah they do look kinda cute together but Rosemary should have gotten together with one of her backup dancers from the Carousel Club. Also Rosemary’s haircut ages her a little bit and I noticed if you look at posters from the movie they make Bing look younger than what he is. I will also point out Audrey Hepburn was also cast with much older men, like Humphrey Bogart in Sabrina, Fred Astaire in Funny Face, and even Cary Grant in Charade all around the same time as White Chrismtas, so this kinda casting wasn’t new and still happens.

The guy Rosemary should have gotten with.

He looks so old especially compared to the backup dancer above him. 

Another thing I noticed this time is that they unceremoniously get rid of who I assume is Danny Kaye’s girlfriend from the beginning of the movie. In the beginning he wants to take this girl who’s name I cannot remember on a double date, with Bing and another one of the show girls. Then Bing says something to Danny Kaye about him and the one girl throwing girls at him. Even if it’s just casual Danny Kaye up and follows the Haynes sisters to Vermont with out even letting the other girl it’s over. Then he gets fake engaged to Vera-Ellen and tells her he’s afraid of commitment and then really falls in love with her. I’m just saying that Rosemary Clooney was probably not the only one upset at their engagement.

He’s gonna flake on you Vera-Ellen.

Two more points… 1) Why in the world did Bing get the mail for the General while at the Inn, like why did you do that, you do not live there! That part really bothered me this time watching it. 2) you should check out Seth MacFarlane singing Snow it’s pretty good, and he’s one of my absolute favorite singers.

I still love this movie, how can you not love a movie with fantastic dresses, Bing Crosby, and a Christmas setting? It’s been a staple of my Christmas viewing since high school. All of the plot points I don’t like aside this movie’s really good, if you love candy colored Christmas musicals this is for you.

See you tomorrow, hopefully earlier in the day, we’re halfway done with the twelve days of Christmas!

–Alyssa–

  On the Sixth Day of Christmas… My true love gave to me... my thoughts on White Christmas.  I love White Christmas it's one of my favorite movies.

[deeneedsaname]

Feeling like posting the hot take that more people would ship/be inclined to see romantic undertones with the Doctor and Donna, but Catherine Tate and David Tennant are the same age and she doesn’t look twenty. (NO HATE to those who don’t ship it!!! Or who never would! This is more about the fact that Donna isn’t fifteen years younger than he is so I think some of that plays into it.)