I grew up bookish and movie-loving, and I had a mother who allowed me to stay indoors as much as I wanted to read and watch every single film that was on afternoon TV, so I grew up knowing and loving old movies. I got worse in college and was part of various film societies and sometimes went to festivals where I saw 5 films a night. So now I am trying to fill in any gaps I might have had. So far, we have lined up:
1. How the West was Won--I never saw this one! We saw a bit last night before I conked out, but it's surprising in its old school racism (American Indians are "primitive man") but the hokey story still charms. Halfway through!
2. The Beautiful and the Damned. Can't find it in tape, really want it. About Hollywood with Kirk Douglas.
3. That Touch of Venus. Someone at The Blue Note, where we were seeing Boz Scaggs, told us about this one. Never saw it. Want to see it.
So, what else should I see? I have seen all Bette Davis, All Joan Crawford, most of the film noirs around, all of Hitchcock, too. I've seen a lot of Japanese, French, Chinese, Russian and Italian cinema, too. So I need obscure and great. Actually, there is one French film I have been looking for and I don't know the name and haven't found in through Google. Stars Gerard Depardieu and it is about the daughter he never knew he had who comes after him for revenge when her mother kills herself. I'm not a huge Laurel and Hardy fan, or Buster Keaton and I prefer the dark, stormy movies where someone ends up falling off a cliff. (Thinks Waterloo Bridge, where Vivien Leigh hurls herself off a bridge rather than reveal that she has been a whore.)
If you stump me and mention one I haven't seen you get a watercolor of a ladder floating in the sky!
6 comments:
C:
Go get Toute Une Vie (1974, Claude Lelouche). This translates to And Now My Love.
This is one of my favorite movies. It is a love story, comedy. Gets a little silly at end, but it breaks every story structure rule in the book ... and works! Very French, but one of the greatest rule-breakers ever and brilliant. the two main characters never meet until the last scene in the movie. The whole story is about what leads up to their love affair. The movie ends where the traditional love story would begin... when the lovers meet. And it works!!!! It's brilliant... but WARNING: very French!
A must see for any sick novelist climbing the walls of her sick room.
J :)
Hey you win! I have never seen that one!
Caroline I have no doubt that you have seen more movies than me...but I am going to try and think of one!
Also really great is the entire Prime Suspect series with Helen Mirren...LOVED it. Detective Jane Tennyson, is such a smart, sexy, feminist, flawed, fabulous, and ambitious character. The cases can be pretty grizzly...but the casts are amazing and I just adored this series!!
Feel better.
G :)
If you're in a Depardieu mood, get his "Danton." Not that old, but really fun. Otherwise, I recommend a good dose of Lauren Bacall. "To Have and Have Not" taught me everything I needed to know about being a woman.
I actually have a bootleg DVD of "Porgy and BEss," with Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr. as Sportin' Life. For some reason, it hasn't been released on DVD. My copy only plays on my computer, but I love it. Incredibly dated, but great music.
PLAYTIME, Jacques Tati, a great, great film.
You might be thinking of "I am Dina".
Post a Comment