Lawrence of Arabia

I tried many times, unsuccessfully, to watch Lawrence of Arabia on TV (it was my friend Tony's favorite movie) but I always fell asleep.  I finally came to the realization that it is a movie that really needs to be seen on the big screen to be appreciated.  When I saw it as part of the Megaplex Silver Screen Classics series a few years ago, I was absolutely captivated and I couldn't believe that I ever found it to be boring.  I was so excited to see it again as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series yesterday and, once again, I thought it was a masterpiece.  It tells the true story of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole), a British officer who was able to unite a group of warring Arab tribesman to take the cities of Aqaba and Damascus from the Turks during World War I.  O'Toole (in his movie debut) is absolutely brilliant as a man who starts to believe in his own mythology but then ultimately becomes disillusioned by the necessity of violence, the perfidy of the British, and the renewal of tribal hostilities.  Much has been made about how handsome O'Toole is but it is Omar Sharif, who plays a tribal leader, who makes me swoon!  The rest of all-star cast, including Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Jose Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy, and Claude Rains, is also outstanding.  This movie is truly epic and I really enjoyed all of the locations around the world used in filming.  The first time I watched it all the way though, I thought that British Headquarters in Cairo looked a lot like the Plaza de Espana in Spain and this time around I paid particular attention and then looked it up to confirm it.  I was right!  I loved the breathtaking cinematography, especially the widescreen shots of camels racing across the desert or of the rising sun, and the atmospheric score by Maurice Jarre.  It is almost four hours long (plus an intermission) but I found it to be riveting and I highly recommend seeing it when it is screened again on Wednesday (go here for tickets and information).

Hello, Dolly!

I had never seen the movie Hello, Dolly! before (I saw the stage musical at HCT years ago) so I was really excited to see it yesterday as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series.  It is simply delightful and I absolutely loved it!  At the turn of the century, the irascible Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) wants to get married so that he will have someone to do all of the chores at his Hay & Feed store in Yonkers, New York.  His niece Ermengarde (Joyce Ames) wants to marry the artist Ambrose Kemper (Tommy Tune) but her uncle objects because he doesn't have a steady income.  His clerk Cornelius Hackl (Michael Crawford) is longing for an adventure in New York City and doesn't want to come back to Yonkers until he has kissed a girl.  He convinces his fellow clerk Barnaby Tucker (Danny Lockin) to come along with him.  Irene Molloy (Marianne McAndrew) owns a millinery shop in NYC but tells her assistant Minnie Fay (E.J. Peaker) that she wants a rich husband to take her away because she hates hats!  An enchanting and recently widowed matchmaker named Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) is hired to find a wife for Vandergelder but she decides that she wants to marry him herself.  She just needs to convince him!  She arranges for all of the couples to meet for a memorable evening at the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in New York City and merriment ensues.  This is like one of those old fashioned classic movie musicals that I remember watching at my Grandma Anderson's house so I am not entirely sure why I had never seen it before.  The story is a little weak but I loved the big song and dance numbers.  My favorites are "Put on Your Sunday Clothes," "Dancing," and "Hello, Dolly!" because they are incredibly elaborate and involve a large ensemble!  I also really love the songs "Before the Parade Passes By" and "It Only Takes a Moment" because they both have poignant messages about life and love.  The sets are spectacular, especially the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, and each costume worn by Streisand is more lavish than the one before!  Streisand is very charismatic in the role and sings every song brilliantly but my only complaint is that she doesn't lip-sync very well.  This is a fun and lighthearted musical that absolutely delighted me and I recommend seeing it on the big screen (go here for tickets).

Glory

I have always loved the movie Glory but seeing it again yesterday as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series reminded me of why!  It is incredibly powerful and moving!  Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is the son of wealthy abolitionists in Boston serving in the Union army when he is wounded during the Battle of Antietam.  While recuperating at home he is offered a colonelcy to lead the Massachusetts 54th Infantry Regiment made up of black freemen and runaway slaves, including John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman), Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher), and Silas Trip (Denzel Washington).  At first he is skeptical about their ability to fight and trains them relentlessly.  Eventually, Shaw comes to respect his soldiers and they him, especially when he and his second-in-command, Major Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), refuse their pay until the black soldiers receive the same amount as their white counterparts  After their training, the 54th is used mainly for foraging and for manual labor until Shaw advocates for them to be allowed to fight.  They acquit themselves with honor in their first battle and then Shaw volunteers the regiment to lead the charge on Ft. Wagner in an important campaign to secure Charleston Harbor in South Carolina.  They know that they will suffer serious casualties but Shaw leads them himself and their bravery inspires many other black men to enlist, turning the tide of the war.  I think Denzel Washington is a tremendous actor and he is absolutely brilliant in the role of an embittered former slave who doesn't know what he is fighting for.  I found myself with tears in my eyes several times, especially during the scene where he is being flogged for deserting and a single tear rolls down his cheek and the scene where he picks up the flag from a fallen soldier to continue taking it up the ramparts of the fort.  He is definitely deserving of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, in my opinion.  I was also very impressed by Broderick's performance.  I tend to think of him more as a comedic actor but he conveys so much emotion in his eyes as Colonel Shaw!  The battle sequences are intense, especially the Battle of Antietam, and the attention to period detail is impressive.  Finally, I was incredibly moved by James Horner's stirring score, particularly the haunting voices of the Harlem Boys Choir.  It was an emotional experience watching this movie again and I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen!  You have one more opportunity on Wednesday (go here for tickets).

Field of Dreams

I was able to see Field of Dreams on the big screen last fall but it was so much fun to see it again as part of the TCM Big Screen Classic series yesterday.  Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is a struggling Iowa farmer who hears a voice telling him to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his corn field.  At first his wife Annie (Amy Madigan) is skeptical but gives her consent when she sees how passionate he is about doing something spontaneous.  When building it causes financial hardship, Ray wonders why the voice asked him to do it.  At first he thinks it is so "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) and the other Chicago White Sox players who were banned from baseball for intentionally losing the 1919 World Series can play again.  Then he thinks it could be so Archibald "Moonlight" Graham (Burt Lancaster) can have the chance at bat that he missed out on during his one and only game in the Major League.  Then he sees that this experience has given a reclusive writer named Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones), who was once popular in the 1960s but has now become disillusioned, something to believe in again.  But eventually he realizes that baseball is a way for him to make peace with his father (Dwier Brown) who loved the game.  To be sure this feel-good movie is a nostalgic ode to baseball but it is ultimately about the power of a dream, the importance of family, and the need for redemption and reconciliation with baseball as the unifying theme.  As evidenced by the troubled relationship between the radical Ray and his conservative father, there are so many things that can divide people but there are also many things, like baseball, that can unite us and that is a great message for the world today.  This movie is so charming because Costner is incredibly endearing as Ray, the cinematography is stunning, and the score by James Horner is beautifully atmospheric.  I highly recommend it!  You have one more chance to see it on the big screen on Wednesday (go here for tickets and information).

Note:  I think this move resonates so deeply with me because my Dad and I have very different world views but the thing that unites us in an unbreakable bond is our love for a game!  In our case the game is hockey, not baseball (we're Canadian), but the sentiment is exactly the same.

Steel Magnolias

Yesterday I saw Steel Magnolias, the next movie in the TCM Big Screen Classics series, and it was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  This movie tells the touching story of how a group of friends, M'Lynn Eatenton (Sally Field), Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts), Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton), Annelle Dupuy (Daryl Hannah), Clairee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis), and Louisa "Ouiser" Boudreaux (Shirley McLaine), support each other through life's triumphs and tragedies in a small Louisiana town.  It is as funny as it is poignant because the women spend much of their time gossiping in Truvy's beauty salon and my audience laughed out loud through much of it.  My favorite line is when Ouiser says, "I'm not crazy M'Lynn.  I've just been in a very bad mood for forty years!"  All of the actresses give outstanding performances, particularly Field during a very dramatic moment, but I really enjoyed Tom Skerritt as Drum Eatenten because he is so goofy.  The movie was filmed in Natchitoches, Louisiana and I loved all of the stately old homes and gardens.  The production design is a lot of fun, especially all of the blush and bashful pink used for Shelby's wedding, and the 90s fashions are fabulous, especially the bridesmaid dresses.  I enjoyed watching this movie as much as I did the first time I saw it on the big screen thirty years ago and I highly recommend it (go here for more information).

True Grit

I have recently become a fan of Western films and there are so many that I need to see!  Luckily the TCM Big Screen Classics series features a lot of Westerns, including the latest selection True Grit, so I might be able to catch up!  After trying to see this movie on Sunday (there were technical difficulties so the screening was canceled) I got to see it last night and I really enjoyed it!  This is probably my favorite John Wayne film (so far) and his riveting performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor.  Wayne plays Rooster Cogburn, an aging, overweight, alcoholic, and trigger-happy U.S. Marshall, who is hired by a young girl named Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) to bring her father's killer, Tom Cheney (Jeff Corey), to justice.  A Texas Ranger named La Boeuf (Glen Campbell) is also on the hunt and is looking to claim a large reward because Cheney killed a Texas state senator.  Cogburn and La Boeuf set out to track Cheney down and reluctantly allow Mattie to ride with them leading to an epic showdown with the gang protecting Cheney.  I absolutely loved the character of Mattie because she is so feisty, determined, and resourceful.  I especially love the scene where she negotiates with a wily horse trader (Strother Martin).  Darby more than holds her own with the veteran actors in this film and she has great chemistry with Wayne, particularly in a poignant scene where Cogburn tells Mattie about himself while they are waiting to ambush the gang.  In my opinion, Wayne can sometimes seem like a caricature with his laconic line delivery but in this film he brings a sensitivity to the grizzled character he plays and his performance is very compelling.  The action sequences are incredibly exciting, especially when Cogburn gets into a gunfight on horseback with four other men in the middle of a meadow!  While the film is set in Arkansas and Oklahoma, it was mostly filmed in Colorado and the cinematography is breathtaking.  I am so glad I was eventually able to see this film on the big screen and I highly recommend it!

Ben-Hur

Yesterday I went to see Ben-Hur on the big screen as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series and it was an awesome spectacle!  Messala (Stephen Boyd) is a Roman tribune who returns to Jerusalem as the new commander of the Roman garrison.  He has a joyous reunion with his childhood friend Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a wealthy prince in Jerusalem.  Messala asks Judah to help quell the rebellion that is brewing in Jerusalem but they soon quarrel when Judah refuses to spy on his people.  During a military parade, a tile falls from Judah's house injuring the new governor and Judah, his mother, and sister are arrested.  Messala, wanting to curry favor with the governor, sentences Judah to be a galley slave while the fate of his family is unknown.  Judah vows revenge for this betrayal.  After several years, Quitus Arrius (Jack Hawkins), a Roman consul, is assigned to Judah's ship and notices his will to live.  Arrius has Judah's chains unlocked just before a battle allowing him to escape the sinking ship as well as rescue him.  In gratitude, Arrius takes Judah to Rome where he learns to drive a chariot.  Eventually, Judah returns to Jerusalem to seek his mother and sister.  When he, erroneously, hears that they are dead, he challenges Messala to an epic chariot race.  A parallel story to Judah's involves that of Jesus Christ and his birth, ministry, and crucifixion.  They have two brief but meaningful encounters with each other which allows Judah to forgive the Romans for what they have done to him and his family.  This movie is epic in every sense of the word.  It had the biggest budget of any movie up to that point with thousands of extras, horses, and costumes and a crew of 200 to create over 300 sets.  It was the highest grossing movie of 1959 and won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director for William Wyler, and Best Actor for Charlton Heston.  I thought it was amazing, especially the chariot race which is absolutely thrilling.  It was so much fun to see this again on the big screen and I highly recommend it!  You have one more chance to see it on Wednesday (go here for tickets and information).

To Kill A Mockingbird

Unbelievably, the only time I have ever seen the movie To Kill A Mockingbird is when we watched it in my ninth grade English class after reading the novel!  I was so happy for the opportunity yesterday to see it again, this time on the big screen, as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series.  It is a brilliant adaptation of one of my very favorite novels and it had a very powerful impact on me.  Jem (Phillip Alford) and Scout (Mary Badham) Finch learn that their father Atticus (Gregory Peck) is a hero when he defends an innocent black man named Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) against a charge of rape, even though he knows he will lose, simply because it is the right thing to do.  They also learn not to judge people until they have seen things from their perspective through their interactions with the reclusive Boo Radley (Robert Duvall). Peck gives an incredible performance as one of the most beloved characters in literature and there is a moment when he is giving his summation to the jury that took my breath away!  I love how this scene was filmed because as he leans towards the jury he is looking directly into the camera so it seems as if he is talking to the audience.  It is so powerful and I hoped against hope that the jury would be convinced and return a different verdict.  Another moment that I found especially poignant was when all of the black people sitting in the gallery rise as a sign of respect as Atticus walks out of the courtroom.  It brought a tear to my eye!  The young actors, Alford, Badham, and John Megna as their friend Dill, also give wonderful performances as precocious, yet innocent, children who must learn difficult life lessons.  I loved the scene where Jem refuses to leave his father alone when facing a lynch mob and the scene where Scout walks Boo Radley home.  Finally, I loved Elmer Bernstein's haunting score and the realistic sets representing the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Depression.  It was an incredible experience seeing this beautiful movie on the big screen and I highly encourage everyone to take advantage of one last opportunity to see it on Wednesday (go here for information and tickets).

My Fair Lady

After seeing the stage musical My Fair Lady performed as a concert with the Utah Symphony on Saturday night, I spent Sunday afternoon watching the Academy Award-winning film adaptation as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series and I loved it so much!  This is one of my favorite movies from my childhood (I have vivid memories of watching it and other movie musicals at my Grandma Anderson's house) and it was incredible seeing it on the big screen!  Audrey Hepburn is absolutely luminous as Eliza Doolittle, a Covent Garden flower girl, and Rex Harrison is charmingly irascible as Professor Henry Higgins, the arrogant phonetics professor who sets about turning her into a lady.  I love every single scene in this film but I wait with bated breath for the Ascot race with all of those beautiful black and white gowns, especially Eliza's, and the Embassy Ball when Eliza makes her grand entrance in a glittering gown and is mistaken for royalty.  I love all of the instantly recognizable songs but my favorites are "On the Street Where You Live" sung by a lovesick Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Jeremy Brett), "The Rain in Spain" sung by Eliza, Higgins, and Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White) when Eliza finally makes some progress, and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" when Higgins suddenly realizes that he loves Eliza.  I love the production design for this film and I always swoon over Higgins' library!  This film is simply loverly and I had a huge smile on my face while watching it.  I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen and you have one more opportunity to do so on Wednesday (go here for more information).

White Christmas

Since White Christmas is one of my Mom's all-time favorite movies I have seen it countless times (I've even seen the Broadway touring production of the stage musical) but never on the big screen.  This Christmas classic is part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series so I had the chance to see it as it was meant to be seen yesterday and it made me so happy!  After collaborating on a Christmas show while fighting in World War II, Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) continue collaborating after the war and become big stars.  Soon they meet Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen) Haynes after seeing their act.  Wallace and Davis eventually follow the sisters to Vermont where they are booked for the holidays at the Columbia Inn and discover that their former General, Tom Waverly (Dean Jagger), owns the inn and is in financial difficulties due to lack of snow.  Bob has the idea of staging their show on Christmas Eve to bring people to the inn and Phil has the idea of getting Bob and Betty together.  I love all of the big production numbers as Wallace and Davis rehearse their show but I wait through the whole movie for the reunion of the 151st Division for General Waverly and the title song complete with snow falling in the background.  It is a movie filled with so much nostalgia and I definitely recommend seeing it on the big screen!  You have another chance to see it on Wednesday (go here for tickets).

Note:  I got to see all of the movies in the TCM Big Screen Classics series this year and I enjoyed all of them!  The 2019 movies have been announced and I am so excited: The Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ben Hur, True Grit, Steel Magnolias, Field of Dreams, Glory, Hello, Dolly!, Lawrence of Arabia, The Shawshank Redemption, Alien, The Godfather Part II, and When Harry Met Sally.  Are you looking forward to any of these classic movies?

Die Hard

The next selection in the TCM Big Screen Classics series is Die Hard which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary.  I distinctly remember seeing this in the theater when it was first released (which makes me feel old) and I absolutely loved it!  I got to see it again yesterday and it is just as fun as I remember.  John McClane (Bruce Willis), a New York City police officer, has come to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to reconcile with his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) who has taken a high power job with the Nakatomi corporation.  He arrives at the Nakatomi high rise building during a Christmas party which is interrupted by a group of terrorists, led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), who seize control of the building and take everyone but John hostage.  The terrorists are heavily armed and attempt to open the vault to steal $640 million in bearer bonds.  The police and the FBI are in over their heads, so John, with the help of a lone LAPD officer (Reginald VelJohnson), attacks the terrorists one by one until an epic confrontation with Gruber.  Even thirty years later, this movie is still suspenseful and exciting with great action sequences, especially when McClane jumps off the roof ahead of an explosion.  Bruce Willis became the ultimate action hero after this movie and its easy to see why with his wisecracking bravado touched with a little vulnerability.  This movie was my first introduction to Alan Rickman and I loved him as the suave and sophisticated, yet ruthless, villain Gruber (many believe Gruber to be one of the best movie villains ever).  This movie has often been imitated but, after seeing it again on the big screen, I realize how vastly superior it is to many that came after, especially this one!

Note:  Do you consider Die Hard to be a Christmas movie?

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

I can think of nothing better for a Sunday afternoon than a film directed by Frank Capra starring Jimmy Stewart.  It was absolutely delightful to see Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on the big screen as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series yesterday.  Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart) is a young and idealistic man appointed to the U.S. Senate when the sitting Senator dies unexpectedly.  The senior Senator, Joseph Paine (Claude Rains), and a corrupt political boss, Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold), think that because he is naive and inexperienced he will be easily manipulated.  However, Smith sponsors a bill for a boys camp in an area earmarked for a dam in an appropriations bill that is supported by Paine because it will greatly benefit Taylor.  Paine tries to discredit him but Smith stages a dramatic filibuster on the Senate floor until the truth comes out.  I just loved this film because, like most of Frank Capra's films, it emphasizes standing up for what you believe even if it costs you fame, money, and power.  I have always really liked Stewart as an actor but he is incredibly appealing in this role which is thought to be his best performance.  I loved the chemistry he has with Jean Arthur, who plays Saunders his cynical assistant.  I also really liked Raines in this role because he has such a character arc, going from a corrupt Senator to wanting to be the man Smith thinks he is.  Even though this film was made almost 80 years ago it still so relevant in our troubled times and it gave me a little bit of hope that there might be young and idealistic men and women still willing to fight for what is right.  I highly recommend seeing this film when it is screened again on Wednesday (go here for information and tickets).

Rebel Without a Cause

I have never seen Rebel Without a Cause, the ultimate movie about teenage angst, so I was really excited when I found out that it was part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series this year.  I had the chance to see it yesterday and I'm glad I can finally cross this classic off my list.  This movie is about three teenagers who are alienated from their families and are getting into trouble as a reaction to their discontent.  Jim Stark (James Dean) lives in a home with an overbearing mother (Ann Doran) who emasculates his father (Jim Backus).  Jim is embarrassed by his father and gets into fights to prove that he is not a chicken.  Judy (Natalie Wood) hangs out with the wrong crowd in order to get her father's (William Hopper) attention.  John "Plato" Crawford (Sal Mineo) longs for a connection with someone because he has an absent father and a disinterested mother.  After Jim participates in a drag race that results in the death of a gang member, the rest of the gang goes after him because they think he has ratted them out to the police.  Jim, Judy, and Plato hide out in an abandoned mansion (which was also used in Sunset Boulevard) until the gang finds them leading to an epic showdown at the Observatory.  I understand that this movie was groundbreaking in its portrayal of adolescent unhappiness but, to me, it seems extremely melodramatic.  There was even a moment early on when Jim tells his parents that they are tearing him apart when I laughed because it reminded me of the same line in the movie The Room.  Everyone ridicules Tommy Wiseau for his delivery of that line but I didn't see a difference between his delivery and Dean's.  However, I did enjoy Dean's performance in this movie much more than his performance in Giant because I found him to be incredibly appealing.  My favorite scene was the field trip to the Observatory because the presentation about the destruction of the Earth profoundly foreshadows the characters' feelings of hopelessness (it also reminded me of the Observatory scenes in La La Land).  I'm glad I had the chance to see it on the big screen!

The Sound of Music

I had the opportunity to see The Sound of Music on the big screen several years ago with the Megaplex Silver Screen Classics series and it was absolutely magical.  When I found out that it would be screened through the TCM Big Screen series I just had to see it again!  I simply couldn't resist the chance to see such an iconic musical on the big screen one more time.  Oh, how I love this movie!  I love every single thing about it and I waited with great anticipation for every one of those wonderful Rogers and Hammerstein songs:  "The Sound of Music," "Maria," "I Have Confidence," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," The Lonely Goatherd," "Edelweiss," "So Long, Farewell," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," and "Something Good."  Every single song is so instantly recognizable and I really had to try not to sing aloud (some people at my screening actually did sing along!).  I love the "Do-Re-Mi" scenes and the wedding scene because they remind me of a trip I took to Salzburg (I actually sang "Do-Re-Mi" when I visited the Mirabell gardens) but my very favorite scene is when Maria and Captain von Trapp dance the Landler because it is so romantic!  I think Christopher Plummer is so handsome in that scene.  I have seen this movie countless times (it was shown on network television last December) but there is something so special about seeing these old favorites on the big screen!  I had a smile on my face the whole time and I'm so glad I took advantage of seeing it again!  If you love his movie as much as I do, you have another opportuity to see it on Wednesday (go here for information and tickets).

Note:  I love this movie so much that it was disconcerting for me to see the Broadway touring company production because it is so different!

The Big Lebowski

Yesterday I had the chance to see The Big Lebowski, the next selection in the TCM Big Screen Classics series, and, in the parlance of our times, it is hilarious!  The Stranger (Sam Elliott) introduces us to The Dude (Jeff Bridges), an unemployed slacker who likes smoking weed, drinking White Russians, and bowling.  He inadvertently becomes involved in a kidnapping gone wrong because he is mistaken for someone else.  Like most films by the Coen brothers, it is populated by characters with exaggerated personalities, quirks, and mannerisms such as the millionaire philanthropist Jeffrey Lebowski (David Hiddleston), his trophy wife Bunny (Tara Reid), his overwrought assistant Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his daughter Maude (Julianne Moore), an experimental artist.  We also have the Dude's bowling partners Walter (John Goodman), a Vietnam veteran with anger management issues, Donny (Steve Buscemi) a mild mannered ex-surfer who can't get a word in edgewise, and Jesus Quintana (John Turturro) another over-the-top bowler in the Dude's league.  Add in Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazarra), a director of pornographic films, and a gang of German nihilists (Peter Stormare, Torsten Voges, and Flea), who may or may not be the kidnappers, and you have a film with such an outrageous plot that you can't help but laugh out loud (as everyone did in my screening).  My favorite moments are when Jesus Quintana, wearing a tight purple jumpsuit, dances after bowling a strike, when Walter pulls a gun in the bowling alley, and when the Dude gets thrown out of a taxi after saying he doesn't like the Eagles.  The absurdist comedies of the Coen brothers are hit or miss with me, but this (along with Fargo and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?) is one of the good ones and should be seen on the big screen (go here for more information).  Am I wrong?

The Royal Ballet's Swan Lake

Showing live theater, opera, and ballet productions from world-renowned companies, such as the National Theatre, the Bolshoi Ballet, and the Metropolitan Opera, on the big screen has become very popular.  As someone who loves the arts, I have been intrigued by this but I've never had the opportunity to see anything.  When I saw that my favorite ballet, Swan Lake, was going to be screened at a movie theater near me I decided to get a ticket.  It is a brand new production by the Royal Ballet using Tchaikovsky's magnificent score with choreography by Liam Scarlett and sets and costumes by John Macfarlane and it is simply stunning!  In the Prologue, the Princess Odette has been turned into a swan by the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart.  In Act I, Prince Siegfried is celebrating his birthday with his tutor and friends when his mother, the queen, appears and condemns his carefree lifestyle.  She demands that he pick a bride at the ball the following night but he is weary of the responsibilities at court and escapes into the woods to go hunting.  In Act II, Siegfried ends up at a lake and sees a group of swans.  One of them, Odette, turns into a beautiful woman and Siegfried falls in love with her.  Rothbart tries to separate them and she tells Siegfried that she has been cursed and that it will be broken if someone promises to love her.  In Act III, assorted princesses from various lands come to Siegfried's ball and perform for him hoping to become his bride.  Rothbart has disguised his daughter Odile to look like Odette and she beguiles Siegfried into declaring his love to her.  In Act IV, Siegfried finds Odette at the lake and apologizes but the curse cannot be undone.  She chooses to die rather than remain a swan forever.  Siegfried retrieves her lifeless body from the lake in despair.  One change from versions that I have seen that really worked for me was having Rothbart be a member of the court because it gives a bit more motivation for his actions.  A change that I didn’t like as well was having Siegfried survive at the end because I think having him die with Odette is more dramatic.  Marianela Nunez is brilliant in the lead roles.  She is beautiful, graceful, and demure as Odette and sly, seductive, and playful as Odile.  The Pas de Deux with Vadim Muntagirov, a passionate Siegfried, in Act II is hauntingly beautiful as they fall in love and the one in Act IV effectively portrays her heartbreak and his remorse with the choreography.  I loved the set design, especially the opulent palace during Act III.  I felt like I was the Queen sitting in the royal box because the views of the stage were incredible.  I could see every facial expression and that added so much to my enjoyment of the story.  I loved seeing Swan Lake on the big screen and I will definitely be checking out more of these productions in the future.

Note:  I had the chance to see Swan Lake at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.  This was almost as good!

Big

Yesterday I saw Big, the next selection in the TCM Big Screen Classics series, and it was a lot of fun.  I remember seeing this movie on the big screen during its first release and, since that was 30 years ago, it was incredibly nostalgic (and it made me feel old).  Thirteen year old Josh Baskin (David Moscow) asks a fortune telling arcade machine called Zoltar Speaks to make him big after being denied admission to a carnival ride in front of the girl he likes.  Overnight he is transformed into a 30 year old man (now played by Tom Hanks).  When his Mom (Mercedes Reuhl) doesn't believe him, he seeks out his best friend Billy (Jared Rushton).  They try to find the arcade machine but the information won't be available for six weeks.  In the meantime, Josh goes to New York, finds a job at a toy company, and gets a girlfriend (Elizabeth Perkins).  When he and Billy find the arcade machine, will he want to be a kid again?  Most people seeing this movie for the first time might find the story to be a bit improbable with lots of plot holes but it is just so charming and what makes it work is the delightful performance of Tom Hanks.  He exhibits a wide-eyed wonder at every new experience and he replicates Moscow's awkward mannerisms to perfection.  I especially enjoyed the interactions between Hanks and Rushton because they both seem like thirteen year old boys, especially in the scene with the silly string.  I also really enjoyed the interactions between Hanks and Perkins, especially when they have the sleepover in the bunk beds and whenever he gets that goofy grin on his face.  I was happily reminded of why Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors to this day!  This movie will be screened again on Wednesday (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it for some nostalgic fun!

Note:  My favorite scene in the movie is when Josh and the CEO of the toy company he works for (Ben Loggia) play "Heart and Soul" and "Chopsticks" on a foot operated piano at FAO Schwartz.  I remember being so disappointed when I first visited the famous toy story on a trip to New York and discovered that the piano on display was much smaller than the one specially made for the movie!

West Side Story

The next feature in the TCM Big Screen Classics series was West Side Story.  I love this musical so much so it was an absolute thrill for me to see it on the big screen for the first time!  The story about a boy in a street gang who falls in love with a rival gang member's sister, an update of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, is poignant but what makes this movie remarkable are the songs composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondhein, the truly brilliant choreography of Jerome Robbins, and the performances of Rita Moreno and George Chakiris.  I pretty much love all of the songs in this movie but my favorites are "Maria," "Tonight," "One Hand, One Heart," and "Somewhere" because all four of them are so romantic.  I got chills seeing these numbers on the big screen.  Sigh!  The choreography is simply breathtaking and I think that the opening number is one of the best sequences in any musical that I've seen because it establishes the animosity between the Jets and the Sharks with just movement (and the snapping of fingers)!  I also love the choreography in "The Jet Song," "America," and "Cool."  Finally, I think Rita Moreno, who plays Anita, is amazing in this movie, especially in the scene at the drug store when the Jets attack her, and George Chakiris gives a very affecting performance as Bernardo (they both won Academy Awards for their performances).  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this movie on the big screen and I suggest that you see it when it is screened again on Wednesday (go here for information and tickets).

Note:  I love it when old-school movie musicals have overtures and intermissions!

The Producers

Last night I went to a screening of The Producers (which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary) as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series.  I have seen the stage musical many times but not the movie so I was excited to see it on the big screen.  Zero Mostel plays Max Bialystock, a once great theatrical producer down on his luck, and Gene Wilder plays Leo Bloom, his neurotic accountant.  When Bloom mentions that Bialystock would make more money with a flop, they become partners and come up with the perfect plan: find the worst play ever written, Springtime for Hitler written by ex-Nazi Franz Liebkind (Kenneth Mars), hire the worst director on Broadway, the flamboyant Roger De Bris (Christopher Hewitt), and hire the worst actor, a hippie named Lorenzo Saint DuBois (Dick Shawn).  Of course the show becomes the toast of Broadway so Bialystock and Bloom produce Prisoners of Love while serving their sentence at the state penitentiary.  This was so much fun because there is nothing better than an overwrought Gene Wilder!  He is particularly funny in this movie and the scene with his blue blankie had everyone in the theater laughing out loud!  Mars is also hilarious, especially when he watches Springtime for Hitler performed, and Andreas Voutsinas is an absolute hoot as Roger’s assistant Carmen Ghia.  While I really enjoyed seeing this on the big screen, I think I prefer the stage musical.  I can appreciate how groundbreaking this was for 1968 but, to me, the musical is much more irreverent!

Sunset Boulevard

Last night I took my Mom to see Sunset Boulevard as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series and we both loved it.  I had seen the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical but I had never seen the Billy Wilder classic film before and I was really excited for the opportunity to see it for the first time on the big screen!  Joe Gillis (William Holden) is a down and out Hollywood screenwriter who turns into a driveway on Sunset Boulevard to avoid having his car repossessed.  The driveway belongs to Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) a former actress of silent movies who has been forgotten but lives in a fantasy world where she is still a star.  She is aided and abetted in this fantasy by her butler Max (Erich von Stroheim) who is in reality her first director Max von Mayerling and her first husband.  Gillis cunningly arranges a job writing a screenplay for Desmond and moves into her mansion.  Soon Gillis realizes that Desmond is in love with him and he tries to leave but, when she threatens suicide, he returns to her to become a kept man.  When Desmond's illusions of making a Hollywood comeback are dashed and she realizes that Gillis is in love with someone else, she comes undone in one of the most famous scenes in film.  Sunset Boulevard is a classic example of film noir with atmospheric lighting, black and white cinematography, and a pessimistic portrayal of the underbelly of Hollywood.  I also think it is a great example of a dark comedy.  Both my Mom and I found ourselves laughing but immediately stifled that laughter because it seemed inappropriate given the drama.  Swanson gives the performance of her career and, while she is imperious and hysterical, she is somehow incredibly sympathetic as a woman trapped in the past.  Holden is very charismatic (and quite good looking) as a man who despises what he has become but can't bring himself to leave.  The production design is incredible.  Desmond's house is suitably ghoulish and ostentatious (I particularly loved all of the photos of her in her glory days) and her costumes are fantastic (the feathers!).  I am glad that I finally had the chance to see such a classic movie and it was so much fun with my Mom!