misswonderly3

> {quote:title=Kinokima wrote:}{quote} > I am not sure if it is the best score I heard this year but it is a shame it can't be nominated since it was a nice score that worked really well with the film. It was influenced by 19th century Christian hymns especially Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (which was the ending song) Kinokima, as you probably know, that hymn "Leaning" is used to great effect in *Night of the Hunter*. It is a particularly graceful and sweet melody which is rendered simultaneously seductive and menacing by Robert Mitchum's terrifying character singing it throughout the film. Turns out Mitch has a very fine voice, and his "duet" of the hymn with Lillian Gish is one of the most memorable scenes in a movie replete with haunting and unforgettable moments. Here is a clip of that song, and that scene: There is something very powerful and evocative about this song, and apparently the Coen Brothers think so too, as it is used, as you point out, repeatedly in *True Grit*. Soundtrack composer Carter Burwell deserves recognition for his fine work here; the many variations of "Leaning" that he arranges, each one according to the mood and action of the individual scenes, reveals a deep understanding of both the old 19th century hymn and the True Grit story. One reason I love the Coen brothers' work is that I feel they love and celebrate really good and authentic music, and that they know how to weave this music seamlessly into their films. It is lamentable and ridiculous that the soundtrack to the new *True Grit* is not being nominated for an Oscar, but since I place little value or credence on the Oscars in general (although I always watch them ! ) it doesn't really matter much to me. ps -One last comment on the Coen brothers and their soundtracks: I love *Oh Brother Where Art Thou?*, both the film and the music from it, and I strongly recommend both to anyone who hasn't already seen it. Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 2, 2011 10:37 PM

Good points, tracey. Plus, why do the "bad" female characters get a special label, while their male counterparts are just doing their thing? Why are so many female characters in noir either evil femme fatales or passive goody two shoes? There are exceptions, of course; often the characters Ida Lupino plays are smart but not wicked, " good" but not cloying. One example: Lily Stevens in *Road House*

Even a casual Van Morrison fan is probably familiar with his joyful anthem, *Into the Mystic*. Here is a live version from Van the Man; another optimistic and inspiring song to greet the new year: (to greet something, anyway) : Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 2, 2011 5:31 PM

They have to protect their heads from the projectiles that dissident anti-Royalist troublemakers are wont to hurl at them.

TheCid wrote of *The Big Steal*: "...one of best movies ever made." Not, "one of Mitchum's best movies", one of the best movies, ever. I like *The Big Steal,* but I wouldn't go so far as that. I wouldn't even say it's one of Mitchum's best. However, I do really enjoy it, and I agree with your comments about it. (except for the above.) If we were to compile a list of film noirs that flirt with comedy, I'd have to put T*he Big Steal* right up there.

Well, it sure wasn't *On Moonlight Bay*. Doris and the rest of the cast are pleasant enough, but I found it to be a dopey little film with lame songs and two-dimensional characaters. Yes, I know it's meant to be a comfort food movie, that is, it doesn't pretend to offer anything more than a very light fluffy love story and cutesy family situations. And sometimes I like that - *Meet Me in St. Louis* comes to mind. But *Moonlight Bay* seems like a wan imitation of that film, but with even more pastel and even cutsier kids. Interesting to see Doris and Gordon so young, though.

Tommy Lee Jones Patricia Clarkson Sean Penn Laura Linney (spelling probably wrong) Aaron Eckhart Lots more.There are many good actors around today. Why do so many people assume that everything film related now is rubbish? Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 2, 2011 2:16 PM

*HARVEY and HARVEY* It was always rumoured that Martin Scorsese had filmed a follow-up to this 1950 classic, and now the great filmmaker has revealed the truth. He plans to release *Harvey and Harvey* sometime in 2011. According to Scorsese, the story involves a rivalry between James Stewart's mysterious giant rabbit and Harvey Keitel, both forces to be reckoned with. The film supposedly explores tropes such as reality vs imagination, madness, and the benefits of rabbit stew. Since both Haveys represent formidable but very different powers, an ultimate confrontation is inevitable. Unfortunately, James Stewart was unavailable for a reprise at time of filming. "I cannot imagine a tougher Harvey than you, my friend." "I will lay all challenging Harveys to waste, no question about it." Slated for the following year: *Harvey vs the Donny Darko Rabbit*. Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 2, 2011 12:51 PM

Maybe it's *Sorry, Wrong Number*. Or *Bells Are Ringing.*

Elvis looks very sexy in his black leather jacket. I've always thought this is a perfect song for New Year's Day; The Chairman of the Board is optimistic that The Best is Yet to Come:

Here she is, in all her glory. I thought I'd give you a super duper quadruple vision of the Queen (maysheliveforever) modelling just a few of her chapeaux. Very inspirational for the New Year. Hope you drank a sufficient number of White Russians. Perhaps a discreet glass or two of sherry or port would be a more appropriate choice to honour Her Majesty (maysheliveforever).

Oh, I almost forgot..I plan to post a link here to the Queen's New Year's speech, I know how anxious you'll all be to hear it. Such a fine lady, and such elegant head wear. Happy New Year to the Queen (maysheliveforever.) !

cujas, I'm afraid I'm not a big fan of Barry Manilow; although there is something to be said for "Her Name was Lola, She was a Show Gal" or whatever it's called. I may post a Gordon Lightfoot tune here in 2011 (pronounced, twenty-eleven, can we now get past the "two thousand" business? Nobody in the past century said "Nineteen hundred and ninety", much less "one thousand, nine hundred and ninety" or whatever year it was in the 20th century. I think we can all accept that we're in a new millenium now, without adding unnecessary extra syllables to the year whenever we speak its name. Sorry, big digression, but it's a trivial yet very annoying thing that -well, annoys me. ) Well, I cannot resist going with the obvious today. There are many versions of "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?". I wanted to go with King Curits' soulful instrumental sax rendition, the best in my opinion (best version of the song.) But it was nowhere to be found on youtube. So , since we've been discussing Canadian musicians recently, I thought Diana Krall might be acceptable. This version is slower and moodier than some, but it's nice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU_BBNeumLI&feature=related Happy New Year, tout le monde !

C.B., yes, that is exactly what I said a few posts down. Only you said it better and more concisely.

> {quote:title=finance wrote:}{quote} > I was going to mention weeks ago that Gordon Lightfoot was a Canadian, but I thought you'd be embarrassed. Why would I embarrassed? Mr.Lightfoot has written some great songs.

Cathy Downs played the Clifton Webb character's wife in *Dark Corner*. As you probably recall, he'd married her because she so closely resembled the beautiful young woman in a painting he'd become obsessed with. (Shades of *Laura* - a man becomes enamoured with a painting.) And although the young wife couldn't help her much older husband's almost pathological passion for her/her idealized likeness, she clearly did not return his affection, and should not have married him in the first place.(Perhaps he's the ideal incarnation of a sugar daddy.) Mari Cathcart may be the unwitting or perhaps unwilling recipient of Webb's obsessive love for her, but she is not completely passive in this story. She enters into an affair with Cathcart's associate without a hint of guilt or remorse or pity for her husband, and is, as I recall, scheming to meet with her lover and run away with him ( although I've seen the film several times - I love it ! - I can't recall the details of this part of the plot.) In any case, the only reason she married the Webb character was for his wealth, and she deliberately betrays and deceives him, so I would say that she is not the same kind of passive "B" type semi-femme fatale as Laura or Joan Bennett in *Woman in the Window*. In fact, it is Mari who shoots and kills her husband in the end.

I saw the Coen brothers' *True Grit* last night. I thought it was very good, but then, I almost always like the Coen brothers' work, they rarely let me down. I can barely remember the original film version of this, saw it once a long time ago (although still long after it came out) and never really cared to see it again. I do recall being somewhat unimpressed with Glen Campbell, and I found the girl who played Mattie dislikeable. In fact, even more than the Rooster Cogburn character, I'd say that much of the success of a film version of *True Grit* would depend on how the character of Mattie is played, she is central to the story. The actress in the new version, Hailee Steinfeld, is superb, perfect for the part. She has the right combination of seriousness, "grit", and vulnerability. I also thought Jeff Bridges did a great job as Cogburn, but then, I'm a fan of Bridges'. I don't always like every film he's in (the abysmal *Men Who Watch Goats* comes to mind as one of his less successful efforts), but I generally enjoy watching him. He was excellent in last year's *Crazy Heart*. Matt Damon made a much better LeBoef than did Glen Campbell. In fact, the entire cast of this version was, I thought, flawless. I also really enjoyed the production values, as they say, the cinematography, the dialogue, and pretty much everything about this picture. The Coen brothers can usually be counted on to be beautifully cinematic, and they came through once again in *True Grit*. There is a scene, very close to the end of the film, in which two riders on one horse are galloping across a bleak plain at night. The plain is vast, the sky is enormous and filled with stars, and the figures are sillouetted against this huge and majestic landscape. This is what I love about movies - those kinds of images that only movies can create, and which stay in your mind like a song. I'd say the fantastic Coen brothers have done it again. Edited by: misswonderly on Dec 30, 2010 6:55 PM

Kind of appropriate, Dino singing about someone with a ruddy coloured nose. Sarah McLachlan is often associated with "adult easy listening", an arbitrary label that I dislike (both the label, and the kind of music to which it usually refers.) I'm not very familiar with much of her work, but I always liked this, perfect for this time of year. A little jingoism again: Sarah McLachlan is Canadian, and so is the man who wrote this beautiful song, Gordon Lightfoot. I tried to pick a video that didn't have cheesey images. It was very difficult - there's something about this song that attracts cheesey images. However, I settled for one that wasn't too bad. Anyway, it is a lovely tune, perfect for snowy wintertime. "Song for a Winter's Night" :

> {quote:title=JonnyGeetar wrote:}{quote} > I believe Goin' Coconuts is the one Osmond feature. It costars Ted "Lurch" Cassidy in his final role. > > For the record, I'd take it over Sex and the Single Girl again... TCM could have a "Coconut" theme, with said Marie Osmond film to warm up with, followed by the Marx Brothers' *Coconuts*, and winding up with that Joel McCrea thing where he's in some tropical paradise and eats coconuts with his lovely Polynesian girlfriend -*Bird of Paradise* or something.

> {quote:title=finance wrote:}{quote} > As many times as I have seen THE LAVENDER Hill MOB, I still have trouble following the details of the plot. Is it me, or is it the film? It's you, finance, baby. I always found it fairly easy to follow, and I am one who sometimes does get confused by complicated plots. Maybe it's those English accents that get in your way.

I'm still not sure I agree with you guys about this. There should at the very least then, be a " sub" femme fatale category, the main one, in which the woman deliberately plans to take what she can from a man who is obsessed with her, and this other, unintentional femme category of which you and tracey speak, in which the female character unconsciously "destroys" the male character, even if it is without knowledge or intent on her part. Ok, if you go by that, Laura is a "B" femme fatale. Of sorts. Now, can we think of any others?There must be quite a few, but offhand I can bring none to mind. Edited by: misswonderly on Dec 30, 2010 2:07 PM

I don't understand how the way people choose to prepare fried eggs has anything to do with a classic film website. This is a more appropriate topic for those who work in diners.

'S'Ok, infinite1, I was kidding too. I kind of like the Canada jokes, it's like being teased by a big brother or something. As for your original idea, I'm kind of surprised there are so many responses to it that more or less go like this: "It's a good idea, BUT..." Many seem to think it would interfere with the option to watch a movie "straight", the usual way. What I took from your original post was that a) this event would be advertised in advance, clearly communicating the " commentary" aspect of it The movies chosen would be ones most people have already seen; perhaps a film that would be aired several times earlier in the month, so viewers would already be familiar with it and c) as you said, once a week or maybe once a month (the latter, if there's a time issue for the hosts) does not seem to be asking too much for such a programme. We might have to drop the "Twister" feature, though.

No, to me a femme fatale is a female character in noir who consciously uses men - or one particular man - to get what she wants. (Usually money - what she wants is "the Muguffin" , it doesn't really matter in itself. ) The men/man are of no importance to her, regardless of how much she swears they mean everything to her. She cynically and deliberately deceives and uses them for her own ends, and has little to no emotional attachment to them. Laura is not like that. She doesn't want to "use" Waldo Lydecker for anything except a pen endorsement. It is Waldo who becomes obsessed with her, but she does not take advantage of this obsession. Also - and this is an important point - with most femme fatales the man is in sexual thrall to the woman (Jeff to Kathie in *Out of the Past*, Walter to Phyllis in *Double Indemnity*, etc.). Waldo, as we all know, is not interested in Laura sexually ( some have suggested he might be more interested in Dana Andrews, but there's no evidence of that. ) I think he is asexual, and his preoccupation with Laura is as Pygmalian's to his Galatea (you know, the Greek myth about the sculptor who became obsessed with his own work of art, the statue he created.) Waldo decides to develop Laura's potential as a culturally sophisticated being, he reads to her, encourages her to listen to classical music, etc. But it is never indicated that he has any physical interest in her. Laura, on her part, is agreeable to spending her time with Waldo, but there is nothing in the film to indicate that she is scheming to use his wealth or reputation to her own advantage. Laura is fairly passive in the whole matter (except for her initial solicitation to endorse the pen), and has little interest in Waldo except a rather cranky intellectual avuncular figure to whom she is grateful( for his assistance in developing her career.) Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that Laura does not bring about Waldo's downfall, Waldo brings it about himself by his own obsession with Laura, his "Galatea". To me, a femme fatale is not a character who unknowingly or unintentionally destroys the male protagonist, but who on purpose uses him for her own gain, the consequences to the man be damned. Laura is too passive a character to do any of this. Edited by: misswonderly on Dec 29, 2010 2:14 PM Edited by: misswonderly on Dec 29, 2010 2:15 PM

> {quote:title=mrroberts wrote:}{quote} > I like Joel McCrea in all of those beach movies. Surfs Up! Uh..like *The Palm BEACH Story* ? cujas, I don't think Joel looks "sloppy"; he always looks pretty good to me. Besides, I like a slightly unkempt look in men sometimes (well, perhaps a little messy -as long as they look clean, none of this Mickey Rourke greasy hair looks like he needs a shower in practically every movie he's in business ). Hey, maybe there is a connection between Ben Mankiewicz and Joel McCrea after all. Ben has been accused of looking somewhat less than perfectly groomed from time to time. Mind you, I was never in the "Ben's a mess" camp. I like that "casual" look, it's a bit "edgey". No goatee now -well, Joel never sported a beard ,(did he? ) so I guess it's ok. How much nonsense can I blather on one post?