CaveGirl

Canadian males are always welcome in my basement, darkblue. Good drinks and snacks will be provided along with many fun activities.

The simple explanation for Fellini's "8 1/2" is that it is a film about film, but it is so much more. The original planned title was to be "The Beautiful Confusion" and one can see in its components, Fellini's love of magic, memories and the circus all infused by characters moving in and out of the center ring spotlight with Fellini as the master of ceremonies. As the Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film of 1963, it has achieved possibly a much higher status as the years pass by. To begin or not begin, that is the question Federico was faced with after finishing work on "La Dolce Vita". Though he already had a studio, sets, a contract and producer yet Fellini had no real concept for the film. Believing that talking about any upcoming project often crystallizes it, Fellini refused to discuss his non-existent film idea mostly, all the while resigned to possibly quitting the project altogether. Attending a party by the crew, Fellini was toasted about his upcoming "masterpiece" which catapulted him into a sense of devotion towards their faith in him, and a desire to share the story of his directorial confusion and blockage, by making the film ostensibly reflect this as it occurs. It was first to be about a writer, but Fellini changed this to a director, with G-u-i-d-o played by Marcello Mastroianni, with Fellini himself as the protagonist. This is the basic origin of this brilliant film with the new title of "8 1/2" demonstrating the film's connection to his real career even though this is actually inaccurate. Knowing the background is one thing, seeing it is another. "8 1/2" is so much more than its parts, and its parts consist of shimmering dreamlike images as the viewer is allowed to enter Fellini's mind in a fuguelike state, to contemplate his past and current relationships, memories of childhood, the ins and outs of making a movie, accidental serendipitous situations all amounting to an insightful and constantly entertaining melange. Along the way we meet the many various types of people who exist in the world, each revealing their own special viewpoint and place in society. We see the director's relationships with wife, Luisa and his paramour, his Dreamgirl, Claudia, along with characters signifying perennial types like The Actress, The Producer, The Model, The Doctor, The Journalist, The Agent, The Producer's Girlfriend, The Cardinal, and so on. Iconic scenes set in the opening sequence devoid of sound where Marcello is in the traffic jam, the farmhouse with so many women, faux bullfights and religious rituals remain indelibly imprinted on one's brain. Knowing the storyline well, I decided to watch last night without reading any subtitles, just to be able to watch the incredible cinematography by Gianni di Venanzo under the Maestro's guidance. Close-ups like those centering on folks like the iconic horror queen, Barbara Steele, thrill the eye and characters glide across the screen in alternately comic, ironic, grotesque and fantasy laden sequences with dazzling changes of scene and tone. By the way, the clothes, architectural scenery and modernism are also fantastically realized in "8 1/2". This movie is a mirror and self-referential about recriminations and postponement but at base about fear. The fear of not being able to fill the void, to avoid repeating oneself and not being creative. We learn the void is unavoidable, but it is the journey not the destination, which Fellini shows us makes life worthwhile, magical and inspirational. The fear of repeating his successes with no maturation of talent, is fully manifested in this classic film, which says everything that needs to be said about the creative process. The storyline in essence doesn't need to be told by me, since this is a movie which needs to be seen and can't be relayed alone by a synopsis. Paradoxically it is Fellini's block which helps him to realize his masterpiece. So...SEE IT! And if you missed last night's presentation put it high on your list of films to see, since it is a foundation stone of world cinema, deserving all the acclaim and accolades it has received since its initial release. It presents many questions, but only some answers yet still is profound and compelling. But feel free to disagree or voice your dislike of the film if you want as all voices are welcome. Asa Nisi Maso!

I feel I have a really big gap in my movie knowledge that I don't know more about nudist films. I'm even confused as to the terminology, since in my feverish little mind as a teen, I thought a nudist camp was somewhere you visited intermittently like on weekends, and a nudist colony lived there all together like a commune group. I just met someone who says they had a friend who was a nudist by evening but an office worker by day. I need more information. Thanks for your YT input, Vautrin? Are there many nudist camps in Paris or Algiers by the way? Or even New Jersey? Back tomorrow after I do more deep background research on this niche field.

Thanks for agreeig about Troy and I think Suzanne Pleshette would agree too, Zea! You mention two more good ones, and I purposely didn't include Efrem who was very handsome, but wasn't in that teen idol group in my mind like the others. Loved Ray Danton, and thought he was way too good for Julie Adams who I could never stand. He was fine as Legs Diamond too. Loved our mind meld, Zea!

Oh, lordie! If I really want to watch a true horror film, I put on my dvd of this Leni Riefenstahl film. Those extended passages where Hitler rides through giant street crowds with the camera shots right behind his ear making one feel like they are in the vehicle with him, and on to nighttime parades of candle lit flag bearers surging through giant crowds while waiting for Hitler and his minions to speak, are truly frightening. Can't suggest a TCM sponsored wine for it though, unless it be a Fritz Lang Riesling accompanied by some sauerbraten dip and chips.

For me, any vestige of film left from the project would be of interest. From what I've seen of the trailer, it looks promising and fascinating. Thanks for the heads up!

You mean they should show things like "Milk" with Sean Penn, Nip?

Um, arrest all the American men under 65 years of age, and keep them tied up in my basement.

Boy, good old Connie Stevens really had my sympathy in "Susan Slade" when Grant croaked as her boytoy, Conn and she was in you-know-what way. Grant was also so dishy in "Written on the Wind" as the too cute gas station attendant, named Biff. I would watch him in anything and loved seeing his naturally blond hair in the shrinking man saga and it was so sad when his wedding ring fell off in the car, and then the wife left him at home in the doll house and thought the cat ate him. But his shrinking size just meant that we in the audience, could enjoy watching him cavort around in that toga-like thing, even while fighting the spider over the piece of bread. I particularly dig him in "The Leech Woman" with Colleen Gray and "The Monolith Monsters". You are right, WB did have some cute tv stars in their many series like Roger Smith, Edd Byrnes, Robert Conrad, Anthony Eisley, Grant and that Van Williams was not bad too, plus many cute western stars. I guess Troy Donahue was good looking but he never appealed to me and seemed like a sullen life guard type. Thanks, Zea!

Of course I would set a limit on the ages of people who can see the films, darkblue. Only females over 18 and males over 65, since some males get excitable just watching Dr. Scholl's insole commercials or when they see tailfins on old Cadillacs. Thanks for keeping me in line though with your sound reflections on sex.

OMG! This place is magnificent and truly a shrine to a very special man. The perfect place to film any movie, and a real draw for those who enjoy interesting backdrops like Vasquez Rocks and such, yet the Coral Castle is way more interesting overall. Thanks for this amazing expose and write-up, Lawrence. And just how did that little man get those giant doors and pieces of limestone in place??? Just thinking that it kind of looks like a place that Edward Gorey would relish doing some pen and ink work about, doesn't it?

I love the "Something Weird" line-up of films. Truly psychotronic in nature and so much better than what gets cookie-cuttered out today and released. Sorry I do not know if NOTM was shot at the Coral Castle, but if so I really need to watch it again!

A giant of cinema, without even knowing it probably. I have a book about him which is fascinating and flip cards showing the persistence of memory theory and the controversy about all four feet being off the ground for a horse. Great man and he definitely deserves attention to his contributions so thanks for the link!

They had to say pop corn in the ads since pop corn is a generic product and they don't want to give free advertising to branded snacks. I bet they really eat Cheetos with their Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon. Orange hands are the new Noir.

The new thing to prove you are really dead, is to ban other famous people from your funeral. He didn't do that so I knew he was still alive.

That was the first film of hers that I had read about, and the career of Doris Wishman has taken some strange and off the wall turns since. Thanks for such a complete recall of all the doings in the film! It obviously made quite an impression on you, as most films about nude people on the moon are wont to do. Hopefully it is on dvd in a boxed set! Thanks, Dougie.

What a story! Please make this immediately into a screenplay but don't sell it to Lifetime, who will ruin it, Zea! Hopefully you did not win any penmanship awards that Patty would want to steal by hitting your shoes on the dock with her shoes with taps applied? I'm thinking someone like David Lynch could see its possibilities. Thanks so much for sharing!!!!

I'd rather see the life story of British child serial killer, Mary Bell who strangled to death a couple of neighborhood boys who were four and three years of age, when she was about ten years old herself, in the district of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her story is even more chilling than Rhoda Penmark's. She was finally released from prison and under many pseudonyms could even be living next door to anyone on this forum right now!

The dvd I have, has interviews with Patty McCormack, talking about playing the part of Rhoda Penmark on the stage originally. She says something about how she relished making the contorted faces behind her mother's back just to watch and see the audience reaction. Being so young, it is surprising that she was so attuned to eliciting the shocked responses of the stage attendees, but she certainly was spooky. I still feel sorry for that old lady Rhoda offed by knocking her down the stairs to get her snow globe...yikes!

I understood totally what you meant, sewhite but like me I knew it is easy to veer into the topic of nudity when discussing nudism, since they are part of the same situation, yet different. I like to know about films or areas of film I don't know well, and nudist film ones are of that ilk. I don't even have any books talking about nudist films per se, which I think is not right. I think the true nudist films were probably boring, but other films were made using nudist colony participants to spice up their fictional films as a come-on. But you are so right that the conventional films with nudists used as a side attraction are probably what TCM would show, when what would be more fun would be to see a real naturist type oddity, extolling the virtues of living without clothes. Thanks, sewhite!

I have nothing against the nudist lifestyle. But I will admit I think running around nude near bramble bushes or in the woods could prove problematic. Those tender areas often need coverage or could become injured and who wants to have to explain to the pharmacist why you need a special kind of Neosporin for treatment purposes?

It was kind of a back handed compliment, Nip but left a good opening for Laffite to use for some wanted comedy here so pat yourself on the back!

Wonderful poster art, Lawrence! Always thought Blaze had the best stage name ever. Funny how there is way too much clothing though for nudist related films, ain't it?

That's true but I might not have been explicit enough about what I meant, so the fault lies in my writing and exposition of the topic. A nudie film is not by rights a nudist film, in my estimation.

Thanks so much, Hamradio! I'd love to immediately access this but I'm at the library and would probably get kicked out and banned. Will save it for later when I'm at home and much appreciation!