Stars in my Eyes

     What has happened to the film industry? The 9/11 tragedy and violation to our peace has saddened me deeply and though I did not lose any friends or loved ones on Sept 11, it still has hit home for me as I have four young grandsons in the service and they will no doubt be called up to defend their country. I found an article recently which pretty much says it for me. I am quoting from Where I am Coming From by Barbara Brandon-Croft: "I am so profoundly sad and devastated by recent world events.  Right here in America, thousands of innocent people slaughtered, and millions more mourn.  For years the enemy lived among us, attended our schools, then flew our planes into our buildings. Who could have created such a diabolically intricate plot? It seems the search has narrowed down to two possible suspects... Osama Bin Laden and Hollywood screenwriters." 

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     Those who know me are aware of my passion for movies. What a great escape!  But why does the need for gratuitous violence become more and more apparent? Even Disney is using it. What kind of lesson is this teaching the young minds how to be cruel to one another? It has desensitized us. Acts of violence are common place in the schools, in the homes and then the violent actions of the actors are validated and idolized by the movie goers, and given awards for their outstanding performances of strength and intensity that is not normal. These films depict behavior that does not normally happen in our everyday life but unfortunately there are sick minds out there that copycat this behavior to the cost of the innocents. I know, it is all supposed to be fictional, how many times has someone said to me? "It's only a movie!" I question the integrity of all the them; the writers, directors, actors and all involved who can be corrupted by the almighty dollar. There are good and wonderful films out there and I ask you to be judicious in choosing what you and your children use for this genre of entertainment.   Hooray for Hollywood!

     I am sure that becoming a movie buff was inevitable for me. My mother was on her way to Hollywood when she detoured in Denver and settled there. I never knew of her dreams until many years later. I was told that I was taken to Hollywood as a small child for a screen test. A few years earlier Shirley Temple was the darling of the screen and many mothers across the country had the same hopes for their blonde curly headed moppets. I don't remember the adventure, as shortly after that, I decided to be Peter Pan or Tinker Bell and took a flying leap off of a three story fire escape. Fortunately I survived to go on to enjoy movies, although I was never in them, except in my imagination. I was too shy anyway. I had my vicarious thrills and spills and one sided love affairs thanks to the magic of the movies.

     I do remember going to live stage plays with my parents as a child and seeing all the juvenile movies at that time. Bambi, Mr. Bug goes to Town, Snow White, Fantasia. I saw Gypsy Rose Lee, and during her act I screamed out in shock that the lady was taking off her clothes. When I was enrolled in a private girl's school, we went to the Saturday matinee and watched the serials. I believed for sure that the train would actually kill the heroine that was tied to the train tracks.

     In Jr. High school, I took a job in at the Aladdin, a neighborhood theatre. I was an usherette. I wore a uniform and carried a flashlight and showed people to their seats, walked up and down the aisles checking for vacant seats or unruly children. I had no problem seeing the same movie day after day.

     That must be why I still enjoy watching my favorites over and over. I was never brave enough to go for character roles in the plays put on at school, so was the cue person or helped on the sets.

     I decided early on that I did not like violent movies, the cowboys and Indians, war stories, and bloody murders were not my idea of entertainment. Mysteries with a body, slightly visible in a closet,  a few drops of blood, as scream or a shot in the distance, were just fine as the solution was the fun part. "Who done it?"

     Musicals and the melodramas were always my favorites. And although they have given way to the more violent genre, except on the live stage. There are some excellent films out there, unfortunately they aren't considered Blockbusters, so they slip by unnoticed, they don't bring in big bucks! These are my choices of course, so I would love to share them with you.

     Naturally because it is about the movies, my all time favorite. Filmed in 1989, Italian, with English sub-titles. (I love sub-titles, as I can read and watch at the same time.) A young Sicilian boy, Salvatore, Toto, develops a life long love affair with the movies, after losing his father in the war, he attaches himself to a crusty but lovable movie projectionist in a small Italian village. The movies shown at the Cinema Paradiso are the main source of entertainment for the village.

     Toto yearns for the secret of the cinema's magic and finally Alfredo takes him under his rather grumpy wing. As their friendship grows, so does Toto's knowledge of making movies and he dreams of making films on his own.

     When Toto decides to leave the village to pursue his dream, Alfredo makes him promise to never look back, to keep moving forward. And so he does, for thirty years, until a message arrives to beckon him back to a secret, beautiful discovery that awaits him.  It deservedly won the Oscar for best Foreign Film, and has an enchanting soundtrack. Directed by Giuseppe Tomatore. Starring: Phillippe Noiret, Jacques Perrin and Salvatore Cascio.   Recently The New Version of Cinema Paridiso has been released to the theatres that show the art films. It has the one hour that was deleted when it was offered at the Cannes Film Festival and now all these years later we can learn more about Toto and Elena.  I went to see it the moment I learned where it was playing.  I loved the extra footage for several reasons.  Explaining the mystery of why Toto chose to never get seriously involved with anyone after she left. Also more footage of Jacques Perrin's gorgeous face!! It's on my list to buy and to see over and over again as I have the original. ( I just received the copy of the New Cinema Paridiso.  Giuseppe Tomatore' Malena, is my next acquisition.) Scroll down for "1900".

     My favorite musical that I first enjoyed in the late 60's, Although, Funny Girl and Hello Dolly were also close contenders. There were a couple occasions when we in the car driving somewhere and find them playing a neighborhood theatre and just changed plans and went into the theatre. By now we all knew the musical scores as I had the vinyl 33.1/3 records, and as we sang along we had to be hushed by the audience. Brigadoon, was also a favorite in 1951, and I loved Gene Kelly., who ended up directing Hello Dolly. In the days before video, a movie would come to a large downtown theatre. After it had run it's course, it would go to a smaller neighborhood theatre, after that run, it would disappear unless it won an award and then it would be reprieved for awhile. All you had were the memories and occasionally a song from it would stick around a little longer if it made the Hit Parade.

     I was madly in love with Gene Kelly, in Brigadoon, Howard Keel, in Showboat and Don Francks, in Finian's Rainbow. Don Francks' star seemed to slip into oblivion, and until recently I had no idea what had happened to him. I went on with my life. One day several months ago, 30 years later, Finian's Rainbow was on AMC. What a blast to the past! I found it was repeated later that week so I immediately ordered the video. I have discovered through the miracle cyberspace, that my long lost hero had appeared in quite a few rather obscure films over the years, and is still alive! After watching Finian's Rainbow again, 30 years later, I noticed the message. It was about civil rights, with the cross culture relations. The stage play first opened in 1947 but it took 20 years to make the movie because of politics. The musical score is classic and still is to me. The most famous of the featured actors has died, it was Fred Astaire's last musical. He was 68 at the time and dancing was not originally written into the script of the movie production, but he insisted and of course was great. He died in 1987 at 88, what a loss. It was Francis Ford Coppola's first full length film and only musical. Don Francks is now Fred's age then, and is appearing in a TV thriller, La Femme Nakita, which I don't watch, as I don't understand all the gratuitous violence. But it was interesting to see the face and person he has grown into. Petula Clark is still around but Tommy Steele who played the wonderful leprechaun Og, did not stay in films although did remain in the industry.

     Tying with Cimema Paradiso, is a sleeper called Frankie Starlite, it didn't make any charts, but is a wonderful story with two very charming and unusual characters. And then of course Casablanca, Harold and Maude, Passage to India, Bagdad Cafe, Shirley Valentine, Wrestling Ernest Hemmingway, and The Grass Harp.

     I have long enjoyed foreign films, Australia and Canada produces some very good ones. Some of my collection includes: Angel at my Table, Babette's Feast, Toto the Hero, Antonia and Jane, Like Water for Chocolate, and A Woman's Tale.

     A few other non-blockbusters are: Madame Souzatka, Losing Chase, 84 Charring Cross Road, Carrington, Prelude to a Kiss, Passion Fish, Local Hero, Mystic Pizza, Saving Grace, Truly, Madly, Deeply and, A Room With a View and I Heard the Owl Call my Name, The Full Monty, Brassed Off,   In and Out and Patch Adams

   And then I discovered all the old wonderful black and white flicks from the 30's and 40's,  film noir, on the Turner Classic Movie Channel. Of course the very best Now Voyager with Bette Davis and Paul Henried, Brief Encounter, and Of Human Bondage with Leslie Howard, who was killed much too soon in his career. Ship of Fools, Lost Horizons and the original Midsummer Night's Dream, 1935, with a very young Mickey Rooney playing a very convincing Puck!

     I have discovered some sleepers that slipped past me and finding them, is like a treasure hunt. An excellent film called Wings of Fame, a must see! Peter O'Toole and Colin Firth keep your attention from the first scene. And the story line is haunting.

     Another discovery of mine is The Map of the Human Heart, with Jason Scott Lee and Anne Palliard . (He is not Bruce Lee's son) Excellent! Some combat graphics that I normally would not have watched, but the filming is done like a dream sequence so it softens the violence. Great movie, how do these slip by?

     I just came back from a visit to California and while there I went searching in obscure little video stores and found all sorts of treasures for my collection, among them I found City Lights, Charlie Chaplin's wonderful classic that he produced, directed, wrote the music and starred in. It is truly wonderful old flick.

       I also found Brigadoon, The Dresser, A Chef in Love, The Wedding Gift, Jeffrey, and a trilogy of Bogie's best: The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon and Treasure of the Sierra Madre and finally a copy of a favorite tearjerker, Brief Encounter, again with Leslie Howard, they just don't make movies like these anymore.  A very successful hunt!

     For the moments when shear silliness is needed I have found the (four part) trilogy of the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

     It has been awhile since I have updated my website, I have seen quite a few wonderful films in that time and would like to share them with you.

     While I was living in Huntington Beach last year I discovered a great little film, Girl on the Bridge. French, with sub-titles, black and white and just a handful of characters. Daniel Auteuil in the title role with an unknown and first time actress in the other title role as they were both very important. I liked it so much that I went back to see it 6 times. Fortunately there is a theatre in Costa Mesa that shows foreign films rather than the blockbuster ones. When I moved up here to Washington at the first of the year I naturally couldn't find it showing so searched for a copy to buy. It was finally released on video in April and then I found it for sale through Amazon for $99.00. Not in my budget so resigned myself to wait. Several months ago I was checking out the sale movies at a Blockbuster in another city and found a copy of it tucked in between all the ones for sale for $9.00!!   I now own it an continue to enjoy it.

     I was visiting in California a month ago and went with a friend to see two equally good films, Tortilla Soup (go to my recipes for a favorite Tortilla Soup of mine) and Bread and Tulips, check them out when they come out on video. I wish there were a theatre in my area that would feature the art films, but until that happens I have to go to Seattle. Another intriguing film I was recently turned on to is The Red Violin, it jumps around in time but I think well worth paying attention to. And for those out there who are Gilbert and Sullivan fans, check out Topsy-Turvey,with a great cast of English actors including Jim Broadbent, from Little Voice and The Wedding Gift.

     I went to a walk- in theatre recently, to see A Beautiful Mind. It was very good and a challenge to watch. I went to see it a second time with a friend, and paid attention to where the director (Ron Howard )was going. I was then offered the book to read and took it with me on the train to California. It was very provocative. The movie was made from bits and pieces about the main character, John Nash's life. The better parts being in the film. But the rest of his life and behavior was not mentioned as it would have portrayed him as a totally different person. I was shocked to say the least. There was no referral to the objection to him being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He had in real life worked at the RAND corporation which is where they play and plan war games. The book suggested that many men in that field suffered from mental problems, not so unusual in his particular world of mathematics, the thing that made him stand out was his being awarded the Peace Prize,  His life long affliction with schizophrenia caused a lot of grief on his family and it is my opinion that the book and the film being so different that the film should be advertised as based on a part of his life. Never the less it was worth seeing. If Robert Altman had of done it, it would have been considerably different.

          I have just recently watched a most incredible film by the same director who did Cinema Paradiso.  How it slipped by me I don't know, but I do not remember it in the theatres so it no doubt had a short exposure and then went to video. It is The Legend of 1900.  With Tim Roth, who I usually do not favor as his characters tend to be on the dark side. Albeit an excellent actor in those roles, they are not my cup of tea.  He certainly redeemed himself, for me at least in this epic film about a man who is born and abandoned on a steamship that sails from Europe to New York. The story begins on New Year's Eve 1900. A baby is born and abandoned on the ship.He never goes ashore and becomes the piano player in the dance hall.  Pruit Taylor Vince, another excellent actor, boards the ship as a trumpet player and he narrates the incredible story.  The music alone is spell binding. There is an amount of profanity, but it fits as the characters working in the bowels of the ship as stevedores don't know anything else. I look at that as watching a foreign language film... I have seen it at least 10 times, both renting while my order to buy was happening and also caught it on the Independent Film Channel several times. It is definitely my all-time favorite, with Cinema Paradiso.

    It has been quite a few years since I have contributed anything to my website.  Last year my son put a  tribute. Unfortunately my technical brain will forever be challenged so it has taken awhile to grasp the concept again, the old adage if you don't use it you loose it is so true. But now I am back in the saddle again after kicking myself off too many times.

     I exiled myself to La La land a year ago and you would think that living right in the lap of Hollywood I would be thrilled to learn all about the stars, but times have changed and the integrity of the industry leaves me cold. So I will go on with my personal favorites, the old ones and search for the obscure and good films that don't remain on the blockbuster list because they are not filled with gratuitous sex, violence and profanity which I will never understand why that is so popular.