Oscar's Virtues: Survival, Free Enterprise, and Freedom

Well, our pursuit of the Oscar nominees continued in and around the "snowpocalypse" that hit our town last week.  We watched 3 movies over the past 2 weekends.  Here are our thoughts:

Movie #1:  Gravity (2013, with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney)

“Space….the final frontier”  Well, this certainly put “final” into a whole new perspective.  I watched this separately from Jason and Kathy due to a schedule conflict.  Luckily, our local Carmike had brought back this movie for a limited time.  I went to a late showing and was the only one in there other than a couple at the very back.  In the darkness, it was if I were solely isolated because of the silence and emptiness of the room that does not typically accompany most movie viewings these days.  Seeing the whole of space illuminated on the screen in front of me, I completely felt like I was living what Sandra’s character was living in this movie.  What do you do when it’s just you, floundering in space—no one to help, no way to stop it.  How do you summon the grit to keep trying to find a way to somehow survive and return to earth?  And when you finally think you’ll give in to the inevitable and stop pushing….what is it that makes you try just one more time at the last minute?  What motivates us to LIVE?  To SURVIVE?  To FIGHT?  It’s different for everyone, I’m sure.  We all have different loves, interests, desires.  But in all of us, there is something or someone that will make us push ourselves past all else to give it just another shot. That’s what this movie is about.

I’m a Sandra Bullock fan… I’ve always pretty much liked her.  I have to say… this is her best performance.  She is definitely a serious contender for the Best Actress Oscar. 

Note:  As I was walking out of the theater to my car, I did have a thought though—they could’ve solved the whole problem so easily… They could’ve called The Doctor and had the TARDIS come save the day.  For, as my favorite Doctor said… Space and time…. It’s a wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey….thing. (Love you David Tennant…. Wherever you are)

Ratings:  Jason—4;  Kathy—4.5;  Me—4.5

Gravity marks the 200th movie we've seen since we've been documenting our adventures.  Here's to 200 more!!!

Movie #2:  The Wolf of Wall Street (2013, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, et al)

Reader Attention:  This movie is not suitable  for minors or anyone grossly offended by graphic sex, excessive drug use, and/or obscene and prolific profanity.  Seriously….. I mean it.

Now that I’ve given the disclaimer…. On to the movie.

Leonardo DiCaprio (heart flutter, heart flutter) must have been on a Red Bull IV drip to do this movie!  Honestly—he was in EVERY scene, except two, and he was as hyper as one of my best friends (you know who you are, girl!) on a one-month sugar high—and that’s HYPER!  This movie is three hours long, and half-way through Kathy was leaning over saying she felt like she’d had a workout and was worn out from just watching him jump around and shout and plot and scheme.   He plays a sneaky scoundrel who’s fleecing Wall Street along with a number of like-minded associates during the ‘80s and ‘90s.  He’s obscene, he’s unethical, he’s a scam-artist---and you LOVE him despite that.  You want him to win!  Also, the movie is just filled with great comedic moments.  Think of this movie as a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off if you will… just for adults.  It has that same type of feel.  Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) often has little asides and conversations with the audience…. He serves as the movie’s narrator, just like Ferris did in the ‘80s for high-schoolers everywhere.   You could also kind of look at this movie as a Gatsby of sorts… on a crack, booze, cocaine, and Quaalude overdose (‘ludes are B.I.G. in this movie)….

I would also like to note that I do not generally like Martin Scorsese’s films; however, I really enjoyed this one (unending profanity, colossal drug use, and fetishist sex scenes aside).

What We Loved:  1.) We loved Matthew McConauhey’s cameo at the beginning of the film as Jordan’s mentor and entre into the vice-laden world of 1980’s Wall Street.  He was fantastic.  2.) Leo is flawless in his portrayal of this complete villain that you don’t “love to hate”… you just love.  3.)  We loved how ridiculously OVER-THE-TOP this movie was.  That, coupled with the comedy, kept it from being offensive/repulsive.  You could overlook the extreme behaviors because it was just completely ridiculous. (There’s even a mini-disaster movie in the middle of it—much to Kathy’s sublime delight).  It was a fun ride.

Interesting Notes:  1.) It is rumored that the F-bomb was dropped over 547 times in this movie.  I didn’t count them…. But it kinda felt like that was a reasonable estimate….   2.) The vast majority of this film was actually improvised.  3.)  The chest beating and humming Matthew McConauhey does in the movie is actually a ritual he does before acting.  Leo saw him doing it and made him include it in the movie.  4.) During the kissing scene between Leo and Joanna Lumley (Aunt Emma), Leo was so nervous that it took a rumored 27 takes.  And 5.)  Julie Andrews had been considered for Aunt Emma, before the part was given to Joanna Lumley!!!!!  Not Mary Poppins!!! GASP!

Ratings:  Jason—4.5;  Kathy—4;  Me—4. 

Movie #3:  12 Years a Slave (2013, with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch)

This is a hard movie to watch—movies about the subject of slavery typically are.  What I took away from this movie was similar to my impression of Gravity—what makes someone hang on to hope when it looks as if all hope is lost?  What fuels that desire to survive beyond all the impossible odds? 

This is the story of Solomon Northrup, a free black man from Saratoga, New York.  A talented musician, he takes an unexpected and lucrative job to make money while his family is away.  However, in the span of a week, everything he knows is turned on its head, and he must now face an unimagined life as a slave in the deep South.  The movie chronicles his struggle to survive long enough to somehow find a way back to his family and his freedom.  The cruelties of slavery are exposed to him up close and personal during his journey, but among all that, he does experience rare moments of kindness and compassion.  It seems that these brief, yet positive encounters, manage to keep him going despite the likelihood that freedom may not be his again. 

The performances in this movie are spectacular.  The actor who plays Solomon (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is absolutely spectacular and a likely candidate for the Best Actor award.  Michael Fassbender plays the role of malicious and sadistic slave-owner almost flawlessly, and he also manages to show that a lot of his behavior seems to be stemming from two motivators—his absolutely hateful and evil wife (played by Sarah Paulson) and a definite form of mental illness, as opposed to others in his class like Paul Giamatti’s absolutely vicious and capitalistic slave-trader.   Benedict Cumberbatch plays the role of conflicted plantation owner well…being torn between compassion for Soloman and his financial obligations.  He does a magnificent Southern accent, and you do not see “Sherlock Holmes” when watching him in this movie.  He is Ford—respected and fairly benevolent Southern gentleman and plantation owner.  Of all the supporting characters in this movie, Michael Fassbender has a Supporting Actor nom.  Although Jared Leto won that at the Globes, Fassbender’s performance is definitely going to be a hard one to beat.  The only other nominee is for Supporting Actress by Lupita Nyong’o in her portrayal of Patsy—which was heart-breaking and consuming.

Things we didn’t like:  This movie was very slow-paced.  There are a lot of very long still shots that go on for several moments when you are just looking at moss blowing in the breeze, or someone’s eyeball staring off into the distance.  My best guess was that these are an artistic endeavor to show the passage of time in the story… but we all agreed that they were a bit bothersome and made the movie drag quite a bit. 

Interesting note:  This movie is based on the autobiography 12 Years a Slave written by Solomon once he regained his freedom and was reunited with his family.  He was a member of the abolition movement and worked with the Underground Railroad.  The very sad thing about this whole story is that after all he went through, nothing was ever known about how or when he died, and there is no known grave for Solomon Northrup.

Ratings:  Jason—4; Kathy—4;   Me—3 (because of pacing and the long still shots)

Tonight we’re watching Oscar noms for Best Picture Blue Jasmine and Dallas Buyer’s Club.  Stay tuned to see what we thought….

Mothers, the Mob, and OSCAR

It’s Oscar season!  The nominations have been announced, the date is set, and my party planning is in full-force!  This year, we three are trying to catch as many Best Picture nominees as possible…although given Greenville’s lack of artistic-film interest, we may miss a few.  Jason and I did catch August:  Osage County as a Sunday matinee, and the three of us saw American Hustle last night for movie night.  Here’s our thoughts:

Movie #1:  August:  Osage County (2013, with Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts)

So this is an Olympic-sized ensemble cast— the formidable Meryl, Julia Roberts, Sam Shepard, Dermot Mulroney, Chris Cooper, the impeccable Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Ewan McGregor, Abigail Breslin….  This movie is worth all the hype based solely on the performances.  There was some fantastic acting in this piece.  Truly.  It’s very character-driven, rather than being plot-heavy.  It’s basically a week in the life of an extremely dysfunctional Oklahoma family, and the secrets that are pulling it apart. 

My warning—the previews and commercials make this movie seem like it is a comedy.  This is NOT a comedy.  It is dark, it is heavy, and there is an excessive use of very strong profanity.  There are, however, moments of subtle comedy, but even that has a very dark undercurrent.  Initially, I didn’t think I liked the movie because I felt I’d been led in there under “false pretenses”.  However, if I’d known the tone of the film going in, I’d have appreciated it more.  This is not a light-hearted “popcorn” movie, so just don’t watch this when you’re depressed.  PSA over now.

Jason and I thought that at times, the fights between Meryl and Julia (mother and daughter, respectively) went almost into “over-acting” to the point of campiness.  Think Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.  However, there are some very poignant and practically heart-breaking moments with Meryl and then with the middle daughter.  If the acting hadn’t been so good in this movie, I don’t know that I would have liked it at all.  Jason and I both agree…. The performances in this are what make it.

Ratings:  Jason—4.5;  Me—4  (only because of the “false advertising”)

Movie #2:  American Hustle (2013, with Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper)

This is one of those movies where Jason, Kathy, and I just can’t seem to agree.  We usually all have the same feelings about most movies, but there are some now and again that just have us on opposing sides.  And that’s okay… that speaks to our differences and variances as individuals, which is a good thing.  This movie is a time capsule of sorts on the end  of the ‘70s.  You’ve got the leisure suits, the music, the hair, women refusing to wear bras…. You get the picture. 

Where Osage County is character-driven, this movie is definitely more plot-driven.  It’s the story of a con-man, his mistress/associate, and the FBI-agent using them to make a name for himself.  You find yourself dropped in the typical, organized-crime shake-down,  but the twist is figuring out exactly who is conning whom in this thing.  It looks at relationships, trust, betrayal, self-control, right and wrong (and what determines that), greed, and blind ambition. 

Jason couldn’t seem to get into this movie.  Con/spy movies aren’t really his thing.  He said he felt like he was watching folks play dress-up on Halloween.  It just didn’t connect with him.  Kathy really enjoyed the acting—particularly Jennifer Lawrence.  She liked it for the most part.  Me… I loved it (but then… I did love Snow White and the Huntsman, and they both HATED that movie… again, we’re just proving that we’re all different, and that we don’t always all have to like the same things.  The world would get boring quickly if that were the case, I guess.)  I loved the attention to details, although I do think they should’ve included just a touch more disco music.  Following the cons and the federal shake-down throughout the movie, I just felt there was something very Shakespearean in the portrayal of behaviors and motivations in all the characters, seeing what people do and what it is that makes them do it—good or bad, right or wrong.  But then, that may just be the writer in me…  See it and judge for yourself.

Favorite Moment:  Seeing hunky and manly Bradley Cooper wearing perm curlers and fussing with his mother.  (Although Christian Bale's tedious toupee application and comb-over styling was a close second.)

Ratings:  Jason—2.5; Kathy—3;  Me—4 

After dinner and before seeing the "Hustle". Kathy took the pic, otherwise she'd be in it!

"A Grand Adventure"

Greetings, friends out there in Blog-world!  Typically, we try to watch all Christmas movies during the month of December, but Peter Jackson has thrown a kink into that this year (and will do again next year).  This week and next….it’s all about a little hobbit….

Movie:  The Hobbit (2012, Peter Jackson, with Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, et al)

The Hobbit is the prequel to The Lord of the Rings.  In this story/movie, the focus is on a younger Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and his invitation from Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to “join in a grand adventure”.  (cue swelling, dramatic music here…)  He is met with a band of burly and rather uncouth dwarves, led by their very handsome—and better-mannered—prince, Thorin (Richard Armitage).  They make a long and treacherous journey, meeting elves, evil and menacing orcs, goblins, and other wizards along the way.  This movie is all about the visual.  It is a magnificent piece of cinematography.  You are just swept away from all you know and into a vast and beautiful land.  It is the classic good vs evil, the fight for the security and restoration of a homeland and its people, and the personal struggle to face your fears and pursue something bigger than that of yourself, that most fantasies are based around. 

**If you have not seen Lord of the Rings or read Tolkien’s work, all of this may be a bit “Greek” to you.  Although, trust us.  You want to go on a grand adventure.  Grab a blanket; grab a bucket of popcorn. Watch the movie.  Set aside about 3 hours though... Jackson believes in the lengthy epic.

What we loved:  1)  The visual effects of this movie.  It is simply stunning and breathtaking.  2) The score.  A lot of people don’t pay attention to the music that is the backdrop to a movie, but this one, composed by Howard Shore, is beautiful and dark and haunting.  3) I can’t speak for Jason and Kathy, but I absolutely love Richard Armitage’s voice (Prince Thorin).  I knew him from his stint as the character Guy Gisbon in BBC’s series Robin Hood (excellent series…highly recommend), and I loved him and his deep, dramatic, broodingly British voice then.  He carries it with him to this character of the dwarf prince, and he can completely mesmerize you with just a few words.  I’d go up against the deadly dragon by myself as long as he talked to me the entire way there.  ;-)  Mercy!

Ratings:  Solid 4.5’s all the way around.

Next Tuesday, we’ll be “celebrating our Christmas” by meeting for dinner followed by a viewing of The Hobbit:  Desolation of Smaug at our local theater.  We are all geekily excited! (Is “geekily” a word…. Hmmm… it is now…)

Rain, Death, and Christmas!

Friends,  the weeks are flying by at warp speed.  I’ve been caught up in NaNoWriMo, turkeys, pies, Doctor Who 50^th Anniversaries, work, disappointing football, and family.  We have seen 4 great movies, though, and I need to share them with you.  We’re doing a “double-feature” posting today.

Movie #1:  Singin’ in the Rain (1952, with Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Conner)

This musical has some of the most famous songs ever in it.  It is full of exceptional and intricate dancing, lively tunes, and lots of funny wit.  Most of the characters are based on real people, and the plot centers around a pair of silent-film actors who must make the transition to “talkies”, and the disasters that follow.  Lots of physical comedy as well as wit make up the bulk of this movie.  There’s also the inevitable boy-meets-girl, makes an idiot of himself, then spends an hour trying to make restitution.   All of this plays against a backdrop of absolutely magical musical performances.  It’s a feel-good movie that is considered one of the top 10 best movies of all time.  If you have never seen it… you must.

Trivia:  1) Debbie Reynolds had to be carried to her dressing room after the “Good Morning” number as she had burst several blood vessels in her feet from the demanding choreography.  She later stated in an interview that making this movie and giving birth were the two hardest things she’d ever done in her whole life.  2)  Donald O’Connor smoked 4 packs of cigarettes daily while making this movie.  (Watch his performance, and then ask yourself…how the heck did he do it?!)  3) Cyd Charisse performs a fantastically sexy number in this film with a slinky costume.  Production had to be stopped for a few hours to correct a “wardrobe malfunction”.  When it was finally fixed, the costume designer, Walter Plunkett, alerted the crew, “It’s OK, guys.  We’ve finally got Cyd’s crotch licked.”  4) The television premiere on NBC was originally scheduled for the evening of November 23, 1963. It was postponed for several weeks due to the assassination of President Kennedy.

Ratings:  Jason—4; Kathy—5;  Me—4    (This is one of Kathy’s all-time favorites)

Movie #2:  Death Becomes Her (1992, with Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis)

This is certainly a wide departure from the genre of peppy musicals!  We wanted something a bit campy…as we usually do.  Although released in 1992, it still had a very ‘80s feel.  This is a black comedy about revenge, greed, and everlasting youth.  It’s a bit bizarre.  It’s a bit hokey.  And it’s entirely entertaining.  Bruce Willis is fabulous in the role of Ernest—shy, unassuming, nerdy, and a bit of a wuss. It’s a far cry from hard-edged action favorite that we’re all familiar with, and that is so refreshing to see and a bit endearing.  Overly dramatic and full of slapstick and satire, this is a fun watch when you’re bored, nothing’s on tv, and you long for the shoulder pads and jacked-up –to –Jesus hair of the 80s and early 90s.   But watch out for those shovels!  Meryl Streep actually scarred Goldie Hawn with one in their fight scene, by accident….or was it?

Ratings:  Jason—3.5;  Kathy—3;  Me—3   

Movie #3:  Meet Me in Saint Louis (1944, Vincente Minnelli, with Judy Garland, Tom Drake)

This is an ensemble cast musical with a lot of talented folks that you’re very familiar with:  Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Leon Ames, Margaret O’Brien, Marjorie Main (Ma Kettle), June Lockhart (later to be the mom in Lassie), Harry Davenport (Dr. Meade from Gone with the Wind).  It is a sweet and sappy postcard from the turn of the 20th century, leading up to the World’s Fair of 1904—the “Louisiana Purchase Exposition”.  Full of lively music, perhaps the most famous song from this movie is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, followed by “The Trolley Song”  (you know…. “Clang, clang, clang went the trolley….”).   The story revolves around a well-off family in St. Louis and their life over the course of a year.  This is one of my favorite musicals, and if you’re looking for a family-friendly movie to watch together all huddled up on the couch with bowls full of hot popcorn, this is a good one.  It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s nostalgic, and it has a happy ending. 

This movie is where Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli met.  They married shortly after wrapping, and Judy Garland always maintained later in her career that although when presented with the role of Esther, she’d balked at playing another teenager as a 21-year-old woman, the role of Esther became one of her favorites and that it was in this movie that she’d felt the most beautiful. 

**Note—no one, and I mean NO ONE, sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” like Judy Garland, although too many have tried.

Ratings:  Jason—3; Kathy—3.5;  Me—4.25

Movie #4—White Christmas (1954, with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen)

We watched Meet Me in Saint Louis and White Christmas last week, the first week of December.  We wanted a little Christmas cheer, as we always do this time of year.  This particular movie is one of my sister’s all-time favorite holiday movies.  Again, one of the most popular songs of the Christmas season comes from this movie—Bing Crosby’s version of Irving Berlin’s hit White Christmas.  (And just like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas forever belongs to Judy Garland, White Christmas is only White Christmas when Bing sings it.  Forever and ever, amen.)   This musical follows two entertainment acts—a pair of sisters and a pair of WWII vets that do the show-biz bit. One side note quickly here to get it out of the way—Vera Ellen is extremely skinny, and Jason and I find it a bit of a distraction in the dance sequences.  It makes my bones ache sometimes watching her.  Her legs are like pretzel-sticks.  BUT BESIDE THAT—You  have Christmas in Vermont, acts of kindness for a war hero, mistaken intentions, and folks falling in love.    You have gorgeous costumes, lots of wonderful holiday music, and an ending that will make even the Grinchiest-Grinch tear up a bit.  The chemistry of this cast is fantastic, and Crosby and Kaye make a great comedic team.  There’s even one scene where Bing gets so tickled by Danny Kaye that he breaks character and just bursts out laughing.  He tries to turn his face away a bit, but you can still see him cracking up, and it is just too funny.

Trivia:  1) Many of Bob Wallace’s (Crosby) unusual turns of phrase and speech patterns were taken directly from Bing’s actual style of talking. 2) The “sisters” parody act done by Crosby and Kaye was not in the original script.  The two guys were clowning around on set, and the director loved it so much it was written in.  3) Rosemary Clooney took the role just so she could perform with Bing Crosby and said that Danny Kaye kept everyone laughing on set so much that retakes were constant during production.  4)  Odd tidbit for my nerd friends out there—Bing Crosby’s granddaughter, Denise, and Rosemary Clooney’s son, Miguel, appeared in the Star Trek series—1987 and 1984, respectively.  5) Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney all died at the same age of 74.

So Count Your Blessings, instead of sheep when you can’t sleep, and always keep an eye out for that Snow!  Snow!  Snow!  so that we can all have a White Christmas instead of just dreaming about it.  J

Mothers and Daughters

Friends, we had to skip movie night this week as two folks had other commitments and rescheduling was just not an option this time.  However…as we have seen a number of movies that have not been reviewed, but are on the watch list, I chose to select two for this week’s post.  Enjoy!

Movie #1:  Mommie Dearest (1981, with Faye Dunaway and Diana Scarwid)

A WIRE HANGER?  A WIRE HANGER!  (if you know this scene, then you know sh** just got real!)

If you are a parent and have children with behavioral problems…this movie will put the fear of God in them.  This film has become such an icon in pop culture that almost everyone knows it, saw it, can quote it.  Based on the memoirs of Joan Crawford’s adopted daughter, Christine, we are taken on a journey into the life of Hollywood’s most arrogant and demanding diva, and subsequently, the tortured and sad lives of her adopted children.  Faye Dunaway IS Joan Crawford in this movie.  I don’t think they could’ve picked a better person to portray her.  The movie is a dichotomy.  On one hand, you’re seeing this glamorous life…huge mansions, gorgeous clothes and jewels, fancy cars, handsome men, and Joan being the toast of the town.  Then…there’s the other side of the coin… a viciously demanding mother who abuses and neglects her children, yet expects them to be grateful and loving. 

Let me just say… it is a HOT MESS!  For one thing, how on earth the woman never got locked up for the stunts she pulled with those kids is baffling.  You just want the little girl to haul off and hit HER with a wire hanger… or feed her raw steak.

What we liked:  The sheer, over-the-top, melodrama!

The effects of watching this movie:  Kathy says when she left messages or to do lists for her young, teenage kids after they all saw this, she’d sign it with a little wire hanger. She still does this now with her daughter. And their closets were all completely converted to plastic hangers, which has continued to this day.

Movie #2:  The Bad Seed (1956, with Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack)

Don’t be fooled by a sweet little girl in a dress and pigtails.  Evil lurks there just under the surface.  Evil, I say!

If there was ever a movie about how appearances are deceiving, this is it!  Sweet little Rhoda…with her floral dress, and her braided pigtails.  She’s the epitome of the perfect little girl—or is she?  She lies.  She cheats.  She….murders? She has the outward appearance of the perfect child, which often in these types of films comes across as sinister… a little…TOO perfect?  There’s family history of homicide…mental breaks…  does Rhoda follow this pattern?  Is she to blame for all the horrible things happening around her?  Only the neighborhood handyman, LeRoy, seems to understand the evil she’s hiding. It is only in the end that LeRoy’s fears are addressed by Fate in a shocking climax. 

We know it’s old and in black and white, but trust us friends… it is a must-see.

What we liked:  Patty McCormack’s performance as Rhoda.  She completely nailed this part, and she certainly had you creeped out by her portrayal of a child sociopath.

Little known trivia:  1)  The original Broadway cast was used for this film version.  2) Warner Bros. reported that three endings were shot in production.  The end of the film was kept secret, and the last five pages of the script were not distributed until ready to shoot.  3)  Alfred Hitchcock (one of our favorites) had the chance to direct, but turned it down.  4)  The Bad Seed was nominated for 4 Oscars: Best Lead Actress (Nancy Kelly), Best Supporting Actress (Patty McCormack), Best Supporting Actress (Eileen Heckart), and Best Cinematography.   

Guilty or Innocent?

We watched a fantastic movie this week.  Now, unfortunately, we had to stop with just one.  The reason---IT WAS SLEETING!  In Greenville!  Before Thanksgiving!  Crazy, right?  I delayed my post a bit, but you’ll have to forgive me, friends.  I’m in the middle of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and all my writing energies are focused on completing 50,000 words in 30 days.  Again, crazy—right?  You may think so, and I’m okay with that.  But back to our movie, friends….

Movie #1:  Witness for the Prosecution (1957, with Tyrone Power, Marlena Dietrich)

This was originally a story by Agatha Christie.  So it’s already got that going for it!  It’s shot in black and white, and we all thought that it had a definite feel of Hitchcock about it with the camera shots, the wit, and of course the multiple twists (which I will not divulge here).  Beyond just the technical aspects, you have the hilarious Charles Laughton as the old barrister (Sir Wilfred Robarts) who is NOT “go[ing] gently into that dark [retirement]”.    Just being released from the hospital, our portly old barrister is in constant battle with his disciplinarian nurse and finds ingenious methods of sneaking in his cigars and brandy.  The bickering between these two is just phenomenal. 

We’re taken through the court trial for the murder of a lonely, wealthy widow.  As with Agatha Christie’s stories, not all is as it appears, and the revelations of such are completely explosive.  We think some of the best scenes of the film are the cross-examinations between Sir Wilfred and Marlena Dietrich’s character.  The chemistry between those two antagonists was absolutely powerful.

What we liked:  1.  The “old married couple” type of relationship between Sir Wilfred and his nurse.  2.  The actors playing Sir Wilfred and the nurse were actually “an old married couple”.   3.  The ending!  That’s all I can say.  This is a no spoilers blog.

Ratings:  4.5s all around!  Watch this movie.

Dear friends,  we have now reached over 1,058 blog hits!!!!  That is just completely awesome to us since I just started this to document all these great movies that we were watching.  It really is just a lark and sometimes life gets in the way of keeping this updated at times, but it's wonderful to know that you guys are enjoying it right along with us.  The only thing I do to share this is put it on Facebook, so if you know of folks who enjoy movies, share us with them if you like.  We love the company!!  Here's to another 190 movies and another 1,000 page hits!  Keep the popcorn warm, and we'll keep bringing you more great (and a few terrible) cinematic gems.  Many, many thanks from the Tuesday Night Movie Nuts!  That's a wrap.... for this week!

Trick Or Treat!!!!!

Don’t you just love this time of year…. Leaves changing color and falling, creating a blanket of crunch under your feet.  Mums and pansies on porches in the tones of the earth—deep purples, rusty orange, and golden yellow.  Crisp bite in the air that meets you in the mornings and the evenings, and the sunlight during the fall seems to take on a more golden hue than usual.  Of course, then there’s pumpkins.  Pumpkin jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin lattes, cookies and cakes and brownies spiked with pumpkin and cinnamon.  It’s fantastic. And in and amongst all this glorious autumnal splendor, there’s the excitement of dressing up as someone completely different from who you are and going forth into the darkness to wield that identity for one evening, not knowing what you’ll encounter on your journey.

I hope you don’t mind my musings, but I just have to pay homage to one of our favorite seasons.  I’ll bring us back now to the subject at hand.  My fellow children of the night… we approach that most feared of all evenings…Halloween!!!  Halloween is one  of our favorite holidays, and as with most holidays, we have developed some standing traditions for the Tuesday Night Movie Nuts.  We always watch a variety of scary movies throughout the entire month of October—hauntings, slashers, psychopaths, demented personalities…  However, we always set aside one week to watch our all-time favorite Halloween movies.  This year, we held off and saved the best for last, watching these two cult classics right before Halloween.  As I reviewed these movies last year, I’m just going to give you all the link to that post so you can see what we love to watch every year to scare ourselves just a little.  It’s become a welcome tradition.  Check it out…..if you dare that is….

 http://tuesdaynightmovienuts.blogspot.com/2012/10/pumpkins-and-slashers.html