Yearly Archives: 2011
Oscar Vault Monday – The More The Merrier, 1943 (dir. George Stevens)
It’s hard to write about any film that was nominated for Best Picture in 1943 since the winner that year is almost universally thought to be one of, if not the greatest film of all time – Casablanca. That being said, there were some other really great films that came out in 1943. I decided to go with one of my favorite recently discovered classic comedies, George Stevens’ The More the Merrier. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning one: Best Writing – Original Story, Best Writing – Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor Charles Coburn (won), Best Actress Jean Arthur, Best Director and Best Picture. The other films nominated for Best Picture that year were: For Whom the Bell Tolls, Heaven Can Wait, The Human Comedy, In Which We Serve, Madame Curie, The Ox-Bow Incident, The Song of Bernadette, Watch on the Rhine and winner Casablanca.
Movie Quote of the Day – Jurassic Park, 1993 (dir. Steven Spielberg)
Ray Arnold: Hold on to your butts.
Movie Quote of the Day – The Legend of Bagger Vance, 2000 (dir. Robert Redford)
Rannulph Junuh: What was it Adele?… What did you like about us?
Adele Invergordon: I liked the way we danced.
Movie Quote of the Day – Limelight, 1952 (dir. Charles Chaplin)
Postant: Don’t worry. Tonight you’ll make them look like amateurs.
Calvero: That’s all any of us are: amateurs. We don’t live long enough to be anything else.
Movie Quote of the Day – A Life Less Ordinary, 1997 (dir. Danny Boyle)
Robert: Right you asshole, I’ve got your daughter here, and I’m gonna send her back in pieces if. . .Oh! I’m sorry, madam. No, I haven’t got your daughter here, I’ve got someone else’s. No, we’re not married. Yes, I’ve read the same thing, it’s very hard to find suitable young men these days. Well, I’m sure your daughter’s very nice, in principle I’ve got no objection to meeting her. . .[Celine hangs up the phone] What is the problem?
Movie Quote of the Day – An American Werewolf In London, 1981 (dir. John Landis)
Jack: [describing his funeral] Debbie Klein cried a lot. So, so, you know what she does? She’s soooo grief-stricken, she runs to find solace in Mark Levine’s bed.
David: Mark Levine?
Jack: An asshole! [beat] Life mocks me even in death.
Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” To Play In Competition At Cannes?
There was some speculation as to whether the film would play in competition or out because it’s possibly going to premiere in London before the French festival. However, according to a press release from the festival this morning, Malick’s latest will indeed vie for the top prize. It’s got some tough competition, including the latest from Pedro Almodóvar and Lars von Trier. Woody Allen’s 43rd feature film Midnight in Paris is set to open the festival, out of competition.
Movie Quote of the Day – A Perfect Getaway, 2009 (dir. David Twohy)
Nick: I’m a goddamn American Jedi.
Movie Quote of the Day – Legally Blonde, 2001 (dir. Robert Luketic)
Warner Huntington III: You got into Harvard Law?
Elle Woods: What? Like, it’s hard?
Oscar Vault Monday – 12 Angry Men, 1957 (dir. Sidney Lumet)
I thought it would be fitting to follow up my in memorium Sidney Lumet post with a more prolonged discussion of one of his greatest masterpieces. Like I said in that earlier post, I saw 12 Angry Men for the first time on PBS a few years ago. I couldn’t believe I’d never seen it before. Part of what makes this an undisputed masterpiece is how timeless it feels. Yes, it’s filmed in black and white, but it feels as fresh as if it were filmed today. Amazing, considering it was Lumet’s first feature film. The only other directorial debut I can think of that is equally as amazing is Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. Surprisingly this film was only nominated for three Academy Awards and lost them all to The Bridge on the River Kwai (something tells me François Truffaut was not happy with the Academy’s decision that year; read his book The Films in My Life and you’ll see why I think this). The awards it was up for were Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture. The other films up for Best Picture that year were Peyton Place, Sayonara, Witness For The Prosecution and winner The Bridge on the River Kwai. Regardless of its Academy history, the film is ranked #7 on IMDb’s user-generation Top 250 and is generally considered one of the greatest films ever made.
the diary of a film history fanatic 