Monthly Archives: September 2012
Oscar Vault Monday – In the Name of the Father, 1993 (dir. Jim Sheridan)
In The Name of the Father was Jim Sheridan’s second film, his first being 1989’s My Left Foot, which itself was nominated for several Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director (it won for Best Actor, Daniel Day-Lewis and Best Supporting Actress, Brenda Fricker). This film was a slightly fictionalized account of the Guildford Four, who were falsely convicted of an IRA pub bombing in 1974. They weren’t proven innocent until 1989. I don’t really want to get further into their story, as that would spoil the film entirely. In The Name of the Father was nominated for seven Academy Awards, although it failed to win a single category: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Supporting Actress Emma Thompson, Best Supporting Actor Pete Postlethwaite, Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Director and Best Picture. It is currently #226 on IMDb’s Top 250 user-generated list. The other films nominated for Best Picture that year were: The Fugitive, The Piano, The Remains of the Day and winner Schindler’s List.
From The Warner Archive: Battle Circus, 1953 (dir. Richard Brooks)
This newly remastered release of Battle Circus, an early film from director Richard Brooks, is a must for fans of Bogart and as well as those who love Robert Altman’s 1970 Best Picture nominee M*A*S*H. The Korean War still had another few months before it was officially over when this film was first released and actual footage from the war is featured in it. The title comes from a MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit’s ability to pick up and move itself and its surgical tents as swiftly as a traditional circus. Much like Altman’s later film, it also features the interconnectivity of the personal lives of the nurses, doctors and soldiers alike.
Movie Quote of the Day – Platoon, 1986 (dir. Oliver Stone)
Sgt. Barnes: Talking about killing? Hmm? Y’all experts? Y’all know ’bout killing? I’d like to hear about it, potheads. [takes pipe and inhales drag] Why do you smoke this shit? So as to escape from reality? Me, I don’t need this shit. [beat] I am reality. There’s the way it ought to be. And there’s the way it is. Elias was full of shit. Elias was a crusader. Now, I got no fight with any man who does what he’s told, but when he don’t, the machine breaks down. And when the machine breaks down, we break down. And I ain’t gonna allow that in any of you. Not one. [beat] Y’all love Elias. Oh, you wanna kick ass. Yeah. Well, here I am, all by my lonesome, and ain’t nobody gonna know. Six of you boys against me. Kill me. [beat] I shit on all of you.
From The Warner Archive: Born To Be Bad, 1950 (dir. Nicholas Ray)
Recently remastered and released by the Warner Archive, Born to Be Bad is an early, but important effort from landmark director Nicholas Ray. The film was released three months after Ray’s breakthrough masterpiece In A Lonely Place, starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. While this film seems a lesser effort in comparison, I think much of the fault lies with the studio; Born To Be Bad had five writers and it feels like it. That said, this remaster is beautifully done and the disc comes with the original theatrical trailer, as well as a newly found and restored alternate ending. More on that after the cut.
Movie Quote of the Day – Dead Calm, 1989 (dir. Phillip Noyce)
Rae Ingram: What about those people? There wasn’t any food poisoning, was there?
Hughie Warriner: You wanna do this now? Alright. They tried to kill me, Rae. They tried to suck the light out of me if you can possibly grasp that concept!
Rae Ingram: Who were?
Hughie Warriner: All of them!
Rae Ingram: Look, nobody wants to kill you.
Hughie Warriner: What?! Repeat that!
Rae Ingram: I said, “Nobody. . .”
Hughie Warriner: Say the words, Rae, come on! You mean I just imagined it.
Rae Ingram: No.
Hughie Warriner: No?
Rae Ingram: I just meant that is must be a mistake.
Hughie Warriner: A mistake?! Lady! The mistake is that you think I’m making this up!
Rae Ingram: No! No, I don’t!
Hughie Warriner: You sound so much like them, Rae, it’s scary! They were trying to kill me! Do you understand?!
Rae Ingram: Yeah. Yeah, I understand.
Movie Quote of the Day – Rock-A-Doodle, 1991 (dir. Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Dan Kuenster)
Pinky: Don’t hurt him boys. He’s got a movie to make.
Chanticleer: I ain’t makin’ nothin’ with you!
Pinky: Oh but, King, I got a lot of money tied up in this picture. I don’t want to lose my money and you want to lose your friends!
Chanticleer: That’s blackmail!
Pinky: That’s showbiz!
TCM To Celebrate Politics In Film In October
Each Friday in October, TCM will show a series of films depicting American politics in film leading up to the election in November. On top of that, they will be premiering a new one-hour documentary special entitled: A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington. The documentary is produced by Amblin Television and Laurent Bouzereau. It is set to premiere Friday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m. (ET) and will “provide an in-depth look at the treatment of politics in cinema. Beginning with the genre’s most defining movies, the special will explore how filmmakers have approached politics in their storytelling. A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washingtonwill examine films about political campaigns and political conspiracies, and the portrayal of American presidents in the movies.” A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washingtonwill examine films about political campaigns and political conspiracies, and the portrayal of American presidents in the movies.” Various filmmakers and performers have been interviewed for the special including Oliver Stone (JFK, Nixon, W.), Rob Reiner (The American President), Gary Ross (Dave), Rod Lurie (The Contender), Illeana Douglas, James Cromwell, Fred Thompson, producer Marc Frydman (The Contender), political consultant and commentator James Carville (The War Room), screenwriter Bob Gale (Back to the Future), author and film critic Julie Salamon (The Devil’s Candy), and Projecting Hollywood co-author Terry Christensen.
After cut is the full schedule of films.
Movie Quote of the Day – Pootie Tang, 2001 (dir. Louis C.K.)
JB: Pootie Tang will draw you a picture of how he’s gonna kick your ass then mail it to you ten days in advance. The picture gets there, right? You go, “What the hell is this?” Then Pootie Tang knocks on your door, properly kicks your ass and you still won’t know what happened to you.
Trucky: You got that right. He is a kick-ass artiste. Know what I’m sayin’? He’s like the Da Vinci of ass-kicking. That sounds kind of good. Pootie Tang, the Da Vinci of ass-kicking.
JB: Aw, man, Pootie Tang whoop your ass so bad that you could write it off on your taxes. That’s right. You got right here, ass-whooping number one, ass-whooping number two. This here, you can’t write that off. That’s just gettin’ beat up.
Lacey: I’d like to also add that Pootie Tang can kick some ass too, boy.
Movie Quote of the Day – Phantom of the Paradise, 1974 (dir. Brian De Palma)
Phoenix: Don’t you hear that crowd down there? Why should I give that up?
The Phantom: They’ll want more. They want much more. More than you could ever give.
Phoenix: I’ll give them whatever they want.
TCM and Universal To Release Two Billy Wilder Classics On DVD For The First Time
I love both of these films. They are some of Wilder’s lesser-known efforts, but they are definitely worth your time. Five Graves To Cairo in particular is an interesting watch, as it is one of those war films made during the war. You can read the whole press release after the cut.
the diary of a film history fanatic 