Monthly Archives: January 2013
Movie Quote of the Day – The Actress, 1953 (dir. George Cukor)
Annie Jones: Ruth, why don’t you give up this going on the stage business and settle down with a nice man?
Ruth Gordon Jones: Oh, mama, don’t be disgusting!
Movie Quote of the Day – Blow-Up, 1966 (dir. Michelangelo Antonioni)
Thomas: Don’t let’s spoil everything, we’ve only just met.
Jane: No, we haven’t met. You’ve never seen me.
From The Warner Archive: Three Featuring Boris Karloff
The Warner Archive recently released a triple feature – all on one disc – of some rare Boris Karloff films from the 1930s. While these may not be the greatest films, they are definitely must-haves for Karloff enthusiasts and are interesting in that they feature Karloff in non-horror films. The set includes two films directed by John Farrow: West of Shanghai (1937) and The Invisible Menace (1938), as well as William Clemens’s Devil’s Island (1939).
Movie Quote of the Day – The Stepford Wives, 1975 (dir. Bryan Forbes)
Joanna Eberhart: Am I crazy? Aren’t they good? Please say something. I don’t care. No, I do care. Don’t say anything bad.
Mr. Atkinson: These are, um, really quite good.
Joanna Eberhart: You’re not just saying that be cause you’re frightened I, I might be a crazy lady?
Mr. Atkinson: Clearly you are a crazy lady, but clearly again, these are nice.
Joanna Eberhart: Wait a minute. You said ‘Good’. ‘Really quite good’ you said. ‘Good’ is better than ‘nice’. You’re not changing your mind, are you?
Mr. Atkinson: No, the results are lovely. Don’t get upset again. ‘Lovely’ is better than ‘good’. But, um, what fascinates me is: What is it you want from it all? Do you know?
Joanna Eberhart: I want – somewhere, someday, someone to look at something and say ‘Hey, that reminds me of an Ingalls’. ‘Ingalls’ was my maiden name. I guess I want to be remembered.
Mr. Atkinson: Yes, don’t we all?
Oscar Vault Monday – The Towering Inferno, 1974 (dir. John Guillermin)
Believe it or not, the Irwin Allen produced The Towering Inferno was not only nominated for eight Academy Awards, it won three of them. This star-studded ensemble disaster flick was not the first of its kind, but it is definitely one of the best. I remember when I first watched it, I was dubious of its merit and wondered about its Oscar pedigree, but in the end, I was sucked in by it and entertained from start to finish. If you look at a lot of the other Oscar nominated films from 1974 – and the 70s in general – The Towering Inferno is like a breath of fresh air made of pure entertainment. I hate the notion that Oscar nominated films need to be serious or arty or what have you. This is cinema in all its glory. The Towering Inferno’s Oscar nominations were as follows: Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography (won), Best Film Editing (won), Best Original Song (won), Best Original Dramatic Score, Best Supporting Actor Fred Astaire and Best Picture. The other films nominated for Best Picture that year were Chinatown, The Conversation, Lenny and winner The Godfather Part II.
Hosting Films with Milyoni Social Cinema on Facebook
I know a lot of you have said you wished you could watch a movie with me, but unfortunately we’re spread all over the globe. Luckily for you, I may have somewhat of a solution. I have been working with Milyoni, home of what they call Social Cinema, and have “curated” several films for them. You can find some of the films I have hosted here on Facebook. The first two films available are Carnival of Souls and the original version of The Little Shop of Horrors. More films will be added throughout the week.
What’s wonderful about Milyoni’s Social Cinema is it lets you interact with the film’s history, as well as with me as a viewer. As you watch the film, you will see facts about the making of the films and the filmmakers, as well as a running commentary by yours truly. I’d love it if you gave it a try and I’ll keep you updated as films get added!
Movie Quote of the Day – Trouble in Paradise, 1932 (dir. Ernst Lubitsch)
Gaston Monescu: I know all your tricks.
Madame Mariette Colet: And you’re going to fall for them.
Gaston Monescu: So you think you can get me?
Madame Mariette Colet: Any minute I want.
Gaston Monescu: You’re conceited.
Madame Mariette Colet: But attractive.
Gaston Monescu: Now let me say. . .
Madame Mariette Colet: Shut up. Kiss me.
“Argo” Tops Screen Actors Guild Awards
BEST ACTOR:
- Bradley Cooper – “Silver Linings Playbook”
- Daniel Day-Lewis – “Lincoln”
- John Hawkes – “The Sessions”
- Hugh Jackman – “Les Miserables”
- Denzel Washington – “Flight”
BEST ACTRESS:
- Jessica Chastain – “Zero Dark Thirty”
- Marion Cotillard – “Rust and Bone”
- Jennifer Lawrence – “Silver Linings Playbook”
- Helen Mirren “Hitchcock”
- Naomi Watts – “The Impossible”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
- Alan Arkin – “Argo”
- Javier Bardem – “Skyfall”
- Robert De Niro – “Silver Linings Playbook”
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – “The Master”
- Tommy Lee Jones – “Lincoln”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
- Sally Field – “Lincoln”
- Anne Hathaway – “Les Miserables”
- Helen Hunt – “The Sessions”
- Nicole Kidman – “The Paperboy”
- Maggie SMith “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
BEST ENSEMBLE:
- “Argo”
- “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
- “Les Miserables”
- “Lincoln”
- “Silver Linings Playbook”
STUNT ENSEMBLE
- “The Amazing Spider-Man”
- “The Bourne Legacy”
- “The Dark Knight Rises”
- “Les Miserables”
- “Skyfall”
Movie Quote of the Day – X2: X-Men United, 2003 (dir. Bryan Singer)
Nightcrawler: You know, outside the circus, most people were afraid of me. But I didn’t hate them. I pitied them. Do you know why? Because most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes.
“Argo” Named Best Picture at Producers Guild Awards
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:
- Argo
- Beasts of the Southern Wild
- Django Unchained
- Les Misérables
- Life of Pi
- Lincoln
- Moonrise Kingdom
- Silver Linings Playbook
- Skyfall
- Zero Dark Thirty
Animated Film:
- Brave
- Frankenweenie
- ParaNorman
- Rise of the Guardians
- Wreck-It Ralph
Documentary:
- The Gatekeepers
- A People Uncounted
- The Other Dream Team
- The Island President
- Searching for Sugar Man
the diary of a film history fanatic 