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Movie Quote of the Day – East of Eden, 1955 (dir. Elia Kazan)
Cal: I took Aron there tonight because I was jealous. I’ve been jealous all my life. Jealous, I couldn’t even stand it. Tonight, I even tried to buy your love. But now I don’t want it anymore. I can’t use it anymore.
Abra: Don’t talk to your father like that.
Cal: I don’t want any kind of love anymore. It doesn’t pay off. No future in it.
Movie Quote of the Day – The Arrangement, 1969 (dir. Elia Kazan)
Gwen: OK, yes, I know, I’m nothing, I never was, but you! You could have been…
Eddie Anderson: What? What?!
Gwen: . . .What you could have been. . .What happened to you, Eddie? Must kill you to think what you might have been.
Movie Quote of the Day – Splendor in the Grass, 1961 (dir. Elia Kazan)
Wilma Dean: Bud, Bud. . .I just can’t stand it when you’re mad at me.
Bud: Oh, Deanie, I don’t know what’s the matter with me lately. I’m always losing my temper. You’re the only girl in the world for me, don’t you know that, Deanie?
Wilma Dean: I want to be.
Bud: If it weren’t for you. . .If it weren’t for you, Deanie, I’d. . .I don’t know. . .I. . .
2012 in Films: One Year, 365 Days and 617 New-To-Me Films
In 2010 I watched 517 new-to-me films, last year I watched a whopping 1,117 new-to-me films and this year my new-to-me total comes to 617. I did a pretty great round-up of my year over on my 3rd Anniversary post for the site, so I’m not going to repeat any of that and you can see month-to-month breakdowns of my new-to-me watching here. You can also see my favorite 2012 films here. After the cut, I’ll go through a few highlights of my viewing this year and share with you the one film that topped all of my viewing this year.
Movie Quote of the Day – Baby Doll, 1956 (dir. Elia Kazan)
Silva Vacarro: You make me think of cotton. No. . .no fabric or cloth. . .not even satin or silk. . .no kind of fiber, not even a cotton fiber. . .has the absolute delicacy of your skin.
Baby Doll: Should I say thanks, or something?
Silva Vacarro: Just smile. You’ve got an attractive smile. . .and dimples. . .oh, yes, you do. Smile, Mrs. Meighan. There, you see, you do have them.
Baby Doll: Please, don’t touch me, I don’t like to be touched.
Silva Vacarro: Why do you giggle?
Baby Doll: You make me feel kind of hysterical.
Silva Vacarro: I do?
Baby Doll: Mr. Vacarro. . .
Silva Vacarro: Yes?
Baby Doll: I think I’ll go and make us some lemonade. [he stops her] What did you do that for?
Silva Vacarro: I don’t want to be deprived of the pleasure of your company. Not yet.
Baby Doll: Mr. Vacarro, you certainly are getting familiar.
Silva Vacarro: Don’t you have a little fun-loving spirit?
Baby Doll: This isn’t fun.
Silva Vacarro: Why do you giggle, then?
Baby Doll: Because I’m ticklish.
Silva Vacarro: Ticklish? Don’t be so skittish.
Baby Doll: All right, I’ll get up then.
Silva Vacarro: Go on. . .
Baby Doll: I feel so weak.
Movie Quote of the Day – Panic in the Streets, 1950 (dir. Elia Kazan)
Lt. Cmdr. Clinton ‘Clint’ Reed M.D.: You know, my mother always told me if you looked deep enough in anybody… you’d always find some good, but I don’t know.
Capt. Tom Warren: With apologies to your mother, that’s the second mistake she made.
Lt. Cmdr. Clinton ‘Clint’ Reed M.D.: I should have seen that one coming.
Movie Quote of the Day – Wild River, 1960 (dir. Elia Kazan)
Carol Garth Baldwin: When you go. . .take me with you. One day soon, you’re gonna come to me and say, “Carol, I have to go.” There won’t be time to talk or to think of anything. And there’ll be a car waitin’, and then a plane, and you’ll say “Carol, honey, I have to go. . .” Isn’t that right?
Chuck Glover: Yes, that is right.
Carol Garth Baldwin: Take me with you.
Movie Quote of the Day – Gentleman’s Agreement, 1947 (dir. Elia Kazan)
Anne Dettrey: Every morning, I ask my mirror who’s the most brilliant of all.
Phil Green: And what does the mirror say?
Anne Dettrey: Well, that mirror ain’t no gentleman.
Movie Quote of the Day – A Face in the Crowd, 1957 (dir. Elia Kazan)
Lonesome Rhodes: I’m not just an entertainer. I’m an influence, a wielder of opinion, a force. . .a force!
New From WarnerBlu: “A Streetcar Named Desire” 60th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Book
Warner Bros. has this fancy new Blu-ray book release to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Elia Kazan’s masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire. This new Blu-ray edition hits shelves this coming Tuesday, April 10th. They call it a Blu-ray book because the packaging is essentially also a book. This means instead of a booklet or something that comes inside the case, the case itself is the book. It’s kind of an interesting concept.
Essentially, the special features on this new Blu-ray release are the same that are found on the 2006 DVD release:
- Commentary on the feature film by Karl Malden, film historian Rudy Behlmer and Jeff Young
- Elia Kazan movie trailer gallery
- Movie and audio outtakes
- Marlon Brando screen test
- Elia Kazan: A Director’s Journey documentary
- Five other documentaries: A Streetcar on Broadway, A Streetcar in Hollywood, Desire and Censorship, North and the South and An Actor Named Brando
I own that DVD release, yet somehow never watched the special features. Now I have, though! The 75 minute long Kazan documentary is from 1995 and features narration by Eli Wallach and some really great interviews with Kazan himself. It’s a great look at Kazan’s filmography, with insights from the director on the process of making each film. While I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Scorsese’s A Letter To Elia, I definitely recommend it to fans of Kazan’s work.
The picture quality of the Blu-ray, however, makes this purchase worth it for collectors and those who enjoy owning their favorite films in the newest formats. The black and white cinematography is so crisp and the contrasts are utterly perfect. Even on my shitty little television that movie looked incredible.
Before you run out and pre-oder this set, let’s take a minute and remain in awe and wonder of Stanley and Stella in the scene deemed too hot by censors in 1951:
And Brando hissing at Vivien Leigh. This is the stuff that dreams are made of.
Disclaimer: This review is based on a review disc given to me by Warner Bros., though the opinions are all my own.
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