you're welcome! i'm glad you know who he is and appreciate the card haha :]

Yes, I totally do! And, I have recently become familiar with a number of his films. One of my dad’s favorite movies is Inherit the Wind (1960).

Stanley Kramer’s filmography as a whole—-both as director and producer—-is pretty impressive, I think. But, what I hate is that regardless of how impressive his resume is, as you’ve said and indicated, he seems to be a bit under-appreciated and not well-known enough, for some strange reason. Even some of his films are hard to come by, such as the 1979 drama (his last), The Runner Stumbles, starring Dick Van Dyke as a priest who falls in-love with a nun (based on a true story)! And that, I simply can’t wrap my head around!

I mean, Dick Van Dyke was a veritable TV icon, and needless to say, Kramer worked with the best of the best! And, the fact that he was one of, if not *the first* independent film-maker in the business while still maintaining strong ties in the industry was really a feat! Plus, as you may gather from the two titles I mentioned already, the majority of his films veered on the controversial side, made news, and helped to change laws (i.e. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner helping to change the law about interracial marriage I think, and I heard that Bless the Beasts and Children had a similar impact on animal rights). Yet, relatively little is known about him compared to others. But, I really want to see his last film! I hope TCM shows it soon!

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ephemeral-:

by eko bintang

I can’t remember the last time I have loved art pieces so much! I love these—-mostly because looking at them only reconfirms what I’ve long thought—-1950s sophistication and lady fashion rocks! The classicist of all! Although, I will admit that the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s come pretty close too. I also like the first half of the 1960s—-albeit, such a specialized period cannot be easily distinguished in a retrospective set like this.

It was the cusp between the 1950s and 1960s (a period that is not readily recognized as distinct) that simply oozed elegance, charm, sophistication, and sex-appeal. Just take a look at old photos of the glamor stars of the day (Liz Taylor, Natalie Wood, and Deborah Kerr come to mind), and you’ll know what I mean. Ah, so lovely!

What's the Matter with Helen? (1975)

Just saw another film inspired by one of my very favorites, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? [1962]. The type of film that is thought to comprise a sub-genre of its own, called Grand-Guignol.

The one I just saw was called “What’s the Matter with Helen?” and rather than star an expected kooky suspense/thriller/horror queen, like Bette Davis or Joan Crawford, this one starred Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters! The violence in this one was too obvious and the fact that it was filmed in color made it even more disturbing. Of all the films that I’ve seen so far inspired by “…Baby Jane.”, I like this one the least. But, it’s still worth a look if you like old Hollywood stars and the mellow 1960s-1970s brand of spooky. On that note, I should warn you that this film has been alleged to have had one of  the worst advertising campaigns in the history of horror film! Once you watch it, you’ll know why.

Harold & Maude (1971)

The first time I ever saw Harold and Maude, I wasn’t really sure what to make of it. There were parts of it that were hard to swallow. But, there’s just something about it…that pulled me back again. And, after seeing it more, I must say that it makes more sense that I originally thought it did. And, even though it’s not a movie known for its decor or scenery, there are some majestic angles to this film! Also, it has one of the most perfectly intertwined and fitting soundtracks I’ve ever heard! Became an instant Cat Stevens fan, after this film!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gb2AJN4YL0?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0&w=500&h=375]

Slightly eerie and hauntingly beautiful song song by Dame Julie Andrews, with music by the late, great Henry Mancini (who’s musical jewls include the famous 1962 “Moon River” as-well as the Pink Panther theme and many others…).

This is the theme from Julie’s widely panned movie, “Darling Lili”. Just saw it for the first time, last night. And, it’s really not so bad (though the best thing about the film may be this song—-which says something…). And, if you’re at all interested in WWI and the legend of Mata Hari, you might want too give it a watch—-turns out, this film is a (confusing!) spin on the life of stripper-spy, Mata Hari! I know, pretty weird, right? But, clever, nonetheless.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

Mame (1974)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—-I do believe that Mame is probably the movie-musical I love the most! And, Jerry Herman is a flippin’ genius! And, despite the fact that most would argue to the contrary, I think that Lucille Ball played the part perfectly well!

Highly recommended, with glamor and a score that just might stick with you for years!

Manhattan (1979)

Love it or hate it, this movie has *something*…, 9 June 2011

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The first time I saw this movie, I didn’t like it…

Then (see *UPDATE* at the end), I changed my mind…

I tend to instinctively know what movies I’m gonna like, and those I won’t. So, it’s a rare thing for me to watch a movie I consider one of the “worst.” But, it just so happens that last night was one of those nights for me. Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” I watched for the first time last night, it and was, without a doubt, one of the most boring movies I’d ever seen! And, though I typically have no gripes with a May-December romance of sorts, something about Woody’s relationship w/ the 17-18 year-old girl in the film didn’t sit well with me—-probably b/c she sounded like a member of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts kids——in other words, totally childish. To me, the believability and success of those sort of relationships depend on the people involved, and age is but a small detail of it. Hence, in that case, the people involved didn’t fit, and I found myself sorely irritated with them. So, how could I love the movie if I couldn’t love the people? Still, before anyone jumps to conclusions about my viewing history, let me point out that I am well-aware of “Manhattan”s reputation as a classic, and I did appreciate the scenic beauty of the film, just not the film itself.

The point is, it’s not the May-December romance aspect of the film that makes it distasteful to me, it’s the way it was handled in this particular film. There are other May-December romances that I actually am quite fond of. For example, I love the almost universally panned Lily Tomlin-John Travolta movie, “Moment by Moment” in which a young Travolta has a romance with the much older Tomlin character. And, I thought it was really sweet—-perhaps b/c Travolta didn’t sound like he could do the voice of “Charlie Brown” if ya get my drift…while young, we was not child-like, just cute, sweet, and naive—-but grown! There’s the difference. And, the scenic appeal of that movie far surpasses even that of such beautifully filmed scenes in “Manhattan.” I also like “Harold and Maude” quite a bit. And, there’s was about as big a generation gap as two people could have in a relationship!

But, given further thought, I would say that my real problem with the relationship in “Manhattan” is not as much the fact that the girl seemed terribly childish as it is that their particular relationship seemed very one-dimensional—-in this case, totally sex-based. There was no real sense of camaraderie between them, just a liking for fooling around together. The problem is not that they liked sex, it’s that, as the viewer, I got the feeling that one was being taken advantage of for the other’s temporary enjoyment, as it was established early on that Woody’s character had no intent of getting real serious about the girl. So, with such shallowly developed characters, I, as the viewer, could not sympathize with them. That’s why it’s bad, in my opinion. Whereas, with H&M, the viewer is offered a look at the build-up to their relationship. So, however odd, viewers are given the opportunity to understand where that bond is coming from. That’s why I actually am touched by H&M. Had Woody done similarly w/ “Manhattan,” I may have been touched by it as-well.

The ending particularly stunk, in my opinion, as it showed just how shallow Woody’s character actually was; he really didn’t care about the girl, just whether he’d be happy or not! This sort of character would have been fine in a movie of another genre, but was a bad fit in a movie that was essentially sold on the premise of being a (however odd) romantic comedy. Cause there is nothing comedic—- OR romantic—-about being a cad!

Shallow characters, all around! Good filming, good music, good visuals. But, the bad script ruined it!

UPDATE: Saw it again on HBO and one again was drawn in by the good visuals, music, and relaxed simplicity of it. Except, this time, I rather enjoyed it! This time, I realized that if Mariel Hemingway wasn’t so childish-sounding—-if she seemed just a little older/more mature, I probably wouldn’t be bothered at all. For the record, I love the sort of May-December “forbidden romance” stuff—-it was just that Meriel was a little too much on the child-like side if things. But, nothing’s perfect. Overall, it was rather good the second time around. Yes, I’ve decided I like it.

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970)

Less colorful than it appears…, 18 May 2011

As much as I wanted to enjoy this film, it just bored me. I found myself needing to take frequent breaks from it, just to get through the first half. And, I didn’t even make it through the second half! I began watching this movie because of an initial intrigue that I had for the plot. And, while I do commend the film for the visual effort that was put into it (lavish costumes, often lovely scenery…), and while I do appreciate the production of the film as an admirable endeavor to extort a well-intended plot-line (reincarnation is never an easy subject to tackle, not even in the movies—-so kudos to this film for trying…), I must pan it for being unable to capture my interest and keep it. In sum, I would say the film is well-intended, but tries to be more than it is. At first glance, it comes across like one of those blockbuster, big-budget musicals, but this one is all air and no substance, like an inflated balloon that falls flat. Not even the high notes in the few songs in the film could keep it afloat… a movie only a Barbra fanatic could love.

The Aristocats (1977)

‎The Aristocats is one of my favorite cartoons! And, interestingly enough, it was the last of the Disney movies to be approved by Walt Disney himself, which makes it even better! Yup, I got good taste! ^_~