It’s here again, the holidays. And what is the holidays without the Christmas movies we all know and love? Or maybe looking for a classic you missed? Here’s my personal list of favorites.
Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
Writer Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) is put into a sticky situation when she has to provide the perfect cottage Christmas for her boss and a recovering soldier, who both take her for the Martha Stewart-esque woman she portrays herself to be in her articles. In reality, she can’t even find her way around a farm and most of her printed recipes belong to her uncle Felix. To make matters more complicated, she finds herself falling for the soldier when she is due to marry her Fiance’ that very holiday. It’s a really adorable, feel-good comedy with just enough Christmas spirit.
The Shop Around The Corner (1940)
Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) works as top sales clerk in a Budapest shop, while spending his free-time exchanging romantic letters with a stranger only known as “Dear friend”. Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) becomes the newest clerk in the shop and the two butt-heads from day one, without either knowing she is in fact his secret pen-pal. With an intriguing side story that all comes together on Christmas Eve, it is one of my favorite romantic comedies and just about one of the most sincere films I think I’ve ever seen.
The Thin Man (1934)
If you’re looking for something a little different this holiday, how about a witty murder-mystery? This is the first of the Thin Man series starring William Powell as dry-humored detective Nick Charles and Myrna Loy as his equally clever and lovely wife Nora Charles. Together they investigate the disappearance of a friend who is a suspect in the murder of his wife during Christmas, with hilarious hi jinks to boot.
“the spirit of poetry broke her blossoms all about his odorous chamber.”
This silent piece by director D.W Griffith (Most well-known for his controversial film Birth of a Nation) takes an intriguing look at the short-lived relationship between an abused young girl and a Chinese shop-keeper in London.
Cheng Huan is a Buddhist missionary from China, living in London with the initial goal of teaching peace and love to his fellow man. His dream doesn’t quite pan out and he finds himself instead as a lowly shop-keeper. He watches young Lucy (Lillian Gish) from his shop window wistfully, thinking of her as a beauty that the rest of the world has overlooked. Unbeknown to him, this frail girl is frequently abused by her prizefighter father.
One night after a terrible lashing, Lucy stumbles into the streets and through Cheng’s shop door where she collapses on the floor. After realizing what has happened, Cheng brings her upstairs and nurses her back to health, while doting upon her by dressing her up in Chinese robes and sitting by her bedside. Lucy is taken aback, never having known affection before. Unfortunately, their bonding time is disrupted as Lucy’s father gets wind of where his daughter has been, which leads to a series of heartbreaking events which eventually end in tragedy.
Although the lead male role was played by a Caucasian man, Richard Barthelmess , thus making it “yellowface”, they handle his character well and stay clear of many obvious stereotypical traits. Which is not to say they don’t exist, but could have been far worse then it was, especially given D.W.’a earlier portrayals of non-whites in a film. In the original story that the film was based off, Cheng is a sordid drifter with an addiction to Opium and whorehouses. D.W. instead turned his character into a kind, softhearted missionary. While there is racism in the film, it is usually only the “bad guys” that utter the word “Chink” in reference to Cheng.
Overall, it seems the films main focus is on tolerance and how hate in men’s hearts often leads to disaster. No matter the circumstances, Cheng’s love for Lucy remains pure. And though we are not given enough time to see what may have been, it does seem as though Lucy could have become equally affectionate for him.
Artistically speaking, the cinematography is gorgeous in the way only silent films can be. It has been described by many as having an ethereal quality, casting over your mind like some kind of enchanting fog. I believe the film was very daring for its time and therefor very important, as it is with many D.W Griffith films. It is hauntingly beautiful, somber, and a must-see.
It’s my favorite time of the year. The time when I get to bundle up on the couch, turn off the lights, and put in a good ol’ horror flick. There are countless classics, and I want to know what your favorite is.
A classic of classics is coming back to the big screen for one night only. On September 23rd, theaters around the US will be playing The Wizard of Oz in high-def courtesy of Fathom Events. The film has been entirely remastered and this is the very first time it has ever been shown in hi-def, so you definitely don’t want to miss out. Tickets are already on sale and probably going fast, so hurry up and get them here.
Ah, the film that was dubbed “The Citizen Kane of bad movies”. A scifi/horror B-movie classic by the peculiar Mr. Ed Wood.
Now, I am a huge fan of the show Mystery Science Theater 3000. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it was a show that ran from the mid/late 80s until 2000 about a man kidnapped by mad scientists and sent to space. There, he is forced to watch bad movies as part of a sadistic experiment. The only way he manages to get through the movies is with the help of his two robot friends, making fun of or “riffing” the film (usually scifi and horror flicks from the 50s and 60s). The result was hilarious TV genius.
After the cancellation of the show, the 3 stars went on to form Rifftrax, where the heart of MST3K is still intact. You basically view these terrible movies while the guys riff over it, lulz ensuing.
Last night was a special live showing of Plan 9 From Outerspace in theaters by Rifftax. I, along with my equally geeky brother, had the opportunity to go.
I have never actually seen Plan 9 before, and I’m amazed I haven’t. I have seen a few of his other films, along with some that he wrote that were equally bad.
Ed Wood was an eccentric director who, despite his many technical errors, bad dialogue and confusing plots, had a unmatched passion for what he did. The man genuinely loved movies and making movies, even though he was terrible at it.
His films were also notable for featuring an aging Bela Lugosi, who was a good friend of Wood’s.
Now, to get to the movie. I had completely forgotten what the plot and purpose of the film was about 10 minutes into it. Something about aliens coming to earth to summon the dead to battle the “stupid, stupid humans!” because they’ve built some sort of thingamajig machine.
The UFO’s seem to be pieces of silver plastic on strings, the tombstones in the graveyard Styrofoam which get knocked over by the actors quite a bit. The scenes constantly jump back and forth between day and night, and scenes that are supposed to be linked together seemed to have been shot not only at completely different times, but in completely different places. Then, it was all roughly edited together.
It should also be noted that Bela Lugosi died before he could complete this film. Instead of…I don’t know…shelving the film or working around the already shot footage, Ed decided to replace Lugosi. Not with another actor, mind you, but with his wife’s chiropractor. There are quite a few scenes in which it is painfully obvious that it is not Bela Lugosi, masking himself with his cape.
There is also the character Vampira, a woman zombie with long red nails who just walks around and looks evil. I’m pretty sure she does nothing other than that.
Rifftrax picked the perfect film for their special, since the thing is utterly hilarious even without their input. There were even some parts where the guys themselves just stopped and laughed at whatever was going on, causing everyone in the theater to laugh along.
Yet, I could actually understand why Ed Wood has gathered the cult following he has. I mean, the movie is bad, we know that. However, I think there is some sort of zany charm involved in his films and especially Plan 9. It is just so out there with its horrible special effects and hilarious dialogue that you actually genuinely enjoy the experience of seeing it.
Sometimes I wonder if Ed Wood was just a genius in disguise, caricaturing himself and everything he loved, playing some massive joke on all of us. I don’t think anyone could capture the pure absurdity and campiness that he did, even if they tried. And believe me, people still do.
So I tip my hat to Ed Wood, for giving us geeks something as bizarre and delightful as Plan 9. If you’re looking for a serious science drama, you’re definitely not going to get it. But, if you don’t take yourself too seriously, I think you could find something to love about it.
Also, I’m pretty sure I just found my Halloween costume this year:
From personal experience, I know it takes a lot to get people to watch a silent film. There is certainly an aversion to it by most people, being that it lacks dialogue one can hear. In a world with booming soundtracks and epic speeches, it’s hard for many to imagine a world in film without sound.
If there is anything that people will at least try, it is the comedies. After all, humor is universal and you don’t always need words to understand it. Everyone the world over laughs when someone trips over their own feet.
It is no question who the giants of silent cinema comedy were. There has been a lifelong debate over who was better: Chaplin or Keaton. Of course, one can not forget the lesser known yet equally talented figures like Harold Lloyd and Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle, but I’ll save those for another day.
Most people in my personal life know I have a certain affection for Charlie Chaplin, but when it comes to the argument I really can’t take sides. They both had amazing yet very different styles.
Charlie Chaplin
Born in England in 1889 , Chaplin’s parents were both stage performers. After his drunken father was out of the picture and his mother slowly began to lose her mind and was committed to a asylum, it was Charlie and his half-brother Sydney who carried on the family name in Vaudeville.
He joined the Karno Troupe in his early 20’s and embarked to America with 25 dollars. While touring the country, he hooked up with Mack Sennett of Keystone and started making films. His iconic tramp character first appeared on film in a short called “Kid Auto Races at Venice” in 1914.
From there, his career started a steady climb. After leaving Keystone he worked a short time with Essanay and Mutual, then eventually started writing, directing, producing, editing, and starring in his own films.
Chaplin was so flawless as the tramp that most people didn’t realize (and still don’t) that he was just a character. The tramp was a fellow often down on his luck, trying to make ends meet by working odd jobs and often getting himself into trouble.
Some of his best gags were the ones that were more subtle. They were “blink and you’ll miss it” situations, because Charlie was so smooth, quick and precise. Despite being a mangy tramp, he was always very graceful and some things he managed to pull off so seamlessly still amaze modern audiences.
Chaplin was also known for bringing genuine heart into his work. They were not simple slapsticks without substance, there was often an underlining message that was more apparent the longer his career went on. In the beginning of film, most pictures were pigeon holed into exact genres, while Chaplin blurred the lines and was probably the first to make romantic comedies and dramatic comedies.
In all of his career, Charlie never had the tramp speak a single line in a film even after sound was introduced. With the coming of sound, he retired the tramp and went on to make films in different roles. His reason for this being that he knew the tramp was a character loved world-wide, and he felt that having him speak would ruin that magic. He never wanted to alienate any of his fans by making the tramp only understandable to people who spoke English. To him and all others, the tramp was an “every man”, and was quoted as describing him as “A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure.”
Born in 1895 in America, Joseph Frank Keaton received the nickname Buster from Harry Houdini as a child, after he had fallen down a flight of stairs without injury.
He traveled with his family in a stage act growing up, and was known by an act he did with his father in which the older man would toss Buster around. Sometimes even into the orchestra pit or audience. He was rarely if ever injured, and would actually laugh gleefully during it. He noticed that his enjoyment of the fake abuse drew fewer laughs from the audience, and was the reason he adopted his deadpan expression while performing.
While Chaplin was agile and lithe, Buster appeared clumsy and erratic. Despite a look of chaos, every one of his movements was calculated with techniques he had learned while performing as a child.
He was also extremely daring, pulling off stunts that would surely hurt or even kill someone less skilled. It’s nearly impossible not to wince while watching some of his films, and wonder aloud how the man is still breathing.
Also in comparison to Charlie’s expressive face and body language, Buster was probably best known for being stoic. No matter the situation at hand, he managed to keep a serious face. Yet while you would think this would retract from his performances, it only enhanced them. And even without every emotion displayed plainly across his face, there was still something about him that told you exactly what he was feeling.
He, unfortunately, did not do very well in his later career, resorting to alcoholism. In an interesting turn of events, Chaplin, feeling sorry for the ailing Keaton, gave him a cameo in his film Limelight, where they did a wonderfully hilarious scene together as misfit musicians.
Just like last year, TCM is doing their Summer Under The Stars for the month of August. Each day is dedicated to the films of one great actor or actress, and the line-up is pretty impressive.
I recently acquired the Frank Capra collection, featuring 5 of his best movies in one fantastic little set. Best $60 I ever spent, I’d say.
You Can’t Take It With You is a film I’d never seen all the way through, but heard fellow classic film enthusiasts rave about. It features two of Capra’s favorite actors, Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur, as well as an ensemble of other interesting characters.
Alice (Jean Arthur) comes from an eccentric family. Her father makes fireworks in their cellar, her sister is constantly dancing, her mother decided to write plays when a typewriter was delivered to the house by accident, and her grandfather left his job simply because it wasn’t fun. Tony (Jimmy Stewart) on the other hand, is a vice president banker where his father plays an important, stern role and his mother is a snooty socialite. Somehow, Tony and Alice fall in love. Although knowing that their families are bound to clash, they intend to marry.
The film, based off a play of the same name, focuses on their romance and family issues in the first half, but by what would be the third act in the play, the perspective switches to focus on Alice’s grandfather and Tony’s father. Two polar opposites, and one could stand to learn a lot from the other.
I really loved every character in this film, and how well-rounded they were able to become even if they had little screen presence. Alice’s family is endlessly amusing, and watching them interact with Tony’s uptight parents is just simply fun.
There also resides beneath the goofy conflicts, a great message about life. Alice’s grandfather lives by the notion that all individuals should be able to do what they love, and not have to suffer through life for wealth. After all, “you can’t take it with you”.
Rated one of the best outdoor events of the summer, the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival (COFF) celebrates 10 years of bringing you great classic American films. Join us under the celestial bodies as we watch the legendary stars of the silver screen for seven consecutive Tuesdays in Grant Park, July 14 to August 25, 2009. Via
For my American friends, it is officially the 4th of July, the day we celebrate our independence. I find that nothing makes me feel more patriotic then a good classic film. Can’t decide what you should watch to get in the mood? Well, that’s why I’m here!
Mr.Smith Goes To Washington
The story of a small-time hero who fights a corrupt government. This movie is incredibly inspirational, and James Stewart is simply amazing as a bumbling fool who finds his stance and gives it everything he has. In moments of his intense speeches, you are completely riveted and rooting for him. A true underdog overcoming tale.
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Nothing says America like a good old-fashioned musical (or maybe that’s just me?) James Cagney was more so known for his roles as gangsters, but he does well as a “song and dance man” in this biographical musical about George M. Cohan, the man behind the song “Yankee Doodle Boy”.
Young Mr.Lincoln
A more fictional account of the early life of Lincoln, during his days as a lawyer. Nonetheless, a very patriotic film.
