TV/Movies Megathread

[Josephus]

There's a Russian writer, contemporary, who writes under the name Boris Akunin. He's worth checking out. His Fandorin series has been translated into English. He's a  detective in Russia, c. late 19th century. He loves Japanese culture and has a Japanese manservant sort of like Inspector Clouseau's guy. The first several books, especially 2,3,4 are really good. it starts to lose it in my opinion as it goes on but anyway worth checkign out.

[Sheilbh]

Japanese LOVE their mysteries. The one mystery show I worked on was very popular there, and you had people in social media sharing their theories, etc... which didn't happen anywhere else.

There are some really good Japanese detective/murder mystery novels out there. I really liked the Honjin Murders (written in the 70s but set in inter-war Showa Japan), which is a classic locked room mystery. I believe the detective is also very popular in Japan and a bit like their Poirot.

I've mentioned it before but I'm reminded of Kate Fox's books on the Brits - she's an anthropologist by training. But basically all the way through on various points of social attitude around things like public v private, conversation, class/hierarchy, unspoken rules - the people that had attitudes most similar to the English were the Japanese

[Savonarola]

The Black Balloon (2012)

A black balloon breaks free from the balloon herd and interacts with New Yorkers before busting out his fellow balloons in a balloon jail-break.  It's okay, it's more of a vignette film about New Yorkers than a film about the balloon.  I remember The Red Balloon being a much better film, but it's been a long time since I've seen it.

[Duque de Bragança]

A Red Balloon remake?! Diantre !
Or is it just a reference?

[Savonarola]

A Red Balloon remake?! Diantre !
Or is it just a reference?

Just a reference; the film isn't very much like The Red Balloon, other than it has a sentient balloon in it.

[Duque de Bragança]

Closer to Quentin Dupieux's Rubber I guess then. 

[celedhring]

I'm definitely going through a Sav period right now.

Camille (1934)

Cukor's adaptation of the Dame aux camélias with Garbo as the titular heroine. This is reportedly Garbo's best part, which is why I decided to check it out. The movie is a bit clunky and sentimental (duh), although Cukor's knack for creating group scenes and exquisite directing of actors makes it more watchable. Garbo is indeed a delight, moving from tragic heroine to costumbrist humor with ease, and manages to ground the character. Her accent is really distracting though, and I have a hard time buying her as a French courtesan (Ninotchka used her smartly in that regard). Her sparring with Lionel Barrymore (playing the aristocrat that wants to "own" her) is delightful, and here lies one of the movie's problems, he has much more chemistry with him than with his purposed true love Armand.

The Women (1939)

This is Cukor's most appreciated movie in film scholar circles, and it might become my favorite if it wasn't for Philadelphia Story being such a work of comedic perfection. Anyway, the film's gimmick is that it features a star-studded cast of women, and only women. There isn't a single man in the film, even among the background performers (woke Hollywood won't stop at nothing to erase men). Anyway, the titular women are a bunch of bored and catty NYC socialites that engage in a circle of jealousy, gossip and deception. The film's big idea is that, in the end, the lives of these women are always driven by the actions of their unseen husbands/boyfriends/lovers, and they are unable of building their own individualities.
The movie feels extremely modern, so I can see why film buff types love it so much. You can find a lot of modern "girl film" tropes are already in there, fully formed. The dialog, even in a post-code environment, is fresh and pretty risque for the time, and while the movie has a very loose plot it's just loads of fun to see all those great actresses just bitch at each other.

[Savonarola]

The Women (1939)

This is Cukor's most appreciated movie in film scholar circles, and it might become my favorite if it wasn't for Philadelphia Story being such a work of comedic perfection. Anyway, the film's gimmick is that it features a star-studded cast of women, and only women. There isn't a single man in the film, even among the background performers (woke Hollywood won't stop at nothing to erase men). Anyway, the titular women are a bunch of bored and catty NYC socialites that engage in a circle of jealousy, gossip and deception. The film's big idea is that, in the end, the lives of these women are always driven by the actions of their unseen husbands/boyfriends/lovers, and they are unable of building their own individualities.
The movie feels extremely modern, so I can see why film buff types love it so much. You can find a lot of modern "girl film" tropes are already in there, fully formed. The dialog, even in a post-code environment, is fresh and pretty risque for the time, and while the movie has a very loose plot it's just loads of fun to see all those great actresses just bitch at each other.

I really liked the writing (by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin) in that one; especially how, even though they couldn't say "Whore" or "Bitch," they were certainly able to convey the concept.

[celedhring]

The Women (1939)

This is Cukor's most appreciated movie in film scholar circles, and it might become my favorite if it wasn't for Philadelphia Story being such a work of comedic perfection. Anyway, the film's gimmick is that it features a star-studded cast of women, and only women. There isn't a single man in the film, even among the background performers (woke Hollywood won't stop at nothing to erase men). Anyway, the titular women are a bunch of bored and catty NYC socialites that engage in a circle of jealousy, gossip and deception. The film's big idea is that, in the end, the lives of these women are always driven by the actions of their unseen husbands/boyfriends/lovers, and they are unable of building their own individualities.
The movie feels extremely modern, so I can see why film buff types love it so much. You can find a lot of modern "girl film" tropes are already in there, fully formed. The dialog, even in a post-code environment, is fresh and pretty risque for the time, and while the movie has a very loose plot it's just loads of fun to see all those great actresses just bitch at each other.

I really liked the writing (by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin) in that one; especially how, even though they couldn't say "Whore" or "Bitch," they were certainly able to convey the concept.

"There's a name for you ladies but it isn't used in high society... outside of a kennel" - not the subtlest innuendo

But indeed, this movie made me find out that "bitch" was already in use in the 1930s as an offensive word for women.

[Savonarola]

There's a name for you ladies but it isn't used in high society... outside of a kennel" - not the subtlest innuendo

But indeed, this movie made me find out that "bitch" was already in use in the 1930s as an offensive word for women.

That goes back at very least to the 18th century.  In John Arbuthnot's (undoubtably exaggerated) account of the fight between opera divas Faustina Bordoni and Francesca Cuzzoni he notes:

"TWO of a Trade seldom or ever agree ... But who would have thought the Infection should reach the Hay-market and inspire Two Singing Ladies to pull each other's Coiffs, to the no small Disquiet of the Directors, who (God help them) have enough to do to keep Peace and Quietness between them. ... I shall not determine who is the Aggressor, but take the surer Side, and wisely pronounce them both in Fault; for it is certainly an apparent Shame that two such well bred Ladies should call Bitch and Whore, should scold and fight like any Billingsgates."

[celedhring]

Looks like my film buff streaming service is losing the classic MGM catalog. So I've decided to go on a 1950s movie musical romp, revisiting some classics and plugging some glaring holes in my viewership.

I have actually never been much of a fan of the Metro musical, which is weird given my guilty pleasure for cinematic excess and all things meta. But I've always found Metro musicals overly formulaic, bland, and corny. With the glaring exception of Singin' in the Rain, of course. So this will be a chance to revisit the genre.

An American in Paris (1951)

I probably hadn't seen this since I was a kid. This movie is the one that set the Arthur Freed musical template for the 1950s. All the ingredients are there: a corny and overly earnest romcom story that serves as a device to string along pretty unrelated musical numbers, an artist protagonist, a love triangle, and a plot that revolves around the making of a movie/play or something similar. With a romantic dance number in the middle, another number celebrating art/entertainment somewhere, some comedic numbers to fill in, and a grand pièce de résistance at the end where they pull out all the stops. Singing in the Rain, The Band Wagon, all follow the same template.

In this case, Gene Kelly is an aspiring painter living in Paris who finds himself caught in a love triangle between a bored rich American woman who wants to keep him as a plaything and a beautiful French girl (Leslie Caron ), who is about to marry one of his friends. In the background, there is an art exhibition where Kelly's character hopes to make a name for himself as a painter.

I honestly didn't enjoy this much. The romcom plot has aged very poorly, and everybody in it behaves a bit like an asshole for modern "healthy relationship" standards. Gene Kelly's character comes across as a bit of a stalker, Caron's singer friend is a manipulative cretin, etc... And the musical numbers are merely okay. The exception is the magnificent final number: an almost 20-minute ballet choreographing the titular Gershwin piece. It's the only thing worth watching in the movie, but boy, is it worth it.

[celedhring]

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

It is weird that given my general meh-ness for Metro musicals, Singin' in the Rain is one of my favorite movies of all time.  It was written while American in Paris was still in production, but it follows the same pattern: The protagonist is an artist (Don Lockwood, an actor), the plot revolves around the filming of a movie, and the protagonist finds himself caught between two women (Kathy and Lina Lamont). There's a romantic number in the middle of the film (the titular one), one about how wonderful the world of showbiz is (Make 'em Laugh), and once more a gigantic final number with fantasy elements (Broadway Melody) with a very tenuous connection to the plot.

The thing here is that here everything works. The comedy is light but clever and well-paced. Gene Kelly exudes charisma. The numbers are varied and wonderful. And while nearly everybody in American came across as a bit of an asshole in their own way, the protagonist here trio are immensely likeable. Every single scene radiates feel-good vibes from every pore. Also, all the meta and celebratory aspects appeal to my inner cinephile vices. It's a nostalgic film about the transition to talkies, made 25 years after the fact by people who experienced it firsthand.

All in all, it's the best possible version of a Metro musical. Also: Cyd Charisse, what a stunning woman.

[celedhring]

Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)

I had never seen an Esther Williams aquamusical, and she was under contract at MGM at the time, so I guess it was time to plug that particular hole. This one is directed by Melvin LeRoy and coreographed - as usual - by Busby Berkeley - so I was expecting plenty of deliciously kitschy water scenes.

The movie tries to be a "serious" biography - it tells the story of Annette Kellerman, an Australian swimmer and actress who pioneered Williams' particular "genre". This apparently was a bit of a passion project by Williams, that wanted to do something a bit more serious. And indeed, the entire first half of the film is your typical Hollywood biopic, with all the cliches. Overcoming adversity, poor family, etc... The only exception is that she has a very loving father (Walter Pidgeon) instead of a tyrannical one - who nonetheless doesn't believe that swimming is way to make a living, and insists that she instead should take up the arts, of all things, as a serious career. The other highlight of the first part of the film is Victor Mature playing (as much as he's able to act) a fantasy character - a honest carnival barker type of entertainment empresario.

Anyway, once Kellerman manages to set herself up in NYC, the movie takes off with scene after scene of kitschy aquatic coreographies which is what I - and the audience of the time - paid for. The movie was quite the slog to get there, but I'm happy I didn't turn it off. The movie ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, with Kellerman suffering a serious injury during a film shoot (I loved the reconstruction of the silent film era, incidentally). The movie was supposed to get a sequel covering her movie career, but it never happened and Williams left MGM a few years later. Williams herself broke her neck while performing one of the stunts, but nonetheless this was her favorite film.

[celedhring]

The Band Wagon (Vincente Minelli, 1953)

This is considered the second great 1950s MGM musical after "Singin' in the Rain." It certainly follows the formula. Fred Astaire is a down-and-out actor who, with a group of old colleagues, is staging a musical to revive his career. He has to contend with a pretentious director (Jack Buchanan), and falls in love with his dancing partner (Cyd Charisse), who is the choreographer's girlfriend. It has a great romantic number in the middle ("Dancing in the Dark"), one about the beauty of show business (the iconic "That's Entertainment"), and a grand extravaganza ("Girl Hunt Ballet") for a finale. MGM's musicals surely loved meta, and this one even features a brief Ava Gardner cameo playing herself.

The comedy plot is above average for a musical, with some genuinely funny moments every time Buchanan is around - he steals every scene he's in. The love triangle is meh. Neither Cyd Charisse nor Fred Astaire were were good enough actors to carry these scenes on their own, and they always needed a strong partner to elevate that side of their films (Ginger Rogers is very underrated as an actress).

But the musical numbers are all absolutely wonderful, probably the best collection of music and dance in an MGM movie. "That's Entertainment" is on the shortlist of songs I want played at my funeral. "Triplets" is a marvel of bizarre burlesque, "Dancing in the Dark" is a delightful romantic ballet (and no one danced those like Astaire). And "Girl Hunt Ballet" is also wonderful, a homage to hardboiled noir with Charisse playing both the femme fatale and the damsel in distress, each with their own distinct dance movies and body language. Astaire always said that Charisse was his favorite dance partner, and it's easy to see why. It's a pity they only teamed up in two movies (I have Silk Stockings in my shortlist).

[Syt]

Finished Disenchantment. Really came to enjoy it, though it's obviously not on par with classic Simpsons and classic Futurama. Sure, the plot has way too many convenient coincidences/deus ex machina moments, but it was still a fun ride.

Though the Steamland bits made me want to install Bioshock: Infinite again.