Welcome to Skating Buffalo, my blog about movies. I want to share my passion and meet other movie fans on this amazing blog journey. So "fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night."
I don't know why, but back in the 60s the opening credits for movies were amazing! I love the combination of music, art and storytelling captured in those magical two minutes before the movie starts. The theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) will always be linked to Clint Eastwood. Here's to the Spaghetti Western!
YouTube won't let me embed the video but CLICK HERE to see the coolest opening credits EVER!
Okay, so I'm sitting in my living room watching the Academy Awards and all of a sudden I get a fantastic, mind-blowing idea for a movie that I can enter in the Wyoming Short Film Contest.
I can hardly sit still, I am freaking OUT! I don't want to say anything about it now, but a seed is germinating in my brain and I can feel the creative juices flowing.
I'd just about given up on making a movie for the contest. I didn't have the energy and no idea what to do. I was still recovering from last fall when I made three films back to back and just about killed myself.
So here I am writing a synopsis and planning my "to do" list.
For the record, I'm a huge fan of Meg Ryan. She's pretty, funny and totally unique.I also appreciate her versatility as an actor. Romantic comedies seem natural for her but she rises to the challenge in dramatic roles as well.
However, there is the lip issue. It's obvious that she has had some kind of lip augmentation, which in my opinion, took away from her natural beauty. I suppose the term "natural beauty" and "Hollywood actress" is an oxymoron.
Let the evidence speak for itself.
BEFORE
AFTER
Kudos to the following actresses who have not succumbed to the pressure of plastic surgery:
JODI FOSTER
HELEN HUNT
JENNIFER ANISTON
DIANE KEATON
MERYL STREEP
CORRECTION: It has been pointed out to me that some or possibly all these ladies have had some form of plastic surgery. However, they all have thin lips which is the reason I wanted to share their photos. What's wrong with thin lips? Absolutely nothin'!
If you know me at all, you know that I love movies from the Golden Age of the Hollywood Musical. Singing in the Rain (1952) is my favorite of all time. I first fell in love with Gene Kelly (and with dance) watching this movie. When I see him singing and dancing I can't help but smile with sheer delight! This movie has:
A great plot -- Set in 1927, Hollywood goes from silent pictures to talkies and the Big Silent Film Stars have to deal with their sad demise if they can't make the transformation. If you've seen The Artist (2011), it's the same story.
Terrific cast -- Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen.
Humor --
DON: Cosmo, call me a cab.
COSMO: Okay, you're a cab.
Memorable songs --
Make 'Em Laugh (Donald O'Connor said he ended up in the hospital after this performance)
Moses Supposes His Toeses Are Roses (Gene and Donald tap dancing with such props as a curtain, chairs, table top and a Voice Instructor)
Good Mornin' (Gene, Donald and Debbie tap around Lockwood's Hollywood mansion)
All I Do is Dream of You (Debbie jumps out of a cake and sings with chorus girls at a Hollywood party)
And of course, the classic performance of Singing in the Rain by Gene Kelly:
A Patch of Blue (1965) -- a black man befriends a blind white girl who comes from a troubled family.
To Sir, with Love (1967) -- an American engineer takes a job teaching at a high school in the slums of London.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (1967) -- a liberal, open-minded white couple (Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy) discover that their daughter's fiance is black.
Lilies of the Field (1963) -- an unemployed construction worker builds a chapel for a group of foreign nuns. In the final scene Homer teaches the nuns a song called "Amen." An inspirational movie with themes of faith, kindness and courage.
If you've been stranded on that deserted island for the past few weeks, you may have missed the big announcement for the 2012 nominees for the Academy Awards. Check it out:
The Artist (Black and white silent movie -- totally out of the box amazing!)
The Descendants (George Clooney family flick)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Tom Hanks tear jerker)
The Help (Penetrating story of racism among black housekeepers in the 1960s south)
Hugo (Scorsese's foray into 3D)
Midnight in Paris (Time travel to 1920s Paris)
Moneyball (True story of Billy Beane and the Oakland A's winning season)
The Tree of Life (Brad Pitt family drama)
War Horse (Spielberg's serious contender)
I've only seen four of the nominees (The Artist, The Help, Midnight in Paris and Moneyball). All are excellent and deserve their place in the line up. Of the four, I'm rooting for Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen is BACK with a VENGEANCE!)
I can't really make an informed decision base on movie trailers, but The Tree of Life looks AMAZING!
So have you seen any of the nominated films? If so, which is your favorite?
So you're stranded on a desert island and you have only four movies in your arsenal. What are your choices?
1) Jaws -- the greatest Spielberg flick of all time. "Why don't we have one more drink and go down and cut that shark open?"
2) Psycho -- my all-time favorite Hitchcock movie. "A boy's best friend is his mother."
3) Annie Hall -- the ultimate must-have Woody Allen. "What's with all these awards? They're always giving out awards. Best Fascist Dictator: Adolf Hitler."
4) Gladiator -- I won't be trapped on a desert island without Russell Crowe. Period.
I suppose if I were really stranded on a deserted island I would have time to memorize the movie scripts and perform the various scenes to entertain myself. Seriously. I'm not kidding.
One of my favorite Bette Davis films, All About Eve (1950) is a glorious Bette Davis showcase! They don't make movies like this anymore.
Story in a nutshell: Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is a popular stage actress but is getting on in age. Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) is a young, wide-eyed fan who wants to become an actress. Margo takes Eve under her wing as her assistant. Everything is going along pretty well until Eve's ego starts to take over and she begins to sabotage Margo. It's definitely All About Eve.
Wonderful script by Joseph L. Mankiewicz:
MARGO: Bill's thirty-two. He looks thirty-two. He looked it five years ago, he'll look it twenty years from now. I hate men.
This clip shows the famous "bumpy night" scene and the lovely Marilyn Monroe:
