(This title comes from a Beach Boys song of the same name [on their 1966 Pet Sounds album] about a guy trying to find his way in a very challenging world, dealing with fear, confusion, and other people caught up in their own self-centeredness; in fact, the song was originally called "Hang On To Your Ego," but was changed so as to not make it seem confrontational, due to disagreements between Mike Love and Brian Wilson. Either way I think the lyrics relate to what I'm reviewing here.)
Reviews and Comments by Ken Burke
I invite you to join me on a regular basis to see how my responses to current cinematic offerings compare to the critical establishment, which I’ll refer to as either the CCAL (Collective Critics at Large) when they’re supportive or the OCCU (Often Cranky Critics Universe) when they go negative.
Opening Chatter (no spoilers): Since making my hopeful New Year’s resolution to shorten these postings (except for the one containing that goal, December 31, 2020, itself long because I covered 5 films) I’ve done pretty well this January but I slip a bit here because both films I’m addressing are among my best of last year (just now getting to me on streaming), deserving a bit more commentary. For the extended-weekend of the Martin L. King Jr. holiday Nina and I finished off on Monday, 1/18/2021, with an excellent documentary about King’s troubles with J. Edgar Hoover in MLK/FBI (Sam Pollard, 2020)—available for $6.99 rental (see JustWatch for platform options; we used Vudu), but we began with an admittedly-fictionalized-version of a real event involving 4 other prominent African-Americans in early 1964, One Night in Miami, in the hours following Cassius Clay’s (soon to be renamed Muhammad Ali) win of the heavyweight boxing title, joined in serious conversations rather than partying by other famous Black men: singer Sam Cooke, football star Jim Brown, political activist Malcolm X; this is absolutely one of the best of the year with several Oscar nominations as solid possibilities, 4½ stars as a rare level of praise from me. In the Short Takes section is a review of a film also well worth your time, a western, News of the World, with Tom Hanks as a itinerant ex-Confederate officer traveling around Texas in 1870, making a living by reading newspaper items to illiterate audiences at a dime a head when he’s faced with the challenge of journeying a long way to return a young girl raised by Kiowa Indians to her German relatives despite her opposition to this lifestyle change. One Night …’s on Amazon Prime streaming, News … is on several platforms for $19.99 rental (again, JustWatch has options; we used Amazon Prime). Further, in that section you’ll find my suggestions for some choices on the Turner Classic Movies channel (but too much extra text for line-justified-layout like you see here [Related Links stuff at each posting’s end is similarly-ragged], at least to be done by this burned-out-BlogSpot-drone—oh, tedious software!) plus my standard dose of industry-related-trivia, though that's quite short this time.
Here’s the trailer for One Night in Miami:
(Use the full screen button in the image’s lower right to enlarge it; activate
that same button or use the “esc” keyboard key to return to normal size.)
If you can abide plot spoilers read on, but this blog’s intended for those who’ve seen the film or want to save some $. To help any of you who want to learn more details yet avoid those important plot-reveals I’ll identify any give-away sentences/sentence-clusters like this:
⇒The first and last words will be noted with arrows and red.⇐ OK, now continue on if you prefer.
What Happens: Heavily fictionalized from an actual evening's events back then spent by the 4 famous protagonists of this film, we see imagined verbal interchanges among young, brash Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) who won the World Heavyweight Boxing Title on February 25, 1964 (by TKO in the 7th round when former-champ Sonny Liston [Aaron D. Alexander] failed to answer the bell) then celebrated that night not with a boisterous party but instead in the scaled-down-room (Hampton House Motel) of racial-reformer Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) where they were joined by popular singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and football star Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge)—many victories with the Cleveland Browns, 1975-’65—even as the latter 2 had to leave their luxurious accommodations at Miami’s Fontainebleau Hotel (I’ve stayed there myself for a couple of academic conventions, although my rooms weren’t of their caliber but the warm south Florida weather certainly was nice in November 2003, April 1977) to venture over to Malcolm’s Nation of Islam-guarded dwelling (although he doesn’t care for his appointed-caretakers to hear his conversation with wife Betty [Barbara Cooke], so he calls from a pay phone in the parking lot instead). However, before we get into the main events of One Night in Miami, we see each of these famous men at a low point: Clay, in a 1963 fight in England against Henry Cooper (Sean Monaghan), almost loses when his cocky tactics allow him to let down his guard, get knocked down, saved by the bell in that round; Cooke in his debut at NYC’s swank Copacabana nightclub, despite his solid fame, is disrespected by the manager, largely ignored by the upscale White audience; Brown, stopping off in home-state Georgia to visit an old family friend, Mr. Carlton (Beau Bridges), hears great praise out on the porch but when he offers to help the old man move some furniture he’s told we “don’t allow n…..s in the house” (sadly, one of my grandmothers [in West Texas] once said the same thing [whereas the other one, in Austin, welcomed a Black friend of mine into her home]); Malcolm nervously discusses with Betty his fear of retaliation when he makes his announcement about leaving the Nation of Islam for a more-tolerant-approach to the Muslim faith. After Clay wins his bout, though, they all gather at Malcolm’s room where he wants them to talk about addressing American racism rather than partying (although Cooke and Brown do sneak a few gulps of whiskey when Malcolm’s briefly left the room).
Tensions arise between Cooke and Malcolm when the latter berates the former for focusing on his success with Whites (X plays Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” record for him, says it’s shameful a White kid can find success with protest songs but Sam won’t do it) while Sam counters with how he’s taking command of his career, adding further royalties by writing songs White singers copy, inspiring other Black singers to do the same. Brown’s concerned about how his hopes of pursuing acting (recently finished shooting Rio Conchos [Gordon Douglas, 1964]) will conflict with his football fame; Cooke and Brown are shocked at Clay’s decision to join the Nation of Islam (yet he’s getting a bit hesitant about it); Malcolm’s irritated with his protégée for clowning around with The Beatles rather than addressing pressing Black causes; Clay’s dismayed by Malcolm’s decision to leave the Nation, refuses to join X’s new movement (based on Sunni Islam). ⇒Nothing’s resolved that night, but they finally do go to a crowded bar to celebrate Cassius’ title victory. As the film closes we see Sam on The Tonight Show lauded by Johnny Carson (Christopher Gorham), debuting his (soon-to-be-Civil-Rights-anthem) “A Change Is Gonna Come” (song actually already released just before the events of … Miami; performance with Carson was also earlier, Feb. 7, 1964) as we see vignettes of Clay becoming Muhammad Ali, Brown retiring from football for acting (1966, was in various movies until 2014, most famous is The Dirty Dozen [Robert Aldrich, 1967]), Malcolm enduring firebombing of his home (family not there at the time), then his death (more details on those actualities in this link as these scenes leading up to the credits imply most of this happened not long after the supposed events of One Night in Miami, which doesn’t claim to be too historical with its details nor timeline).⇐
So What? This film’s based on a play of the same name, written by Kemp Powers who also adapted his earlier work to the screenplay, so, yes, it’s dialogue-heavy with little action not involving at least 2 of the primary actors in discussion, most of it 4-way-exchanges in a Miami motel room that still manage to be compelling for their entire running time. Possibly, though, the tougher challenge than making a talk-driven-experience stay alive on screen rather than in a live theatre, the audience in proximity with actors in real time, was the “problem” Ben-Adir and Goree faced in making their characters properly come alive when both of these icons had already been so successfully portrayed by Denzel Washington in Malcolm X (Spike Lee, 1992) and Will Smith in Ali (Michael Mann, 2001), both nominated for Oscar’s Best Actor (but winless in those races). Nevertheless, they all provide impeccable performances in … Miami, especially in showing aspects of their historically-based-characters not so well known to the public, especially Malcolm’s vulnerability, his at-times-emotional-fragility knowing his public rhetoric was putting not only himself but his wife and children in physical danger (rightfully so, given his assassination about a year later) not only from Whites rejecting any aspects of Black Power at the time but also from likely-vengeful Black members of the Nation of Islam when he will soon challenge their leader, Elijah Muhammad, by breaking away from the Nation to preach a more-inclusive-brand of Islam (another reasonable fear, given that his assassins seem likely to have come from the Nation, although nothing conclusive has ever been proven about them).
Clay, soon to announce his own radical (in the minds of many) changes through his allegiance with the Nation of Islam, his name becoming Muhammad Ali, would find himself at odds for a time with Malcolm, whom he felt betrayed by given all the effort X put into recruiting Clay into the Nation just as Malcolm would face great disappointment his new movement wouldn’t have the positive-PR-spin that could have come with Cassius joining him. As for Brown, given the accolades for his gridiron triumphs it's a shock to see how a supposed old friend would be so bluntly racist toward him in that introductory scene, horrifying reminding us being famous, rich, and publically-loved (even today) may only go so far with certain people when you add “Black” to those other characteristics; in the same way, given this story’s set so long ago (yet if, like me, you’re in your early 70s, the mid-‘60s may not seem like ancient history, especially if that was a time of teenage bravado—and frequent comeuppance—so it’s still vitally alive in your [or my] memory) and Sam Cooke is remembered so fondly for his many hits that sold huge amounts of inventory to White buyers, it’s also sobering to be reminded, as with that opening Copacabana scene, how successful radio play didn’t always translate into in-person-acceptance from audiences who’d rather accept entertainment from Debbie Reynolds.
All of these notable African-American men may be icons today, but in 1964 (Is it really much better now?) even fame—or notoriety in Malcolm X’s case—in a White-dominated-culture so easily could fail to provide a true sense of accomplishment both on an individual and society-wide basis when legalized segregation was powerfully in effect, although set to be eroded over the coming decades through legal actions, increasing rejection of the old order. However, 2 of these men wouldn’t live long enough to even begin to see some initial effects of such monumental attempts at a more-inclusive, less-bigoted society through such attempted challenges to institutional racism as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, because Cooke was shot, killed on December 11, 1964 by an L.A. motel manager under dubious circumstances while Malcolm was gunned down on February 21, 1965 (there’s another marvelous [fully] fictional story about him, originally broadcast on PBS’s American Playhouse series in 1989, The Meeting, shot from a 1987 play [65 min.] by Jeff Stetson, where Malcolm secretly [yet under FBI surveillance] meets Martin Luther King Jr. the night before X’s fatal 1965 speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem). Ali, though, lived until 2016 so he got to witness whatever limited progress had been made up to that time (fortunately, in his weakened physical condition, he did not have to endure the legacy of Donald Trump nor the aftermath of the George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery deaths) so Brown’s the only one left from ... Miami, although he doesn’t comment much about it, except for spots like this short video (4:46).
Bottom Line Final Comments: Director King is fast building a legacy in Hollywood with her TV Emmy wins for Supporting Actress in ABC’s American Crime (2015, 2016), Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Netflix’s Seven Seconds (2018) and HBO’s Watchmen (2019), along with her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins, 2018; review in our January 2, 2019 posting), even as her directing of One Night in Miami’s getting serious Oscar buzz (along with a possible Best Picture nomination, an Adapted Screenplay nom for Powers, and who knows what else). In honor of King turning 50 on Friday, January 21, 2021, my marvelous wife, Nina, and I watched this latest triumph that night (streaming on Amazon Prime) with hopes she’ll be a strong contender in many awards contests as we move into spring of this cautious (so far) year. While I have no idea how her rendition mirrors/extends the original play, I’ll certainly give her and screenwriter Powers support for focusing on both societal (1964 White investors in Cassius Clay’s career were getting increasingly concerned in their negative worries about his association with the anti-White-posture of Malcolm X) and intra-racial problems facing Blacks at the time (Cooke notes darker-skinned-African-Americans found just as much prejudice from their lighter-skinner-brethren as from White bigots; he also recounts [we see it all in flashback] a Boston concert [fictionalized too, apparently] where featured-performer Jackie Wilson was so jealous of Cooke’s intro set he cut off the sound system, forcing Sam to perform "Chain Gang" a cappella which the crowd embraced, sang along with), so this is no “whitewashed” denunciation of racial troubles of the times but a more compete picture of how pressures from outside as well as inside the U.S. Black community made life difficult, even for people with the social presence of the 4 chief characters well-portrayed in this film.
The CCAL couldn’t be more supportive, with an astounding 98% set of positive reviews from over 250 Rotten Tomatoes critics, an extremely supportive 83% average score from Metacritic (high for them; they rarely venture into the 80th percentile, at least for work both they and I review). This is a marvelous film which I hope to see remembered when the latest Oscar awards are finally given on April 25, 2021 although this fine cluster of actors—hard to say which one might be considered in the leading role, possibly Ben-Adir given Malcolm X’s powerful presence in this story—may repeat the situation of The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972) which garnered 3 of the 5 Supporting Actor noms only to (possibly cancel each other out) have all of then lose to Joel Grey for Cabaret (Bob Fosse, 1972)—not a bad choice but when compared to Al Pacino as Michael Corleone … damn! (Although he finally won as Best Actor, not even for The Godfather Part II [Coppola, 1974] where he lost to Art Carney [!] for Harry and Tonto [Paul Mazursky, 1974]—double damn!!—but succeeded for Scent of a Woman [Martin Brest, 1992], denying a better presentation from Denzel Washington for Malcolm X [Oscar politics, just like D.C. politics]). So, we’ll just have to see on March 15, 2021 who’s in the final rounds of Academy Awards competitions, but I’ll be shocked if One Night in Miami doesn’t have a significant presence in this year’s races. As for my usual tactic of a Musical Metaphor to round out the explorations of a given review, it's Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” (from his 1964 album Ain’t That Good News) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4 where even though “I go to my brother […] But he winds up Knockin’ me Back down on my knees […] It’s been a long A long time comin’, but I know A change gon’ come” even though that change is still in progress today, won’t be resolved (if ever) until there’s a time when Blacks Lives Matter demonstrations/ lawsuits aren’t needed anymore—we can only fervently hope for such a future to finally resolve itself as this 1964-set-story actively reminds us how far we still have to go as a society yearning for the kinds of equality demanded by the images in this video accompanying Cooke’s compassionate plea.
(relatively speaking) SHORT TAKES (spoilers also appear here)
In 1870 Texas a former Confederate officer now makes his living riding from town to town reading news of the world to illiterate crowds who pay a dime apiece until his life’s upending by coming upon a young German girl who’s been raised by Kiowa Indians but now needs to be taken to relatives hundreds of miles away, problems erupting throughout their journey due to some self-centered foes.
Here’s the trailer:
Before reading further, please refer to the plot spoilers warning detailed far above.
In 1870 we’re in Wichita Falls, TX (north of Dallas, near the Red River border with Oklahoma) where former-Confederate Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks)—he served in my old home town, Galveston, when the Civil War ended in 1865 (no, I wasn’t there then, no matter how old I might seem)—now makes a living traveling around the state, reading articles from newspapers for illiterate populations at 10 cents a head, although anything to do with Indians, Blacks, or Union soldiers (serving as the law while Texas resists ratifying the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution as a requirement for re-joining the U.S.) easily riles up the locals (when I was there, from the late 1940s-mid-‘80s, I can’t say it was much different). One day on a trail Kidd comes across a damaged wagon, a lynched Black man, and young Johanna Leonberger (Helena Zengel), whose paperwork shows the Kiowa raised her after they killed her family so the man was in the process of taking her to relatives in Castroville (close to San Antonio) when attacked. Kidd attempts to give her to the next Union soldiers he comes across, but (after verifying he’s signed a Loyalty Oath to the U.S.) they tell him the Bureau of Indian Affairs guy won’t be back for 3 months so Kidd can either wait, deal with her himself, or she’ll just be abandoned. Irritated but responsible, Kidd first attempts to leave her with nearby friends Simon (Ray McKinnon) and Doris (Mere Winningham) Boudlin, but the kid runs away so they seek, then find her in rain and darkness despite her obstinacy.
Without options, Kidd takes Johanna to Dallas (hard to communicate: he doesn’t speak Kiowa, she doesn’t speak English, but they teach each other a few words) where he spends the night with old friend Ella Garrett (Elizabeth Marvel) whose husband left her to go to California—she speaks Kiowa, learns the kid prefers to be called Cicada—who asks if he’ll try to reconnect with his wife (hasn’t seen her since the Civil War started; I’m not sure why he hasn’t tried); before they leave Kidd’s approached by 3 yahoos who want to buy the girl for prostitution so he gets the Union forces to intervene. However, on the road these guys catch up, demand the girl, Kidd has to defend her (she helps), kills all 3. Next, they enter Erath County (near Dallas) where local honcho Merritt Farley (Thomas Francis Murphy) and his men “cleanse” the area of outsiders but allow Kidd to hold a reading for the crowd because Farley wants them to hear about him; instead, Kidd tells of a mining disaster where locals rise up against the owner over the terrible working conditions, encouraging these locals to resist Farley, but when he turns his wrath on Kidd, Johanna shoots him, they flee. ⇒Further on, Kidd’s wagon breaks down; they have to walk until some passing Kiowa give them a horse. Kidd finally gets to Castroville, leaves Johanna with her relatives, though Uncle Wilheim (Neil Sandilands) isn’t thrilled about it, says she’ll work hard on the farm. Kidd continues to San Antonio, finds his wife died of cholera in 1865, visits her grave at a mission, returns to Castroville to reclaim Johanna who joins him on the road, collecting those dimes, adding sound effects to his readings.⇐
Neither Greengrass nor Hanks had made a western before so this was a new venture for both, successfully telling the often-grim-tale of a man just trying to survive following the collapse of the world he staked his future in, accepting challenges that kept arriving, taking responsibility when those around him refused such or tried to personally benefit from it. Relative to Greengrass’ past movies (especially Bloody Sunday [2002] about British soldiers shooting Irish activists, 3 of the Jason Bourne tales [2004, 2007, 2016], United 93 [2006] about the crashed 9/11/2001 hijacked airliner reclaimed from terrorists by passengers, and Captain Phillips [2013] with Hanks as a skipper hijacked by Somali pirates), News … moves slowly (except during the gunfight on the prairie between Kidd and the 3 hoodlums, where Johanna saves the day by having him dump the birdshot from his shotgun, load up the shells with metal dimes instead), but this better allows us to appreciate the quiet determination/desperation of Kidd, the difficulty Johanna faces in being forced into one lifestyle, then pushed back into another, as well as—like other more-contemporary-westerns—showing us the various hostilities often dominating the west after the Civil War where even a former Rebel officer meets local distain if he’s not willing to embrace the various prejudices he encounters. As always for Hanks from mid-career on, he provides an embodiment of dignity under duress that makes this frequently-sad-film compelling to watch, even as the few “victories” are hard to come by.
I’m reminded in News of the World of the racist implications, the relatively-unique-presence of someone who can read and write in those frontier locales, even some of the harsh or dark cinematography in what, for me, is the greatest western of all, Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992), as well as thematic connections in The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)* to another child, Debbie Edwards (Natalie Wood), raised by Indians after her family’s killed, then forcibly taken back home by her ex-Confederate uncle, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne), whose grim, overall sense of hostility to most everything around him leads to his walking away from the remaining family, alone into the desert. While News … doesn’t rate with either of these classics it has its own presence, is well worth watching which you might be able to do in 1 of the 1,953 domestic (U.S.-Canada) theaters where it’s still playing since its Christmas Day 2020 debut (earning $8.7 million so far), but for those of us confined to streaming at this point in 2021 it’s on several platforms) for $19.99 rental (Amazon Prime has 4K: sharp imagery!). The CCAL is also actively promoting it: 87% RT positive reviews, 74% average MC score, but I can understand if the price is a little intimidating. Onward: to finish with my Musical Metaphor I’ve gone a bit sideways by using The Band’s “The Weight” (on their 1968 Music from Big Pink album) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-w9OclUnns (clip from The Last Waltz [Martin Scorsese, 1978], joined by The Staples Singers), but when I watch Kidd trying to get Union soldiers to return Johanna to her family all I can think of is “I pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin’ about half past dead I just need some place where I can lay my head ‘Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?’ He just grinned and shook my hand and ‘No!’ was all he said,” then continues on (in metaphorical-attitude, at least) to the end with “Miss Annie [… because, like Ella Garrett] she’s the only one Who sent me here with her regards for everyone.” News of the World's not the most dynamic of 2020 releases but certainly gives you plenty to quietly contemplate.
*The Searchers is set in West Texas but may flow into Eastern New Mexico by the time the final battle with Comanche Chief Scar (Henry Brandon [yes, I know: racist casting; deal with it please]) occurs, although it’s predominantly shot in Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah; at least that terrain looks appropriate to far West Texas whereas News of the World (shot around Santa Fe, NM) looks like it should be out in Searchers territory because I can tell you from years of traveling the area from Dallas to San Antonio you won’t—even in 1870—find such rugged geography. That’s my only complaint about News … though (along with there being no Stuckey's roadside stops along the way, a consistent presence during my often-childhood-Texas-travels [don’t believe that bunk about beinning in the 1930s; many of the ones I visited looked like they’d easily been around since 1870]).
Suggestions for TCM cablecasts
At least until the pandemic subsides Two Guys also want to encourage you to consider movies you might be interested in that don’t require subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime, similar Internet platforms (we may well be stuck inside for longer than those 30-day-free-initial-offers), or premium-tier-cable-TV-fees. While there are a good number of video networks offering movies of various sorts (mostly broken up by commercials), one dependable source of fine cinematic programming is Turner Classic Movies (available in lots of basic-cable-packages) so I’ll be offering suggestions of possible choices for you running from Thursday afternoon of the current week (I usually get this blog posted by early Thursday mornings) on through Thursday morning of the following week. All times are U.S. Pacific Daylight so if you see something of interest please verify actual show time in your area for the day listed. These recommendations are my particular favorites (no matter when they’re on, although some of those early-day-ones might need to be recorded, watched later), but there’s considerably more to pick from you might like even better; feel free to explore their entire schedule here. You can also click the down arrow at the right of each listing for additional, useful info.
I’ll bet if you checked that entire schedule link just above you’d find other options of interest, but these are the only ones grabbing my attention at present. Please dig in further for other possibilities.
Friday January 22, 2021
7:15 PM Kramer vs. Kramer (Robert Benton, 1979) Drama about a troubled wife/mother (Meryl Streep) needing to find herself, in conflict with a workaholic husband (Dustin Hoffman), so she leaves him to raise their young son (Justin Henry) by himself which he learns to do with help from a neighbor (Jane Alexander); Mom returns, sparking a fierce custody battle. Big Oscar winner: Best Picture, Director, Actor (Hoffman), Supporting Actress (Streep), noms for Henry and Alexander
Saturday January 23, 2021
7:00 PM The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955) Largely dismissed on initial release
(Laughton’s only directorial effort) but now highly praised for its Expressionist style, effective thriller-tension-building, set in the 1930s about a self-styled preacher/serial killer (Robert Mitchum) who learns during a prison term of $10,000 hidden where only a couple of kids know its location; they go on the lam, take refuge with a tough old lady (Lillian Gish—of silent film fame), the killer closing in.
Sunday January 24, 2021
3:00 AM Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding, 1932) Adapted from a Broadway play, early Sound Era spectacular, set in Berlin with many MGM stars: Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone, Jean Hersholt. Chief among the plot lines is the romance between Garbo, a fading ballerina, and J. Barrymore, a suave jewel thief with ambitious plans, tragic results. Won Best Picture Oscar, only film to do so without getting another nomination.
12:30 PM West Side Story (Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, 1961) One of the best musicals ever, adapted from a successful 1957 Broadway play, itself adapted from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the rival families now being rival NYC street gangs as Jets Tony (Richard Beymer) falls for Sharks’ relative Maria (Natalie Wood) but the entrenched rivalries (Whites vs. Puerto Ricans) lead
to tragedy. Huge Oscar winner: Best Picture, Director(s), Supporting Actor (George Chakiris), Supporting Actress (Rita Moreno), Film Editing, Scoring for a Musical, Sound, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design (last 3 all for color films), Honorary Award to Robbins for his marvelous choreography, also highest grosser of ’61 (Pauline Kael hated it; she’s one of the few).
3:15 PM What’s Up Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich, 1972) Somewhat inspired by Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks, 1938) but this time with misidentified suitcases rather than leopards, where bumbling musicologist Howard Bannister (Ryan O’Neal) and his uptight fiancée Eunice Burns (Madeline Kahn) become involved with wandering Judy Maxwell (Barbra Streisand), always in trouble but enamored with Howard. Constant complications ensue; it’s hilarious throughout.
Tuesday January 26, 2021
8:30 AM Dracula (Tod Browning, 1931) The technology employed here looks a bit primitive by contemporary standards, the action’s not graphic at all compared to later tellings of the tale of this legendary, ageless vampire, but Bela Lugosi as the Count will always make this version worth a look (at 85 minutes it also doesn’t take too much of your time); somewhat follows Bram Stoker’s novel but considerably streamlined. Begins Universal Studio’s decades-run of memorable monster movies
If you’d like your own PDF of ratings/summaries of this week's reviews, suggestions for TCM cablecasts, links to Two Guys info click this link to access then save, print, or whatever you need.
Other Cinema-Related Stuff: Here's an extra item you might be interested in: Netflix huge success in 2020. As usual for now I’ll close out this section with Joni Mitchell’s "Big Yellow Taxi" (from her 1970 Ladies of the Canyon album)—because “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone”—and my reminder you can search for streaming/rental/purchase movie options at JustWatch.
Related Links Which You Might Find Interesting:
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Here’s more information about One Night in Miami:
https://www.onenightinmiami.film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2VxBaf5_yQ (23:40 interview with director Regina King, actors Eli Goree, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr., and screenwriter Kemp Powers)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/one_night_in_miami
https://www.metacritic.com/movie/one-night-in-miami
Here’s more information about News of the World:
https://www.newsoftheworldfilm.com (click bars in upper left for more details)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVgeFF8-bQM (16:38 interview with actors Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, director Paul Greengrass, and producers Greg Goodman, Gary Geotzman, Gail Mutrux [be prepared for irritating interruptions by ads at about 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 10:00, 12:00,
16:00, and one that finishes the link at about 16:30—if there was ever a good argument for
paying for ad-free YouTube, this video is it])
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/news_of_the_world
https://www.metacritic.com/movie/news-of-the-world
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If you’d rather contact Ken directly rather than leaving a comment here please use my email address of kenburke409@gmail.com—type it directly if the link doesn’t work. (But if you truly have too much time on your hands you might want to explore some even-longer-and-more-obtuse-than-my-film-reviews-academic-articles about various cinematic topics at my website, https://kenburke.academia.edu, which could really give you something to talk to me about.)
If we did talk, though, you’d easily see how my early-70s-age informs my references, Musical Metaphors, etc. in these reviews because I’m clearly a guy of the later 20th century, not so much the contemporary world. I’ve come to accept my ongoing situation, though, realizing we all (if fate allows) keep getting older, we just have to embrace it, as Joni Mitchell did so well in "The Circle Game" offering sage advice even when she was quite young herself.
By the way, if you’re ever at The Hotel California knock on my door—but you know what the check-out policy is so be prepared to stay for awhile (quite an eternal while, in fact). Ken
P.S. Just to show that I haven’t fully flushed Texas out of my system here’s an alternative destination for you, Home in a Texas Bar, with Gary P. Nunn and Jerry Jeff Walker. But wherever the rest of my body may be my heart’s always with my longtime-companion, lover, and wife, Nina Kindblad, so here’s our favorite shared song—Neil Young’s "Harvest Moon"
—from the performance we saw at the Desert Trip concerts in Indio, CA on October 15, 2016 (as a full moon was rising over the stadium) because “I’m still in love with you,” my dearest, a never-changing-reality even as the moon waxes and wanes over the months/years to come.
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Finally, for the data-oriented among you, Google stats say over the past month the total unique hits at this site were 5,908 (as always, we thank all of you for your ongoing support with our hopes you’ll continue to be regular readers); below is a snapshot of where those responses have come from within the previous week (with appreciation for the unspecified “Others” also visiting Two Guy’s site):
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