Friday, August 13, 2021

Friday Watch Party: ANNIE (1982)

It's the hard knock life.  For us.  

The year was 1982!  Annie the Broadway Musical was now going to be Annie: The Movie!  

If you were of a certain age, you were legally required to see Annie, and, indeed, we did.  Not really understanding the Depression, the politics, or the greatness of Carol Burnet, but totally getting that moving into a mansion with endless money on hand was rad as hell.

It's since been remade at least twice that I know about, but there's only one original movie.  

Day:  08/13/2021
Time:  8:30 Central/ 6:30 Pacific
Cost:  UNCLEAR.  It was $4.  Now it might be on Prime?  

BUT - just look at that CAST!  And directed by John "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" Huston!  It's a huge, splashy entertainment with a dog, helicopters and a shit ton of dancing!  Join us!

Thursday, August 12, 2021


Watched:  08/09/2021
Format:  HBOmax
Viewing:  First
Decade:  2020's
Director:  James Gunn


Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash
People Who Died, Jim Carroll Band

DC Movies and TV

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Noir Watch: Where Danger Lives (1950)

Watched:  08/11/2021
Format:  TCM on DVR
Viewing:  Second
Decade:  1950's
Director:  John Farrow

I had seen this before, about eight years ago, but only remembered bits and pieces of it.  

Mitchum plays an over worked San Francisco-based doctor who plans to leave the hospital to start his own practice (and not put in 24 hour days).  He's got a swell gal in the person a Maureen O'Sullivan, a very understanding nurse, and all is looking good.  UNTIL.  He takes on a suicide attempt in the person of Faith Domergue - pitched here as the sexy, wealthy, society gal who throws herself at Mitchum.  That is until he figures out that Claude Raines (in high Raines style here) is not her father, but her husband.  A scuffle ensues, and Raines ends up dead.  Plus, Mitchum ends up concussed when he was already drunk.

Domergue leads Mitchum on, and they make a pretty classic noir-era cross-country escape to get across the border and escape murder charges.   Meanwhile, Domergue might be a lunatic and Mitchum has a serious concussion that needs attention.

It has a bit of a fugitive The Live By Night, on the lam quality, a noir staple (I'm immediately thinking of a few others, including High Sierra).  And comparisons to Detour are inevitable and unfortunate as that shines a light on the fact that Domergue just isn't Ann Savage.  It's a bit unclear what the appeal is beyond "pretty".  As nutsy as Ann Savage was, she at least had personality to spare.  

Still, it's a good watch for a second viewing in 10 years.  Mitchum is surprisingly dialed in, playing the increasing medical trauma in a buyable, understated way that stretches him beyond "awesome dude with troubles".  Raines was probably on set for 3 days to get his part in, but he's terrific.  

There are a number of setbacks for our leads en route to Mexico, and, frankly, they feel both concocted to the point of stretching credulity and absolutely like the dumb things that can keep you from achieving what seems like very reasonable goals.  Especially while traveling.  

Anyway - I don't dislike it, but there's a reason I only sort-of remembered it before turning it on.  But from now on it'll be "the one where Mitchum gets way-layed by small-town folk and their insistence on beards".

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Noir Watch: Farewell, My Lovely (1975)

Watched:  08/09/2021
Format:  TCM on DVR
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1970's
Director:  Dick Richards

I've read the Raymond Chandler novel upon which Farewell, My Lovely (1975) is based a couple of times, and seen the Dick Powell-starring 1944 film adaptation Murder, My Sweet (1944) a handful of times.  I do appreciate the 1970's neo-noir movement and the adaptations or interpretations I've seen, but there's always such a layer of 1960's or 1970's-ness all over the films, you feel like they can't get out of their own way making sure you know "we have updated this for modern times".

This movie, however, is a period piece, adhering as close to the source material as possible, with a definite romanticism for the genre, the book and the movies which it inspired.  While some updating occurs, the politics of the 1970's are only thinly layered on, and the story does take place just prior to WWII (the novel was released in 1940), but with the not insubstantial casting choice of a 58 year old Robert Mitchum.  And, look, you'll never catch me saying a negative thing about Mitchum, but this may be about 15 years too old for the character, no matter who that actor is.  The script changes the novel enough to take Mitchum's age into account here and there, and I absolutely get why the filmmakers were thrilled to get him.  Mitchum would have been ideal casting for a production from '50-'57.