DreamGirls Revisited
Just a reminder:Â “Dreamgirls” Â DVD – on sale and available for rent (love Netflix) on May 1!
Best to be watched wearing lots of sequins and lots of hair. Divine fun.
I Remembered Why I liked Him – Brian Stokes Mitchell
The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific†was running on PBS during their pledge weeks. It wasn’t the Mary Martin film of 1950’s, but a musical done “in concertâ€, all in character and full voice w/o sets, at Carnegie Hall. He starred as Emile the estate owner. The cast was great, but as always, Brian Stokes Mitchell stood out.
As he sings “This Nearly Was Mineâ€, he uses his voice to paint a picture of a man lamenting about a “paradise†he has always wanted and dreamt about, and just missed reaching. Beautiful and heartbreaking. (He got a standing “O†for that one.) Mr. Mitchell elevates all that he graces with his presence. From his non singing comedy turn as Trevor the weatherman on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, to performing with the Boston Pops. Always intense, always present, he is always excellent. Known best for Broadway musical theater – I was fortunate to see him twice as the dapper & tragic “Coalhouse Walker †in “Ragtimeâ€, (1998). His other credits include Jelly’s Last Jam (1992), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993), a revival of Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me, Kate” (1999), for which he won a Tony, and August Wilson’s “King Hedley II” (2001) His newest venture is an album – “Brian Stokes Mitchellâ€. He does Jazz, show tunes and pop standards with his own special style. He is a baritone with great feeling. I like him.
When You’re a Jet, You’re a Jet All The Way…
Just got a CD! (I wore my old tape out).
I love “West Side Story†and I love that I can revisit the ‘61 film on DVD, on CD and at the occasional theater revival. Based on Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”, it was transplanted to the 50’s west side of Manhattan with music by Bernstein, lyrics by Sondheim, choreography and direction by Robbins.
On its Broadway opening night, Sept. 26, 1957, there was a question as to whether this musical was a hit or a miss. Neither the critics nor the audience were sure of what they had just seen. But in its existing 50 years, it has proven itself to be the perfect meld of dialogue, music and dance. A supreme example of the Broadway musical, “West Side Story†is a successful vehicle for a much used, tragic scenario.
Some of the songs, “Something’s Coming”, “Maria”, “America”, “Somewhere”,
“Tonight” are still being heard at weddings, song recitals and Jazz venues. Some are universal love songs, but others are just fun – “Dear Sgt. Krupkeâ€, “I Feel Pretty”. Love it!
(“When you’re a Jet you’re a Jet all the way – from your 1st cigarette til your last dying dayâ€)
I Love a Good Mystery
Noir
Just an example of the “noir†film genre from the 40’s and 50’s. These mostly black & white mysteries are famous for the evocative, often lurid, pulpy titles, the snappy dialogue, the tough guys in trench coats, (Bogart, Ladd) and dangerous tough women in wedgies (Joan Crawford, Gloria Graham).
“Noir†is experiencing a resurgence, (along with the coats and the shoes).
There was a great piece in the recent Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
It includes back ground on these thrillers, lots of pictures and some snippets of great dialogue – Out of The Past (“47):
“Is there a way to win?â€, the femme fatale asks and Robert Mitchum replies, “No, but there is a way to lose more slowlyâ€.
(Love it)
Also, small, independent movie theaters around the country plan double bill weekends for these clever little gems. There are new DVD box sets featuring the films of major directors of the era – Nicholas Ray, Fritz Lang and Samuel Fuller. The most famous of the group, Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity (’44) and Otto Preminger, Laura (’44) show up on PBS every few years.
I find these broody “who dunnits†very entertaining. The men are menacing, the women are manipulative and both are inclined to make some bad choices, but, what else could you expect with a title like – “I Wake up Screaming†(‘41), Victor Mature, Betty Grable, Carol Landis and Laird Cregar. Goes great with popcorn.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/03/noirdouglas200703
Martin Scorsese – The Departed
A violent, hard film, no sweetness here, no happy ending. Who’re the good guys? Who’s wearing the “white†hat?
Cynical with assorted shades of grey, both cops and criminals seem to have other revenue sources, sort of a cross pollination effect.
As always, this director knows the value of a good story- a lot of blood, high suspense and one of the most explosive final lines of any film that I’ve heard. The actors were totally committed to making the bizarre characters real, believable which is not just an example of the talent of Di Caprio, Nicholson and Wahlberg, but is also a testament to Scorsese’s skill.
I’ve seen most of Scorsese’s films and I hope he wins the best director Oscar today. If The Departed isn’t the “best†he has done, its pretty close to
Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, etc.
P.S –- I’ll take a risk: I’m writing this at 2:30pm, Sunday afternoon – I predict Martin Scorsese will win the Oscar! (After 6 nominations, it is time)
Nominated: Best Director
1980 Raging Bull
1988 The Last Temptation of Christ
1990 Goodfellas
2002 Gangs of New York
2004 The Aviator
The Arizona Black Film Showcase
The 6th Annual Arizona Black Film Showcase (AZBFS) is a three-day event held at the Herberger Theater and AMC Theater – Arizona Center. The three-day event is comprised of information packed workshops, Short and Feature Film Screenings and a Vendor and Resource Fair. This exciting three-day event ends with the Awards Ceremony where the winner of the 2007 Best Short and Best Feature film categories will be announced. Meet celebrity presenters and guests, Network with Industry Professionals, Shop your Film and view cutting edge Independent Films by up and coming African American Film Directors from across the Nation.