Movie Rewind: MODERN TIMES (1936)

MODERN TIMES
Writer/Director: Charlie Chaplin
Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford

One of my goals for the blog for 2013 was to go back to the classics and expand my film history knowledge. It is very easy for me to get caught up in the latest new releases opening at my local multiplex or whatever is new on Netflix. This causes me to ignore and neglect all of the films that have beaten the odds and have stayed relevant for so many years after their initial release. It is imperative for any movie lover to go back to the films that have permanently left their mark on society and the film industry. The latest classic I took down from my movie library was Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times. I bought it as part of the Criterion Collection sale at Barnes & Noble and recently sat down to watch it.

“Modern Times.” A story of industry, of individual enterprise—humanity crusading in the pursuit of happiness.

Crowds of men are leaving the subway and heading into work like any ordinary day. The head supervisor of the factory is lazily doing his puzzle and reading the paper while his employees work hard in another room. He commands for “more speed” via a huge screen above the work room. Chaplin, one of the workers, is working as fast as he can in his assembly line. He attempts to take a quick break in the bathroom, but the supervisor catches him and orders him back to work. Chaplin’s supervisor is all about speed and more labor. An experimental feeding machine is tried out on Chaplin’s Little Tramp character. The intent is that it will automatically feed the workers as they are working. Needless to say for Chaplin, it is disastrous.

By the middle of the afternoon, Chaplin suffers a nervous breakdown and starts horsing around, playing with all of the controls, and squirting people with oil cans. He gets taken to a hospital and on the day he is released, he gets himself caught up in a labor strike and gets arrested as the police think he is the leader. Meanwhile, a beautiful woman referred to as the gamine (Goddard) and her sisters have become orphans after their father dies. She runs away from the authorities before she becomes property of the state. After a few chance encounters, Chaplin and the gamine fall smitten with each other. Do not think that the antics and shenanigans will stop now that they are a couple.

The gags never end for Chaplin. He is a comedic master by filling every scene with hysterical gems relying on his contorted face and limber body. An encounter with white “nose powder” in jail puts Chaplin in quite a state. Even his growling and upset stomach gets the best of him. This film marks the last time Chaplin used his Little Tramp character. He originally was going to make the movie into his first talkie. He wrote a whole screenplay for it but opted to make it a silent picture instead. He could not justify making a talkie with the history of the Little Tramp character. He sporadically uses sound throughout the film by having it come from very intentional sources.

Chaplin makes Modern Times more than just a silly silent comedy. It is easy to laugh at his never-ending physical gags and flawless timing, but at the same time, he is making a strong commentary on his views toward the shift from the Great Depression to a capitalist technology based world. You see instances of this at his time at the factory between the way his supervisor acts and the endless ways they try to aim for more speed and slave labor practices. The Little Tramp continues to fight for the American dream despite the shift in focus in these changing times.

Part of that American dream is the love story between Little Tramp and the gamine. Having never seen the film before, I was not expecting the love story between the two characters. I was pleasantly surprised and found it quite sweet how they continued to be there for each other no matter what other forces and problems arose. The love story is made even more charming with the Chaplin penned song “Smile” that can be heard throughout the movie. Chaplin composed the instrumental theme specifically for the movie. You will not here the infamous lyrics as they were actually written nearly twenty years later based off some of the lines in the dialogue cards.

The American Film Institute (AFI) has praised the film’s undeniable legacy by placing it in a couple of their “100 Year…100___” lists. The film ranked #33 in the 100 Laughs list and ranked #81 in the 100 Movies list in 1998. For the 10th Anniversary Edition, it moved up to #78 in the 100 Movies list. I can completely understand and support these listings after watching the film. Again, I ask myself “Why did I wait so long to watch this?” The film buff in me wants to go out and buy the other Chaplin films that are available and delve into those. The Gold Rush, The Great Dictator, and Monsieur Verdoux are also available through the superior Criterion Collection. My wallet would feel quite a difference after those purchases. There are too many young people these days that have no appreciation for the comedic geniuses that came with the silent film era. I challenge today’s audience to watch one of Chaplin’s films and not come out with a new found understanding of this style of comedy that directly attributed to the comedies of today.

Movie Rewind: HOCUS POCUS

HOCUS POCUS
Director: Kenny Ortega
Starring: Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw

"Oh, look. Another glorious morning. It makes me SICK!"

In my household, one of our must see Halloween movies (outside of Halloween) is Hocus Pocus. Quite frankly we watch it all year round. We even quote it all year round. Like many people of my generation, the love of this Bette Midler Halloween classic goes back to when I was a wee lad. Confession time. I was a little ten year old boy obsessed with Ms. Midler. I do not know if it was this movie or Beaches that laid the foundation for my life-long diva love. I do remember seeing the Divine Miss M Tour as a child. She did the tour right after Hocus Pocus came out and I remember getting excited that she mentioned the movie in her opening bit. I am getting somewhat off track. This is not going to be another blog devoted to my past. Let's get back to the movie at hand.

Poor Max Dennison (Katz). His family moves from Los Angeles to Salem, and now he is stuck with no friends in a town where Halloween is treated like the best day of the year. Salem comes alive on Halloween night due to the legend of the Sanderson sisters. As the legend has it, Winifred (Midler), Mary (Najimy), and Sarah (Parker) were three witches that feasted on the souls of the children of the town. The townspeople rallied together and hung the sisters thinking they were killing them and ending their horror once and for all.

Max is too pessimistic to believe in any of this hocus pocus. He just cannot seem to give into the town’s holiday rituals and festivities. To make matters worse, his parents force him to take his annoying younger sister, Dani (Birch), trick-or-treating that evening. One of their stops includes a nice mansion that is throwing a party. They sneak in to steal some candy where they meet Allison (Shaw). She just happens to be Max’s school crush. Upon noticing Dani’s witch costume, Allison asks her if she knows about the Sanderson legacy. Her family used to run the now-closed museum in the original cottage of the Sanderson sisters. Dani gets all too excited by this and the three of them head out to the museum. Max is basically going along to spend time with Allison as he is way too cool to actually believe in the spooky Sanderson sisters.

Dani, Max, and Allison scope out the various artifacts and supposed belongings as a pair of eyes watch from outside. Those eyes belong to a talking black cat. The cat is Thackery Binx whose sister was killed by the witches. Winifred turned him into a cat when he tried to save her. He stands guard making sure no one brings the sisters back to life. The legend has it that if a virgin lights the black flame candle, Winifred, Mary, and Sarah will come back to life. Leave it to Max to be the doofus of the group. He lights the candle and, true enough, the sisters are arrive with a vengeance! With the help of Thackery and Billy the Zombie, they use various methods like “The Burning Rain of Death” and Daylight Savings Time to stop the witches. The sisters have until sunrise to create a potion and suck the souls of the children to last forever.

Being a huge Bette Midler fan, I have seen her interviewed many times on talk show appearances and once in person. Like I said previously, I have seen her in concert two times as well. She has repeatedly said that Hocus Pocus is her favorite film she has ever worked on and has been the most fun she’s had while making a movie. I think it is easy to tell that the ladies are having a great time. They have wicked chemistry together. Outside of Carrie Bradshaw, I think this is Sarah Jessica Parker's next best performance. She is funny, flighty, and flirty. It is her job to lure all of the children into their cottage. The costume and make-up design is perfect for this kind of movie. Not every witch character needs to be dark and morose in appearance. Each of the three witches has a different color palette and look. The script is quite clever and funny at times. Midler and Najimy have some fun zingers that are instantly quotable. For a movie brought to you by the Disney company, it is quite daring with some of the topics described like the witch mythology or even mentioning that only a virgin can bring the witches back. I do not think that this movie could have been written the the same way if made today.

Even though it may seem like the target audience is for younger children between the ages of 5-13, it appeals to many generations. I do not think parents need to worry if their child will play this movie over and over again. I guarantee you won’t get sick of it. I cannot finish writing this without mentioning my favorite scene. Dani, Allison, and Max drop in on a party to find their parents and tell them that the sisters have come back. Low and behold, the sisters drop in as well. Winifred takes over the mic and performs the show-stopping "I Put a Spell On You". Mary and Sarah join her as back-up singers. Every time I see Bette in concert, I desperately hope she sings a version of this. It hasn't happened yet, but maybe someday. Now available on Blu-Ray and DVD.

"Hello, Salem! My name's Winifred. What's yours?"

Movie Rewind: THE LAST PICTURE SHOW

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Written by Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich
Starring: Cybill Sheperd, Jeff Bridges, Cloris Leachman, Timothy Bottoms, Ellen Burstyn, Eileen Brennan, Ben Johnson, Randy Quaid



Do you ever have a movie that you have been meaning to sit down and watch, but it always slips through the cracks? It always gets put on the back burner to some crappy new release or some other movie you have seen 800 times. Why is that? I had heard about The Last Picture Show years ago and put it on my “I must see that movie” list. Time passed and I never watched it. Jeff Bridges won an Oscar in 2010 for his magnificent performance in Crazy Heart. At the time, I was looking at his filmography and The Last Picture Show popped up as an early entry in his canon. I was reminded yet again that I needed to watch it. It was on sale for super cheap at Barnes & Noble, so I figured if I bought it that would prompt a viewing. Time passed again without me popping open the case. Was there always some other movie I wanted to watch more? My friend Max had watched it for his movie blog as it appears on the AFI Top 100 list. Again, I felt the dire urge to watch it when I read his opinions about it. That was a couple of months ago.



I had been feeling pretty nostalgic lately. There is something to be said about coming of age movies or revisiting movies and TV shows you watched as a young teenager. The Last Picture Show popped up on an episode of “Dawson’s Creek” that I had watched recently, and it perked my interest yet again. I was going to go crazy if I didn’t just sit down and watch it. All these signs were pointing me to watch it. A couple of weeks ago, I had a night to myself so I popped it in. I think I will be forever happy I made that decision. It is one of those movies that just sticks with you. I found myself haunted by it. I would find myself bored work and would start thinking about those characters. I checked in with Max and we had a good chat about it one night. I have watched it twice now before writing this blog entry and I could easily watch it again and again. There is always something new to pick up with each viewing of this classic. Movies become classics for a reason.



Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry, The Last Picture Show is a coming of age movie set in the deserted, desolate town of Anarene, Texas in 1951. Duane (Bridges), Sonny (Bottoms), and Jacy (Sheperd) lie at the heart of the story. They are seniors in high school not wanting to face the reality of what will come after graduation. Anarene is a pretty empty town. There isn’t a thriving job market of endless possibilities. Duane and Sonny are best friends and Jacy is Duane’s girlfriend. The film follows their lives in their final year of high school and how they decide to deal with the fact that are not getting any younger.



Sexuality plays a huge factor in their lives, especially for Jacy. She is the beautiful model blonde that gets all of the boy’s attention. Duane is the hot stud, so one would think their relationship would be the ideal fit. Duane seems to be sexually frustrated. He and Jacy try to fool around, but he crumbles under the pressure. Jacy is pretty desperate to lose her virginity. After Lester (Quaid) puts the moves on her, she agrees to go to a skinny dipping party with him leaving Duane behind. At the pool party, she meets Bobby and starts flirting with him. He tells her he is not interested in her as she is still a virgin.



Sonny doesn’t have a girlfriend but he strikes up an interesting relationship with the much older Ruth (Leachman). She is in a miserable marriage to the boy’s basketball coach. She is about as fragile as an egg often times breaking down in tears. He takes pity on her and they begin to partake in a romantic relationship thinking that will make them both feel wanted and loved. They share a private kiss behind the restaurant hoping not to get caught. Their first time having sex is awkward and uncomfortable. He doesn’t seem to be enjoying it, and she stars to cry. Ruth says to Sonny, “I can’t seem to do anything without crying about it.”



Duane and Jacy carry on their relationship only to be continually plagued down by their sexual experiences. Duane tries to act like the tough guy. They go to a motel to finally have sex for the first time, but he backs down as he can't perform. She finally loses her virginity after their second attempt. Now that she's no longer a virgin, she breaks up with him over the phone and tries to go back to Bobby who has since eloped with another girl. Feeling like he has nothing without Jacy, Duane joins the Army and leaves town.



One key member of town is Sam the Lion (Johnson). Sam the Lion is probably one of the oldest residents of Anarene and acts as the moral compass for many of our younger characters. He always seems to have the right answers to any of life's outstanding questions. He runs the pool hall, cafe, and The Royal Picture Show. There is a beautiful scene with Sonny, Billy, and Sam rolling cigarettes down by the river. Sam gives a sincere and honest monologue about how the town has changed and a fling he had with a beautiful but married girl done there at the river. Sonny seems enthralled with Sam's story. Sam dies of a stroke and the residences of the town seem to be in disarray. Mrs. Mosey is forced to close The Royal Picture Show with the rise in baseball and the popularity of television. She thinks Sam could have kept it alive and running. “Won’t be much else to do in town when the picture show closes”, says Duane. The movies seem to be the only escape some of these guys have into a different life or world.



The Last Picture Show is one of Bogdanovich’s earliest movies. In a featurette on the DVD, Bogdanovich explains the reason why he chose to have the movie in black and white. He states the film “needed a hardness and density that you don’t get in color” He uses mainly close up eye level camera shots which gives an intimate look at these characters. Each one is flawed and seems stuck in life. No one seems to be all that happy, but at the same time they do not really know how to move forward in a successful way. After Jacy dumps Duane, he leaves town but comes back. Jacy seems to move from guy to guy desperately looking to feeling wanted by someone. Sonny seeks solace in an older woman who is also lost in life. Their only temporary escape seems to be at the movie theater, but that must come to an end once Sam the Lion passes away. This was the first movie for Cybill Sheperd and the second for Timothy Bottoms. Jeff Bridges had done some television work but this was very early on in his career as well. They all give fantastic performances. You clearly know and understand their character's inner struggles. Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman both won much deserved Oscars for their performances. Bogdanovich reveals that Johnson was not too keen on taking the part. It took a lot of convincing as Johnson thought the role had too many lines. Bogdanovich told Johnson he would win an Oscar if he took the part and that is exactly what happened. Another interesting casting note involves Ellen Burstyn. She was pretty keen on playing Lois, Jacy's mom. Bogdanovich made her read for the Cloris Leachman role and the Eileen Brennan role. After hearing her read all three roles, he was convinced she could play any of them let and he let her decide which role she wanted. She naturally picked Lois. The movie went on to garner eight Oscar nominations but it only won two for Johnson and Leachman. It lost Best Picture to The French Connection. It also ranks as #95 on the AFI All Time 100 Greatest Movies list. If you're looking for something different to watch or want to reflect on a classic piece of American cinema, you can't go wrong with The Last Picture Show.