Here’s a shot from Tiffany and me at Mark Peel’s Campanile for our 5^th wedding anniversary…it fits the next movie:

You Were Never Lovelier (1942) – Fred and Rita do make a wonderful couple. And Tiffany makes a wonderful wife and partner. Grade: A+

Cisco Pike

2009 movies

Damn, we have two scripts due yesterday so I'm glad the sickness has left. Slept about twelve hours yesterday and just now starting to feel human. Baker's list might finally come through, I'm ready to put in the hours this weekend and get it done.

Now, another chunk of movies for 2009. See, I had thought 100 would be a good limit for the year, trying to cut down to produce more writing. So far so good, at some point, I reasoned that 10 a month was more reasonable...so the limit for the year is more like 120. Still, I just hit 100 and it was Rafelson's Stay Hungry, which is an amiable mess, and a wonderful showcase for Sally Field's fine, fine ass. But that title is telling me to get to work writing.

Anyway, I'm stopping on 100 now...and it's grindstone time for Baker.

2009’s movies continue with our annual trip to the Film Noir festival at the Egyptian Theatre. We made a full double feature this time around, with the following:

Friday, April 3 – 7:30 PM

Double Feature:

New 35mm Print! Rare! ALIAS NICK BEAL, 1949, Universal, 93 min. Finally -- a stunning, brand-new 35mm print of what might be director John Farrow’s masterwork! A Faustian fable given full noir treatment by Farrow, scripter Jonathan Latimer and cameraman Lionel Lindon. The devilish Nick Beal (a mesmerizing Ray Milland) materializes out of the fog to "assist" a crusading district attorney (Thomas Mitchell) who has declared that he’d "give anything" to convict a local mobster. Soon, the D.A. begins a miraculous campaign for governor, bolstered by Beal’s connections and the encouragement of his most enticing acolyte (Audrey Totter). A supernatural fable that in style and theme is a logical extension of the era’s best noir films. NOT ON DVD

Ultra-Rare! FLY-BY-NIGHT, 1942, Universal, 74 min. Don’t miss this undiscovered gem, one of the first Hollywood efforts of noir maestro Robert Siodmak! Shifting with Hitchcockian aplomb between suggestive light comedy and thickly shadowed suspense, Siodmak stuffs two features worth of stylish set pieces into the film’s sprightly running time, making it as good as wartime B pictures got. Richard Carlson’s and Nancy Kelly’s romance-on-the-run chemistry, laced with witty innuendo (and plenty of Kelly’s fine gams!) is reminiscent of Donat and Carroll in THE 39 STEPS. Great fun, and surprisingly sexy for its time. NOT ON DVD

The first was mostly talk, like a creepy stage play of the era, with Ray Milland leading a fine cast, special notice for the revelatory work from Audrey Totter. The second flick was a breezy B, expertly directed and well acted.

FTA (1972) – Weird, long unseen documentary following the anti-war title tour (which stands for “Fuck the Army”). It toured the world in the early 70s, with Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland and other lesser-known actors performing anti-war skits and songs. Complete with interviews from troops who support the tour, and a confrontation at the end with some who don’t. Sutherland comes off the best during some compelling readings, Fonda does little in the actual stage show. An artifact that’s not too entertaining. Grade: C

Horse Feathers (1931) – Another favorite Marx Bros. This one puts Groucho in charge of higher learning, with predictable results. Always remember: the password is “swordfish.” Grade: A+

The Hot Rock (1972) - Afghanistan bananastand, this fun, slightly inconsequential, caper flick is breezy fun. William Goldman scripted from a Donald Westlake novel, teaming Robert Redford, George Segal, Ron Leibman and Paul Sand plus the watchful eye of Zero Mostel. No classic, but what’s not to love? Grade: B+

The Wild Bunch (1969) – Another shot at a classic I never quite appreciated enough. It’s much better this time out, I’ll shoot for the big screen experience next time it plays in 70mm. William Holden leads the troops for one last messy score, but it’s Ernest Borgnine who really scored for me here. I’d never thought much of him, but he might be the highlight here, though Warren Oates and Ben Johnson run a close second. It’s still uneven to me, but maybe Sam will win me over at the Egyptian. Grade: B+

Dreamscape (1984) – From the great geek summer of ’84, this underrated SF adventure held up well, right down to the evil snake creature that haunts the President’s dreams. Cocky Dennis Quaid earns geek goodwill here as the hero, and he would later earn more in Innerspace. The best Kate Capshaw has ever been, she and Quaid have some real sparks, with a train scene that the teenage boy audience remembers very well. Grade: B+

Cops and Robbers (1973) – Another Donald Westlake caper, this one with two cops deciding to take advantage of a robbery to make out for themselves. Cliff Gorman and Joe Bologna are the cops, with Gorman making the most of a rare leading role. A decidedly low-key, but fun, affair, with a groovy theme song. Grade: B

Cisco Pike