Music vs. Mirrors

Corps at the Crest

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Mount San Antonio College -- Walnut, CA

Bro went ahead of me to Mt. SAC because I needed to sing in church beforehand.  Therefore, he was there for SoCal Dream, City Sound, and Gold.  Incognito was not present, and they were not at the Vista show the night before.  I wonder if they're going as some other corps in disguise. ;)  Bro called me to tell me about Incognito as I was pulling into the parking lot.  Later, he told me that he did that not so much for my benefit, but to inform the annoying people near him that had no idea what was going on.  His comment to me spread like wildfire, so I guess it was effective.


I walked through the gates just in time to see Revolution from the sidelines.  They have a nice sound, but need to work on some of the colorguard stuff.  Somebody in the CG was dressed in a big, black cape.  I don't know what that was about, but their show is called "Fade to Black", with repertoire Liberty by S. Vai, Uprising by Muse, The Motive Revolution by E. Whitacre, Turbine by J. Mackey, and Tarantella (from Ethel) by P. Kline.


My seat was at the left 40-yard line, 18 rows up.  Bro was seated more toward the center, 6 rows in front of me.  We were in different places because Sherry was an idiot and only ordered one ticket for the show, even though she was supposed to buy 2 of them.  (Sherry tends to discuss herself in 3rd person when she's being a nimrod in order to separate herself from the oh-so-objective writer).


IMPULSE
Repertoire:  "United" -- America the Beautiful by S. A. Ward, Beyond the Breaking Tides by C. W. Earl, Songs of Earth, Water, Fire and Sky by R. W. Smith, Amber Waves by A. Gould, and Copland Finale (The Red Pony) by A. Copland


I like that Copland Finale, although I wasn't really appreciative of the Indian war chant thing, which I thought people didn't do anymore, out of respect for the Native Americans.  I liked the percussion feature.  Somebody lost a stick, and the judge threw it off of the field.  A lot of patriotic songs.  Am I watching the Troopers?  What's with that circle opening up a la the Sunburst?


VELVET KNIGHTS
Repertoire:  "Magical Mystery Tour -- 2010 Edition" -- I.  England -- Magical Mystery Tour by P. McCartney and J. Lennon, II.  The Caribbean/Latin America -- The Dance and They Kiss, End Titles (from Romancing the Stone) -- by A. Silvestri, III.  India -- Jai Ho (from Slumdog Millionaire)  by A.R. Rahman, G. Nama and T. Shah, IV. France -- La Vie en Rose by L. Guglielmi and E. Piaf; Overture (from Orpheus in the Underworld)  by J. Offenbach


I like the bit with the soprano upstaging the mello.  There seemed to be a bit that was channeling the Trash Can Trio, but with 4 tall drums.  So would you call that a Trash Can Tetra?  At that point, people had really red wigs, including the drum major, who had switched with the main one so that he could give a flower to the CG during La Vie En Rose.  That sop guy thought that one of the flowers was for him and was amusingly swooning about it.  They need to clean up the music during this ballad.  The CG doesn't have their uniforms yet.  It appears that the show isn't finished yet either, because it stopped abruptly, and I don't remember hearing the Offenbach.


INTERMISSION
I bought a program and checked out the souvie stands.  Found a grey hoodie at the SCV stand that I like a lot.  Thinking about it.  As I was walking back to my seat, I overheard a woman, who was looking at the Mandarins at the gate: "Is that Vanguard?"  Lady, those aren't even their colors!


MANDARINS
Repertoire:  "To Dream of Far Away Lands": I. The Caravan -- Meetings Along the Edge by R. Shankar & P. Glass; II.  To Dream of Far Away Lands -- The Mountain of Fruit and Flowers by D. Buckley; III.  The Threat of Mongols/The Himalayas -- Samudra Manthan by S. Sharma; IV.  Discovering India -- Quiet by S. Chandra, Ever So Lonely by Monsoon; V. Arrival in China -- Ambush from Ten Sides by Y. Ma


Recorded music played as they walked onto the field and set up.  I thought that it was going to go away with the first real note, but no.  Then I thought it would go away after the transition, but no.  Then there was recorded singing.  AUGH!  If you're not going to come here and perform live, then I DO NOT want to hear you!  I like the CG pants,  and actually the whole outfit, including the cool turbans.  But I'm way unhappy about the recorded crap.  I was excited when I saw the program, thinking how nice it is that the 'Rins had returned to their Asian roots, and now this blech.   Don't get me wrong.  The music is gorgeous, but this is not the type of show that I want to see at a DCI competitive event.  


THE ACADEMY
Repertoire:  "Strangers in Paradise" -- Prince Igor Overture by A. Borodin, Aquarium (from Carnival of the Animals) by C. Saint-Saens, Selections from the Prince Igor Opera by A. Borodin, Polovtsian Dances and Chorus by A. Borodin


Bro called me to tell me that this is the first show for the CG to wear their uniforms, which are purple.  I love that opening stance!  Their music is VERY well done, as Bro told me.  I'm annoyed by the synthesizer, but at least she's HERE playing her instrument.  The kneeling soprano lost his/her balance when the CG was dancing around him/her.  I like the part when the cymbal player appears to be chopping off the heads of the saber throwers one by one.  They need to catch their sabers more, not just during the dangerous work.  They also need to clean up their lines, but it's still early.  So I guess that my issue right now is more visual than musical, except for that synthesizer.  Oh, the Aquarium piece made me want to ride Space Mountain.  I miss that soundtrack.


PACIFIC CREST
Repertoire:  "Maze":  I.  We're Off!  This is going to be Easy! -- Macchu Picchu by S. Yagisawa; II.  Traps and Walls -- Asphalt Cocktail by J. Mackey; III.  No Way Out -- Sam's Gone (from I Am Legend) -- by J. N. Howard; IV.  We Made It! -- Turbine by J. Mackey


A CG gal got her flag caught in the yellow cord of her uniform.  This made me wonder why they needed to wear them at all, but they eventually untwisted them and used them like in rhythmic gymnastics.  Nice, full sound.  The bass drum ensemble got nice applause after their solo.  I like the visual of the people getting stuck in the wrong places.  What caused that big gasp by some of the people at the end?  Neither Bro nor I saw anything that would warrant that, so I don't know if anyone fell down or what it was.


BLUE DEVILS
Repertoire:  "Through a Glass, Darkly" -- Conflict by P. Rugolo, Mirage by P. Rugolo, Trajectories by F. Marke, Incident in Jazz By B. Graettinger, Laura by D. Raksin, City of Glass Suite I by B. Graettinger, La Suerte De Los Tontos by J. Richards


At first, when I saw the color guard uniforms, I thought, "Oh, dear."  Each CG outfit had multiple neon colors.  EACH of them.  Yikes.  But in the end, they weren't really that much of a distraction.  Maybe it's because there were so many mirrors being wheeled around.  36 of them.  Not small ones, but like, 7-8 feet tall ones.  The guys next to me thought that maybe they were supposed to be in a ballet class because they were looking at themselves during warm-up, but I didn't feel like correcting them by showing them the program.  I was not feeling sociable with the strangers.    So back to the mirrors.  Do they have to have a separate truck just to transport all of those everywhere?  What if someone hits the mirror with whatever they threw in the air?  Do they have to clean it all up before they go on so as not to get glass on people's feet?  I need to check as to whether or not the CG is actually wearing good shoes for this show.  I love the opening crash sound while they reveal the black and white flags.  Those flags are later shown in color toward the end of the show.  I also liked the effect of the drummers standing in front of the mirror, stepping to the side, and another identical drummer is on the other side without the mirrors.  This show was just AWESOME.  I  loved the soprano jazz duet.  Those sopranos are killers.  I was happy that they played a lot of the theme from "Laura", since it fit the theme of my summer.  The percussion feature was amazing, as well as was the big horn run.  I heart when BD does jazz.


SANTA CLARA VANGUARD
Repertoire:  "Bartok" -- Concerto for Orchestra and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste by B. Bartok


The announcer messed up while saying the name of the corps, which made everyone want a do-over, but that didn't happen, so the corps got to hear "boo"s that were not directed toward them.  The CG uniforms match my sparkly ruby red nail polish.  :)  I love seeing the corps' plumes fluttering in the wind.  The drum majors' plumes are BIG and RED.  I'm going to be confused on Finals Night.  I thought that maybe their show wasn't finished because it ended abruptly and people didn't know if they should clap, but Bro says that the actual piece ends like that, so I wonder even more now.  The complete show was not performed the night before, so it sounds like they're still working out the ending.  I like those horns, especially the contrast between the high and low brass.  The music is a little muddy but nice.  I like the lone traditional marching snare.  I don't know why they needed pianists in the pit.  Can't the marimbas play that part?  Visually, I liked seeing them jump up "like popcorn", according to one of my neighbors.  I also liked when they were all gathered in a circle and lifted up the one CG gal.  I liked all of the tension in the music.  Ya gotta love Bartok.


ENCORE
This was done during the final tabulation of the scores, instead of after the awards ceremony.  I like that it is done this way, since for most of these shows during the regular season, the performer for the encore is pre-determined.  


Pacific Crest
"The Way You Look Tonight" for warm-up
Selections from "Maze" -- I'm liking the music for this show
Corps anthem "Ave Maris Stella" -- PC never disappoints me when they play their song.  Happy sigh.


SCORES


All-Age Corps


Recognition to So Cal Dream (we think they were on DCA scoring sheets): 65.75


Open Class


5) 59.30  City Sound
4) 61.75  Velvet Knights (they had a plush shark during the ceremony)
3) 67.50  Revolution
2) 70.00  Impulse
1) 72.35  Gold (I remember when they were from Hawthorne and tiny.  I'm looking forward to seeing their show on Monday)


World Class


5) 66.95  Mandarins
4) 70.05  Pacific Crest
3) 72.60  The Academy


At this point, the guys next to me said, "This should be interesting.  Music vs. Mirrors."


2) 80.25  Santa Clara Vanguard
1) 83.30  Blue Devils


Bro and I drove to our parents' house afterward for some family weekend fun.


Next up:  Rose Bowl

The Swede & The Double-Crossing Dame

Oscar Noir: Week Six

The Killers

Monday,  June 21, 2010

Liz and I are now experts at parking on the residential streets and getting to the theater early to stand in line.  We gabbed for awhile as our neighbors in line griped about the process of having numbers.  Once we got inside, Liz found seats for us on the aisle this time, as I requested.  She's so nice and accommodating. :)  It seems that, with each week, more and more rows of seats are reserved for the special guests.  I don't know what that's about, but I hope that they still let the series pass people in as long as they arrive by the designated time.  Our line neighbors had told us stories of being told not to save 3 seats, and I heard others complaining because they were asked about saving one seat for a person that had gone to the restroom.  One of them called the Academy people "Fascists".  It's getting ugly, folks.

Cartoon:  "Who Killed Who?" (1943)

The story is of a detective who goes to a house to investigate a murder, and finds out that the house is haunted.  By Santa.  Oh, and by a whole bunch of different ghosts, too. ;)  This is a Tex Avery cartoon, full of all of the old cartoon cliches.  But that's probably because all of the cartoons borrow from Tex Avery!  Even Bugs Bunny's "What's Up, Doc?"  is based on one of the characters in this cartoon:  the detective opens a door, and Santa is there, calling him "Doc".    Santa's voice was actually Tex Avery himself.

Short:  "Adventures of Captain Marvel, Chapter Five: The Scorpion Strikes" (1941)

I hissed at the Scorpion this time.  Captain Marvel saves Betty by jumping onto the car as it goes into the street, and taking control over the steering wheel.  Billy goes into the meeting with one of the thugs, telling everyone there that the Scorpion is one of them, and they all get shifty-eyed looks on their faces, as if it could be every one of them.  The thug is unable to identify the Scorpion by his voice, then is told to lead Billy to a mine, since Captain Marvel will probably show up to save him.  The men use the  scorpion lenses to melt the cave to the mine, and Captain Marvel is stuck inside.  I don't know why he can't just fly above the stream of molten lava approaching him, but we'll see what happens from this cliffhanger.

Feature: "The Killers" (1946) Screenplay by Anthony Veiller and John Huston, based on a short story by Ernest Hemingway.  Directed by Robert Siodmak, Music by Miklos Rozsa, and starring Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, Albert Dekker and Sam Levene.

• This was a new movie to both of us.  Heck, I didn't even know that Lancaster had done a film with Ava Gardner.
• The film was introduced by Billy Ray, one of the writers for "24".  When I saw his name in the program, I thought that the name sounded familiar, and not just for the first two names of the country singer.  I had also mentioned Jack Bauer in one of my conversations with Liz while we were in line, so the fact that this guy was introducing the film was quite a coincidence.
• The guy playing Hemingway's autobiographical character, Nick Adams, later played Owen Lars, Luke's uncle in "Star Wars".
• One of the killers is played by a very young William Conrad.  
• OK, I can see why Burt Lancaster was so popular from this, his film debut, and onward.  Not only was he a great actor, but Hubba Hubba! :)
• Ava Gardner, looking gorgeous in every shot, did her own singing, and she has a nice alto voice.  Her character's name, Kitty Collins, is just a perfect Noir name to me.
• My favorite line of the movie: "If there's one thing in this world I hate, it's a double-crossing dame."
• I think the killers said "Bright Boy" way too much in that opening scene.
• The shadows in the cinematography are considered to be "Textbook Noir", and I can see why.  Great use of lighting.
• Miklos Rosza's daughter spoke to the audience after the film, but Liz and I didn't stay to listen to her.  I would have liked to hear her talk about how some of the music in the film would end up as the main theme for "Dragnet", but we were tired.  

Although this movie is not one of my favorites in the series, I enjoyed it.  I now want to hear other scores by Miklos Rosza, since he had also done "Double Indemnity".

Next week:  "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers".

DLR LotD 06/20/10

 Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day
Sunday, June 20, 2010


"No, Caitlin!" -- A Father behind us in line at Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, multiple times

Acknowledge Them!

Last week, on June 17, 2010, the Lakers won their 16th NBA World Championship.  WHOO Damn  HOOOO!!!!  Last year, when they won their 15th, I was a happy, happy gal.  This year, I'm ecstatic.


What could be sweeter than a Repeat?  A victory over the Lakers' arch rivals, the Boston Celtics (hisssss!).  This rivalry, Lakers vs. Celtics, is, for basketball fans, the ultimate in competition.  The Celtics, with 17 banners hanging over the Garden, shattered the Lakers in Boston in the 2008 Finals.  Last year, the Lakers won, so this rivalry was a step up from usual due to the fact that it was the most recent champions against each other, and the Lakers had something to prove after what happened in 2008.  They'd matured, they'd become tougher.  The Celtics beat all of the odds in the post-season, and made it to the Finals with everyone betting against them.  I mean, it was supposed to be LeBron vs. Kobe, but the Celtics made sure that they wouldn't be counted out.


The basketball world was crazy with anticipation, and being a basketball fan, I was crazy, too.  With every Celtics playoff win, I hoped even more that they would make it to the Finals to face my team.  I couldn't wait to see it happen.  This was probably the first time EVER that I've rooted for the Celtics to win.  It was partly because I didn't want LeBron to win, but it was mostly because I wanted to see the rivals play each other.  I wasn't the only one.  A lot of the fans that I talked to said the same things as me, although some of them just didn't want Shaq to win.  I'm not bitter about Shaq.  I just wish that he'd stop calling every one of his new coaches "the best coach I've ever played for".  It's old.  Anyway, the Lakers needed to get past some tough competition in the Western Conference, most notably the Phoenix Suns.  While I really like Steve Nash, I'm a Lakers fan, so, sorry, Steve.  


So my wish came true.  It would be Lakers vs. Celtics.  Surprisingly, through every one of the first 5 games, I was quite calm.  I guess that I was just so happy that it was all being played out in front of me that I was content.


Game 1: Lakers 102, Celtics 89
Lakers showed the Celtics that they were ready for them, and drew first blood.  Celtics were rusty due to their long rest after the Eastern Conference Finals.  My thought:  "This is how it's supposed to be.  We'll win Game 1, Phil never loses a series when he wins Game 1.  We're golden."


Game 2: Celtics 103, Lakers 94
Ouch!  Celtics beat the Lakers on their home floor, thanks to an amazing run of 3-point shots by Ray Allen, making a record of 8 in one Finals game.  My thought: "Um, guys?  You need to win one in Boston."  At least one, in order to maintain home court advantage.  Still, I was calm.  No, I wasn't on drugs.


Game 3:  Lakers 91, Celtics 84
Phew!  Lakers achieve their goal of winning one on Boston's floor.  Many thanks to D-Fish in the 4th quarter.  I loved that full-court run, leading to an awesome basket.  Thanks, also, to the amazing Lakers bench for achieving a record of highest shooting percentage for a bench attempting at least 10 shots each.  The deafening crowd at the Garden had become a mute crowd.  BFF Michelle texted me about loving how the crowd shut up.  (Actual text not for children's eyes). ;)  


Game 4: Celtics 96, Lakers 89
The Celtics bounce back, taking advantage of the fact that Bynum was out for much of the game due to his knee injury.  Pau and Kobe tried to carry the team, but it was tough to go against a desperate Boston team.  Yup, I was still calm.  This is how it's supposed to be, people!  We push, you push back.  Clash of the Titans and all that.


Game 5:  Celtics 92, Lakers 86
Despite Kobe's MVP efforts in the 3rd quarter, trying to carry his can't-shoot-a-fish-in-a-barrel team, Boston edged out the Lakers, and the teams went back to L.A. with Boston leading 3-2.  Yeah, I kind of expected that to happen.  Those people that said that L.A. would sweep in Boston don't know the power of the fans there and the defensive fight that the Leprechaun blesses upon their team.


Game 6:  Lakers 89, Celtics 67
Just to show the Celtics that the Lakers fans are not as placid as their leaders say, the crowd at the Staples Center gave a ROAR throughout the game that kids imagine when they dream of becoming sports stars.  The Lakers were not going to let the Celtics win Game 6 on their home floor, and they delivered a pretty sound beating to the boys in green.  It was the best that I've ever seen this team play all season, and what a time to give the town a show!  Kobe led the team in the 1st quarter, giving them an early lead that they simply refused to relinquish.  Was I happy?  Hells, YEAH!  Was I calm?  Not anymore.


Game 7:  Lakers 83, Celtics 79
GAME FRICKIN' SEVEN.  LAKERS VERSUS CELTICS.  It all really did lead to this.  Seriously, what could be better for a basketball fan like me? The excitement I felt during this game was probably the culmination of all that I had suppressed during the first 6 games.  I went nuts.  When the Lakers were behind, I kept hoping for them, knowing that they would pull a victory out somehow, but wondering how in the world it would happen.  Of course, with every nervous moment, I said to myself, "WHY did I wish for this to happen?!"  Ron Artest, both a worry and a blessing to this team, had some plays that got me thinking, "Oh my gosh, he's going to win this game for us."  I thought this several times throughout the game.  Both teams were defensive tigers, and it seemed like neither one of them could shoot. Was the rim of the basket too small?  But there it was, all of a sudden.  As he always does, D-Fish gave an inspirational speech to his team before the start of the 4th quarter, and they responded.  Kobe finally hit his shots.  Pau was monstrous.  D-Fish made a 3-pointer.  Kobe passed the ball to Ron-Ron (which, APPARENTLY, he never does), and Ron-Ron made the shot, catapulting the audience into even more decibels of LOUD.  My house was loud, too, and the only sound happening was the TV and my screaming.  I even closed the back door so that the neighbors wouldn't worry should any bloodcurdling screams emanate from my mouth during the game.  I'm glad I did, because I went CRAZY, pacing, yelling, jumping, screaming...it was exhausting.  


So there you are: Lakers are the Champions of the Basketball World.  Congratulations to The Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant, for the much-deserved Finals MVP title.  This year, he showed that he could rely on his team when he wasn't at his shooting best, being defended at all times by 2 and 3 guys every chance Boston could take.   And yes, he now has "one more than Shaq". Congratulations to The Spaniard, Pau Gasol, for showing us all that he was not soft, and he could fight Boston along with the rest of them, finesse game or not.  Congratulations to Phil for his 11th championship.  I don't care what anyone says, Phil.  It's not the star power that gave you those wins, it's your handling of the stars.  Congratulations to Derek Fisher, the heart and inspiration of the team.  They would not have won without your spirit.  Congratulations to Ron Artest for his first ring, and thank you to his psychiatrist for keeping him calm. :)   Congratulations to Andrew Bynum, who actually got to contribute to this year's championship, and in a huge way.  Congratulations to the guys on the bench for being such a great supporting unit for the starters.  Congratulations to the fans, for whom this victory is sweeter than honey straight from the comb.


Kobe's postgame comments showed that he, as a student of basketball, knew that a victory over the Celtics would mean more than anything to him as a Laker.  He had lied to the press earlier about how much it meant to him, because he needed to just focus on the task at hand, and didn't need to make the drama bigger for himself.  His little girls were way cute in their Lakers dresses, and he had that smile that I've longed to see throughout the series.  The smile of a champion living his dream.


The celebrations, though fewer than last year due to the city of L.A.'s budget woes, were still abundant.  


Pau Gasol appeared on Jay Leno's Tonight Show.  I love that David Spade was the next guest and Pau was 2 feet taller than him.  Spade was, like, a Smurf next to him.

The rest of the team appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live.   Kobe, of course, had the coolest threads.  Ron Ron had the coolest earpiece, though. :)


Here's my favorite clip from that night.








And, of course, the Victory Parade.


Purple and Gold Reign Supreme!  Have I said, "Whoo Damn HOOOOO!" yet? ;)  


Happy Trophy, Sweet Sixteen.

There's Always A Gun In A Drawer

Oscar Noir Week 5

Mildred Pierce

Monday, June 14, 2010

Liz arrived early to the theater and saw that the line was already forming outside, so she parked her car wherever and got in line.  Later on, she asked an usher if her car was parked in an OK spot, but the usher wasn't sure, so she moved her car so that she was right in front of me on the residential street.  I figured that I should get in line, too, since I was able to eat half of my dinner on the way there, and Liz had freaked me out about the line.   I was annoyed by a guy that seemed to have some kind of attention deficit disorder because he wouldn't stop walking around by the line.  When they let us in, Liz was able to score us some good seats toward the middle of the theater.  I overheard some people talking about a guy in the back of the theater, but couldn't figure out who he was supposed to be.

Cartoon:  "The Super Snooper" (1952)

Yay!  Daffy Duck!  It was like film noir in color and in cartoon!  He was a detective who needed another case (and he was shown with empty liquor bottles), and went to Beverage Hills to investigate.  At a mansion, he met a duck dressed just like Jessica Rabbit, but, like, with a duck face.  She kept trying to mack on him while he described all of the different ways that he thought she might have killed her husband.  He later found out that he was in the wrong house the whole time.  

Short: "Adventures of Captain Marvel, Chapter Four: Death Takes The Wheel" (1941)

The lady sitting next to me joined in during some of the audience's hissing at The Scorpion.  I just giggled at it the whole time, and may even hiss along next week.  Billy, at literally the last minute, realizes that the radio wires were disconnected, and hears his friend's voice just in time to turn into Captain Marvel and get the heck out of the plane.  Betty overhears some stuff and goes to investigate, and the cliffhanger of the week is that she's conked out at the steering wheel of a car in a parking garage, as it careens in circles toward the bottom of the garage.  Funny how her head is in the perfect position for the car to follow the curve of the garage jussst rrright.

Feature: "Mildred Pierce" (1945) Screenplay by Ranald MacDougall, based on the novel by James M. Cain, Directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth, and Bruce Bennett.

• A special guest in the audience played a waitress in the movie.  The other very special guest was Ann Blyth, whom spoke after the movie.  When I told Liz that she was there, she exclaimed "Get Out!" at me.  She loves this movie, but didn't actually see it during the past week, as she had done with "Laura".
• The movie was introduced by Callie Khouri, known for her screenplays for "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and, more notably, "Thelma and Louise".  She figured that she must have been asked to introduce this one because of the strength of the female leads in the movie.  She lamented that there were not as many great parts these days for women as there were back in the 1940s.  She also talked about the fact that in Film Noir, there always "happens to be" a gun in a drawer somewhere.
• Well, no WONDER Joan Crawford won the Academy Award for this, and no wonder Eve Arden and Ann Blyth were nominated, too.  They were all outstanding.
• What a BRAT that Veda was!  I wanted to slap the hell out of her many, many times.
• Hmmm...APPARENTLY, Kate Winslet is doing a miniseries version of the novel on HBO with Evan Rachel Wood, to be aired in 2011.  Hmmmm.
• Love is blind, Mildred.  How could you not see that Monte was just a free-loading cad when you met him?
• Liz told me later that there really was a Mildred's restaurant chain.  Interesting.
• Lots of applause when Butterfly McQueen made her first appearance on screen.
• Ida had the best lines: "Leave something on me.  I might catch cold."  "When men get around me, the get allergic to wedding rings."  "I like Mexico.  It's so...Mexican."
• So, seriously.  She was doing the remodeling the house into a restaurant herself, and gets on the ladder in that dress and high heels?  How did she not break her neck every day?

Afterward, there was a discussion with Ann Blyth.

• She had brought along a couple of girlfriends, most notably Jane Withers, who spoke for a bit herself from the back of the theater. She's hilarious.
• Ms. Blyth couldn't believe how horrible Veda was.  She probably wanted to slap herself as may times as I wanted to slap her.
• Joan Crawford stayed home instead of attending the Academy Awards the night that she won.  Ms. Blyth was present in Ms. Crawford's home when they gave it to her.
• Ms. Blyth had a serious accident while tobogganing up at Lake Arrowhead, and was wearing a back brace under her dress during the awards.  Nobody knew about it but her dress designer and her mom.
• She still sings on stage, and sings every day at home.
• Q&A from the audience revealed that the house in Glendale where the movie was filmed is still there.

We stayed for a bit afterward so that Liz could meet her and get her autograph.  If I had been allowed, I totally would have taken a picture of her red with gold-tip shoes.  They were gorgeous.  Liz didn't have the nerve to compliment her on her shoes, but I did when I saw her downstairs.  Liz made me do it.  Ms. Blyth was appreciative.  I figured she would like a compliment about her shoes, because she's a girl. :) 

Next Up:  "The Killers"

DLR LotD 06/11/10

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Friday, June 11, 2010

"I guess it's up to you where to put his tongue." -- Linda, to Sherry, at WoD

Murder Can Sometimes Smell Like Honeysuckle

Oscar Noir: Week 4

Double Indemnity

Monday, June 7, 2010

Last Monday was a holiday, so we there was no screening.  This week I was on my own, as Liz was unable to join me.  I hadn't eaten my lunch at work, so I just parked in a residential area and ate that for dinner (yes, I checked the parking signs).  When I arrived at the line to the theater, I was a little bit farther down the line than last week, and one of the ushers was handing out standby tickets with numbers on them.  APPARENTLY, there were several people that line-jumped two weeks ago, which resulted in unhappiness.  I can understanding saving a place for one or two people in line, but I'm thinking that it was a big group of people, but I don't know.  People were still able to save seats in the theater, but the host asked everyone to please not save entire rows for people.  So people just need to get there earlier, I guess.  I just hope that I get in every time, since I'm always there well ahead of the cut-off time for the series passholders.

Cartoon:  "Trouble Indemnity" (1950)

This one stars Mr. Magoo!  He gets conned into buying a life insurance policy, then the insurance company freaks out when they see him mistakenly walking onto a construction site and getting into lots of death-defying moments.

Short: "Adventures of Captain Marvel, Chapter Three:  Time Bomb" (1941)

Nobody needed to save Captain Marvel from the guillotine.  His chest was so strong that the guillotine broke when it hit him.  The Scorpion is relentless, though, and gets our hero in trouble again by the cliffhanger, this time as Billy, flying with a time bomb in his airplane.  Yikes!  He needs to say "Shazam!" quickly!  I really love the cheesy special effects, and could see the strings very visibly as Capt. M flies.   I think that Louise Currie must have a series pass, because she was present this week, too.  She probably wants to know what happens as much as we do. 

Feature:  "Double Indemnity" (1944) Screenplay by Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder, based on the novel by James M. Cain, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson.

• One of the several special guests in the audience was Miriam Franklin, whom played Keyes' secretary, and went on to choreograph "Tea for Two" in 1950.  She spoke with the host for awhile about having received really only one direction for the movie, from Fred MacMurray, as she walked toward him to deliver her line at the office.  She was dressed in off white, and I wondered if she talked to Louise Currie about how to look elegant, as she sure did.  
• The movie was introduced by Nicholas Meyer, known for his writing for "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", "Somersby" and "The Informant".  His introduction was beautifully presented.  I didn't care that he was reading the whole time, because he was still animated and his love for the movie and the genre was quite evident.  He also didn't give any spoilers away. 
• Fred MacMurray, playing very much not like his "My Three Sons" character, was excellent. I loved his banter with Barbara Stanwyck.  
• The banter I love is probably one of the reasons that I'm loving all of the films in this series. I mean, hello, it's the writing that we're celebrating!  
• I kept giggling when Neff would call Phyllis "Baby".  The way that he says it is so 1940s. :)
• Stanwyck reminds me of Ashley Tisdale pre-nose job.  I think it's the blonde hair and the shape of her profile.
• Edward G. Robinson was outstanding.  I loved every scene he was in.
• Raymond Chandler can be seen in the film, sitting upstairs by Keyes' office.
• "I think you're swell -- so long as I'm not your husband."
• Neff was really turned on by that anklet.  Perhaps I should wear an anklet to get somebody to banter like that with me.
• I love that this was set in Los Angeles.
• Fred MacMurray was wearing his wedding band for the whole movie, but his character is a bachelor.  I guess they didn't tape their rings for their films back then.
• I was too tired to stay and listen to Fred MacMurray's daughter speak about her experience at the premiere.  Edward G. Robinson's granddaughter was in the audience, but didn't speak afterward, as far as I know.

I'm thinking that I need to see more Billy Wilder movies.  This was great.

Next week:  "Mildred Pierce"

DLR LotD 06/05/10

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Saturday, June 5, 2010


"You said you only had the one tassel." -- Sally, to Dodie, after propositioning Jackson, at Catal

Like Jasmine and Aladdin, But With Cocktails

A bunch of ladies from work had planned a Girls' Night Out, and I somehow invited myself to join them.  I figured that my other female friends wouldn't want to see "Sex and the City 2", and didn't have any plans, and they were nice enough to allow me to crash their party. I wasn't a totally loyal fan of SATC, but watched once in awhile.  I had seen the first movie, and enjoyed it.  

• I still don't understand Carrie's style.  I guess I'm more of a Charlotte when it comes to fashion.
• Nice to see all of the guys, even though it wasn't for very long. 
• In the same vein, it was nice to see Jason Lewis' torso during almost all of his time on screen.
• So, really, people with big breasts don't always wear bras?
• Liza doing "Single Ladies" was quite funny.  She's still got the legs for it!
• I liked their bawdy puns.  It's kind of the female version of all of the obnoxious male comedies.  Although the movie got panned for this, I tend to agree with this article.  I heard a LOT of laughter in the theater at the line "Lawrence of my labia!", and I know it wasn't just me.
• I have different feelings than Carrie about having a TV in the bedroom.  Although I see the point in cuddling up to watch a romantic movie together, it can also get in the way of just having the intimacy of just enjoying time together there.  She just felt like she would be part of a boring couple.
• I'm thinking that maybe I can just use my love of yams as an excuse to prevent future menopausal symptoms.
• Sex scenes were very tame for this show.  The series had much more salaciousness.
• My favorite scene was Miranda and Charlotte confessing to each other over drinks about how difficult it is to be a mother.  "All I could think was, 'I can't lose the nanny!'"

Although this movie is not for everyone, fans of SATC should give it a chance instead of following what many of the reviews say.  It's fun for watching on a night out with the gals.

DLR LotD 05/30/10

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Sunday, May 30, 2010

"Mickey has a monocle." -- Cindy, at Rancho del Zocalo

Laugh, Don't Cry

Oscar Noir: Week 3

Laura

Monday, May 24, 2010

I killed some time after work by doing a couple of errands and picking up some dinner and after-show food before driving down to Beverly Hills.  I arrived at the parking structure and they told me that I couldn't park there until 6:30 p.m., unless I wanted to pay for 30 minutes.  Since I had seen one of the valets drive a van into a pole, I decided to leave.  I went to the other parking lot instead, which let me in even though I had 2 minutes until 6:00 p.m.  I stood in line for a few minutes before Liz got there and I was happy to see that she had an extra sweater for me, because it was chilly out there in that line!  She found seats for us in the center section, and I conversed with a guy wearing a Lakers t-shirt.  Liz informed me that she had just watched "Laura" again the other day because she loves it so much, full well knowing that she'd be here tonight.   Louise Currie of the Captain Marvel series was again in the audience, looking glamorous.  

Short:  "Adventures of Captain Marvel, Chapter Two:  The Guillotine" (1941)

Everyone in the car survived the car going off of the bridge, because it fell into the water, and Captain Marvel jumped down to save them.  The cliffhanger this week was that Captain Marvel was hit with an electric shock, and is on a conveyer belt, which has a guillotine at the other end.  Who will save him?  It's got to be someone, right?  There are several more of these in the series!

Cartoon:  "Flora" (1948)

It's like Film Noir, but with a dog all upset about a cat!  Why are all of the cartoon Siamese cats so mean?  I mean, she made the dog suicidal, for goodness' sake.  Meanie.

Feature Attraction:  "Laura" (1944) Screenplay by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Betty Reinhardt, based on the novel by Vera Caspary, directed by Otto Preminger, and starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price and Judith Anderson.

• Another special guest in the audience was Cara Williams, nominated for an Oscar for her role in "The Defiant Ones", and was in the scene in Laura's office as the secretary who is listening to Waldo ask Laura to dinner.  
• The film was introduced by Scott Frank, writer for "Dead Again" and "Marley and Me".  He didn't give spoilers, for which he received applause, and I was happy.  He defended Dana Andrews' work and told us to watch for Mr. Andrews' facial expressions in different scenes.
• The makeup artist was Guy Pearce.  But isn't that the guy in "L.A. Confidential" and "Memento"?  Wow, he's been around a long time. ;)
• Clifton Webb is hilarious.  I kept looking forward to the next scene that he'd steal every time he wasn't in one.
• I wish my hair could do what Gene Tierney's did.
• I did like the looks that McPherson gave to people, especially the look of disdain he gave to all of the suspects.
• I needed a few minutes to get over Vincent Price's voice not saying something haunting, or laughing maniacally.
• Favorite line:  " In my case, self-absorption is completely justified. I have never discovered any other subject quite so worthy of my attention." -- Waldo
• Close second:  "I don't use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in venom." -- Waldo  (He had all of the great lines).
• For a moment there, I thought that McPherson was having a dream sequence.  It's the soap opera fan in me, I guess.

I really enjoyed this movie.  This is what I think of when I hear the term "Film Noir": murder, mystery, and witty dialogue.  You gotta love it.

Next up: "Double Indemnity".

Fe Dude 2: The Metal Boogaloo

Seeing "Iron Man 2" was my motivation for taking a walk to the movie theater on Furlough Friday this week.  I kept dilly-dallying, but finally made it out the door and walked quickly to the theater, making it into the actual room as the previews were being shown.  Phew!

• Is it wrong that I liked the streaks in Mickey Rourke's hair?
• Who came first?  Vanko or Baretta?
• I'm not jealous enough of Scarlett Johansson already, that now she also has to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. badass?  Unfair! ;)
• Pepper Potts looks great in blue dresses.
• I like Sam Rockwell as a comical bad guy.  Reminds me of when he was in "Charlie's Angels", which I happened to watch later that night.
• I like that Jon Favreau gave himself a little bit with which to kick some ass.
• I think that I would have preferred to wear Rhodey's silver suit: more sleek, less flashy. 
• Nick Fury had more stuff to do here.  Cool.  "Which do I look at?  The patch or the eye?"
• Heh.  "Super Secret Boy Band".
• I liked the scenery when Rhodey and Stark, in their suits, are telling each other to get to higher ground.  The cherry blossom petals are falling as the War Machines show up.  It looks like the beginning of a fight in a martial arts film.
• I cried during that whole scene with the Stark father/son stuff.  Shut up.
• I love that "Make Way For Tomorrow Today" song.  It sounds like "It's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow".Hey, it's by Richard Sherman!  

So the God of Thunder is next up?  Awesome.

Superman, Captain Marvel and Captain Midnight

Oscar Noir: Week 2

Shadow of a Doubt

Monday, May 17, 2010

I drove down to Beverly Hills right after work and had a lot of time before I could park in the structure, so I drove to MILK and got a Manchego salad and a hazelnut madeleine.  I might go there every week just to try something different each time.  I love that place.  When I returned to the area near the theater, I parked on one of the residential streets and ate my dinner.  I waited for Liz, and after she parked, we realized that we had parked in a Permit Only zone, and moved our cars to the parking structures.  Oops.  There was a long line for the holders of the series pass this time, and Linda found us, then went to her short ticket holder line and saved us seats. Liz and Linda were excited about the movie we would see, because they love it.   

Before we get to the films, look at that avatar over there on the right, concocted just for this series.  She is really cool if you watch the entire animation, which is available at that link underneath.  Unfortunately, the code is too large to export onto the blog, which is usually the case, so I'll be including the link from now on.  Now, on to the show.

Cartoon:  "Superman in Showdown" (1942)

A mobster hires a guy to dress as Superman and rob people and banks.  He is soooo not as handsome as Superman.

Short:  "Adventures of Captain Marvel, Chapter One: Curse of the Scorpion" (1941)

This is the setup for how Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel, out in the Middle Eastern desert.  His powers are given to him by the Captain Marvel that grew old, and all he has to do is say "Shazam!" and he gets his powers.  He says the word again, and he's back to being Billy.  Captain Marvel doesn't look like Billy at all, which kind of stunned me.  I guess I forgot how that also happened in the TV series I watched in the 70s.  This episode is longer than the others will be, since it was the premiere.  Great cliffhanger at the end with the bridge exploding and the car falling.

We had a special guest in the audience: Louise Currie, who played Betty Wallace in this series. At 97 years old, she was still dressed in old-Hollywood glamor, in a white gown, and a fur-lined wrap.  She was funny and thought that the microphone was merely a prop instead of being used as a sound device.  She said that she hopes she lives until the next episode (she was one of the people in the car).  That was really cool.

Feature Attraction:  "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943), story by Gordon McDonell, script by Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson and Alma Reville, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, and Macdonald Carey.

• The MC read a letter from the actress who played little sister Ann, who is now living happily in Arizona or New Mexico or something like that.
• The film was introduced by Dick Clement, writer of "Flushed Away", "The Commitments", and "Across the Universe".  He had actually never seen the film before being asked to do the introduction, but really enjoyed it.  He thankfully didn't give any spoilers away, and the audience applauded when he mentioned that he hated when critics give spoilers in their reviews.
• We were supposed to look for all of the things done in twos.  Ah, duality.  
• Ann (Edna May Wonacott) reminded me a LOT of Abigail Breslin, by the way she looked and her precocious manner.  I loved this character.  So now I see the connection between the cartoon, the short, and this film: Ann asked God to bless "Captain Midnight, Veronica Lake and The President of the United States."  Always be appreciative of your superheroes.
• I was a little bit uncomfortable with the relationship between Uncle Charlie and his namesake niece.  I think that if the movie had been done in present day, that might have been pushed to some kind of sexual abuse thing.  I like that it didn't do that in Hitchcock's film, but it still made me uncomfortable whenever they were physically close to each other. Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright played off of each other beautifully, though.  Lots of tension where it was supposed to be.
• I know Macdonald Carey as the patriarch of "Days of Our Lives", and was happy to see him in his younger movie star days.  I so would have had a crush on him back then, had I grown up in that time.
• The story was mainly set and filmed in Santa Rosa, CA.  I thought to myself, "I don't remember Santa Rosa looking like that when I saw Rockapella there", and have now realized that it was probably because we never actually went into town that day.  Oh, wait, there were earthquakes that affected the town anyway.
• I am now always going to think of this movie when I hear the "Merry Widow Waltz."
• Wow, that score, by Dimitri Tiomkin, really got me nervous at the climax.
• Loved the crime-buff relationship between Joseph (Charlie's dad) and their neighbor Herbie, as they talked about how they'd kill each other. 

I really enjoyed this movie.  Every time I see a HItchcock film that's new to me, I think to myself, "I need to watch more Hitchcock films."  It happened this time, too.

DLR LotD 05/14/10

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Friday, May 14, 2010


"Why aren't you French-kissing Mr. Toad?" -- Sherry, to Linda, in line at Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

Oscar Noir: 1940s Writing Nominees from Hollywood's Dark Side

Week 1: The Maltese Falcon

Monday, May 10, 2010

One of the cool things about living in L.A. is that there are a lot of opportunities to see tributes to the film industry.  This year, AMPAS is celebrating the Oscar writing nominees that fall into the category of Film Noir.  I've been interested in watching different movies that are the genre of Film Noir, but never actually sat down to do so, so I was excited enough about this event to get a series pass, which allows me to see all 15 weeks of the event.  At $5.00 per evening, which is quite a deal already, it's a great price, and I get to see the movies on a bigger screen than my home TV.  My thoughts will all be from the point of view of someone's first viewing, as I haven't seen any of the films on the list.  

Each week has a short and a cartoon before the movie.  During the previews, we saw that we would get to see an episode of "Captain Marvel" every week, starting next week.  Cool!  Sadly, I think that I will have only seen the cartoons before the nights that they're shown.  Such is my TV addict life. :)

Short:  "How to Be a Detective" (1936) starring Robert Benchley

Robert Benchley talks about how to be a good detective, then promptly shows how much he sucks at it.  You gotta love old-fashioned humor.

Cartoon:  "How to Be a Detective" (1952) starring Goofy

It's Goofy, hello!  Those darn weasels.

Main Feature: "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) written and directed by John Huston.

• The book "The Maltese Falcon" was written by Dashiell Hammett, and since Mr. Hammett is no longer alive, the Academy invited his family to be there, including his granddaughter.  
• The movie was introduced by Lawrence Kasdan, famed writer of "The Empire Strikes Back", "Return of the Jedi", "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Silverado".  
• Mr. Kasdan said that he had seen the movie over 25 times, and each time notices something new.  He talked about some of his favorite lines in the movie, but I didn't know any of them yet.  Perhaps I would have been more interested had I already watched the film, because I found myself wishing Mr. Kasdan would stop talking about the film and show it already. To be fair, though, I think that I was tired and didn't want to fall asleep next to the guy with the not-so-fresh breath, for fear that I'd wake up with him breathing on my face.
• Not surprisingly, this evening was sold out.  There was a long line outside with people wanting to buy tickets.  Why wouldn't it be, though?  This is probably the most famous of all of the genre.
• Bogart at his best.  Loved him, loved Sam Spade.
• I can see why this film was nominated for its writing.  The dialogue was quick-paced and witty, and there were a few twists in the plot.
• Mary Astor was also fun as the not-very-truthful femme fatale, Brigid O'Shaughnessy.  I am glad that Mr. Kasdan talked about the script a bit, so that I could understand a bit of what was going on.  People were laughing so much that I don't think that I heard everything they said, but at least I kinda knew what was going to be stated.
• Peter Lorre was fantastic as Joel Cairo.  I loved his character, and he had me giggling with almost every word he said.
• Sydney Greenstreet was great as The Fat Man, whose last name was Gutman.  ;)  I liked his very hearty laugh.
• I waited this long to see this movie why?!  I want to see that again!

I left before the panel discussion regarding the Film Noir genre because I was tired and it was late.  In the lobby, various works of art were on display for the Chuck Jones exhibit, which is set to open this Friday.  The framed items still had post-it notes stuck to them with the titles, probably so that they'd know where all of the descriptions would be placed.  Sketches included such cartoons as "Feed The Kitty" and "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century", and "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi".  I love Chuck Jones.  I'm looking forward to seeing the full exhibit next week when I'm there.  They also had The Maltese Falcon prop and script on display, as well as the posters for some of the films that will be shown in the series.  Unfortunately, photography of the exhibits is not allowed, or you'd be seeing a lot of pictures here right now. :)

Next Up:  "Shadow of a Doubt" 

Shirtless

I had wanted to see "Date Night" since Linda and I first saw the trailer several months ago.  She and I saw it a couple of weeks ago.

• Loved the chemistry between Steve Carell and Tina Fey.
• I wish that Kristen Wiig would have been given more to do.  I think she's hilarious on "Saturday Night Live"
• Mark Wahlberg shirtless just makes my day.
• I loved when Claire would tell "the story" about other diners in the restaurants.  I sometimes try to get people to do that with me, but they're certainly not as funny as Tina Fey.
• "Hey, who likes...shirts?"
• Hilarious scene when the Fosters return to Claw for info and need to distract the hostess.  Additional takes are shown after the credits.
• "I'll bet you do all kinds of right."
• The scenes on the streets of NYC were filmed on location in Times Square, prompting them to film with New Yorkers as extras.  A couple of them stared at the camera, and I wondered if they were supposed to be staring at the antics of Carell and Fey.
• "If we're going to pay that much for crab, it better sing and dance and introduce us to The Little Mermaid."
• "And will you, for the love of God, put on a f**king shirt?!"

That was a fun movie, with lots of laughs, and a touch of heartwarming stuff.  But most of all, Hello, Marky Mark's chest! :)