Holiday Television Celluloid- “The Night of the Meek” (1960)

Henry Corwin was a department store Santa & a constant wino. He was late from his Christmas Eve dinner break. Mr. Dundee, his department store boss, had enough of his antics & fired him. Upon leaving, Corwin wondered around in his Santa costume & stumbled across a mysterious sack. What did it contain? Could it be a way to be a better life?

“The Night of the Meek” aired on December 23, 1960 during the second season of The Twilight Zone. Art Carney (“The Honeymooners”) was a loveable lush as Corwin. John Fiedler (“The Bob Newhart Show”) was stern & steadfast as Dundee. This great teleplay was written by Rod Serling. The episode’s appointment viewing during Christmas. It’s available to stream on Hulu, Pluto TV & Paramount Plus.

Star Crossed Celluloid- The Shape of Water (2017)

Elisa was a mute and lived a quiet life in early 1960’s Baltimore.  Giles was her gay neighbor.  They enjoyed classic films, pie and talking through sign language.  He was a starving artist and looking to breakthrough in advertising.  She worked in a government facility as a janitor.  Zelda, a black co-worker, was her other friend.  She interrupted for her during shifts.  They enjoyed the overnight shift in relative peace except for one beast.  Richard Strickland was their boss and a scumbag.  Yet, he would bring a thing that would change Elisa’s life.  It was an Amphibian Man and he was odd just like her.

What would Strickland do with the creature from the Amazon?  Was it able to communicate?  What was the askew attraction between Elisa and the Amphibian?

The Shape of Water was directed and co-written by Guillermo Del Toro.  Sally Hawkins was brilliant and sexy as Elisa.  She managed to carve out a performance through body language and the grace of a ballerina.  Richard Jenkins was comforting and understanding as Giles.  He’s a man that we’ve all confided in at some point.  He made life and culture an outlet for the two of them.  Octavia Spencer was fiery and fierce as Zelda.  She had the qualities of a strong woman that we see daily.  She doesn’t take anyone’s mess and would speak up against the odds.  Michael Shannon’s portrayal of Richard Strickland was wicked and tortured.  Strickland made Christian Grey and Don Draper look like domesticated tabby cats.  Doug Jones (Del Toro’s regular creature actor) was great as the Amphibian and somehow managed to capture our hearts.

Del Toro has used the Cold War perfectly to address bigotry, sexual harassment, racism and homophobia.  Elisa and Zelda along with their female co-workers were subjected to the crass, sexist behavior of Mr. Strickland.  Yet, this was several decades before Me Too and a few years prior to the Women’s Liberation movement.  Giles, Elisa’s gay friend, wasn’t immune either.  He had a career but something unspoken (if viewers read into the brilliant subtext) did or didn’t occur with a former co-worker.  Also, he had to hide his love or affections for other men.  The restaurant scene captured his plight and that of other minorities as well.

The Shape of Water is The Best Film of 2017.  It’s a haunting fairy tale with heroes and villains.  The technicolor landscape was mesmerizing.  The story was timeless and timely.  He has managed to illustrate our humanity and true need for connection.  Love and acceptance are universal.  Remember that.

 

 

Interrupting Fan/Coming of Age Celluloid- Wonder (2017)

Hi, I’m Auggie Pullman.  I have the typical likes of any boy:  Star Wars, outer space and science.  Yet, my appearance doesn’t mirror them at all.  From birth to fairly recently (before 10), the surgeries have numbered twenty-seven.  They help me to hear, breath and live normally.  Mom has home schooled me until now.  She decided it’s the right time to begin regular education.

Will I be accepted?  Can I live without my space helmet (it protects me from glaring eyes)?  What would Chewbacca do?

Wonder was based on the R.J. Palacio novel.  Jacob Tremblay turned in an old soul performance as Auggie.  Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson were terrific together as his parents.

The film tackled tolerance, bullying and love in an atypical manner.  Acceptance and overcoming the odds are things that we never outgrow.  However, a strong community of family and friends (real not just Minecraft) are what help us to persevere.

This is One of the Best Films of 2017, One of 2017’s Best Family Films and Best Family Drama of 2017.   In a world of uncertainty, we should all remember to Choose Kind.

Coming of Age Celluloid- The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

Nadine was smart, witty, and…awkward.  Damian, her younger brother, has muscles, looks, and friends.  She envied and hated him in the same breath. However, her father loved and understood her above everyone else.  Then, her world tumbled down with his death.

Several years later, the family (including his widow) struggled with this loss individually.  Damian focused on sports and being a social butterfly.  Mona, Nadine’s mom, had varying friends with benefits and battled with her daughter constantly.  Throughout, she has had another rock and her name was Krista.  She met Nadine in kindergarten and they’ve been inseparable every since.  Yet, this would change with one night of drinking around Damian.

Would Nadine ever become popular?  Would Krista ever wise up?  Will Mona ever realize the true pain that her daughter suffers?

The Edge of Seventeen was written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig.  Craig captured perfectly the awkwardness of puberty and adulthood in one film.  Hailee Steinfeld was beautiful as an old soul in capturing Nadine’s essence.  Kyra Sedgwick was brutal yet loving as Mona.  However, Woody Harrelson’s Mr. Bruner gave audiences some of the best verbal sparring in 2016.  He provided the much needed reality check for this teenager loner.

Craig has created something that no viewer would’ve ever conceived.  The film would’ve been a great project for Robert Altman and Nora Ephron to create.  Viewers can see the realism that Altman was known for and Ephron’s yearn to capture the female psychique.  They each wrote and directed films about women of all ages.  Yet, Altman and Ephron never conceived a teenage coming of age film.

Kelly Fremon Craig has done that.  She has found the right balance of bring baby boomers, generation X, generation Y, & millennials together without missing a beat. She has packed heart, humor, and sadness into one ball of teenage angst.  They (Robert & Nora) are smiling down upon this brilliant piece of celluloid.  It along with Moonlight & Arrival capture the essence of 2016 on film.

The Edge of Seventeen is my choice for Best Film of 2016.  We realize that being awkward never complete ends beyond puberty.  Yet, this film shows us that there is hope in embracing what makes us real.

Coming of Age Celluloid- Moonlight (2016)

Little was a young, intelligent, and black boy.  He was the constant target of bullying because he’s gay.  However, Paula, his mother, doesn’t appreciate his life choice.  Yet, she worked and spent her spare time smoking crack.

He’s never known his real father.  However, his world was about to change unexpectedly.  Juan was his name and drugs are his game.  He came to Little’s rescue after being chased by intolerant classmates.  Little would tell him that his name was Chiron.

Chiron was surprised that this man and Teresa, his woman, opened their home and hearts to him.  He’d never felt this type of love towards anyone.  However, he did love another and his name was Kevin.  Kevin was his best friend but was unaware of being loved.

Would Chiron’s mother ever accept his sexuality?  Will Juan & Teresa continue to love and support him?  Would he ever tell Kevin his true feelings?

Moonlight was directed by Barry Jenkins.  Jenkins co-wrote this original, coming of age story with Tarell Alvin McCraney.  They have captured a rare side of urban life. Viewers have always seen white and other races as growing up gay.  However, Jenkins & McCraney have created a film that shows the struggles of being black & gay.

We see Chiron’s transition from boyhood to manhood in a new light.  It’s not just cut and paste like lower class to upper class society for most races.  It can be a real beast and hate changes people over time.  The hate can turn a young, innocent boy against himself and most others.  The person may be deemed bad by society. Yet, hope can be found within one person or several people.  They’ll take someone in when no one else wanted them.

Chiron was beautifully portrayed by Alex J. Hibbert (aka Little) & Ashton Sanders (Chiron).  Mahershala Ali did an outstanding job as Juan.  He went seamlessly from pusher to pushover.  Naomi Harris was brutally devastating as Paula.  She could send Satan running back to the Lord in a heartbeat.   Janelle Monae was warm and pleasant as Theresa.  She embraced Chiron in ways that his mother never would.

Jenkins has created a beautiful, urban masterpiece.  It is an unlikely companion to The Infiltrator.  However, Moonlight focused more on the pusher’s psyche.  The Infiltrator showed viewers what took down the drug trade to an extent.

The film will leave viewers talking long after the credits role.  I won’t reveal the ending but it’s a second audible for a film this year.  The previous one was for the surprise ending of Arrival.

This is one of 2016’s Ten Best Films and will probably be a contender at the 2017 Oscars.  Viewers have a new visionary director in African-American cinema; his name is Barry Jenkins.

MCM From Another World Celluloid- Jeremy Renner in Arrival (2016)

The alien vessels appeared across the globe. It created panic and terror without the visitors materializing.

The militaries of Earth were uncertain about communication with them.
Dr. Louise Banks, a linguistics professor, was invited by Col. Weber to assist the United States military in this Top Secret mission.

She would be assisted by Ian Donnelly, a physics professor.
What did the aliens want? Would we stay lost in translation? Will the Earth be destroyed?

Arrival was based on Ted Chiang’s story, “Story of Your Life”.   The film was masterfully crafted by Dennis Villeneuve. He found the right balance with mind bending visuals and raw emotion.

Amy Adams was terrific as Louise. Jeremy Renner was great as Ian. The two share some of what will be 2016’s most talked about cinematic moments.

Forest Whitaker provided subtle leadership as Col. Weber.

The film has 2016’s best and most unexpected surprise ending. It is a great balance of Contact & Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  The adaptation was written by Eric Heisserer (Lights Out).  He tapped into the current geopolitical struggles and fear mongering by the media.

We would like to think that an alien race would ease the global uncertainty. However, his plot structuring and dialogue suggested otherwise.  The realism of martial law seemed eerie and more unsettling than the visiting Heptapods.  The monsters in this film have mostly human faces.   The international military leaders are fearful of the unknown visitors for the most part.

However, the exceptions included Dr. Banks, Col. Weber, and Ian Donnelly.   Dr. Banks & Ian Donnelly nicknamed their Heptapods, “Abbott and Costello”.  It seems fitting that the two scientists would’ve brought that type of positive spin to an impending crisis.

They showed the same optimism of Richard Dreyfuss’ Roy Meary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jodie Foster’s Dr. “Ellie” Arroway in Contact.

The film has the Best Surprise Ending of 2016.  The complex characters, exotic cinematography, and atypical visitors make it One of 2016’s Ten Best Films.

Viewers will be hearing more about this film when the 2017 Oscar Nominations are revealed.  The nominations should include Best Actress (Amy Adams), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, Best Director, & Best Picture to name a few categories.

Don’t miss this sci-fi epic. The film will leave you talking long after the end credits.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Renner

MCM Anniversary/Role Reversal Celluloid- John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

My name is Hedwig Robinson.  I was born in East Berlin, Germany as Hansel Schmidt.  You are asking yourselves, “How did I become a woman?”  Darling, it’s complicated as all things are in life.

I was the son of an East German woman and a U.S. G.I.  However, my father was thrown out by Hedwig (my mother) because of being a pervert.  Maybe, it is the reason that I took her name.  No,  it was because of a another U.S. G.I.; his name was Sgt. Luther Robinson.  However, he couldn’t take me back across Checkpoint Charlie as Hansel.  It would have been frowned upon.  Instead, a simple surgery and I’d be a woman.  Nein, the surgeon was a monster but Dr. Frankenstein would’ve been more considerate.  He took all of Hansel except for one inch.

Oh, Well!  Goodbye, East Berlin!  Hello, Junction City, Kansas?  I thought America would be bright lights and big cities.  Instead, I get a dim, single wide trailer. Damn, where is Luther going?  He’s left me alone and afraid with just a “Wig in a Box”.

Now, I’m a woman of my own and have to fend for myself.  Fortunately, an officer required a babysitter for his two sons: a baby and a teenager.  The teen’s name was Tommy Speck and I was smitten.  He was a rebel against Christianity but I knew music.  Wow, he was hooked on the rhythm and wouldn’t be the same.

Flash forward, Tommy Speck is now Tommy Gnosis.  Hey that sounds familiar because I wrote “The Origin of Love”.

Will I get my music back?  Will I find the rest of what I’ve lost?

Hedwig and the Angry Inch was written, directed, and starred John Cameron Mitchell.  The film was based on his book and the music/lyrics of Stephen Trask.  It was an off-Broadway phenomenon in 1998.

Mitchell was and still is one of a kind as Hedwig.  He brought the kind of androgyny that would’ve made David Bowie coy.   His performance transcended that of Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  He made Hedwig not another Dr. Frank N Furter.

Instead, she (Hedwig) was a real Wo-man who had urges and needs.  Yet, she saw the big picture and found herself.

The moral of the film is pursue dreams and life despite adversity.  The adversity will make us all stronger despite the pain.  We will all continue to face challenges no matter what.

John Cameron Mitchell,  Thank you for writing such a love letter to the human spirit and condition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cameron_Mitchell

WCW Unlikely Love Celluloid- Emilia Clarke in Me Before You (2016)

Lou Clark is a working class girl. She has a big heart but dodgy luck with employment (and love).  Her boyfriend is an extreme sports junkie.  Yet, she could care less.

Will Traynor is a successful business man. However, a traffic accident changed all of that.  He still has looks but the charm is virtually gone.

Lou takes an offer to care for him. Will Beauty tame this Beast before all the petals fall?

Me Before You is adapted by Jojo Moyes from her novel. Emilia Clarke is a charmer as Lou. Sam Claflin is dashing as Will.

The film asks and answers many atypical questions to this genre.  It leave audiences talking long after the credits role.  Yet, viewers may be pondering over the comparison to Beauty and the Beast. 

Beauty and the Beast saw Belle, a lower class woman, become a capture of the Beast.  The Beast was a noble man but he mistakenly refused an enchanted woman safe harbor.  Then, she cursed him, turned him into a creature, and enchanted the servants as well.  However, he was still the tender, naive man underneath.  His hourglass lied beneath a display case but it was a rose.  The rose would stay alive until the last petal fell.   When this happened, he would be a Beast forever.  His only hope lied in love’s true kiss and love.  Fortunately, Belle was the angel that he and the servants were looking for.  

Me Before You has Lou as Belle and Will as the Beast.  However, their story is not a fairy tale.  She had the ability to do something that money couldn’t buy.  Will’s cold, crippled heart was resurrected by this commoner.  They would change each other in different ways.  No, Disney fans are not treated to musical numbers.  However, they will be treated to a dance unlike any other.  It will remind viewers of that moment and will bring a tear/smile to some cheeks.

Clarke and Claflin bring 2016’s best romantic film and one of 2016’s best films to the screen. Viewers will find themselves laughing and tearing up as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilia_Clarke

Best & Worst Celluloid of 2016 (So Far)- Op Ed

Best Films of 2016 (So Far)

10.  13 Hours: Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi

9.   The Lobster

8.  Captain America:  Civil War

7.  Eddie The Eagle

6.  Deadpool

5.  The Nice Guys

4.  Miles Ahead

3.  Free State of Jones

2. Sing Street

1.  Eye in The Sky

Cult Classics of 2016 (So Far):  Miles Ahead, Dirty Grandpa, The Neon Demon, Keanu, The Lobster, The Brothers Grimsby, Sing Street, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, I Saw The Light

Strangest Film (So Far) (tie):  The Lobster, The Neon Demon

Best Throwback Film 1980’s (New & Old):  Sing Street, Purple Rain (re-release in memory of Prince)

Best Throwback Film 1970’s:  The Nice Guys

Best Political Film 21st Century (tie):  13 Hours & Eye in the Sky

Best Give Him The Damn Oscar Already Performance:  Don Cheadle in Miles Ahead

Best Give Him The Damn Grammy Already Performance:  Tom Hiddleston in I Saw The Light

Best Final Curtain Call (So Far):  Alan Rickman in Eye in the Sky

Best Toe-Tapping Film:  Sing Street, Purple Rain (Honorable Mention)

Best Unconventional Use of a Song-  “Without You” by Harry Nillson in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Breakout Actress- Gal Gadot (Dawn of Justice, Criminal)

Best Blue Actor & Actress:  Actor-Robert DeNiro (Dirty Grandpa), Actress- Aubrey Plaza (Dirty Grandpa, Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates)

Most Unlikely Best Actor Nominee and Best Comedic Performance (but should be considered) (Tie)-  Kevin Costner in Criminal, Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool

Worst Film of 2016-  The Brothers Grimsby

All of the films picked are subject to change in the coming months.  However, all the films are a departure from the usual.  I choose films based usually on the visual and visceral appeal.

Yet, the films may have political pull in certain instances such as 13 Hours and Free State of Jones.  13 Hours may/may not paint a Presidential Nominee in a negative light but gives viewers a new perspective on the events of Sept. 11, 2012.  Free State of Jones brings up the question of real patriotism and standing up in the face of adversity.

The comedies selected showcase a tendency of the extreme.  The Lobster is an unlikely love story and morality tale.  The Nice Guys is an action, mystery, and thriller with humor throughout.  Deadpool is a blue-humored anti-hero with a tolerance for ultra-violence.  Eddie The Eagle is a heartfelt and funny underdog story based on the life of Eddie Edwards.

Don Cheadle showed his diversity as Miles Davis in Miles Ahead and as Lt. Col James Rhodes in Captain America:  Civil War.  He was cold as Davis but sly as Rhodes.  He’ll be collecting some hardware for Miles Ahead.

It is still a long way until the Oscars 2017.  Don’t be surprised to see some of the films listed nominated.

MCM True Rebel Celluloid- Matthew McConaughey in Free State of Jones (2016)

Free State of Jones is a true story.  Newton Knight (Matthew McCounaughey) fought for the Mississippi 7th Battalion and was a nurse.  However, his loyalty changed once Daniel, his son was drafted. Also, Newton’s 10% of property (including Daniel) was seized by the Confederate forces. His son’s death would change his loyalty.  However, it was just the beginning of his personal revolution.  Yet, he wasn’t the one Rebel that was against slavery.  He would become an unlikely hero.

Also, the film fast forwards to the 20th Century to the trial of Davis Knight.  Davis was the great-grandson of Newton Knight.  His race and heritage were being called into question.

What happened next wasn’t taught in any American History course?

Free State of Jones is directed and co-written by Gary Ross (The Hunger Games). Matthew McConaughey is terrific as Newton.  Ross doesn’t shy away from the true cost of freedom and war.  The film is graphic but true to life.  At the screening I attended, one female viewer walked out after the opening battle and didn’t return.

This is a timely film considering how often race and other attributes are being drudged up in an election year.

Free State proves that this has been ongoing before The Civil War and long afterwards.  America has come a long way, but we still have a ways to go.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton_Knight

https://renegadesouth.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/the-life-and-death-of-davis-knight-after-state-vs-knight/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_McConaughey