Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

So this was an interesting movie for me because I am doing my final project on Western movies. The movie starring Paul Newman, Robert Reford, and Katherine Ross was released in 1969. It follows Butch Cassidy (Paul N.) and The Sundance Kid also known as Harry H. (Robert Redford) on their journey to Bolivia because they were escaping the law enforcement who were trying to catch them for robbing trains. However, when they got to Bolivia, they began to rob banks and evade the Bolivia police and the American law enforcement that had followed them.

Probably one of my favorite scenes in the movie is when the three (including Katherine Ross who plays Sundance's girl) travel to New York. There they experience the turn of the century living and culture. I perhaps liked this the best because I just got done reading Amusing the Millions by John Kannon, so I could better correlate the time period and place they were in.

Here is a link that might be interesting to read and view a picture of the real outlaws.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=buch+cassidy+and+the+sundance+kid&view=detail&id=9A7E8519E984691756DABDD43E8B6AD628609CB1&first=0&FORM=IDFRIR

MID-TERM EXAM

Turn this in during the first class after Spring Break. No emails or postings on this one. Please come to class with a printed copy.


1. What factors were involved in the end of the Studio System as it existed from the early days up through the 1950s?

2. In the first several decades of film production, various Studios were associated with particular styles and genres. Discuss this subject and give examples from our viewing list or other movies you might have watched on your own.

3. There is something called the “Hollywood Style”. What is it and how did it develop?

4. What were the origins of the Production Code and how did it influence American filmmaking?

Rent

I watched the musical "Rent" for class. I really enjoy this movie, and I think it is done very well in many different ways. First of all, I have seen the broadway version of Rent, which is obviously the original script. It was really interesting to see the changes in plot and direction that needed to be taken to make this an effective film. Because there was no need to be confined to a stage, there was a lot more that the director could do with setting. The subway scene, in particular, was really great in the movie because the characters were singing on a real-life subway. This scene was a lot more effective on film, because the viewer didn't need to use their imagination so much, and could instead just sit back and watch the scene. In general, the movie stayed very true to the original. Even six out of the eight of the main cast were from the original broadway production, and many of the same props were used, such as the projector screen showing everyone's faces at the end of the show. I think a lot of musicals that are adapted from the stage to film try to break away from the original, but "Rent" is very true to its broadway roots and makes a large effort to stay true to its original self. One other big difference is the amount of dialogue. There is a lot mroe dialogue in the film, because a film is a different type of production than a show. While "Rent" on stage is more about the production, dancing, and visual effect of a staged show, the movie needed to focus more on plot. Things that could be looked over in  a staged show needed to be explained through dialogue in the film. For instance, the death of Roger's ex girlfriend is quickly mentioned in the broadway show, but in the film this is not enough, and so it needs to be explained by the other characters through dialogue for the viewer. In general, I loved "Rent"and want to watch more musicals!

Singing in the Rain

For homework this week I chose to watch Singing in The Rain. I have actually seen this movie many times. It is one of my favorite movies; I essentially grew up watching it.

I think that this is a very interesting movie because it is a movie about the film industry during the switch from silent movies to movies with sound. The idea of watching a film in essence joking about the film industry is actually very amusing to me.

Essentially the film is about a romance between an actor and an aspiring actress during the switch from silent movies to movies with sound. This aspiring actress’s voice is used in place of a famous silent era’s actress’s horrible shrieking voice. Finally at the end of the movie full credit gets given to Kathy for allowing Lina to use her voice during the film.

The music in this film is outstanding. I think almost everyone knows the song “Singing in The Rain” which the film gains title from. My favorite song in this movie however, is “Good Morning”. Its up beat, easy to sing along with, and very cheerful.

The main actors and actresses include Gene Kelley, Debbie Reynolds, and Jean Hagen. The film was released in 1952 and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

The Blues Brothers

One of my favorite musicals, and favorite films in general, is the 1980 film the Blues Brothers. I would say that the film is more of a conventional film than a musical, but the musical stylings of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and of course Ray Charles make this film much more than just a standard Landis film. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi make the film hilarious from start to finish, which clearly draws on the experience that the actors had on Saturday Night Live. The main plot is for the brothers to accumulate enough money to keep their childhood orphanage from closing, but the film creates many subplots along the way to set the stage for a terrific ending. Carrie Fischer, John Candy, and Henry Gibson all play ridiculous roles that almost stop the brothers dead in their tracks, but somehow the brothers always manage to get away in their '72 Dodge Monaco ex-police car. The brothers plan on getting the money they need by getting their old band back together, and as they hunt down their bandmates, they meet Brown, Franklin, and Charles, who all happen to be acquaintances of the brothers. The music throughout is awesome. It's catchy and full of elaborate dances that truly capture an audience's attention. The film ends with a hilariously ridiculous car chase, and the brothers finally landing in jail for the many injustices they committed throughout the film. I'd suggest that anyone who hasn't seen this film to check it out, as there are far more antics in the film than the ones included in this little preview. The film is truly a classic, and was the last major film John Belushi made before his death shortly after the film was released.

Funny Girl

I loved the movie Funny Girl. The audience is almost forced to love Barbra Streisand’s character, Fannie Brice, as we watch her go from slum-dom to stardom. It’s impossible to put a label on Fannie, but she somehow finds strength in her contradictions. On the surface she's skinny and plain with a big nose and boney knees, but underneath her unimpressive exterior she has an undeniable power that radiates behind her voice. She is a successful comedian but leads a less than successful life at home. Sometimes it’s unclear which life she prefers. It seems like she starts acting the moment she steps off of the stage. The fans that love her will probably never be able to meet her, while the man she meets and marries may never be able to love her. Her success is both a blessing and a curse.

 

Her melodramatic declarations and comically theatrical gesticulations fabulously juxtapose her mother’s dry humor. I found it interesting how her husband’s addiction to gambling separates them, but also offers possibly the only similarity between them, their talented poker face.

 

Streisand’s opening line, “Hello, gorgeous” is delivered into a backstage prop mirror with a famously thick Brooklyn accent. The frame of the mirror mimics the body of the film, which is essentially a reflection on her past and rise to fame. This was also the first thing that Streisand said after receiving her Oscar for Best Actress.

 

Robert Elbert, reviewer for the Chicago Sun-Times, said of Streisand, “She has the best timing since Mae West, and is more fun to watch than anyone since the young Katharine Hepburn. She doesn't actually sing a song at all; she acts it. She does things with her hands and face that are simply individual; that's the only way to describe them. They haven't been done before. She sings, and you're really happy you're there.”

 

Hair.

Flow it. Show it. Long as God can grow it.

Four years ago I worked the lights at a "Broadway cabaret" and was introduced to many songs with which I had not been familiar, among them "The Age of Aquarius." Since then, I've suspected that I would like the musical of its origin, "Hair." I rather enjoyed the way the choreography was handled during this number and the movie in general; in keeping with the atmosphere of freedom and individuality, the dancers were synchronized yet delightfully unconstrained by the traditional formalist notion of indistinguishable steps and pirouettes. There were several other songs I particularly enjoyed, such when Woof sings "Sodomy, Fellatio, Cunnilingus, Peredasty. Father, why do these words sound so nasty? Masturbation can be fun. Join the holy orgy. Kama Sutra, everyone!" to three young high-society ladies on horseback. When Hud, an African-American, sings "Colored Spade" he's wryly listing off various self-deprecating racial epithets, but mixed in with them is the declaration that he's "President of the United States of Love." The song seemed to have an added dimension to it now given the results of the '08 election. The scenes which accompanied the pro-miscegenation "Black Boys" and "White Boys" were well done and quite funny. The somber juxtaposition of Berger's death right before the upbeat "Let the Sunshine In" was as unexpected as the revelation of his death was sudden.

One of the better quips from the film:

Prison Psychiatrist: And men?

Woof: What do you mean...?

Prison Psychiatrist: You have any sexual attraction towards men?

Woof: You mean if I'm a homosexual or something like that?

Prison Psychiatrist: Yeah.

Woof: Well, I wouldn't kick Mick Jagger out of my bed, but uh, I'm not a homosexual, no.

Also, I adored Jeannie's character:

Jeannie (carrying either Hud's or Woof's child): I'm not into any heavy preference trip... like who the father is. I don't care. I think they're both beautiful. Don't you?
Hud's Fiancee: But how can you not care about that? If a woman carries a child, don't you think she should know who the father is?
Jeannie: I admit that I have this dilemma. But it will be resolved real soon. It's not like a big crisis or anything. It's not like a world war. I don't know what you're so uptight about.
Hud's Fiancee: I fell in love with someone. We had a child, and we were gonna get married. That's why I'm uptight.
Jeannie: Yeah?
Hud's Fiancee: And you're holding it up!
Jeannie: I'm not holding it up. You don't see the way it is. This is really a great thing that's happened to all of us. Everybody's really happy about it. The guys are really happy. I think it would be great if you could be happy about it too.
Hud's Fiancee: You're crazy.
Jeannie: Yeah I'm crazy. We're all crazy. Let's shake on it.

Whatever happened to free love anyhow?

A couple interesting facts I came across:

An astrologer was consulted for when the original musical ought to open on Broadway.

Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) welcomes the children to his factory with lyrics from the one of the songs: "Good morning starshine, the Earth says hello!"

I've spared you a plot summary. Just make sure you watch it at some point if you haven't.