tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post4369560720100331692..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: The Great (film) Debates vol. 18AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-65693845211926862762011-12-11T22:59:36.567-05:002011-12-11T22:59:36.567-05:00Jed, There's a lot to that, that the combo was...Jed, There's a lot to that, that the combo was greater than the sum of the parts. That seems to be true in the arts -- especially music.<br /><br />On that point, by the way, I think it's interesting that "dance" has become more individualistic with each passing decade. In fact, these days when you say "dancer" I tend to think in terms of single persons rather than partnerships. I don't think that was true even a decade ago when I still thought of couples when someone said "dance."<br /><br /><br />Great point about the strength of field. There really are so many incredible stars from the past that it's virtually impossible to rank them or even think of all the ones you like.<br /><br />I hate to admit it, but I haven't seen <i>Big Country</i>. I've always meant to, but just never have.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-64815477906579593882011-12-11T22:50:17.835-05:002011-12-11T22:50:17.835-05:00Charlton Heston only escaped top consideration bec...Charlton Heston only escaped top consideration because of the impossible strength of field. One of my favorites of his was "The Big Country" where he was a great supporting actor (along with Burl Ives) to Gregory Peck. A western lovers westernTennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-33248872930374265812011-12-11T22:46:53.554-05:002011-12-11T22:46:53.554-05:00Was it not Kate Hepburn who determined the reason ...Was it not Kate Hepburn who determined the reason behind the greatness of the Astair Rogers team? I paraphrase what I think was her quote: "he adds the class and she adds the sex." Sex and class . . . works for me everytime:) Regardless, they paired to make some of the most successful musicals of any era, and together added dance as an integral part to the "musical."Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-21954432900942153702011-12-11T22:36:20.977-05:002011-12-11T22:36:20.977-05:00That's interesting. But in a way, it's no...That's interesting. But in a way, it's not surprising. The one thing I've found with people who are great at something is incredibly consistency.<br /><br />And interestingly, I've seen many instances where people they've worked with get upset at these people for being "anal" or "obsessive" about their work. And to me, that just shows the difference -- the people who truly get is understand the importance of getting it right every single time you do it... and the rest kind of fake their way through it and hope to get it right "when it counts." One works, the other doesn't.<br /><br />That's something I've heard repeatedly and it many different contexts -- dancing, singing, athletics, musical instruments.<br /><br />But if you think about, would you want a doctor or lawyer kind of faking it until the big case?AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-43962513447566748142011-12-11T22:28:00.173-05:002011-12-11T22:28:00.173-05:00Part of what made Astaire so brilliant is that he ...Part of what made Astaire so brilliant is that he was both very in tune with the music and also extraordinarily precise about it. I forget which film it was, but on one production it was decided that the costumes and sets were too austere in one dance number so they re-shot the whole thing. Even though several weeks, maybe even months, had passed since the first shooting, a side-by-side reel shows that Astaire did precisely the same routine all the way down to the facial expressions and minor gestures. His philosophy of choreography was that when a dance was perfect, there should be absolutely no movement that is superfluous.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-57095386919881397492011-12-11T22:19:38.118-05:002011-12-11T22:19:38.118-05:00Astaire really was in a class by himself.
What...Astaire really was in a class by himself.<br /><br />What's interesting to me, is that he made it look so easy like anybody should be able to do it, which is simply not true.<br /><br />That's usually the sign of greatness in physical activities, when you make something truly complex look easy.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-50782797292298144512011-12-11T22:15:44.968-05:002011-12-11T22:15:44.968-05:00I've heard that saying about Ginger Rogers, to...I've heard that saying about Ginger Rogers, too. The problem with that is that Ginger was far from Fred's only dance partner and she never choreographed. Plus, she had to do twice as many movies as Fred to get that reputation.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-82740681485833107272011-12-11T22:09:16.206-05:002011-12-11T22:09:16.206-05:00Yeah, nice try Scott.
Cameron has pretty much pro...Yeah, nice try Scott.<br /><br />Cameron has pretty much proven himself to be on the hateful fringe left.<br /><br />Russell is awesome. I think I've seen everything he's done and I like most of it and some of it is on my favorites list -- especially his work with John Carpenter.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-59789300828050777912011-12-11T22:04:53.067-05:002011-12-11T22:04:53.067-05:00All I'll say is, Kurt Russell needs to be in m...All I'll say is, Kurt Russell needs to be in more movies! (My love of <i>Executive Decision</i> - which was released two years after <i>True Lies</i> - is already well-documented in these parts.) <br /><br />In fact, it leads me to believe that James Cameron's politics, at least when it comes to terrorism, might be a little more nuanced than we've been led to believe. <br /><br />(This is your cue to say, "Nice try, Scott!") :-)<br /><br />And I love Heston's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=yluZgzkA8MM#t=67s" rel="nofollow">cameo</a> in <i>Wayne's World 2</i>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-76772802767682257802011-12-11T21:56:30.130-05:002011-12-11T21:56:30.130-05:00Hmm. I thought Executive Decision came earlier? ...Hmm. I thought <i>Executive Decision</i> came earlier? I guess not.<br /><br />FYI, Kurt Russell is a libertarian/conservative and Chuck Heston is a conservative/NRA type. I think it's no surprise these guys would be in these kinds of films... unlike, say, Matt Damon.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-91825265801740234282011-12-11T21:50:11.198-05:002011-12-11T21:50:11.198-05:00I'm sure Heston was in at least one or two fil...I'm sure Heston was in at least one or two films after <i>True Lies</i>, his cameo in Tim Burton's dull <i>Planet of the Apes</i> remake notwithstanding. :-)<br /><br />Oh yeah, he was the Player King in Branagh's <i>Hamlet</i> which was released in 1996 and he narrated the opening of <i>Armageddon</i> (1998). He's credited with a few other roles in the late 90s as well.<br /><br />I may be wrong but <i>Executive Decision</i> was a pretty honest terrorist movie which was released in 1996. There was also a British satirical film made about terrorism titled <i>Four Lions</i> which was released a year or two ago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-33760371341008092072011-12-11T21:28:07.235-05:002011-12-11T21:28:07.235-05:00Joel, Good point. That was the last honest movie ...Joel, Good point. That was the last honest movie about terrorism. They even got the motivations right.<br /><br />And I still recall all the Muslim-American groups whining that this film would wrongly make Americans believe Muslims are terrorists when everyone knows that's just not true... blah blah.<br /><br />So I guess we just imagined everything that happened after that, huh?AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-20119562690013061592011-12-11T21:25:14.252-05:002011-12-11T21:25:14.252-05:00Andrew,
Charlton Heston was great. I think his la...Andrew,<br /><br />Charlton Heston was great. I think his last movie was <i><b>"True Lies"</b></i> which, if I am not mistaken, was the last honest terrorist movie made. It was made by a liberal no less. :-)Joel Farnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15856960977033430002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-87369352982371854462011-12-11T20:27:30.629-05:002011-12-11T20:27:30.629-05:00Ben, I like Robinson. I particularly liked him in...Ben, I like Robinson. I particularly liked him in <i>Ten Commandments</i>.<br /><br />And with your mention of <i>Soylent Green</i>, let us not forget Charlton Heston!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-46214015687485687492011-12-11T20:23:18.063-05:002011-12-11T20:23:18.063-05:00Lots of great choices!
So many choices. Jimmy Stew...Lots of great choices!<br />So many choices. Jimmy Stewart, John Barrymore, John Wayne, Bogie, Spencer Tracy, Barbra Stanwick...I have so many favorites.<br /> <br />I'll go with Edward G. Robinson. <br />He's always compelling in any role, but his last performance, in Soylent Green was very poignant. Especially when he's eating beef stew with Charlton Heston.<br /><br />Robinson had a very wide range of roles and I have never been disappointed in his extraordinary acting ability even in the movies I don't like all that much which weren't many.USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-59586908191447286012011-12-11T19:57:14.129-05:002011-12-11T19:57:14.129-05:00Kenn, Agreed. He truly had a wide-ranging talent!...Kenn, Agreed. He truly had a wide-ranging talent!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-28745810617961797972011-12-11T19:54:50.193-05:002011-12-11T19:54:50.193-05:00Ditto your Peter Sellers, Andrew! Could anyone el...Ditto your Peter Sellers, Andrew! Could anyone else have pulled off those three characters in Dr. Strangelove?Kenn Christensonhttp://www.kennfilms.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-21795471393921875902011-12-11T19:47:07.259-05:002011-12-11T19:47:07.259-05:00Kenn, I love Navarone. I actually did a review of...Kenn, I love <i>Navarone</i>. I actually did a review of it where I discuss the irony of the film because the writer was a communist who meant the film to undermine Western morale, but it ends up being a heck of a "you must stand up to evil" story!<br /><br /><i>The Day The Earth Stood Still</i> is fantastic (though I hate the remake... blech). That and <i>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</i> to me were the high-water mark of 1950's style science fiction.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-87553586823186162742011-12-11T19:44:08.255-05:002011-12-11T19:44:08.255-05:00Indi, It's funny because in my mind, I tend to...Indi, It's funny because in my mind, I tend to separate comedians from other actors. That's probably not fair, but I expect different things from them. So ignoring that prejudice, I love your list. I would also add Peter Sellers.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-2575103869525607912011-12-11T19:41:40.556-05:002011-12-11T19:41:40.556-05:00... speaking of Gregory Peck - one of my favorite ...... speaking of Gregory Peck - one of my favorite films had him as the leader of an unconventional force of saboteurs in "The Guns of Navarone." Excellent turns by an all-star cast - especially love the "chemistry" between Peck and Niven and their struggle between those who see the need to get the job done and those content to let others do the dirty work.<br /><br />Another of my favorites - being a Sci-Fi fan, is Michael Rennie as Klaatu in "The Day the Earth Stood Still." The film is an excellent twist on the "stranger in a strange land" theme and - aparently unknown to the director, at the time - a pretty good Christian allegory.Kenn Christensonhttp://www.kennfilms.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-54754922056900158842011-12-11T19:41:33.427-05:002011-12-11T19:41:33.427-05:00Well I think we should not ignore the other genres...Well I think we should not ignore the other genres<br /><br />Abbot and Costello are amazing comedians and the Three Stooge s go with out mention.<br /><br />For horror who can beat out Bela LegosiIndividualisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005025873042230314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-69799181649438377732011-12-11T19:39:52.597-05:002011-12-11T19:39:52.597-05:00Ben, I am a cynic, but the level of coincidence is...Ben, I am a cynic, but the level of coincidence is incredibly high here. The mistakes by Barber are just not mistakes NFL players make. 59 years field goals just don't happen -- especially when the earlier kick was blocked. Guys who miss 11 straight passes don't suddenly hit 13 in a row for a touchdown.<br /><br />I don't know if it was divine intervention, but it certainly was extremely unusual.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-76684188128122456452011-12-11T19:36:47.718-05:002011-12-11T19:36:47.718-05:00After seeing this game it's virtually impossib...After seeing this game it's virtually impossible to say there was no Divine intervention of some sort.<br /><br />And I'm inclined to be a cynic, often moreso than is healthy, but it's impossible for me to be cynical when I see kids like Tebow. <br />His will to win and never give up is infectious!<br />And that's a good thing, I think. :^)USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-56476530649855210642011-12-11T19:33:10.454-05:002011-12-11T19:33:10.454-05:00Ben, Same here. He's everything we always say...Ben, Same here. He's everything we always say we want kids to be and then they hate him for it. I love the fact he's proved them all wrong and he's done it without ever getting nasty.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-11335330947283520642011-12-11T19:29:42.792-05:002011-12-11T19:29:42.792-05:00I like this Tebow kid. Gives credit to his offensi...I like this Tebow kid. Gives credit to his offensive linemen and receivers. He really does bring out the best in his team!<br />Oh, and he says "God bless you."<br /><br />No wonder so many sportscasters and writers hate this kid. I love watching them all flabergasted and tongue tied, lol.USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.com