Plug: LAMB Acting School 101

As some of you know already, I run the LAMB Acting School 101 series over at The LAMB. Each month we will highlight a different actor/actress whose performances, for better or worse, have left a mark on the cinematic landscape. This month we look at...Jack Nicholson

If you are interested in taking part here is the material we are looking for:

• Articles on the actor's best performances
• Articles on the actor's worst performances
• General thoughts on the actor
• Reviews of the films the actor has starred in

Once you have the article and/or review posted on your blog, send the link to bigthoughtssmallmind@hotmail.com. As always multiple submissions are encouraged. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday November 24, 2010.

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The Philadelphia Story Lacks Cheesy Steak Sandwiches

The Philadelphia Story

It is interesting to experience classic films with modern eyes. There are times when you wonder how certain film elements, which would be considered politically incorrect now, even made it to the big screen. Though, you are secretly glad the film was able to express itself in a manner that fit the time it was made. The Philadelphia Story is one of those films. It delivers on both the comedic and romantic front, while also serving as a reminder of how far the battle of the sexes has come…and how little it has changed.

Two years after her marriage to C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) fell apart, socialite Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) is ready to remarry. Her pending marriage to businessman George Kittredge (John Howard) is the talk of the town. As the wedding approaches Dexter, in a last ditch attempt to get revenge, convinces the editor of a tabloid magazine that he can sneak a reporter, Macaulay Connor (James Stewart), and his photographer, Elizabeth Imbrie (Ruth Hussey), into the exclusive wedding. The unexpected presence of Dexter and his two guest leads to much anarchy. Soon Tracy finds herself questioning who her heart really belongs to? Is her true love current flame George? her past love Dexter? Or is there a potential future with Macaulay.

One thing that modern audiences will notice right away is how The Philadelphia Story takes a rather nonchalant approach to domestic abuse. Dexter has a great moment where, after remarking that that he thought all writers drank excessively and beat their wives, he looks at Tracy and slyly states “at one point I wanted to be a writer.” The line is clearly a direct reference to Dexter’s alcoholic and abusive tendencies when he was married to Tracy. Similar to most of the dialogue in the film, lines like theses are played up for great comedic effect. While humour like this would be deemed insensitive by today’s standards, it was consider harmless humour back in the 1940’s.

The key to enjoying The Philadelphia Story is to simply take the film for the romantic comedy it is and nothing more. In many ways the film feels like another take on Shakespeare’s classic play The Taming of the Shrew. The majority of the men in the picture constantly refer to Tracy as Goddess. Her high standards and unforgiving nature are constantly blamed for many of the male issues in the film. Even Tracy’s father alludes to the fact that his being unfaithful to Tracy’s mother is directly linked to her cold demeanor. The interesting thing is that the being placed on a pedestal is the farthest thing from what Tracy wants. She is simply interested in being love not worshipped.

What keeps the romantic element so engaging is that you are never sure who Tracy will choose until the very end. The Philadelphia Story is able to sustain the multiple romances for so long partly due to the work from the three leads. Katharine Hepburn is the driving force that keeps the story moving. Her character is often required to switch modes from sharp tongue socialite to fragile woman looking for lasting comfort. As Dexter, Cary Grant is hilarious at the loveable rogue who will do just about anything to disrupt the big day. He clearly is remorseful for his past errors but is too proud to let it be known to Tracy. While Hepburn and Grant have fantastic chemistry, the real surprise in the film is James Stewart. Macaulay has all the angles covered but is quickly sized up and disarmed mentally by Tracy. Stewart brings the perfect mix of angst towards the uppers social class and heart to the role of Macaulay.

While one could look into the deep social issues lurking behind The Philadelphia Story, it would only take away from the films true intentions. The Philadelphia Story is nothing more than a fun romantic comedy that shows that love is complicated no matter what era you may be in.

Bringing Up Katharine Hepburn, Baby!

Taking a short break from all my TIFF reviews today to give a little extra promotion to LAMB Acting School 101 feature I am running over at The Large Association of Movie Blogs (better known as The LAMB). This month we will be looking at the works of Katharine Hepburn. If you are a blogger who has written, or plans to write, articles, reviews, etc. regarding Hepburn’s work we would love to feature it on The LAMB

Here is a small sample of the type of material we are looking for:

• Articles on her best performances
• Articles on her worst performances
• General thoughts on the actress
• Reviews of the films she has starred in

Once you have the article and/or review posted on your blog, send the link to bigthoughtssmallmind@hotmail.com. As always multiple submissions are encouraged. The deadline for submissions is Saturday October 23, 2010.

Moore Acting Roles Needed In Order To Afford School Fees

Just a quick post today as I need to do some prep work for a function I am attending tomorrow. As some of you already know, I occasionally do two features for The LAMB. One of them is the LAMB Acting School 101 in which a different actor or actress is highlighted each month. Basically it is a way for people to see what bloggers think about a particular actor's/actress' canon of work. Plus the LAMB Acting School 101 also offers bloggers a free forum to promote their blogs as well.  Next week the feature will be focusing on the works of Julianne Moore! So if you are a blogger, or know of a blogger, who has written a review, posted a commentary, recorded a podcast about Julianne Moore (or her films) be sure to forward it along to the email address below.

Here are the type of things I am looking for:

• Articles on her best performances
• Articles on her worst performances
• General thoughts on the actress
• Reviews of the films she has starred in

Send the link of the blog post to bigthoughtssmallmind@hotmail.com. Please note that multiple submissions are encouraged. The deadline for submissions is Monday August 2, 2010.

Can You Dig It? Rack of LAMB

The long weekend is almost here and not a moment too soon; it has been a hectic week. Anyways, today I just wanted to post a reminder of two features that I am currently overseeing for The LAMB. Please feel free to take part in one, or hopefully, both.


Pitch the LAMB

Movie Genre: Slasher Film

Examples of the Genre: Psycho, Child’s Play, Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street, House of 1000 Corpses, Friday the 13th, Haute Tension, Prom Night, House of Wax, Halloween, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, American Psycho.

10 words/phrases to get you started:

1. Corpse
2. Legend has it that...
3. Camping
4. Sheila!...Sheila where are you?
5. Weapon
6. I thought I heard a scream...
7. Run
8. Do not go out there...
9. Bloody
10. Behind you...

Your job is to come up with an idea for a film using some of the words/phrases listed above. Once you have a plot idea, post it on your blog in any fashion you choose (e.g. plot synopsis, excerpt of a script, fictional trailer, fictional film review, movie poster, etc.) and email the link to bigthoughtssmallmind@hotmail.com. Simple as that! The deadline for submissions is Tuesday May 25, 2010.

LAMB Acting School 101

Each month the LAMB Acting School 101 highlight's a different actor/actress whose performances, for better or worse, have left a mark on the cinematic landscape. This month we look at...Robert Downey Jr.

What we need from you:

• Articles on the actor's best performances
• Articles on the actor's worst performances
• General thoughts on the actor
• Reviews of the films the actor has starred in

Once you have the article and/or review posted on your blog, send the link to bigthoughtssmallmind@hotmail.com. Please note that multiple submissions are encouraged. The deadline for submissions is Saturday May 29, 2010.

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Top Five Fri…err…Saturday: Robert Downey Jr.

I got home rather late from Iron Man 2 last night so I am posting this a day later than I original anticipated. Anyways since this month’s LAMB Acting School 101 is on Robert Downey Jr., I thought I would look at the top five best and worst films that he was featured in. Look for my thoughts on Iron Man 2 to be up within the week.


The Best:

Chaplin

How he lost the best actor race to Al Pacino at the 1993 Academy Awards is still a mystery to me? Yes Pacino was good in Scent of a Woman, but Downey Jr. not only captured the essence of Charlie Chaplin. He also brought his only original take to the role and provided picture with a greater emotional resonance.






Zodiac

Including Iron Man on to this list would have been too easy. I was tempted to throw either Short Cuts or Wonder Boys in this slot but Downey Jr.’s roles were rather small in the grand scheme of those pictures. Instead I opted to highlight his subtle work in this brilliant, and often underrated, film.  My love for this Fincher flick grows more and more with each viewing.






Two Girls and a Guy

It was a toss-up between this film by James Toback and the flick Heart and Souls for this spot. Both are films that did not find a large audience upon their release, yet they each have a special place in my heart.









Tropic Thunder

Robert Downey Jr. stole this movie! Simple as that.  He took on an extremely risky role and made it memorable in a good way.







Natural Born Killers

Love it or hate it chances are you could not turn away from it. Oliver Stone’s ultraviolent look at the impact of media on our society would not have worked if it was not for Downey Jr.’s brazen performance.







The Worst:


Gothika

Even Robert Downey Jr. could not save this leaky ship from sinking. The film had the cast, the director, and a decent premise. Yet all those pieces somehow found a way to produce the least suspenseful thrillers in recent years.







U.S. Marshals

The less said about this movie the better. Another example of Hollywood trying to wring every last dollar out of film, in this case The Fugitive, that was actually good.









Air America

I know Robert Downey Jr. and Mel Gibson are good friends in real life. So I can only assume they had a great time making this particular picture. Too bad I did not have the same level of enjoyment sitting through this awful film.





The Gingerbread Man

Some may question why Soapdish is not on this list? Truth is there is a campy charm to Soapdish that I enjoy. The film is not great, but I still consider it watchable. The Gingerbread Man, on the other hand, is an embarrassment for all involved. It does not even qualify in the "so bad it is good" category.





The Singing Detective

Putting this film in the worst section may be a bit harsh as I actually enjoyed The Singing Detective when I first saw it at TIFF. Unfortunately, the second time I watched this film it dawned on me that TIFF-induced sleep deprivation had played a huge part in my original assessment of this film. I have seen The Singing Detective a few times now and it gets worse with every viewing.

Can You Dig It? Roasted LAMB

Some quick LAMB links for you today:

The latest edition of Pitch the LAMB is out. This edition asks bloggers to come up with plot ideas for the Slasher genre.

LAMB Casting is re-casting the film The Color Purple. Be sure to vote for which casting choice you like the best.

The LAMB Acting School 101 on Johnny Depp is now up. See what other bloggers think of Depp and his various films.

Stump the LAMBs is testing your knowledge of the film The Fugitive. Deadline to enter is April 24, 2010.

Lastly, submissions are still being accepted for the LAMBS in the Director’s Chair # 7 on Martin Scorsese. Please make a point to submit any articles or reviews you may have on Scorsese’s larger body of work. Deadline for submissions is April 27, 2010

Can You Dig It?: Procrastination, Acting School, Star Wars, etc.

Today I should:
A) Start packing for the move
B) Work on some last minute wedding stuff
C) Finally write my review of The Messenger
D) Procrastinate on all of the above and promote some other blogs.

Yep, when in doubt always opt for procrastination.

News and Notes:

• I am working on a new column entitled "LAMB Acting School 101" over at The LAMB. Each month the feature will highlight the career of actor/actress that has made an impact (good or bad). This month's actor is Johnny Depp.
• Speaking of The LAMB, this month's Pitch the LAMB is up as well.
• Jose at Movies Kick Ass ranks the best and worst dressed at this year's Academy Awards
• Castor at Anormalous Material gives a different take on the best and worst dressed ladies.
• Strange Culture looks at 18 films from 2009 that did not live up to expectations
• Bill's Movie Emporium and Between the Seats have teamed up for an epic Star Wars movie marathon
• Speaking of Between the Seats, Edgar is now one of the columnist over at The Reelists.
• Mad Hatter over at The Dark of the Matinee has his latest podcast up. This episode he looks at Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.
• The King Bulletin has the new Iron Man 2 trailer.   
• Thistimeitwillbedifferent offers up a review of Fantastic Mr. Fox. Which reminds me, I really need to see this movie...procrastination you are a cruel friend indeed.
• Univarn of A Life in the Equinox is almost halfway through his 23 days of Kurosawa
• Andrew at Encore's World of Film & TV looks at some of the great scenes of 2009