It's been rough finding time for a movie this month, which means it's even harder to find time to post about a movie on top of that. I intended to celebrate Valentine's Day with a marathon of French films, but only managed to watch Touchez pas au grisbi (1958), an enjoyable noir with Jean Gabin. Tonight, I am heading back to the Criterion Channel to explore another film in the Ruby Dee collection, St. Louis Blues. After seeing that the all star cast included Mahalia Jackson, Eartha Kitt, Nat King Cole, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, and a young Billy Preston, in addition to Dee, it was an easy choice. This film is loosely based on the life of W.C. Handy, "Father of the Blues."
"May the Lord forgive you for turning his sacred song into a tune for evil jigging!"
The Gist
Will Handy's father is a preacher and descendent of slaves who wants his son to get a college education and grow up to be a respectable man. They come into conflict when Will takes an interest in what his father deems devil music. After Will composes a popular song for a local politician, he attracts the notice of a speakeasy singer, Gogo, who champions his talent, and he begins to write many blues tunes, but does not earn his father's respect until his music is celebrated by a symphony orchestra in New York.
Memorable Moments
Billy Preston, jamming on the organ.
Blade cheats Handy out of the rights to his song.
Queen of Jazz
Will stops to listen to Ella.
Gogo helps Elizabeth understand how they've mistreated Will.
Will finally earns his father's respect.
Will's big moment.
My Thoughts
This was a wonderfully entertaining, star-studded film to watch, and the music was absolutely fantastic. Handy's song, "Saint Louis Blues," is one I became especially fond of after hearing it in Ladies They Talk About (1933) and Baby Face (1933). It is a timeless piece, and it was interesting to get a glimpse of Handy's inspirations, as well as the never ending conflict between generations over the demonization of new forms of music and the "evil jigging" it inspires.
W.C. Handy plays "Saint Louis Blues."
The short film, St. Louis Blues (1929) was co-written by W.C. Handy and starred Bessie Smith.
I gave my brother Night of the Creeps for Christmas in 2019, and we started watching it after everyone else went to bed on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, since we're both really old, we fell asleep before the end of the movie. I am finally getting around to watching it in its entirety tonight.
"Thrill me!"
The Gist
A rogue, naked alien jettisons a tube of parasitic brain slugs, which is discovered on Earth in 1959 by an unsuspecting young man, who becomes infected while his date is busy being dismembered by an escapee from the local asylum. In 1986, Chris (George) Romero and his buddy, James (John) Carpenter (Tobe) Hooper, release the infected man from a cryogenic tube as part of a frat pledge designed to get the attention of sorority gal, Cynthia (David) Cronenburg, who Chris is infatuated with, and unknowingly release the brain slugs on the college town, which infect and quickly replicate in the frat boys. Chris appeals to Detective Ray (James) Cameron for his help in defeating the infected zombies, which brings him closer to Cynthia.
Memorable Moments
My Thoughts
This is an enjoyable film that pays homage to horror movies of the past and I had fun watching it. The 1986 college scene does take me back, and the nostalgia factor was part of what appealed to me. Overall, it is cleverly written and the characters are likable. It is an entertaining film that will delight horror and sci-fi fans.
I am right on the expected timeline when most resolutions fail, but I haven't given up my quest to watch a new movie every day yet, no matter how unrealistic! After indulging myself in a daily movie for most of January, I have certainly been missing the diversion in February. With better planning, I hope to be back on my game this week.
There are some juicy offerings on The Criterion Channel this month, and my watch list has exploded. Tonight, I'm watching a film that was completely unknown to me, which was loosely based on the plot to assassinate Lincoln before his inauguration. It was Dick Powell that grabbed my attention when browsing the offerings, but the intriguing story was what inspired me to get back on track with my movie viewing tonight.
"Freedom isn't a thing you should be able to give me, Miss Ginny. Freedom is something I should have been born with."
The Gist
New York City police detective, John Kennedy, learns of a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln in Baltimore, where he is scheduled to give a speech. When his superiors refuse to take his warnings seriously, he goes it alone and boards a train to Baltimore to try and thwart the plot.
Memorable Moments
Strangers on a train.
Barbara Billingsley gets her start mothering a precocious boy.
It's hard to know whether or not you can trust Adolphe Menjou.
Didn't see this coming.
It's curtains for Kennedy.
Ruby Dee shows off her acting chops.
Kennedy gets a break.
But he's got foul luck at every turn.
Spoiler alert: Lincoln doesn't get shot in Baltimore.
My Thoughts
This movie was action packed and had a lot of unexpected twists. It was fascinating to watch, especially in a political climate that mirrors what we see on screen. I'm surprised this film is not more well known, but it is certainly worth discovering. It is interesting that the police detective played by Dick Powell is named John Kennedy, who is operating against all odds. Ruby Dee was amazing, and her quiet performance was powerful. There's a lot going on under the surface of this film noir, and it's a film I'll want to watch again.
One of the exciting things about watching movies I've never seen before is not knowing what to expect. Sometimes my expectations are low and I get a pleasant surprise, while other times I end up disappointed. The Fearless Vampire Killers was a movie I wanted to like, but it just did not resonate with me. The first part of the movie dragged, and I really wanted to give up on it, but I forced myself to stick with it, hoping it would pick up, which it eventually did. There are some moments I enjoyed in the film, but they weren't enough to leave me feeling like it was an evening well spent overall.
My resolution to watch a new movie every day really took a hit this week, but as I come to the end of a hectic, stormy workweek, I am Singin' in the Rain tonight, and looking forward to catching up on my movie viewing this weekend. Since I got a late start, I'm not up to properly documenting this movie, but suffice to say it's simply spectacular. There are some musicals I am quite fond of, but I am not generally drawn to them, so I was not only surprised by how much I enjoyed this one, but by how little I really knew what the movie was about, despite being incredibly familiar with the title song. As an avid fan of early film, it was interesting to see a depiction of the challenges of transitioning from silent film to early talkies, and I look forward to seeing this movie again. The immense talent displayed in this film leaves me awestruck.
"But most important of all, I continue living up to my motto: Dignity. Always dignity."
It's a Larry Cohen night! I was contemplating It's Alive, but decided to watch The Ambulance. One thing you can expect with Cohen is a rollicking, good time, and he certainly didn't let me down with this picture.
"This is the story of what can happen to you for talking to a strange woman on the street."
Here's an unlikely movie. I was going to skip movie night tonight after working late, but decided to cruise the Criterion Channel for something I didn't feel I'd have to commit to, and came upon Twist and got hooked. While the Twist is the main focus, it covers other dance styles leading up to it, as well as the ones that came after, and the music that inspired the dances. The interviews were interesting, but one of the best parts of the movie was seeing The World's Greatest Twisters perform during end credits. They truly deserve the title. It was a fun movie to watch, and it did inspire me to get a little exercise.
"The reaction to the Twist has been about as violent as the dance itself. Dancer, choreographer Geoffrey Holder says it is not a dance and it has become dirty. It's synthetic sex turned into a sick spectator sport."
"Nothing's nasty when I do it. I make everything nice. I have that talent. I do." -Chubby Checker
I am ready for some lighthearted entertainment, and tonight seemed like a good night for Politics. The first time I saw Marie Dressler was in Dinner at Eight, and I was intrigued by the reverence she seemed to inspire, which caused me to seek out more of her movies. She was certainly not the glamour gal that was the norm of the day, but was truly a talented and beloved actress. This is one of nine films where she partnered with Polly Moran, and they made a great comedic team.
I decided to double down and watch another award winning, heart wrenching, thought provoking movie that I've never seen before, To Kill a Mockingbird. The acting was stellar, it's beautifully filmed and it's certainly a movie that deserves accolades.
"There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep them all away from you. That's never possible."
