Cinema Siren: Spring Movies: 10 Classic Films For The Season

    

Elvis, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Alfred Hitchcock fill this Easter collection.

Last month, I got a chance to meet Ben Mankeiwitcz, the Turner Classic Movies host and curator, who is actually from the DC area, and was here promoting this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, running from April 25-28 in Hollywood. If you haven't heard, they have a festival, and Cinema Siren can attest to the fact that they feature both great movies and great guest stars. 

This year, they'll include Polly Bergen, Ann Blyth, Mel Brooks, Jane Fonda, Mitzi Gaynor, Tippi Hedren, Max Von Sydow, Eva Marie Saint and Mickey Rooney, just to name some of my favorites.   

When I talked to Mankeiwitcz, he said those who attend are some of the most knowledgeable movie fans in the world, but surprisingly diverse in age. He said one fan who expertly quoted stats of actors and actresses of the 1950s was 13 years old. 

Though Cinema Siren, alas, will be in England, not in Hollywood, (filming interviews at an indie English studio where Trance was filmed), I can highly recommend this convention.

If you've never gone to a con before, and you are passionate about classic movies, this might be the perfect one to check out. It got me thinking.

The early part of this year has been rife with bad to mediocre new releases at the multiplex, and there's little to recommend for viewing during this holiday weekend or over spring break, when families are looking for a great movie to enjoy together. 

When all else fails, when you need a sure win, you can always look to the classics.  So Cinema Siren has compiled the top ten best movies that feel like spring. Mostly I went for lots of color, joy and fun, and above all, lots of blooming flowers and greenery.

You might have seen these in all their technicolor beauty, but they are worthy of repeat viewing … maybe if we watch them enough, the flowers will grow faster!

10. Girl Happy (1965) Everyone needs a little Elvis to bring on spring … He plays a nightclub singer, as usual, and juggles Shelley Fabares and Mary Ann Mobley during spring break in Fort Lauderdale. Just as silly as the rest of his movies, and of course you can always choose Blue Hawaii, featuring Angela Lansbury as his southern mama, and is filmed on location, but Girl Happy shows the crazy Spring Break vibe has been in evidence for decades.

9. Brigadoon (1954) Although this movie was mostly filmed on a soundstage, there is a lushness to it, and the motif of spring awakening is a consistent thread. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse make amazing dance partners. The score is lovely, and the story is a very charming spring feverish love story.  

8. State Fair (1945) With the only original music written for a film by Rogers and Hammerstein, this stars Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews and Dick Haymes. Off everyone goes to the fair, all falling in love, tasting spiked minced meat, riding carnival rides and promoting prized pigs. Dick Haymes shows off his gorgeous baritone, and there are flowers and fun all around.

7. Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) Debbie Reynolds as Tammy, falls for hot old money Leslie Nielsen, who is trying to grow a new tomato hybrid to keep his family plantation afloat. This movie is cute as can be. Love and the famous Oscar nominated song Tammy are floating through the spring air.

6. Leave Her to Heaven (1945) I felt like I had to include something bright and beautiful on the outside, with a darker core. No movie fits that bill better than Leave Her to Heaven, starring Gene Tierney as the stunningly beautiful femme fatale who destroys all around her through her jealousy. Jean Crain, Cornel Wilde and Vincent Price co-star. The movie has gorgeous technicolor scenery, and Tierney is striking in her luxurious costumes. Want spring warmth in color, but stone cold winter in emotion? This great classic (one of Martin Scorsese's favorites) is perfect. 

5. Rear Window (1954) Seems like this particular Hitchcock classic, and my favorite, would remind fans most of spring, because in it everyone has all their windows open, and sounds of music and chatter fill the air. Winter keeps us all inside and what a lovely reminder this movie is of how much we can enjoy the fresh air and the world around us as it warms. Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly with that spectacular embrace will warm you as well…

4. On the Town (1949) Co-directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, a movie with Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller and Vera Ellen would have to be a pleasure to watch, and it surely is. It feels a little like spring break, with Gene Kelly chasing around Miss Turnstiles all day. It shows the best of New York in perfect weather. A great celebration of friendship and urban adventure which is elevated further by spectacular singing and dancing. 

3. Easter Parade (1948) Judy Garland and Fred Astaire star in this great movie with some really famous Irving Berlin songs. Gene Kelly was originally cast but broke his ankle, so Astaire came briefly out of retirement. As it's set at Easter, of course it is perfect viewing this time of year, and the costumes and dance routines are legendary, as is Judy Garland, whose voice is so friendly and warm, it alone could bring on spring!

2. Royal Wedding (1951) Fred Astaire and Jane Powell play a brother and sister visiting London during the big event, and meet their matches, all the while dancing and singing for their supper. The famous dance on the ceiling is in this movie. Why does it celebrate spring? I just spent a February week in London. No question that in Royal Wedding, it is spring at very least, and there is a joyous celebratory feeling throughout. 

1. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) There's so much spring in this movie, it has a song named after it. Howard Keel plays a big burly and hot redheaded mountain man who goes into town and comes back with a wife (Jane Powell). She's happy just long enough to discover he has six brothers she's expected to live with — time to play matchmaker! Lots of dancing and singing, and gorgeous technicolor makes this movie delicious from beginning to end. 

Hopefully, time we spend with these great movies bursting with color and intensity of joy or passion, will serve to build positive expectation and welcome springtime. We've been inside long enough.  Time to let some favorite classics remind us warmth and new birth is coming.

More on Turner Classic Movies and the TCM Classic Film Festival.

Check out what's playing at AMC Hoffman Center 22 and Regal Potomac Yard Stadium 16.

About this column: Leslie Combemale, "Cinema Siren", is a movie lover and aficionado in Northern Virginia. Alongside Michael Barry, she owns ArtInsights, an animation and film art gallery in Reston Town Center. She has a background in film and art history. She often is invited to present at conventions such as the San Diego Comic Con, where she has been a panelist for The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster and the Harry Potter Fandom discussion. See more of her reviews and interviews on www.artinsightsmagazine.com.

Cinema Siren Reviews The Croods: Quest for Fire Meets the Simpsons

Frenetic Fun, Stone Age Family style

3 starfish

The Croods, the new 3D computer animated feature release from Dreamworks, is the story of a prehistoric family who take a road trip out of necessity. Patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage) spends every day protecting his family by alternately leading them on life-endangering family hunting trips and terrifying them into staying in their tiny cave-home with stories about everything in the outside world being potentially deadly. “Never not be afraid”, he says…Daughter Eep (Emma Stone) believes that’s no way to live. Her sense of adventure carries her farther away from the cave and her dad’s controlling nature, much like any teen looking to figure out who they are. Everything changes when their cave is destroyed in the dramatic earth shifts that are turning all they know into a barren, cracked, and lava-laden landscape.

Fortunately a nomadic young hottie named Guy (Ryan Reynolds), in the cro-mag version of designer hip hugger jeans, knows how to navigate the big bad world heretofore unknown and mysterious to Grug and his brood. Guy is one step ahead on the evolutionary scale…he uses tools, fire (baby suns!), and wears shoes.

He has a sloth pet called “Belt” who helps hold his pants in place. Needless to say he is of enormous appeal to a curious and rebellious teen daughter. Sparks fly not only from Guy’s torch but between he and Eep. The rest is all about the growth and movement forward Grog and his family must embrace to survive and thrive, which includes listening and learning from their new guide. Thank the prehistoric gods the movie is anchored with glorious visuals and a ton of action. The prerequisite scenes about acceptance, communication, and family togetherness are overly sentimental, and don’t match the overall tone of the movie. They seem clunky, and a bit shoehorned or forced. Still, your kids won’t notice their heavy handedness. They’ll be too busy enjoying the gorgeous technicolor topography and inventive looking prehistoric flora and fauna. It is all tailor-made for 3D, and enthralling for the entire audience from its teeniest to oldest members. We discover all the newness on this adventure, at the same times as the family, and this connects us together and keeps our interest.

So much is going on around us all now that makes parents feel impending doom…we are all working harder for less, sometimes not feeling sure what we have built for our families will be there tomorrow. You get the sense that these filmmakers were tapping into that with this story, creatively showing the sacrifice and optimism necessary to see a family through hardship. There is an attempt to show a bit about the human condition, the blunt necessities life drives us to, that result in this movie having a few darker undertones beyond all the frenetic doings. Death is a reality and potentially always around the next corner. To the movie’s credit, the characters don’t dwell on it, which allows for kids to enjoy all the action and excitement. Warning: There is a scene where one family member is put in mortal peril that proved to be too scary for the eight year old girl sitting a few seats from me.

This movie started out in 2005 as a stop motion Dreamworks/Aardman collaboration co-written by John Cleese called Crood Awakening, about a caveman living in a village with a prehistoric genius. That story morphed into the “first modern family” story we all see now, after Dreamworks and Aardman parted ways in 2007 and director Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch) left Disney, and chose to rework it after he created the 2010 blockbuster hit “How to Train Your Dragon”.

The story isn’t really anything new, but the advancements in computer animation are impressive. So much is changing so quickly it’s worth a trip to see in theaters just to see how lifelike and detailed they can make these cartoon creatures and their surrounding environments. Spring break is upon us. In a week with little to inspire younger moviegoers at the box office, The Croods is great fun and a pleasant diversion for the whole animation loving family.

Kickstarter Does It Again: “Veronica Mars” Gets A Movie

It’s official. The Veronica Mars series is getting a movie. A television series about a modern day Nancy Drew, Veronica Mars has a rabid fanbase that jumped at the opportunity to fund a feature film for their beloved series through Kickstarter.

It all began with the creator of Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas, approaching Warner Bros. with the idea to have fans fund the production of a Veronica Mars film while Warner Bros. handles marketing and distribution costs. Thomas had already completed a script for the film and actress Kristen Bell had signed up for the project. However, the plan ultimately hinged on if there was enough fan interest in the movie. And there was.

The goal was to raise $2 million in 30 days on Kickstarter.com. That goal was met in less than a day, shattering Kickstarter records. As of now, March 16, the project has 53,131 backers and raised over $3,500,000. And there’s still 27 days left in the fundraiser.

If you’re a Veronica Mars fan and am chomping at the bit for a movie or just want more adventures for Veronica, check out the Kickstarter for the Veronica Mars Movie Project.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/559914737/the-veronica-mars-movie-project

March Movie Madness: The Call, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Stoker, Upside Down

I’m sitting outside the Verizon Center, once again fighting for parking this week with the sports fans next door to my screening movie theatre. It reminds me, even when it matters, sometimes the winning team is a fluke, sometimes it’s well deserved…

As Cinema Siren is meant to “guide you through a sea of celluloid,” I’d like to direct you toward the more deserving teams of filmmakers releasing something this busy week at the multiplex. With spring break upon us, this early March weekend offers an odd mix of genres, with each vying for the top spot at the box office. Best of luck to them, they’d be replacing or be added to a top 10 where only two have even 50 percent positive reviews, and some of which are so bad they should be benched like the tasteless or very badly behaved player they are.

This week, we have four new movies of note, and I’ll briefly give my thoughts and recommendations, so you know what you’re getting into before you hand over your hard-earned cash and sit in expectation for upwards of two hours….

The Call: Don’t Answer

This movie stars Halle Berry as 911 operator Jordan in a race against time to save a teenage abductee Casey (Abigail Breslin). For a story which centers on the potential torture, rape and death of a young girl, it starts off well enough.  We learn why Berry’s character is highly invested in keeping alive the girl at the center of the action.

She’s been there before, and it didn’t go well. This means not only will you, dear audience, be watching extended scenes of a terrified teen screaming and crying in the trunk of a car while the serial killer trundles along with her toward his torture lair and kill zone, you will also see the pre-show, where we learn how truly awful the villain is.

Jordan in the 911 “hive,” talking Casey through ways of getting out alive, is tense and compelling. I would argue, however, that from the very first scenes, this movie is extremely unpleasant to watch, and qualifies as anything but a good time at the theatre.

But let’s say you like high-octane suspense flicks where a lot is at stake, and teenage girls being chloroformed and punched is an acceptable plot point.  Perhaps you, like Cinema Siren, would like to support a black lead actress carrying a film. In that case, she’d better be driven by making sound decisions.

Unfortunately, The Call quickly veers off-road to four-wheel in the Land of Stupid Choices, that place in horror usually littered with the bodies of promiscuous co-eds. The movie gets weaker and weaker and more far-fetched, as it becomes more and more a revenge fantasy.  At one point, Jordan goes alone into a hidden underground hiding place.

I’m tempted to scream, but lean over to a fellow critic and say, “Alone?” to which he replies sarcastically, “Oh, she’s got this!”

Suffice to say by the end of The Call I hated this movie so much, it made me sorry I couldn’t have walked out a full half-hour before. There is no joy, no cohesion, bad choices and a truly gruesome premise. Good acting all around made my distaste all the more unfortunate. When your local theatre gets The Call, don’t answer.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone: Tragic Magic

What happens when you mix great character actors Steve Buschemi and Alan Arkin, and funny men A-listers Jim Carrey and Steve Carell? It should be magic, right?  If this was the movie equivalent of the magic trick where a woman gets sawed in half, there’d be blood all over the stage.

No question its heart is in the right place. Carell and Buscemi play lifelong pals who perform together as Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton, making big bucks in Vegas with assistant Jane (Olivia Wilde) in an increasingly stale magic act. The two stars have grown to hate each other. When guerrilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) steals what is left of their audience with his new over-the-top stunts, they lose their jobs and break up. Will Wonderstone get his magic mojo back when he discovers his childhood magic idol Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin)?

For a comedy, this movie has few funny moments. It does, however, have its fair share of mean-spirited elements, along with an “ick” factor that overall can only be described as bad taste. The actors do a perfectly fine job. Alan Arkin builds a particularly interesting and well-developed character, like magic, out of a script made of thin air….Olivia Wilde plays Jane with a straightforward sweetness and optimism that flies in the face of the movie as a whole.

It is the writing, both the dialogue and the script, that can’t seem to decide what it wants to be, or where it wants to go. It is wildly uneven, as is our commitment to any of the lead characters. If they had stuck with Alan Arkin as the movie’s central figure, they would have had something…Added to the weakness in the dialogue is an ending, after intermittent attempts to make the story somewhat believable, that stretches credulity to say the least.

As the end credits roll, our hopes go poof. Let this one disappear from theaters; watch at home if you must. Honestly, you’d be better off buying a magic kit and spending the time learning a real trick or two.   

Stoker: All in the Family — Hitchcock Style

Director Park Chan-wook makes his first English-language film with this Gothic creepfest, building suspense slowly with equal amounts of nerve and perve. The visual style is eye-strokingly gorgeous, with set decoration, production design, and editing that together make up for the holes in pacing and storyline.

Hitchcock is beyond an obvious influence, but clearly the film’s inspiration, with several direct odes and parallels to Shadow of a Doubt, starting with the name of the introduction of “Uncle Charlie,” which was also the name of the villain played by Joseph Cotton in the 1943 classic.

The story is of Evelyn Stoker (Nicole Kidman) and her daughter India (Mia Wasikowska). They have just lost Evelyn’s husband Richard to a fatal car crash, when Richard’s preppily handsome and fresh-faced brother Charlie (Matthew Goode) unexpectedly shows up to stay a while. In a country manor where time seems to have stood still, their already seemingly off-kilter world begins to completely unravel and heat up.

It is a sinister slow burn with a very European pace, reminiscent of Polanski’s Repulsion. Psychosexual disfunction permeates the story. Chan-wook seems to excel at juxtaposing disturbing imagery like spiders crawling between India’s legs with family scenes in the innocuously pea green parlor or at the family piano.

Mia’s India sculls about dressed like she’s in an Edward Gorey illustration, demonstrating a curiosity and intensity that leads the audience to question what’s going on behind that deadpan stare of hers. Charlie is clearly more than he seems, and for better or worse we discover just how much more through the course of the movie. Evelyn is an ever-oppressive manipulative presence like a New England Blanche Dubois, but she may turn out to be the least concerning of the lot.

Though the last few minutes of the movie leave you scratching your head about motivation or deeper meaning (perhaps there is none), scenes in which the camera languidly captures what can only be described as an utterly demented family going about their demented doings will stay with you way after the end credits roll. A particularly memorable one recalling The Bad Seed had some audience members wide-eyed and clucking with dread, “No!”…If dark and Gothic is your thing, Stoker will give you the creeps you so richly desire.

Upside Down: See Gravity-Crossed Lovers in So Pretty Sci-fi

The creative idea to put young lovers Adam and Eden (Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst) in two worlds that share opposing gravity and watch them try to find a way to be together is reason enough for curiosity about Upside Down. Alas, the script skips story continuity and any consistent explanation relating to the proceedings, so what could have been a great movie all around will have to survive on breathtaking dreamlike visuals and magnetic leads.

These two worlds are not allowed to fraternize, and are a metaphoric brick in the head about haves and have-nots. Down Below recalls a WW2 post-bomb blitz London. Up Above looks like Coruscant from Star Wars.  Where the two meet, frolic, and fall in love as teens is like the most beautiful mountain landscape you’ve ever seen, only times two.

Nevermind the silly and sillier plot points, it’s about the romance and the visuals, which are more than worthy to be seen on the big screen. Director/writer Juan Solanas uses photography and his experience training with famed cinematographer Felix Monti to create a strong personal artistic perspective with a surprisingly small budget.

Twilight shmilight, teens could do far worse than obsessing about this movie.  You’ve never seen a couple so bathed in light and aglow with love and its accompanying optimism. Love may conquer all in the end, or leave them alone and dejected, but either way you’ll be in for a dazzling cinematographic ride.

My vote, after going through these four movies, is for Upside Down and Stoker, both of which are in limited release, which might mean a bit of a road trip for some of you. They are both indie films, which means they were created on a much smaller budget, and allowed more freedom to those involved. How lovely that we might actually feel compelled to support what’s good instead of what’s big!

A New Direction For Lucasfilm Animation

The new Star Wars trilogy is going to be more than three more movies. Think about it. They’re going to explore the era after the fall of Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire. It’s going to be a new era, with new characters and a new story. With that in mind, Lucasfilm has decided to change up their animated series to coincide with the films.

For 5 seasons, Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been entertaining audiences with its stories of the years between Episode II and Episode III. We see the Old Republic wage war with the Separatists; huge battles and epic duels between Jedi and Sith masters. Good stuff.

But now, Lucafilm has decided that it’s time to phase out of the Old Republic. Star Wars: The Clone Warswill be winding down in favor of the new trilogy. But, Dave Filoni, supervising director for The Clone Wars, says that the series isn’t going to just abruptly end. Lucasfilm is still going to produce the series and continue the story, promising some very exciting adventures to come. Star Wars fans, rejoice!

Go to http://starwars.com/news/a-new-direction-for-lucasfilm-animation.html for more information and a sneak peek of an upcoming Clone Wars story.

Artists Up Close

Our most recent project here at ArtInsights has been doing exclusive interviews with some of our favorite artists at the gallery.

Their responses are really fascinating--telling us about their influences, their process, and even their studios. So cool! You can also get a glimpse of their artwork, as well as links to their artwork on our webpage artinsights.com!

Our first batch is:

Ciara McAvoy

James Goodridge

Steven Chorney

Ben Curtis Jones

Casey Robin

Let us know what you think!

Follow us on Twitter @FilmArtInsights to keep up with the latest updates!

Oz The Great And Powerful: The Mild And Functional

“I don’t want to be a good man, I want to be a great one!” This declaration by James Franco as the title character of Sam Raimi’s new Disney prequel could just as easily be a hope of the director’s as well.

Is the movie great? Is it even good? Oz the Great and Powerful is entertaining and you could do worse than to spend your time watching this interpretation of L. Frank Baum’s world flash flowers and toss monkey wings in your face.

But the weaknesses of it make me walk all the way to the dark edge between  recommendation and warning to ponder throwing my ruby shoes into the abyss. Uh oh. Cinema Siren is damning with faint praise here, especially if you know how much sparkly shoes mean to a girl…

This movie tells the story of how the wizard came to Oz and became the man behind the curtain, the wizard Dorothy and her friends seek to solve their problems. This wizard-to-be has his own problem when he arrives in Oz, where he claims to be the chosen one to save them from the wicked witch. He doesn’t have the real magic the good gullible people of Oz are expecting. What’s a charlatan to do?

Give them something to believe in, even if it is all just flash and noise, without substance. And that is how James Franco, who plays the lead, leaves us feeling, as if his character Oscar Diggs, the magician and compulsive liar posing as great and powerful, is missing more than just a dependable moral compass. He’s too self aware, and skims too close to the surface to bring us with him on his emotional arc to finding goodness within himself.

It doesn’t help that the girls around him are like a witch’s harem, either fawning over him, or waiting for the big strong man described in a prophecy to save their kingdom. The shattered relationship between the three sibling sisters would have been fascinating to examine, but we find out little of what motivates them or keeps them at odds. The youngest, Mila Kunis as Theodora, immediately and naively falls for Oscar. Her older sister Evanora schemes back in the emerald city.

Rachel Weisz chews enough scenery to crack a tooth, but she has enough charisma to get our interest. Is she the wickedest witch? It surely isn’t Glinda, the tiara-sporting blonde played earnestly by Michelle Williams. She’s so good she believes Oscar can be both a good man and a great one. The girls could have been given, with a meaty script, some depth of character. Not so, but they sure look good in their various witchy duds!

Some of you fans of the original 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz have read the books on which it was based. If so, you might also know author L. Frank Baum had positive feminist ideals sprinkled throughout his books, in part from the influence of his mother-in-law, pioneering feminist Matilda Joslyn Gage. His worlds were matriarchal, and full of powerful women.

How disappointing that these bickering girls fight like cats over just some guy.  And the guy being portrayed by James Franco, only seems believable as a tool.  We can’t quite go with him when he shows a man choosing to be more.  Consequently we aren’t invested in how he succeeds, beyond saving those in peril.

That being said, the visuals are lovely. From the first moment when the opening credits roll, we are delighted with inventive yet nostalgic images. These credits are like watching an ever-changing penny arcade mutoscope, one of those wind-up movie machines from the turn of the last century. The 3D is used creatively and is well integrated with the story, giving an interesting upgrade to sets designed as an ode to the Victor Fleming original.

Purists and folks over 30 might cry foul, feeling nothing can replace or outdo the production design of old Hollywood. With that attitude, they shouldn’t have entered the theatre in the first place. Though the film is uneven, it does offer a diverse representation of all the latest 3D and visual effects to make Oz both magical and real.

The china girl character (she doesn’t even have her own name…) and Finley the flying monkey sidekick aren’t nearly as fatal additions as I’d have expected in terms of the CGI of it. The girl has a creepily tragic yet wistful quality that makes her interesting. The monkey seems to be playing part of Oscar’s conscience, which works to a point, but he delivers most of the jokes (such as they are), and that makes him seem like he’s in the wrong movie, or at the very least, out of place.

I’m so sad that Robert Downey Jr. didn’t take on this role. Even with the missing element of womanly empowerment, it would have been a far better journey to take with him, and in the end we would have believed Oscar to have been moved from chicanery to sincerity. One miscasting isn’t the downfall of this movie, but it very nearly could have been.

Add to it the sisters’ blandness and sycophancy, and you have only the connected memory of a 1939 classic and some great visuals to grasp for comfort. As the original is one of the greatest classics of all time, it makes appreciating this film all the more of a challenge unless you block memory of the original and all knowledge of L Frank Baum’s works.

There are effects and action and fun enough for those on the search, especially in early March….Although it can qualify as solid entertainment for the effects and production design alone, there’s not enough to make a new classic to match the old.  This movie may be mildly diverting, but for that you’ll have to keep looking somewhere over the rainbow. It ain’t here.