Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney star in this weeks pick. Boys Town is based on the life of Catholic priest, Father Flanagan who started an orphanage and believed there was no such thing as a bad boy. In the film, Spencer Tracy plays Father Flanagan and has that belief tested when Mickey Rooney shows up to live at Boys Town. It’s a wonderful feel-good film that you’re sure to enjoy. Tracy won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance.

Boys’ Town (1938) – Sunday, July 11 at 8:00am EST
True story of Father Flanagan’s fight to build a home for orphaned boys.
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Henry Hull, Leslie Fenton Dir: Norman Taurog BW-93 mins, TV-G

In 1999 an unknown writer/director had a huge breakout success with his third film. The film was so big that it instantly catapulted him to A-list director status. The film was The Sixth Sense. The writer/director was M. Night Shyamalan.

After Sixth Sense, Shyamalan was heralded as the second coming of Spielberg. His next films never achieved Sixth Sense level of success, but were all great movies in their own right. Unbreakable, Signs, and even The Village were all fun movies. Then came Lady in the Water and The Happening. Yikes. They were both beyond bad. How had the once great director fallen so far?

I blamed the writing. He was still stubbornly holding on to the writing. Maybe it would be better if he let go of writing and just focus on directing – obviously his strength. When I heard that his next film would be based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender, I couldn’t have been more excited. My brother and sister were both really into the show at the time. I had only watched a few episodes, but had seen enough to know that it could be an amazing series of films. This would finally be Shyamalan’s return to glory. Finally a chance for him to focus on directing a story that hadn’t originated with him. He couldn’t possibly screw this up. Right?

WRONG! The Last Airbender is horrible. I had a chance to see it at an advance screening in Hollywood last week. It didn’t work at all for me. It’s horribly written (by Shyamalan) and poorly paced. The main kid actors were far too modern for this movie. They looked like they belonged in Twilight. The film suffers from a truly dreadful voice over. It’s one of the main characters speaking in past tense, so you know it’s all going to work out in the end.

Rather than show us two characters falling in love, we’re told by the narrator that they do. This narration is used to cram in a season’s worth of exposition. It’s almost like a six year old telling you what happens in the show. “First this happens and then this happens and then this… Oh and I forgot to tell you this one part…”

For those of you with no knowledge of the show, The Last Airbender takes place in a world with four kingdoms – air, water, earth, and fire. Each of these kingdoms have some people with the ability to bend their kingdom’s element. Bending means they can control that element. Move it around and stuff. If you’ve seen the trailer, you get the idea.

The story starts when two kids from the water kingdom find this other kid frozen in an iceberg or something. He’s the lost avatar. Every generation has a new avatar that can control all of the elements. This kid avatar has been missing for 100 years. While he’s been missing, the fire nation has killed all the airbenders and is ruling over the other nations. Once the kids realize they’ve found the avatar, they set off on a mission to help him learn how to bend the other elements.

It could have been really cool, but Shyamalan botched it. Honestly, it doesn’t even feel like he directed it. It was fairly basic direction without any of the interesting shots and creative blocking we’ve come to expect from Shyamalan. However, it was the writing that was this movie’s downfall. Even with some fantastic source material to draw from, Shyamalan comes up short in the writing department. I have no clue what happened to his writing ability after Sixth Sense. Dialogue was on the nose and clunky. There is no drama in any of the scenes. It was mostly just people talking followed by scenes of bending followed by more talking.

I will admit that the bending is done really well. It’s a cool ability and fun to see on screen. Sadly, I suspect that for many audience members that will be enough and this will do big business this summer. We’ll see, but as far as I’m concerned I’d be irresponsible not to tell you to save your money. Avoid this stinker at all costs.

On Thursday of last week, Josh and I waited in line for almost 5 hours to be one of the first in America to own a brand new iPhone 4.  I was excited about many of the new features including Face Time (video chatting) and Multi-tasking.  But the most surprising new addition to this new iPhone is its ability to shoot and edit HD video.

Apple released iMovie for the iPhone the same day the new phone was released.  At first I was a scoffer.  For $4.99, how could this app be useful as a tool to cut video?  It had to be a gimmick, right?

Wrong!

Over the weekend, my brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and I took an overnight trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and I thought this would be a perfect chance to put the new iPhone through it’s paces.  And boy did I.  I was shooting pictures and video almost the entire time.  (The battery life is surprisingly good.)

(Check out the photo quality.  This one looks like a Bob Ross painting.)

Because we spent a fair amount of time in the car traveling to and from the parks plus travel between them, I was able to start editing the footage right away and I’d like to share my thoughts on the iPhone as an editing suite.

iMovie for iPhone allows you to cut video determining the ins and outs with a fair amount of precision.  You can add a cross dissolve between the clips and determine the length of the cross dissolve.  You can also decide NOT to use a dissolve.

iMovie gives you a few different options for adding titles.   You select a theme that determines the overall look of the titles and can then choose from a few different styles within that theme for different kinds of titles.  Unfortunately, you can not easily create a full screen title.  I got around this point by creating a blank note and then typing up what I wanted the title to say and then taking a screen grab.

iMovie allows you to insert video, photos, and music all from your iPhone.  Any song from your iTunes can be inserted underneath the video track (with a few limitations.)  Also, you can select on the video track whether you want the selected video clip’s audio track to be on or off.  I love that you can determine that on a clip by clip basis rather than selecting all on or all off.  One downside to the music track is that you can’t add more music if the song ends.  And if you want to cross fade to another song, you can’t.

Overall, I’m VERY pleased with iMovie for iPhone and I’m excited to see what updates they release for the app.

Below you can see the videos that I cut for the trip.  The downside to uploading from your iPhone 4 is that it doesn’t send HD video to Youtube.  I hope they fix that.  Check them out -

Part 1 of our trip video:

Part 2 of our trip video:

What are you waiting for?  Go out and get the iPhone 4!  And for you Blackberry users – what cool things can your phone do?

The film industry can be brutal. The odds against success can be really disheartening. Just about everyone you meet out here is an aspiring writer or director. If you were to dwell on the odds, it would be tempting to give up and go back home.

So how do you beat those odds? Some would say it’s all about constantly finishing scripts and getting them in front of people. Eventually your body of work will get you work and something will sell. That’s a fine strategy, but I think it’s far more important to focus on doing great work.

If you can churn out three great screenplays a year, you’re a genius. The rest of us all wish we were you. However, more than likely it’s going to take a lot more time to write something excellent. Don’t rush the process by trying to achieve quantity of scripts. Quality is the goal here.

Remember, it only takes one script to open the doors of Hollywood. M. Night Shyamalan’s whole career is based on the strength of his script for The Sixth Sense. I recently read an interview with Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3.) He spent a year writing Little Miss Sunshine and then revised it for 4 years before he felt it was ready to hand out. Once it was ready, he gave it to one person. One. Arndt said that almost overnight all the big directors were reading it. Spielberg, Zemeckis, etc. Behold the power of a great script.

What are you working on? Are you going to settle for good? Or are you aiming for great? Remember it only takes one great script to launch your career.

This past Monday, Josh and I had the honor to interview Dave Smith, the founder and director of the Walt Disney Archives.  We met with him in his office on the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank.

We were there to cover the 40th anniversary of the Archives for InsidetheMagic.net.  We’ll be posting the majority of our coverage over there.  But I wanted to share with you Dave’s answer to one very important question.

I asked Dave what he had gleaned over the last 40 years of studying Walt’s life that would indicate what made Walt Disney so successful.  This is what he said:

“I think the basic quality about Walt is that he was a genius in knowing what the public wanted in entertainment.  He didn’t listen to all of his critics that tried to talk him out of doing things he wanted to do because he knew what would interest the public.  And that was proved true throughout his career.

He was always trying new things… things that other companies and individuals were afraid to do.  He was always willing to put up his money to do things that other people didn’t want to do.

Of course, most people were afraid that these things wouldn’t be successful.  He wasn’t afraid they weren’t going to be successful.  He knew they were going to be successful.  Now if only we all had that ability… but I think that was indeed where he was a genius and I think that was his most important quality.”

Some key points stuck out at me from what Dave said.

• Walt didn’t listen to the naysayers in his life
• Walt tried new things – always
• Walt was a risk-taker
• Walt believed completely in his projects

I’d like to share one more quote by Walt Disney himself which backs up what Dave Smith observed.

“Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making his dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C’s. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of these is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way.”

I believe that you and I can be just as big an impact on our world as Walt Disney.  I’m prepared to try.  Are you?

This week’s pick has the distinction of being the one and only film ever written by Theodore Geisel. “Who the heck is Theodore Geisel,” you may ask. Well, dear reader, Theodore Geisel is none other than the beloved author, Dr. Seuss.

Yes. Long before Ron Howard ever made How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss wrote The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. It’s a very strange film about a little boy who dreams that his piano teacher is kidnapping children and forcing them to play a huge piano. All of this takes place in a Seuss-like nightmare world. Did I mention that this movie is weird?

When it opened in 1953, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T was a huge failure. So much so, that Geisel doesn’t even mention the whole fiasco (as he later called it) in his autobiography. At the Hollywood premier, people started walking out after 15 minutes. Since then, it’s gained a bit of a cult following. It’s a trippy movie, well worth checking out. It kind of reminds me of The Peanut Butter Solution, another weird movie about kidnapping kids that scared the crap out of me when I was young.

5,000 Fingers Of Dr. T., The (1953)
A young boy dreams that his piano teacher is a super-villain out to rule the world.
Cast: Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Hans Conried, Tommy Rettig Dir: Roy Rowland C-89 mins, TV-PG

Number 89 on the AFI Top 100 is M. Night Shyamalan’s masterpiece, The Sixth Sense.

Let’s have a show of hands of those who either a) Had the ending ruined for them or b) Ruined the ending for someone else.  I fall in the B category.  But in my defense, my mom said she’d NEVER see the film. 

8-year-old Cole Sear is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. A reluctant channel, Cole is frightened by visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. Confused by his paranormal powers, Cole is too young to understand his purpose and too afraid to tell anyone aout his anguish, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe. As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the ominous truth about Cole’s supernatural abilities, the consequences for client and therapist are a jolt that awakens them both to something harrowing–and unexplainable.

Recently, Josh and I hosted a movie night where we watched The Sixth Sense and we had a very nice evening.  After the film, we had an hour long discussion about different aspects of the film.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Even though the scares and jumps may not play as scary after several repeat viewings, it has become evident that the film isn’t really meant to be that.  It’s more of a drama.  And highly successful at that.
• The music doesn’t play like a scary movie but more like a drama backing up the first point.
• The theme of the film is communication and it is explored in the 3 main storylines – a) Dr. Crowe’s relationship to his wife, b) Cole’s relationship to his mother, and c) Cole’s experiences with the ghosts.

M. Night Shyamalan used to be one of my favorite directors.  This film along with Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village are still some of my favorite films.  But his recent work has been lacking.  I hope The Last Airbender marks his return to greatness.

What is your favorite Shyamalan film?  Do you have any faith in The Last Airbender?

This week’s pick is a film that I really hated to miss at the TCM Classic Film Fest. A Star Is Born (1954) was the opening night film and the only film that our media credentials didn’t give us access to.

This Judy Garland classic is a remake of a 1937 film staring Janet Gaynor and Frederick March. I actually prefer the original, but the Garland version is really good as well. In it, Garland plays a young actress who falls in love with a huge star (played by the always wonderful James Mason) just as she is discovered and his fame is beginning to subside. It’s a great behind the scenes look at Hollywood of the 1950s.

Judy Garland delivers the performance of her career in this film. She was nominated for Best Actress, but ultimately didn’t win. It’s a heartbreaking look at fame and all the negatives that come with it, especially when you consider Ms. Garland’s own struggles due to fame.

With some great musical numbers and a ton of fantastic Hollywood locations, I heartily recommend you checking out A Star Is Born (1954).  If you can’t catch it on TCM, a newly restored version has just been released on DVD & Blu-ray.

Star Is Born, A (1954) – Saturday, June 19 at 8:00pm EST
A falling star marries the newcomer he’s helping reach the top.
Cast: Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson, Charles Bickford Dir: George Cukor C-176 mins, TV-PG

I’ve been having some amazing adventures since I moved to Los Angeles over a year ago.  Not all of them have been directly film related but they have been opportunities I wouldn’t have had in Atlanta.

Last week, I had the opportunity to cover a major media event at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.  They were unveiling their new night time water show, World of Color. I scored my invite through my work over at www.InsidetheMagic.net and because of the work we do here at DawsBrothers.com.

On top of the premiere of World of Color, the event consisted of a Red Carpet, a pre-show with a really impressive talking Mickey Mouse, and an after party.

The Red Carpet was actually blue – I’m assuming because World of Color is a water show.  Click here to see pictures from the carpet.  You’ll see stars like Vanessa Hudgens, Jason Segel, John Stamos, Geena Davis, and Terri Hatcher.  Plus, there are some really neat puppets.

The talking Mickey Mouse at the pre-show was amazing.  Disney had been testing this technology through private interactions with guests at Disneyland for a few months.  This was the first public use of the technology.  Check out this video:

After the pre-show, we saw World of Color and you can read my review of the show here.

The show finished and Ricky Brigante (from Inside The Magic) and I headed back to the Grand Californian Hotel to start capturing our footage.  Then we headed over to an area of Disney California Adventure called Paradise Pier.  That portion of the park had been completely emptied of guests and they threw a private party for all of us media and all of the celebrities.

And it was the best party I’ve ever been to.  There was free catered food, free churos, free drinks, free games, and most of the attractions in that area were running (and with no wait.)  There was a cover band doing mostly Black-eyed Peas and Fergie songs and the music wasn’t so loud that you couldn’t think.  It was perfect.  Even Mickey Mouse was there taking pictures with everyone.

At one point I found myself standing with The Bachelor on my left and John Stamos on my right.  It was surreal.  John Lassiter was also on hand with his family.

The party ended and I headed home glowing from such a magical evening.

The next morning I went back to Disneyland to see a press event called “What’s Next?”  During the show, they unveiled new changes to the Disneyland Resort and the Disney Cruise Line.  To check out those updates, click here.

The coolest part of the “What’s Next?” event was the fact that Jodi Benson, who was the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, performed live on stage.  You can see that video here:

Needless to say, I highly recommend blogging because it opens up some really cool doors.

I’m so thankful I decided to move to Los Angeles.  These opportunities are some that I treasure.  It’s all about finding joy in the journey.

What are some of life’s little blessings that you’ve gotten to experience along your journey?

As I said in yesterday’s post, last night I went to the World Premiere of Disney’s World of Color, the new water show at Disney’s California Adventure theme park. If you didn’t follow me on Twitter last night while I was at the press event, check out this site. Myself and my friend, Ricky Brigante from www.InsidetheMagic.net were there covering the event.

We covered the Red Carpet and the After Party where we saw stars like John Stamos, Wayne Brady, and Terri Hatcher. That will be it’s own blog post – it is definitely an interesting chapter in my Adventure out in California. Today, I’ll focus on the show itself.

Some might ask, what does a new water show at the Disneyland Resort have to do with this blog about film and filmmaking? Well, the answer is – World of Color is on the cutting edge of storytelling. Disney has re-imagined the way a film is shown and experienced. Combining music, fire effects, and video projected onto a HUGE screen of misting water, this show is truly in a class of its own.

World of Color at Disney’s California Adventure is 25 minutes long and I could have stood there for much longer than that. I was taking pictures during the show but about a third of the way through, the sounds and sights I was experiencing took my breath away and I just had to stop and take it all in. My mind was officially blown.

Everything in the show is top notch. I loved the selections from the various Disney films from Wall-e and Toy Story to The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. They even included scenes from classics like Fantasia. And I love the emotional journey it takes you on as you relive these great scenes. I can’t even explain how new and different this show is or how BIG the show is. The water screens fill your periphery and you become consumed by it.

The most jaw dropping sequence to me was the Toy Story 2 sequence: the laser Zurg was phenomenal. And because they use multiple layers of water screens, it feels like the images are 3D. Sometimes, I couldn’t even see the water so certain elements looked to be floating in thin air.

Only one thing about the whole experience made me raise my eyebrow. The viewing area for the show isn’t perpendicular to the show. It was at an angle so everyone had to look slightly right. I found that strange but it didn’t take away from the experience.

I would recommend getting there extremely early to get a good spot. I’m sure it will get full several hours in advance. Also, you will get wet, even if you are far away. Maybe it was just particularly windy but I was farther back from the water and still got sprayed. But, it’s only a mist. You’ll live. Once you see just how high and wide the water can spray, you’ll understand.

On a side note – I’m doing a terrible job describing this show! Just like the Matrix, one cannot be told what World of Color is – you must be experience it for yourself.

Check out the video that Ricky and I recorded. If you plan on seeing the show anytime in the near future, please don’t ruin it for yourself. But if you can’t resist – enjoy!

So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to Disney.com and book your trip to the Disneyland Resort RIGHT NOW! (And no, Disney isn’t paying me to say any of this.) World of Color really is one of those things you should make a special trip to see. I would. It is breathtaking.

Come back soon to read my account (and see pictures) of the Red Carpet and After Party at the World Premiere of World of Color.

Tonight I will be going to a press event at the Disneyland Resort debuting a new nighttime water show called “World of Color.”

I received an official press release from Disney and included a blurb from it below here -

“Lights, water, music, fire and animation will come together like never before on June 11 when “World of Color” makes its dazzling debut at Disney’s California Adventure theme park.  The show is choreographed with revolutionary technology that creates a playful, nighttime spectacular and a new way for guests to experience Disney stories – from the charming to the adventurous.”

Check out this video to get a taste of the show:

When I went to Vegas for the first time back in April, I caught the water show outside The Bellagio and was blown away.  But this show seems to take all that is great about The Bellagio fountain and amp it up with color, film projections, and fire effects.  The video and pictures that I’ve seen make me think this show will make my head explode.

On a side note, the title for “World of Color” is inspired by one of Walt’s original TV shows called “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.”  The theme song was written by Richard and Robert Sherman.  You may recall that Josh and I recently met Richard Sherman at a ceremony honoring he and his brother.

I’ll be tweeting the event as I talk to Imagineers and other notable people on the Red Carpet and at the After Party.  Be sure to follow me – @jeremiahdaws.  Who knows what celebrities I might bump into?

Also, check back here on Friday.  I’ll post my review of the show and you won’t want to miss out on that.  I’ll also be partnering with Ricky Brigante from www.InsideTheMagic.net to provide video and pictures of the event.

There is a trick to writing villains. Many first time screenwriters make the mistake of having their antagonist enjoy doing evil. Sure there are times when those bad guys can be fun, but mostly they just come off as one dimensional and boring.

The trick to writing villains is to write them as if they were the good guy. No one goes through life wanting to do evil. Even when someone is doing evil, they themselves don’t think that they are. Their behavior makes perfect sense to them.

This scene from The Third Man is a shining example of this. Orson Welles plays a despicable man who is selling bad penicillin on the black market resulting in the death of children. The writer delved into the character and figured out how a man like that would rationalize it. By the end of the scene you see how warped his thinking has become, but also completely understand how he thinks he’s doing nothing wrong. He is the hero in his own mind.

The Third Man is a great film that you should definitely add to your Netflix queue if you haven’t seen it.

Rebel without a Crew is one of my favorite “film” books.  It is a collection of journal entries written by Robert Rodriguez chronicling his experiences making and selling his first feature film, El Mariachi.  I found the book to be extremely entertaining as well as motivational.

If you aren’t familiar with Robert Rodriguez, he’s a writer/director/producer from Texas.  His most notable films are Desperado, the Spy Kids franchise, Sin City, and Planet Terror.  He’s not my favorite director by any means but I LOVE his commentary tracks and all the special features he includes on his DVDs because he puts a lot of thought into teaching you his techniques.  He even calls some of the features his 10-Minute Film School.

The full title of his book is Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player. It is a perfect title because the book actually shows his rise to stardom from random kid with a camera to being repped by a major Hollywood agency – a true Cinderella Story.  My favorite part of the story is finding out HOW he got the $7,000.  I won’t ruin it for you.

Rodriguez is a maverick and he inspired me to be a maverick.  In the introduction to the book, Rodriguez talks about writing El Mariachi:

“I… wrote the first Mariachi in three weeks.  It’s amazing how quickly ideas come to you for a script when you know you’re going to be actually making the movie in a few months, not just writing for writing sake.”

He just decided to make the film.  That’s how it happened with us and Dangerous Calling.  We set a production start date and then got to writing the script.  I LOVE deadlines.  They make you more creative.

If you haven’t read his book or seen his 10-Minute Film School videos, go check them out.  You’ll love them.  He gives especially good advice on how to do action cheaply.  He is very creative.

What are your favorite Rodriguez films – and what have you learned from him?

This week’s TCM pick is a film that I’m not particularly fond of, but since it was directed by the recently departed Dennis Hopper, I figured it was a good time to give him and his film their due respect. Easy Rider is long, rambling, drug-fueled film without much of a story. All things that made it a huge success in 1969.

Famous for its portrayal of real drug use, to say Easy Rider was counterculture is an understatement. For better or worse, its success ushered in a new era of Hollywood films that dealt with difficult subject matter and had content that would have been unthinkable just 10 years earlier. For that reason it’s essential viewing if you’re looking to understand the films of the 70s. Easy Rider does have a fantastic soundtrack and some fine performances by Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, and a young Jack Nicholson.

Easy Rider (1969) Wednesday, June 9 at 12:30am EST
A cross-country trip to sell drugs puts two hippie bikers on a collision course with small-town prejudices.
Cast: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Antonio Mendoza, Phil Spector Dir: Dennis Hopper C-96 mins, TV-MA

Josh and I periodically like to host a movie night at one of our apartments and invite other educated film people.  Afterwards, we’ll discuss the film.  It makes for an enjoyable night, plus it’s a great way to further increase our film knowledge and refine our craft.

Sometimes we’ll watch a new release and other times we will watch older films.  I feel it is imortant to get a fresh take on a film that you might have seen many times.  Everyone has a slightly different viewpoint and hearing them can cause you to discover new insights.  I want to be able to suck every last drop of juice out of rich films such as Jaws, Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, etc… and sometimes the only way to do that is to get someone else’s take.

And don’t forget about the other end of the spectrum.  It is important to watch BAD films as well – though I would do this less frequently.  Josh and I like to watch at least one crappy film a month.  One can learn what NOT to do.  But, just like the FBI studies REAL money in order to spot counterfeit money, I find it more important to study great films more than bad films.

Have you considered hosting a movie night?  It’s much more fun and much less effort than a book club, in my humble opinion.  What movies would you screen?

#90 on the AFI Top 100 is the classic Fred and Ginger musical, Swing Time (1936.)

Seeing Top Hat (1935) at the TCM Classic Film Festival was my first exposure to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and I wanted more.  I rented Swing Time from Netflix the very next day.  I personally liked Top Hat better but both are great films with phenomenal dancing.

TCM.com gives this synopsis of Swing Time:

To prove himself worthy of his fiancee, a dancer tries to make it big, only to fall for his dancing partner.

Fred Astaire directed and choreographed his own dance sequences in several of his RKO musicals including Swing Time and Top Hat.  Unlike Busby Berkeley’s musicals which at times became very abstract, Astaire’s films had more of an integration of music and dance with the story.

Swing Time was directed by George Stevens – best known for A Place in the Sun, Giant, and Shane.  All of those classics AND he could direct musicals.  Talk about versatile.

I found this album on iTunes – it has all of the songs from the Fred and Ginger films at RKO.  I love it.

Fred and Ginger are dynamic on screen.  It is no wonder they made 10 films together.

What is your favorite Fred and Ginger film?

If I were to ask you to give the basic idea of Robin Hood, you’d probably say some variation of ‘Robin Hood robs from the rich to give to the poor.’ Pretty simple right?  But the filmmakers of the latest Robin Hood (2010) thought they’d be clever and leave it out.  And what they have is a mediocre medieval movie.

It’s called Mental Real Estate.  It’s the reason kids went to see the Harry Potter movies.  They already had an opinion of what to expect from the movie.  The studios don’t like introducing brand new concepts to viewers anymore.  The days of a totally new idea like Star Wars blasting onto the screen are just about over.  Adaptations are the safer bet.  This movie had soo much Mental Real Estate going for it.  EVERYONE knows the Robin Hood legend.

But the unspoken rule is: You have to give what you promised.

I didn’t mind the small changes to what I believed Robin Hood to be.  A more “realistic” version or “true to life” version of the story would have been interesting.  But there has to be some semblance to the legend or it doesn’t work.  And it didn’t.  The whole movie is simply a prologue to the legend.  He never robs the rich to give to the poor and that’s what I spent my $10 to see.  Give me what you promised me!

Aside from the fact that Robin Hood could have been named anything else, it was a boring film.  At two hours and twenty minutes, the film just felt long and bloated.  I couldn’t help comparing this film to Gladiator (having the same star and director.)  But where I was rooting for Maximus within the first 5 minutes of Gladiator, I never connected with Robin Longstride at all.

Come to think of it, I didn’t care about any of the characters in the film.  All of our “heroes” start out the film on their way back from the Crusades pillaging villages in France.  Then when the “evil French” begin to invade England near the end of the film, we are supposed to hate the French.  But why?  The English were pillaging their villages for no good reason.  Why shouldn’t they fight back?  I could go on and on but I won’t.

There are several film and TV versions of the Robin Hood Legend.  These are my favorites:

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) starring Kevin Costner.  Yes, it is a bit dated and Kevin Costner’s accent drifts from English to American from time to time.  But…  Did Robin rob?  Yes.

Disney’s Robin Hood (1973).  Sure it’s animated and Robin is a fox.  But…  Did Robin rob?  Yes.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) starring Errol Flynn.  Yes, Robin wears tights.  But…  Did Robin rob?  Yes.

Do yourself a favor and see these versions of Robin Hood.  Heck, you could probably buy all three on DVD for the price of a trip to the theater plus snacks.

What is your favorite version of Robin Hood?

Number 91 on the AFI Top 100 list is Alan J. Pakula’s Sophie’s Choice (1982.)

If you’re like I was and you’ve never seen Sophie’s Choice, you’ve probably asked the question, “Why the hell does Meryl Streep get so much respect?”

Watch Sophie’s Choice and you’ll find out why.

TCM.com gives this synopsis:

A concentration camp survivor resettles in New York City but can’t escape her past.

Sophie’s Choice is not a good film.  I don’t think it works at all as a dramatic narrative.  It would make a better stage play.

But…

Meryl Streep is amazing.

Sophie’s Choice was nominated for 5 academy award but only won for Best Actress – Meryl Streep.

If you haven’t seen Sophie’s Choice, eat your vegetables and see the film.  You probably won’t enjoy the experience but you’ll see a master at work.  Kevin Kline also does a fine bit of acting though not as nuanced as Meryl.

On a side note, my favorite Meryl Streep film is The River Wild (1994.) What is yours?

This week’s pick is one that I’ve sadly never seen. Proving that film franchises have been around since the beginning of movies, Tarzan, The Ape Man was the first of twelve Tarzan films starring Johnny Weismuller as Tarzan. These films were hugely popular in the 30 & 40s and continued to spawn additional films in the Tarzan franchise well into the 60s and early 70s.

Even if you’ve never seen any of them (I haven’t), you are sure to have heard the famous Tarzan yell. Weismuller claimed to have developed that yell at a yodeling competition he won when he was a boy. In actuality it was created by early sound recording engineer, Douglas Shearer, using a recording of an Austrian yodeler that was sped up and reversed. Weismuller eventually became so good at mimicking the sound that most people believed he was providing the sound for the films. (source: wikipedia)

Tarzan, The Ape Man (1932) – Saturday, May 22 at 4:15pm EST
A British lord raised by apes kidnaps a beautiful noblewoman exploring Africa with her father.
Cast: Johnny Weissmuller, Neil Hamilton, C. Aubrey Smith, Maureen O’Sullivan Dir: W. S. Van Dyke BW-100 mins, TV-G

We are going through the AFI Top 100 list.  Check out all of our previous posts from #100 – #93. #92 is a film that completely engages you from the beginning and doesn’t let go – Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas.

TCM.com gives this synopsis:

A young man works his way up through the New York City mobs.

Goodfellas is brilliant.  It makes crime look so appealing at the beginning of the movie that at half-way through, I’m figuring out how to join a “crew.”  But by the end of the movie, I’m so glad I didn’t.

I’ve seen Goodfellas many times, but this time, the take away was a bit different.

I’d been watching a lot of French New Wave.  The filmmakers generally don’t want you to identify with the protagonist.  In The 400 Blows, the boy (Antoine) turns to a life of crime and rebellion just like Ray Liotta’s character, Henry.  But, in The 400 Blows, I don’t care about the kid.  He comes off as a spoiled brat.  I feel sorry for him but I don’t identify with him.

In Goodfellas, I’m right there with Henry.  I identify with him from the start.  As I said above, I want to be him for most of the movie.

So what is the difference between Antoine and Henry?  Why am I so indifferent about the one but I want to BE the other?  I’m still pondering the question.

It’s more than just the difference between a gangster movie and a movie about a kid in France.  I could have been made to identify with a kid growing up in France and I’ve seen other gangster films where I cared nothing about the main character.

Goodfellas is pure cinematic genius from start to finish.  If you haven’t seen it, go rent it and be prepared to have your mind blown.

What is your favorite Scorsese film?  Why do you think we identify so strongly with Henry?  Let’s start a discussion!

Last year, Josh and I started running.  Up to this point in our lives, we had never run more than a mile.  We’re not terribly active people.  I’ve never been to the gym in my life.  The only physical activity we take part in is occasional hiking and backpacking.  So you can see, our decision to start running was a drastic one.

On Sunday, Josh and I ran our first half-marathon.  13.1 miles.

Josh and I learned a great deal about life and filmmaking as we trained for our race.  I’d like to share just a few points.

1)  Set Goals. It is very important to have goals if you want to accomplish something (in our case, write and direct.)  Once you have those goals set, take baby steps every day/week to reach those goals.

If you focus on the big picture, you will quickly become overwhelmed.  (13.1 miles???)    But if you focus on the day to day tasks at hand, you’ll eventually reach your goal and you won’t realize how.

When we set out to make Dangerous Calling, our first feature, it was a pretty daunting task.  But we had a laundry list of things that had to be done and we just worked the plan, taking it little by little.  And now, we have a feature under our belt that we’re tremendously proud of.  Set a goal and take small do-able steps to achieve that goal.

2)  Conquer Your Mind. Running is just a mind game.  It’s all about pushing yourself past what you think you can do.

Every week, we’d run several short runs and then one long one on the weekend. What we discovered was that if we could run 4 miles, then 5 miles was doable.  If we could run 5, then 6 was doable.  Our bodies weren’t changing that drastically, just our minds – what we thought we could do.

Change your mind – decide that you are capable of more than you or anyone else thinks.

9 months ago, I thought running 13.1 miles was impossible.  I was wrong.  What are you attempting that looks impossible?

Every week we highlight one film airing on Turner Classic Movies. This is an especially good week. It’s been tough to choose just one. Check the schedule to see what’s playing. This week’s pick is the film that made John Wayne a star – John Ford’s Stagecoach.

Westerns were nothing new in 1939. Hollywood had been making them for years. Since the very beginning in fact. What made Stagecoach different was that it was one of the first to be treated as more than just a “B” picture. Filmed on location in Monument Valley (Ford’s favorite location), Stagecoach follows the story of several different people from different walks of life as they share a Stagecoach ride through indian country.

There is some great action in this film, but it’s the characters that really shine. John Wayne is amazing as the misunderstood outlaw Ringo Kid, but this is a true ensemble piece. Every actor shines in his or her respective roles. Definitely check this one out. And stick around all night for an evening of John Ford westerns.

Stagecoach (1939) – Tuesday, May 4 at 8:00pm EST
A group of disparate passengers battle personal demons and each other while racing through Indian country.
Cast: Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine Dir: John Ford BW-96 mins, TV-G

This week, I’ve been posting a recap of last weekend’s TCM Classic Film Festival here in Hollywood, California.  We’ve gone through Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.  Today, I’ll recap Sunday, the 4th and final day at the festival.

Josh took his wife Becca to see Damn Yankees! (1958) on Sunday morning while I watched my nephew. Leonard Maltin introduced the film.  Afterwards, TCM on-air host, Ben Mankiewicz interviewed Tab Hunter, the star of the film.  I can’t say anything about Damn Yankees! – I’ve never seen it.  You can hear the audio:

Leonard Maltin introduces Damn Yankees!

Ben Mankiewiz and Tab Hunter discuss Damn Yankees!

That afternoon, I went over to Grauman’s Chinese and saw Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy (1983.) Jerry Lewis, Robert Deniro, and Sandra Bernhard star in this dark comedy.  I really enjoyed the film, but I can see why it wasn’t as popular as some of Scorsese’s other films.  I was chatting with a fellow festival attendee and he put it best: The King of Comedy didn’t do well in the box office because audiences were expecting more comedy and got more Sandra Bernhard.  And boy, do you get to see a lot of her.  Way more than I ever wanted to.

Here is the synopsis from TCM.com:

A would-be comic kidnaps a talk-show host to win a guest shot on his show.

If you are a fan of Deniro and Scorsese or if you want to see Jerry Lewis in the best dramatic performance of his career, rent The King of Comedy.  You can hear audio of Ben Mankiewicz introducing the film here:

Ben Mankiewicz introduces The King of Comedy.

The closing film of the festival was Fritz Lang’s, Metropolis (1927.) Josh and I arrived an hour and a half early to ensure we got a seat.  And it was a good thing we did.  Just about every festival attendee was trying to get in to Grauman’s Chinese to see the movie.  The stand-by line stretched way down Hollywood Blvd.  I’m positive none of those people got in.  It was the place to be in Hollywood that night.

While waiting for the screening to start, we noticed Jeff Goldsmith from Creative Screenwriting Magazine and Podcast was standing a few rows in front of us.  Josh reached out to him on Twitter (we are true introverts) and he told us to come say hi.  So we did and he was incredibly nice.  I LOVE his podcast.  He conducts screenings and then records Q&As with the writer or writers of the films he shows.  Check it out on iTunes.

Robert Osborne was there to introduce the film and he again received a standing ovation.  People LOVE him.  He made a special announcement – the festival will occur again this time next year in Hollywood.  The crowd was ecstatic. Check out the audio here:

Robert Osborne introduces Metropolis.

Metropolis was accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra.  They were great but it was a little deceiving.  We assumed that meant a full orchestra but the Alloy Orchestra is a 3 piece techno-style band.  At first I was disappointed but after the film started, I realized Metropolis shouldn’t have a sweeping John Williams-esque score anyway.  The Alloy Orchestra did a great job.  They must have been exhausted after playing for over 2 hours straight.

This was the North American premiere of the most complete cut of Metropolis.  This version had new footage that was recently found in a 16mm version of the film in Argentina.  There is still a few minutes of Metropolis still missing.  Maybe one day, we’ll get to see every last frame of the movie.  Until then, this cut is the best we have.  If you get a chance, check it out.  I’m sure it will be on DVD in the coming months.

That’s it for our experiences at the TCM Classic Film Festival.  In all, I saw 11 films over 4 days.  A great big THANK YOU goes out to TCM for allowing us to attend.  We had a blast.  Every element of the festival appeared to run smoothly and in order.  I always felt like the staff and volunteers were well informed and in control.  The number of filmmakers and actors at each of the screenings was astounding.  I recommend everyone start saving for next year’s event.  It is well worth it to any fan of classic cinema.

Also, check out Leonard Maltin’s very eloquent recap of the festival.  It’s a treat. And don’t forget that you can enjoy classic movies every day of the year thanks to Turner Classic Movies. Tune in!

In case you missed the last few days, we’ve been recapping our time at the TCM Classic Film Festival. We’ve already gone over what happened on Thursday, Day 1 as well as Friday, Day 2.

Today, we’ll focus on Saturday, Day 3 at the festival.

We started the day in one of the smaller Mann’s Chinese theaters for a screening of Sunset Blvd (1950.) The film should have been shown in Grauman’s Chinese, but what can you do?  Nancy Olson was on hand to introduce the film.  She was every bit as lovely and engaging as she was in the film. Here story about her kiss with Holden was priceless. You can hear the audio here:

Nancy Olson introduces Sunset Blvd.

Sunset Blvd. got out later than we had hoped so we missed our chance to see The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) in Grauman’s Chinese.  We opted to see a film we hadn’t seen before, Leave Her to Heaven (1946) starring Gene Tierney.

TCM.com gives this synopsis -

A beautiful neurotic will stop at nothing to hold onto her husband’s love.

One thing that struck us about Leave Her to Heaven was its similarities to our feature, Dangerous Calling.  There was a lodge, a crazy lady, and even a lake drowning.  But we promise, we had never seen Leave Her to Heaven before.  You can find out more about our film over at www.DangerousCalling.com

Leave Her To Heaven is significant in that movies like this were generally shot in black and white with high contrast images.  Leave Her to Heaven was shot in beautiful Technicolor and in wide open spaces.  It took us both off guard.  I didn’t expect it to get as dark tonally as it did.

Darryl Hickman, who played the brother of the man Gene Tierney married, was in attendance.  I can’t tell you any more about his role without giving away much of the plot. You can hear Robert Osborne and Darryl Hickman discuss the film here:

Darryl Hickman and Robert Osborne discuss Leave Her to Heaven. (Spoiler alert!)

Next up was Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959) over at Grauman’s Chinese.  This was a special treat because Eva-Marie Saint and Martin Landau were on hand to introduce the film. We were both struck with how well NxNW plays with an audience. It’s quite a bit funnier than you realize when watching it at home on your tv.

Robert Osborne, Eva-Marie Saint, and Martin Landau discuss North by Northwest.

After that, we went over to the Egyptian to see a beautiful print of Singing in the Rain (1952.)

While waiting in line, there was a zombie flash mob on Hollywood Blvd.  About 200 zombies walked down the street moaning groaning on the hunt for human flesh.  The funny thing is, nobody thought anything of it.  This IS Hollywood after all.

Stanley Donen, one of the directors, was on hand to introduce the film.  At first it didn’t make sense that he would still be alive.  I always assume Singing in the Rain is older than it is – but at the time is was made, it was a period film, set 30 years prior.  You can listen to Mr. Donen and Mr. Osborne discuss one of my favorite films of all time here:

Stanley Donen and Robert Osborne discuss Singing in the Rain. (My apologies for the quality.  You might have to ride the levels a bit.)

After the movie, we headed over to Club TCM to listen to a four piece jazz/swing band.  You can see video here. Such a cool vibe.  If the night life in Hollywood was like this, I’d be out at the clubs every night.

That was it for day 3.  Check out our tweets from that day.

Jeremiah:

• Up early. Hitting Sunset Blvd (the movie) at the TCM film festival. #tcmff Love that movie. 8:12 AM Apr 24th
• Nancy Olson shared great anecdotes about Sunset Blvd. Loved the movie on the big screen. I always fall for Nancy when I see it. #tcmff 12:01 PM Apr 24th
• After seeing 6 classic films, I REALLY want to smoke a cigarette. And I hate smoking. Forget Buick. Get a tobacco company as sponsor #tcmff 12:03 PM Apr 24th
• Just saw Leave Her to Heaven. Gene Tierney in a thriller. Scary lady. Makes me afraid to ever get married. Haha. #tcmff 2:18 PM Apr 24th
• Martin Landau, Eva Marie Saint, and Robert Osborne just introduced North By Northwest. #tcmff 3:12 PM Apr 24th
• North by Northwest was amazing. Cool to see a Hitchcock film with a packed audience at the Chinese. #tcmff Eva and Martin were great. 6:31 PM Apr 24th
• In line for Singing in the Rain at the Egyptian. #tcmff Big crowd here. Clearly the movie to see this evening http://twitpic.com/1i7yek 6:36 PM Apr 24th
• Cant believe he’s still alive. RT @JoshDaws: Singing in the Rain. So stoked for this. The director is here to talk about it. #tcmff 6:54 PM Apr 24th
• Seeing Singing in the Rain on the big screen has to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in a theater. Wow. Unforgettable. #tcmff 9:36 PM Apr 24th
• Hanging in Club TCM in the Blossom Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt. Cool band playing. #tcmff Love this vibe. http://twitvid.com/US8SI 9:39 PM Apr 24th

Josh:

• Leave Her To Heaven had a lot of similarities to Dangerous Calling. I swear we had never seen it before. http://j.mp/cn7D2x #tcmff 2:41 PM Apr 24th
• You haven’t seen Hitchcock until you see his films on the big screen with a huge audience. Unbelievable experience. #tcmff 6:30 PM Apr 24th
• Looks like some sort of flash mob of zombies is walking down Hollywood Blvd. Weird place. 6:42 PM Apr 24th
• Singing in the Rain. So stoked for this. The director, Stanley Donnen is here to talk about it. #tcmff 6:49 PM Apr 24th
• Singin’ in the Rain on the big screen is pure cinematic joy. My face hurts from smiling. #tcmff 9:21 PM Apr 24th

Yesterday, I gave my wrap-up of Thursday, Day 1 at the TCM Classic Film Festival.  Today, on to Friday, the first full day at the festival.

We started the day with a beautiful digital print of King Kong (1933) at Grauman’s Chinese theater.  Leonard Maltin was on hand to introduce the film.  He pointed out that we were about to see King Kong where it had originally premiered 77 years earlier.  You can hear the full audio here:

Leonard Maltin introduces King Kong

The film, of course, was fantastic.  What they were able to accomplish in 1933 without CG is phenomenal.  Someone tell me, why do we use so much CG nowadays?

Josh and I lamented the Peter Jackson version of King Kong.  It had such potential.  I wonder why he thought it necessary to tell the story in almost 3 hours when Merian C. Cooper did the story just fine in only 90 minutes.  There’s a great film in PJ’s footage, it just needs to be cut together.  If you haven’t seen the original King Kong, rent it!

Next we went back to Club TCM at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to hear A Conversation between Peter Bogdanovich and Leonard Maltin.  This was the highlight of the event.  As you may know if you follow this blog or my twitter account, I have recently developed an appreciation for Bogdanovich’s films – Paper Moon being my favorite – and it was fascinating to hear stories about the productions of his most popular films.

Peter Bogdanovich is one of our last living links between old and new Hollywood.  He spent hours and hours interviewing all of the great filmmakers of the 30′s and 40′s.  He wrote a book called Who the Devil Made It in which he printed his interviews with such greats as Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and Fritz Lang.  I went home and ordered the book that night and have begun reading it.

I recorded the audio but sadly, the PA system wasn’t great in the room so it is very echo-y.  I won’t be posting it.  But you can look up Peter Bogdanovich on youtube.com and see him tell stories of these great filmmakers and see him do impressions of each of them.  He’s quite impressive.

Mr. Bogdanovich was asked about current Hollywood films.  He said that it used to be that genre films such as horror, action, sci-fi, etc… were the “B” pictures and films about people were the “A” pictures.  Most of the money in Hollywood was spent on those films.  But in the late 70′s, with the advent of the Blockbuster (Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind), there started to be a shift.  The “B” pictures became the “A” pictures.  Now all the money in Hollywood is spent on genre films and barely any money is spent on films about people.  The indie world is just about the only place making films about people.  I thought this a fascinating point.

As always, Josh and I advocate the thinking man’s genre film – such as Jaws, Star Wars, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Unfortunately, with movies like Transformers and Clash of the Titans, all the effort is spent on the spectacle and no effort is spent on the story.  Tell me you can see a difference between Transformers and Jaws, right?  I suppose the average movie goer can’t and that’s why we’re in the mess we’re in today with brainless summer blockbusters.  (Of course, there are exceptions as in The Dark Knight.  These are the films we should be supporting.)

One final comment Mr. Bogdanovich made was his frustration with film editing today.  He said directors used to hide their presence by making their cuts invisible.  Now they call attention to it as if yelling, “Look Ma, I’m directing.”  So true.

Josh and I briefly met Leonard Maltin after the discussion.  Josh asked him if we could be expecting any more Disney Treasures.  He said no.  Apparently the current administration at Disney has no interest in the classics.  That is a terrible shame.  But Mr. Maltin was grateful for the 9 years he was able to work on the Treasures.  I’m grateful for them too.

After that, we saw The Producers (1968) back at the Grauman’s Chinese.  It was introduced by Mel Brooks.

I had never seen The Producers so I had no idea what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised by just how funny it was.  Gene Wilder stole the show for sure.

Check out some video of Mel Brooks during the discussion before the film over at TCM.com.

Then we went over to the Egyptian and saw Casablanca (1942.) We were excited to find that Peter Bogdanovich was introducing the film along with Paul Henreid’s daughter.  Henreid played resistance leader Victor Laszlo.  Hear the audio:

Peter Bogdanovich discusses Casablanca with Paul Henreid’s daughter.

Finally, we closed the night at a 9:30 screening of Top Hat (1935), starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  I had never seen the film before – the only scene I had seen was shown in The Green Mile – “Heaven, I’m in Heaven…”  I believe the song is called Cheek to Cheek.  I thoroughly enjoyed the film.  It’s definitely one of the best Fred and Ginger movies.

Robert Osborne, the on air host of TCM, was on hand to introduce the film.  Every time we saw him, he was always swarmed by adoring fans.  He was a rock star at this event.  Every time he introduced a film, he received a standing ovation.  Check out the audio here:

Robert Osborne introduces Top Hat

That’s it for Friday.  See our Friday tweets below:

Jeremiah:

• Going to see King Kong (1933) at the Chinese Theater in a little over an hour. Holy crap. #tcmff
• At Grauman’s Chinese Theater to see King Kong. Check out my recent post about it. #tcmff http://bit.ly/dBKKZM 9:57 AM Apr 23rd
• Overheard at Chinese. “Oh you’re a screenwriter? My grandparents’ story would make a great movie!” Never say this to a screenwriter #tcmff 10:03 AM Apr 23rd
• Cool to see @leonardmaltin introduce King Kong at the Chinese Theater. Got some cool audio to share. Kong premiered at the Chinese! #tcmff 12:07 PM Apr 23rd
• About to see a discussion between Peter Bogdanovich and @leonardmaltin. Stoked. Recently discovered Bogdanovich’s brilliance. #tcmff 12:56 PM Apr 23rd
• The highlight of the festival so far was hearing Peter Bogdanovich discuss film. #tcmff 2:19 PM Apr 23rd
• Seeing The Producers at the Chinese Theater. #tcmff Mel Brooks is supposedly here. 4:25 PM Apr 23rd
• M Brooks giving anecdotes about The Producers. #tcmff Dustin Hoffman was originally cast for a role in the film. Did The Graduate instead 5:02 PM Apr 23rd
• Really enjoyed The Producers at Grauman’s Chinese. Gene Wilder makes the film. #tcmff #tcmfest 6:40 PM Apr 23rd
• At the Egyptian to see Casablanca. Check out my recent blog post on the history of the Egyptian. http://bit.ly/aX1mFz #tcmfest #tcmff 6:42 PM Apr 23rd
• Casablanca about to start. Bogdanovich is here!!! #tcmfest #tcmff 7:07 PM Apr 23rd
• Casablanca was incredible. A dream to see on the big screen. Seeing Top Hat now. Robert Osborne is introducing it. #tcmff #tcmfest 9:33 PM Apr 23rd
• Top Hat. Estaire and Rogers were fantastic. Loved it. That’s it for day 2. Watched 4 movies today. “Heaven… I’m in heaven…” #tcmff 11:20 PM Apr 23rd

Josh:

• About to see King Kong at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. So nice! #tcmff http://twitpic.com/1hsngw 9:55 AM Apr 23rd
• King Kong was fun. Next up: @leonardmaltin and Peter Bogdanovich discuss something. I assume his career, but who knows. #tcmff 12:58 PM Apr 23rd
• Peter B on how O. Wells convinced him 2 shoot Picture Show in B&W. “B&W is an actor’s best friend. Name 1 good performance in color.” #tcmff 1:07 PM Apr 23rd
• Peter B on today’s directors: “Everybody today wants you to notice the cuts. They’re showboating. Look, ma! I’m directing!” #tcmff 1:22 PM Apr 23rd
• Not sure if this is a scoop or not, but @leonardmaltin just told me that there will be no more Disney Treasures DVDs. Sad. #tcmff 2:39 PM Apr 23rd
• Bogdanavich on the industry today: Genre films used to be the B pictures. Today that’s all they spend money on. #tcmff 3:48 PM Apr 23rd
• Grauman’s Chinese to see The Producers with Mel Brooks Q&A. #tcmff 4:29 PM Apr 23rd
• Left The Producers a little early to get in line for Casablanca at the Egyptian. One of my top 5. Endlessly rewatchable. #tcmff 6:45 PM Apr 23rd
• Bogdanavich in the house! He’s going to talk about Casablanca. I’d show up to hear him talk about dirt! #tcmff 7:08 PM Apr 23rd
• Wow. Casablanca on the big screen was amazing. Such a brilliant film. #tcmff 9:29 PM Apr 23rd
• Just saw Top Hat. My favorite Astaire-Rogers film. I want to be Fred Astaire. That guy could dance like no other. #tcmff 11:22 PM Apr 23rd

As you may know, Josh and I attended the TCM Classic Film Festival this past weekend and I wanted to give a recap of the festival.  We had an amazing time and I highly recommend all of you planning to attend next year.

Today, I’ll go over opening night.

We arrived at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to pick up our press credentials around 4:30.  After that, we walked around the hotel.  In the Blossom Room (which is the site of the first Academy Awards in 1929), there was a bar/lounge setup called Club TCM.  The vibe was total classic Hollywood from the music to the decor.  There was a projector showing scenes from classic films as well as posters and photographs hanging on all the walls.

Our press passes gave us access to everything except the opening night movie, A Star is Born (1954.) Apparently, that was a red carpet event with many stars in attendance.  Grauman’s Chinese Theater was blocked off and had red carpet and a press area for photographs.  We watched from across the street, feeling very much like outsiders.  But since we didn’t have to pay for our $500 passes, we didn’t complain.

What we did get to see was Frank Capra’s action-adventure, Dirigible (1931.) I have read Mr. Capra’s autobiography, The Name Above the Title, and I remember him writing about the film but had never had the chance to see it.  The film is incredibly impressive for it’s time.  The action scenes were great.  The special effects don’t hold up to today’s films but for 1931, they looked pretty great.

The acting in Dirigible was spotty at times.  I think the transition from silent to talkie films was still going on.  Some of the characters were very believable but one in particular was terrible – it reminded me of the overacting that was parodied in Singing in the Rain.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie very much.  But if you aren’t familiar with Frank Capra’s work, I’d see one of his better known films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It Happened One Night, or It’s a Wonderful Life.  Dirigible fits better with Capra’s Lost Horizon but doesn’t compare.  Lost Horizon is a masterpiece.

Josh and I both agreed that Dirigible would make a great remake.  I had no idea that the Navy had Dirigibles back in the 30′s.

Frank Capra’s grandson, Frank Capra III introduced the film and then had a Q & A afterwards.  I have included the audio here:

Dirigible Intro with Frank Capra III

Dirigible Q&A with Frank Capra III

After that, we headed back over to the Hollywood Roosevelt to catch a few minutes of a poolside screening of Neptune’s Daughter starring Esther Williams.  We only stayed for a few minutes soaking up the vibe.  But we did get to see a famous scene from the movie – where they sing the song, “Baby, it’s cold outside.”  It definitely makes me want to rent the movie.

After that, we got some free food in Club TCM and headed home to get a good night sleep for a full day of movies on Friday.  I’ll discuss that tomorrow.

If you don’t follow us on Twitter, here is a recap of our tweets from Thursday night.  Be sure to click the links for pictures and video of all that I discussed above.

Jeremiah:

• At TCM Film Fest. Chinese Theater. http://twitpic.com/1hmimp #tcmff 5:00 PM Apr 22nd
• I’m standing in the historic Blossom Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The site of the original Academy Awards in 1929. #tcmff Wow 5:56 PM Apr 22nd
• Sadly did not get in to A Star is Born at the Chinese. Only show we don’t have access to. Now about to see Dirigible by Frank Capra. #tcmff 6:10 PM Apr 22nd
• Dirigible was really good. Capra doing a special effects action picture. Fun. We met his grandson. #tcmff http://twitpic.com/1ho28c 8:47 PM Apr 22nd
• Poolside at the Roosevelt watching Neptune’s Daughter – an Esther Williams picture. Marilyn Monroe did an early photo shoot here. #tcmff 9:03 PM Apr 22nd

Josh:

• Robert Osborne at Club TCM. It’s like old Hollywood in here. #tcmff 5:00 PM Apr 22nd
• Club TCM in the Blossom Room at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Site of the first Oscar ceremonies. #tcmff http://twitvid.com/6MTVD 5:58 PM Apr 22nd
• In line to see early Frank Capra film Dirigible. His son and grandson will be in attendance. 6:10 PM Apr 22nd
• Poolside screening of an Esther Williams film at the Roosevelt. #tcmff http://twitpic.com/1ho5ev 9:00 PM Apr 22nd

Tonight is the beginning of the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, California.  Josh and I have press passes to attend the entire event.  I am so excited.

This week I gave you a brief history of two of the venues being used for the festival – the Egyptian Theater and Grauman’s Chinese Theater.  Today, let’s visit the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – the hub of the film festival.

Real estate investor Charles Toberman (responsible for both the Egyptian and the Chinese Theater) gathered a group of Hollywood players to invest in a series of real estate deals.  Among those players were Jack Warner, L.B. Meyer, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Buster Keaton.  One of their first ventures was the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel opened in August of 1927.  It was named after Theodore Roosevelt.  When it first opened, it had  a roof garden with a fountain, flowers and awnings.  There was a dance band in the evenings.

For a while, the Blossom Room ballroom served as a hot spot on Wednesday nights but it was never quite as popular as the Ambassador Hotel’s Coconut Grove.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had their first offices at the Roosevelt.  And in May of 1929, they held the first Academy Awards, for the 1927-1928 movie season.  Best Picture went to Wings. Errol Flynn served bootlegged gin out of a back room.

In 1935, the gift shop was remodeled into the Cinegrill, a popular night club at the time.

The rumor is that the ghosts of Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift haunt the hotel.  Both stayed there for a period of time.

Shirley Temple took her first tap-dancing lesson at the Roosevelt from Bojangles.

Back in 2007, Josh and I were flown to LA by Ford to see a taping of the short-lived TV show, On the Lot.  Ford put us up in the Hollywood Roosevelt.  Read Josh’s account of that trip here and my account here. You’ll be interested to read about my thoughts on LA then compared to now.

Follow us on Twitter as we go to the TCM Film Festival beginning tonight.  @joshdaws and @jeremiahdaws.  We’ll be tweeting regularly about the films we’re seeing and the special guests we meet.  You won’t want to miss out.

Josh and I are attending the TCM Classic Film Festival which begins Thursday, April 22nd, and goes through Sunday, April 25th.  I can’t wait.  I’m going through and giving a brief history of the three major venues.  Yesterday, we looked at the Egyptian.

Today, let’s go visit Grauman’s Chinese Theater.

As a kid, I was introduced to this historic structure not by visiting Hollywood, California but by traveling down to Orlando, Florida.  In 1989, Walt Disney World opened it’s third theme park, the Disney-MGM Studios.

The “wiener” of the park, or the central icon was Grauman’s Chinese Theater.  Housed inside the theater is one of my favorite theme park rides of all time, The Great Movie Ride.  See the video at the bottom of this page to get an idea of what the attraction is like.

Upon my first visit to Hollywood, I found that the Chinese Theater was much more touristy on the outside with random people dressed in costumes.  My dreams of visiting classic Hollywood were dashed forever.

It wasn’t until I moved to LA last year that I actually went to see a movie there.  There is only one screen so I had to wait till it was playing a film I wanted to see.  Again, I had to wade through the costumed characters.  But, once I entered the theater, I was instantly transported back in time.  The Chinese Theater is truly the definition of a “movie palace.”

As with the Egyptian, Sid Grauman and Charles Toberman where behind the planning of the Chinese Theater.  Initially intended to be a replica of a Chinese city, the plans were scaled way down.  Construction began in 1925.  Lon Chaney and several other Hollywood stars were present for the groundbreaking.

Cecil B. Demille’s film, The King of Kings, was the first film to play at the prestigious movie house.  Tickets to the premiere were $22.  Grauman staged a 3 hour prologue that caused many of the attendees to leave before the film was over.  Demille was furious.

Grauman hit upon a great gimmick by taking handprints and footprints of stars in the cement in the forecourt of the theater.  It gave the theater a sense of timelessness.  Those cement squares are still there today.

As much as I hate having to wade through the costumed “performers” outside the theater, it isn’t anything new.  In 1928 when Charlie Chaplin’s film, The Circus opened, Grauman hired a look-alike to perform in the forecourt and on stage.  The major difference is that the people today aren’t affiliated with the theater (and could be twisted psycho-killers.)  I once saw a “Joker” put a real knife to a girl’s neck – she just laughed.  Stupid tourists.

Grauman sold his share to Fox Theaters in 1929 but remained as the theater’s managing director until his death in 1950.  Boy, do I wish I could have met him.

Hollywood premieres are still held at the Chinese Theater.  I hope to have a premiere there of my own film one day.

Remember to follow us on twitter as we hit the festival.  We’re hoping to get some great audio and video of some of the special guests in attendance and maybe some interviews.

As Josh posted yesterday, we will be going to the TCM Film Festival in Hollywood.  The festival begins Thursday night, April 22nd, and runs through Sunday, April 25.

The event will be held in three places – Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the Egyptian Theater, and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

As a ramp up to the festival, I’ll be bringing you a brief history on each of these historic venues.

Today, let’s visit the Egyptian Theater.

In the early 1920′s, residents of Hollywood went to the movies in downtown Los Angeles.  There were no movie palaces in Hollywood.  The Egyptian was the first of it’s kind.

The Egyptian Theater was built by Charles Toberman (a real estate developer responsible for many other Hollywood landmarks) and Sid Grauman.  Grauman had built other movie palaces in various other cities but none as prestigious as the Egyptian.  The first design for the Egyptian wasn’t going to be Egyptian at all but Spanish.  With the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, the country was obsessed with anything Egyptian so the design was changed.

The theater opened in October of 1922.  The first film to play at The Egyptian was Douglas Fairbanks’ Robin Hood.

The owner/manager, Sid Grauman was not merely a manager, he was a showman.  He staged hundreds of stage shows (called prologues) that played before the movies that were shown in his theaters.  The prologue for Robin Hood cost $250,000 and had 50 actors and dancers.  Myrna Loy (The Thin Man, The Best Years of Our Lives) was discovered while performing in one of Grauman’s prologues.

Grauman was friends with many Hollywood stars, producers, directors, and studio chiefs.  It was this connection that made it possible for him to operate his theaters without being a part of a theater chain.  The studios happily let their films be played at his theaters.

In 1924, Grauman sold the Egyptian to Fox Studios.  He remained on as manager until 1927.  The theater was still called Grauman’s Egyptian Theater for years after that even though he had nothing to do with it.

I’ve seen one film at the Egyptian and I can honestly say, it is an exquisite movie palace.  I’m looking forward to seeing more films there this weekend.  With so much of old Hollywood gone, we are all very fortunate that the Egyptian has survived all these years.

Tomorrow, we’ll briefly look at the history of Grauman’s most famous theater, the Chinese Theater.

This week’s pick is one of Martin Scorsese’s favorite films. The Red Shoes is loosely based on a Hans Christian Anderson story of the same name. It’s about a ballet dancer who must choose between her passion for dance and the man she loves.

I caught this on TCM a few years ago and immediately fell in love with it. It’s shot in beautiful technicolor and has some truly amazing cinematography. British director, Michael Powell was a master at telling stories visually. There are some great shots and sequences in this film.

The story particularly resonates with me. It asks the question of whether or not we can ever really be great at anything AND have a life outside of that. Here’s some dialogue from the film that sums up what it’s all about:

I choose to believe that you can follow your passion and have a strong family, but part of me wonders from time to time. It seems like so many successful people end up having horrible family lives. Is being great at something really worth missing out on or losing your family entirely? I don’t think so. I’m not willing to pay that price.

Thankfully there are at least a few examples of people who are great at what they do and have strong families. This past weekend I had the opportunity to hear John Lasseter and his wife speak about their family’s winery. They seem to have a really strong family and there’s no question that Lasseter is GREAT at what he does. That’s encouraging to me. That’s the kind of success I want.

The Red Shoes is a great film that will make you think about all of this. It stuck with me for several weeks after I saw it first.

Red Shoes, The (1948) – Thursday, April 22 at 8:00pm EST
A young ballerina is torn between her art and her romance with a young composer.
Cast: Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann Dir: Michael Powell C-135 mins, TV-G

In other TCM news, Jeremiah and I will be attending the TCM Classic Film Fest later this week. We’ll be blogging all about it this week and next. Stay tuned. Let us know if you’ll be there.