Melodrama Watch: Written on the Wind (1956)

Watched:  07/11/2026

Format:  Criterion

Viewing:  First

Director:  Douglas Sirk

I've been pretty plain that - while I rarely think a Sirk movie is aimed at me - I think he's a good director and makes some interesting films.  He was considered the master of a certain kind of melodramatic "woman's film", and I don't generally mean the term melodrama in the derogatory sense.  They're simply dramas contained to the character's lives, focusing on the emotions they experience.  Rarely do the conflicts that drive the stories have consequence outside of the sphere of the main characters. 

But Written on the Wind (1956) is both the most melodramatic of his films I've seen in the way we mean the term these days.  It is big feelings playing out in a way that feels like an alternate pilot for TV's Dallas as much as anything.  

It is also the horniest of Sirk's movies I've seen thus far - a movie entirely about sex that cannot say the word "sex" and instead relies on cloaked language and imagery as subtle as a 95 mph fastball to the noggin.  For example:  when a certain character is in flagrante delicto at a motel room, in the foreground of the frame, an oil pump is hard at work.  

WWI Watch: Hell's Angels (1930)

Watched:  07/11/2026

Format:  TCM

Viewing:  First

Director:  Howard Hughes

Even back in film school I remember hearing or reading that Howard Hughes' production of Hell's Angels (1930) had been kind of out of control.  It took years to make as Hughes was, ahem, a tad OCD and then The Jazz Singer happened during the already lengthy shoot,  sound suddenly available during the middle of production.  Of course, Hughes wanted in on that.  

So - they had to fire one of their leads who had a serious Swedish accent and replace her with Jean Harlow, effectively locking Harlow in as sort of the first blonde bombshell.  I also was aware a few people died making the movie - and having watched this thing, I can see how that could have occurred.

What I did not know is that Hell's Angels is actually a very watchable movie and was not really what I was expecting.  

The plot sounds fairly simple on paper - a pair of brothers at Oxford, one a rule-follower and romantic, the other a bit more of a rake and nihilist - find that WWI has broken out.  One brother volunteers for the Royal Flying Corps, and the other is voluntold he's in the RFC.  Meanwhile, their German pal Karl is drafted into the Zeppelin corps.  

Happy Birthday, Rachel Brosnahan

Happy birthday to Rachel Brosnahan, our current Lois Lane, upon whom we can all agree is a pretty good idea.

We've been so lucky with our string of Lois Lanes over the past twenty years, and I love what Brosnahan did with the role, making it her own.  

Here's hoping she has a great year ahead of her.

Capra Watch: You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Watched:  07/11/2026

Format:  Library DVD

Viewing:  2nd or 3rd

Director:  Frank Capra

Back in high school, this 6'4" jock/nerd quit playing on the school's JV basketball team, feeling his career in organized sports was, in fact, kind of un-fun and pointless.  And without getting into a long story, I quit the team mid-season to go audition for a play.  I wound up as an understudy, and the next fall, was in two plays.  

The second play was You Can't Take It With You, by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman.  I am sure the performances were mediocre and our staging bad.  But it did mean I was very familiar with the play at one point in my life.  I've also seen video-recorded versions since, one starring Jason Robards.  It is, in fact, a really good show when I am not in it.

The play must have been a huge hit when it was staged in 1936 as it was almost immediately turned into a film.  In 1938, You Can't Take It With You would go on to become an Oscar-winning film, directed by Frank Capra (you know, the guy behind It's a Wonderful Life).  It received 7 nominations and won 2, for Best Picture and Best Director.  

The film is not exactly a direct translation of the play.  As it's a movie, they have different locales and scenes, and different roles are emphasized and others reduced.  The couple at the center of the play are really a plot point to force two very different families to spend time together - one a conservative, New York old-money family, and one a wacky set of eccentrics chasing their bliss.  In the film, the young romantic couple are elevated to the main characters - played by a very young Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur.  

It's a comedy of clashing ideals - summed up with the belief of the Sycamore family that there's no reason to spend a life toiling for money and fame if you can't take it with you, natch.

Lionel Barrymore plays "Grandpa", the heart of the show.  Ann Miller was, like, 14 when she lied about her age and was signed to RKO who lent her to Columbia  where she, now 15, played a 20-something married woman who spends the movie mostly on-point.  Yes, she seems older than her real age.  "That Guy"actor Dub Taylor plays her goofy husband who plays the xylophone and likes to use a printing press.  The whole cast is solid, but those are the players I'm most familiar.

I think what I'd say is that the movie definitely feels like it's had Frank Capra's hands all over it.  While the themes don't fundamentally change, the stakes are much higher, the notion of the needs of the many trumping the needs of the few is woven throughout, and as the Depression is wearing on, social commentary is added in.  The Kirby's are bankers, and much is made about the mindset of the wealthy, and while history doesn't repeat itself, a lot of what we're hearing again these days sure rhymes with the words out of Kirby's mouth.

And it's kind of remarkable how few movies can or are willing to be just go ahead and say the quiet part out loud about the wealthy and the imbalance and the impact on everyone else.  This isn't really a concern at all in the play, by the way - it's more a comedy of manners.

Anyway - I enjoyed the movie a great deal.  It could stand a remake today.

For the record - I played the small part of the Dad, "Paul Sycamore", in the play, didn't have many lines, and was supposed to set off fireworks live on stage, but the lighting guys were assholes and missed their cue and I couldn't see the wick in the dark.  We had words after that show.

Bonnie Tyler Merges With The Infinite

Singer Bonnie Tyler has passed at the age of 75.

From NPR.

Tyler was a major force in the 1980's with some hits written by Jim Steinman.   

Jamie has probably heard more Bonnie Tyler than she thought she was signing up for thanks to living with me.  I've always liked her biggest hits, and spent some time looking into some of her music that didn't sit at the top of the charts.

But here's three of Tyler's biggest songs.  Maybe give her a listen and celebrate some Bonnie.

Japan Watch: Rental Family (2025)

Watched:  07/05/2026

Format:  Hulu

Viewing:  First

Director:  Hikari

I initially said "no" when Jamie wanted to watch this movie.  

During COVID, I'd watched a lot of travel videos, and one thing I'd seen was Americans learning that, in Japan, you can rent people to role-play out scenarios.  This is an over simplification, but I can rent someone to act as if they were my grandfather - not my specific real life grandfather - but *a* grandfather who is generally nice to me.  A lot of people, of course, rent "girlfriends" - someone to go have dinner with them and ask them about their day.  That sort of thing.  

I am choosing not to pass judgment.  A whole country has normalized this, and while I want to say "hey... Japan?  You okay, buddy?" I also think maybe there's a market for this here.  Better than getting denied on dating apps.

Noir Watch: The Man I Love (1946)

Watched:  07/06/2026

Format:  Noir Alley on TCM

Viewing:  Second

Director:  Raoul Walsh

Why lie?  I watched The Man I Love (1946) again to watch Ida Lupino in terrific dresses and with great hair.

The unintentionally funny thing to me about this movie is that her character, Petey Brown, says "honey" to everyone in the exactly the way my grandmother from Perth Amboy, New Jersey did.  It feels honest.

I don't mind a good melodrama, and while this is certainly at least noir-adjacent, if not full-noir, it's a melodrama at heart.  

I think I did a pretty good write-up of this movie in 2022, so no reason to re-do all that work.  Almost every thought I had watching the movie this time that would go in a fresh post, I covered there, including not at all being subtle about my big movie crush on Lupino.

But this is also a family with genetics that made sisters out of Lupino, Andrea King and Martha Vickers.  That's some good DNA.

Anyway - fun to rewatch.  AND - apparently this is the *extended* cut.  There's a whole scene I don't believe I recalled where Lupino sings "My Bill" - which had been lost.  And it's a terrific sequence.  

Mer-Watch: Splash (1984)

Watched:  07/05/2026

Format:  Disney+

Viewing:  third at most, likely second

Director:  Ron Howard

I have no memory of re-watching Splash (1984) after seeing it in the theater back in 1984.  So, this may be the second time I've ever seen it all the way through.  

My only real memory of the movie was that the effects were neat, the movie was very sweet and John Candy was funny.  Check, check and check.  All still true.

I was honestly pleasantly surprised re-watching this movie for the first time in adulthood.  It plays like a very old-school comedy concept - I can see Cary Grant declaring, "But, Madison - you're a mehr-maid!  And I can't even swim..." - livened up with some grade-A 1980's comedy talent.  

While I am aware that I have long been partial to John Candy, he's hysterical in this as Tom Hanks' philandering, irresponsible brother.  Eugene Levy plays a Warner Bros. cartoon villain.  And back in this era, Tom Hanks' comedy sensibilities were weirdly organic and tone perfect.  And there's a million bits that supporting characters get to do.  That secretary is just...  that's comedy gold.

I realized quickly - I really don't think I've seen many Darryl Hannah movies, but as Madison, the Mermaid, she's absolutely game for anything  and while funny things kind of happen around her or because of her, she gives a terrific, physical performance.  

Honestly - I think the movie is probably ripe for a re-view.  A lot of stuff from 1984 is in the canon, and I'm not sure most folks think much about Splash.  

Yeah, if you came here looking to see me drag Splash, I kind of won't.  It's made to be a pop crowd pleaser, and in 1984, it was.  It's occasionally a tad raunchy, it has some adult humor, but the lines were a lot blurrier in 1984 when I saw this aged 9.  

It's not perfect, sure.  What is?  I'm just surprised by how game Ron Howard was at this point in his early directing career for some straight up zaniness.  He always seems like that in *other* people's work, but in his own?  It's been a minute.

And not for nothing - but Splash is weirdly close in themes and even scenes to Shape of Water, which gave me a wee chuckle.  

Texas Watch: Paris, Texas (1984)

Watched:  07/04/2026

Format:  Criterion

Viewing:  First

Director:  Wim Wenders

As a forewarning, I really don't have anything new or novel to say about this movie.  It won Cannes in 1984 and is one of those movies that gets discussed *a lot*, I guess.  But I've avoided those discussions because I'd never seen the movie and was fundamentally avoiding spoilers.  

I haven't seen that many Wim Wenders movies, but of what I've seen - I've been a fan.  Paris, Texas (1984) should have been a slam-dunk for me, but I just never got to it until after our mid-day Fourth of July activities ended and before we put on fireworks from New York.  A couple of years ago,  I'd watched the beginning  - just the first 45 minutes of a lengthy runtime as Wenders movies tend to go, and had no idea where it was going.  Which - fair.  

Starring Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell and Natassja Kinski - it's a movie that reminds you that a deeply compelling movie doesn't need FX, a cut every two seconds, a needle-drop every ten minutes or fifteen subplots.  That's not to say Paris, Texas is representative of movies in 1984 - one of the years that defined the modern movie.  I'm not really sure it points to much more than what was happening in independent film in the 1980's that would inform indie movies for the next fifteen or twenty years.  Character driven, mood driven, and trying to show something about the human condition.

"Big Trouble In Little China" at 40

Just listen to the ol' "Porkchop Express" and take his advice on a dark and stormy night, alright? When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, looks you crooked in the eye, and asks you if you paid your dues; you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have you paid your dues, Jack?" "Yes, sir, the check is in the mail."

Apparently this week marks 40 years since the release of one of the greatest films ever made, Big Trouble In Little China.

From the previews, I'd been mildly interested in what I saw, and then saw the flick featured in a movie-FX magazine I leafed through in B. Dalton at the mall (did I buy the magazine?  I did not).  Probably they were discussing the big red ape monster and the eyeball guy, and maybe some lightning FX, and that was enough of a sale for me.