The Puzzle Within the Castro Theater's April 2014 Calendar

I give paper copies of the Castro Theater calendar to a co-worker.  He's partial to the sing-alongs at the Castro.  I told him about the puzzles embedded in the calendar and he has become quite adept at solving the name game portion.  He's quite good a matching faces to, if not names, then characters from movies and television shows.  My co-worker identified three of the people in the April calendar.  I left the calendar for him when I got into work.  He & I had several meetings that morning so I didn't see him until lunch.  By then he identified three out of the four.

April 7 - Adam West

April 14 - Sheree North

April 28 - Clint Eastwood

After identifying those three, I saw the pattern and correctly identified Ann Sothern.

April 21 - Ann Sothern

I guess I'm excused for not recognizing the actresses.  Looking at her filmography, I can only recall two of Sheree North's films - Charley Varrick and The Shootist. I can only recall one film with Ann Sothern - A Letter to Three Wives.

The clues are directional - North, South, East & West.  I believe the clues are pointing us to Earth Day (April 22).  By the way, the calendar states "TBA" for April 22 but the website states the Castro will be closed that day.  The films for April 15 have not been posted.

A second possible solution is the 2014 San Francisco International Film Festival with emphasis on "International" as in the four corners of the globe  The festival lineup was announced on April 1 and the festival begins on April 24 at the Castro so this gives it some credence. 

Castro Theater Calendar - April 2014

Cool World

In July & August, PFA presented a series called Cool World which was programmed as a result a poll held by PFA.  As the program notes state, "Cool World looks calmly at four decades of cool, trying to determine with indifference just who is chillin’ in American cinema."  The coolest actors were Paul Newman, River Phoenix, Pam Grier, Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Edward Norton, Dennis Hopper, Jane Fonda, Sidney Poitier, Clint Eastwood, Tuesday Weld & Matt Dillon.

I had seen most of the films in the series but was able to catch a few I hadn't seen in many years.

Foxy Brown starring Pam Grier; directed by Jack Hill; (1974)
Heathers starring Christian Slater & Winona Ryder; directed by Michael Lehmann; (1988)
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot starring  Clint Eastwood & Jeff Bridges; directed by Michael Cimino; (1974)
Klute Jane Fonda & Donald Sutherland; directed by Alan J. Pakula; (1971)

The series consisted of 12 films.  Of the eight I missed, I most regret missing two Gus Van Sant films - Drugstore Cowboy and My Own Private Idaho.

I had never seen Foxy Brown but its reputation proceeded it.  The film did not disappoint.  Wearing (and not wearing) an impressive array of hip 1970s fashion, Pam Grier kicks ass on a number white people throughout the film.  She even gets revenge on the the two white crackers get her high on junk and take turns raping her.  If Pam Grier met my expectation, Kathryn Loder exceeded them.  Playing the ruthless pimp/drug boss, Loder lets go of any sense of propriety in her performance which culminates in her identifying her dead boyfriend by his severed penis which Foxy presents to her before killing her.  If that's not cool, I don't know what is.

I hadn't seen Heathers since it first came out.  I recall comedians making fun of Christian Slater for essentially doing a Jack Nicholson impersonation but I never thought it was so obvious.  Now I understand.  Slater mugs it up as he given directions to impersonate Nicholson.  It was very distracting but his performance threw off the balance of the film which was nicely balanced between Winona Ryder and the three Heathers (Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk & Kim Walker).  Heathers is a fun black comedy as Slater's sociopathic character takes Ryder along a murderous teen adventure.  It's a silly film (with some harsh commentary at its core about the cliquish nature of high school) so it's tough to criticize Slater's performance as between too hammy.  I was more distracted by the Nicholson sounding voice.  I laughed at many parts so that must be some sort endorsement.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was a hybrid buddy film/caper film.  Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) is the "cool" one here.  Laid back, a little goofy and good natured, Lightfoot may as well be called The Dude.  Thunderbolt (Eastwood) is more serious as an experienced bank robber whom Lightfoot looks up to.  They have some quirky adventures with women and a guy with a trunk full of rabbits who tries to gas them.  Eventually teaming up with the foul tempered George Kennedy and pea brained Geoffrey Lewis, they plan a bank robbery which takes up the last third of the film.  Bridges even dresses in drag.  Ending on a downbeat note, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot has a 1970s feel but is still an eminently watchable film in 2012.

Klute is flat out a great film.  John Klute (Donald Sutherland) is a Pennsylvania police officer who investigates the disappearance of a friend in New York City.  The evidence leads him to Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda won an Oscar for the role), a high end prostitute.  He begins by surveilling her movements and tapping her phone.  Klute becomes obsessed with the sexy Bree but he has to take because there is a killer stalking her.  As Klute & Bree investigate the disappearance of Klute's friend, they encounter the demimonde of New York including Bree's former pimp (Roy Scheider) and drug addicted prostitute.

There are a lot of scenes from the perspective of Klute or the stalker/killer which adds to Bree's sense of paranoia.  The final showdown in a garment district sweatshop is a classic.  Although Jane Fonda is the "cool" one, her Bree has a practiced nonchalance which she uses to keep men at a distance.  If Hanoi Jane is cool, Klute doesn't show it.  Maybe Barbarella or Barefoot in the Park would have been a better choices.  Cool or not, Fonda, Sutherland & director Alan J. Pakula created a tremendous film.

Richard the Lionhearted, Sleeping Beauty, J. Edgar Hoover and Marilyn Monroe

After posting 10 consecutive days and 13 or of the past 14, I'm mostly caught up.

There were a few films here and there which I watched.

The Crusades starring Henry Wilcoxon & Loretta Young; directed by Cecil B. DeMille; (1935)
The Sleeping Beauty starring Julia Artamonov; directed by Catherine Breillat; French with subtitles; (2010)
J. Edgar starring Leonardo DiCaprio; directed by Clint Eastwood; (2011) - http://jedgarmovie.warnerbros.com/
My Week With Marilyn starring Michelle Williams & Eddie Redmayne; with Kenneth Branagh & Judi Dench; directed by Simon Curtis; (2011) - Official Website

The Crusades was part of the UCLA Festival of Preservation at the PFA. The Sleeping Beauty was screened by SFFS at the Viz. I saw J. Edgar and My Week With Marilyn while visiting my father over the Thanksgiving week.

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Of those four films, My Week With Marilyn is head and shoulders about the others. It features a stunning transformation by Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl. Williams whom I mentally picture as rail thin and with a pixie haircut gained weight grew her out and curled it to look quite a bit like Monroe. Williams also found the babydoll voice but those are superficial items which 1000s of impersonators and imitators have mastered. Ammazingly, Williams captures some of Marilyn's on-screen sex appeal and a large part of her vulnerability.

The plot is well known and based on the memoirs of Colin Clark, who as young man was the 3rd Assistant Director on The Prince and the Showgirl. Clark's association with Monroe became a prodigious source of literary output which in turn became the source material for My Week With Marilyn.

My Week With Marilyn is filled with these big, audacious performances beyond Williams' turn as Monroe. Kenneth Branagh seems to be delighted to depict Sir Lawrence Olivier as a bully. In smaller roles, Dougray Scott is spot on as Arthur Miller and Dominic Cooper, Zoë Wanamaker and Judi Dench command attention as Milton Greene (Marilyn's partner in her production company), Paula Strasberg (Marilyn's acting coach) and Dame Sybil Thorndike (a respected theater actress who had a supporting role in The Prince and the Showgirl).

Eddie Redmayne as Colin Clark fades into the background as it he was meant represent the audience's point of view. Frequently, I found myself viewing the film as if I was Clark in the film. Indeed, I cannot recall a scene where we don't see Monroe from Clark's point-of-view. It's a thankless role.

Emma Watson of the Harry Potter series shows up as the wardrobe girl and Clark's erstwhile love interest. She looks a bit like Natalie Portman. In fact, she gets off one of the best lines. After everyone warns Clark to not fall in love with Marilyn because it will end badly, Watson asks him, "Did she break your heart?" Clark responds in the affirmative and Watson rejoins, "Good. It needed a little breaking."

How exhilirating it must have been to Clark. It must have seemed like he was touched by the hand of God. At age 23, out of absolute obscurity, Clark becomes a close confidante to Monroe and sees her at her most unguarded moments. It must have overwhelming like he being consumed by the fires of passion. How I envy Clark and admire this film for conveying that feeling.

I read that Michelle Williams is a strong contender for an Oscar for this performance and I can't disagree.

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Clint Eastwood was self-indulgent with J. Edgar. He employed repeated flashbacks to Hoover's early life but didn't really cast much light on what motivated the man. Fussy and quick to be offended, Hoover was strongly motivated by his mother to succeed but he willingness to not just violate people's constitutional right but act in monstrous ways remain unexplained.

Eastwood does a subtle pas de deux. As Hoover ages, his relationship Clyde Tolson emerges. Eastwood would have us believe Tolson and Hoover had fight while vacationing together when Hoover mentioned the possibility of his marrying actress Dorothy Lamour. After a knock down, drag out fight, Tolsom plants a wet one on Hoover's bloodied lips. Poetic license indeed. This portends the future as Hoover and Tolson become partners in their professional and private lives. Hoover's conflicted acceptance of his own sexuality and the unfulfilled (perhaps unconsummated) love towards Tolson gives the film a tragic quality which overwhelms the other aspects of Hoover's life.

DiCaprio is an earnest actor which suits the role of Hoover. It's costar Armie Hammer, last seen as the Winklevoss twins in Social Network, as Tolson who has the break out performance. Dedicated, debonair & selfless, Tolson is Hoover alter ego and Hammer conveys all this with verve and panache.

Also noteworthy is Christopher Shyer as Richard Nixon. Between his makeup and vocal intonations, he evokes Nixon but more strongly evokes a malevolence which Nixon has come to be associated with.

J. Edgar is not a great film. It is well made but not particularly inspired.

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The last memory I have from viewing The Crusades in early September is that of the raven haired Katerine DeMille. Cecil B. DeMille's (adopted) daughter and long-time wife of Anthony Quinn, Ms. DeMille has a scheming and dangerous look about her for her limited scenes in The Crusades. She definitely seems to be Berengaria's (Loretta Young) rival for King Richard's (Henry Wilcoxon) affection without every saying word. Her gaze is intimidating.

I was surprised at how accurate The Crusades was. I'm no expert on the Third Crusade but the film hits a few points I recall. As for the performances, Ian Keith as Saladin stood out. I was surprised at how positively Saladin and the Saracens (Muslins) were depicted in The Crusades.

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The Sleeping Beauty is the second time director Catherine Breillat has used a fairy tale as the source material. The first was Blue Beard. Allegedly working from the original stories, Breillat presents the more dark and seedy aspects of these stories which are now considered children's stories. For example, I don't recall Sleeping Beauty having a lesbian encounter.

I can't say I fully enjoyed The Sleeping Beauty (or Blue Beard) but it's kind of interesting what Breillat. She deconstructs the fairy tale and returns the story to its origins. Noting the differences between Breillat's version and the one we are familiar with through Disney movies and children's books is an enjoyable pursuit.

Gran Torino

Your humble blogger has been laid up since Saturday afternoon with some sort of intestinal ailment. Having gone 36 hours with nothing but chicken noodle soup and tea, I ventured to the movie theater. I justified this by the fact that I feel better sitting down than laying down and it was unseasonably warm in the Bay Area today. I don't have air conditioning so in my weakened condition, I needed cooler temperatures to recuperate.

I saw Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood. There was a surprisingly large number of people in the audience for mid-day Monday. I noticed they had some Senior Monday special and there were a number of Clint's contemporaries in the audience.

Gran Torino was a fun film. It plays off of Eastwood's tough guy image while acknowledging his advancing years. As the film opens, Walt Kowalski is at the funeral of his recently departed wife. His two sons and his grandchildren are in attendance but that doesn't add much comfort because Kowalski doesn't seem to like them and the feeling is reciprocated.

As Kowalski become situated in his life as a widower, he becomes drawn into the family drama playing out next door. A Hmong family has moved in and Walt doesn't like it. This is probably a good point to mention that Walt is a racist and has a lot of guns including the carbine he used in Korea. As only Eastwood can portray, Walt is an irascible but lovable racist. He'll judge a man fairly once he gets to know him but until then, he'll call him a wop or a zipperhead. In that regard, Eastwood seems to be channeling Dirty Harry or Gunny Highway from Heartbreak Ridge.

The drama next door involves the two Hmong teenagers - sister Sue and brother Thao (aka Toad to Kowalski). Their father is dead and Thao is coming under pressure to join his cousin in the gang. Sue is more bookish but she is a little smart ass which is what Walt responds to. Thao's gang initiation is to steal Walt's prized, cherry 1972 Gran Torino. Walt built the car himself when he worked on the assembly line at Ford. Thao is not much of thief (actually, he's suffering from a serious case of lack of self-esteem) and Walt gets the jump on him with the aforementioned carbine. Thao runs like hell and Walt doesn't recognize the kid next door...probably because they all look alike to him.

This bungled car boost sets off a deepening friendship between Thao, Sue and Walt. Walt assumes the father figure role to Thao (which he never did to his own sons) and Sue educates Walt on the Hmong traditions. High on the list for Walt is eating their home cooking and drinking their Tsingtao beer. Walt breaks up a fight between Thao and his cousin's gang (again with the help of his trusty carbine) and also intercedes when Sue is being accosted by some black guys walking down the street (this time with a pistol he keeps in his Ford pickup).

Everything seems to be going well. Thao is gaining some self-confidence (he even start dating the delectable Miss Yum Yum) and Walt lands him a job on a construction site. The problem is that Thao's cousin won't let the guy be. They bust his tools and put a cigarette out on his face. Walt knows how handle that kind of crap but his actions set off of cascade of tragedy.

Some people say the ending is a surprise. I saw it coming and think it was telegraphed. I won't go into the details but regardless of what ending you are expecting, the joy of this film is in the journey and not the final payoff.

With that said, I wonder how a guy like Kowalski survived the 60's and 70's calling everyone a gook or a spook. What did his dearly departed wife think of his racist rants and gun collection?

There was one scene that stood out for me. Sue is walking with a white guy that looks like Vanilla Ice and acts like Ali G. They get confronted by three black guys. For some reason, they don't react kindly to the white guy saying "It's all good bro." Then they comment about the Sue's anatomy and some mutual activities they would like to engage in. Sue literally complains about their objectification of women (Asian women in particularly). That doesn't dissuade from their task at hand which seems to be to kick white boy's ass and have Sue pull a three car train. Fortunately, Walt rolls up in his pickup and the first thing he says is "What are you spooks doing?" Soon after, Walt pulls his pistol, the three men back down and voila! it's the start of a beautiful friendship between Sue and Walt.

I also read that with one exception, all the Hmong characters were played by Hmong people recruited from Michigan and Fresno and they were first-time actors. I think it showed to be honest. Sue was a annoyingly pedantic and Thao's performance was uneven although he was gamer. Given their novice status, I think Bee Vang (Thao) and Ahney Her (Sue) turned in strong performances.

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I missed the midnight screening of Legend of Drunken Master due to my illness. Even if I was healthy, I would have missed the screening. Based on the Red Vic calendar, I interpreted the showtime to be midnight on Sunday, January 11. In other words, one minute past 11:59 PM, Saturday, January 10. Based on this post, I believe the screening was really at midnight on Monday, January 12 (i.e. 20 hours ago). Typically, midnight screenings are listed as 11:45 PM or 11:59 PM so as to avoid confusion. I submit that the Red Vic was incorrect in stating the film screened on January 11 so I guess it worked out well that I was sick. I would have been peeved to go out there on Saturday night to find out I was 24 hours too early.

I still question whether people will go out to midnight screenings on a worknight.

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The Josef von Sternberg retrospective starts on Thursday at PFA.