All About Eve (1950)

It's all about women - and their men!

Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Written by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Erich Kastner (German version), Mary Orr (novel)
Produced by: Darryl F. Zanuck
Starring: Bette Davis as Margo Channing, Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington, George Sanders as Addison DeWitt, Celeste Holm as Karen Richards, Gary Merrill as Bill Sampson, Hugh Marlowe as Lloyd Richards, Gregory Ratoff as Max Fabian, Marilyn Monroe as Miss Caswell, and Thelma Ritter as Birdie Coonan
Music by: Alfred Newman

If ever there were an overlooked classic by today's generation, this is it. "All About Eve" has everything - great casting, great acting, great story, great ending. Bette Davis plays the renown but aging actress Margo Channing and Celeste Holm is her best friend, Karen. When Karen introduces the young Eve Harrington to Margo as a fan, Eve gains their trust and pity when she tells them of her hard life. She manages to weasel her way into Margo's life, eventually making a play for her career and her boyfriend. And she doesn't stop there. Armed with the biting columns of the acidic critic Addison DeWitt, Eve won't let anything or anyone get in her way as she shoots for the top.

With Bette Davis and Anne Baxter in this film's cast, you know the acting has to be superb. Davis is stunning as the elder actress trying to hold on to her career when she doesn't even know if she still wants it. And Baxter acting as an duplicitous innocent with motives upon motives is outstanding. Even though I knew from the get go what this film was about, Baxter's acting ability still caused me to have doubts as to whether or not Eve was really all that bad. In fact, all three of the leading ladies in this film were stellar. Davis as the firecracker, Baxter as the aspiring underminer, and Holm as the loyal and well-meaning friend. The male actors didn't play as large a role, with the exception of Sanders as the critic DeWitt. He also did well, and his character arc was one of the most enjoyable of the whole story.

When it comes to plot, the layers in this film are extraordinary. This isn't just the story of a mean-spirited aspiring actress. Nor is it the story of a fading star. There are themes of friendship and loyalty, love and commitment, blackmail, intrigue, suspense and suspicion. Throughout the entire film, I just kept getting more and more angry at Eve and everyone she sucked down with her - but the ending is wonderfully fitting.

And on top of all this - I can give you what the rest of the world has said about this film. It was nominated for 14 Oscars and won six - including Best Picture for 1950. The film won a Golden Globe for the screenplay, best picture at the NYFCC, and Best Film from Any Source at the BAFTAs. It has been preserved in the National Film Registry and is a part of AFI's 100 Best American Films of the 20th Century at number 16. And on Rotten Tomatoes . com, it has a 100% approval rating - something almost unheard of.

This film gets the highest recommendation. Five standing ovations out of a possible five (5/5).

The Odd Couple (1968)

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are the Odd Couple...say no more.


Directed by: Gene Saks
Written by: Neil Simon
Produced by: Howard W. Koch
Starring: Jack Lemmon as Felix Ungar, Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison
Music by: Neal Hefti

When the neat freak Felix Ungar finds out his wife wants a divorce, he has nowhere to go. His friend, Oscar Madison, invites him to move into Oscar's 8 bedroom apartment. This seems like a great idea at first, until Oscar the slob gets fed up with Felix's cleaning obsession.

This is another example of a movie that is great, but probably not quite as great as the play it's based on. Lemmon and Matthau are one of the all-time wonderful comedy pairings, and this film shows them at their best. They work together brilliantly to bring the most humor into the situation - whether it's a poker game or a double date gone horribly awry. And the couple bring it together at the end to show us that we can learn things from someone who is our complete opposite.

Another star on this movie's lapel is the supporting cast. The Pidgeon sisters are classically adorable and annoying simultaneously. And the Poker crew were made up of the play's original cast and so obviously were fantastic - the typical guys' night bumblers.

The plot of the story moves a little slowly for my tastes. Or possibly there just wasn't quite enough movement at all. It seemed that as well as the end was brought together, it just kind of happened. But I did enjoy all the throwing of food, breaking of plates, and physical comedy.

The Odd Couple gets four burned mealoafs out of a possible five (4/5).

The Thin Man (1934)

A laugh tops every thrilling moment!


Directed by: W.S. Van Dyke
Written by: Dashiell Hammett (novel), Albert Hackett (screenplay), Frances Goodrich (screenplay)
Produced by: Hunt Stromberg
Starring: William Powell as Nick Charles, Myrna Loy as Nora Charles, Maureen O'Sullivan as Dorothy Wynant, Natalie Moorehead as Julia Wolf, Edward Ellis as Wynant/The Thin Man, Porter Hall as Herbert MacCaulay, Harold Huber as Arthur Nunheim, Nat Pendleton as Lieutenant Guild, and Minna Gombell as Mimi Jorgenson
Music by: Dr. William Axt

Movies such as this just aren't made anymore. I don't care how many funny cop couplings or romantic mix ups you throw at me - you'll never match the Charles' team. Retired detective Nick Charles and his wife Nora are on vacation and trying to avoid anything more exciting than walking their dog, Asta, or the next great dry martini. But when one of Nick's old friends goes missing and people who were close to him start dying - Nora convinces Nick to jump on the case.

I know I use the word "chemistry" a lot - and for that reason I won't use it to describe what happens between Powell and Loy. Besides, it's more like electricity. The two fit together like a trenchcoat and gumshoe and the banter between them will keep you falling off your seat - while the mystery will keep you attempting to cling to the edge. I love the fact that neither of the Charles' could be considered the typical bumbling detective - no matter what you've heard. Both involve themselves in questionable capers as well as find trouble when they aren't looking for it. But it's done with such smooth and good-natured responses that it always seems like they might have planned it.

This movie (from a book) spawned an entire series of films starring Powell and Loy, and all were enormous hits. Ironically, the Thin Man mentioned in the title is the missing person in the first movie and doesn't appear in any of the following ones. But so many fans thought the Thin Man referred to Nick - that the studio kept the moniker.

I strongly encourage that you watch, if not the entire six film series, then at least this first one. There's comedy, action, alcohol, crooks, murders, the latest in 1930's forensic technology, and not to mention one of the greatest detectives of the last century. Nick and Nora get five dry martinis out of a possible five (5/5).

Ushpizin (The Guests) (2004)

When you really need a miracle...

Directed by: Gidi Dar
Written by: Shuli Rand
Produced by: Gidi Dar and Rafi Bukai
Starring: Shuli Rand as Moshe, Michal Batsheva Rand as Malli, Shaul Mizrahi as Eliyahu Scorpio, and Ilan Ganani as Yossef
Music by: Adi Ran

This foreign film was nominated for three Israeli Film Academy Awards - their version of the Oscars - including Best Picture. The film is Israeli in origin, and the actors are all Jewish. The story follows Moshe and Malli Bellanga during the week of Sukkoth - a holiday where Jews construct a house made of wood and palms to live in and they pray while offering the four species: a date palm branch, a willow branch, a myrtle bough, and a citron (lemon). Moshe and Malli are broke when Moshe is denied a stipend they were depending on. They have no money to buy the things required to celebrate Sukkoth, much less survive. They both begin to pray for a miracle, including for a son. And when God begins to bless them, He also sends two visitors from Moshe's shady past which will come to seem more like trials than blessings.

I added this film to my netflix list on a whim after watching the preview. I somewhat expected a comedy - but this film is more a drama than anything else. This is not to say there aren't some very funny parts. The story itself flows evenly from despairing to joyous, painfully embarrassing to triumphant. The plot is even, and while sometimes I didn't know what was going on since I am not Jewish nor do I speak Hebrew, that didn't keep me from being encouraged by this tale of blessing and trial, faith and reward.

The acting is incredible - Shuli Rand and his real life wife Michal bring a spark to the screen together as a leading couple to be reckoned with. Moshe's friend Ben Baruch contributes a lightheartedness and the rebbe brings wisdom. There isn't just one lesson here to be learned from these characters, there are many.

Another stellar part of this film is the soundtrack. Hasidic musical artist Adi Ran's music is integrated to perfection in times of praise and trial. They bring another aspect of Hasidic life into focus for us outside of the Yeshiva. "Ushpizin" brings a wonderful chance to see a couple's prayers answered in ways only God could contrive of and the opportunity to observe an entirely different culture from the one we have here in the U.S. I highly recommend this film and award it a five diamond citrons out of a possible five (5/5).

Bye Bye Birdie (1963)

Directed by: George Sidney
Written by: Michael Stewart (play), Irving Brecher (screenplay)
Starring: Dick Van Dyke as Albert F. Peterson, Janet Leigh as Rosie DeLeon, Ann-Margaret as Kim McAfee, Maureen Stapleton as Mamma Mae Peterson, Bobby Rydell as Hugo Peabody, Jesse Pearson as Conrad Birdie, and Paul Lynde as Harry McAfee
Music by: Lee Adams (Lyrics) and Charles Strouse (music)

This film is an adaptation of the Tony Award winning musical of the same name. There are significant changes from the play to the film, although Dick Van Dyke and Paul Lynde both were a part of the original stage cast.

The premise is as follows: down and out songwriter Albert F Peterson is in a tough spot. His star singer, Conrad Birdie, has just been drafted into the military, his mother runs his life, and he's too afraid of Mamma to tell her about his fiancee - Rose. In an attempt to save Albert, Rosie sets up a deal for Birdie to give out a kiss on the Ed Sullivan show to one lucky member of the Conrad Birdie Fan Club. The kiss will represent a last symbolic kiss to all his fans. Then, he can sing Albert's new song "One Last Kiss." The song will become an instant smash and Albert will be financially secure enough to break off from his mother. A name is drawn and the group sets off for Sweet Apple, Ohio to meet up with the winner - Kim McAfee. Kim, obviously, is overjoyed, but things get out of hand when rock star meets small town. Kim's boyfriend is disastrously jealous, her father is obsessed with appearing on the Ed Sullivan show alongside her, and Albert's mother shows up to break up Albert and Rosie.

One thing I can say about this movie is the majority of the musical numbers are wonderful. They're creative and humorous - my favorite is "Put On a Happy Face" - which is the only thing I had ever heard from the musical or movie before watching it. Van Dyke and Leigh have wonderful chemistry, but Van Dyke can capture that with almost anyone. Yet, I do think the filmmakers could have utilized dance choreography more than just camera tricks for a few of the songs. They did such a great job in "Happy Face" and "Honestly Sincere" but kind of fell apart in "The Telephone Hour."

Maureen Stapleton does a superb job as Mrs. Peterson - she's excellently nosy and overdramatic, overbearing and ridiculous. Janet Leigh does a wonderful job opposite Van Dyke, and although she seems to overact a little at times - she more than makes up for it with her screen presence. Paul Lynde is simply hilarious as Harry McAfee, even painfully hilarious - so awkward and well-meaning but at the same time self-serving and confused.

However, I did not enjoy Ann-Margaret in the role of Kim. She grated on me. I disliked her singing voice, speaking voice, and her acting abilities. It's beyond me to see how this role propelled her into stardom (if that's what you call acting with Elvis Presley). I also didn't particularly like Birdie or Pearson's portrayal of him. He was hardly developed at all and I think the screenwriters could have utilized his character a lot more. Granted - I don't think you were supposed to enjoy Birdie...

Overall, I didn't enjoy watching this movie; too many of the actors or characters were annoying. I think if I saw the stage production which inspired this film, I probably would have loved it. But the film was too kitschy, too campy, too...teeny bopper for me to really enjoy it. I'd give it two speedy turtles out of a possible five (2/5).