The Goddess (1958; d. John Cromwell)
Written by Paddy Chayevsky. Starring Kim Stanley and Lloyd Bridges. Stanley plays a character clearly based on Marilyn Monroe, rather extraordinary when you consider Monroe was still alive. It’s a brutal movie about stardom and loneliness. It’s a re-watch for a piece I was writing.
Harriet Craig (1950; d. Vincent Sherman)
Starring Joan Crawford as the perfect housewife. One of her all-time best performances.
Autumn Leaves (1956; d. Robert Aldrich)
Another wonderful Joan Crawford performance from the 1950s. In this, she plays a professional transcriber who lives in a little bungalow and doesn’t have much of a social life. (The fact that Crawford makes it believable that this woman doesn’t ever date should have gotten her an Oscar nomination). Into her life comes a younger man (played by a vulnerable and charming young Cliff Robertson). A romance begins, full of her anxiety about being too old for him. The story takes a turn halfway through. There’s mental illness involved and it’s a very compassionate portrait of a nervous breakdown and treatment for madness. This is a very good melodrama.
Queen Bee (1956; d. Ranald MacDougall)
Joan Crawford in High Bitch Mode. Totally different from what she was doing the same year in Autumn Leaves. I keep saying this and only a few people – who get it – agree: Joan Crawford had range. Within her set persona, she had great range. She was very very responsive to good material and was able to subtly tweak her “self” in order to play the role. Queen Bee is not as good as Autumn Leaves – but she – as always – commits 100% to it.
Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964; d. Bryan Forbes)
Kim Stanley was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for this role. She only did four films in her career and was nominated for Oscars twice (for this one, and for Frances 20 years later.)
The Story of Esther Costello (1957; d. David Miller)
This is Joan Crawford’s “Miracle Worker.” It’s a very VERY weird movie. You have to see it. It opens with Joan Crawford, done to the nines, strolling through a poverty-struck Irish village. Because of course. There’s a whole montage with Crawford doing sign language with her young deaf charge. But the reason to see it is that it portrays a charity’s fund raiser event as practically a Nuremberg-Rally. It’s completely insane.
The Maltese Falcon (1941; d. John Huston)
It’s such a strange movie. It has such a pitch-black heart. I can practically recite the whole thing from memory, but still, it never gets old.
Supernatural, Season 12, Episode 14 “The Raid” (2017; d. John MacCarthy)
There was at least some understanding here, in the opening scene, that what is interesting about this show is when people have FEELINGS. For God’s SAKE. Plot without FEELINGS, plot without Brother Melodrama scenes … is deadly. It’s not Supernatural. And Season 12 has not been Supernatural. I no longer have hope that they can correct this trajectory. It’s too far gone. But the first scene between the brothers and Mary here was good. Not as good as it could be. But at LEAST there was some emotions present and Ackles and Padalecki got to ACT. There’s some essential spark missing though. Always. Nobody involved seems to have A. watched the earlier seasons or B. understood the earlier seasons if they did watch them.
Feud, Episode 1 (2017; d. Ryan Murphy)
Been having a lot of fun writing the re-caps for the NY Times. It’s not perfect, by any means, but it’s a very rich experience, with a lot to discuss. My re-cap.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1984; d. Jack Hofsiss)
This was the televised version, starring Jessica Lange, Tommy Lee Jones, Rip Torn, and Kim Stanley as Big Mama. I’ve been researching a piece like crazy, as is probably obvious. I think it’s going up this week.
Tomorrow (1960; d. Robert Mulligan)
This was a live television production on Playhouse 90, of the Horton Foote adaptation of William Faulkner’s story. (I wrote a piece for Film Comment on the film version, starring Robert Duvall.) The live television version starred Kim Stanley.
This Beautiful Fantastic (2017; d. Simon Aboud)
Nope. My review.
The Bachelor, Episode 2
I got so sucked into The Bachelorette last year that figured I’d just pop in and see what was happening. I was stunned by how boring the bachelor of this season is. He seems super passive. I do not care for passive men. And this is the problem with The Bachlor, as opposed to The Bachelorette. It encourages the “bachelor” to sit around like a pasha, watching a harem do loop-de-loops to get his attention. Whereas with The Bachelorette, it’s the other way around, and – retro or not – it’s just a better scenario. Mainly my point is: Nick seems like a wet sock. Also, hasn’t he been a contestant on this show, like, 4 times?
Supernatural, Season 12, Episode 15, “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell” (2017; d. Nina Lopez-Corrado)
I barely remember this episode, but I do remember the “Take care of her” moment and I thought, “What??” That was written by someone who thinks he understands the show, but honestly doesn’t. This is Season 12. Not Season 5. The Sam-Dean relationship has moved past stuff like that. And if that’s the best you can do with providing interaction between the brothers, then please, don’t bother. Because it’s WORSE when you THINK you’re giving “us” what we want, when really you’re just throwing us an incorrectly-made fake bone. This must be how Destiel fans feel all the time.
Frances (1982; d. Graeme Clifford)
I watched this movie so many times in high school that I had it memorized. (We had to rent VCRs back in those days.) I also held a tape recorder up to the television and recorded the opening monologue/voice-over. Which I then did as a monologue in my Drama Club class. So you see. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this story of mental illness – or presumed mental illness – and crackups – resonated with me, at 14, 15. Maybe I knew where I would be going, maybe I knew what I should fear the most. At any rate, it’s been years since I’ve watched Frances. Kim Stanley got nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Frances’ mother. It’s been the Month o’ Kim Stanley. And the Month o’ Davis-Crawford.
The Right Stuff (1983; d. Philip Kaufman)
What a movie. It’s hard to picture a film like this being made today. It’s a movie for grownups, and movies for grownups are hard to come by now. Great performances. GREAT story based on a great book. It all worked. Hats off. Kim Stanley played the famous “Pancho”. It was her final film role.
I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow (d. Glenn Jordan)
A televised version of an obscure Tennessee Williams play (also known as “Dragon Country”), starring Kim Stanley and William Redfield. You can feel Williams going for a Pinter-esque thing here, and it’s not entirely successful, but still: it’s riveting. I did a scene from I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow for my initial audition for the Actors Studio. Well worth it to seek out (it’s on Youtube). Kim Stanley’s work is exquisite. Unlike anybody else’s work.
Feud, Episode 2, “The Other Woman” (2017; d. Ryan Murphy)
My re-cap at the NY Times.
Feud, Episode 3, “Mommie Dearest” (2017; d. Gwyneth Horder-Payton)
My re-cap at the NY Times.
Feud, Episode 4, “More, or Less” (2017; d. Liza Johnson)
My re-cap at the NY Times.
Feud, Episode 5, “And the Winner Is… (The Oscars of 1963)” (2017; d. Ryan Murphy)
My re-cap at the NY Times.
Ben Casey, Season 2, Episode 15-16, “A Cardinal Act of Mercy” (1963; d. Sydney Pollack)
I sought this out (the whole thing is on Youtube) because Kim Stanley played a guest spot on this medical drama TV series, and won an Emmy for it. And check out the director.
Supernatural, Season 11, Episode 12, “Don’t You Forget About Me” (2016; d. Stefan Pleszczynski)
Lost in a trance of the memory of better days. It looks so EASY when you watch an episode like this. AND, this is far from a perfect episode. It features a third-act monster monologue that goes on for 20 minutes practically. But STILL. Look how much they got done, look how emotions were explored, character, mood, humor. It looks effortless. It’s a great reminder that effortlessness only occurs when everyone on board knows what they are doing, and what show they are working on, and push themselves to continue doing it, to continue making it right.
Supernatural, Season 11, Episode 13, “Love Hurts” (2016; d. Phil Sgriccia)
It’s unbelievable the change one hiatus can make. I mean … re-watching these episodes makes it blindingly clear how much has been lost. Everything has been lost. The final scene here between the brothers, the enormous closeups, the intricate emotions churning around … it’s so good.
The Traveling Lady (1957; d. Robert Mulligan)
A live television production (Studio One) of the Horton Foote play, starring Kim Stanley (who had also done the theatrical production). The whole thing is on Youtube. Do yourself a favor …
Something Wild (1961; d. Jack Garfein)
There was a screening this past month at the Core Club, and I interviewed Jack Garfein afterwards for the post-screening QA. It was a beautiful evening. (You can read my Criterion essay on Something Wild here.)
Denial (2016; d. Mick Jackson)
I had not seen this. I am very familiar with that whole trial, which I followed at the time through news reports. I’m not a huge Rachel Weisz person but I thought she was fanTAStic in this, and I loved how the film kept its eye on the ball, and didn’t try to muck it up by giving her a personal life, a boyfriend, an affair, a flirtation. Thank God. Nope. She was an academic, fighting for her reputation, but also fighting for the rest of us. Christopher Hitchens wrote a fascinating essay about David Irving – excerpt here.
The Wedding Plan (2017; d. Rama Burshtein)
An Israeli rom-com – that takes place in the Orthodox community – which opens in May of this year and I highly recommend it. I’m in love with it. I’ll have a review of it in the next issue of Film Comment.
Dateline, Season 10, Episode 7 “Manner of Death” (2017)
Now that I actually have TV hookup, my interest in blood/guts/crime will be laid even more bare. This was a story of a sociopath who poisoned her husband with antifreeze. Or maybe she didn’t. Keith Morrison: never change.
TCM: Robert Osborne tribute
Along with some of the other tributes, I watched the beautiful interview Alec Baldwin did with Osborne. What a fascinating man, what an interesting life. I miss him already.
The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017; d. Niki Caro)
It’s a very good story, but I didn’t really care for the movie. Which probably means I’m a party-pooper in some circles, especially since the film was directed by a woman. I don’t grade on a curve, though. Caro is clearly a very good director. It’s not her fault. I blame the script. Also by a woman. Here’s my review.
3 episodes of Intervention
Once you start, you can’t stop.
The Stranger (1946; d. Orson Welles)
I love this movie. Very moody and very very very paranoid.
Ice Castles (1978; d. Donald Wrye)
What a trip. Great fun to watch it again. It’s been … decades. We discussed it over at Rogerebert.com.
July and Half of August (2016; d. Brandeaux Tourville)
Just because! Exciting times ahead!
The Discovery (2017; d. Charlie McDowell)
Sigh. No. To quote Jessie, the “heterosexual banalities” were a real drag. My review.
Moana (2016; d. Ron Clements, Don Hall, John Musker, Chris Williams)
I hadn’t seen it and just watched it with my niece Pearl. I was a WRECK during that final sequence and tried to hold it together so I didn’t scare my niece. What a gorgeous film.
Bar Rescue
This is what it means to have TV. You find these weird shows. And you watch. I actually discovered this show while I was in Hawaii last year, and on election night, when the returns were coming in, I finally couldn’t bear it anymore and started channel-surfing. Tripped over a Bar Rescue marathon and watched, like, 8 episodes in a row. So it’s a terrible memory but it helped me endure that night when I was all by myself in a hotel room thousands of miles away from home and anyone I knew, watching the catastrophe unfold.
My 600-Lb. Life
Good Lord, what rabbit hole did I fall into? I’ve been so out of the TV loop for 10+ years that I have no idea what’s on. I got sucked into two episodes of this. I will never watch it again.
Supernatural, Season 12, Episode 16, “Ladies Drink Free” (2017; d. Amyn Kaderali)
I’m sure I’m being a bore. And I don’t want MY comments to impede anyone else’s enjoyment. I am envious of those who are finding the good elements this season, and I respect other people’s perspectives. This is just mine. And I say: everything feels OFF. The “You put on flannel, you pick up a gun” line is a perfect example. It’s “meta” but not in a good way. That’s not how Dean talks. The whole “flannel” thing … it’s just how they dress, they aren’t aware of it as a hunter-conceit, or a “this is how we dress cause we’re hunters”. It’s too AWARE of itself. It’s a line that’s on the outside looking in, as opposed to the other way around. I thought Kathryn Newton did a phenomenal job in the “cure” scene: Imagine being her and filming that. Having to writhe around, growling and screaming, as three grown men stood there and watched. I was having a panic attack just thinking about it. And yet again, YET AGAIN, no scene at the end where the brothers freakin’ INTERACT … with EACH OTHER. I guess that’s the real sign of what’s wrong: there’s nothing going on between the brothers, there’s nothing to talk about. Mom has been neutralized as a topic, they have squandered so much, wasted so much time and energy focusing on stuff that I, personally, do not find interesting … that if Sam and Dean WERE left alone, they’d just stare at each other. And Sam would say some comforting “rational” thing, and Dean would roll his eyes, and it would all be very cliched, with no “Oomph” behind it. Ackles was doing good work showing his annoyance at BMOL, and there were some interesting explorations of what to do with monsters … FINALLY, some MORAL issues, which the show used to be so interested in … but it’s not enough. Interesting, too, that Castiel was not present at all … and now we have this new “sidekick” … even though Claire is supposedly Castiel’s responsibility? Where’s the continuity. WHERE is the continuity?
The Bride Wore Red (1937; d. Dorothy Arzner)
Wonderful film, classic “shopgirl made good” Joan Crawford performance. Although her character here isn’t a shopgirl. She’s a “cabaret singer”, who – let’s be honest – is really a prostitute. Pretty Woman is basically a remake, and the scene with Julia Roberts getting coached by Hector Elizondo on the silverware is a direct steal from The Bride Wore Red. Crawford, as always, is wonderful.
