Friday, April 14, 2017

2017 #TCMFF Wrap Party

Anyone who knows my email writing style knows that I love to use bullets.  So, here's a review of the films I saw at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, each with a few quick notes.

If you were at TCMFF and we didn't connect, I'm sorry...I hope to meet you at future festivals.  If you didn't get a chance to go to TCMFF, I hope you can some day.  It's a great 'family reunion' for a lot of classic film friends each year.

Some fun facts from this year's fest:
  • I didn't see any films at the Chinese theater
  • I didn't see any films intro'd by Ben Mankiewicz
  • Total count: 19 films and 1 special presentation (Republic Preserved clips)
Now...on to the films...

Thursday

LOVE CRAZY (1941)
  • Dana Delany (who intro'd) wore quite a lovely dress (she also had a great deal of information on the film that she shared with us)
  • Great William Powell/Myrna Loy situational comedy, Jack Carson is a nice addition


THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1934)
  • Not my first pick (REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT), but TCM staffers kept telling me "just go to this...you won't be disappointed"
  • Thursday afternoon it was announced that Martin Scorsese would intro the film...case closed!
  • Scorsese (who got a long standing ovation) spoke briefly, but passionately about nitrate film and preservation efforts.
  • Change from original schedule

Friday

RAFTER ROMANCE (1933)
  • I've seen this before, but hey...Ginger on the big screen in a pre-code was a delight


BEAT THE DEVIL (1953)
  • My first time watching
  • I probably didn't enjoy it as much as others did
  • Nice intro by 'script girl' Angela Allen, interviewed by Cari Beauchamp
  • This ended up being one of the TBA films on Sunday


PANIQUE (1946)
  • So, so fabulous...would love to see this again
  • Good intro by Bruce Goldstein and son of author of the book that the film is based on
  • Very intense tale about 'outsiders' (main character is Jewish) and mob mentality
  • Would love to see this air on TCM in the future if possible


SO THIS IS PARIS (1926)
  • Nice Lubitsch silent situational comedy with live piano accompaniment


RED-HEADED WOMAN (1932)
  • Reminded me a lot of pre-code BABY FACE
  • Sound was either turned up too loud, or the film was a bit shouty...funny, nonetheless


LAURA (1944)
  • The favorite of the three nitrate films that I saw
  • I was really impressed by the depth of image because of the nitrate stock
  • Kind of a rough 35mm print...reel lead-in and lead-out were (understandably) pretty beat up


ZARDOZ (1977)
  • One of the worst films I've seen
  • ...but surrounded by friends we laughed ourselves silly throughout most of the film
  • Zardoz cookies supplied by Beth and Miguel were a terrific idea

Saturday

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944)
  • My first trip to Multiplex house 4!
  • Intro by Tiffany Vazquez, who did a great job including a humorous joke where she said "I don't need to explain much about this, so enjoy the film" and fake-walked off.
  • Great seeing this in a packed theater.
  • This was announced as a TBA even before screening on Saturday


DAVID AND LISA (1962)
  • Reminded me a lot of last year's ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO (60s, indie, B&W, low budget, important subject)
  • Emotional ending
  • Nice interview of Keir Dullea who stayed and watched the film (I always love when stars do this)


THE UNDER-WORLD STORY (1950)
  • Noir film intro'd by Eddie Muller who admitted he just created a Twitter account
  • I had seen this for the first time a few weeks before the fest (TCM aired it) and wasn't too impressed by it
  • Second viewing was better


THEODORA GOES WILD (1936)
  • Intro'd by Illeana Douglas (her grandfather Melvyn stars in this.)
  • She had the entire Egyptian theater stand up for a "seventh inning stretch"...we sang "Singin' in the Rain"
  • Someone took a flash photo of the screen when Irene Dunne appeared in her black costume....grrr (thought this year there was a lot less of this)


THE INCIDENT (1967)
  • My favorite screening of the fest
  • Great intro by Bruce Goldstein of director Larry Peerce and stars Martin Sheen & Beau Bridges. Also the guy who did music for the film was in the audience.
  • Both Sheen and Bridges stayed and watched the entire film, Sheen shaking hands and engaging in chit-chat with film-goers as we filed out.
  • I skipped BLACK NARCISSUS (one of my original 'must-sees') to watch this...for me it was the right decision...magnificent film-making.
  • Change from original schedule


THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE (1977)
  • I was worried this film would offend some with its nudity...what was I thinking?! Zardoz was much worse in this regard.
  • Hilarious intro by Jim Abrahams, Zucker brothers and John Landis who discussed how the movie came to be
  • Sketch comedy...some sequences are funnier than others...good applause for "Catholic High School Girls in Trouble"...one of the funnier sketches

Sunday

COCK OF THE AIR (1932)
  • What amazed me most in this pre-code was the camera movement...lots of 'floating camera' in opening shots and then lots more moving camera throughout the film


LURED (1947)
  • Very nice whodunit film with Lucille Ball, Charles Coburn and George Sanders
  • Lucy gets to wear a variety of lovely gowns
  • Nice twist ending
  • I got to sit in VIP seats in house 6 of the multiplex!


REPUBLIC PRESERVED
  • Very short clips review of restored Republic film clips
  • Cliff-hanger reel at the end (featuring tons of cars going off cliffs, exposions, etc.) was worth the price of admission
  • Left before Q&A to grab a few slices of pizza across the street from the Egyptian


WHAT'S UP DOC? (1972)
  • Nice interview of Peter Bogdanovich by Dave Karger
  • Bogdanovich does really good impressions
  • Delightful 'modern' take on the screwball comedy, the film holds up over time
  • Madeline Kahn steals the film (but you knew that.)  Also great performance by Kenneth Mars


LADY IN THE DARK (1944)
  • Interesting way to end the fest, in hindsight I might have chosen another film (probably SPEEDY)
  • Bizarre combination of bold Technicolor dream sequences on nitrate & patriarchal mansplaining...there were a lot of out-loud comments along lines of 'what?!'
  • First time in the balcony at the Egyptian