I am trying to watch The Wizard of Oz. Man is that outdated, I can barely watch it. Everything looks and sounds like film for todlers.
Have you ever noticed how in monsters in films, especially old ones (old films, though it may apply to old monsters too), always pause and strike a pose before they attack someone? I always thought it was a bit illogical to give people time to counter-attack or run away. I just realized it's for the sake of the camera. Isn't it nice of the monsters to give the camera some good poses? Or maybe they're just vain.
Ah, so you read this, too:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.prosperityuk.com/prosperity/articles/wizzoz.html
As for monsters, of course they are vain, as are v(ill)ains - it sure helps the plot when the heroes get away.
(Chalk one up for plain old suspense a la Hitchcock where you don't see the monster/villain...)
Vanity is the trademark of monsters. Be they dragons, aliens, or dictators.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a matter of hypertrophic infantile ego. Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Castro...
The current "president-for-life" of Turkmenistan has instated the cult of his person as a near-official State religion. The book of his "philosophic thoughts" is the basis of administrative promotion, with regular "assessment tests" being given to all (so you'd better study!). He claims, "under direct guaranty from Allah Himself", that if you read the whole book three times loud, in front of the rising and setting sun, you'll automatically go to Paradise. The guy has a giant gold statue of himself, with a mechanism that keeps it facing the sun all day long. (All read in the press.)
I'll take an angry dragon anytime. At least, animals may listen to reason! ):-P
You'll probably be very interested to learn the many reasons why villains/overlords never succeed. Because they don't read and learn before starting their career!
ReplyDelete[http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html]
The Wizard of Oz was mean't for children. I watched it as a kid and loved it. Still do. It's a classic.
ReplyDeleteI still choke up when Dorthy says farefell to everyone at the end. (I know, picture a 46 year old man shedding a tear as Dorothy tearfully says goodbye.)
Have you ever noticed that she tells the scarecrow that she'll MISS HIM THE MOST? ( My take on that was when they fell asleep in the poppy field that the scarecrow and dorothy had a brief affair because of their strong chemistry lol)
Loved those flying monkies! Wouldn't that be cool to really have a flying monkey!!!!!!!! I know that's a bit over the edge but hey the mind is creative Ha Ha. (Don't call for the men in white yet.)
Side note: They had to tape down Judy Garland's breasts because she was suppose to be 12 for the part but was actually 15 and well endowed. (I would have loved to have helped her out there lol.Taping down her breasts. Forgive me, I've always had a thing for women wearing ruby shoes!)
Also Shirley Temple was the first one they wanted to play the part but if memory serves right they liked Garland's ability to sing. They were also going to cut the song "Over the Rainbow" to condense the movie. (Thank goodness they didn't. That song still makes me feel like a young man again.)
Buddy Ebson (Jedd Clampett Beverly Hillbillies was tested for the Tin Man and was going to be the Classic Squeaky Character but had an allergic reaction to the aluminum make-up!)
But he still made his mark as a hollywood legend! God rest his soul. Poor Judy though overdozing...........sad. Some dreams don't really come true.
Happiness is like trying to hold water cupped in your hands without spilling it. Sooner or later it does evaporate or slips through your fingers. Sigh.
"My take on that was when they fell asleep in the poppy field that the scarecrow and dorothy had a brief affair because of their strong chemistry"
ReplyDeleteBeen reading Lost Girls, have you? ;-D
"(Don't call for the men in white yet.)"
The ones I see around my house are in black. Is that a bad sign, Doc? Hello? Doc? Are you stil there?
"They had to tape down Judy Garland's breasts"
And they digitally shrunk the lead actor's "package" in Superman Returns, because they felt he was naturally too well-endowed too!
What, I thought nobody had them bigger than Superman anyway???
:-P
"I've always had a thing for women wearing ruby shoes!"
If they're made of REAL ruby, you don't have to explain anything, man!!!
"Happiness is like trying to hold water cupped in your hands without spilling it."
The secret is, you must drink it. Happiness is not for keeping, it is for consuming carpe diem, and make it part of yourself. THAT, you can never lose.
Alas, successful child actors tend to play with it, and spill it all around in a very short time. The Hollywood roller-coaster ride isn't a very good place to drink in your hands...
"And they digitally shrunk the lead actor's "package" in Superman Returns, because they felt he was naturally too well-endowed too!"
ReplyDeleteNo kidding?
I know they padded Chris Reeve.
Reducing it sounds ridiculous. What about the big female and gay audience?
"No kidding?
ReplyDeleteI know they padded Chris Reeve."
Well, looks like trends shift with time, then. No kidding, I read it in the press.
Too bad no amount of padding could have prevented Chris' neck accident. I admired that guy. Great actor in Deathtrap with fellow legend Michael Caine. And his courage against paralysy was worthy of Superman's impressive fictional feats!
"Reducing it sounds ridiculous. What about the big female and gay audience?"
While you're at it, what about the porn movie public, you pervert? Heroes are a-sexual, and that's final!
Okay, so the sex adventures and mishaps of some people are duly documented in the Bible, but that's no excuse.
[End or sarcastic rant.] Remember Eye in the Sky? The mental world created by the subconscious of that bigot victorian lady? Every idea that bothered her "sensitive nature" had to stop existing.
Oh, some day, our children will laugh at our time harder than we laugh at the taping down of Judy Garland's breasts! An understanding laughter, but still...
And to think that in the comics, lovely Lois Lane has a clear (and quite satisfying) sex life with that super-husband of hers! Nothing EXPLICIT, but there's no room left for doubt. Sometimes, there's just the two of them draped in nothing but that big red cape.
See, Adam? So there IS something amazing about the Wizard of Oz after all!
ReplyDelete;-)
speaking of stilted movies, I just saw one in which the acting was atrocious, but the story line was fun, "Never On Sunday", about a Greek call girl and the corny moralistic American man who comes over on the boat to save her from her fall from the grace that was her Ancient Greek heritage. As the story went, she was far more happy than this guy, and he ended up admitting that what he really wanted all along was to sleep with her! The movie was made in 1960, and was pretty racy for that time, although maybe because it was not an American film.
ReplyDeletebad bad acting, really ridiculous.
but the main actress (forget her name) was stunning, and the shots of Greek boats and lusty trusty Greek fishermen . . . . (am I the only woman here??)
It seems it was Melina Mercouri.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I could have sworn it was a Sophia Loren movie. I must be mixing it up with another one.
There are several female readers of this blog, one of them a reverend and famous author. :)
And there may be many I don't know about.
Mind you, it always was a crap movie...
ReplyDeleteHardly Adam, it has become a timeless movie here in the states and has been rated one of the best films ever by the American Film Archives and is aired EVERY YEAR HERE.
It has sold millions on DVD and the sales continue. So much for a crappy movie lol, huh?
"Have you ever noticed how in monsters in films, especially old ones (old films, though it may apply to old monsters too), always pause and strike a pose before they attack someone?"
ReplyDeleteI hear this is exactly the kind of typical behaviour that got many Apache helicopters shot down in Somalia.
"Black Hawk down, Black Hawk down! Mayday!
- Roger that. What happened, Black Hawk?
- These stupid rebels never went to the movies, that's what happened! &%$#@!"