Thursday, January 23, 2014

"Biography: Irving Berlin: An American Song" (2001)

I'm not super familiar with A&E Biography not subscribing to cable as I do, and the brief bursts of cable contact during hotel stays and such always seemed to lead to other choices.  Tonight seemed to be the night to actually get around to watching this particular episode, one I've had on the shelf for awhile.

Amazing.

I've had some negative after affects from some biographical productions--not for the quality of the production so much as sometimes what you get when you start digging into the behind the scenes information of people's lives yields information you didn't really want and results that you didn't expect to get.  And after a particularly negative experience that has long since "scarred" me, I've since been a little "gun shy" for watching them--which is why this particular one has been on my shelf for so long.  This biography, happily, did not have that effect.  Not only did enjoy learning new things (a consistent joy to me), but I was able to make some other connections, too.  There were the songs I'd come to know from my music days when music was so much more a part of my life--songs that had showed up in teaching jazz band, songs on my shelf to be played for pleasure on my clarinet and piano.  All these songs now had a context for a life, and in some instances a specific context.  Much of this, I guess, I expected and anticipated.  What I didn't anticipate was the movie connection.  A number of the movies that had Irving Berlin connections were ones that I was either quite familiar with or were ones that I've seen within the last few years.  "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1938)"This Is the Army" (1943)"Easter Parade" (1948)"Annie Get Your Gun" (1950), and "Call Me Madam" (1953), as well as "Holiday Inn" were movies that when this biography referenced them, I could say not only "I've seen that!" and "I've seen that, too!", but I felt I knew exactly what they were talking about when they were musically chaptering them.  Other than name recognition of "Irving Berlin", I'd never really thought about how all of these strung together.  And when this biography did all of that, all I could do was say, "wow".

I mean, when the biography referenced the "This Is the Army" appearance of Irving Berlin himself, and the crowd's reception, and some of the other things said.  I could say, "I remember that moment!"  And remember being amazed myself when I originally saw that scene to go "That's Irving Berlin!" with my jaw dropping.   And then, to learn that he was very much quite alive during 18 years of my life, that he lived a full year plus past when my dad lived, I'm filled with thrilled amazement and dismay that such an "institution" to American culture would be out of my knowledge until now.  And his adaptive achievements--wow.

Amazing.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" Special Edition (1969)

This movie reawakened the question of "What makes a movie slow?"  This movie had its slow moments (so I did fast forward just a tiny bit in places), but I wouldn't call it a slow movie.  I don't know that you can judge by amount of chase scenes, length or amount of suspenseful moments, or anything as obvious as all these things.  At least some of it has to be the mood of the person watching.  If the person is impatient for something in their own life, will all movies seem slow?  If a person is perfectly content with things, will all movies seem either just right or too fast?

SPOILER ALERT:  And the ending.  What.  Forget the "If you want a happy ending, stop here" sign?  Well, guess you can't complain too much about not knowing what happens.  The boy gets the girl, a happy wedding, and no marriage obligations.  Thanks a lot.

Analysis all being said, it was a decent enough movie.  After all, it's a James Bond movie, so what do you expect?  He likes all the girls.  The occasional gadget exits.  Everybody "hates" Bond so they attack 'im; therefore, there's lots of fights and chase scenes.  This one is a regular Winter Olympics--skiing, skating, snow blowers (really?  was that scene/moment necessary?), bobsleds down tracks, avalanches, carols, Christmas trees, presents, people falling over cliffs, and a demolition derby and a bull fight thrown in for good measure. And Bond in a Scottish kilt...ok.

And, obviously, there's the iconic Bond music.  The man sweeping and whistling a fragment of a Bond theme was a very nice touch.

Make note:  This really is a fine movie.  It just leaves me with more analytic questions than what I have answers for.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

"The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone" (2013)

Good kids movie.  Theology just borders on decision theology but doesn't push it and doesn't really cross over.  I don't remember much about the music, so it must have  been perfect.  End credits music was right on and enjoyable to listen to.  Good amount of action, and about one kleenex at the end (just sniff real hard--no one will notice).

SPOILER ALERT:  Let's see.  Girl saves boys.  Boy saves himself.  Everybody in trouble together or everybody saves everybody.  So, I guess it's fairly balanced--or at least close.  I guess the girl is traded twice.  But it didn't seem too badly lop-sided.  I'd still recommend the movie.  It was put together well and I found me constantly watching.  And the frame story was a fine inclusion, too.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

"Ocean's Thirteen" (2007)

It's better than Ocean's Twelve, but not quite up to the original Ocean's Eleven--close, but not quite.

One of my favorite aspects is the family life of the character of "Linus Caldwell" as well as that character itself.  Amuses me.

The other favorite aspect is a similar quality that this movie has with Lara Croft--a smoothness of the plot that ticks together like a well-tuned mechanical clock.  It is a well choreographed dance in the shape of plot.

I still think this movie did pretty good.

"Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular" (2013)

SPOILER ALERT  (but then, it's a music special, so what do you expect):
Okay, let me say from the beginning I have no opinion--positive or negative--about Lady Gaga.  This is the first I've likely even knowingly heard her singing.  And the songs were largely a promo for one of her albums/CDs.  I watched this for the Muppets part of the show.  And I a smidge curious to see how they were doing with 2nd generation Kermit (Jim Henson sure was something else).

So, the first number is a joint number between Lady Gaga and the Muppets.  I am a huge Animal fan, and he is playing the drums in the background.  So, I watched the number all the way through.

Then I discovered that pretty much most of the rest of the numbers were Muppet-less (with one exception) until the finale.  Well, that just kinda misses the point.  So, admittedly, I took to fast-forwarding through the Muppet-less parts, so I could get to the "good" stuff.  When they finally did another number together, it was the finale--complete with credits right over the whole thing.  Way to show case it.  The inserted Muppet "bloopers" which were wonderful.

What does make it worth watching for the Muppet/music fan?  Two musical numbers...Ready for this?  Audio-visualize this singing trio:  Beaker (meep, meep), the Swedish chef, and Animal.  At two different times these 3 sing a "well-known Christmas carol"--Do you think it's possible to recognize it?  Lyric-less Beaker, Swedish Pig-Latin lyrics (just as unintelligible), and then the only thing possible to understand is Animal--except the 1st time he speeds things up too fast, and the 2nd time he only does follow-up/echo licks to the unintelligible stuff--so, he's the only one you can understand.  You don't understand the first part, but you understand the echo.  I was grinning ear to ear.  How musically funny is that?

That leaves me stuck with how to rate this.  It has great Muppet moments, but the Muppets aren't threaded all the way through like I remember from my childhood The Muppet Show.  But that mismatched singing trio?  That is just tops.  That's great!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

"Escape to Witch Mountain" (1975)

Rewatched this childhood favorite.  Thoroughly enjoyed it.

How come they don't make more movie plots like this?  I couldn't imagine anything better--little bit of humor, but not stupid comedy.  Characters unique and different--personable yet each has stuff they can or can't do, stuff they know about themselves, or are figuring out as they go.  Touch of imaginative sci-fi.  And the tone of the whole thing isn't dark and depressing.  No murderous alien races or world stomping terrorist groups.  In fact, no one gets hurt--not even the "bad guys".  Simple plot, just a touch of mystery without being too complicated; yet, enough complexity of dialogue and background to avoid being shallow.

How come they don't make more movies like this?