Lauren's film journal

[Lauren]

Trashy pre-code is definitely the way to go. I was only disappointed by going contemporary. You will have to remind me if I forget this again. Asia Argento & Catherine Breillat are definitely not my kind of trashy.

But as for now I'm scheduled to pass out to The Belstone Fox. I hope I get to Rachel Rachel before that happens.

I'm interested to hear what you think of that one. The only time I've ever tolerated Norma was in pre-Code.

[Ally]

i'm 30 minutes in and it's pretty good so far. I agree, that, norma was only tolerable in pre-code.
breillat is usually good, but if you are talking about The Last Mistress, it definitely was one of Breillat's duller films. She made it after suffering from a stroke, so that's the only way I've been able to forgive her.

[Lauren]

I think I officially love/hate Norma. What a goody-goody fakey-fake bitch she became under the code, but she was a real saucy minx in precodes.

Am I QUOTING Love Actually now? :/

Oh RR might be more in Belstone than I thought. I still can't tell when/if she's using her real Welsh accent. Srsly what does a Welsh accent sound like.

[Lauren]

O hai I'm Lauren, I am functionally intelligent but I can recognize neither Warren Oates nor a Welsh accent.

[Ally]

(my roommate is about to knock on my door and tell me to shut up, i'm laughing so hard. i think the welsh ppl blend in with the other brits, so please don't feel too badly about it.)

[Lauren]

True. Soon they won't even exist, like redheads and the Kate Hepburn dialect

[Lauren]

RR story time, this is great

He [Malcolm McDowell] explained that whilst a lovely person, she could also be an outrageous drunk and told us of a time in Cannes (apologizing to us, in advance, for the language he was about to use) when she climbed on a table, lifted her dress, exposing her private parts - which had been shaved for love scenes in film - (like a porcupine MM noted) and on seeing Catherine Deneuve walk by shouted, "I want to fuck her! I want to fuck her". When her friends pointed out to Rachel that she wasn't a lesbian, she shouted "I still want to fuck her!".

Hell yes Also what "love scenes in film" are these?

[Ally]

wow, Rachel Roberts? haha... sounds like something I'd shout at Catherine Deneuve.

[Lauren]

I think anyone living and breathing would have to shout that at Catherine Deneuve.

[Ally]

ok good, it's not just me.

[Lauren]

Sherlock Jr 1924, BUSTER KEATON 9/10



Really stunning and inventive. Sets the scene in a neat first fifteen minutes: a bumbling hero, a shy heroine, a slick villain, banana peels, falling down, sticky things. It's all shaping up to be a standard, likable 20s comedy when innocently enough, projectionist Buster falls asleep on the job, walks into the movie screen, and turns upside down and explodes all we've seen up to that point. Suddenly it becomes one of the most wildly enjoyable and astonishing conceits put to film, and it only accelerates from there.



The Strawberry Blonde 1941, RAOUL WALSH 8/10



Charming, frequently hilarious, smart film that resists classification, encouraging certain expectations about gangster films with Cagney around, a bit dark to be an outright comedy, very romantic, full of very funny suffrage-era gender dynamics. A little dancing. Kinda sexy. You'll have that damned song stuck in your head for days and days.

[Skritek]

You actually make me want to watch Sherlock Jr..

[Lauren]

Yesterday I wasn't very enthusiastic about Keaton either.

[Jos]

Excitement!

[Lauren]

Jos you are double-spelunker!

Hmm hmm what Keaton should I go for next, since I think you are our resident expert? Heavy on crazy visual gags, light on banana peels?

[Jos]

If you wanna see some of his shorts, One Week is 20 minutes of crazy visual stunts, amazing! Also the Play House is very inventive and possibly my favorite of his.

For feature lengths, i would say: see Seven Chances. Exciting all the way through (chasing and running!) and sweet on top. Or the Navigator, with loads of sight gags and ingenuity. I am getting excited to see some more myself!

[wigwam]

i like those two features as well as Steamboat Bill Jr and The General

[Lauren]

All sound promising! About to have a downloading spree!

While I'm at it addressing long-running areas of ignorance... I'm also downloading my first Marx Bros film with The Cocoanuts.

[wigwam]

Whatever Works has "Hello I Must Be Going" play in the credits and got all warm'n fuzzy

Marx Bros

[Jos]

Cool! The Marx Bros were my last project before i left. They are awfully hit-or-miss, switching from greatness to silliness in 2 seconds. The Cocoanuts was actually the least one i've seen from them, so many stupid jokes. To me their best ones are Animal Crackers and Duck Soup, check them out!

[wigwam]

which ones on the ship and which ones at dumonts house w/ the weekend party and the painting? i like the weekend party painting one more than the ship which i think is cocoanuts

[wigwam]

oh shit! Monkey Business is the ship one, so Animal Crackers must be the weekend party, i cant even remember Cocoanuts

Marx Bros, ranked:

Horse Feathers (most of my love for them is the music and this has the best song and best scenes w/ it)
Duck Soup
Night at the Opera
Day at the Races (altho i think it has this wtf-est Harpo+a bunch of po' black chilluns, hard to sit thru)
Animal Crackers
then the others which i cant remember exactly and have only seen once a piece probly

[Lauren]

Cocoanuts comes under my 1929 project, so hopefully it will not be a discouraging starting point. I figure anything from George S Kaufman can't go too far off course. And worst-case scenario they get another fair hearing someday when I do McCarey properly.

[Jos]

The ship one is Monkey Business. The party/painting one is Animal Crackers. Cocoanuts is in a hotel. I agree with you that AC is better than MB, although MB has all of the Marx Bros imitating Maurice Chevalier

[Ally]

I'm going to be seeing Steamboat Bill Jr in a week or two. I wonder if we can synchronize another TLC viewing. hmm

High rating for Strawberry Blonde.
Admit it, you are in love with Rita Hayworth!!!!! (a redhead you're not in love with, impossible!!!!!)