Set in NYC, this film stars Cary Grant as Johnny Case, a 30 y.o. businessman working at a “financial house.” While he takes a skiing holiday to Lake Placid, he meets Julia Seton (Nolan); the two fall in love (in ONLY 10 days). They get engaged!
Johnny Case (Cary Grant) is amazed by the size of the Seton family’s home.
It turns out that Julia comes from a VERY wealthy/influential family. Johnny is surprised and bemused, BUT then finds himself taken w/ Linda (Katharine Hepburn), Julia’s free-thinking/dramatic older sister and her little brother, Ned (Lew Ayres), a musically-gifted alcoholic. (Linda Seton was loosely based on Gertrude Sanford Legendre, a former débutante who left high society to become a big-game hunter and later spied for the OSS during WWII.)
Sisters Julia (Doris Nolan) and Linda Seton (Katharine Hepburn) surround Johnny (Cary Grant).
There are a lot of humorous little episodes. I tried to get Father to let me take a nursing course at a hospital. Oh yes, and I almost got arrested trying to help some strikers over in Jersey. Well, how was I to know that Father was on the board of directors at the company? You see, Case, the trouble with me is I never could decide whether I wanted to be Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale, or John L. Lewis.-Linda talks about her past
It turns out that Julia is NOT that different from her father; at some point you wonder WHAT Johnny saw in her in the first place! Her siblings are discontented with being under their father’s thumb. Mr. Seton is NOT a bad guy, BUT has strong feelings about how things should be done to keep the family on the up and up.
You’ve got no faith in Johnny, have you, Julia? His little dream may fall flat, you think. Well, so it may, what if it should? There’ll be another. Oh, I’ve got all the faith in the world in Johnny. Whatever he does is all right with me. If he wants to dream for a while, he can dream for a while, and if he wants to come back and sell peanuts, oh, how I’ll believe in those peanuts! -Linda explains, revealing her true feelings for Johnny
Johnny (Cary Grant) with his friends, Professor Nick Potter (Edward Everett Horton) and his wife, Susan (Jean Dixon).
[Quoting an imaginary society column] ‘Miss Linda Seton – on New Year’s Eve – entertained a small group of Very Unimportant People.’ -Nick jokes
In the original play, Nick and Susan Potter are wealthy socialites. Due to the Depression, the plot was altered so that Johnny (“the common man”) would have more ordinary, down-to-earth friends. Johnny’s friends, the Potters, were intellectuals and funny- great combo. They added a LOT of fun to this film!
Johnny (Cary Grant) thinks about his future while his fiancee Julia (Doris Nolan) and her father (Henry Kolker) look on.
[1] Hepburn, clearly the star of this production, acts each scene with an emotion and charm that is almost unheard of in the mainstream cinema of the present. …I found myself becoming so endeared to her character that I probably would have been completely devastated if she didn’t get some sort of happiness in the end, probably one of the highest compliments that I can give to an actor’s performance… He [Grant] is such a fresh and passionate character…
[2] Cukor takes a lighthearted approach to this story, which keeps it upbeat and entertaining, and he laces it with warmth and humor that’ll give you some laughs and put a smile on your face. But beyond all that, Cukor shows some real insight into human nature and the ways of the world. And it makes this film timeless.
Alexi was the young monk who personified what it means to be a generous and forgiving Christian; Ivan the spiritually conflicted and deeply honest man of science; Dmitri the tortured deeply human soul who takes on suffering…
I just happened upon this film- had never seen it before. William Shatner is VERY young (and cute) here; he plays Alexi, the youngest brother in the family who is a monk. This film is about money (particularly inheritance), sibling rivalries (and alliances), forbidden love, and honor. Yul Brynner is perfectly cast as Dmitri, the oldest brother in the dysfunctional family. He is a Lt. in the Russian Army whose favorite hobby is gambling. Of the two female leads, Claire Bloom (Katya) and Maria Schell (Grushenka), I thought Bloom are more effective.
Alexi (William Shatner) and his father Fyodor (Lee J. Cobb) have a serious talk.
Brynner is very charismatic and gives the right emotional intensity and vulnerability, while Cobb gives his patriarchal role so much juice and life, his demeanour sometimes even quite intimidating (the role is a problematic one due to being one that could easily fall into overacted caricature, Cobb admittedly does overact but enjoyably and the character still felt real). Richard Basehart brings many layers and nuances to Ivan… William Shatner does suffer from a greatly reduced (in terms of how he’s written) character, but surprisingly this is Shatner at his most subdued and moving, most of the time in his acting for personal tastes he’s the opposite.
-Excerpts from IMDB review
At the start of the film, Alexi convinces their wealthy father, Fyodor (Lee J. Cobb) to give him some money to pay off debts run up by Dmitri (Brynner). Fyodor is reluctant, knowing of Dmitiri’s irresponsible spending; he is also tyrannical and lecherous. Dmitri should be getting some money (which comes from his deceased mother’s side).
The brothers is the Karamazov family with their father.
Alexi is in the role of peacemaker in the family; while Dmitri is the “black sheep.” These two brothers are tight, though they have opposite personalities. The other brothers are Ivan (Richard Basehart), an atheist writer and Fyodor’s unclaimed bastard/servant, Smerdjakov (Albert Salmi).
Katya (Claire Bloom) is engaged to Dmitri- he’s NOT that into her though!
The daughter of Dmitri’s captain, Katya (Bloom), falls deeply in love w/ him after he helps her father out of a difficult situation. Dmitri admits that he wanted Katya, BUT didn’t love her. She explains that she doesn’t mind that. Some time later, when she becomes an heiress (thanks to a grandmother), she proposes that they get engaged. Dmitri agrees to it; after all, she is a beautiful, respectable, and wealthy woman. Katya goes to his town and meets his family, impressing them w/ all her charms. She and Ivan spend a LOT of time together; he falls in love w/ Katya, BUT she only sees him as a friend (and future brother-in-law).
Fyodor (Lee J. Cobb) has dinner with his mistress, Grushenka (Maria Schell).
So, why is this engagement taking SO long? Dmitri stays away (gambling and drinking), so there is no time to get to know and (maybe) fall in love w/ Katya. Back at home, Ivan and Smerdjakov are getting impatient to inherit; they’re waiting for their father to die. Fyodor shows no signs of slowing down; he has a young/blonde mistress, Grushenka. Though he’s NOT the sentimental type, Fyodor proposes marriage.
Dmitri (Yul Brynner) plays a song for Grushenka (Maria Schell).
For anyone interested in family dynamics and love relationships “Brothers” presents a web of triangulated rivalries and unrequited, seething passions — fiction that rings powerfully true.
I am embarrassed to admit I haven’t read this great novel — although the movie makes me want to — so I wasn’t familiar with the story.
-Excerpt from IMDB review
Grushenka, who owns a tavern and has made some money of her own, buys Dmitri’s debts (on behalf of Fyodor). When Dmitri learns of this occurrence, he insults her servant (a former soldier), and then sets out to find the mysterious woman. He sees Grushenka at a skating pond (where she is having fun w/ another man, not Fyodor). It’s basically love at first sight (at least on his side); Dmitri is a VERY passionate man after all. Grushenka seems VERY taken w/ him, too, BUT she is also a professional (who knows how to survive in a man’s world). Check out this film to find out what happens next!
NOTE: This review contains SPOILERS for the Season 2 premiere of the AMC TV series. New episodes will be airing Sundays (10PM EST).
I’m Only Human, a popular song by Rag’N’Bone Man plays. We find that Sunny (Daniel Wu) is a shackled prisoner in some sort of huge mining camp. The setting is somewhat reminiscent of the recent Mad Max: Fury Road film (note the colors, dust, etc.) Sunny makes an attempt to escape (fight scene ensues), BUT it finally subdued by his captives. The leader of the camp explains that the ONLY way to escape is death!
At night, he dreams of Veil and their baby, then wakes up to find himself chained to Bajie (British actor Nick Frost), a chatty/burly/bearded prisoner. It turns out that Bajie, now a fellow Picker, was an opium dealer in his free life. He brags that he knows how to get stuff others want in the camp.
***
M.K. (Aramis Knight) has been training for 6 mos. in a remote mountain location. He and his fellow Novices wear purple robes and sleep in hammocks. After M.K. admits that he’s glad he doesn’t have to hide his powers here, another young man explains how he was “treated like a king” by his clan. M.K. asks this boy if he was “scared to kill.” The boy dismisses him, recounting how he fought and killed many enemies; there are multiple scars on his forearm.
M.K. sneaks off in search of The Master (someone he has yet to meet); we know how curious and persistent he can be from S1. It turns out that The Master (Chipo Chung) is an youthful-looking woman of color! The actress looked a BIT familiar to me; it turns out she played Chantho in Doctor Who, Season 4 (Utopia). I’m NOT an expert on that show, BUT I love the acting of David Tennant (who played Dr. Who for 2 seasons). His companion at that time was Dr. Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman- also on Law & Order: UK). Chung had the rare opportunity to play the assistant of Sir Derek Jacobi’s character.
***
The Master challenges M.K.- he loses b/c he can’t control his powers yet. After M.K. goes back to this room in defeat, we see The Master heal a broken bone of her injured forearm (WOW)! Looks like there could be MORE to the powers possessed by M.K. and the young men.
***
The grimy prisoners are cleaning up after work. Sunny removes his shirt; Bajie sees all the tattoos on his back for the first time. He instantly knows that Sunny was a Clipper (oh no)! Sunny looks pissed off, BUT Bajie says “you can trust me.”
While eating dinner, Sunny asks Bajie what he knows re: the situation in the Badlands. He learns that Quinn is considered missing (w/ a reward for his return). The other Barons are scrambling for power. The Nomads are running wild.
Chaos leads to new opportunities. And I’m ALL about new opportunities. -Bajie explains to Sunny
Since the Pickers met their quota last month, there will be a “fight night” in the camp. It’s VERY brutal; Bajie says that “no one ever escapes alive.” Sunny asks him to find a map of this mine.
***
Ryder (Oliver Stark) is reminiscing about his lonely childhood in his old room at The Fort. The room is dusty and items are covered up, including a rocking horse he used to play on. Jade (Sarah Bolger) comes in and sweetly tells him about his accomplishments (so we get to know what happened directly after the finale of S1 until now). They are (finally) together; he calls her “The Baroness.” They are looking a BIT more grown-up (he w/ a beard/goatee; she with a wavy updo). They and their people have been living at Jacobee’s mansion. BUT Ryder still feels like his father is haunting him.
***
At the oil refinery (now controlled by Ryder), Tilda (Ally Ioannides) sneaks up behind an experienced Clipper and stabs him silently. Work is NOT being done at an efficient rate, Ryder learns, since a LOT of Cogs keep leaving. A worker (perhaps manager) explains: “The Widow has been giving them sanctuary.” Ryder is surprised by this, since they had NOT heard from her in months. Jade advises to cut back on working hours and giving more rations to those Cogs who stayed loyal. Hmmm… looks like these two are working more like partners, unlike Quinn and Lydia.
The next moment, Tilda causes an explosion- a Jeep blows up. Jade is thrown back by the force; Ryder shouts at his few Clippers to find her and get her to safety. The Widow (Emily Beecham) walks out w/ a smugly satisfied look on her face. (We’d been waiting for that right?) Tilda and the other Butterflies are behind her, ready to fight the Clippers.
The Widow breaks off at one point to chase after Jade (she’s unhurt) and the Clipper guarding her. Jade witnesses some of the bloody sword fighting; she is shocked, scared, but keeps her wits about her. The Widow climbs the stairs, cutting through several Clippers posted along the way in her creative/bloody fashion. On the roof, she deflects the arrows of five Clippers, then slices their throats w/ one of her butterfly-shaped blades. She struts up to Jade, BUT doesn’t hurt/kill her! The Widow simply has a message for Ryder- she has reclaimed her oil fields, and anyone who tries to stop her will end up dead. Then she grabs the knife from Jade’s hand and cuts down the red banner (w/ the armadillo on it) from the wall.
***
Bajie presents Sunny w/ a map; he got it from the oldest Picker in the mine. Sunny is skeptical, wondering if it’s “accurate.” Bajie figures out that Sunny is going to attempt an escape, so wants to go along. Sunny glares at him- that’s a no go! Someone yells that they found something. Bajie (being an opportunist) quickly punches that guy out and grabs the ring. After an expert examines it, he is given a 24-hr. break from mining. That wasn’t the reward Bajie was hoping for, so he tells The Engineer (Stephen Walters; also in Outlander) that he knows of something much better, asking: “Do you know what a Clipper is?”
***
The Widow is looking wistfully at the photo of her little boy inside a gold locket. Tilda comes in and tells her of the MANY that are joining their cause. The Widow admits that she needs to be more than a fighter now- more of a leader. Tilda suggests she come and meet some of the people who have put their faith in her (and her way of life).
You don’t belong to me. Everyone here is free and equal. My dream is that, one day, there will be no Cog, Clipper, Doll, or Baron… only free women and men deciding the course of their own future. -The Widow states her philosophy to a group of Dolls and Clippers at a food station
***
M.K. is angry w/ Ava, his Abbott, who he’d been training w/ for 6 mos. He told her secrets which she revealed to The Master. Now The Master has decided to take over training M.K.
***
Tilda and four of the Butterflies take revenge against a group of Clippers. They think it’s b/c they refused to fight, BUT Tilda explains that it was for abusing the Dolls (incl. her friend Odessa). Tilda turns to go (like a boss) while the blood of these men flies in arcs behind her. Yeah, this gal has her OWN mind!
***
The Engineer comes over to Sunny, w/ Bajie in tow. He knows that Sunny is a great killer (being a Clipper). It turns out that Bajie traded his freedom for Sunny’s (was NOT expecting that)! Sunny is led out of the mine by two guards.
***
In an unknown location, Veil (Madeline Mantock) has given birth to a healthy baby boy. She is presented him by Quinn (Marton Csokas). Surprise- he’s alive!
With a career spanning more than 7 decades, Kirk Douglas has long since earned his place in Hollywood history. December 9, 2016 was the iconic actor’s 100th birthday (WOW)! His is a real-life “up from nothing” story; Douglas is the son of Jewish immigrants (from modern-day Belarus) who settled in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. As a youngster, he was a good student and athlete (even wrestling competitively at St. Lawrence University). Douglas discovered an acting scholarship and was talented enough to get into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
After working on the New York stage (alongside good friend Lauren Bacall), he began his film career in the 1946 Barbara Stanwyck vehicle The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers, which was soon followed by memorable roles in Out of the Past, Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s A Letter to Three Wives, among others. Douglas also developed his own projects behind the camera, releasing the historical epic Spartacus through his own production company.
Movie Review: Ace in the Hole
[1] This movie fits nicely into the film noir genre, although it takes place largely under the hot, harsh glare of the New Mexico sun, highlighting the sweat and grime visible on the characters’ skin and creating a visual metaphor for the sorry state of their souls.
[2] Perhaps the cause of failure of this film [at the box office] is that there are no sympathetic characters here… The screenplay, and the lead performances are top class. The extensive location photography, and somewhat documentary look of the film makes the film feel more modern than most 1951 films.
[3] The world described here is so depressing, so disheartening that it takes drama to new limits. Not only Tatum is evil, but so are the miner’s wife and family who take advantage of the situation, regardless of any morals. So is the faceless crowd, who has a wild time, near a dying man. You and me, we could be part of this populace, and maybe we’ve already been!
–Excerpts from IMDB reviews
This film, featuring Douglas (who plays Chuck Tatum) as an antihero, is on Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list. I rented it on YouTube recently. Aside from the length (it could’ve used more editing), I thought it was pretty good. It was co-written by Billy Wilder, so you know the dialogue (esp. that for Chuck) will be fast, funny, and VERY interesting. Wilder’s wife, Audrey Young, came up with the funny, yet irreverent line spoken by Jan Sterling (Lorraine Minosa): “I don’t go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons.”
No chopped chicken liver! No garlic pickles. No Lindy’s. No Madison Square Garden. No Yogi Berra! -Chuck complains re: missing NYC
Chuck has been fired from a few different newspapers (drinking too much, chasing a publisher’s wife, etc.) He manages to get on the staff of an Albuquerque paper. Finally, Chuck learns re: Leo Minosa (Richard Benedict), a man who got trapped in a mine while digging for Indian (Native American) relics. Herbie Cook (Robert Arthur) is the wide-eyed young reporter who tags along w/ Chuck.
Human interest. You pick up the paper, you read about 84 men or 284, or a million men, like in a Chinese famine. You read it, but it doesn’t say with you. One man’s different, you want to know all about him. That’s human interest. -Chuck explains to Herbie
Leo is trapped inside a mine in the Mountain of the Seven Vultures. Chuck manipulates the (politically-ambitious) sheriff, the Army engineer running the rescue operation, and Leo’s wife, Lorraine. Chuck, with his wily words, manages to prolong the rescue efforts; what could’ve taken just twelve hours lasts six days. Leo’s story becomes known nationwide, making Tatum a star reporter (yet again), and creating a circus around the desert town.
Into the Badlandsis super important to the discussion of representation for interracial relationships, particularly interracial relationships between two non-white individuals…
-The Nerds of Color (NOC) blog
Daniel Wu, a cast member and executive producer of the television series “Into the Badlands,” poses for a portrait during the 2015 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton on Friday, July 31, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
I first “heard” about this show a few days ago from one of the ladies I follow on Twitter (Monique). And it turns out that she’s NOT the only fan out there! MANY black women, as well as Asian- American men, were tweeting about Into the Badlands.After all, it’s quite rare to see a Chinese-American man, Sunny (Daniel Wu) and a black woman, Veil (Madeleine Mantock) in a romantic relationship.
Aramis Knight as M.K. – Into the Badlands _ Season 1, Epsiode 1 – Photo Credit: Patti Perret/AMC
Hmmm… HOW to describe this show to a newbie? It’s (obviously) a martial arts epic, BUT there are elements of the Western (minus the guns), Southern Gothic (it’s shot on location in Louisiana), mythical (based loosely on a Chinese story: Journey To The West), and superhero genres (see M.K. ‘s secret powers) also. In some ways, it’s like our (modern) world, yet there are no guns used (BUT plenty of knives, swords, and other sharp objects). Warning: This is NOT for those of you who are scared of (fake) blood and violence (which almost reaches Game of Thrones levels).
The Fort is the domain of Baron Quinn (Marton Csokas).
Badlands is that society where society has kind of gone back to feudal times, and one of the main ideas was this “steampunk” aesthetic, to make things futuristic yet seem old at the same time since in this world, digital technology is all gone… – Daniel Wu
If you liked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (like me), then you should definitely give it a watch! I esp. like the wire work, which elevates the martial arts to another level (NOT that I’m an expert, of course). I’ve seen some eps of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues and Vanishing Son (which starred Chines/Swedish-American actor Russell Wong). M.K. (Aramis Knight- a teen actor w/ Pakistani and German heritage) is one of the Colts, or Clippers (warriors) in training. The actor didn’t have martial arts training before he got hired on the show, but had played sports and stayed at a low level of body fat. After I read up a BIT re: Knight’s background, I thought: Hell yes, this show has TWO Asian-American leads!
Quinn’s main house (Evergreen Plantation of Django Unchained)
The dialogue on this show (so far- I’ve seen 3 eps) is NOT George Lucas Star Wars prequel-level bad, though it’s far from Shakespearean (as we find in Deadwood). Some of the BEST lines are given to the main villain, Quinn (Marton Csokas from Lord of the Rings), who is BOTH a father-figure and a boss to Sunny (who is The Regent, the head of the Clipper force). Yes, this show is VERY immersive- it’s even got it’s own vocabulary! You can watch Season 1 on Netflix or on YouTube (which includes behind the scenes videos).
Knightleyemma 