:: Sunday, June 29, 2003 ::

This week's movies: DVD rentals: "Tears of the Sun", 6 of 10, "Frida" 9 of 10, "Dark Blue". 7 of 10, Tivo": "After the Thin Man" 8 of 10, "Phantom of the Paradise" 10 of 10. That's a start, and to think I didn't even go to the "theater" for the second week in a row. This week, it's "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle", by McG, the prequel to next summer's hit "Charlies Angels and XXX: Faster and Furiouser". Last week was "Crouching Computer Generated Hulk: Hidden Meandering" by Ang Lee. I went to Universal Studios instead and saw "Shrek 2-1/2". This week I was astounded again by the simple fact that no matter what decade in history, what amount of money or star power, or what the subject matter, good cinema, truly good cinema remains artistically and socially of merit at any time. Case in point, the 1936 "silver screen" (read glorious B&W) version of Dashiell Hammet's "After the Thin Man" made by MGM (the second of a string of hit "episodes" of the movie series, which lasted from the beginning of the Great Depression to the post WWII war years. William Powell and Myrna Loy are a delight, James Stewart shows why he soon became a major star. W.S. Van Dyke directed with the flair of an old master. This could probably be called the "Charlie's Angels" of 1936. I confess, not having seen the new Angels, since I abhor battling the crowds at the cineplex anymore now that we in full throttle into "beat my weekend grosses", I can only rely on Ken Turan's review, since I haven't seen Ebert and Whatsisname yet, but Turan pretty much says "Angels" is review proof. It's a MAJOR FRANCHISE movie, much like "After the Thin Man". However, to put it in it's cultural perspective, there was no television in those days, and series were usually only heard on the radio and seen before the feature. From the start of movies, some "franchises", like the Tarzan movies, went on forever, oftentimes changing principal actors. The Thin Man movies all starred Loy and Powell, and their comic timing still makes me laugh out loud.
The set design is all art deco. This is a "murder mystery" in silver and black, with top hat and tails. Hollywood was at the top of it's monochromatic glory, sound had been underway for at least a decade, and "After" is a pure delight.
Well, as usual, now I don't want to write anymore, and have only talked about one film and haven't even told how this movie is one that matters.
It matters, as all the MTM do, because it gives modern audiences a "sense of history" no matter how "hollywoodized" it is. I was really somewhat surprised, in these politially correct times, to see Powell''s obvious lush as the hero, and to see (albeit in the criminal class) a thug grab his "moll" by the hair, and then slap her around, to which she lovingly looks at him and says, "Ya big Lug". Women like that dame like it a little rough. Nobody thought anything about offending anybody in 1936, and I bet the line got a laugh.
:: Michael Nyiri 5:15 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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