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Thursday, August 29, 2019

Movie Review: What About Bob? (1991)

"Good morning, Gill. I said, good morning, Gill!"
(More like "Good evening, everyone. I said, good evening, everyone!)

Okay, I am finally going to do it. I have had this review in my drafts for such a long time, and now it is finally going to see the light of day! I hope you all enjoy!


My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

What About Bob? (1991):
"Why don't I start?"
Bob is a really friendly person, but to put it simply, he has problems. It seems like no psychiatrists can help him, until he finds Dr. Leo Marvin. Bob starts to feel a sense of peace, but Dr. Leo leaves for his summer vacation. After a lot of effort, Bob figures out where he went, and steps outside of his comfort zone to go there. Dr. Leo is frustrated that Bob lied to him, and now won't go away! Will Bob stop being afraid, or will Dr. Leo's vacation be "ruined"?
"You won't go away!"
Genre: Comedy.
Length: approx. 99 minutes.
Costumes: 7, I mean, there is nothing great, but nothing bad. There is one time when someone isn't wearing a lot.
Script: 5, there is swearing. Bob has a theory that "If I fake it I don't have it.", so sometimes he fakes having tourette's syndrome by screaming curses.
"It's so right that you and I have come together."
Crew:
Directed by: Frank Oz.
Written by: Tom Schulman, Alvin Sargent, & Laura Ziskin.
Starring:
Bill Murray as Bob Wiley. "I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful..."
Richard Dreyfuss as Dr. Leo Marvin.
Julie Hagerty as Fay Marvin.
Charlie Korsmo as Sigmund "Siggy" Marvin.
Kathryn Erbe as Anna Marvin.
Fran Brill as Lily Marvin.
Tom Aldredge as Mr. Guttman.
Susan Willis as Mrs. Guttman.
Roger Bowen as Phil.
Doris Belack as Dr. Catherine Tomsky.
Cinematography: 7, once again, nothing amazing.
Cinematography by: Michael Ballhaus.
Music: 6, pretty forgettable, because I can't remember it right now!
Music by: Miles Goodman.
Quotes: 10! My family and I quote this all the time!
"Baby steps. Baby steps out of the office."
Notes: there is a reference to Singin' in the Rain (1952), which I appreciate because it is my favorite movie! There is also one for The Brady Bunch.
Storyline: 7, there is someone acting in violent ways to another person, it talks about trying to kill someone, talk of suicide, gross things, there is a mention of divorce, and a few suggestive things.
"You're saying I'm all tied up inside."
Good For: People who have many phobias, anyone who likes comedy.
Age Range: I think I first saw this when I was about 12, but I think anyone over 10 would find it funny. For someone younger, they might like it, but they might not get it.
Overall Score: 7.
Bonus thoughts:
This is not my favorite movie but it is really funny, and will always make me laugh. Bob is scared of everything, and we can all relate to being scared of different things. What we learn with this movie is that there is always something worse. But don't be scared of that! Live your life and don't be afraid to swim because you might drown, just learn to do it the proper way. Don't do everything based on "what ifs".Just try not to get other people angry at you, okay?


There you go! As I said, I have had this draft for months, and today is finally the day it is published!

Thanks for reading! Have you seen this movie?

MovieCritic

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Book vs. Movie Review: The Wizard of Oz

Hello!

Can any of you think of a more famous movie than, The Wizard of Oz (1939)? I do not know a single person who hasn't seen this movie! A lot of people don't know it, but there actually is a book! In fact, there is a whole 14 book series! The movie is one of the first that I remember watching, and the book was the first novel that I read, so both are super nostalgic for me. When my sisters and I were little, we got a costume set, so we loved to act out The Wizard of Oz. My older sister was Dorothy, I was Glinda, and my little sister was The Wicked Witch of the West--and this is based off of hair colors, just to let you all know. My most popular post on this blog is when I imagined a remake of this in 1942 starring Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Donald O'Connor. Anyway, let's get to the reviews!


My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - by L. Frank Baum:
Everything is normal in Kansas until one day Dorothy is whisked off into the land of Oz in a tornado. Dorothy just wants to get back home, so she decides to go to the Emerald City to see the great Wizard Oz. Along the way she meets a lot of friends who join her journey, and help her get there. She has such adventures and experiences, but will she ever get back to Aunt Em and Uncle Henry?
Genre: Fantasy.
Characters: 10! Some of the most famous characters ever!
My favorites: I can't pick favorites, I love them all. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion.
Words: 10, 'A little way off was a small brook, rushing and sparkling along between green banks, and murmuring in a voice very grateful to a little girl who had lived so long on the dry, grey prairies.'
Quotes: 9, "I see we are going to live a little while longer, and I am glad of it, for it must be a very uncomfortable thing not to be alive."
Storyline: 7, there is death, and mention of being chopped apart.
Good For: Any child, any fan of the movie, and anybody!
Age Range: I first read this when I was 7-8, and I still love it now, so I would say anyone could enjoy it!
Overall Score: 9!
Bonus thoughts:
Sigh. This book is so nostalgic for me, but I already said that. I think that a lot of people would be surprised about what is in here, but more on that down below.



VS.


The Wizard of Oz (1939):
Based on: The Wizard of Oz - by L. Frank Baum.
When Dorothy's best friend and dog, Toto, has been attempted to be taken away, she decides to run away. She meets a fortune teller who predicts that her Auntie Em is worried about her, so she tries to go home, only she doesn't expect how long that will take. Her house is carried off in a tornado, with her in it, and stops in the land of Oz. Glinda, the good witch, tells Dorothy to go to Oz, the great wizard to help her. Along with ruby slippers, Toto, a Scarecrow, a Tin woodman, and a Cowardly Lion, they reach the Emerald City, only to find that Oz will only help them if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants Dorothy's shoes. After they get separated, Dorothy wonders, "Will I ever see Auntie Em again?"
Genre: Musical, Fantasy.
Length: approx. 102 minutes.
Costumes: 10! Just imagine, nowadays the Cowardly Lion (and the Tin woodman probably) would be CGI. But, in 1939 they used real costumes, and make-up and I love it!! They did such a good job. I would only say that the Munchkins need to wear more blue (because it is the best color ever).
My favorite: Glinda's dress is amazing!
Script: 10! 
Crew:
Directed by: Victor Fleming.
Written by: Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, & Edgar Allan Woolf.
Starring:
Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale.
Ray Bolger as The Scarecrow, and Hunk.
Jack Haley as The Tin Woodman, and Hickory.
Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, and Zeke.
Billie Burke as Glinda.
Frank Morgan as Oz, and the fortune teller.
Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of the West, and Miss Gulch.
Clara Blandick as Auntie Em.
Charley Grapewin as Uncle Henry.
Terry as Toto.
Cinematography: 10!! Can we talk about the genius of having Kansas be in Black and White, and Oz be in Color? It is so gorgeous!!
Cinematography by: Harold Rosson, and Arnold Gillespie.
Music: 10, all of these songs are so amazing!! The musical numbers are so detailed!
Music by: Herbert Stothart.
Notes: The "oil" from the oil can, was chocolate syrup!
Quotes: 10! "Toto, I've got a feeling we aren't in Kansas anymore..."
Oscars won: 2: Best Original Song ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow"), and Best Original Score.
Storyline: 10, there is death, and killing, but it is shown as wrong.
"There's no place like home."
Good For: Every person everywhere!
Age Range: All ages!
Overall Score: 10!
Bonus thoughts:
This movie is so great. I love it! I am getting so happy just thinking about it!!


So, it turns out that 80 years ago today, August 25th, 1939, the movie opened! In celebration of this, Rebecca, who blogs at Taking Up Room is hosting a Wizard of Oz Blogathon!
For this I am comparing in detail the book vs. the movie!
Because of how detailed this is going to be a SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't seen the movie and read the book.
1. The biggest difference are the famous slippers. Everyone has heard of the "ruby red slippers", but in the book they are the silver slippers. The reason is that with the Technicolor, they wanted the shoes to pop against the yellow brick road, and silver wasn't doing it. Just thought that I'd put that out there first.
2. In the movie it suggests having been in Oz all being a dream because we see each of the main actors as someone in Dorothy's life. This was a really interesting idea because in the book there are only a few pages in Kansas.
3. In the movie having Glinda be part of it all along instead of just at the end. In the book, the Good Witch of the North greets Dorothy when she lands in Oz, and tells her to go to Oz. When Oz can't help Dorothy, she and her friends set off to the South, where the Quadlings live, to find Glinda. In the movie, Glinda appears in a bubble at the end, which is inspiration from book five, The Road to Oz. They have a lot of adventures trying to get to Glinda, one of them being finding a town of porcelain dolls, which they included in the movie Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).
4. While they are on their way to visit Glinda in the book, trees try to stop them and grab them with their branches. In the movie, before they find the Tin woodman, Dorothy makes the mistake for picking an apple, and the tree gets angry and throws apples at her.
5. In the book the Wicked Witch of the West is described very differently than we all imagine her. She also isn't trying to get the slippers all along, only when she kidnaps Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion.
6. They take away the back stories of the Scarecrow, the Tin woodman, and the flying monkeys in the movie (which I thought was boring when I was little anyway). In the book the flying monkeys aren't evil, they just have to do what ever the owner of the golden cap tells them too, and like a genie they have three tasks. This helps Dorothy and her friends out later. Though they didn't put this in the movie, you can see the witch is holding onto a golden cap when she is ordering the monkeys to do her bidding.
7. In the book, while in the forest they are scared of lions and Kalidahs, which are creatures with the body of a bear and the head of a tiger. They knew this was going to be too hard to explain in the movie, so they came up with the phrase, "Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!" to say what they are scared of.
8. I was surprised to read this time around that in describing the Emerald City it says, 'There seemed to be no horses nor animals of any kind,' which is interesting considering that in the movie a big musical number in the Emerald City is about a "horse of a different color". Speaking of the Emerald City, in the book it isn't actually all green! Everyone just thinks that it is because they were green glasses.
9. In the book it takes four days for our heroes to see Oz, because they go in one, by one, and Oz looks different each time. To Dorothy: he was a huge head, to the Scarecrow: a lovely lady, to the Tin woodman: a terrible beast, and to the Cowardly Lion: a ball of fire. In the movie they have them go in together (which is one of my favorite scenes because I love how they would be too scared alone, but are braver with their friends), and Oz is a combination of a huge head and a ball of fire.
10. I love how in the movie how Oz gives them what they want. He gives the Scarecrow a diploma, the Tin woodman a heart shaped clock, and the Cowardly Lion a badge of honor. In the book he opens the Scarecrow up and pours "brains" (oats) into him, sews a satin heart and puts it in the Tin woodman, and has the Cowardly Lion drink "courage" (no one knows what it actually was). Oz just gives them confidence in who they are.
11. The poppy field is very different in the book. Since Glinda isn't helping them all along, she can't make it snow. Instead, the Scarecrow and the Tin woodman carry Dorothy and Toto out, but they can't lift the Lion. The Tin woodman saves the queen of the field mice from a wildcat, so she calls all mice and after the Tin woodman builds a cart, using string the mice pull the Cowardly Lion out.
12. In the book when the Wicked Witch captures Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion, the Winged Monkeys take apart the Scarecrow, and beat the Tin woodman up so neither of them can move. In the movie, the Witch only takes Dorothy, so the other three come up with a plan to get into the castle of the witch.


When I was little I was shocked at how different they were and how many things were changed in the movie, but when I reread it for this I was thinking about that they made great decisions, actually! They wanted to add musical numbers, and not have too much, so they have a really good balance.


Thank you to Rebecca of Taking Up Room for hosting this! And thanks to all of you for reading this! Do you love The Wizard of Oz as much as I do?

MovieCritic

Monday, August 19, 2019

It's So Classic Tag!

Greetings!

Rebellious Writing is celebrating two years of blogging, and are hosting the It's So Classic Blog Party!
Awesome, right? Classics are some of my favorite books so I'm excited to fill out their tag, but it will also be really hard!

It's So Classic Tag:
Rules:
1. Link your post to Rebellious Writing (http://www.rebelliouswriting.com/)
2. Answer the questions
3. Tag at least 5 bloggers.


1.What is one classic that hasn’t been made into a movie yet, but really needs to?


*cracks knuckles* Now, this is my kind of question. The thing is, I know that there are a lot of film adaptations of classics that I haven't seen yet. I'm just going to copy Nicole and say the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia books. I love them so much! Movies of The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle would be so great! As long as they don't mess them up! Make them like how they made The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.


2.What draws you to classics?


(Note: Most of the classics that I read were written before 1900, so that is what I'm talking about.)
Whenever I am having a reading slump, or can't find any good books I go back to the classics because I know that there is a point, a message, or a moral. I know that I can find a story that will teach me something.


3.What is an underrated classic?


North & South - by Elizabeth Gaskell! I just read it this year, thanks to a friend's suggestion, and I LOVED IT SO MUCH. Ah! But, no one has ever heard of it! Every time I mention it people ask, "Oh, is it set during the Civil War?" The question makes sense, but no, it is set in England, now go read it.


4.What is one classic that you didn’t expect to love, but ended up loving anyway?


Well, I don't love it, but I was expecting to hate Frankenstein - by Mary Shelly, but it actually is really thought provoking. The characters do some really bad things that makes you want to pull your hair out, but that is the point. It shows that there are consequences to your actions, and that if all you show someone is hate, you will turn them into a monster.


5.What is your most favorite and least favorite classics?


No! This question is way too hard! Pick one favorite out of all of the many that I love?? Fine, I'll decide.:
Most favorite: Anne of Green Gables - by L. M. Montgomery. It is so beautiful! (It is also my favorite book of all time).
Least favorite: Candide - by Voltare. It is terrible.


6.What is your favorite character from a classic? Or if that is too hard, one is your favorite classic character trope (e.g. strong and silent, quiet sidekick, etc.)


(This was the hardest. question. ever.)
Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Ever since I started The Hobbit, I loved him. I actually wrote a post about him HERE (It was one of my first, so don't judge.).


7.What’s a popular classic that you felt wasn’t actually that great?


Popular? I know that 2001: A Space Odyssey - by Arthur C. Clarke is really famous, but it is so long, not a lot happens, and it is very confusing. Not my favorite.


8.Who is your favorite classic author?


Jane Austen, of course!


9.In your opinion, what makes a classic a classic?


"A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." 
~ Italo Calvino


10.Relating to newer books, what attributes does a book need to have in order to be worthy of the title “classic”?


As I said in question #2, there has to be a deeper meaning. When reading books like A Tale of Two Cities - by Charles Dickens, and To Kill a Mockingbird - by Harper Lee, I thought that they were super boring. It was only after I finished them, and I sat back, just thinking about the stories, did I realize how truly amazing they were, and are now two of my favorites. I am currently reading Agnes Grey - by Anne Brontë, and I think that the first line in there sums up what a lot of newer books are:
'All true histories contain instruction; though, in some the treasure may be hard to find, and when found so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut.'
Whereas, to be a classic, the message or theme might be hard to find, but when you do, it is so great, you'll never forget it.

Okay, rant over.


And I tag:
PioneerGirl
Kara Lynn
Korin
Megan Chappie

I don't know how much you guys like classics, so only do it if you want to!


Happy Blogoversary to Rebellious Writing!

Thank you so much for reading! What do you think of my answers?

MovieCritic

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Movie Review: That Midnight Kiss (1949)

Buongiorno!

"Why, if it isn't Ethel Barrymore!"
It actually is!

That quote is from the movie Singin' in the Rain (1952) (aka my favorite movie of all time), and I've used it a few times here, and I always say "Actually, Drew Barrymore", but today I am finally reviewing a movie with Ethel herself!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


That Midnight Kiss (1949):
Prudence loves to sing and after five years of training, her grandmother supports her to get her into an opera. She gets to sing with a very famous performer, but he is very disagreeable. She meets Johnny, a delivery man, who is energetic and also a very talented singer. She wants to get him to be in the show, and they are really fond of each other, but things keep happening that draw them apart. Will they ever both sing on stage?
Genre: Musical, Romance.
Length: approx. 96 minutes.
Costumes: 9, there are some really pretty ones, especially for the opera pieces.
Costumes by: Helen Rose.
Script: 10, no bad words!
Crew:
Directed by: Norman Taurog.
Written by: Bruce Manning & Tamara Hovey.
Starring:
Kathryn Grayson as Prudence Budell.
Mario Lanza as Johnny Donnetti.
Ethel Barrymore as Abigail Trent Budell.
José Iturbi as Himself.
Keenan Wynn as Artie Glenson.
J. Carrol Naish as Papa Donnetti.
Jules Munshin as Michael Pemberton.
Thomas Gomez as Guido Russino Betelli.
Marjorie Reynolds as Mary.
Arthur Treacher as Hutchins.
Mimi Aguglia as Mamma Donnetti.
Amparo Iturbi as Himself.
Bridget Carr as Donna Donnetti.
Amparo Ballester as Rosina Donnetti.
Cinematography: 8, The colors are nice and there are some cool angles.
Cinematography by: Robert L. Surtees.
Music: 10! I can't sing to save my life, but all of these people were AMAZING! Opera, no less! The music was definitely my favorite part!
Music by: Charles Previn & Conrad Salinger.
Quotes: 8.
Notes: At one time they drive past a movie theater and it says that In the Good Old Summertime starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson is playing. Fun, right?
Storyline: 8, There is some smoking, and kissing, but if you are watching a movie called That Midnight Kiss, what do you expect?
Good For: Opera lovers, romance lovers.
Age Range: It is perfectly clean, so any age would be fine with watching it, but depending on the person they might be bored if they don't like opera.
Overall Score: 8.
Bonus thoughts:
As I said before, the music was fantastic! It was a little "mushy" for me personally (Romance isn't my favorite genre), but it was cute! Other favorite parts were the comic relief by Keenan Wyn and Jules Munshin.


Why am I reviewing this today? Why, it is The Fifth Annual Barrymore Trilogy Blogathon, hosted by In The Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood, and Pale Writer!
As I mentioned, the last two years I have featured Drew Barrymore, so it was fun to actually participate with one of the Trio! I really liked to seeing Ethel as Prudence's grandmother, Abigail Trent Budell, who is a little stern, but very loving.

Thanks to Crystal and Gabriela for hosting this! And thank you for reading!!

MovieCritic

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

August 2019 Blog Events

Hello, everyone!

I know that we are already 13 days into August (what?? How is this possible??) but I have a few announcements for you! There are a lot of awesome blog events that are going on this month that I have to let you know about!

Current events:
These are already started, but it is never too late to join!


The Fifth Annual Barrymore Trilogy Blogathon!
Hosted by In The Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood and Pale Writer. This started today and goes until the 15th! I have participated the last two years, so I am excited to join again! Look for my post soon!


It's So Classic Blog Party!
Hosted by Rebellious Writing! RW turned two on the 9th, and they are celebrating by having this blogathon all through August, focused on one of my favorite genres, classics!


#AMonthWithoutTheCode65!
Hosted by Pure Entertainment Preservation Society. Last month was #CleanMovieMonth85!, so to show the difference between code films and non-code films, we are only watching non-code films this month! This may be even harder than last month.


Upcoming Events:

The Wizard of Oz Blogathon!
The movie The Wizard of Oz is going to turn 80 years old, so to commemorate this, Taking Up Room is hosting a party completely about it, the 23rd-25th. I can't wait to talk about it!


Are you looking forward to any of these?

I know that my posting lately has been less organized that usual, but don't fear, it is all going to work its self out very soon. Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

#CleanMovieMonth85!: Wrap-up

Hello, everyone!

Through out the month of July, Pure Entertainment Preservation Society (PEPS) hosted #CleanMovieMonth85! which was celebrating the 85th anniversary of when the Motion Picture Production Code was in place.
The goal was to watch films only from 1934-1954. Now, July was really busy for me, so I actually didn't watch that many movies, and I had plans previously in place to watch certain movies, so it turned out that only half of the movies I watched were in that era!

A huge thank you to PEPS for hosting this!!

(If it has an asterisk next to the title it means that it was a rewatch, and if I reviewed it there will be a link to my review)


Non-Code movies: 3

I watched this only because I was planning to review it, so read my review to see what I think of it!


Spider-man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-man is my favorite superhero, so my sisters and I had been planning to see this for a long time! It wasn't as good as the first one, but I really enjoyed it.
In Code: There is a lot of fighting, and some crude humor, but I would say it is.


Once again, I rewatched it so I could review it. And let's be honest, can a month really go by without me watching a STAR WARS movie?


Code movies (1934-1954): 3

This is one of the only Bob Hope movies that I've seen and it is hilarious!


Go Chase Yourself (1938)
This is screwball, and it was overly silly a few times, but it did have some enjoyable moments.


The Angel and the Badman (1947)
Where do I start? This movie took my five days to watch even though it is only about 100 minutes long. It isn't a bad movie, I just couldn't get into it. I think the main problem is the actors, if it was anyone else I would have loved it (coughErrol Flynn and Olivia de Havillandcough).


That's it! What movies did you watch in July? Thanks to PEPS for hosting this!

MovieCritic