Baumer's 50 most important films of all time (JFK 3, Earthlings 2.....FREE YOUR MIND! THE MATRIX NUMBER 1)

[TalismanRing]

11 minutes ago, RandomJC said:

 

I love Philadelphia story, It's great, and has Jimmy Stewart in it. My favorite is Arsenic and Old Lace. But I'm a sucker for the meta streak in that film.

 

Arsenic & Old Lace v Bringing Up Baby.  Don't make me choose!

 

The 1930s Screwball Comedies leaned heavily on the switching and deconstruction of traditional gender roles.   So we have Hepburn as the carefree rule breaking pursuer - often in pants and Grant as the flustered uptight pursued who wears a woman's nightgown.   Or there's Barbra Stanwyck con woman playing with, flustering and seducing innocent virginal seeming Henry Fonda in The Lady Eve.

 

[Edit: All About Eve is top 10 film, brilliantly written with fabulous performances especially by Davis but it's not a SB Comedy}

 

Hollywood hasn't come near again to the strength, variety and ubiquity of female starring roles that actresses enjoyed in the 1930s and 40s.  

 

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by TalismanRing

[Jake Gittes]

23 minutes ago, Baumer said:

 

It's not really an opinion.  Its pretty much a fact.  There's no true range the way there is today.    I would say Adam Sandler is more realistic in film than someone like Bogart.  All they do in the black and white era is talk tough and speak in monotone.  

 

[RandomCat]

1 minute ago, JohnnyGossamer said:

Some of Grant's zingers in Story just knock me out cold. Such as the line below. So blunt but fits his relationship with his ex-wife and their constant sniping at one another so well.

 

"A little? And you a writer? Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought all writers drank to excess and beat their wives. You know, at one time I think I secretly wanted to be a writer."

 

I do need to watch it again. Arsenic and Old Lace and Bringing Up Baby have the benefit of being on VHS when I was young, and watched them to death. Philadelphia Story was a DVD I got as an adult, so doesn't have as many re-watches. Now I'm going to add this to my marathon. Going to move this to the weekend it seems. I want to add Harvey to the list.

[TalismanRing]

5 minutes ago, 4815162342 said:

 

Insanity runs in these posts by Baumer. In fact it practically gallops.

 

Chaaaaaaaaaaarge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

[JohnnyGossamer]

3 minutes ago, TalismanRing said:

 

Arsenic & Old Lace v Bringing Up Baby.  Don't make me choose!

 

The 1930s Screwball Comedies leaned heavily on the switching and deconstruction of traditional gender roles.   So we have Hepburn as the carefree rule breaking pursuer - often in pants and Grant as the flustered uptight pursued who wears a woman's nightgown.   Or there's Barbra Stanwyck con woman playing with, flustering and seducing innocent virginal seeming Henry Fonda in The Lady Eve.

 

Hollywood hasn't come near again to the strength, variety and ubiquity of female starring roles that actresses enjoyed in the 1930s and 40s.  

 

 

 

 

Fixed. My Man Godfrey's great too.

[RandomCat]

2 minutes ago, TalismanRing said:

 

Arsenic & Old Lace v Bringing Up Baby.  Don't make me choose!

 

 

Easy answer. Don't. Just watch both. It usually helps that I force friends to watch these movies sometimes, so the one with the leopard roaming around on set. The shit you can't do on modern movies.

[TalismanRing]

Just now, JohnnyGossamer said:

Fixed. My Man Godfrey's great too.

 

I know I just saw it and fixed it.    But everyone should watch All About Eve.  Except Baumer who'll have to wait for the remake with far better than Bette Davis - Blake Lively.

 

I love My Man Godfrey and it's actually an optimum climate for a remake

 

 

[Jake Gittes]

I run hot and cold on screwballs. Ernst Lubitsch is my main man when it comes to the '30s and '40s comedy. Design for Living, Ninotchka, The Shop Around the Corner, To Be or Not to Be are all wonderful. 

[TalismanRing]

5 minutes ago, Jake Gittes said:

I run hot and cold on screwballs. Ernst Lubitsch is my main man when it comes to the '30s and '40s comedy. Design for Living, Ninotchka, The Shop Around the Corner, To Be or Not to Be are all wonderful. 

 

Design for Living is so prudish though.  It takes them far too long to settle on living as a threesome. 

 

Lubitsch is aces.  I'll add Trouble In Paradise &  The Merry Widow.

 

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by TalismanRing

[Jake Gittes]

Libeled Lady is probably my favorite screwball that I've seen and it's much lesser-known than it needs to be. Only other non-Lubitsch contender is The Palm Beach Story.

[Plain Old Tele]

10 minutes ago, TalismanRing said:

I love My Man Godfrey and it's actually an optimum climate for a remake

 

Yes! Been saying this for years. Easy lazy casting, I know, but throw Clooney in the Godfrey role and you're golden.

[JohnnyGossamer]

1 minute ago, Telemachos said:

 

Yes! Been saying this for years. Easy lazy casting, I know, but throw Clooney in the Godfrey role and you're golden.

I'd love to see the Coen Bros. take it on actually.... A perfect fit for them. Who'd play the pretentious artist sponsored by the family that acts like monkey to cheer up everyone?

[Plain Old Tele]

Just now, JohnnyGossamer said:

I'd love to see the Coen Bros. take it on actually.... A perfect fit for them. Who'd play the pretentious artist sponsored by the family that acts like monkey to cheer up everyone?

 

Carlo!

 

More easy and lazy casting, but Sasha Baron Cohen. John Goodman as Mr. Bullock. Dare I suggest JLaw as Irene?

[Jake Gittes]

You just gotta rework Godfrey's ending. That's my only problem with it but it's a substantial one. Just couldn't believe it.

 

Speaking of screwball remakes, Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck own all in Ball of Fire but while watching it I thought I'd like to see Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss take a crack at those roles. But then I often do imaginary casting like this with only Mad Men people.

[JohnnyGossamer]

1 minute ago, Telemachos said:

 

Carlo!

 

More easy and lazy casting, but Sasha Baron Cohen. John Goodman as Mr. Bullock. Dare I suggest JLaw as Irene?

That scene when Carlo begrudgingly puts the orange slices in his mouth and goes about his routine just before Mr. Bullock walks in. I can't stop laughing for about 10 minutes straight. Actually, most of Mr. Bullock's quips just straight kill me. His delivery complement his confusion and disgust so well.

 

Alexander Bullock: [to Carlo] Why don't you stop imitating a gorilla and start imitating a man?

[Avatree]

all these movies that everyone is talking about that I have never heard of but in my head but would like to think that I do

 

 

 

[RandomCat]

Another screwball. I'm also enjoy Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941), it helps that I, in general, enjoy just about everything Hitchcock does.

Edited June 1, 2016 by RandomJC

[Avatree]

2 minutes ago, RandomJC said:

Another screwball. I'm also enjoy Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941), it helps that I, in general, enjoy just about everything Hitchcock does.

Oh, I love that movie.

 

[JohnnyGossamer]

Kind of hijacked Baumer's thread here. Sorry, man.

[TalismanRing]

12 minutes ago, JohnnyGossamer said:

That scene when Carlo begrudgingly puts the orange slices in his mouth and goes about his routine just before Mr. Bullock walks in. I can't stop laughing for about 10 minutes straight. Actually, most of Mr. Bullock's quips just straight kill me. His delivery complement his confusion and disgust so well.

 

Alexander Bullock: [to Carlo] Why don't you stop imitating a gorilla and start imitating a man?

 

 

Poor rich Mr Bullock

 

All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people.