Family Movie Night: Laura

Title: Laura
Director: Otto Preminger
Original Release: 1944
Choice: Mine
My Overall Rating: 3 stars out of 5

via Wikipedia

This was my first time watching Laura, a classic film noir from the golden age of the genre.  It's got all the requirements: long shadows, silhouettes, a beautiful woman (Gene Tierney), a deadpan detective (Dana Andrews) and murder.  There's generally a plot twist, too, and Laura's is an unusual one, even by noir standards.  The story was adapted from Vera Caspary's novel of the same title.  Somewhat surprisingly for a movie of its reputation, Laura lacks a big name cast.  The most well-known actor is Vincent Price, though he would ultimately be better known for his career in B-movie horrors and, of course, his contribution to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Laura's strongest legacy may well be its title theme music - composed by David Raskin - which took on a life of its own as a jazz standard.  Lyrics were added later by Johnny Mercer.  A few renditions from the giants:

Charlie Parker -

Ella Fitzgerald -

Dave Brubeck -

Frank Sinatra -

Star Trek: Journey to Babel

Episode: "Journey to Babel"
Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 2, Episode 10
Original Air Date: November 17, 1967

via Memory Alpha

On the one hand, "Journey to Babel" is a tale of diplomatic intrigue and murder.  On the other, it is the story of the conflicted relationship between Spock and his parents.  Vulcan Ambassador Sarek and his human wife Amanda - Spock's mom and dad - are brought aboard the Enterprise for transportation to a galactic peace conference.  Representatives of the Andorians and Tellarites are also along for the ride.  The Tellarite Ambassador is found murdered and Sarek is the prime suspect.  Meanwhile, Sarek has a heart attack and only surgery and a blood transfusion from Spock will save him.  Quite a lot going on here!

The murder mystery would be fun enough but the real strength of this episode and its long-term importance to the Trek franchise is the revelation of Spock's family dynamics.  We've known from the beginning that our pointy-eared hero struggles with the conflict between his human and Vulcan natures.  In the presence of his parents, the self-identity battlefield is laid plain.  Sarek does nothing to hide his disapproval of his son's abandoning Vulcan for a career in Starfleet.  Meanwhile, Amanda strives to mend the rift between the two.  In the episode's most poignant scene, she slaps Spock after failing to convince him to place the importance of his father's life over that of his duty to the ship.  We don't see Spock's face after the slap.  She leaves the room and he places his hand on the closed door behind her.  End of scene.

Mark Lenard, who played the Romulan Commander in "Balance of Terror", returns as Sarek.  Television veteran Jane Wyatt is Amanda.  The two have wonderful chemistry together and created the Vulcan sign of affection - the touching of two fingers - on their own.  It's a tough call, but I might say this is my favorite episode of the season so far and maybe even the entire series.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Jane Wyatt was born August 12, 1910 in Mahwah, New Jersey.  After two years at Barnard College, she left to pursue acting.  She spent several years on Broadway before signing a contract with Universal Pictures.  She made her big-screen debut in 1934's One More River.  Her biggest screen role was opposite Ronald Colman in Lost Horizon.  Wyatt had a stellar TV resume long before her appearance on Star Trek.  She was the first three-time winner of the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy for her role in Father Knows Best.  She reprised her role as Amanda for the film, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

Wyatt was married to her husband Edgar Bethune Ward for 65 years.  She lived to the ripe old age of 96, dying of natural causes in 2006.  She was survived by two sons, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A New Blogfest: Then and Now

The greatest films stand the test of time, speaking to us in different ways at various life stages.  Is there a movie that was a part of your life when you were younger that you see differently now?  Like fine wine, has it improved with age or did it die in the bottle?  Has maturity brought you new insights you missed in your youth?  We want to know all about it!

Join us for "Then and Now," a bloghop hosted by The Armchair Squid, Suze, Nicki Elson and Nancy Mock.  Tell us about a movie you loved when you were younger and have come to see differently over time - for better or for worse.  Please sign on to the list below, then post on Friday, June 13th.

Family Movie Night: Happy Feet

Title: Happy Feet
Directors: Judy Morris, Warren Coleman and George Miller
Original Release: 2006
Choice: Our Girl's
My Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

via Wikipedia

Happy Feet was the first film we ever took our daughter to see in a movie theater.  She was terrified - the darkness and the booming surround sound were way too much for her three-year-old sensitivities.  Plus, there are scary moments when predators like skua and leopard seals come awfully close to eating the protagonist.  It was quite a long time before we were able to entice her back to the cinema.

And yet, she swore up and down for years that Happy Feet was her favorite movie.   A recent interest in penguins has inspired a quest for movies with penguins.  In fact, just about anything to do with penguins grabs her attention.  When she learned this week that Pittsburgh's hockey team claims her favorite bird as a mascot, she was all set to throw her lot in with them.  She was quite upset to learn they are the arch-rivals of my own team (Washington Capitals).  This was actually our first time watching Happy Feet since that day in the theater nearly eight years ago.  Our Girl was not disappointed.



Mumbles, an emperor penguin chick, can't sing.  This is a disaster as, at least for the lore established in the story, members of his species must match "heart songs" in order to mate.  But he sure can dance - soft-shoe tap!  Unfortunately, that's not enough to impress the rest of the flock and even his own father is ashamed of him.  His one true love, Gloria, has a beautiful voice and clearly loves him, too.  But Mumbles is blamed for a decline in fish and is banished.  He resolves to find out what really happened to the fish, which means seeking out the humans.

Happy Feet is a visually stunning movie.  All of the animals and their environment are beautifully presented.  One almost feels at times as if you could run your hand through their feathers.  The story is formulaic, though sweet and satisfying.  The music is great, mostly covers of previously released material - a jukebox musical, it's called apparently.  Highlights include a "Kiss"/"Heartbreak Hotel" mash-up sung by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, "My Way" performed in Spanish by Robin Williams and "Somebody to Love" as sung by the late, great Brittany Murphy.  A nice story about "Kiss": Prince initially wasn't going to let them use the song but once the producers showed him footage from the film, he not only relented, but offered to write a new number for the closing credits.

Star Trek: Metamorphosis

Episode: "Metamorphosis"

Series: Star Trek: The Original Series

Season 2, Episode 9

Original Air Date: November 10, 1967

via Memory Alpha

"Metamorphosis" is a love story.  While transporting a diplomat, Commissioner Nancy Hedford, aboard a shuttlecraft, Kirk, Spock and Bones is hijacked by a strange energy blob which pulls them down to its home planet.  There, they discover an Earthman, apparently long alone, though in perfect health.  Turns out, he is Zefram Cochrane, a scientific titan in the Star Trek universe as he discovered the warp drive. The force which captured the ship, referred to as "the Companion" has nurtured Cochrane for 150 years, also restoring him to youth.  "The Companion" has captured our heroes to keep him company (strong echoes of last week's episode).  To complicate matters further, Hedford is sick and will die if she is not brought to the Enterprise sick bay soon.

Through his usual hocus pocus, Spock is able to achieve communication with the Companion.  Lo and behold, it's female!  What's more, she is in love with Cochrane.  Unfortunately, he is not too keen on dating an energy field.  How convenient that there's a female human who, once cured of her deadly disease, can provide the physical embodiment needed to inspire reciprocal feelings in Cochrane.

So what is the message here?  Hedford is the too typical professional woman character with no time for love.  Cochrane is repulsed by the Companion's genuine affection until it's presented in a package he can appreciate.  It's not entirely comfortable but there is something sweet about the devotion they find for one another in the end.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Glenn Corbett (Cochrane) was born Glen Edwin Rothenburg on August 17, 1933 in El Monte, California.   After serving in the Navy SeaBees, he attended Occidental College.  There, he met his wife, Judy Daniels, and discovered acting.

While there were film roles, including his debut in 1959's The Crimson Kimono, Corbett is best known for his television work.  He replaced George Maharis on Route 66 during the show's third season.  He also had regular parts in It's a Man's World, The Doctors and Dallas.  Corbett died of lung cancer (there it is again) on January 16, 1993.

Family Movie Night: The Lady Eve

Title: The Lady Eve
Director: Preston Sturges
Original Release: 1941
Choice: My Wife's
My Overall Rating: 3 stars out of 5

via Wikipedia

The Lady Eve is one of My Wife's favorite movies.  Preston Sturges, who directed and also wrote the screenplay, provides the clever dialogue, Barbara Stanwyck supplies keen wit and a dazzling smile and Henry Fonda performs one of the best prat falls you'll ever see.  Jean Harrington (Stanwyck) and her accomplices are card sharps out to swindle the young, naive and fabulously wealthy Charles Pike (Fonda).  All goes awry, however, when Jean genuinely falls in love with Charles.  Charles discovers her true identity and spurns her.  That's just the beginning of this twisted tale.

The narration of the trailer is a bit, um, dated.  You'll see what I mean if you watch.  Fans of the sitcom My Three Sons will recognize William Demarest, aka Uncle Charley. 

The movie defies many of the conventions of Hollywood romantic comedies.  The two principals are rarely if ever on equal footing, with Jean nearly always in control.  The script pushes the limit of the Hays film code in place at the time and was, in fact, initially rejected by the censors before revisions.  It's a fun movie and certainly well worth your time if you're in the mood for a clever romp.

On the Coffee Table: Ananda and Beyond

Titles: Buddha
- Volume 6: Ananda
- Volume 7: Prince Ajatasattu
- Volume 8: Jetavana
Writer and Artist: Osamu Tezuka

via Amazon

I have reached the end of Tezuka's Buddha series.   My previous posts on this manga can be found here, here and here.  While I am not completely ignorant of Buddhist teachings, I don't know enough to say with any authority whether Tezuka portrays the faith or its central figure accurately.  However, I can say the presentation is highly engaging and provides enough of an introduction to the subject matter to inspire a novice to learn more.

via goodreads

From comments on some of my posts about sequential art (the fancy-schmancy way of saying comic books), I've gotten the sense that many are not entirely comfortable with the idea of serious subjects presented in this medium.  To a point, this is understandable.  In American society, at least, comics and cartoons are associated with children, humor and/or the fantasy realm of superheroes.  A graphic novel about the sociopolitical dynamics of pre-war Germany, for instance, might not even seem possible, let alone appealing.  But if one takes a step back, one might acknowledge that film and other visual arts deal adeptly with a broad range of material and there's really no reason comic books can't accomplish the same.

via goodreads

Of course, religion would be considered by many to require a higher level of serious treatment than most subjects.  A certain reverence is expected for any faith.  But the Japanese perspective on religion - particularly their own - is quite different from the typical Western view.  Most modern Japanese don't consider themselves to be religious at all.  However, religious rituals dominate the culture.  As the saying goes, the Japanese are born Shinto and they die Buddhist.  Most of the customs associated with birth come from Shintoism, the animistic faith native to Japan, while the customs surrounding death come from Buddhism.  People take those rituals very seriously, indeed, but more for the rituals themselves than any deeper belief system.  Religious satire isn't nearly as taboo as it is in Western society so even the occasional moments of levity within the Buddha series are not entirely out of place within the broader context.

Osamu Tezuka (1928-89) is considered by many to be the greatest and most influential of all manga creators.  This was not my introduction to his work.  I was less impressed by the Black Jack series.  I feel Buddha was a much stronger showcase of his talents, as both artist and storyteller.