Movie of the Week: Cry-Baby (1990)

If I had to choose only one genre of film.... it would be absurdist musicals hands down! It's no surprise I LOVED Cry-Baby considering it's directed by John Waters who also directed Female Trouble starring Divine (another of my all time favorite films ever!!) Cry-Baby is hilarious, ridiculous and over the top like a musical has the right to be and for that it should never have to apologize. I especially enjoyed Johnny Depp's performance as "drape" Cry-Baby and his "square" girlfriend Allison as played by the stunning Amy Locane. This musical is pure 1980's goodness with a twist of 1950's tears. Allison seduces Cry-Baby with her beautiful singing voice and poise, while he entices her with his bad boy "drape" image and that one particular piece of hanging hair and a tear to boot that leaves every male and female audience member eventually drooling on themselves (or their computer screen). Overall, this musical was entertaining and hilarious and I definitely recommend watching any John Waters film you may stumble upon.
*Screencaps by me

love, polly

Movie of the Week: There's No Business like Show Business (1954)

It's been quite a while since I have seen a movie that is so touching like There's No Business Like Show Business. The story starts out with the Donahue family and their three young children who performed with them on stage- but eventually went to boarding school. While at boarding school, all three of them wanted to leave and join their mother and father in show business once again. The film shows their fabulous acts with dancing and glitzy costumes designed by Travilla and Miles White. Marilyn Monroe (playing Vicky Parker) enters the picture when she appears as the coat check girl at a club frequented by one of the Donahue boys, Tim. Tim quickly falls for Vicky but she has no idea who he is or how famous and successful his family is. After figuring out that he was in show business, as well, she gives him a chance. The acting is truly phenomenal in this film on all counts and the end of the film brought a tear to my eye! A perfect family holiday movie! 

love, polly

Movie of the Week: Silk Stockings (1957)

After finding out that Silk Stockings is based from the broadway production Ninotchka, I knew I would eventually need to see the play- or even design it. What a thrill to watch Ninotchka Yoschenko (played by Cyd Charisse) break out of her professional Russian shell while visiting Paris on an official mission. She runs into Steve Canfield (played by Fred Astaire) while performing her duty and he decides from the very beginning that he sees a softer side in her, and wants to show her all that Paris can offer, including romance. It isn't easy for Astaire to persuade her; her harsh tone and demands seem to never end until he finally gets her to dance with him. After they dance, she seems to slowly change into a more lenient person, and lets her Russian duty fall wayside. The film becomes most entertaining when Charisse breaks out her pair of nude silk stockings and petticoat and dances around her hotel room in euphoria. The audience then knows there's no going back from then on. She proves to be such an entertaining dancer that I would dare to say she rivals the grace of Audrey Hepburn's dancing in some films- and they certainly have a similar style. Cyd suddenly snaps out of her daze at the end of the film and re-embarks back to Russia to get business done. She seems to forget Astaire, but when she is forced to return to Paris for another mission, she soon meets Astaire again, and he insists on marrying her and they dance away together. Overall, I think this would be a fantastic play to watch on Broadway and I enjoyed the film despite Ninotchka's harsh tone in the beginning. At the risk of sounding feminist- she's almost too beautiful to be believable in such a rugged and tightly knit position as she so holds with the Russian government. However, this is pivotal to her breaking loose and letting go and makes it even more enjoyable. She still keeps an heir of professionalism, but we start to see her in a different way- a younger and more flirtatious light. Although I didn't include any screen caps of Peggy Dayton (played by Janis Page) she certainly lights up the screen with her pastel brightly colored dresses and matching furs. Her performance of "Satin and Silk" was hilariously entertaining and she certainly knows how to keep the audiences attention. What a dream she must have been to costume design for this film since Charisse was mostly in professional earth tone skirts and turtle necks! I recommend this film for the dancing especially.

love, polly

Movie of the Week: Paris When It Sizzles (1964)

Paris when it Sizzles certainly started off with a bang leaving the audience wondering what is going on. They're left to piece the story together that Richard Benson (played by William Holden) is writing a screenplay and Ms. Simpson (played by Audrey Hepburn) is translating his story into print on the typewriter. It becomes obvious that Ms. Simpson is taken with Benson when he acts quite unprofessional around her- often touching her while telling the story she is supposed to be typing up. In many cases- she can't even properly reach the typewriter because his lips are wrapped around hers. The story bounces back and forth between the duo writing the screenplay, and the duo acting AS the screenplay while the screenplay is still being written. In the screenplay Benson is composing- they both act as spies and are trying to loot a certain film so they can make a profit- but it goes terribly wrong and at the end of Benson's screenplay he is shot trying to escape on a private jet and Hepburn is left crying at his side in medieval revers and a hennin no less! After Ms. Simpson has completed tying the story, she begins to tear up- asking him if there could be a happy ending to the script. Benson quickly tells her that she or anything else (including his scripts) doesn't mean a thing to him and throws her out of his house. She quickly finds another man to spend some brief time with at a local festival but is quickly interrupted by a steaming Richard Benson who so quickly professes that he loves her after losing her to another man. He punches the man she was with and they run away together and decide to write a more romantic script. They kiss at the end, and ba-da-boom.... a full-blown fairy tale, kids. 

In my opinion, Hepburn is no less stunning than in Green Mansions or even perhaps Breakfast at Tiffany's... but certainly not Funny Face. Funny Face trumps them all. In any case, I found this film very entertaining in the beginning- a real go getter for action, romance, and a bit of mystery. Also, the costumes are classically beautiful with a Hollywood twist when the audience is treated to a costume party! Audrey Hepburn lives on!
*screencaps by me

love, polly