WEEKEND MOVIE - Hello, Dolly! (1969)

HELLO, DOLLY! (1969)

"It takes a woman to quietly plan to take him and change him to her kind of man and to gently lead him where fortune can find him know that the power was that dainty woman, that fragile woman, that sweetheart, that mistress, that wife."

Director: Gene Kelly
Cast: Barbra Streisand, Walter Mathau, Michael Crawford, Marianne McAndrew, Danny Lockin, E.J. Peaker, Joyce Arnes, Tommy Tune, Judy Knaiz, Louis Armstrong and his Orhestra

"Hello, Dolly!" is one of the last glamorous and huge musicals of the Golden Age of Hollywood, directed by Mr. Musical himself, Gene Kelly. The collaboration between Kelly, Oscar winner Barbra Streisand and the cast and crew of old and new, gave a product of grand scale from the color costumes to the built sets to Ms. Streisand's powerhouse voice, "Hello, Dolly!" is just excellent. It tells the story of Ms. Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand), a widow who has taken matchmaking as her most "well-known" businesses. But when she uses her own tricks to try to get a arrogant, self-righteous half-a-millionaire named Horace (Walter Mathau), the screen is filled with Dolly's crazy plans and the wonderful sight of movie magic. Michael Crawford's lovestruck performance pre-"Phantom of the Opera" is naive genuis and matches the powerhouse herself. Kelly's direction is amazing and the movie is one of the best eyecandy ever put on the big screen. Extremely cute and bubbly, "Hello, Dolly" will "never go away, again!"

IT TAKES A WOMAN - Barbra Streisand plays the loud-mouthed, perky and conspiring Dolly Levi in one of her best performances on the the screen (she should have gotten an Oscar nomination...boo).

PUT ON YOUR SUNDAY CLOTHES -
"Put on you sunday clothes when you feel down and out! Strut down the street and have your picture took. Just like a dream your spirit seems to turn about. That Sunday shine is a certain sign that you feel as fine as you look!"

27 AND A HALF YEARS OLD LEARNING HOW TO DANCE - Michael Crawford and Barbra Streisand in the beginning of the grand musical number "Dancing". Crawford's character doesn't "know how to dance" when the idea of dancing in a club with Ms. Irene comes up. But that's no problem, Dolly's an expert in teaching 27-and-a-half-years-olds, its one of her businesses!

DANCING -
"Turn around and turn around try floating through the air, can't you be little more aesthetic?"
"Don't you think my dancing has a polish and a flair?"
"I think the word I'd use is athletic!"
"Well my heart is about to burst. My head is about to POP! And now that I'm dancing who cares if I ever stop?!"

MILLION DOLLAR DIVA - The previous year, Barbra Streisand won an Oscar for her first role ever as Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" (1968). In "Hello, Dolly!", Streisand earns her first million...in her 2nd role only! Imagine a million bucks back in '69.

BEFORE THE PARADE PASSES BY -
"When the whistles blow and the cymbals crash and the sparklers light the sky I'm gonna raise the roof! I'm gonna carry on! Give me an old trombone, give me and old baton before the parade passes by!"

TAP DANCE AROUND THE TWO - Mr. Musical himself, Gene Kelly, directs diva Barbra Streisand and comedian Walter Mathau in one of the biggest movies of the 1960s. Though they played love interests, people didn't know they actually despised each other. One occasion Mathau said to her that her talent was no different than a butterfly's fart.

ARM STRONG ARMSTRONG - One of Louis Armstrong's last "movie gigs" with his Orchestra was in 1969's "Hello, Dolly!". Here, he plays himself and was only on set for one day (the whole sequence took one month of shoot) and did his part in one take.

HELLO, MONEY! - Obtaining the rights to the Broadway show was already millions. Making it was ever MORE MILLIONS. But the movie and the star power of new star Barbra Streisand payed off when the film grossed to be the 5th highest grosser of the year.

THE BIG FINISH TO THE TITLE TUNE -
"We hear the ice tinkle, we see the lights twinkle and you still get glances from us handsome men, soo..."
"Ohh, wow, wow, wow fellas, look at the old girl now fellas!"
"DOLLY WILL NEVER GO AWAY, DOLLY WILL NEVER GO AWAY, DOLLY WILL NEVER GO AWAY..."


"...AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

TOP 5 MALE LEAD PERFORMANCES EVER!

(Now its time for the men)
Presenting my Top Favorite Male LEAD Performances of All-Time...
These flamboyant men were the perfect leading men to their respective films. From dark, to edgy, to funny these men can do anything and has given us a very brilliant outcome with the performances they came up with. With awe, all the performances are heavily breathtaking and will not only shock but keep you entertained during the duration of the film. (NOTE: None of these performances won an Oscar!)

1. Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange (1971)
A film that requires a "f'd" up performance can only be given by such a actor. Malcolm McDowell brings to life the fatal Alex DeLarge in the film adaptation of the controversial book. He opens our "gullivars" and we "viddy" such a wonderful performance, "O my brother". In the film, McDowell plays the twisted teen Alex, who enjoys rape, drugs and stealing every night with his three "droogs". But when he names himself LEADER of their gang, the other three want to teach him a lesson and frame him for killing a woman. But in jail, it seems like our Little-Alex would do anything to get out. Even if it requires...finding Bog. One of the biggest crimes the Academy ever did was: NOT NOMINATING HIM...ugh...sometimes they make the biggest mistakes...

"There was me, that is Alex, and my three droogs, that is Pete, Georgie, and Dim, and we sat in the Korova Milkbar trying to make our rassoodocks what to do with the evening. The Korova Milkbar sold Milk-Plus, milk-plus vellocent or symthemesc or drencrom, which is what we were drinking."

2. Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
In 1952 it did seem like Marlon Brando was the "cursed" cast member. He, from the four principal actors, was the only one who did not win an Oscar for his destructive role as meddling husband Stanley Kowalski. He brings terror and sub humanness onto the screen and makes every housewife wish that this, as handsome as he is, isn't their husband. In the movie, Brando portrays a savage to his wife Stella (Kim Hunter) and her live-in sister, Blanche DuBios (Vivien Leigh). Stanley's attempts to get rid of Blanche drives to her madness. He goes from tensing her, being cruel to her and even...rape.

"Those types of words have been on your tougue and your sister's togue just way too much around here. What do you think you are? A pair of queens? Now just remember what Huey Long said - that every man's a king - and I'm the king around here, and don't you forget it."

3. Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind (1939)
Playing opposite Vivien Leigh's phenomenal performance as Scarlet O'Hare in the Southern, Civil War epic, Clark Gable plays Rhett Butler, a man in love with a woman that is hard to be in love with. He grazes the screen with charm, wit and a pureness to his role that makes him embody the character perfectly. From every hair, from every wink, from every expression - Gable is a master. Here, he plays Rhett Butler, the only man who can put up with the selfish Southern Belle Scarlet (Vivien Leigh), and the only one with a buck load of money during the war. Rhett explores the world and tries to make his marriage work, but it crumbles down when the death of their daughter and another man gets in the way. Sadly, Gable did not win an Oscar for his remarkable performance.

"Here's a soldier of the South who loves you, Scarlet. Wants to feel your arms around him, wants to carry the memory of you kisses into battle with him. Nevermind about loving me, you're a woman sending a solider to his death with a beautiful memory. Scarlet! Kiss me!"

4. Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels in Tootise (1982)
By this time, Dustin Hoffman was renowned and already an Oscar winner, but he brought to screen one of the most beloved characters when he played Dorothy Michaels in 1982's "Tootsie". In "Tootsie", Hoffman plays a struggling actor in New York who cannot find a job...that would accept him. So he goes to a TV station and discovers they need a woman character for a soap opera. Dressing up, Dorsey gets the role of Emily Kimberly as DOROTHY MICHAELS. Do you follow? Anyways...his popularity across America and the world expands but how long could he keep this running? And how long could he hide it from the woman he loves...his actress co-worker Julie Nichols (Jessica Lange). Hoffman proves he could do more than drama and makes us laugh in "Tootsie", not only a brilliant performance but a memorable one to boot. He recieved yet another Oscar nomination.

"Look, you don't know me from Adam. But I was a better man with you, as a woman...that I ever was with a woman, as a man. You know what I mean? I just gotta learn to do it without the dress. At this point, there might be an advantage to my wearing pants. The hard parts over, you know? We were already...good friends."

5. Leonard Whiting as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (1968)
This performance is disgustingly underrated. Leonard Whiting's portrayal as the young Romeo is not only of-age and proper in looks, but he pulls of such a remarkable performance and THE best performance in a "Shakespearean" movie or play I've seen. He was just a brilliant, young lead. Playing Romeo, he falls in love with Juliet (Olivia Hussey) who belongs to the family his is suppose to hate. Without a doubt, Romeo and Juliet do the best they can to unite the families...even going so far to marry each other. But misfortune happens when Romeo, kills Juliet's cousin for revenge for killing his friend. This is when the tragic lover's face the real truth. Whiting was just too good to be true and pulled a surprise performance. I cannot believe he wasn't even nominated...

"Oh, I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks. Two of the fairest stars in all the heavens, having some buisness, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return. See how she leans her cheeks upon her hand. Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek."

TOP 5 FEMALE LEAD PERFORMANCES EVER!

Presenting my Top 5 Favorite Female LEAD Performances of All-Time...
These brilliant actresses made their films something to remember and weren't only incredibly good, but are now film icons that will be remembered for their fantastic work. From hundreds of leading ladies the silver screen had to offer, these are my 5 favorite Lead performances:

1. Vivien Leigh as Scarlet O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939)
In her 1st Oscar winning performance, Vivien Leigh plays the lead character of the 4-hour Best Picture epic "Gone with the Wind". Set during and after the Civil War, Leigh plays Scarlet, a young, ambitious Southern Belle who is tangled by the love of her good friend Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), but is forced to hide it when he is engaged to Melanie Wilkes (Olivia de Havilland). The only one who knows Scarlet's bitter secret is the arrogant Rhett Butler (Rhett Butler) whom she thinks is "coarse and conceited". The film takes us into an epic journey of love, betrayal and Scarlet's survival in the crumbled South land that she loves and cannot let go off.

"As God as my witness, as God as my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll be hungry again. No, nor will any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat of kill. As God as my witness, I'll never be hungry again!"

2. Whoopi Goldberg as Celie Johnson in The Color Purple (1985)
In her feature film debut, in which she was already nominated for an Oscar, Goldberg adapts Alice Walker's precious character Celie and projects her with brilliance onto the silver screen. Here, Celie is taken from her family in a young age to get married, but becomes only a battered wife who is later turned into a maid. In her years of suffering, Celie makes good friends, like Shug Avery (Margaret Avery). But all she longs for is to be reunited with her dear sister whom she loves the most. The film brings us the inspiring story of a woman and how she gains her independence from the cruel life that was given to her.

"I curse you. Until you do right by me everything you think about is gonna crumble! Until you do right by me, everything you even think about is gonna fail! I'm poor, black, I might evne be ugly, but dear God, I'm here. I'm here."

3. Vivien Leigh as Blance Dubios in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Vivien Liegh's haunting Oscar winning turn as the delusional Blanche Dubios broke the barrier that someone can out shine Marlon Brando in a movie. Liegh's character, Blanche, who has lost everything in her life soon lives with her sister Stella (Kim Hunter) and her impatient, callous husband Stanley (Marlon Brando). Here, the three discover their true colors. And Stella must now watch her sister deteriorate with craziness due to the behavior and unwelcome attitude Stanley was pressuring upon her. But what does Stellas learn from this? That her sister is crazy? Or her husband is?

"He's like an animal. He has an animal's habits. There's even something subhuman about him. Thousands of years have passed him right by, and there he is. Stanley Kowalski, survivor of the Stone Age, bearing the raw meat home from the kill in the jungle."

4. Elizabeth Taylor as Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The beautiful and sexy Elizabeth Taylor shocked the world when she accepted the controversial and uncanny role of Martha in the racy Broadway-to-Film adaptation of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". Taylor strays from her usual romantic roles and gives us a unforgettable Oscar winning performance of the crazy Martha, who, with the help of her husband George (Richard Burton), loves to play emotional mind games with young couples just because her own marriage had gone down the drain. The performance is sick and haunting...dangerously twisted.

"George, my husband...George, who is out somewhere there in the dark, who is good to me - whom I revile, who can keep learning the games we play as quickly as I can change them. Who can make me happy and I do not wish to be happy. Yes, I do wish to be happy."

5. Audrey Hepburn as Holly Gollightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Yes, Marilyn Monroe was the first choice for the role of the gold-digging, selfish, crude BUT beautiful Holly Gollightly in the 1961 Truman Capote adapted film. But Hepburn gives much justice to the role with her astonishing portrayal of a woman in denial. In the film, Holly is focused on finding someone incredibly rich to marry and help her brother Fred out of the army. But when a young, handsome tenant named Paul Barjak (George Peppard) moves downstairs, sparks begin to fly and the drama begins...

"I do not wish to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's. That's right. I'm just CRAZY about Tiffany's."

WEEKEND MOVIE - All That Jazz (1979)

ALL THAT JAZZ (1979)

"Oh, you give all right; presents, clothes. I just wish you weren't so generous with your cock."

Director: Bob Fosse
Cast: Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking, Leland Palmer, Cliff Gorman, Ben Vereen, Erzsebet Foldi, Deborah Geffner

Hi guys, I'm writing early because my schedules fully booked this weekend.
Winner of 4 Academy Awards, "All That Jazz" is a splendid, grand and truly "f'd" up biopic of director Bob Fosse. The film takes us into his life, but with an alias as Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider) who is a famous director/choreographer/performer who kills himself and hurts his love ones with the use of drugs, sex and lies. Scheider dazzles us with his "semi-portrayal" of Fosse and the whole film is a masterwork (as "messed" up as it is, you just got to love it). "All That Jazz" is one of the best movies ever made and the musical number brights up the screen...even though most of them are used in a "disturbing"-sense.

JOE'S EVERY MORNING RITUAL -
"It's showtime, folks."

TAKE OFF WITH US (AIROTICA) - Joe shocks the producers of his Broadway show when he turns their happy, family, airplane musical into an erotic piece of work with naked dancers and sexual sights and sounds. What the producers can't see is...its an uncoventional masterpiece.

KATIE DREAM SEQUENCE -
"You better stop! You better change!
You better stop! You better change!
You better stop and change your ways today;
You better stop, stop, stop, change
PLEASE!"

ANN REINKING ALSO DAZZLES - Here we see Ann Reinking in her last costume in the movie's finale. She not only plays Joe's lover, but she shifts costumes constantly whenever she dances and brings grace to the sceen.

BYE, BYE LIFE -
"Bye, bye happiness
Hello lonliness
I THINK I'M GONNA DIE!

Bye, bye my life...goodbye."

WEEKEND MOVIE - Ordinary People (1980)

ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980)

"Conrad. Let's have a great Christmas. Let's have...a great year. Let's have the best year of our whole lives. We can, you know...this could be the best one ever."

Dirctor: Robert Redford
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Judd Hirsch, M. Emmett Walsh, Elizabeth McGovern, Dinah Manoff, Fredric Lehne

This Robert Redford directed Best Picture sets in peaceful suburbia, where a family suffers from the lost of one of its members. Conrad (Timothy Hutton), is a bright young man, who is tied down from his strengths because his mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), keeps reminding him of the death of his brother. Calvin (Donald Sutherland), the father, is trapped between the fights and tension of his wife and child. "Ordinary People" brings us into the emotions of a broken family. The cast gives us a fantastic ensemble piece and the 3 leads are all Oscar worthy. Moore's selfish mother and Sutherland's loving father give us good chemistry. But Hutton's performance as Conrad is THE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR PERFORMANCE OF ALL TIME. I'm serious.

"HAPPY?" FAMILY - Posing for a family picture, we have the selfish Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), the concerned Calvin (Donald Sutherland) and their troubled son Conrad (Timothy Hutton).

SELFISH NEEDS - Beth persuades her husband that this Christmas she wants to go to London and forget about Conrad's depression. She needs it and she wants to get away from the "scenery".

OSCAR WINNERS - Robert Redford won an Oscar for directing the suburban drama "Ordinary People" and the 19-year-old Timothy Hutton won one too for his portrayal as the depressed Conrad.

CONRAD SEES A SHRINK -
"Geez! You're really weird huh, what do you feel huh? Do you jerk off, or jack off, or whatever you call it?"
"What do you think?"
"What do I think? I think you're married to a fat lady and you go home and you fuck the living daylights out of her!"
"Sounds good to me."

WOOF! WOOF! "TRYING" TO COMMUNICATE -
"I made a 74 on a trig quiz."
"Oh really? Gosh I was aqful at trig."
"OH. Really? You took trig?"
"No...wait a minute...ha, did I take trig? Huh...anyway, I bought you two shirts they're on your bed."

WEEKEND MOVIE - West Side Story (1961)

ATTENTION: Hey guys, this is my new feature "WEEKEND MOVIE". Before the weekend, I shall recomend (or rather "praise") a particular movie that I "feel" or am raving about in the momment. First one this week it is...

WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

"Tonight, tonight; it all began tonight. I saw you and the world went away."

Director: Robert Wise & Jermon Robbins
Cast: Natalie Wood, Richard Beyemer, Georga Chakaris, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn, Simon Oakland, Ned Glass, William Bramely, Tucker Smith

Set in 1950's New York, "West Side Story" is a musical retelling of William Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" set to the backdrop of Puerto Rican and Caucasian gang wars and the music of Sodhiem and Bernstien. As I re-watched "West Side Story" again I relived the magic of Tony and Maria and their struggle for their forbidden love. The screen wasn't only "technically" beautiful, but the amazing voices and music set around the film was magnificent and heavenly. The movie doesn't deserve all the bashing it receives. I also realized that Richard Beyemer did a performance to remember. He is too underrated. From his performance of "Something's Coming" to his naive acting when he sings "Maria", he is outstanding. Rita Moreno runs a close second. The direction is fantastic and the film is just so magical. Re-watch it, you won't regret it.

THE JETS OWN THE STREET - Riff (Russ Tamblyn) leads his "Jets" gang in a dance around New York city in the opening of the 1961 Academy Award winner for Best Picture.

TONY AND MARIA SING "TONIGHT" - "Only you, your the only thing I see, forever. In my eyes, in my ears and in everything I do. Nothing else but you EVER." "And there's nothing for my but Maria, every site that I see is Maria."

MARIA IN GRIEF - Natalie Wood in a compelling scene asking God to "Please make it not be true!" when she learns her lover is the one who killed her brother.

NOTHING WILL BREAK THEM APART - "Somehow, someday, we'll find a new way of living. We'll find a way of foriving. Somewhere, somehow..."

BAM! SAD ENDING -
"I-I didn't believe hard enough."
"Loving is enough."
"Not here. They won't lest us be."
"Then we'll run away."
"Yeah, we can."
"Yes."
"We will..."
"[Singing] Hold my hand and we're half way there, hold my hand and I'll take you there. Somehow! Someday! Some-"

"TE ADORO, ANTONE."