2007 Summer Movie List
May is here and the temperature locally will be up in the 80’s tomorrow. Below are my recommendations for summer movie viewing. A word to the wise, these movies all pop up periodically on broadcast and cable channels. Watered down, cleaned up versions don’t cut it. Spend the 5 bucks and rent the movies. Happy viewing!!
MEATBALLS (1979): Bill Murray as the camp counselor you hope your kids never experience. Light on the raunch and heavy on the laughs, Murray is the man in charge of the “counselors in training” and their attendant hi-jinks. I like the movie because of a sweet sub-plot about a scrawny kid with problems who ends up saving the day at the inter-camp Olympics. But mostly, it has three great songs: Mary MacGregor's “Good Friend”, Terry Black's “Moon Dust,” and David Naughton's "Makin' It". The first two were composed by Elmer Bernstein. Summer movies don’t come any better.
CAPOTE (2005): Philip Seymour Hoffman deservedly won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote in this film following Capote’s efforts authoring In Cold Blood. Capote is sympathetic, funny, charming, hateful…and pitiful…as he uses and manipulates the killers of the Clutter family to write what he believes will be the best book ever written. We end up examining Capote’s soul as he unwittingly becomes involved in these poor unfortunates’ lives. The movie is a downer, but you will be hooked almost immediately, so get yourself in the mood first. If you question Mr. Hoffman’s acting ability, he played Dusty, the wacked out tornado chaser, in Twister. Hard to believe.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962): The film version of Harper Lee’s sole novel. In this outstanding mood piece, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) is a lawyer defending a black man wrongfully accused of raping a white woman in a small southern town. Finch’s young daughter tries to come to terms with what she learns about bigotry and hatred, and fear of the unknown when confronting her mentally handicapped neighbor. I was 12 when I saw Mockingbird the first time, and I remember the haunting musical score to this day. This is a companion movie to Capote. Harper Lee and Truman Capote were good friends and competitors in the literary world. Capote said of Harper Lee’s novel: “I still don’t see what the fuss is all about.” Watch and see.
HOLLYWOOD KNIGHTS (1980): Alright, big laughs but really raunchy. In the early 1960’s, Beverly Hills landmark Tubby’s Drive-In, home of The Big One, is closing and displacing the Hollywood Knight’s Car Club. It’s a gross-a-thon, and I laugh out loud every time I watch it. Sound track is outstanding, and Tony Danza and Michelle Pfeiffer are very, very young in this “B” movie tour de something or other. “Volare” and the “one armed violin player” are worth the cost of the rental.
PEYTON PLACE (1957): Haul out the Kleenex….this early pot boiler was scandalous then and a hoot now. Illicit love, incest, spousal abuse, alcoholism, and murder….this has it all. If you really want to time travel, listen to any LP version of A Summer Place (also another fine movie choice) before watching. It is still a good story, and bittersweet to see the innocence with which we viewed the world in 1957. How things change.
TO SIR WITH LOVE (1967): Sidney Poitier at his best as the out of work engineer teaching a bunch of cockney hooligans in 1960’s London. Compared to what’s in some of the schools today, these kids were positively angelic. But the message is universal, and we should be so lucky to have someone like Mr. Poitier in our schools. With Lulu singing the title song, what else do you need? Well, maybe somebody to give Sidney some dance lessons…really painful.
1941 (1979): The bad news is that this movie was Steven Spielberg’s only box office bomb. The good news is that it translates to the small screen very well, and is very, very funny. Hollywood prepares to defend itself from the expected Japanese invasion after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. John Belushi camps it up as the Air Force pilot from hell. There is a show stopping dance contest scene, the likes of which aren’t seen again until Dancing with the Stars.
Ho-r-r-ywood!!!
WINGED MIGRATION (2003): This documentary about migrating birds is stunning. It has to be seen to be believed. If you have ever wondered whether there really is a God, this movie will remove all doubt. Although it might be a tad long, the scope and breadth of how these birds get from one place to another is staggering. And you are right there in the air with these magnificent creatures. It will leave you dumbfounded.
DEATH ON THE NILE (1978): Peter Ustinov is the definitive Hercule Poirot in this star studded Agatha Christie whodunit. Any of the films in this series is terrific. This one boasts Angela Lansbury and Bette Davis acting up a storm in terrific character parts. The locations are exotic, Mia Farrow is mysterious, and you can get sea sick from the themed background music. No better way to spend a summer night.
RUMOR HAS IT (2005): This fluff piece romantic comedy played a lot on HBO this past winter. It didn’t get much time in the theaters, but it stars Shirley MacLaine, one of my most favorite actresses ever notwithstanding her politics, Jennifer Aniston, and Kevin Costner. While getting ready for her wedding, Jennifer Aniston does some math and figures out her mother was pregnant when she married, and possibly by the same man who was simultaneously sleeping with her grandmother. Family lore leads her to conclude that the movie The Graduate was based on her family, her grandmother being the role model for Mrs. Robinson, Kevin Costner being Dustin Hoffman. She chases Costner down, and becomes the third woman in her family to experience a romantic interlude with Mr. Costner, who apparently has more energy than me. Stupid premise, stupid story, and it works. Turn the movie on and your mind off.
MEATBALLS (1979): Bill Murray as the camp counselor you hope your kids never experience. Light on the raunch and heavy on the laughs, Murray is the man in charge of the “counselors in training” and their attendant hi-jinks. I like the movie because of a sweet sub-plot about a scrawny kid with problems who ends up saving the day at the inter-camp Olympics. But mostly, it has three great songs: Mary MacGregor's “Good Friend”, Terry Black's “Moon Dust,” and David Naughton's "Makin' It". The first two were composed by Elmer Bernstein. Summer movies don’t come any better.
CAPOTE (2005): Philip Seymour Hoffman deservedly won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote in this film following Capote’s efforts authoring In Cold Blood. Capote is sympathetic, funny, charming, hateful…and pitiful…as he uses and manipulates the killers of the Clutter family to write what he believes will be the best book ever written. We end up examining Capote’s soul as he unwittingly becomes involved in these poor unfortunates’ lives. The movie is a downer, but you will be hooked almost immediately, so get yourself in the mood first. If you question Mr. Hoffman’s acting ability, he played Dusty, the wacked out tornado chaser, in Twister. Hard to believe.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962): The film version of Harper Lee’s sole novel. In this outstanding mood piece, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) is a lawyer defending a black man wrongfully accused of raping a white woman in a small southern town. Finch’s young daughter tries to come to terms with what she learns about bigotry and hatred, and fear of the unknown when confronting her mentally handicapped neighbor. I was 12 when I saw Mockingbird the first time, and I remember the haunting musical score to this day. This is a companion movie to Capote. Harper Lee and Truman Capote were good friends and competitors in the literary world. Capote said of Harper Lee’s novel: “I still don’t see what the fuss is all about.” Watch and see.
HOLLYWOOD KNIGHTS (1980): Alright, big laughs but really raunchy. In the early 1960’s, Beverly Hills landmark Tubby’s Drive-In, home of The Big One, is closing and displacing the Hollywood Knight’s Car Club. It’s a gross-a-thon, and I laugh out loud every time I watch it. Sound track is outstanding, and Tony Danza and Michelle Pfeiffer are very, very young in this “B” movie tour de something or other. “Volare” and the “one armed violin player” are worth the cost of the rental.
PEYTON PLACE (1957): Haul out the Kleenex….this early pot boiler was scandalous then and a hoot now. Illicit love, incest, spousal abuse, alcoholism, and murder….this has it all. If you really want to time travel, listen to any LP version of A Summer Place (also another fine movie choice) before watching. It is still a good story, and bittersweet to see the innocence with which we viewed the world in 1957. How things change.
TO SIR WITH LOVE (1967): Sidney Poitier at his best as the out of work engineer teaching a bunch of cockney hooligans in 1960’s London. Compared to what’s in some of the schools today, these kids were positively angelic. But the message is universal, and we should be so lucky to have someone like Mr. Poitier in our schools. With Lulu singing the title song, what else do you need? Well, maybe somebody to give Sidney some dance lessons…really painful.
1941 (1979): The bad news is that this movie was Steven Spielberg’s only box office bomb. The good news is that it translates to the small screen very well, and is very, very funny. Hollywood prepares to defend itself from the expected Japanese invasion after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. John Belushi camps it up as the Air Force pilot from hell. There is a show stopping dance contest scene, the likes of which aren’t seen again until Dancing with the Stars.
Ho-r-r-ywood!!!
WINGED MIGRATION (2003): This documentary about migrating birds is stunning. It has to be seen to be believed. If you have ever wondered whether there really is a God, this movie will remove all doubt. Although it might be a tad long, the scope and breadth of how these birds get from one place to another is staggering. And you are right there in the air with these magnificent creatures. It will leave you dumbfounded.
DEATH ON THE NILE (1978): Peter Ustinov is the definitive Hercule Poirot in this star studded Agatha Christie whodunit. Any of the films in this series is terrific. This one boasts Angela Lansbury and Bette Davis acting up a storm in terrific character parts. The locations are exotic, Mia Farrow is mysterious, and you can get sea sick from the themed background music. No better way to spend a summer night.
RUMOR HAS IT (2005): This fluff piece romantic comedy played a lot on HBO this past winter. It didn’t get much time in the theaters, but it stars Shirley MacLaine, one of my most favorite actresses ever notwithstanding her politics, Jennifer Aniston, and Kevin Costner. While getting ready for her wedding, Jennifer Aniston does some math and figures out her mother was pregnant when she married, and possibly by the same man who was simultaneously sleeping with her grandmother. Family lore leads her to conclude that the movie The Graduate was based on her family, her grandmother being the role model for Mrs. Robinson, Kevin Costner being Dustin Hoffman. She chases Costner down, and becomes the third woman in her family to experience a romantic interlude with Mr. Costner, who apparently has more energy than me. Stupid premise, stupid story, and it works. Turn the movie on and your mind off.
Coo Coo Ca Choo.
JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG: (1961): Maximilian Schell beat out fellow co-star Spencer Tracy for the best actor Oscar in the quintessential movie defining the debate between the laws of humanity vs. laws of country. The Soviets have just blocked off Berlin and the Berlin airlift has begun. Against this backdrop, mid-level Nazis are tried for their crimes when the cooperation of German citizens is becoming essential for the success of western interests. Schell is the defense attorney for a middling Nazi judge, played by Burt Lancaster, accused of sending several Jews to concentration camps and their deaths. Spencer Tracy is the head Allied Judge, who must balance the competing interests of justice, current political need, and the nature of a legal system gone bad. It is a tad long and preachy, but hits all the right buttons in a debate that is as relevant today as it was in 1948.
JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG: (1961): Maximilian Schell beat out fellow co-star Spencer Tracy for the best actor Oscar in the quintessential movie defining the debate between the laws of humanity vs. laws of country. The Soviets have just blocked off Berlin and the Berlin airlift has begun. Against this backdrop, mid-level Nazis are tried for their crimes when the cooperation of German citizens is becoming essential for the success of western interests. Schell is the defense attorney for a middling Nazi judge, played by Burt Lancaster, accused of sending several Jews to concentration camps and their deaths. Spencer Tracy is the head Allied Judge, who must balance the competing interests of justice, current political need, and the nature of a legal system gone bad. It is a tad long and preachy, but hits all the right buttons in a debate that is as relevant today as it was in 1948.
Comments