Grumpy Old Coot looking for same, Interests include fishing, making self-depreciating comments, insulting people and THE LOONS!

Let it be said that the woman above (Magda Szubanksi) ruined the first half of On Golden Pond. Not that it was that special to begin with, but she just made it much worse. She used to appear on a television sketch program entitled Fast Forward. I used to adore that show. SO funny. Her character above is Chaneale (sp?) who is very very funny. Anyway, she did a sketch once with one of the other actors from the show that basically ripped through On Golden Pond. I didn't get it at the time, but now that I have seen it and I've watched the sketch again it is a pisser. THE LOONS! As soon as Katherine opened her mouth I started laughing because i remembered it so well (it's on the FF DVD I own). "Norman! The loons!!"

Moving on, though.



This movie is an odd one. Is it bad if I say I didn't like the performances by Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda. Especially the latter. He basically encapsulated everything that I dislike about senior people (I know it's probably politically incorrect, but whatever - if you see enough of them that are like Henry's character then it gets old fast) and it wasn't fun watching it for an hour and 45 minutes. Katherine also seems really... i dunno, shrill? THE LOONS!!!!!

I welcomed the arrival of Jane Fonda but after about 15 minutes she was gone again! And then she came back at the end to wrap it all. I CAN DO BACKFLIPS (psst, I also love my father now, yay!). It was so much sentimental pap. When Katherine wasn't doing that odd "oh you!" thing she did for a lot of the movie she was better. I liked the second half much better when the characters weren't such glaring cliches. This screenplay is quite bad though, right? Or was that dialogue just ringing blah in my ears only? I agree with Katherine's character to Jane. Get over it. But she's had all this resentment for, what? 35 years? And then she does a backflip and literally she's over it?

Something didn't click for me here. It sure did look pretty though. If the actors playing these roles weren't KATHERINE HEPBURN and HENRY FONDA and gave these performances would they have won the Oscars? (odd, the DVD box says they won Best Supporting awards, all throughout I didn't understand because they were CLEARLY the leads and then I checked IMDb and the box had it completely wrong.) I dunno. As I said above there, they were so cliched (grumpy old codger, dotey forgiving wife). Whatever. THE LOONS!!!! C


(1972, dir. Coppola)


Well, what is there to say? Should I just come out and praise the acting of everyone involved, but inparticular Marlon Brando, James Caan, Diane Keaton and Al Pacino. Should I comment Francis Ford on creating a brilliant picture? Should I compliment the excellent techs all round? The wonderful score, cinematography, costumes, production design and editing. Should I heap adjectives on the screenplay? Or should I discuss how there were about 20 different scenes that I could instantly sprout as a favourite (I would probably go for the showdown between Pacino and the police chief and mob boss in the restaurant. Will he or won't he?). Well, take all that as you will and know that this movie is excellent (which I'm sure you already did). A

The Last Picture Show (1971, dir. Bogdanovich)


Fact - I love the '50s and movies. Movies from the '50s. Movies set in the '50s. It's just a time period I adore. So I approached this movie about a time and a place that so very specific with excitement. And needless to say, it was warrented. This movie is fabulous, isn't it? The writing is so pin-point perfect. It knows what it's on about. The acting is also so very precise. Cybill Shepherd's performance may be seen as vacant by some but it was so in the zone of a girl who doesn't deliberately set out to be a vixen, but who by virtue of who she is, just happens to be one by the end of the movie. My favourite performances were Timothy Bottoms and Ellen Burstyn (although, I'm sure if she walked around a black room in a hession sack for 2 hours I'd think she gave a great performance). Bottoms really surprised me. I've never seen any of his serious stuff (I loved him -and the show in general- on "That's My Bush!" and the only other place I've seen him is in Van Sant's Elephant and, er, Uncle Sam. I'd love to seek out some more of his stuff, unfortunately it doesn't seem like he ever advanced on his talents demonstrated in Picture Show.) Jeff Bridges, Cloris Leachman, Ben Johnson (both of whom won Oscars for their performances) and Eileen Brennan.

Technically the film is stellar, too. The stark black and white photography is awe-inspiring. It just fits ya know? Same goes for the production and costume design. So specific, which I adore. Peter Bogdanovich's direction though is what sets it apart. It feels like he understands it all so much (much like that legend Larry McMurtry) that he knows how it should all go together. I loved this film so much. I'm so enthusiastic about it. I'd love to get a copy of the book, too. I'm sure it's brilliant. But for now, we have the film. A