Metal Mummy’s Movie Meme... ‘Chick–Flicks'

A ‘chick-movie’? I was sort of wandering when this was going to come up? Anyway here goes…

I actually hate the at ‘phrase’ in an earlier MMMM post I cited Roman Holiday as my ‘black and white’ favourite and said I suppose it could be construed as an early ‘chick-flick’ but I don’t buy that…

I suppose the obvious ones for me would be the ones that wife watches but claims to ‘hate’… the ones that contain Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan. Grade ‘A’ chick-flicks both…

But I am going to go for another Meg Ryan film. This time with Billy Crystal, ‘When Harry Met Sally’… simply brilliant. Very funny. Written by a woman with a remarkable insight into how men might think…

Men and women can't be friends...

Or can they?

Metal Mummy’s Movie Meme... ‘Favourite Actor’

I’ll be honest… I’ve struggled with this but I was pretty sure I would come up with something. Actually, somebody…

So over a nice glass of white and while 'explaining' the ‘Meme Theme’ to my wife… all became clear. And pretty obvious really. I asked her ‘Who my favourite actor was?’ she said ‘That’s easy… David Jason’.

Fair play. She knows me better than I know me and I know the purists out there will say he isn’t a movie actor, but to this I’ll say he did a couple of 90 minute Christmas specials so in ‘my head’ he counts!

Do I need to explain my reasons? I don’t think so… but if you’re still in denial go and see ‘Porridge’, ‘Open All Hours’ or ‘Only Fools And Horses’ (specifically ‘ To Hull & Back’ or ‘The Jolly Boys Outing’ absolute classics!)

Here he is at his finest!

Metal Mummy’s Movie Meme #week4

For this week Hannah has picked Leonardo DiCaprio, actor, producer and celebrity environmental campaigner as her ‘meme theme’.

I thought initially that I’d struggle to take part this week. For some reason… he just doesn’t ‘impress’ me has an actor. (If ‘impress’ is the correct word? Even when you consider the good films he has been involved with?)

Anyway, trying to continue on a more positive frame, I remembered that he was in ‘Catch Me If you Can’. Now this is a film I did enjoy.

Everyone loves a ‘cat and mouse’ situation don’t they? And the fact that it is based on a true story, (sorry, but I’m a bit of a history nerd amongst other things), has some other great actors in it, has great direction and the sheer cheek of the DiCaprio’s character (would you try some of the stuff he pulls?), makes it my favourite film of his. The art direction is brilliant and having John Williams look after the soundtrack can’t be ignored either…

All this supporting ‘waffle’ might seem to make the link to the ‘meme theme’ a fairly loose one so I’ll apologise now!

Wife cited ‘The Man In The Iron Mask’ when I emailed her earlier about this… but I haven’t seen that one. ‘Catch Me If you Can’ I have seen; so I’ll stick with that one.

Reading the other posts, ‘Shutter Island’ looks good…

Here's the opening sequence so you can admire the art direction...

I dare you not to smile...

I was directed towards this on the net the other day and it made me smile...

Metal Mummy’s Movie Meme #week3

This is a difficult one. The theme Hannah has picked this week is ‘Directors’… and who remembers films for their directors? They rarely appear on screen unless your name is Robert Redford or Clint Eastwood. So I thought I’d try and think of some films I liked and see if there was any commonality between them… right? I consciously tried to keep the list short.

Anyway, here goes…

• William Wyler – How to Steal a Million, Roman Holiday
• Robert Redford – The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Horse Whisperer, A River Runs Through It
• Frank Darabont – The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption
• George Lucas? He has been more a producer than a director but worth an obvious mention…
• Lewis Gilbert – Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine
• George Roy Hill – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

I could have added John Madden, Sam Mendes, Sergio Leone, Steven Spielberg and a whole host of others but I’ll stop there. My ‘favourite’ director has to be Frank Darabont. He didn’t direct my favourite film but he damn near almost did. He could write a bit too.
I like the Redford films mentioned above too. More than anyone I can think of, he seems to have a unique and lovely ability to introduce and promote the scenery as another character. (Maybe in an effort to copy George Roy Hill?)

But Darabont gets the nod. Well, this week he does. If you’re anything like me I’ll have another ‘favourite’ director next week…

The Green Mile Trailer

Metal Mummy’s Movie Meme #week2

As it so happens, I have been watching some black and white films this week... no reason, I just thought they were good films and with time on my hands, decided to watch a couple of them. And then I see Metal Mummy’s latest #MMMM ‘Black and White’.

This one I couldn’t resist...

I could have gone for some Laurel and Hardy; they still never fail to make me laugh. My wife can’t stand them but I like them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4CM1RZgNwA&feature=related

Similar reactions are achieved if I start watching Norman Wisdom films… when I laugh, she adopts a puzzled look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtIstIKkBWs&feature=related

Her best reaction is always reserved for probably one of the funniest films ever made… ‘Young Frankenstein’; especially the candlestick scene!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKH2z32cs4Q

So you could be forgiven for thinking a comic recommendation was on it’s way. But no! My recommendation is an ‘all serious’ film and probably, in all seriousness, be considered a ‘chick-flick’ by some. I don’t care.

Not only is it the best black and white film but in my opinion, I think one of the best stories ever told by a film.

Anyway, ‘Roman Holiday’ has everything. It is funny, sad, happy, tense, serious and ‘involving’. The acting is brilliant. It is shot in Rome so I won’t comment on the scenery… needless to say, you’ll want to visit. I did. And it launched the career of Audrey Hepburn. It didn’t do any harm to Gregory Peck’s career either. He said while filming they should ‘give the Oscar to Audrey’. Later, the people who give out Oscars did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR9EfIEaMbQ

My interest in Italy can probably be traced to this film. My failure to visit Rome probably can be too. A couple of years ago, I was on holiday in Italy. I went at Naples, Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, the island of Capri. I was even on the ‘outskirts’ of Rome but decided not to go. With time running out, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it ‘justice’… so decided I wouldn’t try to. I mean, you can’t rush Rome can you? I haven’t yet, but I will be going back soon…

Too many films get turned into remakes and that’s fine by me. The remakes are usually better. But this is one film I hope they leave alone. How can you improve on perfection?

So for me it’s ‘Roman Holiday’ – *****!

Enjoy!

(I didn’t do one last week but I would have suggested the ‘Bourne’ films. Highly watchable. James Bond is good but he needs rockets, cars and ridiculousness. Jason Bourne doesn’t.)