The Purple Rose of Cairo
[DVD]
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“You make love without fading out?” – Tom Baxter
The Purple Rose of Cairo is possibly my favorite Woody Allen film of all time… or perhaps tied with a couple other of his classics. In it we have some of his sharpest comedic screenwriting and a few concepts that will keep philosophy 101 students in discussion for decades to come.
It stars Mia Farrow as Cecilia, a woman struggling to support herself and her abusive, gambling and out of work husband (played by Danny Aiello) during the great depression. Her only escape from this drudgery is regular visits to the local cinema. When the lights dim, she gets whisked away in stories of adventure, romance and carefree living.
She particularly is enamored with the film the Purple Rose of Cairo (the film within our film!). Cecilia makes repeated trips to catch the Purple Rose and watches the story of bubbly society folk on an Egyptian expedition. After several viewings, she starts to notice slight inconsistencies with one of the character’s performance. Tom Baxter, played by Jeff Daniels, seems to be losing his timing and is possibly looking off into the audience. Eventually, he breaks character and talks to Cecilia from the screen. She nervously replies and Baxter walks out of the film and materializes in the theater.
The two dash off in a heap of commotion and the ex-film character appears to be the ideal romantic partner despite naïveté in real world dealings. His knowledge base consists of what was written for his character. For example, when dining, the couple are embarrassed to discover that Baxter’s cash supply is simply prop money.
Eventually, a surreal love triangle… or better yet, love square forms. When Gil Shepherd (also played by Jeff Daniels), the actor who portrayed Baxter, discovers that his character has left the film, he heads to New Jersey to convince his creation to re-enter The Purple Rose of Cairo. Whilst attempting to salvage his reputation and make everything go back to normal, Shepherd then falls for our leading lady. Does Cecilia leave her husband? Does she run off with the brave and compassionate, but fictional Tom Baxter? Or does she chose Gil Shepherd, the dashing and vain movie star?
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Comedy, Feature film
Head
by Bob Rafelson
[DVD]
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Head is a psychedelic, non-linear motion picture starring… THE MONKEES. While not participating in a traditional narrative, the film retains a cyclical structure. Cyclical, in this instance, by that one can take nearly any scene, rearrange it and the action will still relate and have meaning in its new place. Bob Rafelson, a co-creator of the Monkees television series, made his feature directorial debut with 1968’s Head. He co-wrote the film with the then obscure Roger Corman school B-movie actor Jack Nicholson.
Rafelson and Nicholson sought to tell the Monkees story and the complexities of instant fame in an abstract fashion while also exploiting as many genres as possible. It poses the question, “well, what is Head?” A musical? A western? A horror film? A comedy? A boxing story? A Vietnam war protest? A sprawling adventure film? It’s safe to say these are all correct answers. The director uses esoteric dialog and cutting edge technology (i.e. the process of coloring film… which was essentially only explored in avante-guarde cinema up until this time) to collect these disparate elements and house them in a single story.
What also works in this film’s favor is that we have a collection of some of the Monkees best recorded material. Mickey Dolenz sings two lazing and beautiful Carole King compositions along with the Eastern flavored “Can You Dig It”, a song by Monkey Peter Tork. Peter’s other writing credit comes with the groovy freakout “Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again”. Davy Jones performs a dance scene with Toni Basil while singing Harry Nilsson’s Tin Pan Alley inspired “Daddy’s Song”. Michael Nesmith writes and sings “Circle Sky”, what we shall only consider as a psychedelic, ramshackle ho-down.
Although, in 1968 the film proved to be an immense commercial failure, Head has become a cult classic and an excellent artifact in the colored history of the Monkees. Rafelson continued his maverick approach to cinema and is now considered one of the most revered directors and producers of the “New Hollywood” generation.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Comedy, Feature film, Musicals
Cold Comfort Farm
[DVD]
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This witty satire is based on Stella Gibbons’s 1932 comic novel. It’s clever, charming, hilarious, and delightfully twisted in that inimitable British way. A large extended family of eccentric (not to say depraved) characters is brilliantly cast, featuring, among others, Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Fry, and Joanna Lumley. It milks every drop of humor out of its simple premise: a young woman, recently orphaned, goes to live with her relatives in the country and attempts to create order out of generations of chaos. The movie is remarkably faithful to the novel of the same name, which is hilarious too.
Reviewed by Faith
Tagged: Comedy, England, Feature film
Ginger Geezer: The Life of Vivian Stanshall
by Lucian Randall and Chris Welch
[Book]
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“You got a light, mac? No…but I’ve got a dark brown overcoat.”
Vivian Stanshall, sousaphone player, ukulele maestro and vocalist extraordinaire, practicer of elaborate practical jokes, rubber ears sporter and snake owner, certainly lived up to the oft dubbed title as the “great British eccentric”. Oh, and he lived on a boat.
He and his colleagues from the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band created the most wonderfully silly, chaotic and beautiful music know to man by melding 1930’s jazz and novelty numbers, psychedelic rock, Python-esque comedy and Beatles arrangements. To my knowledge, this group is the only group to list wah-wah rabbits as an instrument on a recording. Stanshall shared most of the lead vocal duties with Neil Innes (later found in the Rutles), but it was the former who was the expert frontman and instigator of this riffraff outfit.
Stanshall’s biography delves into the life of this complicated character before and after his run with the Bonzos. Fame, family life, alcoholism, brilliant radio projects (including “Rawlinson’s End”), madcap stunts and the slow decline of spirit helps makes Ginger Geezer paint a mighty confounding portrait. Viv wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Biography, Comedy, Non-fiction, Rock music
Jeeves & Wooster
[DVD]
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Starring the incomparable comedic duo of Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, this British TV series is an adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves stories. The actors embody the upper-class goofball and his omniscient valet perfectly, and the free-flowing wit and rampant silliness are irresistible. Fry’s eyebrows say it all.
Reviewed by Faith
Tagged: British TV, Comedy, TV series
Alfie
[DVD]
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Lewis Gilbert’s 1966 masterpiece drama/comedy stars Michael Caine in the title role. Alfie is a street smart character who is here only to enjoy life and often has little consideration for others. He moves quickly from partner to partner (sometimes in seedy arrangements), but is eventually forced to come to terms with his reckless behavior, lack of income and aging body. Alfie sports an interesting storytelling model: either to have a quick laugh or explain how he’s feeling at any given time, Caine often breaks the fourth wall to converse with the viewer.
With supporting characters played by Shelly Winters, Jane Asher and Denholm Elliott, clever comedic dialog, twists and turns to the tragic and a swinging jazz score by Sonny Rollins, Alfie remains one of the richest films to ever grace the screen.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Comedy, Drama, Feature film, Fiction, Manhood
Burn Notice
[DVD]
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This action-packed TV series stars Jeffrey Donovan as agent Michael Westen who receives a burn notice or termination notice. He wakes up in Miami with no money or identification, trapping him there until whoever burned him decides otherwise. While trying to figure out who is responsible for his burn notice, Michael helps people in trouble, using his unique skills gained as a spy. Co-stars include Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead) and Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey).
Reviewed by Molly
Tagged: Action, Comedy, TV series
