What's on the Menu?

As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree.  I hope to hear from all of you.

I’m hungry. Let’s go to the movies. Filmdom has a long history of featuring food—from Charlie Chaplin trying to eat a boot in The Gold Rush to the unspeakable bill of fare in Sweeney Todd.  Let’s see what’s on the menu.

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (1994): Three sisters living the modern life humor their father by fixing and eating a traditional Taiwanese meal every Sunday. Ang Lee directs this wonderful, must-see film.

Big Night (1996): Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Ian Holm, and Isabella Rossellini star in this fast-paced, feel-good movie. Struggling restaurant owners get their big chance when they are chosen to prepare a feast for Louis Prima.

Babette’s Feast (1987): Two sisters choose to remain with their ailing father rather than pursue their interests elsewhere. After several years they take in a French woman, Babette, who cooks them a sumptuous meal in gratitude. But is there more to Babette than being a great cook? The food scenes will make your mouth water.

Mid-August Lunch (2008): Our Italian hero is short of cash. His landlord, doctor, and a friend offer to help him in exchange for him caring for their elderly relatives over a holiday. He outdoes himself making simply delicious meals. This film is charming and delightful.

Tea With Mussolini (1999): The food is mostly in the title, but this movie is well worth seeing. The cast includes Cher, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith. Englishwomen in Italy during the 1930s take in an orphan, Cher. They’re counting on Mussolini to protect them. There is no tea with Il Duce; however there are a few scenes in which food is visible.

Julie and Julia (2009): Amy Adams and Meryl Streep play the title characters. A young woman is inspired to prepare all 524 recipes in Julia Childs’s cookbook.  Streep is a real kick as Child. Thin story, but watchable if you are in need of a distraction.

Mostly Martha (2002): A very tense chef takes in her orphaned niece. But the real story takes place in the kitchen. There is lots of food to be seen.

Vatel (2000): Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman and Tim Roth star in this period piece. A visit from Louis XIV could make or break a poor prince. It is up to his steward, Vatel, to plan three days of fabulous food and festivities for the king. This isn’t a great film, but if you like costume dramas have fun.

Tom Jones (1963): This romp earned four Oscars. Albert Finney, Susannah York and Hugh Griffin take on Henry Fielding’s classic book.  The food scene is perhaps the one most people will remember.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991): The cast includes Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates, Mary Louise Parker, and Mary Stuart Masterson. Taken from a Fanny Flagg novel, the story is told in flashbacks to the 1920s. And yes, there really are fried green tomatoes. This is the first time I ever heard of such a delicacy. I tried to replicate the recipe, with little success.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971): Now this is what I call food. Gene Wilder is the candy man. He hides five golden tickets in candy bars. The finders will get a rare treat—a visit to the secret factory.

Chocolat (2000): Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp, and Judi Dench try, but even these fine actors can’t rescue this poor script. However, there is plenty of chocolate to drool over.

Delicatessen (1991: This French film centers around a butcher shop. It seems that a young man who lives above the shop has fallen in love with the butcher’s daughter. When he discovers their secret, he becomes alarmed. Will his love be able to save him?

Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe (1978): George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Morley, and Philippe Noiret star in this dark comedy. A rich gourmand is suspected of murdering those great chefs of Europe.

When Harry Met Sally (1989): Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan and Carl Reiner’s wife are involved in an unforgetable scene sort of involving food.

Dinner Rush (2000): Danny Aiello plays a bookie/restaurateur. His son has made the place a trendy go-to restaurant, much to his father’s chagrin. The food and some thugs play against each other in this very watchable movie.

Kitchen Stories (2004): This hilarious Scandavian film is about a research project that assigns an observer to be in the kitchen of a bachelor farmer (a la Prairie Home Companion). Although there is not supposed to be any interaction between the two, the inevitable happens. I give this film a high rating for humor and charm.

Sweeney Todd (2007): The movie is an adaption of a Broadway play. Mr. Todd was falsely imprisoned and is now wreaking vengeance. He is a baker who becomes famous for his funny-tasting pies. Despite the popularity of this play and film, I found it rather boring.

The Wedding Banquet (1993): Another charming Ang Lee-directed film about family dynamics. A gay son feels he has to hide the fact of his live-in lover from his parents. A tenant agrees to act as his fiancé. From this premise a delightful story unfolds.

My Dinner with André (1981): Wallace Shawn and André Gregory think their dinner conversation is interesting. It is not.

Choo, choo baby

As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree.  I hope to hear from all of you.

“I hear the train a comin’,” is a refrain from a Johnny Cash song that takes me back to my childhood. My father worked on trains, and I could hear them pulling into my hometown station. I remember riding in the caboose of a freight train and in the club car of the California Zephyr.

There is something magical about trains. In our mobile society the train has played a major role. So this month I pay homage to the very American train.

Brief Encounter (1945): Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson, both married to other persons, meet on a train platform. A passionate affair begins, but they know it will go nowhere. The trains coming and going, hissing steam, display the transient nature of their love.

Strangers on a Train (1951): Oh ho. This is a deliciously wicked little film. Farley Granger and Robert Walker meet on a train. As they begin talking, they both realize there is someone in each of their lives they would like to be gone. Thus begins the plot.

Von Ryan’s Express (1965):  A non-singing Frank Sinatra leads a group of escaped World War II prisoners as they take over a German train.  Great scenery as the train travels through the Alps. Trevor Howard as the English officer is a good counterpart to Sinatra.

Silver Streak (1976): In this tale, Gene Wilder sees a murder aboard the title train. His problem is that no one believes him. Richard Pryor, as a small-time criminal, agrees to help. With Wilder and Pryor you do expect some humor.  Don’t look for a lot.

Avalanche Express (1979): Lee Marvin, Robert Shaw and Linda Evans star is this fast-paced thriller. Shaw is a Russian who wants to defect. Marvin is the CIA agent sent to get him out. As they hurtle along, they survive a terrorist attack and an avalanche. This film is not very believable, but watchable.

Breakheart Pass (1975): Charles Bronson is an undercover agent posted on a train carrying medical supplies. As passengers start turning up dead or missing, Bronson has his hands full. Ben Johnson, Richard Crenna, and Jill Ireland costar.

Before Sunrise (1995): Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy meet on a train traveling to Vienna. They, you guessed it, fall in love. And they talk about shipboard romances.

 

Bullet Train (1975): This Japanese film is the precursor of the film Speed. A man, actor Ken Takakura, places a bomb aboard a train and threatens to set it off. He does have demands. The train conductor tries to calm passengers. The dubbing is not good quality, but the film is still worth seeing. (Keanu Reeves isn’t in it.)

Darjeeling Limited (2007): Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman play three brothers trying to reacquaint with each other during a train trek across India. This film has moments that are funny, sweet and sentimental—and annoying.

Murder on the Orient Express (1985): That Poirot, he gets around. Now he’s on that famous train with an all-star cast. You know someone is going to get murdered. Is the killer Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman or one of the other stars who hated Richard Widmark?

Albert Finney will find out.

The Flying Scotsman (1929): The title train runs between London and Edinburgh. I’ve ridden it, but nothing exciting happened. In this trip, an outraged foreman wants revenge and tries to cause an accident. Ray Milland (in his first role) tries to stop him. There are some great stunts.

The General (1927): This is my favorite train movie. Buster Keaton is wonderful as a man who tries to enlist in the Confederate army. When he is rejected, he seeks to win the war using his train engine, “The General.” This is truly a very funny film.

Harvey Girls (1946): I remember my dad talking about the Harvey girls, so I had to see this film. On her way west to be married as a mail-order bride, Judy Garland meets a group of lively young women on their way to become Harvey girls at a Harvey House. These were restaurant stopovers for trains. In this film, Garland sings the Oscar-winning song, “On the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe.” Good cast includes Angela Lansbury, Cyd Charisse, John Hodiak, and Ray Bolger.

The Lady Vanishes (1938, 1979): In the 1938 version, Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, and Paul Lukas star in Hitchcock film. While traveling cross-country by train, Lockwood notices that an acquaintance is missing. No one admits even seeing the woman. Enter big, strong Redgrave to help the maiden in distress. But, will he be able to unravel this sinister plot.

Narrow Margin (1952): Tough cop Charles McGraw is picked to accompany a mobster’s moll, Marie Windsor, to Los Angeles from Chicago. She’s agreed to testify, but there are goons on the train who want to stop her. Their problem: They don’t know what she looks like. Can McGraw save the day?

Night Train to Paris (1964): Don’t bother to see this unless you want to see Leslie Nielsen in a straight role (but one that portends his later comic genius). It’s all about secret agents and stolen tapes. But it is aboard a train.

 

Runaway Train (1985): The engineer has had a heart attack and the train is running unmanned. What to do? We are in Alaska and in the presence of prison escapees. Could it get any worse? The fugitives try to stop the train but stay ahead of the law. Jon Voight, Eric Roberts and Rebecca De Mornay star.

Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974, 2009): In the 1974 version, Walter Matthau tries to stop arch criminal Robert Shaw from shooting passengers on a city train. This is a tense, well-acted film.

The Train (1964): Burt Lancaster is a French (I don’t believe this) train engineer during WWII. His train is carrying Nazi plunder and hunky Burt can’t stand that the Nazi’s are taking away French art masterpieces. So he does everything he can to sabotage the train. It’s a good movie. Just forget that Burt is supposed to be French.

There are many, many more great train films. Check out: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, North by Northwest, Unstoppable, The Great Train Robbery, The Train Robbers, Man on the Train, Shanghai Express, and Lady on a Train.

Yankee Doodle Dandy

As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree.  I hope to hear from all of you.

As the Fourth of July approaches, I am reminded of Sir Walter Scott’s lines: “Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, who never to himself hath said ‘This is my own, my native land!’”

This should be the holiday that stirs our hearts and make us thankful we live in a free society. A lot of wars have been fought to preserve our way of life, and, for all its faults, our country is better than most. So, take a moment and reflect on your patriotic feelings. Here are some films that should make you proud to be an American.

Yankee Doodle Dandy: This is a 1942 movie about the great George M. Cohan as portrayed by the great James Cagney. With such songs as “Over There,” “It’s a Grand Old Flag,” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” you might want to sing along. This is definitely a feel-good film.

Born on the 4^th of July: (1989). Tom Cruise plays a Marine during the Viet Nam war who becomes paralyzed from the chest down. He becomes a protester against the war in which he once felt proud to have served.

The Patriot: (2000). Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Chris Cooper, and Joely Richardson costar in this story about the Revolutionary War. Gibson plays a farmer who just wants to be left alone, but when the war comes to him, he fights.

Sergeant York: (1941). Gary Cooper plays true-life hero Sgt. York. York was drafted into WWI. He captures an entire platoon. This was probably a propaganda film. WWII was getting close.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: (1939). The all-star cast includes James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Claude Rains. A naïve innocent (Stewart) goes to the Capitol as a junior senator. He meets corruption. He will not be stopped fighting it and engages in a marathon filibuster. This is a fine film that portrays democracy in action.

The Best Years of our Lives: (1946). This film won seven Oscars as it portrays three soldiers who try to take up their lives after WWII. Fine acting and a poignant story lift this film above its genre.

 Stars and Stripes Forever: (1952). Clifton Webb plays John Philip Sousa, the march king. Robert Wagner plays the Sousaphone. Stirring music and a playful attitude make this an entertaining movie.

Abe Lincoln in Illinois: (1940). Raymond Massey plays a young Abe Lincoln honing his skills and developing the character that makes him a strong president. Gene Lockheart and Ruth Gordon costar.

1776: (1972). This is a musical about the birth of our country. It is a funny and quirky film. The cast includes Ken Howard, William Daniels and Howard de Silva.

Glory: (1989). Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick and Morgan Freeman star in this very good movie about the first group of African Americans to serve as soldiers during the Civil War.

Casablanca: (1942). This classic film explores patriotism on many levels. Who can forget the singing of La Marseillaise? Who can forget Bogart and his “hill of beans” speech?

Apollo 13: (1995). America’s 1971 attempt to get to the moon misfires, but the astronauts become heroes for their bravery. Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon star.

From Here to Eternity: (1953). Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Montgomery Clift, Ernest Borgnine, Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed confront Pearl Harbor. The destruction and loss of life provide a rallying cry.

United 93: (2006). Events of 9/11 provide the backdrop for heroism and sacrifice. Airline passengers stop a hijacked plane from causing additional damage by bringing it down. All died. This is a very good film that is under-rated.

Gettysburg: (1993). Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger and Jeff Daniels fight the fierce three-day battle during the Civil War.

Miracle: (2004). Patriotism in sports. USA’s Olympic hockey team beats the USSR in a real miracle.

All the President’s Men: (1976). This film explores the freedom and the power of the press. I’m sure you know the rest.

The Fighting Sullivans: (1944). This is a sad story about five brothers who lost their lives when their ship, the USS Juneau, went down during a battle at Guadalcanal in 1943. This true story may be the basis for Saving Private Ryan.

To Hell and Back: (1955). This film is the true story about Audie Murphy who is the most decorated soldier in American history. He earned every medal the country could award him.

Robert Redford

As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of  The Thing.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree.  I hope to hear from all of you.

By a very special request, I am focusing on the films of Robert Redford this month. As I was reviewing these films, I discovered a few things I had never noticed before: The best Redford films are those in which his looks are incidental; he had a narrow range; his movies got worse as his looks faded; he never played a villain. But he was in some really excellent films, and he was an adequate actor.

 I believe his body of work, his creation of the Sundance Film Festival, the films he directed, his work for the environment, and his image as an all ‘round good guy will provide a lasting legacy.

1962:  War Hunt. Redford is an idealistic soldier (why am I not surprised?) during the Korean War.

1965: Inside Daisy Clover. Redford is the closeted-gay husband of Natalie Wood.

1965: Situation Hopeless – but not Serious. Redford is a captured WWII soldier. Wacky Alec Guiness is his captor.

1967: Barefoot in the Park. Redford is the uptight husband of free spirited Jane Fonda.

1969: Downhill Racer. Redford is a rookie skier on the US Olympic team. One win and he thinks he’s god. The most negative role he portrayed. He won the BAFTA (English Oscar).

1969: Tell Them Willie Boy is Here. Redford is a sheriff leading a hostile posse after an Indian. He won another BAFTA.

1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Redford is the Sundance Kid and Paul Newman is Butch Cassidy. We all loved these charming scoundrels.

1970: Little Fauss and Big Halsy. Redford is a motorcycle racer. (Didn’t see this one.)

1972: Hot Rock. Redford is a jewel thief. The film was nominated for an Oscar.

1972: The Candidate. Redford is a candidate who is unwilling to run at first, compromises his ideals as he decides he wants to win, and then when he has won not sure what to do next.

1972: Jeremiah Johnson. Redford is a mountain man who just wants to be alone.

1973: The Sting. Redford is a grifter who, with Newman, runs a perfect scam against Robert Shaw. The film won seven Oscars.

1973: The Way We Were. Redford is a pretty boy who hooks up with the annoying Barbra Striesand. What was the point of this?

1974: The Great Gatsby. Redford is a wannabe sophisticate who ends up in the pool.

1975: The Great Waldo Pepper. Redford is a stunt pilot who, after his barnstorming days are through, heads to Hollywood.

1975: Three Days of the Condor. Redford is a CIA researcher on the run. He takes Faye Dunaway hostage, but he’s not a bad guy, really.

1976: All the President’s Men. Redford is a reporter in a perfect film.

1977: A Bridge Too Far. Redford is a soldier in an operation that fails to end WWII.

1979: Electric Horseman. Redford is a rodeo champ and a drunk who steals a prize horse and wins the affections of Jane Fonda.

1980: Brubaker. Redford is a prison warden who goes undercover at the state pen. He tries to make things better, but ends up antagonizing everyone.

1984: The Natural. Redford is an overage rookie in a very silly film. But he looked good.

1985: Out of Africa. Redford is a bush pilot who washes Meryl Streep’s hair.

1986: Legal Eagles. Redford is a lawyer in a film that doesn’t get off the ground.

1990: Havana. Redford is a poker player. His looks are fading fast.

1992: Sneakers. Redford is a spy. This film is pretty good.

1993: Indecent Proposal. Redford is a billionaire who must now pay for favors.

1996: Up Close and Personal. Redford is a newsman who gives Michelle Pfeiffer a break.

1998: The Horse Whisperer. Redford is, well, a horse whisperer, who cures a girl’s frightened horse. Ahhhh.

2001: Spy Game. Redford is a spy again in a pretty good little film (even with Brad Pitt in it).

2001: The Last Castle. Redford is a general court martialed for disobeying orders. While in prison he locks horns with James Gandolfini.

2004: The Clearing. Redford is a hostage. Don’t worry, it ends well.

2005: An Unfinished Life. Redford is a crusty rancher who must come to terms with his son’s death and his daughter-in-law. Formula.

2007: Lions for Lambs. Redford is — I don’t know cuz I didn’t see it. Critics were cool.

2013: The Company You Keep. Redford is a lawyer, but much, much more.

2014: Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This film is not out yet, but I doubt Redford is Captain America.