Thursday November 24
The Serpent and the Rainbow [SABC3.01.00]
CAMERON DIAZ- SHE REALLY IS THE ONE
She’s The One [e.tv.22.10]
The Cat’s Meow [e.tv.00.10]
Friday November 25
ABOUT TO BITE
Jennifer’s Body [M-Net.02.40]
Half Light [SABC3.00.00]
Saturday November 26
Monster’s Inc [SABC3.19.30]
Bad News Bears [e.tv.13.30]
Sunday November 27
The Aristocats [M-Net.10.00]
Little Fockers [M-Net.20.05]
Bustin’ Loose [SABC1.22.00]
A Bug’s Life [SABC3.19.30]
Monday November 28
Leaves of Grass [M-Net.22.30]
National Lampoon’s Animal House [SABC2.22.00]
Tuesday November 29
Zilch
Wednesday November 30
The Aristocats [M-Net.09.30]
Little Fockers [M-Net.22.30]
IN THE WILD PARTY- JAMES COCO PLAYED COMEDIAN FATTY ARBUCKLE
S
Hollywood has not really had much success examining itself; both Mommie Dearest and The Wild Party spring to mind; although Mommie Dearest is very famous now; for very different reasons.
ANOTHER SILENT COMEDIAN-ROBERT DOWNEY AS CHARLIE CHAPLIN
Probably the best of an indifferent bunch is Chaplin which starred Robert Downey as the British born clown/ director/ composer. British comedian, Eddie Issard gets a chance to play Charlie in Peter Bogdanovich’s The Cat’s Meow [e.tv.Thursday.00.00], based on the play by Steven Peros.
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM IN THE CAT'S MEOW-HERRIMAN, DUNST, ISSARD AND JOANNA LUMLEY
The action of this rather camp drama is set on William Randolph Hearst’s yacht in 1926; a time when Hollywood may have been speechless; but its lifestyle was heavily sensual, both on screen and off.
THOMAS INCE-IN THE WRONG PLACE AT QUITE THE WRONG TIME
Hearst, so the story goes, suspected his long time mistress, actress Marion Davies of having an affair with Chaplin and on a drink fueled evening, the millionaire publicist shot and fatally wounded another guest, producer Thomas Ince who he mistook for Charlie. The entire episode was neatly tucked under a rug; in those days, as now, money can and does buy silence.
HARD TO BELIEVE NOW-BUT LOUELLA PARSONS COWED TWO GENERATIONS OF MOVIE STARS
Bogdanovich chose his cast well; Kirsten Dunst is splendid as the sadly bright, slightly under the weather wannabe star, Edward Herriman as Hearst, as well as Jennifer Tilley as gossip columnist Louella Parsons, whose discretion over the incident purportedly bought her a lifetime career with the Hearst group of newspapers.
TENSION IN THE AIR-GLYN, DAVIES AND LOUELLA PARSONS
A cherry on top is Joanna Lumley as novelist Elinor Glyn the writer who first coined the It word as in who has It and who doesn’t. The movie, like its title, comes from an era that is so near and yet so far away.
THE LITTLE TRAMP
All these people were very famous at the time, but Chaplin is the only name that has endured. The Little Tramp wasn’t just a flickering, jerking image from early cinema; Charlie Chaplin was a talented actor, director and musician who often used music to set the tone for his movies, the songs Smile, Eternally and This is My Song are all Chaplin originals.
TOM AND THE BOYS IN THE BAND
Music can invigorate and enhance almost anything; take for example, She’s the One [e.tv.Thursday.22.10] a lightweight piece, dating from 1996, starring Edward Burns, Cameron Diaz and—here she comes again— Jennifer Anniston. The movie is pretty flippant, a few witty lines threaded through a rather convoluted plot. What saves day is the score by Tom Petty; he and his Heartbreakers are fresh and vibrantly on song.
RANDY-THE SINGING BUSH
Randy Newman has been singing and songwriting since the 60s, but has really found his niche writing for the movies; remember him as The Singing Bush; by far the best part in 3 Amigos.
ALWAYS WORTH A SECOND OR THIRD LOOK
Lately, Newman has had a close working relationship with Pixar; he provides music for both the Pixar movies on show this week, A Bugs Life [SABC3.Sunday.19.30] and Monster’s Inc [SABC3.Saturday. 19.30],which featured his Oscar winning song, If I Didn’t Have You.
A TIMELESS CLASSIC
Long before the days of Pixar, Disney was always a dab hand at mixing image and music. The Aristocats [M-Net.Sunday.10.00 and Wednesday.09.30] dates from 1970 and is, in a word, delightful; a treat filled with preening moggies and marvelous music provided by The Sherman Brothers, George Bruns and Georges Bizet.
TAILS UP
One of my favourite sequences features the sound and style of jazz giant Scatman Crothers. In all, The Aristocats is a faultless balance of pace, pathos and pleasure; Disney at its best.
A PALE IMITATION OF THE ORIGINAL
Clever use of Bizet’s music, this time by Jerry Fielding and a sparkling charisma between Tatum o’ Neal and Walter Matthau made Bad News Bears seem better than it really was, back in 1976. The remake [e.tv.Saturday.13.30] with Billy Bob Thornton in the Matthau role is, like many remakes, both futile and pointless.
BABS AS GRANDMA
And now— Sequel Time! The Little Fockers [M-Net.Sunday.20.05 and Wednesday.22.30] goes to show that everything has a sell by date. The trick is to know when to stop. Randy Newman, who provided the music for the first two, knew when to bale out; one wishes that the rest of them were as clever.
JOHN BELUSHI-TAME BY TODAY'S STANDARDS
National Lampoon’s Animal House [SABC2.Monday.22.00] dates from 1978 and is a chance to see John Belushi at work. The movie is a classic of its type and was first to coin the term gross out. Sadly, Belushi’s love affair with illegal substances made his career a short one; only four years after Animal House, Belushi grossed out forever.
LIKE THE WEATHER FORECASTS, THE TABLOIDS ARE OFTEN OFF COURSE
Another limit pusher was the late Richard Pryor. He was a very funny, outrageous man; but like John Belushi and many other great comedians he had a huge streak of self destruction.
THE TERRIFIC SOUNDTRACK FEATURES ROBERTA FLACK, PEABO BRYSON AND LUTHER VANDROSS
It was during the filming of Bustin’ Loose [SABC1.Sunday.22.00] that he mixed a near fatal dose of rum and cocaine, effectively turning himself into a human torch; filming was delayed for six weeks while Pryor recovered. The finished product is a rather heart warming piece of fluff, with a snappy soundtrack, the very talented Cecily Tyson costars.
THAT OLD BLACK MAGC
Tyson also stars, along with Bill Pullman, in The Serpent and the Rainbow [Thursday.SABC3.01.00], which is (very) loosely based on the best selling study by anthropologist Wade Davis; much to Davis’s chagrin, director Wes Craven took the voodoo doll and prancing black magic route. Suprise! Suprise!
WRITER DIABLO CODY
There was a song once called The Reluctant Cannibal (Eating People is Wrong) now eating people is good box office. Undead, flesh eating zombies are all the rage at the moment, as is actress Amanda Seyfried. She stars, along with Megan Fox in Jennifer’s Body [M-Net.Friday.02.40] written by Diablo Cody, who scripted Juno a few years back. Jennifer is not half as appealing as Juno; in fact, the lady is both grisly and rather unappetizing.
DEMI MOORE IN HALF LIFE
When Ghost was a huge hit, Patrick Swayse played the hero, directing operations from beyond the grave. Demi Moore who played his girlfriend in that block buster, goes ghostly again in the turgid Half Light [SABC3.Friday.00.00] were she plays a successful (is there any other kind in fiction?) murder mystery writer.
A FRESH FACED DEMI-HERE WITH PATRICK SWAYSE IN GHOST
Demi is nearly 50 now, a little long in the tooth for an all purpose romantic leading lady. Will she be clever and slip gently into character roles or will she give the make up department and/or the nip and tuck folk more and more work to do. Trouble is; character parts demand a modicum of acting ability.
SARANDON WITH EDWARD NORTON
She should perhaps, take a leaf out of Susan Sarandon's book, for the last decade or so, Sarandon, who is only 65, has been gracefully playing older women. In Leaves of Grass [M-Net.Monday.22.30] she plays mother to Edward Norton and Edward Norton, where most of the characters spent most of their time smoking dope. My suggestion, before watching this movie, make sure your stash is close at hand; seriously, the acting is much better than the plot.
THE CAT'S PAJAMAS
Picks: for the holidays: The Aristocats [M-Net.Sunday.10.00 and Wednesday.09.30] ...
DUNST AS THE LUCKLESS MARION DAVIES
and for me and my love of old Hollywood: The Cat's Meow [e.tv.Thursday.00.10].