Nell Minow: August 2009 Archives

The wonderful Amy Dickenson of Ask Amy was kind enough to recommend my blog as her favorite resource for checking out movies.

Minow smartly distills plots and rates films with kids and families in mind. In two minutes I learned that "Brüno" uses "very strong, vulgar language" along with "extremely graphic and explicit nudity (male and female)."

Let me take this opportunity to recommend Amy Dickenson's heartwarming memoir of three generations of strong, wise women in her family, The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them.

Labor Day is a good time to see this musical about the romance between a representative of the union (Doris Day) and a representative of management (John Raitt). It has the good sense to keep the plot out of the way of the wonderful songs (like "Hey There" and "Steam Heat") and the ebulliently energetic dance numbers (choreographed by Bob Fosse). But there is enough of a plot to provide an opportunity to discuss the ways in which workers and managers might feel differently about things, and how they work together to find the best solution for both of them. NOTE: There is a subplot about a man who is irrationally jealous and possessive, played for humor.

Thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Keith Demko of Reel Fanatic, for this trailer:

This is from the folks behind Good Night, and Good Luck and it looks like a sharp, smart, funny, satire with a sensational cast. Can't wait.

Thanks to Cinematical for referring me to Scarecrow Video's exhaustive list of all the movie references in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds." A nice reminder of why "independent, brick & mortar video stores that employee real people" are not "outmoded and in need of extermination by mail based corporations."

Mary Shelley, daughter of two leading intellectuals and wife of a brilliant poet, was a teenager when she was challenged to write a ghost story and came up with one of the most enduring and often-filmed scary stories of all time, now considered the first true science fiction novel as well. She called it Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus. And, as we all now know, it is the story of a scientist who tries to triumph over death by creating life. On screen, Frankenstein and his creation have co-starred with everyone from Abbott and Costello to Alvin the Chipmunk. The monster has been played by Boris Karloff, Robert DeNiro, Randy Quaid, David Warner, Tom Noonan, Peter Boyle, Michael Sarrazin, Lon Chaney, Jr., David Prowse (the actor who played Darth Vader) and John Cleese and inspired the character of Herman Munster, played by Fred Gwynne.

We Belong Dead: Frankenstein On Film is a good resource for the movie versions of Mary Shelley's story. Some of the best Frankensteins include:

Frankenstein (1931) The James Whale-directed classic starring Boris Karloff is an unquestioned masterpiece of mood and filled with iconic moments.

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Whale and Karloff returned with this sequel, which many consider even scarier. Elsa Lanchester plays both Mary Shelley and the title character. Whale's skill at making the story not just horror but tragedy makes this a compelling film that transcends genre.

Gods and Monsters (1998) This is not the story of Frankenstein but the story of James Whale (brilliantly played by Ian McKellan), whose depiction of Shelley's story would be as influential in the 20th century as her book was in the 19th. The re-creations of the scenes from Whale's films are meticulous and illuminating.

Young Frankenstein (1974) This loving spoof of Shelley and Whales has a hilarious script by Mel Brooks (who directed) and Gene Wilder (who starred as Dr. Fronk-en-STEEN). As influenced by Whales as by Shelley, this wildly funny film used some of Whale's original sets and props.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) Brook and Wilder were not the first to see the comic possibilities in a monster film. Abbott and Costello run into a whole bunch of movie monsters with a lot of silly, Scooby-Doo-style scares.

And be sure to check out the Frankensteinia blog, which is a tribute to all things Frankenstein.