Thursday Movie Picks-Psychic/Mediums

 

So Wandering Through The Shelves got ahead of herself because she posted a theme for April 1st and April 7th--oopsie:)) I hope she saves the April 1st theme for next year because I am going with the correct date of April 7th. Going back to work, with the travel time to boot, has made me very far behind in my replies to your comments and commenting on your blogs. Hopefully, next week will be back to norm except I will be working:)). Thank you for all your sweet comments on my beautiful Wallace. It sucks when a furbabe leaves us and that we have to make that decision. Anyway, this is on a brighter note which is all about psychics and mediums which I am fascinated about. Yes, I have gone to a medium and some comments were uncanny while others were reaching. Actually, John Edward is one that is uncanny in what he says. OK, on with the show...

1. BLYTHE SPIRIT-1945

I love this film that stars Rex Harrison as a remarried author who travels to the countryside with his 2nd wife to get more info on the novel he wishes to write. They contact a medium thinking it lots of fun until the ghost of his first wife appears leaving poor Sexy Rexy at his wit's end. Now the medium, played gloriously by the great Margaret Rutherford, has to try to send his first wife back to the heavens but how is another matter. A great play by Noel Coward and expertly directed by David Lean before he went epic. 

2. NIGHTMARE ALLEY-1947

Yup, the new film, starring Bradley Cooper, is a remake  of this film which stars Tyrone Power in the lead. Now, I just saw the new film, which is excellent but this, too, is well made and was Tyrone Power's favourite film. He stars as a handsome (hell, it is Tyrone Power) conman who stumbles into a fair/carny show and witnesses a Geek show ( a supposed wildman who bites the heads off chickens, you know, Ozzy Osborne) wondering how anyone can get that low. He is hired to help out at the Carny and soon becomes the boy toy of Joan Blondell who has a mind reading scam going on with her alcoholic husband. Ty learns all he can about this mental shell game and rises in popularity. Another gal in the fair falls for him and goes with him when he decides to take this game on the road rising to great heights. At one of his mind-reading shows, he meets a female psychiatrist and a secret bond starts to happen. Tyrone Power was sick of his pretty boy image and wanted to be taken seriously as an actor which is why he took on this role but the audiences were not loving it so it bombed back then but is now heralded as a classic. I think of both films as apples and oranges and should not be compared too much even though it is the same story. Both are excellent.

3. THE GIFT-2000

Cate Blanchett, who is in the remake of Nightmare Alley, stars in this film about a psychic/medium trying to make a living in the backwaters of a small Southern town. She reads tarot cards for many people including Hilary Swank as a poor beaten upon wife of a very nasty Keanu Reeves who really hates Cate Blanchett. Cate is also friends with a put upon Giovanni Ribisi who is abused by his dad. Unfortunately, Cate now has dreams of a rich bitch (Katie Holmes) being murdered and she goes to the police about it but is laughed at until they find her body. Greg Kinnear rounds out the cast as a sympathetic teacher who was engaged to poor bitchy Katie. I really enjoyed this small gem Cate made just before mega-stardom. I thought all the actors were excellent in their roles including Keanu as a really mean bastard. The ethereal feel to the film also brought more to the whole theme with the surroundings adding that extra touch. It is worth a look.

Have you ever gone to see a psychic? Impressed or not? Which films can you think of?