Thursday Movie Picks- Cinephiles In Movies

 

I love movies!...Well, Duh:) I learned to love movies from my dad who would turn on an old movie any chance he got which was often. This was when ABC had "Movies for a Sunday Afternoon" as well as "The Late Show" before the anthum was played and the TV went to that screen us oldies know well. Here, in Canada, we had the great Elwy Yost who showcased a movie on his "Magic Shadows" and finally had a double feature with some excellent interviews on "Saturday Night At The Movies". I was hooked and watched everything that I could watch including when channel 29 came on board and showed all these B movies on Sundays. This was my education to monsters like "Godzilla", "Gargantuan" and "Them"....oh and "Attack of the Killer Shrews." Wandering Through The Shelves chose a theme that, I think, plays to our own hearts and I have chosen 3 films that, I think, exemplify, the lover of movies.

1. NICKELODEON-1976

 The wonderful Peter Bogdonovich, who just passed away earlier this year, had a wealth of knowledge when it came to the beginnings of film. Somehow that bastard was able to talk to the greats from the early days of cinema (and beyond) and amassed a wealth of knowledge plus an unbridled joy when it came time to showcase early Hollywood. This film stars Ryan O'Neal as a would be director of flickers who, along with the owner of the New Jersey studio, decide to relocate to a small town/village called Hollywood. They must escape the Edison (Yes that Edison)patent people who will do everything they can to stop the independants from making movies. Along the way they meet a young gal (Tatum O'Neal) and a photographer (John Ritter)  who along with their main actress and actor (Burt Reynolds), decide to take on Hollywood. This is quite a funny movie and one made with love because most of the stories in this film truly happened. Bogdonovich was friends with the early directors of Allan Dwan and Raoul Walsh who told him many tales. This is one of my favourites.

2. BOWFINGER-1999

Another film that makes me laugh but showcases how much some people just love the movies. This film stars Steve Martin as Bowfinger as a truly, truly, truly bad director and owner of a studio that can't afford stamps never mind having Fedex finally stop at his sad little home...er...movie studio. He has all sorts of missfits work on his film from an over the hill actress (Christine Baranski) to his accountant come screenwriter. He hires a starlet who will sleep with anyone to get ahead (Heather Graham) and, finally, an innocent young guy who looks amazingly like a big ass star (Eddie Murphy in a dual role). OK, The guy is not innocent, he is what we used to refer to as "simple-minded" (Please, don't blast me for writing something that is now poilitically incorrect)  and looks like that dumb ass star because that is his brother who has some major issues of his own. I love how everyone is in this movie because they just love movies including the Mexican illegals they grab out of the brush only for these same Mexican migrant workers now reading "Cahiers Du Cinema" while the rest have no clue what Martin's character is up to. I love the slap against the Scientology freaks in this film as well. It is so funny and yet, endearing. 

3. HUGO-2011

 This is a film directed by Martin Scorsese, another lover of all things cinema and there is no F Bombs every 2 seconds, no Robert De Niro and no Gangsters splitting heads open...how refreshing. It is about a young boy who lives high up in the rafters of a Paris Train station with an automatron that his father had but no longer works. In this station we meet all sorts of people, from Christopher Lee to Frances De La Tour (I love her) as well as an elderly man who sells toys and trinkets. The elderly man seems tired and not too friendly but his Goddaughter is the bridge between the 2. The boy wants to get the Automatron working thinking his dad will speak through this machine and soon finds out that this elderly man used to be a huge director of his own studio-George Melies. Unfortunately, this kid has to stay clear of the Inspector (Sasha Baron Cohen) who would love to catch the kid and throw him into an orphanage. The children are delighted to find some old films of Melies and  help Melies receive the recognition he deserves. I don't care what abnyone thinks, I think this film is a hidden gem that makes me smile and believe in make believe. When I was a kid, I saw a George Melies film and fell in love with his work. To this day I am mesmorized by his ability to create something amazing back before people could fly.

Which film did you watch that made you fall for a movie or fall in love with movies? 

Here is a bonus...

This was done in 1896!