August 7 - My Week With Marilyn

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 7. I hope you will enjoy this fim and watch it tonight.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Colin Clark, who wants to be a filmmaker goes to London to try and get a job with Sir Laurence Olivier’s production company. He’s initially told there are no open positions, but Olivier’s wife, Vivien Leigh persuades him to hire Clark to find a house for Marilyn Monroe and her husband, playwright Arthur Miller to live in while she is in England filming Olivier’s new film, The Prince and The Showgirl. Clark gains some respect when after the press quickly discovers the house he chose, he reveals he has a second house in reserve and hires a bodyguard for Marilyn. Marilyn arrives to a media frenzy. Marilyn has difficulty at the read through. Colin meets Lucy, a wardrobe assistant.  On August 7, 1956, when Marilyn is late, [19:50 to 25:26] it’s a difficult first day of shooting. Colin and Lucy go on a date. Sybil Thorndike supports Marilyn when Olivier tries to get Marilyn to apologize for holding up shooting. There’s almost a riot when Marilyn is recognized when she tries to go shopping incognito. Marilyn leaves the set when Olivier insults her, but Colin asks him to be more understanding. He finds Marilyn upset by the draft of a new play written by her husband that seems to mock her and he later returns to the United States. Marilyn’s sex appeal drives a wedge between Olivier and his wife.  Colin and Marilyn meet and Lucy breaks up with Colin. Colin takes Marilyn on a tour on Windsor Castle and Eton. They go skinny dipping. Colin is called to Marilyn’s house as her staff thinks she’s taken a drug overdose. The next night she is in pain and thinks she’s had a miscarriage.  Marilyn completes the film. Lucy won’t get back with Colin. Marilyn thanks Colin for his support and leaves for America.

A very interesting film. Purports to show us the world behind the scenes of a film production. Redmayne and Williams are the stars of this film. Both give natural, life-like performances that help keep this film fresh. 

The date is given in the film at 23:25 on a clapboard with British dating system day/month/year.

Producer - David Parfitt and Harvey Weinstein

Director - Simon Curtis

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Actress(Williams) and Best Supporting

                 Actor(Branagh) Oscars at the 84^th Academy Awards.

Screenplay - Adrian Hodges

Runtime – 1 hour 41 minutes

Released – October 9, 2011

Starring –

Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe

Kenneth Branagh as Sir Laurence Olivier

Eddie Redmayne as Colin Clark

Emma Watson as Lucy

Judi Dench as Dame Sybil Thorndike

Zoe Wanamaker as Paula Strasberg

Dougray Scott as Arthur Miller

Julia Ormond as Vivien Leigh

August 6 - Drums Along the Mohawk

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 6. I hope you enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK

Gil Martin and his wife Lana move to his farm on the frontier near Deerfield, New York after their marriage. Lana is frightened by the appearance of  Blue Back, an Indian who is a friend of her husband. The couple are soon working together on their farm  and attend a militia muster. A community field clearing at their farm is interrupted by the arrival of Blue Back, who gives warning of an Indian attack. The settlers flee to the fort, but the stress causes Lana to miscarry. The Martin’s farm is burned, so they go to work for  Mrs. McKlennar, a wealthy widow. The militia march off and fight and lose at the Battle of Oriskansy On August 6, 1777 [51:46 to 1:01:29] the militia, including a wounded Gil arrive back at their homes. Things return to normal and Lana and Gil have a son. Then the Indians attack again, with the settlers again taking refuge in the now named Fort Herkimer. After the first runner sent to get reinforcements is killed, Gil volunteers to go. He outruns several Indian braves who pursue him. Reinforcements reach the fort just as an Indian attack is about to overwhelm the defenders. The settlers learn the American Revolutionary War is over and the Unites States is now independent.

A pretty good film. The action scenes are pretty exciting and the film avoids slipping into the melodrama all too common in films of the era. On the whole this movie has stood the test of time and is well worth watching.

Although we are never told the name of the battle in the movie, in the novel Drums Along the Mohawk by Walter D. Edmunds (Little, Brown and Company, New York, 1964) we are told that “they had an action… fetch down Herkimer. He’s hurt bad” at page 212 and that “the death of Herkimer shook the people” at page 259. In Almost a Miracle by John Ferling (Oxford University Press, New York, 2007) at page 230 we are told that at Oriskansy on August 5, 1777 St. Leger ambushed Herkimer’s force, and Herkimer 10 days later died of the wounds he suffered in this battle, which lasted six hours. So the battle referenced must be Oriskansy and due to the distances involved the Americans would have reached home early the next morning.  

Producer - Darryl F. Zanuck

Director - John Ford

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress(Oliver) and Best

                 Cinematography Oscars at the 12^th Academy Awards

Screenplay - Sonya Levien and Lamar Trotti

Runtime – 1 hour 43 minutes

Released - November 3, 1939

Starring –

Henry Fonda as Gilbert "Gil" Martin

Claudette Colbert as Magdelana "Lana" Martin

Edna May Oliver as Mrs. McKlennar

John Carradine as Caldwell

Ward Bond as Adam Hartman

Roger Imhof as Gen. Nicholas Herkimer

Arthur Shields as Rev. Rosenkrantz

Chief John Big Tree as Blue Back

Francis Ford as Joe Boleo

Jessie Ralph as Mrs. Weaver

Robert Lowery as John Weaver

Kay Linaker as Mrs. Demooth

Russell Simpson as Dr. Petry

Spencer Charters as Innkeeper

August 5 - The Omega Man

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 5. I hope you enjoy the film and watch it tonight.

THE ΩMEGA MAN

Neville is apparently the last normal human in Los Angles and perhaps the world. Two years before in a Sino-Soviet war, biological weapons had been used, causing a plague that killed off most of humanity and turning the survivors into night dwelling paranoid albinos. Neville lives in a fortified apartment building and patrols the city trying to find the daytime nest of the “Family” an anti-technology  mutant group led by Matthias, a former newscaster. On August 5, 1977 [25:44 to 49:24] Neville is at the Hotel  Premier. He later spots a normal girl. He chases her but can’t catch her. He is later caught by the Family and they plan to burn him alive, but the girl, Lisa saves him. She is the leader of a small band of normal humans. Her brother, Richie has the plague. Neville tells them he does not have the plague because after the outbreak he was injected with an experimental vaccine that prevented him from catching the disease. He and Dutch, a former medical student use Neville’s blood as a serum to cure Richie. Neville and Lisa begin a sexual relationship. Richie goes to Matthias to try and convince the Family to take the serum and get cured. Matthias refuses to believe it and kills Richie. Lisa suddenly succumbs to the plague and lets the Family into Neville’s building. Neville is mortally wounded. The other normal humans, led by Dutch discover the dying Neville and take the container of his blood he had prepared. They leave the city to start the process of curing humanity.   

This movie is a guilty pleasure for me. The plot is hackneyed and some of the lines are the cheesiest of cinema history, but I still like the movie. I don’t know why, but I enjoy the film and get absorbed in the story every time I see it.

He gives the date in his tape recording at 31:06-08

Producer - Walter Seltzer

Director - Boris Sagal

Screenplay - John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington

Runtime – 1 hour 38 minutes

Released – August 1, 1971

Starring -

Charlton Heston as  Neville

Anthony Zerbe as Matthias

Paul Koslo as Dutch

Rosalind Cash as Lisa

Eric Laneuville as Richie

  

August 4 - The Diary of Anne Frank (2009)

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 4. I hope you enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

In 1942 in Nazi –occupied Holland, Anne Frank gets a diary for her thirteenth birthday. When her older sister Margot gets a summons to report for shipment to a labor camp, the whole family goes into hiding in the attics over Otto Frank’s business. Miep Gies, who works there, helps hide them at the risk of her own life. Hermann van Daan, his wife Petronella and their teenaged son, Peter move in with them. Being confined in such close quarters beings out personality conflicts between the residents. Albert Dussel also moves in with them. This causes problems as Anne is forced to share a bedroom with him. The building is sold. Anne becomes furious when her father refuses to stop Dr. Dussel from sending letters out of the Secret Annexe. The two further argue over sharing the desk in their room. Anne also has to deal with all the emotional and physical changes of puberty. The Van Daans argue continually about everything. Anne starts to develop an attraction for Peter. Her mother and her father warn her about her relationship with Peter and Anne writes them a hurtful letter. Burglars break into the building. She starts to revise her diary for publication after the war. Her relationship with Peter becomes strained. Then suddenly on August 4, 1944 [1:33:36 to 1:42:11] the Nazis enter the Secret Annexe and arrest them.   Miep Gies finds and preserves Anne’s diary.

A good adaptation of the book. This highlights all the aguements and petty spats that show above all else Anne and her family were real people, not just idealized icons. Her death made the world a less beautiful place.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (Doubleday, NY, 1991) at page 338 and the film at 1:33:43 give the date of their arrest.

Producer – Elinor Day

Director – Jon Jones

Screenplay - Anne Frank and Deborah Moggach

Runtime – 1 hour 45 minutes

Released -  5 January 5, 2009

Starring –

Ellie Kendrick as Anne Frank

Iain Glen as Otto Frank

Tamsin Greig as Edith Frank

Ron Cook as Hermann van Daan

Lesley Sharp as Petronella van Daan

Nicholas Farrell as Albert Dussel

Kate Ashfield as Miep Gies

Geoff Breton as Peter van Daan

Felicity Jones as Margot Frank

August 3 - The Wedding Singer

Here is a film with a scene that happens today – August 3. I hope you enjoy the movie and watch it tonight.

THE WEDDING SINGER

Robbie Hart is a singer who performs at weddings in 1980’s New Jersey. He is engaged to Linda, who became interested in him because she thought we was on a career path to be a rock star. He meets and becomes friends with Julia, a waitress at a venue where he often performs. She is engaged to Glenn. Linda, seeing Robbie’s career has stagnated leaves him at the altar on their wedding day. He dives into depression and Julia tries to cheer him up, in part by asking for his help in planning her own wedding. Then on a double date with Julia and Glenn and Robbie and Julia’s cousin, Robbie learns something disturbing. Glenn has been cheating of Julia and plans to continue this even after they are married. Julia and Robbie each start to develop feelings for each other, but both are afraid to express them and have some incorrect impressions about the other. Then  on August 3, 1985 [1:04:04 to 1:18:24] Robbie gets decked by Glenn after a heated argument. When a drunk Robbie goes home, Linda is there wanting to reconcile. The next morning she introduces herself as Robbie’s fiancée to Julia who had come to confess her feelings. This prompt her to tell Glenn she wants to get married at once and they elope to Las Vegas. Robbie breaks it off permanently with Linda and pursues Julia to Las Vegas. After some in-flight adventures involving 80’s icon Billy Idol’s help in exposing Glenn as the louse he is, Robbie and Julia confess their love for each other and are later married.

A greet romantic comedy. Sandler and Barrymore are perfect as the couple who are perfect for each other, but who can’t see it at first. Features the fantastic music of the 80’s.

Julia says their wedding is scheduled for August 5^th at 32:50, Robbie says at 1:23:58 they “were getting married tomorrow” so it is the 4^th, so Glenn decks Robbie the night before

Producer - Robert Simonds, Jack Giarraputo and Brad Grey

Director - Frank Coraci

Screenplay - Tim Herlihy

Runtime – 1 hour 35 minutes

Released -  February 13, 1998

Starring –

Adam Sandler as Robbie Hart

Drew Barrymore as Julia Sullivan

Christine Taylor as Holly Sullivan

Allen Covert as Sammy

Angela Featherstone as Linda

Matthew Glave as Glenn Gulia

Ellen Albertini Dow as Rosie

Alexis Arquette as George Stitzer

Christina Pickles as Angie Sullivan

Frank Sivero as Andy

Billy Idol as Himself

Kevin Nealon as Mr. Simms

Steven Brill as Glenn's buddy

 

August 2- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

This is a film with a scene that happens today – August 2. I hope you enjoy this movie and watch it tonight.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 1

Hermione Granger makes her parents forget her and the Dursleys leave their home. Both actions are taken in a effort to protect them from Voldemort. The use of six decoy Harrys, created through use of polyjuice potion, to get him to a safe location results in the death of ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody as they are attacked by Death Eaters, since Snape has betrayed the plan to Voldemort.  Rufus Scrimgeour arrives at the Weasley’s house and reads Dumbledore’s will. The wizard gave Ron his deluminator, Hermione his copy of The Tales of Beadle the Bard and to Harry he gave two items: the first snitch he caught at Hogwarts and the sword of Gryffindor. All the legacies are handed over, except for the sword, which is lost. At the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacore, Harry learns that Bathilda Bagshot, a friend of Dumbledore lives in Godric’s Hollow, the village where both his father and Dumbledore were from. Voldemort’s followers take over the Ministry of Magic and the wedding guests have to flee. Harry, Ron and Hermione disaparate to London. After being attacked by death eaters, they go to 12 Grimauld Place. There they learn that the locket that did not contain a horcrux, but a note signed R.A.B. was owned by Regulus Black. They remember that they had seen an identical locket in the house before, which they deduce must be the one with the real horcrux. Harry learns from the house elf, Kreacher,  that Mundungus Fletcher had stolen the locket. On August 2, 1997 [41:50 to 45:42] Kreacher is sent to find Mundungus Fletcher. They learn that Mundungus sold the locket to Delores Umbridge. Using polyjuice potion to disguise themselves, the three infiltrate the Ministry of Magic and get the locket. Ron is injured in their escape and they cannot destroy the locket, no matter what they try.  While the three are on the move from place to place Harry has a dream about a powerful wand. Ron becomes discouraged and leaves them. Harry and Hermione visit Bathilda Bagshot in Godric’s Hollow, whom Harry thinks might have the sword of Gryffindor. Instead they are attacked by Voldemort’s snake, Nagini and barely escape. At their next campsite Harry sees a doe patronus and follows it. It leads him to a pool where the sword of Gryffindor is on the bottom. He almost drowns trying to get it, but Ron appears and saves him. Ron uses the sword to destroy the horcrux. Ron tells how the deluminator led him to Harry and Hermione. The trio visit Xenophilius Lovegood and learn about the Deathly Hallows, three very powerful magical items. They are a cloak of invisibility, the resurrection stone, which can bring people back from death and the elder wand, which is unbeatable. They are captured by death eaters and taken to Malfoy manor where they find Luna Lovegood, Ollivander and Griphook imprisoned. Bellatrix Le Strange tortures Hermione, but the house elf Dobby appears. With his help everyone escapes, after Harry disarms Draco Malfoy. However, Dobby is killed. Voldemort takes the Elder wand from Dumbledore’s tomb.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (Scholastic Inc., New York, 2007) at page 113 we are told it is Harry’s birthday (which we know from elsewhere in the books is July 31) and the next day (page 131) is the wedding of Fleur and Bill Weasley from which Harry, Ron and Hermione have to flee to Grimauld Place. The next day (page 176) is when Harry sends Kreacher on his mission. 

Producer - David Heyman, David Barron and J. K. Rowling

Director - David Yates

Screenplay -Steve Kloves

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction

                 Oscars at the 83^rd Academy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 26 minutes

Released – November 18, 2010

Starring -

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter

Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend, Hermione's love interest

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Harry's best friend, Ron's love interest

Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, a Death Eater

Warwick Davis as Griphook, a goblin and former employee at Gringotts Bank

Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, a Death Eater and son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy

Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, an evil, power-hungry wizard

Brendan Gleeson as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, a member of the Order of the Phoenix

John Hurt as Garrick Ollivander, a wandmaker abducted by the Death Eaters

Rhys Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood, the eccentric father of Luna Lovegood

Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy's father and a disgraced Death Eater

Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour, the new Minister for Magic

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, the new headmaster of Hogwarts

Fiona Shaw as Petunia Dursley, Harry's Muggle aunt

Richard Griffiths as Vernon Dursley, Harry's Muggle uncle

Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew, a Death Eater

Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister

David Thewlis as Remus Lupin, a member of the Order of the Phoenix

Julie Walters as Molly Weasley, the Weasley matriarch and a mother figure to Harry

August 1 - The Pianist

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 1. I hope you enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

THE PIANIST

Władysław Szpilman is playing Chopin on Radio Poland when the station is knocked off the air by German bombing.  Within a month the Germans occupy Warsaw. They impose increasing restrictions on the Jewish population, including the Szpilman family. Soon the Jews are forced to move into a ghetto. Władysław plays in a café for food as conditions in the ghetto get worse and worse, with many people dying of hunger or disease.  Władysław’s brother Henryk is arrested, but Szpilman uses his influence with a member of the Jewish police, Itzhak Heller, to get him freed.  The family is caught in a round up of Jews who are being sent to the Treblinka extermination camp, but Itzhak Heller frees Władysław. He returns to the virtually empty ghetto and finds work as a mason. He helps smuggle pistols into the ghetto in preparation for an uprising. One day, working on a job Władysław sees  Janina Bogucki a friend from prewar days.  Using his contacts in the Polish underground he makes contact with her. She and her brother hide him in an apartment and bring him food. The Warsaw ghetto uprising starts but is brutally crushed by the Germans. Eventually Andrzej Bogucki s arrested, but Władysław continues to hide in the apartment until he runs out of food. He leaves and calls his emergency contact who turns out to be the husband of Dorota, a girl he knew in the early days of the war. She gets him a new apartment to hide in which is located in a German sector of the city.  His main enemy here is boredom as he can never leave the apartment. Władysław becomes ill but he recovers. On August 1, 1944 [1:43:44 to 1:45:42] the Warsaw uprising against the Nazis begins. When the Germans begin shelling his apartment building he has to leave and hides in an abandoned German army hospital. Soon he has to leave there and starts scrounging in a part of Warsaw devastated in the fighting. Here he is discovered by a German officer, Captain Wilm Hosenfeld, who selects the building  Władysław is hiding in as his headquarters. He lets Władysław hide in the attic and brings him food. Eventually the Germans leave and the Soviets capture the city. Władysław is almost shot as a German because he is wearing a coat Hosenfeld gave him. Hosenfeld,  from a POW holding area asks a friend of Władysław whom he sees to ask Władysław to help him. However, by the time Władysław gets there the POWs have been moved.  Władysław starts playing the piano on the radio and in concerts again.

A very interesting and moving film. Władysław endures a lot, but he has an eternally optimistic nature that helps him get through the tough times. Showcases the brave people who, at the risk of their own lives, helped him survive

The Third Reich at War by Richard J. Evans (The Penguin Press, New York, 2009) at page 622 and the film at 1:43:46 give the uprising’s start date.

Producer - Roman Polanski, Robert Benmussa and Alain Sarde

Director - Roman Polanski

Screenplay - Ronald Harwood

Awards – The movie won the Best Actor(Brody), Best Director and Best Adapted

                 Screenplay Oscars. It was also nominated for the Best Picture, Best Film

                 Editing, Best Costume Design and Best Cinematography Oscars at the 75th

                 Academy Awards.

Runtime – 2 hours 30 minutes

Released – May 24, 2002

Starring –

Adrien Brody as Władysław Szpilman

Thomas Kretschmann as Captain Wilm Hosenfeld

Frank Finlay as Father Szpilman

Maureen Lipman as Mother Szpilman

Ronan Vibert as Andrzej Bogucki

Ruth Platt as Janina Bogucki

Emilia Fox as Dorota

Michał Żebrowski as Jurek

Ed Stoppard as Henryk

Jessica Kate Meyer as Halina

Julia Rayner as Regina

Roy Smiles as Itzhak Heller

Richard Ridings as Mr. Lipa

Daniel Caltagirone as Majorek

Valentine Pelka as Dorota's husband