August 12 - The Scarlet Pimpernel(1982)

This is a film with a scene that happens today – August 12. I hope you will enjoy this movie and watch it tonight.

THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL

An underground group, led by the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel, smuggles aristocrats who have been condemned to death by the French revolutionies out of the country. The Scarlet Pimpernel is actually Sir Percy Blakney, who acts as a fop, to divert suspicion. After Blakney saves Armand St. Just from an attack by agents of the Marquis St. Cyr, he meets and is smitten by his sister, Marguerite. She is involved with Paul Chauvelin, who has the task of tracking down the Scarlet Pimpernel. Chauvlin deduces the Scarlet Pimpernel is English and plans to go to England to try and ferret out who he is, using the Count de Tourney to introduce him into society.  Blakney uses a picnic with Marguerite to smuggle an aristocrat out of the city. Chauvelin discovers a note that Marguerite had found that proves St. Cyr is a traitor and Marguarite breaks it off with him, as she is upset by his bloodthirstiness Armand St. Just becomes disgusted with the revolution and starts working with the Scarlet Pimpernel. St. Cyr is arrested after Chauvelin files a warrant listing Maurgurite as the accuser. Blakney and Marguerite are married. The Count de Tourney tells Blakney about Marguerite’s apparent involvement in the arrest and execution of St. Cyr and his family. When Marguerite is accused to her face of complicity in St. Cyr’s death and Blakney does not defend her, she doubts his love for her. Chauvelin discovers  Armand is in league with the Scarlet Pimpernel. Chauvelin uses this info to blackmail Margurite into working for him as an agent to ferret out the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. On August 12, 1794 [Part 2 - 15:09 to 25:48] the Blakneys attend a ball in honor of the Prince of Wales birthday.  At the ball Margurite learns that the Scarlet Pimpernel has a meeting at midnight and tell Chauvelin. Marguerite goes and warns the Scarlet Pimpernel, but does not discover his identity. However, Blakney learns that she is being blackmailed by Chauvelin and that she had nothing to do with St. Cyr’s death. Chauvelin doesn’t catch the Scarlet Pimpernel, but learns Margurite betrayed him. Margurite learns her husband is the Scarlet Pimpernel. The Count de Tourney warns Armand that Chauvelin is on to him and he is arrested. Armand had succeded in getting the family who guarded the Dauphin replaced. Marguerite follows Percy to France to help save him. The Scarlet Pimpernel, acting as the contractors hired to haul off the belongings of the guard’s family, smuggles the Dauphin out of jail.  Blakney returns to save Armand, but is arrested. A deal is arranged: the Dauphin for the lives of Sir Percy. Armand and Marguerite.  Chauvelin travels with his three hostages to where the Dauphin is located. Hoever, the Dauphin has already been sent on across the border. Chauvelin orders Sir Percy to be shot. However, the guards are part of the Scarlet Pimpernel’s organization.  Sir Percy and Chauvelin duel. Sir Percy wins, but refuses to kill him. Sir Percy and Marguerite return to England.

A classic swashbuckling adventure. You have to pay attention as the twists and turns of the plot are somewhat complicated. All in all and enjoyable adventure film that concentrates on developing the characters as much as the action.  Many versions of this omit the scene that gives the date.    

At about 20:55 – Part 2 Chauvelin says he’s attending this ball “to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Wales” which was on this date as per Prince of Pleasure: The Prince of Wales and the Making of the Regency by Saul David (Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 1998) at page 5

Producer - David Conroy

Director - Clive Donner

Screenplay -William Bast

Awards – The movie won the Outstanding Costume Design for a Limited Series or

                 Special. It was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Special and Outstanding

                 Art Direction for a Limited Series or Special at the 35^th Primetime Emmys.

Runtime – 2 hours 22 minutes

Released – November 9, 1982

Starring –

Anthony Andrews as Sir Percy Blakeney/ the Scarlet Pimpernel, an English aristocrat

Jane Seymour as Marguerite St. Just, a French actress whom Percy Blakeney meets

Ian McKellen as Paul Chauvelin, the chief agent of the Committee of Public Safety

James Villiers as the Baron de Batz, an Austrian nobleman involved in a covert operation

Malcolm Jamieson as Armand St. Just, the brother of Marguerite

Eleanor David as Louise, a French actress and understudy of Marguerite St. Just's

Richard Morant as Robespierre, a leader of the French Revloution

Dominic Jephcott as Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, a member of the League

Christopher Villiers as Lord Antony Dewhurst, a member of the League

Denis Lill as the Count de Tournay, a French aristocrat and friend of Percy Blakeney

Ann Firbank as the Countess de Tournay, the wife of Count de Tournay

Tracey Childs as Suzanne de Tournay, the daughter of Count and Countess de Tournay

Julian Fellowes as the Prince of Wales, the somewhat foppish heir to the British throne

Mark Drewry as Lord Timothy Hastings, a member of the League

John Quarmby as Ponceau, a Frenchman who works for the Committee of Public Safety

David Gant as Fouquet, a Frenchman who works for Robespierre

Geoffrey Toone as the Marquis de St. Cyr, a French aristocrat

Joanna Dickens as Aunt Lulu, the aunt of Louise

Richard Charles as Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France

Gordon Gostelow as Duval, the caretaker of the young Dauphin in prison

Carol MacReady as Madame Duval, the wife of Duval

Daphne Anderson as Lady Grenville, an English noblewoman

Nick Brimble as Bibot, a French soldier

Tony Caunter as Pochard, a French soldier

Timothy Carlton as the Count de Beaulieu, a French aristocrat rescued from the guillotine

Kate Howard as the Countess de Beaulieu, the wife of Count de Beaulieu

August 11 - District 9

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 11. I hope you enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

DISTRICT 9

In 1982 an alien spacecraft with 1.8 million “Prawns”, as they are called arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa. The aliens are segregated in District 9. Now after 20 years the government wants to move them to a remote area.  Wikus van de Merwe is put in charge of this effort. While serving eviction notices, Merwe destroys an alien nest and a container containing a fluid that he accidentally sprays on himself. He starts mutating into a prawn and is used to test alien weapons that only work with their DNA present. Plans are made to dissect him but on August 11, 2010 [37:59 to 49:52] Merwe escapes from the hospital. Merwe goes to District 9 and meets the alien, Christopher Johnson who had extracted the fluid. He says that if he had it, they could go to the mothership and reverse Merwe’s condition. To get the fluid Merwe and Johnson attack the lab and retrieve the fluid. Johnson says he must return to his home planet, which will take three years. Merwe attacks him and takes off in the shuttle, which is shot down. Merwe and Johnson are captured by the army, but rescued by Nigerian arms dealers. Their leader thinks that eating Merwe’s alien arm will let him use the alien weapons.   Merwe uses an alien battle suit to enable Johnson to escape to the mothership., which leaves Earth. Merwe disappears, but he may have transformed into a Prawn, awaiting Johnson’s return with the other aliens in new District 10.  

This is a very strange sc-fi film. In part social satire, in part comedy, it’s very hard to classify. The actor may be unknown, but under they all turn in compelling performances. 

When Merwe escapes from the hospital the security camera footage at 44:41 shows this date

Producer - Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham

Director - Neill Blomkamp

Screenplay - Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell

Awards –  The movie was nominated for the Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best

                  Visual Effects, and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars at the 82^nd Academy

                   Awards

Runtime – 1 hour 52 minutes

Released – August 13, 2009

Starring –

Sharlto Copley as Wikus van de Merwe, a mild-mannered manager

Jason Cope as Christopher Johnson, an alien

David James as Colonel Kobus Venter, a mercenary-soldier sent to capture Wikus  Eugene Khumbanyiwa as Obesandjo, a paralyzed psychopathic Nigerian warlord

Louis Minnaar as Piet Smit, a director at MNU, and Wikus' father-in-law

Mandla Gaduka as Fundiswa Mhlanga, Wikus' assistant and trainee during the eviction

Vanessa Haywood as Tania Smit van de Merwe, Wikus' wife

Robert Hobbs as Ross Pienaar.

Kenneth Nkosi as Thomas, an MNU security guard.

Nathalie Boltt as Sarah Livingstone, a sociologist at Kempton Park University

Sylvaine Strike as Katrina McKenzie, a doctor from the Department of Social Assistance

John Sumner  as Les Feldman, a MIL engineer

Nick Blake as Francois Moraneu, a member of the CIV Engineer Team

Jed Brophy as James Hope, the ACU chief of police

Vittorio Leonardi as Michael Bloemstein, from the MNU Dept. of Alien Civil Affairs

Johan van Schoor as Nicolaas van de Merwe, Wikus' father

Marian Hooman as Sandra van de Merwe, Wikus' mother

Stella Steenkamp as Phyllis Sinderson, a co-worker of Wikus'

Tim Gordon as Clive Henderson, an entomologist at WLG University

Jonathan Taylor as the Doctor

Nick Boraine as Lieutenant Weldon, Colonel Venter's right-hand man

August 10 - Beyond Rangoon

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 10. Ihope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

BEYOND RANGOON

Andy Bowman persuades her sister Laura to go on a trip to Burma after Laura’s husband and son are killed in a home invasion and Laura had gone into a deep depression. One night, unable to sleep because of nightmares, Laura leaves her hotel in Rangoon and gets caught up in an anti-government protest. She is very impressed by the bravery of  Aung San Suu Kyi. When her tour group leaves the country, Laura cannot leave with them because she has lost her passport.  She meets U Aung Ko, who acts as an unofficial tour guide and drives an ancient Chevy. He takes Laura out into the countryside to a Buddhist monastery. The car develops problems, but fortunately they are able to coast to the house of some of Ko’s friends and former students. Laura learns that Ko used to be a college professor, who was banned from teaching for supporting anti-government activity led by his former student Min Han. She has a breakdown and tells Ko what happened to her family. The next morning they learn that the 8888 uprising began the previous day. Ko  takes Laura to a station to get train back to Rangoon. She sneaks on board, but the soldiers start beating Ko and when Min Han intervenes, Han is shot and killed. Laura gets  Ko  into the car and they leave, pursued by the soldiers, but Ko is shot and wounded. They end up crashing into the Irrawaddy river, but get away from the soldiers. They get on a raft taking bamboo to Rangoon. Laura, who is a doctor operates on Ko to remove the bullet. The next day on August 10, 1988 [53:43 to 1:04:44] the raft stops at a village. Laura goes to find drugs to treat Ko. She reluctantly accepts a pistol from one of the crew. At a clinic Laura finds the drugs she needs, but has to shoot a soldier to keep from being raped. When they arrive in Rangoon, the city is in the throes of a full scale revolt. When Laura attempts to get into the US embassy the military tries to arrest her for helping Ko. The student demonstrators rescue her and Ko. After they witness soldiers killing civilians they get put on a truck heading for the border. Near the border the group has to abandon their truck and make run through the jungle. They meet up with a group of Karen rebels. Laura has dream where her son Danny tells her she has to let him go. Laura and her group make a harrowing river crossing into Thailand under mortar fire and reach a refugee camp. Having found a new purpose in life Laura begins helping at the camp’s hospital.

This is a very good, but overlooked film. A rare movie that has a deeply spiritual message. Arquette and Aung Ko both give excellent, nuanced performances. One of Boorman’s best films. The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer is a true classic.

Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know by David Steinberg (Oxford University Press, New York, 2010) at page 78 gives the date of the start of the 8888 riots and this is two days after that. The film at 1:15 says it is August, 1988.

Producer - John Boorman, Sean Ryerson, Eric Pleskow and Barry Spikings

Director - John Boorman

Screenplay - Alex Lasker and Bill Rubenstein

Runtime – 1 hour 39 minutes

Released – June 30, 1995

Starring –

Patricia Arquette as Laura Bowman

Frances McDormand as Andy Bowman

U Aung Ko as U Aung Ko

Johnny Cheah as Min Han

Adelle Lutz as Aung San Suu Kyi

Spalding Gray as Jeremy Watt

Tiara Jacquelina as San San, Hotel Desk Clerk

Kuswadinath Bujang as Colonel at Hotel

Victor Slezak as Mr. Scott

Jit Murad as Sein Htoo

Ye Myint as Zaw Win

Cho Cho Myint as Zabai

Haji Mohd Rajoli as Karen Father

Azmi Hassan as Older Karen Boy

Ahmad Fithi as Younger Karen Boy

August 9 - Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 9. I hope you will enjoy the film and watch it tonight.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?

In 1917 Baby Jane Hudson is a spoiled brat vaudeville star who arouses the hatred of her overlooked sister, Blanche.  Eighteen years later the tables are reversed. Blanche Hudson is a hugely popular movie star while Jane is a washed up drunken has been. One night when the sisters are driving home together the driver of the car rams the gate, trying to crush the other. Twenty-seven years later the sisters live together. Blanche is in a wheelchair  as a result of the accident. Blanche defends her sister to their cleaning lady Elvira, even after she learns Jane has been disposing of her mail. When Blanche tells Jane that because of financial reverses, she may have to sell the house, Jane becomes upset. She takes the phone out of Blanche’s room and serves Blanche her dead parakeet for lunch. When Jane goes out to place an ad for a piano player so she can revive her career, Blanche types a note begging for help and throws it out the window. However Jane and not the next door neighbor finds it. They argue again about the house. The next morning, August 9, 1962 [1:05:53 to 1:30:58] Jane gives Elvira the day off and later gives Blanche a dead rat for lunch. Edwin Flagg comes to see Jane about updating her repertoire. Blanche drives him home and stops to pickup her new costumes. Blanche uses the opportunity to crawl downstairs and calls her doctor, asking him to come at once. Unfortunately, Jane arrives home just then. She beats Blanche unconscious and expertly imitating her voice on the phone, tells the him that Blanche has found a new doctor. Jane drags Blanch upstairs and ties her to the bed. The next day Jane fires Elvira, who sneaks in once Jane leaves. Jane returns, finds her trying to get into Blanche’s room. Jane lets her in then kills Elvira. She later disposes of Elvira’s body. The police later call and tell Jane that Elvira has been reported missing. Edwin arrives to get paid. He hears Blanche upstairs and after seeing her emaciated condition flees the house. Jane flees to the beach with Blanche. Elvira’s body has been found and the police are looking for the Hudson sisters. Blanche confesses to Jane that she was the one who tried to run Jane down and hitting the gate broke her back. The police find Jane, who begins dancing on the beach.       

A strange and disturbing movie. It touches on the power of secrets, sibling rivalry and lost dreams. Both Joan Crawford and Betty Davis give outstanding performances.

Date given in film at 1:23:06 on check stub

Producer - Robert Aldrich

Director - Robert Aldrich

Awards – The film won the Best Back and White Costume Design Oscar. It was also

                 Nominated for the Best Actress(Davis), Best Supporting Actor(Buono), Best

                 Black and White Cinematography and Best Sound Oscars at the 35^th Academy

                 Awards. 

Screenplay - Lukas Heller

Runtime – 2 hours 13 minutes

Released – October 31, 1962

Starring –

Bette Davis as Jane Hudson

Julie Allred as young Jane

Joan Crawford as Blanche Hudson

Gina Gillespie as young Blanche

Victor Buono as Edwin Flagg

Maidie Norman as Elvira Stitt

Anna Lee as Mrs. Bates

B.D. Merrill as Liza Bates

Marjorie Bennett as Dehlia Flagg

Dave Willock as Ray Hudson

August 8 - Casualties of War

This is a film with a scene that happens today – August 8.  I hope you enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

CASUALTIES OF WAR

On August 8, 1974 [00:43 to 2:22] Max Eriksson is riding the bus in San Francisco when he sees a young Vietnamese girl, which causes him to flash back to an incident during the Vietnam War. During a VC attack Eriksson falls into a tunnel, but is rescued by Sergeant Tony Meserve. The squad relaxes in a village until there is a VC attack and one man is killed. The squad’s leave is cut short and they are sent out on patrol. Meserve, over Eriksson’s objections kidnaps a young Vietnamese girl, Than to be their sex slave. She is beaten and raped by all the men except Eriksson and develops a persistent cough. During an attack on a VC supply depot, Than is stabbed by Diaz, but still tries to escape. Eriksson tries to save her, but she is killed by the rest of the squad. Back a base Eriksson reports what happened, but his superiors try to cover it up. Clark tries to kill Eriksson and eventually a chaplain who hears the story gets an investigation launched.  After a court-martial Meserve, Clark, Hatcher and Diaz are convicted.  Eriksson comes out of his reverie and leaves the bus to return her scarf, which she dropped, to the girl. [1:43:50 to 1:47:07]

This is a good movie. Both Fox as the honorable Eriksson and Penn as the crazy Meserve give good performances. The action sequences are very well done.

At 1:47 we see a newspaper with the headline “Nixon resigning” meaning it is the day before he did resign, as per Nixon: A Life by Jonathan Aitken (Regney Press, Washington, 1993) at page 521.

Producer - Art Linson

Director - Brian De Palma

Screenplay - David Rabe

Runtime -  1 hour 53 minutes

     

Released - August 18, 1989

Starring –

Michael J. Fox as Private Max Eriksson

Sean Penn as Sergeant Tony Meserve

John C. Reilly as Private Herbert Hatcher

Dale Dye as Captain Hill

Don Patrick Harvey as Corporal Thomas E. Clark

John Leguizamo as Private Antonio Diaz

Thuy Thu Le as Oanh

Erik King as Specialist 4th Class "Brownie" Brown

Ving Rhames as Lieutenant Reilly

Dan Martin as Hawthorne

Steve Larson as First Agent

Vyto Ruginis as Prosecutor

Wendell Pierce as MacIntire

Sam Robards as Chaplain Kirk

Maris Valainis as Streibig

Darren E. Burrows as Cherry

Sherman Howard as Court Martial President

John Marshall Jones as M.P.

Holt McCallany as Lieutenant Kramer

Scott Gregory as First Soldier Charlie

Donal Gibson as Soldier

Stephen Baldwin as Soldier

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