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Home Archives for Appreciation Post

December 29, 2013 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

Joan Fontaine (A Fan’s Appreciation)

Dear Joan Fontaine,

As I watched Suspicion earlier this evening, I was reminded of the heartbreak I felt when I heard of your passing at the age of 96 a couple of weeks ago. It was a full life that much is certain. But I am not here for that rehash of the biographical details of your life – the family tensions, the highs and lows and such. I just want to spend a moment reflecting on your body of work and what it has meant for me and my enduring passion for the world of cinema.

Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine in Suspicion.
Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine in Suspicion.

I think my first on screen encounter with you occurred when I saw Jane Eyre during my 10th grade English class. While my classmates chuckled heartedly at the ‘high-waistedness’ of Orson Welles’ pants, silently, I was fascinated by the ‘mouseish’ yet indomitable spirit you conveyed in your portrayal of the titular English governess. This film heralded my introduction into classic film – which in turn, opened up the entire world of film to me. For that I will be forever grateful to your part in this.

Joan Fontaine in Jane Eyre.
Joan Fontaine in Jane Eyre.

Post Jane Eyre, I made it a mission of mine to comb through your filmography and catch as many films as was possible, and by the means I had at my disposal at the time – the public library’s video collection, American Movie Classics and (much later) Turner Classic Movies. As part of my obsession with Alfred Hitchcock, I read the book Rebecca with the sole purpose of being able to watch the film. And boy I am glad that I did. Although some of the particulars of the novel varied in the screen adaptation (for reasons), I was still taken in by your performance of a naive young woman drawn down the rabbit hole into a fraught, almost surreal world.

Joan Fontaine in Rebecca.
Joan Fontaine in Rebecca.

Through the years, I continued to marvel at the variety of films that you starred in, notably Letter From an Unknown Woman and another lesser known film – my “go to” for those rainy Thursday afternoons when all you want to do is cuddle up on your sofa and blank the entire world out (save for what you are watching). RKO’s From This Day Forward always did the trick for me. Now, on its surface there is nothing extraordinary or groundbreaking about this film – it is a standard, romantic post-war melodrama. But for some reason since I first saw it struck a sentimental chord and whenever it came on, a big, cheesy smile crept across my face at the anticipation of seeing it again. It has been several years since I last saw it, but I will try to remedy that once I find a digital version of it to watch.

From This Day Forward
From This Day Forward

So I could bather on and on but I think I will leave it here – your work as a lasting testament to the dedication to your craft. You will be sorely missed.

Letter From an Unknown Woman
Letter From an Unknown Woman

Much Luv ~

iluvcinema

—————

Scheduling Note: Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will air a 7-film retrospective in memory of Fontaine’s work today, Sunday December 29th.

Joan in 1978
Joan in 1978

 

Filed Under: Appreciation Post Tagged With: joan fontaine

December 18, 2013 By iluvcinema 3 Comments

Brad Pitt 50th Birthday Appreciation Post

Today, Brad Pitt is officially a member of AARP folks (DANG I feel old). In honor of reaching this milestone, I wanted to share with you all a list of my favorite performances by him. Unfortunately I cannot be bothered with the actual order (well, maybe I will do it in reverse chronology), but just know that if it made the list, I thought it was good.

'WORLD WAR Z' Germany Premiere

Also I am a heathen, in so much as I have not seen such gems as Tree of Life, The Assassination of Jessie James …, Fight Club and Inglorious Basterds. So maybe that negates all of my efforts in the minds of some. Fear not doubters, I will (eventually) get to them.

12 Years a Slave (2013): Granted, his time on camera is very limited but I just wanted to put this out there mainly on the strength of the film which is, simply stated, it is a sublime cinematic experience. See it if you can, please.

Moneyball (2011): Check out my review to see what I liked about it ….

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005): Okay my one exception to my above stated criteria for standard of quality. It is simply an action-y guilty pleasure of mine. Deal with it.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001): Loved the pacing and everything about this Soderbergh-helmed caper.

12 Monkeys (1995): I guess my soft spot for this film is based on 1) my appreciation of its source (Chris Marker’s short, La Jete) and 2) my appreciation for the work of Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam.

Se7en (1995): I like this film more and more each time I have seen since that first time in the movie theater.

A River Runs Through It (1992): Pitt’s golden boy looks worked so well in this adaptation of writer Norman Maclean’s autobiographical tale. It also gets major props for the beautiful, serene photography.

 

What are your faves? Hit me in the comments section below.

 

Filed Under: Appreciation Post Tagged With: 50th birthday, brad pitt

November 9, 2013 By iluvcinema 4 Comments

An Appreciation Post: Dorothy Dandridge

Today, in honor of what would have been Dorothy Dandridge’s 91st birthday, I to take a moment to share some of my favorite resources that feature the groundbreaking actress and performer, who made history by becoming the first African American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress (Carmen Jones).

dorothy-dandridge-necklace-01-close-sepia

A true beauty, her life reads like a mournful tragedy. Taken from the world all too soon at the age of 42, the artifacts of her life’s work serve as a constant reminder of an extraordinary talent, as well as provides a glimpse of a dream deferred, of what could have or might have been in a different place and time.

For a more comprehensive survey of her life, I highly recommend the book Dorothy Dandridge, written by Dr. Donald Bogle. You may also want to check out the 1999 HBO production Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, starring Halle Berry, in a Golden-Globe/Screen Actors’ Guild/Emmy awards-winning role. Fun Fact: Television impresario Shonda Rhimes, shared a teleplay writing credit with Scott Abbott, itself based on the book Dorothy Dandridge: An Intimate Portrait of Hollywood’s First Major Black Film Star, written by Earl Mills.

 

Dorothy Dandridge Biographies

Clip 1 (via bio.com)

 

Clip 2 (In Concert – full episode)

 

Clip 3 (A&E’s Biography – full episode)

 

 

Dorothy Dandridge Performances

Chattanooga Choo-Choo (with the Nicholas Brothers and the Glenn Miller Orchestra):

 

The Colgate Comedy Hour:

 

Cow Cow Boogie:

 

*Special shout out to YouTube Channel, dorothyjeandadridge for posting and making available many of the clips I have included in this post.

 

Selected Filmography

Carmen Jones (1954)

Island in the Sun (1957)

Porgy and Bess (1959)

Uncredited performances in A Day at the Races (1937, featuring the Marx Brothers), The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935), Irene (1940, featuring Ray Milland and Irene Dunne), Since You Went Away (1944, featuring Claudette Colbert and Jennifer Jones).

 

Filed Under: Appreciation Post Tagged With: dorothy dandridge

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