Roman Holiday

"At midnight, I'll turn into a pumpkin and drive away in my glass slipper."

"And that will be the end of the fairy tale."

Princess Ann (Hepburn) is traveling through Europe on a diplomatic tour.  Her schedule is tightly monitored each day and by the time she reaches Rome, she is exhausted.  A ball is held in her honor at the Roman embassy and that evening she is given a sedative to help her sleep.  Instead, she escapes from her guardians and takes to the streets of Rome.  She falls asleep on a park bench and is discovered by newspaper reporter Joe Bradley (Peck).  Bradley ends up taking her back to his apartment.

The next day he discovers her true identity and gets his editor to agree to a price for his exclusive story.  He proposes a day of fun with Ann, who gives the name "Anya Smith."  Then he convinces news photographer Irving Radovich (Albert) to join him for a day and take pictures.



This film was Audrey Hepburn's big break.  She previously appeared in a few films in Europe before making the transition to American films.  She had small roles in American films prior to this, but this was the film that made her a name.  It also helped to soften Gregory Peck's image, marking this as his first comedy film.  The role was written for Cary Grant, who turned it down.

The screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo and John Dighton.  However, Trumbo was blacklisted and unable to work in Hollywood, so the credit was given to his friend Ian McLellan Hunter.  In the 1990s, his contributions were officially recognized.  The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, with 3 wins including Best Actress, Best Costume Design (for Edith Head), and Best Story (Trumbo received his award posthumously).

Director William Wyler insisted that the film be shot on location in Italy.  Due to that choice, it was necessary for the filmmakers to film in black and white.  The ball at the beginning of the film featured actual European nobility, while the newsmen at the end of the film were also real newsmen.

It is a classic romantic comedy that still delights today.

Roman Holiday (1953) 118 minutes
Director: William Wyler
Starring: Gregory Peck as Joe Bradley
Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann
Eddie Albert as Irving Radovich
Hartley Power as Mr. Hennessy
Harcourt Williams as Ambassador
Margaret Rawlings as Countess Vereberg

TV: Happy Endings

"I'm not at a point in my life where I can be taken seriously."

In Chicago, six friends try to navigate life and relationships while knowing too much about each other.  Control-freak perfectionist Jane Kerkovich-Williams (Coupe) is married to overachiever Brad Williams (Wayans Jr.).  Jane's sister Alex Kerkovich (Cuthbert) owns a clothing store and loves ribs and used to be engaged to Dave Rose (Knighton) who loves Dave Matthews and owns a food truck.  Dave lives with slobby Max Blum (Pally), who is best friends with perpetually single Penny Hartz (Wilson).

They are a close-knit group that are together every day: drinking at their favorite bar, evenings at each other's apartments, etc.  But when Alex leaves Dave at the alter, everything changes.  Can they maintain the friendships as the group dynamic changes?


This show is often characterized as the "new Friends", but it is so much more than that.  It is a fast-paced show about a quirky group of friends.  You can't help but enjoy their adventures and personalities, while still understanding how hard it would be to be friends with them.

The pilot episode, along with the last episode of each season is focused on a wedding.  The pilot episode starts at the wedding of Alex and Dave.  The main characters attend weddings at the end of each season.  They also celebrate major and minor holidays together with their own traditions.

The cast and the writing is perfect.  Creator David Caspe brought together a stellar group of writers to bring the story to life.  And the cast is phenomenal.  Most were not well-known before.  Casey Wilson was a cast member on SNL for a year and a half.  Damon Wayans Jr. was involved in several movies made by his family.  Elisha Cuthbert was in several small films, and Eliza Coupe was a regular on the last 2 seasons of "Scrubs."

Since the show ended all have found steady work.  Although they have not found extensive success with these shows.  Wilson was a star in the online show "Burning Love" (a spoof of "The Bachelor") and the Hulu show "The Hotwives" (which is a spoof on "The Real Housewives" shows).  She is also married to Caspe.  Wayans Jr. was on the show "New Girl" and has made other comedy films.  Adam Pally went on to have a co-starring role on "The Mindy Project."  Zachary Knighton was on "FlashForward" and the show-lived "Weird Loners."  Cuthbert was "One Big Happy" and "The Ranch" and Coupe was on "Benched."

The show was only on the air for 3 seasons, but made a big impact.

Happy Endings (2011-2013)
Creator: David Caspe
Starring: Eliza Coupe as Jane Kerkovich-Williams
Elisha Cuthbert as Alex Kerkovich
Zachary Knighton as David Rose
Adam Pally as Max Blum
Damon Wayans Jr. as Brad Williams
Casey Wilson as Penny Hartz

The Band Wagon

"I should have listened to my mother. She told me only to be in hit shows."

Tony Hunter (Astaire) is a veteran song and dance man, but his career is in decline.  His good friends Lester (Levant) and Lily (Fabray) Marton have written a new musical specifically for him.  They also have the biggest director, Jeffrey Cordova (Buchanan), for the show.  Cordova is a big name in theater and is currently running 3 other productions while starring in one.  He wants ballerina Gabrielle Gerard (Charisse) as the female lead, and gets her boyfriend Paul Byrd (Mitchell) to choreograph the show to ensure that she will be in the show.

The Martons' have written a light-hearted musical, but Cordova envisions a modern version of Faust, in which he plays the Devil.  From the beginning Gerard and Hunter don't get along and aren't sure if they can merge their dance styles.  Can the show survive the ever changing script/vision for the show and the the bickering stars?


This backstage musical, written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, is partly based on reality.  Comden and Green based the characters of Lester and Lily Marton on themselves.  The main character Tony Hunter is based on star Fred Astaire, who was considering retirement because his career was stalling.  The character of Jeffrey Cordova is based on actor Jose Ferrer and other actor/director/producers.  And the Gabrielle Gerard character was modeled after French ballerina Zizi Jeanmarie.

The songs were composed by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz.  Some of the songs appeared in other shows, but the breakout hit is "That's Entertainment" that is considered one of the anthems of Broadway.  The songs are decent, but the standouts are "That's Entertainment" and the dances.  The songs are choreographed by Michael Kidd.  Astaire and Cyd Charisse are incredible dancers and are well-matched here.  This was their first pairing, they also appeared in Silk Stockings in 1957.

The show title was taken from a Broadway show Astaire did with his sister Adele Astaire in 1931.  A few of the songs from that show also appeared in the film (the songwriters for both were Schwartz and Dietz).  The script has several little in-jokes about the cast/crew and their previous projects.

The cast is good.  Astaire and Charisse are great dancers, but not the best actors.  Thankfully, the rest of the cast is there to help carry that burden.  Oscar Levant is cranky, but endearing as Lester.  Nanette Fabray lights up the screen as Lily.  She gets a couple good songs and dances.  Jack Buchanan is mesmerizing as Jeffrey Cordova.  He is ridiculous, but in the best way.

A stage version of the show, called "Dancing in the Dark" debuted in San Diego in 2008 with aspirations to move the show to Broadway, but that never panned out.  It was revamped in 2014 for a New York City Center Encores! performance.

A good musical, not quite as memorable as it's contemporaries, but still a fun ride.

The Band Wagon (1953) 112 minutes
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Starring: Fred Astaire as Tony Hunter
Cyd Charisse as Gabrielle Gerard
Oscar Levant as Lester Marton
Nanette Fabray as Lily Marton
Jack Buchanan as Jeffrey Cordova
James Mitchell as Paul Byrd
Robert Gist as Hal

Brigadoon

 

"If you love someone deeply enough, anything is possible"

Americans Tommy Albright (Kelly) and Jeff Douglas (Johnson) are on a hunting trip in Scotland.  They get lost in the woods and come across a small town that isn't on the map, Brigadoon.  The people are friendly, but don't know what to do with their visitors.  They don't recognize the money Tommy tries to give them and their customs are outdated.  But Tommy and Jeff are welcomed and befriended by Charlie Dalrymple (Thompson), who is getting married that evening.  Charlie is marrying Jean Campbell (Bosler), and her sister Fiona (Charisse) catching Tommy's eye.

Tommy and Fiona spend the day together, getting items for Jean's wedding.  Jeff is sidetracked by Meg Brockie (Heath) who has marriage on her mind.  But not everyone in town in happy, Harry Beaton (Laing), the son of the tailor, is miserable and wants to get out of town.  The town has a secret that affects the lives of everyone, can Tommy learn the truth?


In 1947, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe wrote the musical "Brigadoon."  Lerner wrote the book and lyrics, while Loewe wrote the music.  They previously collaborated on 3 other musicals with moderate success, but went in a slightly different direction for this play.  They also hired Agnes de Mille to choreograph the show, using traditional Scottish folk dancing.  The show was a success and earned de Mille a Tony Award for Best Choreography.

MGM purchased the film rights to the show in 1951.  Lerner wrote the script for the film, with Vincente Minnelli as the director.  The studio wanted Gene Kelly as the lead and when Cyd Charisse was cast as the female lead, they decided to focus more on the dancing than the singing.  Virginia Bosler originated the part of Jean Campbell on Broadway and was the only cast member to also appear in the film.  Hugh Laing was a famous ballet dancer.  The show was changed slightly to accommodate the strong dancers featured in lead roles.

Several songs were removed from the film.  The 2 songs performed by Meg Brockie, "My Mother's Wedding Day" and "The Love of My Life," were not allowed to be in the film due to their risque lyrics, which drastically reduced the part. 4 other songs were recorded, but ultimately did not make it into the film: "There But For You Go I" sung by Tommy, "From This Day On" sung by Tommy, "Come to Me, Bend to Me" sung by Charlie, and "The Sword Dance" performed by Harry.

This was the second collaboration between Kelly and Charisse.  They previously danced together in Singin' in the Rain, which also featured Jimmy Thompson (who song "Beautiful Girls" in that film and appears as Charlie in this film).  The dancing is beautiful here, Kelly and Charisse dance well together.  Kelly and Van Johnson also work well together.  Johnson is the comic relief (especially since they diluted the Meg character), and he does a good job.  I love the song "Go Home with Bonnie Jean" and the tap dance of Kelly and Johnson.  The song "Almost Like Being in Love" is also a showstopper (and hard to get out of your head).

The filmmakers wanted to film in Scotland, but due to weather and financial concerns, they filmed on sound stages in the U.S.  It is clear in many cases that it was filmed in front of painted backgrounds.  There is something missing in the film... it could be the changes to the overall story and omission of some scenes/songs.  I grew up loving the film, and it still has a special place in my heart.  But I recently discovered the Original Broadway Cast Recording of the show, and I have completely fallen in love with it (I'm currently listening to this version).  It is so much more entertaining the film soundtrack (and I say that despite loving this film).

It is a good musical, but if you get the chance to see the Broadway musical, you should check it out.

Brigadoon (1954) 108 minutes
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Starring: Gene Kelly as Tommy Albright
Van Johnson as Jeff Douglas
Cyd Charisse as Fiona Campbell
Elaine Stewart as Jane Ashton
Barry Jones as Mr. Lundie
Hugh Laing as Harry Beaton
Albert Sharpe as Andrew Campbell
Virginia Bosler as Jean Campbell
Jimmy Thompson as Charlie Dalrymple
Tudor Owen as Archie Beaton
Dody Heath as Meg Brockie

Love Happy (Marx Brothers)

 

"I am the same Sam Grunion who solved the international uranium-mining swindle. Scotland Yard was baffled; the FBI was baffled. They sent for me and the case was solved immediately: I confessed."

A struggling group of performers, led by dancer Mike Johnson (Valentine), are trying to put on the show "Love Happy."  Their backer isn't answering their calls and Mr. Lyons (Belasco) is threatening to take back their costumes and sets.  No one is getting paid, so their hope is turned to Harpo (Harpo).  Harpo steals lunch from them and unknowingly also steals the priceless Romanov diamonds which are hidden in a can of sardines.

The sardines/diamonds were meant for Madame Egelichi (Massey), who seduced her way to the secret location of the diamonds.  She and her thugs, Lefty (Cooper), Alphonse (Burr) and Hannibal (Gordon), will do whatever it takes to get the diamonds back.  Meanwhile, back at the theater, Harpo's friend Faustino the Great (Chico) has joined the group and is trying to keep Lyons at bay.  The diamonds and Madame Egelichi are also being pursued by Detective Grunion (Groucho).  Can they finance the show and keep the diamonds away from Madame Egelichi?


Twenty years after their film debut with The Cocoanuts, the Marx Brothers made this, their final film.  The film was initially conceived as a vehicle for Harpo Marx, to be called Diamonds in the Sidewalk, but the studio wanted a Marx Brothers film and found a way to add Chico and Groucho to the story.  Harpo received top billing and has the biggest part.

Despite being marketed as a Marx Brothers film, it doesn't feel the same.  The brothers are never all on the screen at the same time.  Harpo and Chico are together several times, and each get a musical number.  Chico and Harpo communicate the usual way, with Harpo miming the message to Chico who has to guess what is happening, which is always entertaining.  Harpo and Groucho have a long scene together towards  the end of the film, which ends with Groucho shaking Harpo's knee, which is a long-running gag in their films.  Groucho and Chico are in a scene (but not on screen together) at the end.  But the usual battle of wits/words between the characters is missing.  Groucho's role is significantly smaller than the other two, and he interacts with the least number of other characters.  He narrates the film, but doesn't engage the others until the end.

The film has the distinction of being Marilyn Monroe's first film role.  She is only on screen for a few minutes, as one of Groucho's clients, but it is interesting to see her so early in her career.  It is considered the weakest of the Marx Brothers films, but it still has some memorable and hilarious moments.  Harpo is always a joy.  He is hilarious in the gag (which also marked the first time a film had product placement/advertisement) when he runs from the gangsters on the rooftops and hides in the billboard ads.  Chico also acts out one of his go-to routines from stage and radio with the help of actor/musician Leon Belasco.  Fun fact, the last song Chico plays in the film is also the first song he ever played in a Marx Brothers film ("Gypsy Love Song" which he also played in The Cocoanuts).  Even if it isn't as good as other Marx Brothers films, it is still better than many comedies out there.

Check it out to see Monroe in a little role and enjoy the zaniness of Harpo, Chico and Groucho in their final film collaboration.

For more about this film and other Marx Brothers films, check out http://theageofcomedy.laurelandhardycentral.com/lovehap.html

Love Happy (1949) 85 minutes
Director: David Miller
Starring: Harpo Marx as Harpo
Chico Marx as Faustino the Great
Groucho Marx as Detective Sam Grunion
Ilona Massey as Madame Egelichi
Vera-Ellen as Maggie Phillips
Marion Hutton as Bunny Dolan
Raymond Burr as Alphonse Zoto
Melville Cooper as Lefty Throckmorton
Bruce Gordon as Hannibal ZotoLeon Belasco as Mr. Lyons
Paul Valentine as Mike Johnson

The House on Telegraph Hill

"The trouble with you is you really don't know how to relax."

Victoria Kowalska (Cortese) had a good life in Poland, until WWII.  Her home was destroyed, her husband was killed, and she was sent to a concentration camp.  While at the camp she befriend fellow Pole Karin Dernakova (Natasha Lytess), who had a young son, Christopher, living in America with wealthy relatives.  Karin dies in the camp shortly before they are liberated and Victoria decides to impersonate her friend to get a new life.  As Karin, she contacts the wealthy Aunt Sophia to explain that she is still alive and wants to come to America.  However, she learns that Aunt Sophia died the day before the telegraph arrived.

Four years later, she finally makes it to New York, where she meets Christopher's guardian, Alan Spender (Basehart).  She and Alan get along well and marry a few days later.  Then they travel to the family estate on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, California.  The house is beautiful, and Christopher (Butterfield) is excited to see his mother.  But she receives a chilly reception from Christopher's doting governess Margaret (Baker).  She also learns that her husband works alongside Major Marc Bennett (Lundigan), who was one of the soldiers that helped her after the concentration camp.  But strange things start happening at the house.  Can Victoria convince anyone that she is in danger?


The story is based on the 1948 novel "The Frightened Child" by Dana Lyon.  The novel is not well-known and the filmmakers only use the basic premise of the novel for the story.  The screenplay was written by Elick Moll and Frank Partos.  It is film noir, with a slow-building suspense.

Director Robert Wise made many successful and iconic films in various genres.  In 1951, when this film was released, most of the films he directed were science fiction or film noir (including The Day the Earth Stood Still, which also premiered in 1951).  The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction.

If you stick with it, this is an interesting and suspenseful film.  It starts slow and slowly builds the suspense.  The film is anchored by the solid performances of Richard Basehart and Valentina Cortese and William Lundigan.  Italian actress Cortese is the character the audience spends the most time with and she also narrates the story.  Basehart is captivating as Alan and makes you regularly question what you believe about his character, and the others.  Cortese and Basehart married around the time the film was released, and remained married for 10 years.  Definitely worth checking out.

The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) 93 minutes
Director: Robert Wise
Starring: Richard Basehart as Alan Spender
Valentina Cortese as Victoria Kowalska
William Lundigan as Major Marc Bennett
Fay Baker as Margaret
Gordon Gebert as Christopher
Steven Geray as Dr. Burkhardt
Herbert Butterfield as Joseph C. Callahan

Teacher's Pet (1958)

"Newspapers can't compete in reporting what happened any more, but they can and should tell the public why it happened."

James Gannon (Gable) is a self-educated newspaper editor.  He runs a successful paper and thinks the only way to truly know how to write for a newspaper is experience, not education.  He is passionately opposed to journalism courses.  He is asked to speak at a journalism night class, but rejects the offer in a curt letter.  His editor orders him to go to the class.  He is shocked to learn the class is taught by Erica Stone (Day), a beautiful and talented woman, who proceeds to read and mock his letter to the class.  She believes it is important to have an education before diving into a journalism career.

He decides to take her class to show her up.  He registers under the name Jim Gallagher and soon becomes her best student.  Gannon and Stone are intrigued by each other.  He wants to change their relationship, but his efforts are continually blocked by Dr. Hugo Pine (Young), a psychiatrist who also works at the college.  Dr. Pine is well-known and oft-published, and has the support of Stone's secretary Katy (Ross).  Can he find a way to get the girl and keep his job?


This film was originally conceived as a drama, but when writers Fay Kanin and Michael Kanin were unable to find a studio to produce it, they turned it into a comedy.  It was filmed in black and white to disguise star Clark Gable's age.


The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Supporting Actor for Gig Young and Best Original Screenplay.  Young is hilarious, as usual, especially in the hangover scene.  He is billed third, but completely owns the film.

The story is a love story to journalists.  All of the reporters / writers are fleshed out and feel real to life / the time period.  The cast is good and includes a young Marion Ross.  It moves at a fast pace, but the only character I really enjoyed was Young's Dr. Hugo Pine.  Gable is fine as James Gannon, as is Doris Day as Erica Stone... but it isn't their most engaging performances.

Good, but not great.

Teacher's Pet (1958) 120 minutes
Director: George Seaton
Starring: Clark Gable as James Gannon
Doris Day as Erica Stone
Gig Young as Dr. Hugo Pine
Mamie Van Doren as Peggy DeFore
Nick Adams as Barney Kovac
Marion Ross as Katy Fuller
Charles Lane as Roy

42nd Street (900th post)

Wow, 900!

Check out the previous milestones: 100 ... 200 ... 300 ... 400 ... 500 ... 600 ... 700 ... 800

"Sawyer, you're going out a youngster but you've got to come back a star!"

In 1932, Broadway producers Jones (McWade) and Barry (Sparks) are putting on a new show called "Pretty Lady."  They hire notorious director Julian Marsh (Baxter), who is recovering from a nervous breakdown.  The show will star Broadway start Dorothy Brock (Daniels) and will be financed by her admirer and would-be beau Abner Dillon (Kibbee).  Julian is a tough director and is assisted by dance director Andy Lee (Stone) and stage manager Mac Elroy (Jenkins).

At the casting call for chorus girls, ingenue Peggy Sawyer (Keeler) is discovered by the juvenile lead Billy Lawler (Powell).  She quickly befriends dancers Anytime Annie (Rogers) and Lorraine Fleming (Merkel), who are sure to get cast due to Lorraine's relationship with Andy.  Peggy ends up in the chorus line alongside her new friends.  Meanwhile, Dorothy is secretly dating her former vaudeville partner Pat Denning (Brent), but has to keep the relationship a secret in order to keep the show on.  When Dorothy breaks her ankle the night before the opening, will the show still go on?


In 1932 Bradford Ropes wrote the novel "42nd Street" about the happenings backstage on Broadway.  The story was adapted for film, with some changes to the novel, including the relationship between Peggy and Billy.  The film was a big success and is credited with saving the movie musical genre.  Since 1930, movie musicals were on the decline because they were losing money and were not staged well.  However, this film changed all of that: the musical numbers were choreographed and directed by Busby Berkeley.  And the film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Picture and Best Sound Recording.

The film is considered an iconic backstage musical.  In 1998 the film was preserved by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".  It also appeared on 3 of the American Film Institute's (AFI) top 100 lists: 100 Years...100 Songs (for the song "42nd Street"), 100 Years... 100 Quotes (for the quote at the top of this review), and AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals.

Decades later, the film still feels fresh, while also showing it's age.  The characters are fresh and entertaining.  And the cast is great, including a young (pre-Fred Astaire partnership) Ginger Rogers.  It was also the film debut of actress Ruby Keeler, who was paired with Dick Powell in several more musicals (including Gold Diggers of 1933 which also starred Rogers).  Some of the slang is out of date, and means different things now.  Also, the staging / camera angles are not used now in movie musicals.  But despite that, the songs are iconic and memorable and it is a fascinating look at Broadway in the 1930s.

The movie was adapted into a Broadway musical in 1980.  It was nominated for 8 Tony Awards and won Best Musical and Best Choreography (for director Gower Champion).  The show is the 14th longest running Broadway show.

The film (and the Broadway musical) are incredible and definitely a must-see for all musical fans!

42nd Street (1933) 89 minutes
Director: Lloyd Bacon & Busby Berkeley
Starring: Warner Baxter as Julian Marsh
Bebe Daniels as Dorothy Brock
George Brent as Pat Denning
Ruby Keeler as Peggy Sawyer
Guy Kibbee as Abner Dillon
Una Merkel as Lorraine Fleming
Ginger Rogers as Ann "Anytime Annie" Lowell
Ned Sparks as Thomas Barry
Dick Powell as Billy Lawler
Allen Jenkins as Mac Elroy
Edward J. Nugent as Terry
Robert McWade as Jones
George E. Stone as Andy Lee

The Wedding Singer

"If you find somebody you can love, you can't let that get away."

In 1985, Robbie Hart (Sandler) is a popular wedding singer.  He loves singing at weddings and is good at entertaining everyone in the crowd.  He is engaged to his long-time girlfriend Linda (Featherstone) and looking forward to their upcoming wedding.  Julia Sullivan (Barrymore) is a waitress at the reception hall, and she and Robbie quickly become friends.  Julia has been engaged for several years to Glenn (Glave), a businessman, but he is finally ready to set a date and have the big wedding of her dreams.  Robbie's best friend, Sammy (Covert), is the only limo driver in town and and Julia's cousin Holly (Taylor) also waitresses at the reception hall.

When Linda doesn't show up to their wedding, Robbie is devastated.  He is bitter and brokenhearted and doesn't want anything to do with weddings.  But he does agree to help Julia with wedding planning.  The more time they spend together, the more Robbie realizes he wants more than friendship.  Can he admit his feelings to Julia?


This is one of Adam Sandler's most popular (and memorable) films.  It is also his first collaboration with Drew Barrymore.  He and Barrymore made 3 films together: The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates directed by Peter Segal in 2004 and Blended in 2014.  The director of this film, Frank Coraci, also directed Blended.

This is a typical rom com plot and is set in the 1980s.  It is still an enjoyable flick, with a great 1980s soundtrack.  Sandler and Barrymore have great chemistry and both seem to be having a great time.  The film also features roles / cameos for Sandler's regulars.  His friend Allen Covert has a much larger role than in previous films (which continued with the next few Sandler films).  Steve Buscemi and Jon Lovitz have small but hilarious roles.  Buscemi is the drunk best man at the opening wedding and Lovitz is a creepy wedding singer.  Singer Billy Idol has a cameo as himself, which is entertaining.  And Ellen Albertini Dow is funny as Rosie, the elderly woman that is getting voice lessons from Robbie.

It is a predictable, but funny film.  Especially the second wedding Robbie performs at, and the songs he picks.  I also enjoy the song he writes for Linda, and the reaction of Lovitz's character.

In 2006 the story was adapted into a Broadway musical by Matthew Sklar (music), Chad Beguelin (lyrics and book), and Tim Herlihy (book).  The story / characters are a little different, but the original songs from the film ("Somebody Kill Me" and "Grow Old With You") are in the show.  The original production starred Stephen Lynch as Robbie and Laura Benanti as Julia.  The show was nominated for several Tony Awards (Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for Lynch, and Best Choreography) but did not win any.

The Wedding Singer (1998) 95 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sex-related material and language
Director: Frank Coraci
Starring: Adam Sandler as Robbie Hart
Drew Barrymore as Julia Sullivan
Christine Taylor as Holly Sullivan
Allen Covert as Sammy
Matthew Glave as Glenn Gulia
Ellen Albertini Dow as Rosie
Angela Featherstone as Linda
Alexis Arquette as George Stitzer
Christina Pickles as Angie Sullivan
Jodi Thelan as Kate Hart
Frank Sivero as Andy

The Da Vinci Code

"What really matters is what you believe."

American symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) is in France presenting a guest lecture.  While signing his latest book, he is summoned to the Louve museum by Police Captain Bezu Fache (Reno).  Jacques Sauniere (Jean-Pierre Marielle), the museum curator, has been murdered.  Just before dying Sauniere left a message and some symbols for Langdon.  Fache believes Langdon is the murderer, but police cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Tautou) is skeptical.  She helps Langdon escape and they start to investigate Sauniere's clues.

The clues lead Langdon to believe Sauniere was a member of the Priory of Scion, a group that protects the Holy Grail.  They contact his friend Sir Leigh Teabing (McKellen), who is an expert on the Grail.  Meanwhile, they progress is tracked by albino monk, Silas (Bettany) who killed Sauniere.  He is under orders to find the Grail by Bishop Aringarosa (Molina).  Can Langdon and Sophie evade the police and locate the Holy Grail?


In 2003, Dan Brown published the novel "The Da Vinci Code."  The novel was a bestseller, and was the second novel about Robert Langdon (who was the protagonist in 2000's "Angels and Demons"). 
despite the church denouncing it.  Despite it's popularity, it was also widely criticized for historical inaccuracies and the way it depicted Christianity.  Most Catholic and Protestant organizations denounced the book.

Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, people devoured the book.  Since 2003, Brown has written 2 more Robert Langdon novels: "The Lost Symbol" in 2009 and "Inferno" in 2013.  And three of these novels have been adapted to film, with The Da Vinci Code as the first (Angels and Demons in 2009 and Inferno in 2016, all starring Tom Hanks and directed by Ron Howard).

This film received the same treatment by Christian groups, with leaders from the Catholic church calling for a boycott of the film.  In several countries the film was censored, due to protests and requests from Christian groups.  And the film was widely disliked by critics and audiences alike, garnering a Razzie Nomination for Worst Director for Howard.

I read the book and was caught up in the mystery.  To date I have read all of the other books in the series except for "Inferno", which is on my list.  Even though I enjoyed the film, I didn't want to see the film.  My desire to avoid the book only increased with all of the bad reviews and word of mouth the film received.  I finally gave in, and the film was as expected.  Ok, but not as interesting as the book.  The characters aren't fleshed out well and some parts are miscast.  It isn't terrible, but I don't want to see the film again.  I intend to see the other 2 films, after rereading the novels.

The Da Vinci Code (2006) 148 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, some nudity, thematic material, brief drug references and sexual content
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon
Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu
Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing
Alfred Molina as Bishop Aringarosa
Jurgen Prochnow as Andre Vernet
Jean Reno as Police Captain Bezu Fache
Paul Bettany as Silas
Etienne Chicot as Lieutenant Jerome Collet

Batoru rowaiaru: Battle Royale

In Japan, the 9th grade students in class 3B set off on a field trip.  However, along the way they are gassed and end up on an abandoned island.  They are selected to participate in the Battle Royale as part of the BR Act.  They are wearing collars to track their movements and given a pack with a weapon or tool.  They will have 3 days to kill or be killed, with only the victor returning home.  They receive updates 4 times a day with the areas to avoid and the death toll, read with glee by their former teacher Kitano (Takeshi).

The class includes two transfer students, violent Kazuo Kiriyama (Ando) and brooding Shogo Kawada (Yamamoto).  Shuya Nanahara (Fujiwara) is devastated by the death of his best friend and vows to protect the girl they both love, Noriko Nakagawa (Maeda).  Shinji Mimura (Tsukamoto) has a plan to subvert the game, while Hiroki Sugimura (Takaoka) has a valuable tool: a GPS device to locate the others.  Some students, like Mitsuko Souma (Shibasaki) enjoy the kill, while others band together and hope to survive.  Who will survive the 3 days?


In 1999, Japanese author Koushun Takami wrote novel "Batoru Rowaiaru".  He wrote the novel in 1996, but due to it's controversial content it took until 1999 for it to be published.  The novel was a best-seller and liked by critics and audiences alike.  The novel was translated into English in 2003.  The story was also turned into a manga in 2000 to 2005.  The film and novel has a cult following.

Due to it's popularity it was adapted to film in 2000 with Kinji Fukasaku in the director's chair.  Fukasaku, and his son Kenta Fukasaku, also directed the sequel, Battle Royale II: Requiem (which also had a manga).

After the release of the "Hunger Games" books and films, fans have noticed the similarities between the plots.  "The Hunger Games" series has been criticized for it's similarities to this film.  However, this film has a higher body count and action / violence, it also has a larger group involved in the "game".  It starts with 42 students, and as each is killed, their name and number are listed at the bottom of the screen along with the number of students remaining in the game.

The film was not released in North America, due to it's proximity to the Columbine shootings.  It is possible to see the film at film festivals or online through Netflix or Amazon.  I only discovered this film through a blog I read, and when I was doing research for the "Hunger Game" films.  I would be interested in reading the novel and I just added the sequel to my Netflix queue.  The film is in Japanese with subtitles.

Battle Royale [Batoru rowaiaru] (2000) 113 minutes
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara as Shuya Nanahara
Aku Maeda as Noriko Nakagawa
Taro Yamamoto as Shogo Kawada
Masanobu Ando as Kazuo Kiriyama
Kou Shibasaki as Mitsuko Souma
Takashi Tsukamoto as Shinji Mimura
Sosuke Takaoka as Hiroki Sugimura
Chiaki Kuriyama as Takako Chigusa
Eri Ishikawa as Yukie Utsumi
Hitomi Hyuga as Yuko Sakaki
Bito Takeshi as Kitano

Nerve (2016)

"Is this a dare?"
"No. It’s carousel."

Venus "Vee" Delmonico (Roberts) is a high school senior, trying to find a way to tell her mother (Juliette Lewis) that she wants to go to college across the country.  She tends to play it safe, unlike her best friend Sydney (Meade) who enjoys taking risks and being in the spotlight.  Sydney is playing a game called Nerve, where you are either a Player or a Watcher.  The Players are assigned dares by the Watchers, and if they successfully complete the dare, they get paid.  If you fail the dare or bail / refuse to do the dare, you are kicked out of the ranking.  The highest ranking players will compete in the finals.

Vee joins the game as a Player, after her friends accuse her of not taking a chance.  For the first dare, she has to kiss a stranger.  The stranger, Ian (Franco), is also playing Nerve and the Watchers want them to team up.  Can they survive the game?


In 2012 Jeanne Ryan wrote the young adult novel "Nerve."  The novel was popular enough to gain the attention of Catfish directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.  Since the novel is very similar to their TV show, they were drawn to the story.

The film is timely, with people obsessing over "Pokemon Go" and constantly glued to their phones.  The story moves at a brisk pace and keeps you guessing.  The cast is good.  It is a decent summer action flick.

Nerve (2016) 96 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic material involving dangerous and risky behavior, some sexual content, language, drug content, drinking and nudity-all involving teens
Director: Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman
Starring: Emma Roberts as Venus "Vee" Delmonico
Dave Franco as Ian
Emily Meade as Sydney
Miles Heizer as Tommy
Kimiko Glenn as Liv
Marc John Jefferies as Wes
Colson "Machine Gun Kelly" Baker as Ty
Brian Marc as J.P.
Samira Wiley as Hacker Kween