Madam Satan

This weekend we actually saw two films in the theater, a rarity with two freelancers in the same household. Yesterday was Wes Anderson's THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. Everyone's talking about that one, so I'm going to talk about MADAM SATAN instead.

Pre-code films are often gloriously outrageous in one way or another, and this is no exception. Made in 1930 and directed by Cecile B. DeMille, its an early and truly uneven musical. The characters are all pretty odious too, from the cheating cad of a husband Bob to the maid who advises her employer Angela to do everything she can to make her husband happy. Surely whatever he does is Angela's fault, the film (written by a trio of women, amazingly) suggests. If you aren't familiar with this era of filmmaking, please don't think that they're all like that! Both IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT and TWENTIETH CENTURY are from 1934 and both are sharp and smart. Anyway, I don't think anyone would ever watch MADAM SATAN for the plot. Instead, it's more than worth seeing for the sheer amount of crazy that appears on the screen once the mistaken identity plot gets going. And the beautiful Deco designs!

Poor Angela. Bob says she's cold next to showgirl Trixie. So Angela decides that she'll be so hot that "it'll take a whole fire station to put me out!" She crashes a swinging costume party aboard a zeppelin (!) just as the "most beautiful women" are being auctioned off (!) to the highest bidder. Is this a charity function of some sort? Why no, it's to advertise an oil company apparently. There are a ton of insane costumes, an ode to electricity, women serving drinks while pedaling around in little model dirigibles, and, of course, the devil herself. Angela, in her amazing costume, is unrecognizable to everyone, including her husband. She puts on an accent and coyly asks "who wants to come to hell with Madam Satan?" There's a crazy dance-off and then a lightning storm, followed by a mass bail-out as party-goers dressed as golden pheasants, clouds, and Hindu gods parachute through the sky. Baz Luhrmann's THE GREAT GATSBY had nothing on this!

I mean, check these out:

A musical ode to... Time?

Angela (Kay Johnson) costumed as Madam Satan

She's dressed as the "spirit of rain"

I'm glad I saw this at the Egyptian in Hollywood, threadbare around the edges as it is now, instead of at home or at some newer theater. It was easy to imagine seeing it in 1930 as a first run picture, marveling at the sets and complaining about the clunky direction. But if you get the chance to see it, no matter the venue, don't hesitate. I promise the absurdity will not disappoint. 

The Egyptian doesn't look quite like this anymore, but close enough.

Five Films Worth Seeing - 2013 Edition

The new year is almost here and that means it's the season of lists. I can't possibly make a definitive top ten since I haven't seen nearly enough of this year's films (I'm going to watch 12 YEARS A SLAVE soon, I swear!) But I am at least qualified to offer up five movies that I really enjoyed during 2013.

And so, in no particular order, here are my five favorite films from the last 12 months...

EUROPA REPORT

Oh man, I want to see more science fiction like this! Yes, it's a fake documentary and we've all seen a lot of those at this point, but that didn't keep me from loving it. The characters seem like real people who are brave, loyal, sometimes frightened, sometimes lonely and bored, but above all absolutely committed to what they're doing. And what they're doing is science!

Sent to Jupiter's moon Europa to look for life under the ice, the multinational crew risks everything to send back a report of what they've found and expand the frontiers of human knowledge. I dare anyone with even a drop of biophilia (hopefully that's everyone) to watch this movie and not be enthralled.

ALL IS LOST

Hmm, there seems to be a preponderance of "people adrift" films this year. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is another example, and a good one, but not as good as this. Robert Redford gives an amazing performance in a film that has almost no dialogue but plenty of action and pathos. May play as extra scary if you're terrified of big waves, as I am. Extra points to screenwriter (and director) J.C. Chandor  too, for pulling off such a daring script.

COMPUTER CHESS

What an incredibly odd movie. Set just 30 years ago but during an era that seems increasingly ancient when viewed through the lens of modern technology, this story feels less like a film and more like some little con that you may have once attended. There are great character moments, rampant social anxiety and awkward interactions, and even some bizarre speculative fiction dealing with artificial intelligence thrown in. And all those cats! What was that all about? I could make a guess, but I was too busy wondering if Michael Papageorge would end finding a place to spend the night. In short, don't try to figure out what this film is about. Just watch it and worry about that later.




HER

Another film about artificial intelligence? Goodness, this year is full of themes! I really didn't expect to like this one. Yeah, yeah, a guy is disconnected from his fellow humans and falls for the disembodied voice of his computer. Yawn. But... It wasn't like that at all. I mean, yes, that was basically the plot, but the story didn't ever go where I expected it to go. It was actually romantic, and sad, and funny. Not to mention the fact that it had great art direction. Now that's a version of Los Angeles that maybe I'd like to live in, despite the high-waisted pants that seem to be all the rage in the near-future. Also, I really hope we all get to have tiny wallet-sized computers some day that don't even pretend to be phones. Isn't it time for that revolution?

UPSTREAM COLOR

Hands down, my favorite of the year. I was a total sucker for PRIMER, Shane Carruth's previous twisty, engrossing film. This one though, this is something else. Sad, beautiful, and almost hopeful, it's like nothing else I've seen. I won't even try to describe the plot, which involves some sort of parasitic, will-sapping organism, a desperate romance, and a lot of pigs. It's dreamy, creepy, lovely, and made me cry. Just take my word for it, see it if you haven't.

Possibly the Worst Musical Ever - We Watched It So You Don't Have To!

Well, it's official. We may have reached the absolute bottom of the Netflix Streaming barrel. Heaven help us, we actually watched Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the movie.

In case you're not familiar with it, it's a loose (okay, incoherent) narrative told using the unbelievable device of Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees singing Beatles songs. There is no dialogue, save some weird narration by George Burns who plays a mayor (named Mr. Kite, of course) and ends up bound and gagged in a wax museum.

What's it about? Who knows? Here's what I do know:

*There are  cameos by Earth, Wind, and Fire, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Carol Channing, and Carel Struycken (who I recognized as the Giant from Twin Peaks).

*There is a distinct lack of choreography despite the mind-numbing number of dance sequences.

*There are ladies wearing rhinestones on their eyelashes and lame shorts.

*There's Billy Preston playing the grandfather of Peter Frampton (?!) who doubles as a fantastical weathervane that turns into a gold-lame-suit-wearing magic man who can shoot lazer beams from his fingers and bring the dead back to life.

*There's an strange fetishization of boy scout outfits and dollar signs, as well as two scary black massage-giving robots with shifty eyes.

According to Wikipedia, the film's producers hoped it would be "This generation's Gone With the Wind". Take my word for it, it's not.