haines his way

07/15/2002:
"OFF THE CUFF"

Well, dear readers, I think most of you know that I write these here notes off the cuff. The danger in so doing is that one might have nothing to say, that one’s mind will be a blank, a cipher, an endless funnel going nowhere, an enigma wrapped inside an abyss located in a black hole. Today might just be one of those days. Then again, it might not. I once tried writing these here notes on the cuff, but the cuff, as you might imagine, is not very large (if you can even find a cuff) and the notes were three sentences long. That was the beginning and the end of trying to write these here notes on the cuff. Off the cuff is clearly the way to go, notes-wise. Does anyone have any idea what the hell I’m talking about?
Speaking of a black hole – that reminds me of a wonderful story concerning the aging film scholar and Hollywood Reporter, Arthur Knight. Arthur, whatever his values were as scholar and critic, was, at the end, a bit senile and his reviews were always something to look forward to. For example, when he reviewed The First Nudie Musical (which he saw in a screening room at nine in the morning with one other critic – brilliant) he told me I should simply get out of the business. In any case, when Disney’s The Black Hole came out, this was the first sentence of his review: “The Black Hole – a title that manages to be both sexist and racist”. Now, I don’t know about you, dear readers, but when I read that the first thing I did was the Danny Thomas Spit Take. Anyone who hadn’t thought Mr. Arthur Knight had gone off the deep end, only had to read that sentence to know the story. Mr. Knight’s tenure at the Hollywood Reporter didn’t last much longer than that review.
Last night I watched a film entitled Amelie. It was, I felt, a perfectly charming film and its leading lady was rightfully lauded for her elfin performance. The whimsy got a bit thick every now and then, but its heart was in the right place and it was a very sweet and funny movie, if not a wee bit long at just over two hours (whimsy is very hard to sustain for just over two hours). It’s well directed in that nouveau sort of way and the DVD is stunning-looking, a brilliant transfer. I haven’t listened to or viewed any of the extras, which are contained on a second disc.
Yesterday afternoon I attended a comedy benefit for a charity called WYNGS (When You Need Group Support) at the Improv. I generally don’t love stand-up comedy and seeing one performer after another for over two hours gets trying. Still, there were some very funny folks, including a female comic I hadn’t heard of, called Sarah Silverman, who I felt did the best ten minutes of the day. I do know she created some controversy on the Conan O’Brien show for her use of an ethnic stereotypical word to describe a Chinese person, and apparently she was not so funny on his show – but here her routine landed, even though it’s a very very very (that is three verys) strange routine.
Well, has anyone gotten the feeling that these here notes are just a little too off the cuff for their own good? Perhaps if we all click on the Unseemly Button below, whilst singing The Name Game, perhaps then these notes will not be quite so off the cuff.

For those of you who may have missed it, this Friday our brand spanking new handy-dandy The Unseemly Interview Section debuts and we’re very excited. Mr. Mark Bakalor is working away feverishly to design our new section, and our new section will be maintained by none other than our very own Mr. Craig Brockman, because frankly or even samly, what do I know from sections? Our first interview is with the delightful Miss Kerry Butler, who is about to go into previews for Hairspray, the new musical. Miss Butler is bright and funny and it’s a lovely interview, so do check it out, starting Friday morning. And if you haven’t seen td’s review of Nudie Musical and his interview with my very own self, do check it out at www.dvdlaunch.com.
Last week the heat in Los Angeles, California was sweltering. I try never to turn on the air conditioning in my automobile because it bothers my sinuses, but last week I simply had to because the heat was sweltering. What a stupid-looking and sounding word that is. “Sweltering”. I just abhor that word and yet here I am using it over and over again. I also abhor the word “abhor”. The heat shows no signs of abating, either. I do wish the heat would abate, that would be great – the great abate.
Don’t forget you have until midnight tonight to get in your trivia guesses – this week’s question is quite easy, so do send your answers so that you have a chance to win a sparkling prize.
This past weekend, in terms of traffic, was one of our busiest. Isn't that exciting? Isn't that just too too? Keep this up and soon we might just be the most popular site on all the Internet, we might just become the place to go for those in the know. We might just become hip, and with-it and happening, man. We might just be in with the in crowd, man.
Well, dear readers, these here notes are just too off the cuff for me – they are just meandering along in the sweltering heat which, by the way (BTW, in Internet lingo), I abhor. Today’s topic of discussion: In honor of our very own Francois and my having seen Amelie – what are your favorite French films? I’ll start: I am quite partial to French cinema and have many favorites – I don’t know that many classic French films pre 1954, but here are some of my all-time favorites. Diabolique, Eyes Without a Face, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Sundays and Cybelle, The Soft Skin, Judex, Wages of Fear, Claire’s Knee, The Bride Wore Black, That Man From Rio, Salut L’Artiste, The Red Balloon, and on and on. Your turn.

Replies: 29 Unseemly Comments

I really like Stavisky. Yes, mainly because of the Stephen Sondheim score, which I really enjoy listening to on its own.
Posted by George @ 07/15/2002 09:43 AM PST

Some off the top of my head
Chocolat
The Baker's Wife (also enjoy S. Schwartz's musical adaptation)
Grand Illusion
Tatie Danielle (very funny film about a disagreeable old woman mourning her dead husband while making everyone else's life miserable)
Rules of the Game
Belle de Jour
Children of Paradise
Posted by Ben @ 07/15/2002 10:00 AM PST

"Duh Raid Bahloon" is my favorite of those listed above. I also love the record album which provides the missing narration in a marvelous French accent (hence the title above). I don't enjoy subtitled movies on my TV screen as much as in a theatre so, although I like many of these titles, I haven't really kept up with the foreign cinema in the last decade or so. Someday, when I have a giant TV screen...
Posted by Robert Armin @ 07/15/2002 10:14 AM PST

you forgot my all-time favorite, "The Earrings of Madame de..."
Posted by Donald @ 07/15/2002 11:14 AM PST

Mr. DF,
Great radio show this week! Some lovely stuff there. It makes the beginning of the week much smoother hearing Ella and Maureen and Dawn, et. al.
Posted by Ben @ 07/15/2002 11:29 AM PST

Favorite French Films
La Règle du Jeu (Renoir, 1939) [U.S.: The Rules of the Game]
La Nuit Américaine (Truffaut, 1973) [U.S.: Day for Night]
L’Argent de Poche (Truffaut, 1976) [U.S.: Small Change]
Posted by freedunit @ 07/15/2002 11:36 AM PST

Favorite French Films
The short Le Ballon Rouge (Lamorisse, 1956) [U.S. The Red Balloon], which Robert Armin cited above, is a wonderful motion picture and an excellent selection.
Posted by freedunit @ 07/15/2002 12:17 PM PST

Jean de Florette
Manon of the Spring
Children of Paradise
Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast
Cocteau's Orpheus (and all that they entail)
Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Donkey Skin
Young Girls of Rochefort
The FANNY trilogy
All the films of Bertrand Bliere (sp?):
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
Going Places
Menage
and, filmed in French, but respectively by German and Italian directors:
Querelle
Last Tango in Paris
On dvd, I love to watch Little Shop of Horrors (musical) in French. (Does that count?)
Posted by td @ 07/15/2002 12:29 PM PST

For many reasons, "The Sorrow and the Pity."
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 07/15/2002 12:58 PM PST

Ooh-Ooh! And "Plein Soleil" ("Purple Noon" -- the original film version of "The Talented Mr. Ripley).
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 07/15/2002 01:00 PM PST

The reason the word "sweltering" looks so strange is because it is never written correctly. It is supposed to be Ira Gershwinesque. You know, as in "S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous, S'Weltering." Only George didn't like having the same musical phrase repeated the extra time, so s'weltering got cut. Which is a pity, because it would have helped define what the French refer to as "Le Jazz Hot."
Posted by S. Woody White @ 07/15/2002 01:11 PM PST

S’weltering, s’humid, s’too darn hot.
Posted by freedunit @ 07/15/2002 01:28 PM PST

Thank you, Freedunit. I like your selections, as well.
Day For Night has an interesting mix of English and French on the soundtrack. It reminds me of the Swedish film, The Immigrants. There is a wonderful scene on the ship where several of the characters are attempting to speak English to the English speaking crew members. This scene is hilarious in the dubbed version because the Swedish characters have been speaking perfect English throughout the film and then suddenly start talking in pidgeon English so the crew members won't be able to understand them.
Although I prefer films in their original language, a few films should be made available in both languages -- La Strada with Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart speaking in their own voices; La Cage Aux Folles with Victor Garber dubbing Albin; Gene Kelly singing for himself in Young Girls of Rochefort, etc.
Posted by Robert Armin @ 07/15/2002 01:52 PM PST

The Criterion laser of "La Strada" offered both Italian and English soundtracks. What seems amazing to me is that in the Italian, it seems the Quinn is actually speaking Italian, although he sounds dubbed. In the English, the Italian actors are evidently dubbed.
Marvelous film no matter what language!
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 07/15/2002 02:16 PM PST

I'll add one that has not been mentioned or I may have missed scrolling down.
Les Adventure de Rabbi Jacob avec Louis de Funes. (excuse the accentless "e" on the last name)
Le Roi de Couer avec Genevieve Bujold et Alan Bates
And when you say French film I assume you mean from France and not from Quebec where they do speak a version of French.
But in case:
Detour (aka Journey)
Kamouraska
Mon oncle Antoine
J.A. Martin photographe
Jesus de Montreal
Déclin de l'empire américain, Le
Il était une fois dans l'est
Ordres, Les
Un zoo la nuit
and
Bottega dell'orefice, La (The Pope John Paul Wrote this one and I am supposed to be in this one but never saw it. Took the money and ran)

and Fantastica only because I am supposed to be in it somewhere. It was never released in English as far as I know and only in a French dubbed version so I think it might count.
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 07/15/2002 02:31 PM PST

Also like to add from France
Stavisky (music by Sondheim)
Les Un et Les Autre
Les Miserable (1995) a contemporary version with JP Belamondo
Diva
Hold-Up
À bout de souffle
Jules et Jim
They're really is a lot of very good French films that were made.
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 07/15/2002 02:36 PM PST

To Ron:
All Italian films are dubbed even when they are in Italian. They shoot the film silently and then the actors loop their dialogue in later. So in Anthony Quinn did speak his lines in Italian they may have looked dubbed because he may have been speaking his lines in English.
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 07/15/2002 02:40 PM PST

I do not know from Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (Demy, 1967) [U.S.: The Young Girls of Rochefort]. I hope my fear it might be blue or cheesy is unfounded. Perhaps I will get to view it some day. I saw La Cage aux Folles as a child, and I did not like it. Perhaps it is time to give it another chance.
Speaking of La Cage aux Folles, does anyone else recall the time those P.R.-trial-balloon rumors of Angela Lansbury and Carol Channing performing in a female version of Jerry Herman’s musical circulated? I scoffed at the rumors then—scoff, scoff—and I scoff at them now. Scoff. Sometimes the rumors cited Broadway, sometimes a tour, sometimes Las Vegas, and sometimes a separate Broadway production. It seems now quite safe to say that at least that casting of a female version will never happen. Paradoxically, the musical does not seem to lend itself to the gender reversal that would be required by such casting. I wonder if the rumored-imminent Broadway revival will happen, and I wonder who will play the leads. There had been a rumor that Harvey Fierstein would not allow Paper Mill Playhouse to produce the show for Lee Roy Reams this season because of a forthcoming, first-class revival, and because, the rumor goes, Fierstein is contemplating playing Albin himself… Holy Ethel Merman-Judy Garland moment, Batman.
Back to Coprophilia
What do you get when a coprophiliac makes an unwelcome but predictable contribution to your multimedia montage?
Collage awful.
Posted by freedunit @ 07/15/2002 02:54 PM PST

Well, I was the first to mention The Red Balloon - what am I, chopped liver? I love some of the choices I'm seeing - I came very close to putting Small Change on my list, because it's one of the best movies about childhood ever. Of course, I left off the wonderful crime mellers Rififi and Bob Le Flambeur.
Posted by bk @ 07/15/2002 03:37 PM PST

Dear BK: Mea Culpa!
I am so very sorry. You decided the well-chosen topic, and of course, you were the first to mention the short Le Ballon Rouge (Lamorisse, 1956) [U.S. The Red Balloon], and of course, you are not chopped liver. Versatile and multitalented, but certainly not chopped liver. I would bitch-slap myself, but I do not want to deprive you or designated bitch-slapper Craig of the opportunity. Afterward, may we have cake? I will provide it.
Posted by freedunit @ 07/15/2002 04:05 PM PST

Well of course I referred to you when I said The Red Balloon "is my favorite of those listed above." You're not chopped liver -- fish, maybe -- but not chopped liver.
Benjamin just met Susan... back to the book.
Posted by Robert Armin @ 07/15/2002 06:46 PM PST

Freedunit: You're a culpa? I had no idea. I was a culpa once but I thought better of it.
Posted by bk @ 07/15/2002 07:32 PM PST

I’m a culpa? You’re a culpa? If they drink a culpa, are they a culpa, too? What’s a culpa—fish? A culpa wheat chex sittin’ around talking…
Posted by freedunit @ 07/15/2002 07:57 PM PST

It finally rained here last night. At last! At last! It was wonderful, and I promised I would not complain about messes the storm made because I am so happy it rained.
I still have not had any doughnuts, though. I did have to stop at Godiva just to tide me over.
As far as French cinema:
The Red Balloon, of course.
Manon of the Spring
Jean de Florette
The Last Metro
Amalie
Narcissus
La Cage
I also liked "Bread and Chocolate" (naturally from the title alone) and "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs" (although I don't know if either would count as favorites)
I also liked the Gerard Depardieu version of "Cyrano"
I have a whole slew of films I haven't seen but want to-- many of them previously mentioned here.
Posted by Kerry @ 07/15/2002 08:47 PM PST

I'm a culpa; you're a culpa; wouldn't you like to be a culpa, too?
Posted by Kerry @ 07/15/2002 08:54 PM PST

Kerry, I am glad to see you like Pain au Chocolat, too.
You a culpa?
Posted by freedunit @ 07/15/2002 09:12 PM PST

It rained here, Kerry? Darn, I missed it! I was visiting with Dear Reader Megan over the weekend. She was touched by the nice messages that were left for her a while back and said to tell you thanks. It meant a lot to her.
Posted by Laura @ 07/15/2002 11:47 PM PST

I enjoyed many of the above mentioned french films. Also should add My Mother's Castle snd My Father's Mountain. Really found the recent version Of Les Miserables (mentioned above) fascinating. Le Bonheur Est Dans Le Pre was also quite delightful.
Posted by Tom Guest (from OZ) @ 07/16/2002 12:08 AM PST

I will spare repetition and Me Too just to add:
Zazie dans le Métro
The novel by Raymond Queneau is a marvel in its quirky language play, both in the French and the English translated.
And if I may name-drop a bit, I received a note from Queneau a couple of years before his death about a mathematical theorem I published based on Arno Daniel's medieval Provençal sestinas. Queneau had himself published a mathematical analysis of the same verse form. So I'm not chopped liver, and I haven't found the Easter eggs yet.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 07/16/2002 07:26 AM PST

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