Movie Monday - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Based on a play by Tennessee Williams and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, & Burl Ives, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a movie about a dysfunctional southern family. Maggie "The Cat" and her husband, Brick are visiting his parents for his father's 60th birthday party because it's suspected he's dying of cancer. The strain on their marriage is slowly revealed throughout the movie, piece by piece revealing itself to the viewer. I know that there were homosexual themes in the play that were completely removed from the movie, which is a real shame. I feel like it really would have added a lot to the movie and would have explained a LOT of things. Plus, I hate it when movies disregard a huge theme or portion present in the original book or play. But, it's a sign of the times. As are a few other things in this movie.




I think what initially drew me into watching this movie was that I knew it was set in Mississippi in the 1950s. My mother's side of the family is from Mississippi and I spent about half of my childhood there, 8 hours away from Houston- in Jackson. Two of the towns my mom lived in when she was growing up in were actually film locations for 'The Help' (Greenwood & Jackson for anyone who cares).




The movie is beautiful. The colors and scenery are amazing and the authenticity of the inner workings of a family with a lot of problems, is truly amazing. I'm really interested in seeing or reading the play.




All in all, it's worth a watch. I watched it on Netflix, but I'm sure if you have cable, you can probably watch it on TCM or something.

"Maggie the cat is alive! I'm alive!"

-Becca

Movie Monday - Bunny & the Bull

Bunny & the Bull, starring Edward Hogg, Simon Farnaby, and Madeleine Worrall.

I actually really love this movie, but I feel like I haven't loved it long enough for it to become one of my favorites. I watch my favorite movies & tv shows hundreds of times, sometimes three times within a day. And until I've done that for a long period of time, it's hard to categorize it as anything other than a good movie that I liked. I'm bad about being really into something for months and months and then suddenly never wanting to look at it again.

I think this movie could easily be a movie I love and want to re-watch forever, but I also thought that about Little Miss Sunshine and I was wrong.

The movie starts off introducing you to Stephen Turnbull, an obsessive compulsive shut in who hasn't left his apartment in a year. Through a series of flashbacks all re-enacted within the walls of his apartment, the story leading up to his eventual isolation from the rest of the world is slowly revealed.

The movie is really beautiful visually. Using stacks of newspaper, snowglobes, and other items from Stephen's cluttered, albeit organized apartment, we see him travel across Europe with his best friend, Bunny.  And the story, while truly funny and a bit bizarre, is ultimately very heart-wrenching and relate-able.

The humor is similar to The Mighty Boosh, if you've ever seen it on Adult Swim. If you haven't, I highly recommend it. It's British humor, (which is apparently different from American humor?) so take that into account I suppose. I don't really know, funny is funny to me but maybe I'm dense. Granted, I recommend lots of things to my friends and it's always hit or miss. Either my tastes are really eclectic or my standards are too low? Whatever, I like what I like, no apologies made.

It's not family friendly though, I'm pretty sure you see Bunny's privates in a scene but I didn't really commit it to memory so I can't guarantee that. But there is quite a bit of "foul" language (haha) and other stuff.

But ultimately, the movie is really beautiful and touching, while still being really funny. It explores the complexities of friendship and the strange happenings of life, while telling a cute love story.

It's available on netflix now or, if you're feeling daring, you could always roll the dice and purchase it on Amazon.

Let me know if you check it out. I'd love to know what you thought of it!

-Becca

Movie Monday - The Ghost & Mrs. Muir

The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1947)
Starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison and a young Natalie Wood. This romantic fantasy is set in London in the early 1900s. Mrs. Muir, a young widow moves to a seaside village named Whitecliff with her daughter and maid. They move into a beautiful home said to be haunted by the previous owner.





Soon the poltergeist reveals himself to be the late Captain Daniel Gregg and while he is at first very perturbed by Mrs. Muir's presence in the house, she grows on him and they fall in love. Obviously other things happen, but I don't want to spoil it for you.





I hadn't ever heard of it before, but I was clicking around Netflix late one night (3 AM to be precise) and I saw that it had Rex Harrison in it. Now, I really loved My Fair Lady, partially for what it is but mostly because my late grandfather was the one who first watched it with me. So, I figured watching Rex Harrison for an hour and a half couldn't be bad. I was so right. Unlike that time I tried watching The Romantics on Netflix. That was a mistake.





I really enjoyed this movie. I thought the interactions between Mrs. Muir and Daniel Gregg were really sweet and went beyond the realm of physical attraction since they couldn't touch.

So if you like old films and you don't have anything to do, I recommend it. It's available on Netflix and if you like it and you want to buy it (which I did), Amazon has copies for around $10.

-Becca