favorite movie #106 - holiday edition: we’re no angels

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #106 - We’re No Angels (1955) - Joseph (Humphrey Bogart), Albert (Aldo Ray) and Jules (Peter Ustinov) are three convicts who escape from Devil's Island right before Christmas. They decide to hide out in a nearby general store run by the Ducotel family — Felix (Leo G. Carroll), his wife Amelie (Joan Bennett), and their daughter Isabelle (Gloria Talbott). While there, they start to observe the family and get involved in their problems — mainly the store's failing business and its imminent takeover by their ruthless cousin, Andre Trochard (Basil Rathbone), and his smarmy son Paul (John Baer), who is also Isabelle's crush. The trio and Albert's pet (poisonous) snake Adolphe set about trying to make everything right and give the Ducotels a nice Christmas. Humphrey Bogart shows his flair for comedy and he and Ray and Ustinov are great together.

L-R: Albert (Aldo Ray), Joseph (Humphrey Bogart), and Jules (Peter Ustinov)

Joseph: I'm going to buy them their Christmas turkey.
Albert: "Buy"? Do you really mean "buy"?
Joseph: Yes, buy! In the Spirit of Christmas. The hard part's going to be stealing the money to pay for it.

The angels from Devil's Island

Cousin Andre doesn't believe there's a snake inside that basket

favorite movie #93 - election edition: napoleon dynamite

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #93 - Napoleon Dynamite (2004) - The pace of this movie is as socially awkward and original as its title character, Napoleon Dynamite, played by Jon Heder. But once you get into it, you can't help but root for the strange Napoleon and his buddy Pedro, Deb, Grandma, and even Napoleon's annoying brother Kip.

favorite movie #92 - election edition: election

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #92 - Election (1999) - Reese Witherspoon is amazing as Tracy Flick, the indefatigable, unscrupulous, ever-achieving senior who is running for student body president. Matthew Broderick is her teacher Jim McAllister, who loathes her. This dark comedy never tries to make any of its characters likable and is all the better for it.

favorite movie #80 - halloween edition: little shop of horrors

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #80 - Little Shop of Horrors (1986) - I like the original B&W Roger Corman film too, with Jack Nicholson's wonderfully masochistic dental patient, but this is the one to see over and over again. Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and Levi Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II are all amazing. Even though director Frank Oz wanted the "darker" ending that was in the Off-Broadway show, the originally released "happy" ending is still pretty ambiguous. The movie doesn't shy away from its sleazy Skid Row locations, S&M romance between Audrey and Doctor Scrivello (Steve Martin), or this version's patient who is in love with pain (Bill Murray). The scene is set by Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon (Tichina Arnold, Michelle Weeks, and Tisha Campbell) and the songs are great, too, especially: "Prologue: Little Shop of Horrors", "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Some Fun Now", "Dentist!", "Feed Me (Git It)", and Ellen Greene steals the show with "Suddenly, Seymour" and "Somewhere That's Green".

favorite movie #78 - halloween edition: beetlejuice

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #78 - Beetlejuice (1988) - Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! This film is darkly funny, quirky as hell — it's just a hoot. From the great Harry Belafonte songs and Danny Elfman's score to the almost animated quality of the film — what we now know to be Tim Burton's circus meets horror sensibility — and capped off by an amazing comedian performance from Michael Keaton, ably abetted by Sylvia Sidney, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder, etc.

Adam (Alec Baldwin): How is it that you can see us but nobody else can? 

Lydia (Winona Ryder): Well, I read in that "Handbook For The Recently Deceased". It says, "Live people ignore the strange and unusual." I, myself, am strange and unusual.

favorite movie #68 - halloween edition: what we do in the shadows (2014)

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #68 - What We Do in the Shadows (2014) - Set up as "Real World" mockumentary, What We Do in the Shadows follows four roommates, who also happen to be vampires. Viago (Taika Waititi) is the "leader" of the group and on the uptight side. Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) is a goth-esque vampire, the strongest of the crew. Deacon (Jonathan Brugh) is the youngest, at age 183. Petyr (Ben Fransham), age 8000, resembles Nosferatu and lives in the basement. Together — what a zany bunch. Set in Wellington, NZ, the film is very funny — and gory — as the roomies have varying success with stalking prey and making new friends, most notably with computer analyst Stu (Stu Rutherford), a human who introduces them to wonders of the modern world, like YouTube.

Our house, in the middle of the street ...

"One day I was selling my wears, and I walked passed this old creepy castle. And I look at it and think, "'very old and creepy". And then this creature... flies at me! It dragged me back to this dark dungeon. And bit into my neck. And just at the point of death; this creature forced me to suck its foul blood. And then it opened it's wings, like this. And hovered above me. Screeching. 'Now you are vampire.' And it was Petyr. And we're still friends today."

Yeah some of our clothes are from victims. You might bite someone and then, you think, 'Oooh, those are some nice pants!'

favorite movie #57: dirty rotten scoundrels

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #57 - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) - This film has a special pace in my heart. It is silly fun, and the three main players — Steve Martin, Michael Caine, and Glenne Headley — are all wonderful together. Director Frank Oz makes many funny movies, and this is one of his best. The French Riviera scenery adds to the breezy, champagne bubbly tone.

Freddy Benson (Steve Martin, as "Ruprecht the Monkey Boy"): Excuse me. May I go to the bathroom first? 

Lawrence Jamieson (Michael Caine): Of course you may. 

Freddy: [after a pause, and with relief] Thank you.

Lawrence Jamieson: Freddy, as a younger man, I was a sculptor, a painter, and a musician. There was just one problem: I wasn't very good. As a matter of fact, I was dreadful. I finally came to the frustrating conclusion that I had taste and style, but not talent. I knew my limitations. We all have our limitations, Freddy. Fortunately, I discovered that taste and style were commodities that people desired. Freddy, what I am saying is: know your limitations. You are a moron.

Related:

bedtime story vs. dirty rotten scoundrels

favorite movie #56 and art in film: s.o.b.

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #56 - S.O.B. (1981) - Blake Edwards had a string of flops in the 1970s, starting with Darling Lili (which starred his wife Julie Andrews), which almost brought down Paramount Studios. His recovered after filming three very successful Pink Panther sequels, and then went on to film S.O.B., a film many thought to be his poison pen letter, his revenge on Hollywood.

But S.O.B. is not just a nasty flaming arrow pointed at an insider's view of Tinsel Town. It is also freaking hilarious. The story features a character similar to Edwards, Felix Farmer (Richard Mulligan), who has a mental breakdown after his latest film, Night Wind, starring his movie star wife Sally Miles (Julie Andrews), is a colossal flop at the box office. In Hollywood money is king, and Felix's flop affects everyone in his orbit. Edwards pulls no punches depicting that orbit: the wife, children, hangers on, agents, domestic help, sycophants, and anyone else in the immediate vicinity who wants be part of the scene. The only people faithful and supportive of the suicidal Felix are his three best friends: Tim Culley (William Holden), the director of Night Wind; Dr. Irving Finegarten (Robert Preston), Felix and Sally's doctor; and Ben Coogan (Robert Webber), Sally's press agent.

The Three Muscatels

Felix has a brainstorm — what he needs to do to save Night Wind is to reshoot it with lots of added sex scenes, which will require some new, suggestive footage of his wife Sally.

Felix Farmer (Richard Mulligan) : Can she work? 

Dr. Irving Finegarten (Robert Preston) : Is Batman a transvestite? Who knows? I was specifically requested to alleviate her anxiety. Work was never mentioned. 

Felix Farmer : Irving, she's got a very big scene to do! 

Sally Miles (Julie Andrews) : [laughing] I'm going to show my boobies. What do you think, Irving, you've seen my boobies. Hmm, are they worth showing? 

Dr. Irving Finegarten : Well, since I can only render an evaluation based on a completely impersonal, purely professional examination of the subject ... uh, subjects, I would have to say that in my humble opinion you've got a terrific pair of knockers.

Polly wolly doodle all the day ...

Edwards pulls no punches and the film never stops loading one crazy situation on top of another, with  hysterical results. The cast is top notch, too — it's fun to try and spot all of the familiar faces.

What a cast. Top row, L-R: Loretta Swit, Craig Stevens, Larry Hagman, Richard Mulligan, Robert Vaughan, Benson Fong, Marisa Berenson. Bottom row, L-R: Robert Loggia, William Holden, Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, Larry Storch, Shelley Winters, Stuart Margolin, Robert Webber.

As wonderful as everyone is, Robert Preston is simply amazing, and pretty much walks away with the film (as he did in 1982's Victor, Victoria) with his Dr. Feelgood-ish portrayal of Dr. Irving Finegarten.

Well, it depends on what you mean by "all right." I once cured an amateur skydiver of acute acrophobia. Now, you could say he was all right, because he was able to jump. But you could also say he was *not* all right, because he was so stoned he neglected to open his parachute.

Check out that family portrait

William Holden, Jennifer Edwards daughter of Blake), and Rosanna Arquette