Colors, Critters, Cats, and my Journey with MS: August 31

Showing posts with label August 31. Show all posts

Saturday, August 31, 2024

The formula for a perfect day:

Drink good coffee.

Read good books.

On this day in music history - Red Velvet Car, by Heart (2010)

Red Velvet Car

by Heart

was released on August 31, 2010.

On this day in movie history - Friedkin Uncut (2018)

Friedkin Uncut

documentary directed and written by Francesco Zippel,

was released at the Venice Film Festival in Italy on August 31, 2018.

Music by Costanza Francavilla.

Cast:

William Friedkin, Wes Anderson, Dario Argento, Samuel Blumenfeld, Ellen Burstyn, Damien Chazelle, Francis Ford Coppola, Willem Dafoe, Caleb Deschanel, Gina Gershon, Walon Green, Randy Jurgensen, Philip Kaufman, Matthew McConaughey, Zubin Mehta, Antonio Monda, Gianandrea Noseda, William Petersen, Michael Shannon, Quentin Tarantino, Juno Temple, Edgar Wright, Thierry Frémaux, Walter Hill, Fritz Lang, Orson Welles, Mark Kermode, Sherry Lansing.

On this day in movie history - What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (2018)

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael

documentary directed and written by Rob Garver,

was released at the Telluride Film Festival in the United States on August 31, 2018.

Music by Rick Baitz.

Cast:

Pauline Kael, John Guare, David Edelstein, Greil Marcus, Gina James, Camille Paglia, Brian Kellow, Craig Seligman, Jaime Manrique, Daryl Chin, Dick Cavett, Lili Anolik, Edward Landberg, James Wolcott, Paul Schrader, Molly Haskell, Phillip Lopate, David O. Russell, Christopher Durang, Chester Villilba, Ortrun Niesar, Dirk Van Nouhays, Carol Van Strum, Stevens Van Strum, Marcia Nasatir, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Towne, Joe Morgenstern, George Malko, Daniel Menaker, John Boorman, Tom Pollock, David Lean, Woody Allen, Peter Bogdanovich, Michael Sragow, Jerry Lewis, David V. Picker, William Peter Blatty, Johnny Carson, Norman Mailer, Francis Ford Coppola, Carrie Rickey, Ridley Scott, Stephanie Zacharek, Alec Baldwin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jackie Netis, Mike Pollock, Joel Haberli, Amanda Sykes, Debbie Irwin, Michael Bryan, Cliff Resnick, Rob Garver, Carol Baum, Thomas Baum, Jean-Paul Belmondo, James Broughton, George Chakiris, Joan Collins, Keir Dullea, Robert Evans, Dick Hogan, Maila Nurmi, Diana Ross, Shawn Shillingford, Gene Siskel, George Williams.

On this day in movie history - Destroyer (2018)

Destroyer

directed by Karyn Kusama,

written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi,

was released in the United States on August 31, 2018.

Music by Theodore Shapiro.

Cast:

Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan, Scoot McNairy, Bradley Whitford, Toby Huss, James Jordan, Beau Knapp, Jade Pettyjohn, Shamier Anderson, Zach Villa, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Colby French, Kelvin Han Yee, Joseph Fatu, Cuete Yeska, Doug Simpson, Kale Clauson, Jan Hoag, Peter Vasquez, Mickey O'Hagan, McCabe Slye, Brandon Morales, Chido Nwokocha, Cecily Breaux, Kenley Smyth, Jay Hieron, Dan Southworth, Brett Easton, Chris Fiore, Justin Rivera, Alex Marshall-Brown, Alecia Batson, Rey Borge, Monique Gall, George Griffith, Brian Hanford, Austin Hanner, Sofia Kaempfe, Abbey Paige, Yvette Saunders, Evan Whitten.

On this day in movie history - Edmond (2005)

Edmond

directed by Stuart Gordon,

written by and based on the play by David Mamet,

was released at the Venice Film Festival in Italy on August 31, 2005.

Music by Bobby Johnston.

Cast:

William H. Macy, Frances Bay, Rebecca Pidgeon, Joe Mantegna, Denise Richards, Wendy Thompson, Vincent Guastaferro, Bai Ling, Matt Landers, Dulé Hill, Russell Hornsby, Aldis Hodge, Debi Mazar, Mena Suvari, Jeffrey Combs, Barry Cullison, George Wendt, Marcus Thomas, Lionel Mark Smith, Julia Stiles, Patricia Belcher, Wren T. Brown, Bruce A. Young, Dylan Walsh, Bokeem Woodbine, Jack Wallace, Michael Saad, Vanessa Born, Michael Calder, Mary Castro, Annette Harper, Elena Jovis, Steven Littles, Ryan March, Laurie Meghan Phelps, Blake Sherman, Patrick M. Strong, Saskia Vogel, Alexander von Roon.

On this day in movie history - Terror in the Aisles (1984)

Terror in the Aisles

documentary directed by Andrew J. Kuehn,

written by Margery Doppelt,

was released in the United States on August 31, 1984.

Hosted by Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen.

Music by John Beal.

Clips shown from the following movies:

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948); Alien (1979); Alligator (1980); Alone in the Dark (1982); An American Werewolf in London (1981); Bride of Frankenstein (1935); Bug (1975); Carrie (1976); Cat People (1982); Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954); Creepshow (1982); Dawn of the Dead (1978); Dracula (1979); Dressed to Kill (1980); Eyes of Laura Mars (1978); Firestarter (1984); Frenzy (1972); Friday the 13th (1980); Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981); Friday the 13th Part III (1982); Frogs (1972); Grizzly (1976); Halloween (1978); Halloween II (1981); Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982); Hold That Ghost (1941); Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978); Jaws (1975); Jaws 2 (1978); King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962); Klute (1971); Konga (1961); Marathon Man (1976); Midnight Express (1978); Ms .45 (1981); Night of the Living Dead (1968); Nighthawks (1981); Nightwing (1979); Phantom of the Paradise (1974); Piranha (1978); Play Misty for Me (1971); Poltergeist (1982); Prophecy (1979); Psycho (1960); Rosemary's Baby (1968); Saturday the 14th (1981); Scanners (1981); Scared Stiff (1953); Sisters (1972); Strangers on a Train (1951); Suspiria (1977); Tarantula! (1955); The Birds (1963); The Brood (1979); The Car (1977); The Deadly Mantis (1957); The Exorcist (1973); The Fly (1958); The Fog (1980); The Food of the Gods (1976); The Funhouse (1981); The Fury (1978); The Ghost Breakers (1940); The Howling (1981); The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957); The Legacy (1978); The Omen (1976); The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981); The Seduction (1982); The Shining (1980); The Silent Partner (1978); The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974); The Thing (1982); The Thing with Two Heads (1972); The Wolf Man (1941); This Island Earth (1955); To Catch a Thief (1955); Vice Squad (1982); Videodrome (1983); Wait Until Dark (1967); What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962); When a Stranger Calls (1979).

Cast:

Bud Abbott, Brooke Adams, Julia Adams, Ana Alicia, Alan Arkin, Susan Backlinie, Belinda Balaski, Martin Balsam, Adrienne Barbeau, Ralph Bellamy, Elizabeth Berridge, Sidney Blackmer, Nina Blackwood, Linda Blair, Wilford Brimley, Richard Brooker, Marilyn Burns, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Caine, Veronica Cartwright, John Cassavetes, Lon Chaney Jr., Lou Costello, Charles Cioffi, Joan Crawford, Richard Crenna, Jamie Lee Curtis, Keith David, Bette Davis, Brad Davis, Joan Davis, Angie Dickinson, Faye Dunaway, Griffin Dunne, Shelley Duvall, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Fairchild, Mia Farrow, William Finley, Jane Fonda, John Gavin, Jeff Goldblum, Elliott Gould, Gerrit Graham, Cary Grant, Rosey Grier, Charles Hallahan, Gunnar Hansen, Jessica Harper, Debbie Harry, Rutger Hauer, Wings Hauser, David Hedison, Tippi Hedren, Dustin Hoffman, Ian Holm,Season Hubley, Michael Ironside, Amy Irving, Carol Kane, Boris Karloff, Grace Kelly, Persis Khambatta, Margot Kidder, Dana Kimmell, Adrienne King, Yaphet Kotto, Elsa Lanchester, Stephen Lack, Martin Landau, Frank Langella, Piper Laurie, Janet Leigh, Jerry Lewis, Danny Lloyd, Lynn Lowry, Bela Lugosi, Zoe Tamerlis Lund, Herbert Marshall, Dean Martin, Kevin McCarthy, Leo McKern, Teri McMinn, Vera Miles, Jason Miller, Tawny Moyer, David Naughton, Kate Nelligan, Jack Nicholson, Laurence Olivier, Heather O'Rourke, Patricia Owens, Betsy Palmer, Gregory Peck, Anthony Perkins, Christopher Plummer, Vincent Price, Lee Remick, Kurt Russell, Roy Scheider, P. J. Soles, Sissy Spacek, Sylvester Stallone, Harry Dean Stanton, Amy Steel, Andrew Stevens, Catherine Mary Stewart, Donald Sutherland, Gary Swanson, Max von Sydow, Jessica Tandy, Rod Taylor, Robert Walker, Dee Wallace, Jessica Walter, Sigourney Weaver, Jack Weston, Billie Whitelaw, Billy Dee Williams, James Woods.

Born on this day – James Coburn:

Actor

August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002

Credits:

100 Years of the Hollywood Western (1994); 5th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (1999); 9th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2003); A Distant Battle: Memories of Operation Market Garden (2004); A Fast Drive in the Country - The Heydays of Le Mans (1976); A High Wind in Jamaica (1965); A Life in Ten Pictures (2021); A Man Called Jones: The Real Virgil Hilts (2002); A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (1972); Acapulco (1961); Action on the Beach (1964); Affliction (1997); Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958–1959); All-Star Birthday Party at Annapolis (1982); American Cinema (1995); American Gun (2002); American Masters (1989); Arctic Kingdom: Life at the Edge (1995); Arli$$ (2002); Arnold Schwarzenegger: Hollywood Hero (1999); A Christmas Reunion (1994); Bat Masterson (1959–1960); Ben Johnson: Third Cowboy on the Right (1996); Biography (1994); Bite the Bullet (1975); Black Saddle (1959); Blackjack (1997); Blood and Steel: Making 'Enter the Dragon' (2004); Bonanza (1959–1962); Bourbon Street Beat (1960); Bracken's World (1970); Bronco (1959–1960); Bruce Lee, the Legend (1984); Bruce Lee, the Legend Continues (2001); Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (2000); Bruce Lee: The Intercepting Fist (1999); Bruce Lee: The Legend Lives On (1999); Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend (1973); Bruce Lee: The Man, the Myth (1976); Bruce Lee: The Way of the Warrior (2022); Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do (1995); Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do (1995); Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (2005); C.E.O. (1995); Cain's Hundred (1962); Call from Space (1989); Cámara negra. Teatro Victoria Eugenia (2007); Candy (1968); Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990–1992); Charade (1963); Charlie Rose (1999); Checkmate (1962); Cheyenne (1961); Cinema (1967); Circle of Iron (1978); Clive James' Postcard from... (1989); Combat! (1963); Convoy (1978); Cowboys of the Saturday Matinee (1984); Craps (1997); Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 (1992); Cross of Iron (1977); Dale's All Stars (2000); Darkroom (1981–1982); De Caunes/Garcia - Le meilleur de Nulle Part Ailleurs 2... suite et fin! (2005); Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966); Deadfall (1993); Death of a Soldier (1986); Death Valley Days (1960); Des O'Connor Tonight (1991); Digital Dreams (1983); Draw! (1984); Duck, You Sucker! (1971); Duffy (1968); E! True Hollywood Story (1998); Enter the Clones of Bruce (2023); Eraser (1996); Escape (1980); Face of a Fugitive (1959); Faerie Tale Theatre (1984); Famous Families (1999); Film Genre (2002); Firepower (1979); Football America (1996); Frontier Justice (1961); Gala Paramount Pictures Celebrates 90th Anniversary with 90 Stars for 90 Years (2002); General Electric Theater (1958); Go West, Young Man! (2003); Golden Globes 50th Anniversary Celebration (1994); Goldengirl (1979); Good Morning America (1977–1980); Gottschalk Late Night (1994); Gran premio internazionale della TV (2000); Great Performances (2000); Greyhounds (1994); Guns for Hire: The Making of 'The Magnificent Seven' (2000); Gypsy (1968); Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood (1987); Hard Contract (1969); Hard Times / aka The Streetfighter (1975); Harry in Your Pocket (1973); Have Gun - Will Travel (1959–1960); HBO First Look (1994); Headshop (1971–1972); Hell Is for Heroes (1962); Hey Folks, It's Intermission Time (1993); High Risk (1981); Hollywood Beat (2001); Hollywood Greats (1984–2001); Hollywood Mavericks (1990); Hollywood Profile (2001); Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 (1999); Hollywood Stuntmakers (1991); Hollywood's Diamond Jubilee (1978); Horizon (1970); How the West Was Lost (2008); Hudson Hawk (1991); Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time (1992); I Am Bruce Lee (2012); I Am Steve McQueen (2014); I Love Muppets (2002); Il falso bugiardo (2008); In Like Flint (1967); Intimate Portrait (2001); Intrepid (2000); Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981); John Wayne: On Board with the Duke (1997); Johnny Ringo (1959); Keys to Tulsa (1997); King of Diamonds (1962); Kings of the Sun (1963); Klondike (1960–1961); Laramie (1959–1961); Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1994–1999); Late Show with David Letterman (1999); Lawman (1960); Le cercle de minuit (1993); Les Chroniques du Mea (2019); Les mille et une vies de Yul Brynner (2020); Looker (1981); Los 10 magníficos (2008); Loving Couples (1980); M Squad (1959); Mackendrick: The Man Who Walked Away (1986); Magacine (1999); Major Dundee (1965); Malibu (1983); Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days (2001); Martin's Day (1985); Mastergate (1992); Maverick (1994); Men Into Space (1960); Midway (1976); Missing Pieces (2000); Monsters, Inc. (2001); Monsters, Inc. Scream Team (2001); Moving Pictures (1992); Mr. Murder (1998); Mr. Patman (1980); Muppets 201: Rarities from the Henson Vault (2009); Murder, She Wrote (1992); My Riviera (1990); Naked City (1962); Noah's Ark (1999); Of Muppets and Men: The Making of 'The Muppet Show' (1981); Okavango: Africa's Savage Oasis (1996); Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone (2000); One on One with John Tesh (1992); Our Man Flint (1966); Outlaws (1961); Parkinson (1973); Passion & Poetry - Peckinpah's last western (2024); Passion & Poetry - The Dundee Odyssey (2019); Passion & Poetry: Major Dundee (2005); Passion & Poetry: Peckinpah Anecdotes (2017); Passion & Poetry: Sam Peckinpah's War (2011); Passion & Poetry: Sam's Trucker Movie (2013); Passion & Poetry: The Ballad of Sam Peckinpah (2005); Pat Boone in Hollywood (1967); Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973); Payback (1999); Payback: Interview with Mel Gibson, Maria Bello, Lucy Liu and James Coburn (1999); Payback: Straight Up (2006); Paybacks Are a Bitch (2023); Perry Mason (1961–1962); Peter Gunn (1960); Philbin's People (1969); Picket Fences (1995); Profiler (1997); Proximity (2001); Rawhide (1962); Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder (1995); Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice (1994); Return to 'the Great Escape' (1993); Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1960); Ride Lonesome (1959); RIP 2002 (2002); Ripcord (1962); Route 66 (1964); Sam Peckinpah: Man of Iron (1993); Sam Peckinpah: Portrait (2006); Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (2004); Saturday Night Live (1982); Scene by Scene (2000); Sex, Censorship and the Silver Screen (1996); Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story (1999); Silverfox (1991); Sins of the Father (1985); Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993); Skeletons (1997); Sky Riders (1976); Slots with Video Poker (1997); Snow Dogs (2002); Special Collector's Edition (2011); Speed Fever (1978); Stagecoach West (1961); State Trooper (1959); Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge (1989); Stoney Burke (1963); Stories from My Childhood (1998); Studio One (1957); Sugarfoot (1960); Super Bloopers and Practical Jokes (1984); Superstunt (1977); Superstunt II (1979); Suspicion (1958); Tales of Wells Fargo (1958–1962); Tate (1960); Texas Rangers (2001); The 13th Annual CableACE Awards (1992); The 14th Annual CableACE Awards (1993); The 14th Annual IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (1999); The 24th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1967); The 2nd Annual People's Choice Awards (1976); The 38th Annual Academy Awards (1966); The 45th Annual Academy Awards (1973); The 4th Annual American Cinema Awards (1987); The 50th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1993); The 51st Annual Academy Awards (1979); The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999); The 71st Annual Academy Awards (1999); The 72nd Annual Academy Awards (2000); The 75th Annual Academy Awards (2003); The Americanization of Emily (1964); The Aquanauts (1961); The Avenging Angel (1995); The Baltimore Bullet (1980); The BBC and the BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Tribute to Richard Attenborough (1999); The Best of Hollywood (2017–2018); The Brothers Brannagan (1961); The Californians (1959); The Carey Treatment (1972); The Cherokee Kid (1996); The Coolest Guy Movie Ever: Return to the Scene of The Great Escape (2018); The Curse of the Dragon (1993); The Dain Curse (1978); The David Frost Show (1971–1972); The Defenders (1964); The Deputy (1960); The Detectives (1961); The Dick Cavett Show (1969); The Dick Powell Theatre (1962); The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson (1996); The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959); The Ed Sullivan Show (1965–1967); The Edge and Beyond (1988–1990); The Eighth Annual Diversity Awards (2000); The Eleventh Hour (1963); The Fall Guy (1981); The Fifth Corner (1992); The Godfather and the Mob (2006); The Good Doctor (2000); The Great Escape (1963); The Greatest Show on Earth (1963); The Hit List (1993); The Honkers (1972); The Infinite Voyage (1987–1991); The Internecine Project (1974); The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002); The Last Hard Men (1976); The Last of Sheila (1973); The Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970); The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1959); The Life of Bruce Lee (1994); The Linkletter Show (1967); The Lion's Roar (1985); The Living Edens (1998–1999); The Loved One (1965); The Magical World of Disney (1958–1959); The Magnificent Seven (1960); The Making of 'Midway' (2001); The Man from Elysian Fields (2001); The Man from Galveston (1963); The McCartney Years (2007); The Merv Griffin Show (1968–1973); The Mike Douglas Show (1967–1980); The Millionaire (1959); The Mists of Avalon (2001); The Muppet Movie (1979); The Muppet Show (1980); The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979); The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986); The Murder Men (1962); The New Bike (2009); The Nutty Professor (1996); The Path of the Dragon (2012); The Player (1992); The President's Analyst (1967); The Restless Gun (1958–1959); The Rifleman (1958–1961); The Rockford Files (1977); The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1999–2002); The Rough Riders (1959); The Second Civil War (1997); The Set Up (1995); The Tall Man (1961); The Texan (1960); The Toni Tennille Show (1980); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1966–1980); The Twilight Zone (1963); The Unbeatable Bruce Lee (2001); The Untouchables (1961); The Wild West (1993); The Wildest West Show of the Stars (1986); The Wolf Men (1969); The Yellow Bird (2001); This Is Your Life (1989); Tombstone Territory (1959); Trackdown (1959); Train to Heaven (1989); True Facts (1992); Twentieth Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years (2000); Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years (1997); Vengeance Unlimited (1999); Wagon Train (1958); Walking After Midnight (1988); Walter and Henry (2001); Wanted: Dead or Alive (1959–1960); Warner Bros. Celebration of Tradition (1990); Waterhole #3 (1967); What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966); What's My Line? (1956); What's the Bet? (1994); Whirlybirds (1959); White Rock (1977); Wichita Town (1959–1960); Wogan (1989); World's Scariest Ghosts: Caught on Tape (2000); Young Guns II (1990); Zane Grey Theatre (1959–1960).

Born on this day – G. D. Spradlin:

Actor

Attorney

Businessman

August 31, 1920 – July 24, 2011

Born on this day – David Lowell Rich:

Director

Producer

August 31, 1920 – October 21, 2001

Born on this day – Richard Basehart:

Actor

August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984

Born on this day – Noel Francis:

Actress

August 31, 1906 – October 30, 1959

Credits:

Bachelor Apartment (1931); Blonde Crazy (1931); Blood Money (1933); Bureau of Missing Persons (1933); Fifteen Wives (1934); Flames (1932); Frisco Jenny (1932); Good Dame (1934); Guilty as Hell (1932); Havana Widows (1933); Her Hired Husband (1930); Her Resale Value (1933); Hold Me Tight (1933); Husband's Holiday (1931); I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932); Imitation of Life (1934); Ladies of the Big House (1931); Left Handed Law (1937); Madison Square Garden (1932); Man About Town (1932); Manhattan Tower (1932); Mutiny Ahead (1935); My Pal, the King (1932); New Movietone Follies of 1930 (1930); Night Court (1932); Only Yesterday (1933); Reform Girl (1933); Resurrection (1931); Rough Romance (1930); Screen Snapshots (1932); Smart Money (1931); Smart Woman (1931); So Big! (1932); Son of a Sailor (1933); Stone of Silver Creek (1935); Stone of Silver Creek (1935); Strictly Dynamite (1934); Sudden Bill Dorn (1937); The Easiest Way (1931); The Expert (1932); The Fair Co-Ed (1927); The Important Witness (1933); The Line-Up (1934); The Loudspeaker (1934); The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934); The Mouthpiece (1932); The White Cockatoo (1935); The White Parade (1934); Turkey for Two (1929); Under-Cover Man (1932); Up the River (1930); What's Your Racket? (1934).

Born on this day – Hugh Harman:

Animator

August 31, 1903 – November 25, 1982

Born on this day – Fredric March:

Actor

August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975

Credits:

A Great Big Bunch of You (1932); A Horse Tale (1928); A Message for Women (1945); A Rainy Day with the Bear Family (1940); Africa Before Dark (1928); Ain't Nature Grand! (1930); Aladdin's Vamp (1926); Alias St. Nick (1935); Alice and the Dog Catcher (1924); Alice and the Three Bears (1924); Alice at the Carnival (1927); Alice at the Rodeo (1927); Alice Cans the Cannibals (1925); Alice Charms the Fish (1926); Alice Chops the Suey (1925); Alice Cuts the Ice (1926); Alice Foils the Pirates (1927); Alice Gets in Dutch (1924); Alice Gets Stung (1925); Alice Helps the Romance (1926); Alice Hunting in Africa (1924); Alice in Slumberland (1926); Alice in the Alps (1927); Alice in the Big League (1927); Alice in the Jungle (1925); Alice in the Klondike (1927); Alice in the Wooly West (1926); Alice in Wonderland (1933); Alice Is Stage Struck (1925); Alice Loses Out (1925); Alice on the Farm (1926); Alice Picks the Champ (1925); Alice Plays Cupid (1925); Alice Rattled by Rats (1925); Alice Solves the Puzzle (1925); Alice the Collegiate (1927); Alice the Fire Fighter (1926); Alice the Golf Bug (1927); Alice the Lumberjack (1926); Alice the Peacemaker (1924); Alice the Piper (1924); Alice the Toreador (1925); Alice the Whaler (1927); Alice Wins the Derby (1925); Alice's Auto Race (1927); Alice's Balloon Race (1926); Alice's Brown Derby (1926); Alice's Channel Swim (1927); Alice's Circus Daze (1927); Alice's Day at Sea (1924); Alice's Egg Plant (1925); Alice's Fishy Story (1924); Alice's Knaughty Knight (1927); Alice's Little Parade (1926); Alice's Medicine Show (1927); Alice's Monkey Business (1926); Alice's Mysterious Mystery (1926); Alice's Picnic (1927); Alice's Spanish Guitar (1926); Alice's Spooky Adventure (1924); Alice's Three Bad Eggs (1927); Alice's Tin Pony (1925); Alice's Wild West Show (1924); Alice's Wonderland (1923); All Wet (1927); Art Gallery (1939); Barnyard Babies (1935); Behind the Tunes: Drawn to Life - The Art of Robert McKimson (2007); Behind the Tunes: Looney Tunes - A Cast of Thousands / Sing-a-Song of Looney Tunes (2006); Big Man from the North (1930); Bottles (1936); Box Car Blues (1930); Bright Lights (1928); Bugs vs. Daffy: Battle of the Music Video Stars (1988); Bull-Oney (1928); Bye, Bye Bluebeard (1949); Cartoon Alley (2005); Cinderella (1922); Circus Daze (1937); Cleaning Mess Gear (1945); Congo Jazz (1930); Convict Concerto (1954); Cubby's World Flight (1933); Down the Drain (1947); Drinking Water (1945); Easy Does It (1946); Empty Socks (1927); Farmyard Follies (1928); Fiery Fireman (1928); Friz on Film (2006); Goldie Locks and the Three Bears (1922); Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1939); Good Little Monkeys (1935); Good Wrinkles (1951); Goopy Geer (1932); Great Guns (1927); Harem Scarem (1928); Haunted Gold (1932); Hen Fruit (1929); Hey-Hey Fever (1935); High Up (1928); Hold Anything (1930); Hold 'Em Ozzie (1929); Homeless Homer (1929); Honeyland (1935); Hot Dogs (1928); Hungry Hoboes (1928); I Like Mountain Music (1933); I Love a Parade (1932); I Wish I Had Wings (1932); Ice Man's Luck (1929); Irreverent Imagination: The Golden Age of the Looney Tunes (2003); It's Got Me Again! (1932); Jack and the Beanstalk (1922); Jack the Giant Killer (1922); Johnny Learns His Manners (1946); Jungle Jingles (1929); Lady, Play Your Mandolin! (1931); Little Buck Cheeser (1937); Little Cheeser (1936); Little Red Riding Hood (1922); March of Progress (1945); Merbabies (1938); Mischievous Mice (1934); Mississippi Mud (1928); Moonlight for Two (1932); Native Food (1945); Neck 'n' Neck (1928); Nuts and Jolts (1929); Oh Teacher (1927); Oh What a Knight (1928); One More Time (1931); One Step Ahead of My Shadow (1933); Ozzie of the Mounted (1928); Pagan Moon (1932); Panicky Pancakes (1928); Papa Gets the Bird (1940); Peace on Earth (1939); Personal Cleanliness (1945); Pipe Dreams (1938); Plane Crazy (1928); Poor Little Me (1935); Poor Papa (1927); Private Snafu Presents Seaman Tarfu in the Navy (1946); Puss in Boots (1922); Red-Headed Baby (1931); Rickety Gin (1927); Ride 'Em Plowboy (1928); Rival Romeos (1928); Rocks and Socks (1928); Run Sheep, Run! (1935); Sagebrush Sadie (1928); Saucy Sausages (1929); Shuffle Off to Buffalo (1933); Sick Cylinders (1929); Sinkin' in the Bathtub (1930); Sky Scrappers (1928); Sleigh Bells (1928); Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! (1931); Stage Stunts (1929); Stripes and Stars (1929); Swing Wedding (1937); Tale of the Vienna Woods (1934); Tall Timber (1928); Ted's Typewriter (1939); The Adventures of Sir Gee Whiz on the Other Side of the Moon (1960); The Alley Cat (1941); The Banker's Daughter (1927); The Blue Danube (1939); The Bookworm (1939); The Bookworm Turns (1940); The Booze Hangs High (1930); The Calico Dragon (1935); The Chinese Nightingale (1935); The Discontented Canary (1934); The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon (1933); The Dumb Patrol (1931); The Early Bird and the Worm (1936); The Field Mouse (1941); The Fishing Fool (1929); The Four Musicians of Bremen (1922); The Fox Chase (1928); The Gay Gaucho (1933); The Hot Stogie (1947); The Hound and the Rabbit (1937); The Hungry Wolf (1942); The Little Bantamweight (1938); The Little Mole (1941); The Littlest Angel (1950); The Lonesome Stranger (1940); The Lost Chick (1935); The Lumberjack (1929); The Mad Maestro (1939); The Mechanical Cow (1927); The Ocean Hop (1927); The Ol' Swimmin' Hole (1928); The Old House (1936); The Old Mill Pond (1936); The Old Pioneer (1934); The Old Plantation (1935); The Organ Grinder (1933); The Pups' Christmas (1936); The Pups' Picnic (1936); The Queen Was in the Parlor (1932); The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives (1933); The South Pole Flight (1928); The Tree's Knees (1931); The Wayward Pups (1937); The Wicked West (1929); To Spring (1936); Tom Thumb in King Arthur's Court (1963); Tom Turkey and His Harmonica Humdingers (1940); ToonHeads (1992–2003); Toyland Broadcast (1934); Trolley Troubles (1927); Two Little Pups (1936); Uncensored Cartoons (1982); Ups 'n Downs (1931); Use Your Head (1945); Wake Up the Gypsy in Me (1933); Weary Willies (1929); We're in the Money (1933); When the Cat's Away (1935); Winky the Watchman (1945); Yanky Clippers (1929); Yodeling Yokels (1931); You Don't Know What You're Doin'! (1931); Young and Healthy (1933).

Virginia Hamilton, on writing:

I can’t explain how it is I keep having new ideas.

But one book inevitably follows another.
It is my way of exploring the known,
the remembered,
and the imagined,
the literary triad of which all stories are made.
- Virginia Hamilton.

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

The Duellists (1977) - a fine point of honor:

While I’d never seen The Duellists before marrying, I can honestly say it’s become one of my favorites and gets better with every viewing. My husband’s review of the movie is below – I hope you read it and watch the movie when you have the chance. It’s definitely worth it!

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The Duellists (1977) - a fine point of honor:

Review by Jack Kost.

Strife without reason. A quarrel pursued for its own sake.

– Liz Smith, as the Fortune Teller.

I remember the first time I watched The Duellists.

It was on my black-and-white portable TV, in my bedroom, when I was 12-years-old … and that is no way to watch The Duellists … or any movie for that matter!

But even on that grainy, nine-inch monochrome screen, I appreciated the movie’s beauty.

It was several years before I got the opportunity for a second viewing, then on a full-size color TV.

It was before widescreen; the picture was cropped and reformatted to fit the TV screen, but seeing it in color made it better, and the experience of watching The Duellists the first time around has never left me.

The Duellists, released in France, on August 31, 1977, won the award for Best Debut Film, at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival, and has since been included on The New York Times list of best movies, along with being commended for its attention to period detail.

Director Ridley Scott would go on to further acclaim with the classics: Alien (1979), and Blade Runner (1982), among many others.

The Duellists is his first movie, and it’s perfect.

What a debut!

Before The Duellists, Ridley Scott made TV commercials.

One of his most memorable was the 1984 Apple Macintosh computer advertisement, aired on TV during the Super Bowl.

Inspired by George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, the ad’ featured an Olympic runner hurling a large sledgehammer through a giant screen.

The skill and style he invested in his movies is evident in that short ad’.

Gerald Vaughan-Hughes wrote the script for The Duellists, based on Joseph Conrad’s The Duel, published in 1907, inspired by the true story of two feuding French officers, during the Napoleonic era:

François Fournier-Sarlovèze (left) & Pierre Dupont de l'Étang (right).

For the movie, François Fournier-Sarlovèze is depicted as Gabriel Feraud (Harvey Keitel).

Pierre Dupont de l'Étang is depicted as Armand D’Hubert (Keith Carradine):

Opening with Feraud winning a duel, D’Hubert is sent by General Treillard (Robert Stephens), to find Feraud and inform him he is under immediate house arrest.

D’Hubert:

I have an order to convey to you from General Treillard. You are to report immediately to your quarters and remain there under close arrest.

Feraud:

What did you say?

D’Hubert:

I am only a messenger. That must be obvious to you. I believe you heard my message.

Feraud:

Yes, damn you, I heard your message! Under arrest for what?

D’Hubert:

You did fight a duel this morning?

Feraud:

Of course.

D’Hubert:

You make duelling sound like a pastime in the Garden of Eden. I think we have to leave now; don’t you agree?

During this exchange, Feraud is aghast.

“Of course,” he confirmed, as if it was expected and accepted that he fights duels when and where he pleases.

The matter is not open for judgment, or question, and God help anyone who dared try!

Feraud takes it as an insult.

Driven by petulance, spite, and rage, D’Hubert then becomes the target of his hate, and he forces D’Hubert into their first duel.

D’Hubert knocks Feraud unconscious and wins the duel, but Feraud won’t let it go at that.

After D’Hubert is wounded and unable to continue the second duel, Feraud shouts: “Next time, D’Hubert!”

Feraud won’t be satisfied until the duel is fought to the death, turning their disagreement into a personal vendetta.

They would meet for a series of duels over the following years, fighting in different places, using swords, sabers, on horseback, and finally Flintlock pistols.

In the movie retelling, we see five duels over fifteen years.

In real life, there were more than thirty over nineteen years.

We’ve all encountered one like Gabriel Feraud … that individual who just seems to thrive on conflict.

Easily bored and not content unless they cause trouble wherever they go, or picking a fight with whoever they’re with.

They can’t stand being wrong.

If they take a dislike to you, or you see through them and call them out on what they do, they become your sworn enemy for life.

D’Hubert seeks advice from Dr. Jacquin (Tom Conti):

Jacquin:

Feraud intends to kill you.

D’Hubert:

Is that what he says?

Jacquin:

No, not to me, but rumor goes round.

D’Hubert:

Damn him, anyway! He’s most unreasonable.

Jacquin:

The enemies of reason have a certain blind look. He has that look; don’t you think?

D’Hubert:

What can I do?

Jacquin:

I have given it some thought. You cannot fight – one, if you are in different places – physical impossibility. Two, if you are of different rank – it’s a breach of discipline. And three, if the state is at war. Duels of nations take absolute precedence. Therefore, keep away from him, keep ahead of him, put your trust in Bonaparte.

D’Hubert (laughs):

Thank you.

There is a crossroads incident during one campaign where they find themselves regrouped into one regiment.

Separated from the group, they face each other, holding pistols in both hands.

Suddenly, they are surrounded by the enemy and the situation forces them to stand and fight, side-by-side this time – not against each other.

D’Hubert attempts to engage Feraud in conversation instead of conflict.

Discussion instead of a duel.

He offers Feraud a drink of Schnapps from his flask, in celebration of winning the skirmish.

This shows the contrasting characters: D’Hubert the contemplative peace-maker, against Feraud the psychopathic trouble-maker.

Feraud gives D’Hubert a cold look of contempt, and walks away without accepting the offer of the drink, or uttering a word in response.

The animosity remains.

Feraud’s rejection of D’Hubert’s peace offering would lead to his eventual downfall.

D’Hubert was offering an olive branch, an opening for them to shake hands and call an end to the pointless feud.

As soldiers, they were already on the same side, climbing the ranks in Bonaparte’s army.

They were more successful fighting the enemy than they were fighting each other.

A friendship could have been made of this.

Or, at least, a truce and alliance.

But Feraud couldn’t let it go.

His stubborn, pig-headed attitude would take him from a high-ranking General to a prisoner in the provinces.

Forced to live out his life, stripped of his rank and position, existing in quiet exile, sharing a similar fate to Bonaparte.

Ridley Scott has a talent for stunning visuals, and painting his scenes with light.

There are many stills in this movie I would happily frame and hang on my wall.

The configuration of the scenes, especially the interiors and establishing location shots, are reminiscent of classic paintings.

The final duel was filmed at the Château de Commarque, a castle ruin in southern France.

Howard Blake’s soundtrack is a haunting accompaniment to the stunning visuals.

The drama and cinematography meld seamlessly.

The flawless performances and script perfectly reflect the mannered customs and speech of the characters and era.

Among the supporting cast are:

Diane Quick, as Laura, D’Hubert’s opportunistic and selfish mistress.

Cristina Raines, as Adele, who marries D’Hubert, after Napoleon loses at the battle of Waterloo and D’Hubert joins the army of Louis XVIII.

Albert Finney, as Joseph Fouché, the Minister of Police, who contemptuously dismisses Feraud, after D’Hubert secretly pleads Feraud’s case and saves him from execution:

“General Feraud, alive or dead, is not worth a moment’s gossip!”

Look out for Pete Postlethwaite, in a silent, supporting role as Treillard’s valet.

Stacy Keach provides voice-over narration throughout.

Author and journalist, Gordon Williams, wrote the movie tie-in novel version.

He was also the author of the 1969 novel: The Siege of Trencher’s Farm, filmed by Sam Peckinpah in 1971 as Straw Dogs, starring Dustin Hoffman and Susan George.