More Random Thoughts? Sure, why not:
1) I'm not going to pretend I've ever read any of Ira Levin's books, because I haven't. However, his passing at the age of 78 reminds me of something we've been missing out on lately: Classy horror movies with a literary pedigree.
I'm thinking of the adaptations of three of Levin's novels: Rosemary's Baby, directed by Roman Polanski and featuring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes; The Stepford Wives, directed by Bryan Forbes and starring Katherine Ross; and The Boys From Brazil, directed by Franklin Schaffner and starring Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier. Forbes and Schaffner may not have been auteurs of Polanski's stature, but they were solid craftsmen, and even the worst of these movies (that would be Boys, with hilariously hambone performances from its two aging stars) have a solid level of professionalism and respect for the audience's intelligence sadly missing from today's horror fare.
The Stepford Wives in particular has a nice feel of everyday life going slightly wrong. Yeah, it has a cheesy seventies look, and if the story's ultimate destination seems kind of obvious these days, it's because we've seen it ripped off so many times since. It's not a great movie, but it's pretty good, and when was the last time you could say that about any major studio suspense thriller? Levin's novel and Forbes' film were popular enough for the title to have slipped into the lexicon, and can be used to identify anyone or anything that doesn't feel wholly natural. For instance, calling Hillary Clinton The Stepford Candidate...
2) Speaking of Clinton, I'm stunned there hasn't been more coverage and outcry over a stunt she pulled at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Des Moines this weekend. At a forum in which all the major candidates were given speech time, it's customary for the other candidates to sit quietly and let their rivals talk. However, as Barack Obama spoke from the stage, Clinton took the opportunity--on the floor, in plain view of the stage--to pose for a photo op with Quincy Jones!
This calculated bit of racial back-stabbing conjures ugly visions of Lee Atwater or Karl Rove at their worst. That it's the Democratic front-runner pulling this shit is utterly contemptible. But not surprising.
3) OK, Mariano Rivera is coming off a pretty good season, but seriously--45 million bucks to get him to stay? If the Yankees can cough up that much for a relief pitcher, why can't they shell out a few bucks to pay for the war in Iraq?
4) Ingmar Bergman's film Monika has been reissued, at least in New York, and hopefully elsewhere. (Note to local exhibitors: HINT!) I mention this only because my cat is named after this very movie. The photo accompanying Manohla Dargis' review in The New York Times shows why: Harriet Andersson has a lovely but off-kilter, wide face with a prominent nose. Just like Monika!
5) If I'm not mistaken, I've gone a whole week without mentioning Star Wars. You're welcome!
