Ripe Pineapple

In the 1961 classic Blue Hawaii, Elvis Presley portrays Chad Gates, a returning soldier and the reluctant future Mr. Southern Hawaiian Fruit Company.

There is a prevailing theme of love throughout the film as trust, doubt and misunderstandings fuel a large part of the story. Chad makes his first appearance in a tight embrace with another woman in front of his girlfriend, Maile Duval, played by Joan Blackman. His impressive charm let's him get away with this, but sets the tone for the mistrust in their relationship. 

Before long, we meet the parents and the core conflict in the film: Chad's future. Angela Lansbury plays Sarah Lee, Chad's mother. She is very status driven and a judgmental socialite. This southern belle often blurts out fabulously memorable comments on people and things. Yes, the character is very over acted, especially with the very thick southern accent, but I think that's part of the charm and comic value of the character. The father, played by Roland Winters, is portrayed as much more grounded compared to his wife and seems constantly annoyed by her. The two parents together are comic gold. They set each other up for hilarious one liners and are endlessly quotable. The difference of opinion on the subject of Chad's future between the parents and Chad himself gives direction to the story and motivates the pursuit of personal endeavors.    

The film also presents many other characters. A group of tourists, one teacher and four teenage girls, come to spend a few days on the Island. Amongst these teenagers, there is a humbug of a girl that is continually unpleasant and determined on not having fun. Her character is very suggestive and sometimes very blatantly sexual. This is played off in a very lighthearted manner. The beach boy friends of Chad's mostly are used as plot driven musiciens for the various songs, but are entertaining and offer lovable individual personnalities. The film also includes Mr. Chapman, Chad's absentminded and confused boss. He is absurdly foolish and so utterly lost. It is hilarious.
 

Blue Hawaii offers a variety of types of songs ranging from ballads, rock-inspired, humorous and Hawaiian songs. The title song, Blue Hawaii, is a beautiful remake of the Bing Crosby song that appeared in Waikiki Wedding. This song and "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" are the ones that stand out and are the most widely recognizable. It is a shame that this last song feels just thrown together with the scene of the grandma's birthday. The song could have been used in better circomstances. In terms of ballads, I have always liked "Fools Rush In". The more humourous song "Kissing Cousins With a Ripe Pineapple" has always had a little place in my heart. "Rock-a-hula Baby" is also a favorite for many people and offers that newer rock style. The film also includes some Hawaiian songs and Hawaiian flavored songs which adds a touch of tropical to the soundtrack.

The film was shot on location and explores various areas in Hawaii. It allows for many beautiful shots of the tropical landcape. It also features some elements of the Hawaiian culture in the range of celebrations, dances, instruments and traditional costumes. 

Though the film is still very light and mostly fluff, it is truely funny. The script is witty and the story holds up, which is not a given for many of the Elvis films yet to come, certainly in the case of the future Hawaii based films. Elvis's performance is very enjoyable and he displays great comic timing. The romance between Chad and Maile is interesting since it is a realtionship that existed before the story we saw. This allows for a deeper, more profound relationship that the usual meet and fall in love scenarios typically seen. They have a pleasant chemistry and playful banter. The feelgood aspect of the film is acheived and later efforts to recapture the energy and lightheartedness were never as successful. Unfortunetly, later films attempted to follow the same formula and become a money making vehicle for Elvis. It is unfortunate that Elvis never really got the chance to pursue more serious roles.

Interestingly, if you turn up the sound when Elvis first exits the plane, you can hear the fans that were on site screaming. This DVD doesn't offer much in the ways of special features, aside from the trailer. When an interactive menu is listed amongst the special features, you can't expect much. It's possible, and I hope, that there are more complete DVDs out there. Blue Hawaii allows us to be swept away by the tropical scenery and the muscial talent of such an iconic figure. 

Song and Dance Men

Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire star in Holiday Inn (1942). Unlike the hotel chain that adopted the same name later on, this Holiday Inn is only open on holidays, all 15 or so of them. The inn creates a backdrop where people meet, fall in love, generate great misunderstandings and devise elaborate sabotage plans. All of this is woven into holiday celebrations. Since the central plot is based around holidays, the film skips from one holiday to the next to check in on the characters and see how relationships and shenanigans progress.


Director Mark Sandrich's style is apparent in the first minutes of the film by swiftly and efficiently presenting the characters and scenario. Very little is said, but all is understood. The first musical number presents the love triangle dynamic that sets the tone for the rest of the film. This sets the stage for the playful jealousy and vengefulness between Jim and Ted, the Crosby and Astaire characters respectively. It also hints toward the flighty nature of Lila's love. This creates a perfect opportunity for the two legends to face off using their own style. In sum, singing vs. dancing. They both are masters of their respective fields and no matter who comes out on top, the real winners are the spectators. Yes, I realize how cheesy that was.

The dance numbers are characterized by the ballroom and tap style that prevailed at the time. Ballroom is a style that continues to appear in later musicals, but loses steam against the more modern styles of dance. These dances matched with some fabulously festive Irving Berlin songs make for a delightful experience. The songs, to say the least, are creative, especially for holidays that aren't typically associated to traditional songs. Many songs would be noteworthy, but I particularly enjoyed the Thanksgiving song that weaves a sort of answering game with the bummed out Crosby character. The contradiction between the song that's playing and Crosby's answers are both funny and revealing of his charcater. This section also uses a cartoon turkey to reference the controversy that occured in 1941 about the date of Thanksgiving. In April, we hear "Easter Parade", a song that has already appeared in another film and will again appear in a later film of the same name. Another interesting bit of acting is Astaire's drunken dance. This scene is even more charming when one learns that Astaire drank 2 shots before starting and one additional shot every time they started a new take. To give an idea, the shot used in the film was the seventh take. Astaire retains his style and precision even after knocking back that many drinks. The dance during the "Be Careful, It's My Heart" number is interesting, in particular because of the symbolism of Astaire and Reynolds' characters jumping through the heart decoration and literally breaking Jim's heart.

The highly patriotic number on the 4th of July seems at first glance excessive. When looked at more closely, once realizes that while this film was being made, the Japanese bombed the United States. This created a need to include a pro-United States number in the film. Today, this segment is fine mainly because of the grounded every man image of Bing Crosby. Otherwise, this number could have felt really boastful or condescending. However, the montage of images of the military, the freedoms, etc, feels a little extravagant. This number is followed by the impressive and intricate firecraker dance which uses real firecrakers. This dance remains one of the most impressive in Astaire's career and certainly the most explosive.

Amongst all the songs, the most recognizable remains "White Christmas". This is indeed the first appearance of a song that is now a Christmas staple. Crosby sings it beautifully and with feeling. "White Christmas" was a hit beyond anyone's predictions and remains one of the top selling songs ever. Its popularity can be partly attributed to the war since the lyrics catered perfectly to the members of the army who found themselves so far away from home during Christmas.  


The Lincon's Birthday celebrations include the very controversial blackface number. This number includes some very stereotypical mannerisms, dialects and physical appearances. It reflects many tendancies that appeared in the ministrel shows still present in the culture at the time. This is of course extremely politically incorrect and many versions of the film, especially the televised ones, exclude this segment. It remains uncomfortable and shocking for some. However, as one watches it with the eyes of today, one must keep in mind the social and temperal context in which the film was made. Also, the scene is not simply tossed in; it is relevant to the plot which is motivated by Jim wanting to hide Linda from Ted. Cutting out this segment of the film is doing a diservice to history by pretending that it never happened instead of acknowledging that times have changed.

Though we have a tendancy to focus on the famous men in the film, it's important to highlight the women as well. Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale showcase great skills throughout the picture. Reynolds holds her own, especially in the dancing category, while rubbing elbows with such a talented cast.

DVD features include a look back at the career of Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. The interview is interesting, but feels somewhat awkward and scripted. The DVD offers another documentary, the trailer and a commentary track. Though it's often associated to Christmas, Holiday Inn is a year round great film to watch and witness the lengendary performing skills of Astaire and Crosby.

Wine and Whine

From left to right: Tamsin Greig, Dylan Moran
and Bill Bailey

In Black Books (2000, 2002, 2004), there is no talking, no mobiles, no walkmans and...none of anything else! It's a place where the owner is always right and the customer is encouraged to leave. And, of course, they always get service with a smile.

Dylan Moran plays Benard Black, the wine guzzling owner of Black Books. He's an ill-tempered, bossy, rude Irishman and we love him for it. Bill Bailey balances him off as Manny Bianco, a kind and generous soul with a tendancy towards high stress levels. Fran Katzenjammer, their unachieving and loveless friend, played by Tamsin Greig, completes the trio. This hilarious threesome live in a shut-in world of their own filled with wine, cigarettes and shenanigans.  



The three seasons allow us to peak in on the day to day toils and troubles of these characters. Most of the storylines occur in and around the book shop, but we do get a chance to see the shops nearby and occasionally, we wander off in London. All of the seasons were filmed in front of a live studio audience. Unfortunately, this gives a kind of laugh track feel, which can be bothersome and tiring. This British sitcom offers a little something for everyone. At times, the humour will be more intellectual and at others, it'll be submerged in silly physical comedy and slapstick. 

Dylan Moran

The first season manages to make us love these delightfully unrefined characters, who suffer through some silly and compromising situations. They become a little family of friends that care for each other in their own way. Some outrageous secondary characters add a lot of panache to the stories. The second season continues this tradition. Here, Fran finds herself jobless. However, there is very little introduction to this fact and it's a little desorienting; it slightly feels as if there's a missing episode. Nonetheless, it doesn't need to be so blatantly said as it is easy to catch up. The thrid and final season offers some of my favorite episodes. This season is slightly less over the top and acquires some maturity. When we initially meet the characters, it feels like they are caricatures of themselves. Through the seasons, we get to know them better and eventually, we get a glimps at the real person inside. This could be partly attributed to the time span between the seasons.

Many special guests make memorable appearances such as Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Peter Serafinowicz. The DVDs feature commentary tracks, outakes, deleted scenes and other special tidbits. It's simply a pleasure to crack open a bottle of wine and enjoy the dynamics of these wonderful characters.

Beach Bums and Bunnies

In Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), we find ourselves amidst partying beach bums. To my mind, Beach Blanket Bingo, directed by William Asher, is where the beach party films peaked. The story itself stands up, which can't easily be said about later films, with a combination of skydiving, pop stars and mermaids. There are many great Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon moments. The relationship between Frankie and Dee Dee combines a sort of bickering old married couple vibe with a youthful competitiveness and jealousy that makes them charming.      

The social context understood, there are a few moments that made the feminist inside cringe a little. Comments about the woman's place is in the kitchen and related things pop up here and there. On the beach, it's obvious that the focus is on the sexiness of the bikini clad girls. Of course, this is done in a playful and often comical manner and the watcher has to keep in mind the period in which this film came out.  However, it makes it kind of refreshing to see Funicello in a one piece swimsuit, even if it was for contract reasons.  

Dee Dee and Frankie are also surrounded by some entertaining characters. Paul Lynde and Don Rickles are hilarious, the latter even having a stand up-esque moment in the film. Some cameo apperances from Buster Keaton allow for an entertaining running gag, litterally. Harvey Lembeck appears as the extremely ridiculous leader of the leather clad gang of villains. His slapstick seeped appearances are extremely ludicrous and in some instances, don't actually make sens. However, this gang complements the tone of the film and they are forgiven for whatever randomness they bring. As a side note, I would like to bring to the attention the creepiness of the South Dakota Slim character. I don't even know what to make of him... All of these people pull together to give us the climactic, and thoroughly silly, chase and fight scene that seem to be a token in these films.

There is a special place in my heart for 60's dancing. Perhaps it's the lack of coordination and grace needed to do this style of dance, thus making it the only dance I can aspire to master. Nevertheless, it makes for a fantastic backdrop to some great songs. Most of the songs appearing in the film are charactirised by the pop/rock sound of the time. The song performed by Donna Loren always struck me as mildy inappropriately sad for such a lighthearted film, but it is beautiful and it allows her to explore a less bouncy upbeat song like we usually see her do in these beach party films. Eric Von Zipper's rendition of I am my own ideal is the only song that has a truly traditional musical sound and Lembeck manages to stay fully anchored in his character while doing it.   

As with many such films, the DVD is unfortunately bare bones. Some versions of the film include a Funicello song that was originally cut from the film. Nonetheless, this film remains a glimpse into a  particular time in Americain pop culture in a lighthearted and playful way. Generally, I think it's marvy!

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), based on Truman Capote's novella, remains a true classic. The film, directed by Blake Edwards, very very subtly hints towards the occupation of Hepburn's character Holly Golightly. One could miss it entirely with enough naivety. It is possible that this is a result of the era in which it was made, but even more so, of the choice of actress to play her. It would definitely be a different film if Capote's choice, Marilyn Monroe, would have been given the role.

Even though Audrey Hepburn is an unlikely choice, she attributes to it a kind of innocence that makes this character appealing. Hepburn brandishes her own brand of beauty and style for which she will be forever recognized and amdired.

George Peppard, the film's leading man, is a complicated subject. He is definitely charming and good looking, but something is lacking somewhere. His performance is a little stale. However, he does have a little something; an element that retains a certain charm that maybe is not memorable, but stays interesting.

This film features one of the best parties in cinema history. It's buzzing with people meeting people meeting alcohol. There are some brilliant and eccentric moments, but mostly there are moments during which we recognize ourselves or friends of ours. This party remains a gem. 

The retrospectively embarassing inclusion of Mr. Yunioshi, the Japanese neighbor played by Mickey Rooney, is meant to be the comic relief, but makes spectators cringe a little, especially today. Understanding the social context in which this film was made, it remains offensive to the Asian population and serves as a testament to the stereotypes of the time. The DVD does however include a documentary on the Asian perspective of this character and of Asian actors in American films. It discusses notably the impact of George Takei as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek. It is very enlightening and worth watching.   

The DVD also features many documentaries that give an insight in the making of this film, Tiffany's, Hepburn's style and a mildly cheesy look into Paramount Pictures' Studio.

Through time the film remains classy, stylish and smart. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Beginnings

The best place to begin is the beginning. Unless of course the beginning is rather boring or completely incomprehensible. In this case, it is better to choose another starting point or reconsider if it is worth telling at all. Many have opinions on beginnings, this is, in my opinion, mine.