What Movie Did You Watch This Weekend? The Third.

[tfferg]

--The Brass Bottle

This is an early 1960's Universal Studios romp with Tony Randall, Burl Ives and Barbara Eden. It's about an architect who accidentally finds a genie in a giant brass bottle he was having a lamp made out of. The genie is Burl Ives, not Barbara Eden, but this movie is said to have "inspired" I Dream of Jeannie.

This makes me wonder if djinns in the the Middle East can be of either sex.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

So now I'm thinking about gin!   A Djinn & tonic! 

I know in the 1960's the TV creators were always trying to come up with series where the male & female characters could live together without being married. Like Tony and Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie. There was one called My Living Doll with Julie Newmar. She was a robot! And one called Occasional Wife, with the very attractive Michael Callan. I happened to have just watched an episode of the Love American Style TV series where a guy moves into a co-ed dorm, but is actually paired with a female roommate. Of course it was a mistake, her name was Pat, so the computer match assumed Pat was a male. Don Grady from My Three Sons was the male and Karen Valentine was the female. When I was watching it I thought how horrible to have the actual name of Karen nowadays.

I've watched some of that Love American Style TV series lately and wondered if they ever did one back then, late 60's/early 70's, with ANY kind of an LGBT theme. Or even a character. Since a lot of people back then, and even still, think being gay is just about sex and not anything else, I guess they wouldn't do an episode on "love" like that, but I did come across an episode where a mobster type hired a decorator who he assumed was a flaming queen persona (stereotype) to remodel his entire house because he didn't want anyone around to hit on his beautiful daughter. Of course, he was not gay and complications ensued.

In a nod to drug use back in those days, they also did an episode where a husband and wife who were wanting a romantic evening to themselves, decide to have one after their son who just came home from college for a visit went out for the evening. The parents find a baggie of what they think is marijuana in his suitcase which causes all kinds of angst, but after much talk they decide to try smoking it. Before they do the son comes home early and in some way we discover it was a bag of some kind of tea that he purchased.

Wonder what audiences of the 1960's would think if they were treated to the programs of today?


 

[tfferg]

So now I'm thinking about gin!   A Djinn & tonic! 

I know in the 1960's the TV creators were always trying to come up with series where the male & female characters could live together without being married. Like Tony and Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie. There was one called My Living Doll with Julie Newmar. She was a robot! And one called Occasional Wife, with the very attractive Michael Callan. I happened to have just watched an episode of the Love American Style TV series where a guy moves into a co-ed dorm, but is actually paired with a female roommate. Of course it was a mistake, her name was Pat, so the computer match assumed Pat was a male. Don Grady from My Three Sons was the male and Karen Valentine was the female. When I was watching it I thought how horrible to have the actual name of Karen nowadays.

I've watched some of that Love American Style TV series lately and wondered if they ever did one back then, late 60's/early 70's, with ANY kind of an LGBT theme. Or even a character. Since a lot of people back then, and even still, think being gay is just about sex and not anything else, I guess they wouldn't do an episode on "love" like that, but I did come across an episode where a mobster type hired a decorator who he assumed was a flaming queen persona (stereotype) to remodel his entire house because he didn't want anyone around to hit on his beautiful daughter. Of course, he was not gay and complications ensued.

In a nod to drug use back in those days, they also did an episode where a husband and wife who were wanting a romantic evening to themselves, decide to have one after their son who just came home from college for a visit went out for the evening. The parents find a baggie of what they think is marijuana in his suitcase which causes all kinds of angst, but after much talk they decide to try smoking it. Before they do the son comes home early and in some way we discover it was a bag of some kind of tea that he purchased.

Wonder what audiences of the 1960's would think if they were treated to the programs of today?

 

[Flyboy]

Too FRICKIN COLD outside to walk today, so I watched Dog Day Afternoon........forgot how much I loved that film........

[Lyle (Mooska)]

^^^

Jonn, if you can find it, there is a documentary called THE DOG, and it is about the character Al Pacino plays in the film. It's quite entertaining, especially if you like the film. Very worthwhile. That guy is quite a character.

[tfferg]

High Ground is a grippingly haunting 2020 feature directed by Stephen Maxwell Johnson, filmed in English and Yolgnu Matha in the spectacularly beautiful landscapes of the Kakadu National Park, East Alligator River and Cannon Hill in Arnhem Land in the  Northern Territory, Australia.

It is a confronting revenge thriller with a plot inspired by true stories of massacres of the Aboriginal people of the land by colonial settlers well into the 20th century.

In 1919, Travis (Simon Baker), who was a World War I sniper, leads police to arrest two Indigenous men who have slaughtered a cow on a cattle station, but he loses control of Eddie (Callan Mulvey), his wartime spotter, and the other police who massacre a peaceful clan at an idyllic waterhole. Travis pulls 6-year old Gutjuk (Guruwuk Munungurr) from under the lily pads in the waterhole where his murdered mother has hidden him and puts him in the care of missionaries Father Braddock and his sister Claire.

12 years later, cattle stations are being attacked and burnt and their livestock driven away by Wild Mob resisters under the suspected leadership of Gutjuk's uncle Baywara (Sean Munungurr) and egged on by the vengeful Gulwirri ( Esmerelda Marimowa).

Disgusted, guilt-ridden Travis is blackmailed by police commander Moran (Jack Thompson) and Eddie into joining an expedition to capture Baywara. He meets Tommy (Jacob Junior Nayinggul) at the mission and recognises him as Gutjuk. Gutjuk agrees to join Travis in order to try to save his beloved uncle.

Gutjuk and Travis are both warmly portrayed as emotionally complex characters facing tragic conflicts and dilemmas. So too is grieving elder, Grandfather Dharrpa (Witiyana Marika) who tries with great dignity to stand up peacefully for justice and the law of their country against the intransigence of Moran who insists on enforcing genocidal imperial British law.

The performances of all the actors are excellent and Jacob Junior Nayinggul is outstanding.

The superb cinematography of Andrew Commis is accompanied by a soundtrack full of the sounds of the bush and its creatures.

Witiyana was cultural consultant and co-writer of the screenplay with the director and Chris Anastassiades. He is one of the co-founders of the celebrated Yolgnu band, Yothu Yindi. Stephen Maxwell Johnson directed their videos.

The very long list of credits shows the participation of and respect paid to the local clans, elders and traditional owners of the country where the film was shot.

High Ground premiered at the 2020 Berlinale and has been sold internationally.

[B.W.]

So now I'm thinking about gin!   A Djinn & tonic! 

I know in the 1960's the TV creators were always trying to come up with series where the male & female characters could live together without being married. Like Tony and Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie. There was one called My Living Doll with Julie Newmar. She was a robot! And one called Occasional Wife, with the very attractive Michael Callan. I happened to have just watched an episode of the Love American Style TV series where a guy moves into a co-ed dorm, but is actually paired with a female roommate. Of course it was a mistake, her name was Pat, so the computer match assumed Pat was a male. Don Grady from My Three Sons was the male and Karen Valentine was the female. When I was watching it I thought how horrible to have the actual name of Karen nowadays.

I've watched some of that Love American Style TV series lately and wondered if they ever did one back then, late 60's/early 70's, with ANY kind of an LGBT theme. Or even a character. Since a lot of people back then, and even still, think being gay is just about sex and not anything else, I guess they wouldn't do an episode on "love" like that, but I did come across an episode where a mobster type hired a decorator who he assumed was a flaming queen persona (stereotype) to remodel his entire house because he didn't want anyone around to hit on his beautiful daughter. Of course, he was not gay and complications ensued.

In a nod to drug use back in those days, they also did an episode where a husband and wife who were wanting a romantic evening to themselves, decide to have one after their son who just came home from college for a visit went out for the evening. The parents find a baggie of what they think is marijuana in his suitcase which causes all kinds of angst, but after much talk they decide to try smoking it. Before they do the son comes home early and in some way we discover it was a bag of some kind of tea that he purchased.

Wonder what audiences of the 1960's would think if they were treated to the programs of today?

I couldn't think of an episode of any TV show from the late-1960s that had an LGBT theme.  Such an episode would most likely never worked of been aired on network TV.  I think that conservative audiences of the 1960s would be mortified of the cable TV programs of today, and many of them are.  The audiences of the 1960s are either middle-aged or elderly now.  Back then, studios weren't willing to risk controversy with audiences by dealing with "taboo" subjects, at least that is what I think.

[B.W.]

This makes me wonder if djinns in the the Middle East can be of either sex.

That I don't know.  I'm not as well-versed in Islamic culture, legend or myth. As for genies, I've always liked Jeannie from "I DREAM OF JEANNIE" (1965-1970), and Robin Williams' performance as the Genie in Disney's animated theatrical film version of "ALADDIN" (1992) is fantastic. I believe that in Islam, the djinn are rather malevolent entities, but I think some of them are considered to be good.  I'm not very knowledgeable in that area as I said so I cannot say for certain.

[tfferg]

I discovered that djinn (which is plural in Arabic) are pre-Islamic in origin and they are shape shifters. I didn't find any references to female or gender switching ones.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

--Let Him Go

My review of this film, what the story's about, is rather vague, and deliberately so, as knowing too much about films can often lessen their impact if you watch them or your expectations might also do the same, whether they're high or low.

I'd read a couple slight things about this film last Nov./Dec. that indicated I might like to see it and last night I did. I knew it was about a couple played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane and I thought I read it was about their son being kidnapped and them trying to get him back, but I was rather off base about that. Lesley Manville plays a scene chewing character in it, though maybe not in a good way.

The film is basically a family drama about them trying to get their daughter in law and their grandchild out of harm's way and it becomes somewhat of a revenge drama. I'm deliberately being vague about the plot details in case one wants to see it. I read this morning some reviews and the critics are basically calling it a southern gothic story transferred to the west. They're rather kind to it with positive ratings on RT at 86%.  Myself, I liked watching it, but I was confused as to why some characters made the choices they did at the end and the confusions left me unsatisfied.

But there were some other aspects about the film that intrigued me:

Brokeback Mountain and Let Him Go

I'll say first that I came to this movie knowing little about it, except that from what I did know I thought I'd like to watch it.

The very first scenes show a young man in a barn getting ready to take a horse out. The young man is shot all in silhouette and his profile reminded me of Ennis/Heath. The way the scene was shot reminded me of the scene in the alley with Ennis after Jake has driven away and he's feeling pain.

Then I discover period cars and the movie takes place in 1963. (!) I thought it took place in the present, so that was a surprise.

Early in the film, Diane Lane goes with her daughter-in-law and grandson to the new apartment she'll be living in to have a look around and lo and behold, it's Ennis' and Alma's apartment. No mistake. Both inside and out. Diane Lane tells her she'll "sew her some curtains" for the windows.

Not very long afterwards, Diane Lane makes a dessert to give to them and comes back to the same apartment to find from a neighbor there that they have all moved out somewehre and aren't coming back. Shocking news to Diane Lane.

So, before Alma and Ennis moved in there, this couple may have been the former tenants! 

SIDEBAR: Before writing, I used the search function to see if this movie or this info had been posted about on the forum previously. I found a post from August 30th last year. Chuck discovered this use of the location on Bettermost and relayed it, along with a photo from the trailer on youtube, showing this. The post is on the Reunion thread: HERE.  I don't know if Bettermost has any other posts about the film or locations.

Besides being the same year BBM was initially set, and filmed in Alberta, Canada, and using the iconic "reunion" setting, there were some other things reminding me directly or indirectly of BBM.  (The film takes place in Montana and subsequently North Dakota.) Kevin & Diane stay in a motel called the Moon Wink Motel that has a great neon sign glistening in the night. Also, at least twice and maybe more, the director of this film used shots of people being looked at in rear view mirrors, shots like Ang Lee used so iconically in BBM. This director must've been influence by BBM.

So the setting, the time period, exact locations and filming techniques used in BBM all contributed to a heightened interest I had while watching this film.

After my viewing I wanted to make sure and looked up the filming locations for the film on IMDB. Listed are: Didsbury, Alberta, Canada / Drumheller, Alberta, Canada / Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada.  Fort Macleod is the setting for Ennis and Alma's apartment.

This is that apartment location in the film Let It Go, top, and what it looks like when not being filmed.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Now I'm going to post a couple photos from the film showing how you can get the BBM vibe in watching it:

[Lyle (Mooska)]

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Same color trucks!

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Does this actor remind you of Bobby Twist?

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Here's that Moon Wink Motel sign I liked: (...and better lit up at night!)