Happy Valentine's Day

My pick for this Valentine's Day movie -- the delightful Some Like It Hot (1959). Ranked Number 22 in the AFI's 100 Years.. 100 Movies list -- Some Like It Hot (1959) is a clever and sophisticated farcical comedy directed by Billy Wilder. Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond spent a year developing the script which was based on a 1951 German film, Fanfaren das Liebe.

Brilliant casting by Wilder -- the film stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and George Raft with a fantastic supporting cast including Pat O'Brien, and a delightful Joe E. Brown. The story of two jazz musicians (Curtis and Lemmon) who witness the St. Valentine's Day massacre and have to escape the threat of being killed from "Spats" Columbo (George Raft). They dress like women and join an all-girl's band. Here is where the fun begins. Joe E. Brown provides one of the most quoted closing lines from a film, "Nobody's Perfect" --Jack Lemmon gives one of his most brilliant comedic performances in the first of seven films he would make with Wilder. Tony Curtis has fun mimicking Cary Grant in one of three roles he has in the film and Marilyn Monroe demonstrates her natural comic timing and sexual allure. She is irresistible as Sugar Kane Kowalcyzki.

The National Catholic Legion of Decency found the film seriously offensive -- with subject matter that played with gender roles suggesting homosexuality. They failed to acknowledge that girls dressed as men and men dressed like women is a theatrical plot device that dates back centuries.

Orry-Kelly designed Miss Monroe's gowns. The film was awarded an Academy Award for Best Costume Design and received nominations for Best Actor (Lemmon), Best Director and Best Screenplay.

Oscar Nominations

The nominations are in and in celebration of the nominated films --

Enjoy a few clips from select films in the category of Best Picture.

The Artist -- the scene is entitled "Accidental Photo-Op"

The Descendants -- the scene -- "You have no clue, do you?"

Hugo -- the scene -- "Card Tricks"

Midnight in Paris -- the scene "Exceptionally Lovely"

Eiko Ishioka Dies at 73

Eiko Ishioka brought a unique vision to all of her design work in film, theater, and advertising. Her work was provocative and fascinating. She won and Academy Award for costume design in 1992 for "Bram Stoker's Dracula" directed by Francis Ford Coppola. She designed costumes for the Broadway productions of "M. Butterfly" and "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark."

Her obituary from the New York Times.

School of the Arts Exhibit in Butler

The Art of the Book in Butler Library -- terrific exhibit now on display on the third floor of Butler Library through May.

Butler Media Update

I recently purchased more than 250 films in DVD format from The National Center for Jewish Film. The Center is a world leader in the collection, restoration, and exhibition of Jewish art and culture.

The titles span Yiddish cinema to contemporary films about Jewish life. The DVDs are available from the Butler Media Res Collection.

Welcome Back Columbia Students!

Start the 2012 spring semester off with the raucous Animal House (1978). Rush week takes on a new meaning at Delta House. The movie is often seriously funny with lots of gags, sometimes grating and sometimes just silly but with a great cast including John Belushi, Tim Matheson, Thomas Hulce, Stephen Furst, Kevin Bacon -- and look for Donald Sutherland -- it is a fun diversion. Break out your togas!

The film was directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller.

Holiday Films!

Here is a select list of films to get you in the mood for the holidays!

It's a Wonderful Life (1947) directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell and an enchanting Henry Travers. The quintessential holiday film --let the bells ring!

Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) based on the play by Kaufman and Hart -- and starring Monty Woolley as Sheridan Whiteside -- the one and only. Also starring Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Billie Burke and a delightful appearance by Jimmy Durante. Madcap fun!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) Bob's recommendation -- all about the nightmare of getting stuck with a stranger in a web of transportation delays -- Merry Christmas!

The Trouble with Angels (1966) directed by Ida Lupino. With a working title Mother Superior, the successful comedy starred starred Rosalind Russell and followed by the sequel Where Angels Go -- Trouble Follows.

Starring New York

New acquisition "Starring New York: Filming the Grime and the Glamour of the Long 1970s" -- Stanley Corkin provides a new reading of the films that defined the decade. He focuses on the changing social fabric of the city by examining a number of the classic films of the time -- Midnight Cowboy (1969), Klute (1971), The Godfather Parts 1 and 2 (1972 and 1974), the blaxploitation films, The French Connection (1971), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and others.

New York City in the 1970s was quite a place -- and the films that defined the decade were exceptional.

Overhearing Film Dialogue

Written by Sarah Kozloff and published by the University of California Press in 2000 -- this book provides an interesting look at film dialogue and its importance to the visual medium. The author discusses why dialogue has been neglected in analysis and, through example, emphasizes the importance of dialogue to the narrative. The author looks at the role and nature of dialogue in four film genres: westerns, screwball comedies, gangster films, and melodramas.

You can search for memorable quotes in the IMDB -- search on film title or search Google by famous line(s) -- this is a wonderful scene from Tootsie.

Shopping Scenes

In case you didn't get enough of Black Friday and shopping in the post-Thanksgiving weekend -- check out these selected films for more shopping fun! From Buzzsugar.com