Cimilar Cross Dressing Films

It's curious how many films feature men dressed as women. There are also a few with women dressed as men (but I'll feature those in a future post). As usual, I'm not going for the obvious films which you've probably all seen like Tootsie or Some Like it Hot. The following three films are ones you might not have seen.

Ed Wood
This is a really wonderful, weird film about the life of Ed Wood, an early director of really bad films that have become cultish, not exactly classics. Johnny Depp plays Wood who in real life was a cross dresser. Martin Landau is hilarious as Bela Lugosi. Directed by Tim Burton, this B & W film, with a 1950s flair is a must-see for all film buffs.



Here's another curious film starring Cary Grant, I was a Male War Bride from 1949. We've all heard the whispered rumors that Grant was maybe gay. So that makes this film all the more interesting. Was he or wasn't he? His daughter, in a new biography about her father, says he wasn't. He doesn't make a very convincing or attractive female in this WW11 film.



And finally a really strange film from France. Ma Vie En Rose, about a small boy who cross dresses. He acts like a girl, talks of marrying his neighbor's son and can't understand why everyone is so surprised about it.



All of these films are available from Netflix, or try your local library. Let me know what you think of these three gender bending films.

Frustrating Love Films for Valentine's Day

I could have selected the best film love stories of all time for this post. But, no, I decided not to do the obvious for Valentine's Day. Instead, I've selected 3 very frustrating love stories. If you're yearning for films with happy endings, these aren't for you.

Of Human Bondage is a film adapted from the Somerset Maugham novel. It features Bette Davis in an early film role. You're going to absolutely hate her. And Ashley Wilkes, the love smitten guy that you just want to kick. Can't he see that she's just not into him?



And if that wasn't frustrating enough for you, try Brief Encounter, the Noel Coward story, filmed by David Lean. With a score of Rachmaninoff music as a backdrop to these two star crossed lovers, the English tea room where they meet, and oh, that friend that messes everything up - this is a film that shouldn't be missed. It's a definite classic.




The third frustrating love story is a more recent film, one that I just love and hope that you will too. It's the 2009 film 500 Days of Summer starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. It's a little on the cheesy side, but so well done.



Fellow members of the North County Film Club have suggested some other films that fit the category of love stories that don't end well:
Truly, Madly, Deeply
Lady Hawk
Serenity
Dr. Horrible
She Devil

Now you have a pretty nice list of non-love stories to watch on Valentine's Day and throughout the month of February. What's your favorite non-love story?

My favorite film canine roles

After watching the Golden Globes and seeing how Uggie (the Jack Russel from The Artist) stole the show, I thought I'd introduce my favorite film canines. These films aren't about the dogs, the dogs just happen to have supporting roles - but as far as I'm concerned, these three should all get best performance Oscars. Or there should be an Oscar for Best Canine in a film.

I heard a review of the new Rin Tin Tin book recently and the author said that Rin Tin Tin was supposed to get an Oscar for Best Actor in 1929 (the Academy's first awards) but the studio executives nixed the idea. Even though the dog was the most popular and biggest money maker of the time, they didn't think he should get the award. Boo to those executives.

Here are my nominations:


Edward in Accidental Tourist



Verdell in As Good as it Gets





Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. in Everything is Illuminated





Watch these three fun films and see if you agree with me. Or do you have a favorite? Let me know in the comments.

Poor Pitiful People

I've seen a few films lately that really made me feel sorry for the main character. They're just downright pitiful. Here's three examples of films that will just make you want to say to these characters "Just snap out of it", "Get yourself some help", "Leave that guy", "Leave that woman" "Stop being so pitiful".

Example #1
La Strada (1954) by Fellini, starring his wife Giuletta Masina. I think she really wins the prize as the most pitiful person in any movie, ever. See what you think.




#2 The Blue Angel (1930) directed by Josef Von Sternberg. This is a wonderful but painful film starring Marlene Dietrich. Emil Jannings gets my vote as the most pitiful man in a film. I wish there was an oscar for The Most Pitiful Actor.



#3 The Illusionist (2006) by Sylvain Chomet is a beautiful, animated film. The main character is a down on his luck magician. He's also pretty darn pitiful. It's a lovely story with such gorgeous animation - you're going to love it (I think).



Who is your vote for the most pitiful person in film?

Scary Films with Women as Heroes

What does October mean? Right. Halloween.  It's time for some scary movies. But not being a big fan of the horror genre, I've decided to add a little twist to my October selections.

The 3 selected films are actually more suspenseful than scary. None of them feature buckets of blood or zombies.  But all 3 of these films feature a female hero. The woman wins in the end and saves the day. Let's hear it for these super strong women.

First we have Audrey Hepburn in Wait Until Dark.




Then, the beautiful and ageless Lillian Gish in The Night of the Hunter.



And finally, the versatile and talented Sigourney Weaver in Aliens.



If you're new to Cimilar Cinema, please check out my first blog to see what this film club is all about. http://cimilarcinema.blogspot.com/2010/10/welcome-to-cimilar-cinema.html
Have a Happy Halloween and enjoy the films.

Cimilar Cycling

I have no idea why I've thought of cycling films for September. I'm not a bicycle rider myself. I can't even remember the last time I was on a bike. But here are three films that I think you'll really enjoy whether or not you ride a bike.



The Bicycle Thief by Vittorio De Sica, from Italy, 1948. This is one of my favorite films. It's a real classic. But if you love comedies and lightweight movies, you're not going to like this one. It's frustrating and it's sad but I think everyone should see it at least once. It definitely belongs on your list of must-see films.





The Triplets of Belleville, 2003 from France. This is the wackiest, funnest, best animated film you'll ever see. The animation is so great, the story pretty darned weird, the music spectacular. I think you're going to like this one.



Breaking Away from 1979, directed by Peter Yates. You probably saw this film years ago. I know I did. But I don't remember it very well, so thought it would be a nice addition to this cycling trilogy.



Let me know what you think of these three selections.

It's Back to School Time

In August, we start thinking about the kids going back to school or reminiscing about when we were young and summer was coming to a close.  So what better selections this month than films about teenage angst. There were so many great films to choose from. It was hard to select only three. I know, I could have picked American Graffiti or Ferris Bueller's Day Off or any number of teen films, but I think the 3 chosen films are a good mix. They're from different cultures and different generations, but I think you'll find similarities in them.

The 400 Blows by Truffaut. What a great film. I've seen it about 10 times, and I love it every time. That kid (Jean Pierre Leaud) is just such a great actor. He's so fun to watch. And his parents - wow. You'll see why he's turned out the way he has.





You have to watch Blackboard Jungle just because it features one of the best movie sound tracks of all time. Well, that may be an exaggeration, but when a movie opens with Rock Around the Clock, you know it's got to be good. Actually this movie is a little dated now. But it's fun to watch Sidney Poitier being a bad kid.







Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a real classic. You have to marvel at Sean Penn's early acting. Or was it acting?



Hope you enjoy back to school month. Let me know through your comments what you think of these 3 gems.