Two Films From Peter Falk

Like a multitude of people, the TV show 'Columbo' introduced me to Peter Falk. I thoroughly enjoy that show and Falk's portrayal of the rumpled detective is iconic. Watching Falk makes me think about acting. I have never aspired to do so, but Falk's style, his presentation, his comfort in character, his apparent joy in his work makes the craft appealing.

Many remembrances have flowed in the wake of Falk's passing. Aside from his role in 'Columbo' there were many movies. 'Princess Bride' gets some mention as well as 'It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'. But let me tell you about two films that weren't mentioned that I found enjoyable.

The first is called 'Checking Out' and was released in 2005. IMDB says, "A famed stage actor reunites his family for a party, and plans to commit suicide afterwards, unless they are able to convince him not to." We've seen it twice and one of Falk's lines has become a quote around our house. Here's the trailer:

The other film, also released in 2005, is called 'The Thing About My Folks' and stars Paul Reiser along with Falk. From IMDB, "Ben's (Reiser) dad Sam (Falk) shows up one night with a note from Ben's mother (Sam's wife of 46 years), that she has left. While Ben's wife and his three sisters try to find her, Ben takes Sam on a day trip to see a farm house that's for sale. The day trip turns into a road trip while dad and son explore their past, their relationship, and why Sam's wife might have left him." This one has a road trip/coming of age feel to it, but it's not heavy. I particularly enjoy watching Reiser and Falk interact with each other.

The trailer is below.

I recommend them both.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

One time Clint Eastwood made a movie. That movie had the same title as this post and more than one writer has leaned upon it as a device for outlining an article or essay or some such thing.

And who am I to let a handy device slip away?

The Good

The Seattle Seahawks who spanked the San Francisco 49ers 31-6 on Sunday. The Seahawks have embarked upon a renovation under the direction of new coach Pete Carroll who has churned the roster, jettisoning many veterans and bringing in fresh faces. It looks like the 'Hawks may be at least a bit better than advertised in 2010.

The Bad

I think the Christine O'Donnell victory in the Delaware Republican primary for the U.S. Senate is bad news. It does not appear that O'Donnell, the Tea Party favorite, is capable of garnering enough support in November in a decidedly blue state to defeat the Democrat and defeating Democrats is the point, not ideological zeal. Mike Castle, the man that O'Donnell defeated appeared to have had a relatively easy path to winning the seat for Republicans which would have been critically valuable if the GOP were to threaten the Democratic majority in the Senate. He's not a conservative as I would prefer, but beating Democrats is the name of the game. I think this is bad news. I would be glad to be wrong here.

The Ugly

How about them St. Louis Cardinals? Pennant hopes are on life support in St. Louis and there is not a decent chance to revive them. What a frustrating season it has been. And could the off-season be worse? We'll see. The Birds need to re-sign Albert Pujols, the best player on the planet. If he doesn't get signed there may be riots.

Well, not really. Maybe.

Finally, a clip from the Eastwood movie I mentioned before. It's the famous duel at the end. I had never seen this movie until a few weeks ago. Number One Son was home and we watched it. The whole movie is a bit tedious, but this scene is marvelous.

The Caine Mutiny

I finished reading this book a week or so ago. It's one of the best books I've ever read, and I was surprised by it in that regard.

As I posted before, I was familiar with the movie having seen it a half a dozen times or so. I liked it pretty well, the end was always satisfying, but it always felt a little strained. It always seemed that some pieces were missing in the story and that the movie was just trying a bit too hard.

Having read the book, it's obvious that the movie was trying to cover way too much ground and suffered a bit as a result. That's not to say that the movie's no good because it is good and remains a popular film to this day.

The book, on the other hand, is so rich, so well written. I was very struck by what a good writer Herman Wouk (pronounced woke) is. He is a Navy veteran himself and it is clearly evident in his storytelling. I'm sure I wasn't expecting it to be poorly written, but it is so outstanding in my opinion that I can't help comment on it.

You could order one here.

One last thing - as I read the book, the dialogue for Queeg sounded like Bogart and Maryk sounded like Van Johnson and Keefer sounded like Fred MacMurray and Barney Greenwald sound like Jose Ferrar and I think I liked it that way.

It could have been worse.

People Are Still Coming

"People will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they're doing it, and arrive at your door, innocent as children, longing for the past. 'Of course we won't mind it you look around,' you'll say. 'It's only twenty dollars per person.' And they'll pass over the money without even looking at it. For it is money they have, and peace they lack.

They'll walk out to the bleachers and sit in shirtsleeves in the perfect evening, or they'll find they have reserved seats somewhere in the grandstand or along one of the baselines - - wherever they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. They'll watch the game and it will be as if they'd dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game . . . it's a piece of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good. And that could be again. People will come. People will most definitely come."

Terrance Mann, from the movie "Field of Dreams".

Spencer Tracy's Bad Day

A couple decades or so ago, my dad was talking to me about a Spencer Tracy movie called "Bad Day at Black Rock." I had never heard of this movie and I guess my expression told as much. He was surprised. "You've never seen 'Bad Day at Black Rock?'" he asked. I told him no. He assured me that I should see it and I think my folks had a copy which I borrowed.

I remember watching it twice, I think, and I liked it pretty well. It's not Top 50 material in all likelihood, but it's pretty good. A synopsis might go like this: a forgotten little town that hates outsiders and where something bad happened is confronted by an outsider asking about the bad thing that happened. The town 'boss' and his henchmen finally decide to deal with the outsider.

Tonight I watched it on my computer. The lovely bride and I have a Netflix account now. We signed up for the minimum plan of two DVD's per month. But the plan also allows you to watch two on your computer each month. So, with my bride at a conference, I picked a movie she wouldn't be interested in and watched it on the computer.

I really enjoyed Spencer Tracy in this role - he's the outsider and the good guy - and I liked the way it looked. There are some very pleasing and creative scenes in the movie.

Don't get in a big hurry, but if you are in the mood for "good guy saves the town from the bad guys" kind of movie, "Bad Day at Black Rock" might just be the ticket.

And my dad liked it a lot.

Two Movies For You

My bride and I watched a movie called "Last Chance Harvey" last night. She liked the movie overall, but felt it lacked certain elements that would draw the viewer emotionally, like other romantic-comedies do. I can see why she says that, but I liked the movie very much. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson star. I liked many of the sets and the cinematography was great, I think. Shots inside Heathrow and along the Thames particularly stand out.

I say see it.

"Last Chance Harvey" was distributed by a company called Overture Films and they put out another film we saw not too long ago, called "The Visitor". It too is filmed differently, paced differently than major studio films. Maybe it has a more 'independent' feel. In any case, it too, is a good movie, though very different.

I say see it, too.

Here are the trailers, "Last Chance Harvey" and "The Visitor".

Remember when they were called 'previews'?

A Happy Meeting

I ran into an old friend last night and we had a great time. We met at a new place downtown that's been there a few months, but I had not been there yet.

You know when this happens, you haven't seen them in a long while, but you pick up right where you left off? That's how this was. We didn't miss a beat.

Have we changed over the years? Sure, but I recognized my friend right away. Little things that were said, the things that made us laugh and smile were still the same.

And the time just flew! I sat back and soaked up the fun of our renewed friendship. And it was extra special to share the experience with my son and son-in-law. They were aware of the friendship, but had never really met before.

I guess we spent two hours together - just me and Jim.

And Scott.

And Leonard.

And Chekov and Sulu and Uhura.

And Spock.

I can't wait to see them again.

If You Haven't, See 'Australia'

My lovely bride and I viewed the film 'Australia' Sunday night. Have you seen it? WOW! What a thoroughly enjoyable movie!

Visually, the film is a treat! The wide panoramic shots, the colors, the cars, clothes and buildings of the period - all of it - make the movie worth watching with the sound off. Seriously, I've given it some thought and it just might be pretty enough to watch without hearing anything.

But if you opt to hear as well as see 'Australia', you will not be disappointed because the story is terrific and the story and dialogue are strong. Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman are as colorful as the outback and full of life when on the screen, which is often. There is not a dull moment.

Oy, this is turning into a movie review, which I really didn't want to do. Ah, well.

Let's say this - I don't buy very many movies, I've probably got about a dozen, but I would think long and hard about buying this one.