Lanewatch

Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Ed Norton and Bruce Willis in Moonrise Kingdom

Anthony Lane's review of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom in The New Yorker reminds me that I left out one of his favorite references in my previous posting about him. In addition to Shakespeare, Dickens, 007, royalty, Harry Potter, Lewis Carroll, J.R.R. Tolkien and something European (non-British, often French), this British film critic also likes to reference J.M. Barrie, as he does in the Moonrise Kingdom review. (I also forgot to put Sherlock Holmes on the list, for an even 10.) In addition, his review carries a subtle reference to Shakespeare (the word "tempest" seems carefully chosen for its literary association), as well as to fellow Brits Roald Dahl and Frances Hodgson Burnett. He cites British composer Benjamin Britten, but I guess I have to give him that one: Britten's work is apparently an important element in Moonrise Kingdom.

Discussion Topics

Adaptation

Discussion topics for 6/4/12:
1) Is the humor in the movie version of Bringing Up Baby different from the humor in the short story?
2) The story has one big cat (a panther) in it while the movie has two big cats (leopards). Do you see any significance to the different numbers? To the different species?
3) How would you describe the relationship between David and Suzan in the story? Between David and Susan in the movie?
4) Which version do you personally like better?

Continuing readings:
1) Bringing Up Baby: Find three passages in the story that stand out.
2) A Room With a View: Find three passages in the novel that tell us something important about a character or characters.
3) Stage to Lordsburg: Pay close attention to who the characters are.

Class Act

Cary Grant & Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby

Adaptation
Well, that sure was a great class last night! My students were just so well prepared to discuss Rear Window and the whole concept of adapting a text as a film! I just hope we don't lose too much momentum next week, which we have off for Memorial Day.  Meanwhile, we watched Bringing Up Baby and I had the feeling that at least most of the students enjoyed both the verbal humor and the slapstick gags. You'd think that nearly four hours per night would be enough time to cover everything, but we had to leave a few loose ends hanging. Guess we'll tie them up next time.

Topics & Readings

Adaptation

Discussion topics for 5/21/12:
1) How are the plot surprises handled in the short story Rear Window?
2) How are the surprises handled in the movie?
3) How does the addition of the character of Lisa change the dynamic of the movie?
4) What about the other characters?

Continuing readings:
1) Rear Window & Bringing Up Baby: Find three passages in each story that stand out.
2) A Room With a View: Find three passages in the novel that tell us something important about a character or characters.

One Glitch

Adaptation
The first class of the summer went really well. We all introduced ourselves and this seems like a group of very interesting, very smart people. I did make one mistake, though. We watched Rear Window and I told them I would announce when Alfred Hitchcock made his usual cameo appearance in the movie, and then I forgot to do it! (See photo.) I'll have to show them that scene again next week.

How to Read Anthony Lane

Although I like The New Yorker, I don't care for the work of Anthony Lane, one of the magazine's two main movie critics. Lane is British, and my problem with him is that his perspective so obsessively British as to seem almost pathological. A while back, though, I figured out a way to enjoy reading Lane. His frame of reference is so narrow that in almost every piece, whatever the subject, he manages to reference one or more of the following:
1) Shakespeare; 2) Charles Dickens; 3) James Bond; 4) Royalty; 5) Something European (but not British), often French; 6) Harry Potter; 7) Lewis Carroll; and 8) J.R.R. Tolkien.
So, for me, his recent review of Dark Shadows was fun to read in almost the same way a scavenger hunt can be fun.  In it, Lane manages to reference Nos. 1 (specifically, The Merchant of Venice), 3 and 7, with references to fellow-Brits Michael Powell and Edward Lear thrown in as a bonus. Jolly good!

On Your Mark, Get Set...

My summer classes start tomorrow (Monday), so I should be posting more often than I have been during the last couple of weeks. I'm really looking forward to the summer term at what I affectionately call Camp Burnett.

Dark Shadows, Silver Lining

Well, Dark Shadows certainly is disappointing. But it does have a few nice lines, mostly spoken by centuries-old vampire Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), who has just awakened in 1972:
"Mephistopheles!" -- Barnabas, upon seeing the McDonald's arches for the first time.
"Reveal yourself, tiny songstress." -- Barnabas, upon seeing Karen Carpenter performing on a TV show.
"Ugliest woman I've ever seen." -- Barnabas, upon seeing Alice Cooper.
 

Awesome Avengers

Three Ways the NY Times' Review of The Avengers Is Irrelevant
1. Although the review is overwhelmingly negative, the only thing that critic A.O. Scott seems not to like about the movie is its action scenes, and what he doesn't like about them is that, he says, they're too long, too similar to action scenes in other movies and, as near as I can figure, contain too much action. For the record, those scenes are blessedly coherent (unlike those in many recent movies), consistently exciting and clever -- even, quite often, witty.
2. Although Scott allows that occasional other parts of the movie are humorous, he says they can't overcome the drawback of those dumb old action scenes. Actually, a lot of the non-action scenes are very funny, and the non-action scenes that aren't funny are frequently ingenious.
3. The review accuses the movie of "cynicism," but it's the review itself that is cynical. Scott calls The Avengers "a giant A.T.M." for Marvel and Disney, as if its probable popularity were somehow a strike against it. He attacks its audience as "submissive," which just seems like another way of saying that he feels superior to other moviegoers. The tone of the entire review brings to mind the aloof and dismissive spirit of the Times' review of Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, a film now considered a classic. That review was written by Vincent Canby, not long before Canby retired. Memo to Scott: Could be your turn.