Friday, November 06, 2009

Birthday Suit: Shapeshifters

Sing your favorite stars a happy birthday in the privacy of your own home.
Maybe not out loud.

Happy birthday to Ethan, Rebecca and Mike

11/06
Today's filmic / famous birthdays.
If it's your own birthday shout it out. It's your day, after all.

1882 Thomas H Ince actor who became a lifeguard then an actor again until he was a pioneering film director who became a studio mogul until he morphed into Cary Elwes having an affair with Kirsten Dunst ... and then died mysteriously.
1903 June Marlowe lovely brunette who became the Warner Bros proclaimed "Most Beautiful Girl On Screen" and eventually settled in as Our Miss Crabtree
1931 Mike Nichols Second City Improv founder who became a comedian then morphed into one of the most celebrated film directors of the second half of the 20th century. The filmography is kind of uneven, though, right?



1946 Sally Field a little Pasadena girl who became Gidget then a nun who flew before splintering into several personalities as Sybil. After which she became Burt Reynolds girl then a union activist who was suddenly a farmwife and, with that farm job, a Double-Oscar-Winner. Finally she was passing along the sweetheart torch as a grieving mom "I just want to hit something! I want to hit it hard" ...until she finally became Nora Walker. Judge me all you want but I freaking love her.
1947 Edward Yang an engineer who became a computer guy and then an auteur behind who made the internationally reknowned YiYi (2000)
1949 Brad Davis Floridian who became a television star then a film star of ridiculously potent sexual charisma (Querelle and Midnight Express ...about that shower scene) before becoming an AIDS activist in his final years

1952 Michael Cunningham, novelist (The Hours, A Home At the End of the World) who is also a professor and screenwriter and sometime awards magnet
1957 Lori Singer Fame's (1980) freaky cellist who became Short Cuts (1993) freaky cellist. Hey now, she didn't shape shift at all!
1978 Taryn Manning TV actor who became supporting movie player who I was worried had peaked (?) as snow bunny in Hustle & Flow... but thankfully she's employed for another couple of years at least. Lot of films in pre-production
1988 Emma Stone TV guest actress who is suddenly a busy comedic film actress (Super Bad, House Bunny, Zombieland)

Finally... three actors are celebrating big days and I can never decide how I feel about them: Ethan Hawke, a child actor turned film star turned Mr. Uma Thurman turned actor/novelist celebrates his 39th, the wildly uneven Thandie Newton (is there actually two of her? So good in some scenes/films, so ungood in others) turns 37, and themodel turned Femme Fatale turned nude blue lady turned TV star known as Rebecca Romijn also turns 37.

I haven't watched Romijn's new show Eastwick -- have any of you? -- because the Cher|Pfeiffer|Sarandon trinity is too holy for mine eyes to blaspheme. Is it any good?

27 comments:

jessica said...

I've seen a tiny bit of the Eastwick show, though not even a full episode. It didn't look very good and I saw enough to tell that Romijn is not a very good actress.

Oh and you don't have Wit for Mike Nichols. Is that because it's a TV movie?

NATHANIEL R said...

oui.

i decided to keep tv movies out of it (obvs angels in america would win ;)

adelutza said...

Nathaniel, the percentages of votes for each film must be wrong because the total is around 170% ;-)

adelutza said...

Oh sorry i just saw we should choose two not one

Lev Lewis said...

Obviously not enough people have seen Carnal Knowledge or else that would have considerably more votes. A shame.

Catherine said...

I'd think it's weird if somebody chose the 'I don't like his films' option. I mean there's plenty there that I don't care for, but surely there's something for everybody? I went for The Graduate and Postcards... but ask me tomorrow and I'll have a totally different answer. (Love Wit, too).

PS. Any mention of Ethan Hawke will automatically make me think of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, an episode of which was the first time I had ever heard his name. I still haven't seen any of his films.

MRRIPLEY said...

SALLY FIELD GRAVEYARD SCENE NO OSCAR NOM YET JESSICAS TANDY AND ;L
LANGE ARE NOMMED FOR V WEAK WORK.

Kurtis O said...

Are you kidding me?!? You didn't include "Angels in America" in Nichols' filmography?!?

Kurtis O said...

Are you kidding me?!? You didn't include "Angels in America" in Nichols' filmography?!?

Kurtis O said...

Ahh...after hitting the publish button so furiously that my comment appeared twice, I now see your response to Jessica.

Kurtis O said...

I really didn't think that you of all people would be among those who dismiss "AIA" because of its being a TV movie. Boo. It's Nichols' best film.

NATHANIEL R said...

but if you count ANGELS IN AMERICA as a motion picture that means all television movies are motion pictures which complete fucks up every single list ever made, right?

can't do it.

but i do love AiA.

Transvestitia Transvestitenstein said...

I really wanna see a Golden Girls Movie starring Meryl Streep as Blanche Deveraux...

joy said...

Actually, "Wit" competed in Berlin film festival as a motion picture back in 2001.

Xie Fei, one of the jury members that year told me that he fought hard for Emma Tompson to get best actress but everyone else thought people already know how great Emma is so she doesn't “need” award anymore.

adam k. said...

You "freaking love" Sally Field? I had no idea. What with all the comparisons between her and Hilary Swank.

Also, I was expecting a lot more love for Silkwood and Postcards, my two choices. I figured The Graduate would be #1, which is why I didn't pick it, but I didn't think it and Woolf would be THAT dominant... maybe I should check those two out again...

Alex said...

Watched Nichols on Inside the Actor's Studio (freaking LOVE YouTube) and appreciated him all the more. And by "appreciated" I mean recognized his genius.

I also think that not only is "Angels in America" one of his best works, I adore "Wit" as well. Some things I really wish could've played in theatres. Emma Thompson would've gotten her third Oscar :(

Alan said...

I also really adore Sally Field...she may not be the most consistent actress and brothers and sisters is always going up and down(but I still keep watching it)
she is so,I dunno there is something about her that I can't deny the fact that I really like her,I really like her ;)

NATHANIEL R said...

@Alan. that's just it. i can't really stand by her in terms of a cinema great but there is something about her persona that I just love. like she's a mom you want to hug or something. anyway. have loved her since i was a teeny thing watching Gidget in syndication.

NATHANIEL R said...

I find it very weird that SILKWOOD is not doing better in this Nichols poll. Where are all of you Dolly Pelicars? Help Karen out!!!

Paul Outlaw said...

Carnal Knowledge & The Graduate, of course. Although Catch-22...

PS. Eastwick is trash, but I can't help watching it. Something about watching Paul Gross cavorting around the Stars Hollow set...and a friend of mine plays his silent and creepy butler/henchman.

Alex said...

If it makes you feel any better, I usually include films that premiered on cable or appeared on a few screens as opposed to movies made for TV.

Example: 2001, Emma Thompson nominated for "Wit" but not Judy Davis for "Me and My Shadows."

Also, "Angels in America" was shown on like 3 screens in NYC apparently. Plus, I think of that as a 2-part movie and not a mini-series anyway (a la "Che")

Basically, I allow anything that was shown on HBO and isn't made to have commercials :)

NATHANIEL R said...

alex -- i'd never be able to keep track of that, what film was intended for what. so i'll stick to release dates. at least for the next few years.

the way that things are going theatrical will soon be a thing of past :( sigh. i do so love sitting in movie theaters.

Walter L. Hollmann said...

I hung out with Lori Singer after seeing Bright Star! She was visiting one of my professors, and they all went to the screening. My roomie and I gave back a light-up bouncey ball that was thrown our way, and next thing I know, we're talking about flavored cigarettes!

NATHANIEL R said...

@Walter... would this be a professor of stringed instruments?

Walter L. Hollmann said...

Nah, the prof teaches Acting on Film. Lori (I CAN CALL HER THAT!!!) came in as a guest to talk to the actors from the theatre school who work with the film students. Purty groovy.

Glenn said...

I voted for Silkwood and Virginia Woolf. Of course.

NATHANIEL R said...

did she like Bright Star?