MOVIE MOVIE [1978 / 2016] [Blu-ray] [USA Release] Twice the Fun! Twice the Action! Twice the Entertainment! Satirises 1930's Style Hollywood Flimflam!
An hilarious two-films-in-one toast to the classic B movies of Hollywood in its heyday when the double features were king. ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ which is in black-and-white, of course, is the fight story about big punch boxer Joey Popchick [Harry Hamlin] and his trainer Gloves Malloy [George C. Scott] and the up-to-no-good Vince Marlow [Eli Wallach]. ‘Baxter’s Beauties of 1933’ we see in gorgeous living colour, naturally and follows the fortunes of Broadway producer Spats Baxter [George C. Scott] with a heart of gold and a daughter who thinks she’s an orphan and ends up saving the day in Spats Baxter best show ever. Featuring an all-star cast including Barry Bostwick, Art Carney, Red Buttons, Kathleen Beller, Barbara Harris, Anne Reinking and Trish Van Devere directed by the great Stanley Donen of ‘Singin In The Rain’ and ‘Charade’ fame. Now see this classic film taken from brand new HD master!!!
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1978 New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Nomination: Best Supporting Actor for Barry Bostwick. Nomination: Best Screenplay for Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller. 1979 Golden Globes: Nomination: Best Motion Picture in a Comedy or Musical. Nomination: Best Actor in a Motion Picture in a Comedy or Musical for George C. Scott. Nomination: Best Motion Picture Acting Debut for a Male for Harry Hamlin. 1979 Berlin International Film Festival: Nomination: Golden Berlin Bear for Stanley Donen. 1979 National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA: Nomination: Best Screenplay for Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller (3rd place). Nomination: Best Supporting Actor for Barry Bostwick (4th Place). 1979 Writers Guild of America: Win: Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen for Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller. 1980 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards: Nomination: Best Screenplay for Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller. Nomination: Best Music for Ralph Burns.
Cast: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Red Buttons, Eli Wallach, Harry Hamlin, Ann Reinking, Jocelyn Brando, Michael Kidd, Kathleen Beller, Barry Bostwick, Art Carney, Clay Hodges, George P. Wilbur, Peter Stader, Jimmy Lennon Sr., Charles Lane, Dick Winslow, Brendan Dillon, Bob Herron, Denver Mattson, Jimmy Nickerson, Harvey Parry, Wally Rose, Fred Scheiwiller, James J. Casino, John McKee, Gary Stokes, Garth Thompson, Clifford Happy, Terry L. Nichols, Larry Hayden, Patrick Omeirs, Michael Rodgers, Tom Morga, Clarence Beatty, Charlie Murray, Evelyn Moriarty, June McCall, Jack Slate, Michael Lansing, Chuck Hicks, George Fisher, Barbara Harris, Rebecca York, Maidie Norman, Barney Martin, Sebastian Brook, Jerry von Hoeltke, Paula Jones, John Henry, George Burns (Himself – Introductory Segments (uncredited), John Hudkins (uncredited) and Dennis Record (uncredited)
Director: Stanley Donen
Producer: Stanley Donen
Screenplay: Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller
Composer: Ralph Burns
Cinematography: Charles Rosher Jr. (Director of Photography) and Bruce Mohr Powell Surtees (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black-and-White and Colour)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 (Anamorphic)
Audio: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: None
Running Time: 104 minutes
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Warner Bros. / A Warren Brothers Picture / Scorpion Releasing / ITC Entertainment
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ [1978] is a unique concept for this film is very intriguing. The idea was to recreate the movie viewing experience of the 1930’s and 1940’s by having a double bill feature along with theatrical trailers in between. The stories would have all the clichés, storylines, and characters from films of that era, but done with a tongue and cheek approach. The same core performers including: George C. Scott, his actress wife Trish Van Devere, Red Buttons, Art Carney, and Eli Wallach would play different characters in all the stories much like doing skits on a variety show. Legendary director Stanley Donen, famous for such films as ‘Singing in the Rain,’ ‘Royal Wedding’ and ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ that would direct and the screenplay would be written by Larry Gelbert best known for writing ‘Oh God!’ and ‘Tootsie.’
The first feature is entitled ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ and is a story about a young boxer from the 1930’s named Joey Popchik [Harry Hamlin], in his film debut, who becomes a prize-fighter in order to pay for an eye operation for his kid sister Angie Popchik [Kathleen Quinlan]. The only way Angie Popchik can be cured is to go to Vienna for an operation that will cost $25,000, which comes to approximately $12,500 an eye, as one observer carefully calculates. Where to get the money? Joey Popchik must put aside his books and become a prize-fighter. Thus begins the event-crammed heroic plot of ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ and the first half of Stanley Donen's sweet, hilarious, very witty recollection of the sort of film programmes that came off the Hollywood assembly lines in the 1930's. ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ features all the expected clichés, but the subtle humour that is injected fails to make it seem fresh or interesting. It was shot in colour, but I felt black-and-white would have been better, but when the film was shown on American Cable Networks it was shown in colour. The one thing I did like was Harry Hamlin, but in his future acting career seems pretty washed-up as he appears almost exclusively in direct to video fare, or dumb reality shows with his fat-lipped wife. Yet here Harry Hamlin is right on target with his portrayal of the naïve, wet-behind-the-ears boxer
The film ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ spirits are high even when its eyes are filled with tears. The film makers genuinely like their models. When Joey Popchik says, "How do you get two cents back on a heart," after he realises he's been played for a sucker by a hardboiled nightclub singer, the writers are recollecting movie manners to which we still respond. People in 1930's films never talked quite this fruity so consistently. The point is that this is the way we enjoy remembering them, to remind us, perhaps wrongly, that we've grown up.
In ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ we have the good fortune to have actors like George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Art Carney, Red Buttons, Eli Wallach, Barry Bostwick and Rebecca York, and with these accomplished actors, represent one of the happiest pooling of resources ever seen, and especially seeing Eli Wallach as Vince Marlowe who is also great fun as the heavy gangster, who eventually get their comeuppance.
The newcomers who light up ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ includes Harry Hamlin, in the William Holden-John Garfield role; Ann Reinking as Troubles Moran, the nightclub singer with the rhinestone heart, and Kathleen Beller as Angie Popchik, as the poor girl with the mysterious eyesight problems. In ‘DYNAMITE HANDS,’ Betsy McGuire [Trish Van Devere] is Joey Popchik's bespectacled librarian-sweetheart.
George C. Scott is such a powerful actor that it's always a surprise he can be so wickedly funny when he puts his mind to it. It's more than a physical transformation, which anyone can accomplish with a bit of makeup. There's a change in his centre of gravity. Gloves Malloy [George C. Scott], the trainer who grooms Joey Popchik for the title bout, he is a model for all slightly too colourful, unbearably wise and sentimental old character actor.
In addition to ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ it includes a breathless trailer for a film about World War I flying aces, ‘Zero Hour’ that declares “war at its best!” Messrs. Art Carney, Eli Wallach and Red Buttons show up in each film, as well as in this trailer, which they appear to have relished their performances.
The third part is a send-up of all the old Busby Berkley musicals and is entitled ‘Baxter’s Beauties of 1933’ and is in full glorious colour, which is a triumphantly nutty backstage musical that Warner Baxter, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers might well have made.
In ‘Baxter’s Beauties of 1933’ George C. Scott is the grand stylish Spats Baxter, the legendary Broadway producer whose only real problem is that he has been struck down by something called “Spencer's Disease,” another mysterious ailment without many symptoms, but which seems to strike people in show business quite regularly. All of which is why Spats Baxter has to get his last show on in a hurry and make sure that it's a hit before he pops his clogs and again George C. Scott, who is nicely over the top Broadway producer Spats Baxter and decides to go out on top by putting on the most lavish musical show that he can.
What I also liked about was all the musical numbers, which were choreographed by Michael Kidd, are brilliantly photographed and especially with one routine done on a giant roulette wheel which is a total homage to Busby Berkley and looks spectacular. Van Devere’s kitschy performance as an alcoholic, tyrannical leading lady is the only thing that saves it. Gifted actress Barbra Harris is one of the chorus girls that unfortunately have not taken any advantage of her talents, still that is down to the director.
Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller not only appreciate the comic uses of the mixed metaphor and one that is driven into the ground to the bursting point, but, more importantly, they have recreated the efficiency and manic, upbeat innocence of those Depression pictures. This has to do with more than screen styles than for wacky montages and attention-getting wipes and fades, which anyone can imitate.
Johnny Danko [Barry Bostwick] of Broadway's “The Robber Bridegroom,” is a standout as the mild-mannered bookkeeper who, in the nick of time, turns out to be a singer, dancer and composer of hit songs in ‘Baxter’s Beauties of 1933.’ Rebecca York as Kitty is most comically earnest in the Ruby Keeler type role in the same film, with terrific support from Barbara Harris as Trixie Lane, who plays the Ginger Rogers come Glenda Farrell part and George C. Scott and Ms. Trish Van Devere are superb in ‘Baxter's Beauties of 1933.’
With the acquisitive Troubles Moran, she's the big Broadway actress whose drinking problem allows the chorus girl to become an overnight star and I felt had a touch of the film ’42st Street.’
Director Stanley Donen's production is his most buoyant film since ‘Singin" in the Rain,’ and goes a long way toward erasing the memory of things like ‘Lucky Lady,’ ‘The Little Prince’ and ‘Staircase.’ For the most part, the timing is as precisely right as in one of those rare Broadway musicals in which everything works perfectly. Nothing is held too long. When we anticipate a gag, it is funnier simply because we do anticipate it, and then it is frequently topped. The performers are totally marvellous.
‘MOVIE MOVIE’ double feature concept is a marvellous symmetry in execution, with particularly the entire cast of the first segment being carried over to the second film. The writers and director have a wonderful feel for the period, and while the whole enterprise is just an excuse to be at their silliest, but they treat it with the appropriate blend of seriousness fun. While the film ‘DYNAMITE FIST’ segment is very amusing, it is the ‘Baxter’s Beauties of 1933’ is the real tour-de-force, especially trying to emulate Busby Berkeley with its bargain basement style musical numbers that are executed to perfection, especially in the use of dancers on bicycles in the final. The film score is an amusing pastiche which produces a few chuckles. The cast is, for the most part, are finely tuned into an appropriate style, especially with Barbara Harris, Michael Kidd and Barry Bostwick especially noteworthy. Ironically, considering its origin, the film could have been edited slightly, but despite this, it is totally frothy, very tongue-in-cheek fun filled humour, that I know film aficionado’s, will thoroughly enjoy and appreciate this film very much.
The brilliant cast and crew clearly had a great deal of fun making the double feature film ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ contains a couple of benignly funny and exceptional double entendre (a word or phrase open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risqué or indecent) that probably should be out of the reach of any child’s hearing distance, who might be shocked by such naughty double meanings. So come you movie lovers, get the popcorn ready and enjoy this wonderful tour de force of old Hollywood entertainment.
* * * * *
Blu-ray Image Quality – With the cooperation of Warner Bros., A Warren Brothers Picture, Scorpion Releasing and ITC Entertainment presents you ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ with a 1080p image that boasts that it is a presentation boasts that is an HD master from the original internegative, that definitely delivers a an enchantingly clear and refreshing viewing experience, that also handles the feature's subtle design achievements extremely well. Also adding to the enhancement is the aspect ratio 1.78:1 which shows off the film in the best possible way. The subtle textures on the ornate costumes and facial expressions in particular, really shows off this period production really well and definitely showcasing Stanley Donen's commitment to authenticity of the 1930's Styles Hollywood period. The colours are totally refreshing and defined valued, offering vivid broad primaries, including exaggerated reds. Skin tones are totally natural looking and are in decent shape, only encountering a few brief blips of damage, speckling, and vertical scratching and sadly one persistent gouge pops up frequently in "Dynamite Hands."
Blu-ray Audio Quality – With the cooperation of Warner Bros., A Warren Brothers Picture, Scorpion Releasing and ITC Entertainment brings you ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ with a very enjoyable 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, that manages to give you the bigness of ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ that is so well deserved, especially leading with the musical numbers with great clarity, which identifies musicianship and mood without disruption. Dialogue exchanges are clean and expressive, managing a great range of excited reactions and the general super-speed of line-readings. Atmospherics are comfortable, capturing stage and arena activity, as well as the crowd bustle. All in all this is a very enjoyable audio experience.
* * * * *
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Just Say No: Harry Hamlin on ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ [2016] [1080p] [1.78:1] [46:26] Harry Hamlin covers all aspect of his film debut as an actor, with the stage-trained thespian defiant in his distaste for a big screen career, almost accidentally falling into the starring role for ‘DYNAMITE HANDS.’ Harry Hamlin's candour is definitely most welcome, and describing his early battles with excessive pride and the first day of work on the film, where nothing was accomplished due to drunken antics from George C. Scott and Art Carney. Harry Hamlin based his character Joey Popchick on the brilliant actor John Garfield and the boxer character he played in the film ‘Body and Soul.’ With the film ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ it was Harry Hamlin’s first major Hollywood film and was totally honoured to be working with the great actor George C. Scott who he so admired. Harry Hamlin also admired and respected greatly the actor red Button, who they became good friends and the other actor he admire was the great Eli Wallach. Harry Hamlin goes on to discuss his troubled experience in making the film ‘Clash of the Titans,’ and a unique career proposal that would have the young actor star in the films ‘Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan,’ ‘Lord of the Apes’ and ‘First Blood,’ where Harry Hamlin refused to participate due to full-frontal nudity requirements. Harry Hamlin talks about his brief quickie role in ‘King of the Mountain,’ and appearing along side the actor Dennis Hopper who would most of the time be out of his head with copious amounts of booze and cocaine and at times could not remember his lines, so they set up two cameras and aloud Dennis Hopper to do his own thing and ad lib his lines just to get his scenes filmed, and Harry Hamlin also says that in that period he found loads of actors and producers take excess amount of cocaine, and he on the other hand never touched the stuff, but when the filming had finished he never really got to watch ‘King of the Mountain.’ Harry Hamlin then gets onto the subject of making the gay film ‘Making Love’ and was the last studio film and felt the gay film was ahead of its time and was of course long before AIDS happened and especially in America and really loved making the film and would do another gay themed film if he was ever offered a starring role, and at that point the interview ends, and I found this Harry Hamlin interview really interesting, especially talking about his film career.
Special Feature: Just Shows To Go Ya: Barry Bostwick on ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ [2016] [1080p] [1.78:1] [29:13] Here we find the actor Barry Bostwick in his garden and exploring his acting skills in the unusual flexibility that was required for his performance in the film for ‘MOVIE MOVIE,’ where he played the character Dick Cummings. Barry Bostwick talks about moving from Tony-winning Broadway work in a Stanley Donen film and gives great praise for this director, , but despite this, actually Stanley Donen called Barry Bostwick to ask him to appear in the film to do the musical numbers in homage to Bob Fosse who Barry Bostwick had never met, especially with the fact he was lacking the instinct for dance choreography, but Stanley Donen had seen Barry Bostwick in other musical films and felt he was ideal for the part. Barry Bostwick praises the co-stars and shares an appreciation for the feature, listing it as his second favourite film project. Barry Bostwick thought ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ was a very clever film and was just the kind of film he would enjoy watching because it is a very tongue in cheek film that is well over the top and especially a spoof film because nothing is real, just sheer enjoyment. Barry Bostwick also talks his part in the film ‘DYNAMITE HANDS’ and wanted the Eli Wallach part and learnt all is lines and kidnapped Stanley Donen and drove out into the countryside to do all the lines to Stanley Donen that he could do the Eli Wallach part, and told the actor he had too much make-up on and of course did not get the Eli Wallach part, but did get to do the Eli Wallach’s gangster sidekick. On top of all that, Barry Bostwick really admired George C. Scott and especially playing scenes with him, as well as with the actor Eli Wallach. Amazingly, Barry Bostwick answers a few questions regarding his work on the film cult film ‘Megaforce,’ and sharing exactly what inspired the flamboyant look of his character in the film, the impossibly named Ace Hunter. Barry Bostwick the actor also offers a few thoughts on ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ Barry Bostwick really loved doing the two films in ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ and felt it was ahead of its time, especially using the main actors to appear in both films, which had never been done again since, and of course since the film ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ was released has become a one off kind of film for its genre, which he felt was a shame, and Barry Bostwick is so pleased the film has been rediscovered again. Eventually, a few years that had passed since the film was released in 1978, Barry Bostwick finally got to watch ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ and was so impressed what he viewed of the film and felt so fortunate to be part of appearing in ‘MOVIE MOVIE,’ which he found so original. As we come to the end of this very interesting interview with Barry Bostwick, he says. “that ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ was a great deal of fun and very entertaining, and if I had brought a smile to somebodies life, then I’ve done my job.”
Special Feature: Keeping A Straight Face: Kathleen Beller on ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ [2016] [1080p] [1.78:1] [16:34] Here we find Kathleen Beller who played Angie Popchick in ‘DANGEROUS HANDS’ who is being interviewed in an unknown room and offers an assessment of the co-stars and a recollection of that infamous first day of filming. But before Kathleen Beller got the part in the film, talks about the mad time where she was booked into a New York hotel and got an urgent phone call from California and told her to just leave the hotel and told to fly out to Los Angeles for an audition for a part in the film ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ but her character in ‘DANGEROUS HANDS’ and was glad she did not have to do any singing and got the part as Angie Popchick in the film ‘DYNAMITE HANDS.’ Kathleen Beller really admired the director Stanley Donen and kept asking all the performers to do stuff that they had never performed before and he was very encouraging, but despite this, it was always a fun time each day on the set making the film. The two older actors that were her parents in the film ‘DYNAMIRE HANDS’ were really lovely to work with and were very professional and they kind of treated Angie Popchick like her real parents. Kathleen Beller really enjoyed acting with George C. Scott, who was extremely funny, but what really impressed Kathleen Beller is that she found George C. Scott did not have any ego attitude, and it was Kathleen Beller’s most favourite experience, and what also excited here was working with the other older professional actors, and they of course were Art Carney and Red Buttons, who she had a big crush on him when she was a little girl, and also loved working with fellow actor Harry Hamlin and became very good friends with him, and was always great working in scenes that they were together in. But had an even greater crush on Barry Bostwick and was madly in love with him and on the lunch breaks would follow Barry Bostwick around like a love sick puppy. Kathleen Beller had been working as an actress for 20 years and when she got the chance to appear in the film ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ it was far and away her favourite film she ever made, and what shocks here is that the film was made over 35 years ago and when out, fans come up to hear and tell here that their favourite film is ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ and obviously points out that these fans have good taste for the film. Kathleen Beller also shares some very interesting anecdotes concerning her time in the film ‘The Sword and the Sorcerer’ and ‘Surfacing,’ and forever endears herself to a certain writer with their quote, "Sometimes critics are right and audiences are wrong," referring to the initial theatrical release of ‘MOVIE MOVIE.’ Kathleen Beller talks about here experience working on the film ‘The Betsy’ and of course acted in the film with the great British actor Sir Lawrence Olivier and was sure awe struck by his presence because who he was and enjoyed the experience. Another great actor that Kathleen Beller worked with was Paul Newman in the film ‘Fort Apache, The Bronx’ and was so shocked when she met him for the first time and how short he was and was always joking about his height and from then on just talked in general about other stuff in her life and at that point the interview ended and was quite enjoyable hearing Kathleen Beller anecdotes on her acting career.
Special Feature: Introduction Prologue with George Burns [1978] [1080p] [1.37:1] [2:26] Before seeing the old trouper George Burns we get to read the following introduction by George Burns that was only available to us as a standard definition video in letterbox aspect ratio. They were not able to locate the original film element in order to telecine this asset in the HD format. What we get to see at the start of this Introduction Prologue with George Burns is “Lew Grade presents GEORGE C. SCOTT in a Martin Starger production MOVIE MOVIE” which of course was originally going to be added at the start of the ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ film and due to circumstances was lost, but just before the video release was found and of course was finally be able to feature in this special feature. With this introduction by George Burns the famed cigar-smoking comedian, who provides a brief explanation of the unique ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ viewing experience you are about to watch and also explains that they are about to see an old-style “Double Feature” they use to show around 30 or 40 years ago and explains that movies were in always in black-and-white except sometimes when they sang the film came out in colour and the boy got the girl, crime never paid, and the only four letter word in the movie house was the word EXIT. Speaking of EXIT, George Burns says, “Why don’t we go in and age before beauty and after you.” At that point in this special feature with the lovely George Burns fades and finishes. But again, they originally wanted to add this feature at the start of the film ‘MOVIE MOVIE,’ but despite this, I am so pleased they were able to retrieve it and add it as an extra and again it is always great to see the late great incomparable old professional trouper George Burns.
Finally, the film ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ is definitely a throwback to entertainment of its time, replicating a film when one experienced going to the cinema to see double features, where different genres were smashed together to provide an evening's entertainment to those looking to get lost in disparate screen adventures. And who better to mastermind a spoof/homage to the cinematic achievements of the 1930’s than director Stanley Donen of ‘Singing in the Rain’ and ‘On the Town.’ ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ isn't out to wow with some kind of plot, enjoys stretches of silliness, and it is more interested in packing in jokes galore and adoration for the production of the 1930’s era, assembling two short efforts that cover the gamut of emotional responses and musical opportunities, bringing together a gifted cast to breathe life into a screen experiment that's ideal for those who personally value golden dreams of cinematic glamour and for those with short attentions spans. It's impressive work from the legendary Stanley Donen, who has the secure ability to generate laughs and thrills as dancing and goofiness collide. Frankly, there should be a ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ for all genres and eras out there. This level of admiration for the joys of this film going doesn't come around nearly enough, making for a special viewing event that is in love with the magic of a ‘MOVIE MOVIE’ cinema experience. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
