Jump to content
đź”’ The Earwolf Forums are closed Read more... Ă—

PollyDarton

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content count

    443

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    24

Posts posted by PollyDarton

  2. Posted

    So guys - Rabbiting this last night with some of you was so much fun. I have seen this movie countless times since I was a kid since it was one of my mom's favorites. It still is and we still find time to watch it every Christmas.

    As strange as this is going to sound, it never occurred to me just how peculiar Tootie is until I was seeing it through your eyes. I always thought it was one of the reasons this movie aged well because it had a little goth kid in it that felt kind of current... know what I mean? Tootie is Wednesday Addams, Lydia Deets, or even Louise Belcher? I don't think I realized that pretty much everything that comes out of her mouth is about death and shit... but I just cracked-up everytime she was on screen because I knew what she was going to say next but wasn't sure how you guys would react. You all did not disappoint!

    Which leads me to a suggestion - if we ever get sick of "Musical Mondays" just having "Favorite Movie Mondays" might be a great substitution. The person who's turn it is picks a favorite movie that they don't think the group has seen and leads everyone through it. Experiencing one of my favs through you was endlessly enjoyable for me. Thank you guys - SO MUCH!

    • Like 9

  3. Posted

    6 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

    At the end of the movie, Tootie asks if it will ever be torn down and Daddy Pricklepants says, "They better not." But according to Dr. internet, most of the fair was built with plaster of Paris and was never meant to be permanent. The fair itself ended in 1905 and only a few buildings remained. This would have been pretty well-known on 1944. Is the movie making a statement about the transitory nature of joy?

    Also, I found this interesting:

    Introduction of new foods

    A number of foods are claimed to have been invented at the fair. The most popular claim is that the waffle-style ice cream cone was invented and first sold during the fair. However, it is widely believed that it was not invented at the Fair, but instead, it was popularized at the Fair.[39][40] Other claims are more dubious, including the hamburger and hot dog (both traditional American foods), peanut butter, iced tea,[41] and cotton candy. It is more likely, however, that these food items were first introduced to mass audiences and popularized by the fair. Dr Pepper and Puffed Wheat cereal were first introduced to a national audience at the fair. Daughter of slaves, Annie Fisher, brought her beaten biscuits, which were already famous in her hometown of Columbia, Missouri. The exposition awarded Fisher's biscuits a gold medal.[42]They would later be enjoyed by President William Howard Taft on his 1911 visit to Missouri.

    Also, the X-Ray, fax machine, and baby incubator debuted there.

    It might also be worth pointing out that the St. Louis world's fair is the back drop to Devil in the White City - about a serial killer killing people at this time in St. Louis.

    I wonder why they didn't mention this in this film?

    EDIT: Nope - wrong - not about St. Louis... sorry.

    • Like 2

  5. Posted

    47 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

    Yeah, I think he said he was basically going to be made partner or something. And his argument is he wants to make enough money to support everyone so you have to imagine it's a pretty significant pay bump. I mean, they could just be acting dramatic, but I think his wife says it too, so I don't know...

    Yes, I always figured they were being dramatic by using the word "tenement" when in reality they would live fairly comfortably in NYC - not like how they live in their GIANT Victorian mansion in St. Louis, but they would do fine none-the-less. As sad as this may be, I think this is supposed to represent the middle class of 1903... seeing how Alonzo is an attorney which means he is a professional... not a wealthy man because he works for his money... know what I mean?

    Upper middle class without a doubt.

    • Like 3

  6. Posted

    22 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

    What got me thinking after the fact was to attend the dance you had to come with somebody. So who did all the nerds that were on her dance card come with? Is there just a whole group of relatives hat were brought along as dates at this dance?

    Sadly I think it is strip club rules. Men can come to the dance as a bachelor, but women dare not show up without a date or it wouldn't be proper.

    • Like 6

  11. Posted

    2 hours ago, taylorannephoto said:

    Polly, I'm so into the idea of a rabbit screening! I should be free this Sunday if that's when you're planning!

     

    28 minutes ago, SaraK said:

    I'm into that too! 

    I've heard of this movie and literally know nothing about it. I'd love to watch it, hopefully I have time! 

    Yes! I’m totally into it. My kid goes to bed around 8 pm EST, so we could do it anytime after that... maybe 9 pm? 

    • Like 4

  13. Posted

    1 hour ago, grudlian. said:

    Yeah. I definitely thought this was a Christmas movie. But it's probably like It's A Wonderful Life which approximately 40 minutes of Christmas and every one considers it a Christmas movie.

    Yeah - that's pretty true. If you think about it, It's a Wonderful Life is barely a Christmas Movie at all... White Christmas, too. Besides the song White Christmas closing out the movie, there is ZERO Christmas in that movie. It's A Wonderful Life also ends at Christmas which I guess is why it's an X-mas staple.

    This one has a pretty substantial Christmas sequence, it's true, but I love the Halloween segment just as much... I don't think people think of that as often.

    It's also filled with Edwardian nostalgia that a lot of movies had between the 40s and the 60s. Kind of how we are filled with nostalgia about the 80s?

    • Like 2

  15. Posted

    11 minutes ago, AlmostAGhost said:

    I know nothing about this movie besides what's on that poster I just looked at

    Great choice!  :)

    A lot of you guys will be surprised at how much of the music you know in this - especially since it is where one of the biggest Christmas Songs of all time originates.

    Also - despite what the poster makes it seem like... it's in color (not colorized) and is gorgeous to look at.

    • Like 3

  16. Posted

    4 hours ago, Cameron H. said:

    I haven’t listened to the episode yet so I’m not sure if the context, but I know my baby is *really* bad around people he doesn’t know. It could be that they were afraid the baby would freak out, which would force them to leave or for HDTGM to put the show on hold while they calmed their child. 

    There's no way my kid would go to Jason either... maybe when she was a tiny pea pod, but not once she became even a little bit aware. It would bring the show to a grinding halt and be unpleasant for all involved.

    • Like 1

  19. Posted

    I have to disagree with June about something. Although I won't argue that it's tasteful or chic, I absolutely love the style of their apartment. The way I see it, they are raising their kids in a 2 bedroom apartment in Manhattan (yes? Is that right?) They don't have a yard, or a basement, or a lot of room to play, so how does one make up for that? By making a small sad apartment seem like a place a kid would love. That apartment is joyous and fun... Poppy colors, interesting lighting, fun prints and patterns.

     

    And ridiculous basket or whatever... I don't care, those glass-front, up-lit kitchen cabinets are dope.

     

    tumblr_naqni6yBMB1r7h50yo4_r1_1280.jpg

    • Like 3

  21. Posted

    So - with the quote above blaming the studios aside - it is confusing to me how absent John Belushi/Jake is in this film (Not literally I know he's actually dead ya jerks, I mean in spirit). Why? Why pretend like this isn't a devastating thing... why pretend like he can just be replaced? They don't even show his photo! Elwood pulls out a worn photo of Cab Calloway from his breast pocket, but not Jake, his beloved brother and musical partner? Also when Skynet runs a computer check on Elwood we see his sunglass clad mugshot... and then when he runs a check on Jake we conveniently do not see the screen... and that's just about where his mentions end.

     

    Did they think it would be more respectful this way? Because I find it cold and strange. John Belushi is the Elvis of SNL. He is their crown jewel and their biggest legend. I have been an enormous fan of SNL as far back as I can remember and I am quick to absorb any media about it... like books and documentaries (TOTAL ASIDE: James Franco's "Saturday Night" documentary is REALLY interesting.) Anyhoo... in any kind of SNL retrospective Belushi is treated like a mythical creature... so pure and beloved, the comedian who could and should have been a rockstar... his only downfall being hardcore substance abuse. And the people who made this movie KNEW him, as well as anyone could and they didn't try to really honor him in almost anyway. We don't even get to hear Frank Oz's explanation of Jake's death and consolation of Elwood... we don't even get to see Elwood grieve.

     

    I'm not saying they need to go full Paul Walker or anything. Even something as little as stock footage of him performing at the end ala Selena/Man on the Moon/Walk the line? It had been 17 years since his actual death and it just seems an appropriate and respectful amount of time had passed for them to make a "statement" on the death of Belushi.

     

    Also - please tell me if I'm missing allusions to him in the movie that I didn't catch.

    • Like 5

  22. Posted

    Ok so this might just be me putting too much thought into the movie but because of the start of the film did anyone else think that Scribbles was going to be revealed to be Jake's son and THAT'S why he was in the movie? I thought for sure after they did the bits to show how alike the two were it was going to be reveled that after Jake got out he had a kid and that kid was Scribbles. They never mention WHEN Jake got out so I thought maybe he got some lady knocked up after a wild night celebrating being free from prison. They part he goes on his way never to se her again then eventually dies. He might have never known and maybe told this lady the amazing story of why he was in jail because of his Mission From God to save the orphanage. So when she finds herself preggo she decides to give the baby to the orphanage to raise. Maybe in the hope that they can get him to his father.

     

    Anyway that would have made it SO much more satisfying and would have sort of justified Scribbles to the audience. i couldn't finish the movie but I'm pretty sure he's not Blues Brother Spawn right?

     

    Regardless of his paternity #SaveScribbles

     

    I think they touched on this in the podcast a little, but YES this should have been Jake's kid OR he should have been Jake reincarnated. It would have at least explained why the kid was even there... but the actual explanation is such a bummer. Scribbles was in the movie because the movie execs wanted BB2000 to be a PG kid friendly movie (Cuz nothing says kids like The Blues Brothers)

     

    Here's the intereview I found this afternooon which is very insightful to what the hell happened in this movie.

    https://www.avclub.c...ndis-1798208456

    Here's the part that's pertinent to our discussion:

     

    "AVclub: What was the impetus behind Blues Brothers 2000?

    John Landis: We'd always intended for a sequel with John, but of course when he passed away, it was obvious we weren't going to do it. But Danny had been performing with John Goodman and Jimmy Belushi and the band, and he said, "You know, this is great, because this music is recognized now—let's do a movie." I said, "Great, sure, okay," and we wrote what I thought was a terrific script. Then Universal Studios eviscerated it. That was a strange experience, because the first thing they said was that it had to be PG, which meant they couldn't use profanity, which is basically cutting the Blues Brothers' nuts off. The first movie is an R-rated film, but there's no nudity or violence in it. It's just the language. Then they said, "You have to have a child, you have to have…" The bottom line was, the only way that movie was going to get made was to agree with everything they said. You know the difference between a brown-nose and a shithead? Depth perception. That's the only time I never really fought with the studio, because they didn't really want to make it. So we did every single thing they said. By the time we'd done that, the script was kind of homogenized and uninteresting. Danny said, "It's about the music. It's just about the music, John, so don't worry about it. We'll get the best people, and we'll make a great album, and get these people on film. We have to document these people." It's interesting, because, as much as I make fun of Danny, three or four of those guys have passed away since we made that movie. People say, "Okay, you've got Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, Cab Calloway, and John Lee Hooker in The Blues Brothers—who's in Blues Brothers 2000?" The answer? Everyone else. The first movie has five musical numbers, and the second movie has 18."

    • Like 5
×