WatchOutForSnakes

I'm also interested in expanding my movie chops with musicals. I usually think I won't like them, but then I can recite Annie from memory. ETA - It's great that the regulars on these forums are so welcoming

I would die if Tommy Wiseau would be a guest. I'd love to hear his commentary on someone else's work.

A couple omissions that have been eating at me: 1) When Lance pulls up next to Danja after tracking her with Cliff's bike, Danja says to him, "Hop in." What about his bike? Surely it's not attached to that car anywhere. I think there's an ADR line added where he says, "wait my bike!" or something like that, but he just leaves Cliff's bike out in the middle of nowhere? 2) When Danja and Lance are driving she starts talking about what a great guy Stargrove Sr. is and says something about how much he did for her and her family - what did he do? Where is her family? We never find out. 3) When Lance and Cliff pull up to wherever the Mad Max crew is, there are a couple of bikes next to the wall and Lance asks, "Can you hot-wire that one?" and Cliff is all, "yeah" but then they just leave and that never comes back into play. Also, if you ask me, Cliff is the real hero of the movie.

I agree with the shot selection and editing. The use of shadows and lighting is intentional and beautiful. Also, The Third Man is my favorite noir, but I would also guess it could no longer count as "American." In 1999 the British Film Institute named it the best British film of all time.

I looked this up as soon as they mentioned it and it blew my mind!

I figured Ragnar had Lance figured by seeing him with Danja, and because Pyramid had seen him at the stables. By shouting "Stargrove" at him, Ragnar was just checking to see what kind of reaction he'd get and whether Lance would cave right there. For being a top-level spy (or spy adjacent), Danja's not so great at being inconspicuous.

The handkerchief got me too after (I think it was Paul) pointed out that an earlier draft of the script had some commentary about fingerprints being censored because it wasn't common knowledge that fingerprint technology existed.

Both true. It's easy to want to forget that was ever the case.

I could definitely see this! While I don't think the film needs any changes, it almost would have made Eve's character more sympathetic in my mind.

Did she though? I'm pretty sure the "sunbathing" scene would suggest otherwise. I can't wait to hear what June has to say about that!! This movie is well worth the watch for Gene Simmons alone, and of course everyone's reaction to that character. It's up there (for me) with Gymkata-level craziness, though I really hoped the gymnastics played more of a role here.

I'm totally on board with this train of thought and think my initial reading of the scene was probably a bit of auto-pilot analysis having been so annoyed by and used to movies that posit marriage is the only success women really need. And I do think Margo and Bill ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Their relationship is golden.

Good point. Perhaps its more accurate to say I'm bummed that it seemed that marriage was tipping point in her character arc. On the other hand, I could write a novel about the feels I have about Margo and Bill's relationship. It feels really genuine to me in a way that movies of that era usually don't. Maybe it's the chemistry they had on screen, but also the script. She says that Bill is in love with "Margo" the actress, not Margo the person, but she's wrong. He sees her for who she really is, like when he tells her that he loves her because of some of her traits and in spite of others because they're "her tools" for navigating the cut-throat stage world. He's notably younger than her, but he's not a plaything to her. The really respect each other. They fight a lot, but they communicate. They're honest. I love that about the two of them. For all of the acting and performances and airs that people put on both on the stage and off, they seem most genuine with each other. I'm just in love with the two of them in love with each other. And relevant to nothing, I also loved the whole "incomplete forward pass" line. Great turn of phrase.

On my third viewing of this, I find everything in every shot is intentional. On Margo's way into the theater to read for the audition, a sign on the street for one of the other shows is "The Devil's Disciple." On whether Margo is just as conniving as Eve, it seems to me that theater was her life, her family, and that she wasn't with Bill as a power grab. The familial nature of their relationships, in my opinion, is why Karen can put up with Margo's tantrums and ego. ETA: It bummed me out that Margo was instantly ready to give up the spotlight as soon as she could be a "woman" after marrying Bill.

First time long time and all that. Isn't that same doctor (who says he is Giorgio's biggest fan) a cameo by the screenwriter, Norman Steinberg? Maybe he really is/was a Pavarotti groupie and signed on to the project as a fan piece.