tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30026901.post3586363772053985905..comments2008-07-04T08:36:15.449-07:00Bright Lights Film Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07283371703328315147noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30026901.post-35663397604876888592008-07-04T08:36:00.000-07:002008-07-04T08:36:00.000-07:00Hey Erich,<BR/><BR/>Well, your fascinating post made me try to think a bit about why I like this movie so much and why I disagree with some of your assessment. A few points come to mind.<BR/><BR/>In addition to being hilariously funny, one thing that impresses me about the film is Sister George's ruthless honesty; she's practically got x-ray vision when it comes to the exploitative Mercy Croft, the utter fakery of the BBC smarmfest she's on, the phoniness of her co-star, etc. Her self-knowledge seems a bit less, but that makes her a more complex character. You'd hardly want a totally self-actualized character here lecturing dispassionately on the joys of cross-generational lesbianism. She's enthusiastically sexual, a veritable "horny old broad," a hardly repentant alcoholic, anti-religious, which is always refreshing (it's not quite clear that she "molests" – as opposes to, say, <I>tickles</I> – those novitiates, but who could resist at least messing with these wide-eyed innocents a little?). Her theatricality ("They should be <I>scourged</I> in their cells!") is thrilling to behold, and Aldrich appropriately makes the film equally theatrical (I don't mean that in the sense that it's based on a play) – high-pitched, ultra-dramatic, every minute bristling with life however rude and raw. Part of George is as much "babydyke" as Childie – "unevolved" to the degree she doesn't/can't accept society's niceties and surface conformities and so storms through every situation trying to make her presence felt, her desires met, her life meaningful and "real." And she does it with such style! Beryl deserved an Oscar for pulling off the incredibly difficult feat of making this character human despite the shrill and, yes, sometimes unsavory, antics. Can you imagine anyone else in this role? (Think of Bea Arthur!)<BR/><BR/>I'm also not averse to audience discomfort (hey, I once sat through a Doris Wishman triple bill with nary a peep), and frankly had no big problem with the admittedly squirm-inducing scene of Mercy's "unmerciful" encounter with Childie. Maybe as a gay guy I have less invested in the turn-on factor of two dykes getting it on than you do. (I'm also trying to envision your example of Danny and Hillary getting down; that might be a career boost like no other! Of course, we have Harry Earles and Olga Baclanova for that particular frisson of the wildly mismatched "couple" in flagrante, or teasing us with it.)<BR/><BR/>Aldrich certainly met his match with this property, and rises to the occasion. Have you ever seen it in on the big screen in widescreen? It's absolutely stunning – Sirkian in its claustrophobia and the crush of objects against the characters. Thematically it's pretty rich and typical Aldrich I'd say. (This is his richest period for me – with Lylah Clare and The Grissom Gang nearby.) Aldrich's stock in trade (or one of 'em) was exposing social and institutional bullshit, to say this is how people are or can be, deal with it! He does that beautifully here. I'd also argue that her Moo sequence is one of the great endings in cinema, oddly akin (at least to these bleary eyes) to Leatherface's out-of-control wielding chainsaw dance at the end of <I>Texas Chainsaw Massacre</I> or Royal Dano's sudden, horrifying wail as he becomes articulate just before his death in <I>Man in the West</I> – the life force asserting itself in pain and frustration.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your post, Erich. I appreciate your take in spite of my disagreements. And anyway, you've reminded me it's time to dust off the ol' DVD and gather a few pals for a Fourth of July screening. No fireworks needed!Gary Morris, ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15283453325087840976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30026901.post-65497177625927132972008-07-04T03:44:00.000-07:002008-07-04T03:44:00.000-07:00Good Job! :)Svenhttp://www.telefonsex-zentrale.de/telefonsex-taiwanesin.phpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30026901.post-74650671772626940552008-06-11T07:45:00.000-07:002008-06-11T07:45:00.000-07:00I really enjoy this movie - it's a gallery of grotesques, for sure. "She looks like she just crawled in from a hard day of drinking on the set of Fellini's SATYRICON." You say that like it's a bad thing! MOO!<BR/><BR/>One note - it's not Laurel Browne, it's Coral Browne, wife (and supposed beard) of Vincent Price. A second note - you can see Beryl Reid give nearly the same performance as a crusty starship captain in the 1982 Doctor Who episode "Earthshock" (highly recommended).Seeing_Ihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07678537250333277334noreply@blogger.com