When You’re Strange (Tom Dicillo, 2009): USA
Reviewed by Thomas Stier. Viewed at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.
When You’re Strange directed by Tom Dichillo is the new documentary about the Doors and Jim Morrison. This was the first film that I attended and not being a huge fan of the Doors, but mostly because of my lack of exposure led me to go into it optimistic and open minded. The lines were long and the theater was packed, and once everybody was seated, the former Doors drummer John Densmore walked out onto the stage to say a few words about Jim. Densmore said a few words about one day when Jim Morrison came home to the band and was feeling strange, he went outside and wrote a poem which later became the hit Doors song “When your strange”. He read it off of a small piece of paper which I assumed was the same paper Jim had written it on. Whatever.
John Densmore’s introduction to the movie really gave it an intimate and authentic feel and was a perfect transition into the movie. The film starts out with Jim Morrison driving in
Twentieth Century (Howard Hawks, 1934): USA
Reviewed by Byron Potau. Viewed on DVD.
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The name of John Barrymore is synonymous with acting and I have to think most of that reputation was made in the theater. As for his film career it is infested with several hammy performances. Whether in silent or in sound films there is always at least a bit of the overactor in him. However, in Twentieth Century he finally had a role in egomaniacal theater producer Oscar Jaffe for which his overacting suited the part perfectly.
Oscar Jaffe is determined to turn his new discovery, lingerie model Mildred Plotka (Carole Lombard), into a star of the theater. He renames her Lily Garland and bullies her into a great performance. After her triumph on the stage she becomes his lover and they spend the next three years making hit after hit. She finally leaves him and heads for Hollywood when his insane jealousy and spying on her, he has her followed day and night and has her phone tapped, becomes too much for her. Her career takes off while his flounders in
