Barbara Stanwyck

It was Ms. Stanwyck's birthday a couple days ago, July 16 (1907). Last night, I watched Ball of Fire (1941) on the Netflix and had to write down a line they say of her character: "That is the kind of woman that makes whole civilizations topple" (echoing Helen of Troy). On the Barbara Stanwyck's Wikipedia page, they mentioned the same line.

I've been a big fan of her films but didn't know that she made 85 of them during her 38 years in Hollywood. My favorites (having only seen a hand full) are The Lady Eve (Sturges), Double Indemnity (Wilder), Ball of Fire (Hawkes), and Clash by Night (Lang). In 1941, she made two of those films; she made a total of four that year including Meet John Doe and You Belong to Me.

Below is a tribute from Jennifer Jason Leigh* for Turner Classic Movies (TCM):

Here's an article from The New Yorker called "Lady Be Good" (2007), celebrating her centennial. And a review of Ball of Fire from Cockeyed Caravan (underrated movies section).

On a side note, Ball of Fire is on Netflix streaming and I just put Baby Face (1933) in my DVD queue.

* Frank Capra's Meet John Doe is the original Hudsucker Proxy (Coen Brothers), which stars Ms. Leigh.

Late Spring (1949) / Late Autumn (1960)

Directed by Yasujiro Ozu

Late Spring (1949)

Late Autumn (1960)

Ozu revisits his own work with Late Autumn (1960)—recalling Late Spring (1949)—and puts his muse Setsuko Hara at the heart of both.  She plays the daughter in 1949 and the widowed mother in 1960.  Both plots are similar, with the daughter in each film not wanting to marry and leave their widowed parent alone (a father played by Chishû Ryû in Spring and a mother played by Setsuko Hara in Autumn).  While Late Spring is generally more regarded of the two, it’s the storytelling and structure of Late Autumn that feels like it continues to open and bloom.

Here's some links to a trailer for Late Autumn and a fan-made montage from Late Spring.

Both films can be streamed in HD using Hulu Plus along with other works by Ozu. How to get a free month.

If you have Netflix, you can stream Tokyo Story (one of my top ten movies that should be in my top ten list but is not).

Film reviews in fifty words, a new series (2011); times two, one hundred words for two films.

The Exploding Girl (2009)

Directed by Bradley Rust Gray

Zoe Kazan is luminous in Bradley Rust Gray’s The Exploding Girl. It plays like an indie/mumblecore film filtered through the lens of David Gordon Green’s early work.  Its images—like its storytelling—are graceful and sharp. I only wish Mr. Gray didn’t tilt his camera back down at the end.

Film reviews in fifty words, a new series (2011). 
This movie is available on Netflix streaming. Oscilloscope and film website.