Movies to Celebrate with as GM goes Bankrupt

So I was reading the headline in the New York Times today about how GM is about to bite it. I am someone who grew up in a car manufacturing community. I saw them close their plant in the ’80s and honestly the place I grew up in is better off for it. Now I don’t think this is a universal scenario, but survival is possible.
Anyway, while you are crying on the couch from the loss of your job, pension, life, car, home…okay while you are watching a VCR in some homeless shelter with a bunch of people you don’t know, find some comfort in this classic Pre-Code film The Crowd.(directed by King Vidor and can I just say that King is a baby name that needs to make a comeback)

It is basically a great story of going to New York with hopes and dreams and…the concept that you could have a future. And way you become a drone and the machine destroys you. I haven’t seen it in a while but I think there is a great uprising and everyone is better off for having bucked the man in the end. Very profound lovely movie and I have read it is the first time a toilet has ever been filmed in American Cinema…so..you know keep your eyes peeled.

This is exciting stuff. I wonder when the first stainless steel appliances were first filmed in American cinema.

Another film I think is pretty obvious, but is appropriate for this moment is Metropolis (directed by Fritz Lang…Fritz not as fun a name as King), now for all you special effects buffs out there, I know this doesn’t look like much to you now, but I dare you to actually sit there and create all those models and drawings that they shot against now without Vectorworks. I think they were glass paintings…wait, I’ll check back later, glass painting came later. Someone let me know if I am wrong.
Anyway, Happy End of the American Dream and know that the world has turned after such tragedies and will continue to turn. You may just not get to spin around the planet with your HD Flatscreen TV.

Filed under: American Cinema, American Dream, Bankruptsy, GM, Metropolis, New York Times, The Crowd, American Cinema, American Dream, Bankruptsy, GM, King Vidor, Metropolis, The Crowd, The New York Times

Women Behind Bars

I just saw a story on the news this morning about a woman named Ms. Primoff. She kicked her daughter out of the car and drove home to her million dollar house in Scarsdale, NY. This caught my attention because I live in the area. She was arrested when she went to go pick up her daughter at the police station later that day and spent a night in jail. She is currently out on $1500 bail. I’m assuming she has been under some stress lately since she is a bankruptcy lawyer.
In order to heal the bond between mother and daughter I’m trying to think of movies they can watch together. A film with Barbara Stanwyck perhaps. No, wait! I know this is about 10 years outside of the realm of Pre-code, but I think a little evening on the couch with popcorn and Mildred Pierce my start a dialogue going.

Sounds like this 10 year old daughter is not that innocent. A sense a little Veda in the works.
If this mom is simply just overworked and under appreciated, maybe the sweet, post code film Stella Dallas could bring them together just in time for Mother’s day. This film is why the Lifetime channel exists.
If it was simply a “You don’t understand me” arguement, the a little Our Dancing Daughters will be interesting. It shows that young women have been rebelling and mother’s have been frustrated for years.

If the mother is just nuts, well then Night Nurse has a great abusive mother in it.

This girl should be grateful her mother is not trying to make money off of her dying.
Ah…the recession. We will be experiencing more and more unstable parental behavior.
Try to look to the Pre-code films for a commiseration with it all.

Filed under: Bankruptsy, Barbara Stanwyck, Lifetime, Mildred Pierce, Mother's Day, Ms. Primoff, Night Nurse, NY, Our Dancing Daughters, Scarsdale, Stella Dallas, White Plains, Bankruptsy, Barbara Stanwyck, Lifetime, Mildred Pierce, Mother's Day, Ms. Primoff, Night Nurse, NY, Our Dancing Daughters, Scarsdale, Stella Dallas, White Plains