Bye Bye Josephine

Bernard Schwartz was better known as Tony Curtis. And for lots of moviegoers he's best known as Josephine from 1959's Some Like It Hot.

Curtis, Monroe and Lemmon 

Curtis  - who was married six times - has died in Las Vegas. He was 85.

James Dean 30.09.1955

James Byron Dean is kinda the original teen idol. He lived fast - and died young. On this day in 1955 he was killed in a car crash in California. He was 24. I discovered Rebel Without A Cause at high school. It remains my favourite of Dean's few films.

James Dean at the Griffith Observatory

 

 

It might be 55 years since he died - but his face is still plastered across posters, t-shirts, mugs, postcards and fridge magnets etc ...And every generation seems to re-discover him. .

So he may be long gone - but not forgotten.

Gloria Stuart

Gloria Stuart may have only made one significant appearance on screen in an 80 year career - but it was enough to make her passing headline news around the world . She played the elderly Rose in James Cameron's Titanic in 1997. But her career goes back - way back - to the 1930's...

Gloria Stuart in The Invisible Man

 Stuart quit the movies in 1946 and virtually disappeared off the map .

The Gloria we remember

 Then along came Titanic - she became a household name, Oscar nominee and got a star on Hollywood   Boulevard.

RIP Gloria Stuart 04.07.1910 - 26.09.2010

Man on Wire

Finally caught up with the doco from a couple of years back Man on Wire. It's the story of Frenchman Philippe Petit who walked a wire between the twin towers in 1974.

An amazing story - but kind of sad because the WTC is no longer there. In a way, that makes his feat all the more remarkable.

Movie Memorabilia

I am a movie merchandiser's dream.

What will you find in my spare room?  A plush Falkor from the Neverending Story, Wizard of Oz figurines, Sex and the City 2 cocktail shaker, Woody and Buzz from Toy Story, Mumble from Happy Feet, an Alice in Wonderland glass, Desperately Seeking Susan poster etc...etc...

C3PO takes a ride on Falkor the luck dragon

I can pinpoint when this started. My parents bought me some ET writing paper and a plush toy. My obsession probably grew with various fast food related movie tie-ins over the years ...

Of my faves is a replica Back to The Future Delorean from Universal Studios in Hollywood. Complete with flux capacitor. It's around 15cm long and only cost $15 (see below)

My Delorean and Victor from The Corpse Bride

My other treasured items include - an R2D2 beanbag from Star Wars, Delinquents cup, Jurassic Park dinosaurs and Madonna lobby cards.

The Chocolate Factory debate

When I was in primary school I saw Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and absolutely loved it. I wanted a golden ticket. I wanted an everlasting gobstopper. I wanted an Oompa Loompa (gee I'm starting to sound like Veruca Salt)! The movie was utter magic. And it still is...

I must have seen it 50 times. My well worn VHS copy was replaced by the DVD a couple of years back - and I've seen it for sale on Blu ray so it's only a matter of time before I upgrade again... Even another repeat on TV is hard to pass up. Gene Wilder just draws you in...

So when I heard a remake was on the cards I was gobstopper-smacked! Why? Sure it was made in 1971 - but the story is timeless. It doesn't matter if Charlie Bucket is wearing flares. But then I heard Tim Burton was behind the update and I got excited. I'm a huge Burton fan and I thought if there's a director who can make the Chocolate Factory even more magical - it's him.

So in 2005 the all new Charlie & The Chocolate Factory was released starring Johnny Depp. I was skeptical about him filling Wonka's shoes. But it seemed a logical choice - Depp is a longtime Burton collaborator who specialises in oddball characters. I was also happy about Freddie Highmore playing Charlie. That is - until I saw it!!!

I can't quite put my finger on where the latter falls down. It just does. There's no wow factor. The factory is cold, spartan and uninviting. The Oompa Loompas are a tad evil at times. And Wonka is just creepy.

The 2005 movie is closer to the Roald Dahl book than the original - but it doesn't work for me. And the  majority of my friends agree...

Who can take a sunrise
Sprinkle it in dew
Cover it in chocolate
and a miracle or two?

Willy Wonka circa 1971

Hitchcock Immortalised

Alfred Hitchcock is about to take up permanent residency in Walthamstow in the UK - well a life size statue of him will this weekend.

He's one of my all time fave directors. And not just because he had a leading lady called Melanie!!! The Birds, Psycho and Rear Window are must haves in any movie collection.