High Plains Drifter (guest)

MOVIE:  High Plains Drifter

GUEST:  Sues 57

NUTSHELL:  The Man with No Name rides into the town of Lago, and is convinced by the (rotten) townspeople to defend them against soon-to-be-relased-from-jail outlaws.

GOOD THINGS:  Clint Eastwood, great black comedy, surreal weirdness, cool midget mayor/sheriff, Clint paints the town red.

BAD THINGS:  It’s all pretty good.

FEATURES:  Clint Eastwood

UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENTS:  *Very* politically incorrect rape

NOTABLE:  Eastwood’s directorial debut

BEST PART:  WHO ARE YOU?????

BEST LINE:  “I have paying hotel guests, where are they going to go?”  “Out.”

CROWNS:  5 out of 5

Sunset Blvd. (guest)

MOVIE:  Sunset Blvd.

GUEST:  Sues 57

NUTSHELL:  Out of work Hollywood writer, Joe Gillis, trying to save his car from the repo guys, stumbles on a seemingly deserted mansion on Sunset Blvd. Only it’s not deserted, but occupied by the former darling of the silent era: Nora Desmond. She’s lonely, he’s broke, the fun starts.

GOOD THINGS:  Preceded Altman’s The Player as the ultimate movie “insider” flick, Norma Desmond’s now-famous campy craziness, Erich Von Stronheim as her long suffering butler, Jack Webb (a.k.a. Sgt. Joe Friday) as a menschy Jewish Asst. Director, William Holden’s noirish narration, cameos by Cecil B. DeMille and Buster Keaton, and on and on…

BAD THINGS:  New Years Eve party were everyone is supposed to be young and super hip, the fifties jokes sound pretty dated. Nora pulling Joe (Holden) into the sack (creepy, but fascinating in a nasty way.) William Holden NEVER looked “young.”

FEATURES:  Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Von Stroheim, Nancy Olsen, Jack Webb

UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENTS:  Holden and Nancy Olsen’s “cute” conversations – really bad for such a good movie

NOTABLE:  Has had a successful run as a musical

BEST PART:  Norma coming down the stairs, of course, any scene with Max, the butler

BEST LINE:  Mr. De Mille, I’m ready for my close up.

CROWNS:  4 out of 5