"Palais de Steff" has arrived and is a work in progress.
So come on in...grab a cocktail... or the nearest available houseboy and make yourself at home...feel free to wander about or just plonk yourself down and stay a while...
Princess says "Hello and Welcome"!...
Pick a movie that fits with your take on the weekly theme Find a clip from the movie and post it on your blog... Write a little blurb about how the theme links with your clip and how you came by it and what it means to you. Pop over to the current Hostess/ Host's of the Meme's blog and leave a comment saying that you are up and Hey Presto! You're playing MCW.
I can honestly say that I'm not a big fan of the genre but... Hands Down, although it's brief I don't think I've ever laughed so much in a movie theatre before or since I first saw this scene on the big screen. It just cracked me up... I almost wet myself I was laughing so much...
Apologies for the over dubbed music...
And here are a couple of extra little recreations...
It's Wednesday already... and that means... It's time to sit back, make yourself comfortable, and enjoy this weeks offerings from our band of merry players... Pop on over and check out who else is playing this week with our hostess Joanna Cake Over at "Having my Cake and Eating It too"
Joanna continues to host while the originator of this meme "A.Boxer" is still somewhere Lost in Las Vegas...
But how do I play?... I hear you say... Check out the theme with the hostess/ host (No.. I haven't forgotten you Milk River Madman)It's easy, just troll the "U"tubers and other moving picture sites until you find a memorable movie that means something to you...fits the theme for the week Either post the clip from the movie on your own blog or (provide a link with a still shot to it if it won't let you download and post it) and then tell us a little about why you chose the particular movie.
Try to keep the clip to... ahem... "3 minutes or less" (right! like Princess is going to be brief? As regular callers will know I manage to fail dismally nearly every week)
The theme for this week is...
"London"
An extremely broad range of options for this weeks theme, a movie set in London, capturing a certain time/ era in London, London used as a set or backdrop for another movie having nothing to do with the city itself. A romance set in the city or suburbs of London, life in the city itself a movie where the city plays a character.
Endless possibilities.
I have chosen a movie that although it begins with two hapless would be actors sharing a dive in inner London soon becomes an hilariously dark and farcical romp in the country...and eventually back in the city...
I had a friend that literally badgered me for ages... He kept banging on about... "It's a fabulous movie Princess" and "You really should see it Princess, you'll love it!" As I'd never even heard of the movie before I kept trying to fob him off and avoid watching the movie until one day he presented me with a bootleg copy demanding that I take it home with me and watch it!
Well, after that, I caved in and went home and put it straight into the video player. I'll confess... I watched it four times over that weekend and had to agree with my friend. I was converted. I did love it and still do. It appealed to me on so many levels, the humour the angst of it all the farcical moments and darkness of it. I was hooked.
"Joanna Cake" continues to do a wonderful job of hosting Movie Clip Wednesday and this week has come up with a real stumper of a theme.
Flood Scene in a Movie
Princess really had to scratch her head about this one I couldn't recall a movie that I had actually seen that had a flood scene in it. There are other movies with scenes where the character is stuck underwater or about to drown with water rising all around them...
Like this...
and although there are movies that have things filling up with water like Titanic
and Poseidon Adventure
and a couple with leaking submarines stranded at the bottom of the sea...
I thought... well they really aren't flood movies are they? They are already surrounded by water and just sink really .. or spring a leak at the worst possible moment leading to catastrophe.
While thinking on this theme it occurred to me that most of the worlds cultural histories make reference in some way shape or form to a great flood that engulfed the world, I mean Moses managed to part the Red Sea (with some divine intervention) and then wipe out a few of the Pharaoh's finest by causing the water to flood their pathway again... Impressive yes... but not exactly a globe engulfing event...So... Finally
I have decided to go with a movie that I have never see but have found to be quite fascinating while exploring options for this post This week... and although the film has been removed from "utubers" and other moving picture sites (something to do with copyright)... I have managed to find a few still posters and shots from the
It was a blending of 2 silent movies that Warner's had completed and as it was 1928 when the new genre of talking movies was just starting out they combined the footage from both movies and added a sound track...
Cool huh?
I think it has been re released on video and I would love to get my hands on a copy
Oh.. and some footage from a "really truly" flood that happened in January just a few miles up the road from me... We still have water laying in paddocks and people still homeless as a result.
(I hope the link Plays)
And a gratuitous surf video of a lake that is occasionally breeched and allowed to flow into the sea to stop the houses up stream from flooding...
Enjoy Dhaaarlings and have a happy Movie Clip Wednesday
Well not every Wednesday for me of late Dhaaarlings... things have been a tad busy around "The Palais" in recent weeks but are slowly moving toward normality again... With Boxer handing the hosting mantle to "Joanna Cake" while undergoing renovations and world tours... For the past few weeks this is the first chance I've had to participate with the new hostess... My apologies Joanna...
This weeks theme is something to do with a Huge Grunt... erm.. I mean...
Hugh Grant... and his beloved fringe...
Tho not one of my favourite... ahem... "Actors" I find his range of emotion quite limited and the roles that he tends to play fall in to the category of
"Up himself fop with a very English accent, bumbling his way through romantic trysts, relationships, and very silly situations with his fawning mannerisms and overdone doey eyes, generally making a giant arse of himself and expecting forgiveness by the end of the movie... The characters in the roles he attempts to portray....never fail to disappoint and get right up my goat!!!"
Did I just say the bit about getting up my goat out aloud?
Well he does Dhaaarlings!
Need less to say... I cannot abide the fool!
His never changing fringe is about the only thing about his acting that remains constant and believable on screen.
Movie Clip Wednesday is again Hosted by Boxer Who seems to be undergoing some site renovations and redevelopment at the moment... I popped over to check out the theme for this week just to make sure I had it right... to find that the MCW shingle was not in sight... None the less I'm hoping that my memory isn't failing me and this weeks theme is...
"Favourite Movie Set in Outer-space"
A very topical theme.... given that this week is the anniversary of Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's first journey into space.
Just a quick spin in a rocket around the globe was enough to kick off the space race.
I remember seeing this movie in my childhood... sat in front of the old Black and White TV... And some of the scenes frightened the willies out of me. After this experience I was 5 or 6 years old I think It was many years before I could watch a movie set in outer space again. (I think it was Star Wars)
But imagine my amusement when searching for this movie and discovering the trailer to find that it was actually filmed in colour! For all these years I'd had only Black 'n White memories...The little mock up sets look so cute, the special effects made me giggle especially the laser guns.. and even the acting has it own flavour of melodrama and camp when seen through adult eyes.
To my amusement I also found the Theme Track which was released as a song...Not Quite a Bond chart topper or classic but a theme song never the less. All that 60's romance...
And I think it also helps to explain my later fascination with
Well... it would seem that Wednesday is upon us once again... And you know what that means...
That's right!
Hosted by Seattle's Sweetheart Boxer and latest to join the local paparazzi hunting down the best shot of the next great Gold Medal Contender in Women's Boxing at the London Olympics for 2012.
Pop on over and see her in action at Boxer's place...
Now this weeks theme is...
"Best Party Scene"
Well... this got me thinking... I loved the party scene in "Rocky Horror" the Mad Hatter's tea party in "Alice in Wonderland"... There was the humble chauffeurs daughter imagining what it would be like to go to the party in "Sabrina"... Hundreds of movie's with that "All American" phenomenon the Fraternity party. then there are endless movie's depicting wedding scenes... and who doesn't love a good wedding celebration? Now that's a party scene that either has blissful romance and comedic charm, or, disaster movie written all over it! Then it dawned on me... Most movie's at some point have the characters at some form of celebration or party... Even funerals have some sort of a wake... And then there is Peter Sellers Classic performance in "The Party" The movie that is one big party scene from opening to closing credits...
In all my pondering's during the week... I eventually had an epiphany...
I have decided to present what was originally a play written by the Australian Playwright and Novelist David Williamson.
It is an Aussie Classic Movie released in the early 1970's. So... for those of you less familiar with the Australian Genre... Princess Presents....
And what could be more Australian than to have not just a party scene in a movie but to have the whole movie set at a party... held on the evening of the 1969 Federal Election, with the guests gathering to watch the election result... Yes we Aussie's will use any excuse to throw a party Down under!
I think there is a little something for everyone in this movie...
I appologise for missing "Hitchcockorama" last week. I would have gone with "The Birds" and Tippy Hedron.
Our wonderful host Boxer given her latest post I thought might have gone either with a Disaster movie theme or something to do with Divine Intervention...
Well anyway... the chosen theme for Wednesday The 30th of March 2011 (Gosh where did March go?) could incorporate either I suppose... and is...
"The only son of wealthy widow Violet Venable dies while on vacation with his cousin Catherine. What the girl saw was so horrible that she went insane; now Mrs. Venable wants Catherine lobotomized to cover up the truth."
Based on Tennisee Williams Play. This movie Bought to the screen ideas of homosexuality, cannibalism and mental illness.
All quite confronting I would think for 1959 audiences
Not her greatest but one that had me spellbound.
Whenever Liz played opposite the dishy Montgomery Clift... there was a real almost palpable chemistry. If ever there was a case of unrequited love both on and off the silver screen... this relationship was I think a perfect example!
I'll be keen to see what everyone else comes up with this week so will be around to visit later Dhaaarlings...
It was just a shame that Liz was up against Kate for the Oscar in this movie... But then they both missed out
It's Movie Clip Wednesday once again and this weeks theme is another terrific choice from our "Hostess with the Mostest"... "Boxer"...
Best drug/drunk scene from a movie - comedy or drama.
It took a while for Princess to get around to seeing this movie as initially all the hype around it turned me off. But Mr Tarantino is a director that you either love or hate... and over the years I have warmed somewhat to his movies.
So several years after its release I gathered the courage to hire it from the video store and locked myself away for a night of what turned out to be incredible sensual abuse...
It was in your face and up front, confronting in it's portrayal of the seedier side of life, gripping, shocking at times, incredibly funny dialogue with an interesting and quirky cast.
The music was great and the dance scene is one that will stay with me forever
I think has become a cult classic.
Initially this scene shocked the hell out of a delicate Princess, (well the whole movie did for that matter) whom had led a relatively sheltered and pure existence in regard to the ins and outs of the drug scene up to this point in his life...
But there are some great comedic moments with the rapid fire dialogue, chaos and mayhem throughout the scene...
and to Quote Our Gracious Host Boxer here's how to join in all the Fun
"Movie Clip Wednesday is fun and easy. Find a three minute or less clip of a movie that fits the weekly theme. Post it on your blog and then come here to say "I'm Up." Visit the other participants and have fun learning more about our fellow bloggers and possibly finding some movies to watch."
The theme for Wednesday 9th March 2011 is...
Best Movie Set in England/Ireland/Scotland and WALES!
I was delighted to read this as the theme for this week as I just love a good movie set anywhere in "The Old Dart"
I do hope that you will forgive my indulgence as I've been a little greedy in the fact that I have chosen not one... but four movies for this week.
I would like to present for your viewing pleasure my choices of my favourite from each of the countries mentioned.
It's Movie Clip Wednesday and we are all back to Boxers place for our weekly "Show and Tell"
Gotta admit that it isn't quite the same as hauling arse through the snow to Madmans... but hey... I'll cope...
This weeks theme for February 16th 2011 is
"Best Broadway to Film Movie Made"
There have been so many Broadway Shows turned into films over the years
And I won't even bother mentioning them all here as they were all fantastic in my book... Well apart from Phantom of the Flopera... I much enjoyed the stage show but the movie well... Lets just say... the repetitive score irritated the hell out of me...
And it lost its theatricality and Drama on the big screen...
So my all time favourite would have to be....
That "One Singular Sensation"
Yup...
"A Chorus Line"
A Chorus Line is a 1985 musical film directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Michael Douglas. The screenplay by Arnold Schulman is based on the Tony Award-winning book of the 1975 stage production of the same name by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante. The songs were composed by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban.
The Plot...
A group of dancers congregate on the stage of a Broadway theatre to audition for a new musical production directed by Zach (Michael Douglas). After the initial eliminations, seventeen hopefuls remain, among them Cassie (Alyson Reed), who once had a tempestuous romantic relationship with Zach. She is desperate enough for work to humble herself and audition for him; whether he's willing to let professionalism overcome his personal feelings about their past remains to be seen.
As the story unfolds the background story of each of the dancers is revealed. Some are funny, some ironic, some heartbreaking. No matter what their background, however, they all have one thing in common - a passion for dance.
[Thank you Wikipedia]
This was the only Stage Production that I have ever forked out the cost of another ticket and gone back to see for a second time...
On consecutive nights!
Well apart from "Circus OZ" when they came to my town... and that was never a movie... but I did have a strange attraction to men in tights that flung themselves about on ropes and slid up ans down poles...... but that's a whole other story.
So on some level... I guess a Chorus Line just got to me...
It was probably all that Gold Lame' Dhaaarlings...
