A fantastic classic...'The Graduate' and writer/director/actor Buck Henry

If you've never seen some of the old movies like 'The
Graduate,' 'What's Up Doc?,' and 'The Owl and the Pussycat,' maybe you should check them out.

'The Graduate,' is a classic and as I watched it I thought it may be very possible that Wes Anderson was influenced by it. Buck Henry wrote the screenplays for these movies and others. And I love each of them.

Another of my all time favorite movies is: 'Heaven Can Wait' with Warren Beatty. Buck Henry directed that and also plays the part of
The Escort in the movie which also stars Dyan Cannon and Julie Christie.

I had the great pleasure of attending a screening of 'The Graduate' this week and hearing Buck interviewed by Robert Milazzo of The Modern Film School.

Tomorrow I'll be attending the New York Film Festival and seeing Ang Lee again. 'The Life of Pi' is kicking off the festival tonight.

Next week I'll be attending the tribute to Nicole Kidman so stay tuned for more.....

 

'The Birds' , Tippi Hedren, Film Stories, Hitchcock

Last night was one of those magnificent nights again. I am truly fortunate to be able to attend all of these events. It's very true that if you want things to happen you have to go get them. I wanted to dive into the world of Movies, Books and Broadway and this I did.

Last night Robert Milazzo from The Modern School of Film interviewed Tippi Hedren after a showing of 'The Birds,' the Hitchcock film at the Cinema Village.

My Mom took me to see 'The Birds' and 'Marnie,' Tippi's other Hitch film when I was little. I was so scared that the birds were really going to come get us that I plotted where I was going to hide. My Grandmother had a closet that was made of metal. That was the place. Probably wouldn't have been able to breathe, but I figured since the birds could peck through wood and glass, metal was the only way to go. Anyhoo, watching that movie transported me back to being with my Mom and remembering how she kept telling me that Tippi was so beautiful.

She still is. She isn't just beautiful, she's funny and kind and amazing. I'm not going to put this in quotes simply because I'm a little in a hurry, but here's the jest of it to share with all of you interested film people.....
Hitchcock was obsessed with her and he said he would ruin her career. She didn't want any part of that and decided if that's what it takes, so be it. So he kept her under contract for 2 more years after 'Marnie' and she couldn't work. Worse yet Hitchcock's wife knew and wouldn't help Tippi. She  told her she was sorry she was going through that. Tippi told her she could make it stop, but Mrs. Hitch, for whatever reason, wouldn't.

Also on the set of The Birds she was lied to about mechanical birds being used. They were real.

Charlie Chaplin asked Tippi to be in his last film, 'A Countess From Hong Kong,' along with Brando and Sophia Loren. She was asked what Chaplin's style of directing was and she said that he acted out each person's part. He would go from Sophia's part, to Marlon's part. Marlon really didn't like that but he had to stick it out.

Stay tuned...more to come....

Ed Burns 'Newlyweds' is awesome

As soon as you get the chance, I highly recommend Edward Burns latest movie, 'Newlyweds.'  If you love NYC movies as I do and all Woody Allen fans do, then you'll love this. It's all about relationships and how they become complicated.

Ed did a Q and A after the film and said he shot it over a 3 month period in 12 days between November and March. I could tell. It was nasty last winter and winter lasted forever. There were scenes with all that awful slush on the street.

He used a 3 man crew and unknown actors, but watch 'Nice Guy Johnny' and you'll see some of the same actors like Max Baker who was in that play I go on and on about, 'Jerusalem.'  They're all great characters in both movies and you really like them or not, but it's because you're not supposed to if you don't.

Ed Burns is tremendous. I've always been a huge fan, but now even more so because now I know how truly nice and down to earth he is.