Today's 4: Auntie Mame, The Breakfast Club, In the Realm of the Senses, and Laika
Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 9:55AM Another day, another chance to boost your spirits by celebrating showbiz history whilst you go about your here and now. Only four today since we decided the fifth would be better off in a beauty break style post later today.
May 18th Showbiz History
2018 Okay this is future history but Laika has claimed this date for their next movie. We don't know what it is yet but who cares, it's Laika!
In their honor today: Rank Laika's releases thus far in the comments. They are in chronological order Coraline (2009), Paranorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014), and Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Blockbusters of 1985, Auntie Mame and more after the jump...
1985 "Don't You (Forget About Me)," the theme song for John Hughes classic The Breakfast Club hits #1 on the Billboard singles chart. The movie, which had been out for 3 months by then, was nearing the end of its successful run. It was the 16th most popular film that year when all was said and done
1985's top 20 according to Box Office Mojo
In its honor today: Be thankful you aren't in high school anymore! All those labels. If you were alive in 1985, which of those top 20 movies did you see in theaters?
1952 Japanese actress Eiko Matsuda born in Tokyo. She becames (in)famous at 24 cutting off her lovers penis (onscreen that is) in the sexually charged classic In the Realm of the Senses. Have you ever seen it? It's... upsetting. But you probably know that without even watching it.
In her honor today: Tell us whose penis you'd most like to be rid of in the comments.
Auntie Mame (Rosalind Russell) and the fictional "Patrick Dennis"
1921 Patrick Dennis born in Chicago. In his thirties he becomes a best-selling author by writing loosely autobiographical but fictional comic novel "Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade" which then becomes Auntie Mame the movie and eventually Mame the musical.
In his honor today: Honor your most eccentric relative today in some way, or contact them if they're still alive.
OTHER BIRTHDAYS
Writers and/or Directors: Frank Capra, Terry Zwigoff, Richard Brooks; Actress: Tina Fey; Actors: Massion Girotti, Robert Morse, Allen Leech, Chow Yun Fat; Musicians/Composers: Mark Mothersbaugh, George Strait, Perry Como, and Meredith Wilson
OTHER ANNIVERSARIES
Historical: Napoleon proclaimed "Emperor" of France (1804), Bram Stoker's Dracula published (1897); Awards: The Cranes are Flying wins the Palme d'Or (1958) which is to date the only Russian film ever to win, The Long Absence and Viridiana tie for the Palme d'Or (1961) at Cannes, and The Best Intentions (1992) by Billie August wins the Palme d'Or, and Taste of Cherry and Unagi (1997) make for another tied win of the Palme d'Or; Openings: Donnybrook! (1961) a Broadway musical version of The Quiet Man opens for a short unsuccessful run -- yes, they've been adapting movies to stage long before the here and now, Born to be Bad (1934) with Loretta Young and Clark Gable, Bird on a Wire (1990), Shrek (2001), Shrek the Third (2007), Battleship (2012), and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) all hit movie theaters.
Reader Comments (22)
I think I saw all of them in theatres except Pale Rider and the ones with Chevy Chase.
I would love a deeper dive into Mark Mothersbaugh's soundtracks/scoring sometime.
Interesting seeing who were BO stars back in the period 1980 - 1986 ish,Stallone ruled Chevy followed.
I love Russell Auntie Mame.
That 1985 box office chart is fascinating. I feel like The Color Purple would not earn $94 million or end the year at #4 if it were made/released today.
Oh, and 1985 was a good year for Sylvester Stallone's career. That seems so strange.
Laika Movies:
1. Coraline (A-)
2. ParaNorman (B+)
3. Kubo and the Two Strings (B)
4. The Boxtrolls (B)
My grandparents owned a video store (pre-Blockbuster), so most of the movies I saw in 1985 were after they came out on VHS. I do remember seeing—and loving—Back to the Future, Cocoon (don't judge; it's all about the Guttenberg), Fletch, The Goonies, and The Jewel of the Nile. Curiously, two of my favorites from that year (The Breakfast Club and Mask) I didn't manage to see until years later. (I've never even heard of Pale Rider, which sounds like The Legend of Billie Jean-esque.)
Coraline is still the best of Laika's output, although the incredible source material deserves at least partial credit for that. And, man, I need to catch up with In the Realm of the Senses. Bill Cosby (or really any serial rapist/sexual predator) is whose dick deserves to be on the chopping block. So long!
That list makes me realize how much more frequently I went to the movies back then. I saw all but four of them in the theatre, blissfully without that damned preshow "entertainment" crap they shove down your throat now.
I'm not crazy about the musical Mame but I adore the Rosalind Russell film. It's a shame that the musical version has put the kabosh on the straight play ever being revived.
Oh my I like In the Realm of the Senses--what a gorgeously-shot film. But for the most part, I thought it was shocking for shock's sake--nothing about these two characters felt real outside of their mutual sexual deprivation.
Let's see....
Chris Brown
Tom Cruise
Our current president
Douche-bag reality stars
Meekmahan and his idiot dufus son-in-law the Man w/ 3 Hs
The Man Who is Fond of Slapping Nutz yet could never draw a dime
Kevin Dunn (Meekmahan's bucktooth-beaver bitch, not the actor with the same name)
These are just some of the guys who I would like to see castrated.
1) Coraline
2) The Boxtrolls
3) Kubo and the Two Strings
4) ParaNorman (which I think is great, so for me, Laika is 4/4)
1- Kubo and the Two Strings
2- Coraline
3- Paranorman
1. Paranorman - solid movie that goes to a whole astonishing place with it's climax/ending - I'd go so far to call it an all time list climax.
2. Kubo and the Two Strings - The level of animated beauty throughout really makes it magic. The origami!!
3. Coraline - Not as memorable and I've had no desire to revisit, even though I enjoyed it.
4. The Boxtrolls - Perhaps the most kiddy film, but again a pleasant movie.
I was 17 in 1985, so I think all I saw all of them except for "Brewster's Millions" and "Out of Africa" and "White Nights" in the theater. But I saw all of those, endlessly, on HBO.
Just look at the lack of sequels, and the amount of original stories. "The Color Purple" and "The Breakfast Club" are very distinct memories. Those two really affected me at the time. Still two of my favorite movies.
I don't want to cut off any penises, but I am curious to see that Bobbitt porno.
Roz Russell wld've won the Oscar for her career peak perf as Auntie Mame had Susie Hayward not campaigned so damn hard for her also career peak in I Wanna Live!
In the end, drama wins out n Hayward finally got her gold on her 5th attempt, while Poor Russell can only settle for a Jean Hersholt award.
I wld rather Hayward had won for her earlier noms in 1947, 1952 or 1955, and let Russell nab the Oscar for her iconic Mame Dennis.
Best Picture 1985, my candidates...
The Color Purple, Witness, Ran, Back to the Future, Pale Rider, The Breakfast Club...
... no, I don't see a spot for Out of Africa, up there.
I was 18 in 1985. My final year of High School. I used to go to the movies with my mum a lot as well as my friends. I saw Back to the Future, The Colour Purple, Out of Africa, Cocoon, The Jewel of the Nile, Witness, A View to a Kill, Mask and The Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club has remained a favourite.
My 1985 Best Picture roster would be:
Come and See
Brazil
Back to the Future
The Purple Rose of Cairo
The Breakfast Club
And Director:
Terry Gilliam, Brazil
Elem Klimov, Come and See
Woody Allen, The Purple Rose of Cairo
Akira Kurosawa, Ran
Tim Burton, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
Coraline
Paranorman
Kubo
Boxtrolls
Claran: Rosalind Russell should have won (and was the odds-on favorite) Best Actress for Mourning Becomes Electra in 1947. But her BFF Loretta Young pulled a huge upset and won for The Farmer's Daughter. There's a photo of her with an incredulous look on stage, as if asking Fredric March "Are you sure it's me?" She even asked him to show her the envelope! She later said "What am I going to say to Roz?". Russell, who had leaned forward on her seat just before the announcement, fired her big-shot campaign manager and publicist.
1985's "White Nights" with two of the greatest dancers ever, Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov , dancing. Heaven. And their co-stars, Helen Mirren and Isabella Rosellini. Visual delight.
Laika Films
1. ParaNorman
2. Coraline
3. Kubo and the Two Strings
4. The Boxtrolls