Pressing REPLAY

HALLIE EPHRON: I was saddened to see the recent obituary for Olympia Dukakis. I’m a huge fan and it got me thinking about one of my favorite movies: MOONSTRUCK. She plays Cher’s mother, worldly wise when she tells her husband that she knows he’s cheating on her, she wants him to stop, and “I just want you to know no matter what you do, you're gonna die, just like everybody else.” It’s a classic moment.

I watched the movie again the other night (it’s on Amazon Prime) and once again marveled at Dukakis’s performance. And Cher’s. And Vincent Gardenia as the father and Nicholas Cage as the wounded raging hot-as-hell Ronny Cammareri. It’s SO good. Even viewed for the umpteenth time. The opening scenes are full of little “Easter eggs” hinting at scenes that will take place later (a shot that establishes the neighborhood shows us a busy street with a moving van with METROPOLITAN OPERA emblazoned on its side).

I have the same experience when I watch THE WIZARD OF OZ again. And again. So much is seeded in those opening scenes on the farm (Dorothy falls into the pig pen and gets rescued by a terrified farmhand who will later be the cowardly lion). And it’s great fun anticipating the delivery of a great line. (“I’m a very good man - I’m just a very bad wizard.” “What a world, what a world.” )

Is there a movie that’s so good that you can watch it over and over again?

LUCY BURDETTE: Hallie, did you know that Frank Bruni recommended that everyone watch MOONSTRUCK again during the pandemic? So John and I did--it’s so fabulous! Every actor is amazing and the story, so romantic.

Another one that I love is LOVE ACTUALLY, but once a year for that is enough. And SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE--I can’t say how many times I have watched that one. I especially love Tom Hanks.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Such a good question. You know--WORKING GIRL, with Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford. She’s from the wrong side of the river, but she’s smart and ambitious and willing to do the work.

I am a big fan of ugly duckling stories, especially when the ugly duckling is smart, and this is one of those. And that fantastic anthem “Let the River Run” sung by Carly Simon. And in the end, (spoiler) she is SO HAPPY, and then the camera pulls out to show she is just one little little person. Ahhh.

In that same smart duckling vein, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Oh, when Andi comes out in the Chanel boots? When Miranda lectures her about turquoise? It’s touching, and wonderful, and SO funny.

And I would always watch The Godfather, and Casablanca, and Lawrence of Arabia. To Kill A Mockingbird, too, we watched that the other night, in fact. OH! And MY COUSIN VINNY. CLASSIC. Hilarious. Every. Time. I’ll stop now.

HALLIE: POSITRACTION!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Hank, I love WORKING GIRL, and you’ve inspired me to re-watch it again. It’s SO eighties, and yes, the Carly Simon song stands as one of the greatest movie themes ever. Every second-rate film gets an updated version; why hasn’t anyone done a remake of WORKING GIRL?

I’ve talked before about how my family has seasonal movie rewinds: THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW during the first big storm of winter, DIE HARD on Christmas Eve, and INDEPENDENCE DAY (the original, not the terrible, terrible sequel) on, well, you can guess when we watch that.

But if we’re talking about movies I will sit down again and again for, I have two comedies that never stop amusing me: SPY, starring Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne and Jason Statham (who is great at playing an over-the-top version of his usual tough-guy role) and DOWN WITH LOVE, a somewhat-obscure, wonderfully stylish homage to all those Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedies of the early 60s, with Renee Zellweger in the Doris Day role, Ewan McGregor “as” Rock Hudson/Cary Grant/James Garner, and David Hyde Pierce, who is almost more Tony Randall than Tony Randall was!

JENN McKINLAY: Julia, I loved, SPY, and now I must see DOWN WITH LOVE. I was such an old movie buff as a teen that I consumed all the Doris Day/Rock Hudson or James Garner movies, fell in love with Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin in IF A MAN ANSWERS (so great!), and decided to become a writer of rom-coms because of ROMANCING THE STONE. Also, I will stop whatever I’m doing and watch any movie Elvis is in if one comes on. The movie that I always double back to, however, is FIELD OF DREAMS. A multi-layered, poignant, family centric movie with loads of magical realism -- it ticks all of my boxes. Plus, I’ve been in love with James Earl Jones forever, so there’s that.

RHYS BOWEN:; The movies I watch over and over depend on my mood. Like Hank I can rewatch THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. I adore OUT OF AFRICA but only when I’m prepared for a good weep. I have the DVD of ENCHANTED APRIL which is the perfect escape movie for me, also MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, ROMAN HOLIDAY and even LETTERS TO JULIET. I suppose I rewatch sweet, sappy movies when I need calming down or cheering up. My recent go-to was MAMA MIA. Who couldn’t feel cheerful when singing along?

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Love love love MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. So many good suggestions here, but I haven’t seen SPY or DOWN WITH LOVE. I’m a huge Ewan McGregor fan so that one is going on my list asap.

I have my perennial faves, like LOVE ACTUALLY and THE HOLIDAY, oh, and NOTTING HILL, of course, but I would love to see ROMANCING THE STONE again. FIELD OF DREAMS is my daughter’s favorite movie ever, and I love BULL DURHAM. It’s summer and baseball season, time to get those out again!

But you know what I’m thinking I’d like to rewatch? SPEED. Such a great action movie. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock were adorable, the supporting cast was terrific, and the stunts were amazing.

HALLIE: I’ve never seen SPEED. Or DOWN WITH LOVE. Or MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. What about you, what’s going on your to-watch list and what would you recommend for over-and-over watching?

Merry Christmas at the Movies

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: It's the holiday season, as the song goes, and for many of us, that means it's time to pull out the old videos/dvds or to start streaming favorite holiday movies. 

Christmas flicks - and let's face it, they are almost all about

Christmas - tend to fall into three categories. The first are the movies that you must watch or it will not be Christmas this year. Prominently featured on this list will be old Rankin-Bass stop-motion animation and George Bailey exclaiming, "Zuzu's petals!"

The second are the movies you enjoy because they put you in the mood - flicks to watch while wrapping presents or signing cards. There are a lot of Hallmark Holiday specials on this list, as well as movies that are must-sees for your kids, but that came around too late for you to really cleave to. ELF, I'm talking about you.

The third are the pictures that subvert the holidays, with murder, double-crossing and Bruce Willis blowing stuff up while canned Christmas music plays in the background. Look for Santa with a sawed-off shotgun or the hero saying with curled lip, "Now it's a silent night."

Sometime these movies cross over to different lists. For my husband and son, THE GODFATHER is absolutely required pre-Christmas viewing. For my daughters and me, HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS, a delightfully silly romance with Melissa Joan Hart, is our must-see-or-baby-Jesus-will-cry movie. Also on my have-to-have-it list: CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT, which no one else in my family wants to watch. I always wind up wrapping presents while swooning over Barbara Stanwick and Dennis Morgan. (I saw the 1992 remake once. It was...not good.)




For my Christmas subversive movie, nothing tops REINDEER GAMES,  a twisty caper movie/mystery starring Ben Affleck as The Sap and Charlize Theron as The Dame.
  As for present-wrapping/napkin ironing/silver polishing fare - well, that's what Netflix is for. I willingly stream movies I wouldn't take a second glance at if they weren't set at Christmas time. If it features a romance, an adoptable dog, and a kid who needs a family, I'm in egg nog-sodden heaven.






How about you, Reds? What are your holiday must-sees?

RHYS BOWEN: My must sees have now been seen so the season has officially kicked off. One is IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and the other is WHITE CHRISTMAS. Both oldies but goodies. I still get weepy at the end of A Charlie Brown Christmas. I really liked SCROOGE but haven't seen it recently.  I have to confess to being awfully fond of LOVE ACTUALLY (especially the lobster in the nativity play). 





It's funny but I used to enjoy all those old cartoon movies with my kids--you know Rudolph, Frosty etc, but the magic has gone. 

LUCY BURDETTE:  My favorite would be SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, which I cannot get anyone to watch with me again. Hmmm, that makes me really want to try though...





DEBORAH CROMBIE: LOVE ACTUALLY tops my list as the absolutely-must-see-or-it's-not-Christmas. Yes, I can repeat the dialogue. Yes, I know the soundtrack by heart. And yes, Rhys, I love the lobster in the nativity play. Then A CHRISTMAS STORY, followed by IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. (My daughter told me yesterday that she's never seen it. How can that be??? Where did I go wrong?? I'm going to fix that!) This year I succumbed to a Hallmark Christmas special, THE CHRISTMAS SHEPHERD, because--guess--it had a German shepherd in it. It was actually pretty good, and the dog was fabulous. I'd watch it again just for him.








And then sometime in the week between Christmas and New Year's, I must watch THE HOLIDAY, with Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, and Jack Black. I adore this movie, and not just because I fancy Jude Law. Written and directed by Nancy Meyers, with a score by Hans Zimmer, it has great performances and great dialogue. And it will have you rockin' around the Christmas tree by the end.








JULIA: Debs, I've got to see this now!



HALLIE EPHRON: Adding CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT and THE HOLIDAY to my list... how did I miss them? I've already watched LOVE ACTUALLY, my personal favorite. And queuing up A CHRISTMAS STORY if only to revisit the Red Ryder BB gun and the leg lamp and to listen to that wonderful narrator's voice -- a movie by a radio guy. So why doesn't someone create a leg lamp lawn ornament? I bet it would be a HUGE seller.  

JULIA: Here you go, Hallie:


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, of course, LOVE ACTUALLY. The best. (Just in cases.)  And YOU'VE GOT MAIL.  And I'll watch SEATTLE with you, Lucy!  I never understood THE BISHOPS WIFE, because, I mean, what would you do? 



And contrarian here, A CHRISTMAS STORY leaves me a little cold. Maybe I'll try again. Yeah, the voice is good, but...  And even IT'S A WONDERFUL.., it's great, sure, and the angel thing, but it's just not what someone would DO. Zuzu's petals is worth it, though.  And of course,  love WHITE CHRISTMAS! Can't go wrong with Bing!   And oh, DIE HARD.  :-) 





DEBS: Hank, we watched DIE HARD last year. Such fun!!! Definitely an addition to the Christmas movie list.

JULIA: How about you, dear readers? What will you be sitting down to with a bowl of popcorn and a mug of hot cocoa this season?

Oops, they did it again...movie remakes

ROSEMARY HARRIS: Whenever I hear that a classic film is being remade I can't decide if it's hubris or simply a dearth of original ideas. On a recent rowing machine kick, I've rowed through three different versions of Pride and Prejudice, three of Little Women, two of Dr. Zhivago and three of Anna Karenina. Now there's a new Anna coming.

My admiration for Keira Knightley is unalloyed and unalterable. Girl crush. I've loved her ever since Bend it Like Beckham. But I do wonder if the world needs another Anna Karenina a mere 35 years after the splendid PBS version.

Maybe it's good that every generation has it's own Anna - and Elizabeth Bennett, and Lara. And Sherlock (but more about him later this week...) But I can't imagine another Scout Finch. The young Jena Malone would have made a good one, but who could step into Gregory Peck's shoes? And could there be another Holly Golightly?

Which films would you like to see remade and which are "NO, don't mess with perfection!"

(For the record, my faves of the above classics..David Lean's Zhivago, Keira's Pride and Prejudice, Katharine Hepburn's Little Women and so far the Nicola Pagett Anna. Which are your faves?)

LUCY BURDETTE: Okay, so anyone who watched the Jungle Red Family Feud knows that I am weak on movies! But I hope no one messes with SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, or for that matter, anything starring Meryl Streep. And TOOTSIE, remember that one? Could not do better than Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lang.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Urgh. Can you imagine a remake of Casablanca?  Sacrilege! Key Largo?  And I'm with Ro on Breakfast at Tiffany's. No one else could play Holly Golightly. No one but Juliette Binoche could do Chocolat. And I agree on Sleepless in Seattle. A remake I did like? The updated version of The Italian Job. Great fun.

Oh, and Lucy, we get that you like Dustin Hoffman:-) Speaking of, nobody better dare mess with The Graduate!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, of course they ruined THE WOMEN (the genesis of Jungle Red, remember.) Even with the wonderful Annette Bening, it stunk up the place.

Can you IMAGINE a remake of To Kill A Mockingbird? NO way! And I bet they wouldn't dare try it. Not a chance to replace Gregory Peck, RO.

They could do a new WORKING GIRL, one of my everlasting favorites, but no one could be like Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford. Sigh. That was SO good.

The remake of Music Man with whats-his-name was a bomb, wasn't it? And it is interesting, though to see the incarnations of James Bond. Do you all still imagine Sean Connery? Or has Daniel Craig crept into your consciousness?

And don't even think about Lawrence of Arabia.

HALLIE EPHRON: Speaking of Dustin Hoffman, I can't imagine a remake of Midnight Cowboy.

When an actor has nailed a role, it's hard to imagine anyone remaking that movie with a new cast. Audrey Hepburn OWNS Holly Golightly. And who else but Humphrey Bogart could be Sam Spade (even though he's not remotely like Sam Spade in the book) or Lauren Bacall Miss Wonderly? Or Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates? Or Sandra Bullock as Gracie Hart? Or Kathleen Turner as Peggy Sue.

JAN BROGAN: The beauty of Netflix is I just finished rewatching the Old PBS Anna Karenina and Ro, you are right. It was awesome. But I would love to see what Keira does with the role. Interesting, when her version of Pride and Prejudice first came out, it got terrible reviews - mostly because the new Darcy couldn't match Colin Firth, but I still loved it. It's just so visually rich, and I think she was a terrific Elizabeth.

ROSEMARY: Now...as much as I love Colin Firth - and Kristin Scott Thomas was a ninny to prefer Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient - I thought Matthew McFayden did a wonderful job as Darcy. Less wooden and more believable, although not nearly as hot.

JAN: Isn't Sleepless In Seattle sort of a remake itself?  Of An Affair to Remember Or is it just an "ode" to An Affair to Remember.

ROSEMARY: Ode. You've Got Mail was a remake of In The Good Old Summertime which was a remake of Shop Around the Corner. All charming.

JAN: I would hate to see a remake of The Philadelphia Story. Who else could pull off that Katharine Hepburn hyperactivity?

ROSEMARY: But they did...that was High Society with Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby! I don't think it matched up to the original.

JAN: Okay, can you imagine anyone but Jimmy Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life?  Hmmm...maybe Tom Hanks. He always reminds me of Jimmy.

RHYS BOWEN: I can't actually think of a single remake that I enjoyed more than the original. Every time I've seen one I've wanted to shout "Why? Why?"
I would never go and see a remake of Roman Holiday (one of my all-time favorite movies,because nobody could equal Audrey Hepburn-- or West Side Story, Casablanca, or Out of Africa. I agree--don't touch anything starring Meryl Streep.

And sorry, I did not think the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice measured up to the TV version with Colin Firth (coming out of the lake soaking wet). 

ROSEMARY:...yeah the lake scene alone was worth the price of admission.  Sad to say I could not find a pic of him dripping wet but this one is mighty fine.