102 In The Shade...

Syl Says:

The first week in August was oppressively hot in old NJ (102 in the shade as they say). And I, needing to plan only air-conditioned activities (and after your last post my dear), set out to the video store to rent Bette Davis films and have a BD film fest of my own. To my utter disappointment, however, they had only 2 BD films: Pocketful of Miracles and All about Eve. So, armed with these 2 movies (and a couple of other unrelated films),a tub of popcorn and a big box of Milk Duds, I spread my blankets and pillows on the floor, revved up the a/c, popped in the first DVD and let the tube take me away…

I can remember seeing this Frank Capra directed film, Pocket Full of Miracles a couple of times before. Sadly, I do not think that the role of “Apple Annie” did anything to showcase the real talent of the “spitfire” actress, Bette Davis. I realize, though, that the premise of this movie is one that has been utilized in quite a few movies and sitcoms over the years. Another film that comes to my mind (though not the exact premise) is “Working Girl.” I liked this movie because a mere peon becomes the “big cheese” for awhile, not to mention it had Harrison Ford (a heartthrob of mine at the time) shooting his famous “look of love” at Melanie Griffith (Tess). And speaking of Harrison Ford and his “look of love,” I’d like to mention “Witness” (another fave). Having a fascination with the Amish and the charm of the Amish Country, this film is a sheer delight for me. When Det. John Book (Ford), while hiding out on an Amish farm, stumbles across the Amish widowed mom, Rachel Lapp (Kelly McGillis) bathing nude and they simply just “look” at each other for a long, hungry moment and everything that needed to be said, was said, in that one “look”—I swooned. Please pardon my digression.

Now, All About Eve; that was another story! Bette Davis was perfect in the role of Margo Channing; with her dramatic style, “acid tongue,” and fashionable smoking—I was enchanted by the aging (but still very beautiful) Bette. I was also compelled by the gradual character development of Eve (Anne Baxter) from the sweet, unassuming ingénue to the cold, calculating witch that she really was. This brings to mind for me the frightfully creeping transformation of the dear little, perfect nanny, Peyton Flanders (Rebecca DeMornay) to the scheming little monster she really was in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. And, although the motivations were different (ambition for the former/revenge for the latter) the Bitches they became were the same. To digress even further—I can’t help but think about the eerie evolution of Jack Torrance (the amazing Jack Nicholson), nice dad, to the evil “what ever that was” in The Shining (another fave-o-mine). All work and no play…

Much to my chagrin, however, I was not able to get a copy of my absolute favorite Bette Davis film—What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? Oh, how I long to see this campy, macabre, weird and wonderful film again! My favorite scene is the final one where Blanche (Joan Crawford) lay dying on the beach and Jane, while bringing her an ice cream cone, suddenly finds the police and a curious crowd gathering around them—she then begins to smile, holds her dress out and dances for them as if they were her adoring audience. Brrravaaa! And, as you may have guessed by now—I am going to digress.I am thinking about another weird and wonderful movie, Misery (based on the Stephen King novel of the same name). This one had me at the edge of my seat as the bizarre Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) "nurses" writer, Paul Sheldon (James Caan) back to “health” (as it were). After this magnificent performance by Kathy Bates—I just may be her “number one fan.” Heck, did you happen to see her long sagging breasts in the hot tub seduction scene in About Schmidt? This proves to me that she would do anything for her craft! I would not want Jane Hudson or Annie Wilkes to take care of me if I were disabled—would you?

And, speaking of Stephen King—I have been a big fan of the writers of the “New England Horror” Genre for almost as long as I could read. H.P. Lovecraft, Joseph A. Citro, Ann Arensberg and the like. I recall reading several books by the actor turned writer, Thomas Tryon: The Other, Lady and Harvest Home. I loved these great gothic novels and remember being thrilled by the TV mini-series, based on Harvest Home: The Dark Secret of Harvest Home in 1978. A nice young couple moves to a quiet and picturesque New England village where the people are quaint and adhere to the “old ways.” Here they meet the “Widow Fortune,” the town’s eccentric herbalist, midwife, and matriarch. The couple’s young daughter (Rosanna Arquette) starts to become more wholesome and is no longer suffering from the symptoms of her deadly asthma and everything is relatively fine—that is until the Pagan Festival of Harvest Home rolls around. It is then that “all hell breaks loose” and there is the “corn play” replete with seductive dancing of the women, sex (rutting) between the Harvest Lord with the Corn Maiden, the slashing of the Harvest Lord’s throat at the moment of climax, and the cutting out of any man’s tongue and blinding he who happens to witness the corn rituals—yes, everything a good pagan festival should be! And all this presided over by the High Priestess; namely, Bette Davis hamming it up wonderfully as the Widow Fortune! Ye ha!