Righteous Insanity

Me and "Me and Orson Welles"

I'm dying to see "Me and Orson Welles." Odds are I'll be renting it on video, but I am very eager to see this movie, as I always am when a new look at one of the greatest Hollywood icons comes out. I've been a Welles fan to some degree since high school, when I did an English research paper on his "War of the Worlds" broadcast. That fandom grew a decade ago when Ann Bogart directed an avant garde presentation of Welles' career as part of Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival of New Plays. (Wish I could remember the show's title.)

 

Following that play, I went on a quest to hunt down some of the films (other than Citizen Kane) from his career. Here are four - again, excluding Kane - that must be seen to appreciate the genius of the actor, writer, and director who changed Hollywood.

 

The Lady from Shanghai - A great thriller written, directed, and starring Welles. It's a bit off-putting at the start to hear his booming voice tinted with an Irish accent, but the film is a knockout, straight through the climactic shootout in a house of mirrors. If memory serves me right, this was one of several Welles films on the AFI's original top 100 films of all time.

 

The Stranger - Another little known, under-rated thriller about a Nazi hunter who tracks a Nazi war criminal to a small town. Welles wrote, directed, and starred in this one as well. Very intense, and a powerful, frightening performance by Welles.

 

Othello - A true must-see for indy film makers. Welles made this movie over a series of years, financing it himself. He'd shoot until the money ran out, do a paying job, shoot til the money ran out, do a paying job... you get the idea. The chase through the Turkish bath was an on-set improvisation; someone forgot to ship all but two of the costumes to the location, and Welles could not reschedule. Forgive him for playing it in black face. It was a different time. And this is a true labor of love. (His more polished film production of MacBeth is worh viewing as well.)

 

The Third Man - Considered his second best film after Kane, which is ironic because Welles neither wrote nor directed this masterpiece. What's more, Welles himself does not appear in the film until half way through. Nevertheless, the film is remembered for Welles' portrayal of Harry Lime, who takes full command of this post World War II thriller and never lets go. Another of AFI's top 100. 

 

Needless to say, you should also see Citizen Kane and listen to War of the Worlds. While you're at it, check out some of the Mercury Radio Theatre's other productions. Dracula is one of the best interpretations of the Bram Stoker story ever. 

Classic Comedies you may not have heard of

As movies continue to change formats, we're in danger of losing some great treasures that don't necessarily make the "best movies" lists. For you comedy lovers out there, here's a list of some "old" comedies that are worth hunting down and watching. This is far from a complete list, but it will get you started in discovering some old favorites. 

One, Two, Three - Billy Wilder is one of the greatest screenwriters and directors ever. This iron curtain comedy featuring James Cagney as the head of Coca-Cola in post-WWII Berlin is not as well known as "Some Like It Hot," but quite funny. 

What's Up Tiger Lily? - Many have copied him, but Woody Allen was the first to take someone else's movie (in this case, a Japanese James Bond knock off) and re-dub it with his own dialogue. One of the mad genius's funniest features - and that's saying something. 

The Party - Speaking of mad geniuses, Peter Sellers gives a masters course in non-verbal (and verbal) comedy as an Indian actor accidentally invited to a high profile Hollywood party. 

Cat Ballou - Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin star in a western cult classic. Marvin won an Oscar (a rarity for a comedy) for his dual role as a drunken gunfighter and his arch nemesis. Features the funniest horse scene after Animal House and Blazing Saddles.

What's Up Doc? - Classic screwball comedy with mistaken identities, four identical traveling cases, and one of the greatest chases in movie history. Stars Ryan O'Neil, Barbra Streisand (yes, she can be funny), Austin Pendleton, Kenneth Mars, and Madeline Kahn in her film debut. 

First Family - A dark political satire about an unpopular president who makes a bizarre deal with a primitive nation. Bob Newhart and Madeline Kahn are the president and first lady, heading an all-star cast that includes Gilda Radner, Harvey Korman, Richard Benjamin, Austin Pendleton, and Rip Torn. 

High Anxiety - Mel Brooks' forgotten send-up of Alfred Hitchcock movies, with Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, and Cloris Leachman. The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest, and other Hitchcock classics get the Mel Brooks treatment. 

The Kentucky Fried Movie - A sketch comedy film by the makers of Airplane! and The Naked Gun packed with fake movie trailers and one messed up parody of Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon." (This one is rated R, and though not as raunchy as today's fare, it's still dirty in parts.) 

The Cannonball Run - A star-studded car chase across America with Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and an all-star cast. Not as funny or as beloved as Smokey and the Bandit (another film you need to see), but still classic. 

Real Life - Years before reality TV took over television schedules, Albert Brooks made the quintessential parody of the genre. Brooks and a film crew move in with an all-American family (headed by Charles Grodin) to document their lives, but quickly make themselves the center of the story. 

Seems Like Old Times - Neil Simon comedy starring Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Charles Grodin. Those four names alone make this a must-see. 

Real Men - Jim Belushi is a tough as nails federal agent assigned to escort John Ritter (a wimpy look alike for another tough federal agent) for a rendezvous with aliens. Don't make a big deal of it. 

Better Off Dead - One of two films John Cusack made with the "anti-John Hughes" Savage Steve Holland. Cusack plays a teenage boy who tries to kill himself after his girlfriend dumps him. The bizarre gallery of supporting characters make every scene in the movie classic. 

Surf Ninjas - Funnier than it deserves to be story of two young boys who learn they are the heirs to the throne of an island ruled by a half-man, half-machine dictator. With Leslie Nielsen, Tone Loc, and a very funny Rob Schneider. 

PCU - Sometimes called Animal House for the 90's, PCU features Jeremy Piven at his rapid-fire best. Also features David Spade, Iron Man director Jon Favreau, and Jessica Walters (Arrested Development) as the president of a university over-run with political correctness. 

Hancock - A message to Christians?

SPOILER ALERT - If you have not seen Hancock, do not read on. Seriously, go rent the movie, then come back and read this post. 

My wife and I finally saw Hancock tonight. Happy to say it was all that we were promised - an original, surprising, and funny spin on the typical super hero tale. The acting was great, and the script was terrific. Having seen way too many movies lately that were, essentially, all the same movie, I was honestly beginning to wonder if there were original movie ideas left out there. I've seen two this week that surprised and entertained me. (The other being Tropic Thunder.) 

As the movie ended, my wife remarked how sad the story was. One of the reasons Hancock is such a bitter person in he beginning is that he feels alone; there is no one else in the world like him. That changes when he discovers another person who also has super powers. The catch is, the two cannot be together without becoming mortal. Though they are drawn to one another, in the end they must split apart - far apart - in order to be of benefit to humanity. They choose to be apart and alone rather than be together for the greater good. 

I thought about this idea, trying to make sense out of it, and saw a great metaphor that the church needs to see. So, all you pastors and youth leaders out there who crave ways to use movies in your sermons or as ministry tools, here's your next big spin: 

If Christians band together, the world dies. 

As "the world" has become a more sinful and immoral place, the trend among Christians has been to withdraw. We build bigger churches with nice coffee shops and gyms and basketball courts and we cluster inside with our Christian family. We shelter ourselves from the ways of the world and bask in Christian fellowship. And if we continue to do so, the world - and our Faith - will die. 

Christ's final instructions to his followers was a simple word: "Go." Aided by the gift of tongues given at Pentecost, the followers of the Way spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, spreading the gospel where ever they went. Thank God they did! Imagine if Paul and Barnabas and Silas chose to stay put, build big churches, and isolate themselves. I can assure you, the world would be a much different place if they had. 

I know there are a million reasons (excuses) for keeping things the way they are, for letting the world go its own way. It's high time we stop making excuses, repent of our selfish rejection of the Great Commission, and obey the word of the Lord: "Go."