Gems of the Week

Steve Scott.

I enjoyed how they showed the cast during the end credits of Young Ones.

Yeji Yun.

Three Little Words.

Erie Basin.

The Hot Rock.

It Happened At the World's Fair (the little boy above is a baby Jeff Bridges).

The Pajama Game.

Downhill Racer

Downhill Racer (1969) starring Robert Redford and Gene Hackman.  

A seasonably appropriate choice. Fun fact - I haven't been skiing in over 10 years due to an unfortunate incident in which I ended up hanging by one hand from beneath the chair of a chairlift.

wikipedia / imdb / netflix / buy

From the description of the film on the Criterion Collection website - 

Astonishing Alpine location photography and a young Robert Redford in one of his earliest starring roles are just two of the visual splendors of Michael Ritchie’s visceral debut feature, Downhill Racer. In a beautifully understated performance, Redford is David Chappellet, a ruthlessly ambitious skier competing for Olympic gold with an underdog American team in Europe, and Gene Hackman provides tough support as the coach who tries to temper the upstart’s narcissistic drive for glory. With a subtle screenplay by acclaimed novelist James Salter, Downhill Racer is a vivid character portrait buoyed by breathtakingly fast and furious imagery that brings the viewer directly into the mind of the competitor. 

I agree about the "visual splendors", but I think that the "subtle screenplay" may be a bit too subtle. And this is coming from someone who loves everything Sofia Coppola does. Maybe if I liked skiing more? Or Robert Redford more?

See all the previous movie posts here.

Inside Daisy Clover

What a poster, right? "OOH! I want to see the movie where Christopher Plummer attacks Natalie Wood!"

Anyway - today's movie is Inside Daisy Clover (1965).

Do I recommend it? Not really. Not really. Even as someone who loves Natalie Wood - nope.

Summary via Netflix (you can watch the trailer here)- 

When teenager Daisy Clover rises from beach-dwelling obscurity to Hollywood celebrity overnight, she quickly discovers that the glitter of 1930s-era Tinseltown hides a dark side of exploitation and fear. Now she must learn to smile for the cameras as she navigates the twisted world of manipulative studio executives, empty relationships and disintegrating mental health

wikipedia / netflix / imdb / watch

You can watch this musical number here.

Watch this musical number here.

Want to look at another movie post? Go HERE!