Below is a list of my favorite movies set in Texas aka "the Lone Star State":
TEN FAVORITE MOVIES SET IN TEXAS
1. "The Big Country" (1958) - William Wyler directed this big scale adaptation of Donald Hamilton's 1958 novel, "Ambush at Blanco Canyon". The movie starred Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker and Charlton Heston.
2. "Written on the Wind" (1956) - Douglas Sirk directed this adaptation of Robert Wilder's 1954 novel about a East Coast secretary who married into a wealthy Texas family. The movie starred Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Oscar nominee Robert Stack and Oscar winner Dorothy Malone.
3. "The Shadow Riders" (1982) - Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot starred in this television adaptation of Louis L'Amour's novel about brothers who search for their kidnapped siblings at the end of the Civil War. Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, the movie co-starred Jeff Osterhage, Katherine Ross and Ben Johnson.
4. "Giant" (1956) - Oscar nominee George Stevens produced and directed this adaptation of Edna Ferber's 1952 about a wealthy Texas family. The movie starred Elizabeth Taylor, and Oscar nominees Rock Hudson and James Dean.
5. "2 Guns" (2013) - Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg starred in this adaptation of a comic book series about two undercover agents and their search for missing C.I.A. money. The movie was directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
6. "No Country For Old Men" (2007) - The Coen Brothers directed this Oscar winning film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel. The movie starred Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Kelly MacDonald, Woody Harrelson and Oscar winner Jarvier Bardem.
7. "Parkland" (2013) - Peter Landesman wrote and directed this film about the immediate aftermath of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. The cast includes Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, Marcia Gay Harden, Ron Livingston and James Badge Dale.
8. "Dallas Buyers' Club" (2013) - Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey starred in this biopic about A.I.D.S. activist Ron Woodruff. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, the movie co-starred Jennifer Garner and Oscar winner Jared Leto.
9. "The Searchers" (1956) - John Ford directed this epic adaptation of Alan Le May's 1954 novel about the search for a missing girl taken by Commanches. The movie starred John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter.
10. "Extreme Prejudice" (1987) - Walter Hill directed this action packed tale about a conflict between a Texas Ranger, his former boyhood friend-turned-drug kingpin and a team of Army Intelligence agents. Nick Nolte and Powers Boothe starred.
Below is my current list of favorite movies set in the 1930s:
TOP TEN FAVORITE MOVIES SET IN THE 1930s
1. "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984) - In this exciting second installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, the intrepid archaeologist is asked by desperate villagers in Northern India to find a mystical stolen stone and rescue their children from a Thuggee cult practicing child slavery. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie starred Harrison Ford as Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones.
2. "The Sting" (1973) - Paul Newman and Robert Redford starred in this excellent Oscar winning movie about a young drifter who teams up with a master of the big con to get revenge against the gangster who had his partner murdered. George Roy Hill directed.
3. "Death on the Nile" (1978) - Peter Ustinov made his first appearance as Hercule Poirot in this superb adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1937 novel about the murder of an Anglo-American heiress during a cruise on the Nile. John Guillermin directed.
4. "Chinatown" (1974) - Roman Polanski directed this outstanding Oscar nominated film about a Los Angeles private detective hired to expose an adulterer, who finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption and murder. Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway starred.
5. "Gosford Park" (2001) - Robert Altman directed this Oscar nominated film about a murder that occurs at shooting party in 1932 England. The all-star cast includes Helen Mirren, Kelly MacDonald, Clive Owen and Maggie Smith.
6. "Evil Under the Sun" (1982) - Once again, Peter Ustinov portrayed Hercule Poirot in this entertaining adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1941 novel about the murder of a stage actress at an exclusive island resort. Guy Hamilton directed.
7. "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000) - Ethan and Joel Coen directed this very entertaining tale about three escaped convicts who search for a hidden treasure, while evading the law in Depression era Mississippi. George Clooney, John Tuturro and Tim Blake Nelson starred.
8. "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974) - Albert Finney starred as Hercule Poirot in this stylish adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1934 novel about the Belgian detective's investigation into the death of a mysterious American aboard the famed Orient Express. Sidney Lumet directed.
9. "Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) - Harrison Ford made his first appearance as Dr. "Indiana" Jones in this classic movie, as he races against time to find the iconic Ark of the Covenant that contains the Ten Commandments before the Nazis do in 1936 Egypt. Steven Spielberg directed.
10. "Seabiscuit" (2003) - Gary Ross directed this excellent adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's 2001 book about the famed race horse from the late 1930s. Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper and Elizabeth Banks starred.
Honorable Mention: "Road to Perdition" (2002) - Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin and Paul Newman starred in this first-rate adaptation of Max Collins' 1998 graphic comic about a Depression era hitman who is forced to hit the road with his older son after the latter witnesses a murder. Sam Mendes directed.
Below is my current list of favorite movies set in the 1870s:
TOP TEN FAVORITE MOVIES SET IN THE 1870s
1. "The Age of Innocence" (1993) - Martin Scorcese directed this exquisite adaptation of Edith Wharton's award winning 1920 novel about a love triangle within New York's high society during the Gilded Age. Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfieffer and Oscar nominee Winona Ryder starred.
2. "The Big Country" (1958) - William Wyler directed this colorful adaptation of Donald Hamilton's 1958 novel, "Ambush at Blanco Canyon". The movie starred Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker and Charlton Heston.
3. "True Grit" (2010) - Ethan and Joel Coen wrote and directed this excellent adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel about a fourteen year-old girl's desire for retribution against her father's killer. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Hattie Steinfeld starred.
4. "Far From the Madding Crowd" (2015) - Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Tom Sturridge and Michael Sheen starred in this well done adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel about a young Victorian woman who attracts three different suitors. Thomas Vinterberg directed.
5. "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956) - Mike Todd produced this Oscar winning adaptation of Jules Verne's 1873 novel about a Victorian gentleman who makes a bet that he can travel around the world in 80 days. Directed by Michael Anderson and John Farrow, the movie starred David Niven, Cantiflas, Shirley MacLaine and Robert Newton.
6. "Stardust" (2007) - Matthew Vaughn co-wrote and directed this adaptation of Neil Gaman's 1996 fantasy novel. The movie starred Charlie Cox, Claire Danes and Michelle Pfieffer.
7. "Fort Apache" (1948) - John Ford directed this loose adaptation of James Warner Bellah's 1947 Western short story called"Massacre". The movie starred John Wayne, Henry Fonda, John Agar and Shirley Temple.
8. "Zulu Dawn" (1979) - Burt Lancaster, Simon Ward and Peter O'Toole starred in this depiction of the historical Battle of Isandlwana between British and Zulu forces in 1879 South Africa. Douglas Hickox directed.
9. "Young Guns" (1988) - Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips starred in this cinematic account of Billy the Kid's experiences during the Lincoln County War. The movie was directed by Christopher Cain.
10. "Cowboys & Aliens" (2011) - Jon Favreau directed this adaptation of Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's 2006 graphic novel about an alien invasion in 1870s New Mexico Territory. The movie starred Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde.
"HAIL, CAESAR!" (2016) Review
When I first that Joel and Ethan Coen was about to release a new film, I rejoiced. When I learned that this new movie - called "HAIL, CAESAR!" - would be set in old Hollywood, my joy increased. Then I discovered that this new film would be released in February of this year. And . . . my anticipation decreased. Somewhat.
Now, why would my anticipation for "HAIL, CAESAR!" dampened after learning about its release date? Simple. February is one of those months that is considered by the movie industry as the graveyard for second-rate films. A Coen Brothers film set in February. This did not sit well with me. But my enthusiasm had not dampened enough for me to forgo "HAIL, CAESAR!". I simply had to see it.
"HAIL, CAESAR!" is the fictional story about one day in the life of Eddie Mannix, the head of "physical productions" at Capitol Pictures and a "fixer" who keeps the scandalous behavior of its stars out of the press. The Lockheed Corporation has been courting him with an offer of a high-level executive position, but he is unsure about taking it. While Mannix contemplates a career change, he has to deal with the following problems for his studio:
*Unmarried synchronized swimming actress DeeAnna Moran becomes pregnant and Mannix has to make arrangements for her to put the baby in foster care and then adopt it without revealing herself as the mother.
*Mannix is ordered by the studio's honchos to change the image of cowboy singing star Hobie Doyle, by casting him in a sophisticated drama directed by Laurence Laurentz. Unfortunately, Hobie seems uncomfortable in starring in a movie that is not a Western and gives an inept performance.
*While fending off the inquiries of twin sisters and rival gossip columnists, Thora and Thessaly Thacker, the former threatens to release an article about a past scandal involving Capitol Pictures veteran star Baird Whitlock and Laurentz, when they made a movie together some twenty years earlier.
*Mannix's biggest problem revolve around Whitlock being kidnapped, while filming one of Capitol Pictures' "A" productions, an Imperial Roman drama called "Hail, Caesar!". A ransom note soon arrives, written by a group calling itself "The Future", who are a group of Communist screenwriters, demanding $100,000 for their cause.
There were a good deal about "HAIL, CAESAR!" that I enjoyed. Primarily, I enjoyed the fact that the movie was set during the Golden Age of Hollywood and that it was about the Hollywood industry during that period. I enjoyed the fact that this was one Old Hollywood movie that was not a murder mystery, a biopic about the rise and downfall of some actor, actress or director. And I was especially relieved that it was no borderline nihilist portrayal of Hollywood like 1975's "THE DAY OF THE LOCUST". I had no desire to walk out of theater, harboring a desire to blow out my brains. Instead, the Coens' film gave audiences a peek into a Hollywood studio circa 1951 with a good deal of irony and humor.
Out of the five story arcs presented in the film, I really enjoyed three of them - namely those story lines that focused on Hobie Doyle, DeeAnna Moran and Mannix's new job offer. Although I suspect that the DeeAnna Moran character was at best, a superficial take on Esther Williams, I believe the storyline regarding the character's pregnancy was based upon what happened to Loretta Young in the mid-1930s. I found this story arc mildly enjoyable, thanks to Scarlett Johansson's funny performance as the blunt-speaking DeeAnna. But I would not regard it as the movie's highlight. I also found the story arc about Mannix's new job offer from Lockheed mildly interesting. There almost seemed to be a "would he or wouldn't he" aura about this story arc. As any film historian knows, the real Eddie Mannix never received a job offer from Lockheed. Then again, he worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), not the fictional Capitol Pictures. And he was married twice with no kids, not married once with kids. So, at one point, I did find myself wondering if the events of the day would drive this Mannix into accepting Lockheed's offer.
However, I felt that one of the movie's real highlight centered around the Hobie Doyle and Capitol Pictures' efforts to turn the singing cowboy into a dramatic actor. Why? It was funny. Hilarious. Not only did Alden Ehrenreich give a rather enduring performance as the charming Hobie Doyle, he was funny . . . very funny in one particular sequence. In fact, I could say the same about Ralph Fiennes, who portrayed the elegant director Laurence Laurentz tasked into transforming Hobie into a dramatic actor. I did not find this scene mildly amusing, as I did many of the film's other scenes. Instead, watching Laurentz trying to direct the limited and very awkward Hobie in a sophisticated drama nearly had laughing in the aisle. Both Ehrenreich and Fiennes were incredibly funny and talented. The other highlight proved to be Josh Brolin's performance as the much put upon Eddie Mannix. Brolin did an excellent job of carrying the film on his shoulders. More importantly, he gave a tight and subtle performance that allowed his character to serve as the backbone to all of the surrounding chaos.
"HAIL, CAESAR!" was set in 1951, a time when the Hollywood studio system was going through a traumatic shake-up. And this period was definitely reflected in two story arcs - Mannix's job offer and the kidnapping of Baird Whitlock. However, a part of me wishes that the movie had been set in the 1930s - especially the early 1930s, when Hollywood was battling the censors and the Great Depression. Oh well, we cannot have everything. But I was not that particularly impressed regarding the story line involving Mannix's concerns over Thora Thacker's knowledge about some past scandal regarding Baird Whitlock. Why? The movie's screenplay barely focused upon it. The entire story arc was wasted. And so was Tilda Swinton. I find this doubly sad, considering that Swinton gave a sharp and funny performance as the Thacker twins. Instead, the Coens used the Baird Whitlock character for another story arc - the one centered around his kidnapping at the hands of a group of Communist writers and a Communist contract player named Burt Gurney.
I might as well put my cards on the table. This story line featuring Baird Whitlock's kidnapping did not strike me as well written. In fact, I did not like it at all. Neither George Clooney's funny performance or Channing Tatum's dancing skills could save it. The main problem with this story is that Whitlock was basically kidnapped to provide funds for Gurney, a song-and-dance performer who was a thinly disguised take on actor/dancer Gene Kelly, who was known to be a hardcore liberal. The end of the movie revealed that Gurney took with him, the ransom from Whitlock's kidnapping, when he defected to the Soviet Union via a Russian submarine. The entire story arc struck me as simply a waste of time. And I found myself wishing that Whitlock had been used for the scandal story line, featuring Thora Thacker.
I certainly had no problems with the movie's production values. Jess Gonchor did a fairly decent job in re-creating Los Angeles in the early 1950s. His work was ably assisted by the film's visual and special effects teams, Nancy Haigh's set decorations and Roger Deakins' cinematography. However, in the case of the latter, I could have done without the occasional use of sepia tones. I also enjoyed Mary Zophres's costume designs. But they did not exactly knock my socks off. One aspect of the film that I truly enjoyed were the different "film productions" featured in the movie - especially the ones for DeeAnna Moran and the Hobie Doyle/Laurence Laurentz debacle. I know what you are thinking . . . what about the dance sequence featuring Burt Gurney and dancing extras portraying sailors? Well, I found it well executed. But the whole number, including Tatum's performance, seemed to be more about skill, but with little style.
In the end, I rather enjoyed "HAIL, CAESAR!". I believe the Coen Brothers did a fairly successful job in creating an entertaining movie about Hollywood's Golden Age. The movie also featured excellent performances from a talented cast - especially Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich and Ralph Fiennes. However, I think I would have enjoyed this movie a lot more if it had ditched the kidnapping story arc in favor of the one featuring the potential Baird Whitlock scandal. Oh well, we cannot have everything we want.
