Showing posts with label Funny Face. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Funny Face. Show all posts

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Paris When it Sizzles

The Most Underappreciated Movie of All Time

   This movie unlike the Wizard of Oz, never got it's place in classic films. Wizard of Oz was not considered a hit when it first came out. This movie was laregly misunderstood. I abhor anyone who makes a crack at this movie without watching it. Even facts are not enough for this movie. The fact is, it didn't sell, the actor/actress did not have fun, and so on, however it is still underappreciated. Why do I still persist with this point? Because the writing was GENIUS. Some people may say it was not genius but that is because they misunderstand the point. The point was unlike any of the time, the point was to make FUN of movies. It was not a romantic comedy to be a romantic comedy, in fact the writing suggests that it is very aware that it's being insane while dealing with insanity. There are good writing tips everywhere. There is irony everywhere and sarcasm. These writing tools were not used as effective as they could have been back then. There was the inside joke at times. There were here as well, there were refrences to other movies such as Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. At a point I counted 4 references to her movies in this one movie.
This is one of the movies that is a farce. It is hilarious. Nobody understood it though. However now, if it was brought back it would be BIG with teenage audiences. I know I have an obsession with old movies that is unlike most teens my age but I have shown this to my other friends. It has sexual jokes about what the censors could get away with and it explains how it works so that they could get away with it as well. So I once told my friend "I don't know what you think they were doing on that date, but I believe they were playing parcheesi" It was random, funny, eccentric, smart, and insider on many things. It poked fun at Hollywood when no one touched them back then. "Maybe we could get Sinatra to sing it"(Sinatra sings)
There are so many unique lines and nowadays there are so many movies making fun of pop stars or whatnot. This just makes fun of movies. The cheesy romance, the western, the chase, the parties, the VAMPIRE, and adventure....RED did this but it was not obvious to everyone just like Paris When it Sizzles was not obvious to people back then. The original Vampires Suck, the original farce is what this movie is. People will definitely recognize it now. It is just the kind of movie that my friends could quote, make fun of, and so on....My goal is that every friend of mine watches it.
William Holden tried to kindle Audrey's heart but Audrey didn't buy it. Holden was an alcoholic and constantly (or never showed up) came to the set drunk. Audrey requested for Tony Curtis to be a costar to help make the movie when Holden was so drunk that he was in rehab. Tony Curtis added a certain flair. He played a "method" actor and made fun of other crappy made films of the time. Then later you find out that he is a cop? What? "I played the part of a method so well, pausing like so..." referencing Holden's character's distaste for method actors because Audrey's character was dating one.Great parody

Richard: I've got an idea. I've got an idea! First good one I've had in four months. No, that's not true. A few weeks ago I had an idea to give up drinking, but it didn't photograph.


REferences Charade, My Fair Lady, (future one) Funny Face

Alex and Emma is a movie that is based on this movie. It is a book they are writing instead of a movie

Richard: Cut to the Eiffel Tower. The main title. The trumpets segue into the inevitable title song. Maybe we can get Sinatra to sing it.


[Frank Sinatra begins to sing]

Plot: Gabrielle Simpson(Audrey Hepburn) goes to Richard Benson (William Holden)  to be his typist because he is a drunken writer (like in real life) who has put off doing his work all year. Richard explains how the audience will react and what he does to get the effect. Richard tries to win Gabrielle's heart. She starts to wise up and writes her own version but ends up crying to Richard because she killed the character (she went on a crazy wild bunny trail of a plot) and then Richard starts to call his boss and confess but then Gabrielle comes out and he seems to get an idea. He writes all through the night and wakes Gabrielle to a Fred Astaire song. He explains the rest of his plot and the audience reactions and so on. (Hilariously of course). Then when he feels like Gabrielle has fallen for him (don't worry the end isn't really too much of a "spoiler" because you aren't really watching for the romance, if you are then the movie does suck) Richard Benson then reveals he thinks they aren't really good for each other because all he really cares about is alchohol and money...then suddenly he has a change of heart.