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Friday, April 17, 2009

Film Watch Kim Basinger Earn An Oscar

Posted by David Schmader on Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 3:40 PM

3655/1240007024-scaled.laconfweb.jpg
...and see Russell Crowe at his dreamboat thuggiest in L.A. Confidential, Curtis Hanson's perfect-except-for-Danny DeVito's-overdone-narration adaptation of James Ellroy's classic of crime and corruption in '50s L.A, which starts a week run tonight at Central Cinema.

That was a long sentence. This is a short one. In other news, over a decade ago, L.A. Confidential enjoyed a nice long run at the Harvard Exit, which frequently screens foreign films, such as, say, Ma Vie En Rose. Perhaps the Harvard Exit's predisposition toward the foreign is what inspired the woman behind me to gaze up at the marquee—where LA CONFIDENTIAL was spelled out in block letters—and say, "Oh, I've been wanting to see Lah Cone-fee-den-TEE-AL!"

Thank you, anonymous lady, for doing something even more pretentious than the time I spent five minutes watching Eraserhead on pause. (I was 17, and I was sure that static black screen was building to something TERRIFYING. Sigh.)

Comments (15) RSS

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Thank you, David Schmader, for La Confidential.

Posted by Luckier on April 17, 2009 at 3:47 PM

For some reason, this made me think of David Sedaris' story about being on the Metro in Paris, and listening to some American dork try to impress his girlfriend by spotting the likely pickpockets (in this case, Sedaris himself was the prime suspect), and intoning that "la policia" were never around when you needed them.

There's something especially irritating about hearing someone who obviously knows they're bullshitting trying to impress others with absolutely trivial shit. Like, irritating enough that the bomb squad should probably be called in to defuse my head.

Posted by Lee on April 17, 2009 at 4:00 PM

I recommend watching Eraserhead at double speed on DVD. Since there's not much dialogue, you won't really miss anything, except those annoying sound effects, and you'll only be wasting 45 minutes of your life instead of an hour and a half.

Posted by keshmeshi on April 17, 2009 at 4:01 PM

That reminds me of when I worked in a bookstore and a woman wanted the book that movie was made from. What movie? Ah-MEE-dius. Come again? Ah-MEE-dius. Oh, you mean "Amadeus"!

Posted by Fnarf on April 17, 2009 at 4:27 PM

P.s. Your "Eraserhead" story is the funniest thing I've ever heard.

Posted by Fnarf on April 17, 2009 at 4:39 PM

I think Crowe was his dreamboat thuggiest back in Romper Stomper. It's been downhill sailing since then.

Posted by Shawn on April 17, 2009 at 4:42 PM

That's almost as funny as the time someone referred to Jumpa Lahiri's book the Namesake as the Nama-sakee. Apparently they thought it was a Japanese title.

Posted by silly on April 18, 2009 at 5:40 AM

You also won't miss a thing watching the original (Soviet) Solaris on double speed with the subtitles.

Gerry might work, but it's in English, so it wouldn't otherwise have subtitles on...

Any others?

Posted by dorkface on April 18, 2009 at 11:18 AM

@8... Sorry, my comment was @3

Posted by dorkface on April 18, 2009 at 11:20 AM

Speaking of James Ellroy, when is the third part of his American political trilogy coming out? I heard this year, but don't know details.

Posted by Tim on April 18, 2009 at 2:50 PM

L.A. Confidential succeeded brilliantly where Black Dahlia inexplicably failed. Better luck next time, Mr. DiPalma.

Posted by Mud Baby on April 18, 2009 at 4:03 PM

That's all well and good, but when was Russell Crowe at his "tugboat dreamiest"?

Posted by ...I know and you DON'T... on April 18, 2009 at 6:52 PM

hm. i just watched the movie again about a month ago. sure, basinger was hot but i don't think her performance was any better than a lot of the other actors'. This movie was great because it was a great story, and everyone did a great job.
what was her competition that year for the oscar?

Posted by onion on April 18, 2009 at 7:46 PM

Calling LA Confidential La Confidential is an old joke from Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

The woman wasn't being pretentious, you were just not up on your pop culture references.

Posted by Chuchundra on April 19, 2009 at 4:23 AM

14: I overheard the woman on L.A. Confidential's opening weekend. I don't think it had reached MST3K yet.

Posted by David Schmader on April 19, 2009 at 9:56 AM