For this "project" I decided on one major rule: Don't read the plot synopsis before watching the movie. While I almost always know the general plot of today's movies before seeing them, I thought it would be fun to go into these movies blind. Easy enough, given that I'm not constantly bombarded with trailers, commercials, and Hollywood news for 80+ year old films. I really only need to avoid the Netflix sleeve.
Unfortunately, I've already begun to cheat. I've started reading plot synopses of films I haven't gotten or can't get a copy of. It's pure curiosity-- I just have to know what I'm missing.
My curiosity for The Hollywood Revue of 1929 was mostly sparked by an early search for the film. While I have yet to locate a copy, I did find several clips on YouTube. After watching a few I quickly deduced the plot of this movie: there is no plot. Further reading on IMDB and Wikipedia confirmed my suspicions. This is essentially a feature-length showcase of MGM's biggest stars. (Perhaps the word "revue" should have tipped me off to this sooner?)
Even though this doesn't really seem like a Best Picture nominee to me right now, I will reserve judgement until I see the entire movie. From what I have seen, it at least looks fun. Buster Keaton doing 'The Dance of the Sea' was a neat look at a star I previously only knew by name, as was Laurel and Hardy's magic act. And I'd also be remiss not to mention Joan Crawford's 'Got a Feeling for You.' I really enjoyed her singing and dancing routine. Too bad I couldn't stop thinking "That's 'Mommie Dearest?'" during the entire clip.
No comments:
Post a Comment