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Cloverfield (2008)
Cloverfield is the Apocolypto to Blair Witch's 10,000 BC...
It took moving the young crying hipsters out of the woods to the concrete jungle for a truly magnificent update/homage to the style of Blair Witch's cinematic verite in a docudrama of fear and survival of a scared group of characters running for their lives from an unknown monster. Enough said. See it!
I enjoyed 10,000 BC, I enjoyed Blair Witch... but Apocolypto (damaged from director Mel Gibson rant) was sadly a film seen mostly on cable and DVD. Blair Witch -- was seen by everyone and had very mixed reviews from audiences around the globe -- but it did prepare viewers (as does reality TV) for the hand-held dynamic style seen throughout Cloverfield. SEE IT NOW!
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
a racy pre-code strip tease by Hopkins, an Oscar for March
Fredric March won his first Oscar for this 1932 version of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde". His second Oscar was for 1946's Best Picture "The Best Years of Our Lives". His portrayal was widely acclaimed. Skeptics wondered if he could replace John Barrymore in the public's mind as the definitive Jekyl/Hyde impersonator. He did! Not even Spencer Tracey's under-appreciated performance in MGM's 1941 remake with Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner could stand up to the popularity that March's performance gained. Unfortunately, March's version could not be seen for decades as MGM had buried the film in the vaults.
Years later, what stands out in the pre-code film is the portrayal of Ivy by the outstanding Miriam Hopkins. Oscar nominated for the first full Technicolor film, Rouben Mamoulian's 1935's "Becky Sharp". Miriam would never win an Oscar, but she will be remembered for her roles in "The Heiress", "Trouble in Paradise" and "These Three" (The Children's Hour); and for her battles with Bette Davis during the making of Old Acquaintance and The Old Maid.
As Ivy, Miriam sits on a bed facing the camera and lifts her skirts and petticoats, showing as high as the skin above her garters! It cuts away to March as Jekyl, losing the struggle with his sexual urges. It cuts back to Hopkins, naked with her bare back and side shown to the audience.
Her naked leg is superimposed as Jekyl leaves the building, Ivy on his mind, the lust burning his soul -- so much as to make him want to discover a way to separate his good self from his evil desires.
Most people know the Jekyl and Hyde basic plot of a Doctor experimenting with unimaginable results -- Jerry Lewis and Eddie Murphy both had popular versions of "The Nutty Professor".
The film is worth owning. It is available now on the DVD with both the 1932 and 1941 versions. BUY IT!