kholmes39 Reviews

Broken Trail (2006)

Why are so many new westerns shot in Canada?

[7/10 · 25 June 2006]

OPEN RANGE, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, and now BROKEN TRAIL.

Calgary and points west are beautiful, I would admit. In fact, the Canadian Rockies have to be one of the most gorgeous ranges on the planet. BROKEN TRAIL is a superb new western.

And it's probably cheaper to shoot in Canada.

But why are so many new westerns set in the U.S. shot in Canada, rather than in the superlative landscapes we have HERE: Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington...especially since the stories pertain so strongly to American history: ranching, the railroads, Native American tribes, the Irish or Chinese immigrants, the frontier towns, the saloons, etc... Surely a state like New Mexico would offer the tax breaks that Alberta does.

Just wondering.

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

best scene in the film--at the Hollywood Bowl

[7/10 · 30 December 2005]

A recent viewing of THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT has given me the urge to watch many of the classic MGM musicals from the forties and fifties. ANCHORS AWEIGH is certainly a lesser film than ON THE TOWN. The songs aren't as good, nor is the chemistry between the characters. But the film beautifully interweaves classical favorites, such as Tchaikovsky. And the scene at the Hollywood Bowl, with Sinatra and Kelly emerging from the woods above it at the top, and then running down the steps, while dozens of pianists play on the piano, is the best scene in the film, even though the scene in which Kelly dances with Jerry Mouse is more famous. Classical music enthusiasts will no doubt identify the music the pianists are playing. Sinatra then croons, "I Fall in Love Too Easily," before having his epiphany about whom he loves. The color is beautiful, Hollywood looks pretty with its mountains and pollution-free air (Can you imagine Hollywood in the twenties, let alone the mid-1940s?!), and the piano music is absolutely glorious. MGM certainly had a flair for creating lyrical moments like these.