Displaying items by tag: Jamie Lee Curtis

THE LAST SHOWGIRL

US, 1984, 88 minutes, Colour.

Pamela Anderson, Billy Lourd, Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, Dave Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis.

Directed by Gia Coppola.

While The Last Showgirl is a story of a Las Vegas show closing down (fewer coming to the spectacles, more a new popularity of circuses), it provides a fine comeback for Pamela Anderson, a varied career with Playboy, Baywatch, her relationships in the public eye, but her later championing of environmentally friendly products.

The film has been directed by Gia Coppola, the project has quite a number of the Coppola clan involved. She is a granddaughter of Francis Ford, niece of Sophia, cousin of Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman (who has a role here) and the screenwriter is married to a cousin.

In many ways this is a familiar story, and many audiences who have had experiences of being fired, terminated, will resonate. Pamela Anderson plays Shelley, 57, who has danced in the show for 30 years, devoting her life to it – and in rather moving speech to her estranged daughter, she explains how important this has been for her, the show, the costumes, the dancing, even if she is only one out of 80 in the ensemble, smiling and happy to be entertaining the audience. Which is not enough for her daughter giving rise to some emotional confrontations.

Shelley also explains why this is the job she has loved for so long, even as she regrets the consequent neglect of her daughter growing up, that she is one of the regular people doing the best they can with the tools they have.

A lot of the action takes place in the dressing room, leaving some of the spectacle of the show until the later part of the film. In the dressing room interactions, Shelley has become something of a mother figure, to Jody (Kioernan Shipkin) who has left home and alienated her mother. And there is a good friend, Annette, former dancer, now aged, heavily made up, something of a fright wig, working in the gambling pit, played by Jamie Lee Curtis – and a long dance sequence that she choreographed. The daughter is played by Billy Lourd (daughter of Carrie Fisher which means that she brings a lot of experience to the role of the daughter of a showbiz personality).

A pleasant surprise is the casting of Dave Bautista, not in an action show, but as the organiser of the girls, getting them on stage at the right time, reticent in his own way, a friend for Shelley.

A sympathetic portrait of one of the regular people – facing age, jobless, with the possibility for a different future and renewing relationships.

1. A showgirl in Las Vegas story? The background of the shows, the popularity, decline, audiences, change in sensibilities? The effect on the long-time showgirls?
2. A star vehicle for Pamela Anderson, audience knowledge of her career, personal story? Her nominations for awards?
3. Audience response to Las Vegas, favourable, life and style, criticisms? The casinos, the familiar exteriors, the streets, the interiors, the gambling areas, the shows? Costumes and decor? The dressing rooms, behind-the-scenes, the management, control of the action, lighting…?
4. Shelley and her story, the opening, the close-ups, her age, the audition, lying about her age, the music? And the return to this sequence as the show was closing?
5. Shelley, 57, 30 years as a dancer, her long speech explaining to her daughter her love for the show, what it meant, the glamour, the costumes, the impact for the audience? Hannah and her criticism, the showgirls being one of 80, not individuals, and her mother’s choice of this way of life while neglecting her in her growing up?
6. Shelley’s explanation of ordinary regular people, doing what they can with the tools that they have? Audience sympathy and understanding for her?
7. The background of the of the girls, their age, Jody and her age, her family, separations, seeing Shelley as something of a mother figure? Friendships, clashes, reliance? Especially with the show closing? Mary Anne, age and background, age, auditions, bond with Shelley?
8. Eddie, a different role for Dave Bautista, his long-time with the show, relationship with the girls, timing, his announcements, the show going on? The conversations with Shelley? The realisation that he was Hannah’s father, but nobody knowing, his admiration for Shelley but her not responding to him except as a friend and professionally? The invitation to the dinner, the conversation, the past, the tensions, Shelley leaving?
9. Hannah, her life, her mother, with the other family, moving to choose and, visiting her mother, her hard attitude, yet wanting to understand, the discussion about the commitment to the show compared with commitment to family, her eventually seen the show, her dismissing the show, her mother just wonder amongst 80? Her later returning, seeking out her mother, some kind of understanding, and needs for her mother, reconciliation?
10. The friendship with an net, her being a shadow dancer, age, gambling habit, in the pit, finance, her make-up and dress, the bonding and chats with Shelley, and the significance of the long dance sequence and her costume?
11. The repeat of the audition sequence, Shelley and her dance, explaining she was a dancer, her answering back to the man auditioning, her defiance?
12. Sequences her partner bird in Las Vegas, her posture, the dance movements?
13. The film keeping the show and the dance and the staging until later, the emphasis on the costumes, elaborate, their weight, the dances and the poison movement?
14. The film showing the end of the show business era, and its effect on those concerned? And the challenge for the committed Shelley to imagine a different way of life and future?

HAUNTED MANSION

US, 2023, 123 minutes, Colour.

LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chase W .Dillon, Jarrod Leto, J.R.Aducci.

Directed by Justin Simien.

This review has been very much influenced by the experience of watching Haunted Mansion at a media preview, reviewers present but also a great number of children with their parents, youngsters.

At the end of the screening, the critics dismissed the film, seeing little value in it, finding it tiresome. And, that is confirmed by a number of reviewers and, checking the bloggers on IMDb, so many dismissing it as boring, unfunny, trite, seen it all before…, critical of Disney for remaking the story.

However, the experience of watching the film was for this reviewer quite different. Quickly becoming conscious of the youngsters in the audience, their responses of delight, especially with the ghosts, the hauntings, the struggles with the ghosts. This was made easy because one of the central characters is a nine-year-old boy, his father dead, his mother wanting to start a new life, their going to the mansion and immediately being haunted and terrified, fleeing, but the ghosts continually dragging them back to the mansion. There were several jump moments which seemed to delight the young audience.

The other thing noted about the young audience was its response to the jokes, to the funny lines, to the humour. Reviewers and bloggers dismiss this as being old hat, obvious, not very funny. But, it would seem that the young audience found these jokes very funny, a lot of out-loud laughter. While the adults may have heard the lines before, maybe this was the first time for the youngsters and they found it all quite funny.

In fact, the film has a strong cast, a very sympathetic LaKeith Stanfield as the sad widower, physicist, dragged into photographing the ghosts with a camera he had been working on. Rosario Dawson is a nice mother and Chase W. Dillon, an engaging nine-year-old. And the film has the comic skills of Danny DeVito as an ageing professor, Owen Wilson as an unconventional (emphasis on the con) priest, Tiffany Haddish as a loud medium and, rather surprisingly, Jamie Lee Curtis as a medium ghost from the past. An unrecognisable Jared Leto is the villain. The director, Justin Simien, has a reputation for satirical film and television, especially Dear White People.

So, an entertainment, PG rated, geared especially for children from 10 to 15 or so who can be accompanied by the parents who may be pleased that the young ones are actually enjoying the haunted mansion and the ghostly hijinks.

1.     The Disney theme park? Various film versions? Bringing the theme park ride alive?

2.     The Louisiana setting, city of New Orleans, ordinary life, the visualising of the mansion, exteriors, interiors, the ghosts, the special effects, the mansion and surroundings? The visit to the city, the police, the University…? The Crump mansion? The musical score?

3.     The focus on Ben, his personality, reticent, science, optics, the encounter with his wife, discussion about ghosts, her tours? Transition to his being down and out, crusty, the tourists, his comments?

4.     Gabby and Travis, the U-haul, the mansion, entering, the darkness, Travis and the room, the ghosts, their escaping back to the city?

5.     Father Kent, an Owen Wilson character, clerical, deadpan humour, challenging Ben? The offer of the money? Ben going, his camera, pretending to take photos and notes, driving away?

6.     The ghosts, appearances, pursuing the characters, forcing them to return to the mansion? Camping in the mansion, the experiences after midnight?

7.     Harriet, the medium, dress and style, reputation, self-promotion, conducting the seances, the strange phenomena, the pen and the writing? Her leaving, having to return? The story of Madame Leota, her reputation, wanting to get in touch, finding her head in the globe after unpacking the trunk? Contact with Madame Leota? The silence, Harriet not affected, then entering into the other world?

8.     Bruce, age, reputation, never having been to the mansion, wanting to go, his heart condition, the repartee with Father Kent? The discussions, the documents, Father Kent stealing them, Bruce coming to the mansion, trapped?

9.     The back story, gradual uncovering, William Gracey, the portrait, suicide, the death of his wife? The gradual revelation about Crump? The change of perspective on the ghosts, 999, their being trapped, Crump needing one more willing human to become a ghost?

10.  The seances, Ben and his experiences, the pursuits, getting advice from Gracie, getting onside with the ghosts and their support? The advice of Madame Leota?

11.  The human story, Travis, wanting contact with his father, Ben as a father figure, relationship with his mother? Bonding with Ben? Aiming to protect him, his going down the hall, retrieving the hat, in the car, coming out, his involvement? Gabby, her love for her son, protecting him?

12.  The stunt work, the chases, the transforming mansion, the ghosts?

13.  Father Kent and the truth about his identity?

14.  The buildup to the confrontation with Crump, his appearance, hat in the box, diabolical, Ben, his grief, memories of his wife, telling the sad story of her death, his being willing to sacrifice himself? Then turning against Crump, defying him, Crump gradually going down into the grave?

15.  The range of personalities of the ghosts, their being onside, helping, the old captain and taking him back to the sea, Gracey and his collaboration?

16.  The popularity of the Disney ride, on screen, the target audience of families and youngsters?