Klarinet Archive - Posting 001329.txt from 1997/09

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: Movies about composers!
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 19:58:06 -0400

Before you say that this is off topic, note the comment about
"for the birds" in the body of the work.

But I did think that you would find this amusing.
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The recent hit, COPLAND, is the first in the newest and hottest
Hollywood genre, films based on the names of great composers.
Some of the other films that will soon be arriving in a theatre
near you:

Moe's Art

Moe (of Three Stooges fame), deciding that he's tired of a
life of eye-poking and nose-tweaking, abandons his colleagues
and sojourns to an uncharted South Sea island to pursue his
dream of becoming an artist. After soul-transfiguring
experiences, Moe realizes that performance art is his true
*metier*, and with a grant from NEA, he is reunited with his
Larry and Curly in a movingly emotional climax. This is a
film that's not afraid to ask the question, "What's the big
idea?" (and the answer is "Nyuk, nyuk").

Shoe Man

A charming romantic comedy about a idealistic young shoe
salesman who falls in love with a candle-maker's daughter
(Miss Wick). Basically a good movie, though it gets a little
crazy at the end.

Barely O's

The comic yet heart-warming saga of the inept 1988 Baltimore
Orioles (locally known as "the O's"), who set a major league
record for consecutive losses at the beginning of the season.
The majority of critics are calling this film "fantastique"!
(although a dissenting critic asserted, "If there hadn't been
a title change, it would simply be Much Ado About Nothing!")

Mendel's Son

The illegitimate son of the famed geneticist Gregor Mendel
(remember, he was a monk) attempts to build upon his father's
legacy by experimenting with cloning, with predictably
horrific results. A Scotch-Italian production, the film is
characterized as having a "puckish" wit.

Catch a Turian

In the tradition of The Ghost and the Darkness, big-game
hunters venture forth to darkest Armenia in pursuit of a
mythical beast, known as the Turian, that demands to be "set
free". The critics agree that, although this film borrows too
heavily from other sources, it has a certain trashy charm to
it.

Hinder Myth

A meek mild-mannered scholar totally dedicated to truth adopts
a super-hero guise to battle falsehood, prejudice and myth
where ever they lie. In spite of its overly earnest style,
the film wins us over through the sheer integrity of its
craft.

Messy Anne

A French film about a deeply religious but somewhat disorderly
woman. The critics say that this movie is "for the birds".

Bar Talk

Filmed in a *cinema verite* style, this film brilliantly
depicts the conversation between several famed inebriated
composers, as they all coincidentally converge for an evening
at a neighborhood bar and grill. Steve Buscemi as Mussourgsky
and Brad Pitt as Sibelius are stand-outs in an all-star cast.

Rock Man, Enough!

American audiences finally decide that they are sick and tired
of hearing nonstop rock music used as a sonic backdrop for
every conceivable occasion (obviously, this film is a
fantasy).

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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
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