It Follows (2014)

Director:

David Robert Mitchell

Writer:

David Robert Mitchell

Stars:

Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi 

A young woman is followed by a relentless. supernatural entity after a sexual encounter. 

That's it. That's the plot of the movie. You can go shave your back hair now!

OMG! That dress is terrible. 

It Follows is a great example of a movie that's beautifully done... but is terrible at the same time. The movie has a retro vibe to it. Everything in the movie looks like it was purchased from Goodwill. Leftover props from the late 80's to 90's are strewn throughout the movie, but it's not necessarily trying to be retro or "cool". It's very subtle. 

Gurl! Have respect for yourself! Make him take you to a La Quinta at least!

Every review I've read for this movie keeps calling it a "Modern Horror Story!" I agree. It is a very new sort of story. The story is about a young girl having sex with a dude who, afterwards, informs her of a strange entity that will follow her and try to kill her until she passes it on to someone else by fucking them. It's like a walking STD that will kill you, and by walking I literally mean walking. This thing never speeds up. It chases this girl relentlessly, but it doesn't run, jump or skip... it walks. It's very unsettling because it's almost like it's not in a hurry to kill her. It knows it will eventually have her and it savors each step it takes toward her annihilation. I kind of imagine it saying: "Bitch, I don't even need to run, I'm gonna get yo ass eventually!"

Granny wants your soul.

The camera work is fantastic and the director knows how to create an atmosphere of dread and unease. Mitchell is extremely talented at dialing up the suspense or flat-lining it on a moments notice. He creates this very tense progression that just builds and builds, sometimes it pays off, other times it doesn't. Yes, there are some lame jump scares thrown in, but they weren't annoying. The movie mainly relies of the slow build of terror and the constant state of tension. The monster doesn't suddenly pop out from behind a tree and go "BOO!" No, you see this monster coming from a mile away and it's intense. 

A refreshing aspect of this film was the supporting characters. In so many horror films the friends don't believe the main protagonist when something fucked is happening. The frustrated begs and pleas for belief are not in this film. The friends are totally supportive and willing to help out however they can. Though they can't see whatever is following her, they believe her and are totally ride or die bitches, even going as far to help her come up with ways to kill it. 

"Yeah we think you cray, but we'll totes support you!"

Another thing to point out is this movie is VERY surreal. It's littered with David Lynch-type imagery throughout. It's kind of like Twin Peaks on steroids. It ain't fucking around. Sometimes this is done with a very light touch, other times it's thrown in your face like a hot cup of coffee. For instance: There's a scene where this entity takes the form of a disheveled teenage girl, wearing only one tube sock and peeing herself. What was the point? Why was she peeing herself? Things like this seem to only be thrown in for the sake of fuckery and have no real point. 

You be straight up trippin'.

While this movie wasn't the worst, it needed a few tweaks. It Follows takes itself far too seriously. It's about a walking STD coming to kill you! Can we have a little camp thrown in? I know STD's are serious and all that, but I mean.... come on! Let's have a little fun with it! It's almost like the movie takes it's theme to the point of extreme. It's as if the write/director is sitting next to you, poking and prodding you throughout saying: "See what I did? See what I did? This represents the real fear young people have of STD's I just made it more literal! See? See?" I FUCKING GET IT! 

Oh hai!

The movie can get a bit pretentious at times, trying to connect things and have deep meanings or some other bullshit. It's not done well. It's obvious in it's trying to make some spiritual sense of everything, but in the end it falls flat and just adds more time and tediousness to the already sprawling story line. There are times I just want to shake the director and yell "GET TO THE POINT! END THIS ALREADY!" At the same time... this is the directors SECOND movie. I'm cutting some slack, plus I appreciate he wrote and directed the movie. Mad props to you sir. 

OMG! It really does follow!

I've read other reviews of this movie, and many are disappointed that you never find out what this thing that follows is. We never do find out the origin of the monster(entity? Ghost? Mutant?), or exactly what it is. It's left a mystery. I know I'm the odd man out here, but I'm fine with it. I would have been extremely disappointed if they had that whole series of cliche' scenes where they go to a university/paranormal investigator/retired professor/psychic/whatever and everything is explained from an ancient book that somehow this person of knowledge has. I'm extremely glad we didn't have those scene because A) It would have made the movie MUCH longer and B) It didn't need it. 

"Hey y'all! I'm just an evil naked entity crossing train tracks!"

Besides the superb production and original plot, the aspect of leaving the audience in a shroud of mystery is the strongest aspect this film has going for it. Knowing what It is would just ruin the illusion. It's kinda like the show Lost, once you know whats in the hatch, you just don't care anymore. 

Let's all go into the foreboding house! YAY!

With all that being said and to end on a positive note, I'm extremely impressed by this movie. I think It Follows has opened the door for more horror films like this to be made. For far too long, the genre of horror has seems to have been an after-thought by studios. There has been no real art or effort put into them. They've just been a quick way to make money. It Follows shows hope for the genre. Yes, a horror film can be well done and aesthetically pleasing. Yes, you can make a horror movie that relies on tension and true terror more than cheap jump scares and buckets of blood thrown at the camera. Maybe some filmmakers will finally see the light and start making horror a serious genre again instead of the punchline it's been over the past few years. I truly hope It Follows is a start of a revolution where filmmakers see that horror audiences want well thought-out story lines and artful production more than 3D, gimmicky gore and torture porn. 

BITCH! I done told you I didn't want a doggie door!

Ouija (2014)

Director:Stiles White

Writers: Juliet Snowden (screenplay), Stiles White (screenplay)
Stars: Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff, Bianca A. Santos. Douglas Smith and Shelley Hennig

After the untimely loss of their friend, a group of friends attempt to contact her spirit through her Ouija board she had been playing with before she passed. They soon realize they've made a terrible mistake once the spirit begins to manifest itself in disturbing ways. 

There is no way this could end poorly.

I just really want movie makers to give more fucks! Is that too much to ask? Yeah, so I watched this. I had my hopes up because I thought this was going to be somewhat of a remake of the 1986 horror classic Witchboard, I was sorely mistaken. This is just a run of the mill horror film a studio thoughtlessly churned out to have a cash cow for the Halloween season. Almost ZERO thought was put into making this movie and it shows in almost every aspect. 

So much denim...

The beginning of the film shows a hot blonde girl named Debbie (Shelley Hennig) burning an Ouija board. I really kinda wish that was then ending, but it kept going. For some reason her friend, Laine (Olivia Cooke), is calling her from in front of her house asking her where she is. Here's a fucking thought! RING THE DOORBELL!!! I don't know why this scene made me so mad, but it did! WHY ARE YOU CALLING HER! I'd understand if Laine was in a car waiting for her to come out, but she's not! She's literally in her front yard calling her. Whatever, moving on. So after burning this Ouija board, Debbie goes outside to see Laine and their all like "OMG! Like, are you going to the basketball game?" "Like, no, I'm going to stay home." "Like, are you okay? OMG?" "Yah, I've been playing with a Ouija board and it's totally weird." "OMG Bye!" "Bye!'

The wardrobe department just raided a guy's closet from the 90's.

So Laine and Debbie talk and Debbie is being all weird, she doesn't go to some basket ball game with Laine, so Laine goes on without her. Debbie then has some bullshit experience in the kitchen with a door opening and a burner turning itself on. After that she goes upstairs, sees the Ouija board she thought she had burnt on her bed. She picks up the planchette, looks through the glass thingy, takes some decorative Christmas lights from her room, still lit up and hangs herself. That's the beginning. 

As the movie goes on, Laine, her younger sister and her friends, decide to play with the Ouija board because they're looking for closure. They each begin having disturbing events and they also begin dying one by one. It's pretty obvious from the get-go who's going to live and who's going to die. Now, lets talk about my problems with this film. 

"Sure! Dolls are creepy! Lets throw a doll in there for fun!" - Movie Makers

So after Debbie hangs herself with Christmas lights that were decorating her room, they show her room again when Laine is having a heart to heart with Debbie's mother, THE LIGHTS ARE THERE. WTF?!?!?! Either she got new lights to put in her dead daughter's room, or she used the damn lights her daughter's suicide. Whatever. We're also not really sure what age these kids are. We know that have classes and stuff, but it isn't until they show them in a hallway with lockets that we're sure they're in high school. Sooo... where are their parents? In the beginning of the movie, Laine's father goes on some business trip or something, leaving her to care for her younger sister who's supposed to be like... 15? 16? WE DON'T KNOW! Nothing is explained to us. They're not helping us connect to these characters at all. And it's not like these kids look like they're in their teens. None of them look the age they're portraying. They all look like they're in their early-late 20's. 

You fucked up your mouth gurl. 

It also shows one of the "teens" working at a diner, she leaves, goes home and... no ones there? Really? Where are the parents? Another kid dies when he comes home, no one's there. WTF? And they're allowed to roam about freely at all hours of the night, all over town? I really don't understand. I guess kids are more independent these days??? I don't know. I can't even blame the sub-par acting on the actors, I blame the material they were given. All the characters were poorly written and developed. 

Of course we need a creepy kid! Why not!

As far as the horror goes, it's pretty good. There were definitely some scenes that gave me the creeps. The scary bits were done very well, for this I give the movie some credit. The story was okay, a bit simplistic and predictable, but okay. I wasn't expecting some deep, psychological, mind-twisting story, but I was expecting the person writing the story to give more fucks. There are definitely no Oscars or accolades being won here, nor do I feel this movie even tried to get those. Like I said before, this was a movie that was churned out by the studio to make a quick buck, nothing else. What bothers me is the complete lack of effort put into the details and story,

That broach makes the outfit.

If plot holes, poor character development, bad directing and terrible acting doesn't bother you, and you're in the mood for some chills and thrills, then give this a shot, but only if it's like... free or your friends made the mistake of buying it and watched it and you dug it out of their trash. Wow... I am a bitch. 

Someone needs a manicure!

Camp Takota (2014)

Directed by: Chris Riedell, Nick Riedell
Writing Credits: Mamrie Hart, Michael Goldfine, Lydia Genner
Staring: Grace Helbig, Mamrie Hart, Hannah Hart, Chris Riedell and Chester See

After Elise Miller's(Grace Helbig) personal and professional life crumbles, she becomes a camp counselor at her childhood summer camp where she reunites with old friends (Mamrie Hart and Hannah Hart) and tries to pick up the pieces of her life.

If you don't know, Mamrie Hart, Hannah Hart and Grace Helbig are extremely successful social media comedians. Mamrie, Hannah and Grace all run successful YouTube channels and often collaborate with each other. They've even gone on tour together doing sold-out comedy shows all over the globe. Even though they are all successful as a group and as solo acts, they're extremely close friends. Watching Camp Takota, you can tell this was definitely a labor of love for all involved. 

I love them so much. 

Now that we have the background out of the way, lets actually talk about the movie. I was trying to watch the movie objectively, as if I'm not a fan of Mamrie, Hannah or Grace. I couldn't! I think I'd still love the movie even if I didn't know who they were, but I just couldn't not put my fan-dom aside! I love them soooooooooooo fucking much! The question is though; Is this movie still appealing if you don't know these ladies from YouTube?. The answer is YES. The movie stands on both feet, even without it's social media presence. It's extremely goodhearted fun and debauchery. 

I wanna drink with them soooo badly.

Don't get me wrong, there is definitely some inside humor for their loyal YouTube audience. Mamrie's character's humor is very similar to her real life self. Hannah's character is a chef which is a holla at Hannah's popular YouTube show "My Drunk Kitchen". Grace's character is just a charming, hot-mess which is totally just her. There's even a scene where she's wearing gray sweatpants and a blazer. Total Grace move. That's not to say these ladies can't act. They definitely bring it!

I loved the acting in this film. Everyone pulled their own weight. YouTube singing sensation Chester See did an awesome job playing an asshole, douche-bag who cheats on Elise. Chris Riedell did a great job as the charming farmer. Don't get it twisted though, the stand-out performances are definitely the three leading ladies. Mamrie, Grace and Hannah are all fantastic. They're real life friendship shines through the script and we as an audience are okay with it.  The movie is just a good time! It's lighthearted and fun! I recommend everyone watch it if you're feeling down. It's definitely one of those movies I want to re-visit again on a rainy day.

For more information on Camp Takota, visit their IMDB page or Official Site.

#tbt: A Little Princess (1995)

Director:

Alfonso Cuarón

Writers:

 Frances Hodgson Burnett (novel), Richard LaGravenese (screenplay), Elizabeth Chandler (screenplay)

Stars:

 Liesel Matthews, Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham

Cinderella!!!

Sara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) is forced to leave her beloved India after her father (Liam Cunningham) enlists to fight for the British in WWI. He moves Sara to New York to attend the same boarding school as her late mother attended, in hopes she would have the utmost care. Sara's creativity and kind-nature soon lead her and the head-mistress Miss Minchin (Eleanor Bron) to clash. As Sara continues to struggle staying true to herself and trying to follow the stifling rules of Miss Minchin, tragedy strikes. Now Sara must find away to believe in her dreams, while dealing with the harsh realities of the cold, cruel world. 

What do these girls even talk about? "Oh I like your green dress!" "Your's too!"

I kinda made this movie sound more depressing than it is. Sorry. It's really not! It's actually an amazingly positive and sweet movie! This movie is so ingrained in my childhood memories, it's right up there with Wizard of Oz, Sleeping Beauty and Steel Magnolias (Yes, Steel Magnolias was one of my favorite movies as a child, we'll talk about it later.). I would watch this movie over and over. It's very much a modern fairy-tale, except it takes place in 1914, so it's not that modern. 

Someone's wearing their fancy-pants today. 

I got HBO last weekend as some special new year promotion, and I saw this was coming on. I hadn't seen it in YEARS. It's probably been a good ten years, which is surprising considering I have two much younger sisters, but they were so into Hannah Montana and High School Musical shit, I guess this masterpiece somehow fell through the cracks for them. Anyway, I decided to watch it, but I was a little scared that I wouldn't be able to make it all the way through. You know how you re-visit a childhood movie or cartoon and it makes you cringe SO BAD and you hate yourself for ever liking it in the first place? That's happened to me a few times (Ahem, Ed, Edd and Eddy), but with this movie it wasn't the case. 

How did her father know to dress her like that? I mean, I know he's British but... still.

I LOVED IT! It made remember being a kid again! I always wanted to be a little princess like Sara Crewe! Looking at it as an adult, I can so appreciate this movie for what it is now. The costumes, the set design, the lighting, the script, the acting... everything is just perfect. It's one of these rare movies you come across that just work. The directing is absolutely superb. I looked up Alfonso Cuarón and saw that along with this movie, he's also directed Great Expectations (1998) and Children of Men. I'm not in the least bit surprised. Though this movie is a intended for children and has a whimsical, almost dream-like vibe to it, it's still very dark and stylized. The green hues and drab, muted earth tones that come into play after Sara moves to New York, starkly contrast the world she once knew in India, where the film opened. This really helps us see things through Sara's eyes, and helps us relate to her. Little things like changing the color scheme is such a nice touch in a movie like this. Alfonso Cuarón did something very similar things in Great Expectations. 

"I have to fight a war now, I'm just gonna leave you hear with the weird bitch lady. PEACE!"

Now lets address the elephant in the room. The story. It's messed up. In case you haven't seen the movie, SPOILER ALERT! Sara's father is presumed dead and she's left alone in the world. Not only is Sara's father taken from her, but the British government seizes all his wealth and property. WHAT? Is this for real? After a man signs up to help YOU fight in a vicious war and "dies" you're going to take all his shit and peace out leaving his little girl, the only family he has, NOTHING?!?! 1914 ethics were FUCKED! I never understood that part as a child. I was always very worried about the financial situations of my fictional characters when I was young. To me, a happy ending = money, fame, marriage or all three. 

Someone "Arms of an Angel" these children! 

Watching this movie again as an adult, I still found myself feeling HORRIBLE for Sara. Not only did she lose the only person she had in the world, she also lost all of her assets. Miss Minchin, supposedly being in a financial rut because of Sara, takes almost everything she has and forces her to move to the attic and work as a servant girl. It's very Cinderella. Despite everything, Sara never gives up on her fantasies and imagination. She still believes everything will turn out for the best, despite what Miss Minchen preaches at her. This movie may very well be why I was (and still am) kinda delusional and imaginative sometimes.

What a fucking bitch!

The acting was spot-on. I haven't really seen any of the actors in this film in anything else that I know of, but they were all great! I have to give a special shout-out to Liesel Matthews. She was incredible! She played the President's daughter in Air Force One along side Harrison Ford, but after that she seemed to disappear. It turns out, Liesel's real name is Liesel Pritzker Simmons and she's an heiress to the Hyatt Hotel fortune. When she was a teenager, she found out that her father's relatives were secretly swindling money from her and her brother, Matthew (Where she got her stage last name.). Liesel hired a lawyer and sued them for her and her brother's rightful inheritance. It was an ugly battle. It was found out that the family memeber Liesel sued were actually stealing her inheritance and dividing up the money amongst themselves. Under the settlement, Liesel and Matthew each received roughly U.S. $280 million in cash and were given more control over other trusts valued at about U.S. $170 million each. Liesel now does charity work in Africa along with her husband, and dabbles in business. I'm happy for Liesel and her charitable projects, but I feel like she would be one of the top actresses in Hollywood today if she had stuck to it.

Guuurl! You gonna get pneumonia! That's dangerous in 1914!

I know that was not really a part of the movie, but I thought I would share it because it's super interesting. Anyway, the movie is awesome, and if you haven't seen it... what's wrong with you? Go watch it! This cynical, negative world we live in these days, really gets me down sometimes, so this movie was perfect for me to re-visit. The movie teaches that magic is real, and that real magic is within all of us. Those who believe in magic will find it, and those who follow their dreams and stay true to themselves will have their happy ending. 

some little boys are too... just sayin'.

For more information, click here.

Buy it here

I'm just gonna say it: black women pull off hats better. That's not racist, it's SCIENCE!

Underrated Movies - Wicker Park (2004)

Director:Paul McGuigan
Writers: Gilles Mimouni (film L'Appartement), Brandon Boyce (screenplay)
Stars: Josh Hartnett, Rose Byrne, Diane Kruger and Matthew Lillard

After Matthew's (Josh Hartnett) girlfriend, Lisa (Diane Kruger) seems to disappear without a trace, he moves on with his life and becomes a successful advertising agent with a beautiful fiancee. Two years later, things seems to be going fine until he thinks he spots Lisa at a restaurant, which leads him to put his life on hold to finally find his long-lost love. As he begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together it leads him down a path of mystery and obsession all in his old neighborhood of Wicker Park.  

Dammit Josh! Put the paper down!

Something funny happened the other night, I was brushing my teeth, and for some reason, I thought about this movie and how much I loved it. I made a mental note to see if it was on Netflix. Turns out, I didn't have to, this past weekend, I discovered I had all the HBO channels as a special promotion to try to get me to buy all the HBO channels.  Low and behold, I spotted this movie in the line-up. I'm psychic or something I swear! I re-visited it and it turns out, I love it even more than I already did! 

Ooooh... heeeeeey Diane Kruger. How you doin'?

What makes this movie so fucking good is how subtle it is. Little things happen in the beginning of the movie, little things you really don't think anything about. Later on, you realize how important these things are to the actual story. The problem is, Wicker Park has been a victim of it's time. It came out in 2004, kinda the beginning of the digital age. I feel like this movie is lost on people of the present, and it makes me sad. 

I see we're going for the "Pale Tammy Faye" look.

After I watched the movie this last time, I did a little research (Despite what you may think, yes, I actually do research before I blog here!) I noticed that a lot of reviews were initially negative. Many critics hailed the movie as unbelievable, with a plot that has too many coincidences to really be taken seriously. Some people say the entire story of the movie could have been solved with one email or text message. THIS in essence is what wrong with Wicker Park, 

Damn Rose Byrne, you've come a LOOOONG way since 2004

Wicket Park is an intelligent. romantic-thriller. It's not one of these movies you can watch while writing a Facebook post or Twitting. The movie demands your attention. Keep in mind this movie is a remake of the 1996 French film, L'Appartement. In 1996, we hadn't come very far with technology, not as far as we had in 2004. I've never seen the original film for which Wicker Park is based, but according to many reviews, the director stayed extremely true to the original plot. While L'Appartement is regarded as a masterpiece, Wicker Park is generally shit on. I feel like the American audience couldn't respond the intricate, well-built plot. Many reviews on IMDB said this movie was too hard to follow. In this current world of Michael Bay shittaculars and reality TV, audiences are too used to having plots laid out for them. This is why Wicker Park has not survived the test of time. 

"It's cold out here... but you know what's warm? MY DIIAAACK!" 

Now, lets actually talk about the movie itself. I can see where people could possibly get confused with the timeline, however, I watched this when I was a high-school freshman and followed it perfectly. The first half of the movie follows Matthew, who seems to have his life together. He has a fiancee and an amazing job in advertisement. At a business lunch, Matthew thinks he's caught a glimpse of his former girlfriend, Lisa, who virtually disappeared two years earlier. He pretty much puts his life on hold to track her down and find out what really happened. 

Get some blinds! Curtains! Something! Pervs!

As Matthew continues investigating, he has flashbacks to two years ago when he was a photographer and dating the beautiful dancer, Lisa. Their relationship gets serious, and soon Matthew asks Lisa to move in with him, She doesn't give him an answer, but promises to meet him the next day. When she doesn't show up, Matthew learns that Lisa has ran off to join a dance troupe in Europe without any explanation. Thinking he scared Lisa away, a brokenhearted Matthew moves on with his life. 

You're hair is stupid.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

"You're a psycho-bitch-whore aren't you?"

Half-way through the film, it's revealed that both Matthew and Lisa have been manipulated by Alex, Lisa's best friend who's desperately in-love with Matthew. We then get to see the story from Alex's perspective and how she has continuously done her absolute best to fuck up everyone's Christmas. It's revealed that Alex has been the one who has kept the two lovers a part out because of her jealousy of Lisa and her obsession with Matthew. In the end, all the pieces of the puzzle come together and we, as an audience are like "Oooooh! That's what that was! That's why that happened!" It's through Alex's point of view and flashbacks we learn the true story of what's really been happening in Wicker Park. 

"Look, I'm secretly jealous of you and been keeping you from love. We're still BFFs right?"

The acting in this movie is very well done. Josh Hartnett is great. Desperation and determination are emotions Mr. Hartnett does well. Diane Kruget is good too, she's not in it a lot, but the parts she's in are memorable enough. Matthew Lillard plays his typical Matthew Lillard role. The good-time guy who loves women and sex. It's Rose Byrne's who really steals the show. She's only in half the movie, but her portrayal of a homely Alex, a desperate, obsessive, pathological liar and psychopath is definitely the stand-out performance of this movie. 

Get this girl a drink... and a strait-jacket.

Every actor does a superb job. Each scene is done with incredible emotion from all parties. Instead of relying on email or cell phones to move the audience through the plot, we rely on the character's emotions and wit. The plot unfolds beautifully and a lot of it has to do with the stand-up acting. 

Wicker Park? More like WINTER Park! HEEEYOOO! I'll show myself out.

The style of the movie is very artsy, reflecting the neighborhood of Wicker Park itself. I really enjoyed the artsy aspect of the film, though I can see how some would think it was trying too hard. It saddens me that this film will always be seen as a flop. Another American re-make of a foreign film gone wrong. I feel like it's not given a fair chance, but whatever, I still love it. Check it out, that is, if you can stay away from your smart phone for a couple of hours. 

The Pirate (1948)

Starring: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Walter Slezak, Gladys Cooper and Reginald Owen
Written by: Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich and S.N. Behrman (Play)
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli

Manuela (Judy Garland), becomes engaged to a local rich man (Walter Slezak), while secretly harboring feelings for the ruthless, legendary pirate Macoco. When traveling actor Serafin (Gene Kelly) falls in love with Manuela and learns of her affections for Macoco, he pretends to be the bloodthirsty pirate to impress her. 

The Pirate came along during the golden age of musicals. The movie was done by MGM, so of course it was absolutely stunning to behold. Critics praised The Pirate for it's sophistication and superb delivery, but the audience failed to respond to the ambitious musical and it became financial disaster for MGM. 

The movie is so beautifully done. This is no doubt a Vincente Minnelli direction. Everything about it is over-the-top fabulous. The sets, the costumes, the musical numbers, everything is extremely well done. To compliment the feature, MGM's typical handling of Technicolor shows all the Minnelli fabulous-ness with true brilliance. Today, it boggles my mind how this feature wasn't a success.

Director Vincente Minnelli with wife Judy Garland and daughter Liza on set.

The movie wasn't without it's problems. Garland and Minnelli were married at the time, it was during this feature, their marriage started falling a part. They often fought on set, many times resulting in Judy walking off the set and not returning. Another problem was Judy's failing health. Years of addiction to prescription drugs had begun taking it's toll on her. Judy also had bouts of self-doubt and anxiety which resulted in several nervous breakdowns and emotional outbursts. Judy missed 99 of the scheduled 135 filming days, resulting in the movie going over budget.

Vincente Minnelli giving Garland direction

Gene Kelly was left to carry the film, and boy did he ever! He's dancing, singing and acting are on point! He doesn't miss beat playing the overly flamboyant, womanizing traveling actor Serafin, who without a doubt is one of Kelly's most memorable roles. His dance sequence "Nina" is one of the highlights of the film, He later has another solo dance number called "The Pirate Ballet." It's so over the top, with explosions, fight-dancing sequences, fire and extremely tight hot pants.

Yes, this is actually happening. 

Kelly's charisma, charm and athletic dance numbers pour through the screen making this a first and far-most, Gene Kelly film. That's not to say Garland's performance was off-kilter. Judy Garland playing a good-girl gone bad is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this film. Judy is given a rare opportunity to play a character who embraces adulthood and romance. Her "Mack the Black"
solo number is definitely the main thing this film is remembered for. Judy casts off her famous good girl roles from Wizard of Oz and Meet Me in St. Louis and dances lustily, being tossed around and moved about by several men. Despite her problems, no other director has been able to capture Judy Garland on film the way Vincente Minnelli has. He made us, as the audience, see what he saw in Garland, a beautiful, sometimes sexy, woman.

"Mack the Black"

Though Judy had problems showing up to the set, when she did show up, she delivered. She was able to do many scenes in one shot and able to study her lines once and deliver them perfectly. Like a typical Garland performance, you can't tell she's struggling with her own demons of the set. That is what makes her a fantastic actor.

I like yo hat. 

It's such a shame we weren't able to have more Kelly-Garland movies. Unfortunately, we only have three: For Me and My Gal, The Pirate and Summer Stock. Though all three movies are enjoyable, it's almost like this dynamic duo never got a chance to really shine. For Me and My Gal was more focused on wartime propaganda, and Summer Stock physically showcased Garland's failing health due to her constant weight fluctuations. Both were supposed to star in the Easter Parade, however, Kelly broke his ankle while rehearsing, and was replaced with Fred Astaire. We'll never know what could have been. Garland was fired from MGM after Summer Stock, her final movie with Kelly and with MGM.

NINA!!!

The Pirate is definitely a more stagy, unrealistic production, but what audiences of the time failed to realize, was that's what is was supposed to be. This is why there is such a divide with critics and audiences on the movie. Whether you're in on the joke or not, The Pirate is definitely a weird movie, dare I say a cult classic. The over-zealous and ridiculous production may have been why the movie failed, but it's also why it soars.

From the "Be a Clown" number.