ABCs at the Movies: The Doubles Round!

[oilgun]

From IMDb:   This play had significant personal meaning for me in the early 80s and I only recently found a copy of this film adaptation. Like many stage comedies, the translation to film falls flat in most scenes partly due to the absence of theatrical elements (including the audience) but the biggest problem with this version is the casting. With ethnicity at the core of much of the humor, it was less than convincing to have Rita Moreno as an Italian widow, Madeline Kahn as an Irish floozy, and other characters trying to "play" an ethnicity that was not natural for them. But I really liked the ending on this filmed version, and the scene between Francis and his father at the end was very real and touching making this a nice "coming out" film for the whole family.

[southendmd]

Plot:  Tony Stark is the complete playboy who also happens to be an engineering genius. While in Afghanistan demonstrating a new missile he's captured and wounded. His captors want him to assemble a missile for them but instead he creates an armored suit and a means to prevent his death from the shrapnel left in his chest by the attack. He uses the armored suit to escape. Back in the U.S. he announces his company will cease making weapons and he begins work on an updated armored suit only to find that Obadiah Stane, his second in command at Stark industries has been selling Stark weapons to the insurgents. He uses his new suit to return to Afghanistan to destroy the arms and then to stop Stane from misusing his research.  Keyword:  birthday present.

[Fran]

From Wikipedia:  "Jaane Tu ... Ya Jaane Na" (Hindi: जाने तू ... या जाने ना, Urdu: جانے تو یا جانے نا, translation: Whether you know... or not) is a 2008 Hindi-language film written and directed by Abbas Tyrewala. The film stars Imran Khan and Genelia D'Souza in pivotal roles. Produced by Aamir Khan and Mansoor Khan, it marks the debut of Imran Khan (Aamir Khan's nephew) as an actor, and Abbas Tyrewala as a director, and re-appearance of Genelia in Bollywood. Released on July 4, 2008, the film has received favorable reviews, going on to enjoy quite a successful run at the box office.

From IMDb:  This film is great and Imran Khan has star quality written all over him. It is one of the happiest, cleverest feel-good films Bollywood has come up with in a long time. If you are not a romantic, this film might not thrill you but it won't bore you either. And if you are a romantic (I confess), then you have got to treat yourself and go see this. The musical numbers are very good -- especially the "Can't Dance" number at the birthday party.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nccwKjcwNzU[/youtube]
1:06

[memento]

Plot: Birthday concert featuring Victor Borge conducting Det Kgl. Kapel (The Royal Orchestra) at Copenhagen City Hall.

[southendmd]

Plot:  Mrs Erlynne, the mother of Lady Windermere - her daughter does not know about her - wants to be introduced in society, so that she can marry Lord Augustus Lorton. Lord Windermere, who helped her with a cheque, invites her to his wife's birthday-party, but Lady Windermere thinks, she has reason to be jealous, so she decides to leave her husband and go to Lord Darlington, who is pining for her. Mrs Erlynne finds this out and tries to prevent her of this mistake, but her daughter leaves her fan in Lord Darlingtons residence.

Ernst Lubitch directs Oscar Wilde's play.  With Ronald Coleman and May McAvoy.

[Fran]

From IMDb:  I've watched and enjoyed most of Ealing's classic comedies several times over the years but, along with THE MAGNET (1950), the film under review was one which had eluded me thus far. The main reason for this, perhaps, is the fact that THE MAGGIE is hardly ever discussed when the studio's golden age is mentioned which is even more remarkable when one realizes that the film was nominated for three major British Film Awards in its day; having now caught up with it, all I can say is that it has been unjustly neglected for far too long.

This amiably droll little film, full of the typically wry but gentle humor found in British comedies of its time, deals with a wealthy American businessman (an ideally-cast Paul Douglas) who is tricked by a group of old Scottish seamen (headed by a terrific Alex Mackenzie, whose first film this was, as the skipper) into chartering their ramshackle boat to carry a cargo of valuable furniture to his new summer residence in the British isles which he purchased as a surprise to his wife.

The trouble is that Douglas, forever expecting promptness and efficiency from his subordinates, is hardly equipped to cope with the devious plans of the wily Scots who treasure their own jolly company and a good stiff drink above everything else, as the various detours they take along the way -- poaching, pub-hopping, a 100-year birthday party, visits to nearby cousins, etc. -- prove only too well to the increasingly exasperated Yankee. The cast is rounded out by some old reliables like Geoffrey Keen and an unrecognizably young Andrew Keir, and valuable contributions are also provided by Hubert Clegg (as Douglas' befuddled secretary) and the child Tommy Kearins (as Mackenzie's fiercely loyal cabin boy).

[memento]

Plot: Twenty-three-year old Peter Foster is an only child who lives at home, where he constantly hears his parents arguing. Because Peter does nothing all day, the family goes to a clinic where a therapist videotapes them. After Peter watches his tape, he views the tape of a troubled Armenian family, who gave their only son away for adoption when they arrived in Canada. Peter decides to visit this family, and he pretends to be their son, Bedros Deryan. The Deryan family welcomes him with open arms, and Peter tries to patch up the poor relationship between George Deryan and his daughter Azah.

Trivia: Director Cameo: [Atom Egoyan] a guest in Bedros' birthday party

[southendmd]

From IMDb: Change comes slowly to a small New Hampshire town in the early 20th century. People grow up, get married, live, and die. Milk and the newspaper get delivered every morning, and nobody locks their front doors.

Plot keywords include:  Birthday

[Fran]

Plot keywords include:  Birthday | Happy Birthday | Birthday Card

From IMDb:  Henry is determined to keep a very important date -- come rain or shine. All this wheelchair-bound rebel must do is elude the nursing home's vigilant warden, Nurse Jenkins. In this battle of wills, comedy and drama dovetail in a poignant closing shot.

This ten-minute short can be viewed here:  http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1743257881/

[memento]

From IMDB: Based on Kurt Vonnegut's off-Broadway play, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WANDA JUNE,
is essentially about Susannah York's character Penelope Ryan and the
men that dominate her life, including a phenomenal Rod Steiger as ultra-
macho big game hunter Harold. The story also occasionally jumps to
heaven (yes, really), where Wanda June, the victim of a drunk driving
incident, plays shuffleboard for all eternity. This excellent film has
sadly never been available on video or DVD. I've only seen it on a
bootleg DVD made from a TBS broadcast in the late 80's (with some of
the language censored).