About JustBetweenFrames (JBF)
 This Lisle Library adult services sponsored film club shows classic, cult, and current movies picked by members. Attendees must be 17 years or older.  Click logo to go to Lisle Library's main web site.
Click on the graphic to go to the list of nominees on the Oscars website. See all our Hollywood Awards Links by clicking here
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Just Between Frames meets once a month on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. -- usually the second Saturday of the month. Check the Events section on this page, or the Calendar on the Lisle Library web site for screenings and further details.
Last Saturday we all went to the dogs -- and found out just how rich the
material can be when spoofing people's love affairs with their animals. In this
case, it was highlighted through one of Christopher Guest's mischevious
"mockumentaries" about the supposed Mayfair Dog Show in Philadelphia, PA. His
improv regulars were all involved: Michael McKean as Stefan Vanderhoof partnered
with his "significant other" dog handler and stylist Scott Donlan (played by
John Michael Higgins) to show their precious Shih Tzu, while Eugene Levy and
Catherine O'Hara teamed up as Floridians Gerry and Cookie Fleck staying in the
utility closet of the hotel just to make sure that their Norwich Terrier Winky
gets a chance to be shown.
We all agreed that Guest himself completely became his character Harlan Pepper,
backwoods Southern fisherman and bloodhound lover, while Parker Posy and Michael
Hitchcock were just a fascinating train-wreck of over-achieving,
hyper-competitive "parents" to their Weimaraner. (That poor dog probably needed
therapy after being around the two of them!) Fred Willard as the dog show's
"color" commentator was his smoothly clueless best and made a highly amusing
contrast with his quietly expert co-host.
The group discussion explored how improv training compliments the film spoof
and how actors who have some form of "troupe" background really seem to benefit
from knowing how to play off each other in ways that even actors who have worked
together on several films still don't have. We also touched on how the
subjective nature of comedy tends to animate people even more than with dramas
-- and how diverse people's senses of humor can be. We all also enjoyed seeing
Jane Lynch in this and noted how personally satisfying it is when a top
performing actor/actress in small or indepentant films gets a chance to play to
a wider audience that discovers just how great the person is too. Altogether,
this film wrapped up this series with a nice shiny bow for the holidays.
Do you remember other things we talked about? Add them here -- or other
thoughts you've had since: the forum is open!
We kicked off the fall film club season with the second movie in our "Splendid
Spoof" themed movies: "The Incredibles". We all liked the affectionate way the
film plays with the conventions of a super-hero and the wanna-be
sidekick/villan. We felt that the real strength of the movie lies in how each of
the superheroes "cover" characters reflect the challenges in their real lives.
The mother is "Elasta-girl" and constantly streching herself to see to her
family, as well as stop supervillans. The daughter is literally a shy Violet --
and becomes invisible as a superhero. Her hyperactive younger brother is the
super speedy "Dash". And as the highly comical DVD featurette "Jack, Jack
Attack" demonstrates just what horrors a cute, little baby can provide for an
over-confident babysitter. We also appreciated the enthusiasm and knowledge
writer/director Brad Bird brought to the movie about comics and superheroes --
especially in his vocal performance and Edna!
Click here to go to IMDb's page on The Incredibles.
Other thoughts? Please post them here!
Everyone had such a good time at last week's "Dracula" that conversations
exceeded the library closing time! So if you'd still like to comment -- on any
of the three films, just post your comment to this thread!
The group kicked off the fall viewing season with the second film in our
"Splendid Spoof" series,"The Incredibles". Here are just a few of the things we
talked about -- feel free to post other comments to this discussion!
Members loved the movie and had a lot to say about both animated and live
action movies about superheroes. The family aspect in this one was part of what
makes it stand apart for the group. People liked the way director Brad Bird had
the typical family roles linked to their alternate superhero powers: the mom who
feels streched out to meet her family's needs is "Elastagirl", Violet,the shy
daughter becomes invisible and has a shield to keep things out, and Dash is the
essence of hyperactivity!
The superhero/fan relationship is the central conflict as well as a key part
that is being spoofed. Group members liked the way this was tied thematically to
natural abilities versus technical abilities -- particularly since the film
itself required both the natural artistic abilities of the filmmakers as well as
the lastest in technical abilities to make the film.
The extra features gave the group an in-depth look at the level of detail and
commitment director Brad Bird and Pixar had to making every aspect of the film
work. And those of us who didn't already know this, Brad even contributed his
own voice -- as Edna!
Our June 11th feature "Murder By Death" started our last series for 2011 -- "Splendid Spoofs". (The other films will be shown from September to December with "Galaxy Quest" on Sept. 10th, "The Incredibles" on Oct. 8th, "The Cheap Detective" on November 12th, and "Best in Show" in December.)
"Murder By Death" was first released in 1976, and was the first collaboration between scriptwriter Neil Simon and director Robert Moore. (We will actually be seeing their second collaboration, "The Cheap Detective" in November.) The group agreed that their stage play roots were showing -- and playing to the film's advantage -- in that the spoof was of so many classic mystery writers and movies based of their books, that "staging" them in Lionel Twain's iconic and zany "mansion" drew your attention to some of the more subtle, tongue-in-cheek moments in the often ludicrous, gag-filled dialogue and set-ups. Members were once again impressed with the masterly performance of Alec Guinness as the blind butler. (Nods of appreciation were also given to character actress Nancy Walker as the deaf/mute maid.)
Most members questioned the casting of Truman Capote as the central figure, host Lionel Twain, but felt he'd been effective in the role. We were surprised to learn he'd actually been nominated for a Golden Globe for the part! David Niven and Maggie Smith got cudos for playing Dick and Dora Charleston -- and Peter Falk and Eileen Brennan as Sam Diamond and Tess Skeffington were particularly appreciated for their dead-on take of a Chandler-esque P.I. and his tough-living "doll". Falk's use of the typical shamus dialoge was particularly strong.
The discussion concerning the types of spoofs brought out member ideas on the differences between a parody, spoof, and a satire. In general, the group felt satires were edgier, and largely critical of what was being satirized, where a parody or spoof tended to be more of an affectionate send-up. "Murder By Death" clearly was felt to be in the later group. Some of the bits were found to be a bit heavy-handed, but when contrasted with contemporary spoofs, the group found the focus around a specific genre or type of film in older spoofs like "Murder By Death" were better done, than the current trend towards mocking films that target a specific film like "Spaceballs", or "Robin Hood, Men in Tights". This point, in particular, is why some members are looking forward to our next spoof in September -- "Galaxy Quest" -- because it pokes fun at the whole sci-fi genre not just a single film. The wider range giving you more to appreciate.
Please add your own thoughts on spoofs and "Murder By Death".
Hi Folks,
Well, they're up and the race in on -- the Oscar nominees have been announced
and some have already been contacted for interviews. There's a link at the top
of our JBF website that'll take you to the list whenever you want to check it
out -- and I'll be adding more Oscar info as the ceremony grows closer. And
don't forget -- we'll be starting Lisle Library's own "Pick the Oscar Winners"
Contest very soon too! I'll send another news piece around when the ballots are
available.
If you want to go to the Oscar nominee list right now, here's the link:
Believe it or not, it is already that time of year when Hollywood awards occupy
just about every week in January, witht the actual Oscar awards presented in
February (Sunday, Feb.26th).The JBF website has been updated to list information
on: the Golden Globes, the Directors Guild awards, the Oscar nominees
announcement date, and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards. Let's get some
comments on these up on our Whiteboard too!
Sat, 1/14/12, 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Greetings JBF Friends!
And welcome to our 2012 line up of wonderful films! We're beginning the new
year with our theme: "Movies About Movies" -- a look at what Hollywood does
(& doesn't) say about itself in films about the movie making business. We
start with the classic on this topic, "Sunset Boulevard" starring Gloria Swanson
and William Holden.
The decaying mansion of a silent screen diva provides the setting
located on this famous street. Gloria Swanson is unforgettable as Nora
Desmond , the reclusive star and William Holden gives one of the best
performances of his life as the screenwriter drawn into her world. Come
join us as we discover for ourselves the reasons why film critics widely
regard this as one of the best films, not only about Hollywood, but
that Hollywood has ever made.
Hi Folks,
Just wanted to let you know that I've put a seasonal link to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)'s list of Golden Globe nominees for 2012 that were just announced today. There's also a link to our Whiteboard so we can share our thoughts about the list with each other too. The Golden Globes will be presented on Sunday, January 15th of 2012.
Last Saturday we all went to the dogs -- and found out just how rich the
material can be when spoofing people's love affairs with their animals. In this
case, it was highlighted through one of Christopher Guest's mischevious
"mockumentaries" about the supposed Mayfair Dog Show in Philadelphia, PA. His
improv regulars were all involved: Michael McKean as Stefan Vanderhoof partnered
with his "significant other" dog handler and stylist Scott Donlan (played by
John Michael Higgins) to show their precious Shih Tzu, while Eugene Levy and
Catherine O'Hara teamed up as Floridians Gerry and Cookie Fleck staying in the
utility closet of the hotel just to make sure that their Norwich Terrier Winky
gets a chance to be shown.
We all agreed that Guest himself completely became his character Harlan Pepper,
backwoods Southern fisherman and bloodhound lover, while Parker Posy and Michael
Hitchcock were just a fascinating train-wreck of over-achieving,
hyper-competitive "parents" to their Weimaraner. (That poor dog probably needed
therapy after being around the two of them!) Fred Willard as the dog show's
"color" commentator was his smoothly clueless best and made a highly amusing
contrast with his quietly expert co-host.
The group discussion explored how improv training compliments the film spoof
and how actors who have some form of "troupe" background really seem to benefit
from knowing how to play off each other in ways that even actors who have worked
together on several films still don't have. We also touched on how the
subjective nature of comedy tends to animate people even more than with dramas
-- and how diverse people's senses of humor can be. We all also enjoyed seeing
Jane Lynch in this and noted how personally satisfying it is when a top
performing actor/actress in small or indepentant films gets a chance to play to
a wider audience that discovers just how great the person is too. Altogether,
this film wrapped up this series with a nice shiny bow for the holidays.
Do you remember other things we talked about? Add them here -- or other
thoughts you've had since: the forum is open!
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Thanks for a great start on our first Movie About Movies: "Sunset Boulevard"!
 Are you ready for your close-up viewing of “Movies About Movies”? This
is our opening theme for the films we will watch & discuss in 2012.
Appropriately enough, the film for January is the Hollywood classic Sunset Boulevard -- one of the first movies about the film industy. The decaying mansion of a silent screen diva
provides the setting located on this famous street. Gloria Swanson is
unforgettable as Nora Desmond , the reclusive star and William Holden
gives one of the best performances of his life as the screenwriter drawn
into her world. Come join us as we discover for ourselves the reasons
why film critics widely regard this as one of the best films, not only
about Hollywood, but that Hollywood has ever made.
Our Film Picks (and Themes) for 2012
Get ready to Explore "Movies About Movies", "Westerns" & "Screwball Comedies" in 2012!
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Patti R. January 10, 2012 8:52 am
Hi Folks! I've got one last touch of the Holidays for you -- a couple of pictures from the group's Rialto adventure! Just click on the Just For Fun graphic to see them! (2nd item from the bottom of the right-hand column of this page.) Barth, Cheryl, Dan, Rosemary and I had a great time, and the cast couldn't have been more enthusiastic in voicing their roles.
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Patti R. December 12, 2011 3:48 pm
If you are an email subscriber to this group you should shortly be getting the info on this Friday's outing to see the live radio play version of "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Rialto in Joliet at 7:00 p.m. Reminder! -- News items are under the Forum link!
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Patti R. November 29, 2011 2:13 pm
Sincere apologies to Dan. I hit the wrong key in here and inadvertently deleted his post about the Rialto's live radio version of "It's a Wonderful Life". I've just sent out news to everyone on it -- and on the showings of "It's a Wonderful Life" with the actress who played "Zuzu Bailey" at the Hollywood Boulevard and Hollywood Palms theaters.
Go to the "News" tab on this site and you'll find all the details under "Potential Film Club Field Trips in December"!
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Patti R. October 15, 2011 12:03 pm
We had great turn outs for both "The Incredibles" and last week's Monsters2Movies feature, "Dracula"! There are discussion threads up for both "The Incredibles" and for All the Monsters2Movies: "The Phantom of the Opera, Dracula, and this coming week's final feature - "Frankenstein". Hope to see you all on Tuesday at 7!
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Patti R. February 12, 2011 10:07 am
For those who want to take on the big guns of Oscar predictions - there's a contest to outguess Roger Ebert on his website:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110210/OSCARS/110219999
The Grand Prize winner (guessing all 24 categories correctly) will win $100,000!
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Thanks to All Who Came To See Our Final "Splendid Spoof" on 12-10-11!
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Usher in
the Holidays
with a Smile on Your Face!
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Elizabeth Taylor Has Died
The Movies that will see us through the end of 2011
Here's Our Fall/Winter Schedule for Just Between Frames Films
Come See Our Season Opener!
We're back to our "Splendid Spoofs" series this Saturday, Sept. 10th, with a fan favorite, the science fiction film spoof Galaxy Quest. Taking a poke at a certain famous space travel series, it tells a tale where twenty years after its cancellation, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beamed up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. Beam up to the Meeting Room B quadrant and join film club members in seeing & talking about this film!
Thanks to all who came to see Peter Falk take on Sam Spade & Phillip Marlowe In ...
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Cheap
Detective! |
As we found watching the movie, it is not only a good idea to see The Maltese Falcon, but Casablanca as well. The discussion link will be up soon to talk about this and other points made in our discussion.
Thanks for Coming & a Great Discussion!
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Welcome to justbetweenframes!
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Patti R. is managing this site on Grouply. |
Link to This Year's JBF Films!
Click here to go to the list of films we'll be watching and discussing fromJanuary to December 2012.
Is Now A New Section on the Forum page! Click the new logo for it to check out some fun stuff...
See our latest update: pix from the Rialto "Field Trip"!
 Great source for all kinds of movie information on films, stars, casts, directors, and -- of course! -- movie trivia.  Great source for professional and fan-based film reviews, as well as interesting lists for movie subjects.  Check out the films that the After Hours Film Society is showing at the Tivoli!
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