Cinematic Distractions...

[dulcedemon]

Underworld(1927):
Great movie full of great faces, well cast forms and intense expressions make this silent as riveting as any talkie. Old time gangster shenanigans by colorful characters with names to match:
Bull Weed - biggest gangster in town
Feathers McCoy - sweetheart of Bull Weed
Rolls Royce Wensel - a newcomer with a mysterious past
Slippy Lewis - fixer for Bull Weed
Buck Mulligan - biggest rival of Bull Weed
Highlights include a gangster ball, during which the major players of the local underworld declare a truce long enough to come together and party, and also have a gangster moll popularity/belle of the ball contest. There is some great physical comedy involving Slippy at a crowded bar during the party.
The pivotal character, Buck Mulligan, covets more than his rival's enterprise. Were it not for one critical plot point, one might easily bend that character into a backstory for Mr. Mushnik from Little Shop of Horrors. Mulligan runs a floral shop with an attractive blonde employee, and also there is more than a slight physical resemblance to the 1986 movie Mushnik(Vincent Gardenia).
The DVD includes Vaudeville and Radio Row shorts. Radio Row includes a musical performance by Morton Downey, father of 1980s talk show host Morton Downey Jr.. It seems he got most of his looks from dad(Dad wore it better.).
The Vaudeville short includes the singular comedy of Herb Williams. Look up: Herb Williams and His Breakaway Piano.

The Shape of Water(2017):
It's a little bit Dancer in the Dark, and a whole lot of Splash. I was reluctant to watch it, because I had read where some people were offended by it:
"What if the gender roles were reversed would this be acceptable?"
Yes, it would, or at least it was back in 1984, when it was an adorable romantic comedy called Splash.
The opinions of others did not ruin it for me, but how derivative it was of the two movies mentioned above[Splash in particular] kind of did. Though no one would dare call it a romantic comedy, there is too much darkness, and viciousness.
There is also much beauty. The color schemes are beautiful. The set designs are beautiful. The art and commercial illustrations used as props are stunningly beautiful. Most certainly, there is love. Love is love, and love is beautiful.

Deadpool 2(2018):
Domino!--Best super power ever! Tyler Bates did a great job with the music for this one.

Footlight Parade(1933):
The dance costumes, the aquatic number, the cat, James Cagney, Joan Blondell, and Billy Barty are all the best here. The rest is rather tepid. The aquatic number should have been the finale. The actual finale number, Shanghai Lil, is a damn mess in every way except James Cagney. Honeymoon Hotel is a delightfully saucy number, with extra sauce courtesy of Billy Barty.
Dick Powell annoys far more than he entertains, which could be due in part to his character being an arrogant, sexist boor. He is offended by smart women. He is offended by women who dress in conservative business attire. Great guy, let's all root for him...That smarty pants dame has no business wearing glasses that she needs in order to see! How unfeminine!
Screw him, root for the aquatic number --it's worth it.

The Magnificent Ambersons(1942):
Magnificent narration, magnificent Joseph Cotton, magnificent Anne Baxter, magnificent bedroom eyes of Dolores Costello, magnificent Fanny(Agnes Moorehead)
Legendary for being cut to bits by Welles and others, I would have liked to have seen the original before it was butchered.