Yay for random DVD-watching urges.

[teylaminh]

Watched Sunset Boulevard on a whim.  Since my crappy-arse £40 DVD player is most definitely teH suck, however, I ended up having to watch the final few scenes on the damn computer because it kept finding errors on the disc and trying to skip it.  I watched the commentary (by a bloke who is an Expert In Such Matters, and wrote a book on Billy Wilder and Sunset in general) which made some very interesting points, most of which I agreed vehemently with, and quite a few of which I emphatically did not, purely because I'm coming at the movie from a different perspective than him.  (That is, he's cynical and very much on Joe's side, as well as a Hollywood expert who's done lots of research, and I'm a shippy idiotic girl with too many disillusions, but, hey, it's all fun.  Incidentally, just to prove I was right on one thing in my suppositions: William Holden was 31 when it was filmed, which is exactly what I'd estimated...)

So, much interest all around.  Some pointless facts, if you want them:

~ In the scene where Norma meets de Mille at Paramount, Wilder wanted Hedy Lamarr to appear sitting in her chair (it's Samson and Delilah that's being filmed in the scene), but that idea was dropped when she requested $25,000 for a cameo...
~ The silent movie that's playing in Norma's living room is Queen Kelly, directed by Erich von Stroheim (Max), and it was his suggestion.
~ When Billy Wilder was working with his co-writer, they would end up in huge arguments and throw telephone books at each other... :D  Apparently, their secretaries just learnt to ignore the yelling and thumping.
~ I haven't managed to access the original morgue opening extras yet, but there was a description at the start of the commentary, and ye gods, it sounds bizarre.  Will have to investigate more thoroughly when I'm home with the better player.

I'm sure there was more I was going to say.  Ah, well...

Comments

[collie-wing.livejournal.com]

Apparently, their secretaries just learnt to ignore the yelling and thumping.


Mustn't....think...dirty thoughts....mustn't....

[teylaminh.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't. I have enough trouble kerbing the slash urges as it is... :P