Still flying high from a great showing of Ratatouille on Saturday. I was confident the DVD disk would hold up, since it was new out of the box (thanks, Claire) but I wasn't expecting quite as many to show up. There were over 40 people, easily our best turn out in three years. Thanks for making it a wonderful night.
I'm not going to say too much about the movie - everyone knows I am a Pixar fanboy - but I have to say I had forgotten about that moment when ghastly food critic Anton Ego is transported back to his childhood and his mother's kitchen by one taste of Remy's ratatouille. Reminiscent of this brilliant sequence in Up, when a married life full of love, dreams, missed opportunities and sadness is summed up in a beautiful 4 minute montage, it's fabulous 'proper' movie-making which probably could only be done successfully using CGI.
Anyway, to Saturday. Please note - only a one week gap to the next movie, as Linda will be away on the 16th. But what to say about Diner ? I guess its a classic, everybody says it is...I don't think I've seen it all the way through, but on researching it I was struck by it's place as a landmark movie. Diner is noted for being the directorial debut and breakthrough for the great Barry Levinson (The Natural, Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man and Bugsy) as well as the breakthrough for several of the ensemble cast - which suggests to me a "Where are they now ?" approach to this preview.
Steve Guttenberg - This was his 1st really big movie. I liked him and I always thought Steve Guttenberg could have been Tom Hanks, if he hadn't got bogged down in the crappy Police Academy series. His latest work has been Dancing with the Stars, and pantomime in England which says it all really. Such a shame...
Paul Reiser - Actually this was his first ever movie, but apart from Mad About You on TV, he has done nothing significant since. His last attempt at a sitcom was cancelled after two episodes. Such a shame...
Daniel Stern - Not his first big movie - he was previously in the wonderful Breaking Away, and Woody Allen's Stardust Memories. Hasn't set the world alight, but is known for roles in several iconic franchises - City Slickers, Home Alone - and, did you know he was the narrator in The Golden Years ? I didn't.
Mickey Rourke - Pretty much a star before this, with Speilberg's 1941, Heaven's Gate (pah!) and Body Heat already under his belt. Much has been written and said about his career, but I think, on balance, you can say the boy done well. Apart from his face, which is a total mess now.
Tim Daly - Definitely his first ever movie, but Hollywood has not really been his friend - otherwise his next most memorable starring role would not have been in the execrable Dr Jekyll and Ms Hyde. However TV came a-calling, and after winning awards for Wings, he's currently wowing the ladies as Dr. Pete in Private Practice.
Kevin Bacon - Nothing to be said about him. He had already been in Animal House, Starting Over and Friday the 13th before Diner, and has gone on to appear in every third movie made in Hollywood since then.
The challenge is, of course, what food to provide for a movie about a Diner ?
IMdb - Content Advisory for Parents (the only kid-friendly review available for this movie, I'm afraid)




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