Dan Hedaya Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Retro Cinema: Blood Simple
Filed under: Drama », Noir », Retro Cinema »
The films of the Coen Brothers tend to split their admirers into different camps. Some love everything they do, many favor their loonier comedic endeavors (Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?), and still others pledge allegiance to their more straightforward and violent dramatic offerings (Miller's Crossing, Fargo, No Country for Old Men).
I fall into the latter camp, having first encountered the unique sensibilities of Joel and Ethan Coen on a tiny television in my tiny Brooklyn living quarters in the late 1980s. Even in a bowdlerized version for television, interrupted for commercials every 10 minutes, Blood Simple held me mesmerized from its opening shot -- an extreme low-angle view of a two-lane highway, shredded rubber tire in the foreground -- to its last.
Watching the film again last night, I was struck by how accomplished the film looks. You could play it on a double bill with No Country for Old Men and be reminded that the Coens already knew the power of silence way back in 1984. They also knew a great image when they saw one, appreciated the value of underplaying a performance, recognized the allure of shadows and silhouettes, and treasured subtle nuances. They've grown and matured, expanding their thematic range, but their debut demonstrates that they've always been uncommonly assured filmmakers.
Not-Quite-Vintage Image of the Day: Dick
Filed under: Comedy », Vintage Image of the Day »
Did you expect something else from the title of this entry? For shame. Today is TV and film actor Dan Hedaya's birthday, and when I found this out last night, it was such a coincidence that I knew I had to post an image from the 1999 film Dick, in which Hedaya plays Richard Nixon. My husband and I like this often-overlooked little gem of a comedy so much that we invited friends over this weekend to watch the DVD and served themed snacks. (I made Hello Dollies, a bar cookie that figures quite prominently in this movie, although I used plain old pecans instead of the rather special walnuts in the film.)
If you haven't seen Dick, I recommend it highly: Michelle Williams and Kirsten Dunst play two clueless 15-year-olds who happen to be roaming around the Watergate Hotel on the night of the famous 1972 break-in. Subsequently, they become entangled in all kinds of related political events. The cast also includes Harry Shearer as G. Gordon Liddy, Dave Foley as Bob Haldeman, and Will Ferrell and Bruce McCullogh in what may be my favorite portrayals of Woodward and Bernstein. I don't know why more people don't like Dick ... my guess is that everyone gets very silly about the title, or they assume that a movie with Dunst and Williams is for teenagers, which this absolutely is not. So bake yourself up a batch of Hello Dollies and give Dick a try.
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