mrs. doubtfire Tagged Articles at Cinematical

• Dino Risi (1916-2008) - Writer, Director - Oscar-nominated for his 1974 Italian film Scent of a Woman (which was remade in 1992 with Al Pacino). His career spans from the 1940s to the 1990s, and he is credited with being one of the masters of the Commedia all'italiana (Italian Comedy). Other films include Pane, amore e..., which starred Sophia Loren and Vittorio DeSica, Poor, But Handsome, A Difficult Life, The Easy Life and Opiate '67 (aka 15 from Rome). In 2002, the Venice Film Festival honored him with a lifetime achievement Golden Lion. He died June 7 in Rome. (Reuters)
• Bobby Anderson (1933-2008) - Child Actor - Played Little George Baily (younger version of James Stewart) in It's a Wonderful Life. He also appears in The Bishop's Wife, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Samson and Delilah, A Place in the Sun and Raoul Walsh's Silver River. He died of melanoma June 6, in Palm Springs, California. (LA Times)
• Saban Bajramovic (1936-2008) - Singer, Composer, Actor - Legendary singer of Roma music (aka Romani or Gypsy music) and star of the 1997 Macedonian film Gypsy Magic. He died June 8 in Nis, Serbia. (Javno)
• Harry Bernsen (1925-2008) - Producer - Associate producer of Andrew V. McLaglen's Fools' Pride, which starred James Stewart, and Something Big, which starred Dean Martin. He also produced Take a Hard Ride and Three the Hard Way, both starring Fred Williamson and Jim Brown, as well as a European stage musical based on Mrs. Doubtfire. He was the father of actor Corbin Bernsen. He died May 31 in Woodland Hills, California. (Variety)
• Richard F. Brophy (1945-2008) - Producer - Line producer for the horror films House and Speak of the Devil and producer of The Boneyard. He died May 28 in Hollywood. (IMDb)

I don't know why everyone keeps referring to 17 -- the Zac Efron movie in which a 40-year-old guy is suddenly a teen again -- as Big in reverse. Or, as The Hollywood Reporter writes today: "turns the concept of Big on its head." I guess nobody remembers the George Burns-becomes-Charlie Schlatter comedy 18 Again! Either that or it's simply easier to reference Big because it's a million times more well-known. Anyway, there's another movie 17 will make people think of: Back to the Future. Apparently, Efron's character (aka Matthew Perry's character as a teen) becomes the object of a crush -- from his own daughter! Playing the poor girl, who obviously doesn't realize her own Electra complex, is Michelle Trachtenberg. Also joining the cast, which includes Leslie Mann as Efron/Perry's wife and Trachtenberg's mom, is Melora Hardin ("Jan" on TV's The Office) as a high school principal.

So here's what I find strange about the new plot revelation: how is it the daughter doesn't recognize her own father as a young man? Hasn't everyone seen photos of their parents from when they were younger? At least with Back to the Future, in Lea Thompson's defense she hadn't yet birthed Michael J. Fox, and she had no way of ever having seen his face before he traveled back in time and became the object of her desires. In both scenarios, it is pretty gross to think about seriously. According to the main plot synopsis for 17, the reason Efron/Perry enrolls in high school is to be closer to his kids (hey, another movie this reminds me of: Mrs. Doubtfire). I guess he truly gets his wish in a terribly sick sort of way. Production on 17 begins this month.

If you're a true movie geek, you probably refuse to dress up at Halloween in anything but a movie-related costume. I guess I'm not a true movie geek, because two years ago I went as Family Guy's Quagmire, who as of yet is not in any movies. Last year, though, I was Harpo Marx. I haven't decided what to be this year yet, but it isn't definite that I'll be something with cinematic reference.

Of course, if I was a real, hardcore movie geek, I wouldn't just settle for the basic, predictable movie-themed outfit. I'd go for the gold, and be an uber-geek. How? I would doubly dress up as a movie character who is dressed up as somebody or something else. To do so, I would pick one of my favorite non-Halloween costumes and disguises depicted on film (it isn't as fun dressing as a character who is dressed up for Halloween). However, most of these would be difficult to achieve -- or at least too obscure to wear to a common party, where the crowd isn't as film familiar as you. If you attempt any of these, good luck! And please, please send me a photo.

1. Harpo Marx and Chico Marx as Groucho Marx in Duck Soup (1933, Leo McCarey)

See, now if I had really wanted to be geeky (or pretentious), I would have not just dressed as Harpo last Halloween; I would have dressed as Harpo dressed as Groucho. In one of the most famous sequences in any Marx Brothers film, Pinky (Harpo) and Chicolini (Chico) each disguises himself as Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho) in order to steal some war plans. The real gem of the sequence, of course, is the "mirror scene" (watch it if you've never seen it before, please), where Pinky pretends to be the reflection of Rufus until Chicolini appears and ruins everything. Although historically it was only Harpo and Chico who were often mistaken for each other, or for twins, all three brothers look so alike here, that when they're all together, it is almost difficult to tell who is who. If you want to pull this double-costume off, it won't be hard -- Grouch faces are easy to do, and then you just need a sleeping cap and gown -- but I doubt you'll get much tolerance when you constantly correct everyone who thinks you're simply Groucho.