tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post3450820470707475079..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN -- My reviewBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47752365367525648722017-03-12T14:04:44.557-07:002017-03-12T14:04:44.557-07:00Graham F: what bothers me is that it *isn't* r...Graham F: what bothers me is that it *isn't* real people portrayed on screen but fictionalized versions of real people. That being the case, and because I write non-fiction, it's important to me not to get the fictional versions stuck in my head as being real. In this particular case, I do not have time right now to do what I would feel I had to, which is read biographies of the two actresses to find out how far to trust the screenwriter. There's also a lot of stuff on TV right now that I'm more interested in. You are not required to agree with me. <br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65586587814904276512017-03-09T06:58:45.066-08:002017-03-09T06:58:45.066-08:00Sarandon should have done both roles. Now THAT wou...Sarandon should have done both roles. Now THAT would have been interesting. Barry Rivaduehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02398166395997803552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29484169168549802102017-03-08T17:04:56.668-08:002017-03-08T17:04:56.668-08:00Wendy: I'm not sure what bothers you so much a...Wendy: I'm not sure what bothers you so much about real people being portrayed on screen - it's not like the producers here took tremendous liberties with Bette and Joan.; they come to life here as real, humanized people. Why not give the show a shot, instead of letting preconceived notions dictate your responses?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06786201736832753850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49006375916775119052017-03-08T17:04:00.832-08:002017-03-08T17:04:00.832-08:00I watched the first episode and liked it...I was s...I watched the first episode and liked it...I was struck, though, by a truth I don't know if Ryan Murphy intended. When asked why Davis and Crawford hated each other so much, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Olivia De Havilland said "Feuds aren't about hate...feuds are about pain". Could that be the meaning behind her rivalry with sister Joan Fontaine?Paul Ducanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40392719760177183692017-03-08T07:06:35.034-08:002017-03-08T07:06:35.034-08:00What a pitiful observation. The first episode set...What a pitiful observation. The first episode sets us up, gives back story, establishes a storyline. I thought the pilot was very good and am along for the ride. Bobbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17199066788602343248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41071479794669888492017-03-08T04:45:14.420-08:002017-03-08T04:45:14.420-08:00VP18955L: Indeed, but Jaime Pressly is still only ...VP18955L: Indeed, but Jaime Pressly is still only 39. :) In any event, the point is that a great pleasure in MOM is seeing all these actresses together on screen at ages (40-70).<br /><br />Graham F: There's still the fictionalizing of real people thing. It really, really bothers me.<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87971782041411425062017-03-08T04:13:56.267-08:002017-03-08T04:13:56.267-08:00@Johnny Walker: Anonymous's sweeping comment o...@Johnny Walker: <i>Anonymous's sweeping comment on gay men ... was pretty inflammatory.</i><br />I don't know. Seems like an accurate description of <i>Will & Grace</i>.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34216216970021306962017-03-08T02:44:35.017-08:002017-03-08T02:44:35.017-08:00I found Jessica Lange annoying. She sounded NOTHIN...I found Jessica Lange annoying. She sounded NOTHING like Joan Crawford or even looked like her. Surely they could have found someone better. Totally miscast. Susan Sarandon on the other hand is perfect. Looks so much like Bette with those eyes, plus she is a great actress. Jessica was still acting the same as the weird mother in the first season of American Psycho. <br /><br />So far FEUD is a lost opportunity to portray this feud effectively. Perhaps it will pick up in episode 2 but on the whole but the miscasting of Jessica Lange has ruined it for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14388669712952471982017-03-08T01:16:38.314-08:002017-03-08T01:16:38.314-08:00Bette Davis Eyes was a hit for Kim Carnes , Bette Davis Eyes was a hit for Kim Carnes , Stone Phillipsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14568605914721070902017-03-07T22:39:22.530-08:002017-03-07T22:39:22.530-08:00Could b wrong, wasn't daughter in betty Davis ...Could b wrong, wasn't daughter in betty Davis dressing room when putting on white face mom do u really want to go out there like thst5Just sayinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17675204206789434650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4338606022121694982017-03-07T17:41:14.406-08:002017-03-07T17:41:14.406-08:00I'm not arguing Davis and Crawford feuded, but...I'm not arguing Davis and Crawford feuded, but I'm guessing its genesis came in the middle '40s, after Joan left MGM for Warners and won an Oscar for "Mildred Pierce," then followed with several other hits that revived her career. Davis could envision another rival at the lot, one with more in her arsenal than Ann Dvorak (who for a brief time in the '30s battled Bette for supremacy in Burbank).<br /><br />The difference between Davis and Crawford? Bette could do comedy, though she rarely did (post-Code Warners was not a good studio for screwball, as the lady in my avatar found out when she went there and made the miserable "Fools For Scandal" -- it was so poorly received that Lombard spent the next two years doing dramas). Aside from "The Women" and a few other things, Joan lacked the subtlety for comedy, though she evolved into a superb dramatic actress.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15066651603930404972017-03-07T17:37:49.970-08:002017-03-07T17:37:49.970-08:00Actually, we've been hearing a lot from Anonym...Actually, we've been hearing a lot from Anonymous lately. I thought we were supposed to be discouraging that.Dan P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33662482814998352412017-03-07T16:29:28.232-08:002017-03-07T16:29:28.232-08:00Wendy Grossman: You should give FEUD a try. I'...Wendy Grossman: You should give FEUD a try. I've seen the first three episodes (I'm writing a piece on the show) and this is not a campfest about divas screaming at each other. While there's some camp (not enough for Ken, obviously ;) , it's more of a character study of these two women and the obstacles they faced - ageism, sexism, misogyny - in an industry that was trying to marginalize them once they reached an advanced age. And the bigger theme of the series is addressing gender inequality in Hollywood.<br /><br />I personally enjoyed the show immensely - dialogue is wickedly funny, performances are great, and both Bette and Joan are humanized. Period recreation is stellar, right down to Joan Crawford squeezing lemon juice on her elbows to keep them supple.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06786201736832753850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69702277894725984752017-03-07T15:45:32.672-08:002017-03-07T15:45:32.672-08:00VP81955: I think it's fair to say that Davis&#...VP81955: I think it's fair to say that Davis's and Crawford's feud was beyond the pale. Whole books have been dedicated to it. I find it as interesting as the next person (although maybe not the average commenter here). <br /><br />Ken, I'm surprised you published Anonymous's sweeping comment on gay men. Even with the half-assed disclaimer at the bottom, it was pretty inflammatory. <br /><br />Given that the EP is Tim Minear, I feel this deserves a good chance. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37436662560581288002017-03-07T15:35:21.138-08:002017-03-07T15:35:21.138-08:00To Wendy: Anna Faris turned 40 last November. (And...To Wendy: Anna Faris turned 40 last November. (And she'll be remaking "Overboard," from earlier comic icon Goldie Hawn -- but it'll be gender-bended, so <i>she'll</i> play the Kurt Russell handyman.) Hope it works; Anna deserves a big-screen hit.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37963469309770944982017-03-07T15:20:15.647-08:002017-03-07T15:20:15.647-08:00I was going to watch it until I learned it was goi...I was going to watch it until I learned it was going to be a Republic Serial. Maybe I'll tune in to the next one.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58805283918079374392017-03-07T14:01:17.747-08:002017-03-07T14:01:17.747-08:00In her day, no one was a better movie actress than...In her day, no one was a better movie actress than Bette Davis. Far superior to K. Hepburn.<br />And probably no one today- and that includes Streep and Mirren.<br /><br />And for my money, as good as they were in WHBJ, the guy who makes the film is Victor Buono. Just getting warmed up for King Tut. He was a very funny guy.<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34927634626740855702017-03-07T12:29:10.842-08:002017-03-07T12:29:10.842-08:00I enjoyed it a bit more than you. As Part 1 of 8 I...I enjoyed it a bit more than you. As Part 1 of 8 I expected more set up than fireworks. Jessica is passable as Crawford but I thought Susan was excellent as Davis, from the walk to the attitude to the snark to the voice to the cigarettes. Plus I haven’t thought much about these two for decades so it was a pleasant reunion of sorts. And Stanley Tucci’s brief scenery chewing was well worth the price of admission. I do agree with you that the action needs to be amped up to keep me for 7 more weeks.Ray Arthurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01824952485397182041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25105358132416058272017-03-07T11:14:06.298-08:002017-03-07T11:14:06.298-08:00DB Cooper: Volunteer copy editor is correct. Strai...DB Cooper: Volunteer copy editor is correct. Straits, in this case.<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21174195494555508062017-03-07T10:22:30.776-08:002017-03-07T10:22:30.776-08:00I know Leonard's of Great Neck. That really ma...I know Leonard's of Great Neck. That really made me laugh!Roseannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08393487748949411049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40849480858779664242017-03-07T10:15:39.679-08:002017-03-07T10:15:39.679-08:00I always worry if what I'm seeing in these, ba...I always worry if what I'm seeing in these, based on real events, movies. So I'm always on my iPhone looking up actual video/film, photos, quotes, etc... It's like I'm playing along with the home version.<br />I had a guilty giggle when "Joan Crawford" was in her dressing room with her daughter "Christine", as she looks at the coat hangers in the closet.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09054088250828066722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4369683127130989832017-03-07T09:58:41.492-08:002017-03-07T09:58:41.492-08:00Totally in agreement. Roger Corman and American-I...Totally in agreement. Roger Corman and American-International would have concocted a better production. The 45-and-under somethings prolly won't even fully understand it. <br /> Bob Local-Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14223936088023834333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62986803372370398572017-03-07T09:55:26.798-08:002017-03-07T09:55:26.798-08:00"but alas, many of my friends who are gay liv..."but alas, many of my friends who are gay live and die by such camp silliness. My question to them, without coming off like a backward southern fundie: Why?"<br /><br />A significant number of American Gays are committed or aspiring nihilists, so they're generally entertained by female heterosexual, or closeted gay, tragic figures, whether they're unapproachable celebrities, or the far more common, "confused boy," "fag hag." Celebrities are followed, and fag hags are tolerated or manipulated for the personal entertainment and/or sport of it, or conversely, in the case of tragic women celebs, because some gays identify with tragic female figures as spiritual "brothers in arms." One might tell someone off the way darling Bette would. You will sometimes find gay men affecting a black minstrel dialect for the same reason. Sometimes they mix the two, affecting the verbal effect of an old southern black woman.<br />In any case, there's often a sub current of condescension entrapped in their devotion. It's like a concealed resentment, for some reason. See Shakespeare's Iago. For my money he's THE gay male archetype, who enjoys being devoted to, while deconstructing, his straight "better," simply because he's bored, and he can.<br />Not all gay males are like this. Not all find straight female train wrecks to be entertaining.But many gay men do.<br />They just do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12104241139653177782017-03-07T09:37:14.361-08:002017-03-07T09:37:14.361-08:00Jack Elam! I'm still laughing.
And still baf...Jack Elam! I'm still laughing. <br /><br />And still baffled that NBC launched a sitcom around Jack Elam in the late '80s. <br /><br /><br />(Volunteer Copy Editor says: I think it's "straits," not "straights.")DB Coopernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88386930769135597492017-03-07T09:36:41.076-08:002017-03-07T09:36:41.076-08:00"but alas, many of my friends who are gay liv..."but alas, many of my friends who are gay live and die by such camp silliness. My question to them, without coming off like a backward southern fundie: Why?"<br /><br />Got me. I'd be more interested in a special about Jack Elam.Mike Schryverhttp://otrcomedy.comnoreply@blogger.com