This is the Twitter feed for the second MCT Live (July 22nd, 2011), my live-blogging of watching one film I haven’t seen for whatever peculiar reason.
As anyone who saw my countless promoting of this installment the entire month before could gather, my original choice as the subject of July was Singin’ in the Rain. I was 99.9% sure that my local video rental store carried it… Wrong. I went on a mad search for it with only one free hour to spare before the scheduled event – I couldn’t even find it for sale anywhere! The last place I looked at least had the next best thing – Gene Kelly’s other widely known musical, the 1951 Best Picture winner An American in Paris. It was a worthy substitute – fun Impressionist set imagery, lovely music by George and Ira Gershwin, and Kelly telling a story through dance. Here are the tweets – and the BIG REVEAL of the film chosen for MCT Live: Part III!
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MEIER_in_a_CT: BIG CHANGE!!! Couldn’t find #SinginInTheRain w/ Gene Kelly so the NEW #MCTLive tonight is #AnAmericanInParis w/ Gene Kelly!
MEIER_in_a_CT: All in all, not a bad substitute hopefully. Only made one AFI 100 list, but also won Best Picture.
JohnZero83: The word “Werewolf” is conspicuous by it’s absence.
MEIER_in_a_CT: @JohnZero83 Somehow An American Werewolf in Paris didn’t make AFI’s 100 – not even with the Bush song!
MEIER_in_a_CT: I think everyone will be surprised at my choice for the August #MCTLive. I’ll reveal my decision after #AnAmericanInParis tonight.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Cooking the popcorn now.
MEIER_in_a_CT: 15 more minutes!…
MEIER_in_a_CT: 3 minutes till I hit Play! And to think, you could’ve gone to see Captain America instead. #pleasedontdothat
JohnZero83: I don’t have #AnAmericanInParis so I’ll go with#FreddyGotFingered
gttmovies: Wait wait, you didn’t say you were watching A Captain America in Paris tonight? I already bought my tickets!
MEIER_in_a_CT: And….. NOW!
MEIER_in_a_CT: The Gershwin! The GERSHWIN! (turns in man card in shame)
JohnZero83: @gttmovies A Captain America Werewolf in Paris.
gttmovies: @MEIER_in_a_CT @JohnZero83 I don’t have #AnAmericanInParis so I’ll go with #SingingInTheRain
MEIER_in_a_CT: So far it’s like Sunset Blvd. only narrated by a sleepy painter.
MEIER_in_a_CT: This cameraguy sucks at finding the narrators’ flats.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Spoiler Alert: There’s more than one American!
MEIER_in_a_CT: Adam could pinpoint this ballerina g/f if he just said “So she’s flexible, eh?”
(The French friend – Henri – is describing his new girl to pianist Adam with many separate descriptions. Meanwhile the screen shows her interpreting each characteristic with dance.)
MEIER_in_a_CT: I think the French friend is against jazz b/c he can’t sing to it. Or dance w/ Kelly passionately to it…
JohnZero83: @MEIER_in_a_CT #TommyBoy is trending, we all know what you’re really watching.
MEIER_in_a_CT: I’ve now counted 4 Americans and 2 Parisians.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Lots of painters on the streets besides Kelly. It was the online reviewing of back then.
(Anyone know who the cameo was? It looked like Winston Churchill…)
gttmovies: Drinking game: take a shot for every American.
MEIER_in_a_CT: He gets a rich lady customer and gets invited to her party that night. She’s fishy to me. & American. #shots
JohnZero83: I bet they still used lead paint back then. Explains a lot.
MEIER_in_a_CT: I wish when I was a kid, I had a Gene Kelly that sang and danced to “I Got Rhythm” and gave me free bubble gum.
MEIER_in_a_CT: “Party” turns out to mean “date” with this lady. Let the romance plot begin.
JohnZero83: Random Paris Fact: It smells like cheese.
(We at Glasgow to the Movies have never actually been to Paris and cannot verify the truth of the statement made by this highly suspicious source.)
MEIER_in_a_CT: Kelly runs into French friend’s g/f & seems smitten. He doesn’t know they’re involved. HERE we go!
MEIER_in_a_CT: Lisa. After slow-dancing w/ Jerry (Kelly), she tried to give him a fake phone # – now he’s womanless. Smooth.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Rich lady – Milo – still thinks she can “housebreak” Jerry. Good luck with all that, lady.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Lise agrees to a date with Jerry. I guess the prior relationship’s not that serious.
MEIER_in_a_CT: These guys get right in each other’s faces when joking. Why do some folks think these musical stars are gay?!?
MEIER_in_a_CT: Jerry & Lise go walking instead of public outdoor dining. What is this girl doing?
MEIER_in_a_CT: It’s a shame he’s chosen the fledgling artist path. Hollywood could use a song-&-dance man like this.
jdglasgow: Fledgling art is the best kind of art.
MEIER_in_a_CT: They kiss & she scurries away. Does he not care she’s clearly two-timing, or just that gullible?
MEIER_in_a_CT: “Stairway to Paradise” = clearly the inspiration for the Dom DeLuise scene in Blazing Saddles.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Now the piano player’s dream of a big concert. All musicians & conductor are him. Delusions of grandeur have never been cooler.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Too bad some moviegoers probably used this as an intermission.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Milo’s all about surprises – a new studio & upcoming exhibition for Jerry. He agrees reluctantly. Cue painting montage!
JohnZero83: But, montages weren’t invented until the 80’s!
MEIER_in_a_CT: Adam is first to learn Lise’s two-timing. Sits uncomfortably btwn Jerry & Henri talking. Smokes/drinks brandy/stays awesome.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Jerry & Henri duet “S’Wonderful”. They’re having a gay time (What? I meant “happy!”)
MEIER_in_a_CT: Jerry & Lise come clean with each other at place of 1st kiss. Heartbroken, he seeks & finds Milo that night.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Jerry & Milo go to wild B&W wardrobe party. Adam loses nearly all coolness with dorky cowboy getup.
MEIER_in_a_CT: They run into Henri & Lise. Jerry introduces Milo to Lise. Lise no like.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Lise gives tearful goodbye to Jerry on balcony. Henri overhears it all during smoke break. And…
(This scene holds the final spoken line of the film – “Jerry, don’t let me leave you this way.” Many of the tweets from here on out contain links to pics of…)
MEIER_in_a_CT: … On to the famous big dance number daydream!
(The links don’t seem to be currently working… I hope I’m not getting into copyright issues here… If they stay up, feel free to look at them under the MCT Twitter account profile.)
MEIER_in_a_CT: Jeez, Jerry, those pants don’t leave much to the imagination (artist daydream getup).
mommameier: I’ve read all to this point. You must be almost finished.
MEIER_in_a_CT: Daydream sequence over. Henri’s way understanding and brings Lise back to Jerry. Happilyeveraftertheendnstuff!
mommameier: OK, so it’s schlocky and predictable, but isn’t the music wonderful?
(I didn’t think it was schlocky – it was just a fairy tale and a pretty hip one at that considering it was the early ’50s. And yes, the music’s one of a kind.)
MEIER_in_a_CT: Thank you to all who read, replied, and/or dealt with the sudden showing change! In August, #MCTLive does the classic Western Shane!
MEIER_in_a_CT: This has been #MCTLive Part II: #AnAmericanInParis. I leave you with this image to soak in. Enjoy!
(Inserted pic of Kelly giving the audience a glimpse of his bum in too-tight-tights. Keep visiting Glasgow to the Movies to eventually learn the exact time and date for MCT Live: Shane. Goodnight, everybody!)