Into the Woods

Adrian (referring to sex): I can't! It's disgusting!
Andrew: How can it be disgusting? I don't even have my clothes off.

Mary Steenbergen as Adrian and Woody Allen as Andrew in A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982). This is one of those films I'd heard about for years, and seen bits from on television from time to time, and it was a delight to see it finally in its entirety. It's not the greatest Woody Allen film, but in its homage to Bergman and its upper New York State, hazy summer's day setting, it's a sweet and funny escape. The acting company is impressive: Tony Roberts (of course), Julie (my favourite stewardess) Hagerty, Mia Farrow and Jose Ferrer round it out and, all looking splendid in Santo Loquasto's Edwardian costumes. The photography is beautiful and made me long to be in the woods again. Between Mia Farrow's golden halo of hair and the dappled forest glades, there are unexpected moments of almost Pre-Raphaelite beauty.




This was followed up by a true classic.

Grumpy: Angel, ha! She's a female! And all females is poison! They're full of wicked wiles!
Bashful: What are wicked wiles?
Grumpy: I don't know, but I'm agin' 'em.

Pinto Colvig as the voice of Grumpy and Scotty Mattraw as Bashful in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). It's sad that the actors behind the voices in animated movies in those days were kept under wraps. Now it's a major appeal behind the big films. The songs in Snow White are as sweet as the day I first heard them. The moment I always look for is when Snow White kisses the dove and it flies to Prince Charming to bestow the kiss. That coy, blushing bird is one of the sweetest, silliest things on film. Disney has released Snow White with newly painted borders on the sides of the picture to fill in the screen for wide-screen viewing. It's very well done and we enjoyed it on my dad's new BluRay disk.




So did Tibby, whose ears went flat during that forest scene, which gets to me too. It remains terrifying no matter how old you get!