3 things about Dorothy Arzner’s MERRILLY WE GO TO HELL

Merrily We Go to Hell [1932]

1. He explains that he’s on the wagon. Immediately she mentions that if he needs it, there’s a bottle in the closet.
2. She’s powdering her nose. “I spent the morning realizing that we’re living in a modern world, where there’s no place for old-fashioned wives. You seem to want a modern wife and that’s what I’m going to be.”
3. From the doorway of the kitchen she watches her husband share a long kiss with his mistress. The others in the room seem blasé about her presence.

Extraordinary. Hollywood wouldn’t make a comparatively complex portrait of a marriage for another 30 years. And it’s 83 minutes long!

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3 things about Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s DRIVE MY CAR

Drive My Car [2021]

1. The design of the atrium preserves a direct line to the sea.
2. “You don’t need to be better.”
3. Mellow jazz bar with a turntable.

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3 things about Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’ECLISSE

L’Eclisse [1962]

1. The arm sticking out.
2. “I wish I didn’t love you or that I loved you much more.”
3. How did the barrel develop a leak?

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3 things about Questlove’s SUMMER OF SOUL

Summer of Soul [2021]

1. The stage was built facing west to achieve the best lighting for the cameras.
2. “It smelled like Afro Sheen and chicken.”
3. Awe-inspiring duet between Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples.

Kudos to Questlove for preserving the aspect ratio of the original footage.

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3 things about Robert Altman’s McCABE & MRS. MILLER

McCabe & Mrs. Miller [1971]

1. Cat on the gaming table.
2. “Then you weren’t very far apart, were you?”
3. Four fried eggs, some of that stew, and hot tea.

3 other things.

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3 things about Edward Yang’s A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY

A Brighter Summer Day [1991]

1. “That’s a sword for a girl.”
2. The cueball flies off into a corner. After a pause, he stands up and retrieves it.
3. A ring from Elvis.

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3 things about A. Edward Sutherland’s MURDERS IN THE ZOO

Murders in the Zoo [1933]

1. Bloody stitches.
2. Everything from soup to nuts.
3. Boa constrictor.

It’s astonishing how much Kathleen Burke resembles Marion Cotillard in this movie.

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3 things about William A. Seiter’s HOT SATURDAY

Hot Saturday [1932]

1. Rare sighting of Cary Grant in a white suit.
2. Lights on the dance floor which illuminate the ladies’ legs.
3. The biggest flask I’ve ever seen.

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3 things about Carl Franklin’s DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS

Devil in a Blue Dress [1995]

1. “This is my adopted son, Jesus.”
2. Crowbar to the bar.
3. They say their farewells outside Griffith Observatory.

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3 things about Robert G. Putka’s MISTER LIMBO

Mister Limbo [2021]

1. Sand-drifted payphone.
2. Fake moose head.
3. Clipboard.

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