"Ring out the old year, ring in the new. Ring-a-ding-ding"
- Fran Kubelik's sarcasm on New Year's Eve.
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'hoop dreams"
"marley & me"
popular posts / most comments
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fran to bud: "shut up and deal"
a fan's notes by joe baltake devoted to movies neglected and mostly misunderstood
hits per page view ~ 2,000,000
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about this site, a collection of movie-fed daydreams...
Life is simply one grand excuse to watch movies and then sit around and think about them. While my education was honed by reviewing films for Gannett, Tribune, McClatchy, The News Corporation and Knight-Ridder, my personality - or rather my taste - was shaped largely in my old neighborhood movie theater and on my parents' living room floor. Watching movies. And falling in love with the unacclaimed. Passionately.
(the passionate moviegoer ® is a registered trademark)
(the passionate moviegoer ® is a registered trademark)
welcome
quote unquote
"Blog looks fabulous, just what the net needs: less about Michael Mann, more about Delbert Mann!"
--dave kehr/reports from the lost continent of cinephilia
"There is no better evidence of Joe's passion than his subject matter, defending and remembering the more obscure titles from cinematic history. No matter how much you think you might know about movies, odds are you will learn of new ones if you check out Joe's site."
--edward copeland/ on film
"Joe ... devotes himself to those myriad neglected figures and movies seemingly left by the roadside in our societal rush toward cultural amnesia. Whether he is trying to find the source of Jack Lemmon's quicksilver appeal or understand Vincente Minnelli's valedictory films or express just why we miss Jack Carson, Joe is consistently thoughtful and knowledgeable without being ponderous."
--moira finnie/skeins of thought
"The title The Passionate Moviegoer is not an exaggeration. Joe is the real deal, covering films that have been overlooked for far too long."
--roger ebert
"Philly lives, Joe! Love your blog!"
--dave kehr/reports from the lost continent of cinephilia
"There is no better evidence of Joe's passion than his subject matter, defending and remembering the more obscure titles from cinematic history. No matter how much you think you might know about movies, odds are you will learn of new ones if you check out Joe's site."
--edward copeland/ on film
"Joe ... devotes himself to those myriad neglected figures and movies seemingly left by the roadside in our societal rush toward cultural amnesia. Whether he is trying to find the source of Jack Lemmon's quicksilver appeal or understand Vincente Minnelli's valedictory films or express just why we miss Jack Carson, Joe is consistently thoughtful and knowledgeable without being ponderous."
--moira finnie/skeins of thought
"The title The Passionate Moviegoer is not an exaggeration. Joe is the real deal, covering films that have been overlooked for far too long."
--roger ebert
"Philly lives, Joe! Love your blog!"
--joe dante/trailers from hell
"Joe's blog is notable for his crisp, stylish writing and is dedication to promoting obscure and lesser-seen films."
*********Awards**********
'hoop dreams"
~ joe baltake accommodation: first place for commentary / Society of Professional Journalists / 1995
“For his strength as a storyteller, pulling powerful imagery with smooth transitions into a tapestry of opinion, observation and dialogue, his voice resonating throughout his reviews."
"marley & me"
~joe baltake accommodation: performing animal welfare society ( PAWS) / 1995
"for his sensitive coverage of animal use in films in a column on the mistreatment of animals, both simulated and real, on screen."
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popular posts / most comments
- jennifer aniston / 79 comments
- gypsy / 54 comments
- at long last love / 54 comments
- melancholia / 47 comments
- black girl / 38 comments
- nineteen-sixty-two / 38 comments
- llewyn davis / 36 comments
- les miz / 36 comments
- an education / 36 comments
- not a major motion picture / 32 comments
- isadora / 31 comments
- how to marry a millionaire / 30 comments
- thoroughly modern millie / 30 comments
"north by northwest"
and eight decades later...
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quote unquote
- jean cocteau said of film, "Etonnez-moi!" ("Astonish me!")
passion posts / joe's favorites
- ashby's the landlord
- cinema obscura
- claire & patrick & fred & ginger
- daryl chin
- diary of a mad housewife
- greg kinnear
- guard brothers' SPDR spot
- huston's annie
- indelible moments
- les critiques de cinéma: anton, addison et les autres
- lonergan's margaret
- marley & me
- pierce brosnan
- schlesinger's biffle & shooster
- stephanie von buchau
- wilder's "the apartment" / the film that defines me
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- henry miller said, "This film is alive and it speaks to me."
each and every single post / the complete passion archive
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- e.l. doctorow said, "I like movies, but I hate the culture of movies..."
cinéssentials
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pauline kael said, “Great movies are rarely perfect movies”
book archive
joe on amazon
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dvd archive/commentary
joe's bio
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Followers
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Question for Joe? post it as an essay comment
fade out
fran to bud: "shut up and deal"
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copyright © 2006-2020 joe baltake - all rights reserved
15 comments:
And this brokenhearted Xmas party scene is surprisingly timeless, poignancy-wise.
I agree - with both the sarcasm of the scene and its poignancy.
Yes, I've always found it rather bittersweet.
Bittersweet. I just recently dicovered your great blog and I'm reading it bit by bit every day. Now I will watch THE APARTMENT for my approximate 10th time.
A great moment. Haven't thought of it in years.
I agree. Also, I've always thought that Fred MacMurray should have won an Oscar - or at the very least been nominated - for his performance in this movie.
There was no trace of nice guy Fred in his work, and never a moment when he in effect stood a step or two back from the character and let the audience know that he, the movie star, certainly had nothing in common with the awful character he was playing.
A really fine performance.
I agree. He's amazing in the role, particularly when you consider that he's playing the least defined character in the film. It could have been a cliche. Incidentally, the part was written with Paul Douglas in mind, but he died just as filming began. Wilder was in a tight spot and reached out to his "Double Indemnity" star to step up and play the part.
My wife and I were trying to think of New Year's Eve-themed movies yesterday. Other than the last scene of "When Harry Met Sally," and the interesting little Joan Leslie movie, "Repeat Performance," just aired on TCM' Noir Alley," we couldn't think of any. Of course, "The Apartment" is probably top of the list! I agree about Fred MacMurray - his best work and definitely (yet another) Oscar snub.
Frankly, Bill, it's the only one that came to mind in my case. Happy New Year! -J
IMHO, the absolute best HYE movie is Allan Arkush's marvelous GET CRAZY. Alas, music rights have kept it from home video, but it might be found online if you look.
When I saw the quote at the top of your email, I thought it was your retirement announcement.
Oy.
Great pick, Mike, re Arkush. That said, any attention that he attracts is appreciated. One of my favorite filmmakers. -J
"Get Crazy" - I believe it can be gotten in good quality from The Video Beat.
Hard To Find Movies - Rare Youth Culture Movies on DVD. -drsavaard@aol.com
There are pivotal NYE scenes in Wilder’s Sunset Blvd.”. That night, Norma Desmond reveals her feelings to JoeGillis, and he leaves her for another party, where he finds out she attempted suicide. He then returns to her.
Good one, Bill! -J
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