Me and my mom have been decorating all day for Xmas, trying to get it all done, but it doesn't seem like there is any end in sight.
I was thinking when I was in the 7th grade and we went to the mall with the Home Ec club, at Xmas, that was always so fun, because we grew up where a mall was unheard off, so to take a bus trip down near a big city just to go to "The Mall" that was so cool.
I remember sneeking in to see Arthur at the movies, so it must have came out sometime around Xmas, so me and my mom are going to watch it, cause we both think it is hysterical, and kick back and relax tonight.
I love that movie, because it is one of those ones that can make you crack up laughing, and I haven't seen it in awhile, so I am really looking forward to seeing it tonight.
Does anyone else think it is great???
Posted by StevenHW (Member # 509) on :
Not me. There was no chemistry between Dudley Moore (who I find obnoxious, even when he's not drunk) and Liza Minnelli (who was totally miscast).
The whole thing was too silly for me, and not funny enough.
The only really good thing in that movie was the performance of Sir John Gielgud as Arthur's valet. He deservedly won a "Supporting Actor" Oscar at the Academy Awards for that role.
Posted by isis9968 (Member # 1780) on :
I never liked Liza Minnelli ever...she was definately the wrong person for that role, but I loved Dudley Moore, another movie that I liked him in was in the movie Micki and Maude.
Posted by Chris Fulmer (Member # 3197) on :
Good but not quite on the great level is how I rate it. Love Christopher Cross's theme thoroughly though.
Posted by Chris Fulmer (Member # 3197) on :
Good but not quite on the great level is how I rate it. Love Christopher Cross's theme thoroughly though.
Posted by Chris Fulmer (Member # 3197) on :
Sorry, the function got a little crazy there.
Posted by cindymancini (Member # 679) on :
I love Arthur! It's one of my favorite movies. I mean it takes place in NYC so you can't go wrong! As good as Dudley Moore and Liza were in it, my two favorite characters were Hobson and the guy that played Liza's father. He was such a bummy looking guy and Hobson was the stuffy Englishman full of sarcasm and wit. And yes, the theme song is classic..."When you get caught between the moon and New York City..." Posted by isis9968 (Member # 1780) on :
I finally got around to watching it last night.
It was still funny.
I love Hobson's humor in it. Those 1 liners are hysterical.
I love when he says:
Steal something casual.
and..I look forward to your next syllable with great eagerness...
and he says...It's what I live for.
He is so funny in that movie.
It is hard to believe Dudley Moore has been dead for some years now, he had a disease didn't he, that debilitated him??
Posted by ValleyCat (Member # 1322) on :
Isis I was waiting for StevenHW to give you this info, but he must be busy.
Dudley announced his battle with the degenerative neurological condition, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, in November of 1999, and subsequently devoted himself to raising money for two important charitable causes--the Dudley Moore Research Fund for PSP and Music For All Seasons, Inc. He died in New Jersey in March of 2002.
I'm not a big fan of "Arthur", but I liked Dudley Moore in "10" and "Foulplay".
Posted by Earth Angel (Member # 3301) on :
Dudley Moore was really funny, but Peter Cook was the true comic genius....it will always be a scandal (to me at least) that he wasnt more recognised for it....the series Not Only but Also that they both had in the 60's/70's was hilarious....I cant believe the only thing he was in was Supergirl.......which is bad, but seeing as I spent most of my childhood wishing I was supergirl, is slightly redeemed........more Peter cook appreciation please.
Posted by noikz (Member # 1000) on :
Arthur is in my collection but not one of my favourites.
I watched a couple of funny Dudley Moore movies last week. Crazy People and Like Father Like Son.
Who want's to be a fire engine?
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Watched Arthur couple of months ago and i found it very funny. Dudley is drinking all the time and he can play a fantastic drunk! In action movies we talk about body count, Arthur needs a drink count They are not moralising the drinking that much and i found it a good thing. We have enough of those movies that do it already. Lots of great one-liners in this one. Dudley plays piano and boy, was he good at it. Minelli was ok, which is a lot because she´s not one of my favorites. Gielgud was excellent and got an Oscar as did the wonderful theme tune. All in all it´s a feelgood movie which makes you thirsty Posted by LISA LISA (Member # 1780) on :
aTomiK-was that the first time you ever saw it?
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
It was indeed the first time. His films have somehow escaped me earlier so i bought and watched few of them. I only had seen Best Defense and Like Father Like Son before the "Moore marathon". So, i watched 10 (vey good), Wholly Moses! (pretty lame Life of Brian rip-off), Arthur (very good), Lovesick (so-so), Romantic Comedy (so-so, no chemistry with Steenburgen), Unfaithfully Yours (pretty good) and Micki & Maude (so-so).
Posted by thenodfather (Member # 8732) on :
Arthur. I wondered why there was a sequel to that.
Posted by Nostalgic for the '80's (Member # 37454) on :
Recently re-watched "Arthur" on DVD. Excellent film - one of Dudley Moore's best.
Arthur's one-liners were hilarious, and made the film to a great extent:
Burt Johnson: I don't drink because drinking affects your decision-making. Arthur: You may be right. I can't decide.
Arthur Bach: I hate it here! Hobson: Of course you hate it. People work here.
LOL!!!
Very poignant scene when his butler Hobson was dying, and Arthur finally stepped up and cleaned up his act (temporarily, at least) - and was there for Hobson during his last days.
For the first time, I noticed that the actor who played Liza Minelli's father in the film was the same guy who played Seinfeld's father in the '90's Seinfeld TV series - very funny.
It was also interesting to note that Arthur played the piano fairly well during his engagement party. It's almost as if DM was "channeling" his professional piano player character from "10".
My only complaint with the film is that I found the premise unrealistic; i.e., Arthur was willing to give up his vast fortune & life of comfort & ease in order to marry a woman who had no money. Bull. I've known plenty of people who got married for money & not love (I know that's not quite the situation in this film, but it's still the same idea).
The fact that Arthur's grandmother gave him the money at the end of the film (despite Arthur's not marrying Susan Johnson) didn't matter, since Arthur was still expecting not to get any money from his father/grandmother if he didn't get married.
[ 04. February 2017, 17:55: Message edited by: Nostalgic for the '80's ]
Posted by Pyro (Member # 7658) on :
This movie is just OK in my book. I can't say it ranks anywhere among my favorite 80's comedies, but I guess it has a little charm to it. And it's light years better than that 2011 poor excuse for a remake starring Russell Brand, (talk about an annoyingly unfunny actor, that guy takes the cake.) But yes, I will say the original '81 film does have it's moments. But there are other Dudley Moore films I enjoy more than this one.
Posted by Logan 5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:This movie is just OK in my book. I can't say it ranks anywhere among my favorite 80's comedies, but I guess it has a little charm to it. And it's light years better than that 2011 poor excuse for a remake starring Russell Brand, (talk about an annoyingly unfunny actor, that guy takes the cake.) But yes, I will say the original '81 film does have it's moments. But there are other Dudley Moore films I enjoy more than this one.
Love love love Arthur. It's one of my favourite Romantic Comedies. Everything about the film exudes quality; cast, music, script. Dudley Moore is at his best doing what he once claimed was something of an impersonation of Peter Cook. Such a tragedy that Steve Gordon died the year after this came out. Even though his previous movie 'The One and Only' was an up and down mess, it still has scenes and a script that make it worth watching. We'll never know what could have been from him...
NYC in the early 80's too... always a winner! Triple-bill this with 'Tootsie' and 'The Goodbye Girl' for maximum fun. If you need more maybe throw in the much weaker 'Author! Author!'.
"Once in your life... you find her..."
quote:It was also interesting to note that Arthur played the piano fairly well during his engagement party. It's almost as DM was "channeling" his professional piano player character from "10".
Dudley was a classically trained painist who was never happier than when sat at a piano. Directors made full use of that in several movies. When the disease that finally killed him struck, the worst part for him was the loss of ability to play the piano. Apparently he was always prone to depression, but that really really caused him distress.
Posted by Nostalgic for the '80's (Member # 37454) on :
Yes, "Arthur's theme (Best that you can do)" got a huge amount of radio play in the early '80's. I was a little kid a the time, and was very familiar with this song - long before I was aware it was associated with the film. It's obvious it was written for the film - the Liza Minelli character talks to Arthur about thinking the moon was "following" her as a child, which is an obvious reference to the song.
Yes, early '80's NYC may as well be another character in the film - very cool. Like a lot of older films, "Arthur" is a time capsule of that specific time & place.
I did not know that Dudley Moore was a classically trained pianist, but I'm not surprised at all - it's obvious he was actually playing the piano in those scenes, instead of "faking it".
It appears that the film may have taken place over the Christmas holidays - there are a couple of Christmas references in the film. In any case, the movie seemed to at least take place in the Fall or Winter, which makes December a perfect time to re-watch this.
[ 10. December 2016, 17:45: Message edited by: Nostalgic for the '80's ]
Posted by Logan 5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:Yes, "Arthur's theme (Best that you can do)" got a huge amount of radio play in the early '80's. I was a little kid a the time, and was very familiar with this song - long before I was aware it was associated with the film. It's obvious it was written for the film - the Liza Minelli character talks to Arthur about thinking the moon was "following" her as a child, which is an obvious reference to the song.
"Arthur he does as he pleases... all of his life his masters toys and deep in his heart, he's just.... he's just a boy"
I think you're right, it does work as a sort of pre-Christmas movie.
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