Latest news with #TheSevenYearItch
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Seven Year Itch at 70: a comedy about infidelity ruined by the Hays code
One of the patterns that emerges in Conversations With Wilder, a delightfully candid 1999 interview book that the director Cameron Crowe did with his film-making hero, Billy Wilder, is that Wilder tends to look more fondly on his hits than his misses. To him, commercial flops were rarely the result of audiences misunderstanding his work, but a regrettable failure on his part to connect with them. So it's notable that Wilder didn't have kind things to say about the Marilyn Monroe comedy The Seven Year Itch, a box-office sensation that's rightfully settled a few tiers below classics like Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, The Apartment and Some Like It Hot, his brilliant second go-around with Monroe. A work-for-hire job for Darryl Zanuck at 20th Century Fox, The Seven Year Itch didn't originate with Wilder, but George Axelrod's 1952 Broadway comedy about marital wanderlust, with its ping-pong between lustiness and guilt, seemed well-suited to his sensibility. But the real tension that undermines the film is the ping-pong between Monroe's five-alarm sexuality and the wet-blanket prudishness that keeps putting out the fire. Wilder and Axelrod, who also scripted, were 'straitjacketed' by the Hays code, which imposed strict limits on how far the film could go, and Wilder couldn't work around it. He called it a 'nothing picture' because censors neutered a comedy about infidelity. A comedy about mere temptation doesn't have the same pop. Seventy years later, The Seven Year Itch may not be remembered as a great movie, but it'll forever be cherished as a grate movie. Wilder sensed a scene where Monroe, in a form-fitting white dress, positions herself above a subway grate on Lexington Avenue would cause a stir, so he leaned into it, turning the shoot into a media frenzy that yielded one of the signature images of Monroe's career. It's also a prime example of the uncorked sexuality that Monroe brought to the table, which even the Hays code couldn't hope to suppress. On a date with an older, married man – the movie they see, Creature from the Black Lagoon, is much more erotic than this one – her character explains that she likes to feel the wind from passing trains under her dress. She's unashamed by the feeling. Yet shame proves to be a heavy anchor for Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell), a middle-aged paperback book publisher whose tendency to daydream about romantic encounters seems to manifest a fantasy girl come to life. After sending his wife, Helen (Evelyn Keyes), and their son off to Maine for hot summer months, Richard toys with how much he's going to let himself off the leash while he reclaims his bachelorhood. He's a good boy at first, dining at a vegetarian restaurant because 'you can't run on martinis and Hungarian goulash'. But those martinis can easily be shaken in his Manhattan apartment, and though he keeps his cigarettes under lock and key, it's only a small hassle to access them when he gets the urge. Still, there are common urges and then there's Marilyn Monroe as 'the girl', the bubbly and endlessly accommodating blonde who's moved into the place upstairs. She nearly kills Richards when a tomato plant on her balcony drops through his lounge chair, but that proves to be enough of a meet-cute to get her to come down for a drink. Before she arrives, he dreams of seducing her with cocktails and Rachmaninoff, but she proves more enticed by the lowbrow appeals of Chopsticks and dipping potato chips in champagne. They're an odd couple, but nothing seems to turn her off, including his wedding ring, and plenty turns him on, like an 'artistic picture' in a bikini she took for a magazine he has on his shelf. The title The Seven Year Itch refers to a dubious piece of psychology suggesting married men tire of their wives after seven years and start looking around for a mistress. Many of the laughs in Axelrod's script come from Richard twisting himself into knots over whether he's that type of guy or not, which the play answers one way and the movie answers another. Wilder does his best to bring Richard's tortured conscience to visual life, with sequences that toggle between fantasy and reality, creating not only a window into his thinking but also opening up what's mostly a one-room stage play. The trouble is that Ewell, who originated the role on Broadway, is a bit of a drip as a leading man. (Wilder wanted the then unknown Walter Matthau, who'd have been a terrific choice.) Virtually all the energy in The Seven Year Itch comes from Monroe, whose sexual confidence is as weirdly innocent as it is incandescent, as if she doesn't comprehend her own power. ('People keep falling desperately in love with me,' she says, as if it's a mystery she can't begin to start cracking.) Referring to her simply as 'the girl' is an icky sign of the times, as though Axelrod and Wilder can't imagine her as a woman who exists apart from Richard's imagination. But Monroe makes so singular an impression that she dwarfs the film's ostensible star, who looks one-dimensional and feckless by comparison. Wilder is right to believe the material might have thrived in an era in which infidelity was allowed to be the theme, because without it, the stakes of The Seven Year Itch are almost non-existent. Monroe should overwhelm Ewell like Barbara Stanwyck does Henry Fonda in The Lady Eve, a comedy that was also made under the code but is arousing and dangerous in a way that The Seven Year Itch never becomes. Monroe may have been the embodiment of temptation in the era, but the possibility of sex is off the table. It's an itch the film can never scratch.
Geek Tyrant
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Stunning First Trailer For Guillermo del Toro's FRANKENSTEIN — GeekTyrant
Netflix has just dropped the first trailer for Guillermo del Toro long-awaited film Frankenstein , and it looks like he made a beautiful and stunning film! I'm very excited about this movie and it looks like the filmmaker has delivered somthing special and I absolutley love the visuals! Del Toro prevously opened up about the film and what he is looking to do with it saying: 'Somebody asked me the other day, does it have really scary scenes? For the first time, I considered that. It's an emotional story for me. It's as personal as anything. I'm asking a question about being a father, being a son… I'm not doing a horror movie — ever. I'm not trying to do that.' Del Toro's stories often center on creatures the world sees as monsters, and instead reveal something deeply empathetic and human within them. Their approach leans into the heart of the story rather than the horror, a direction Del Toro's been circling for decades. He even traced his fascination with the creature back to a scene from Billy Wilder's The Seven Year Itch . 'The first time I thought I was going to avenge the creature was when Marilyn Monroe is coming out [of the movies] in The Seven Year Itch with Tom Ewell, and she says the creature just needed somebody to like him. 'I fell in love with Marilyn, and I fell in love with the creature in that scene at a very early age. And I thought, you know, all we have is people that look at people the wrong way. That's what we have in this world.' The story follows Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation. It's explained that 'much of the film, including this laboratory scene, takes place within the remnants of once-great structures.' Del Toro says: 'Gothic romance was born partially out of the fascination with ruins. Sometimes they're more beautiful than the building complete because it's the clash of creation and destruction.' Del Toro previously said of the project, 'It's a movie I have been wanting to do for 50 years since I saw the first Frankenstein. I had an epiphany, and it's basically a movie that required a lot of growth and a lot of tools that I couldn't have done 10 years ago. Now I'm brave or crazy enough or something, and we're gonna tackle it.' Frankenstein stars Jacob Elordi as the Monster, Oscar Isaac as Victor, Mia Goth ( MaXXXine, The Odyssey ) as Victor's fiancée, Elizabeth Lavenza; Christoph Waltz ( Inglorious Basterds, del Toro's Pinocchio ) as Dr. Septimus Pretorius, Victor's former professor who originated in Bride of Frankenstein ; Lars Mikkelsen ( The Witcher, Ahsoka ) as Captain Anderson, a seeming replacement for Captain Walton, leader of a voyage of discovery towards the northern pole; and Ralph Ineson ( Game of Thrones, The Fantastic Four: First Steps ) as Professor Kempre, who in the novel is a professor of natural philosophy described as 'an uncouth man, but deeply imbued in the secrets of his science.' The movie is expected to debut on Netflix later this fall. Watch the trailer and tell us what you think!
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Disney plans to vacate storied Fox lot in Century City by year's end
Two of entertainment's most famous brands, Fox and Disney, are parting ways in Century City. Walt Disney Co. acknowledged Tuesday that it will be vacating the storied Fox Studio Lot, where it has been the primary occupant since Disney bought most of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets in 2019. The $71.3-billion deal did not include the studio real estate. However, it featured a provision that Disney would move in as a tenant for at least seven years. Disney's lease for space on Fox's Pico Boulevard property in Los Angeles expires next March. The company has no plans to renew its lease and instead plans to leave by year's end, said Disney insiders who were not authorized to speak publicly. The move puts pressure on owner Fox Corp. to find new tenants for the soundstages and office space where movies and television shows have been made for generations. Famous movies brought to life there include "Miracle on 34th Street," "The Seven Year Itch" and "The Sound of Music." The lot also is home to Fox Sports, the Fox broadcast network and the writers' room for "The Simpsons." Fox receives $50 million a year for leasing out the space, according to regulatory filings. Disney is the largest tenant, but Fox executives say they are bullish on finding new occupants. 'The Fox Lot is second to none in terms of location and premium production and post-production facilities available," Fox said Tuesday in a statement. Read more: Fox oral history: Inside the legendary studio at the end of its run Disney has gradually shed its Fox DNA since the deal. In 2020, Disney retired 'Fox' branding from the logos and assets it acquired from Fox to minimize confusion with properties that remain part of Murdoch's empire, including Fox News. Since the acquisition, dozens of television studio and FX network executives have remained in their longtime offices on the lot — a popular perk for those who live on Los Angeles' Westside, allowing them to keep their shorter commutes. For the past six years, Fox's Building 103, on the lot's southeast corner, has been a Disney outpost. But Disney has spent the past year taking steps to relocate teams to Burbank, where Disney has its own historic studio lot and an adjoining complex that houses ABC and Disney Animation. Disney's goal is to bring together a creative hub for its television groups, including the executives who had remained on the Fox lot, according to knowledgeable people who were not authorized to comment. The company declined to comment on its plans for the Disney-owned television productions that remain on the Fox lot, including dramas '9-1-1' and '9-1-1: Lone Star,' produced by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear. Early contours of the Disney-Fox transaction — orchestrated by Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger and Murdoch — had envisioned the Century City compound as one of the assets included in the sale to Disney. But Murdoch's oldest son, Lachlan, who serves as chief executive of Fox, insisted his company hold onto the prime real estate where Shirley Temple, Marilyn Monroe and Mel Brooks once worked. (Studio founder William Fox purchased 99 acres of land between Santa Monica Boulevard and Pico Boulevard 101 years ago. Fox, after taking a financial beating on the 1963 film 'Cleopatra,' sold off much of its backlot, which now makes up a large swath of Century City.) Lachlan Murdoch, whose office is in the Art Deco administration building, viewed the Fox lot as part of his company's beating heart. He also recognized the value of the soundstages and ancillary production facilities, which have been in high demand during the gush of production to support the launch of several streaming services. Read more: On a Hollywood studio lot, a new New York comes to life However, production in Los Angeles has not recovered from the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes, and many shoots have been lured to other states and countries with generous tax incentives. The shift comes as Fox has been seeking city approval for a $1.5-billion expansion of its Century City location, a project envisioned to add more than 2 million square feet of new building space, including multiple new soundstages, postproduction facilities and a new office building that fronts Avenue of the Stars. As part of that redevelopment, four historic bungalows near the center of the lot are scheduled to be moved to another location closer to Olympic Boulevard. Disney's departure will not dampen Fox's ambitious plans for its Century City expansion, according to an executive who was not authorized to speak publicly. The Fox project is in the preliminary approval phase with the city. Disney scooped up some valuable franchises through the Fox acquisition, including 'Avatar,' "Alien" and Marvel's "X-Men" and "Deadpool." Disney also gained control of streaming service Hulu, which maintains its home base in Santa Monica. Still, some analysts and investors say that Disney vastly overpaid for the properties, which put the Burbank entertainment behemoth in a weakened position when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. That spring, Disney took on additional debt after its theme parks shuttered, movie theaters closed and sports leagues called time out. Disney has looked to cut costs for the last couple of years. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donatella Versace steps down: From Jennifer Lopez's ‘jungle dress' to Britney Spears' ‘butterfly dress,' a look back at her best fashion moments.
In a major shift for the fashion world, Donatella Versace has announced her decision to step down as creative director of Versace, a role she took on after the tragic death of her brother Gianni Versace in 1997. Reflecting on her decades-long tenure, Donatella wrote on Instagram: 'It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni's legacy. He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity.' As she embraces a new role as chief brand ambassador, her departure marks the end of an era, with Dario Vitale, formerly of Miu Miu, stepping in as the brand's new top creative officer. 'I am thrilled that Dario Vitale will be joining us, and excited to see Versace through new eyes,' she wrote. 'In my new role as Chief Brand Ambassador, I will remain Versace's most passionate supporter. Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart." See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Donatella's impact on fashion remains undeniable. Her visionary designs not only defined the pop culture of the early 2000s but also cemented her reputation as a force in luxury fashion. Here's a look back at some of her most famous designs on the red carpet and beyond — and what she and the stars who wore them had to say about the looks. Jennifer Lopez wore the now iconic green Versace 'jungle dress' at the Grammy Awards — despite her stylist's protests that it had already been seen. 'It was a dress that other people had worn already. My stylist was like, 'Please don't wear it. Somebody else has worn it,'' Lopez told Vogue in February 2024. 'I was like, 'Well, you bought it, and it looks the best, so I'm going to wear it.' And so I did. And it caused quite a stir.' Originally worn by Versace herself at the 1999 'Rock Style' Met Gala, Lopez compared the gown to Marilyn Monroe's classic white halter dress in The Seven Year Itch. 'I guess every generation needs its iconic kind of Marilyn dress, and this is that dress for this generation,' she said. Versace later noted how unexpected the media frenzy was. '[The dress] was an unexpected success,' she told the Canadian Press in 2008. 'The next day [Lopez] was all over the place with people talking about her in that dress.' The online search demand for photos of Lopez in the dress was so intense that it became the catalyst for Google's image search. Gaga's Super Bowl halftime performance featured a custom Versace ensemble that embodied her close bond with the fashion house. Her stylist, Brandon Maxwell, told Vogue at the time, 'Versace has been an important part of [Gaga's] fashion history, so it was a natural choice to work with them on the costumes.' Even before she hit the stage at the Super Bowl, Gaga paid homage to Versace with her 2013 track 'Donatella,' calling it a love letter to the designer. And in January 2018, she called the designer 'the most wonderful friend, and inspiration and comfort to my life' in a post on Facebook. The admiration goes both ways. As Versace wrote of Gaga in 2014, 'It means so much that she finds strength and character through dressing in the Versace way. I've never experimented with different personas in the way that she has. It makes me admire her even more.' Jolie's 2012 Oscars outfit — a black Versace strapless gown with a thigh-high slit — quickly went viral. The actress, who has a longstanding history of wearing Versace, told Extra in 2019 that she almost didn't wear the dress, planning to go with something more 'complicated" before going with her ultimate look. In a March 2023 interview with WSJ Magazine, Versace called it one of her most standout red-carpet moments. 'The leg went viral, the image went everywhere. Sometimes you don't know which dress is the best, but when you see someone wearing the dress, it can become fantastic,' she said. At the 2016 Grammys, Taylor Swift stunned in a two-piece by Versace. 'She wanted a look that was young, sexy and fresh, as she is, totally reflecting her character,' the designer told Billboard. 'It was a pleasure to create this look for her. Taylor's gown is the perfect example of how bold color can create such an incredible effect.' Swift's affinity for Versace has only grown, with Donatella praising the Versace-designed outfits the singer wore during select numbers on her Eras Tour: '@taylorswift, you always shine in Versace. You rule that Eras stage with elegance and power! 💖' One of Britney Spears's best Versace moments was the 'butterfly dress,' first unveiled in October 2002, which has since been described as a Y2K fashion symbol. Nearly two decades later, Versace reflected on that era in an Instagram Post: 'I love that @britneyspears posted her favourite 2000s looks!! This flashback is from when she came to my show in 2002, looking glamorous in Versace✨ I'll never forget when you came and stayed with me Britney, you were and will always be magical!!!!' The two have stayed close, and as for the dress itself, it returned to the spotlight when Blake Lively wore it to the New York premiere of It Ends With Us in August 2024. In 2003, Beyoncé kicked off her solo career with her hit song, 'Crazy in Love.' In the music video, one of the standout fashion moments features vibrant dresses from Versace's Spring 2003 collection. Stylist Ty Hunter recalled that Donatella generously provided the entire collection for the video, telling Vogue, 'Donatella [Versace] sent us the whole collection. We wanted to create a whole fashion moment around it.' The iconic status of the dress was secured when Zendaya paid homage to Beyoncé at the 2021 BET Awards by wearing a Versace gown similar to one of the dresses Beyoncé wore for her 'Crazy in Love' performance at the 2003 BET Awards. At the time, Versace praised Zendaya's tribute, commenting on Instagram, "@Zendaya!! You looked just SENSATIONAL last night at the BET Awards. I'll never forget Beyoncé wearing this in 2003. A tough act to follow but you aced it effortlessly!" In the 2004 film 13 Going on 30, Jennifer Garner's character wears a Versace mini dress during the unforgettable 'Thriller' dance sequence. The dress has since become a beloved staple of early 2000s fashion nostalgia. Costume designer Susie DeSanto recalled the selection process to CNN, explaining, 'It was just the dress that got picked. [Garner] put it on, we got her all dolled up, she went to dance, and we moved on. We were busy.' Over the years, the dress — a variation of a look from Versace's spring/summer 2003 runway show — has remained a pop culture favorite. Ariana Grande paid homage by wearing an identical Versace dress during an appearance on The Voice, a moment that Garner later said made her feel 'warm and fuzzy' knowing that it still resonates with fans. Despite its popularity, the original dress has mysteriously disappeared. In 2023, Garner joked that she may have spotted it on a background actor in Sex and the City, adding to the mystique surrounding the now lost piece of fashion history.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Controversial 'Forever Marilyn' statue heading for new home, will get facelift
For those hoping to snap a selfie of "Forever Marilyn" before she is moved, your time is running out. The 26-foot-tall statue will be moved beginning Sunday. The larger than life depiction of Marylin Monroe isn't going far, though. She is being placed less than 100 feet away, out of Museum Way and in the Downtown Park. 'We look forward to 'Forever Marilyn' having a permanent home in Palm Springs so we can reflect on all the positive attention she brings to our community, ' Peggy Trott, Chair of PS Resorts, which owns the statue, said in a news release. 'In 2024 alone, the statue welcomed more than 996,033 visitors. From social media posts to neighborhood group discussions, the outpouring of love for 'Forever Marilyn' has been incredible. It will be wonderful to focus solely on all the happiness she brings to the residents and visitors of Palm Springs moving forward.' In addition to being moved, the statue will be cleaned and the paint refurbished. The entire operation is expected to end on Feb. 28. The move is part of a settlement from a lawsuit brought by the Committee to Relocate Marilyn, which objected to the statue's location in the middle of a public street. Some members of the group have also criticized the statue, which depicts Monroe from the 1955 movie "The Seven Year Itch" with her dress blowing up in the wind, as being misogynist. The lawsuit cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, and nearly $500,000 in additional funds will be spent on the move, which PS Resorts is paying for. Despite the criticism, PS Resorts said in a news release a 2021 study showed 86% of Palm Springs residents found the statue to be a "fun and free attraction" while 75% agreed the statue would help promote the city around the world. Monroe is strongly associated with Palm Springs, having been a regular visitor to the city in the 1950s with her husband, Joe DiMaggio. Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@ This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'Forever Marilyn' statue in Palm Springs will be moved Sunday. What to know
