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Sat Oct 03 2026 10:35 September Film Roundup:
- Bells are Ringing (1960): Judy Holliday does it again! A light, fun movie that only makes sense to the extent it's based on a true story. We also got another 1960s dental office. What's with all the dentists in these old movies? I theorize "dentist" is a super-networker character. You don't need to explain why someone would visit a dentist, or why a dentist might know any random person.
Anyway, Judy's great as always. The all-classic moment in this movie is when Dean Martin asks "Are you psychic?" and she mentally fumbles for a bit before saying "...Yes?" We coulda had Judy Holliday as Sean Spencer, folks.
- The Birdcage (1996): Nothing brightens up movie night like a surprise "Screenplay by Elaine May" credit. The main thing I think could have been improved here is the characters of the kids who are getting married. Right now they're defined primarily by their rebellion against their parents, and it's like watching the romantic subplot of a Marx Brothers movie while the older actors are chewing scenery left and right. But the chewing is definitely entertaining.
I haven't seen the French/Italian movie this is based on and supposedly May's adaptation was really close to the original, but there's a suspicious amount of The Heartbreak Kid (1972) in this one.
According to a contemporary interview in The Advocate, Gene Hackman "relished the chance to return to his roots in improvisational comedy." I've seen several Gene Hackman movies and suffice to say that's not where I thought his roots were. But there is a part in this movie where he delivers a long rambling monologue that's not very funny, so maybe? Oh, and in honor of the end of this movie we came up with the perfect drag name for him: Jean Hackwoman. Tip your waitresses!