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| Author | Topic: Down These Mean Streets |
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Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 6/13/2008 at 12:08:17 AM ET
Today I took from the library Jimmy Breslin's new book about the Mafia, The Good Rat. I haven't started it yet, but noticed on the jacket blurb that it says "Breslin takes us to the old-time hangouts,...the dog-fight circles and body dumps at Ozone Park..."
Sheesh, I had known that Ozone Park was a little iffy, but not about it being that rough.
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 6/13/2008 at 9:12:57 AM ET
I think it shows in Bernadette's walk. Have you never noticed that terrificly confident tough little "walk" she has? No matter how gentle one might be as a person -- if you're brought up in a roughish neighbourhood you soon learn to walk with a "it's really not a good idea to mess with me" attitude. It's great.
"There’s a lot in the world for us to turn our attention to — helping people, helping animals, and helping animals help people." ... Bernadette Peters, August, 2007
|  moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 6/13/2008 at 11:56:50 AM ET
Scottie,
I agree about her walk though what has always cracked me up about how she walks is only evident at the extremely rare moments she is not in heels. Check out the "dream" sequence in The Last Best Year when she is in bare feet. To put it rather rudely (and I don't mean it that way), Bernadette walks like a duck. To put it in a much nicer and probably more accurate way, she walks like someone who spent a lot of her life in dance classes constantly standing in 2nd position. Wearing of heels seems to hide it a bit.
"Particular mention must be made of Bernadette Peters, who turns up briefly in a sort of sparkly Glinda the Good costume. She's the reluctant muse sent to help Alice with her writing. The muse is dressed like Oz, sounds like Queens and behaves like a bored student adviser." Alice Film Review, The New York Times, December 25, 1990
"I'm one star away from Dolly Parton ... and Raymond Massey is between us. I hope we don't suffocate him." Bernadette Peters receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, April 24, 1987
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 6/13/2008 at 3:49:26 PM ET
I think my favorite movie scene of Bernadette walking is in Tulips. Can you guess which one I'm thinking of?
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 6/13/2008 at 5:36:00 PM ET
Does it involve roller skates?
"There’s a lot in the world for us to turn our attention to — helping people, helping animals, and helping animals help people." ... Bernadette Peters, August, 2007
|  Alexa
Registered User
Registered:
9/23/2007
From:
Los Angeles
Fav. BP Character: Rutanya Wallace (Tulips)
Fav. BP Show: Sunday in the Park with George
Fav. BP Song: With So Little To Be Sure Of
| posted: 6/13/2008 at 5:47:24 PM ET
I remember reading something somewhere on the internet once about the mob dumping bodies somewhere in Ozone Park, but I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it or where the dump was. I do remember it made me wonder at the time I read it how close to that spot little Bernadette had grown up. That could totally uhm ... change a person, yannow? 
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 6/13/2008 at 6:28:37 PM ET
Nope, no roller skates.
| moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 6/13/2008 at 6:31:52 PM ET
Karen,
You are going to have to help me remember. It's been ages since I've seen Tulips.
"Particular mention must be made of Bernadette Peters, who turns up briefly in a sort of sparkly Glinda the Good costume. She's the reluctant muse sent to help Alice with her writing. The muse is dressed like Oz, sounds like Queens and behaves like a bored student adviser." Alice Film Review, The New York Times, December 25, 1990
"I'm one star away from Dolly Parton ... and Raymond Massey is between us. I hope we don't suffocate him." Bernadette Peters receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, April 24, 1987
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 6/13/2008 at 7:39:52 PM ET
It's the scene where she has Gabe Kaplan take her to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription (which she's writing herself in the car) and she can't decide between two drug stores on the same block. She has him driving forward and reverse between the two several times, weighing their merits, before finally insisting she's made up her mind on one. This is all shown with an overhead longshot from across the street. When she gets out of the car to go to it, she has this spunky little stride which she abruptly cuts short to turn around and make a hasty beeline to the other one. There's a lot of arm motion in that walk. I just always thought it was a hilarious employment of body language used to convey the character's emotional confusion & indecision.
Of course, I'm on record as thinking that's a great performance. Not everyone agrees.
| moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 6/13/2008 at 7:45:19 PM ET
I'm one of those who agrees its not the best film. I won't comment on the performance as I'm a firm believer one can only do so much, no matter how talented, with bad material. Though after your description, I am now pulling out my video. Yes, I don't like the movie but I own it. What can I say? I'm a dedicated fan.
"Particular mention must be made of Bernadette Peters, who turns up briefly in a sort of sparkly Glinda the Good costume. She's the reluctant muse sent to help Alice with her writing. The muse is dressed like Oz, sounds like Queens and behaves like a bored student adviser." Alice Film Review, The New York Times, December 25, 1990
"I'm one star away from Dolly Parton ... and Raymond Massey is between us. I hope we don't suffocate him." Bernadette Peters receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, April 24, 1987
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 6/13/2008 at 7:50:52 PM ET
moljul, I hope you watch the whole film through. I know it's a perfectly dreadful little z-grade nothing, but Bernadette is so fabulous. I don't know how she "did so much with bad material," but she did. She is just perfection as that bipolar woman.
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 6/14/2008 at 3:56:59 PM ET
I'm not a fan of "Tulips", but, as usual, Bernadette transcends her material.
I also love her "walk", or rather, her march in "Impromptu" when she positively strides down the street to see Hugh Grant with poor Julian Sands running, trying to keep up with her.
"There’s a lot in the world for us to turn our attention to — helping people, helping animals, and helping animals help people." ... Bernadette Peters, August, 2007
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