ran into Dan after PUSHOVER...

I was heading home from catching PUSHOVER at the Brattle last night when I ran into Dan. I saw him a few seconds before he saw me, and it was just the shape of his head, turned away from me, maybe together with his walk, that I recognized. In the seconds between my seeing him and his seeing me I realized that it was just about time for us to crossover again. We do this every year or so. Uncanny.

Got me thinking... I'm probably just about due to run into Neal again...

Dammit, why can't I be a human being and keep in touch with people? Bleah.

Dan's great. He's thoughtful, genuine, ready to tackle or talk about anything, seriously goofy. He's always remembering the best and most positive things about people. Or at least, that's all he ever repeats out loud, heh. But then, with me, he's got material that goes all the way back to... 1987? Wack. Yeah, we're nerd camp vets.

He was with a small posse, post food and drinks, I'd guess, and meandering his way from Harvard Square to his friend Ray's car to get home. We hit each other's highlights... Work's decent for both of us. What's "rails on rudy?" He still hasn't figured out what he really wants to do. Yeah, I'm still playing volleyball. No, clients aren't really asking for animation, but we're doing a lot of work in Flash. Apparently he never got the link to my Santa this past year, bleah. We just had enough walking time to get to the part where we talk about our fantasy collaboration - an animated short or series, good story, music, kitbashed styles and genres...

Maybe when one of us wins the lottery.

PUSHOVER was great fun. Nothing very sophisticated or daring visually, but a nice dip into noir and simple fun with hardboiled dialogue and scenarios, a la "Money isn't dirty... only people..."

Kim Novak (filed under Hitchcock's VERTIGO) plays the femme fatale, a thief's kept gal, who seduces undercover detective Fred MacMurray (of MY THREE SONS and Disney films =) into using his advantageous position to seize the dough from her fugitive beau's latest heist and run away together. Simple, no? What could go wrong? Well, that's sorta the point, innit? =)

There's a great second plot running throughout involving MacMurray's partner, Rick, a stand-up guy who's apparently had hard luck with the ladies and still has his heart set on settling down with a decent girl.

They work the stakeout on Kim's apartment together and everytime he's at the window w the binoculars and supposed to be observing Kim, his gaze wanders next door, to the home of spunky hard-working nurse Stewart. Over time he finds himself following her comings and goings, worrying about her when she doesn't arrive home at the usual hour.

Of course, they eventually have a run-in in the lobby of the apartment building. The cop is waiting for the elevator and notices the nurse being harrassed by some fellow, apparently her date for the evening. She politely and firmly calls it a night, but the guy thinks he can make it last if he grabs her purse and plays "why-don't-you-make-me?" with it. Enter our detective, who tells the guy to back off with the proper hardnosed "the lady said she's not interested" language. The masher won't back down until the cop gives him a good arm twist and a shove toward the front doors.

Needless to say, nurse Stewart is impressed. The two make a little conversation at the elevator, with her eyes dancing just a little at this great big hunk of a man, and him giving gruff little replies. She throws in a few choice words about the trouble jerks like the masher can cause her. At that, the cop asks her the crowd-pleasing, "Wouldn't it just be simpler to just avoid his type in the first place?"

Heh.

Frack. I wish I remembered more of the dialogue. It was just such a perfect overcompensating overprotective turn of a phrase in that exchange, and a scene closer.

I think the Brattle blurb mentions its owing its plot to DOUBLE INDEMNITY (w Barbra Stanwyck and MacMurray), but falls short of its seething greatness. Still, I'm a sucker for this kind of film. I saw that the Brattle's "Rare Film Noir" Tuesdays (last night was the first in the series) got a write-up in the Phoenix. It was great seeing the theater full for a 7.30 show on a Tuesday. And when I was leaving, it looked like a bit more than half the room was planning on staying for the double feature. Alas, I was just too beat to last. Maybe next week. I usedta hit the Monday night noirs at the Brattle in pretty regular streaks. I'm hoping to hit at least one of the rarities every Tuesday coming up through August.

Something to do.

Keep on keepin on~