Who are Fred and Marilyn? In this context, muses.
I have finally taken the time to actually watch the movies I’ve been wanting to watch for… the entirety of 2021, if not longer! Specifically, I set a goal that I technically thought to do in April. I wanted to watch movies from my copy of “1001 Movies to See Before You Die,” with a specific focus. This focus, or theme, would be Fred Armisen and Marilyn Monroe.
Fred Who? Marilyn Monwhat? Okay, that last one is silly, but allow me to elaborate. Fred Armisen is one of my favorite comedians right now. I say “right now,” but I really mean “was a foundational part of my understanding of comedy.” Obviously, my first experience with him happened through his time as a Prime-Time Player on “Saturday Night Live” (and before you come at me with the “Wah wah wah SNL hasn’t been funny since the 189os when video cameras hadn’t even been invented yet” diatribe, I encourage you to watch this analysis. If you don’t have time for a forty minute analysis, then you have no lines in this production of “SNL Debate”). I’ve since gone on to appreciate (and by appreciate, I mean rapidly consume) the other two shows with his name on it: “Portlandia” and “Documentary Now!”
In his time on “Saturday Night Live,” “Portlandia,” and “Documentary Now!”, Fred wrote sketches and satires on groundbreaking cinema that happen to feature in my aforementioned anthology. Since “Documentary Now!” serves as an anthology parody of various preexisting documentaries, this should come as no surprise. In his honor, I decided to watch what I could find from this list that clearly informed his writings.
Where does Marilyn Monroe come into all this? It’s very simple: there’s no connection between Fred and Marilyn, I just love her. As a result, I decided to view films from “1001 Movies to See Before You Die” that either a) featured Marilyn Monroe or b) featured a connection to Fred Armisen.
This viewing experience was based solely on my appreciation for Fred and Marilyn: two very entertaining people, from very different generations of entertainment.
A note: Marilyn Monroe’s iconic film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” has a place in “1001 Movies to See Before You Die,” but I didn’t include it in this venture, since I’d already seen it.
Fred and Marilyn: The Funny Freddy Films
- Nanook of the North (1922). I decided to watch this film after it was parodied in “Documentary Now!” Nanook of the North is a documentary about an Inuit man (named Nanook), who acts as the primary provider for his family as they travel through the harsh cold of Canada. Equal parts silent film, documentary, and docudrama, it details the adventures of building igloos, catching walrus, and selling pelts at the “White Man’s” trading post.Similar to the parody “Kanuk Uncovered,” later reflection revealed that much of the film contained dramatizations and falsities. Nanook’s name was actually Allakariallak. His wife was actually a girlfriend of the documentarian. The family didn’t rely on harpoons and knives alone to kill their meals.Speaking of their meals, as much as I understand that it was the cold winters of the early 1900s, where food of ANY kind was scarce, I felt I didn’t need to see the killing of the meals. You see the group kill a walrus, and the walrus’s mate’s attempts to save him. As well, you see the family traveling with a pack of Huskies. They trap a fox that’s just as cute as their Husky puppy. They put the fox in their sled, and my mind thought “What are they going to do with the fox?” and my mind IMMEDIATELY responded “You know what’s happening to the fox. You saw them selling fox pelts like thirty minutes ago.” It hurt my heart.
I can see why the movie was considered so groundbreaking in its time, and I understand it’s significance in the world of documentary, but the parody was much more engaging. As well, the depiction of the Inuits as primitive wonders seems a bit racist in retrospect.
- The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920). A horror movie, courtesy of an episode of “Portlandia?” Deal and deal! Considered the first true “horror” film, The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari spooks you with the bizarre story of a mysterious man who presents a town with a lifelong sleepwalker. Upon this strange arrival, a string of nightmarish incidents occur. Francis insists that the ominous Dr. Caligari has trained his sleepwalker, Cesare, to attack towns at nightfall. However, not everything is as it seems… for anyone.Similarly to when I watched Nosferatu on Halloween last year, the silent movie makeup was intense and borderline grotesque. I don’t know anything about German Expressionism, but it reminded me a lot of the Surrealist movement. The sets and backdrops are all ragged, sharp edges. It all looks like a fever dream. Nevertheless, for a silent, black-and-white film, they managed to use blueish tones to indicate night, and golden tones for the waking hours! The final moments of the movie reveal an incredible truth, but I found the editing wanting. I was confused how I was supposed to distinct what the actual truth was. As opposed to thinking “That’s what happened,” my thoughts felt inconclusive, more like “Is that what happened?” Maybe a modern version could accomplish the same ending, but use modern cinema techniques (not necessarily color or dialogue) to do so.
- This is Spinal Tap (1984). I believe that this movie, combined with this “Saturday Night Live” sketch, informed Fred Armisen’s decision to make “Documentary Now!” This is Spinal Tap is possibly the first true “mockumentary,” capturing the life of English rock band Spinal Tap on tour. Spinal Tap has hit their peak in fame, and where they used to fill arenas, they can barely fill clubs. The band faces the ups and downs of the music business, pushing the limits of provocation, and Murphy’s Law in every capacity.This is Spinal Tap made me laugh out loud. Multiple times. It’s a bit of a who’s who of comedians in bit parts: Fran Drescher (of “The Nanny”) appears as the band’s label representative, Billy Crystal appears as a mime, and Fred Willard makes a brief appearance as an Air Force Lieutenant. I love both mockumentaries and rock music. As a result, knowing that real bands both took offense and appreciated the accuracy of life on tour makes me smile. The recurring joke about the band’s drummer(s) and this moment onstage take the place of “best moments” for me.
Fred and Marilyn: The Marilyn Films
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- All About Eve (1950). I love movies about show business. I really do. This film was no exception. All About Eve features Marilyn Monroe, briefly, as one of her first roles. However, the real story surrounds Bette Davis in the role of Margo Channing, a Broadway great with a fading star. After another night of success in her starring role on Broadway, a friend invites Eve Harrington to meet Margo, after seeing Eve in the audience multiple times. Eve charmes Margo and her entourage, who invite her into their lives, blissfully unaware of what havoc she’ll wreak.Of all the movies I watched in this endeavor, this one had my focus the most. At least, in the sense that when my cat caused a ruckus, I felt genuinely perturbed by his misadventures. The entire movie keeps you on the edge of your seat. Of course, as one of the greatest actresses of all time, Bette Davis provides all the bravado and fun that the role provides, but Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington steals the show. All About Eve also reminded me that movies don’t have extended monologues anymore. They should. Now sit through a seven minute monologue of me telling you why. Apparently, Marilyn regularly had panic attacks while filming, and struggled with the screen time she had. That didn’t stop her from shining every second you see her.
- The Asphalt Jungle (1950). The Asphalt Jungle featured another bit part for Marilyn, but this one had much more meat and potatoes! A typical heist movie, The Asphalt Jungle refers to a monologue (what did I JUST say) given at the end of the film about the nature of crime, and the police’s role in society. After a criminal mastermind walks out a free man, Edwin “Doc” Riedenschneider organizes a robbery with several other no good guys. Deception, darkness, and death ensue.My experience with heist movies are mostly limited to Ocean’s Eleven, the remake with George Clooney and Brad Pitt, not the original with Frank Sinatra. This film was way more bleak, and far more sinister. You’d imagine that criminals would trust each other more, and in return, be more trustworthy. Not so. In terms of “cinema,” the igloo making scene in Nanook of the North and the actual heist scene in The Asphalt Jungle had something in common: they were both considered groundbreaking sequences. I fell asleep in both. I like a good slow burn as much as the next person, but I just didn’t feel the urgency. The events following the heist felt more compelling to me, as the gang of ne’er do wells look out for number one, even if it ends in blood.One of the criminals, an older gentleman named Alonzo, intends to take his portion of the loot to spoil his mistress, Marilyn Monroe’s Angela. The first time we see Angela, she’s lying not-so innocently on the couch. Her eyes hypnotize. Could we expect anything less than captivating from Marilyn Monroe?
- Some Like it Hot (1959). After seeing this movie, I can totally see why people consider Some Like it Hot as one of the funniest films of all time. I laughed out loud multiple times at this one, too! This film sees Marilyn in a lead role, playing a character most audiences are familiar seeing her as: Sugar, a silly musician, traveling with a band, but secretly longing for love. She befriends two new players in the all-female band the day they join the group on their way from Chicago to Miami. The two players have a secret, however: they’re two men escaping a group of gangsters after witnessing a murder!I know, fleeing from a murder doesn’t exactly spell “hilarious hijinks,” but with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, it happens. Tony Curtis’s character, saxophone playing Joe, falls for Sugar almost immediately. Imagine his luck when he discovers that Sugar has a soft spot for saxophone players! Meanwhile, in his crossdressing attire, Joe’s nervous best friend Gerry attracts the attention of a millionaire in Miami. The hotel where they filmed the Miami scenes was actually in California. I want to visit someday, because it looked absolutely beautiful, even in black-and-white! Marilyn’s performance in this movie is iconic, and for good reason. She’s fun, hopeful, and truly kind. I just want to give her a hug. I found myself thinking “They could remake this for a new generation.” However, much like the whole premise of Jurassic Park, just because they can doesn’t mean they should!
If I had to pick a favorite, of these films it’d be a tie between This is Spinal Tap and All About Eve. I’d definitely watch both of those again! Fred and Marilyn served as great first considerations in tackling the expansive 1001+ list at my disposal. Now only one question remains: what will my next inspiration be?