Miss
Cinebitch,
What are some good movies about Michigan, made in Michigan or just
Michigan feely?
Thank you,
Susan
SusieQ,
I am so glad you wrote me. Normally I would ignore a question such
as yours only because I would fall asleep reading it. Your question
had about as much panache and style as the typical Friday night
Main Street diner. What? Are you guys going to act like you haven’t
noticed the serious decline in style and personality amongst the
outsiders who invade our town every weekend? You know what I’m
talking about.
I will let go of my instinct to ignore your stylistically challenged
question and answer. Michigan is a state which is known only for
the negatives. We, according to the rest of the country are overweight,
burn down the city of Detroit any chance we get, have race riots
in our not too distant past and are chronically unemployed.
I’m teasing you, sugarplum! There are so many great movies
about or filmed in Michigan it is difficult to know what to add.
Obviously, I can’t have a comprehensive list here but I will
highlight some of the most fabulous, in my Cinebitchy opinion.
One of the first films shot in Michigan which had any kind of real
success was probably Anatomy of a Murder. It was filmed
on location in the Upper Peninsula, and is a film adaptation of
a novel by a Michigan Supreme Court justice.
In 1978 Richard Pryor starred in his first dramatic role playing
Zeke, a Detroit auto worker in Blue Collar. With this film,
director Paul Schrader shows the desperation of auto workers dealing
with a hostile corporation and a corrupt union. Richard Pryor was
great in this and more importantly still looked ok. I know it isn’t
nice to say (wait! I’m Cinebitch. I can say what I want.)
but Mr. Pryor was not looking so good. Good thing his “incident”
happened after he made this gem of a Michigan film. Anyway, Blue
Collar is gritty, frustrating and fun, all things Detroit has
been and always will be.
All the Michael Moore films. I mean, the man cannot shut up about
Michigan. Don’t get me wrong, I love his films, but he is
Michigan obsessed. I bet he has a tattoo of Michigan on his body.
Perhaps somewhere dirty. Any person who can prove this with a photo
will win not only the respect of yours truly but also $1.00 and
a Tic Tac.
Zebrahead is a teenage, interracial love story set in Detroit.
I thought the movie was really stupid but I think the title is so
damn funny I included it here. When I hear the name of this movie
I can’t stop thinking of the scene in the Godfather with
the horse’s head in the bed and how much funnier that scene
could have been had they
used a zebra head instead. Why don’t these people call me
first? And let us not forget the entire Beverly Hills Cop
series. I remember being really excited when I first saw these films
and even proud of being from the Detroit area.
In 1991 I saw Chameleon Street, written, directed by and
starring Detroit native Wendell Harris Jr., and it changed my ideas
about local film. I loved this movie and watched it about ten times.
One of the best parts for me was that Harris used many of the real
characters, such as Coleman Young, to portray themselves while the
actual events were recreated.
Basically,
Susiewetshoes, there are so many movies about Michigan I could write
all night. I don’t want too, however, so I will stop and tell
you to research this yourself. You will be thrilled with the kinds
of movies out there either about our wonderful state or filmed here.
And I’m serious about that Michael Moore tattoo contest. I
am sure he has a small tattoo of Michigan and I demand proof! I’m
saving one Tic Tac from my current box for the lucky winner.
Love?
Cinebitch
Email cinebitch@annarborpaper.com |
