"The whole of life is just like watching a film. Only it's as though you always get in ten minutes after the big picture has started, and no-one will tell you the plot, so you have to work it out all by yourself from the clues."
~Terry Pratchett
Moving Pictures
I love movies! Who doesn't want a few minutes away from the muck of every day life, by escaping into a world completely different than the ones we live in? A world with it's own problems perhaps, and while imperfect, hey, at least it's a world completely devoid of Trump! A world that doesn't contain cell phones, but does contain phone booths. A world that still has interesting, local easy listening music, rather than 24 hour cable news cycles! Yep, the early 1970's America was a lot different than today's America, but what hasn't changed is, the crazy!
Clint Eastwood really should have gotten more credit for this film than he did! Everyone acted like Fatal Attraction was some big deal, because it dealt with OCD behavior that ended up in the stalking of a married man. Well, sorry, as well done as that movie was, Clint Eastwood did it first in, Play Misty For Me. But okay, for the sake of argument, there were some differences. We won't split hairs, or boil bunnies, lets just leave it at, Clint Eastwood made his directorial debut with, Play Misty For Me, and the subject of his film was quite progressive for the time.
And, to his credit, he didn't try to give the main character, Dave Garver any breaks. Dave wasn't interested in any long term relationships, and while he made that clear to his stalker, Evelyn Draper, he kept jumping back in bed with her, every time she showed up. I was also impressed with the fact that Eastwood did not make Garver out to be some unwitting victim, he knew the score, and even directed some genuine compassion toward Evelyn and her obvious need of psychological help. It was never intimated that Evelyn should have just been thrown away, or mocked because of her illness.
Alan and I have had many a debate about this film, and it remains one of our favorite movies to discuss on long road trips, especially if we are heading down the Monterey Peninsula. I always think about it when we are in the area, because another thing I have to give Clint Eastwood credit for, is that he knew how to make the natural beauty of where he is filming, become a featured character of his movies. He did right by Monterey, Carmel, and my lovely, Bixby Creek Bridge. He used each of those places, to counter the crazy tense moments of the film, by just immersing you in the quiet, beautiful escape, that is the Monterey Peninsula. And it's definitely one of my favorite characters in the movie.
One of the reasons we chose Monterey and Carmel to visit on our vacation last October, was to see how much the town and landmarks in the film had changed since 1971. I love doing the visual comparisons, between then and now, and it adds to the excitement of actually stepping sideways into a moment of great movie making. It's as close as I will probably ever get, to stepping into an alternate universe! I used to visit movie locations all the time, when we lived in the East Bay, San Francisco is full of them, but now it is a bit more difficult... but... it's not impossible! So, look for more posts like this one, because of all the subjects I enjoy posting about, and photographing, movie magic is among my favorites!
Directed By Clint Eastwood
The Sardine Factory played a major role in the film...
*The address rock is still there! :)
As did The Cannery and Prescott Avenue
1971
2018
I had a lot of fun with Alan, that day. We made some awesome memories! He enjoys exploring movie magic and TV magic as much as I do! He gets into the area, by checking out little coffee shops, while I work the camera. He makes me so happy! I was so lucky to have found him in this big world! It's his turn to choose which movie or TV show to step into next. Maybe it will be a movie filmed or set in San Francisco, like the Maltese Falcon, or perhaps it will be a TV show, filmed in and near Stockton, like Sons Of Anarchy. We'll see what comes next!
Note: At the end of Play Misty For Me, when Evelyn is lying in the water, that isn't a stunt person that's floating, that actually is Jessica Walter! How excellent is that?
~Mood: Happy
~Me :)
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