Rosemary’s Baby (1968) 136 Minutes

Despite a cold night and a late start, this horror classic cast its creepy

spell on the assembled Crew late into the night.

Though Pat Towne and Jaja weren’t with us, the Back Yard still held a

capacity crowd for the final pick of our Halloween cycle and the first pick

of new Member Netti.

Joining the Crew for the first time were Brandon, Darius and Bobbi. Due to

Nubs failure to follow proper Movienight protocol, the start was held for

Bobi’s late arrival at ten. Ironically, after Bobi was told at 9:45 that the actual

start time was 9:30 (Well done, Nubs) he was forced to rush to the Back Yard

to see a film he had watched the day before.

Making the trip down from the Bay Area, Movienight’s Official Northern Associate, Peter Spoerl also joined us in the Back Yard (bringing the attendance total to 9). Peter had lobbied long and hard for a shot at Coolbaugh’s halloween pick, but graciously made way for Netti’s inaugural pick. In the end, ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ was among the seven potential picks Peter pulled for the night so his voice echoed in Netti’s Selection.

The fearsome visage of the Dakota was doubly ominous to a crowd of John Lennon fans. It was at the entrance to this hotel that Lennon was fatally shot in 1980. Adding to the creepy coincidences, Lennon and McCartney’s song “Helter Skelter” was used in 1969 by the Manson Family to describe the horrible night that director Roman Polanski’s wife Sharon Tate was murdered.

Netti took a risk going over the time limit with his first pick, but the visceral menace of this beautifully photographed film seemed to save him from any criticism.

‘Chinatown’ director Polanski returns to the Stucco with this film, as does Mia Farrow, who first appeared in Nubs’ ‘Crimes and Misdemeanors.’ A legendary director in his own right, ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ marks the Movienight debut of John Cassavetes. Also appearing for the first time were cinema legends Ruth Gordon and Ralph Bellamy, as well as a very young Charles Grodin.

Next week Nubs and Coolbaugh switch places for one rotation, and rumors are flying that Nubs may look to continue the Halloween Horror theme into the month of November. Time will tell.

“This is no dream! This is really happening!”

Written and Directed by: Roman Polanski

BBD Comments:

‘Rosemary’s Baby’ is a truly terrifying film.

Mia Farrow may be the most adorable on-screen presence since Audrey Hepburn, and to see her so tormented is truly hard to watch.

I had never before seen this film presented in widescreen, and it makes such a difference in terms of pulling the viewer into the terror at hand. I can think of no other film where the audience is invited to look about the frame as much as this one. Since the advent of video and dvd, directors and cinematographers have increasingly shot their films with an eye towards the audience watching them on a tiny screen at home. It has become so that the cinematic experience of many modern films is almost hard to bear. Shots that ten or fifteen years ago would have been long shots are now mediums. Mediums are now close-ups, and close-ups are now extreme close-ups. Watching many films in the theater now gives me a headache as I grow increasingly weary of the giant heads filling the once majestic movie screen. What a delight then to consider ‘Rosemary’s Baby.’ Roman Polanski and cinematographer William Fraker populate their wide frame with multiple players at a time. This seemingly forgotten technique invites the audience to shift their eyes around the screen, and makes the viewer feel like an engaged participant in all the nastiness.

Beyond the great pleasures of the films imagery and Farrow’s painfully perfect performance, are the wonderful work of John Cassavetes and Ruth Gordon. Cassavetes is so likeable in the role at first that his journey towards participant in Rosemary’s awful fate is excruciating. As good as Nicholson is in the part, I wish after seeing Cassavetes here, that Kubrick had hired him to play Torrance in ‘The Shining.’ His transformation from loving husband to agent of evil is much more disturbing then Nicholson’s because Cassavetes seems so loving and trustworthy at the outset. Ruth Gordon. Oh my god. She is simply perfection. What an irresistible presence. There is nothing hyperbolic about the suggestion that she is the finest character actor of all time.

Given the sorrow visited upon the Coolbaugh’s of late I must admit that I was concerned about the propriety of this Selection. The last thing Movienight should do is to remind us of our hardships. Wednesday in the Back Yard is all about escape. That being said, I took my cue from Coolbaugh and settled into this pick – he was truly the most gracious of hosts to commit to the film despite its troubling themes.

Congratulations on breaking your cherry, Netti.

Welcome to Movienight.

Brandon Comments:

As I sat in a plastic beach chair and watched Ruth Gordon hand Mia Farrow another of her 'special' frothy pregnancy drinks, I glanced around at the guys beside me, the guys of Movie Night, and I whispered to myself, "Ah, my people. I have finally found my people."

Although it was only my first Movienight experience, I am sure it will not be my last. Between sips of red wine and puffs off my cigarette, ‘Rosemary's Baby’ came to cinematic life on the concrete screen ahead of me. And whether it was the medicinal contributions from several of the committee members, the fine wine Mr. Wiener brought, the near-freezing conditions in the October-laden backyard, or just the fact that I had finally found a tight Crew who really appreciated good movies—-I'll never know. But ‘Rosemary's Baby’ never, ever looked as good as it did that night.

Bravo, Movienight, bravo.

Coolbaugh Comments:

After seeing this for the first time, I realize why Netti had to make this selection when he did. The timing of the selection couldn’t have been more inappropriate given the occurrences that have penetrated our lives, but it was a perfect Movienight segue. It may have been the best third movement to a jam yet. The Rondo. Although I don’t believe Netti had made any conscious decision regarding the possible agitation he may have caused, I like to think that Movienight, and its resulting effects, must be respected. Honesty prevails. Just because something may be uncomfortable, it doesn’t mean it should be ignored. It may be just what the doctor ordered – if you let it be. Besides, it gave Davis the trifecta for his trilogy of hands.

That said, I really did enjoy ‘Rosemary’s Baby.’ And, I never realized how smokin’ Mia Farrow was in her youth. Girl can act too. She’s a saint...everybody’s dream girl. Including Satan’s. This film flirts with reality in a way that obviously ties it to the two previous selections. Farrow’s transformation from innocent cherub to the mother of Satan’s immaculately conceived child is grounded and surrounded by reality. A reality not unlike anybody’s…it’s a reality we’ve been conditioned to trust without reservation. Only the more she seeks comfort, the more horrifying her reality becomes. Her atrophy, we come to find, is in perfect context for her situation. Is it reality? Or is it what it feels like to completely lose your shit from the inside out.

Thanks Netti for exposing me to yet another movie I should have probably seen long ago.

SELECTOR Comments:

Although some might not consider this a horror film, I chose it for the simple reason that it is one of the scariest. I have never read the novel on which it was based, so I can not speak to its accuracy; but the story as told brilliantly by director Roman Polanski is a thorough exploration of isolation. In addition to choosing this film purely because it was positively fear-inducing, I also chose it because it tied to elements of the films previous. In ‘Evil Dead II’ there are the mind-warping moments that are dispatched with alacrity. Ash is unsure whether or not he is losing his mind; the viewer is giggling with tinges of discomfort . In ‘Videodrome,’ there are many occasions during which Max Renn is hallucinating, unsure of his position in reality or a non-reality. I felt that the slow, methodical victimization of Rosemary ever so slightly nudging her to the brink of insanity was a valid chaser of a slightly different flavor.

Having seen this a number of times on the small screen, I was excited to see it on the Stucco. More than ever, I was most impressed with the wonderful cinematography of this film. Particularly the moving hand-held close-ups of Rosemary in the moments of total helplessness were extremely effective. Polanski always has used hand-held work to great effect and this is some of his best. That kind of freedom with the picture, in conjunction with the freedom of the performances, somehow fit together perfectly to create what seems like a calculated purposeful vision of paranoia. I'm hard pressed to find a moment that wasn't totally enjoyable. Oh, and how about Ruth Gordon? She was unbelievable.

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