Lies & Alibis 2006

Lies & Alibis or a.k.a The Alibi 2006

*glasses to create smarts


This movie has a lot going on. The story centers around a ex- con man Ray Elliot (Steve Coogan) who now runs a business that creates elaborate lies for adulterers to go about adultery.  It is a big office with lots of phones, computers and so on. One client accidently kills his date and well everything goes down hill from there, especially when Ray Elliot want to inform the police about the murder.
 My father and I liked the twist and turns to this movie but felt it could of don't without this romantic comedy feel to it. While watching this movie we thought what another director would to this this, and ultimately make it better. Since Hitchcock is dead, I think Guy Richie would of had a lot of fun with this script.

Any way

There is only one character with glasses in this movie. She is credited as Operator #1 (Aimee Garcia), yet she comes across more as Ray Elliot's secretary. She wears glasses and has a quirky hair do, the viewer may assume she be quirky in personality as wellWe see her in the beginning of the movie talking to Ray about all his appointments. Rebecca Romijn enters for a job interview, even though she does not know what the company does, Operator #1 sees that Ray is attracted to Miss Rebecca Romijn and leaves the scene.  Operator #1 must read a lot and knows the computer systems at her job very well, so to do all the smarty pants stuff you need glasses.
This character we don't know much about, she is not a love interest, she is not comic relief she pretty much there to operate technology and save Ray Elliot's butt later in the movie.
 Does she hate her job? does she go home and find people disgusting? does she do this job to pay for college? we don't know.
this happens a lot in movies, a character that pretty much an accessory. There to operate the technology, because the leads are too pretty to be seen doing that.

The Equalizer 2014

 

 

The Equalizer 2014

* glasses to show Brainy-ness
*glasses for age


Why this movie is not nominated for an Oscar I will never understand. I mean Denzel Washington kicks butt in this, and he gets all the bad guys who are really bad. I love this movie, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. And yet terrible movies like Boyhood are nominated and not The Equalizer. The Equalizer should get best picture and best actor Best EVERYTHING!!!!

Okay so the basic plot is, Denzel plays Robert McCall who is a retired black ops operative in the city of Boston. He trying to live a normal quite life, he works at Home Depot type store and reads classic literature in a diner every evening. He becomes acquainted with the regulars at the diner. One is a young girl who sto create music, yet she is  unfortunately a sex slave controlled by the Russian Mafia.  She gets hurt trying to free herself and Robert McCall decides to use his black ops skills to get these guys.

When the situation escalates, he goes to Virginia to see his former colleges.  He asks his friend  Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) to help him find information about these Russians. Susan is hesitant because she is retired  and  she is not sure if she would even be allowed to access that kind of information. She wears glasses, but it is really no big deal that she does. Other movies might make her intelligence somewhat comical but Susan is more like a real person. I can't tell is this character is wearing glasses to show age or smarts. Ultimately Susan is the one to tell McCall that he uncovered more than just a Mafia. Susan is the one who can find all the answers to help McCall.
We don't see her for the rest of the film, but with her help McCall knows exactly who he is dealing with.

That Touch of Mink 1962

 

That Touch of Mink 1962

*glasses used for comic appeal
*glasses to create a "brainy" type


 That Touch of Mink starring Doris Day and Cary Grant is about a young working woman Cathy Timberlake (Doris Day) who gets caught up with a rich playboy  Phillip Shane (Cary Grant).  Cathy on her way to a job interview her clothes were ruined due to Phillip's Rolls Royce splashing into a puddle. She barges into his office demanding him to fix the situation. He does and takes her out on a date to a baseball game, and shopping etc.

This is a silly movie, you can't take it seriously. One clue- Doris Day is in it.

There is one scene in particular I want to discuss. Unfortunately I cannot find a video clip nor a photograph of this  only scene.


Phillip Shane has a financial manager (more like a personal assistant) Roger played by Gig Young who is watching this confusing affair from the sidelines.Gig Young provides comic relief through out the movie. 
 One scene Roger asks his secretary (Jan Burrell), to change. She wears her hair up in a bun, and has glasses. 
 Roger asks her to take her hair down and remove her glasses. Her hair from being up all day, doesn't quite work falling down without styling. Also she gets squinty without her glasses.
                       Roger says "funny it always works in the movies" 

Watch here  go in 55 sec. to see this scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYQVaGDCiZ0

This scene makes fun of other movies, the once glasses are removed and hair is down the woman magically becomes a glamour girl. This shows the reality. Hair really doesn't fall down perfectly, and if you really need glasses you are not necessarily wide-eyed glamorous.  What is in the movies is a fantasy. Does that mean this secretary is actually supposed to be perceived as unattractive?  When she removed her glasses and took her hair down , yet not like the movies; does that mean she cannot and will never fit the ideal?
One can interpret it that way. I think because this movie in it's entirety is silly; nothing meant to be taken seriously.  I think because Roger already shown as a little nutty (there are scenes of him talking to a therapist) he doesn't quite know reality, and in this scene it is shown to him.
 I like this scene because it is satirical, it makes fun of other films and how they portray glasses removal.

 

 

 

Santa Claus is Coming to Town 1970

 

Santa Claus is Coming to Town 1970

*Glasses to give a character Smarts

This  stop animation television special by Rankin- Bass shows how Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney) an orphan adopted by elves became Santa Claus. If you don't mind funny moving mouths, fishing wire and plot holes you will find this so delightful. If you are like me you find it rather funny.

The first Character we see wearing glasses is one of the elves.

 

 

 

 All the elves have funny names that rhyme with Kringle, I think the one with glasses is named "Dingle". All we know about him is that he is old, an elf, makes toy and helped raised Kris. I guess when you have four dads and one mother, you don't know much about all the dads?

 

These elves used to be the royal toymakers, they spent a lifetime developing this skill. Yet for unexplained reasons they don't make toys for the royal family anymore. They still waste time and money making toys just to throw them in a pile outside their house. Little Kris pointed out that they could sell the toys to the nearby town. However they are afraid of the Winter Warlock (Keenan Wynn), apparently he does not like elves. So when Kris becomes a grown up he ventures out through the Warlock dominated wilderness to the town to sell toys. You think because the Warlock doesn't like elves, Kris would be smart enough to not look like and elf. However he wear a red suit like they do, and gets caught.  He gives the warlock a gift and sing a song, and they become friends. It's amazing how a toy train engine can make a villain into a good guy.

 

When Kris Kringle finnaly gets to the town, Sombertown he is unaware of how bad it is there. The children do chores all the time and all it's people are forced to dress in greyscale.  Kris is unaware that their mayor; Burgermeister  outlawed toys, due to his slipping on one. The children he meets are overjoyed to see toys, and In comes their teacher;

 

I cannot find the scene on Youtube nor Vimeo. The Kids introduce her "that's Miss Jessica our Teacher". She comes in holding her glasses, whenever she has to see Kris Kringle, She tries to explain what he is doing is actually illegal in Sombertown.  They way she uses these spectacles, she clearly needs them. Then Kris gives her a doll. She always wanted a doll.

She falls in love with him.

We never see her use her glasses again. She doesn't need them, because she is in love.  It's almost like Kirs Kringle is the Freddy Prince Jr. of the Rankin-Bass animation world.

Then she really lets her hair down, BECAUSE she knows Just where she belongs, with Kris Kringle.

 

Her world is beginning today, even thought she has no plans, and it's out of her hands.

Just go with the flow Jessica

 

 

Stephen Colbert

I have been a long time watcher of Stephen Colbert, I remember him on the Daily Show.
I can never get enough Satire, I started watching the Daily show because I was sick of the news. Itt was time to make fun of it. Colbert took it a step further by playing a character and that character got his own show.

Not everyone got his satire (#Cancel Swift) but those who did loved it. He wore his glasses throughout, only taking them off to put on goggles for motoring, or a hood to become an honorary member of Pussy Riot.

Some may argue since his frames are the drill post kind, they are near invisible thus they don't count. I think most people male and female are pressured not to have glasses, and he kept them.

There are few celebrities that wear their glasses consistently, that we know they wear them.

The show is now over and I will miss it greatly.

here is a link of all the few and funny moments of breaking character:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/18/stephen-colbert-breaking-character-supercut-bloopers_n_6349688.html

A Christmas Story 1983

 

 

A Christmas Story

* Glasses to create a awkward, or regular kid

 I can't write about this one fully this year, I would have to watch it.
I can't watch it. You know the marathons of this movie?

My brother would watch those marathons

ALL Day

Every Year

For Four Years

 and no one could change the channel

My father thought this movie was funny, so further encouragement to continue watching it.

If I ever found it funny I don't anymore I just need to get away from this movie

seriously need a couple years away from it


SO for now;

The lead character Ralphie Parker wears glasses through out the movie. He only wants one thing for Chirstmas, a BB gun. When he gets his gun he shoots the gun and he accidently knocking his glasses off and then stepping on them,  He actually thought he did what his mother said "You'll shoot your eye out" 
For a kid the moment of panic, from not seeing and not knowing any better yeah you would think you shot your eye out for a second.  Also his mom comforts him and we go "AAAWWW"

Ralphie not tough enough to have a gun. He is just a sweet glasses wearing little boy.

the end

A Hard Days Night 1964

 

 

A Hard Days Night 1964

* glasses to create an Other
* glasses used to add age


I had the pleasure of seeing a print of this film on the big screen at the Colonial Theater with my father. The way this film was shot was brilliant, and at the time was never done before.  Often you are looking at characters on television screens and mirrors, also  "amateur" hand held camera techniques are used to keep a faster pace of the movie. I don't expect everyone to look at the same details on composition as me, but this film is very funny as well. It has often been compared to  the Marx Brothers movies, and since the director hang out with The Beatles before shooting, he got a good feel for everyone's character. Some of the lines in the movie are things The Beatles have said, and their tailor was in the film as well.
But enough of that talk,
 There are Glasses in this film. If you have not seen it, it's not what you think. John Lennon did not start wearing glasses till later.  There is one particular character that wears glasses throughout. Paul's Grandfather.  John McCartney, Paul's (fictitious) Grandfather (Wilfrid Brambell) is traveling along with Paul and his band to get a change of scenery. However he is a "king mixer" as Paul puts it and gets in all kinds of trouble.
Glasses are used as a tool here, they are to age the actor. This grandfather character is from another generation, and another country. He is Irish, he life was not as easy as his grandkid's  he faced discrimination. Enough so that makes him kinda kooky around authority.  He convinced Ringo to have some adventure, to enjoy himself which leads to him getting arrested, Which is pretty bad due to they have be on tv soon.Take a look at one of my favorite scenes  after he gets arrested for causing a disruption in front of the television studio:

go about 5 Minutes in to see his reaction to the police





 

 Ringo doesn't understand, due to being a different generation and living in England.  Also these particular policemen are rather polite.

 

 

There is another Character who wears glasses through out the film, the TV director's assistant. The director Simon is rather over dramatic, a worry wart, Adrian(Julian Holloway) his assistant does what he is told. He pretty much fallows Simon around writing down anything he says. I can't find the scene on youtube, He takes a drumstick and plays around on Ringo's drum kit. Which gets Ringo a little upset. The only respect Adrian has is for the director.

 

 

And yet another use of glasses is in this scene:

 

 



 

I think that is all the speaking characters,

lots of extras wearing glasses too.

enjoy