Man of the century, why have I never sen this before?

[scotrace]

Netflix sent it the other day and I've only glanced through it - looks silly!

 

[jake_fink]

Netflix sent it the other day and I've only glanced through it - looks silly!

Gloriously silly. Think Marx brothers without all that... um... talent. But it's actually very amusing.

 

[artdecodame]

I was just telling a girlfriend there really should be a sequel to this cute movie.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

In ten more years, will he change his name to Johnny Ferdies?

.

 

[Atomic Glee]

Yes...*of course* it was silly, and I mean that in the kindest, happiest sense possible. I found it to be entertaining and cheerful, and the character of Johnny Twennies is so relentlessly upbeat despite all that happens to him (and portrayed in such a spot-on old-movie fashion) that I couldn't help smiling along with him. Johnny's cheerfulness is something I tend to miss these days (also see Ed Wood as portrayed by Johnny Depp).

Quite a charming little movie, and I really enjoyed it.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I just saw it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of "Blast from the Past" starring Brendan Fraser, which came out the same year.

"Man of the Century" gives almost none of Johnny's back-story, but that's pretty much in keeping with the movies of the 1920s, particularly the comedies.

I suppose one has to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy "Man of the Century." I certainly did, then again I wasn't expecting Hitchcock.

 

[Haversack]

I think one of the things I enjoyed about it was the sheer logic of it. It made perfect sense that as Johnnie lived his life as if he was in the 1920s, his mother likewise lived as if she was in the 1890s.

Haversack.

 

[drafttek]

Just saw this last night. Thanks to this thread for tipping me off about this movie. I chuckled all the way through. The wife didn't find it funny, though [huh] . Slapping the bad guys is always very funny. There's not enough slapping in modern movies.

 

[reetpleat]

Just put on a movie in on demand. I love love love it. The Man of The Century.

Made in 1999, it is about a guy who lives in NY and writes a column in the paper. He dresses, acts, speaks as if and thinks he is living in the 20s. Excellent wise cracking, slang laden dialogue. Of course, he eventually runs up against the real modern world, and hilarity ensues. Funny thing is in a city like NY I think a guy like this could really get by.

A must see.

I imagine some here won't relate so much as they are more into dressing in a classic style, not strictly vintage, but others will . I have known a few guys just about like this. I kind of wish I was, but if your style isn't real, you can't pull it off.

 

[Brian Sheridan]

Seeing Bobby Short as the Washroom Attendant

I thought it was great they did not explain why Johnnie acted like it was still the 1920's but I thought the gag wore thin as the plot unwound.

Still, seeing Bobby Short makes its a classic in my book. I met him in NYC after a performance and he was a classy as it appeared. There really is only Steve Ross left. You might argue guys like Eric Comstock or Peter Cincotti are in the same style and you would be correct. Those guys, however, don't seem like they live it the way Short did and Ross does.

Ciao!

Brian

 

[Feraud]

A bump for this movie. It was just on the IFC channel.
Did anyone see it?

 

[Bugsy]

See this movie.

http://www.finelinefeatures.com/sites/manofcentury/index_flash.html

This a truly fun film and well worth seeing. I also have the CD of the sound track which I also like. It should be available too.

 

[The Wolf]

Is there much Bobby Short on the soundtrack?

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Is there much Bobby Short on the soundtrack?

Sincerely,
The Wolf

Just the performance (taken from one of Bobby's albums) of Nagasaki as heard in the film.

 

[cufflinkmaniac]

This a truly fun film and well worth seeing. I also have the CD of the sound track which I also like. It should be available too.

Where did you find the soundtrack?And going off topic here (sorry!),I can't relpy to your PM until you clean out your recieved messages.

 

[Dr Doran]

One of my favorites. Sheer fun, sheer silliness, sheer bliss. The dance routines are wonderful. The Hungarian music store owner's son really looks Hungarian. The girlfriend asking Johnny Twennies if he's gay -- brilliant. (He's not. But he still thinks of the word gay as meaning "happy, halcyon, blithe," etc.) The jerk photographer assigned to Jonny is played by the guy who played the photographer in RENT and it is essentially the EXACT same character (I'm rather surprised that no one mentioned that here!).

Just a swell little film altogether.

 

[Bugsy]

Where did you find the soundtrack?And going off topic here (sorry!),I can't relpy to your PM until you clean out your recieved messages.

I think I found the sound track at a local music shop, but it was shortly after the film was released. You might try Amazon.com

 

[Son_of_Atropos]

Man of the Century trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNSIOd9LTh4

 

[Brian Sheridan]

The jerk photographer assigned to Jonny is played by the guy who played the photographer in RENT and it is essentially the EXACT same character (I'm rather surprised that no one mentioned that here!).

I just came from seeing RENT starring "the jerk photographer" and it is why I probably didn't like him in the show.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Better late than never!

I must repeat the title of this thread: Why have I - a voracious movie buff and student of the 20s/30s for over four decades - never seen this before?!?

I caught most of it (minus the first few minutes), entirely by accident, when flipping channels yesterday. It was on the Independent Film Channel.

I was hooked instantly. Sure, it's a one-joke flick, but it's so charming and well done that it doesn't matter that it makes no sense. I thought it was an absolute hoot. And I'll definitely be taping it the next time it shows up on IFC...