Classic Film : What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

Please tell us what classics you saw last week. Modern films are welcome, as well.

You know who else was just following orders? HITLER!

New stuff, Batman

High-Rise (Ben Wheatley, 2015) - I've been kind of ignoring British director Ben Wheatley after hating Kill List, which I didn't even finish. Watching this one, I'm pretty sure I need to go back. This very consciously hearkens back to Roman Polanski's Apartment Trilogy (Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby and The Tenant) and other films in that weird horror sub-genre (like David Cronenberg's Shivers). High-Rise isn't strictly a horror film, but, well, it's pretty close. Tom Hiddleston is the new tenant in a beautiful new high-rise apartment building in the 1970s (judged from the fashion; I don't think it's ever stated). He befriends the building's designer (Jeremy Irons) and several other tenants. He also makes some enemies. Some of the stricter rules imposed by Irons start to annoy some of the tenants (whose home floor determines their class status), and soon there is political upheaval. Soon after that, the building's whole society begins to collapse. I'm not 100% sure exactly what Wheatley is trying to say here - I do feel like I could use a rewatch. However, it's very amusing, very funny, and very beautiful to look at. Sometimes destruction and chaos can be quite beautiful. One of my favorites so far this year. 8/10. yes.

Hell or High Water (David Mackenzie, 2016) - A fine, low-key crime film set in West Texas. Two brothers, Chris Pine and Ben Foster, have a plan to rob a series of small banks so that Pine can pay off the loan on their dead mother's ranch - oil has been discovered on it, but the bank is about to repossess it. Texas Rangers Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham are on the case. There's nothing particularly unique about the plot, but everything about it is very well done. The four lead performances are great. We've seen Bridges do this act before (True Grit, R.I.P.D.), but it's always amusing. Foster is great as the hothead and Pine, who seems to improve his craft every time I see him, is excellent as the more down-to-Earth brother. Birmingham is less well known, but he's a familiar character actor whom Hollywood likes to call whenever they need a Native American. He's a great foil to Bridges here. 8/10. yes.

Kubo and the Two Strings (Travis Knight, 2016) - Laika's fourth stop-motion animated feature is their best since their first (Coraline). It's an absolutely stunning fantasy adventure. I have some minor qualms with the screenplay, but, all in all, I think it's a masterpiece. Young Kubo (Art Parkinson) has many amazing, magical abilities, but as the story opens he only uses them to bring origami creations to life with his shamisen and entertain the local populace. The money he earns from this helps him take care of his invalid mother. One day, he betrays his mother's oldest rule: never stay out past dark. He quickly finds out why as he is pursued by his two evil aunts. Thus begins Kubo's classic fantasy adventure. The animation is truly something to behold, but there is surprising depth. You'll note that, when the film begins, Kubo's shamisen has thre strings and you'll wonder why the film is called Kubo and the Two Strings - when you figure out the answer, you're probably going to cry. 10/10. YES.

Pete's Dragon (David Lowery, 2016) - Disney's latest remake is one of a mostly forgotten live action/animation mix from 1977. I've seen the original, but not in forever and I have only the vaguest memory of it. I don't think there are many similarities besides it being a movie about a boy and his dragon. In the new one, Elliot (the dragon) adopts Pete after his parents die in a car accident (shown vaguely enough that the youngest members of the audience won't quite get it). Several years later, Pete runs into a forest ranger (Bryce Dallas Howard) and a crew of loggers (including Howard's boyfriend, played by Wes Bentley, and his brother, Karl Urban). Howard and Bentley take Pete (Oakes Fegley) out of the forest, prompting Elliot to go searching for him. It's a pretty simple, and, honestly, not too interesting story. What makes it work, though, is a wonderful control of a warm, nostalgic tone by director Lowery (Ain't Them Bodies Saints). He's well aided by cinematographer Bojan Bazelli and composer Daniel Hart (and also some really great folk songs, including a very welcome use of Leonard Cohen's "So Long, Marianne"). I don't think the film's especially memorable, but it's exceedingly pleasant and likable. The film also stars Oona Laurence (who was also quite good in Bad Moms) and Robert Redford. 7/10. yes.

Re-watches

Batman Returns (Tim Burton, 1992) (second viewing, at least) - I don't think I've seen this all the way through since it was in theaters when I was 13. I don't remember liking it much then, but I've long been thinking of rewatching it. It's developed a cult because of its excessive weirdness. It is that excessive weirdness that keeps it watchable. That, the awesome production design, Danny Elfman's score, and Christopher Walken. Without those elements, though, honestly, I don't know that this is all that much better than Batman & Robin (I'm not about to rewatch that one, but I did pick up Batman Forever on Blu Ray very cheap along with this - probably both will be a waste of money). If nothing else, it certainly plants a lot of the seeds that would grow into the monstrosity that was B&R. The script here is just awful, first and foremost. It's all just a mess, with all kinds of nutty crap thrown on the screen for little to no reason. It's terribly grotesque. Penguin isn't a rich man in a tuxedo, he's a mutant, and Catwoman is a zombie. It has a really dirty sexual streak. It gets really gross watching Danny DeVito perv all over everyone. It's chock full of terrible one-liners that sound awful even coming out of Michelle Pfeiffer. Batman is more or less forgotten for most of the film. Even when it's being aggressively weird, it's mostly boring. Walken really livens up the film whenever he appears - his murder of Selina Kyle is by far the highlight of the film. It's a shame he disappears for a long stretch in the second half. The first Burton Batman holds up pretty well. This one, not so much. 5/10 (from 6/10). no.

Batman Forever (Joel Schumacher, 1995) (third viewing) - I've always remembered this much maligned third installment of the Batman movie series as being pretty okay, and, on my first viewing since the theater (where I saw it twice - more out of circumstance than desire), I thought my initial reaction was right. I think it just gets a lot of residual hatred from Schumacher's Batman & Robin, which was really awful, mostly because of Schwarzenegger. It does depend on how much tolerance you have for '90s Jim Carrey, because if your tolerance level is low, I can understand why you'd hate this one, too. I think, visually, this movie is about as good as Batman Returns. I like the fact that it's actually colorful, instead of just black and blue like the previous two installments. There's a lot of green from The Riddler, of course, but there are a lot of reds and purples, too, and it's just very pretty. The production design and costuming are great throughout. If there's a big problem with this one it's Val Kilmer. I don't like Keaton all that much as Batman, to be honest, but he made a great Bruce Wayne. Kilmer is pretty boring as both. And the less said about Chris O'Donnell's Robin, the better (I had honestly thought he didn't even appear until the fourth movie). I personally like Carrey's depiction of The Riddler, and I also find Tommy Lee Jones a lot of fun as two face. It's all very campy, but in a lot of ways I prefer that to the grim darkness of the first two films. After all, my favorite Batman movie is still the '66 one, and this film really harkens back to the '60s Batman series. 7/10. yes.

You know who else was just following orders? HITLER!

Huston, Koreeda, Mackenzie, Herzog, Edgerton, Boorman, etc.

Key Largo (1948) – John Huston – 9/10 – Yes

Umimachi Diary (2015) – Hirokazu Koreeda – 9/10 – Yes

Hell or High Water (2016) – David Mackenzie – 8.5/10 – Yes

Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (2016) – Werner Herzog – 8/10 – Yes for Herzog fans

The Gift (2015) – Joel Edgerton – 7.5/10 – Yes

Point Blank (1967) – John Boorman – 7.5/10 – Yes

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) – Stephen Frears – 7/10 – Yes

The Catered Affair (1956) – Richard Brooks – 7/10 – Yes

Don't Think Twice (2016) – Mike Birbiglia – 6/10 – Yes

jj


Re: Huston, Koreeda, Mackenzie, Herzog, Edgerton, Boorman, etc.

Umimachi Diary - I just saw it tonight in the cinema. It's awesome.

YouTube Asian Movie Review Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/anticlimacus100

Re: What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

Moulin Rouge! (2001) 4/10

Stalag 17 (1953) 8/10

Chicago (2002) 7/10

All That Jazz (1979) 7.5/10

Lenny (1974) 7.5/10

The Jazz Singer (1980) 4/10


"He was a poet, a scholar and a mighty warrior."

Outcast of the Islands -1951 Carol Reed

Based on the Conrad novel of the same name, Outcast of the Islands stars Trevor Howard, Ralph Richardson, and Robert Morley. Set in SE Asia at the turn of the 20th century it concerns a man sacked for stealing who's then befriended by Sea Captain and sent to a secret trading post.

Outcast has some great photography and acting but just misses being a great movie due to a sometimes sluggish story and lack of likable characters. Both the Morley and Howard characters are unlikable and far too much of the movie is about their slow motion train-wreck of a relationship.

Further, Reed beats us over the head with Howard's relationship with a native woman, constantly showing us the two love birds giving each other wistful, yearning, glances. After seeing this for the 10th straight time, I literally yelled at the screen "Yes, I get it. Move on".

It should have been shorter or had more drama. Perhaps Reed felt he had to stick close to the novel. Bad mistake.

Re: Outcast of the Islands -1951 Carol Reed

Well, I loved Outcast Of The Islands and for me it ranks right up there with Carol Reed's best work (The Third Man, Odd Man Out, Fallen Idol). I don't think it just misses being a great movie, I think it is a great movie. I caught up with it for the first time 4 years ago and I felt exhilarated because I knew I had discovered something special.

Trevor Howard is one of the great unsung British actors. He doesn't have the Shakespearean pedigree of an Olivier, Gielgud or Richardson but what a list of great performances he's given us. You neglected to mention Wendy Hiller and while her role may be small, she manages to give us a life of invisibility in minimal screen time.

In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped as gods. They have never forgotten this

Re: Outcast of the Islands -1951 Carol Reed

Yes, Wendy Hiller is delightful. As is Robert Morley's daughter who played his character's child.

Re: Outcast of the Islands -1951 Carol Reed

As I said on another thread, I wish I understood this great movie better.
I feel like there is more here than meets the eye:
http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000010/edit/260507988

Re: What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

Kris / Crisis (Ingmar Bergman; play by Leck Fischer & screenplay by Ingmar Bergman, 1946) 4+/10

SÃ¥som i en spegel / Through a Glass Darkly (Ingmar Bergman; written by Ingmar Bergman) (rewatch) 7/10 (from 6)

Skammen / Shame (Ingmar Bergman; written by Ingmar Bergman, 1968) (rewatch) 7+/10 (from 4)

Karins ansikte / Karin's Face (Ingmar Bergman; written by Ingmar Bergman, 1984) 7/10

Bildmakarna / The Image Makers (Ingmar Bergman; written by Per Olov Enquist, 2000) 7-/10

Trolösa / Faithless (Liv Ullmann; written by Ingmar Bergman, 2000) 7/10

The In-Laws (Arthur Hiller; written by Andrew Bergman, 1979) 4+/10

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (Arthur Hiller, 1989) 7/10

Stir Crazy (Sidney Poitier, 1980) 5/10

Windows (Gordon Willis, 1980) 7/10

Nattlek / Night Games (Mai Zetterling; written by Mai Zetterling, 1966) 5/10

Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (Steve Oedekerk, 2002) (rewatch) 6+/10 (from 5)

The Room (Tommy Wiseau, 2003) (5th viewing) 10/10

The Room (with RiffTrax) (Tommy Wiseau, 2003) (6th viewing) 10/10

The Hart of London (Jack Chambers, 1970) 5+/10

Shame: The Search for Humanity (Greg Carson, 2004) 4/10

Mystery Science Theater 3000: "Gamera vs. Gaos" (1991) 6/10
Daikaijû kûchûsen: Gamera tai Gyaosu (Noriaki Yuasa, 1967) 1+/10


- RiffTrax shorts -

Alcohol Trigger Films for Junior High School: The Party, the Mother, the Ride (1979) 5/10

Family Teamwork (1979) 5/10

Decisions Decisions! (1977) 6/10

Kitty Cleans Up (1949) 1-9/10

Back to School with Joan Miller (1959) 3/10

Little Lost Scent (1955) 3/10

William's Doll (1981) 7/10


- Notable Online Media -

Top 7:
Heikes Hausbesuch bei Falco (1996)
What if Tommy Wiseau Directed Batman? [rewatch]
South Park on RELIGION – Wisecrack Edition
Why Elon Musk says we're living in a simulation
How the World Map Looks Wildly Different Than You Think
What if Werner Herzog Directed Ant-Man?
The Disaster Artist [Audiobook Excerpt]
rest:
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) - Original Kubrick Cut Teaser [umpteenth viewing]
Quentin Tarantino interviews Bruce Willis on the set of PULP FICTION (1994)
It's Such a Beautiful Day: Analysis vs. Experience
On Being Hated
What if Ingmar Bergman Directed The Flash?
How to Become a Blockbuster Director
View Account Balance
What if Noah Baumbach Directed Spider-Man?
Oscar Buzz
Tommy Wiseau talks James Franco, Hollywood respect and underwear
Roman Polanski's Vanity Fair commercial (1993
Quentin Tarantino interview on Under the Influence w Elvis Mitchell (2008) [rewatch])
Explosm Presents: Channelate - Hypnotist
Inside Steven Spielberg's Secret World: A guided tour of the Universal lot with Hollywood's greatest


Gone fishing with a friend...
and maybe buffalo hunting, too.

Jack Reaches Beyond the Mohenjo Daro River

The Battle of the River Plate (UK-1956) dir. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048990/
Decent maritime war movie, but, given it was written and directed by Powell and Pressburger, pretty run-of-the-mill, virtually indistinguishable from every other British war movie of the time.
**1/2


Jack Reacher (US-2012) dir. Christopher McQuarrie
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790724/
Former military policeman Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) investigates what appears to be a random shooting in Pittsburgh and uncovers a conspiracy between city officials and a shadowy Russian crime lord (Werner Herzog).
As an actor, Tom Cruise may not have the widest of ranges, but given the right part, he can be very good.
I've just never believed him as an action star, not in the Mission Impossible movies, not in this, which is a throwback to 80's actioners.
Jack Reacher is the sort of character that would have been played by Chuck Norris. The difference is that Chuck Norris is tough, Tom Cruise can only act tough.
Werner Herzog, on the other hand, when he tells you to bite off your own fingers, you bite off your own fingers!
**1/2


Mohenjo Daro (India-2016) dir. Ashutosh Gowariker
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3859980/
Bollywood movie set in the second millennium BC, in which a poor farmer goes to market in the urban settlement of Mohenjo Daro, promptly falls in love with a princess, and draws the ire of the city's villainous ruler.
Very dewy-eyed romance, but otherwise highly entertaining historical fantasy with lavish musical numbers, a great gladiator fight, and a spectacular finale.
What more could you wish for?
***


Star Trek Beyond (US-2016) dir. Justin Lin
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2660888/
Star Trek Beyond has a very weak story (you can basically write your own Star Trek plot with the terms: ancient space artefact - deadly weapon - homicidal maniac hellbent on revenge); is surprisingly humourless despite having Simon Pegg as a co-writer; and, while JJ Abrams' replacement Justin Lin is supposed to be an action-expert, through fast and furious editing, he repeatedly messes up the basics, such as letting us know who is shooting who and where they are in relationship to each other.
All in all, it just doesn't 'get' Star Trek.
A highly disappointing entry in what up until now had been a great reboot.
**


You are alive and living now.
Now is the envy of all of the dead

A Rotten Weekend for Robot on Vacation

Revision Viewings

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988). If one ever needed solid proof that Steve Martin could do comedy, this is the film for that. I am not a big fan of his Ruprecht mannerisms and much of Martin's con game theatrics are over-the-top, but the reactions of all those around him are hilarious. Michael Caine is even better in a role that seems tailor-made for him, except for the fact that the film is a (for once) superior remake of Bedtime Story. Of course, the best performance in the film comes from Glenne Headly in a multi-dimensional turn best appreciated upon revision. I honestly shudder to think how Rebel Wilson will tackle the role in the upcoming Dirty Rotten Scoundrels remake. Certain aspects of the twist scheme certainly do not add up, but the most part, this version rocks. -- Was #30, now #29 (of 120) for 1988. (fourth viewing, DVD)

Weekend at Bernie's (1989). On face value, Weekend at Bernie's sounds in incredibly poor taste with humour derived from carting a dead body around and pretending it is still alive. Repeat viewings reveal surprising depth though. In particular, the situation exposes just how superficial Bernie's beach "friends" actually are to not even realise that he is not his usual self. One even claims "this guy is like family" and hugs him! Not everything about the plot adds up. Surely all those who touch (and shag!) him must realise that his body is unnaturally cold. Also, the lack of odour is hard to believe. This is, however, more thoughtful in general than the average one-joke comedy out there and Ted Kotcheff's cameo rates among the most amusing of any director in any film to date. -- Was #73, now #66 (of 121) for 1989. (fourth viewing, laserdisc)

The Muse (1999). Equally as amusing (pun intended) a second time round, The Muse might not have the most solid reputation out there, but it is on par with the other films that Albert Brooks has directed for my money. In fact, it's probably my fourth favourite overall. The premise is a little fanciful, especially with how absolutely no one is (really) skeptical of Sharon Stone's abilities, but there is a lot to like in the way Andie MacDowell's character begins to buy into the idea herself rather than just dismiss it and accuse her husband of cheating. There are a lot of fun cameos throughout too and all the plugs at the Hollywood scene work very well. Brooks should keep quiet about the "all female Taxi Driver" though given what Hollywood recently did to Ghost Busters! -- Was #31, now #25 (of 80) for 1999. (second viewing, DVD)

Office Space (1999). Full of emphathetic 'working cog' characters, Office Space is both refreshingly down-to-earth and very funny. Ron Livingston is perfectly cast in the lead role, with some particularly good moments in which his laziness only serves to impress the men reviewing his company, and his desire to just sit around all day with no real goal in life is easy to appreciate. Livingston never amounted to a big time actor following Office Space, which is a shame. Same goes for David Herman, who is also very good. Anyway, about the only drawback of the film is the occasionally awkward ways that Stephen Root's Milton is weaved into the tale, but his performance is such a departure from his then-current role on 'NewsRadio' that it is a hard turn not to admire. -- Was #15, now #13 (of 80) for 1999. (fourth viewing, Blu-ray Disc)

Robot & Frank (2012). In one of his three or four best performances, Frank Langella provides a very human turn here as a retired thief suffering from dementia who manages to convince his assisted-living robot to help him plan a heist. Not widely released at the time, Robot & Frank is a film that slipped under the radar and offered a very pleasant surprise upon first viewing. Repeat viewings do not serve the movie quite so well since it gets much of its oomph from unexpectedly going against the grain as far as heist movies go. Knowing the twist to come with Susan Sarandon also does not add as much depth to the experience as one might hope. Still, it's an interesting look at a possibly not so distant future with only the minutest yet distinct technological advances in the mix. -- Was #7, now #11 (of 55) for 2012. (second viewing, Blu-ray Disc)

First Time Viewings

Death Wish: The Face of Death (1994). Let's face it: if you have made it this far in the Death Wish franchise, you are not watching this fourth sequel expecting Oscar worthy dialogue or three dimensional supporting characters. Chances are, the drawing factor is either Charles Bronson's on-screen presence, his creative killing methods, charismatic villains, or a combination of all three, and The Face of Death delightfully has all three elements in spades. Considering his advanced age at the time, Bronson does well in the lead role with a genuine gleam in his eyes when taking out those who have wronged him. From cyanide sprinkled on cannoli, to choking in cling wrap, to a remote control soccer ball (!), Bronson also does his dirty business in highly inventive ways, and to top it off, Michael Parks is electric as the chief antagonist. The basic story admittedly recycles too much from previous entries for its own good with yet another wife/girlfriend attacked, yet another (surrogate) daughter in peril and yet another ineffective police force, but everything essentially works here since the focus is on the violence and the extent of the reign of terror from Parks and his underlings. The film also boasts lots of imaginative female attire with a couple of zany fashion shows in the mix. With some effective point-of-view camerawork in a hospital section, the film additionally has better technical credentials than one might expect given its reputation. Sure, The Face of Death does not take the basic story in any fresh or new directions, but what worked once before still suffices if one is in the mood. -- #38 (of 66) for 1994, between Beverly Hills Cop III and Natural Born Killers. (first viewing, DVD)

Vegas Vacation (1997). Mayhem ensues when the Griswolds go to Las Vegas in this fourth film in the Vacation franchise. Chevy Chase is solid as always and Wallace Shawn has a fun extended cameo this time round as a condescending croupier, but with minimal road trip elements here, the dynamic is not quite as juicy as the first or even second film. The plot basically consists of each member of the Griswold clan having their own individual Vegas experiences, and while there is quite a bit of oddball humour in how Rusty makes it as a gambling king, there is not a lot of interest in Audrey becoming a Vegas dancer, Ellen being seduced by Wayne Netwon or Clark's gambling debt woes (Shawn's role in the matter aside). The recasting of the kids (yet again) also works against the film; while Marisol Nichols and Ethan Embry are both older than the characters they are playing, they don't look it, while Chase - with grey hair now - looks older than ever. Randy Quaid also has far too much screen time for his own good as the abrasive cousin Eddie and it is hard to know what to make of a scene in which Quaid and Chase visit an outskirts casino with "what number am I thinking of" gambling games. The solution to Chase's gambling woes comes a little too easily too. There are, however, enough scattered good moments here to make the film possibly worth a look. The return of the blonde in a convertible (from the first film) is a nice touch, some dam wordplay surprisingly works well, a sun-roof incident is quite funny and what a way the film depicts to obtain a fake ID! -- #64 (of 76) for 1997, between Out to Sea and Trial and Error. (first viewing, DVD)

Most people think I'm mad. At least I know I'm mad.

Re: Weekend at Bernie's; Office Space

Weekend at Bernie's: 👍

Office Space: 👍

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen =

Re: Weekend at Bernie's; Office Space

While I have coincidentally seen both films the same amount of times, I would personally rate Office Space much higher Weekend at Bernie's myself. Sure, the latter film is not as worthless and empty as some might suggest, but neither does it have the three dimensional, relatable human characters that make Office Space so durable for me.

Most people think I'm mad. At least I know I'm mad.

Re: What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

-Eyewitness 1981 6.8/10
-The Cheap Detective 7.1/10
-Dressed To Kill 7.5/10
-The Proposal 5/10
-The Quick And The Dead 7.2/10
-The Outlaw 1943 4.2/10
-The Texican 4.2/10
-The Marksman 4.5/10
-They Came To Cordura 7.3/10
-Going South 1978 6.7/10
-Tomorrow Is Forever 7.9/10
-City Of Fear 7.4/10
-Charlotte Gray 7.7/10
-The Rich Man's Wife 5.3/10


--Every man's death diminishes me...because I am involved in mankind--

The Shining Black Castle

Another summertime short week for film watching:

The Shining (1980) Probably the last watching of this one. It has gone from being a good / scary story to being one where I notice the scenery chewing and mannerisms of the actors rather than seeing them as the characters. Still like Scatman !

The Black Castle (1952) Even with a Svengolie presentation and interruptions by 1000's of ads (exaggerate much ?) it was an enjoyable film by Universal. Richard (Robin Hood) Greene was the hero and among the villains were familiar faces Steven McNally, John Hoyt and (best of all) Michael Pate !. Lon Chaney, jr, lumbered through a few scenes and Karloff was there as a mysterious doctor. Rita (Paula) Corday was the lovely heroine. The costumes and sets were pretty sumptuous for a "little" movie. Twisty passages, a cruel leopard hunt,a pit with alligators, being buried alive and poison potions, who could ask for anything more on a Saturday night ? Well, it would have been terrific seen at the drive-in !



Re: What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

Flirtation Walk (1934)
Full TCM synopsis with spoilers: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/883/Flirtation-Walk/full-synopsis.html

This movie aired on TCM this week. I watched it mainly to add it to my list of movies that had received Best Picture Oscar nominations. This Delmer Davis movie is pleasant enough vehicle for Dick Powell and, to lesser extents, Ruby Keeler and Pat O'Brien. The story starts in Hawaii where “Kit” (Rudy Keeler) meets Army Private Richard Palmer Grant Dorcy "Canary" (Powell) when he is assigned to be her chauffer. One of the most beautifully choreographed and performed scenes of the movie occurs on a Hawaiian beach as Kit and Canary overlook a native luau in the moonlight, after Kit forces Canary to take her there. This is a perfect scene for a love affair to being between the two, and it does.

Since Conary finds that he cannot compete for Kit as an officer and a gentleman unless he becomes one, he sets out to enrolling and completing an education at West Point. The rest of the movie takes place at West Point and displays the life of a cadet as he goes through his education there. During this portion of the movie, there are a lot of great scenes of cadets on parade, no doubt done by real West Point cadets. The film is dedicated to West Point, where Flirtation Walk is located: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flirtation_Walk_(West_Point).

Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler are known as singers and dancers. This movie required very little dancing and some singing. Since Powell was a better singer than Keeler, he comes off better here than she does.

------------------------------------------

The North Star (1943)
Full TCM synopsis with spoilers: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/85227/The-North-Star/full-synopsis.html

This Samuel Goldwyn movie, based a screenplay by Lillian Hellman and scored by Aaron Copland, included a plethora of great actors from various studios. As “Hollywood went to war,” it received six Oscar nominations. Yet, I don't think it has ever been restored as it probably should be.

Although it is clearly a propaganda film to show the suffering of a Soviet village during WW II, taken it for what it is, it isn't that bad. Also, it has some very good stuff to offer too--such as songs and dances of the people from the village.

I would love to know more about the history of this movie and why it hasn't been totally restored by now. One suspects that after the HUAC hearings, starting in 1947, the movie became an embarrassment to the ever-bending Hollywood community

In 1947, studio executives told the committee that wartime films—such as Mission to Moscow, The North Star, and Song of Russia—could be considered pro-Soviet propaganda, but claimed that the films were valuable in the context of the Allied war effort, and that they were made (in the case of Mission to Moscow) at the request of White House officials. In response to the House investigations, most studios produced a number of anti-communist and anti-Soviet propaganda films such as Guilty of Treason (about the ordeal and trial of Cardinal József Mindszenty), The Red Menace, The Red Danube, The Woman on Pier 13, Red Planet Mars, I Was a Communist for the FBI, which was nominated for an Academy Award for the best documentary in 1951 and also serialized for radio, and John Wayne's Big Jim McLain.[19] Universal-International Pictures was the only major studio that did not produce such a film.
Of interest is that Dean Jagger played key roles in both this movie and in My Son John (1952). He probably was not political, just a good actor.

-------------------------------------------

Indignation (2016)
IMDb synopsis:

Set in 1951, the story follows Marcus Messner, the idealistic son of a humble kosher butcher from Newark, N.J. Marcus leaves for Ohio to study at a small, conservative college, where he finds himself at odds with the administration, grapples with anti-Semitism and sexual repression and pines after a troubled girl. - Written by THR

indignation
[in-dig-ney-shuh n] noun

strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base; righteous anger.
When I saw that this movie was still playing at our local suburban multiplex, I jumped at it, knowing that it would probably not last long here. (It will probably end up at some art theatre in our nearby urban capital city.) I love Philip Roth ‘s later novels and look forward to also seeing the movie version of his Pulizer Prize-winning book, American Pastorale, when it is released later this year also.

Roth's more recent novels are not easy to describe nor “translate” into movies. They are more holistic and not easily put into words or plots. It might be better to play the trailer from the above link than to have me try to describe the movie (the trailer captures the overall feeling of the movie).

Yet, to me, is about being too good and doing right, but failing to conform to the expectations of the world around you. People often think of the 50s as an age of conformity—conformity to one's family, one's community, and one's religion. So, what happens when you've done everything right and yet you find new communities that don't conform to even what you know? What happens when those communities expect you to be something and you deviate a little from their preconceived notions?

---Marcus (Logan Lerman) was expected to join the Jewish fraternity on campus but refuses, perhaps thinking that it might stereotype him as a Jew when he wanted to be thought of an atheist.

---He is expected to attend chapel several times during the term, but he hates chapel because of his beliefs.

---He is expected to become more rounded campus activities other than just intellectual ones, but why should he?

---He expected to be freed from his over-concerned father at home, only to be called on the carpet by Dean Caudwell (Tracy Letts) at the College.

Further, what happens when life is not as you expected of it?

I loved this movie and plan to see it again. I will look for other cues that I didn't see the first time. Example: Note the dorm monitor's non-verbal cues when Marcus comes to the dorm to pick up Olivia (Sarah Gadon) for a date. Why is she so hostile towards Marcus?

While watching the movie, whenever I heard the name, Winesburg College in Ohio, I couldn't help but associate it with Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio.

How far, the conservative town of Winesburg must have been from the Marcus' Newark in the early 50s?

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The Captive Heart (1946)

Since this is streaming on Amazon Prime, I watched this out of curiously and found it to be quite good.

The movie is a broad photo montage of several stories--from one setting--of British soldiers who were captured early in WWII (1941) and placed in a German POW camp. Is depicts what happens to them and their loved ones back home, as they are separated by time and space. How do the relationships change? How do they remain the same? What holds them together or drives them apart? Four years can be like a lifetime to those it affects.

This is no Stalag 17 or Hogan's Heroes-type movie. I found the movie to be very engaging and enjoyable, even as half of a long-range relationship undergoes very big changes. Changes can range anywhere from physical disability, to “Dear John” letters, to birth and/or death. The relationship often—usually—depend on letters and photos back and forth.

--------------------------------

Dark Passage (1947)
After many viewings, I still enjoy this movie with the plastic surgeon who could make you look like a monkey--or even a bulldog--if he wanted too.

Re: Dark Passage

Dark Passage = 👍

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen =

Polo Sister Diable River Cat Two Sun Avanti Flash Lover Stranger

Adventures Of Marco Polo (1938)

A merchant traveler (Gary Cooper) from Italy travels to China where he hopes to negotiate a deal for trade with the Chinese people. But at the court of the great Kublai Khan (George Barbier), he finds romance in the form of Khan's daughter (Sigrid Gurie) and political intrigue in the form of Khan's treacherous aide (Basil Rathbone) who has plans of his own for the throne. Anyone watching this film for any glint of historical accuracy needn't bother. A film about trade negotiations would no doubt be too dull so instead Marco Polo is re-invented as an action hero and lover. The Chinese introduce him to pasta and gunpowder and in return, he teaches them how to kiss! Oh, Hollywood! Lavishly produced by Samuel Goldwyn, the ads boasted "and a cast of 5,000" and visually, the film is indeed impressive. It's an enjoyable slice of hokum even as the preposterousness of it all can't help but bring a snicker now and then. Directed by Archie Mayo. The cast includes Lana Turner, Binnie Barnes, Alan Hale, Ernest Truex and H.B. Warner.

My Sister Eileen (1942)

Two sisters from Ohio, one a writer (Rosalind Russell) and the other an actress (Janet Blair), move from Ohio to Greenwich Village in New York to further their careers. They rent a basement apartment and their very lives become an adventure as they struggle to get a foot in the door. Based on the 1940 Broadway play by way of Ruth McKenney's short stories published in the New Yorker magazine and directed by Alexander Hall (Here Comes Mr. Jordan). This is a delightful screwball farce, quickly paced and full of interesting quirky characters. Russell really was a crackerjack comedienne, the kind of actress who could take the simplest line and twist it into a biting wisecrack. The pretty Blair doesn't have much to do but look pretty which she does effortlessly but the supporting cast is full of ace character actors doing what they did best. Bouncy and lively, it's a comic treat. Russell would play the same role in a 1953 Broadway musical version of the story called Wonderful Town. With Brian Aherne, June Havoc, George Tobias, Allyn Joslyn, Elizabeth Patterson, Jeff Donnell, Donald MacBride and Richard Quine, who would direct the 1955 film version.

Le Diable Au Corps (aka The Devil In The Flesh) (1947)

In a small French village during WWI, a 16 year old schoolboy (Gerard Philipe) and a married woman (Micheline Presle), whose husband is off fighting in the war, openly engage in an affair that scandals the town. Based on the novel by Raymond Radiguet (published at 17, hung out with Hemingway and Cocteau, dead at 20) and directed by Claude Autant Lara. This is one of those intense love stories where the lovers are so obsessed with each other that nothing else matters. Not family, not friends, not work, not school and they live only for each other, not caring who they might hurt. Inevitably it ends unhappily with either the passion burning itself out or someone dying. It's a compelling film, there's no denying but I found the agonizing passion exhausting after awhile. Gerard Philipe is such a powerful screen presence that he holds the screen even when he's still so one can easily see why Presle is taken by him. I'm not familiar with Autant-Lara's work but I'm certainly intrigued enough by this effort to want to explore his filmography further. With Denise Grey, Jean Debucourt and Jean Lara.

99 River Street (1953)

A former boxer (John Payne) had his career sidelined because of an eye injury and is now working as a cab driver. His nagging wife (Peggie Castle) is bitter about their current financial status and plans on running off with a thug (Brad Dexter). But there's a double cross and then a double double cross and soon the cabbie finds himself on the run trying to prove his innocence. Directed by Phil Karlson (The Silencers), this is one of those lesser known film noirs that have slowly acquired a small cult among noir aficionados in the ensuing years. It's a tight economical piece of film making with an array of unpleasant characters. Even the hero (Payne) has a chip on his shoulder the size of the Grand Canyon and the heroine (Evelyn Keyes) commits an unconscionable betrayal but that's part of the appeal of the film. These complicated disorderly characters, even the villains, desperately trying to find a way out of the chaos they find themselves thrust in. The nicely rendered B&W cinematography is by Franz Planer (Breakfast At Tiffany's). With Frank Faylen, Jay Adler, Jack Lambert, Glenn Langan, Ian Wolfe and Claire Carleton.

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958)

On the 65th birthday of the family patriarch (Burl Ives), a wife (Elizabeth Taylor) must not only deal with the alcoholic apathy of her husband (Paul Newman) but the machinations of her brother in law (Jack Carson) and his wife (Madeleine Sherwood) to wrest control of the family estate. Based on the Pulitzer prize winning 1955 play by Tennessee Williams and directed by Richard Brooks (Elmer Gantry). This being 1958, the play's homosexual content was white washed though the suggestion is still there albeit buried under rewritten dialog which softens the potency of Williams' play. Still, while it does compromise the film but it doesn't ruin it. It's still an excellent rendition of Williams' work with a superb cast. Reputedly, Williams was unhappy with the film version but to be fair, he himself had altered the original play at Eliza Kazan's (the play's director) request but restored it for subsequent revivals. All that aside, Taylor and Newman both look impossibly gorgeous but fortunately they can also act which is important as Newman has to convince us he's not interested in bedding Taylor which he somehow manages to do. Not the definitive filmed version of Williams' popular play but still the best all in all. With Judith Anderson, Larry Gates and Vaughn Taylor.

Two For The Road (1967)

During a present day trip to the south of France, a married British couple (Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney) with marital problems reminisce about their marriage via their other travels through France including their first meeting. Directed by Stanley Donen from Frederic Raphael's original screenplay. I can't help but love this movie! Rapahel's Oscar nominated screenplay is literate, witty and adult and rather than give us a linear narrative, he jumps back and forth from the present to their first meeting and at various points in their marriage. The film is a hybrid between those European examinations of marital apathy (think La Notte) and Hollywood marital comedies (think The Awful Truth). An odd mixture to be sure but it mostly works here. The downside of the film is that it gets a case of the "cutes" more often than necessary and it demeans the film. Hepburn and Finney have a nice chemistry together and although Hepburn is a mere 7 years older than Finney, they seem generations apart. That's because Finney had only been a star for 4 years since Tom Jones (1963) but Hepburn had a full 10 years of movie stardom before that in Roman Holiday (1953) so that she seems from the "golden age" of Hollywood whereas Finney seems part of the newer emerging British "kitchen sink" breed. But it's a potent look at contemporary marriage and the shifting cultural attitudes toward marriage. There's a lovely Henry Mancini score. With Jacqueline Bisset, Claude Dauphin, Nadia Gray, William Daniels and Eleanor Bron.

Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun (aka Doppelganger) (1969)

When a planet is discovered on the other side of the sun, the director (Patrick Wymark) of EUROSEC mans a spaceship with an American astronaut (Roy Thinnes) and a British astrophysicist (Ian Hendry) to travel to the new planet. However, when the spaceship returns three weeks earlier than it was supposed to, a startling discovery is made. Directed by Robert Parrish (Cry Danger) and written and produced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. The Andersons are best known for their cult puppet series Thunderbirds and this film is their first live action feature film. While its budget and special effects are quite modest (a lot of miniature work), this is still an intelligent piece of science fiction. Certainly compared to the previous years 2001: A Space Odyssey, it's almost a throwback but it has a fascinating premise and the emphasis is on the conceptual possibilities rather than action or aliens. The downbeat ending only accentuates the film maker's intention to make a more complex entry in the genre than the usual juvenile offerings. Not a great film by any means but deserving a better reputation than it currently holds. With Herbert Lom, Lynn Loring and Loni Von Friedl (The Blue Max).

Avanti! (1972)

An uptight industrialist (Jack Lemmon) has to make a sudden trip to Italy when his father is killed in an auto accident. It comes as a shock to him to find that there was a female passenger in the car with him. When he meets the woman's daughter (Juliet Mills), there comes another shock. His father and her mother had been lovers for ten years! Directed by Billy Wilder who co-wrote the screenplay with his longtime collaborator I.A.L. Diamond but it's not an original screenplay, it's based on a play by Samuel Taylor which lasted all of 21 performances on Broadway. From the late 60s on, Wilder's output was erratic. He gave us one good film (Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes) but most of his output was poor (Front Page, Fedora). This is one of his weaker efforts. First off, it's way too long. 2 1/2 hours for a romantic comedy? Really? The film is crammed with cartoon Italian stereotypes. They're lazy (those long siestas!), blackmailers, criminals deported from the USA, women with mustaches and generally "quaint" as if they were performing for tourists like trained monkeys. Then there's Jack Lemmon at his manic worst, he barks all his lines. Thankfully there's Juliet Mills whose understated performance is a welcome contrast though the "fat" jokes fall flat especially since she's not fat at all. With Clive Revill, Edward Andrews and Ty Hardin.

Flashdance (1983)

An 18 year old girl (Jennifer Beals) works as a welder by day and at night works as an exotic dancer in a working class bar. But she has dreams of being a legitimate professional dancer even though she has no formal training. Directed by Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction), this was one of the first movies to utilize the styles of MTV music videos for the big screen. At the time, it was fresh and invigorating and its influence was felt through out the rest of the 80s decade. It benefits greatly from the stylish cinematography of Donald Peterman (Men In Black), a catchy song soundtrack (the title song won an Oscar) and an appealing central performance by Beals (not quite yet an actress at this stage of her career). Ironically, for a film about a dancer, Beals can't dance so she has a dance double (Marine Jahan) doing her dancing. It's essentially a Cinderella story and one can't help but root for the likable Beals but the script is pretty bad. Written by Thomas Hedley Jr. and Joe Eszterhas, it's a string of cliches and I suspect the worst scenes in the film (like the lobster dinner) were written by Eszterhas, the man who gave us the hideous Showgirls. Definitely a case of style over (lack of) substance. With Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala, Cynthia Rhodes, Belinda Bauer, Kyle T. Heffner and Micole Mercurio.

Goodbye Lover (1998)

A psychotic real estate agent (Patricia Arquette) is having an affair with her brother in law (Don Johnson). When he spurns her for another woman (Mary Louise Parker), she plots her revenge but that's only the tip of the iceberg of murders, double crosses and four million dollars. A missed opportunity. This neo noir black comedy needed a smoother and more efficient touch than director Roland Joffe is able to give it. Whoever thought Joffe, the director of such heavy films as The Killing Fields and The Mission was the man to for a darkly humorous thriller was misguided. It needed the hand of someone like Brian De Palma who proved with Body Double and Dressed To Kill that he was the ideal man for the job. There's also a major blunder in the casting. Ellen DeGeneres is a terrific comedienne but a lousy actress and she has a pivotal role as the police detective investigating the murders and her line readings are flat to put it mildly. The ending doesn't feel right either and that's because it was changed because of those damn test screenings. A major character is killed but in the new ending, they're allowed to survive. Still, it's worth watching for what might have been rather than what it is. With Dermot Mulroney, Vincent Gallo, Barry Newman, Lisa Eichhorn, Ray McKinnon, Alex Rocco, Andre Gregory and John Neville.

Strangerland (2015)

When their sexually promiscuous 15 year old daughter (Maddison Brown) is involved in a scandal, her family relocates to a small dusty town in the Australian outback hoping to start over. But the daughter continues her sexually promiscuous ways and when she and her brother (Nicholas Hamilton) disappear in the middle of the night, the town suspects their parents (Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes) may be responsible. Directed by Kim Farrant in her feature film debut, the film starts off very well but after awhile it goes off the tracks and never finds its way back. One has to admire Nicole Kidman once again. Has any contemporary actress taken such risk taking roles in interesting films that almost no one sees? It's another first rate performance but the screenplay and direction leave her adrift, a diamond looking for the proper setting that just isn't there. Other than the son, there's no character that we can invest in. The parents are crappy parents and not without complicity in their daughter's behavior, the daughter is a slut, the policeman (Hugo Weaving) investigating the case is inept and the townspeople in general are cretins. The film gives us no closure and I have no problem with that but it doesn't give us anything else either. See it for Kidman's performance and P.J. Dillon's super cinematography (a sand storm is a corker) but go in with low expectations. With Lisa Flanagan and Meyne Wyatt.

No reviews next week, I'll be out of town!

In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped as gods. They have never forgotten this

Avanti! (1972)

It took me too long to realize that this film is really quite good, with a truly funny situation between Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills.
Since my last viewing, I have placed it much higher on my Billy Wilder list.

Re: Avanti! (1972)

This was my second viewing. I hadn't seen it since it first came out and I was unimpressed then and I wanted to see if it had improved with age. It hadn't. Still, it was nice to see Juliet Mills in a rare leading role in a movie. She seemed to do better on TV having a hit show (Nanny And The Professor) and winning an Emmy for QBVII.

In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped as gods. They have never forgotten this

Re: Polo Sister Diable River Cat Two Sun Avanti Flash Lover Stranger

Great reviews.


This being 1958, the play's homosexual content was white washed though the suggestion is still there albeit buried under rewritten dialog which softens the potency of Williams' play.


Interesting. Care to expand on that? I thought even the "suggestion" had more or less been erased in the film's screen play.

Two for the Road. I had a completely different reaction. I totally agree with a great American critic who said the following:

...my God, I hated this movie...Unfortunately, the script is in search of an arch. I need some sort of path to follow emotionally, but instead we get everything randomly. Any scene near the end could just as easily be transported with any scene from the beginning. The film wouldn't be any more confusing, for the most part...I so wanted to beat Albert Finney to death with a street sign. And every supporting actor is so obnoxious, which is the perfect word to describe this movie: it's the single most obnoxious piece of tripe ever committed to celluloid.

Re: Polo Sister Diable River Cat Two Sun Avanti Flash Lover Stranger


Care to expand on that?
It's hinted at and danced around that Brick and Skipper were extremely close with the implicit suggestion that their friendship wasn't "healthy". If one is familiar with the original text, one can glean what's unspoken. If one isn't familiar with the original text, it can go right by you which I think is what they wanted. The explanation given when the big reveal comes seems rather feeble as it is.

As for Two For The Road, clearly we took different forks

In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped as gods. They have never forgotten this

Re: Polo Sister Diable River Cat Two Sun Avanti Flash Lover Stranger

ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO is one of those movies that's a hoot now. The idea of Gary Cooper as anything other than an American is rather too ridiculous. But the movie really never takes itself seriously, which helps. One note: Lana Turner had a small part in this movie, and was required to shave her eyebrows... which never (quite) grew back!

People forget that Rosalind Russell was one of the great comediennes of the 1930s and 1940s. Her preeminence in her field has been overlooked because, for the most part, after her MGM days, she freelanced but did most of her movies at Columbia, where she basically took over the comedy scripts that had been prepared for Jean Arthur (who basically retired after the mid-1940s). The glamour star at Columbia during that period was Rita Hayworth, but Russell became the exponent of the wisecracking career girl (she termed these comedies "Alice in Careerland"). MY SISTER EILEEN was one of the biggest successes of her career (she finally got the first of her four Oscar nominations; she was an example of studio politics in 1940, when she should have gotten nominated for HIS GIRL FRIDAY, but she was still under contract to MGM and MGM was pushing for Katharine Hepburn that year). Though Janet Blair is pretty, i have to say that Russell looks terrific in this film - she's so vibrant it doesn't make sense that people aren't supposed to notice her.

Ah! DEVIL IN THE FLESH is the quintessential French romance! However: in the late 1970s, Claude Autant-Lara got it into his head that there was a vast left-wing/right-wing conspiracy against him, and he invoked the "author" law in France (in films, the director is considered the author) and withdrew all his films. And this ban was effected worldwide! I know: in the mid-1980s, the Museum of Modern Art had a huge retrospective of French cinema - it lasted six months! And there was one huge gap: no Autant-Lara films! No DEVIL IN THE FLESH. No L'AUBERGE ROUGE. No GAME OF LOVE (LE BLE EN HERBE). And many of his films are absolutely essential classics in world cinema. With THE DEVIL IN THE FLESH: though movies like THE IDIOT had brought Gerard Philipe acclaim and notice, DEVIL IN THE FLESH made his a star. (With both THE IDIOT and DEVIL IN THE FLESH, the ostensible star was the female lead, in this case, Micheline Presle, and her performance is excellent, but once Gerard Philipe appears, he just takes over.)

99 RIVER STREET is such a clever little thriller! The opening is one of those trick beginnings which prove to be misleading, but the whole movie is one trick after the other. And the actors have just enough personality to really make their characters into individuals. Evelyn Keyes was actually one of the great femmes fatales in film noir, but few of the films she was in were the big "A" ones; still, she and Peggie Castle are wonderful here.

Almost all of the famous films made from Tennessee Williams' plays had run into censorship problems. Still, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF is a wonderful entertainment: the whole cast goes hogwild with their Southern accents, they rip into their characters with such zest, and Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman are movie stars who can act. But it's the kind of film... when Elizabeth Taylor screams about "those no-neck monsters!" what's not to love?

Though Fredric Raphael has a very specific talent, his bitter irony can sometimes be off-putting. But in TWO FOR THE ROAD, his script is an odd mix: it seems to be trying to merge screwball romanticism with contemporary existential malaise. Or, as you said, LA NOTTE mixed with THE AWFUL TRUTH. (Notice that the hero is an architect, just as he is in L'AVVENTURA.) But three things really change the movie: Audrey Hepburn, Stanley Donen. and Henry Mancini. Donen creates an atmosphere of romance, even when the script is really barbed. Mancini's music also adds to this. And Audrey Hepburn can't help but burnish her particular star power. Albert Finney is quite good, but though he's excellent, the movie can't help but be weighted in her direction. One thing is that, for this movie, Hepburn didn't use Givenchy; instead, they went on a shopping spree and utilized a lot of the young designers of the moment. Hepburn proves what style really is, because she looks sensational in all those clothes.

Well, AVANTI! has some redeeming qualities. I agree that Juliet Mills is excellent, and i also think she looks good (the plethora of fat jokes seem to be misguided), but this movie seems to suggest that Billy Wilder's been in Hollywood too long. It's not as bad as BUDDY, BUDDY (which i think i just about the nadir of Wilder's career). But Billy Wilder didn't exactly go out in glory. (I also think that the location shooting is quite nice.)

By the 1970s, people kept saying that the musical was dead, but damn if every so often, a musical by any other name became a box office sensation. There was SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. There was FOOTLOOSE. There was FLASHDANCE. FLASHDANCE is a flashy (pun intended) piece of MTV music video extended to feature length. This is one of those movies where if there was a script, it didn't matter, because the point of the film was the incredible kinetic energy.

I remember going to GOODBYE LOVER when it came out... and just thinking what a mess! Ellen De Generes had become known for her appearances on The Tonight Show which had translated to a TV series, but that's not the same skills as acting. But that seemed to be the case with a lot of those stand-up comedians who were trying to act. (I'm still not convinced that Ray Romano or Kevin James can actually act.) And i thought the story of GOODBYE LOVER was confusing, it never seemed to find its focus.

Enjoy your trip!

Re: Polo Sister Diable River Cat Two Sun Avanti Flash Lover Stranger


i have to say that Russell looks terrific in this film - she's so vibrant it doesn't make sense that people aren't supposed to notice her
Indeed! She's very attractive and with added benefit of intelligence (Eileen is pretty but flighty) makes her even more so. This is where the 1955 film has one up on the 1942 film. Betty Garrett is a plain looking woman!

Hepburn proves what style really is, because she looks sensational in all those clothes
Everyone who's seen the movie can never forget Hepburn in that gold disc dress! It's amazing how many times it's mentioned whenever I bring up the movie to someone.

In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped as gods. They have never forgotten this

Re: Hepburn and style

When Audrey Hepburn was approached to be in TWO FOR THE ROAD, she'd already worked with Stanley Donen twice, on two of her best movies (FUNNY FACE and CHARADE), in both of which she was dressed by Givenchy in the height of haute-couture chic (i mean: FUNNY FACE leads up to the whole fashion show, showing Givenchy's gowns at their most extravagant, and throughout the movie, there are all the fashion shoots, where Hepburn is dressed in Givenchy's finest). Donen explained that he didn't feel her character would be able to afford real couture clothes, but that she would be an upper-middle-class woman (whose husband was a very successful professional, in this case, architect) who would shop in the finer stores in London and Paris. So she went around and looked, and she basically chose her wardrobe. The sportswear, for example, she decided on Paco Rabanne. Ken Scott did a lot of her clothes, but she chose special items from Mary Quant (that's the disc gown). (Albert Finney was dressed by Hardy Amis.)

One funny story: Audrey Hepburn forever earned the enmity of Edith Head. After ROMAN HOLIDAY (where Edith Head was the costume designer), she was given the script for SABRINA, and one important plot point is that Sabrina comes back from Paris with couture clothes. Hepburn was very excited by this, and she asked Billy Wilder if she could go to Paris and look for clothes. That's where she found a young designer who was just starting out, named Hubert de Givenchy. (Hepburn's comment: "I know couture, and, believe me, Edith Head is not couture" - a comment which forever made Hepburn Public Enemy No. 1 for Edith Head.) Edith Head got her revenge: it turned out her contract with Paramount stipulated that she be given the credit for costume design, so Givenchy's clothes (the suit that she wears when she's waiting at the train station, the ball gown) could not be credited to Givenchy. And when Edith Head won the Academy Award for costume design for SABRINA, she made sure that Givenchy's name was not mentioned.

The next movie Hepburn did was WAR AND PEACE; the shooting lasted almost a year, and the film wasn't ready until 1956, so she was not in anything in 1955. But she had negotiated her contract (with WAR AND PEACE, she became the highest paid movie star) and she made sure there was a provision that Givenchy be given credit if he designed her clothes. So on FUNNY FACE (the first movie after WAR AND PEACE) there is a costume design credit for Edith Head, but a special mention that Miss Hepburn's clothes were designed by Givenchy. (This only applied to Paramount, where Edith Head was the designated head of the costume department; on WAR AND PEACE, though Paramount released the film in the US, it was a Dino De Laurentiis production, and the credits for the Italian design team superceded Edith Head's contract.)

Another example of Hepburn's star power: she starred in two movies released in 1967, TWO FOR THE ROAD and WAIT UNTIL DARK. I don't think i'm alone in thinking her performance in TWO FOR THE ROAD is one of her best. But she asked that 20th Century Fox NOT put her name for consideration for the Academy Award; instead, she wanted a nomination for WAIT UNTIL DARK. The reason: she wanted to bolster that film, because it was produced by her husband, Mel Ferrer. (She did get the nomination.)

The point is that Audrey Hepburn had a very clear sense of her own style, what she wanted to look like. When she worked with Edith Head on ROMAN HOLIDAY, Edith Head did things like design the dresses to deemphasize Hepburn's neck (that's why Hepburn is given blouses to wear with collars that hide her neck), or add length to the skirts so that she appears shorter, or give Hepburn bras with padding. Hepburn was kind of upset: she'd gotten used to her neck, she didn't mind that she was 5' 7", and she wasn't busty and didn't like trying to fake it. Edith Head had become a favorite of many stars (such as Barbara Stanwyck) because she designed clothes that camouflaged the star's weak points. And Audrey Hepburn wanted to be an individual.

Re: Hepburn and style

Thanks for this fascination essay. Reading it was a great way to start the day.

It's sad to read about the petty activities of Edith Head. The clothes designer in The Incredibles is based on her and is quite funny !

Re: Polo Sister Diable River Cat Two Sun Avanti Flash Lover Stranger

I'll have to try and get to see Gary as Marco Polo .....

I have not seen the 1942 EILEEN, but love the '55 version with Janet, Betty, Jack, Fosse & Rall dancing up a storm.

CAT remains a favourite Tennessee, even in this version, with as stated, great players ripping into those characters. Elizabeth has some priceless moments, changing her nylons, imitating the drunk spitting at Sisterwoman etc.

I love TWO FOR THE ROAD as well, and yes, young Finney and older Audrey seem like from different generations, though I understand they got quite close during filming. Eleanor Bron too is note perfect as that obnoxious American tourist with the brat daughter .... I got it on Bluray last year, it remains a lasting 1960s pleasure.

AVANTI is one of the Billy Wilders I hate - seeing it once was more than enough, yes Juliet Mills is charming, but I had had enough of Lemmon in sour mode by then, and seeing his flabby posterior was too much, as the ageing Wilder tried to get hip with the new cinema freedoms, and the whole thing was far too long and just not worth it.

They're on to you - I'm in your room.

http://www.osullivan60.blogspot.com/

Re: Polo Sister Diable River Cat Two Sun Avanti Flash Lover Stranger

I like the 1955 version of Eileen as well but do try and catch the 1942 film. You won't be sorry! It's not a musical but the conga is still there!

Two For The Road isn't available on blu on this side of the pond yet. I'm waiting as I expect it soon will be. How does the UK blu look?

and seeing his flabby posterior was too much
Well, at least Lemmon had the guts to do it on his own and not use a body double!

In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped as gods. They have never forgotten this

Re: Polo Sister Diable River Cat Two Sun Avanti Flash Lover Stranger

True, re Lemmon.

TWO FOR THE ROAD looks great of course in that Eureka Masters of Cinema 2 disk edition (Blu and dvd) with a nice booklet too. Its reasonably cheap now over here.

They're on to you - I'm in your room.

http://www.osullivan60.blogspot.com/

Odd Idol Third Vampire April Allegiant

THREE BRITISH NOIRS BY CAROL REED

Odd Man Out (1947) / Carol Reed. Johnny (James Mason), a Northern Irishman sent to prison for IRA activities (the script calls them The Organization), has escaped. He has what seems to be a foolproof plan to rob a local mill on payday to fund their group's activities. Of course, everything goes astonishingly wrong. Johnny is wounded and left behind by his escaping pals. This is all right up-front, no spoilers. The remainder of this almost two hour film follows Johnny, seriously hurt and dying, as he wanders through Belfast at night and in rain and snow trying to find his way through a police cordon. In the meantime, both cops and friends try to find him first. Chief among his supporters is a bonnie lassie named Kathleen (Kathleen Ryan) who is in love with Johnny. As Johnny stumbles through the night he happens upon several people who purposefully or unknowingly help him. Two sisters pick him up and take him into their home when they mistakenly think he was knocked down by a carriage. A horse-drawn cab driver takes him through police lines without realizing that Johnny is in the cab, but doesn't turn him in when he finds out. Finally, he is taken in – almost kidnapped – by a crazed poverty stricken painter (Robert Newton) who wants to capture the eyes of the dying man on canvas. Newton lives in an old apartment building whose main lobby and staircase is open to the sky so a steady fall of snow can be seen indoors from the corridor. A brilliant touch. Acting is of very high quality all around. Cyril Cusack and Dan O'Herlihy are the robbery accomplices, Fay Compton as the owner of an illegal gambling parlor who fears the robbery will bring the law down on her, Denis O'Dae is the not entirely un-sympathetic police chief (O'Dae also plays the chief inspector in “The Fallen Idol”), and William Hartnell is a tavern owner who shields Johnny for a while. Newton's performance is divisive because is seems more over-the-top and actorly than the down-to-earth acting going on around him. He is walking a line but I think he gets it just about right. Reed takes his time unfolding his story and at places I was wishing he would get on with it, but ultimately this is a very powerful film that does not leave the memory anytime soon.

The Fallen Idol (1948)/ Carol Reed. In spite of the reputations of the films that precede and follow “The Fallen Idol,” I think I prefer this one, mainly for Ralph Richardson's soulful performance as Baines, the butler. Not that any of the other actors are slackers: Michèle Morgan is his shy girlfriend, Sonia Dresdel his cruel wife, Denis O'Dae, Bernard Lee, and Jack Hawkins are cops, and even the 9-year-old boy, Bobby Henrey, (who must say “Baines” at least 150 times) was believable even though, like another famous child actor situation in 1973, his performance was created in the editing room during post-production. Baines is the butler for the French ambassador to London. Baines is idolized by the ambassador's son, Phillipe. Baines, though, is unhappily married but thinks he has found his soulmate in quiet young woman who works as a steno at the Embassy. Complications ensue; there is a death and the police descend on Baines. Great acting. Subtle, natural language script (by Graham Greene from his own story). A palpable sense of walls closing in on people who only meant well. Yeah, I love this film.

The Third Man (1949) / Carol Reed. This famous movie hardly needs any further commentary from me (but there is going to be some anyway). Even a modern travel guide I was looking at (Frommer's Austria) has a sidebar on “The Third Man” as an a film to be watched to understand the condition of Vienna at the end of WWII and what it overcame to be the modern city that it is. An influential movie in so many ways. Naïve American Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) comes to post-war Vienna to work for a old college chum named Harry Lime only to find out that Lime has been killed in a mysterious accident. Even though warned off by a British colonel and his aide (Trevor Howard and Bernard Lee), Martins begins a personal investigation that leads to murder and a large crime syndicate – along with a few other surprises. Like “The Fallen Idol,” the razor sharp script is by Graham Greene from his own story. One of the essentials in film history.

THREE OTHER MOVIES THAT ARE NOT BRITISH NOIRS BY CAROL REED

The Vampire (1957) / Paul Landres. This drive-in frightener is similar in plot to the previous year's “The Werewolf” to the extent that an innocent man is given a serum that turns him into a monster. In “The Vampire,” well-loved single father and small town doctor Paul Beecher (John Beal) finds a research scientist dead of a heart attack. He pockets a bottle of pills next to the dead man's hand. Later, he takes one mistaking it for his blood pressure medicine in another pocket. Bodies begin to pile up. The difference in this movie is that we really feel sorry for Dr. Beecher. He is a nice guy, a good doctor, and a loving father to his tween daughter. He is also starting to fall for his new nurse, Carol (Coleen Gray). You really hope there is some way out for him. There are a couple of good scenes shot in a Val-Lewton-suggestion-is-scarier-than-something-concrete style. Kenneth Tobey is solid support as the police chief and Dabs Greer and James Griffith show up as other scientists. Recommended as something a notch or two above what it could have been.

Avril et le monde truqué (2015) (April And The Extraordinary World) / Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci. This is a beautifully done hand-drawn animated film and just for that is worth watching. If you are a Ghibli Studio fan you will also appreciate this because they reference everything from “Howl's Moving Castle,” to the talking cat from “Kiki's Delivery Service” to the environmental concerns of “Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind” and “Spirited Away.” The story itself, though – a dystopian society created by mutants who have a plan to destroy humanity – is more like a so-so episode of classic “Doctor Who.” If you just stick with the visuals, however, they are great enough to carry you through.

Allegiant (2016) / Robert Schwentke. A recent critic called the “Divergent” series a “second-string ‘Hunger Games' wannabe,” but you know, I never really cared all that much for “The Hunger Games” starting with the book which I hated. Even though “Divergent” has a lot in common with “Hunger Games” but was not doing as well box office-wise and fan base-wise, I liked it better. I think maybe I give Shailene Woodley the edge as a heroic and plucky heroine and also, I liked the cast around her, especially Theo James as Four, her love interest and, Miles Teller as the duplicitous Peter who always changes sides at least once (or twice) in each of the films. But they fell down in this newest offering for the simple reason that they made the choice to go the way of Harry Potter and Hunger Games by making the final story into a two-part, two-year film release. This latest segment is something of a slog but they introduce a new villain played by Jeff Daniels as an all-knowing, all-seeing manipulator of people. That has promise but after this two hour introduction, we still have to wait another year to watch it all play out.

mf

Trust me. I'm The Doctor.

Re: Odd Idol Third Vampire April Allegiant

As you say this 'hardly needs' any further commentary, but since you mention the guidebook sidebar on The Third Man I may as well point out that the city offers 'Third Man' tours:
https://www.drittemanntour.at/en/index.html
including visit to the sewers.

If they organise the revolution like they did this meeting, what'll happen?

Re: Odd Idol Third Vampire April Allegiant

Thanks. I am going to be in Europe soon for about 10 days and might spend part of one day in Vienna which I might use on Mozart and Beethoven sites. I'm sure the attractions of that city will spur another, longer, visit for other attractions like movie locations.

When we lived near Chicago I was aware of Gangster Tours and at my current home in New Mexico one can go to Albuquerque for a Breaking Bad tour. I know I would pick "The Third Man" over any of those.

mf

Trust me. I'm The Doctor.

Re: Odd Idol Third Vampire April Allegiant

I think Vienna is really the capital of the Belle Epoque and the Austro-Hungarian empire, but I'm attracted by the way the city itself seems to have adopted the film as one which engages fully with its identity. There are films like that. Personally my idea of a Chicago visit to meet my expectations would be a Blues Brothers tour (preferably complete with live-music bars, of course).

If they organise the revolution like they did this meeting, what'll happen?

Re: August 21st weekly dropping

Not much once again.

Sunday in New York

The Parent Trap
(1961).

Did other things this week.

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen =

Re: What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

Part 32 of my Asian Horror “Year In Review” playlist is now up. It covers more films released during 2005: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sPdHEs_iC4

Here are the films I saw this week.

Highly Recommended

The Peanuts Movie (2015) (American Animated Drama/Comedy) – Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life. I haven't seen the older Charlie Brown movies in ages, but from what I remember, this new one is surprisingly faithful in terms of character personality, character design, and even voice acting. A very nice effort in that regard that gives a charming, old school feel to this. This has a laid back story, which works. Snoopy is awesome.

Recommended

Gonin Saga (2015) (Japanese Crime Drama/Thriller) – Takashi Ishii returns to direct the third film in this franchise, but the story follows directly from the first film. The opening 15 minute introduction uses footage from “Gonin”, as well as newly shot scenes with the current cast that are set during the time of the original film, which is interesting and works well. A bit confusing at first, especially because it forces the viewer to keep track of all the characters, but that irons itself out as it moves along. The entire second half is loaded with good thriller elements, with one stand-out scene involving a woman in her apartment. Like its predecessor, this has some bloody shootouts. And like its director, it contributs some welcome, unorthodox, over-the-top elements – like the frail hitman who shows up with an oxygen tank. It's nice to see Ando Masanobu and Anna Tsuchiya in a film like this.

Scared (2005) (Thai Horror) (repeat viewing) – A bus-load of students get stranded in the wilderness and become prey to a merciless killer. This is a no nonsense Thai slasher with a very impressive body count. It begins with about 20 minutes of set-up time, then kicks into high gear with at least 13 death scenes spread throughout the remaining runtime. This movie is only 81 minutes long, so if you take out that 20-minute opening, you get 13 death scenes in 61 minutes – that's one death scene every 5 minutes, on average. That's a major positive. And another good thing is that there is a nice variety of killings that are showcased. In terms of flaws, the screenplay is not particularly good, the characters make some dumb decisions, and there are a few jump scares along the way. But this is an entertaining slasher, so fans of that sub-genre of horror may want to seek this out.

The Booth (2005) (Japanese Horror) (repeat viewing) – The film opens with the mysterious death of a DJ in the recording booth. Years later, a young DJ uses the same booth and experiences strange phone calls and noises. Despite taking place almost exclusively within the radio station, this film is quite different. The most obvious positive of this movie is that it eludes many genre cliches while at the same time producing some unexpected twists. There's also a well-crafted sense of paranoia to enjoy. With a minimal budget, limited actors, only one set location (for the most part), this one does more with less.

Odd Obsession (1959) (Japanese Drama) – A mostly impotent man (who is aroused by jealousy) tempts his beautiful wife into an affair with the doctor who is lined up to marry his daughter. Quite a perverted film for this era, but the style is classy. The character dynamics are interesting and drive the movie from start to finish. I very much enjoyed the ending, which is unexpected and ironic.

Younger Brother (1960) (Japanese Drama) – A delinquent, bratty, troublesome teenager relies on his older sister for support because his parents are negligent. The opening half is very lively, with some unlikeable characters that are scattered around the likeable sister, who is the main protagonist. The step-mother is a raging, whiny bitch, but the dysfunctional family unit is interesting to watch. One memorable moment involves an army of ducks. The final half hour or so slows down and is not as intriguing.

Not Recommended

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (1958) (Japanese Drama) – A young man (with a stuttering condition) is sent to a monk who acts as the guardian of a temple. The protagonist is subjected to derision due to his speech problem, but makes friends with a few of the monks at the temple. This is a simplistic, weakly written, dry movie with a boring protagonist. The brief scene involving the American is incomprehensibly stupid and pointless.

Chariots of Fire (1981) (British Drama) – Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics. There are some good qualities to this, like the opening music and Ben Cross, but overall I came away with a “meh” response. I dislike Ian Charleson in the lead role, and he quite frankly looks incomprehensibly stupid while he's running, and that consequently gives every race a cheesy, unintentionally funny vibe. Story isn't particularly interesting either, with quite a bit of dead weight and boring filler to sit through.

YouTube Asian Movie Review Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/anticlimacus100

Grémillon, Duvivier, Litvak, Siodmak, Gréville, Douglas, Winterbottom,..

Hi zetes and Everyone,

Horror (and fantastique)- related viewings last week (in bold)


France in the 30s:

La petite Lise (Little Lise, 1930) - Jean Grémillon. 9/10
Allo Berlin? Ici Paris! (Here's Berlin, 1932) - Julien Duvivier. 9/10
Coeur de lilas (Lilac, 1932) - Anatole Litvak. 9/10


(Early) Robert Siodmak triple-treat:

Voruntersuchung (Inquest, 1931) - Robert Siodmak. 8/10
Quick (1932) - Robert Siodmak. 8/10
Tumultes (Storms of Passion, 1932) - Robert Siodmak. 8/10


3 from UK:

Beat Girl (1960) - Edmond T. Gréville. 7/10
Come Dancing (1971) - Bill Douglas. 8/10
A Cock and Bull Story (2005) - Michael Winterbottom. 8/10


3 from Iceland:

Rauðu skikkjuna/Den røde kappe (The Red Mantle, 1967) - Gabriel Axel. 9/10
Útlaginn (Outlaw: The Saga of Gisli, 1981) - Ágúst Guðmundsson. 8/10
Á köldum klaka (Cold Fever, 1995) - Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. 7/10


“Bizarre, challenging, and wickedly satiric” - Australian Renaissance triple-treat:

“I'm nothing, I believe in nothing. Nobody can hurt nothing. Nothing is a noble faith, so you've no reason to be afraid”

- Jim Sharman/Patrick White

Homesdale (1971) - Peter Weir. 7/10
The Night, the Prowler (1978) - Jim Sharman. 8-9/10
Strange Behavior (1981) - Michael Laughlin. 8/10


Taiwan/Hong Kong/China triple-treat::

Dong dong de jia qi (A Summer at Grandpa's, 1984) - Hou Hsiao-Hsien. 9/10 (2nd viewing)
Yau doh lung fu bong (Throw Down, 2004) - Johnnie To. 8/10
Sheng si jie (Stolen Life, 2005) - Li Shaohong. 8/10


Astonishing two minutes from Litvak's 'Coeur de lilas' (one of the three extraordinary early 30s French (proto)-Noir I saw, which also included Grémillon's 'La petite Lise' and Siodmak's 'Tumultes'): Jean Gabin singing "La môme Caoutchouc" in an impressive single take (camera by Curt Courant),

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7QugYlU4Qk


,
jd

Re: Grémillon, Duvivier, Litvak, Siodmak, Gréville, Douglas, Winterbotto

Ola, jdidaco!

One quick note: i realized (after i posted about DOWNSTAIRS) that i had seen an ad from MGM in which Nora Gregor was listed as in the cast, but when the film was made, she wasn't; the only MGM movie she did appear in was BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK (with C. Aubrey Smith and Robert Montgomery). But DOWNSTAIRS is also notable because of Virginia Bruce: she and John Gilbert would get married.

Onto your proto-noirs (and others)!

Isn't LA PETITE LISE amazing? I love the sudden bursts of energy, and then the slower developments of the narrative. What is also impressive is how Gremillon keeps the emotional heft of the narrative always in focus, so that you're always aware of how the emotional connections of the characters have been tested. ALLO BERLIN? ICI PARIS shows just how inventive Duvivier could be - he was one of the essential French directors of the 1930s, and this was delightful in its depiction of the way that the idea of "bohemia" extended through Europe prior to the rise of fascism. Litvak's COEUR DE LILAS is a rather modest work but a great deal more energetic than his work from the mid-1930s on, both in France and in the US.

It is hard to see much of the early films by Robert Siodmak, but TUMULTES shows his style in embryo, and also his mastery of directing actors. As with many of his later film noirs, his protagonist is an obsessed person, and Charles Boyer is magnificent as the jealous ex-con.

BEAT GIRL seemed to be a very transitional film, an exploitation film which emphasized what would soon be the youth culture of London; Michael Winterbottom's A COCK AND BULL STORY is another cinematic riposte by this quite adventurous British director, whose work always proceeds through the most amazing analogies.

Gabriel Axel's THE RED MANTLE is an unjustly forgotten epic; one memory is of some ferocious scenes of conflict, as well as some of the most intense love scenes of any movie from the 1960s.

Hou Hsiao Hsien had been working within more conventional genre frameworks prior to A SUMMER AT GRANDPA'S, which really is an important milestone in his career; here, you can see his delight in using long sequences to explore character and setting. By 2000, the "waves" of the cinema in the Chinese diaspora had begun to be dispersed, yet Li Shaohong was one of the filmmakers who was trying to show the developments in life in China; STOLEN LIFE is a tough-minded look at the situation of young women in China, with the prospect of the bartering of babies. I remember this film as quite powerful as an expose of then-current Chinese life.

Once again, an admirable sojourn around the world!

lqualls-dchin

Grémillon, Duvivier, Litvak, Siodmak, Axel

Olá lqualls-dchin!

Oh yes, 'La petite Lise' is indeed an amazing Grémillon. Those initial 20 minutes, set in the Cayenne prison, were quite a shocker, I thought I was seeing one of those Genet prison-set autobiographical novels unfolding in startling imagery before my astonished eyes! - the prisoners' games, the shirtless men, the sweat, the tattoos, the graffiti walls, the realism and roughness of it all, a really impressive way to start the film, because it becomes clear that the focus will be on environment and the way characters move within it, and most importantly, as you say, how this mix of an acute eye for space and body language are intrinsically connected to the emotions on display - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL_MJihRj9c.

For some reason I was led to believe that Duvivier's 'Allo Berlin? Ici Paris!' was a "minor" film..., bollocks!, it's Duvivier in a lighter mood (in form, not content), but not only the best of his comedies, also, and I couldn't agree more with you, a film were he let himself completely loose, visually and aurally experimenting with audacious invention (my favorite sequence, perhaps the greatest of last week: an anti-touristic tour of Paris guided by a drunken bus driver, where all the city's iconic places are frenetically shown through a distorted yet revelatory prism, plus some memorable gags along the demential ride (Duvivier outdoing Clair!)).

Litvak's 'Coeur de lilas' was a revelation (his work in the 30s offers several surprises, the extraordinary 'Mayerling' for instance, and one I saw earlier this year, 'Tovarich'), and sets many Noir-ish tropes, from the initial set-up with the dead body being slowly and suspensefully discovered, to the last sequences and its sad, romantically-doomed ending. Memorably fluid and stylish too, populated with colorful, vivid supporting characters (Gabin, Fréhel).

Yes, Siodmak's early German/French films have always been of difficult access, I'm quite grateful I was able to see those three. 'Tumultes' is an extraordinary mood piece, with Siodmak's patented sense of brooding menace and moral corruption amongst conflicted and contradictory emotions already in evidence - I liked Boyer and Florelle in the roles, but I wonder how Emil Jannings and Anna Sten fared in the German version, she in particular.

I'm not sure if Axel's 'The Red Mantle' can be considered a "Viking film" but I'm absolutely positive that it defined a way to approach the period and setting, particularly in other Icelandic cinematic sagas (Gunnlaugsson's "Viking Trilogy" for instance is immensely indebted to Axel) - the brutal physicality of the battle scenes, the vast, rough and beautiful, landscapes (the sequences on the seashore reminded me of Polanski's 'Macbeth' too), the sensuality of the interiors (a highly homoerotic sauna sequence, the intimacy of the love scenes). "Ferocious" and "intense" are the two words I would also use, l-d, and definitely and unjustly forgotten film.


jd

Re: What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

THE WASP WOMAN ( 1958 )
Another Roger Corman no budget thriller, as aging cosmetics president uses newest fountain of youth formula on herself, with disastrous results. Hokey, dumb, not very much fun
4/10

THE MAN FROM UNCLE ( 2015 )
Speaking of fun ,Guy Ritchie's film based on the 60's spy TV show, surprised me. I wasn't a big fan of the TV show, but..... Wow. The movie....So entertaining, so clever, so witty. Campy yes, but in a very good way. Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer terrific chemistry, and Alicia Vikander, so charming.. Love the 60's style, dress, trappings. One of the best films of 2015.
9/10

----------------------------

Re: What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

Re: What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

Listed from best to worst:

Stalker (Tarkovsky, 1979): 10/10 (rewatch) - One of my favorite films and I was in need of a rewatch. I will admit, its spell will likely never have the same affect on me as it did on first viewing, but there is something intrinsically special about this film -- and really all Tarkovsky films. Interestingly, over time, I'm starting to find that The Mirror is resonating with me more than Stalker.

Stolen Kisses (Truffaut, 1968): 8/10 (rewatch) - Another rewatch this week and I'm very glad I did. I first saw this film when I was much younger and most of the humor was lost on me. Having watched it a week after rewatching 400 Blows, I can surprisingly state that I enjoyed Stolen Kisses more.

The Man Without a Face (Gibson, 1993): 6/10 - While certainly the weakest entry in Gibson's directorial catalog, there are moments here where you can see his pending genius starting to emerge. There's also a wonderful performance from Nick Stahl.

Batman v Superman (Snyder, 2016): 3/10 - What a terrible script. And it's noteworthy to recognize just how far Zack Snyder has fallen from his cinematic climax, The Watchmen.


"My only enemy is time." - Charles Chaplin
http://paulopicks.blogspot.com/

Billy the Kid and other misfits

Only one new film, which was a very old film:
Billy the Kid, King Vidor, 1930 Does exactly what Westerns do, pretty violently but also with what seems like naivety: Johnny Mack Brown's Billy sometimes seems like a sweet boy, and sometimes just seems a but daft, but despite his dead-eye aim he never really seems dangerous, while the villains are uncompromisingly harsh. As so often, it seems, with Westerns, Vidor - even Vidor - seems to have felt obliged to use minor characters for comic relief, even as he questions that comic relief by giving his most recognisable caricatures heroes' ends in the course of battles which are very prolonged and result in numerous nasty deaths. And through all this Billy remains the nice boy who barely breathes a word of interest to the nice girl for most of the plot. Although this is very generic for Vidor, there is at least one really magnificent piece of invention in long-shot, towards the end of the film, when Pat Garrett finds a way to lure Billy out of his hiding-place by aiming something rather different from the usual gun in his direction. It's interestingly rough-edged and generally best when at a distance. mixed

REVISION SECTION
LAST WEEK
Neither went:
I: http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b99/aliinwonderland/aug15I_zpswxd3dc6h.jpg
The last of the Resnais series: On connaît la chanson

II: http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b99/aliinwonderland/aug15II_zpshxz9ksny.jpg
Jean-Louis Bertucelli's beautiful debut feature, Remparts d'argile

THIS WEEK
A mixed bag here in all senses
Revision I. Grade: 1 - should be solved immediately by anyone on this site. (I could have made it harder, I guess, but sometimes an image just insists)
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b99/aliinwonderland/aug22I_zpsbxa95tf0.jpg
Sol has named it: Playtime

Revision II. Grade: 4 - challenging, remember you can approach gradually and I'll give clues in exchange for responses
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b99/aliinwonderland/aug22II_zps7c0mhp4f.jpg

Revision III. Grade: 1, I think - though I did at least try to avoid a total giveaway
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b99/aliinwonderland/aug22III_zps8ejyvkij.jpg
Friend of Milhouse has started the batting with Shine a Light

Revision IV. Grade: 5*. Lots of kudos for this one!
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b99/aliinwonderland/aug22IV_zps77da8cqg.jpg
That language is certainly Romanian, but this is not a Romanian film.

Revision V. Grade: 2/3. If you dabble in this area of filmland, you'll probably know it.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b99/aliinwonderland/aug22V_zpswqhfxq1z.jpg
Sol has quite correctly located this as a British film from round about the end of the 60s. It's not an A-lister, but there are aficionados on this site, I'm sure.

If they organise the revolution like they did this meeting, what'll happen?

Revisions

I'll leave revision I to someone else.
III should be Shine a Light.
IV Wild stab in the dark: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu?


You are alive and living now.
Now is the envy of all of the dead

Re: Revisions

Ha ha. And now no one will try I because if they know it they'll decline to be obvious and if they don't they won't dare risk getting it wrong. Which is my own fault.

Right on III, not on IV, it's, euhm, not a Romanian film.

If they organise the revolution like they did this meeting, what'll happen?

Re: Billy the Kid and other misfits

Fine. I'll take the obvious one. Since I know that you still haven't seen Mon Oncle, I'm going to say that Revision I is Hulot in PlayTime, though I guess that could conceivably also be Trafic.

Revision V looks a lot like late 1960s British cinema, which is an area that I certainly do dabble in, but I don't know what to guess. My first thought was Casino Royale, but I don't think that's Deborah Kerr, so how about The Wrong Box?... not that I have seen it in over a decade.

Sorry -- just fishing for a hint for Revision V; I'd ask you if I have seen it, but last time I did that, you told me that I had seen Inglourious Basterds when I hadn't (and still haven't)!

Most people think I'm mad. At least I know I'm mad.

Re: Billy the Kid and other misfits

Yes, Playtime, well done.

On V: you're absolutely right on the area (well, technically very very slightly out, but the spirit is dead on). It's not The Wrong Box though. I'd say this is a level below the likes of Forbes and certainly well below the international-star lineup of Casino Royale.

If they organise the revolution like they did this meeting, what'll happen?

Re: What classics did you watch this week? (8/15-8/21)

8/20:

CASABLANCA
DARK PASSAGE
KEY LARGO
SABRINA

8/21:

A few minutes of IT'S LOVE I'M AFTER
MR. SKEFFINGTON
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?
THE CATERED AFFAIR
THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX
NOW, VOYAGER

Re: Sabrina

Are you talking about the 1954 film Sabrina? If so, then I think it's a charming film with a lovely soundtrack. (Looks like you had a Bogart day!)

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen =

Re: Sabrina

Yes, that was the one.

Bogie was the Star of the Day on TCM's Summer Under the Stars, as was Bette Davis the following day.
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