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Post by teleadm on Nov 30, 2019 22:03:06 GMT
Comments/ratings/recommendations/film posters are welcome and much appreciated. Since our friend delon is not here. Temporarily stepping in. Bussiness as usual though, and thanks for sharing: |
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Post by wmcclain on Nov 30, 2019 22:07:37 GMT
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Post by politicidal on Nov 30, 2019 22:09:59 GMT
A Face in the Crowd (1957) 8/10
Zarak (1956) 6/10
Desiree (1954) 4/10
Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019) 7/10
Framing John DeLoreon (2019) 6/10
The Chaperone (2018) 5/10
Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons (1960) 6/10
Giant (1956) 8/10
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Nov 30, 2019 22:22:38 GMT
Frozen Fever - Short Film (2015). Ben-Hur (2016). Cake (2014). Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Geostorm (2017). Survivor (2015). Cloud 9 (2014). Tangled (2010). The Mummy (2017). If you enjoy seeing Tom Cruise get the living snot beat out of him...then this is the movie for you! Universal Pictures' first 'Dark Universe' movie didn't exactly bode well for what was supposed to come after. Hoping to create an interconnecting universe of classic monsters doesn't work if you haven't thought things through, and as others have speculated, this felt like it wasn't properly planned out at all. The previous iteration of The Mummy, the 1999 version starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, mightn’t have been a 'masterpiece', but it was a good old-fashioned action/adventure movie that was at least FUN and entertaining. This one? Not so much. The movie gets off to a rocky start, with a rather dull/boring opening (featuring a crusader buried with a red jewel which will become important later). This is followed by what feels like a rushed backstory for the movie's title character, the mummy herself, Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella, who deserves so much better than this to show her talents. She was the only reason I even watched this movie), which isn't anything new/exciting. She did something bad, tried to raise some ancient evil, but the ritual was interrupted and she got mummified for her trouble (in a surprisingly less gruesome flashback than Imhotep's from the '99 movie). We're then introduced to one of the least heroic 'heroes' ever, Tom Cruise's Nick Morton, and his offsider, Jake Johnson's Vail, in a typical shoot-'em-up/explosions aplenty action scene that somehow manages to be unexciting. They're 'liberators of precious antiquities' (ie. looters/thieves) and Nick is quite the jerk. Annabelle Wallis' Jenny Halsey agrees, as her entrance involves her delivering a well-deserved slap to Nick's face (he slept with her so he could steal from her). They're soon thrown together by Courtney B. Vance's man-in-charge, Colonel Greenway, and descending into a big hole where, you guessed it, they unwittingly awaken Ahmanet. Whilst transporting said corpse via airplane, things start getting hairy when Vail (looking the worse for wear after having been bitten by a creepy-crawly) turns all murder-y and Nick's forced to put him down. Birds start hitting the plane and it plummets. In a seemingly heroic move, Nick gives what is supposedly the last parachute to Jenny and saves her life (it's later revealed this wasn't such a ‘heroic’ act after all), then he next wakes up in a morgue post-crash. Before you can say "An American Werewolf in London", Nick's seeing Vail looking all corpsified and gross as he delivers snark/ominous messages to Nick who is also experiencing visions of Ahmanet. Seems he's been 'chosen' by her for a second attempt at raising that ancient evil with the ritual she was so rudely interrupted during the middle of previously. It involves a dagger and that red jewel. Cruise and Johnson attempt to convey camaraderie between their characters, but their 'banter' falls flat. There's not much humour in this movie, and what little it has rarely works. The biggest laugh in my theatre came from Jenny's reaction to seeing Ahmanet straddling Nick at one point. I think calling her character 'useless' is a bit unfair. She saves Nick at least once or twice (which is kind of her, considering he was going to ditch her/leave her to fend for herself against the mummy's minions at one point, not to mention he’s constantly being condescending towards her and dismissing things she says/warnings she gives) and she’s certainly less of a jerk than him. The romance that Cruise and Wallis try to make work between their characters doesn't really succeed much (there's a line uttered by Nick to Jenny towards the end of the movie which Wonder Woman did SO much better). Meanwhile, as mentioned elsewhere, you'd think that a movie titled The Mummy would, you know, have more of the actual MUMMY in it. Alas, poor Sofia Boutella is underutilized. She does what she can with the material she's given (probably her best/most effective scene was the one she shared with Jenny after having been captured/imprisoned). I was almost on Ahmanet's side rather than Nick's. Sadly, Ahmanet's powers aren't as interesting as Imhotep's were (except for the neat trick with the irises/pupils in her eyes splitting in two), though at one point she does pull the same face-appearing-in-sandstorm stunt as he did. At least she gets to toss Nick around like he's a ragdoll...so that's something. Too bad she wasn't better utilized here (and there won't be any future installment to rectify that problem). Russell Crowe feels like he's acting in a different movie as Dr. Henry Jekyll. At least he looks like he's trying to have some 'fun' with the role, but even when we're introduced to Mr. Hyde (who isn't really much different to Jekyll, other than having a different accent/looking all veiny), it's not enough to save this film. There's cameo appearances by some of the 'classic' monsters (in the form of pieces of them in jars), but the movie as a whole lacks cohesion. The ending's especially WTF-worthy, as the impact of certain characters’ deaths is completely undone (not that they had much impact to begin with), how Nick 'saves the day' is rather anticlimactic, and what happens to/becomes of him is somewhat vague. As much as I wanted to like this film, it's just hard to find anything particularly memorable about it. The action scenes aren't anything special (the only half-decent one is the plane crash sequence), the characters' dynamics aren't that interesting, there's no snappy dialogue, not much depth and nothing really that makes you go "Wow!" (unless your "Wow!" is immediately followed by "That was BAD!" in reference to the movie). I don't mean to sound so harsh, but it feels like all this movie achieved was setting up what was yet to come, and even then it doesn't appear as if they had a clear idea of what exactly was going to happen. It's little wonder that the 'Dark Universe' failed to become a thing after this sub-par first outing. Do yourself a favour and see Wonder Woman instead (and if you've watched it already...then watch it again!).      
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Post by mikef6 on Nov 30, 2019 22:29:57 GMT
I will be ending Noir-vember with a couple of 1930’s whodunits typical of the time, two top noirs from 1950, and an excellent documentary from Ron Howard. While The Patient Slept / Ray Enright (1935). Warner Bros-First National. Mignon G. Eberhart was a prolific American mystery writer from the Golden Age. She has sometimes been tagged as the “American Agatha Christie” even through the two women’s books were not alike. For one thing, Eberhart wrote most of her 59 puzzlers as “standalone” books without any continuing characters. The only exception is a 7 book mystery series featuring Nurse Sarah Keate and her private eye boyfriend Lance O’Leary. This movie is based on Eberhart’s second published novel. A rich man who is dying summons his feuding relatives to his old dark house outside of town at night as a rain, thunder, and lightning storm rages outside. Before he can meet them he has a stroke. Nurse Keate is called in by the doctor to watch the unconscious man. That night a murder is committed and the police called. The cops are led by O’Leary (Guy Kibee), here turned into a homicide detective. Lots of thunder, mysterious goings-on, creeping through secret passages, and a second murder. Fairly typical plotting. A good ending with an unexpected culprit. Not very substantial but interesting as an example of 1930s mystery thrillers. The Patient In Room 18 / Bobby Connolly and Crane Wilbur (1938). Warner Bros-First National. Ann Sheridan played Nurse Keate in two of the film series including here with “Room 18,” based on Eberhart’s first novel published in 1929. Both of the Keate films with Sheridan also had her private detective boyfriend Lance O’Leary. In these two movies, O’Leary was advanced to the lead role and Nurse Keate became his sidekick rather than his partner even though she does some detecting on her own and shows some attitude. O’Leary is played by English born Patrick Knowles. O’Leary has been having a near breakdown because he failed in his last case. He is taken off to a private hospital and placed under the care of Nurse Keate who won’t let him smoke or read detective stories. In another room, room 18, is a rich man who is getting a very expensive radium treatment. The radium may be the target of thieves for its value. When the patient is murdered and the radium disappears, O’Leary finds plenty of suspects. Light as a feather, this whizzes by in a fast one hour.   The Sound Of Fury (aka Try And Get Me) / Cy Enfield (1950). Robert Stillman Productions/United Artists. Howard Tyler (Frank Lovejoy) has just hitched a ride home after failing to land an out of town job. He has an argument with his wife Judy (Kathleen Ryan) so goes down to the local bowling alley for a beer. There he meets Jerry (Lloyd Bridges), a swaggering braggart who throws money around. Jerry persuades Howard to drive his car while Jerry sticks up a mom and pop grocery outside of town. The money is so easy that Howard continues as driver until, eventually, a very serious crime is committed and Howard goes almost insane with guilt. Enter local newspaper reporter Gil Stanton (Richard Carlson, one of his best performances) who had portrayed the previous hold-ups as a “crime wave” and now paints a picture of Jerry and Howard as pure evil. Monsters. This leads to unintended consequences and a powerful and bleak ending. As one person says, “It is easy for us to forget our humanity.” This happens to a lot of people in this film. Acting is superlative throughout the cast.   Dial 1119 / Gerald Mayer (1950). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Cinematography by Paul Vogel (The Tall Target, The Time Machine, High Society). Before there was the modern “call 911” we have “dial 1119” which is not an emergency number but the regular four digit phone number of the police. This is a tense little unknown jewel that could serve as a minor companion piece to “Ace In The Hole” from the same year. Psycho killer Gunther Wyckoff (Marshall Thompson) has escaped from the asylum for the criminally insane where he had been sentenced for life. He is heading back to the midwestern town of Terminal City planning on making it really terminal for some of its citizens. After killing one person while stealing a gun, Wyckoff goes looking for Dr. Faron (Sam Levene), the police psychiatrist who had worked with him before his previous trial and sentencing. He goes into The Oasis, a bar across the street from Faron’s house. to keep watch. The bar, owned and operated by the morose Chuckles (William Conrad), has just installed a big screen TV (4’ by 3’) over the bar at great expense. When the program is interrupted by the news of Wyckoff’s escape, he takes Chuckles and five customers hostage. As the police surround the building and debate various ideas – Wyckoff cannot be negotiated with like an ordinary criminal – a media circus erupts. A huge crowd slowly gathers, a TV van arrives and begins unpacking its cameras and equipment. Even a food truck arrives selling ice cream and hot dogs. The big TV set plays a prominent part in the proceedings. Among the hostages are Frankie, an alcoholic bar-girl (Virginia Field, very good performance); Helen (Andrea King), a lonely 28-year-old woman who takes care of her elderly mother but is considering a wild weekend with a creepy older married man (Leon Ames) whose line of patter she is uneasy with; a burned out newspaper reporter (James Bell); and Skip (Keefe Brasselle), the bar’s waiter and fill-in bartender whose wife is in the maternity ward of the hospital. All of these characters are given depth in the clever script by John Monks, Jr. which conceals one big surprise held until almost the end. I liked this one very much. An unexpected pleasure.   Pavarotti / Ron Howard (2019). Lionsgate. Howard’s previous documentary was about music – the Beatles last tour of the USA just before retiring from live performing – and this one is about the operatic rock star, Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, he of the unbelievable voice. He got his tenor voice from his father, a baker. The son was so good that the family sent him off to a proper music school. His fame in the opera world grew as he traveled the world. Finally, he met Herbert Breslin. As Breslin himself says, “Pavarotti was a nice guy so he needed a bastard working for him. The record company sent me.” Breslin had him branch into recital presentations and sent him over America into rural areas. His fame grew. He started filling sports stadiums as if he were Bruce Springsteen – I mention that because one of his first major public triumphs was in London after Springsteen abruptly canceled an appearance. This is mostly a positive view of the man. Everybody loved him. No one had a bad word to say; not even his ex-wife even after Luciano had two long term relationships with young female assistants. The last one he finally married after a divorce which scandalized Italy. But in the end, even the ex and their three daughters came to forgive him just because he is Luciano. So the movie does present some warts but it is mainly a hagiography. But the singing is glorious and by the end of the film you will have forgiven him too.  |
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biker1
Junior Member
@biker1
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Post by biker1 on Nov 30, 2019 23:43:29 GMT
best to least.
Good..
99 river street (1953, P. Karlson)
Muscular, modern and possibly even better than the director's kansas city confidential (1952). With ace support from some ruthless gangster types, notably Jack Lambert & Jay Adler.
secret beyond the door... (1947, F. Lang)
This movie has received some scathing dismissals, and while the Freudian themes may seem daft, it's still a finely directed woman's gothic with plenty of style and atmosphere - not to overlook a serene Joan Bennett.
among the living (1941, S. Heisler)
Some dodgy performing aside, this Southern gothic thriller is a B movie gem. A 24 year old Susan Hayward is a stand out - in an overtly sexual film for 1941, I would think.
worth-a-look..
the damned don't cry (1950, V. Sherman)
Joan Crawford in very good form.
the accused (1949, Dieterle)
the woman in the window revisited.
framed (1947, R. Wallace)
a drifter, a heartless dame, a murder plot.
watchable, if missable..
pushover (1954, R. Quine)
Yes Fred, we saw double indemnity
somewhere in the night (1946, Mankiewicz)
On and on it goes, and where it goes, nobody could care.
the brasher dubloon (1947, Brahm)
Private eye Philip Marlowe as a smooth talking romantic lead isn't my idea of detective noir.
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Post by teleadm on Dec 1, 2019 0:02:16 GMT
Here comes the Teleadm week of wonders:  Obviously made for 3-D, but I watched a flat version. It probably loses many of it thrills that was ment for the third dimension. Still a plot that involves legendary film-maker Georges Méliès can not be without interest. An entertaining movie with nice references to the silent cinema spread out during it's running time. The re-creation and modernization of slapstick didn't work for me though. Kingsley is great as Méliès. The young actors that keeps the plot moving forward did good too, since they weren't annoying, something that sadly happens too often in family friendly movies. Nice to see Christopher Lee in a small role too.  GF more or less ordered me to watch this, for a cozy Sunday evening together. Heigl and Marsden actually carries this movie a long way, beyond it's banal plot, and cliché traps.  One of many so-called international thrillers from the 1970s with a seasoned cast. The story is not bad about a deadly virus carrier aboard an express train heading from Switzerland to Stockholm. It could have been better in the hands of a better director, is my feeling. Still with this cast it's not without interest, and entertains for the moment.  Thriller that though it takes place in South Africa and Botswana was mostly filmed in Kenya. Since it came in 1975 it has lost a bit of it's actuallity. Poitier and Caine was a great combination, as the accidental couple who has to solve and escape big and small problems, some with a sense of humour. Nicol Williamson embodies evil, a sort of knight who is going to save South Africa for the whites only, working daily with people he hates, he plays that role great since it could easily have been ham acting screen chewing role. A young Rutger Hauer pops out during the later parts as a pilot.  Swedish detective thriller that was very popular at it's time, with murders at a stylish upper-class fashion house. The reason I watched it is because I've seen both here and at other sites, is that it's described as a sort of Giallo before Mario Bava made the name familiar. The murders are indeed very grim and brutal for a Swedish movie, and the restoration of the fantastic colours, with the emphasis of red, were so great that I thought I was watching a modern remake. It's strange that a very Swedish detective movie that was indeed popular, with some very brutal murders, and crisp stylish colours suddenly get's some international attention, and generally get's good reviews too, and is called a Giallo before that term was even familiar. As I am Swedish, I thought all the actors spoke too theatrical, something others around the world might not hear. It was the 2nd out of five movies in this series.  The Third of the Swedish detective thrillers, made in some super wide screen format, about a mysterious blue rider that kills people at a riding military academy on the country side. While the story in it self is good, it wastes too much time on a sidekick story with his jealous girlfriend and a rich woman, and tons of time with military men riding horses, without no reason to the plot but to show loads of horses. As with the Red movie I sadly can hear too much theatrical dialog, "they don't talk likes Swedes actually talk".  Usually mentioned as the weakest link of director Hathaway's 1940's noir movies, and that might be the case, I still think this is worth a peek. While not great it's still an interesting movie, that sadly have to be carried by Mark Stevens, an he is indeed a weak link, thankfully a suave Clifton Webb and a smarmy William Bendix helps a lot, as too does Lucille Ball far from the screwball histronics, playing a very bright resourceful and smart secretary, using lots of sharp wit (an Eve Arden-like character was my first thought). While not great, it entertained during it's running time.  Even I melt. Now I will read and look at what exciting movies all others have seen: |
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Post by OldAussie on Dec 1, 2019 1:37:32 GMT
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Post by RiP, IMDb on Dec 1, 2019 8:05:42 GMT
Between Two Worlds (1944) good REHASH of Outward Bound (1930) based on the 1923 play of the SAME name.
7/10.
NOW in the CORRECT thread!!
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Post by claudius on Dec 1, 2019 12:30:16 GMT
I must note several things:
-My accidental omission from last week’s thread: HEATHCLIFF (1984) episodes “Used Pets/Search for a Star” & “Boom Boom Pussini.”
-My United Artists Centennial is almost at an end, with maybe one and a half to go.
-Next week begins my Christmas viewings.
ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE (1969) UNITED ARTISTS 100TH ANNIVERSARY & 50TH ANNIVERSARY I only watched the first part of this controversial (the first Bond movie without Connery), intending to watch the remainder on its release date in December. MGM/UA DVD
SCOOBY DOO AND SCRAPPY DOO SHOW (1979) “Leave My Neck in San Francisco” 40TH ANNIVERSARY The Scooby Gang becomes more divided in this series, between Fred, Daphne, & Velma and Scooby, Shaggy, & Scrappy. There seems to be little interaction between the former group and Scrappy, the exception between Daphne and Scrappy, who show affection to each other. A nice foreshadow of their later partnership as sleuths In the final season of this incarnation in 1983. Warner DVD
NEW ADVENTURES OF FLASH GORDON (1979) 40TH ANNIVERSARY “Blue Magic” BCI Eclipse DVD
THE TRANSFORMERS (1984) “Countdown to Extinction” & “War of the Dinobots” 35TH ANNIVERSARY. Due to the erractic original schedule, the latter episode- introducing more Dinobots- was aired first, while the former episode- a postscript to the “Ultimate Doom” Arc, was aired later. I accidentally watched “Countdown” first, and then watched “War.” Shout DVD
MUPPET BABIES (1984) “Fun Park Fantasies” 35TH ANNIVERSARY Another much watched episode- recorded in December 1984 (possibly as a rerun). I believe this is my first exposure to Lon Chaney’s Phantom (appears in Gonzo’s closet) and the 1907 version of BEN-HUR (a clip of the chariot race). One in-joke I didn’t get at the time was Gonzo’s imagining everyone in Over-Large Astronaut suits with this exchange: PIGGY: Gonzo! This is the Wrong Stuff! GONZO: Well, it looked like THE RIGHT STUFF to me. Bootleg DVD
THE MIGHTY ORBOTS (1984) “A Tale of Two Thieves” 35TH ANNIVERSARY Warner DVD
ZORRO (1993) “The Discovery” ZORRO 100TH ANNIVERSARY The conclusion of the ‘Zorro’s evil twin brother’ four-parter and the finale of the series (the next three episodes appear to be out-of-continuity episodes aired out of date). Once the story (guest-starring Faith Brook as the evil mastermind) is concluded, the episode ends with a cliffhanger as Don Diego is about to confess to his father Alejandro his alter ego. Also notable is that, like the Fairbanks and Powers versions, it is Don Diego, not Zorro, who is involved in the resolution. Bootleg DVD.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT (1979) “Episode Three” 40TH ANNIVERSARY The conclusion to the 3-part Serial. I shall note its I, CLAUDIUS (1976) connections, with a screenplay by Jack Pulman, and stars Sian Philips, John Hurt, and Barbara Young (the latter being Pulman’s wife, usually having a part in his adaptations). Koch DVD
A SHOT IN THE DARK (1964) UNITED ARTISTS 100TH ANNIVERSARY The second Pink Panther film that set the formula, introducing Herbert Lom’s Inspector Dreyfuss, Burt Kwouk’s Cato, Andre Maranne’s Francois, and Graham Stark (who plays different characters) to the series. Probably my favorite of the series, always a pleaser when watched. I remember first watching this in the Spring of 1990 on TBS, after my first viewing of THE PINK PANTHER, a little confused with the musical rooms prologue, and recognizing the theme from my experiences with THE INSPECTOR series. MGM/UA DVD
THE MASK OF ZORRO (1998) ZORRO 100TH ANNIVERSARY Next-generation version, mixed with COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, with the original Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) wronged and planning revenge with a young successor (Antonio Banderas) to take the reins. First saw this at the Drive-In in 1998 and got the DVD for St. Nicholas Day (although it wasn’t my first DVD, this began my changing my media from VHS to DVD). This pretty much ends my Zorro Centennial viewing. Although I missed out on the Serials and the Sequels, I have seen the three MARK OF ZORRO (1920, 1940, 1974), ZORRO (1975), ZORRO THE GAY BLADE (1981), THE MASK OF ZORRO, the first season of the Disney series, the beginning and ending episodes of the Duncan Rehger 1990 series, and the Filmation Series. Sony DVD
THE STRUGGLE (1931) UNITED ARTISTS 100TH ANNIVERSARY D.W. Griffith’s Alcohol parable was the final failure straw that ended his directing career. This ends my viewing of Griffith’s films for the UA Centennial, having watched six (BROKEN BLOSSOMS, WAY DOWN EAST, ORPHANS OF THE STORM, AMERICA, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, THE STRUGGLE). Kino DVD
A TALE OF TWO CITIES (1989) “Episode Two” To2C 160TH ANNIVERSARY The second part of BBC-TV Serial skips the Bastille storming in favor of the aftermath with Kathy Kreiger’s crazed DeFarge beheading one of the magistrates (my first and only view of the Serial back in 1992). Notable in this production is that all the French characters have French accents. Like the 1935 version, Sydney Carton’s execution is off-screen with his signature last words a narration (here played when the Carriage carrying the Darnays/Mannettes ride to safety). BFS Video DVD
THE VAGABOND LOVER (1929) 90TH ANNIVERSARY. RKO Radio Pictures’ first big hit, a vehicle for singer Rudy Vallee. First saw this on American Movie Classics in the Summer of 1991. This is a VHS recording from TCM.
THE ADVENTURES OF ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE (1959) “Rocket Jet Fuel Part 3 & 4” 60TH ANNIVERSARY The Moon Men debut while FRACTURED FAIRY TALES deals with Puss in Boots and Mr Peabody and Sherman meet Napoleon. Classic Media DVD.
TROOP BEVERLY HILLS (1989) 30TH ANNIVERSARY this year. Shelley Long comedy with early roles for Jenny Lewis, Kellie Martin, Carla Cugino, and Tori Spelling (cast a kid in this one, one year later it’s a teenager for BEVERLY HILLS 90210). My sisters watched this film a lot, with my biggest impression from it the John Kricfalusi animated intro. RCA Columbia VHS
DAFFY DUCK’S THANKS-FOR-GIVING SPECIAL (1980) Prime-Time Special by Chuck Jones, with new animation (DUCK DODGERS AND THE 25 ½ CENTURY) mixed with classic shorts (THE SCARLET PUMPERNICKEL, DRIP-ALONG DAFFY, ROBIN HOOD DAFFY, and HIS BITTER HALF). This is a VHS recording of a 1981 NBC broadcast with commercials (a rather politically incorrect for FATHER MURPHY: “But only a retarded girl can ride it.”). A Thanksgiving Perennial.
THE BERENSTEIN BEARS MEET BIGPAW (1980) Second Animated special based on the Jan and Stan Berenstein book series (a popular one in my childhood), introducing BigPaw. This is a VHS recording of a 1981 NBC Broadcast with commercials. A Thanksgiving Perennial.
THE MOUSE AND THE MAYFLOWER (1968) Although known for its Christmas Specials, Rankin Bass also made other Holiday Specials, like this account of the first Thanksgiving as seen by a Church Mouse, narrated by Tennessee Ford. A Thanksgiving Perennial. F.H.E. Entertainment VHS
THE SHOW OF SHOWS (1929) 90TH ANNIVERSARY Warner Brothers answer to THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929, with its stars (most of which would soon be gone from Warner) appearing in sketches and musical numbers. Most notable is a Nick Lucas/Myrna Loy Dance Number and John Barrymore performing as Richard III in HENRY VI. Warner DVD
THE SECRET GARDEN (1949) 70TH ANNIVERSARY First sound version of the Burnett Novel with Margaret O’Brien and Dean Stockwell living in Black & White until saving a Garden that puts everything in Technicolor. TCM plays this film every Thanksgiving, so I watched this broadcast.
NATIONAL VELVET (1944) 75TH ANNIVERSARY Elizabeth Taylor’s first star vehicle, co-starring with Mickey Rooney (with an early appearance by Angela Lansbury). First knew of this on 1990 commercial advertising this (and other MGM/UA films) on video. Mainly saw this from TCM Thanksgiving broadcasts. Since this year’s broadcast would be interrupted by my family Thanksgiving party, I watched it on DVD instead. Warner DVD.
THE BOX OF DELIGHTS (1984) “Where Shall the ‘nighted Snowman go?” 35TH ANNIVERSARY. The serial continues as Kay Harker is temporarily transported to a Saxon camp. Before he is returned to his time, Harker is given the magical Box by Cole Hawling to protect it from the ‘wolves.’ When Hawling is scrobbled (kidnapped) by Abner Brown and his priest con artists, Kay learns more about this war of good and evil in an animated sequence. BBC Video DVD
DRAGON BALL Z (1989) “Ferocity of the Saiya-jins! Both Piccolo and Kamisama Die!” 30TH ANNIVERSARY Funimation DVD
SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU? (1969) “Scooby Doo and a Mummy too.” 50TH ANNIVERSARY Warner DVD
THE FIRST CHURCHILLS “A Famous Victory” (1969) John Churchill’s famous battle victory in Blenheim is spotlighted (or as best a BBC-TV Serial budget could portray). Acorn Media DVD.
HEATHCLIFF (1984) “Debutante Party” 35TH ANNIVERSARY
THE PERSONAL HISTORY, OBSERVATIONS, EXPERIENCES OF DAVID COPPERFIELD THE YOUNGER (1935) 170TH ANNIVERSARY. David O. Selznick’s first Literature adaptation, getting Hugh Walpole to adapt Charles Dickens, George Cukor to direct, and making a star out of Freddie Bartholomew among a cast with Edna May Oliver, Jessie Ralph, Roland Young, Basil Rathbone, Maureen O’Sullivan, and W.C. Fields (a last-minute replacement for Charles Laughton). First saw this on PBS in 1991, getting the VHS for Christmas. I tend to watch this one in the final days of November before my Christmas schedule. This also pretty much begins my film marathon for the 170th Anniversary of the story. Warner DVD.
ANGEL (1999) “I Will Remember You” & “Hero” 20TH ANNIVERSARY. The first episode (aired on Novemer 23) concludes the third X-Over as Buffy sees Angel after the events of “Pangs” and are given a final chance for their relationship. The second episode is a game changer as Doyle meets his destiny. Fox Video DVD.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1999) “Something Blue” 20TH ANNIVERSARY. Today’s entry has Willow trying to come to terms with her break up from Oz, using magic to solve things with major consequences (especially for Buffy and Spike). Fox Video DVD.
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS (1984) “The Weasel’s Trap” 35TH ANNIVERSARY A & E DVD.
MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS (1969) “You’re No Fun Anymore” 50TH ANNIVERSARY Most notable in this episode is the longer-than-usual Science Fiction sketch, about an alien Blacmange turning the English into Scotsman in order to win Wimbledon. Paramount VHS.
GANKUTUSUOU: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (2004) “I Dreamed a Dark Dream” 15TH ANNIVERSARY & CoMC 175TH ANNIVERSARY. Geneon Entertainment DVD.
Getting ready for Christmas, I watched the introductory parts of RKO’s LITTLE WOMEN (1933 Warner DVD) and MGM’s LITTLE WOMEN (1949 70TH ANNIVERSARY Chinese DVD) dealing with the Holiday. Both going by a screenplay by Sarah Y Mason and Victor Hessemen (with costumes by Walter Plunkett), most of the dialogue and plot is identical, aside from changes. The 1933 version separately introduces the four sisters, the 1949 version puts them together. The 1949 gives lipservice to several points shown in the 1933 version (Beth having a flawed piano, Meg working as a governess, Marmee working charity, Jo working as Aunt March’s companion). The 1933 has Jo’s play performed for an audience while the 1949 version isolates it to just them. The 1949 adds the sisters buying Christmas presents for themselves and then- after getting a letter from their father- returning them to get presents for their mother, etc.
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Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on Dec 2, 2019 12:22:08 GMT
Back Door To Hell (1964)  A different sort of WWII movie, and not as cheesy as I was anticipating.  I pretty much watched it only because of Jack Nicholson, who stands out here because he's Jack Nicholson. It's like the rest of the cast has no idea who he is! Foxes (1980)  This was a fun retro flashback film, one that I never got to see during the 80's. It has three of my favorite actresses: Jodie Foster, Laura Dern and Lois Smith, plus Donna Summer on the soundtrack, and plenty of retro 80's fashion on display. The first movie ever directed by Adrian Lyne. Also features Randy Quaid and Scott Baio, two guys that are now notorious for other reasons.  Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)  Richard Pryor did more for race relations than most with his comedy that brought people together in laughter. He made people see that we are more alike than we are different. I don't think he gets enough credit these days, he seems to be forgotten a little. This was his first concert movie released to theatres, which started the trend of concert movies being released to theatres. It seems more tame than I thought it would be, but we are so used to being bombarded with everything these days. It does go to show he had more talent than Hollywood could use in his movies.  Home Is Where The Killer Is (2019) also known as No Place Like Home Trashy TV movie style flick, mostly nonsense, and yet I watched the whole thing and kinda enjoyed it.  Stacy Haiduk does have an icy stare, I'd hate to be on the receiving end of it! Fun Mom Dinner (2017)  I watched this because it has both Toni Collette and Molly Shannon. Kinda bland comedy, it had such potential, and yet I related to it a little because I'm around the same age as the moms and I did smile a few times.  Also, I watched this after a bottle of wine and about eight Stella Artois, so there's that too.  Transsiberian (2008)  Not the heartstopping thriller on a train I was hoping for, but still maintained my interest. I'm a sucker for movies set on trains, and the Russian scenery was cool, even though it's actually Lithuania.  Emily Mortimer is great here, but Woody Harrelson is wasted in his role. Ben Kingsley seems determined to play a character from every country on Earth, here, he plays a Russian. Girlfriend's Day (2017)  My favorite neo-noir Netflix greeting card comedy of 2017!  Sometimes brilliant, but often quiet and weird. The good outweighs the bad here though, and the running time makes this an easy time waster. Father Figures (2017)  Lacking in laughs, plays like a drama half the time, although there was one bit that really made me laugh towards the end. I pretty much watched this for Glenn Close. This couldn't have been widely released, I never heard of it.  A bit long and slow at times, but not the worst road trip I've ever been on either. (The worst was the time I hurled in the glove compartment, but let's not go there).  People You May Know (2016)  A married woman becomes pregnant by her gay best friend after a one night stand while her husband is away. Sounds like a great idea for a comedy but this was a drama instead.  It seems like territory that's been better covered in other movies, like Madonna's The Next Best Thing (2000). Maybe going the comedic route would have been different. The Irishman (2019)  Scorsese gifts us with "The Expendables" of mob movies, just in time for the holidays. Everyone is here who hasn't died yet, with the glaring exception of Ray Liotta, for some reason. It is a cinematic feast. A very long feast, but I never minded the length, I was too busy enjoying it all. Movies like this just don't come around much anymore. This is a finely crafted and thought out slab of a film, one to be savored, not slurped down like your Granny's Jell-O mold.  If you don't have multiple mini-fangasms throughout this movie, then I feel sorry for you...cuz I did! Especially when Joe Freakin' Pesci appears on screen! Sometimes you don't know how much you miss a thing until you get to experience it all again suddenly. This movie would have lost a lot of its appeal without Pesci. He stole Goodfellas and he stole Casino too. Here, he much more quietly steals this movie too. His character is nowhere near as bombastic as those other two, and yet, he is just as commanding when he's on screen here.  De Niro is working hard here, he's in nearly all the scenes, and he reminds us all again why he's considered one of the greats. Pacino, as Jimmy Hoffa, "hoo-haa's" a bit, but not too much, he's kept in check by Scorsese. It's one of his best roles in years.  The story itself is similar in structure to Goodfellas and Casino, but it seems to tell a sadder version of mob life. Most of what these men do, they really do not want to do at all, but feel they must. And they do pay a price, each and every one of them. Scorsese helps out by detailing the later fates of many characters on screen as they are introduced. De Niro's Frank Sheeran winds up the last man standing and looking back on his life. You sympathize with him, while at the same time are horrified by what he has done. The film really sends the message home that this life eats at your soul.  I feel like this is the final chapter of Scorsese's unofficial mob trilogy, and he won't ever be revisiting this territory again. It feels like an ending to an era of this type of movie being made, with actors of this calibre. If so, thank you all for elevating the genre to this level.  The Laundromat (2019)  This movie takes many unexpected turns, which kept things interesting. It's quite funny at times. The performances are great. It just seemed to veer off in various directions for too long, which made you wonder what movie you were watching.  Streep is the Golden Snitch of this movie, but she's absent for long chunks of it. Also, at times, having characters talk directly to the camera gets a little annoying. But it's worth seeing, if only for that one scene with Streep visiting an office in Nevis.  I had a great movie week, any week with Pacino, Streep, De Niro, Pesci and Close cannot be all bad!  See you next week, happy movie watching!  
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Post by marianne48 on Dec 3, 2019 0:04:39 GMT
Traditional Thanksgiving re-watches: The "Thanksgiving Orphans" episode of Cheers (Season 5, 1986). Pieces of April (2003)--Not a typical contrived comedy about a dysfunctional family getting together for the holidays. This is a heartfelt comedy/drama that demonstrates what Thanksgiving is all about, the way A Charlie Brown Christmas is a non-sappy comedy/drama that demonstrates what Christmas is all about. Katie Holmes is the designated "problem child" in her family, who tries to make amends for her supposed inferiority by inviting her terminally ill mother, her father, her siblings, and her grandmother to her NYC apartment. Her meal preparation goes wrong, and she has to find a way to get her neighbors to help her out, or face the contempt of her cruelly judgmental family, particularly that of her embittered mother (Patricia Clarkson). The rest of the family, used to tiptoeing around their hostile mother, tend to follow her lead in their treatment of Holmes' character. Bittersweet and genuinely touching. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)--One of the all-time greatest films, IMO, right up there with Citizen Kane and Casablanca, except that it's not given its due because it's a holiday film, a family film, and a lighthearted comedy. The performances, from the starring roles to the tiniest of bit parts, are memorable; the sentimentality is subtle; the dialogue sparkles; and the message is uplifting. It even manages to have a healthy cynical streak--a lot of the characters use "the spirit of Christmas" to their own advantage, and the court hearing is as absurd as a lot of real-life cases. Natalie Wood manages to be a believable child lead who never overdoes the cuteness; the other lead characters make the whimsy work without getting silly. It deserves to be seen again and again, as it gets better with every viewing. Also-- A Cry in the Dark (1988)--Another absurd court case, this one tragic. Meryl Streep in one of her all-time best roles as a mother whose baby is snatched by a wild dingo during a family camping trip. The initial case which followed seemed intent on painting the parents as religious zealots who murdered their baby in some bizarre satanic sacrifice; a lot of the public were whipped up into a frenzy against the couple and believed every illogical story that helped to convict them. Only a later trial would include testimony from an actual dingo expert who supported their defense; the first had its own agenda. Gripping and sad and based on a true story. The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996)--A documentary produced for PBS' American Experience, this is a great companion piece to the movie itself, and provides a lot of background information about William Randolph Hearst and Orson Welles, the making of the film, and Welles' struggles in getting it released and made available for audiences. Hold the Sunset (2018)--I loved the UK series Mum, and craved something similar--the worst thing about that series was that each season was only six episodes long. This series sounded like it would be along the same lines--older empty-nesters looking to move on with their lives, but finding themselves stymied by intrusive relatives. The comparison ends there. John Cleese and Alison Steadman are completely wasted here. Steadman's son moves back home after 20-some years of marriage and irritates his mother and her love interest Cleese. In the case of Mum, the annoying relatives were reminiscent of real-life characters. In the case of this show, the annoying relatives are reminiscent only of those incredibly idiotic characters who exist only in dated, dopey sitcoms of decades ago. In the first episode, the son gets stuck in a window. In the last episode, another character climbs into a garbage bin for a clumsily contrived reason and her legs hang out of it. These are the "funny" moments.  John Cleese tries his best, but even he can't wring any laughs from this drivel. In this case, having only six episodes to its season is a relief. Must-miss TV. |
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Post by llanwydd on Dec 3, 2019 4:12:57 GMT
I rewatched A Night in Casablanca yesterday. Not the most revered of all Marx Bros films but every Marx film is a classic. Hilarious from start to finish.
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Post by MrFurious on Dec 3, 2019 13:05:34 GMT
The Mule(18)  He'll be going till he's 100 Cold Case Hammarskjöld(19) this just went completely mental 2 thirds through. Ulzanas Raid(72) even more violent than Dirty Harry The Six Wives of Henry Lefay(09) Elisha made it worth while I Am Not a Witch(17) cheers Bafta for giving this a Bafta and making me watch it. Now off to enjoy my free month of Amazon Prime, hopefully its got loads of classics on there |
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Post by petrolino on Dec 4, 2019 0:59:21 GMT
Hello there. Several documentaries for me ... ---
'Dennis Hopper : Uneasy Rider' (2016, Documentary - Hermann Vaske)
A choppy profile of filmmaker Dennis Hopper that singles out a few key moments in his artistic career.
'If I Leave Here Tomorrow : A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd' (2018, Documentary - Stephen Kijak)
Charting the rise of Florida rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, when tragedy struck.
'Cool Daddio : The Second Youth Of R. Stevie Moore' (2019, Documentary - Monika Baran & Imogen Putler)
A profile of prolific d.i.y. musical artist R. Stevie Moore.
'Elton John Uncensored' (2019, Documentary - Chris Purchase)
An hour-long, sit-down interview with one of rock 'n' roll's ultimate showmen who's currently plugging the autobiography 'Me' (2019). I only wish it could have been way longer as interviewer Graham Norton barely skims the surface of John's musical career. Having said that, I enjoyed every minute in his company.
'ZZ Top : That Little O'l Band From Texas' (2019, Documentary - Sam Dunn)
A profile of Texan 3-piece ZZ Top, one of rock 'n' roll's tightest musical units.
Thanks. |
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