What classics did you see last week? (3 Dec to 9 Dec 2017)

The Cameraman / Edward Sedgwick (1928). By 1927, Buster Keaton’s movie career as actor, director, and producer having ups-and-downs, to put it mildly. Often the critical and box office opinions of his films were diametrically opposite. If a film, for example, The General, was a big hit with critics then its revenue would fail to match expenses – which is why Buster signed a contract with MGM. He needed the financial protection of an established studio. But he ran into trouble with management, including Head of Production Irving Thalburg, who wanted to squeeze Buster’s improvisational style into MGM’s straitjacket of formula comedy. His first picture for them was “The Cameraman.” Mostly, he was left alone to make his own film, resisting efforts for more of a plot (producers wanted his character to get mixed up with gangsters. Thalburg pulled the same “taming” technique a few years later when the Marx Brothers signed with him. The Marxes, however, managed better than Buster to work around and through the sometimes insipid and always formulistic stories they were given.) In this one, after being smitten by a young woman (Marceline Day), Buster’s street photographer (“Tintypes. Ten Cents) hears how much can be made as a newsreel cameraman. He spends his savings on a used movie camera and goes to work trying to get a scoop, but fails each time and gets kicked out of the news office where his would-be girlfriend works. This film gives the lie to a couple of Buster Keaton commonplaces: first, the Great Stone Face nickname. Sure, Buster is not an emotive actor, but he can express a lot with his eyes. His face is never “stone.” Second, the Chaplin was the one who gave us pathos while Keaton gave us physical comedy. One viewing of “The Cameraman” should put that cliché to rest. An essential knockabout comedy from the very end of the Silent era.

Buster Keaton and Marceline Day on a date at a public pool


Dial “M” For Murder / Alfred Hitchcock (1954). Alfred Hitchcock was owing Warner Bros. a movie but had no project in development. He needed what he called a “run for cover” – something he could do quickly and easily to satisfy a contract. A popular Broadway mystery play by Frederick Knott was just the thing. Ray Milland, described (a little unfairly) on a Special Feature documentary as a “road show Cary Grant,” stars as Tony Windice, a former tennis champ who married Margot (Grace Kelly) for money and now plots her murder with an old school chum (Anthony Dawson). When things go wrong, Tony manages to frame Margot for a major crime. Leave it up to Inspector Hubbard (John Williams) to sort things out. Robert Cummings has the thankless role of Margot’s extramarital lover. He often takes heat for his performance but the role, as written, could have been played by just about anyone, as colorless as it is, especially when compared to the vividness of the other characters. Cummings does as well as just about anybody could with the part. To conclude: even whey Hitchcock is resting, he can still top most other movie product, including today’s. Hitch once blithely told a press conference the he could have phoned in “Dial M.” This was, of course, another of Hitchcock’s many put-ons. No one but Hitchcock, working at it, could have directed THIS Dial M For Murder.

Picture on the right: Inspector Hubbard finds a clue. One of the very few obvious 3D shots that Hitchcock used in "Dial M."


Nae-Bu-Ja-Deul (Inside Men) / Min-ho Woo (2015). Constantly intriguing award-winning South Korean crime drama that hits a little close to home in the Good Ol’ U. S. of A. A young prosecutor, Woo (Seung-woo Cho, "Assassination"), a man without connections and therefore no prospects of advancement, is determined to bring down a crime syndicate that combines organized crime, police corruption, the news media, multi-national financial institutions, and corrupt politicians. South Korean leading man Byung-hun Lee (The Magnificent Seven, I Saw The Devil, Joint Security Area) plays Ahn, a mid-level functionary in the mob who gets above himself and has his hand sawed off as a consequence. He has his own plan for revenge but teams up with Woo to bring down the high level criminals. Also starring Yun-shik Baek (Save The Green Planet) in the major role of a newspaper columnist who may be playing both sides of the street. South Korea has one of the most interesting and creative film industries. Highly recommended.

Walk With Me / Marc J. Francis & Max Pugh (2017). Thich Nhát Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist teacher who was not allowed to return to his native country because of his peace efforts during the Vietnam War. He now heads a monastery and retreat facility named Plum Village in the south of France. We are told that much by the opening credits but there is no further narration for the remainder of the film. Instead, we learn by watching how the monastery is run and some things about the practices of the monks. We listen while Hanh speaks. The second half of the documentary is a trip to the United States for a speaking tour. We follow a couple of American monks as they visit their families. About a dozen times, we hear Benedict Cumberbatch read a short passage in voice over from one of Master Hanh’s books. And that is about it. It is a meditative documentary rather than an educational one. It is something in the vein of the film of a Christian monastery, also in France, called Die Große Stille (Into Great Silence) (2005) which is an immersive experience in the lives of the residents. Both of these great films take patience because nothing “happens” in a traditional movie way. You just have to allow yourself to let go and flow with the spirit of each film. It is nice to see a quiet movie.

…Continuing a watch straight through the 10 seasons of Doctor Who: New Series in anticipation of next year’s introduction of the 13th Doctor.

S. 5, Ep. 6 “The Vampires Of Venice” May 8, 2010. Amy’s fiancé Rory (Arthur Darvill) joins the TARDIS crew as they travel to Venice in the 16th century only to find the city ruled by an alien race of vampires.

S.5, Ep. 7 “Amy’s Choice” May 15, 2010. The Doctor visits Amy and Rory five years after they left the TARDIS. Rory is a doctor himself and Amy is preggers. Then they fall asleep and wake up back in the TADRIS. Toby Jones guest stars as the Dream Lord who gives them a deadly game. One of those times is a dream and one reality. They will face a deadly peril in both. If they die in the dream, they will wake up and be all right, but if they die in reality…they are dead. Wonderful. I have watched this story many times. The Dream Lord’s retort to an insult from The Doctor is one of my favorite quotes: “If you had any more tawdry quirks you could open up a Tawdry Quirk shop. The madcap vehicle, the cockamamie hair, the clothes designed by a first year fashion student…I’m surprised you don’t have a little purple space dog just to ram home what an intergalactic wag you are.”

S.5, Ep. 8 & 9 “The Hungry Earth” and “Cold Blood” May 22 & 29, 2010. The Silurians from the classic series are introduced. The underground experience should be edge-of-the-seat, but I am curiously ho-hum about this two-parter. Rory departs the show but to tell you how would be major spoilage.

S.5, Ep. 10 “Vincent And The Doctor” June 5, 2010. The Doctor and Amy meet Vincent Van Gogh. Together they defeat an invisible alien that only Vincent, in his madness, can see. A fan favorite that often shows up on lists of favorite episodes, but, again, I am ho-hum for the third week in a row.