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Post by friendofmilhouse on Mar 27, 2017 8:54:26 GMT
Please tell us what classics you saw last week. Modern films are welcome, as well.
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Post by friendofmilhouse on Mar 27, 2017 10:05:31 GMT
Onibaba (Japan-1964) dir. Kaneto Shindô In a medieval Japan ravaged by war, a woman and her daughter-in-law eke out an existence by robbing uniforms and weaponry from dead soldiers and selling them (if the soldiers are dying instead of dead, they may help speed up the process a little). When one day, a neighbour returns from the war, telling them that the women's husband has been killed, a sexual tension grows between the two, to the dismay of the older woman. Visually striking and highly erotic, Onibaba is an amazing work. Its pared down, minimalist story opens up to many interpretations, but foremost, it's a movie that needs to be experienced rather than analysed. ***1/2
Never Say Never Again (UK/US-1983) dir. Irvin Kershner In 1983, producer Kevin McClory remade Thunderball because he could, but not, it would seem, because anyone really wanted to.
It's a sluggish, lumbering affair, where the action set-pieces fail to raise any adrenaline-levels and are often terribly lame (that video-game!). Michel Legrand's now horribly dated score is no substitute for John Barry and the James Bond theme. Even the -on paper- talented cast can't save this: for all the hype about Sean Connery reprising the role of Bond, he seems very disengaged, walking through the film like he's only there to pay off a house in the Bahamas, Klaus Maria Brandauer fails to exude any menace as Largo, Kim Bassinger only gets to look pretty, and Max Von Sydow just has a walk-on. The show gets stolen by Barbara Carrera of all people, the only one there who seems to have any fun as bad girl Fatima Blush.
Thunderball was never the most exciting of Bond films, Never Say Never manages to be even more boring. *1/2
The Martian (US/UK-2015) dir. Ridley Scott More than any other Ridley Scott film, The Martian is great fun and eminently re-watchable, which is both its strength and its flaw. For all its attention to scientific accuracy, it never delves into the effects of isolation onto the human psyche. Matt Damon's stranded astronaut remains a cheery, chipper optimist with a can-do attitude throughout. It's a perfect movie to put on when your brain is tired and you just want to watch something light, but it also never cuts deep into you or leave much of a mark. ***
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Post by OldAussie on Mar 27, 2017 10:40:10 GMT
The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) 1st view 8/10 Excellent crime drama.
55 Days at Peking (1963) 7.5/10 The Region B Blu-ray is by far the best version of this film.
The Miracle Worker (1962) 1st view 8/10 Performances of such physical AND emotional intensity are rare but this beats them all. Patty Duke was phenomenal.
Dancer in the Dark (2000) 1st view 5/10 Contained so much that I dislike - shaky cam, out of focus, actor's heads cut off in the frame....in short a really ugly looking movie - but it never bored me. It must have something....
Serpico (1973) 7.5/10 I recall really disliking the score but after all these years I actually liked it this time.
I Was Monty's Double (1958) 7/10 An old favourite.
Jack and Jill (2011) 1st and last view 3/10
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Post by howardschumann on Mar 27, 2017 15:25:43 GMT
GET OUT
Directed by Jordan Peele, U.S. (2017), 103 minutes
When Donald Trump asked blacks during the campaign, ‘What do you have to lose?’ he didn’t exactly have in mind the circumstances envisioned in Jordan Peele’s highly original breakout film Get Out. If you think that the story of a white girl bringing her young black boyfriend home to meet her parents in an idyllic rural setting is going to be a romantic comedy, think again. Influenced by such horror films as Rosemary’s Baby and Stepford Wives, Get Out has some romance in it and some comedy but they are all wrapped in a twilight zone basket of social satire, horror, and science fiction that adds up to a roller-coaster ride of dizzying proportions.
Peele, a former comedy star whose show Key and Peele was an Emmy Award-winning series on Comedy Central, has said that he would consider his film to be a “social thriller,” a genre he describes as one in which “the horror is embedded in the way people interact, the way people think, the way people categorize.” More directly, he has fashioned a look at the unconscious racism that may lie beneath the outward appearance of polite society. The film opens with a black man (Lakeith Stanfield) walking alone on a suburban street in a white neighborhood who is assaulted and thrown into the trunk of a car by a masked assailant, a reminder of the recent murder of Trayvon Martin.
The scene then shifts to New York where Chris Washington, a young African-American photographer superbly performed by British actor Daniel Kaluuya, is planning to travel with his white girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) to upstate New York to meet Rose’s parents. Though Rose admits that she has not told her parents that Chris is black, she reassures him that they are open-minded and supporters of President Barack Obama who would vote again for him if he could run. Chris and Rose have terrific chemistry together and appear to be on the same wavelength in their outlook on life.
Their trip proceeds without incident until it is interrupted when they hit a deer crossing the road and have an encounter with a police. In what looks like racial profiling, the officer asks to see Chris’ ID even though he wasn’t the driver but Rose forcefully intervenes in his behalf, a shadowy portent of later events. Chris feels welcome in the home of Rose’s parents, bearded physician Dean (Bradley Whitford) and psychiatrist and hypnotist Missy Armitage (Catherine Keener) who both say the right things even though somewhat awkwardly. Dean tells Chris about his father losing an Olympic qualifying race to Jesse Owens and Missy invites Chris to let her cure his smoking habit with hypnotism but he senses that all is not right.
His antennas go up further when Rose’s brother, a martial arts enthusiast (Caleb Landry Jones), returns home and immediately challenges Chris to a jujitsu contest. Things take an even more strange turn when he encounters the Armitage’s zombie-like black groundskeeper, Walter (Marcus Henderson), and housekeeper Georgina (Betty Gabriel). When elderly friends of the grandparents arrive at the Armitage’s for an afternoon garden party, all white except for an older Japanese man and a younger black man (Stanfield), Chris is taken aback by embarrassing comments about Chris’ physique and sexual powers and the only black guest suddenly becomes aggressive and threatening.
Feeling stressed by the unfolding situation, Chris calls his best friend Rod (LilRel Howery), a TSA officer who offers some needed humor but also has an unerring insight into what is taking place at the Armitages. The reveal in the last part of the film is too delicious to give away but it is recommended that you fasten your seat belts for a wild ride. Get Out is a highly entertaining thriller that will keep you enthralled right up until the last minute. While it does have some social implications that is up to each viewer to sort out, according to Peele, “the film isn’t meant to alienate white viewers so much as let them see this experience that we’ve (black people) been living through.”
Although perhaps the rich white liberals in the film are an easy target and depicted as caricatures, Peele says that he “wanted the movie to reflect the racism that exists in all of us.” This reflection is also a mirror of the fears that exist in the hearts of black people who must carefully navigate the racial divide every single day of their lives.
GRADE: A
RAISING ARIZONA
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, U.S., (1987), 93 minutes
A 23-year-old Nicholas Cage plays Dorkman, alias H.I. McDonnough, in the Coen Brothers wild 1983 farce Raising Arizona. No, they didn’t raise the state, although that might be a good idea, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Anyway, H.I. seems to be fond of the local jail in Tempe, Arizona, since he’s always hankering to go back and become the champion recidivist. Let out on parole by some kindhearted officers (read unthinking), H.I. abuses their trust three times by holding up the same convenience store. Thinking ahead, he’s careful not to have any bullets in his gun so he will receive a light sentence but still knows a good deal when he sees one and his holdups become habit forming.
Having been photographed in prison more than the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, the only thing left to do is fall in love with the picture-taking jailer, a woman called Edwina, Ed for short (Holly Hunter) whom he proceeds to marry. Of course, Ed makes H.I. go straight so they can have a baby and raise a family. Good luck with that. When they discover that Ed is unable to bear children, however, they become Robin Hood, robbing a kid from the rich furniture dealer Nathan Arizona, Sr. (Trey Wilson) whose wife just gave birth to quintuplets, and giving to the poor (he and Ed). Little Nathan, Jr. is cute as all get out and is different than other babies in the world because he never cries, come hell or high water.
Things change and not for the better when two of H.I.’s prison buddies, brothers Gale (John Goodman) and Evelle (William Forsythe), rise from the muck and escape from prison (Gale says that the institution no longer served his best interests), then park themselves in H.I’s trailer. Things go from worse to much worse, however, when Leonard Smalls, a heavily armed, grotesquely-bearded biker (Randall "Tex" Cobb), looking like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse all rolled into one, is hired by Nathan to track down his baby.
If you like shootings with lots of dead bodies, ridiculous car chases, surreal bank robberies, and more mayhem than the Trump White House, Raising Arizona is the film for you. By the way, it is one of the most hilarious comedies I’ve ever seen and even has a very touching message where you can laugh and cry at the same time.
GRADE: A-
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shield
Sophomore
Reading is to the mind what excercise is to the body
@shield
Posts: 776
Likes: 218
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Post by shield on Mar 27, 2017 15:48:45 GMT
After The Thin Man (1936) - I've enjoyed the dynamic between William Powell and Myrna Loy in all the Thin Man-films Another Thin Man (1939) Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) Thin Man Goes Home (1945) The Front Page (1974) - It was good but I enjoyed His Girl Friday more Young Frankenstein (1974) - As funny as the last time Used Cars (1980) - Had missed this and thought it was good but not as good as I'd hoped. Very funny to see the clothes that expecially Kurt Russel was wearing. Hidden Figures (2016) - Enjoyed this very much. Recommended if your interested in Nasa and the race for space in the 60´s OldAussieHaven't seen Jack and Jill and don't intend to but if I did, your grade is what I imagine that I would give it. Was a little surprised that you've seen it. Wasn't there anything else on or were you coerced into seeing it? A bet?!
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shawshanked
Sophomore
@shawshanked
Posts: 246
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Post by shawshanked on Mar 27, 2017 16:04:02 GMT
Repeat viewing:
Misery 8/10
First time viewing:
Murder on the Orient Express 6/10. Too bad because this movie has the cast, story and director to be an all time great but just fell flat. I think part of this is because I knew the twist heading in but I knew about Psycho's twist(s) heading into it and still enjoyed that.
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Post by petrolino on Mar 27, 2017 17:20:59 GMT
Here's my viewings for the week ... ’Autumn Almanac’ (1984, Öszi almanac - Béla Tarr) The co-habitants of a dark, decrepit apartment are consumed by jealousy. ‘Autumn Almanac’ is a difficult film about envy, selfishness and greed that carries a grave tone and projects a sombre mood. It’s a dank, squalid chamber piece that unfolds inside a cramped and musty flat but the sparring sessions are submerged by dense blocks and channels of heavy light that further weigh down the story’s put-upon protagonists. It’s an impressive technical feat but it’s slow and purposefully burdensome so there’s little to smile about. Bela Tarr is a fascinating filmmaker. 'Roy Orbison And Friends : A Black And White Night' (1988, Documentary – Tony Mitchell) Singer-songwriter Roy Orbison performs in concert with Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, J.D. Souther, Steven Soles, T Bone Burnett and the TCB Band. Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer Warnes and K.D. Lang provide backing vocals. Billy Idol and Kris Kristofferson join the audience. This well-produced concert film captures the Big O in crystalline black & white images. It really is a beautiful ride. ‘Oooh … ooby dooby ooby dooby!!’’My Twentieth Century’ (1989, Az én XX. Századom - Ildikó Enyedi) Identical twins Dora (Dorota Segda) and Lili (Dorota Segda) accept a date with destiny as the 20th century beckons. ‘My Twentieth Century’ is a dazzling monochrome experiment about the on-set of modernity in which technical ingenuity and spiralling madness are propelled by the stirrings of revolutionary spirit. Dorota Segda creates magic as playful schemer Dora whom we’re introduced to courting trouble at every turn on the Orient Express, and effervescent street urchin Lili whom we first meet padding in the snow at a village train station in Austria. The unrestrained narrative travels from the United States of America to France, Germany to Austria, Hungary to Russia, soaring through time while shattering the barriers of sound and light. The soundtrack is stunning and every image is an immaculate wonder in Ildikó Enyedi’s jaw-dropping cinematic masterpiece. ’Houseparty Of The Dead 6’ (2010 – Andy Edwards) A house party is torn asunder by zombie mayhem. The 18 minute short subject film ’Houseparty Of The Dead 6’ is a rowdy gutmuncher with ample satirical bite for zombie fans to feed on. Paula Gilbert and Christie-Leigh Emby are terrific as fast friends Dina and Susan who are first in the firing line. It’s nicely put together with crisp edits, controlled pacing and a balanced musical combination of stretched string motifs, deft orchestral manoeuvres and metallic electrobeats. If you like hanging with zombies, be sure to check this out on the youtube. 'Magician : The Astonishing Life And Work Of Orson Welles' (2014, Documentary – Chuck Workman) Orson Welles was born on May 6th, 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin and schooled in neighbouring Illinois. This is his astonishing story. ’Magician : The Astonishing Life And Work Of Orson Welles’ is a reasonable documentary that offers a general overview of the film and theatre star’s storied career. It’s constructed in a rather haphazard manner, using clips, interviews and archive materials to form an undulating melange of liquid-sponge flashbacks. I think it’s too much of a trifle to set a sustainable mood. Enthusiastic filmmakers pop up to eagerly submit their contributions but these are negligible at best. Welles’ artistic achievements, commercial endeavours and professional affairs demand greater analysis but his explosive personality and lively approach to life are captured well. 'Jane Got A Gun' (2015 – Gavin O’Connor) When her husband Bill Hammond (Noah Emmerich) falls foul of evil bandit John Bishop (Ewan McGregor), Jane (Natalie Portman) picks up a gun and asks ex-fiance Dan Frost (Joel Edgerton) to help protect her home and family. The wild west melodrama ‘Jane Got A Gun’ is a small, subtle, surprisingly subdued morality play given a frank, low-key treatment. Natalie Portman delivers a bracing character study of a grieving mother who’s been pushed to desperate measures by years of abuse. The backstory set in 1864 is told through flashbacks to Jane’s travails out on the trail, heading from Missouri down south to Texas. Both past and present reflect the stark, cerebral interior worlds that Jane occupies with stoicism and ruefulness. ’The Accountant’ (2016 – Gavin O’Connor) Shaolin accountant Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a first-rate number fixer who cooks the books for some of the underworld’s most violent criminals. Wolff takes a job with Lamar & Rita Blackburn (John Lithgow & Jean Smart) to evade a secret investigation launched by Treasury Agent Ray King (J.K. Simmons). When his colleague Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick) comes under surveillance, Wolff realises his new role may not be all that it seems. Gavin O’Connor’s engaging crime thriller ‘The Accountant’ is a tangled mystery involving state officials, business leaders, mob enforcers and money launderers. Ben Affleck is aces as embattled accountant Wolff, backed by a powerhouse supporting cast who lay it all on the line. The action sequences are effective and the pursuit is reasonably well executed if a little far-fetched. ‘The Accountant’ is an enjoyable crime outing with a twist. ’Chasing The Bookworm’ (2016, Documentary – Doctor D-Cloud) A profile of political commentator and Fox News contributor Dana Perino. Dana Perino was a welcome addition to the staff roster at the Fox broadcasting corporation when she was hired back in 2009. This versatile anchor brings genuine political experience obtained at the highest level, veteran smarts and she’s an outstanding orator too. She’s also funny, well read, extremely savvy and full of fight. I like her. ’Ibiza Undead’ (2016 – Andy Edwards) Creepy gangster Karl (Matt King) runs a stripper bar in Ibiza where exotic dancers commit acts of gross indulgence upon chained zombies. Ellie (Cara Theobold, Liz (Emily Atack) and Zara (Algina Lipskis) arrive to pa-aa-aa-aa-rty!! The shiny new shocker ‘Ibiza Undead’ uses the European terror alert and high security lockdowns to spin a tale of self-medication and narcotic relief amidst a pustulant spread of disease and pestilence. Thus, Ibiza is cast as an idealised escape for horny teenagers and shady business dealers who flock to a happening dance party clubzone to witness live-action Grand Guignol productions. Sadly, much of the zombie action is lensed under ugly colour filters which are ghastly to look at although the fudged visual design does distract from the poverty of the writing and paucity of visual ideas. Online U K movieworld pin-up Alex Zane is your celebrity Master of Ceremonies so strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. ’The Love Witch’ (2016 – Anna Biller) Seductive suburban love witch Elaine (Samantha Robinson) teaches her new friend Trish (Laura Waddell) to embrace the eternal and deadly power of her femininity. Anna Biller’s vibrant new picture ‘The Love Witch’ is several years in the making because she painstakingly makes costumes, props and set constructions by hand – and fortunately, it’s worth the wait. She hasn’t improved much as a writer but her films are immersive experiences that exist within their own worlds and I like that. ‘Viva’ (2007) was a louche, languid lounge act that inhabited a world evocative of classicists like John Stahl, Douglas Sirk and Mark Robson as well as eroticists like Russ Meyer, Radley Metzger and Zalman King. ‘The Love Witch’ conjures the post-psychedelic period when pictures like ‘Twins Of Evil’ (1971), ‘Virgin Witch’ (1972), ‘Daughters Of Satan’ (1972), ‘Necromancy’ (1972) and ‘Blood Sabbath’ (1972) were playing at movie theatres but it’s shot through with a style redolent of the psychedelic horror thrillers of Italian filmmakers like Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, Umberto Lenzi, Dario Argento and Sergio Martino. The didactic script and threadbare plot are massively overstretched by the two hour running time but there’s a charm to the writing which often takes a backseat to Biller’s tangible obsessions; the rich textures of Technicolor melodramas, the delights of ladies’ underwear, the ways in which men succumb to the lure of female flesh and strange supernatural goings-on. Biller’s costumes are gorgeous and her sets are always eye-catching. Samantha Robinson and Laura Waddell do excellent work at the heart of this affair. ’The Women Who Run Hollywood’ (2016, Documentary, Et la femme créa Hollywood – Clara Kuperberg & Julia Kuperberg) A portrait of female writers, directors and producers who achieved artistic and financial success during the Golden Age of Hollywood, like Anita Loos and Dorothy Parker. ’Inside The White House’ (2017, Documentary – Charles Iverson) A look at the important role played by CNN correspondant Sara Murray in obtaining the latest news from the White House. Sara Murray was a leading light at the Wall Street Journal before joining Wolfhound Blitzer, Kate Bolduan and Anderson Cooper at CNN. She’s originally from Mount Pleasant, Michigan and graduated from the University of Maryland. Like her network associates, she’s a tremendously exciting journalist whose quick with the questions and even quicker to challenge soft answers. "This is deserving of my favorite movie quote of all time: "Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!"
- Kate Bolduan
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Post by OldAussie on Mar 27, 2017 23:31:51 GMT
Shield - My son read a terrible review for Jack and Jill so when I saw it at the library I just had to give it a watch. It could have been worse, but not by much. Young Frankenstein is one of my all-time favourites. Hidden Figures is definitely in my current watchlist.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 28, 2017 2:16:57 GMT
L'étrange Monsieur Victor (1938) France, Directed by Jean Grémillon
Fantastic original film has all the hallmarks of the film Noirs that followed in American films of the 40's . An upstanding citizen leads a double life, a shady secret criminal background he deals in stolen goods . But nothing is clear cut in the films of Jean Gremillon the story twists and turns, the shadowy B&W cinematography from German Werner Krien is a standout highlight..
Ewa chce spac , Eva Wants to Sleep (1958) Poland, Directed by Tadeusz Chmielewski
Country girl Ewa arrives in a large town to begin study but she is a day early and with no money or contacts she has trouble finding a place to rest for the night.. Meeting all orts of eccentric characters the zany film follows her tribulations until the next morning when school is open. A fun film breaking free from the traditional war and political films of the era
Wide Boy (1952) British, Directed by Ken Hughes
Wide Boy is an English term for a man who lives by his wits, wheeling and dealing, a minor in dishonest trading verging on a petty criminal. The perfect role for shifty-eyed British character actor sometimes star Sydney Tafler, this little 67 min B film is one of those absolute gems from the Merton Park Studios the support cast is a standout also it was the debut feature for Scottish beauty Melissa Stribling.
Tistega lepega dne , On That Lovely Day... (1962) Yugoslavia, Directed by France Stiglic
Outstanding location filming in a small village Ajdovscina, Slovenia.. Set during the 20's when Italian Fascists occupied the area and under their administration governed with much protest from the locals.
The delightful film is a light comedy, central to the story is Stefuc who has 4 children from two previous marriages, both were sisters who have since died he wants now to marry a third sister but stern mom says no way....
Hell Drivers (1957) British, Directed by Cy Endfield
Standout cast propels this excellent fast paced crime drama about an ex con who wanting to go clean ends up in a truck driving job where the boss is a suspect character pushing his drivers with unrealistic delivery schedules...The first major film for several actors who later went on to more illustrious careers, Sean Connery among them.
The Last Of Shelia (1973) USA Directed by Herbert Ross
Well I am a dissenting voice and now emboldened by a fellow poster here I am going out on a limb and saying this is poor quality. Overly convoluted mystery starts of on a bad footing when minutes into the film a serious goof is observed, the acting is mostly below par glad to have seen it from a recent recommendation, but I don't think it will entice me back for a second go..
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Post by mikef6 on Mar 28, 2017 2:36:17 GMT
The Invisible Man / James Whale (1933). This delightful “horror” film, a dark comedy, based on H.G. Well’s 1897 novel, introduced Claude Rains in his first lead role. It made him star even though he is not seen until becoming visible right at the final fadeout. He stars as Griffin, a scientist who goes where mankind was not meant to go. In trying to develop invisibility, he uses a forbidden compound that effects people’s minds, turning them psychotic (a change from the source in which Griffin was a megalomaniac from the start). The film opens in a small English village during winter. In the pub, there is the unexpected arrival of a stranger completely covered in clothing and his face wrapped in bandages. He demands a room where he can have quiet and solitude – something the meddling pub owners are not willing to give. This leads to the first unforgettable set-piece. The landlord couple decide to evict him. When he loses his temper, he unwraps his bandages and starts shedding clothes, reveling his invisibility. He then frolics down the street, kicking people in the rear, knocking off hats, and stealing one man’s bicycle (an uncredited Walter Brennen) and riding it, seemingly with no one on it, down the street. The big takeaway from this scene is Una O’Connor, the pub landlady, and her extended hysterical screaming. H.G. Wells, himself, praised O’Connor for her performance. The special effects astonished the original audiences and is still pretty amazing if it is kept in mind that they didn’t have computer animated help. “The Invisible Man” is one of several important “monster” movies from Universal Studio in the early sound era. It came after “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” but before “The Bride of Frankenstein.” An important and fun film.
Junior G-Men Of The Air / Ray Taylor and Lewis D. Collins (1942). The cast of young street kids in the social realism film “Dead End” (1937) spun off into several different movie permutations and series: the Dead End Kids, Little Tough Guys, East Side Kids, and, finally, The Bowery Boys. Maybe the most unusual setting for them was the three cliffhanger serials for Universal. Junior G-Men (1940) and Sea Raiders (1941) were the other two. Some of the Little Tough Guys movies featured a sub-set of the Dead End Kids: Billy Halop, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, and Bernard Punsley. This same sub-set is also the lead cast of these serials. Leo Gorcey does not appear in them, although his younger brother David Gorcey is in some of the early chapters. In this one, made after the U.S. entered WWII, the Bad Guys are a gang of Fifth Columnists led by a Japanese mastermind played by Lionel Atwell. Atwell hardly appears at all, maybe a couple of minutes per chapter. He is always sitting at a desk giving orders to henchmen or berating them for letting these kids defeat his plans. Like most serials, the plot is at once very simple and extremely knotty. Halop’s younger brother (Gene Reynolds) invents a muffler for airplanes at their father’s junk yard. The spies want it so they kidnap Reynolds. So, there are attemps to try and find the brother, getting the muffler plans back, losing the plans back to the spies, heading off sabatoge attempts, and so on. Not the best of serials; not the worst of serials. For fans of Dead End Kids and/or cliffhanger serials (don’t miss another exciting chapter next week at this theater).
Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka. (2003). When the British cult sci-fi series “Doctor Who” was canceled by the BBC after 26 seasons, fans had to find something to hang on to. The void was usually filled by periodicals featuring fan fiction, new novels in several story lines, and audio adventures from the company Big Finish. The BBC, of course, had to license all these productions, but didn’t do much themselves. In 2003, just two years before the return of The Doctor to a regular TV schedule, Ma Beeb produced and webcasted this animated adventure. It consisted of six weekly episodes of 10 to 20 minutes length each. Richard E. Grant (“Withnail and I”, “Gosford Park”) got the call as The Doctor. As his new companion, they picked Sophie Okenedo (just one year away from an Oscar nomination). It begins in a rather leisurely fashion but quickly picks up speed. By the last episode, the viewer his holding one’s breath as the Earth comes close to destruction and the human race to extinction. An excellent story and script by Paul Cornell who went on to write two of the best stories of the New Series. I’m not sure why Grant didn’t get the part when Doctor Who returned on a regular basis. He did appear as a villain in three later stories and Okenedo showed up in two stories as Queen Liz 10 of England. Highly recommended for science fiction thriller fans.
A Bigger Splash / Luca Guadagnino (2015). The follies of the rich and famous with a great cast but not to much point. Marianne Lane (Tilda Swinton) is an international rock star who has had throat surgery à la Julie Andrews and is recuperating on an Italian island resort with her lover, Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts). She is forbidden to speak except infrequently in a whisper. They are suddenly dropped in on by her former manager, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), a motormouth who says anything that comes into his head, who she had previously been romantically involved with. He brings along his daughter, Penelope (Dakota Johnson), who he is just getting to know. Disputes, jealousies, adultery, and just about everybody getting naked ensues. The film doesn’t really go anywhere or have anything new to say. If there are any pleasures to be had, it is, for me anyway, that I can watch Fiennes and Swinton in just about anything and be happy. They are both excellent here. The other two main cast members do OK. I don’t know much about either of them except that Johnson was in that one hit movie that I will never see and that she is the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith and her grandmother is Tippi Hedren – if those factoids have any meaning I don’t know what it is.
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Post by mikef6 on Mar 28, 2017 2:41:50 GMT
GET OUTDirected by Jordan Peele, U.S. (2017), 103 minutesparents. GRADE: ARAISING ARIZONADirected by Joel and Ethan Coen, U.S., (1987), 93 minutesGRADE: A-I almost never go near movies that, in modern parlance, are called "horror." But there is so much positive being written about "Get Out" that I am sorely tempted. Your review is another big score on the Plus Side. "Raising Arizona" is such a great, almost surrealistic comedy. It is one of my Top 10 Best Films of the Eighties. Love it.
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Post by howardschumann on Mar 28, 2017 4:18:09 GMT
Thanks Mike. Of course, there's no certainty about how anyone will react to a film, but I think you might like this since it has something to say and doesn't try to shock people just to maximize its audience appeal.
I haven't seen many Coen Brothers films but after enjoying RA so much, I might look into some others I've passed on.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Mar 28, 2017 5:55:06 GMT
Films linked to are uploaded by copyright holder. BTW, would it be OK for me in later threads to post links to public domain TV episodes I viewed during the week? Some of the episodes I want to link to feature classic film stars, so not completely off-topic at all.
My film viewing for the week included African-American films, a British b-movie, short documentaries, a quirky Canadian film, a classroom film, and even a theatrically-released PSA. Meanwhile, my TV viewing included a britcom, and a children's series set in an impossibly clean tower block. Needless to say, a varied week.
13 March 2017
Juke Joint (1947, USA) 7/10. Some of the reviewers on IMDb compare this 67-minute African-American film to being a sitcom. Perhaps, but that's not a bad thing. It's certainly a refreshing change from the usual black films of the period. The very low budget meant that many scenes use real locations instead of sets, this results in some odd camera-work. The highlight of the film is a lengthy sequence (unconnected to the plot) depicting some exciting dancing. Spencer Williams both directs the film and plays one of the main characters. He is by far the best actor in the film, and even starred in a sitcom on CBS-TV during the 1950s. Sadly, he is forgotten today.
A Chairy Tale (1957, Canada) - 7.5/10. Delightfully weird 10-minute short about a man, and a chair that refuses to let him sit in it.
14 March 2017
Go Down, Death! (1944, USA) - 7/10. A very hard to rate African-American religious film. It is very dated and heavy-handed, yet somehow it works (and this is coming from someone who isn't a christian). I must admit though, the scenes of hell (and accompanying fire-and-brimstone narration) were just a bit too much. Spencer Williams directs and plays the main villian (he usually cast himself in his films, ranging from big parts to bit-parts).
Reaching for the Stars (1958, Australia) - 7/10. An interesting documentary about Australia's contribution into astronomy. This 10-minute short film accompanied different films depending on the place it was being shown. For example, In Sydney, it accompanied the now-very-rare David Niven film "The Silken Affair", along with additional short subjects ("Cradle of Great Men", "Valley of the Yarra", "Dopey Dick, the Pink Whale", and a Movietone film on the Queen Mother). Meanwhile, in Canberra, it accompanied the now-rare Jerry Lewis film "The Sad Sack" and a sci-fi b-movie called "The Space Children", along with a newsreel.
The film was produced by Australian Commonwealth Film Unit, who released various documentaries during the 1950s, many of which aren't listed on IMDb. The bulk of Australia's film output of the 1950s consisted of these short documentaries.
15 March 2017
In terms of film.
Dumbo (1941, USA) - 8/10. Such a nice film. At 64 minutes it moves along quite quickly, yet still has time for the fascinating "Pink Elephants" sequence.
Unit Beat Policing (1968, UK) - 7.5/10. Instructional 22-minute film for police officers. Released on DVD as part of the set "Police and Thieves" by BFI Video.
In terms of TV:
I watched an episode of the UK sitcom "Man About the House" titled "And Mother Makes Four" (telecast: 22 August 1973). Funny show.
I also watched an episode of "Mary Mungo & Midge " titled "The Boat" (telecast: 21 October 1969). This was a 15-minute BBC children's cartoon. Although this isn't realistic, since it contains a talking dog and an intelligent flute-playing mouse, it is nevertheless set in "the real world", with the characters living in a tower block (albeit a tower block that is spotlessly clean and has an elevator which works. Try finding that in real life). So, in a sense, it could be considered an early attempt at a realistic children's cartoon (at least compared with the likes of "The Flintstones" and "The Jetsons").
I also watched a huge amount of old 1970s/1980s commercials for "Cool Whip", starring Marge Redmond.
16 March 2017
The All-Rounder (1958, Australia) - 7.5/10. Cute little 2-minute theatrically-released PSA about safe driving. Interestingly enough, it was produced by Movietone, far better known for their newsreels.
Building a Brick House (1946, Australia) - 7/10. This 10-minute documentary, intended as an instructional film for ex-soldiers taking up the building trade, does exactly what the title suggests. A bit too dry for my taste.
The Bronze Buckaroo (1939, USA) - 7.5/10. I'm probably the only person in the entire world who likes this film. It's a b-western with an all-African-American cast. Like most b-westerns, there is a comic relief sidekick, the seedy bar, the woman in danger of losing her ranch, and it ends with a shoot-out in which a lot of shots get fired but hardly anyone gets shot (oddly enough, the only major fatal shot is fired by the comic relief sidekick, who kisses his gun after doing the kill). I love b-westerns like this, so I enjoyed the film a lot.
17 March 2017
Gang War (1940, USA) - 7.5/10. A crime drama about a gangster, this 63-minute movie has an all-African-American cast. It's a quick paced film that manages to provide some excitement.
Also watched the episode "Printing" (telecast 28 October 1969) of the 15-minute children's series "Mary Mungo & Midge".
18 March 2017
Dilemma (1962, UK) - 7.5/10. A simple yet interesting 64-minute crime drama. Interestingly the director and most of the cast usually worked in TV rather than film.
Ride Like a Champion (1950, Australia) - 7/10. I found this on YouTube. I assume it was a classroom film. It teaches children how to ride their bicycle. It's no better and no worse than films of this kind from other countries.
I also watched the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (telecast 29 August 1973) of the sitcom "Man About the House". Decent episode, but I've seen better from this series.
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Post by politicidal on Mar 28, 2017 18:02:22 GMT
Certainly not a classic but it features some great actors slumming it. ASHANTI, the 1979 thriller where a doctor enlists mercenaries to rescue his wife from slavery. That sounds awesome but it's pretty lifeless despite the cast including Michael Caine, William Holden, Peter Ustinov, Rex Harrison, Omar Sharif, and Beverly Johnson.
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