What Classics Did You See Last Week? (Feb 6-Feb 12)

friendofmilhouse New Member @friendofmilhouse Posts: 24 Likes: 13	What Classics Did You See Last Week? (Feb 6-Feb 12) Feb 13, 2017 12:29:36 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by friendofmilhouse on Feb 13, 2017 12:29:36 GMT Please tell us what classics you saw last week. Modern films are welcome, as well.

friendofmilhouse
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What Classics Did You See Last Week? (Feb 6-Feb 12) Feb 13, 2017 12:32:31 GMT

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Post by friendofmilhouse on Feb 13, 2017 12:32:31 GMT

The Hound of the Baskervilles (US-1939) dir. Sidney Lanfield
Aah, the impenetrable mist around the moors! Aah, the chilling howls of the hound! Aah, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson!
This is a great version of the story.
***

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (US-1939) dir. Alfred L. Werker
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (Rathbone and Bruce) take on Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) in a crime which seems to revolve around a wealthy young woman (Ida Lupino).
Zucco plays Moriarty like a sedate grandfather, exuding very little danger or menace, even as the script strains to convince us he's a bad guy by having him be a bit rude to the staff. Ida Lupino, on the other hand, though saddled with the kind of part that requires her to faint in the face of adversity, still manages to infuse her character with a great inner strength.
Based on a play, the film occasionally feels stage-bound and dialogue-heavy, but ends with an amazing, noirish, expertly shot and exciting chase in the Tower of London, which redeems a lot of its minor flaws.
***

Stalker (USSR-1979) dir. Andrei Tarkovsky
A man illegally guides a writer and a scientist through the Zone, an area that was once the site of an extra-terrestrial event and is now off limits, as strange, inexplicable things are said to occur there.
The story by the Strugatskiy brothers opens up to multiple interpretations, even clearly unwanted ones: it's now impossible to watch the sealed off Zone, it's abandoned buildings slowly being reclaimed by nature, and not think of Chernobyl, even though the film was made eight years before the disaster.
In Tarkovsky's hands, the Zone takes on a religious quality: though it is said to be the sight of supernatural occurrences, very little happens that can't be explained rationally. Its magical properties then become an article of faith, part of a belief.
But as the writer and the scientist turn out to want to destroy the Zone, the film takes on a disconcertingly anti-rational, anti-scientific stance, but which, within the context of the Soviet Union, could be seen as a rather subversive defence of spirituality.
Regardless of meaning, Stalker is a mesmerising and enrapturing cinematic experience.
****

L'Apollonide (Souvenirs de la maison close) (France-2011) dir. Bertrand Bonello
Life in an luxurious Parisian brothel at the dawn of the 20th century.
Almost plotless, it nevertheless keeps your interest with its almost sociological depiction of a particular time and place, and its empathy with the working girls who, despite, or because, of their harsh life, form deep friendships.
It's a film of great elegance, which is slightly marred by some heavy-handed symbolism in the final scenes.
***

Moonlight (US-2016) dir. Barry Jenkins
A movie of simmering beauty and profound grace. See it.
****

Last Edit: Feb 13, 2017 12:34:18 GMT by friendofmilhouse

Matthew the Swordsman
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What Classics Did You See Last Week? (Feb 6-Feb 12) Feb 13, 2017 13:56:19 GMT friendofmilhouse likes this

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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Feb 13, 2017 13:56:19 GMT

Mostly shorts as you can see:

6 February:
The Gold Ghost (1934) - 7.5/10
Allez Oop (1934) - 7.5/10
Palooka from Paducah (1935) - 4/10. Midly amusing but devoid of laughs. This (along with the above two films) were low-budget 20-minute comedies, but often these cheaply-made comedy shorts can be amusing and charming. This one wasn't.
Amy Muller (1896) - 7/10. A 30-second short film.
The Kiss (1896) - 8/10 - A 30-second film.
Shooting the Chutes (1896) - 7.5/10. Another 30-second wonder. It was fun seeing an amusement park ride from back then.
Fatima's Coochee-Coochee Dance (1896) - 6/10. A rather dull 30-second wonder.
Mess Call (1896) - 8/10. Gee, what a happy bunch of military men in this 30 second short. They smile and wave at the camera. It's so nice to see 19th century people being relaxed and happy for a change.
Edison Drawn by 'World' Artist (1896) - 7/10. Wow what a long film, almost 90 seconds!!
Watermelon Contest (1896) - 1/10. Awful 20-second film. No entertainment value at all. Avoid it like cancer.
Lone Fisherman (1896) - 7.5/10. Nice early comedy, running slightly longer than usual (maybe about 45 seconds or so), with a nice 19th century flavour.
One Run Elmer (1935) - 7.5/10. A 19-minute comedy short with Buster Keaton. Slow-paced but funny.

7 February:
Interrupted Lover (1896) - 6/10. Meh 30-second film. I've seen a lot better from this period.
Feeding the Doves (1896) - 7.5/10. A refreshingly simple and unpretentious and running well under a minute.
A Morning Bath (1896) - 3/10. Well, that's 30 seconds of my life I'll never get back.
The Burning Stable (1896) - 7/10. Don't have much time to watch a film? You're in luck! This one is less than 30 seconds! But it's effective.
Mounted Police Charge (1896) - 7.5/10. Does what it set outs to do. Another less-than-30-second wonder.

8 February
Going to the Fire (1896) - 9/10, running less than a minute, I love these 19th century street scenes.
A Morning Alarm (1896) - 9/10. Another street scene. Cool.
Black Diamond Express (1896) - 8/10, another ultra-brief film, this one shows a train.
American Falls from Above, American Side (1896) - 7/10, again running under a minute.
The First Sleigh-Ride (1897) - 9/10. I love these old 19th century street scenes, looking at the people, the buildings, etc....
The Morning Alarm (1896) - 9/10. Once again, a street scene. I can't get enough of these.

9 February:
Fifth Avenue, New York (1897) - 9/10, 30-seconds of footage, showing off some of the fashions,
Mr. Edison at Work in His Chemical Laboratory (1897) - 8/10, simple bit of footage of Thomas Edison.
Return of Lifeboat (1897) - 7/10, another 30-second wonder.
Hayseed Romance (1935) - 8/10. A 20-minute comedy film, I did laugh at loud at some of the jokes. It's just a very pleasant film.
Troop Ships for the Philippines (1898) - 7.5/10. Running less than a minute. A nice view of a ship of the period.

10 February:
The Girl in Room 20 (1946) - 7.5/10. African-American feature film. Yes, the production values are low and the acting not very good, but I thought this was a sweet little story.
The Queen in Australia (1954) - 8/10. The queen visits Australia in 1954, in glorious colour! A very educational feature-length documentary film, I learned that Australian women wore red lipstick just like American women.

11 February
Manhattan Tower (1932) - 7.5/10. Nice little story, and great set design.

12 February
Always Tomorrow: The Portrait of an American Business (1941) - 7.5/10. This is not a theatrically released film, but was shown to Coca-Cola bottlers. It is nevertheless a scripted drama, with fictional characters, and tells the story of a Coca-Cola bottler. It starts off in the 1940s, which each scene taking place at an earlier date, until we at the turn of the 20th century. IMDb credits John Archer and Johnny Arthur, I wonder who the other cast members are. The film runs for 51 minutes.
For the Love of Ada (1972) - 7/10. Nice but dragged at times. This is a movie based on the TV series of the same name. As is usually the case, the TV show is better than the film. After over 40 years, the motion picture industry still hasn't learned most films based on TV shows are inferior to the shows. The TV series was about a widow who falls in love with the gravedigger who buried her husband. They get married during the series run. In this film follow-up, the couple are celebrating their first anniversary.
Amateur films: Ivan Besse collection: Britton, South Dakota 1938-39 (Part II)
8/10. See it here (it is public domain): archive.org/details/sIvanBes1938_3
Basically 20 minutes of 1930s home movie footage....which is a lot more fun than it sounds. I love how many of the men are wearing hats.
Spinning Levers (1936) - 7/10. A somewhat dry 10-minute educational film about how levers in a car transmission work. This is actually a subtle advertisement for Chevrolet, one of many made around this time by the Jam Handy Organization, prolific advertising film makers. It is public domain and can be viewed here:
archive.org/details/0762_Spinning_Levers_04_45_20_00
Seeing Green (1937) - 7.5/10. This is an educational film about traffic lights. It is dull, but contains some good views of street scenes and traffic. It is public domain and can be viewed here:
archive.org/details/SeeingGr1937

Last Edit: Feb 13, 2017 14:08:15 GMT by Matthew the Swordsman

Progress the Ogress.

Daisy Sophomore @daisy Posts: 226 Likes: 53	What Classics Did You See Last Week? (Feb 6-Feb 12) Feb 13, 2017 17:47:03 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Daisy on Feb 13, 2017 17:47:03 GMT The Heiress (1949) Only watched one classic this past week I think.

What Classics Did You See Last Week? (Feb 6-Feb 12)

Post by friendofmilhouse on Feb 13, 2017 12:29:36 GMT

Post by friendofmilhouse on Feb 13, 2017 12:32:31 GMT

Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Feb 13, 2017 13:56:19 GMT

Post by Daisy on Feb 13, 2017 17:47:03 GMT