|
|
Post by mikef6 on Nov 26, 2018 5:59:46 GMT
re: House of Fear, mikef6 Well sure, you've seen way more mystery movies than Holmes has and know how scriptwriters minds work better'n he does .  Yes, and I've watched so many Asian martial arts action films that I'm sure I have the moves to fight an army of terrorists. At least until I throw my back out. |
|
|
|
Post by delon on Nov 26, 2018 9:12:43 GMT
I am not speaking for Bill here, delon, but I did want to comment on THE LOWER DEPTHS. It's a powerful, difficult, agonizingly faithful adaptation of Maxim Gorky's play. But definitely worth a look. Personally, I prefer Jean Renoir's 1936 version, starring Jean Gabin. With Gorky's permission, he lightened it up quite a bit and, for me, made it more palatable. But I wouldn't discourage you at all from seeing the Kurosawa version. It's has many merits, however dark they may be. Thanks , Spider, both for the comment and for bringing Renoir's version to my attention. I will seek both versions. |
|
|
|
Post by morrisondylanfan on Nov 26, 2018 13:43:37 GMT
Hi all,I hope everyone had a good weekend. Before the new year, I decided that I'd go to an IMAX for the first time,so last week I went and saw that only flick being screened in the format: .gif/revision/latest?cb=20170409161952) Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) 6 Toning down the Steam Punk appearance of the first film which allowed it to stand (somewhat) separate from its roots, returning director David Yates & cinematographer Philippe Rousselot replace it with more of a delve into Harry Potter style Fantasy Action set-pieces, which whilst offering moments of magical thrills (Yates makes excellent use of the IMAX format to give the beasts a huge, towering appearance) does end up becoming the cliché brash blue lights in the sky. Appearing to have a tighter grip on the series, the screenplay by J.K. Rowling surprisingly feels half-finished, with Rowling offering tantalising set-ups (from illegal globe-trotting in a bucket, to "real life" events of the sinking of the Titanic and The Holocaust being the first time real events have appeared in the Potter franchise) only to leave them hanging unfinished and feeling a horribly misjudged inclusion. Pushing all else aside to fill in background of Potter mythology, Rowling does well at giving a heaviness from history in the blood bond between Grindelwald and Dumbledore, but in spending all this focus on characters from Potter, makes those from Fantastic Beasts have little impact on unfolding events. Returning with a dapper Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston and Dan Fogler continue giving the best turns of the series as alluring Goldstein and gee wiz Kowalski, whilst Johnny Depp dabbles being a creep,as Grindlewald reveals his crimes. Japanese duo:  The Sky Crawlers (2008) 9 Contrasting the events that take place in the air and on land, director Mamoru Oshii spectacularly blends CGI planes powered with a Steampunk bristle of rumbling engines and jittering gunfire, with a real precision in framing the shots so that the emotions of the pilots remain visible. Landing on the ground to be wrapped in regular collaborator composer Kenji Kawai's enchanting score,Oshii draws the audience in with beautiful hand-drawn animation, which subtly paints the loss of the pilots memories. Stating in the making-of that he wanted this to be a "Youthful" film,Oshii gives all of the young pilots a fresh-face appearance as the children powering the war machine,and a striking casualness to these ageless child-like youngsters having sex and smoking. Gaining the chance thanks to novelist Hiroshi Mori trusting director Oshii's involvement, Chihiro Itô adaptation of Mori's novel brilliantly explores pilot Yuuichi Kannami's loss of memory and Suito Kusanagi's machine-like emotional void of drilling orders into the pilots while masked in glasses and thick clouds of smoke, which whisk away as Kannami begins untangling his hazy memories. Going to war in a near-future setting, Itô smartly dips into Sci-Fi as war is put up for sale to the private sector due to the public being unable to accept a world without war as normal, and pilots are treated not as humans, but factory manufacturing of the war machine, who get into their planes and crawl the sky.  Rambling Guitarist (1959) 7 The lone colour title in the first set, Arrow present a good transfer of a clean soundtrack and well-paced subtitles, but the picture having more spots of dirt than the other two. Launching the first of a 9 film series (!) director Buichi Saitô & cinematographer Kuratarô Takamura tune the Nikkatsu Film Noir of the past to the hip teenage market by washing the flick in stylish Pop-Art colours and distorted angles giving Taki (played by a slick Akira Kobayashi) a Pop star shine. Plucked into having to work for mob boss Akitsu, the screenplay by Kenzaburo Hara/Ei Ogawa and Hara Yamazaki plays on the generational divide between the old-school, hard nosed thugs of the war years, and the new, pretty young things loners. Whilst this approach does make the differences prominent, it also causes for the flick to have little feeling of threat, due to Taki spending the whole movie with a cocky swagger, as the guitarist rambles a new tune. Others:  Rarg (1988) 8 Keeping the classy narration and voice-over by Nigel Hawthorne and Michael Gough to giving a brief sketch of the Rarg world, writer/director Tony Collingwood crafts magical dreamscape animation, with the detailed, rough edges of the hand-drawn animation Rarg a fading, dreamy atmosphere. Drawing in the same lines as Collingwood, composer Philip Appleby knits an enchanting score giving a whimsical gust to the flight of fantasy twist ending, where everyone starts to dream of saving Rarg. |
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 16:27:33 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 16:53:52 GMT
I have only ever watched My Man Godfrey the one time and loved it > www.imdb.com/review/rw1833113/?ref_=tt_urv. I need to see it again and see how I would review it differently now after 10 years, to see if my fawning was deserved!? But it has stayed in my top 100 films list since then so it had a lasting effect. Ivanhoe is right up my street for Sunday afternoon indulgence. Before me kneels a nation divided - rise as one man, and that one, for England!
Out of MGM, Ivanhoe was spared no expense and became the costliest epic produced in England at the time. Though the studio millions that were tied into English banks is more telling than any sort of love for the project one feels.
It's directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The cast features Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Emlyn Williams, Finlay Currie and Felix Aylmer. The screenplay is by Æneas MacKenzie, Marguerite Roberts, and Noel Langley who adapts from the novel Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. The score is by Miklós Rózsa and Freddie Young is on Technicolor cinematography duties with the exterior location work at Doune Castle, Stirling, Scotland.
Though the pacing is far from perfect and there's some saggy bits in the script, Ivanhoe remains arguably one of the finest and most under appreciated of MGM's historical epics. Naturally there's some differences from Scott's novel (a given in most genre pieces of this type), but Thorpe and his team come through with the material given and deliver a rousing treat.
It looks tremendous courtesy of Young's lensing, where he brilliantly brings to life Roger Furse's costumes and Alfred Junge's majestic sets. Taylor (R), Fontaine and Taylor (E) look delightful, (especially Liz who can easily take you out of the movie such is her beauty here) and their romantic triangle makes for an ever watchable romantic spectacle.
The action is on the money, with the attack on Front de Boeuf castle adroitly constructed (and not skimped on time wise), a jousting competition that vividly comes to life, and a Mano-Mano fight between Taylor's Ivanhoe and Sanders' De Bois-Guilbert that is grisly and adrenalin pumping in equal measure (check out the sound work here too).
It's also worth acknowledging the anti-semitic part of the story, with the MGM suits thankfully deciding to not ignore this part of Scott's literary source.
The three handsome lead stars are backed up superbly by a robust Williams, while the trio of villains played by Sanders, Robert Douglas and the excellent Guy Wolfe as weasel Prince John, deliver the requisite quota of boo hiss villainy.
It made big money for MGM, setting records for the studio at the time. It's not hard to see why. It's a beautiful production across the board, and while it's not without faults per se, it holds up regardless as it firmly engages and stirs the blood of the historical epic loving fan. What a year 1952 was for MGM! 8/10Clerks I expected to dislike, as a British guy I imagined it was going to be too American in comedy values. I ended up laughing for 3 days!!! |
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 17:20:06 GMT
House Of Fear / Roy William Neill (1945). #10 of 14 of the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes series. Taking something of a “And Then There Were None” approach, in this script Holmes and Watson are called in to investigate the mysterious individual deaths of members of a retired old-boys club who have made the others the beneficiary of each man’s life insurance. Further, each body is mutilated until only personal items such as rings can prove the identity. Holmes seems a little slow on the uptake as the bodies pile up – but is he? An interesting mystery even though I tumbled to the solution before Holmes reveals it. Released on a double bill with “The Mummy’s Curse.”  The Woman In Green / Roy William Neill (1945). #11 of 14 of the Rathbone/Bruce series. The weakest script so far in this series but only because the introductory material before Sherlock is called onto the case reveals the culprits and their methods to the audience. This leaves Holmes to figure out what we already know. (To be fair, there is one part of the Bad Guys’ plans that is held back.) Still, Hillary Brooke (in her second appearance in the series) is excellent as the title mystery woman and Henry Daniell (in his third series appearance) shows up as Dr. Moriarty. FOOTNOTES: This is the only film which mentions Sherlock’s older brother Mycroft. Mycroft, however, is not seen on screen. The rifleman firing at Holmes from across the street is taken from the Doyle story “The Empty House.” When Holmes is going to be hypnotized he is offered “cannabis japonica” to help him relax. HOLMES VS. THE BREEN OFFICE: The Code office ordered two changes from the submitted script: 1) young girls were supposed to be the murder victims but that had to be changed to young, but grown, women and 2) when Watson is hypnotized, he was to have been ordered to take off his pants; this had to be changed to taking off a shoe, a sock, and rolling up a pants leg.  The Locket / John Brahm (1946). Excellent major film noir from director John Brahm (The Lodger, Hanover Square). Nancy (Laraine Day) and John (Gene Raymond) are about to be married in John’s well-to-do mansion. John, however, is summoned to his study to meet a stranger who claims to have been Nancy’s previous husband. The stranger, a psychiatrist, Dr. Blair (Brian Aherne), also tells him that Nancy regularly ruins men’s lives, including sending them to their deaths. As the doctor narrates, the flashbacks begin. At one point we are three flashbacks in. Included is Nancy’s relationship with artist Norman Clyde (Robert Mitchum) who has told his story to Dr. Blair. Throughout, we are unsure if anyone is telling all the truth and who, if anyone, is an unreliable narrator. The screenplay and Brahm’s direction keeps everything perfectly clear, there is no confusion about time periods. However, at least in my mind, although the film ends as the Production Code would demand it, there is still ambiguity over what really happened. You have to see it and decide for yourself. Deep focus with shadows from “The Locket”  The Threat / Felix Feist (1949). A tense and terse thriller. Vicious killer Red Kluger (Charles McGraw) breaks out of prison as he had promised at his trial. He kidnaps cop Ray Williams (Michael O'Shea) who caught him and D.A. MacDonald (Frank Conroy) who convicted him. He plans to kill them at his pleasure. With his two thugs, Lefty and Nick (Frank Richards and Anthony Caruso) he also hijacks his former girlfriend Carol (Virginia Grey) and a truck driver to use for his getaway. Kluger is an almost unstoppable evil force of nature. He anticipates every move against himself and cannot be defeated in a fight. Even Our Hero, Detective Williams, doesn’t stand a chance against him. When Kluger finally gets his, it is surprising and sweet. Highly recommended. Anthony Caruso, Charles McGraw, Frank Conroy, Michael O’Shea, Virginia Grey  The Gunman / Lewis D. Collins (1952)
Montana Incident / Lewis D. Collins (1952)
Both of these B-westerns from the Gower Gulch studio Monogram star Whip Wilson, who was given that moniker to compete with another whip-cracking cowboy hero, Lash LaRue, over at their rival studio, PRC. These two numbers come toward the end of Wilson’s run with the bullwhip. In “The Gunman,” Wilson is a Texas Ranger who ventures into New Mexico Territory to capture a wanted killer (familiar western and cliffhanger serial heavy Lane Bradford) only to find the town is an outlaw haven. In “Montana Incident,” he is a surveyor plotting the route for a railroad only to be opposed by Claire Martin whose family runs Martinsville where the railroad will pass (in a good gag Wilson notes that the Martin name is on every business: the Martin stable, the Martin Hotel, the Martin saloon, etc.). The Martins are bleeding their residents dry and don’t want the competition the train will bring. Both movies feature an actress who will a little later play Lois Lane: Phyllis Coates (Superman And The Mole Men, first season of “The Adventures of Superman” TV series) is the daughter of a crusading newspaper man in “The Gunman” while Noel Neill (remaining five seasons of “The Adventures of Superman”) is the “good” sibling of the crooked Martin family. Wilson’s partner in both movies is played by Rand Brooks. You may remember Brooks as Scarlett’s first husband in GWTW. These hold a big nostalgia value for me. This kind of kid oriented shoot-‘em-up is what I grew up with during early TV years in Texas. For everybody else, well, they probably don’t hold much interest. I can say that these Whip Wilson films are a cut above the usual writing and directing of movies of this kind. Whip Wilson and Rand Brooks in “The Gunman”  Phyllis Coates with Fuzzy Knight and another guy  Noel Neill and Rand Brooks  King Lear / Peter Brook (1953). The early television cultural program “Omnibus” (hosted by Alistair Cooke) began in 1953 and ran until 1959. It was carried, at one time or another, by all three main commercial networks, usually on Sunday afternoons. On Sunday, October 18, 1953, Cooke introduced this live production of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” which featured Orson Welles’ TV debut in a dramatic role (I missed the 65th anniversary by just about a month). In his Intro, Cooke links Shakespeare’s turn to tragedy with the death of Will’s 11-year-old son in 1596. This method of explaining the plays and poems as autobiographical is rapidly fading away in the 21st century and I am certainly glad to see it go. Famous stage director Peter Brook was brought in to edit the almost four hour play down to about 70 minutes. This is what we see performed on “Omnibus.” Welles is, as you might expect, a credible Lear. Even at the young age of 38 years, his makeup and voice are perfect for the role. The supporting cast is also strong, including future Oscar winner Beatrice Straight (for one of the briefest winning performances) as Lear’s oldest evil daughter.  . There's a constant I have found in film noir circles as regards this film, and that is that it's loved far more than I am willing to personally give. I like it well enough, but some real daft touches and a rare case of Mitchum being miscast in this sphere stop it from being top line for me. Don't tell me your conscience is bothering you?The locket is directed by John Brahm and based on a screenplay written by Sheridan Gibney, which in turn is adapted from the story "What Nancy Wanted" written by Norma Barzman. It stars Laraine Day, Brian Aherne, Robert Mitchum and Gene Raymond. Music is by Roy Webb and cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca. Story tells of how a bride to be, who as a child was traumatised by a false charge of stealing, grows up to badly affect the men who wander into her life. "You don't know the truth from lies, you are just a love sick quack" A psychological melodrama with film noir flecks, The Locket turns out to be a most intriguing picture. Director Brahm brings into the production not only his baroque know how, where his Germanic keen eye for mood is so evident in films like The Lodger and Hangover Square, but also a dizzying array of flashbacks in a collage of psychological murkiness. Structured as it is, film can be disorientating if one isn't giving the film the undivided attention it needs. But for those all in with it, it delivers rewards a plenty, even if some daft touches stop it from being an essential picture for the fim noir seeker. Essentially the film is a case study of one young female mind that's deeply affected to the point where it has great implications on those who become involved with her. Story raises some queries about the treatment of mental health patients, and their place in society, while some of the characterisations have good dramatic worth. Sheridan Gibney does a very good job with the screenplay, the tricky subject is given some thoughtful consideration whilst toying with the audience's loyalties about possible femme fatale Nancy (Day), the ambivalence of which makes the ending from a writing standpoint far better than it probably has any right to be. Credit is due to Brahm, then, for bringing it home safely after employing such a tricky narrative device, it's far from being up with his best work, but it does showcase what a talent the German émigré was - the visual grab of the finale a case in point. Of the cast it's the very pretty Laraine Day (latterly of I Married a Communist) who shines in a tricky role, while there's a nice stern performance in the support slots from Katherine Emery as Mrs. Mills. Mitchum was yet to find his acting marker (which would come the following year in Out of the Past and Crossfire), and here he's a touch miscast and gets by on presence alone - with his character getting one of the films' duffer leaps in logic moments, literally! Aherne is passable and easy to listen to, but never really convinces as a psychiatrist. Musuraca photographs in suitable black and white shadowy tones, but like Brahm and Mitchum, this is far from the upper echelons of his best work. If you can get past some daft touches and crucially pay attention, The Locket is well worth the time spent with it. 7/10 The Threat Review > www.imdb.com/review/rw2983952/?ref_=tt_urv 7/10 McGraw ensures it's as terse as you say, the run time helps. I prolly should seek out some Whip Wilson Oaters. I was severely burnt by having watched at disliked a lot Night Raiders (1952). |
|
|
|
Post by MrFurious on Nov 27, 2018 17:37:27 GMT
Sudden Fear(52)
The Harder They Fall(56)
The Third Key(56)
|
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 17:37:53 GMT
I don't know how you do it, but I write down some little note one a piece of paper, and when doing this, I wish I wrote better...  It's not the next Billy Elliot by far, but it's still a nice movie about Paul Potts who won a Britain's got Talent show singing opera  Ralph Machhio and Pat Morita created characters to be interested in, at least in the first two movies, this remake with a famous actors one expresion only son was one big bore, they got the story right but forgot what made the earlier movie tick.  Very entertaining British sports movie, even for those who has never heard of Leeds United.  Horrible remake of an American tv classic from 1974 __ManInTheIronMask(1).jpg) Entertaining variation of the old famous Dumas story  A very boring title for what is actually a very good French Crime movie, Piccoli is superb.  Well after all why not a little bit of Hitchcock, Talky yes, but don't miss one word!  Maybe it has aged a bit, but Bette as the spioled Southern belle is such a joy to watch, or in other words she was a bitch, a role that she would refine in movies to come way up till her last ones. This movie has a lot of african-americans displayed in a way that would not be considered appropiate today! or Political corectness is killing the classics! What was was, and what was then is not now! How nice to see The Damned United crop up, and with a positive support as well! www.imdb.com/review/rw2128714/?ref_=tt_urv 8/10Dial M for Murder. The Master wasn't overly keen on it, yet it has much delights. This 3D, it's murder it is!Middle tier Hitchcock but still one of the finest mystery thrillers around. Ray Milland plays Tony Wendice, a former tennis player married to Grace Kelly's Margot, the source of his wealth. Fearing his lifestyle is about to come to an end due to her dalliances with American mystery writer, Mark Halliday (Robert Cummins), Tony hatches a plan to have her murdered by an old acquaintance whom he has over a barrel with blackmail. However, the plan backfires and a whole new strategy is needed to save Tony from suspicion. Based on the popular and successful play by Frederick Knott (who adapts for the screenplay here), Dial M For Murder was a film Hitchcock had little time for. In fact, having already started work on Rear Window, Hitch treated Dial M For Murder as a jobbing assignment. His mood was further darkened by Jack Warner's insistence that the film be shot in 3D, with all the camera restraints that such a production brings. Perhaps unsurprisingly though, the restraints and general mood of the director brought about very interesting results. Choosing to go for a claustrophobic single set shoot, Hitchcock resisted the urge to launch things around for 3D effects, instead he used the process to highlight props and angles of the Wendice home. His use of colours here is first rate, particularly around his new found favourite actress, Grace Kelly. Having never seen the 3D version (who has I wonder?) I can't say what impact, if any, the gimmick had. But regardless of Hitch's grumblings and general disdain towards the film, he rose to the challenge by challenging himself and actually produced a fine and technically sound picture. Ray Milland is icy cold yet debonair, while John Williams as Chief Inspector Hubbard strides in and walks off with the film. Kelly is adequate enough (it's her least effective turn for Hitch) but Cummings is awfully bland and threatens to lose the film its momentum when things spice up in the last quarter. Hugely entertaining story though, and of much interest to Hitchcock purists, Dial M For Murder holds up well today as a disquieting mystery thriller. 8/10 |
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 17:43:16 GMT
Dances With Wolves, have we talked about it before? You like right? I love, right! > It is the trail of a true human being. I think you are on this trail and it is good to see.
Dances With Wolves Is directed by Kevin Costner who also stars. It's adapted by Michael Blake from his own novel of the same name. Starring along side Costner are Graham Greene, Mary McDonnell & Rodney A. Grant. Dean Semler provides the cinematography & John Barry the musical score. Set during the American Civil War, the story tells how Lieutenant John Dunbar (Costner) goes to a military outpost on the American frontier, where confronted with alienation he befriends nature, the Lakota Indians and finds himself in the process.
"I had never known a people so eager to laugh, so devoted to family, so dedicated to each other. And the only word that came to mind was harmony"
The critics were rubbing their hands with glee, getting ready to tear Costner apart for what undoubtedly would be a failure. An epic Western movie made in 1990, had he not learnt from Heaven's Gate? It was long in production, and with only a $15/$22 million budget afforded it, word came that Costner had to put in $3 million of his own cash to aid production. It was beset with production delays as the problems mounted up with the weather, animal training and with action scenes taking up to three weeks to shoot, all contributing to the belief that it was doomed to failure. "Kevin's Gate" they cried, what's that? It's partially sub-titled too? Never work.
Dances With Wolves went on to make $424 million in Worldwide theatre tickets alone. Heaven knows what the total would be if we added the VHS & DVD returns as well! Come Academy Award time the film won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture (making it the first Western to win the prestigious award since Cimarron in 1931) & Best Director. It was also nominated in five other categories with Costner up for Best Actor, Graham Greene for Best Supporting Actor & Mary McDonnell for Best Supporting Actress. It was, all told, a personal, artistic and commercial triumph for Costner. One can see him post Oscar night sitting there on his porch sipping sour mash and flipping the finger at all those critics who willed him to fail.
Costner's movie is a simple tale, of that there is no arguing. But Dances With Wolves (the name given to Dunbar by the Sioux) is magnificently told, as enchanting a Western that has ever been made. It boasts everything needed to make a first class Oater. The story may be simple but it's rich on detail, the characters have real depth and it never sags, not even in its magnificent elongated directors cut that runs 236 minutes. The credit has to go to Costner, who in his debut as director lest we forget, has managed to blend everything together in the style of one of the old masters from the classic Western period. Every tonal avenue ventured down pays off handsome rewards, it all goes somewhere, awash with wistfulness, romanticism and elegiac poetry. The action sequences are expertly crafted, with a buffalo hunt particularly breath taking; no CGI here, the odd animatronic for a close encounter, but mainly the real deal, as are the wolves and the Lakota Sioux, too, who are played by Native Americans. Its humorous too, with its fun being intentional and aiding the flow of the friendships forming.
As most Western fans will tell you, a lyrical horse opera needs great location work and a score to match. Thankfully Dances With Wolves has both, as both Semler & Barry produce work that picked up the Golden Baldy on Oscar night. Lensed predominantly in South Dakota around the Black Hills & Badlands regions, Semler infuses the film with natural landscapes that send the frontier bursting thru the screen, his framing explains things better than words can in this environment. While Barry's score, lifting nicely from A View To A Kill at times, is suitably grand, deft in touch for the main theme and blood pumping for the buffalo hunt and the Pawnee attacks. Acting wise the award nominations received for Costner, Greene & McDonnell were richly deserved. The boys are quiet and undemonstrative, at one with the essence of the story and infusing it with a sincerity so lacking in many epics. Playing Stands With A Fist, a white woman raised by the Sioux after her family were slaughtered when she was a child, McDonnell has to reach different character levels as the story unfolds, and she delivers emotional depth on every level. No nomination for Grant, but his work is top dollar also, his latter scenes with Costner really nail the shift in tone.
There's some historical missteps that will no doubt annoy the purists, like I don't believe the Pawnee were the aggressors they are painted as here. While the central romance between Costner & McDonnell is delicate but not fully formed; tho it does improve in the directors cut. But it's hard to criticise little itches when such vision and ambition comes together as well as it does here. Structured with precision and showing respect for tradition, this is a movie about loving people for people lovers. And one can quite easily believe that some genre legends up in the sky were looking down and nodding approvingly. 10/10
|
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 17:49:58 GMT
Watched a few with the kids and some after they went to bed... Agreed! |
|
|
|
Post by wmcclain on Nov 27, 2018 17:57:30 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 18:00:20 GMT
A lot of sad movies this week: Ocean Heaven (2010): Action star Jet Li switches gears to star in a sensitive drama about a terminally ill widowed father who is anxious about how his adult autistic son will cope without him. Zhang Wen's portrayal of the son is the most realistic depiction of someone with autism I've ever seen in a movie. Lost for Words (1999): Author Deric Longden's chronicle of his mother's failing health in her last years, including several strokes and increasingly eccentric behavior. Good performances by Pete Postlethwaite and Dame Thora Hird. Truly Madly Deeply (1990): Juliet Stevenson's character can't stop mourning her partner's death, and is overjoyed when his ghost (played by Alan Rickman) returns to their apartment. But this only emphasizes why she needs to move on. A great movie about the grieving process, it may sound like the movie Ghost, but it's so much better than that piece of treacle. Stevenson cries so much better than Demi Moore. There's no contrived crime plot tacked onto the story, either. One of those love stories that has to be seen again and again; it really needs a re-release on DVD. , yep, beautiful film. Do you want me to go?
Nina's (Juliet Stevenson) life is torn apart with the unexpected death of her lover, Jamie (Alan Rickman). Stuck in a rat infested flat and under expensive therapy, Nina's grief is suddenly stopped in its tracks when Jamie comes back into her life as a ghost. Just as Nina meets Mark, a potential suitor.
For his first feature film, director and writer Anthony Minghella chose this touching, and often funny, tale of bereavement and learning to love again. Written in the main for Stevenson to showcase her talents, its strengths lie in the actors performances, the sensitive writing and its low key moody production ethic. Often it's been tagged the British answer to the Moore/Swayze movie Ghost. That's a lazy link and a touch misleading, as this is, if anything, the anti blockbuster movie, while the respective plots bear little resemblance. And besides which, this was made quite some time before Patrick and Demi were playing slinky round the pottery wheel.
Stevenson is marvellous, she gives Nina real depth, and in one grief stricken scene she delivers one of the most believable enactments of that emotion ever put on to celluloid. Rickman shines as he gets his teeth into something outside of the bad guy roles he was {still is} known for. Watch out for a poem (La Muerta) segment shared between the two, pure class. And as Mark, Michael Maloney is hugely effective in what is the tricky third wheel role. While the impressive acting on show is boosted by Barrington Pheloung's poignant, rhythmic musical score.
There are a number of interpretations put forward as to what Truly, Madly, Deeply is about. But really it has to be down to the individual viewer to make their own deductions. What isn't in doubt is that for anyone who been deeply in love or has lost a loved one to death, this film can't fail to ignite a number of emotions. Even as the comedy takes a hold, comedy which sits nicely within the structure of the tale I might add since some critics were baffled by the blend, one just knows we are being guided to a telling point where the story finishes for the protagonists, but goes on for us viewers long after the credits have rolled. To first time viewers I say, banish any hope of Hollywood histrionics and flourishing visuals and let Minghella and his wonderful cast take you by the hand. For the rewards are there for the discerning adult. 9/10 |
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 18:04:00 GMT
hitchcockthelegend I liked "Scandal Sheet" a lot, too. It began life with discussions of a film of Fuller's novel being produced and possibly directed by Howard Hawks with Eddie Robinson as the controversial editor, Humphrey Bogart as his Ace Reporter, and a fast-talking dame like Ann Sheridan as a beat reporter and love interest. Alas, that never happened. The property was turned around, the budget slashed, and the psychological depth of the book was dropped in favor of a straight thriller whose plot resembles The Big Clock. However, things worked out in this new approach to result in a satisfying and suspenseful little mystery. Crawford is perfect for his role and John Derek, still showing a lot of promise in these early days for him, is right for Crawford's protege. It is a modest but very entertaining crime show. Thanks for supplementing mike. You have to say that The Big Clock is the perfect companion piece for Scandal Sheet.  |
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 18:16:15 GMT
hitchcockthelegend and mikef6 - I, too, enjoyed Scandal Sheet, which I first saw just over a year ago, most of all for the standout performance of ubiquitous supporting player Henry O'Neill as Charlie Barnes, the rheumy rummy of an ex-reporter, ever on the hunt for a scoop that will put him back on the map.  His work was impressive enough to inspire a brief write-up at the time ( imdb2.freeforums.net/thread/60233/henry-oneills-home-run), and I'll sing his praises for this film anytime I get the chance. Yes, great call. A classic heart tugger of a portrayal, acted with believable skill. Makes it more potent when he gets murdered as we have invested in the character in the hope he can scoop and turn his life around. |
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 18:23:22 GMT
"Scandal Sheet"Dear everyone who recommended this, Just watched it on you-know-where and it was great. Thank you. You're welcome, it's our job  Of course if you hated it it would be mike and Dogs fault   |
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 18:30:01 GMT
Sudden Fear(52) The Harder They Fall(56) The Third Key(56) Did you like them mate, rating at all?  |
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 27, 2018 18:42:12 GMT
Great stuff Bill, thanks for the reviews. Screwball cinema as a rollercoaster? perfect analogy, often irritating, often genius, Godfrey falls into the latter category. I have just added Ed Sikov's book to my wish list, which means my friends get a list of things I want for Xmas and that's one of them! I'd like to get a bit deeper with Screwball. |
|
|
|
Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 28, 2018 0:43:48 GMT
"Scandal Sheet"Dear everyone who recommended this, Just watched it on you-know-where and it was great. Thank you. You're welcome, it's our job Of course if you hated it it would be mike and Dogs fault Can't speak for mike, but that's a Dog's life in the proverbial nutshell (and the figurative doghouse). |
|
|
|
Post by OldAussie on Nov 28, 2018 0:52:29 GMT
First viewing of the 4 hour blu-ray Dances With Wolves and it was great. Even my wife said the time flew by....and she's been known to get restless at much shorter movies. She hadn't seen it since we took it at the cinema in it's first release. If I had to highlight one aspect - John Barry did it again. |
|
|
|
Post by mikef6 on Nov 28, 2018 1:45:34 GMT
hitchcockthelegend You got that right.  Mitch sometimes has his acting range somewhat underrated. He was always at home in westerns, for example, and in “Where Danger Lives” (1950) he plays Dr. Jeff, a kindly big city hospital doctor, compassionate, good with kids, and engaged to nurse Julie. That is, until he takes an interest in suicidal patient Faith Domergue. That’s not too far afield from his art teacher character in “The Locket.” He does a good job in both which are a little different from how we usually think of him. Thanks for your replies and your reviews.
|
|
