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Post by delon on Dec 22, 2018 8:24:27 GMT
Comments/ratings/recommendations/film posters are welcome and much appreciated.
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Post by OldAussie on Dec 22, 2018 8:35:26 GMT
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Post by Primemovermithrax Pejorative on Dec 22, 2018 8:38:20 GMT
Watched a tv movie called VISIONS from 1972. Monte Markham stars as a professor who can see the future--as in people dying from disasters. He starts seeing images of a bomber in the city and tells the police--and after the bomb goes off, they suspect him. Telly Savalas takes a break from Kojak to play another police lieutenant. He doesn't have a lollipop though. Riveting film--holds your attention completely. Favorite moment is when Markham shakes hands with someone and immediately sees their death--which is illustrated by the person's face exploding into pieces.
Like THE LOVE WAR, deserves to be better known--pretty obvious Stephen King saw this before writing THE DEAD ZONE.
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Post by timshelboy on Dec 22, 2018 9:13:28 GMT
Thanks so much for alerting me to the existence of ZOMBEAVERS As a SHARKNADO veteran I didn't think it could get any better... but maybe it has! Top of my MUST SEE list for 2019
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Post by wmcclain on Dec 22, 2018 13:19:46 GMT
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Post by petrolino on Dec 22, 2018 14:41:48 GMT
A crazy mixture Thanks so much for alerting me to the existence of ZOMBEAVERS As a SHARKNADO veteran I didn't think it could get any better... but maybe it has! Top of my MUST SEE list for 2019
I have 'Zombeavers' on dvd. Enjoyable movie. Hope you like it.
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Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on Dec 22, 2018 15:19:11 GMT
Thanks so much for alerting me to the existence of ZOMBEAVERS As a SHARKNADO veteran I didn't think it could get any better... but maybe it has! Top of my MUST SEE list for 2019
I have 'Zombeavers' on dvd. Enjoyable movie. Hope you like it. Same here, a lot of fun!
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Post by delon on Dec 22, 2018 17:39:23 GMT
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Post by politicidal on Dec 22, 2018 19:18:22 GMT
Searching (2018) 7/10
We Own The Night 5/10 Ten Little Indians (1966) 6/10
Three Kings 7/10
The Catcher Was a Spy 4/10
Dawn of the Dead (1979) 7/10
Leopard, The ( gattopardo, Il ) 5/10
The Asphalt Jungle 6/10
High Sierra 3/10
Paths of Glory 8/10
Howling, The 6/10
The Lost Boys 4/10
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Dec 22, 2018 20:19:17 GMT
The Magnificent Seven (1960) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0054047/reference
I have been offered a lot for my work, but never everything.
A vile bandit constantly raids a small Mexican village and pilfers what he so wants. Finally having enough, and not wanting to relocate, the villagers set about recruiting some hired guns to finally rid themselves of the dastardly Calvera.
As most people now know, The Magnificent Seven is of course a remake of Akira Kurosawa's immense and hugely influential picture, Shichinin no samurai. Adhering closely to Kurosawa's themes, director John Sturges has crafted a classic in its own right, one that has become something of a Bank Holiday staple for TV schedulers. When you break it down for scrutiny, the story is purely a very ordinary one, but as each archetype character and set up arrives, it becomes evident that it's a story rich in texture, all framed marvellously in a Western setting.
Sturges for sure knew how to direct ensemble casts, he would after all go on to direct the fantastic 1963, ultimate holiday movie, The Great Escape. Here he is excellently served by a faultless cast, though Yul Brynner was the only major name of note, the likes of Steve McQueen (owning the movie), Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn and James Coburn would go on to become part of cinematic macho culture, with each actor vying for the right to own the movie proving to be a bonus trump card for this rousing and much loved picture. Even the score has slipped nicely into popular culture, Elmer Bernstein's music having now become recognisable to even the most youthful of movie fans ears.
Unashamedly macho, but certainly delightful for the female viewers as well, The Magnificent Seven is an across the board delight for almost everyone who enjoys the escapism of film. Perhaps the last word should rest with Kurosawa himself, who after viewing John Sturges' picture was moved to present him with a Samurai Sword in recognition of the great film he had crafted, enough said there I feel. 9/10
Zulu (1964) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0058777/reference
Men of Harlech onto glory.
"In the hundred years since the Victoria Cross was created for valour and extreme courage beyond that normally expected of a British soldier in the face of the enemy, only 1,344 have been awarded, 11 of these were won by the defenders of the mission station at Rorke's Drift, Natal, January 22nd to the 23rd 1879"
Just typing out that spoken narration from Richard Burton brings me out into goose pimples, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention, Zulu quite simply is my favourite film of all time, and my love for cinema to this day owes its credit to this 1964 masterpiece.
Zulu is a perfectly staged, perfectly acted account of the British defence of Rorke's Drift, where 139 British soldiers held off 4000 Zulu Warriors at the height of the Anglo-Zulu War. Its strength is not in romanticism or over sentimentality in the name of glossy hard sell, the crux lies with just being a tale of pure courage, a tale of pure stoic heroism, it sticks vigorously to the actual events, and thus the film plays out with genuine honesty that few other War pictures can ever lay claim to.
Where does one start when outlaying the brilliance this picture has to offer? The Natal location is stunning, beautiful lush rolling hills dwarf this tiny outpost, the sky a never ending eye witness to the courage unfolding, Stephen Dade's photography perfectly capturing this colourful extravaganza. The direction from the criminally undervalued Cy Enfield is excellent, along with his star and producer (Stanley Baker in a role of a lifetime) he manages to direct some of the most amazing battle sequences put onto the screen, the discipline of man to man combat perfectly orchestrated by Enfield. The Zulu extras, who once had no idea what they was supposed to do at first, finally grasped the concept of movie making and added weight to the drama. It's now down in legend that Baker showed the chiefs a Gene Autry Western and that got them into the swing of things!
The acting right through the cast is astonishing, Baker, Michael Caine, Jack Hawkins, James Booth, Nigel Green, Ivor Emmanuel and Patrick Magee are just some of the cast that shine bright and bold. John Barry's score is blood pumping to the maximum, swirling strings collide with thumping base drums to give one the feeling of invincibility. Ernest Archer's art decoration, Arthur Newman's costumes and of course the John Prebble screenplay that is Zulu's heart. I could go on and name everyone involved in this picture, such is the admiration I have for the work involved. But really the story sells itself, not a glossy British victory in sight (the British defenders were allowed to withdraw from the engagement gracefully), this is not just another British fable of imperialistic fervour, it's just a tale of bayonets with guts behind them, and ultimately a story of when men really were men, all in the line of duty.
Men of Harlech onto glory...10/10 and then some.
Last Man Standing (1996) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0116830/reference
And like Jericho, Walls come tumbling down. Last Man Standing is directed by Walter Hill who also adapts the screenplay from a story written by Ryûzô Kikushima and Akira Kurosawa. It stars Bruce Willis, Bruce Dern, William Sanderson, Christopher Walken, David Patrick Kelly, Karina Lombard and Ned Eisenberg. Music is by Ry Cooder and cinematography by Lloyd Ahern.
Walter Hill's variant on Yojimbo, plot basically sees Willis as drifter John Smith, who after arriving in the dusty town of Jericho, promptly sets about making some serious cash by playing the town's two gangs off against each other. Smith is one tough hombre, a deadly pistoleer who has a fear of nothing, which is why the two respective gang leaders want him to work for them. Noses get put out of joint, blood flows, scores settled and a anti-hero is born, complete with permanent scowl and dry narration.
The look and sound is terrific, Cooder's pessimistic twangs are all over the plot, while the visuals dovetail between sun-baked landscapes and the misty lensed ghost town of Jericho. Hill brings his trademark stylish violence into play, with slow-mos and rapid fire shoot-outs impressive, while his skill at creating an antique atmosphere is very much in evidence. Unfortunately the narrative isn't up to much, it lacks scope and characters merely exist, making this very much a style over substance exercise. It also means that much of the cast are given only morsels to feed on. A shame when you got Walken and Kelly on overdrive when on screen.
It's an odd blend of a Western with Prohibition Noir characters, but it's unmistakably a Walter Hill film. For his fans there's enough to like about it whilst accepting it's a bit of a throwaway on the page. For the casual crime/action film fan, however, it's likely to be much ado about nothing. 7/10
Quigley Down Under (1990) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0102744/reference
Matthew Quigley: Sharps Shooter.
Quigley Down Under is directed by Simon Wincer and written by John Hill. It stars Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo and Alan Rickman. Music is by Basil Poledouris and cinematography by David Eggby. Plot sees Selleck as Matthew Quigley, a Wyoming cowboy and sharp shooting rifleman who answers an advertisement to go to Western Australia as a hired sharp shooter. If proving his worth, he's to work for Elliot Marston (Rickman), but when Marston outlines his sick reasons for hiring Quigley, the pair quickly become on a collision course that can only see one of them survive.
It was written in the 1970s by John Hill, where it was hoped that Steve McQueen would take on the lead role, but with McQueen falling ill and Clint Eastwood allegedly passed over, the project sat on ice until 1990. In came Selleck and the film finally got made. Just about making back its money at the box office, Wincer's movie deserved far better than that. It's competition in the Western stakes in 1990 were Costner's beautiful and elegiac Dances With Wolves and the Brat Pack bravado of Young Guns II, both vastly different films from each other, and both considerably different from Quigley Down Under. If those two films contributed to the average response to the Selleck picture? I'm not completely sure, but viewing it now one tends to think that the 1990 audience just wasn't ready for such a delightfully old fashioned Oater, one that features a straight and simple narrative to tell its tale.
It's safe to say that anyone after deep psychological aspects will not get that here. There's some serious themes in the story, such as the horrid genocide towards Aborigines, while the deft kicks at the British are fair enough even to a British guy such as myself. But in the main this is old time Western fare, where it may be as predictable as a horse doing toilet where it pleases, but it's fun, brisk, gorgeous to look at, and there's never a dull moment within. Wincer (Lonesome Dove) directs with assuredness and the trio of cast leads are great value. Selleck cuts an impressive figure of a tough guy high on principals and with a comedy glint in his eye, Rickman is suitably attired all in black and bang on form for sneering, cocksure, villainy, while Giacomo is pretty and works neatly alongside Selleck as a spunky, lively, sidekick type who carries along some sad emotional baggage.
There appears to be quite some division amongst fans and critics as regards Poledouris' (Conan the Barbarian) score. Whilst I agree that it does at time veer close to being too boisterous, it sits well within the type of film the makers are going for. It carries with it a sort of Magnificent Seven flavouring, imbuing the story with a rightful sense of adventure. It also flows freely with Eggby's classical capturing of the Western Australian locations. Eggby (Mad Max/The Man From Snowy River) utilises the scope format on offer to deliver some truly gorgeous back drops, while the brown and yellow hues are most appealing to the eyes. Costuming and sets are spot on for period detail, and Quigley's Sharps Rifle is an absolute beast of a weapon. The simple structure and telegraphed nature of the story stops it from being a true classic of the genre. But it's got so much going for it and is high on rewatchability factor, to make Quigley Down Under (not the best of titles either) essential viewing for fans of old fashioned Westerns. 8.5/10
Super 8 (2011) - www.imdb.com/title/tt1650062/reference
And I just knew then that I was there, that I existed.
Super 8 is written and directed by J. J. Abrams. It stars Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard and Riley Griffiths. Music is scored by Michael Giacchino and cinematography by Larry Fong. The film tells the story of a group of young teenagers in Lillian, Ohio, 1979, who are filming their own Super 8 zombie movie when a train derails and crashes, releasing an unknown being into their midst. As the town is threatened and mysteries start to mount up, the youngsters must come to terms with not only that, but also growing up mentally and physically.
It's feels nigh on impossible to come across a review for Super 8 that doesn't contain the name Spielberg. With the film overtly Spiebergian in themes and production, and the bearded maestro of the film geek masses on producer duties here, his name hangs over Abrams' movie like a watchful father figure. If that bothers Abrams, or indeed if it detracts from the quality of his movie? Then that's up for debate by those not enamoured with Spielberg's movies of the late 70s and early 80s. But to my mind it's a blessing, a triumph of sorts to be mentioned in the same breath as the beard and those wonderful movies of his. Part homage, part nostalgia harking, Super 8 is still one great, sweet and affecting J.J. Abrams movie.
Abrams himself is on record as saying that Super 8 is born out of two movie ideas he had, this while also being drawn from his own recollections in childhood, and the two movie idea shows. It's very much a two part picture in structure, part Stand by Me coming of ager, part Goonie like monster hunt. Nothing wrong with that, mind. However, with that comes some form of irritation to those who venture in expecting a big ole alien attack movie. Oh for sure he exists, and he is big and mean, although he has just cause, but the creature is not the centre piece of the movie. It's the human characters that form the basis of Super 8, be it the kids adjusting to their changing emotions and hormones, or the single parent fathers coming to terms with absence of love and grief, Super 8 is brimming with human heart. Yet never is it schmaltzy.
PRODUCTION VALUE!
Aided by Fong's warm metallic hued photography and Giacchino's beautiful heart tugging score (both energised in Blu-ray), Super 8 always carries a magical mysticism to it. The warm glow of nostalgia cloaks the proceedings, never cloying, always smile inducing, offering comfort as the narrative deals out observations about the need to let go while playing out as a deft, if unsubtle, meditation on grief and growing pains. The cast do wonders for their director, Fanning and Courtney are exemplary, so much raw emotion and energy, it's unfussy and believable acting. Griffith's, too, is wonderful as the booming voiced wannabe director, a tender nod of the head to the many young amateur directors out there; of which Abrams was once one himself. While Eldard and Chandler as the two fathers are most affecting, the pangs of juggling single parenting with loss are deeply portrayed.
Of the director himself? He crafts it with care and precision, a knowing of the pulse beat of the thematics to drive it forward. His attention to period details are admirable, from the dialogue sparks involving Walkman's and Soviet paranoia, to the items located within the bedrooms and houses of our young protagonists, he is a man who knows his late 70s and early 80s onions. Spielberg was far from finished as a film maker of note at the time of Super 8's release, but it did feel then that the torch was deftly being passed sideways. After the excellence of Star Trek he followed up with this most delightful of movies, where Abrams showed in his work a love of cinema that's wholly infectious. 9/10
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Post by teleadm on Dec 22, 2018 20:51:52 GMT
Thanks for returning delon ! Most of it is Christmasy 2003? Was it really that long ago? Love it! The Muppets and Michael Caine? Well somehow it works out very well, I could have done without the forgettable songs though A local chanel digged this one out, and it's actually still a bit fun. More of the same, more action and a bit lesser humour, but still enjoyable With these actors and actresses, it's a pure joy Love, sadness, loneliness, and Wilder's acid touch. Maclaine is such a darling in this movie A Bit static at times, but who cares, seeing Bogart in a comedy is a joy, and after all the bad guy is Basil Bathbone! Hectic Yuletide farce, funny and touching at the same time. Powell and Loy, a match made in heaven, at least movie wise. They solve a crime too by the way. Well that was all this week!
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Post by OldAussie on Dec 22, 2018 21:38:05 GMT
hitchcockthelegend Last time I did a top 20, Zulu came in at no.14. Forced to pick a favourite contributor - Nigel Green. My top 20 - www.imdb.com/list/ls003147251/
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Dec 22, 2018 21:53:27 GMT
Brute Force I'm a big fan of >
Prison Noir!
This is Westgate Penitentiary, the Warden is a weak man, the prison is practically run by the cruel and highly ambitious Captain Munsey. But the prisoners are no walk overs, they deal their own justice to those that don't tow the line, tired and fed up of mistreatment, and fuelled by the Munsey influenced suicide of a popular inmate, the prisoners, led by big Joe Collins, plot a break out, the fear of failure not even an option.
Brute Force is a cracking moody picture directed with innovation by Jules Dassin and starring Burt Lancaster (brilliant as Joe Collins), Hume Cronyn (Munsey), Charles Bickford (Gallagher) and lady support (shown in excellent flashbacks) from Yvonne De Carlo, Ann Blyth, Ella Raines and Anita Colby. We open in the pouring rain at the monolithic gates of Westgate Penitentiary, Dassin's camera looking up at the gate like some foreboding warning, William Daniels black and white photography is stark and making its point, all this as Miklos Rozsa's score thunders in our ears, it's clear that this is going to be a mean and moody prison picture.
So it proves to be, sure all the formula traits that lace most prison films are in here, but Dassin and his team have managed to harness an oppressive feel to put us the viewer within the walls of Westgate as well. This is a bleak place, there are six men to a prison cell, their only chance of staying sane is memories of loved ones and a unified spirit to not be put upon by the vile Munsey, we are privy to everything, we ourselves are part of the furniture. Brute Force thankfully doesn't disappoint with its ending, the tension has been built up perfectly, the mood is set, so when the ending comes it's explosive and a truly fitting finale to what has been a first rate prison drama. 9/10
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Dec 22, 2018 23:13:22 GMT
. Favorite moment is when Markham shakes hands with someone and immediately sees their death--which is illustrated by the person's face exploding into pieces.
That bit sounds like The Twilight Zone Episode - The Purple Testament - only without the exploding bit, it was more a bright glow effect!
www.imdb.com/title/tt0069465/reference - Looks like a good one, never heard of it
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Dec 22, 2018 23:19:36 GMT
Thanks so much for alerting me to the existence of ZOMBEAVERS As a SHARKNADO veteran I didn't think it could get any better... but maybe it has! Top of my MUST SEE list for 2019
Then I have to point you towards Black Sheep (2006) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0779982/reference
If you not seen it of course? Review >
Ovinaphobia in Wairarapa!
Black Sheep, written and directed by Jonathan King is a wonderfully kooky horror comedy filmed out of New Zealand. Premise is simple, genetic tampering by unstable farmer man-child type has produced psychotic zombie sheep who like to chow down on human flesh. If you are "lucky" to still be alive after being bitten, you turn into a human/sheep hybrid - who likes to chow down on human flesh! All inhabitants of this island are doomed unless three spunky young heroes in waiting can overcome monumental odds and save the day!
With effects done by Weta being no bad thing, Black Sheep is a whole bunch of popcorn munching fun. Many of the jokes aren't really surprising but they hit the mark because the comedy is drawn nice and broad. It helps as well that much of it carries a sense of mischievous depravity about it, while the snarky asides to scientists and tree hugging environmentalists shows King to have a semblance of world awareness about him. The cinematography (Richard Bluck) is gorgeous, capturing the magnificent landscapes as a backdrop to the ovine carnage, and Victoria Kelly's musical score is jovial supreme.
Nothing earth shattering here, so those horror/comedy fans who venture in for the first time expecting otherwise will be disappointed. However, at under 90 minutes in length King's movie never once sags in pace or gasp for new comedic air. It's a short sharp shocker of a rib tickler and well worthy of a look if in the requisite mood. 7/10
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Post by Primemovermithrax Pejorative on Dec 22, 2018 23:21:14 GMT
That bit sounds like The Twilight Zone Episode - The Purple Testament - only without the exploding bit, it was more a bright glow effect!
www.imdb.com/title/tt0069465/reference - Looks like a good one, never heard of it
It's like THE LOVE WAR--another one that is totally forgotten yet quite interesting sci-fi tv movie.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Dec 22, 2018 23:41:19 GMT
I'm sure I got Deadline at Dawn tucked away somewhere, will have to look into that. I definitely want to see The Finest Hours since I like disaster/rescue pictures.
I was a little underwhelmed by Mirage, a little part of me was unfairly disappointed because of the director, cinematographer and Peck made me expect more, but yeah I'd have to watch again to see if it improved on further viewing.
Myriad Maze of Mental Mirages.
Mirage is directed by Edward Dmytryk and adapted by Peter Stone from a book written by Howard Fast. It stars Gregory Peck, Diane Baker, Walter Matthau, Kevin McCarthy, Leif Erickson and George Kennedy. Music is scored by Quincy Jones and cinematography by Joseph MacDonald.
David Stillwell (Peck) finds he is suffering from Unconscious Amnesia and that he has blacked out the events of the previous two years. That's rare, but Stillwell must find out what happened because he might have a lover, has shifty characters after him and he may even have committed murder?
20 years after appearing in the tricksy and turny psychological thriller Spellbound for Alfred Hitchcock, Gregory Peck jumps into the same type of shoes with a modicum of success. It's a little too contrived for its own good, with the odd character serving to the plot as god knows what? Seriously, what is Baker doing here? While the weak ending doesn't pay off on the suspense and mystery that had previously been well orchestrated by Dmytryk. On the plus side is the shadowy black and white photography by MacDonald, giving the film an edge, and the use of real New York locations lend the film some serio worth.
Matthau slips in and steals the film from an efficient Peck, and Kennedy and McCarthy score well as muscle and shifty respectively. It's not essential as a Peck or Dmytryk piece, or as a politico/mystery thriller, but enough interest within to keep it above average and Matthau more than makes it worth while. 6/10
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Dec 22, 2018 23:55:31 GMT
Most of the classic era noirs, the big names, I haven't seen for many a year now. All of them I'm going to revisit and edit the reviews should I feel the need. Murder My Sweet was kind of infuriating, I love it but an aspect of it bothers me.
What you think of it chap?
2008 review >
The dark pit opened up and I dived right in!
Well well, here we have a noir film that really has to be one of the most divisive in the genre, it would seem that some feel it's closer in texture to what Raymond Chandler wrote, and that the portrayal of Phillip Marlowe by Dick Powell is spot on in its execution.
Many others disagree completely though...
Now since I haven't read any of the novels Chandler wrote I have no frame of reference there, but having watched The Big Sleep this past week I feel the push me pull you polar opposite feelings this film creates.
Phillip Marlowe (Dick Powell) is a gruff wise cracking private eye, he is hired by ex convict Moose Malloy (a splendid Mike Mazurki) to find former girlfriend Velma who has been missing for 6 years, this sends him spiralling into a web of deceit, blackmail, theft, murder, in short all the great ingredients for classic noir. For sure the film has a cracking plot that dovetails a treat, but is it dark enough to fully flesh out the material? I just got this annoying itch that where the film should be getting murkier and deadly dark it was in fact far too breezy. Powell does good enough, but the wisecracks to me became more of a hindrance than an enjoyment, I felt in short that I was being lifted out of the dark when I actually wanted to stay cloaked in mud.
The film is still an incredible watch, the photography from Harry Wild is lush, and the core essence of the story is bang on the money, while I should mention the cracking performances of the supporting cast as Claire Trevor and Otto Kruger join in the mystery to help raise the film to a higher standard. Some scenes are joyous in the extreme, witness a nightmare sequence that is as gorgeous as it is unnerving, and director Edward Dmytryk excels in creating a bleak topsy turvy underworld, I just wish that this particular film had done away with the airiness. 8/10
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Post by mikef6 on Dec 23, 2018 1:57:34 GMT
Out Of The Past / Jacques Tourneur (1947). RKO Radio Pictures. “She can’t be all bad. No one is.” “She comes closest.” Maybe she does. “She” is Kathy Moffat (Jane Greer), one of the most fatale of femme fatales. I have wanted to revisit this classic noir for a long time and am glad I finally got to it. Kathy draws the formally honest private eye, Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) into her web causing him to cross mobster Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas). This famous film noir never ceases to amaze. The story is complicated almost to silliness, but not quite. There are plots within plots. Robert Mitchum had played supporting and second lead in a number of movies leading up to “Out Of The Past” but here he earns his Leading Man badge. Kirk Douglas, too, is early in his career but already starting to dazzle. But the takeaway here is Jane Greer – mysterious, sexy, a great liar and murderer. It is her career performance. She and Mitchum would be reunited two years later in “The Big Steal” (1949, directed by Don Siegel) but this later crime film is quite light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek - at times downright funny. Mitchum and Greer make a fine couple of quipsters. Their banter will keep a smile on your face. No way this is noir. A far cry from “Out Of The Past.” Drive A Crooked Road / Richard Quine (1954). Columbia. Eddie Shannon (Mickey Rooney) is a lonely guy living in one room in a boarding house. His only friends are the guys at work. He doesn’t have much confidence in himself. Why? He’s short. He’s a little guy. One of his co-workers has nicknamed him “Shorty” which gets to him but he doesn’t say anything. The one thing he IS good at is being an ace auto mechanic and race car driver who dreams of going to Europe to race in the French Grand Prix. This makes him the perfect patsy for two guys, played by Kevin McCarthy and Jack Kelly, who need a driver for their heist. To recruit him, they send McCarthy’s girlfriend to flirt with him, make him think a woman is actually in love with him, then reel him in. Cruel but effective. Rooney is more than excellent in this, allowing his slight stature to be a major plot point and often being in the same shot with the much taller McCarthy and Kelly for comparison. The femme who tempts Eddie into crime is played by Dianne Foster. She is especially good late in the film when she starts to regret what she is doing to Eddie. This was the last in a three picture contract with Columbia for Rooney (Sound Off and All Ashore were the other two) and he really showcases his dramatic talent. The picture was a modest success at the box office. The screenplay is by Blake Edwards, based on someone else’s story. Edwards, who went on to direct such films as “Breakfast At Tiffany’s,” “Day’s Of Wine And Roses, directed the second unit director for the first time in this film. Julius Caesar. BBC Play Of The Month Season 4, Episode 8 April 13, 1969. Friends! Romans! Countrymen! This slightly abbreviated production of Shakespeare’s Roman play was presented in color, something fairly new to U.K. tele at the time. It is a rather straight forward telling with Edward Woodward (The Wicker Man) leading the acting honors as the lean and hungry Cassius. Frank Finlay (Iago in the 1965 film of Othello with Laurence Olivier) is Brutus and Robert Stephens is Antony. Your best choice for JC on video remains the 1953 Joseph L. Mankiewicz directed film with Marlon Brando. Edward Woodward and Frank Finlay Sorry To Bother You / Boots Riley (2008). Playwright George S. Kaufman once famously said, “Satire is what closes on Saturday.” Well, I’m not sure how universally true that is, but satire is notoriously hard to do well. Movies, though, have been successful, especially when the satire comes from the dark side. Case in point is this fall down funny fantasy picture of society in the near future. Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) needs a job so interviews with a telemarketing company who will hire anyone. He is told that if he succeeds he may get a promotion to Power Caller and get to work upstairs via a private elevator. He doesn’t do well until advised by fellow caller Langston (Danny Glover) that he needs to use a “white voice” over the phone (the high-pitched reedy “white voices” are provided by comedy actors like David Cross and Patton Oswalt). Cassius becomes one the highest selling callers in the world, earning his promotion where he finds out what is really going on with this company. I sort of think that I “discovered” Lakeith Stanfield during his film debut in the indie drama “Short Term 12” (2013). He really stood out strongly in that ensemble cast. Tessa Thompson as Detroit, Cassius’ girlfriend continues to build on the promise she showed in “Creed” (2015). Armie Hammer plays the evil billionaire behind the dastardly schemes of the telemarketing company. I genuinely laughed out loud during the entire movie. Highly recommended.
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Post by petrolino on Dec 23, 2018 2:01:57 GMT
Sorry To Bother You / Boots Riley (2008). Playwright George S. Kaufman once famously said, “Satire is what closes on Saturday.” Well, I’m not sure how universally true that is, but satire is notoriously hard to do well. Movies, though, have been successful, especially when the satire comes from the dark side. Case in point is this fall down funny fantasy picture of society in the near future. Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) needs a job so interviews with a telemarketing company who will hire anyone. He is told that if he succeeds he may get a promotion to Power Caller and get to work upstairs via a private elevator. He doesn’t do well until advised by fellow caller Langston (Danny Glover) that he needs to use a “white voice” over the phone (the high-pitched reedy “white voices” are provided by comedy actors like David Cross and Patton Oswalt). Cassius becomes one the highest selling callers in the world, earning his promotion where he finds out what is really going on with this company. I sort of think that I “discovered” Lakeith Stanfield during his film debut in the indie drama “Short Term 12” (2013). He really stood out strongly in that ensemble cast. Tessa Thompson as Detroit, Cassius’ girlfriend continues to build on the promise she showed in “Creed” (2015). Armie Hammer plays the evil billionaire behind the dastardly schemes of the telemarketing company. I genuinely laughed out loud during the entire movie. Highly recommended.
"Playwright George S. Kaufman once famously said, “Satire is what closes on Saturday.”
I like this quote you quoted. I might have to quote it too one day.
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