|
|
Post by delon on Jun 8, 2019 14:45:27 GMT
Comments/ratings/recommendations/film posters are welcome and much appreciated
|
|
|
|
Post by wmcclain on Jun 8, 2019 14:47:35 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by politicidal on Jun 8, 2019 16:50:53 GMT
Election (1999) 8/10
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) 7/10
Fathom (1967) 6/10
Transporter 3 (2008) 4/10
A Blueprint for Murder (1953) 6/10
Breathless (1960) 5/10
Cold Pursuit (2019) 6/10
Navy Seals (1990) 5/10
They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) 7/10
|
|
|
|
Post by teleadm on Jun 8, 2019 20:25:36 GMT
This was my week of movies:  This movie has troubled me, while the sollution was satisfying, the road to that answer was too bumpy for me, though not bad at all, just way too long. Maybe the novel wasn't filmable...  Big Big Big with an important message, well made for what it is, anwithd a new danger every other second that becomes in length a bit too much.  The great John Huston's next to last movie. A slightly over-the-top mob tale about when wrong people falls in love, since they are both assassins on different sides of The Families. Showered with Oscar nominations so my doubt's might be wrong, that this was great but I just didn't get the greatness myself. It's still worth a watch, thanks to the actors.  Simple but very funny British comedy or farce, using the old story of thieves hiding loot in a tree, going to jail, once out going to retrieve loot, but as in this case 15 years later there is a new police station built too near the sight. Sidney James was a British treasure. No matter what fails, try another plan, try the next plan and the next and the next and so on.  In the age of James Bond and super-villians, the French rewoke their own super-villian, Fantomas that had not been seen a in a movie since 1932. This is played for kicks, with inept policemen and a journalst on the trail. llogical in plot, but has some impressive action scenes and sets. I watched the French speaking version this time, with sub-titles.  or The Robe Part II, why not since they had built the sets anyway on the Twentieth Century Fox lots. while the spectacle works well, the story that is without the burden of a famous novel. Jay Robinson once again saves the day with his over the top portrait of Caligula, while Susan Hayward makes a very mild and bland Messalina, she is supposed to be a historic femme fatale. Victor or his double are great in the action scenes. Mature had loads of fans so who am I to judge.  Yeah! We made shit movies in Sweden too! There was a nice song though. That concludes my week of cinematic ventures... |
|
|
|
Post by OldAussie on Jun 9, 2019 0:39:23 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by claudius on Jun 9, 2019 11:33:36 GMT
DARK SHADOWS (1969) “Episodes 766-770” 50TH ANNIVERSARY MPI Video DVD.
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN (2012) “The Bridge to Peace” Viz Media DVD.
YOUNG MR. LINCOLN (1939) 80TH ANNIVERSARY John Ford’s spotlight on Lincoln’s early career. First learned of this from Bob Dorian’s CLASSIC MOVIES (which mentions a deleted scene where yokel Lincoln meets a young John Wilkes Booth). However, although AMC played it a couple of times in the early 1990s, I didn’t watch the film until Christmas 2017. Criterion DVD.
MANHATTAN (1979) 40th ANNIVERSARY and UNITED ARTISTS 100TH ANNIVERSARY. Woody Allen’s look on life in the Big Apple. Probably one of the earliest Letterbox-on-TV films (Allen demanded that any broadcast or video release of the film had to present it in its original theatrical format). Fox BluRay.
LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY (1921) UNITED ARTISTS’ 100TH ANNIVERSARY. The first film version of children’s story, a vehicle by Mary Pickford, who plays both Cedric (with heavy emphasis on the curls, which was standard clothing at the time) and his mother. Knew of this production for years via books (my first actual film scene was the ‘Cedric kisses his mother’ scene in Kevin Brownlow/David Gill’s HOLLYWOOD). Haven’t seen it until recently (after some false starts, one time ordering it on Amazon and getting the Freddie Bartholomew version instead). Milestone DVD.
GREAT BOOKS (1994) “Alice in Wonderland” 25TH ANNIVERSARY Fourth episode of the documentary series is about Lewis Carroll’s classic (using animation and puppetry for the scenes), dealing with the author’s life, his interests, via interviews from historians and Grace Slick, the latter talking about the drug-related overtones (a video of Jefferson Airplane’s ”White Rabbit” is shown- I heard the song before, but didn't realize the Carrolinian verses- along with Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More”). First saw this on its premiere on The Learning Channel on June 4, 1994 (I was on a big ALICE fanboyism at the time). The Learning Channel VHS.
THE LONGEST DAY (1962) D-DAY 75TH ANNIVERSARY In honor of the Normandy Invasion, I watched Darryl F. Zanuck’s All-Star dream project on the two days of June 5-6. First saw this around the 50th Anniversary June 1994, when my mother asked me to record it on WQLN. I’ve seen it several times, like a Colorized version in 1997. It’s my Memorial Day film. FoxVideo DVD.
THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1984) “The Blue Carbuncle” 35TH ANNIVERSARY. The Season Finale of ADVENTURES is a Christmas episode. MPI Video DVD.
THE WORLD AT WAR (1973) “Morning (June-August 1944)” D-DAY 75th ANNIVERSARY. A&E DVD.
TOP SECRET! (1984) 35TH ANNIVERSARY Jim Abrahams and the Zucker Brothers’ spoof on Elvis films and War films. Saw this in my childhood and was always fond of it. Paramount VHS.
DRAGON BALL SUPER (2017) “Bloodcurdling! The Explosive Birth of a New Super Warrior.” Cartoon Network Broadcast.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on Jun 9, 2019 14:44:17 GMT
Mid90s (2018) A film written and directed by Jonah Hill...wait, don't leave just yet! I know what you're thinking, it must be stupid, but Jonah has worked with Scorsese, remember, and he has learned a lot a long the way. I think it may be mostly based on his own youth.  It's a realistic slice of 90's L.A. life of skate kids. Some of the kids aren't even actors and do a great job.  Lucas Hedges plays the older brother and he's the only "star" in the movie and he delivers, as always. Looking forward to more Jonah Hill productions.  The Rosary Murders (1987) Donald Sutherland as a priest who hears a confession of a serial killer killing priests and nuns.  Charles Durning is also in this playing a priest. He was a great actor, especially when he was playing less likeable characters, like he does here.  The story comes to a rather abrupt and slightly shocking conclusion, it's worth watching, and it's all on YouTube if anyone is interested.  Street Trash (1987) An insane horror comedy about tainted liquor bottles that turn homeless alcoholics into piles of multi-colored goo.  This movie must have held the previous record for the number of eff bombs dropped within a single movie, there's a lot of them. Not as disgusting as one would assume, mainly because it all looks like melted Play-Dough. There was this one scene of a character getting his head blown off, the practical effect looks great...if you like that sort of thing (I do).  Very trashy characters, all a bit seedy, but good fun. This movie is also available free on YouTube.  Ben Is Back (2018) More of Lucas Hedges, this lad can really act! Here, he's the drug addicted son of Julia Roberts (super-awesome in this role, BTW) who returns home early from rehab for Christmas.  You'll realize how bad some people's lives are while watching this, and you'll be glad yours isn't that bad. This is a great little movie. Yes, I admit I cried during the church scene, not sure if I have issues or what, or maybe the acting was just that good.  Director Peter Hedges is Lucas Hedges' father!  Seven in Heaven (2018) A closet transports teenagers to an alternate dimension where their other selves are leading different lives.  The premise sounds good but the movie kind of left me feeling unfulfilled by the end. There was so much more that could have been done with this idea. Cool poster though.  Dangerous Liaisons (1988)  Glenn Close goes to the edge and slightly beyond in this movie! She is simply astounding. This movie is one of the reasons why I consider her an acting goddess. Seriously, how in the heck is it possible she still hasn't won an Oscar yet? This is THE GLENN CLOSE ROLE in my mind, even more so than Fatal Attraction, this is the one I think of when I think of Glenn Close.  The movie itself has more conniving, backstabbing and debauchery than an afternoon of soap operas. John Malkovich gets to play a smarmy, smooth operator and truly delivers. It seems all he plays nowadays is smarmy villains but here, at least he has layers and is romantic. Michelle Pfeiffer and her shimmering gorgeousness will catch you off guard. She jumps off the screen in a smaller role. The costumes, the setting and the many twists and turns make for one wild and crazy ride. You know the costumes must be good if you take so much notice of them.  Even Keanu Reeves is great here, back then it seemed like some weird miscasting. Maybe we've all become accustomed to him over the years. He's very believable as the rather innocent and gullible Danceny.  So glad I revisited this movie again after so many years. I have a better appreciation of it now. Tulip Fever (2017)  I had heard some mixed reviews about this movie but I liked it enough. Christoph Waltz alone guarantees something good.  Dane DeHaan seems like he always ends up in these movies that should have been great successes, but just never quite catch on. He's like a mini-DiCaprio. I imagine him getting Leo's rejects. He's a capable actor and one day he might break out for real.  Alicia Vikander is gorgeous and the movie is the usual costume drama stuff. The one true delight for me, personally, from this movie was seeing Zach Galifianakis and Dame Judi Dench sharing a scene together. Not sure why, but this just seemed like the most unlikely Hollywood dream team that I never knew I was missing. Sadly, I cannot find a photo of them together.  Biggles (1986) Apparently, this Biggles guy is extremely well known in Britain in a series of books. I had never heard of him except for this movie, which has eluded my grasp since the 80's, until now.  It's yet another one of those adventure yarns that they did so well and often in the 80's. This was a fun romp, but don't expect too much more. Plays a bit like the pilot of a TV show that never happened, but there are some cool World War I flying scenes. Filmed in the same area in England that Kubrick used to double for Vietnam a year later for Full Metal Jacket.  Screen legend Peter Cushing's last ever role.   Class of '44 (1973)  This sequel to Summer of '42 (1971) seems like an earlier blueprint for Animal House (1978), or is it just me? The college setting and certain scenes seem like they may have inspired all the college sex comedies that came afterwards.  I really wanted to see this to see John Candy in his movie debut, he has one scene early on. Dude (2018)  Four high school friends smoke pot and chase boys and hang out. Refreshing to see the usual movie of this type told from the girl's point of view instead. Girls are just as normal/weird as boys.  Loving Annabelle (2006)  Lesbians at a private Catholic school. Sounds like a porn set-up, but just a regular slice of life drama.  A quiet little movie. The acting is good and the characters are all believable. Grey Gardens (1975)  Finally I get to see this classic documentary after having seen the movie version with Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore. These ladies are too interesting and unusual to ignore. You can't not start watching them and not finish. There are so many layers to what's actually happening on the screen, they reveal so much more than they ever think they are. Fascinating. Have a great movie watching week everyone, see you here next time!  
|
|
|
|
Post by mikef6 on Jun 9, 2019 20:28:28 GMT
Whispering Footsteps / Howard Bretherton (1943). Republic Pictures. This is something of an unknown, little seen second or third feature, typical of its time. Instead of a murder mystery, though, it follows a theme from Hitchcock’s silent “The Lodger” in which a man is suspected of being a serial killer so everyone he thought were his friends turn against him. Marcus Borne (John Hubbard) is a bank teller in Medallion, Indiana where he has lived all his life. At the bank he is under the thumb of the strict bank president, Mr. Hammond (played by everyone’s favorite movie martinet, Charles Halton). However, Hammond’s daughter Brook (Rita Quigley) and Marcus grew up together and are in love although they maintain a friendship not a romance. After women begin to be killed in small towns all around Medallion, a detective (Cy Kendall) shows up with an artist’s sketch of the killer. It looks exactly like Marcus. As suspicion begins to build, one by one the people Marcus was closest to begin to withdraw and total strangers stop and stare at him. Even we, the audience, cannot be sure of his innocence. The story resolves in the final seconds of the film and of a very satisfying ending. Direction and cinematography are routine with not much imagination. But the acting from all is a couple of notches above what you might expect from a film of this level and the story and script are rewarding. This is something of an unknown, almost forgotten movie but is worth your time if you have about a hour to spare.  John Hubbard and Rita Quigley  Charles Halton  Body And Soul / Robert Rossen (1947). Enterprise Productions. This film could carry many descriptors and all of them would be correct but none could be totally inclusive: Sports movie or more specifically a boxing movie, film noir, crime, gangsters….”Body and Soul” is a great movie that no label can encompass. Charlie Davis (John Garfield) is a rising amateur boxer who is trying to go professional with the help of his manager, Shorty Polaski (Joseph Pevney). He has the support of his loyal fiancé, Peg (Lilli Palmer) but not so much his mother (Anne Revere). When he does prove himself he falls under the control of mob leader Roberts (Lloyd Gough) and Roberts’ chosen manager, Quinn (William Conrad doing nomination worthy work). In true noir fashion, we even get a femme fatale in Alice (Hazel Brooks), Quinn’s former girlfriend, to whom Charlie turns after breaking with Peg and his family. The dialog crackles as in this exchange between Alice and Quinn: Alice: Don’t try to romance me, Quinn. You’re getting old. Quinn: You need a new paint job yourself. Alice: And I know where to get it. The film ends with an exciting match (cinematography by James Wong Howe) that has a lot riding on it. The protagonists are all second or third generation immigrants living in New York City. Shorty is clearly of Polish extraction and when a welfare worker visits Charlie’s mother, she confirms her name, address, and religion: “Jewish.” My heart leapt up. Only 10 years earlier, in the Best Picture winner “The Life Of Emile Zola” (1937) when the subject was one of history’s most famous legal cases involving anti-Semitism, not only was that subject never mentioned, but the very words “Jew” or “Jewish” were never used in dialog. And in another way this film can tell a layered story is the hiring of African-American actor Canada Lee who plays Ben Chaplin, a brain damaged former champion from whom Charlie won the title and then hired as a coach. Chaplin is not only performed by Lee as a man with intelligence and sensitivity, but he is allowed to speak in his own voice instead of that faux deep south racist dialect that others like the talented Willie Best and Mantan Moreland were forced to use. But many involved in this film payed the price of this picture of America as a melting pot. Within the next 5 to 6 years director Robert Rossen, screen writer Abraham Polonsky, John Garfield, Anne Revere, and Lloyd Gough had fallen victim to HUAC and the Hollywood blacklist.  Canada Lee, John Garfield  Lilli Palmer and John Garfield meet cute  Gunhamdo (The Battleship Island) / Seung-wan Ryoo (2017). South Korea. Japan started colonization efforts in Korea during the last decades of the 19th century. They formally annexed Korea to the Japanese Empire in 1910 and occupied and ruled the peninsula until the end of World War II in 1945. This dark period of time has been portrayed in several fine films from South Korea in recent years (Assassination, The Age Of Shadows, 2009: Lost Memories) and still seems to be a sore spot for Koreans (although on the other side of the coin, each of these films feature today’s Japanese actors who don’t seem to mind acting out the atrocities of their grandparents). In this film (based on history but with fictional characters) we are for most of the runtime on Hashima Island of the coast of Nagasaki, Japan at the end of the war - which the Korean prisoners cannot know about. The island is home to a rich coal mine – worked by prisoners - that is important to the Japanese war effort. We follow a band leader, his 11 year old daughter, and his band members all of whom had been arrested for playing forbidden jazz. Also present is an infiltrator whose job is to rescue a prominent resistant leader. Camp politics, double-crosses, and deaths lead to a grand finale of a battle when the prisoners attempt a mass escape after American bombers have laid waste to the mine facilities. This film could have been better if it had been a little shorter and a little lighter on its feet. The heavy handedness sometimes got wearying. However, one person really stands out. This is the 11 year old actress Kim Su-an who plays the band leader’s daughter. I have never seen such an adult performance by a child this young, not even Anna Paquin nor Henry Thomas nor Haley Joel Osment. Amazing.  All Is True / Kenneth Branagh (2018). TKBC/Sony Pictures Classics. One of the enduring myths of Shakespeare’s life is that he wrote himself into the role of the magician Prospero in “The Tempest,” his last solo written play. At the end of “The Tempest,” Prospero says he will bury his staff in the ground and throw his book of spells into the sea and become a mortal man. According to this myth, Shakespeare did the same – abandoning writing, leaving London, and returning to Stratford to live the rest of his days in the bosom of home and hearth. “All Is True” mostly takes up that story even though they move the time of Will’s retirement to 1613 after the Globe Theater burned down during a performance of “Henry VIII,” by Shakespeare and John Fletcher, whose original title was “All Is True.” Except in this telling, the playwright finds a fractured and embittered family living in his house. Kenneth Branagh, who also produced and directed the script by Ben Elton, plays the Bard as a man still grieving the death of his young son Hamnet 17 years earlier and not prepared to accept the recriminations of his wife Anne (Judi Dench, great as always) and of his youngest daughter Judith (Kathryn Wilder, very good), Hamnet’s paternal twin, over his years’ long absences. The movie is a little plodding, sometimes overly melodramatic, and not always ringing true, but there are some interesting speculations. Acting also is top drawer, Branagh better than he has been for a long time. There is a screaming funny cameo from Ian McKellen as the elderly but haughty and supremely witty Earl of Southampton and Ben Jonson (Gerald Horen) shows up at the end for a merry meeting with his old friend. Recommended, with reservations as noted. 
|
|
|
|
Post by morrisondylanfan on Jun 9, 2019 20:30:39 GMT
Hi all,I hope everyone had a good weekend,and I've recently viewed: Czechflix: Thanks to manfromplanetx for the awesome rec:  Before This Night is Over (1966) 9 Partying in one club for the whole night, the score by Jozef Novan/ Milos Jurkovic and Jaroslav Laifer keep the tunes spinning all night,thanks to the dance sequences moving to a Surf Rock-style howl,which fades into a Big Band Jazzy simmer as the end of the night appears on the horizon. Spending the whole night in just one nightclub, co-writer/(with Tibor Vichta) director Peter Solan & cinematographer Vincent Rosinec keep the limited location sparkling for the whole run time with chic Czech New Wave (CNW) stylisation across the long,winding pans across the Art Deco walls and precisely positioned shots of three people chatting to reflect up close and personal everyone at the club is. Planned to be made in 1957 under the original titles of either Before This Day Ends or Talking About Eve but blocked from getting state approval due to being seen as "Anti-social" until June 1965. Proving the delay to be worth the wait, the screenplay by Solan and Vichta twirls a CNW kaleidoscope character study of various guests across the night. Giving the cast only the outline of scenes but not the dialogue, Solan experimental style allows a realist quality to blossom in the exchanges between guests such as Balaz's hope to get close to his fellow boozers and Kvetinka and Milos's going for a night on the town in the hope of meeting lovely ladies,thanks to each exchange having a "in the moment" atmosphere fitting when meeting in a night club for the first time,where all hopes are dashed before this night is over. Intimate Lighting (1965) 8  His lone Czech title before he fled the title for the US,co-writer/(with Jaroslav Papousek and Václav Sasek) director Ivan Passer plates up a delightful slice of tale, trimmed with Czech New Wave (CNW) stylisation. Going down to a small village, Passer casts an affectionate atmosphere in the fading white colouring making the film look like fading photos, and giddy whip-pans following the humours antics of the locals.Taking a different path to the usual "City man goes to rural town" set-up, the writers keep the comedy richly Folk music flavoured, in wit coming from the small town musicians trying to perform professionally and the mishaps of locals during daily routines. Keeping quiet from the crew that he was ill, (he passed away 6 weeks after filming) Karel Blazek brings a wonderful hearty humane quality to Bambas,which pours out as he and Peter (a very good Zdenek Bezusek) share their love of music under intimate lighting. The Fireman's Ball (1967) 7  Banned "For ever" by the Czech Communist government, Arrow break the ban with a fine transfer and interesting,detailed extras,with the picture retaining a film grain, and the layering of the foreground/background soundtrack remaining clean. The last film he would make in Czech before fleeing to the US,co-writer/(with regular collaborates Jaroslav Papousek/ Ivan Passer and Václav Sasek) directing auteur Milos Forman continues building on the visual themes of his directing debut Audition (1964-also reviewed), in Czech New Wave (CNW) jump-cuts to various members of the public at the ball,and swaying whip-pans riding on the unfolding farcical commotion. Prominently using music since Audition, Forman here composes the music as the only thing which remains stable in the midst of chaos. Acting out what he'd like the cast to do but not giving them dialogue, Forman and his fellow writers ring satirical bells which angered the Commies,as the firemen try to hide putting models on "show trials" (even forcing some against their will to take part) for their own leering delight, along with attempts at giving out awards and holding a raffle being broken down by under handed thieving. Mixing very good professional and non- professional, the writers take a scatter-gun approach with the characters,with a satirical bite in the firemen not acting as individuals,but like board members giving the appearance of being effective at bureaucracy, whilst not letting their hair down in public at the firemen's ball. The Golden Fern (1963) 10  Opening with a dialogue-free 9 minute sequence deep in the heart of the fairytale woods, writer/directing auteur Jirí Weiss & cinematographer Bedrich Batka conjure up a magical abstract atmosphere, woven in sawn-off tracking shots lit by the beams of light entering the forest,and jagged, obscured angles giving the Golden Fern woman a mirage appearance. Getting out of the woods, Weiss displays a spectacular taste for the outdoors, with Weiss bringing out a lyrical quality in the rumbling sound of war taking place against the backdrop which Jura enters, and the crisp black and white becoming fractured as Jura falls under the spell of a deadly enchantress Generálova. Adapting Jan Drda's fairytale, the screenplay by Weiss thoughtfully continues the exploration of outsiders in a dangerous land,doom-laden romance and the horrific mark of war featured in Romeo, Julie a tma, with the pure,protected love Jura shared with the Golden Fern woman becoming ripped as he prowls deeper into the war and becomes poisoned by his love for Generalova,only to be left screaming in the wilderness for his lost Juliet. Reuniting with Weiss for the final time before he fled the country to escape the Commie government, Daniela Smutná gives a superb performance as Generálova. Completely different from the humanity she gave Hanka, Smutná fills Generálova to the brim with seductive venom, caring little for others and wrapping Jura (a fantastic, rugged and ruthlessly determined Vít Olmer) round her fingers,as the golden fern breaks. Final of the batch:Co-written by Milos Forman,but no reviews on IMDb or Letterboxd! Cubs (1958) 9  Stepping out when the French New Wave (FNW) was on the cusp of being in full flow, co-writer/director Ivo Novak closely works with co-writer/first assistant director Milos Forman & cinematographer Jan Novak in criss-crossing the fluidity of FNW with the earthy stylisation of the oncoming Czech New Wave. Tracking the youths of the city running away from the orders of elders, Novak and Forman step in time with glittering,reflective motifs of feet running and winding slides down long staircases. Dancing in the buzzing Jazz clubs, Novak and editor Jan Kohout hit notes of crystallised match-cuts,which capture the anxiety and fear gripping Hanka and Ota in the shadows where they hide. Inspired by the real life push of the communist government to send people against their will to work in poorer parts of the country, the screenplay by Novak and Forman weave a New Wave-style collage pulled on the attempts made by each recent graduate to remain in Prague. Closing in on Ota and Hanka as their options become limited, the writers keep the romance nicely understated, where instead of dipping into Melodrama, they remain focused and calculated over averting the elders attempts to tear them apart. Fresh faced from having just graduated, Jaroslava Panyrkova gives a exquisite performance as Hanka Havelkova, brimming with the cool confidence of a New Wave darling, but also a sharp brittleness over holding her love for Ota together, whilst trying to not make a sound when in hiding. Finding himself at the deep end of the romance, Rudolf Jelinek gives a fantastic turn as Ota Josif, via balancing a out-going attitude when hanging out with Hanka, with a growing anxiety over the elders stopping the cubs from being free. Other flicks: Felicity (1978) 8  Flirting across his career between Ozploitation offerings and Aussie New Wave (such as Breakfast in Paris (1982-also reviewed) flavour creations, co-writer/(with wife Diane) director John D. Lamond & Lamond's regular cinematographer Garry Wapshott fittingly have Felicity thrust between both genres/movements, via featuring a level of skin (from both sexes) which grinds to the fun frolics of Ozploitation, but is delicately captured with a smooth as silk stylisation of soft lights and dolly shots over the awakening cast across Felicity's face.Going to Hong Kong, Lamond and a cast/crew of just 12 wonderfully glide across the streets guerilla- style,in sequences of Felicity walking round historical shipping villages and the neon high streets being lit by glossy tracking shots, which dive into a sex scene on a (rented) tram,which was driven round the Hong Kong streets during filming. Peaking at Felicity reading The Story of O a number of times, the screenplay by John and Diane Lamond smoothly fits into the high-end Erotica of the era,in going back to Felicity's innocent all-girls high school, (where they all shared showers) and shredding it layer by layer in steamy back rooms of Hong Kong, along with the awakening of Felicity's own sexual curiosity.Sprinkling a romance in for the final, the writers do very well at making it flow by keeping it light and breezy,in keeping with Felicity's relaxed attitude to exploring her sexuality. Putting on a good fake Aussie accent, Canadian Glory Annen gives a blissful turn,thanks to keeping the sexy (soft) scenes pinned on the psychological awakening of desire for Felicity.  The Ant Bully 2006 6 Currently the last project he has written or directed, writer/director John A. Davis brings the ant bully down to size with very good,clean CGI, which shines most significantly in the realistic looking water and plants, along with the ants and other bugs being given an autumn coloured rocks appearance. Similar to the style he gave the show Jimmy Neutron,Davis make the humans (including the lead Lucas!) stand out like a sore thumb from being given a block, minimally expressive appearance at odds with the rest of the animation. Adapting John Nickle’s picture book, the screenplay by Davis stands out from other CGI bug flicks by placing a focus on the daily routine of ants, which along with digging out comedy from the ant antics,also delivers the message of Lucas learning to respect another culture in a non-sickly sweet manner,partly thanks to the lively vocal turns of Nicolas Cage, Bruce Campbell and Julia Roberts, but also from the sweet bond gradual developed with Hova,who helps Lucas to become the anti-ant bully. |
|
|
|
Post by snsurone on Jun 9, 2019 21:31:33 GMT
ALICE ADAMS
IMHO, it's an OK movie, but not a great one.
Kate Hepburn can really grate on the nerves, sometimes!
And I agree with Ben M. about the "hollywood" ending.
I think the movie should have ended as the book did, with Alice ending up as an office drudge after Arthur leaves her for good.
But Hollywood would never have allowed that!
|
|
|
|
Post by morrisondylanfan on Jun 9, 2019 22:27:31 GMT
Mid90s (2018) A film written and directed by Jonah Hill...wait, don't leave just yet! I know what you're thinking, it must be stupid, but Jonah has worked with Scorsese, remember, and he has learned a lot a long the way. I think it may be mostly based on his own youth. It's a realistic slice of 90's L.A. life of skate kids. Some of the kids aren't even actors and do a great job. Lucas Hedges plays the older brother and he's the only "star" in the movie and he delivers, as always. Looking forward to more Jonah Hill productions. The Rosary Murders (1987) Donald Sutherland as a priest who hears a confession of a serial killer killing priests and nuns. Charles Durning is also in this playing a priest. He was a great actor, especially when he was playing less likeable characters, like he does here. The story comes to a rather abrupt and slightly shocking conclusion, it's worth watching, and it's all on YouTube if anyone is interested. Street Trash (1987) An insane horror comedy about tainted liquor bottles that turn homeless alcoholics into piles of multi-colored goo. This movie must have held the previous record for the number of eff bombs dropped within a single movie, there's a lot of them. Not as disgusting as one would assume, mainly because it all looks like melted Play-Dough. There was this one scene of a character getting his head blown off, the practical effect looks great...if you like that sort of thing (I do). Very trashy characters, all a bit seedy, but good fun. This movie is also available free on YouTube. Ben Is Back (2018) More of Lucas Hedges, this lad can really act! Here, he's the drug addicted son of Julia Roberts (super-awesome in this role, BTW) who returns home early from rehab for Christmas. You'll realize how bad some people's lives are while watching this, and you'll be glad yours isn't that bad. This is a great little movie. Yes, I admit I cried during the church scene, not sure if I have issues or what, or maybe the acting was just that good. Director Peter Hedges is Lucas Hedges' father! Seven in Heaven (2018) A closet transports teenagers to an alternate dimension where their other selves are leading different lives. The premise sounds good but the movie kind of left me feeling unfulfilled by the end. There was so much more that could have been done with this idea. Cool poster though. Dangerous Liaisons (1988) Glenn Close goes to the edge and slightly beyond in this movie! She is simply astounding. This movie is one of the reasons why I consider her an acting goddess. Seriously, how in the heck is it possible she still hasn't won an Oscar yet? This is THE GLENN CLOSE ROLE in my mind, even more so than Fatal Attraction, this is the one I think of when I think of Glenn Close. The movie itself has more conniving, backstabbing and debauchery than an afternoon of soap operas. John Malkovich gets to play a smarmy, smooth operator and truly delivers. It seems all he plays nowadays is smarmy villains but here, at least he has layers and is romantic. Michelle Pfeiffer and her shimmering gorgeousness will catch you off guard. She jumps off the screen in a smaller role. The costumes, the setting and the many twists and turns make for one wild and crazy ride. You know the costumes must be good if you take so much notice of them. Even Keanu Reeves is great here, back then it seemed like some weird miscasting. Maybe we've all become accustomed to him over the years. He's very believable as the rather innocent and gullible Danceny. So glad I revisited this movie again after so many years. I have a better appreciation of it now. Tulip Fever (2017) I had heard some mixed reviews about this movie but I liked it enough. Christoph Waltz alone guarantees something good. Dane DeHaan seems like he always ends up in these movies that should have been great successes, but just never quite catch on. He's like a mini-DiCaprio. I imagine him getting Leo's rejects. He's a capable actor and one day he might break out for real. Alicia Vikander is gorgeous and the movie is the usual costume drama stuff. The one true delight for me, personally, from this movie was seeing Zach Galifianakis and Dame Judi Dench sharing a scene together. Not sure why, but this just seemed like the most unlikely Hollywood dream team that I never knew I was missing. Sadly, I cannot find a photo of them together. Biggles (1986) Apparently, this Biggles guy is extremely well known in Britain in a series of books. I had never heard of him except for this movie, which has eluded my grasp since the 80's, until now. It's yet another one of those adventure yarns that they did so well and often in the 80's. This was a fun romp, but don't expect too much more. Plays a bit like the pilot of a TV show that never happened, but there are some cool World War I flying scenes. Filmed in the same area in England that Kubrick used to double for Vietnam a year later for Full Metal Jacket. Screen legend Peter Cushing's last ever role. Class of '44 (1973) This sequel to Summer of '42 (1971) seems like an earlier blueprint for Animal House (1978), or is it just me? The college setting and certain scenes seem like they may have inspired all the college sex comedies that came afterwards. I really wanted to see this to see John Candy in his movie debut, he has one scene early on. Dude (2018) Four high school friends smoke pot and chase boys and hang out. Refreshing to see the usual movie of this type told from the girl's point of view instead. Girls are just as normal/weird as boys. Loving Annabelle (2006) Lesbians at a private Catholic school. Sounds like a porn set-up, but just a regular slice of life drama. A quiet little movie. The acting is good and the characters are all believable. Grey Gardens (1975) Finally I get to see this classic documentary after having seen the movie version with Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore. These ladies are too interesting and unusual to ignore. You can't not start watching them and not finish. There are so many layers to what's actually happening on the screen, they reveal so much more than they ever think they are. Fascinating. Have a great movie watching week everyone, see you here next time! Hi Lebowskidoo,I hope you had a good weekend,and I enjoyed reading your Tulip Fever comments. I remember that there was some hype with the first trailer,but even before the Weinstein fallout (TF was Weinstein Company's penultimate film) it had fizzled out. With you being a fellow fan of Vikander, was wondering if you've seen her film debut?  And on Biggles, you are correct about him being well known in the UK.
|
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jun 9, 2019 22:32:40 GMT
Threaded > Artists and Models (1955) and Hollywood or Bust (1956) - imdb2.freeforums.net/post/2947462/thread
Threaded > Villa Rides (1968) - imdb2.freeforums.net/post/2933266/thread
Post In Thread > Niagara (1953) - imdb2.freeforums.net/post/2947049/thread
The Rest >
Gaslight (1944) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0036855/reference
I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were dangerous to her.
Gaslight is directed by George Cukor and is adapted to screenplay from Patrick Hamilton's play by John Van Druten, Walter Reisch and John L. Balderston. It stars Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotton, May Whitty, Barbara Everest and Angela Lansbury. Music is by Bronislaw Kaper and cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg.
Years after her aunt was murdered in her London home, Paula Alquist Anton (Bergman) moves back there with her new husband, Gregory Anton (Boyer). However, what at first seems to be an idyllic marriage begins to crumble as Paula appears to be losing her mind...
You really have to put into context just how great Gaslight is as per the time it was released. For it holds up now as something of a torch igniter for what has followed over the decades. The psychological thriller - specifically that of a spouse being tormented by their partner - has been mined for all its worth - and will continue to do so. Even the terminology of very real life instances such as Gaslighted/Gaslighting have been born out from the pic, so if it is thought of being dated or old hat, its influence is still quite considerable.
It's still a terrific atmospheric thriller anyway, played out to a magnificent backdrop of Victorian London, of fogs and cobbled streets, and of course gas lights and eerie shadows. Pic is split into two halves, first half is the set-up of a whirlwind romance that leads to marriage, then the move to the marital home and support characters - nosy neighbour (Whitty), housekeeper (Everest), tart housemaid (Lansbury on debut) - are introduced to proceedings. Deft psychological touches are being played out, though wonderfully we never actually see the misdirection machinations actually being done.
Then as the second half happens upon us it really hits the diabolical straps, the methodical manoeuvres of Gregory Anton really start to gnaw away at our senses. We witness Paula come apart, her mind fractured, so vulnerable and confused, you would have to have a heart of stone not to have your very core ache. It's here where Bergman, in the first of her three Best Actress Oscar wins, excels without duff histrionics. Boyer also is superb, where guided by the astute Cukor he makes Gregory a dashing dastard, only given to subtle clues about his devious and wicked doings.
Cotton doesn't try to do a British accent, which is fine as he holds his end up well as Brian Cameron, the man getting to grips with what's actually going on in the Alton home. Brian is our hero in waiting, giving us something to hang onto as the pic reaches revelations point. With Ruttenberg (Oscar Nominated) drifting what would be known as noirish contrasts over the piece, and Kaper's music unobtrusively subtle, Gaslight hits high marks for tech credit substance. All told it's a truly great film, and one that's well worth going back to if you become jaded with the more slick and polished production line genre pieces that follow in its wake. 9/10
_03.jpg)       
Black Widow (1954) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0046791/reference
The Black Widow, deadliest of all spiders, earned its dark title through its deplorable practice of devouring its mate.
Black Widow is written and directed by Nunally Johnson. It stars Ginger Rogers, Van Heflin, Gene Tierney, George Raft, Peggy Ann Garner and Reginald Gardiner. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematograpgy by Charles G. Clarke.
A young writer insinuates herself into the life of a Broadway producer - with dire consequences...
A CinemaScope/De Luxe colour production out of 20th Century Fox, Black Widow flirts with the boundaries of colour film noir. Heflin is the Broadway producer who has his world turned upside by what at first we think is a femme fatale, only the pic isn't as straight forward as that. In fact, the title is a bit of a bum steer for this is not about some male murdering femme fatale, quite the opposite in fact, so expectation of that will only cause disappointment.
Essentially this ends up as a who and why done it? And for the most part the pic holds the attention as the narrative pitches Peter Denver (Heflin) as the Broadway producer frantically trying to prove himself innocent of a murder. Cards are kept close to the chest as Johnson's screenplay drips suspicion into the play at various points. We the audience are forced into questioning the manoeuvres of the lead protagonists, which gains momentum once Raft's Detective Bruce starts investigating the case. However, some have cried out that the revelation was too easy to spot, maybe so if one is so desperate to do so, but of course we do hear this a lot from folk not happy with the film they have watched. Personally, I didn't see it coming, but conversely, I was personally disappointed with the reveal. So, there you go, roll the dice and take a chance with it really.
Tech aspects are hit and miss. The CinemaScope format doesn't quite work here, given that most of the play is performed in apartments. When it comes to the cityscapes of New York - and the framing of characters within them - it's a treat, especially as Clarke's colour lenses are splendid, but Johnson the director doesn't appear to get a handle on the format. Acting is also an interesting parade. Heflin is great, draws you into his "on the run to clear my name" malarkey with conviction, while Rogers is having a blast as the waspish lead lady with delusions of grandeur. Raft is a one note let down in a "for the money" role, and Tierney (sadly getting closer to succumbing to her mental health problems) is poorly written and Gardiner likewise. Garner (stepping in when Maggie McNamara fell ill) is fine, slinky and suspiciously delicate, but the course of the story leaves us short of more from her.
As a whole? it's a mixed bag, but definitely it's on the good side of good, particularly for Heflin and Rogers fans and for those of a noir persuasion. 7/10
  /_derived_jpg_q90_600x800_m0/BlackWidow1954-Still1.jpg?partner=allmovie_soap)  /_2by3/_derived_jpg_q90_600x800_m0/BlackWidow1954-Still2.jpg?partner=allmovie_soap) 
The Enforcer (1976) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0074483/reference
Here's a seven-point suppository!
The Enforcer is directed by James Fargo and collectively written by Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink, Stirling Silliphant, Dean Riesner, Gail Morgan Hickman and S.W. Schurr. It stars Clint Eastwood, Tyne Daly, Harry Guardino, Bradford Dillman, DeVeren Bookwalter and John Mitchum. Music is by Jerry Fielding and cinematography by Charles W. Short.
Dirty Harry Callahan is tasked with foiling a terrorist organization made up of supposed revolutionaries. However, when he's partnered by a rookie female cop he's far from best pleased and feels sure she's out of her depth.
This is the third entry of what would eventually become five Clint Eastwood starring Dirty Harry films. Sensing the need to inject a bit of freshness to what was obviously going to be a safe "no nonsense cop" formula, the makers introduce a nifty complexity to Callahan's world by pairing him up with a female cop - one that's fresh out of school. So with Callahan's propensity for being irked about partners in general, and his suspected misogyny dangled by his superiors, this is a forward thinking turn of events by the writers.
From a narrative stand point director Fargo (for his feature film debut) doesn't deviate from what made the previous two films a success. Pacing is steady so that this allows dramatic character interplays to breathe, and forceful action sequences bounce into the fray at various junctures. This is not however detrimental to the story, which zips along and is punctured by customary Dirty Harry humour. The relationship between Harry and Kate (passable but not quite a great casting choice) builds through various stages, from begrudging mentor and pupil beginnings, to something that actually ends up rather touching.
Sadly this "Dirty Harry" film lacks great villainy, the People's Revolutionary Strike Force come off as a mixed bunch of psychos and confused hippies, with not enough screen time for their leader (Bookwalter) to impact greatly on proceedings. Be that as it may, there's enough for Callahan to chew on, with the gruff straight talking cop surrounded by the usual moronic bureaucrats and handy allies (the always great Albert Popwell in a customary appearance). Where it stands with fans of the Dirty Harry series as a whole is unclear? for The Enforcer appears to now be fondly remembered more the decades have passed. But it certainly is no dead loss and a strong 7/10 rating I feel is fully justified.
     
The Return of Godzilla (1984) - www.imdb.com/title/tt9015178/reference
It's good to have the moody atomic beast back!
After an extended break, Godzilla as a movie force made its comeback with this the 16th Godzilla film and the first of what would be the Heisei series. It's a reboot that basically follows on from the original Gojira film of 1954. Plot has Godzilla back as a destroyer of mankind, setting its eyes on stomping Tokyo into oblivion. As Zilla goes about its destructive way, and Tokyo attempts to repel the onslaught, there's a backdrop of a diplomatic crisis reaching boiling point as the Soviets and the Americans get ready for nuclear war. Thankfully the Japanese are able to convince the sane politicians that it is in fact Godzilla at the crux of things. Can the world powers join together to defeat the mightiest of lizards?
If a Godzilla fan you could be forgiven for going into this one fearing the worst, and yet it ticks many of the boxes for those who prefer Zilla as the destroyer of mankind as opposed to the saviour of mankind that the Showa period ended up as. There's the standard amount of miniatures and sets destruction, splendidly constructed as usual, nifty effects work and a whole bunch of iconic images to take from the experience (Zilla atomic breath destruction, stomping through the city, nuclear reinvigoration, back from the dead with awesome carnage following). There's good sci-fi within as well, such as the Japanese scientists having created a super fortress known as Super X, while sometimes all you need is to hear that brilliant roar followed by lizard devastation.
This was a return to the dark roots of Godzilla, complete with anti-nuclear sentiments. It didn't reinvent the wheel, but it did restart it successfully. 7/10
      
The Predator (2018) - www.imdb.com/title/tt3829266/reference
A crushing disappointment.
The hopes were high for this latest Predator rebirth, not because Shane Black starred in the great first Predator film, so therefore he surely must care about the project? But because he's an excellent writer and director. Shane Black can count Lethal Weapon(S), The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight on his CV, he was the man who put Iron Man back on track after the sag of part 2. Plus he is the creator of two of the best buddy buddy neo-noirs this millennium (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang/The Nice Guys), So how come The Predator stinks of lazy cash cow manure?
Plot in a nutshell sees the universe's most lethal hunters unleashed on Earth due to the meddling of a soldiers kid and some nosey scientist types. The fate of mankind rests with a group of damaged ex-soldiers and a rather cheesed off female scientist.
We have a rehash mishmash of what we have seen before in Predator 87 and Predators 2010. A group dynamic fighting a seemingly invincible foe. The subsequent science aspects such as human DNA inference/reasoning etc never really add up to much, serving only for a bunch of standard actors shouting, swearing and spouting hopelessly weak jokes and series re-treads. When you think the pic is about to up a gear, get rivetingly dramatic, a poor slice of humour comes our way either by vocal spillage or visual drivel (puppy pet Predator dog, really?). There's a bunch of plot threads that just dangle never to be pulled (PTSD/our hero's family strife et al), and the Predators loose on Earth - with different agendas - are confusingly shifted about by a screenplay not sure where it wants to land.
Plus points? Well the cinematography is superb (Larry Fong), and you can't fault this for action quotas, there's plenty of it and it's bloody (both red and green type). The score is the traditional one we had from Alan Silvestri back in the 87 film, in fact it hardly deviates from it and yet Henry Jackman gets the credit. Of course some of the jokes will work for some folk (I would be lying if I said a Whoopi Goldberg gag didn't make me laugh), but the terror has gone, these Predators are no longer scary creatures. This reeks of a troubled production going hand in hand with a cash cow that not only narratively adds up to nothing really, but of a franchise death knell. Shame. 3.5/10
     
And dat is dat!
|
|
|
|
Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on Jun 9, 2019 22:34:50 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by morrisondylanfan on Jun 9, 2019 22:48:44 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by morrisondylanfan on Jun 9, 2019 23:04:54 GMT
Threaded > Artists and Models (1955) and Hollywood or Bust (1956) - imdb2.freeforums.net/post/2947462/thread
Threaded > Villa Rides (1968) - imdb2.freeforums.net/post/2933266/thread
Post In Thread > Niagara (1953) - imdb2.freeforums.net/post/2947049/thread
The Rest >
Gaslight (1944) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0036855/reference
I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were dangerous to her.
Gaslight is directed by George Cukor and is adapted to screenplay from Patrick Hamilton's play by John Van Druten, Walter Reisch and John L. Balderston. It stars Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotton, May Whitty, Barbara Everest and Angela Lansbury. Music is by Bronislaw Kaper and cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg.
Years after her aunt was murdered in her London home, Paula Alquist Anton (Bergman) moves back there with her new husband, Gregory Anton (Boyer). However, what at first seems to be an idyllic marriage begins to crumble as Paula appears to be losing her mind...
You really have to put into context just how great Gaslight is as per the time it was released. For it holds up now as something of a torch igniter for what has followed over the decades. The psychological thriller - specifically that of a spouse being tormented by their partner - has been mined for all its worth - and will continue to do so. Even the terminology of very real life instances such as Gaslighted/Gaslighting have been born out from the pic, so if it is thought of being dated or old hat, its influence is still quite considerable.
It's still a terrific atmospheric thriller anyway, played out to a magnificent backdrop of Victorian London, of fogs and cobbled streets, and of course gas lights and eerie shadows. Pic is split into two halves, first half is the set-up of a whirlwind romance that leads to marriage, then the move to the marital home and support characters - nosy neighbour (Whitty), housekeeper (Everest), tart housemaid (Lansbury on debut) - are introduced to proceedings. Deft psychological touches are being played out, though wonderfully we never actually see the misdirection machinations actually being done.
Then as the second half happens upon us it really hits the diabolical straps, the methodical manoeuvres of Gregory Anton really start to gnaw away at our senses. We witness Paula come apart, her mind fractured, so vulnerable and confused, you would have to have a heart of stone not to have your very core ache. It's here where Bergman, in the first of her three Best Actress Oscar wins, excels without duff histrionics. Boyer also is superb, where guided by the astute Cukor he makes Gregory a dashing dastard, only given to subtle clues about his devious and wicked doings.
Cotton doesn't try to do a British accent, which is fine as he holds his end up well as Brian Cameron, the man getting to grips with what's actually going on in the Alton home. Brian is our hero in waiting, giving us something to hang onto as the pic reaches revelations point. With Ruttenberg (Oscar Nominated) drifting what would be known as noirish contrasts over the piece, and Kaper's music unobtrusively subtle, Gaslight hits high marks for tech credit substance. All told it's a truly great film, and one that's well worth going back to if you become jaded with the more slick and polished production line genre pieces that follow in its wake. 9/10
Black Widow (1954) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0046791/reference
The Black Widow, deadliest of all spiders, earned its dark title through its deplorable practice of devouring its mate.
Black Widow is written and directed by Nunally Johnson. It stars Ginger Rogers, Van Heflin, Gene Tierney, George Raft, Peggy Ann Garner and Reginald Gardiner. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematograpgy by Charles G. Clarke.
A young writer insinuates herself into the life of a Broadway producer - with dire consequences...
A CinemaScope/De Luxe colour production out of 20th Century Fox, Black Widow flirts with the boundaries of colour film noir. Heflin is the Broadway producer who has his world turned upside by what at first we think is a femme fatale, only the pic isn't as straight forward as that. In fact, the title is a bit of a bum steer for this is not about some male murdering femme fatale, quite the opposite in fact, so expectation of that will only cause disappointment.
Essentially this ends up as a who and why done it? And for the most part the pic holds the attention as the narrative pitches Peter Denver (Heflin) as the Broadway producer frantically trying to prove himself innocent of a murder. Cards are kept close to the chest as Johnson's screenplay drips suspicion into the play at various points. We the audience are forced into questioning the manoeuvres of the lead protagonists, which gains momentum once Raft's Detective Bruce starts investigating the case. However, some have cried out that the revelation was too easy to spot, maybe so if one is so desperate to do so, but of course we do hear this a lot from folk not happy with the film they have watched. Personally, I didn't see it coming, but conversely, I was personally disappointed with the reveal. So, there you go, roll the dice and take a chance with it really.
Tech aspects are hit and miss. The CinemaScope format doesn't quite work here, given that most of the play is performed in apartments. When it comes to the cityscapes of New York - and the framing of characters within them - it's a treat, especially as Clarke's colour lenses are splendid, but Johnson the director doesn't appear to get a handle on the format. Acting is also an interesting parade. Heflin is great, draws you into his "on the run to clear my name" malarkey with conviction, while Rogers is having a blast as the waspish lead lady with delusions of grandeur. Raft is a one note let down in a "for the money" role, and Tierney (sadly getting closer to succumbing to her mental health problems) is poorly written and Gardiner likewise. Garner (stepping in when Maggie McNamara fell ill) is fine, slinky and suspiciously delicate, but the course of the story leaves us short of more from her.
As a whole? it's a mixed bag, but definitely it's on the good side of good, particularly for Heflin and Rogers fans and for those of a noir persuasion. 7/10
The Enforcer (1976) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0074483/reference
Here's a seven-point suppository!
The Enforcer is directed by James Fargo and collectively written by Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink, Stirling Silliphant, Dean Riesner, Gail Morgan Hickman and S.W. Schurr. It stars Clint Eastwood, Tyne Daly, Harry Guardino, Bradford Dillman, DeVeren Bookwalter and John Mitchum. Music is by Jerry Fielding and cinematography by Charles W. Short.
Dirty Harry Callahan is tasked with foiling a terrorist organization made up of supposed revolutionaries. However, when he's partnered by a rookie female cop he's far from best pleased and feels sure she's out of her depth.
This is the third entry of what would eventually become five Clint Eastwood starring Dirty Harry films. Sensing the need to inject a bit of freshness to what was obviously going to be a safe "no nonsense cop" formula, the makers introduce a nifty complexity to Callahan's world by pairing him up with a female cop - one that's fresh out of school. So with Callahan's propensity for being irked about partners in general, and his suspected misogyny dangled by his superiors, this is a forward thinking turn of events by the writers.
From a narrative stand point director Fargo (for his feature film debut) doesn't deviate from what made the previous two films a success. Pacing is steady so that this allows dramatic character interplays to breathe, and forceful action sequences bounce into the fray at various junctures. This is not however detrimental to the story, which zips along and is punctured by customary Dirty Harry humour. The relationship between Harry and Kate (passable but not quite a great casting choice) builds through various stages, from begrudging mentor and pupil beginnings, to something that actually ends up rather touching.
Sadly this "Dirty Harry" film lacks great villainy, the People's Revolutionary Strike Force come off as a mixed bunch of psychos and confused hippies, with not enough screen time for their leader (Bookwalter) to impact greatly on proceedings. Be that as it may, there's enough for Callahan to chew on, with the gruff straight talking cop surrounded by the usual moronic bureaucrats and handy allies (the always great Albert Popwell in a customary appearance). Where it stands with fans of the Dirty Harry series as a whole is unclear? for The Enforcer appears to now be fondly remembered more the decades have passed. But it certainly is no dead loss and a strong 7/10 rating I feel is fully justified.
The Return of Godzilla (1984) - www.imdb.com/title/tt9015178/reference
It's good to have the moody atomic beast back!
After an extended break, Godzilla as a movie force made its comeback with this the 16th Godzilla film and the first of what would be the Heisei series. It's a reboot that basically follows on from the original Gojira film of 1954. Plot has Godzilla back as a destroyer of mankind, setting its eyes on stomping Tokyo into oblivion. As Zilla goes about its destructive way, and Tokyo attempts to repel the onslaught, there's a backdrop of a diplomatic crisis reaching boiling point as the Soviets and the Americans get ready for nuclear war. Thankfully the Japanese are able to convince the sane politicians that it is in fact Godzilla at the crux of things. Can the world powers join together to defeat the mightiest of lizards?
If a Godzilla fan you could be forgiven for going into this one fearing the worst, and yet it ticks many of the boxes for those who prefer Zilla as the destroyer of mankind as opposed to the saviour of mankind that the Showa period ended up as. There's the standard amount of miniatures and sets destruction, splendidly constructed as usual, nifty effects work and a whole bunch of iconic images to take from the experience (Zilla atomic breath destruction, stomping through the city, nuclear reinvigoration, back from the dead with awesome carnage following). There's good sci-fi within as well, such as the Japanese scientists having created a super fortress known as Super X, while sometimes all you need is to hear that brilliant roar followed by lizard devastation.
This was a return to the dark roots of Godzilla, complete with anti-nuclear sentiments. It didn't reinvent the wheel, but it did restart it successfully. 7/10
The Predator (2018) - www.imdb.com/title/tt3829266/reference
A crushing disappointment.
The hopes were high for this latest Predator rebirth, not because Shane Black starred in the great first Predator film, so therefore he surely must care about the project? But because he's an excellent writer and director. Shane Black can count Lethal Weapon(S), The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight on his CV, he was the man who put Iron Man back on track after the sag of part 2. Plus he is the creator of two of the best buddy buddy neo-noirs this millennium (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang/The Nice Guys), So how come The Predator stinks of lazy cash cow manure?
Plot in a nutshell sees the universe's most lethal hunters unleashed on Earth due to the meddling of a soldiers kid and some nosey scientist types. The fate of mankind rests with a group of damaged ex-soldiers and a rather cheesed off female scientist.
We have a rehash mishmash of what we have seen before in Predator 87 and Predators 2010. A group dynamic fighting a seemingly invincible foe. The subsequent science aspects such as human DNA inference/reasoning etc never really add up to much, serving only for a bunch of standard actors shouting, swearing and spouting hopelessly weak jokes and series re-treads. When you think the pic is about to up a gear, get rivetingly dramatic, a poor slice of humour comes our way either by vocal spillage or visual drivel (puppy pet Predator dog, really?). There's a bunch of plot threads that just dangle never to be pulled (PTSD/our hero's family strife et al), and the Predators loose on Earth - with different agendas - are confusingly shifted about by a screenplay not sure where it wants to land.
Plus points? Well the cinematography is superb (Larry Fong), and you can't fault this for action quotas, there's plenty of it and it's bloody (both red and green type). The score is the traditional one we had from Alan Silvestri back in the 87 film, in fact it hardly deviates from it and yet Henry Jackman gets the credit. Of course some of the jokes will work for some folk (I would be lying if I said a Whoopi Goldberg gag didn't make me laugh), but the terror has gone, these Predators are no longer scary creatures. This reeks of a troubled production going hand in hand with a cash cow that not only narratively adds up to nothing really, but of a franchise death knell. Shame. 3.5/10
And dat is dat!
Hi Spike,with The Predator,have you read about the mess that the filmed script was in? screenrant.com/predator-movie-reshoots-changes-shane-black-fox/Along with the studio signed off on Rory going full 4Chan with Weaponized Autism,the leaked photos of the good Predators (!) on tanks make it look like they originally gave Shane Black a free run:  The guys at RLM did a good review of it:
|
|
|
|
Post by mikef6 on Jun 10, 2019 5:21:59 GMT
hitchcockthelegend Black Widow / Nunnally Johnson. Writer/director Johnson has concocted a gem of a murder mystery based on a novel by Patrick Quentin. It begins as almost a “All About Eve” riff with Van Heflin as a noted Broadway playwright and producer, Ginger Rogers having a great time as his leading lady who has absolutely no filters on her speech, Reginald Gardiner as Rogers’ whipped husband, and Peggy Ann Garner (winner of a Juvenal Oscar for “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn” and subbing here for an ill Maggie McNamara) as a seeming innocent young woman from Georgia trying to make it as a writer in New York. The witty banter carries the film for the first half hour until there is a shocking suicide that turns out to be murder. This brings homicide detective George Raft in to investigate. Heflin ends up as the main suspect of the police so has to take steps to find the Real Killer. But the cleverness of Johnson’s script doesn’t end with the mystery. The picture knows how to have its cliché and make fun of it, too. After going on the lam from the cops, Heflin takes to the streets questioning several people. He later complains, “I’ve been running all over town like a TV detective.” Yes, he has and it is great for him to say so. Also in the cast is Gene Tierney as Heflin’s wife, Otto Kruger, Virginia Leith, Skip Homeier, Bea Benaderet, and African-American actress Hilda Simms, very good and very charismatic in her one short scene. The commentary on the DVD is by a film noir specialist but “Black Widow” is anything but. I’ll give it that there is a femme fatale but most of the movie takes place in bright daylight and the darkness of the human soul is NOT explored. Never a noir but nevertheless recommended. Peggy Ann Garner sheds her Child Star image in “Black Widow” 
|
|
|
|
Post by vegalyra on Jun 10, 2019 17:37:59 GMT
No real classics this week
300: Rise of An Empire (6/10) - decent film that carries the narrative of the Persian invasion of Greece from the first 300 film. (well, sort of, minus the old Richard Egan 300 Spartans). Mostly a mindless action film with extremely fake blood in massive quantities but the saturated colors of the sky and backgrounds are nice to look at.
Always Be My Maybe (5/10) - By the book rom/com, but one highlight is Keanu Reeves supposedly playing "himself" and briefly dates the main character. It was funny in some sequences but very predictable. Worth a watch.
|
|
|
|
Post by marianne48 on Jun 10, 2019 20:05:05 GMT
The Pajama Game (1957)--Broadway hit musical doesn't translate all that well to the screen; the movie looks basically like a filmed stage play. Doris Day does her best; John Raitt has a beautiful singing voice, but unfortunately not very much movie star quality for the leading male role. There's some silly business about a knife-throwing employee which drags the story down. The song "7 1/2 Cents" contains some lines about "Only five years later...," "Only 10 years later....", "Only 20 years later," how much the union employees will be making; it's depressing to realize that if they could foresee the future, "Only 30 years later" would find their union busted up and their factory jobs outsourced to China or South America. The movie contains the hit song "Hey There" and a dance number, "Steam Heat," unmistakably choreographed by Bob Fosse, and some wild dancing at a company picnic, which are the main highlights. Mainly for Doris Day completists.
Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts: The Hal Roach Collection 1931-1933 (2018)--My very first film book, which I bought when I was 11, was Leonard Maltin's Movie Comedy Teams; 45 years later, I still have it as a reference. It mentions a lot of the movie comedy teams I watched as a kid--Laurel and Hardy; the Marx Brothers; the Three Stooges; Abbott and Costello; etc. It also has a section on a team I'd never seen--Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts (and later, Todd and Patsy Kelly). The entire set of Todd/Pitts and Todd/Kelly shorts are finally available on DVD. Roach apparently had so much success with Laurel and Hardy that he decided to create a female version as well, with Todd as a sexy blonde who has every male in sight (including a dog) leering after her, while Pitts is her plain, simpering partner. They're typical Hal Roach slapstick shorts, complete with that great soundtrack music from the L & H and Our Gang shorts; the supporting characters from the Roach stock company also turn up here--everyone from Billy Gilbert to Bud Jamison to one of those creepy little monkeys that terrorize people. The comedic level of these shorts tends to fall short in comparison
with L & H and Our Gang; the ladies are amusing and have some chemistry, but the shorts tend to rely too much on clumsily contrived plots (in one, Pitts accidentally swallows a bomb--yeah, okay). A few stand out more as curiosities of their time: one, "On the Loose," takes place at Coney Island, with all the crazy funhouse amusements available at the time; another, "Asleep in the Feet," takes place at a taxi dance establishment and some funny, bizarre dance sequences ensue; "One Track Minds"
is also pretty good, and it features a very young, wisecracking Spanky McFarland. Laurel and Hardy make a fun cameo appearance in one of the shorts as well. ZaSu Pitts (whose character was apparently the inspiration for Olive Oyl's mannerisms in the Popeye cartoons) moans and whimpers and flutters her hands nervously throughout the shorts; Thelma Todd is pretty, but doesn't hesitate to punch out anyone who harasses her. For those who like the old Hal Roach shorts, this one deserves a look for a few laughs.
|
|
|
|
Post by delon on Jun 10, 2019 20:15:50 GMT
   The Man Who Would Be King (1975) : 7/10 The Night of the Iguana (1964) : 9/10 Seven Men From Now (1956) : 7/10 *viewing inspired by recent thread* |
|
|
|
Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jun 10, 2019 22:32:11 GMT
City of Fear - I'm sure you saw the comments on it a couple of weeks ago, but just in case > imdb2.freeforums.net/post/2919547Raiders of the Lost Ark - Well it's my ringtone  www.imdb.com/review/rw2743211/?ref_=rw_urvCutthroat Island - I'm a defender of sorts - In this post a few weeks back > imdb2.freeforums.net/post/2765763I enjoyed The Hobbit movies, definitely going to have to watch them back to back at some point. Michael Collins, I read your review on the other board. I don't remember much about it as it has been so long since I viewed. Another l have to revisit at some point.
|
|
