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Post by teleadm on Jun 27, 2020 17:27:36 GMT
Comments/ratings/recommendations/film posters are welcome and much appreciated.
Keep safe, stay at home, watch many movies, hope you are all well!
In Sweden it's over 25°C and we are melting away (that's 77 on Farenheit scale).
Over to the movies:
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Post by mstreepsucks on Jun 27, 2020 17:32:20 GMT
Top Gun. I am considering it a classic. I just like it.
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Post by politicidal on Jun 27, 2020 17:40:28 GMT
Repentance (2013) 3/10
Universal Soldier (1992) 4/10
Rocky Mountain (1950) 6/10
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) 5/10
The Walking Hills (1949) 7/10
The Watermelon Woman (1997) 6/10
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Post by wmcclain on Jun 27, 2020 18:15:05 GMT
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Post by teleadm on Jun 27, 2020 18:59:05 GMT
mstreepsucksYou have all the right to consider Top Gun a classic, not my favorite from the 1980s, but others have good memories of it so I'm not the one the quarrel!
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Post by teleadm on Jun 27, 2020 19:07:37 GMT
politicidalRocky Mountain and The Walking Hills sounds interesting The Sands of Iwo Jima I don't agree, such things happens Thanks for making me think twice if I hear about RepentenceI agree with low points Universal Soldier.
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Post by teleadm on Jun 27, 2020 19:17:50 GMT
wmcclainGreat collection of the classics era, All About Eve 1950 is the one I know most about, old favorite,. watch it from time to time. of the newer once seen Gambit (haven't seen the old Michael Caine Version), it looked great, but also felt a bit lazy. You're posts are always interesting
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Post by teleadm on Jun 27, 2020 19:29:51 GMT
BellaI wish I knew were to find all great movies you have suggested over the years, without paying a fortune... Please continue for years to come! I love Jeanne Moreau too, and it's a bit sad not to be able finding her greatest..
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Post by mstreepsucks on Jun 27, 2020 20:25:20 GMT
mstreepsucks You have all the right to consider Top Gun a classic, not my favorite from the 1980s, but others have good memories of it so I'm not the one the quarrel! i wouldn't be surprised if no one else likes it. I'd say the acting in it and the fact that it's contrived beyond belief make it a classic.
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Post by teleadm on Jun 27, 2020 21:46:32 GMT
Here is the Tele week that was: Lady Bird 2017, oh no not another teen movie, but wait, yes this is different. directed by Greta Gerwig who made the highly praised new version of Little Women. of that I knew nothing while watching it. Saoirse Ronan makes you feel with her, and that is rare in modern shallow movies. While not a movie for me, I cannot deny I wasn't touched. Starman 1984, director John Carpenter's nice alien movie. The copy I watched was a rather lousy old video transfer, with bad muffled sound, yet it was a great nostalgia kick, especially the electronic music. Hoping to see a better version some day... The Skull 1965, directed by Freddy Francis. The skull of Marquis de Sade is possessed by an evil spirit, it makes people do evil deeds. Old-fashioned British horror, not from Hammer, but little Amicus. Cushing and Lee raises this above the material, and a few other familiar faces pops up here and there. Yet another movie from my old horror movie books seen! Not the greatest movie, but sometime I like a little chilling movie like this, and this one pleased me. Auntie Mame 1958, directed by Morton DaCosta, could also be called The Rosalind Russell Show, meant in every positive way because she is the whole deal! Want Realism, look elsewhere! I haven't laughed so much in a good old time and that was just the the first 30 minutes! 2 hours and 20 minutes went very fast this time. It is very theatrical, and I think it was the right choice to make it that way. I enjoyed it very much, but understand it's not for everyone's taste. Gun Glory 1957 directed by Roy Rowland. hadn't seen a western for awhile, when this popped up. Old good-for-nothing returns home, wife died, angry son lives, small town near by remembers him and hates him, new priest building church is open minded, cow-punchers gonna force cattle through small town, conflicts arise. Everything is as it should be for an enjoyable 88 minutes, nothing remarkable but still enjoyable, with likable stars, Stewart Granger and Rhonda Fleming, Chill Wills as the Priest, and James Gregory as not a wild but thinking villain, and pleasing outdoor scenery. Since I didn't expect too much, I was pleased! Not meant in a bad way. A Man Called Peter 1955, directed by Henry Koster. The reason I got the idea watching this was watching an old episode of British Midsummer Murders and a name popped up during the title sequence, Richard Todd, could that be the same Richard Todd from the 1950s? and it was. Both Richard Todd and Jean Peters are nowdays unfairly forgotten actors, Peters retired and didn't return until mid-1970s TV mini-series The Moneychangers. This movie is a biopic about a person I know very little about, Reverend and theological doctor Peter Marshall who for a short while was chaplain of US Senate, and apparently was a popular movie once. This is a very well made movie and follows the standard of how bio movies was made in the 1950s. Since I'm not very religious it was a tough watch, I'm actually atheistic, but yet the recreated prayers depicted always asked to see beyond ourselves, and I though that such an incorruptible steady sound clear mind person who reaches out beyond others beliefs could be needed in the days of populism. Once seen is enough for me. Umberto D. 1952, directed by Vittorio de Sica, a humanistic neo-realistic film. At last I watched it, I've been putting it forward for such a long time. A slice of life we follow for awhile, and old man and former civil servant tries everything to keep his head up but is short of money and sells everything that was once dear to him since he can't pay the rent to his new-rich hopeful tenant. His only companion is the dog Flike and a young servant girl. We will also leave them at a point, and they will go on living, but without us as observers and their lives will disappear like many others that lives in Rome. Everything is beautifully made, the camera is only an observer. De Sica's keen eye for vision comes through, let the camera talk, and very easy to watch in Italian with English subtitles. No Highway aka No Highway in the Sky 1951, directed by Henry Koster. Been putting this one forward for a very long time, and finally watched it. Who knew that aero metal fatigue could be this exciting. It was so well made I forgot what it was about, possible dropping wings. Stewart, Dietrich and lovely Glynis Johns made this an enjoyable ride. Well that was my week no 1940s or older movies this week. Time to take a closer look at what others have seen!
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Post by bravomailer on Jun 27, 2020 22:00:43 GMT
Crazy Rich Asians - 6/10 A comedy of manners look at extremely wealthy Chinese living mainly in Singapore, specifically the scion of a great family and his middle-class gf. Well-photographed, exotic locales, but little else. The characters run the gamut from uninteresting to unlikeable and the film comes across as a long episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. The ending though predictable was done well. 
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Post by OldAussie on Jun 27, 2020 23:05:36 GMT
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Post by mikef6 on Jun 28, 2020 0:17:43 GMT
The Postman Always Rings Twice / Tay Garnett (1946). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Cinematography by Sidney Wagner. After “Double Indemnity” (1944), TPART is probably the most important film noir of the 1940s even though the plots of the two films are very similar. Both pictures come from novels by crime writer James M. Cain who freely admitted that he was stealing from himself when he wrote “Postman.” Also, the introductions of both films’ leading ladies are justly famous. Barbara Stanwyck wrapped in a towel in 1944 and Lana Turner in what looks like a white tennis outfit in the later film (see second image below). A drifter, Frank Chambers (John Garfield), stops in at a diner on a highway outside of Los Angeles where he meets Cora Smith (Turner) and her much older husband Nick (Cecil Kellaway) who owns the diner. There is an opening for a handyman so Frank, reeling from his first sight of Cora, takes the job. What follows is the passage of Frank and Cora’s affair, their growing desperation, and finally Nick’s decision to sell the diner and take Cora north to Canada. If you’ve seen “Double Indemnity,” then you know what they decide to do. Leon Ames is the local District Attorney and Hume Cronyn (almost stealing the show) is Cora’s defense. The movie is not perfect. It runs just short of two hours but didn’t have to. At least two subplots – Frank’s dalliance with a local floozy (Audrey Totter) and the attempted blackmail by a former staffer of Cronyn’s – could have easily been snipped to give the film a more comfortable run time. An essential 1940s crime/ noir and an essential John Garfield.   The Quick Gun / Sidney Salkow (1964). Columbia Pictures. An Audie Oatie. Clint Cooper (Audie Murphy) is on his way back to his frontier home town of Shelby where he grew up but had to leave after a shooting. On the way, he runs into an outlaw gang led by an old acquaintance named Spangler. Spangler is the leader of a large band of outlaws who like to raid towns, loot them, rape the women, and then burn the town to the ground. They are on the way to Shelby. Cooper gets away and hurries ahead to warn the town, but is not welcomed back and not believed. He is even disappointed to find that the Girl He Left Behind (Merry Anders) is about to marry his old pal Scotty (James Best) who is now the sheriff. This movie is based on a story by Steve Fisher that has already been adapted two times before, in 1955 and 1960, and this effort seems tired. Film noir veteran Ted de Corsia plays Splanger not just over the top but in outer space. His loud Evil Laugh is always up front as he explains to one and all what terrible things he is going to do next. Oh, well, Clint Cooper gets to prove himself to the town, win his lady, and we can spend a little time with likable actor Audie Murphy. Even though I can pick out flaws in films like “The Quick Gun,” I can still say, I haven’t seen an Audie Murphy western that I didn’t like.  Barry Lyndon / Stanley Kubrick (1975). Sorry, no review. There was just too much to take in. Maybe in a week or two…or three.     American Splendor / Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini (2003). I saw this film back in ’03 during its first run, but this later visit reveals that it is still delightful after 17 years. This blurring of the lines between the venerable bio-pic and a documentary will keep audiences on their toes. It follows the life of the misanthropic hospital file clerk Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti’s breakthrough role) who becomes a cultural and media hero via graphic novels he writes with major illustrators like Robert Crumb. On the spur of the moment he marries Joyce Babner (Hope Davis), a strange individual, indeed, but their marriage lasted until Pekar’s death (which didn’t come until 2010). The graphic novels he writes are based on his life in Cleveland (“Ordinary life is very complex,” he says). They include every one he knows especially his co-workers like Toby Radloff (Judah Friedlander) who is an autistic adult. During the course of the movie we also see the Real Harvey and Joyce being interviewed and he Real Toby hanging around between set-ups with Friedlander, Giamatti, and Davis). Harvey narrates most of the movie. Another innovation is Harvey’s appearances on David Letterman. We find Paul Giamatti as Harvey waiting just off camera but when his name is announced we go to an actual clip of the show for the Real Harvey’s first appearance with Letterman. This is quite a good movie which may not be though much about any more. I hope that feeling is wrong.  Giamatti and Davis as Harvey and Joyce  Harvey, Joyce, and foster daughter Danielle  The Metropolitan Opera in NYC is still providing a different opera for free streaming each day. I sampled favorite highlights (about 45 minutes worth each) from two. Philip Glass: Akhnaten. Glass, a major still living American composer, premiered this work about the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh in 1984. Glass is usually classed with other composers of the movement of minimalism, that is, repetitive rhythmic musical structures rather than themes and melodies. Glass has written several film scores in this style, e.g. Fantastic Four, Notes On A Scandal, The Hours, and Kundun.
Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore (The Elixir Of Love). One of my top comic operas. A joy all the way through. This broadcast was originally from 1991 and features Luciano Pavarotti is his prime as the lovesick peasant in love with the landowner’s daughter. 
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Post by mikef6 on Jun 28, 2020 0:21:42 GMT
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) 5/10 I think this is one of Duke's best. Before his Best Actor win for True Grit (1969), Sands of Iwo Jima had been his only nomination.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jun 28, 2020 8:53:27 GMT
Avengers: Endgame (2019). It’s still Iron Man’s world and the rest of the Avengers are still just living in it. Well...most of them. The film opens on Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye with his happy family...until he no longer has one on account of them being dusted, which causes him to become vengeful Mohawkeye. Next up it's my least favourite Avenger, Tony Snark, teaching games to Nebula (my favourite Guardian of the Galaxy and the only one of those a-holes I actually LIKE. Mantis, who I also like and who isn't an a-hole, sadly only gets one line in the movie, but at least it's a funny one). The term drawn-out could be used to describe this whole opening with Tony. 'Self-indulgent' would be another. Just because you have a 3-hour+ runtime, Russos, doesn't mean you should waste it lingering on Tony sleeping, etc. I did appreciate, though, that Nebula shows she's grown (as evidenced by the fact she's refrained from beating the snot out of Tony the entire time they've been stuck in space together). I was happy to see her featured so much. Thankfully things finally get moving once Captain Marvel saves their butts and interacts with the team in a scene most have probably watched already. As she points out to rude Rhodey (whose main role seems to be Joke/Movie Reference Man), she's been on other planets after 'The Snap' that didn't have The Avengers to help them out. The fact that THOR says he likes her should be enough (though obviously won't be for certain people). He also learns from the mistake he made at the end of Infinity War regarding what bodypart to aim for on Thanos (who apparently wiped out half the universe's populace so he could become a farmer and unfortunately destroyed the Infinity Stones). Too bad Nebula's robbed of the chance to end Thanos in this movie (twice!), as she probably deserved to the most. Tony the Drama Queen proves he hasn't grown at all, laying the blame for everything at Cap's feet. A skip to five years later reveals time hasn't been kind to Thor. I'm saddened to see him reduced to this joke, when the first Thor movie is one of my favourites. They've veered too far into 'comedy' for my taste, as here he's played mostly for laughs on account of letting himself go (for those wanting shirtless Thor, you'll get him...though you'll wish you hadn't). Bless Paul Rudd's Scott Lang, as he brings a breath of fresh air to proceedings. His reunion with his (now grown) daughter is one of the few genuinely effective emotional moments in the film. Unfortunately, he's not given the respect he deserves, considering he's the one to come up with the idea of time travel (the subject of which is given the ultimate nerd discussion in this film). They go to Tony, who selfishly refuses to help the others get back everyone they lost since he already HAS everyone HE wants (well...except for Spider-Kid, who is the reason he eventually changes his mind). Cut to after a 'comedic' sequence involving working out the kinks of time-travelling, the gang splits up to retrieve all the stones from the past. This is where the film kicks into gear, as we revisit past MCU films and encounter previous versions of characters. Highlights include: Cap seeing Peggy Carter again, Cap vs Past Cap, Thor spending some precious time with his soon-to-be-deceased mother (plus, a Jane cameo! There's actually lots of cameos in the film, but only a few I cared about) and twice the amount of Nebula. There's one rage-inducing consequence of visiting the past involving Mohawkeye, Natasha and the Soul Stone. If you remember what happened with Gamora, you'll know what that means. Although the character who ends up being the sacrifice gets some good character/emotional beats in this film, it still doesn't make up for the fact they're unceremoniously given the 'permadeath' treatment, thus robbing us of one of the MCU's best characters and the awesome dynamics between them and other characters. Given all the others that could've been offed, WHY'd it have to be...well...you'll see. I'll give the film credit for seamlessly blending the 'present' characters with the past, and once things reach the climax, they definitely ensure this is the most 'epic' battle we've seen yet which involves pretty much every character (except those who're unfortunate enough to stay dead, of course), some of which will be getting future films or TV shows to appear in. I guess that's meant to 'make up for' them not getting much screentime here (like my fave, Wanda. At least she gets some revenge on Thanos and shares an emotional moment with Mohawkeye near the end. I'm looking forward to her show and hopefully future movie appearances too). Captain America gets at least two cheer-worthy moments, while Captain Marvel and her new haircut get to kick some major arse (don't fret, haters...she isn't given the final victory over Thanos. No, we all know who gets THAT privilege). I guess I was supposed to feel sad near the end, but honestly I just felt relief, as it's about time a certain someone faced some actual real consequences. Hopefully other characters will get to thrive/have substantial screentime now that somebody isn't hogging it all. Another good thing about the end is the camera shot which slowly moves through/covers everyone (all these characters we've come to know, plus a few we haven't yet) at the funeral. The BEST part, however, is the final scene. I've waited ever since the first Cap movie (my other fave MCU film) to get to the scene that ends this movie, and I think it's worth it. I'm so very happy with it and who it involves. While there're no mid-credits/post-credits scenes, it's worth sticking around to see the original six Avengers actors literally signing off. It'll probably take a couple of viewings to fully digest this film, as it throws in everything AND the kitchen sink. It's a fitting conclusion to Phase 3 (ignoring Spider-Kid 2). Now, bring on Phase 4!                           Atonement (2007). Entering Red (2019) - Short Film. The Best of Me (2014).
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Post by claudius on Jun 28, 2020 10:46:25 GMT
Sunday RETURN TO OZ (1985) 35TH ANNIVERSARY. Long-awaited Live-Action sequel to THE WIZARD OF OZ is a darker affair as Fairuza Balk’s Dorothy deal with quacks, storms, a ruined Emerald City and the Gnome King (brought to live by Claymation and Nicol Williamson). Although it borrows from the 1939 MGM film (the Ruby Slippers, the Oz characters having counterparts on Earth), it follows the original OZ books MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ and OZMA OF OZ (designs based on John Neill’s illustrations) with Mombi, Ozma (minus the gender-change) and the aforementioned King. I first saw the conclusion of this film at an elementary classroom viewing sometime in the late 1980s. Much of my development to the story was from a Marvel Movie Special adaptation at my elementary Library. I eventually saw the film in 1992 on a PBS LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY program which split the film into two parts (cliffhanging at Dorothy waking up Mombi’s true head and her headless body). Buena Vista DVD.
POCAHONTAS (1995) 25TH ANNIVERSARY this month. Disney’s take on the Jamestown folklore, some have argued (at least how I experienced it) as the beginning of the end of the Disney Renaissance (although profitable, it didn’t top or equal THE LION KING’s gross). My first view of this film was our family's THE LION KING VHS showing a preview of the film’s “Colors of the Wind” number. I then listened to the soundtrack, and then saw the film in theaters with my family. Later, when ABC broadcast the film (to advertise the upcoming video sequel) they showed between commercial breaks a pencil test version of the deleted “If I Never Knew You.” I was interested enough with that sequence that when Disney released its 10th Anniversary Special Edition DVD that Summer of 2005, I rented it and later got it for my Birthday. Although I think the film is better for it, for this anniversary I viewed the Theatrical version. Buena Vista DVD.
Tuesday THE SLAYERS (1995) “LOVELY! Amelia’s Lovely Training” 25TH ANNIVERSARY Japanese with English Subtitles. Sculptor Software DVD.
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING (1995) 25TH ANNIVERSARY. After the Gundam’s surrender, the story takes a look at how the disillusioned pilots are handling their new situation. Last week was about Duo and Quatre. This week is about Wufei. Japanese with English Subtitles. Bandai DVD.
Wednesday THE BIG HOUSE (1930) 90TH ANNIVERSARY One of the first prison films, opening with Robert Montgomery wide-eyed youth getting incarcerated and centering on Wallace Beery’s violent thug and Chester Morris’ wise-but-decent tough. Karl Dane (THE BIG PARADE) makes a silent appearance, no doubt because of the voice problems that will end his career and lead to his suicide. First saw parts of this in on a Showtime Broadcast in January 1992. Videotaped it on TCM in 2004. It is this recording that I am watching.
DARLING LILI (1970) 50TH ANNIVERSARY. Another flop in the ‘End of the Musicals’ succession. This time it’s Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards in this WWI Romantic Comedy with Andrews (attempting to end her sugar-coated image) as a Mata Hari spy involved with a pilot. The expensive film’s failure temporarily put an end to the careers of Andrews (until SOB) and Edwards (until the PINK PANTHER sequels). I first saw this in 2000, due to the interest in seeing actors from the Irish comedy BALLYKISSANGEL (in this case, Doreen Keogh, who plays Lili’s loyal maid). This is the Director’s Cut version, although I also viewed the additional scenes from the Special features. Paramount DVD.
DADDY LONG LEGS (1990) "My Friends, Let's Sing Together!" 30TH ANNIVERSARY. Japanese with English Subtitles. Bootleg DVD.
Thursday EL-HAZARD: THE MAGNIFICENT WORLD (1995) “The World of Beautiful Girls” 25TH ANNIVERSARY. The series gets its Opening, and a grand one with Seiko Nagaoka’s orchestral score! Makoto meets the lesbian Alielle (in a rather awkward meeting) and heads off to find the Priestesses, two of which Shayla Shayla and Afura Mann are introduced here. Other revelations are the Phantom Tribe, one of whom is the Prince Galus. This was my first E-H episode, from the Pioneer Dubbed VHS I bought in August 2000. Japanese with English Subtitles. Pioneer DVD.
TENCHI MUYO TV (1995) “The Time & Space Adventures Part 3” 25TH ANNIVERSARY The conclusion of this trilogy of alternate realities centers on Mihoshi (as a housewife to Tenchi) and finally Ryoko as a Bonnie Parker outlaw with Tenchi her reluctant partner. The story concludes as Ryoko finally realizes she is in love with Tenchi and that forcing him into this ‘reality’ is not for her. Japanese with English Subtitles. Pioneer DVD.
Friday THE GOLD RUSH (1925) 95TH ANNIVERSARY. The first Comedy Epic, with Charles Chaplin’s Little Tramp in the Klondike Gold Rush, dealing with outlaws, blizzards, hunger, cannibalism, love, betrayal, and a tottering cabin. I believe my first viewing of the film was in clips from many shows (MUPPET BABIES). I finally saw the whole film (the 1942 Director’s Cut) from a video rental around my Birthday in 1989. For a while, I thought this was the actual cut (which confused me when the CENTENNIAL COLLECTION trailers would list the film’s date as ‘1942’). It wasn’t until an early morning USA Network broadcast on Easter 1990 that I saw parts of the silent version (and even later that I saw the actual ending that Chaplin removed in his cut). For this Anniversary viewing, I watched two prints. The first is the Photoplay restoration on Criterion DVD. The other is the Paul Killiam Print (copyrighted 50 years ago this July) with William Perry’s Piano Score (his ‘Georgina’ theme would become the intro for PBS’ influential THE SILENT YEARS) from Republic Home Video VHS.
PRESENTING THE GOLD RUSH (2012) Kevin Brownlow and Jeffrey Vance discuss the many cuts of the film. From TGR Criterion DVD.
Saw Parts of: UNKNOWN CHAPLIN (1983) "The Great Director" The parts of the making of the Gold Rush with an interview by Georgia Hale. I always liked Carl Davis' orchestration of Chaplin's score. Too bad he didn't orchestrate the Photoplay version. A&E Home Video DVD.
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Post by MrFurious on Jun 28, 2020 16:55:12 GMT
Triple Frontier(19)  ^
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Jun 29, 2020 3:36:06 GMT
Hi all,I hope everyone had a good weekend,and I had a great time exploring the year: Cinema of 1974 fest: A Iran New Wave title I think you both would enjoy manfromplanetx Fox in the Snow With Eng Subs: Harmonica (1974) 10 Placing the camera at the height of the children, writer/director Amir Naderi & cinematographer Ali Reza Zarrindast play a incredibly intimate, documentary-inspired atmosphere from the camera being kept at the height of the children, who see the adults looking disapprovingly down at them, and the child who has gained power from a harmonica being in his hands, towering above them and forcing all to fellow his demands, even sticking a head through (personal prison) bars in a window, just for a moments play. Filmed on the southern coast of Iran, Naderi goes up the beach with fluid Iran New Wave (INW) panning shots from above, looking down at the dots of children in the middle of a bustling market, where the sound of a harmonica rings out between the background noise. Crashing the waves of childhood innocence being lost, Naderi jump-cuts to the aggressive faces of the children shoving the others to gain the harmonica, until Naderi breaks the fighting up with a poetic, over saturated INW freeze frame final. Bringing the harmonica into town via a outsider, the screenplay by Naderi thoughtfully touches on the use of power to keep the population under the bidding of a person, with the mother of the most severely bullied boy telling her son that she does not want to see him "Oppressed", leading to him kicking back from those who view him as their faithful stupid "Donkey",and drowning the power which has been held over him,which finally allows him to play his own tune.  Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974) 8 Left on the shelf for two years after filming, then dumped at cinemas leaving the openings made for a franchise dead, the screenplay by writer/director Brian Clemens offers a tantalising taste on what this could have been if turned into a franchise, thanks to Clemens bringing the genre-crossing creativity he gave The Avengers TV series, by successfully mixing Swashbuckler Comedy (!) into the Hammer Horror Gothic chills. Galloping into a merry spoofing of the witch-finder strand of British Horror as Kronos and his handy hunchback sidekick Hieronymus Grost travel round towns freeing them from vampires who don’t just kill,but cast a spell on fair maidens leaving them looking like old hags. Playing around with the mythology of Hammer vampires by introducing several varieties, Clemens has Kronos and his team of Grost and worried local Dr. Marcus steak a wonderfully pulpy adventure,where they come up with new invented ways (toads buried in the ground) to take down the vampires. Dubbed by Julian Holloway due to his German accent being deemed too strong, Horst Janson gives a jolly turn as Kronos,who Janson has charge in with a gleeful dashing pompousness, showing no fear to any fangs on show. Joining Kronos, Hammer regular John Carson gives a wonderfully ripe,dry wit performance as Dr. Marcus and sultry Caroline Munro (in her final Hammer) gives a lively turn, kicking away from the local mutterings,in order to join the fight with the good captain. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) 10  Later saying that for the resulting film, "I did it exactly the way I wanted to. Good or bad,like it or not,that was my film." co-writer/(with Gordon T. Dawson and Frank Kowalski) directing auteur "Bloody" Sam Peckinpah presents a unfiltered examination of the former Wild West outlaw and Bennie's code of conduct in making this a swift bounty pick up, getting smashed on the floor in a bloody mess. Bonding with cinematographer Alex Phillips Jr. Over a shared dislike of wide-angle lenses, and a admiration for zooms and multiple camera set ups, Bloody Sam continues to brutally build upon his major recurring themes and motifs, with the bruising action scenes crystallized in ballets full of bullets twirling in Sam's distinctive slow-motion and sawn-off zoom-ins heightening the unflinching Action atmosphere. Subtly targeting the viewer to gaze into the unrelenting darkness in the final shot, Peckinpah and Phillips Jr bring a emotional weight to the violence, in gritty whip-pans dragged across the dusty town Bennie drives through with his girlfriend Elita, who brings warm, natural colours along when Bennie relaxes in the wild with her away from the grubby, murky coloured bar Bennie works at. Grinding down the stray bright sparks Elita brings, Peckinpah sinks any chance Bennie and Elita have of returning to their old lives, by sinking them in a hauntingly poetic graveyard set-piece,that leaves Bennie confronting the consequences of disrupting the status quo of life. In the middle of macho personalities both on and off screen, Isela Vega gives a irresistible turn as Elita, who Vega has display a fiery push back when Bennie crosses a line, but also a calm thoughtfulness of something better being on the horizon. Basing his performance on Peckinpah,Warren Oates gives a fantastic performance as Bennie, thanks to Oates placing at the center of the grizzled, battered outlaw, a determination to bring back the head of Alfredo Garcia. China Girl (1974) 8  Holding back for 30 minutes before thrusting to a steamy set-piece, director Paul Aratow & cinematographer Red Dawson display a keen eye in emphasizing the build up to a sensual Neo-Noir atmosphere, coldly opening the title with a mob boss doing business in the chilly outdoors. Flipping over to pleasure, rather than torture as a method to get info out of the scientists, Aratow holds back from overly graphic close-ups, instead washing everyone over with Hadley Caliman’s smoky Jazz score cast across close-ups capturing everyone being on the edge of pleasure. Wisely deciding to play out the Dragon crime syndicate plans to make Dr. Olinsky and microbiologist Dr. Teresa Hardgrave give them details to the formula seriously, the screenplay by Edwin Brown releases pleasure not only from the steamy antics, but also tension from the Neo-Noir kidnapping, with Brown placing the power in the palms of the quick-witted Hardgrave, and the clinical Madame Woo determined to slide out Hardgrave and dim Dr. Olinsky’s secrets. Getting hands on with the project by directing her own set-piece sequence with three guys,fit Annette Haven gives a wonderful performance as Hardgrave, who Haven has sizzle with a casual sensuality, whilst also a awareness from Hardgrave of a desire from all for her to leak info. In her lone credit,Pamela Yen gives a terrific performance as Woo, thanks to Yen bringing a seductive edge to Woo’s precise plan to get Hardgrave and Dr. Olinsky to leak the info with pleasure. Other flicks! Starship Troopers (1997)10  Revealing in various Q&A's over the years that being told they were getting cast because they look like airheads was not the most flattering thing to be told, the ensemble cast give pitch-perfect performances, with Casper Van Dien and Denise Richards playing up on their doe-eyed teen idol looks as recruits who never flinch in their blind loyalty to the final push,whilst crusty generals played by Michael Ironside and Clancy Brown bare the cost of various failed wars on their faces, but continue to love being on the march against a enemy who they have little interest in learning more about. Reuniting after making his script debut with RoboCop, the screenplay by Edward Neumeier dumps Robert A. Heinlein's novel,for a incredibly witty satire on Fascism, bringing the new recruits into the Starship where they have been taught since childhood to always be loyal and obedient towards, to the point where military officials shooting injured fellow generals is unblinkingly accepted as being done for the greater cause. Opening with a expansion of the fake TV footage of RoboCop via a newsreel introduction based on Triumph of the Will, The Dirty Dutchman directing auteur Paul Verhoeven reunites with his regular cinematographer Jost Vacano,and superbly builds on the militarism of the police and media propaganda themes and motifs of RoboCop, by taking it to the most extreme, blowing up the Creature Feature bugs with (spectacular) ultra splatter violence (a recurring motif of Verhoeven) backed by a rousing score from Basil Poledouris. Building on the militarism of the police in RoboCop, Verhoeven unleashes the authoritarianism of the army stamping anything which gets in the way (like the faceless bugs) of their rule, in Fascist uniforms worn by cannon fodder exposed by Verhoeven in the fake newsreel as being generational, whose thin trace of humanity is wiped off when they join the starship troopers.  The Big Lebowski (1998) 8 Making The Dude sit at ease as they both reunite with the film makers,John Goodman,Steve Buscemi and Jeff Bridges each give outstanding performances which make the moments where the film just hangs out with the friends a joy to witness, as the laid-back state Bridges holds Dude in bounces off the the ticking time bomb Goodman has Sobchak's linked to, whilst Buscemi's nervous, neurotic Donny hilariously tries to find a groove between Dude and Sobchak's big personalities. Bowling in a reunion with cinematographer Roger Deakins on POV shot from the perspective of a bowling ball, co-writers/co-directors the Coen brothers continue to successfully strike in continuing to build on their recurring themes and motifs, with the Coen's and Deakins playing on the LA stereotypes in dusty, warm yellow wide-shots descending to the trio,which acts as a canvas to the darkly comedic outbursts of violence and a startling Musical dream sequence. Scoring a intimate atmosphere in long tracking shots lounging round the streets with Dude, Donny and Sobchak, the screenplay by the Coen's takes a Raymond Chandler (Joel Coen later stated that they had been wanting to do a Chandler-style story) mystery, and twists it into a Comedy jam packed with hilarious dialogue spun from the three oddballs trying to repair the rug of the mistaken big Lebowski.  Yoru no kawa (1956)10 Turning to colour for the first time by being inspired from kimono patterns, directing auteur Kozaburo Yoshimura makes an immaculate entrance, drawing with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa (cinematographer for Kurosawa's Rashomon (1950) a lush water colour design, surrounding Kiwa's family workplace in bright, luxury material lining the walls being colour coded with the Kimono patterns the family put their soul in making, bringing out a refined elegance to Kiwa's romantic drama. Revealing later that the use of red, white and blue in his works is to represent "liberty, equality and fraternity." and printed in the middle of his 1951-1960 period of works on working women in the ancient capital city of Kyoto, (a city Miyagawa called "A film makers dream.") Yoshimura gazes on the remains of Kyoto's wooden architect landscape in beautiful wide-shots which descend on the family textile workplace, where they continue to work the traditional way with rustic colours,as Yoshimura keeps the glossy colours of the modern world seeping towards them, as the sunbeam of Yoshimura's red,white and blue blazes across the skyline in a dazzling closing shot. The first of two times he would work with Yoshimura, (the other being Onna no saka (1960)) Hisao Sawano is joined by female screenwriter Sumie Tanaka in weaving a delicate screenplay. Tanaka's touch brings a sharp focus to Yoshimura's major recurring theme of the personal drama experienced by women exploring the dilemma of a country in the midst of frantic and irreversible transformations, as Kiwa starts a passionate affair with Professor Takemura, placing Kiwa in the middle of keeping to tradition with the family workplace, and that of the modern scientist/ professor. Lighting up the family workplace the moment she walks on screen,Fujiko Yamamoto gives a incredibly subtle performance as Kiwa,thanks to Yamamoto expressing in her body language the underlying love she has for Takemura, (played by a terrific, measured Ken Uehara) and the strings of care which connect her to the family business, as Kiwa watches the river by night. Shorts: Waffle (2020)6 Returning to short films after a run directing TV shows, director Carlyn Hudson & cinematographer Richard Diaz charge up a quirky Horror atmosphere,as the bright colors of Katie and Kerry's sleepover are jabbed by swift zoom-ins and phone beeps, locking on that all is not as friendly as it seems.Co-producing,writing and starring in the film, Kerry Barker and Katie Marovitch pack the short run time with a impressive level of creativity, via giving the psycho friend Horror sub-genre a amusing Sci-Fi twist, in a phone app keeping friendships on a timer which Marovitch uses to turn Katie kooky on a pile of waffles. Maggie May (2018)3 Hammering the message home that not taking action in the middle of a crisis can lead to horrific, tragic results, writer/director Mia Kate Russell & cinematographer Tim Egan jab at a unpleasant atmosphere of ugly fish eye lens shots and grating howling baby noises. Having the potential to explore the psychological horror across the entire family in the home, the screenplay by Russell stays away from the subtle, to instead go for grotesque nihilistic venom, which fails to unlock any details in the house of Maggie May.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Jun 29, 2020 17:21:33 GMT
The Postman Always Rings Twice / Tay Garnett (1946). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Cinematography by Sidney Wagner. After “Double Indemnity” (1944), TPART is probably the most important film noir of the 1940s even though the plots of the two films are very similar. Both pictures come from novels by crime writer James M. Cain who freely admitted that he was stealing from himself when he wrote “Postman.” Also, the introductions of both films’ leading ladies are justly famous. Barbara Stanwyck wrapped in a towel in 1944 and Lana Turner in what looks like a white tennis outfit in the later film (see second image below). A drifter, Frank Chambers (John Garfield), stops in at a diner on a highway outside of Los Angeles where he meets Cora Smith (Turner) and her much older husband Nick (Cecil Kellaway) who owns the diner. There is an opening for a handyman so Frank, reeling from his first sight of Cora, takes the job. What follows is the passage of Frank and Cora’s affair, their growing desperation, and finally Nick’s decision to sell the diner and take Cora north to Canada. If you’ve seen “Double Indemnity,” then you know what they decide to do. Leon Ames is the local District Attorney and Hume Cronyn (almost stealing the show) is Cora’s defense. The movie is not perfect. It runs just short of two hours but didn’t have to. At least two subplots – Frank’s dalliance with a local floozy (Audrey Totter) and the attempted blackmail by a former staffer of Cronyn’s – could have easily been snipped to give the film a more comfortable run time. An essential 1940s crime/ noir and an essential John Garfield.   The Quick Gun / Sidney Salkow (1964). Columbia Pictures. An Audie Oatie. Clint Cooper (Audie Murphy) is on his way back to his frontier home town of Shelby where he grew up but had to leave after a shooting. On the way, he runs into an outlaw gang led by an old acquaintance named Spangler. Spangler is the leader of a large band of outlaws who like to raid towns, loot them, rape the women, and then burn the town to the ground. They are on the way to Shelby. Cooper gets away and hurries ahead to warn the town, but is not welcomed back and not believed. He is even disappointed to find that the Girl He Left Behind (Merry Anders) is about to marry his old pal Scotty (James Best) who is now the sheriff. This movie is based on a story by Steve Fisher that has already been adapted two times before, in 1955 and 1960, and this effort seems tired. Film noir veteran Ted de Corsia plays Splanger not just over the top but in outer space. His loud Evil Laugh is always up front as he explains to one and all what terrible things he is going to do next. Oh, well, Clint Cooper gets to prove himself to the town, win his lady, and we can spend a little time with likable actor Audie Murphy. Even though I can pick out flaws in films like “The Quick Gun,” I can still say, I haven’t seen an Audie Murphy western that I didn’t like.  Barry Lyndon / Stanley Kubrick (1975). Sorry, no review. There was just too much to take in. Maybe in a week or two…or three.     American Splendor / Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini (2003). I saw this film back in ’03 during its first run, but this later visit reveals that it is still delightful after 17 years. This blurring of the lines between the venerable bio-pic and a documentary will keep audiences on their toes. It follows the life of the misanthropic hospital file clerk Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti’s breakthrough role) who becomes a cultural and media hero via graphic novels he writes with major illustrators like Robert Crumb. On the spur of the moment he marries Joyce Babner (Hope Davis), a strange individual, indeed, but their marriage lasted until Pekar’s death (which didn’t come until 2010). The graphic novels he writes are based on his life in Cleveland (“Ordinary life is very complex,” he says). They include every one he knows especially his co-workers like Toby Radloff (Judah Friedlander) who is an autistic adult. During the course of the movie we also see the Real Harvey and Joyce being interviewed and he Real Toby hanging around between set-ups with Friedlander, Giamatti, and Davis). Harvey narrates most of the movie. Another innovation is Harvey’s appearances on David Letterman. We find Paul Giamatti as Harvey waiting just off camera but when his name is announced we go to an actual clip of the show for the Real Harvey’s first appearance with Letterman. This is quite a good movie which may not be though much about any more. I hope that feeling is wrong.  Giamatti and Davis as Harvey and Joyce  Harvey, Joyce, and foster daughter Danielle  The Metropolitan Opera in NYC is still providing a different opera for free streaming each day. I sampled favorite highlights (about 45 minutes worth each) from two. Philip Glass: Akhnaten. Glass, a major still living American composer, premiered this work about the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh in 1984. Glass is usually classed with other composers of the movement of minimalism, that is, repetitive rhythmic musical structures rather than themes and melodies. Glass has written several film scores in this style, e.g. Fantastic Four, Notes On A Scandal, The Hours, and Kundun.
Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore (The Elixir Of Love). One of my top comic operas. A joy all the way through. This broadcast was originally from 1991 and features Luciano Pavarotti is his prime as the lovesick peasant in love with the landowner’s daughter.  Thank you for sharing these excellent reviews Mike (and the Glass track) I was wondering if you saw the Criterion print of Lyndon,and with the Met Opera providing a new stream everyday (!) how big is their back catalog?
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Post by Lebowskidoo 🎄😷🎄 on Jun 29, 2020 17:55:01 GMT
These are the movies I've "seen" this week, even though most of them were "invisibile"... Hollow Man (2000) Hollow Man II (2006) The Invisible Man (1933) The Invisible Man (2020) The Invisible Man Returns (1940) The Invisible Woman(1940) The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944) Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) Invisible Ghost (1941) The Invisible Guest (2016) Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) Freshwater (2016) Alligator X (2010) a.k.a. Jurassic Predator: Xtinction and Xtinction: Predator X
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