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Post by wmcclain on Oct 9, 2021 13:58:13 GMT
Your comments/ratings/recommendations/film posters are welcome and much appreciated! The title says "classics" but we are always interested to know what classic film lovers have been watching, whatever the material.  |
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Post by politicidal on Oct 9, 2021 14:41:43 GMT
Repeat Viewings:
House on Haunted Hill (1959) 7/10
Five Came Back (1939) 6.5/10
Them! (1954) 7/10
First Viewings:
Zola (2020) 8/10
I Walked With a Zombie (1943) 6/10
White Zombie (1932) 5/10
The Body Snatcher (1945) 6/10
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Post by mikef6 on Oct 9, 2021 18:03:17 GMT
Thrill Of A Romance / Richard Thorp (1945). A website that purports to tell you the movie that was the top box office hit the day you were born, came up with this unknown title for me. That meant I just had to watch it, like it or not. Esther Williams (who looks great in a bathing suit or close up but whose line readings are just so high school senior play) is swept off her feet by a rich business man who marries her and takes her to a fancy resort for a honeymoon. Things go south, however, when the husband has to leave his new wife for an important out-of-town business meeting on the first afternoon before they… well, you know. Feeling lonely and abandoned, Williams falls for war hero Van Johnson who is on leave after his strenuous war effort. (As I know from experience, people in the military can’t wait to get off base and get back into civvies. But in the movies military men continue to wear their uniforms even when off duty at a resort hotel.) The movie is, technically, I suppose, a musical even though all the songs and music take place without supernaturally produced music. Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra as well as a band of strolling players within the hotel, provide background. This film is also the debut of Metropolitan Opera favorite Lauritz Melchior, a Danish opera star who had lifelong weight problems. He plays a Danish opera star who has come to the resort to lose weight. Big stretch. He hangs around to give advice to the young lovers and to sing some classical music (“Vesti la giubba” from Pagliacci and a Grieg lieder) as well as several popular ballads about love. Overall, this is a pleasing enough romantic musical comedy that is very much of its time. It is easy to see why it was a box office smash for a week in 1945. But should it have remained in the collective memory? Probably not. A worthwhile viewing by fans of the genre and 1940s films.    Hell Bound / William J. Hole (1957). John Russell, who spent most of the1950s as either a film noir villain or as a second lead in westerns, turns in one of his most vicious performances as the evil Jordan who has a plan to rob narcotics from a ship docking in Los Angeles. The movie opens with Jordan’s plan in action. A narrator describes what we are seeing as the ship’s crew takes aboard two men who aren’t what they seem. The scheme is executed perfectly. Then the camera pulls back to reveal that we have been watching a movie that Jordan has made – and narrates - to sell his plan to gangsters for the funding he needs. A very original start. He recruits Paula (June Blair) as his femme fatale to get close to innocent ambulance driver Eddie Mason (Stuart Whitman). Things start to fall apart with the people he tempts or blackmails. In addition to Paula there is a junkie and an ill customs inspector who wants to live a little before he dies. The first signs are when Paula starts to fall for Eddie. Stuart Whitman has been hanging around Hollywood for six years taking mostly uncredited roles. He was just started to be noticed when he appeared in “Hell Bound.” June Blair had been a model which netted her a short movie career and a famous husband, David Nelson of the Ozzie and Harriet show. She was Playboy Playmate Of The Month for January 1957, back when, based on modern ratings, the centerfold would have been PG-13. She doesn’t burn up the screen but is a pretty fair actress in her own right. Until I started watching a lot of film noir, I knew John Russell only from his early 1960s western series “Lawman” where he played strong but silent Marshall Dan Troop of Laramie. Russell was a decorated Marine in WWII.    Slam Dance / Wayne Wang (1987). This is a movie impossible to rate. It begins at 7-8 but by the end is has de-volved to a 4-5 as the story all but collapses into muddle. There is a good cast with Tom Hulce in his second movie after "Amadeus" also with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Virginia Madsen, Adam Ant, and Harry Dean Stanton. C.C. Drood (Hulce) is a popular cartoonist who is still in love with ex-wife Helen (Mastrantonio). He was divorced after he had an affair with a mysterious blonde named Yolanda Caldwell (Madsen) who reveals nothing about her past. When she turns up dead, Drood finds himself a major suspect. He then is threatened by armed toughs who demand that he give “it” to them. A great set-up but as Drood (even his ex calls him Drood) investigates on his own, the story spins out of control. Tech credits are excellent as Drood moves through a mostly nighttime Los Angeles from dreamlike discotheques to parties for the glitterati. It is worth the watch just for that and for the performances. Also with Adam Ant, Harry Dean Stanton, and Millie Perkins.    The Last Seduction / John Dahl (1994). And speaking of femme fatales, Bridget Gregory played by Linda Fiorentino is a one-woman 24-hour, all femme fatale network. After her low-level drug dealer Clay (Bill Pullman) manages to pull of a major score, Bridget immediately flees with the cash, stopping in a small town a couple of hours south of Buffalo. There she entangles a country boy, Mike (Peter Berg), anxious to find a way out of his existence. Mike, it turns out, is a claims adjuster at a large insurance company. Bridget uses his access to citizens’ private records with a scheme to make a lot of money. Oh, by the way, her plan includes murder. Meanwhile, Clay has employed a private eye (Bill Nunn) to track her down. Hint: no private eye is a match for Bridget. Although shot to be a theatrical feature, after a couple of festival presentations, the movie was sold to HBO where it became very popular and widely seen and there was talk of an Oscar nom for Fiorentino. But those were different times. She was denied a place on the ballot because “The Last Seduction” appeared on cable TV before a theatrical release. The film’s producers sued the Academy but lost. Her performance is really remarkable plus she is supported by a great cast.    
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Post by jeffersoncody on Oct 9, 2021 18:51:00 GMT
NEVER LOOK AWAY (2018). Highly recommended. (9 out of 10). I was enthralled for every second of this sumptuous, sweeping film's over three hour running time.     OLD HENRY (2021). Highly Recommended to genre enthusiasts, this taut, dark, violent, redemption tale with a heck of a story twist - which hasn't been spoiled in the trailers and marketing, features an excellent and memorable leading performance from character actor Tim Blake Nelson as the world weary sodbuster who may not be who he appears to be. It is one of the best traditional westerns of the last 10 years or so. If you love westerns, Old Henry is a gritty, atmospheric and exciting low budget (but handsomely mounted) Indie genre film - with a quality supporting cast, really worth seeking out. ( 8 out of 10).  
THE BROTHERS RICO (1957). Recommended (8 out of 10).
IDA RED (2021). (6, 5 OUT OF 10).   THE NIGHT HOUSE (2021). (6,5 out of 10)
  RUBY IN PARADISE (1993). Recommended. (8 out of 10)..jpg)  THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975). Recommended. (7,5 out 10). NO NAME ON THE BULLET (1959). Top notch B-western. Recommended. (8 out 10).
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Post by wmcclain on Oct 9, 2021 19:30:32 GMT
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Post by teleadm on Oct 9, 2021 21:11:10 GMT
Falling leaves and all that here is what Tele have seen lately:  Hear My Song 1991 directed by Peter Chelsom. Amusing and occasionally funny story from the dying days of Music Hall in Britain and among the Irish community in Liverpool specifically, using acts like "Franc Cinatra" and "Bing Crosby with a K" and with owners want to close and sell property, but to please the owners, the young driving force that have the lease for the dying theatre promises something special to win back girlfriend and please future mother in law, to get the one and only Joseph Locke back on stage, with Posters of Mr X (Is He or Isn't He), since he fled to Ireland because of tax evasions. I had to look this thing up, and indeed there was a singing Joseph Locke (I've never heard of him) once and even another man pretending to be Locke calling himself Mr X, travelling around British resorts. Anyway this was a very light delight that I enjoyed.  La donna del lago aka The Possessed 1965 directed by Luigi Bazzoni and Francp Rossellini and based on a novel by Giovanni Commiso. A writer who suddenly get's stucked, travels in wintertime back to a resort with hopes to find his muse from recent summers, but once he arrives he learns she committed suicide, or so the police says...but what really happened. It creates a great atmosphere of a sleepy summer resort at winter, but story wise it's a mess. The "hero" played by American Peter Baldwin soon gave up his acting career and became a successful TV sit com director, and even winning an Emmy for an episode of The Wonder Years 1989.  The Innocents 1961, directed by Jack Clayton and based on a book by Henry James and a later theatre play. Well I mentioned Kerr so it's my own fault seeing it again, but seeing it from the new perspective that it's actually the governess going mad, since I've always thought that the kids where possessed and that was that. I've seen it before but because of the chills it gives me been trying to avoid re-watching it until now, and it still gives my chills, when the birds stops singing and everything is silent, for starters. What I had forgotten is that there is two abominations, not just Quint but the former governess too. Even in this modern age hearing traffic sounds around it still chills the bones. Deborah Kerr is magnificent in one of her best roles ever, in my opinion.  From Here to Eternity 1953 directed by Fred Zinnemann and based on a book by James Jones. Following a multi-layered tale set on Hawaii just days before Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor WW2. There is so much more to it than Deborah and Burt rolling around on the beach, even if that is a very good eye-catching part. It's a classic for a reason, and it's still a great watch any day of the week. ![]()  The Man in Grey 1943 directed by Leslie Arliss and based on a book by Eleanor Smith. Concluding my urge to see more of Margaret Lookwood, I will offcourse see more of her in years to come. It's nice to see Lookwood in a not angelic part as she squeezes herself into a rich childhood friends home just to be near her friends husband, the debonair but cruel Lord Rohan (James Mason in a star making preformance). While it wasn't amovie for me, I can certainly see the attraction of the stars and that war weary audiences needed something to dream about, escapism. and nothing wrong with that.  Son of Frankenstein 1939 directed by Rowland V, Lee and "suggested" by characters created by Mary Shelley. Dr Frankenstein's son Wolf returns to his old home town in the alps to begin a new life and maybe clean his father's name with a wife and a son. Not too soon he meets Ygor, the man they couldn't hang twice since he was declared dead, who hangs around in the dungeons his father's laboratory, and introduces Wolf to his father's creation. Maybe not to everyone's taste but I liked this third installment of the Frankenstein saga, while not topping the first two movies. Far far better than I remembered.  The Ghost of Frankenstein 1943 directed by Erle C Kenton. While not giving away what happened at the end the last movie, Ygor and the creation/monster strolls away to go and see Wolf von Frankenstein's brother Ludwig, in hopes that he can restore the monster to it's former glory, but Ludwig suggest another solution by dissecting the monster limb by limb, once and for all and be rid of the nuisance. Luckily for Ygor Ludwig's medical partner, Doctor Theodore, has grandiose ideas too about man and superman. Well that offcourse went bad again. The weakest but not too bad Frankenstein saga movie, before the monster met other monsters and Abbott and Costello in the end. The last monster movie made by Universal's old A-Team, and it looks good indeed (the sets were from the previous Wolf Man 1941, so Chaney taking over from Karloff must have known his way around), the rest was made by the B-unit. Accidentally I watched Ghost before Son, I hadn't planned it like that, but as the great American troubadour Johnny Cash once wrote "Guess Things Happen That Way".  |
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Oct 9, 2021 22:30:31 GMT
King Arthur (2004). Fantasy Island (2020) - 'Unseen Version'. Truth or Dare (2018) - Extended Director’s Cut. Pleasantville (1998). Spectre (2015). Not that complicated... After all the complaints about this movie being a "mess", I really don't see what's so hard to follow. I'm in the minority, surely, having found Skyfall astonishingly overrated and never wanting to re-watch it, as it remains my least favourite of the Craig era Bond films. So much so I didn't deem it worth reviewing (if I had, it'd just be a list of all the things I hated about it). So when it was announced Sam Mendes would be directing Spectre, suffice to say I was not enthused. Martin Campbell remains my favourite Bond film director (he not only gave us two of the best introduction films to new Bonds, Brosnan and Craig, in Goldeneye and Casino Royale, but two of the best Bond films, period) and I maintain that he should be brought back, as he's able to direct action in both thrilling and coherent ways. Casino Royale did a beyond excellent job of rebooting the franchise and introducing Daniel Craig as a much 'grittier' Bond, but not without a sense of humour. This was lost somewhat in the follow-up, Quantum of Solace (though, given what he was going through at the time, it was understandable). With Skyfall, I found Bond turned into a nasty piece of work when he callously quipped about the "waste of good scotch" after Severine's death (when he was supposed to help her). Thankfully, there's none of that nastiness here, I'm able to LIKE Bond again as a character, and more surprisingly, it's the first instance of both Bond girls living in a Craig film - maybe because he puts some actual effort into saving them. It's been said Craig looks "tired/bored" of the role in this film, but I imagine if we hadn't known beforehand that he wanted out, there'd be no such thoughts. I found he showed more humanity here than in Skyfall, but his first film is still him at his most likable. Léa Seydoux's Dr. Madeleine Swann, meanwhile, might not be quite up to the same high standard for Bond girls set by Eva Green's Vesper Lynd (but then, who could be? I appreciated her getting a mention, appearing in the opening credits sequence and seeing her photo. She may be gone, but never forgotten), but she has attitude, is respectable, stands up to James and shows him she's not clueless when it comes to fighting/firing a gun. Nothing will ever surpass the chemistry Green had with Craig, but Seydoux gives it an admirable effort. They share some good scenes together and I was happy with where she and Bond wound up in the film's closing moments (even if it ended with a sense of foreboding). The only real misstep was her walking away from him, what felt like out of nowhere, simply so she could be captured towards the end. Speaking of, while people have been badmouthing the 'pointlessly elaborate sadistic death trap' she was placed in by the film's villain, I'm willing to bet some are the same people who'd found the first Craig films "too serious" and not feeling like "old school Bond" – well, this film works to rectify that for better or worse, with the introduction of Christoph Waltz's Blofeld. Try as the movie might to have kept this a secret, there really was no need. There's more than enough hints early on, before we even get to the more obvious ones (like the fluffy white cat). Unfortunately, what should be the most memorable villain yet has a rather sub-par introduction. The first scene with him should've been tension-filled, but instead fell flat and needlessly drawn-out (which is a large part of the film's problem, but I felt the same way with Skyfall – which needed a good editor). The reveal of his connection to James also feels rather pointless, though it's obviously intended to give him some deep emotional connection/motivation. He only really feels close to the Blofeld we used to know by the end, with the torture of Bond, aforementioned extravagant trap set for him and the climax. Sadly, his fate doesn't play out as it should (what was Bond thinking?!) simply so he can come back to haunt James later on. Hopefully Madeleine doesn't get Tracy'd. For all the fuss made about Monica Bellucci playing the "oldest" Bond girl, she's not in the film for very long...which is a shame. Unlike most, I can't say I'm loving this new younger Q. He's alright, but I'd have preferred his expanded role be reduced in favour of devoting more time towards Bond and Swann's developing relationship. Those complaining about Moneypenny being "wasted"...what do you expect? She's Moneypenny - who usually just sits behind a desk, acting flirty with Bond, but has gotten to do WAY more already than the character ever did previously. Our new M is sufficient, though can't hold a candle to Judi Dench's M. I've noticed Dave Bautista described as "great", but saw no evidence of such here. He stands around being big/brawny, poking people's eyes out and uttering one single curse word, that's it. A forgettable henchman like so many are. This second outing for Mendes at least looked nice. The Day of the Dead opening gave us something visually different, though the seemingly never-ending "one-shot" take/"oner" seemed more showing off than anything. The movie has two close-quarters fight scenes, one at the start with Bond in a helicopter and later on a train. They're both quite well done, giving us something different than we're used to. The car chase in between might not be the most thrilling one ever, but the music elevates it, as does an injection of humour. The tone/quality of Casino Royale has yet to be beaten, as does its opening montage/theme song (writhing inky octopus ladies? Not gonna cut it!). Unlike most, I came to appreciate Quantum of Solace after getting some distance from it/upon re-watch. As for Spectre...at least I liked it WAY more than Skyfall.            (2019).
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Post by teleadm on Oct 9, 2021 22:33:47 GMT
wmcclainIt took me some time to figure out were the introductory pic came from, looked familiar but couldn't place it. It's Vincent in Bernadette mikef6I don't remember much of Thrill of a Romance but I remember that Danish Television showed that movie on Melchior's 100th Birthdate 1990, we didn't have much TV channels back then, two Swedish and one Danish. Lauritz Melchior was Danish, not Swedish.
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Post by OldAussie on Oct 9, 2021 22:56:29 GMT
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Post by mikef6 on Oct 9, 2021 23:08:55 GMT
wmcclain It took me some time to figure out were the introductory pic came from, looked familiar but couldn't place it. It's Vincent in Bernadette mikef6 I don't remember much of Thrill of a Romance but I remember that Danish Television showed that movie on Melchior's 100th Birthdate 1990, we didn't have much TV channels back then, two Swedish and one Danish. Lauritz Melchior was Danish, not Swedish. Thanks for the fact check on Melchior.
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Post by Rufus-T on Oct 10, 2021 5:49:42 GMT
Night and the City (1950)  Blade Runner (1982)  Mystic River (2003)  Viy (1967)  Le Samouraï (1967)  |
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Oct 10, 2021 7:49:45 GMT
The Book of Mary (1984, Anne-Marie Meiville) – short film about a young girl facing her parents’ divorce that serves as an introduction to Godard’s Hail MaryHail Mary (1985, Jean-Luc Godard) – Godard’s at the time controversial retelling of the story of the “virgin birth” in contemporary France. Possibly the most focused of his 80s films. Contains some of his most beautiful cinematography  Mildred Pierce (2011, Todd Haynes, limited series) – retelling of the classic James M Cain novel. The titular Mildred struggles to support her demanding daughter during the Depression. This feels tailor made for Haynes (melodrama, period setting, strong female lead struggling against oppression), but overall felt a little too dour, probably not helped by lengthier format  Carol (2015, Todd Haynes) - rewatch – a woman going through a divorce finds herself drawn to a young shop assistant in this flipside/companion piece to Far From Heaven. Also set in the 1950s, though more sombre and less melodramatic  Wonderstruck (2017, Todd Haynes) – two parallel stories set 50 years apart both involving a child with hearing loss leaving home. Using B&W in the earlier set section as well as trying to convey a lot of the story without the use of spoken dialogue, this is an ambitious experiment that doesn’t quite come together  Dark Water (2019, Todd Haynes) – well told legal drama documenting with the early 2000s class action against the DuPont chemical company. Solid and engaging but missing Haynes’ signature flair  Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019, Benjamin and Gabe Turner) – the story of the Detroit record label who brought us everyone from Smokey Robinson to The Jacksons. Not particularly in depth but entertaining enough for a novice like myself  Wonder Woman 1984 (2020, Patty Jenkins) – appropriately set during the "greed is good" 1980s, an ancient stone believed to grant wishes falls into the wrong hands. Can Wonder Woman save the world 
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Post by claudius on Oct 10, 2021 11:21:44 GMT
Teleadm, I believe the town square in GHOST was also used for ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT and FRANKENSTEIN as well.
And this week’s MASTERPIECE 50 is:
JEEVES AND WOOSTER (1990) I’m sure the majority of people who think of Hugh Laurie they think HOUSE. Me, I tend to think of Laurie as British and most times a comedian who played fops like milquetoast Bertie Wooster in this adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse’s stories of the twit and his capable butler Jeeves (Stephen Fry). Saw most of the first series on YouTube.
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THE KWICKY KOALA SHOW (1981) “Robin Hoodwink/ Clyde’s Birthday Surprise/ Dr. Dirty” 40th Anniversary. Warner Archive DVD.
THE SMURFS (1981) “Smurfs meet the Howlibird/ The Meanie Genie/ Bewitched, Bothered and Be-Smurfed “ 40th Anniversary. Warner DVD.
THE KIDS SUPER POWER HOUR WITH SHAZAM (1981) “Rat Fink Rex/ Flight 106 is Missing/ High Rise Hijinx” 40th Anniversary. Warner DVD.
THE POPEYE AND OLIVE COMEDY SHOW (1981) “Gone Native/ Cheap Skate/ Alice in Blunderland” 40th Anniversary. YouTube.
THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN (1981) “City of Evil” 40th Anniversary. Warner Archive DVD.
SPACE STARS (1981) “Nomads /Trojan Teen Force/ The Invisibles/ The Space Dragons/ Wonder Dog/ Mindwitch” 40th Anniversary. Warner Archive DVD.
GOLDIE GOLD AND ACTION JACK (1981) “Revenge of the Ancient Astronaut “ 40th Anniversary. YouTube.
BLAKSTAR (1981) “The Mermaid of the Serpent Sea” 40th Anniversary. YouTube.
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ZORRO (1981) “ The Frame” 40th Anniversary. YouTube.
The following is from a VHS Recording of NBC and CBS shows broadcast on October 3 1981 (or what’s left of it: what came before was recorded over for a Hershey basketball game):
SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS (1981) “Sunfire” Firestar meets the Japanese mutant Sunfire, who needs her help in his uncle’s experiments, little knowing how pawn they are. The earliest surviving recording of this series in my possession. This was my introduction to the character, here portrayed as a nice guy. The comics have him as a nationalistic prick. This episode has come into controversy lately in view of what can be seen as Japanese stereotype. I don’t really see a problem: Sunfire comes off as a cool hero to me. The first six minutes were recorded over, so I watched those missing parts on Amazon Prime.
THE DAFFY SPEEDY SHOW (1981) CBS had BUGS BUNNY ROAD RUNNER SHOW, so NBC did it’s own focus on Looney Tunes, with everyone but those two characters (and Wile E Coyote). Yosemite Sam is highlighted, although I don’t think he had many Bugs-less shorts (only one to my memory). Shorts include “Moby Duck” (1965), “Strangled Eggs” (1961), an edited “Golden Yeggs” (1950), and “A Message to Gracias” (1964). There were also several newly animated segments.
THE TOM & JERRY COMEDY SHOW (1980)“Droopy’s Restless Night /Spikes Birthday /Stage Struck” Filmation’s version of the cat and mouse with the other MGM cast like Droopy, the Wolf, Barney Bear, etc. Part of the episode was accidentally taped over for an episode of ALICE (“The Indian Taker”) due to my touching the record button on the remote c. 1986.
Commercials include Burger King (with its own cast of characters), Star Wars toys, etc.
SPIDER-MAN (1981) “Curiosity Killed the Spider-Man” 40th Anniversary. The Black Cat, Spidey’s Catwoman, makes her animated debut, although the romantic angle is subdued. That aspect is saved for Petet’s dating troubles with Betty Brant (his extracurricular activities constantly lead to him unintentionally standing her up). YouTube.
DARKWING DUCK (1991) “Just Us Justice Ducks Part 2” 30th Anniversary. The conclusion, as the Justice Ducks face off against the Fearsome Five. YouTube.
ER (1996) “Let the Games Begin” 25th Anniversary Dr. Donald Anspaugh (John Aylward) makes his intro as the new head of County. Meanwhile, something seems to be forming between Mark Greene and Susan Lewis, and Benton ends things with the HIV Jeanie Boulet. DVD.
THE SIMPSONS (1991) “When Flanders Failed” 30th Anniversary FoxVideo DVD.
THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (1946) 75th Anniversary this year. “Old dark house” mystery about a mute servant (Dorothy McGuire) dealing with a killer in the house. Also starring Drew Barrymore, George Brent, Rhonda Fleming, Elsa Lancaster, and Sara Allgood. This is the MGM/UA DVD which omits all the RKO Logos.
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WILDFIRE (1986) “The Secret of Sinti Magic” 30th Anniversary. YouTube.
THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS (1986) “Slimer Come Home “ 35th Anniversary Sony DVD.
THE CARE BEARS FAMILY )1986) Home Sweet Homeless” 35th Anniversary. YouTube.
PEE WEE’S PLAYHOUSE (1986) “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t” 35th Anniversary. YouTube.
MUPPET BABIES (1986) “Muppets in Toyland” 35th Anniversary. Scooter has a new toy, Transgojobot (guess the nods), but it becomes clearer to the other Babies that the uncontrollable toy is playing with Scooter. YouTube.
GALAXY HIGH (1986) “Where’s Milo?” 35th Anniversary. YouTube.
POUND PUPPIES (1986) “Snowbound Pound” 35th Anniversary. YouTube.
TEEN WOLF (1986) “The Beast Within” 35th Anniversary. YouTube.
THE ALVIN SHOW (1961) “Stanley the Eagle/Clyde Invents Baseball” 60th Anniversary. The first animated version of David Bagdasarian’s Chipmunks and the one to establish the look and personalities of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. Sharing the spotlight is Clyde Crashcup, bumbling inventor. I’m viewing this on a Bootleg DVD of Recordings from its broadcast on Nickelodeon in the early 1990s (with the logo digitally splashed on the intro). It has the “Girls could speak French” song but edits the “Gondoleria” song.
JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS (1986) “Broadway Magic” 35th Anniversary. The Misfits put up a reward on who can out Jem’s identity. This episode was written by Marv Wolfman who wrote TOMB OF DRACULA (co-creating Blade and Hannibal King), SPIDER-MAN (writing Peter’s college graduation and co-creating Black Cat), and THE NEW TEEN TITANS (co-creating Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, Terra, Brother Blood, Slade, and progressed Dick Grayson from Robin to Nightwing). Rhino DVD.
CASUALTY (1986) “Blood Brothers” 35th Anniversary Just Entertainment/BBC PAL DVD.
WINSTON CHURCHILL THE WILDERNESS YEARS (1981) “The Flying Peril” 40th Anniversary 1934-35. Churchill looks into the threat of Germany’s rearmament despite the Government’s ignorance. He also suffers his wife’s absence on vacation and estrangement from his son. Southern Star/Lancer DVD.
Turner Classic Movies showed several KoKo the Klown cartoons in celebration of the Fleischer Animation Studios’ Centennial. All are from the KoKo the Clown/Out of the Inkwell cartoons, although several of them were made before 1921.
THE BOXING KANGAROO (1920)
REUNION (1920)
CARTOON FACTORY (1922)
VACATION (1922)
IT’S THE CATS (1926)
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BEETLEJUICE (1991) “Spitting Image/Award to the Wise” 30th Anniversary. Shout Factory DVD.
BACK TO THE FUTURE (1991) “Witchcraft” 30th Anniversary. After being demoted for two episodes, Marty gets the focal part. Rescuing the time-trapped Brown family in Salem, Marty’s natural behavior arouses suspicion and finally arrest by the superstitious townspeople. Several nods include Marty talking to Jennifer on the front porch where he left her sleeping in PART II and III, and the closing credits using the BEWITCHED theme. Universal DVD.
DARKWING DUCK (1991) “Slaves to Fashion” 30th Anniversary. YouTube.
GREAT MOVIE STUNTS: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) 40th Anniversary. Harrison Ford narrates this “making of” the blockbuster film. Includes footage of the abandoned Swordsman fight sequence. The aforementioned VHS recording of CBS had a promo for this show. YouTube.
VANDREAD: THE SECOND STAGE (2001) “Red Angel” 20th Anniversary. The second season of the series, continues a few months later as the mixed gender crew face new challenges and a new guest. Japanese with English Subtitles. Funimation DVD.
HOUSE OF ELLIOT (1991) “Part Six” 30th Anniversary. A major turning point for the Elliot sisters: their cousin Arthur and his meddlesome snob mother were something of the series’ big bad. However Arthur is convicted of owning a business involved in drug smuggling. His reputation ruined, he has to leave the country, but not before giving the girls knowledge of funds he kept secret “for their own good”, allowing the sponsor-less sisters to finance their own business. A subplot involves Jack the sisters’ first employer (and potential love interest) taking into movie-making, the first a vampire film (predating NOSFERATU if the setting is February 1922) and again showing the tuxedo version that won’t be presented until 1924! Another episode I saw on Arts & Entertainment in summer of 1992. Acorn Media DVD.
THE COMMISH (1991) “Do You See What I See?” 30th Anniversary. Anchor Bay DVD.
ONCE AND AGAIN (2001) “The Awful Truth” 20th Anniversary. YouTube presentation of VHS recording of a Lifetime Broadcast.
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DOUG (1991) “Doug’s Cool Shoes/ Doug to the Rescue.“ 30th Anniversary The debut of Doug’s comic book hero Quailman. Bootleg DVD and YouTube.
RUGRATS (1991) “Grandpa’s Teeth/Momma’s Trauma.“ 30th Anniversary. Amazon Prime.
GI JOE (1986) “Cobrathon” 35th Anniversary. Dailymotion.
THE PLAYHOUSE (1921) 100th Anniversary. Probably the first official SFX comedy as Buster Keaton puts on a show with himself as performers, orchestra, and audience. First read of this on Walter Kerr’s THE SILENT CLOWNS. First saw this on American Movie Classics on the Keaton centennial in October 4, 1995. Kino DVD.
BEDLAM (1946) 75th Anniversary this month. Val Lewton’s period horror of a woman seeking reform for St Mary of Bethlehem’s asylum for the insane against its manager (Boris Karloff). First saw parts of this on American Movie Classics in the early 1990s. Warner DVD.
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BAND OF BROTHERS (2001) “Bastogne” 20th Anniversary The Battle of the Bulge. HBO Video DVD.
NORTHERN EXPOSURE (1991) “Oy Wilderness” 30th Anniversary While playing Brandon’s new girlfriend Emily in BEVERLY HILLS 90210, Christine Elise also plays an old friend of Barmaid Shelly, who is now married to her ex-husband (or maybe not so ex). Universal DVD.
BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS (1971) 50th Anniversary A spinster learning witchcraft (Angela Lansbury) takes in three Blitz orphans and with them searches for a spell to protect England from Nazi invasion. Disney replicating the success of MARY POPPINS reuniting the crew (Director Robert Stevenson and the Sherman Brothers) as well as David Tomlinson and Reginald Owen (in his last film) and a Live Action-Animated sequence to boot. In my childhood, my mother would often rent this film for us, being my introduction to Angela Lansbury. VHS Recording of TCM Broadcast (of the theatrical version) c. 2009.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) 50th Anniversary. William Friedkin’s Best Picture winner about detectives trying to bust emigrated drug smuggling. Starring Gene Hackman, Roy Schneider, and Fernando Rey. Amazon Prime.
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THE LEGEND OF PRINCE VALIANT (1991) “The Finding of Camelot” 30th Anniversary. The trio finally come to Camelot, meeting King Arthur (Efren Zimbalist Jr), Guinevere (Samantha Eggar), Merlin (Alan Oppenheimer), Gawain (Tim Curry), and Sir Bryant (James Avery). Also an appearance of the knight who attacked the Vikings. BCI Eclipse DVD.
HOMEFRONT (1991) “I’m so Alone” 30th Anniversary. Hank gets married, and the scorned Jeff seeks solace in the equally scorned Ginger (who went to receive her fiancé’s return in a wedding dress, only to learn he married someone else). When TV Land aired the series on a weekend marathon in May 2000, I was tasked to record the series for my late Uncle (it’s now been a year since he died). This was the first episode I seriously watched. Internet Archive presentation of ABC broadcast in 1991.
49TH PARALLEL (1941) 80th Anniversary Michael Powell’s propaganda picture of stranded U Boat Nazis crossing Canada and meeting opposition and dwindling numbers. Starring Laurence Olivier, Eric Portman, Niall McGinnis, Leslie Howard, Anton Walbrook, Raymond Massey, Finlay Currie, and Glynis Johns. My first image of this film was a still from the Everson Filmbook THE BAD GUYS showing two of the remaining Nazis tying up Leslie Howard. Criterion Laserdisc.
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THE FUNKY PHANTOM (1971) “The Headless Horseman” 50th Anniversary. Warner Archive DVD.
HEY ITS THE HAIR BEAR BUNCH (1971) “No Space Like Home” 50th Anniversary. Warner Archive DVD.
THE PEBBLES AND BAMM BAMM SHOW (1971) “Daddy’s Little Helper” 50th Anniversary. Mr Slate returns to Flintstones, as Pebbles schemes to work for him to save her father’s job (or so she thinks). I admit to getting the plot wrong when I first saw it in the 80s. Pebbles misunderstands thru eavesdropping a conversation to Barney Rubble about “getting a new man to take over Fred’s job”. Back then I shared Pebbles’ misunderstanding, and was puzzled about Barney’s apparent coolness about Fred’s apparent dismissal. Since it turns out Fred will be promoted, his coolness makes sense. tWarner DVD.
THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW (1971) “Room 223” 50th Anniversary YouTube.
HERGE THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN (1991) “The Case of the Golden Crabs Part 2” 30th Anniversary. Shout Factory DVD.
GI JOE (1986) “Glamour Girls” 35th Anniversary. Dailymotion.
MANHUNTER (1986) 35th Anniversary this year. Michael Mann’s stylistic adaptation of Thomas Harris’ thriller novel RED DRAGON starring William Petersen, Dennis Farina, Joan Davis, Tom Noonan, and Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lektor. First saw this back in the Winter 2009. Amazon Prime.
Turner Classic Mivies showed several sound cartoons of the Fleischer studio in honor of its Centennial.
HURRY DOCTOR! (1931)
BETTY BOOP’S CRAZY INVENTIONS (1933)
LETS SING WITH POPEYE (1934)
BETTY BOOP AND GRAMPY (1934)
DANCING ON THE MOON (1935)
POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS SINBAD THE SAILOR (1936)
Saw Parts of:
GRANTCHESTER (2021) “Episode 1 (Series 6)”
ANGEL (2001) “That Old Gang of Mine” Amazon Prime.
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Post by timshelboy on Oct 10, 2021 16:54:21 GMT
two weeks worth  Two rewatches  I enjoyed Marvin so much in VIOLENT SATURDAY I thought I'd give THE KILLERS another spin - and enjoyed every frame. Different from the 46 classic... but not inferior imho. The Edmond O'Brien character is dispensed with and the killers themselves conduct the investigation into why their hit didn't run. Reagan a splendid villain and Angie Dickinson a more venal, duplicitous femme fatale.  umpteenth viewing of the second best disaster movie ever made. I didn't listen to it this time but the commentary by Stella Stevens, Carol Lynley and Pamela Sue Martin on the special ed is a laugh riot. They were all terrified of Shelley Winters... and Carol's story of being summoned to Irwin Allen's office late at night to admire his model Poseidon is absolutely priceless.  . First Viewings Four I'd RECOMMEND  It feels odd to describe something as a period piece if you lived the period in question, but this low key, imaginative and wholly original horror is just that... set some 40 years ago in the age of the video nasty. Niamh CALM WITH HORSES Algar is the BBFC censor with a tragic family incident in her past disturbed by the works of a particularly "nasty" auteur.....  Darkly comic tale of meeting the partner's folks.... "original" is definitely the term here.  Solid but unexceptional franchise entry......some good action set pieces but it fell apart in the final third and Ramek underwhelming although he certainly didn't get much to work with. Whishaw was fun and Qdar a nice joke. I could have done with a bit more Ana De Armos too. And yes - certainly a surprise at the end.  A little undewhelming but I can tick it off the list... Have been watching lots of Gabin of late and others far more appealing. in the OF INTEREST/WATCHABLE category  Low key but engaging comedy about slack musician Jake Johnson who has to fulfil a series of self improvement tasks set by his deceased, estranged mother in order to inherit a cabin in the wilds. Susan Sarandon as the flaky stoner mom appears via video clips... JK Simmons good value as her lover... but shame they didn't get any scenes together.  Probably the best big bucks action movie I have seen this year (faint praise!). Well paced with some heart pounding Alien attack sequences. It's basically ALIENS with time travel... the creatures are noticeably Gigeresque but that no bad thing.  Absorbing if unlikely period rural saga of serial killers and fate... maybe one too many subplots ... but it ain't dull. Tom Holland as dull as usual as the lead but TWILIGHT boy has a strong featured role as corrupt preacher.  Roger Michell's last movie... a cosy lightweight period piece about an art theft. Not exciting but goodwill towards the stars will probably get you through. You can safely miss all the rest, which range from mediocre to terrible.                        STINKER OF THE FORTNIGHT AWARD goes to  Richard Egan Festival - final week Got through the last half dozen of his movies unseen - mostly late career 70s efforts. No lost gems.. but surprise was he gets the lead/top billing in all of them - he even gets a shirt off sequence in his last THE SWEET CREEK COUNTY WAR  . FANFARE FOR A DEATH SCENE has Ed Asner among a good cast. FATHER KINO has astonishing cast of vets backing Egan (Cesar Romero, John Ireland, Rory Calhoun, Ricardo Montalban, Aldo Ray, Victor Jory,,, even his VIOLENT SATURDAY playmate Stephen McNally). MOONFIRE is perhaps the only truckers vs escaped nazis movie yet released. I'd give it the edge over SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. I am only missing this one if anyone can point me to a source  |
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Post by timshelboy on Oct 10, 2021 18:31:01 GMT
it's actually the governess going mad, Doesn't the very real existence of the tear mean that everything is not in Kerr's mind? Quint's face at the window still rates as one of the biggest fright moments in classic (or any other) cinema.
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Post by petrolino on Oct 10, 2021 21:12:17 GMT
I've not heard of the 'The Tomorrow War', thanks for the recommendation.
I need to see 'The Card Counter'. I usually find some favourites in your "avoid the medicore to terrible to stinker" section, thanks. I actually have my dvd of 'The Big Racket' out ready to watch.
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Oct 11, 2021 3:02:47 GMT
two weeks worth Darkly comic tale of meeting the partner's folks.... "original" is definitely the term here. Busy two weeks i'm thinking of ending things is my favorite film of 2020 so far
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Post by jeffersoncody on Oct 11, 2021 5:24:41 GMT
in the OF INTEREST/WATCHABLE category Low key but engaging comedy about slack musician Jake Johnson who has to fulfil a series of self improvement tasks set by his deceased, estranged mother in order to inherit a cabin in the wilds. Susan Sarandon as the flaky stoner mom appears via video clips... JK Simmons good value as her lover... but shame they didn't get any scenes together. JK Simmons' line about how he was going to miss the "sweet smell" of Sarandon's "vagina in the morning" was a riot. And as a dog lover, I was blown away by the amazing black retriever - a guide dog for the blind - who played Johnson's gentle, loving canine companion. She is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, sensitive and intelligent animals I have ever seen on the screen. You can safely miss all the rest, which range from mediocre to terrible.
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Post by timshelboy on Oct 13, 2021 10:30:35 GMT
two weeks worth Darkly comic tale of meeting the partner's folks.... "original" is definitely the term here. Busy two weeks i'm thinking of ending things is my favorite film of 2020 so far  Yes it did exceptionally well in the icmforum delayed best of 2020 poll - came in at 2 or 3 from memory. I’d never heard of it . I think I lost the thread towards the end - so much going on with Kaufman it can be hard to keep up on first viewing - but keen to have another look soon. There aren’t many new movies I can say that about.
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Post by timshelboy on Oct 13, 2021 10:32:18 GMT
two weeks worth Darkly comic tale of meeting the partner's folks.... "original" is definitely the term here. Busy two weeks i'm thinking of ending things is my favorite film of 2020 so far Yes it did exceptionally well in the icmforum delayed best of 2020 poll - came in at 2 or 3 from memory. I’d never heard of it . I think I lost the thread towards the end - so much going on with Kaufman it can be hard to keep up on first viewing - but keen to have another look soon. There aren’t many new movies I can say that about.
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. FANFARE FOR A DEATH SCENE has Ed Asner among a good cast. FATHER KINO has astonishing cast of vets backing Egan (Cesar Romero, John Ireland, Rory Calhoun, Ricardo Montalban, Aldo Ray, Victor Jory,,, even his VIOLENT SATURDAY playmate Stephen McNally). MOONFIRE is perhaps the only truckers vs escaped nazis movie yet released. I'd give it the edge over SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT.
