What Classics did you see Last Week? (June 16-22)

Flash Gordon (1980).



The Adjustment Bureau (2011).



The Five-Year Engagement (2012).

From this point on I completed Paul Reuben's filmography, rewatching some of his best, and seeing for the first time, the rest.

First viewings:

Wonder / Stephen Chbosky (2017). After four years of home schooling, a boy with severe facial deformities adjusts to life in middle school while his parents cope with his trials and tribulations, and his overlooked sister undergoes her own troubles at her school. I feared it would be sentimental and corny, but it's really a beautiful film with an understated, life-affirming script, excellent direction by Chbosky, and wonderful, low-key performances by all the cast. Highly recommended. (On Netflix)



Heat Lightning / Mervyn LeRoy (1934). A pre-Code drama starring Aline MacMahon in her first starring role, along with Ann Dvorak and and Preston Foster. MacMahon runs an isolated gas station and restaurant with her discontented younger sister, Dvorak, in the stifling hot desert of the American southwest. Good script, too, based upon a play similar to The Petrified Forest, though this one came first. In some ways I liked this better, not sure why. And out of his very long career, I think this is one of director Mervyn Leroy's best efforts in his work with the actors. Also, I quite enjoyed seeing Aline MacMahon in her starring role, something very different from the character actress roles that ultimately defined her career. A much better film than I expected. Strongly recommended for fans of the cast, the genre, and the landscape. On YouTube.





Adam Had Four Sons / Gregory Ratoff (1941). A solid melodrama with especially good performances by Ingrid Bergman in her second American film and a villainous Susan Hayward. For those who don’t know, the director, Gregory Ratoff, was also an actor, probably most famous for his role as Max Fabian in All About Eve. It’s a well done film, worth a look for fans of the cast and the early 20th century period.



Re-watches:

Call Northside 777 / Henry Hathaway (1948). A documentary-style film noir based on the true story of a Chicago reporter who re-opens a decade-old murder case in order to prove that a man in prison for murder was wrongly convicted 11 years earlier. A gripping thriller with solid performances by all the cast. Highly recommended.



Blues in the Night / Anatole Litvak (1941). A pianist, singer and their jazz group dedicate themselves to making beautiful music, but things go awry when they wind up trapped in a nightclub with an escaped convict. The cast includes Priscilla Lane, Richard Whorf, Jack Carson Betty Field, Lloyd Nolan and the later renowned director Elia Kazan. Worth a look the cast and its Oscar nominated title song alone.

Metropolis (1927)
In a futuristic yet dystopian society, blue collar workers are tricked into rebellion and ultimately destruction.

Wow, talk about a movie that was ahead of its time! A silent 1920s film that, for its time, was a marvel in production design and special effects. Through the use of models and matte paintings, director Fritz Lang created an amazing futuristic look. Ambitious storytelling is on full display here, with much imagery and symbolism, plus a message about the relationship between the ruling class and the working class.

The original running time is 153 minutes, but the movie has been shown is various trunicated versions throught the years. Finally, in 2008, the original version was found in Argentina on a 16mm negative. Combining this print with other film sources, film experts in Berlin made a complete restoration by 2010. While this restoration looks good thanks to the high quality sources, there are still many scenes that have those scratchy lines (due to the poor quality 16mm negative).

7/10