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Post by teleadm on Nov 3, 2017 19:02:29 GMT
Ed McBain/Evan Hunter's King's Ransom, never made as an American movie, except from a TV episode 1962, became Akira Kurusawa's Tengoku to jigoku (High and Low) 1962 taking place in Japan. Moved to Bombay India in 1977 it became Inkaar 1977. Became a Bollywood musical in Dongala Veta 1978. Finally it moved to Hong Kong as Bong ga (Kidnap) in 2007. Interesting how this very American story apparently works very well in Asian countries.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 3, 2017 19:05:41 GMT
Two that were adjusted to take in the Black experience in the 1970s: ODD MAN OUT (James Mason) / THE LOST MAN (Sidney Poitier) THE INFORMER redone as UP TIGHT It's encouraging when stories are re-imagined to mine new relevance and resonance.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 3, 2017 19:08:57 GMT
Ed McBain/Evan Hunter's King's Ransom, never made as an American movie, except from a TV episode 1962, became Akira Kurusawa's Tengoku to jigoku ( High and Low) 1962 taking place in Japan. Moved to Bombay India in 1977 it became Inkaar 1977. Became a Bollywood musical in Dongala Veta 1978. Finally it moved to Hong Kong as Bong ga ( Kidnap) in 2007. Interesting how this very American story apparently works very well in Asian countries. High and Low is the only one of these I've seen (loved it). Fascinating observation about its adaptability to Asian cultures.
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Post by bravomailer on Nov 3, 2017 19:12:14 GMT
Shane – Pale Rider
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Post by mattgarth on Nov 3, 2017 19:15:06 GMT
I recall watching a TV movie in the late 1980s called "Alone in the Neon Jungle." Suzanne Pleshette plays a no-nonsense police captain assigned to take over a demoralized precinct in Pittsburgh and has to be tough on everybody (unlike her friendly predecessor). Viewing it I thought -- 'this is TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH!'
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 3, 2017 19:19:19 GMT
Thanks, bravo. I've seen both, but so many years ago and so far apart that I honestly don't recall if I noted the relationship. I wonder if I should be watching more westerns.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 3, 2017 19:28:05 GMT
I recall watching a TV movie in the late 1980s called "Alone in the Neon Jungle." Suzanne Pleshette plays a no-nonsense police captain assigned to take over a demoralized precinct in Pittsburgh and has to be tough on everybody (unlike her friendly predecessor). Viewing it I thought -- 'this is TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH!' That's quite interesting, matt. Along with instances of genre-bending and cultural shifts, those involving examinations from the point of view of another gender can be quite effective (I never saw the new Ghostbusters, so I won't go there). I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but when Marlo Thomas's It Happened One Christmas aired in the late '70s, I hadn't yet seen It's A Wonderful Life, and thought "What a great story this is!" I've since seen IAWL a number of times, but never again IHOC, so I've no idea how well it might hold up .
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Post by london777 on Nov 3, 2017 20:21:56 GMT
When I watched Woody Allen's BLUE JASMINE I got a huge STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE vibe. STREETCAR must have been an influence on Woody but I don't remember him acknowledging it. I've fallen woefully behind on my Woody Allen, and really know nothing about this one. Watch it. His best for many years, though mainly down to the actors.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 3, 2017 20:27:09 GMT
I've fallen woefully behind on my Woody Allen, and really know nothing about this one. Watch it. His best for many years, though mainly down to the actors. I appreciate the recommendation. Cheers.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 4, 2017 17:42:09 GMT
Just wanted to say thanks to OldAussie , london777 , politicidal , Return of the Ackbar, Richard Kimble , kijii , jervistetch , mattgarth , bravomailer , teleadm , telegonus and Nalkarj for your replies, observations, thoughts, likes, reminders and suggestions, among which were citations of a number of films of which I'd been unaware. I start very few threads, but they always provide opportunities for education and reflection, so thanks again for everyone's attention and participation. As an additional thought, I mention in passing that while watching Coma (1978) last night for the first time in many years, I was struck by how similar it is to Rosemary's Baby in plot development, scene construction, tone, mood and theme. Everyone's familiar with the device Alfred Hitchcock called "the MacGuffin." In Rosemary's Baby, it's what the central character believes to be a plot threatening her unborn baby. In Coma, it's what she suspects are deliberately-induced comas or brain-deaths.
But both conform to a basic thematic template: a young woman, whose suspicions are set in motion by unexplained tragedy befalling a friend, finding herself alone against a shadowy conspiracy, of which those around her are either skeptical or dismissive, and some of whom her investigation leads her to believe are involved. Although their denouements diverge, they play out with a number of parallels: methodical clue-gathering; a Significant Other who repeatedly tries to dissuade her; sympathetic authority figures attempting to soothe her; a single ally who's the victim of sudden death before he can reveal crucial information; betrayal by trusted individuals; a drug-induced hallucinatory sequence; a desperate flight, and pursuit by those she suspects. While there have been other "woman alone against conspiracy" exercises (such as Silkwood, for instance), it seemed to me there was particular stylistic kinship between Coma and Rosemary's Baby. What's that you say? Simple stress is causing me to imagine things? Hmmm. That's what they all say.
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Post by teleadm on Nov 4, 2017 18:05:32 GMT
Doghouse6For some unexplained reason I came to think of The Omen 1976 and The China Syndrome 1979. After your last post. In The Omen 1976, nearly everyone who helps Gregory Peck's character meets a horrible death. In The China Syndrome 1979, once Jack Lemmon's character begins to search the truth, some people dissapeares or get bribed, I might be in the dark here since it's so long ago I've seen it.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 4, 2017 18:36:18 GMT
Doghouse6 For some unexplained reason I came to think of The Omen 1976 and The China Syndrome 1979. After your last post. In The Omen 1976, nearly everyone who helps Gregory Peck's character meets a horrible death. In The China Syndrome 1979, once Jack Lemmon's character begins to search the truth, some people dissapeares or get bribed, I might be in the dark here since it's so long ago I've seen it. Your recollections pretty much match mine, and it certainly sounds like another shared dramatic template. Some weeks (or was it months) back, I started a thread soliciting users' impressions - cinematic, cultural, what-have-you - of what represented the decades generally thought of as those of "classic films." One of those I had of the '70s was a sense of paranoia: that there were unseen forces at work all around us subverting our understanding of the order of things or belief in values or institutions. Both The Omen and The China Syndrome exploit it, as did Coma and many landmark films of the decade, in one way or another: Chinatown; Network; All the President's Men; The Parallax View; The Exorcist; The Conversation; Taxi Driver; Don't Look Now; Marathon Man; Serpico...well, you get the idea.
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Post by london777 on Nov 4, 2017 20:25:31 GMT
Doghouse6 For some unexplained reason I came to think of The Omen 1976 and The China Syndrome 1979. After your last post. In The Omen 1976, nearly everyone who helps Gregory Peck's character meets a horrible death. In The China Syndrome 1979, once Jack Lemmon's character begins to search the truth, some people dissapeares or get bribed, I might be in the dark here since it's so long ago I've seen it. ... what represented the decades generally thought of as those of "classic films." One of those I had of the '70s was a sense of paranoia: that there were unseen forces at work all around us subverting our understanding of the order of things or belief in values or institutions. Both The Omen and The China Syndrome exploit it, as did Coma and many landmark films of the decade, in one way or another: Chinatown; Network; All the President's Men; The Parallax View; The Exorcist; The Conversation; Taxi Driver; Don't Look Now; Marathon Man; Serpico...well, you get the idea. I recently re-watched (third watching within six months - a rarity for me) Inherent Vice (2014) by Paul Thomas Anderson. I think it is undervalued at present and will come to be seen as one of his best. Anyhow, though a recent movie it is set in the '70s and the hippie/drug culture and is permeated throughout with paranoia about threats to America's (supposed) best qualities. It is all at once an homage to, and spoof of, the sort of films you list, but I think it also works at a deeper level as a reminder that those threats have not gone away, but may be more all-embracing in our own decade. I do recommend it, but it is a film that needs to be seen at least twice before you "get" it, because of the confusion of plots and all the sharp, sometimes almost subliminal, dialog, while the hero has to piece things together while drifting in a weed-induced haze 90% of the time.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 4, 2017 21:06:23 GMT
I recently re-watched (third watching within six months - a rarity for me) Inherent Vice (2014) by Paul Thomas Anderson. I think it is undervalued at present and will come to be seen as one of his best. Anyhow, though a recent movie it is set in the '70s and the hippie/drug culture and is permeated throughout with paranoia about threats to America's (supposed) best qualities. It is all at once an homage to, and spoof of, the sort of films you list, but I think it also works at a deeper level as a reminder that those threats have not gone away, but may be more all-embracing in our own decade. I do recommend it, but it is a film that needs to be seen at least twice before you "get" it, because of the confusion of plots and all the sharp, sometimes almost subliminal, dialog, while the hero has to piece things together while drifting in a weed-induced haze 90% of the time. Thanks for that most interesting recommend, london777. If the reviews are any indication, it appears to be one of those polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it films which, if successfully tapped into, can be quite rewarding when the viewer is among the lucky ones. Given the time period, it sounds like it may also be a "riff on a riff:" that of early-mid-'70s, gritty, post-noir re-imaginings of the "downtrodden P.I." genre, of which films like Night Moves, Hickey and Boggs or The Drowning Pool were examples. Fair to say? In any event, films that mine the zeitgeist of an earlier period to offer contemporary commentary have often been worthwhile, so I'll see about catching up with it. Quite a colorful cast, I notice.
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Post by london777 on Nov 4, 2017 23:16:41 GMT
I recently re-watched (third watching within six months - a rarity for me) Inherent Vice (2014) by Paul Thomas Anderson. I think it is undervalued at present and will come to be seen as one of his best. Anyhow, though a recent movie it is set in the '70s and the hippie/drug culture and is permeated throughout with paranoia about threats to America's (supposed) best qualities. It is all at once an homage to, and spoof of, the sort of films you list, but I think it also works at a deeper level as a reminder that those threats have not gone away, but may be more all-embracing in our own decade. I do recommend it, but it is a film that needs to be seen at least twice before you "get" it, because of the confusion of plots and all the sharp, sometimes almost subliminal, dialog, while the hero has to piece things together while drifting in a weed-induced haze 90% of the time. Thanks for that most interesting recommend, london777 . If the reviews are any indication, it appears to be one of those polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it films which, if successfully tapped into, can be quite rewarding when the viewer is among the lucky ones. Given the time period, it sounds like it may also be a "riff on a riff:" that of early-mid-'70s, gritty, post-noir re-imaginings of the "downtrodden P.I." genre, of which films like Night Moves, Hickey and Boggs or The Drowning Pool were examples. Fair to say? In any event, films that mine the zeitgeist of an earlier period to offer contemporary commentary have often been worthwhile, so I'll see about catching up with it. Quite a colorful cast, I notice. Very fair to say. Except that the point of Night Moves is that we expect our hero to crack the case and it turns out he never had a clue, whereas the hero of Inherent Vice is ridiculed throughout but comes out on top (or as much on top as he wants to be). One section reminds me of the phony hippy colony which is a front for dirty capitalists in Against All Odds (1984) which is a '70s straggler. IV is full of cynicism and gratuitous violence but has real heart and leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy, which is unusual for someone who thinks sentimentality is the inherent vice of mainstream American movies. The interesting thing is first time I watched it I nearly binned it after ten minutes because I found all the doper slang, jive talk, and New Age baloney so irritating to a rational English grammar school product. Now it is one of my "comfort" films which I turn to when I feel down. Terrific cast and casting as usual with PTA and super soundtrack.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 4, 2017 23:50:51 GMT
Very fair to say. Except that the point of Night Moves is that we expect our hero to crack the case and it turns out he never had a clue, whereas the hero of Inherent Vice is ridiculed throughout but comes out on top (or as much on top as he wants to be). One section reminds me of the phony hippy colony which is a front for dirty capitalists in Against All Odds (1984) which is a '70s straggler. IV is full of cynicism and gratuitous violence but has real heart and leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy, which is unusual for someone who thinks sentimentality is the inherent vice of mainstream American movies. The interesting thing is first time I watched it I nearly binned it after ten minutes because I found all the doper slang, jive talk, and New Age baloney so irritating to a rational English grammar school product. Now it is one of my "comfort" films which I turn to when I feel down. Terrific cast and casting as usual with PTA and super soundtrack. Well, you've rung two of my bells: "full of cynicism" and "'comfort' films which I turn to when I feel down." There's just no way of explaining those things sometimes. I'm that way about Sweet Smell Of Success, which ticks both boxes for me. I was also struck by your remarking, "I nearly binned it after ten minutes," to which I can relate. Although I sometimes bail sooner, I've adopted in recent years a 20 Minute Rule, being the maximum amount of time I'll allow a film in which to grab me. I'll be sure to grant IV the full 20, and if I make it past that mark, I'm sure to stay with it.
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Post by london777 on Nov 5, 2017 0:11:14 GMT
Well, you've rung two of my bells: "full of cynicism" and "'comfort' films which I turn to when I feel down." There's just no way of explaining those things sometimes. I'm that way about Sweet Smell Of Success, which ticks both boxes for me. That is so weird. My choice that evening (Wed) was between Inherent Vice and Sweet Smell of Success and as I sat down at my laptop tonight I pushed SSofS back into place on the shelf. It is, of course, a much greater movie and one of my comfort films too. Others include: Out of the Past The Maltese Falcon The Big Sleep Kiss Me Deadly All About Eve The Best Years of Our Lives The Ninth Gate Adaptation Casablanca Elmer Gantry It Always Rains on Sunday etc Note that while these are all among my most esteemed movies, there are many such which are not comfort films. For example, my favorite film of all time is Wild Strawberries but, while it is in no way arduous to watch, I would never use it as a comfort film. Watching it is more akin to going to church for me (not that I would know much about that).
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Post by Doghouse6 on Nov 5, 2017 1:20:11 GMT
Well, you've rung two of my bells: "full of cynicism" and "'comfort' films which I turn to when I feel down." There's just no way of explaining those things sometimes. I'm that way about Sweet Smell Of Success, which ticks both boxes for me. That is so weird. My choice that evening (Wed) was between Inherent Vice and Sweet Smell of Success and as I sat down at my laptop tonight I pushed SSofS back into place on the shelf. It is, of course, a much greater movie and one of my comfort films too. Others include: Out of the Past The Maltese Falcon The Big Sleep Kiss Me Deadly All About Eve The Best Years of Our Lives The Ninth Gate Adaptation Casablanca Elmer Gantry It Always Rains on Sunday etc Note that while these are all among my most esteemed movies, there are many such which are not comfort films. For example, my favorite film of all time is Wild Strawberries but, while it is in no way arduous to watch, I would never use it as a comfort film. Watching it is more akin to going to church for me (not that I would know much about that). Thanks for sharing that. I think I could put about half of yours on my list. Although any of them will see me through a "down" mood, I think of my "comfort films" like dependable old friends who drop in and are equally welcome whether they do so once a year or on consecutive nights, and who never bore me in either case despite telling me the same stories over and over again (although there are some that continue to surprise and delight me with new revelations or insights): The Maltese FalconThe Big SleepAll About EveThe Best Years Of Our LivesCasablanca Sweet Smell Of SuccessTo which I'd also add: Double Indemnity Sunset Blvd Laura Chinatown Lifeboat Rear Window Notorious
...and almost any Astaire/Rogers
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Post by OldAussie on Nov 5, 2017 2:23:36 GMT
I've watched Inherent Vice 3 times and still don't know whether it's a masterpiece or a mess. Suffice to say after multiple viewings, it never loses my interest.
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Post by President Ackbar™ on Nov 5, 2017 2:25:26 GMT
I've watched Inherent Vice 3 times and still don't know whether it's a masterpiece or a mess. Suffice to say after multiple viewings, it never loses my interest. Maybe it's a "messterpiece" ?
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