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Post by Prime etc. on Dec 23, 2019 5:20:21 GMT
SHOCKER 1989 When this came out it was touted as a new slasher franchise character from Wes Craven and yet did not spawn any sequels (from what I assume). I remember it as an uneven film with some good ideas but too jumbled-and that is how it seemed on repeat viewing. The idea of a killer getting powers from a spirit living in tv sets is kind of clever but ultimately just exists so we get some cool scenes of Mitch Pileggi and Peter Berg stumbling through various tv clips. They do look good--the CG tech must have been primitive but they matched the footage quite well. Funny cameo with "Tune in, tune out" Timothy Leary as a televangelist. FROM HELL TO VICTORY 1979 This is a semi-remake of another Umberto Lenzi film from the previous year (The Biggest Battle). That one starred Henry Fonda, John Huston, Samantha Eggar, Stacy Keach in a story of 6 friends who meet before WW 2 and then how their lives are changed by the end of it. The intriguing thing here is how the characters are changed around (you would think the director would be bored remaking the same movie within a year but it's interesting to compare). The remake is a somewhat higher budget look with some impressive miniature fx for aerial combat scenes. In this one George Peppard has the Fonda role (a less self-confident role since his son tells him he hates him), Sam Wanamaker has the Huston part, and Capucine has the Eggar role. George Hamilton has the part played by Guiliano Gemma. Stacy Keach's German officer is now Horst Bucholz. They switch around a few identities and nationalities--so Gemma was a British officer, here Hamilton is a French one. Anny Duperey (never seen her before) is a French resistance fighter while in the original Edwige Fenech was a prostitute inadvertently caught up in the Resistance. Huston as a war correspondent gets killed in battle while Wanamaker has been diagnosed with cancer. It's like the exploitation elements were toned down the second time around.
Although Peppard relives his roles in OPERATION CROSSBOW and TOBRUK as they restage the action scenes he did (blowing up an underground base, fighting among tanks).
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Post by millar70 on Dec 23, 2019 5:43:43 GMT
The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Harry Travers. Directed by Leo McCarey
Sappy stuff, but a fantastic film nonetheless. Both leads carry the film in a charming way, culminating in a wonderfully real final goodbye at the end. Ingrid Bergman in particular is radiant in her role as stern, yet willing to bend, nun. She could have nabbed the Best Actress Oscar, and no one would have had any complaints.
Interesting that both the male and female leads were nominated for Oscars, and yet had no hint of any kind of sexual relationship with each other. I can't think of too many other examples of this through the years.
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Post by millar70 on Dec 24, 2019 0:04:50 GMT
The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Sam Jaffe Directed by John Huston
Very good film, but kind of limped to the finish in the final third act. The build-up to the caper and the actual crime are all very well done. However, I found the way all of the bad guys got their comeuppance to be rather lackluster, considering the exciting buildup. Sam Jaffe's character in particular seemed to have everything in control, but is doomed because he wanted to leer one more time at a young girl dancing.
Still, a fun watch, although Marilyn Monroe still had a long way to go as an actress. I found her scenes almost laughable unfortunately. Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe and the rest of the cast were terrific.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Dec 24, 2019 2:03:23 GMT
This Beautiful Fantastic (2016).
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Post by delon on Dec 24, 2019 15:57:54 GMT
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Post by teleadm on Dec 24, 2019 15:58:54 GMT
The Rocking Horse Winner 1949, a creepy and hauting tale based on a short story by D.H. Lawrence about a kid who get's a rocking-horse (a rather big one) for Christmas, that turns out that it can name winners in horse races. John Howard Davies (Oliver Twist) play the kid. His parents are cold and shallow, mother, played by Valerie Hobson, need money to boy luxurious things, father gambles all money on horses, but the have on oncle a lovely Ronald Squire) who usually saves them, until the horse tells something different. A British movie produced by John Mills, who also plays one of the few sympathic characters, but not even he can save the sad end...
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Post by millar70 on Dec 25, 2019 3:54:39 GMT
Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis directed by James Fargo
Clint has been in many more "important" classics, but this one has always been one of my favorites. Yes, it's as dopey as a chimpanzee's shit, but it's also got plenty of heart. And while it's obviously on a tiny list of Eastwood comedies, it was at the time, and still is, a very funny movie.
What's not to like? The motorcycle gang, the buffoon cops, Clyde the ape? The underrated Geoffrey Lewis is always good, a young Beverly D'Angelo is adorable, and of course, Ruth Gordon steals EVERY scene that she appears in.
Clint and America in all of it's late 1970's glory! And there's nothing wrong with that.
"12 ribs, my ass."
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Post by BATouttaheck on Dec 25, 2019 5:05:06 GMT
Current "favorite" Scrooge: A Christmas Carol - 1984 Former "favorite' Scrooge: Scrooge - 1951 Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory
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Post by louise on Dec 25, 2019 21:00:05 GMT
The Amazing Mr Blunden (1972) Two children from 1918 go back in time 100 years to prevent two other children from being murdered, helped by the ghostly solicitor Mr Blunden. Very strange but quite entertaining ghost story.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Dec 25, 2019 21:07:22 GMT
1935
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Post by hi224 on Dec 25, 2019 23:46:12 GMT
Barefoot Contessa sublime.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Dec 25, 2019 23:51:19 GMT
Begins and ends impressively .. rather too long on the middle … one kid reminded me of a PITA from my school days .. unfortunately The Leader girl is a delight ! as are all of the Hanks ! Second viewing after a few years .. will wait a few more to give it another go ! Not on the annual viewing list as it's ok. only.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Dec 26, 2019 4:17:07 GMT
Not as Bad as Bill Murray's Scrooged but almost.... I guess I like my Dickens more Dickensian ! Saving grace was seeing Edith Evans and Alec Guinness and Kenneth More They got an amazing Look-a-Like to play the young E. Scrooge
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Post by louise on Dec 27, 2019 14:54:32 GMT
Carry On Henry (1971). Sid James as Henry VIII having matrimonial problems with two of his wives - Joan Sims and Barbara Windsor. Terry Scott as Cardinal Wolsey and Kenneth Williams as Thomas Cromwell are particularly good.
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Post by RiP, IMDb on Dec 27, 2019 20:09:18 GMT
The Rocking Horse Winner 1949, a creepy and haunting tale based on a short story by D.H. Lawrence about a kid who get's a rocking-horse (a rather big one) for Christmas, that turns out that it can name winners in horse races. John Howard Davies (Oliver Twist) play the kid. His parents are cold and shallow, mother, played by Valerie Hobson, need money to boy luxurious things, father gambles all money on horses, but the have on oncle a lovely Ronald Squire) who usually saves them, until the horse tells something different. A British movie produced by John Mills, who also plays one of the few sympathetic characters, but not even he can save the sad end... I'll have to watch this, somehow. Thanks!
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Post by teleadm on Dec 27, 2019 22:48:20 GMT
His Girl Friday 1940, the story is not the most important issue, it's the lovely interplay between Cary Grant and Rosalind Russel (a bit stronger competition) and a super boring Ralph Bellamy, who looks like that he knows his unfortunate part here. "Looks like Ralph Bellamy" is a joke maybe from here. The story, whatever there is left, is a bit too rapid for me, but seeing two proo's like this is always a joy!
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Post by millar70 on Dec 28, 2019 2:22:21 GMT
Casablanca (1942)
Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains. Directed by Michael Curtiz
I started a thread earlier about how I've never seen this before, and I was not disappointed in the least. This is a film totally deserving of it's place one of the all-time greats. Part taut political thriller, part heartwrenching love story, it never lags and keeps your eyes fixed on the screen.
For those of us who have never really let go of the "one that got away", the scene with Bogart drowning his sorrows with only Sam as his company hits very close to the heart. While all in the cast shine, Bogart's performance is extraordinary, always the biggest player on the screen but laying back enough to allow everyone else to look great as well.
The most amazing thing to me is that apparently neither Bogart or Bergman thought much of the movie as they were filming it. I just know it left me breathless, and I gotta admit, I was saying out loud "Hurry up and get on that plane!".
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Post by petrolino on Dec 28, 2019 2:25:06 GMT
Casablanca (1942) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains. Directed by Michael Curtiz I started a thread earlier about how I've never seen this before, and I was not disappointed in the least. This is a film totally deserving of it's place one of the all-time greats. Part taut political thriller, part heartwrenching love story, it never lags and keeps your eyes fixed on the screen. For those of us who have never really let go of the "one that got away", the scene with Bogart drowning his sorrows with only Sam as his company hits very close to the heart. While all in the cast shine, Bogart's performance is extraordinary, always the biggest player on the screen but laying back enough to allow everyone else to look great as well. The most amazing thing to me is that apparently neither Bogart or Bergman thought much of the movie as they were filming it. I just know it left me breathless, and I gotta admit, I was saying out loud "Hurry up and get on that plane!".
It's beautiful, isn't it. The atmosphere alone carries you along.
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spiderwort
Junior Member
@spiderwort
Posts: 2,546
Likes: 9,341
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Post by spiderwort on Dec 28, 2019 2:34:04 GMT
Casablanca (1942) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains. Directed by Michael Curtiz I started a thread earlier about how I've never seen this before, and I was not disappointed in the least. This is a film totally deserving of it's place one of the all-time greats. Part taut political thriller, part heartwrenching love story, it never lags and keeps your eyes fixed on the screen.
Oh, how lucky you are to be seeing it for the first time! I can't remember what that felt like, because I've been watching it and loving it for several decades. I'm thrilled that it moved you the way it did, but I'm not surprised. Thanks for sharing your "first" impressions. It's a really great film that they were basically writing as they went along (many don't know that). But I think that adds to its depth and to Ilsa's palpable inner conflicts. Bergman said once in an interview that it was very hard for her, because she didn't know until the final moments who she was going to end up with. But, again, I think that adds a dimension to the film that is so authentic that it pulls at the viewer's heart in much the same way that it does the characters'. If Casablanca isn't the very definition of a classic, I don't know what is.
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Post by millar70 on Dec 28, 2019 2:42:36 GMT
Casablanca (1942) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains. Directed by Michael Curtiz I started a thread earlier about how I've never seen this before, and I was not disappointed in the least. This is a film totally deserving of it's place one of the all-time greats. Part taut political thriller, part heartwrenching love story, it never lags and keeps your eyes fixed on the screen.
Oh, how lucky you are to be seeing it for the first time! I can't remember what that felt like, because I've been watching it and loving it for several decades. I'm thrilled that it moved you the way it did, but I'm not surprised. Thanks for sharing your "first" impressions. It's a really great film that they were basically writing as they went along (many don't know that). But I think that adds to its depth and to Ilsa's palpable inner conflicts. Bergman said once in an interview that it was very hard for her, because she didn't know until the final moments who she was going to end up with. But, again, I think that adds a dimension to the film that is so authentic it pulls at the viewer's heart in much the same way that it does the characters'. If Casablanca isn't the very definition of a classic, I don't know what is.
After watching it, I checked out its IMDb page to look at the trivia. Fascinating to think that only 3 members of the cast were American. So many others and extras were folks that left Europe as WWII was starting to rage. For a lot of those people, it must have been a cathartic experience just to film it. This movie seems so emotional on many different levels. I can't wait to see it again. I promise not to wait another 40+ years before I see it a 2nd time!
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