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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 24, 2021 21:58:47 GMT
I liked Cats, I preferred the plays(saw 3 different productions) but even though it got bad reviews, I enjoyed the movie too. I didn't hate it. People complained about the human faces and CGI fur, but I can understand them wanting to try something different. Some of it even worked, I thought (the actress who portrayed Victoria has such a lovely face, for example. And Taylor Swift was actually one of the better parts of the movie, I thought - she worked in cat form too). Honestly, the part I found most 'horrifying' was the mice with children's faces. Now that was disturbing. Once it got past the mice and cockroaches weirdness, I thought it was a bit less 'strange'. Unfortunately, my favourite cat from the 1998 version - Rumpleteazer (played by Jo Gibb there) - wasn't done 'justice' here, I thought. Firstly, the design for her and Mungojerrie in the 2019 version was somewhat 'boring' in comparison to the costumes/makeup from the 1998 version. Just look at the difference in colours. But I could live with that^. What I couldn't, however, was the actress playing Rumpleteazer mispronouncing her own character's name. Everyone else, including the actor playing Mungojerrie, pronounced it the way it should be - like Rumple-TASER (to rhyme with phaser), while she was pronouncing it Rumple-TEASER (to rhyme with pleaser). It may have only been seen as a 'small' thing, but what really bugged me. Other than that, I thought she was fine, but Jo Gibb was hard to top. And while the pair of characters in the 1998 version were portrayed as fun/somewhat bumbling thieves, in the 2019 version they seemed to be really backstabby (as they abandoned Victoria when she was in trouble) and it made them hard to like - which was disappointing, considering they were my favourite cats in the 1998 version. Also disappointing was their version of the song in this movie, which wasn't anywhere near as catchy as the 1998 version. One of the comments under the video for the 2019 version summed it up best: "1998 version: silly & petty theft. 2019: they definitely committed a murder". Still, despite my gripes, I didn't mind the film...though it made me want to rewatch the 1998 version, which I haven't seen since I was quite young. I immediately sought out the 1998 version of Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer's song on YouTube.
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Post by kijii on Jan 25, 2021 4:53:50 GMT
Take the High Ground! (1953) / Richard Brooks
I see more to this movie than most IMDb reviewers do. The movie--made near the end of the Korean War---is powerful. Also, the 1953 cinematography seems innovative for its time. The images seem to have a distinct background and foreground, as in modern CGI movies. At times (often) the images from the background seem to be interacting with those in the foreground. This is particularly noticeable at the beginning and end of the movie when actual footage of soldiers from Fort Bliss serves as a background of the story in the movie. At the end of the movie, the trainees become the background soldiers for yet another group of trainees, thus bringing the movie's story full circle to repeat again.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 25, 2021 14:14:37 GMT
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Post by Nalkarj on Jan 25, 2021 19:00:18 GMT
I rewatched The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939, dir. Sidney Lanfield) yesterday. I loved it as a kid, and I still love it. Sure, it has some flaws—the dog is ferocious-looking but not quite a hound of hell, Wendy Barrie’s not that good as one of the romantic leads (though Richard Greene’s surprisingly great as her opposite number), and why exactly does Holmes jump on the train when he could have hidden out on the moors again and had an even better chance of saving Sir Henry’s life?—but those are minor things. The major things are the friendship between Holmes and Watson (Rathbone and Bruce are great here—in this first in the Holmes series, Rathbone’s totally into the role), the sense of derring-do, the wonderful supporting cast (Lionel Atwill as the reddest of all herrings, John Carradine as a suspicious butler, Morton Lowry as a Uriah-Heepish Stapleton, and a hilarious Barlowe Borland as a litigious neighbor), and the spooky, fog-soaked mood and atmosphere. It’s the best Baskervilles of them all (far superior to the cramped, unatmospheric Hammer Horror version, for one thing). Just a lot of fun.
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Post by persistenceofvision on Jan 26, 2021 3:25:38 GMT
The Believers (1987)Daft but quite scary occult thriller, with Martin Sheen giving it both barrels as a father whose son is chosen for sacrifice by a cult.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jan 26, 2021 4:45:56 GMT
NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER 1960 - Hammer's attempt at a social message movie--theme is something you do not need often--child molestation! Greatly assisted by the cast--Patrick Allen and Gwen Watford as the parents of Janina Faye with Alison Leggatt as the wise grandmother. But also big assists from Niall MacGinnis, Michael Gwynn, Macdonald Parke, Vera Cook and of course Felix Alymer as the pervert. The score by Elizabeth Lutyens is also noteworthy. Some things about it seem a little tad melodramatic--I find it hard to believe the father of the other girl would be ok with his child being molested because of his job at the sawmill. That's pushing it. But otherwise interesting mix of social drama and suspense film (especially the boat tied to the dock scene).
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Post by Nalkarj on Jan 26, 2021 17:36:59 GMT
So, I’ve got the YouTube video of a 1929 German silent adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles on in the background. Unfortunately, a fair amount of it is lost, but several scenes have been preserved and are available on YouTube in five parts, the first one here:
I clicked on it thinking it would be little more than a curio, but it’s much better than that—crisp picture, good camera movements, expressionistic sets, Gothic atmosphere, and striking compositions. Its Sherlock Holmes (American Carlyle Blackwell) and Dr. Watson (German George Seroff) are miscast and not particularly great actors, but from a directorial standpoint it’s surprisingly strong. Yet I’d never heard of the director, Austrian Richard Oswald, before! I’m interested in checking out his other films (including two for Hollywood) now.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 27, 2021 3:58:20 GMT
Beirut (2018).
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2021 5:13:06 GMT
Second time seeing this. I don’t even really remember why I didn’t like it the first time, but this time it really clicked with me. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Love the carnival scenes.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jan 27, 2021 5:48:40 GMT
DR SYN- ALIAS THE SCARECROW - 1963 - The Disney theatrical film.Interesting to compare to the Hammer version of the same time since a number of cast members did appear in Hammer productions. I think the Disney version looks slightly more expensive but feels less like a feature film. The main contrast is while Peter Cushing was a pirate turned pastor, Patrick McGoohan is basically an English Zorro.
"Scarecrow, Scarecrow, the soldiers of the King fear his name..." I am not sure if I watched the British one or the later re-edited version because they said the laugh during the song was removed--and I remember the laugh during the song. I guess it sounds better without it though.
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Post by teleadm on Jan 27, 2021 19:26:18 GMT
Call Northside 777 1948, directed by Henry Hathaway James Stewart stars as Chicago reporter P.J. McNeal who re-opens a ten year old murder case and finds new angles and facts to try to clear a prisoner (Richard Conte) from the charges and help set him free, not an easy task. It's a movie that I've wanted to re-watch someday, and that day was yesterday. It was just as good as I remembered it to be, even if I had forgotten a lot of scenes. Filmed if possible on the locations were it happened, and this is one of those locations. A fascinating idea of a building, Illinois State Penitentiary/Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois.
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Post by kijii on Jan 28, 2021 4:45:18 GMT
Band of Angels (1957) / Raoul Walsh
Based on a novel by Robert Penn Warren, this is a broad drama set in Kentucky and New Orleans during the civil war. I wish I had Clark Gable's dialogue explaining his experience during his slave trading days to Yvonne De Carlo's character. It's pretty biting for a 50s movie. The "band of angels" used in the title is Gable's (perhaps ironic) reference to the Union army as they come in to occupy New Orleans after the war. And yes, this movie way over romanticizes the salves' respect to their owners.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jan 28, 2021 5:22:04 GMT
YOU'LL FIND OUT 1940 Rather dated comedy musical although it has a few highlights such as Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Peter Lorre, and a scene where they are in a room that has some stop motion puppets from King Kong--including the spider puppets from the lost Spider Pit sequence! There's also the sonavox which produces a computerized-sounding voice. Interesting curio for that and despite a scene-stealing dog one does miss Bud and Lou....
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Post by teleadm on Jan 28, 2021 19:30:39 GMT
No Way to Treat a Lady 1968 directed by Jack Smight and based on a novel by William Goldman. Starring Rod Steiger, Lee Remick, George Segal, Eileen Heckart, Murray Hamilton and others. A thriller with both morbid and jewish comedy intervened into the story. A crafty serial killer (Steiger), and master of disguises, plays a game of cat-and-mouse with a harried police detective (Segal) trying to track him down. Remick plays a key witness who don't remember very well, but that's something the killer doesn't know. Heckart plays Segal's always complaining mother. It's a mix that works rather well most of the time, though the scenes with Segal and Heckart, with her eternal complaining became a bit too much after a while. Segal gives a nice and relaxed performance. Steiger gives his role his hammiest best, but as we follow the story we learns why. Great use of real New York locations, including Lincoln Center exteriors, Sardi's Restaurant and Joe Allen restaurant.
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Post by mstreepsucks on Jan 28, 2021 19:51:39 GMT
None, i havent' seen anything in a month.
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Post by FilmFlaneur on Jan 28, 2021 20:42:50 GMT
Hugo Haas' Lizzy www.imdb.com/title/tt0050650/ A melodramatic tale of a split personality with Eleanor Parker, co-starring Joan Blondell and Richard Boone. Writer-director-star Haas, an expatriate, is an interesting multi-faceted figure within B movies, whose 20-odd films (notably those several starring bad-blonde Cleo Moore) await proper rediscovery and reassessment. His later works are united by an avuncular presence before and in front of the camera, as well as themes common to many of them.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jan 28, 2021 21:43:05 GMT
DEADLIER THAT THE MALE 1967 --Another rewatch. I really liked this the first time I saw it. Nigel Green would have been a formidable Bond villain. The guy really has a lot of screen presence. Richard Johnson is great as well. Some good lines. I've seen the sequel "Some Girls Do" but it's not on the same level as this.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 28, 2021 21:50:16 GMT
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Post by kijii on Jan 29, 2021 5:08:58 GMT
Green Dolphin Street (1947) / Victor Saville Marianne Patourel (Lana Turner) : [Discussing William's love for Marguerite] But when you wrote to my father you lied. You asked for my hand in marriage. William Ozanne (Richard Hart): I didn't lie. Listen to me, Marianne. I love you. Marianne Patourel : Listen to more lies! You never loved me! You loved *her*. But you sent for me. Why? William Ozanne : It wasn't a lie. It was o... Marianne Patourel : Why did you send for me? William Ozanne : I'll tell you, Marianne. Now I must tell you. I never wanted you to know. I never thought you would ever find out. But now... Marianne Patourel : What did you never want me to find out? William Ozanne : That I accidentally wrote your name instead of Marguerite's in the letter to your father. Marianne Patourel : [She looks crushed] You accidentally wrote my name? Our whole marriage has been a... slip of the pen? William Ozanne : Marianne... Marianne Patourel : Does Marguerite know of-of your slip of the pen?
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Post by Prime etc. on Jan 29, 2021 6:42:20 GMT
THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE 1967 -- bizarro Amicus sci-fi film about alien invaders. It's unintentionally humorous, but I rather liked it for it's strangeness.
DANGER ROUTE 1967 -- Another Amicus film! In fact, this is an unusual one for them-it's a serious spy movie starring Richard Johnson -totally the opposite of Bulldog Drummond--he's grim, disillusioned, and wants out. I had seen it before, but didn't remember Barbara Bouchet in it. How on earth did I not? Only Carole Lynley, and there's also Sylvia Syms and Diane Dors. I strongly suspect Lynely dubbed the voice of Bouchet in this--and it's a damn good dubbing job because I began to think it was her voice.
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