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Post by neurosturgeon on Oct 20, 2018 14:52:04 GMT
THE EPIC THAT NEVER WAS
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Post by teleadm on Oct 20, 2018 17:18:14 GMT
Scared to Death 1947, directed by Christy Cabanne , staring Bela Lugosi, George Zucco, Molly Lamont, Nat Pendleton, William Frawley and others. Even with horror giants like Lugosi and Zucco, this is nothing but a bottom of the barrel who-done-it, with the dignity of being made in colour system Trucolor, the cheapest of the cheap systems. Historically this was Lugosi's only colour movie, interesting too is that it's 1950. the corpse telling the story, a couple of years before the more famous Sunset Boulevard 1950. Christy Cabanne the director was once an A-list director of the silent movie days, still pushing in 1947. It's a who-done-it that is OK the first 15 minures, filled with boring comic reliefs, this time it wasn't Bela's fault.
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Post by delon on Oct 20, 2018 18:13:24 GMT
Hets (1944) : Swedish melodrama, directed by Alf Sjöberg from a screenplay by young Ingmar Bergman who also served as an assistant director. Bergman also directed the last scenes, which were inserted after the production rejected the original screenplay ending, marking Hets as his unofficial directorial debut. The story is about idealistic adolescent Jan-Erik (Alf Kjellin) suffering under the thumb of a sadistic Latin teacher known as Caligula (Stig Järrel). Soon he falls in love with the clerk in a tobacco store, Bertha (Mai Zetterling) who speaks of an elderly man in her life that she is deathly afraid of. Can you guess who that man is ? Hets is relentlessly bleak exploration of authority abuse and loss of innocence, placed in a high school setting. The unflattering depiction of Swedish educational system actually provoked intensive debate in the press about the conditions in the Swedish high schools. There is an impending sense of dread throughout the entire film, achieved by ominous use of shadows and unnerving score. The cast is uniformly good, with Alf Kjellin and Stig Järrel being stand outs. Caligula is particularly fascinating character because of how two-dimensionally he's portrayed as a villain. Although not quite a masterpiece, this is a well made film worth seeing. Hets won the Grand Prix at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival
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Post by kijii on Oct 20, 2018 20:29:48 GMT
Navy Blues (1929) / Clarence Brown Seen on DVD
This movie is a bit of a waste of time and money, but it does represent one of Clarence Brown's early talkies. Both William Haines and Anita Page are known more for their silents, and Anita Page did co-star with oscared Bessie Love in The Broadway Melody (1929).
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Post by kijii on Oct 20, 2018 20:57:23 GMT
The Yearling (1946) / Clarence Brown Viewed several times
This is one of Clarence Brown's three great coming-of-age movies, all adopted from great novels. The other two are the well-known movie, National Velvet (1944), adopted by Enid Bagnold's novel; and Intruder in the Dust (1949), adopted from a William Faulkner novel. He wisely chose to have Claude Jarman, Jr. portray the coming-of-age youth in both The Yearling and Intruder in the Dust (which I hope to review soon).
I would suggest that everyone read The Yearling twice: once as a young person and then again after taking a college-level literature course. Penny Baxter (Gregory Peck) : [on the ocasion of the buryal of Fodderwing] Oh Lord. Almighty God. It ain't for us ignorant mortals to say what's right and what's wrong. Was any one of us to be doin' of it, we'd not of bring this poor boy into the world a cripple, and his mind teched. We'd of bring him in straight and tall like his brothers, fitten to live and work and do. But in a way o' speakin', Lord, you done made it up to him. You give him a way with the wild creatures. You give him a sort of wisdom, made him knowin' and gentle. The birds come to him, and the varmints moved free about him, and like as not he could of takened a she wild-cat right in his pore twisted hands. Now you've done seed fit to take him where bein' crookedy in mind or limb don't matter. But Lord, it pleasures us to think now you've done straightened out them legs and that pore bent back and them hands. It pleasures us to think on him, movin' around as easy as any one. And Lord, give him a few red-birds and maybe a squirrel and a 'coon and a 'possum to keep him company, like he had here. All of us is somehow lonesome, and we know he'll not be lonesome, do he have them little wild things around him, if it ain't askin' too much to put a few varmints in Heaven. Thy will be done. Amen.
While in Northern Florida, my brother-in-law took us to visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' house, where much of Cross Creek (1983) was filmed. At the time, the house was quite and unassuming, without much tourist attraction. We picked a couple of oranges from the back of her yard and took them home.
Full TCM synopsis with SPOILERS: In the days following the Civil War, pioneer Penny Baxter builds a small house for his wife Orry and their eleven-year-old son Jody in the scrub country of Florida. After clearing and cultivating a patch of fertile ground, Penny names his new home "Baxter's Island" and begins the hard work that will be needed to provide food for his family. When Jody is not busy helping his father with the chores, he wanders through the backwoods and marvels at the wide array of wildlife. Jody develops a great appreciation for animals, but when he asks his parents for permission to adopt a baby raccoon as a pet, his mother sternly forbids it. Penny later explains to his son that Orry is opposed to bringing in a pet because she is still grieving the premature deaths of three of their children. One day, when a wild bear, nicknamed "Old Slewfoot," kills the family calf, Penny and Jody set out to kill the bear. During the hunt, the bear attacks one of Penny's favorite hounds and escapes into the wilderness. The next day, Penny and Jody visit their neighbor, Pa Forrester, whose sons are prone to fighting and cheating. While Jody plays with his young crippled friend, Fodderwing, Penny trades his hound for a better rifle. A short time later, Penny discovers that his hogs have been stolen and immediately suspects the Forrester boys. En route to the Forresters, with Jody at his side, Penny is bitten by a rattlesnake. To save his father's life, Jody is told that he must shoot a doe and use its heart and liver to treat the snakebite. Jody follows his father's instructions, and then races to the Forresters to get help for Penny. Millwheel is the only member of the Forrester family who agrees to help Jody, and a doctor arrives in time to save Penny's life. After he recovers, Penny shows his gratitude for his son's heroic actions by allowing him to adopt the fawn of the doe that was killed. Jody is happy to finally have the pet he always wanted, and the fawn, which he has named "Flag," becomes his constant companion. A series of tragedies later befalls the Baxters, beginning with the sudden death of Fodderwing and followed by the loss of an entire crop to bad weather. As Jody tries to understand his friend's death, Penny does his best to comfort him and delivers a moving eulogy at the funeral. The Baxters attempt to save their farm by planting tobacco to replace their lost crop, but Flag later ruins the crop. When Flag becomes a yearling, Penny considers turning him loose but Jody adamantly refuses. One day, Penny injures himself while working in the field and becomes bedridden for a lengthy period of time. Jody takes over the duties of running the farm, and learns how to hunt for dinner. When Flag destroys the family corn crop, Orry vows to get rid of the deer. Again, Jody pleads with his father to spare Flag, but because the deer has destroyed the last of their food, Penny insists that the deer must go. Jody ignores his father's orders to shoot Flag, and instead tearfully sets Flag loose in the woods. Flag follows Jody home, though, and when Orry sees the deer, she shoots it. The shot does not kill Flag, so Jody is forced to relieve the deer of its pain with a final shot. The incident proves too much for Jody to bear, and he runs away from home. After drifting down a river on a rowboat for days, Jody is found nearly starved by a steamer crew and sent home. Orry, who has been searching for Jody, makes amends with her son, while Penny reaffirms his love for him.
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Post by Primemovermithrax Pejorative on Oct 21, 2018 7:26:49 GMT
SHOCK! 1946 with Vincent Price as a murderous psychiatrist who has a patient who witnessed him committing a murder. He is very non-hammy....I really prefer his hammy performances though! It's weird to see some actors when they are young when you are so used to them as older.
I watched Return of the Vampire the night before--Nina Foch was so young.
A CANDLE FOR THE DEVIL 1973 -- Two middle aged Spanish women kill slutty young tourists, calling it God's will. Stars Judy Gleeson, a British girl next door type--she has an endearing quality. I didn't like seeing her get killed in 10 Rillington Place. Here she is searching for her sister (not Sally). Features two regulars of Spanish 70s film Lone Fleming and Blanca Estrada. Unfortunately they don't fare as well as Judy.
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Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on Oct 21, 2018 12:17:17 GMT
George A. Romero's The Crazies (1973), finally saw it, having already seen the 2010 remake ages ago.
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Post by ZolotoyRetriever on Oct 21, 2018 19:48:08 GMT
The Sand Pebbles (1966), directed by Robert Wise, with Steve McQueen, Richard Crenna, Richard Attenborough, Candice Bergen, Emmanuelle Arsan, Mako, Simon Oakland, Larry Gates. DVR'd from recent TCM telecast.
Well-done saga about a pretty-much forgotten period in American history when we had Navy gunboats plying the rivers and backwaters of China to carry out and enforce foreign policy objectives through the show - and sometimes even the use - of force. This was known as "Gunboat Diplomacy." The idea was not only to protect and enforce political treaties, but to protect American citizens and missionaries operating in the area.
The film details the trials and tribulations of one such gunboat, the fictional USS San Pablo, headed by an idealistic commander (Richard Crenna) with a motley crew of Yank sailors who have found a convenient way of sloughing off most of their more tedious shipboard duties to an even more motley crew of local Chinese "coolies" who are eager to do the dirty work in exchange for protection, security, and their daily "rice bowl."
Enter transferee Jake Holman (Steve McQueen), a headstrong, cynical Machinist's Mate who, while a misfit who can barely tolerate the shackles of military discipline, is nevertheless a crackerjack engine man, which is what the ship needs. Sparks fly as he clashes with the San Pablo's captain, fellow crew members and coolies, and just about everybody else.
Beautifully filmed on locations in Hong Kong and Taiwan, it all makes for a good story, with a bit of a dismal ending. I've seen this film before, but the last time I saw it was many, many years ago. Seeing it today, I was particularly struck by some of the comments involving patriotism, nationalism, and respect for one's flag. Very timely stuff, even - or especially - today. See it if you get the chance.
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Post by them1ghtyhumph on Oct 21, 2018 19:54:59 GMT
Murder Man (1935) starring Spencer Tracy
Just started watching 'You Can't Get Away With Murder' with pre-High Sierra Bogey at his Bogiest
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Post by ZolotoyRetriever on Oct 22, 2018 17:33:59 GMT
Flight of the Navigator (1986), directed by Randal Kleiser, with Joey Cramer, Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright, Sarah Jessica Parker, Howard Hesseman, and the voice of Paul Reubens. DVR'd from recent TCM telecast.
Haven't seen this one in a long time, and still find it oddly enjoyable, even though it's touted as a children's film. It actually starts out with a fairly serious and ominous beginning, but after a while it morphs into a light-hearted romp about David Freeman (Joey Cramer), a 12 year-old boy who, through a rather bizarre set of circumstances, ends up piloting a flying saucer that's become stranded on planet Earth. The voice of Paul Reubens (better known as Pee Wee Herman) provides the on-board "vocals" for the flying saucer. Lots of good aerial visuals dazzle the viewer as the saucer goes zipping around the planet. Also fun to revisit some of the 80s cultural references that now seem so "ancient" - after all, this film is more than 30 years old.
Of note: the cute kid who played David - Joey Cramer - had a pretty short-lived acting career after this film. He ended up returning to his home town of Vancouver, Canada... and went on to take up a life of crime, including bank robbery. I kid you not:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Cramer#Personal_life
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Post by jeffersoncody on Oct 23, 2018 5:52:39 GMT
APOSTASY (8 out of 10). Shattering and moving. Recommended.
THE WIFE (8,5 out of 10). Very highly recommended. A brilliant Glenn Close has a shot at an Oscar nomination for her performance here.
GALVESTON (6,5 out of 10). Recommended to fans of Ben Foster and Elle Fanning - both of whom are excellent in this middling, but atmospheric downbeat crime drama).
BOUNDARIES (7 out of 10). Familiar, but heartfelt and heartwarming road movie with delightful performances by Vera Farmiga and Christopher Plummer. Cautiously recommended.
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Post by Primemovermithrax Pejorative on Oct 23, 2018 7:01:46 GMT
THE DEMON 1963 --Finally checked out the film that was cited as inspiration for the Exorcist. At first I didn't see much connection--although the landscape of the village could be Northern Iraq.... But then it got to the kid by the water and his corpse, and then the exorcism sequence with the disturbing "spider walk"---it's no easy task to make Daliah Lavi look unattractive and especially to make her look creepy, but mission accomplished. Quite an acting and gymnastics achievement. In the end are we to assume she is really possessed or just mentally ill? In the final analysis perhaps it doesn't matter--she ends up a tragic character without putting obvious blame on anyone for their reaction to her. Everyone's point of view seems right from their side. Her family, her father, mother, siblings, the object of her affection (unless we are to assume he was crazy for rejecting her in the first place but she was already showing herself to be off by her behavior in the church-wanting to bewitch the priest).
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Post by kijii on Oct 23, 2018 14:36:39 GMT
I Shot Jesse James (1949) / Samuel Fuller DVD
This is a pretty good western with some new and interesting facts about Bob Ford, played by John Ireland. Bob Ford (John Ireland): I... I want to tell you something I ain't never told anyone. I'm sorry for what I done to Jess. Cynthy Waters (Barbara Britton): Oh, Bob! Bob Ford : I loved him.
Full Synopsis with SPOILERS: The James gang, led by the notorious outlaw Jesse James, is in the midst of robbing a bank when the teller sounds an alarm, sending the outlaws scurrying amid a flurry of gunfire. After Bob Ford, a member of the gang, is wounded in the crossfire, Jesse treats his injuries and takes him to recuperate at his home in St. Joseph, Missouri, where Jesse lives under the alias of Tom Howard. Six months later, Bob is still living at the James house, prompting Jesse's wife Zee, who distrusts both Bob and his brother Charlie, to voice her fears to her husband. When Bob discovers that his longtime sweetheart, actress Cynthy Waters, is appearing in St. Joseph, he hurries to town to see her. Cynthy is engaged in coversation with an admirer, prospector John Kelley, when Bob interrupts them, causing Kelley to leave. Knowing that Cynthy longs to marry and settle down to an honest farm life, Bob promises to leave the James gang and go straight. Upon returning to Jesse's house, Bob learns from Charlie that the governor has offered a $10,000 reward and amnesty to anyone turning in Jesse. Recognizing the governor's offer as a path to a new life with Cynthy, Bob determines to betray his friend. When Jesse presents Bob with a pearl-handled pistol as a gift, Bob aims it at Jesse's back, but guilt-ridden, is unable to pull the trigger. One day, while alone with Bob, Jesse voices his dream of leading a peaceful life. When Jesse turns around to straighten a painting, Bob aims his pistol and fires, shooting him in the back. Sentenced to hang for Jesse's murder, Bob is pardoned by the governor and awarded the paltry sum of $500 for his heinous act. With his reward, Bob buys an engagement ring and hurries to present it to Cynthy. When Cynthy, repulsed by Bob's betrayal, refuses the ring, Bob accuses her of being in love with Kelley. Fearing for Kelley's life, Cynthy begs him to leave town, and to placate her, he packs his bags and flees. Afterward, Bob apologizes to Cynthy and informs her that Harry Kane, her manager, has hired him to reenact the killing of Jesse James on stage. In his theatrical debut, Bob freezes, unable to pull the trigger, and is booed off stage, humiliated. Retreating to the saloon, Bob is further shamed when a wandering minstrel serenades him with a ballad detailing his cowardly deed. Seeking refuge on a deserted street, Bob finds himself the target of a young boy trying to make a name for himself by killing the "man who shot Jesse James." Now a magnet for every would-be-gunfighter, Bob leaves the territory to mine a silver strike in Colorado. In the town of Creede, he meets Kelley again when the two are forced to share a hotel room. Well liked by the townsfolk, Kelley is offered the job of marshal but turns it down to continue prospecting. That night, during a saloon fight, Bob prevents a thug from gunning down Soapy, an unarmed drunken prospector. The next morning, Bob awakens to find both Kelley and Cynthy's ring missing and assumes that Kelley robbed him. In gratitude, Soapy makes Bob his partner, and some time later, Cynthy receives a telegram from Bob, notifying her that he has struck silver and wants her to join him in Creede. With trepidation, Cynthy journeys to Creede, accompanied by Kane. As Bob and Cynthy talk, Kelley bursts into the room to turn over the thief who stole Bob's ring and is surprised to find Cynthy there. Unaware that Cynthy has come to end their relationship, Bob gives her the ring, and Cynthy, afraid of angering him, accepts it. Now broke, Kelley takes the job of marshal. Soon after, Kelley visits Cynthy and she admits that she no longer loves Bob. Overhearing their conversation, Frank James, Jesse's brother, strides into the room, but Kelley overpowers and arrests him. Freed because he is not a wanted man in Colorado, Frank seeks out Bob and vengefully informs him that Cynthy is in love with Kelley. Insane with jealousy, Bob goes gunning for Kelley. Coolly walking out to the street, Kelley turns his back to Bob, then swirls around, rifle in hand and tries to reason with him. Unwilling to listen, Bob fires at Kelley, and Kelley retaliates with a blast from his rifle. Bob dies in Cynthy's arms, voicing remorse for his betrayal of Jesse.
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Post by louise on Oct 23, 2018 15:13:17 GMT
Spring Meeting (1941). Amusing romantic comedy set in Ireland. Enid Stamp-Taylor is a widow with an only son (Michael Wilding) who she hopes to marry off to the elder daughter of her old friend Sir Richard Furze (Henry Edwards) who will inherit her father's estate. But Wilding falls for the younger daughter (Nova Pilbeam) instead.
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Post by teleadm on Oct 23, 2018 18:03:57 GMT
Le cercle rouge aka The Red Circle 1970, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, staring Alain Delon, Bourvil (here billed as André Bourvil), Gian Maria Volontè, Yves Montand, Paul Crauchet, François Périer and others. French-Italian crime thriller drama. After leaving prison, master thief Corey (Delon) crosses paths with a notorious escapee (Volonté) and an alcoholic former policeman (Montand). The trio proceed to plot an elaborate heist. Very stylish, methodic and well-made crime-thriller. During the heist, that takes 27 minutes, not one word is uttered, and I actually think it works better than in the more famous Rififi movie. As with all Melville movies the dialogue is very sparse, so it's very easy to follow the plot and not sitting and reading sub-titles the whole time. All actors are great, and that includes Bourvil who plays the police officer who is hot on the tails of the villains, I've never seen him in a serious role before, only seen him in comedies. Henri Decaë's crisp cold cinematography is also worth mentioning.
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Post by teleadm on Oct 24, 2018 17:57:04 GMT
The Robe 1953, directed by Henry Koster, based on a novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, staring Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Michael Rennie (Peter), Jay Robinson (Caligula), Dean Jagger, Torin Thatcher, Richard Boone (Pontius Pilate), Betta St. John, Jeff Morrow, Ernest Thesiger (Tiberius), Dawn Addams and many others. Biblical epic about the Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio (Burton) who is sent to Judea, there he is ordered to crucify a King with a great following, and how it torments him with a guilty conscience afterwards. Biblical splendour with grandiose settings, but with surprisingly little spectacle, in fact some scenes are downright dull. Famous for being the first Cinemascope feature length movie (there must have been some experimental shorts made prior to this movie). Character driven as is usual in these kind of movies at the time. Not THE great movie it tries to be, but fairly entertaining. Jay Robinson's Caligula really plays him home as a madman, and is one the more interesting characters in the movie. The movie won the Golden Globe for Best Movie in the Drama category. Winner of two Oscars, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color and Best Costume Design, Color, and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Burton) and Best Cinematography, Color Outdoor scenes were filmed either at Corriganville in Simi Valley CA, and in La Pedriza outside Madrid Spain, and not in Italy as was usual.
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Post by ZolotoyRetriever on Oct 24, 2018 18:10:34 GMT
The Black Hole (1979), directed by Gary Nelson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. With Maximillian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster, Yvette Mimieux, Ernest Borgnine, and robot voices provided by Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickens. DVR'd from recent TCM telecast. First-time viewing.
Apparently this was Disney's answer to Star Wars. Note the cute robots. IMHO this one was a bit of a hot mess, with lots of dazzling special effects that, while impressive, weren't enough to conceal the lack of scientific basis for all the stuff going on. It was pointed out that the laws of physics as we know them don't exist inside the "black holes" in space, but in this film, the laws of physics didn't seem to exist outside of them, either.
Anyway, good acting turn by Maximillian Schell as a sort of mad scientist fixated on probing a black hole in deep space, but everybody else seemed like they were reading lines right out of a comic book. The ending was very lame and unsatisfying. It's like the movie simply ended, and that was that.
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Post by teleadm on Oct 25, 2018 17:56:22 GMT
The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1939, directed by Williem Dieterle, based on a novel by Victor Hugo, staring Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, Edmond O'Brien, Alan Marshal, Walter Hampden, Harry Davenport, Katherine Alxenade, George Zucco and many others. Drama romance with horror ingredients. "King Louis XI (Stephenson) is a wise and old king and Frollo (Hardwicke) is the Chief Justice. Frollo gazes on the gypsy girl, Esmeralda (O'Hara), in the church during Fool's Day and sends Quasimodo (Laughton) to catch her. Quasimodo, with the girl, is captured by Phoebus (Marshal), Captain of the Guards, who frees the girl. The courts sentence Quasimodo to be flogged, and the only one who will give him water while he is tied in the square is Esmeralda. Later, at a party of nobles, Esmeralda again meets both Frollo, who is bewitched by her, and Phoebus. When Phoebus is stabbed to death, Esmeralda is accused of the murder, convicted by the court and sentenced to hang. Clopin (Mitchell), King of the Beggars, Gringoire (O'Brien), Esmeralda's husband, and Quasimodo all try different ways to save her from the gallows". Successful big-budget version of a famous novel. In some cases it's refered to as a horror movie, though I would disagree, yes Quasimodo looks horrible and is by circumstances forced to do horrible things to save Esmeralda from being captured, it is actually a love story. Filled with lots of details, both big and small, making this is a delightfull movie to watch, also thanks to a great cast. Stephenson's King works as a sort of comic relief, that is needed. The de-masking of the disabled beggars as liars and not disabled at all is just of many memorable scenes. O'Hara is a lovely Esmeralda offcourse. Laughton manages to put some humanity in Quasimodo behind the grotesque mask. It's a great movie, though the copy I watched was not. Sometimes, at least me, forgets that RKO once was one of the big Hollywood studios. Since 1939 was the year of Gone with the Wind, chances were slim for this movie to win any Oscars, though it was nominated for Best Sound, Recording and Best Music, Scoring (Alfred Newman).
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Post by OldAussie on Oct 26, 2018 10:59:33 GMT
To Be Or Not To Be
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Post by petrolino on Oct 26, 2018 19:17:20 GMT
'The Las Vegas Story' (1952) - Packed film noir set in Las Vegas, Nevada that dazzles with its casino culture. Experienced British director Robert Stevenson employs some sparkling dream transitions and applies the style. It's presented by Howard Hughes.
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