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Post by wmcclain on May 6, 2023 12:21:51 GMT
Your comments/ratings/recommendations/film posters are welcome and much appreciated! The title says "classics" but we are always interested to know what classic film lovers have been watching, whatever the material.
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Post by spiderwort on May 6, 2023 15:40:02 GMT
First viewings: The Breaking Point (1950):A more faithful version of Ernest Hemingway’s novel “To Have and Have Not” with a great cast (John Garfield, Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter and Juano Hernandez) and excellent direction by Michael Curtiz. Overshadowed by the earlier Bogart/Bacall version, this is nevertheless an excellent film. Highly recommended. Daughter’s Courageous (1939):A wayward father (Claude Rains) returns after 20 years and finds one of his four daughters engaged to a misfit (John Garfield) like himself. With the Lane sisters in the cast, I expected something like a sequel to their Four Daughters film, but it’s not that. Similar elements, but a different story, not as good as the former effort, but still enjoyable, with Michael Curtiz’s usual fine direction. Worth a view for the cast alone. Re-watches: Image Makers: The Adventures of America’s Pioneer Cinematographers (2019):A TCM production exploring the invented, and inventive, techniques of early cinematographers, and their impact on filmmaking from the earliest films to those of present day. “Those profiled include Billy Bitzer, D.W. Griffith’s right hand; Rollie Totheroh, behind the camera for Charlie Chaplin; Mary Pickford’s favorite director of photography, Charles Rosher; Greta Garbo’s favorite, William Daniels; and a trio of brilliant inventors: Karl Struss, James Wong Howe and Gregg Toland. History, even film history, has rarely been so gorgeous.” [L.A. Times]. A must-see for those interested in one of film’s foundational arts. Roughly Speaking (1945):A New Englander (Rosalind Russell) raises a family with her second husband (Jack Carson), from 1902 to World War II. It’s based upon the memoir written by Louise Randall Pierson, mother of Oscar winning writer/director, Frank Pierson, who’s played as a young man in the film by Robert Arthur. Not great, but enjoyable because of the cast (especially Rosalind Russell) and Michael Curtiz’s direction.
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Post by wmcclain on May 6, 2023 15:45:37 GMT
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Post by timshelboy on May 6, 2023 16:54:20 GMT
Your comments/ratings/recommendations/film posters are welcome and much appreciated! The title says "classics" but we are always interested to know what classic film lovers have been watching, whatever the material. Charlton Heston & Jennifer Jones in RUBY GENTRY
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Post by mikef6 on May 6, 2023 17:33:50 GMT
Safety Not Guaranteed / Colin Trevorrow (2012). Outstanding indie comedy/drama. Three staffers from a glossy urban magazine – a reporter and two interns – head for the boonies to write a story on some guy who has placed a classified ad that said: “Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED.” The reporter’s main motive is to return to this small town where he grew up to hook up with his high school girl friend so the fact gathering is more or less left to the interns. One of them, Darius, is a quiet introvert played by Aubrey Plaza. The reporter gives her the assignment of getting the Time Travel job (“Let your weird vibe connect with his weird vibe”). Filmmaker Mark Duplass plays Kenneth, the grocery shelf stocker and inventor who claims to be able (almost) to time travel. We take the journey with Darius as Kenneth goes from paranoid to endearing to disturbing as some of his stories turn out to be delusional while others, like his claim that government agents are following him, turn out to be true. How will this all shake out? You won’t leave them until you find out. Cameo by Kristen Bell. The Big Short / Adam McKay (2015). A major question that hangs over this story is whether the protagonists were heroes, regular guys caught in something too big for them, or greedy jerks. What I really liked about the writing and acting was that any of these absolutes or any combination thereof could be reasonably argued. Both Michael Burry (Christian Bale) and Mark Baum (Steve Carell) did right by their clients and didn't cheat anyone. Baum was particularly tormented because, as cynical as he was, the Reality of the extreme corruption turned out to be much worse than he had ever imagined. Any yet...and yet...both men made fortunes off the financial crash of 2008. It was great writing to not make any of these people into either good or bad. They are humans. What would I have done? Or you? The script and direction also takes an occasional ironic approach that works; they will cut away from the main story to have a strange selection of celebrities as themselves, explaining financial jargon to us. Margot Robbie in a bubble bath explains subprime mortgages to us; Selena Gomez and economist Dr. Richard Thaler use a blackjack game to untangle the complexities of a Synthetic CDO (Collateralized Debt Obligation). These are entertaining and funny as well as informative. Whoever heard of this stuff? As Burry and Baum uncover deeper and deeper levels of onrushing disaster, the more we feel the historical seriousness that underlies the rueful laughs and the ironic distancing. Highly Recommended. 1883 “1883” Season 1, Episode 1 (December 19, 2021) Midsomer Murders “Till Death Do Us Part” Season 20, Episode 5 (July 6, 2018) “Send In The Clowns” Season 20, Episode 6 (July 12, 2018) Star Trek: The Original Series “Devil In The Dark” Season 1, Episode 25 (March 9, 1967) “Errand Of Mercy” Season 2, Episode 26 (March 23, 1967) “The Alternative Factor” Season 1, Episode 27 (March 30, 1967) Star Trek: The Next Generation “Half A Life” Season 4, Episode 22 (May 4, 1991) “The Host” Season 4, Episode 23 (May 11, 1991) “The Mind’s Eye” Season 4, Episode 24 (May 25, 1991) “In Theory” Season 4, Episode 25 (June 1, 1991) “Redemption, Part 1” Season 4, Episode 26 (June 15, 1991) ---------------Season 4 Completed Star Trek: Deep Space Nine “Armageddon Game” Season 2, Episode 13 (January 30, 1994) “Whispers” Season 2, Episode 14 (February 6, 1994) “Paradise” Season 2, Episode 15 (February 13, 1994) “Shadowplay” Season 2, Episode 16 (February 20, 1994) “Playing God” Season 2, Episode 17 (February 27, 1994) “Profit And Loss” Season 2, Episode 18 (March 20, 1994) “Blood Oath” Season 2, Episode 19 (March 27, 1994) “The Maquis, Part 1” Season 2, Episode 20 (April 24, 1994) “The Maquis, Part 2” Season 2, Episode 21 (May 1, 1994) “The Wire” Season 2, Episode 22 (May 8, 1994) “Crossover” Season 2, Episode 23 (May 15, 1994) “The Collaborator” Season 2, Episode 24 (May 22, 1994} Guest star: Louise Fletcher
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Post by Teleadm on May 6, 2023 19:03:16 GMT
Here are the movies Tele have seen lately... The Bromley Boys 2018, directed by Steve M. Kelly and based on real events. The worst English football team and their diehard fans. It sounded like an entertaining movie to watch, but it wasn't, it misses some sharp edge and some irony. The story could have worked with better writers since there is a better story buried there. The next two movies i was forced to watch by GF. I Don't Know How She Does It 2011 directed by Douglas McGrath and based on a novel by Allison Pearson. Single mother juggles home life and and being professional valuable economical calculater of investments for pensions funds. The story is there and a great cast is there, feels like it missed out. 13 Going on 30 2004 directed by Gary Winick. Fantasy about young girl wishing she was 30 and lived a fancy life in the Fashion magazine world. There is a tiny bit of irony and satire there that I actually liked, but the story turns other ways. Not too bad but not for me. Madison Avenue 1961 directed by H. Bruce Humberstone (last cinema movie) and based on a novel by Richard P. Powell. The heartless world of creating adds that sells and how they are made, and the people behind it, and the dangers of selling a phony too far. Thought obviously cheaply made, old pro's like Dana Andrews, Eleanor Parker, Jeanne Crain and Eddie Albert makes it interesting. Recommended as a one time view, and then decide yourself. Carve Her Name in Pride 1958 directed by Lewis Gilbert and based on a book by R.J. Minney. My personal favorite of the week, as a big fan of Virginia McKenna I enjoyed this spy movie. The story starts a bit light and how she married Frenchman just like her father did, when husband dies in service, she doesn't see trouble helping the Free French during WWII. What important thing she did sadly eluded me, but could have to do with that some things were still confidential at the time when movie was made. and maybe still are. Recommended for those who likes WWII movies that takes it's time telling it's story that isn't all battle. Fric-Frac 1939 directed by Maurice Lehmann and based on his own play. Three classic actors of French 30's French cinema attracted me, Fernandel, Arletty and Michel Simon, and yes it was interesting, subtiteling was not so good. Simon speaks javanese, actually he speaks French jive talk that translator thought was Javanese. The story is rather thin, jeweler employee is loved by a girl, but he his loves something else, that turn out to be very crooked. Though I didn't get it I liked to be in the company of those three French Stars, since I've seen too few movies starring them. That was all from me!
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Pike
Pussy Galore
Posts: 33
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Post by Pike on May 6, 2023 19:39:13 GMT
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Post by politicidal1 on May 6, 2023 23:32:40 GMT
First Viewings:
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) 2/10
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969) 5/10
Empire of the Ants (1977) 3/10
Man in the Attic (1953) 6/10
Night of the Comet (1984) 5/10
Borderline (1950) 6/10
Thieves' Highway (1949) 5/10
Repeat Viewings:
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) 10/10
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Post by Rufus-T on May 7, 2023 6:40:38 GMT
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on May 7, 2023 9:36:03 GMT
Chicago (2002). Zoom (2006). Angels & Demons (2009). {Spoiler}The best of the Robert Langdon movie trilogy... I'd heard the hype surrounding The Da Vinci Code movie, never read the book, never saw it at the theatre, eventually hired it on DVD (remember hiring DVDs?) and...was pretty bored by it. I've come around to not-minding it on subsequent viewings when it's been repeated numerous times on TV, but I much prefer this second film. I saw this one at the theatre, hadn't read the book...which I think helped me enjoy the movie, as I felt this one was the most interesting/had the best pacing and actually felt like a proper movie mystery/thriller. It's my favourite of the trilogy and the one I've rewatched the most. I think, as a whole, Angels & Demons is just a better-told film. It isn't slow-paced/plodding along with a drawn-out conclusion like The Da Vinci Code was. Although Ron Howard directed all three films in the trilogy, this is the one that kept me interested throughout (even during the 'slower' moments). Tom Hanks seems more at ease in his role as Robert Langdon this time around; his likeability ensuring the audience cares what happens to him, and his delivery of exposition (of which there is quite a lot) thankfully didn't ever really bore me. I never saw what the big deal was about his hair in the first film, but any who feared that his 'do would be the 'demon' from the title of this film needn't fear, as it's shorter now. The biggest improvement with this film over its predecessor, I thought, was Langdon's female partner he's paired with this time around. As the intelligent and beautiful Vittoria Vetra (who I found much more interesting than Audrey Tautou's Sophie Neveu from the first film), Ayelet Zurer is more of an 'equal' to Hanks's Langdon. They make quite the team, and Vittoria proves that she can indeed keep up with him (which is especially impressive since, as I heard Tom Hanks himself say during a radio interview when the film was being released, 'like every beautiful particle physicist...she wears Manolo Blahniks whilst running on cobblestone'). It's a bit of a shame, however, that unlike the beginning and end of the film, the middle is spent with her character and Langdon separated. After enjoying the two of them onscreen together so much at the start of the movie, I was disappointed they split up for what felt like quite a long period of time midway through. The actors have a nice chemistry, there's an ease/comfortableness between them, and I was amused during one scene that showed Vittoria's much more blunt/direct approach to getting what they needed as quickly as possible and Langdon's reaction to it. The two of them also obviously got a lot of exercise during filming, given all the running around that's involved. Ewan McGregor is another actor who brings an instant likeability to his character, Camerlengo Patrick McKenna, and I think the movie benefited from this considering the direction in which the film goes with him. It's important we like him. McGregor really owned the last third of the film with his performance, I felt. While there are other somewhat important characters in the movie, I felt these main three were the most memorable. Unfortunately, I wasn't as interested in this movie's bad guy; The Assassin (because *all* of these movies HAVE to have one of those, apparently). Nikolaj Lie Kaas wasn't as intriguing a villain as Paul Bettany's albino monk, Silas, was in the first film (though at least this assassin gives a reason for not killing Langdon, despite having several chances to do so, rather than it just being because he's the lead and therefore has plot armour/can't die). Stellan Skarsgård (who I like in some films, but not others) wasn't overly likable here either. Much better were the characters of Inspector Olivetti (Pierfrancesco Favino) and Chartrand (Thure Lindhardt, who it was fun to notice in this movie after having seen him years later in Seasons 3 & 4 of the TV series Bron/Broen aka The Bridge). His character shares quite a memorably tense scene with Langdon at one point and Lindhardt ensures that his character makes an impact despite limited screentime. This movie has a sense of humour that the first film didn't, but it's certainly not a laugh riot either, as there are several instances of gruesomeness, thus making it a far more intense film than the first. Hans Zimmer's score helps sell the suspense. The FX used in this movie illustrate the way CGI *should* be used (to help add to the film, rather than distract from it). The climax of the movie isn't quite what you might be expecting, as there's more to the story than first appears, and so long as you don't have a problem with reading subtitles, you should enjoy this film. Angels & Demons doesn't take itself too seriously (which is a plus, given the far-fetched circumstances) and is never dull. Apart from finally finding out just what exactly "anti-matter" is, the other thing I learned from this film was that being a Symbologist wouldn't be so bad a job, especially when you get to hang with a beautiful enigmatic Italian scientist. If only it were actually a job! The Suicide Squad (2021).
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Post by dsbeadle on May 7, 2023 22:46:15 GMT
I didn’t watch any classics this week but I have a couple from the 70s
Chosen Survivors (1974, Sutton Roley) A group of diverse individuals are suddenly taken from their homes and flown via helicopter to a futuristic bomb shelter in the desert, nearly two miles below the surface of the Earth. There they learn that a nuclear holocaust is taking place and that they’ve been “chosen” by computer to survive in the shelter in order to continue the human race. What starts as a heady sci-finthenturns into a shenanigans attack type feature that were popular in the 70’s. Has some interesting visual flourishes. 6/10
The Passover Plot (1976, Michael Campus) This is based on the controversial (to some) best selling book of the same name. It posits that Yeshua of Nazareth carefully plans his own crucifixion and subsequent resurrection to strengthen his political position against the Roman occupation of Palestine. The film has a terrible score on IMDb but I am sure that comes from bias. It’s pretty well made with a mostly good cast of actors. Production values are pretty good too, in fact it was nominated for some technical Oscars. 5.5/10
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Post by petrolino on May 8, 2023 1:35:09 GMT
Here are the movies Tele have seen lately... The Bromley Boys 2018, directed by Steve M. Kelly and based on real events. The worst English football team and their diehard fans. It sounded like an entertaining movie to watch, but it wasn't, it misses some sharp edge and some irony. The story could have worked with better writers since there is a better story buried there. The next two movies i was forced to watch by GF. Madison Avenue 1961 directed by H. Bruce Humberstone (last cinema movie) and based on a novel by Richard P. Powell. The heartless world of creating adds that sells and how they are made, and the people behind it, and the dangers of selling a phony too far. Thought obviously cheaply made, old pro's like Dana Andrews, Eleanor Parker, Jeanne Crain and Eddie Albert makes it interesting. Recommended as a one time view, and then decide yourself. That was all from me!
'Madison Avenue' dared to expose the "Build-Up Boys" which caused controversy.
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