LISTS

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ChiO
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Re: LISTS

Post by ChiO »

Not up to 1955 for me, but still some goodies. An event with a significant impact on film watching in the U.S.: Janus Films was founded in March and became the distributor of foreign films. The men who took over for the founders later started a DVD label - Criterion. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

1956

1. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (Don Siegel) - My favorite Sci-Fi movie. The scariest Horror movie this side of ROSEMARY'S BABY (Roman Polanski). My favorite anti-McCarthy movie. My favorite anti-Communist movie. My favorite movie about the advertising business. You're next!

2. THE KILLING (Stanley Kubrick) - Kubrick doesn't always click with me, but when he does, he clicks big time. Any movie with Vince Edwards, Marie Windsor (the wife from Noir Hell), Elisha Cook, Jr. (the husband in Noir Hell), Jay C. Flippen, Ted DeCorsia, Joe Sawyer, Joe Turkell and James Edwards can't help but be a good movie. Add the phenomenal Sterling Hayden and you've got a great movie. Then there's that other guy...oh, my goodness! Eh, what's the difference. A grunt and three words sum up film noir.

3. FEMALE JUNGLE (Bruno VeSota) - A world-weary Lawrence Tierney plays a world-weary Lawrence Tierney character. This oozes noir.

4. WRITTEN ON THE WIND (Douglas Sirk) - Never has a miniature oil derrick had such meaning. Just the typical American family, Sirk-style.

5. BIGGER THAN LIFE (Nicholas Ray) - Speaking of typical American families....

6. SEVEN MEN FROM NOW (Budd Boetticher) - My favorite Boetticher movie. Sometimes I think Lee Marvin is the great American actor.

7. GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING (Jacques Tourneur) - Yes, his Lewton-produced movies and his films noirs are great, but so are his Westerns. Here, one might argue that there is no great day and there is no morning.

8. THERE'S ALWAYS TOMORROW (Douglas Sirk) - Tomorrow is about the past.

9. EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS (Fred F. Sears) - One of my first movie theater memories, and did it ever give me nightmares. Aliens warn the world to stop using A-bombs and then, to close the deal, start destroying the great symbols of American Freedom. Good thing we have Hugh Marlowe on our side.

10. THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT (Frank Tashlin) - Tashlin at his gaudiest, most outlandish and most fun. And I dig that rock 'n' roll (is Little Richard singing the theme perfect or what? Did I mention gaudy, outlandish and fun?).

And what a year for non-English language films: my favorite from one of my favorites, A MAN ESCAPED (Robert Bresson); STREET OF SHAME (Kenji Mizoguchi); THE BURMESE HARP (Kon Ichikawa); EARLY SPRING (Yasujiro Ozu); APARAJITO (Satyajit Ray); THE RED BALLOON (Albert Lamorisse).

Three TV films of note: The Fountain of Youth (Orson Welles); Bang the Drum Slowly (Alex Segal); Requiem of a Heavyweight (Ralph Nelson).

Best Performance in a Timothy Carey role: Timothy Carey in THE KILLING.
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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CineMaven
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Re: LISTS

Post by CineMaven »

( 1956 )

:) “EARTH vs THE FLYING SAUCERS” - ( Fred F. Sears )

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The Capitol vs. A Flying Saucer

This stars Hugh Marlowe and Joan Taylor. The title says it all. And Ray Harryhausen says the rest.
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:) “JULIE” - ( Andrew L. Stone )

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Doris Day & Louis Jourdan

I hate seeing Doris Day terrorized but you have to admit, she does it well. Louis Jourdan’s obsessiveness is unnerving and the feeling of being stalked is palpably brought to the screen.
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:) “THE KILLING” - ( Stanley Kubrick )

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Sterling Hayden

There are heist movies and there are heist movies. And this is one of those. I love the precision about the heist. And how we follow each member. And wild man Carey? Really? A horse? He is beyond belief.
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:) “A KISS BEFORE DYING” - ( Gerd Oswald )

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Joanne Woodward & Robert Wagner

I love this movie. Robert Wagner is such a sociopath. I watch his shenanigans with fascination as he kills the one sister he’s made pregnant, and then winds up with the other sister. He just has no feeling for anyone. His mom ( played by Mary Astor ) and that man he kills who thinks he knows something. Tsk! Tsk! Must be the hair pomade. Good cast featuring other 50’s hunk: Jeffrey Hunter, Virginia Leith, and ( briefly ) Joanne Woodward.
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:) “THE BAD SEED” - ( Mervyn LeRoy )

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Patty McCormack

I have to do Rhoda in small doses. She’s the worst kid in the history of kids. Spare the rod, spoil the child? The underlying question ( nature vs. nurture ) is sobering. Young Patty McCormack gives a brilliantly chilling performance.
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:) “THE MAN IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT” - ( Nunnally Johnson )

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Gregory Peck

This long drama features the story of one of those Madison Avenue-types who live in the suburbs and served in the War. I find the drama compelling and the teaming of Peck with Jennifer Jones again, very satisfying and believable after their duel in the sun. Is this a soap opera? I don’t think so. The emotions aren’t big, but very real. Sidebar: Nice to see Fredric March and Ann Harding together again after their 1929 appearance in “Paris Bound.”
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:) “THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH” - ( Alfred Hitchcock )

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Doris Day & James Stewart

I know. If you’re reading this you’re saying “Oh no...not another Hitchcock.” What can I say, when he’s good, he’s good. And he's good. This time he’s remade one of his earlier movies. A child is kidnapped, and his parents are drawn into international intrigue in order to get him back. It just works, that's all.
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:) “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” - ( Cecil B. DeMille )

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Yul Brynner

This was on ABC the other night and I missed all but the last 40-minutes or so. It was done seriously but it's sort of campy now. Doesn't mean I don't love it, 'cuz I do. Had a brief text conversation during the movie, with my friend Sheila that went something like this ( Warning: Contains Spoilers and Good-Natured Blasphemy ) :

SHEILA: "Parting of the Red Sea never gets old. Happy Easter."

C-MAVEN: "Crikey! Is THAT on NOW????!! What channel?"

SHEILA: "ABC. Always on Passover. So campy, but the Red Sea always gets me."

C-MAVEN: "Turning to it now. Ramses...that's my boy. And Eddie G.!"

SHEILA: "Everyone had a job."

C-MAVEN: "Good ol. C.B. Look at Ramses. Guess I missed the three beauty queens on the rocks. Crap!"

SHEILA: "The rest of the movie is awful."

C-MAVEN: "You're a heathen."

SHEILA: "Yup."

C-MAVEN: "Just give me John Derek."

SHEILA: "Come on, the dialogue is awful."

C-MAVEN: "You said it, you explain it to the Lord."

SHEILA: "Was there anyone in Hollywood who wasn't in that movie? Maybe the Munchkins."

C-MAVEN: "S.Z.'Cuddles' Sakall and Eve Arden."

SHEILA: "LOL."

C-MAVEN: "Hey, there's Anne and Yul. This is good. Look at his legs."

SHEILA: "LOL. Was just thinking the same thing."

C-MAVEN: "Dathan G. Robinson. Rabble rouser.

SHEILA: "Even with crappy dialogue, he's terrific. Is that John Carradine?"

C-MAVEN: "Yeah. I know his voice anywhere. A golden calf. Can they eat it? In the meantime, Moses is toasting marshmallows at the burning bush. I want answers from 'I Am'. What can you get for that calf on 47th Street? And where is the chariot race?!"

SHEILA: "That's 'Ben-Hur.' Wrong movie."

C-MAVEN: "Ha. Testing you. Wait up!! I think I saw the Kardashians in that orgy."

SHEILA: "LOL. Test me. I had to watch this movie every single year. I know every scene by heart."

C-MAVEN: "The color is spectacular."

SHEILA: "Yup."

C-MAVEN: "Eddie G.'s having a grand time while Moses is getting rules from on high. Congress should be there."

SHEILA: "Now Moses is going to break the tablets. That's why he couldn't cross over."

C-MAVEN: "They couldn't cross over because of Chris Christie."

SHEILA: "ROFLMAO."

C-MAVEN: "C.B. DeMille and a cast of thousands. Minus Eve Arden."

SHEILA: "They don't make movies like that anymore."

C-MAVEN: "They don't make 'em like that anymore, is right."
"You build my gallows high, baby."

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Mr. Arkadin
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Re: LISTS

Post by Mr. Arkadin »

Best part of Ten Commandments--a blacklisted actor gets a moment in the spotlight. This scene would not be out of context in Little Ceasar (minus the robes, of course). I also find it a bit amusing that a religious organization is using a copyrighted film and putting their logo on everything while we watch:

[youtube][/youtube]
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CineMaven
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Re: LISTS

Post by CineMaven »

[u][color=#FF0000]kingrat[/color][/u] wrote:Maven, loved your commentary! One of my most vivid childhood memories is throwing up during The Ten Commandments. A Critic Is Born!
You threw up? WoW!! Are you sure Rex Reed, Rona Barrett and Molly Haskell started that way? :lol:
"You build my gallows high, baby."

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RedRiver
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Re: LISTS

Post by RedRiver »

Thou Maven of Cinema!

I watched TEN COMMANDMENTS recently too. It's not bad at all. Long, overdone. Of course. Could it be anything else? It's drama. It's big time drama. If you're looking for a good story, they don't come much grander than this one.

Warning: Contains Spoilers

That's OK. I've read The Book!

The Capitol vs. A Flying Saucer

I bet Congress STILL got more done than they do today!

A KISS BEFORE DYING is chilling and thrilling. Well written, well staged; surprisingly colorful. For some reason, I came late to this party. Never saw the movie until a few years ago. Now I want to watch it again! Here's something else to note. There's not a dull moment in this thriller. You'd think that would be true of all the great ones. It's not. Even some of the classics cool off for a scene or two, allowing the distracted mind to wander. Not this one. Again, very well written!
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Vienna
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Re: LISTS

Post by Vienna »

Henry Fonda 'a shrewd and ruthless manipulator' in TWELVE ANGRY MEN. Wow. That's a description I never thought I would hear.
Can't agree at all. His character is quiet,thoughtful,a seeker of the truth. Perfect role for Fonda.
He's in a room full of strangers ,some of whom want out of there as quickly as possible.Some have motives not even clear to themselves. He simply wants them to give their verdict a little more thought and is brave enough in the beginning to hold out against a guilty verdict.
RedRiver
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Re: LISTS

Post by RedRiver »

Quite an intriguing discussion. I think most people manipulate others as best they can. Fonda's character may have had an agenda. But he doesn't claim the defendant is innocent. He merely points out the flaws in the evidence against him. I love Lee J. Cobb in this! "Over the top" acting (screaming) can be pretentious. But Cobb, with his loud, aggressive, pent up resentment, hits just the right note. It's the best performance of his career.
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Re: LISTS

Post by CineMaven »

( 1957 )

I love the sci-fi monster movies ( some trailers included with this post ) and this year is full of 'em:

:) “20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH” - ( Nathan Juran )

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A rocket ship is really off course, landing in the Meditteranean. And a monster will terrorize Italy...thanks to Ray Harryhausen. Cool. See the trailer.
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:) “THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN” - ( Bert I. Gordon )

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Glenn Langan

A military man too close to a plutonium blast site has his DNA changed. He grows to a colossal height. Size does matter.
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:) “ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS” - ( Roger Corman )

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Turnabout is fair play. Humans eat crab as sea food. Now, the crabs eat us. Papier mache never looked so good. Or so bad.

If you want to see Russell Johnson talk about his experience making this movie, here is about a minute and a half of his interview.
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:) “BEGINNING OF THE END” - ( Bert I. Gordon )

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Peter Graves

“You can’t drop an atom bomb on Chicago!”

Hmmm...I dunno. I mean, what else can you do when your city is invaded by gigantic grasshoppers, even if they don’t look like they’re in the same scene with you?
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:) “BLACK SCORPION” - ( Edward Ludgwig )

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You just going to stand there? What're you waiting for, Hugh Marlowe?! Run. RUN!! They’re giant scorpions for goodness sake. Follow Richard Denning and do what he says.
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:) “A FACE IN THE CROWD” - ( Elia Kazan )

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Andy Griffith & Patricia Neal

What a good movie. Is Paddy Chayefsky a soothsayer? Power. Sex. Hubris. All sorts of things are addictive. ...And corrupts absolutely. I like watching Griffith’s fall from grace as he turns into King Kong. I also like Neal’s performance as she struggles with her place as a woman in the tv industry and as a woman loving a no good man. Whew!! It was hard for her to walk away. And that is very real.
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:) “THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING” - ( Jack Arnold )

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Grant Williams

“That’s silly honey. People just don’t get smaller.”

What a tragic tragic story on the other end of the size spectrum. A man goes through a mist and faces the mysteries of life and his place in the universe...and in a doll’s house.
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:) “PATHS OF GLORY” - ( Stanley Kubrick )

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Kirk Douglas

I think it’s one of the most powerful anti-war dramas ever made. Everyone’s a scapegoat...and fodder for the war machine.
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:) “SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS” - ( Alexander MacKendrick )

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Tony Curtis & Burt Lancaster

“I’d hate to take a bite out of you. You’re a cookie full of arsenic.”

WHEW! What a tough gritty movie in the dog eat dog world of show biz journalism. You sell your soul for crumbs and even the High and Mighty has an Achilles Heel.
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:) “THE TATTERED DRESS” - ( Jack Arnold )

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Jeff Chandler

I love this soapy lurid courtroom drama. Jeff Chandler is a big city fancy schmancy winning lawyer on a murder case in a small-town. He doesn't care who pays or what..."perks" come with his defense. He's also trying to keep his personal problems in check. Good cast including Jeanne Crain, Elaine Stewart, Jack Carson, George Tobias and in one of her final roles, the lovely and frail Gail Russell.
"You build my gallows high, baby."

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RedRiver
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Re: LISTS

Post by RedRiver »

Colossal and Shrinking man...if there's a perfect double feature!

and in a doll’s house.

Ibsen would be proud!

All sorts of things are addictive. ...And corrupts absolutely

In some ways, this is scarier than all the others!
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