I Just Watched...

[CinemaInternational]

I've seen some more movies since I typed this out, but I felt the need to catchup on some slightly newer films, with mixed results (Just so I don't sound too down on the 1980s, I'll admit that some I looked at since this were actually quite good like Made in Heaven [1987], Four Friends [1981], Love Letters [1983], etc.)

Adventures in 1980s films (and one 70s film) that should have been better than they actually are..... (Or reasons why I should be extremely grateful I spent the last few weeks in a flurry of over 150 often delightful 30s and 40s and 50s titles)

Violets Are Blue (1986) seems at first glance to be a more conscientious version of the time-old tale of the love triangle, but too much focus on the adulterous duo trying to rekindle some of their old teenage sparks (Sissy Spacek and Kevin Kline) and not enough involving the wronged wife (Bonnie Bedelia, excellent in what little time she does have onscreen) pretty much unmoors any loftier intentions, even though there is some very telling dialogue. Even at a slender 85 minutes this feels padded, and there is something queasy about this tale being directed by Spacek's real-life husband.

The Doctor and the Devils (1985) was an attempt to bring back the old Hammer horror type of penny dreadfuls back to the masses, and bizarrely, it was produced by Mel Brooks. It is loosely based on a real-life notorious crime spree of the 1800s when a doctor needing cadavers for medical research, got involved with a pair of grave diggers....little dreaming that they were compulsive murderers. The film has a great, earthy, dark period authentic look to it and it is splendidly cast (Timothy Dalton, Jonathan Pryce, Twiggy, Julian Sands, Stephen Rea, Phyllis Logan, Sian Phillips, Patrick Stuart, Beryl Reid), but the film never coheres property, and the script, when not serving up shocks or its cautionary moral, is aloof and oblique.

Ghost Story (1981) might be the biggest disappointment though. It too is a horror tale, one that lured me in with a fantastic cast of veterans, Fred Astaire, John Houseman, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, and Patricia Neal. Unfortunately, the film always keeps getting in the way, leaving the veterans with scant onscreen attention. The tale concerns a group of men, haunted by a death they were all accidentally responsible for in the early 1930s, and what happens when the ghost of that victim (Alice Krige) returns for vengeance, resulting in a lot of men shocked to death and abrupt shock cuts that show a rotting corpse in place of Krige's face. Unfortunately, maybe because of studio interference, the majority of screentime goes to Craig Wasson as a pair of Astaire's identical twin sons, one ill-fated very early on, the other more successful in surviving; frankly put, although he isn't bad in the film, it feels like false advertising. (Wasson also has to have one of the tackiest death scenes in cinema history as the ill-fated brother who, terrified by Krige's skeletal look after a night of sex, plunges backwards stark naked from a high-rise window, as the film shows him against a badly processed back projection flailing his arms about, while his microscopic dick flutters every which way like a Planters peanut caught in a strong wind). So, Astaire and all the others I came to see are left with mere onscreen scraps, and are left with unformed characterizations. That feels like a grave betrayal for this classic film fan, especially in the light that it was the final film for Astaire, Douglas, and Fairbanks.

The Honorary Consul (1983; also known as Beyond the Limit) was second-tier Graham Greene on the printed page, a saga involving a doctor, a boozy British consul, and the woman, the latter's wife, who they both lust for that later turned into a claustrophobic, but fascinating tale of morality. The film suffers from a major piece of miscasting: Richard Gere is simply not a good fit for a Graham Greene world, even with extremely explicit sex scenes. Michael Caine fares much better as the consul, but what was already a delicate proposition to turn into a film ends up sinking under the extra weight.

Trouble in Mind (1985) attempted to blend futuristic ideas with a 40s noir ambiance. As it is an Alan Rudolph film, its also very determinative in its desire to be as out of the mainstream as possible. The film is visually stunning and aurally interesting, but the story is exceedingly hazy and the characters are poorly sketched, although Divine, in a small role, manages to make a great impact in the Sydney Greenstreet role. It's just too clinical in the long run.

Orphans (1987) has an extremely raw feeling and strong performances from Albert Finney and Matthew Modine, but it is ultimately just a little too odd and claustrophobic to really work. It is the saga of a pair of con artist brothers whose lives are turned upside down when one of them brings Finney, his latest target, back to the slovenly family house.

Valentino (1977) was another over-the-top Ken Russell production, focused on the sexual relationships of the famous silent screen star. Rudolf Nureyev doesn't really look like the man he is playing, but he has an exotic quality about him that works, and frankly, even in raunchy, overheated parts, it was nice to see Leslie Caron, Michelle Phillips, and Carol Kane again, but the film unfortunately tells us very little about anybody, and it gets to the point of screaming hysteria (the characters scream and the music swells) on a relatively frequent basis.

Irreconcilable Differences (1984) was supposed to be a satire on the egotistical elements of Hollywood with Ryan O'Neal and Shelley Long as an estranged couple thrown for a loop when their daughter Drew Barrymore sues for emancipation at the age of 10. It falls flat because outside of the girl, there are no sympathetic characters here, and even most of the barbs fall flat. At other points, it is just plain mawkish, although the ending works... That said, Barrymore does deliver sterling work, as does an amusing Sharon Stone as O'Neal's mistress.


Fortunately, I did see one that did hit the spot: Truffaut's homage to Hitchcock, The Bride Wore Black (1968) with Jeanne Moreau on a deadly quest of revenge after her husband was killed on their wedding day. She gives a wonderful performance, and the film itself is taut, absorbing, and filled with some adroit dark humor. Just a very fine noir.

[Belle]

A wonderful documentary about the greatest composer for the film medium, Eric Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)...

Korngold formed an important part of the European emigre film community in the USA from the late 1930s. The thing which comes across in all these stories is the generosity of the American nation in taking in these extraordinary, talented people fleeing from political terror...

Thanks to studio heads like JACK WARNER and CARL LAEMMLE ...

Oh, absolutely!! They had money and, as it turns out, good TASTE. Not all of them, to be sure, but enough to foster success in gifted artists - particularly in the MGM Freed Unit.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

The House On Telegraph Hill (1951) Fox Movie Channel -7/10

A Polish survivor of a Nazi concentration camp (Valentina Cortese) assumes the identity of her dead friend and comes to America.

This was a Robert Wise directed film that I saw for the first time. It turned out to be a hidden gem, it starts very intriguing and moves swiftly through it's 93 minutes. It has elements of suspense, melodrama and mystery. Cortese's dead friend had left behind an orphaned baby boy, the rest of the family was also dead. Richard Basehart (the only cast member I was familiar with) plays the appointed guardian of the boy. He falls in love with Cortese and marries her, not knowing her true identity. Wise was already a master of the "noir" style after classics like Born To Kill and The Set Up.
I would recommend this to other fans of Wise and this type of story, I think you will be surprised how good this overlooked film is.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

Orphans (1987) has an extremely raw feeling and strong performances from Albert Finney and Matthew Modine, but it is ultimately just a little too odd and claustrophobic to really work. It is the saga of a pair of con artist brothers whose lives are turned upside down when one of them brings Finney, his latest target, back to the slovenly family house.

I saw this one when first released. It was based on a play and probably worked better on stage. But I remember liking it to due to Finney, who is excellent.

[Masha]

I have of late been watching mostly classic television series: Jonny Quest (1964), The Flintstones (1960-1966), Wacky Races (1968-1969), Picket Fences (1992–1996), Evening Shade (1990–1994) and a few others. I must admit that I bailed on: Picket Fences (1992-1996) somewhere in the third season because it lost all humour and became quite preachy. I am sorry to say that I could not endure more than four complete episodes of: Evening Shade (1990–1994).

One movie which I have rewatched in its entirety is: Hatari! (1962)

I am not a fan of John Wayne. I believe this is because westerns and Western military movies are generally not to my taste. He is quite fine here as a basic guy working hard and taking risks and hoping that is all the world asks of him.

There is one tiny scene which I find absolutely perfect: he has been drinking all evening and then finds a strange woman in his bed. She makes the salient observation:
Dallas: You have been drinking a little, hmm?
Sean Mercer: No ma'am. I've been drinking a lot.
He says this with such impish glee! He is a little boy who knows he has been naughty but is so pure of heart that he shyly admits his crime. The look on his face is absolutely precious!

I am sure that one of the reasons why I like this movie so much is the unstructured feel. It is a straight Howard Hawks romp.

It is available for viewing for free with commercials on: PlutoTV

[Allhallowsday]

JULIE (1956) Eck. We are inflicted with DORIS DAY's angst from the git-go. LOUIS JORDAN is a CREEP within seconds.
I would describe the movie JULIE as protracted.

[jimimac71]

JULIE (1956) Eck. We are inflicted with DORIS DAY's angst from the git-go. LOUIS JORDAN is a CREEP within seconds.
I would describe the movie JULIE as protracted.

Wait! Is this Groundhog Day?

[HoldenIsHere]

Lat night night I saw BARBIE, the new movie from the phenomenal Greta Gerwig that is based on the Mattel doll.
This is the first time in a very, very long time that I have seen a movie during its opening weekend.
The sweetie and I were not disappointed.
The script --- written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (his writing and directing of MARRIAGE STORY blew me away) --- is a brilliant satire.
I'm glad to see that a movie of this quality (a non-super hero movie no less!) is doing this well at the box office.
I want to give a special shout to the costume designs of Jacqueline Durran and and the set decoration of the team lead by Katie Spencer and Ashley Swanson. The contributions of these artists were crucial in bringing the the fantasy worlds of "Barbieland" and "The Real World" to life on the screen.

I highly recommend this movie to classic movie fans.
Besides the movie being really good in and of itself, it has so many classic movie references.
Going into the movie, I was not aware of that aspect, but from the very beginning (with an homage to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY) until the end, there were so many movie references I picked up on (and probably some that I missed).

A poster in another thread here referred to BARBIE as a "stinker" without having seen the movie.
I won't call this person out by "name" (they have made similar comments on the old TCM message boards), but I take issue with that kind of uninformed commentary, especially from someone who claims to be a movie aficionado.

After seeing the movie, I discovered an interview with Gina Gerwig by TCM's Ben Markiewicz, where she discusses her love of classic movies and some of the inspirations for BARBIE (including THE RED SHOES). Her comments about "authentic artificiality" and the "constraints of a movie world" are brilliant.

[Allhallowsday]

SUMMER OF '42 (1971) on TCM this afternoon. I think I'm old enough now that I can see the tenderness of the story. When I saw this in a TV broadcast the first time 50 years ago, it was merely a sex story.

[jimimac71]

SUMMER OF '42 (1971) on TCM this afternoon. I think I'm old enough now that I can see the tenderness of the story. When I saw this in a TV broadcast the first time 50 years ago, it was merely a sex story.

Guess I need to watch it when I'm a little older.
(HA! I'm 66)

[Belle]

"The Luck of the Irish", 1948, Henry Koster (mmm, yes and no), Tyrone Power, Anne Baxter. What a wonderful actor Ty Power really was; I felt his great good looks undermined his acting.

[Allhallowsday]

SUMMER OF '42 (1971) on TCM this afternoon. I think I'm old enough now that I can see the tenderness of the story. When I saw this in a TV broadcast the first time 50 years ago, it was merely a sex story.

Guess I need to watch it when I'm a little older.
(HA! I'm 66)

Y'got me beat. I'll be 62 in November. JENNIFER O'NEAL is the part that I found both erotic and touching. Long ago, it was just erotic.

[Allhallowsday]

CITY LIGHTS (1931) on TCM. There are very few films in which I both laugh and cry within 30 minutes.

[Cinemaspeak59]

Murder in the Private Car (1934) A switchboard operator discovers she’s an heiress. An eccentric investigator refers to himself as a deflector rather than a detective because he deflects crimes from occurring. Throw in a gorilla, a runaway train car (with great use of miniatures), and you have a wacky comedy/thriller, the plot of which makes little sense. Charlie Ruggles and Una Merkel make it watchable.

[LostHorizons]

I tried watching Fanchon the Cricket yesterday but the soundtrack was so bad I turned it off after five minutes.

Murder in the Private Car (1934) A switchboard operator discovers she’s an heiress. An eccentric investigator refers to himself as a deflector rather than a detective because he deflects crimes from occurring. Throw in a gorilla, a runaway train car (with great use of miniatures), and you have a wacky comedy/thriller, the plot of which makes little sense. Charlie Ruggles and Una Merkel make it watchable.

I saw this one when it was on and really enjoyed it.