WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[moira finnie]

have somehow avoided falling down the alcoholic well of loneliness

Glad to hear it, as I continue to struggle with a devastating chocolate chip habit!

Welcome to the club!

[charliechaplinfan]

I always thought Jim Morrison was an idol for girls but I can see why young boys would like him, not a good influence, he didn't die at 27 for no reason. What goes around comes around, I'm glad your brother and nephew are back on track, your brother doubtlessly appreciates now where his parents were coming from. And I might have it all coming to me one day.

[moira finnie]

I always thought Jim Morrison was an idol for girls but I can see why young boys would like him, not a good influence, he didn't die at 27 for no reason. What goes around comes around, I'm glad your brother and nephew are back on track, your brother doubtlessly appreciates now where his parents were coming from. And I might have it all coming to me one day.

Maybe my grandparents' generation had the right idea. Both my parents went away to boarding school as soon as puberty struck and came back home only periodically--though this was in the '20s & '30s when children really were seen and not heard. Good luck getting through the teenage years, Alison. My hat's off to anyone who makes it with their kids and their sanity intact.
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I watched Mandy (1952-Alexander Mackendrick) for the first time in a few years last night. Jack Hawkins slays me, especially since he plays a role that normally would go to a strong woman or a likable nebbish. The film's depiction of a school for deaf children (where Hawkins' character works) and the constricted lives and internecine conflicts in this atmosphere among the adults is very well done. The children (many of whom really were deaf) are so endearing, especially in their interactions with Hawkins and the title character, who has almost no experience with her peers.

The matter-of-fact way that the child actress Mandy Miller plays a deaf girl is beautifully done. We see the world from the adults' pov through their words and actions. Phyllis Calvert and Terence Morgan as the parents are both depicted with empathy, dramatizing the mother's eagerness to protect and then help her deaf offspring (impulses that are often in conflict). Morgan's pain as the father who hopes to insulate his daughter from the world's callousness and to assuage his own shame-tinged guilt about his daughter's situation is less likable, but his actions are quite understandable and human. The only quibble I might voice would be the somewhat contrived but interesting relationship that springs up between the appealing Hawkins and Calvert--though this serves to make Morgan's rigid husband and father quite a bit more sympathetic to the viewer. Godfrey Tearle & Marjorie Fielding as Morgan's well-to-do parents, offering their granddaughter a safe but suffocatingly stale atmosphere in their plush cocoon, are terrific in small roles, which they manage to invest with austere nuance, color, and humor.

With hearing actress Mandy Miller as the title character, we enter into her experience via her expressive face and selected moments when the director allows the soundtrack to go silent and inserts quickly edited successive moments that convey her inner turmoil and efforts to comprehend what is required of her. I guess this film would be characterized as a tear-jerker, but an intelligent one, made with real restraint for the most part.

If anyone is interested in seeing this film, you can see it here on youtube. Do you think that one of the reasons that director Alexander Mackendrick has gotten relatively little attention in the past was due to the versatility he displayed here and in each of his movies?

[RedRiver]

I've never heard of this film. I bet the very concept, a character unable to hear, dictates some visual storytelling. That's the backbone of this whole thing!

children really were seen and not heard

I'm not a parent. I'm not really entitled to an opinion on this topic. But as I see nieces and nephews, neighbors, kids in public, I think, "I have an idea. SHUT UP!" What's wrong with a little peace and quiet? Of course, it shouldn't be all or nothing. You don't want them to be afraid to express themselves. But turn it off once in a while? Let the verbal dust settle? Hell, that's probably good for them!

[CineMaven]

Red Riversssss....they say the darnedest things!

[charliechaplinfan]

Mandy, I haven't seen it in a long time, I remember watching it years ago when I was off school with tonsilitis, a frequent happening in my schooling. I was completely captivated by it, I'd love to see it again, I hope to find the time to follow your link.

Children, as a parent of young children Red I'm so conscious of them in public, I was taught to be seen and not heard, not that I was good at it but I expect my kids to at least try to behave that way. There is a big difference between kids being a bit cheeky and having personality but to behave unruly and without consideration for other people, especially with their parents around is a definite no no.

[RedRiver]

I could have made my point with gentler language. "Shut up" is harsh. How about, "Honey...STOP TALKING!"

[Bogie]

Been a little busy but I made room to watch a double bill of cheesy action flicks from the '80s

Red Heat (1988)

This is not one of Arnie's best movies but it did allow him to stretch a little in a way as his Russian cop character was evocative of Greta Garbo's role in the classic film Ninotchka. Jim Belushi was pretty good in his role of the Chicago cop Arnie works with. Belushi played well off of the robotic, uptight Arnie. The plot isn't the greatest but it lends itself to some good action and a few funny moments.

I'm glad I stuck around though as the beginning was um....kind of offputting with naked muscular men in some foundry type setting.

Anywho, 2 1/2 out of 4 stars.


Next up was Carl Weathers in an '80s tough cop flix starring as the main character....

Action Jackson (1988)

This gets a bit of a low rating on IMDB but I find it to be a guilty pleasure flick as Carl Weathers tries to be a bad ass in the mold of Shaft or Dirty Harry. It doesn't quite work as Craig T. Nelson as the major bad guy doesn't quite work for me. It's pretty comical seeing Nelson doing martial arts moves in his fight with Weathers at the end of the movie. \

The comedic relief in the film was quite good with the hoodlum kid who gets scared out of his wits when two patrolmen tell him how bad Action Jackson is and the kid literally faints a couple times. He ends up running into Jackson throughout the movie. The patrolmen also appear throughout and while their language is rather rough there was a "realness" to it that you don't often get in these kind of movies.

Sharon Stone is also involved in this but doesn't really have much to do. The movie is undermined by the putrid acting of Vanity whom Weathers has to protect throughout the film but her interaction with him is also "real" in nature.

It's definitely a flawed film but I enjoyed it.

2 out of 4 stars.


Don't worry my next double bill will be a couple westerns

[JackFavell]

Ha!

I remember Total Recall being the best of the action films with Arnie, it had a sci fi plot that really worked. It also had Sharon Stone as Arnie's wife.

[Rita Hayworth]

Been a little busy but I made room to watch a double bill of cheesy action flicks from the '80s

Next up was Carl Weathers in an '80s tough cop flix starring as the main character....

Action Jackson (1988)

This gets a bit of a low rating on IMDB but I find it to be a guilty pleasure flick as Carl Weathers tries to be a bad ass in the mold of Shaft or Dirty Harry. It doesn't quite work as Craig T. Nelson as the major bad guy doesn't quite work for me. It's pretty comical seeing Nelson doing martial arts moves in his fight with Weathers at the end of the movie. \

The comedic relief in the film was quite good with the hoodlum kid who gets scared out of his wits when two patrolmen tell him how bad Action Jackson is and the kid literally faints a couple times. He ends up running into Jackson throughout the movie. The patrolmen also appear throughout and while their language is rather rough there was a "realness" to it that you don't often get in these kind of movies.

Sharon Stone is also involved in this but doesn't really have much to do. The movie is undermined by the putrid acting of Vanity whom Weathers has to protect throughout the film but her interaction with him is also "real" in nature.

It's definitely a flawed film but I enjoyed it.

2 out of 4 stars.


Don't worry my next double bill will be a couple westerns

I enjoyed it too. Its got some memorable supporting characters ... like Action Jackson's Boss for example that made it somewhat worthwhile to watch. One, thing that this movie definately wasted the talent of Sharon Stone and I expected more from her. It's been eons ago of the last time I watched it and I was surprised to see this movie gets mentioned here in Silver Screen Oasis. It is basically at Carl Weathers and Craig T. Nelson movie.

[RedRiver]

I found the first half of TOTAL RECALL intriguing and imaginative. I was disappointed that it ultimately deteriorates into non-stop action. All in all, it's better than most of the Schwarzenegger vehicles. I had the same reaction to Bruce Willis in THE FIFTH ELEMENT. Good concept. Clever set-up. And...ACTION! I guess they ran out of ideas!

[Bogie]

I enjoyed it too. Its got some memorable supporting characters ... like Action Jackson's Boss for example that made it somewhat worthwhile to watch. One, thing that this movie definately wasted the talent of Sharon Stone and I expected more from her. It's been eons ago of the last time I watched it and I was surprised to see this movie gets mentioned here in Silver Screen Oasis. It is basically at Carl Weathers and Craig T. Nelson movie.

Well I'm not just a classic movie junkie. I watch anything from the classics to the er well sleazy (not very often) though I won't mention any of those movies. I just love movies in general and my girlfriend is a movie buff so i've gone to the theatres more this year than I have in the last 5 years. So needless to say i've seen my love for all things celluloid rekindled.

[RedRiver]

I recently lost a girlfriend who fell asleep on ASPHALT JUNGLE! In all fairness, it was late. She made it through MALTESE FALCON!

[charliechaplinfan]

Did you lose her because of her inability to stay awake during one of the finest film noirs Red? She managed The Maltese Falcon though, perhaps she's worth a second chance

[Rita Hayworth]

NORTH BY NORTHWEST - 1959 FILM STARRING CARY GRANT & EVE MARIE SAINT

I love the short cameo of HItchcock trying to get on the Bus!

I haven't seen this movie for awhile and I was stunned how good was this movie was - I know this movie have been discussed quite heavily in our forum under the ALFRED HITCHCOCK Thread and among other places too ... but I'm surprised how well its hold up in time - this movie just as old as me and was pleasantly surprised to see Olan Soule and Robert Shayne in small and uncredited roles in this movie ... they were associated with Superman Francise that hold so dear in my life.

I love romance between Grant and Saint in the railroad car - boy they sure were some intense moments here and chase and drama too.

It was fast paced, full of intensity, and action packed too. Hitchcock delivers in this movie and its a masterpiece of its own's right. About 25-35 years ago ... I wouldn't watch this movie because it wasn't my cup of tea - because I had a hard time following it. So, this amazing movie that has other pleasant surprises of so many plots and counterplots that left me hanging from one end to another.

The performances of James Mason, Jessie Royce, Landis, and Martin Landau was fabulous.

There were so many actors in this movie hails from TV Land ... and I was pleasantly surprise to see that. They all did quite well and my favorites was Edward Platt (Get Smart) who played Victor Larabee (LOL) ... and Les Tremayne (SHAZAM ISIS HOUR) ... in this movie.

Not forget Edward Binns as well too. He played so many television roles ... I see him pop up on my television set on a monthly basis without warning ... he was good in this movie in a small but significant way.

Other role that was a significant role - was Sergeant Flamm a Chicago Policeman who happen to have CARY GRANT in his squad car and he just nailed the role of a policeman (trying to make the most of it) fair and square. He was protrayed by Patrick McVey of whom I don't know much about.

A HITCHCOCK MASTERPIECE!