WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[MikeBSG]

Regarding the "Ice Queen" in "Me and Orson Welles": Danes plays a woman named Sonja Jones (I'm not sure if she is based on a real character or not. The movie is based on a novel.) All the men in the Mercury Theater, or at least Cotten and Lloyd, want to sleep with her, but she has turned them down, hence they call her the Ice Queen.


Yesterday I watched "Contagion" (2011), directed by Steven Soderbergh.

I thought it began very well, but the longer it went on, the more problems I had with the movie. There were too many characters, and the narrative focus was split between too many people, for one thing. Also, it annoyed me that for all the scientific talk in the film, the film itself seemed to suggest that the "plague" had been caused by an adulterous woman, which seemed like a surprisingly Medieval attitude for a movie that was praised for emphasizing the value of intelligence and expertise.

Frankly, I thought "Contagion" ended up about on par with "Outbreak," that 1990s disease movie that starred Dustin Hoffman and was directed by Wolfgang Peterson. Better than both is "Variola Vera," a Yugoslav film from the late Seventies/early 80s about an outbreak of smallpox. (That film was actually based on a true incident.) "Variola Vera" focuses on the people stuck in the afflicted hospital, which means the drama remains more focused.

[CineMaven]

...The wonderfully beautiful actress who plays Lamarr's cousin...There you have a woman whose physical appearance would have been more ideally suited for that role at that time...she was very beautiful and allruing and at the same time looked "mixed", if not French & Vietnamese...at least exotic and not as caucasian as Hedy.

Realism? Well...realism is six degrees of separation in the movies, so I don't expect that. But an Asian actress playing an Asian character? Holy Anna May Wong. Now you're going too far, my friend.

But I always wait for that cute, good-looking kid in "THE LETTER" who rushes to Herbert Marshall and says, "Mr. Hammond...is dead!" I think he's one of the sons in "THE GOOD EARTH" too.

[charliechaplinfan]

Theresa, I'm sure you're the girl to help me here, I remember you posting pictures of Tyrone Power on a thread, I remember you're quite a fan. I've just watched a biography on him, an extra with The Captain of Castille. I've seen Blood and Sand, The Razor's Edge, Nightmare Alley, and Witness to the Prosecution. I have to watch The Sun Also Rises, The Mark of Zorro, Abandon Ship and Marie Antoniette. Anything I've not mentioned that you'd recommend?

[charliechaplinfan]

Two movies I watched over the weekend, both first time views for me

Boxcar Bertha, an early Martin Scorsese movie with Barbara Hershey, I think I preferred this more for the time period than the actual storyline, it's easy to draw lines to Bonnie and Clyde although Bertha and her gang seemed more interested in robbing the rich to pay the poor, the scenes of brutality in the jail and poverty of the gang made much of what they did seem justified.

The Servant, how I love Dirk Bogarde, he doesn't get much of a mention here but he's brilliant in his own way. In this he plays a man servant called employed by James Fox's member of the gentry, the servant is somewhat malovolent and the servant typical of one of his class treating his servant worse than a pet, he's ineffectual and weak, a bit bullied by his girlfriend and completely open to an affair with his butler's young sister played by the very alluring Sarah Miles. That starts his undoing and he slowly unravels as his servant increases his control and manipulation. It's a bit like watching a person get completely dominated by a dog they brought into their life. An interesting movie nonetheless.

[RedRiver]

Sarah Miles is one of the most passionate, sincere actresses I've seen. I often forget her when discussing "The Great Ones," as her films tend to elude me. But what I've seen, especially RYAN'S DAUGHTER, has impressed me.

I like BOXCAR BERTHA, and I'm not Scorcese fan. That could be why I like it. He wasn't "Scorcese" yet. He was just a working filmmaker! As for Mr. Power, have you seen JESSE JAMES? Or another western, RAWHIDE? And there's a sweet time travel story that has been discussed on this site. I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU. You'll definitely want to watch that one!

[charliechaplinfan]

I love Ryan's Daughter, I've watched it so many times, heck I dragged my hubby around the film locations including trudging through a muddy field to see what was left of the schoolhouse, if I find the picture I'll post it. Sarah Miles in wonderful in it, it has a roster of fabulous actors but she's the key to the whole thing, it's one of my favourite performances by an actress, ever.

I know what you mean about Boxcar Bertha, I didn't really get the Scorsese vibes. I liked it, it was pleasant and Barbara Hershey was good in the leading role.

I can rent those Tyrone Power movies, thanks for the recommendation.

[CineMaven]

Theresa, I'm sure you're the girl to help me here, I remember you posting pictures of Tyrone Power on a thread, I remember you're quite a fan. I've just watched a biography on him, an extra with The Captain of Castille. I've seen Blood and Sand, The Razor's Edge, Nightmare Alley, and Witness to the Prosecution. I have to watch The Sun Also Rises, The Mark of Zorro, Abandon Ship and Marie Antoniette. Anything I've not mentioned that you'd recommend?

I cannot be objective about Tyrone Power. He is just too gorgeous. A dream boat. A matinee idol. ((( sigh! ))) Now that I’ve got that out of my system, let me concentrate on what you’re asking.

What's the question? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah...

First off, you’ve seen a pretty darned good sampling of his work judging by your list. I might suggest you see him work with Alice Faye. She enjoyed working with him very much. “ALEXANDER’S RAG TIME BAND” or with ice skating star Sonja Henie in “THIN ICE.” I’m not saying you’ll get a Lunt/Fontanne performance... but he’s young and harmless and just a dream young actor who does no damage. Maybe you could catch him in your neck of the woods in “A YANK IN THE R.A.F.” where he’s a callow young man who learns how to be a team player. Why don’t you watch and swoon over “SON OF FURY.” He stars with Gene Tierney and it’s a beautiful looking film. Young man trying to make his way in the world...winds up on a tropical isle. George Sanders is also in it. Ty out west...see him in a Western. He plays “JESSE JAMES” with back up from Henry Fonda. May I round off my meager suggestions to you with:

“CRASH DIVE” <----- is just a click away. A WWII film about two men (Ty and Dana Andrews) who are in a navy submarine fighting the Japanese at sea, and fighting over one girl on land: Anne Baxter. It’s a nice solid film. Hope this helps.

Here is a fan-made video Alison, of scenes from “SON OF FURY”, again, just to give you an idea of what you may or may not want to watch.

[youtube][/youtube]

And here’s another fan-made video just to give you a sample of Ty with Alice Faye. You can judge if they have any chemistry together by watching this:

[youtube][/youtube]

YouTube also offers up this A & E biography of Tyrone Power, that I hope is different from what you've seen already:

[youtube][/youtube]


PERFECTION.

But as Yoda said: "THERE IS ANOTHER."



P.S. John Wayne did a scene with Tyrone Power, Sr. in Raoul Walsh's "THE BIG TRAIL." Power, Sr. was a grizzled Gabby Hayes looking old man in the scene.

[JackFavell]

I always liked Love is News with Loretta Young when I was a teen.

[feaito]

I second the motion of "Love is News" Ali. Also try to get hold of "The Luck of the Irish" (1948), a wonderful comedy; "Prince of the Foxes" (1949); "Son of Fury" (1942), "Untamed" (1955) and "I'll Never Forget You" (1951)....Mmmm, in "Day-Time Wife" (1939) he makes a wonderful couple with a very young Linda Darnell.

[Jezebel38]

Tyrone Power - I'm really fond of THE RAINS CAME (1939). Lot's going on in that film, he and Myrna Loy really play well together, and oh my, when the turban comes off for the last few scenes, SWOON!

[feaito]

That's a true favorite of mine Jez; it's a great spectacle and drama, I forgot to mention it, thanks for bringing it up! Ali, you must see that one too.

It's kind of uncanny because the heroine Lady Edwina Esketh (Loy) falls for Major Rahma something (Power), in 1939, and many years later Lady Edwina Mountbatten was said to have had an affair with Nehru in India...Reality resembling fiction?

[JackFavell]

That's so interesting, Fer! The Rains Came is a must!

[RedRiver]

I watched the outstanding WAKE ISLAND again. This classic tale of doomed WW2 marines holding out against insurmountable odds is thrilling, stirring and human. Like all good action films, the impact is not so much in the battle footage (which is magnificent) as in the personal relations. The rapport between Robert Preston and the great William Bendix is friendly and light. I can imagine the director telling them, "If YOU have fun with it, the audience will too!" Captain Brian Donlevy and his civilian counterpart have a tougher time of it. Will they work out their differences? There's a greater enemy at hand than their petty quarrel.

This is a war film that gets everything right. The patriotism is not heavy-handed. The action is not cluttered and hard to follow. Even the Japanese are not unreasonably vilified. They're soldiers with a job to do. Just like our guys. The plot is tried and true. The Alamo, Bataan, 300 Spartans. This may be the best telling. It's fine war drama.

Just as WAKE ISLAND makes all the right choices, Douglas Sirk's BATTLE HYMN misses them. The story is about a man's inner conflict more than a particular event. As Airman Rock Hudson strives to prove things to himself, director Sirk hammers the message in to the viewer. We get a lesson in morality, a look at an admirable person, and finally, when we're past caring, a battle. The movie seems longer than it is because so little happens. When it's over, we've digested food for thought, but not much of a story.

If you haven't seen WAKE ISLAND, treat yourself!

[JackFavell]

Thanks for that description, Red. Wake Island sounds like a war movie I can actually like! I'll have to try it out.

[charliechaplinfan]

I'm renting everything I can, I notice he made a movie with Dana Andrews so that will make a very happy girl. I love that clip with Gene Tierney, she's one beautiful lady.