I Just Watched...

[Grumpytoad]

Cronos (1992) Horror movie.

My third attempt to watch. Two previous attempts had out of sync soundtracks. Third time was the charm.

Guillermo del Toro's first directing attempt, and excellent work.

A fight over possession of a beautiful object leads to a life changing event, but not in a good way.

A sad eyed Federico Luppi does a terrific job playing a family man who is both willfull and kind.

Ron Perlman as a whiny vicious thug who is the opposite of Luppi's character when it comes to family. Doubly interesting for me, because I only know Perlman for playing a romantic lead on a long ago tv show. Was considered quite a heartthrob at the time. Enjoyable contrast between the performances by Perlman.

The best thing in the movie isn't the horror stuff. There is a warm and sweet relationship between two characters that would fit into ANY good movie, regardless of genre.

The film offers a fresh interpretation of a monster familiar to movie fans going back to the beginnings of cinema.

IMG_1700.jpeg (30.51 KiB) Viewed 882 times

[BagelOnAPlate]

I saw The Children's Hour for the first time. I had seen the clips that are featured on the documentary The Celluloid Closet but had never seen the entire movie until yesterday.
Adapted from Lillian Hellman's play of the same name and directed by William Wyler, the movie tells the story of two female teachers (played by Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine) who run a private school for girls who lose their livelihood and their reputation when a spiteful student tells (or rather whispers to) her grandmother (played by Faye Bainter in her final movie role) about "unnatural" relations between the two teachers.

There will be spoilers.


I disagree with Shirley MacLaine's remark in The Celluloid Closet that they told the story "wrong" in the movie. Her character Martha actually does have romantic feelings for Audrey Hepburn's character Karen and the student's lie forces her to acknowledge them. Martha's feelings of shame (she says she feels dirty) are completely realistic for the time (and unfortunately even today for many people) and the fact that she commits suicide instead of fighting (as Shirley MacLaine states should have happened) does not seem like a false note to me. I found the compassion that Audrey Hepburn brings to her character especially moving. The scene where she breaks it off with her fiancé (played by James Garner) made me cry.
Karen Balkin is convincing as Mary, the spoiled brat who sets the tragedy in motion, but the child actor whose performance impressed me the most was Veronica Cartwright, who plays a student who is bullied by Mary into corroborating the lie about the teachers. She is one of my favorite actors. I love her work as a child and as an adult.

[Allhallowsday]

VICTOR / VICTORIA (1982) tonight on TCM. I laugh more at it each time I see it.

[Allhallowsday]

I saw The Children's Hour for the first time. I had seen the clips that are featured on the documentary The Celluloid Closet but had never seen the entire movie until yesterday.
Adapted from Lillian Hellman's play of the same name and directed by William Wyler,...

Did he direct the original film adaptation THESE THREE ...? In any case, I agree the film is painfully honest, but not in a politically correct way. It is fortunate that our culture has become aware enough to recognize that messages of despair because of who you are are wrong.

but the child actor whose performance impressed me the most was Veronica Cartwright, who plays a student who is bullied by Mary into corroborating the lie about the teachers. She is one of my favorite actors. I love her work as a child and as an adult...

These remarks are why I quote you. I thought the same thing watching the other night, though I first saw this film as a child. I am a fan of VERONICA and her sister ANGELA...

[jimimac71]

VICTOR / VICTORIA (1982) tonight on TCM. I laugh more at it each time I see it.

My favorite movie of all time! Glad others enjoy it too!

[Intrepid37]

Thumper (2017)

An impoverished area has a meth cook living in it. He's married with kids, is an Iraq war vet, is tough, distrustful and mean and harbors much anger.

He has one particular high school kid that does his dealing. Most of the customers are other high school kids.

There's a girl in high school who is not what she seems to be to the other kids.

Decent movie. Very well-acted. Feels reasonably realistic, although the climax is kinda melodramatic. Still an okay movie, though.

[TikiSoo]

So glad to hear your impressions of The Children's Hour, Bagel.

I disagree with Shirley MacLaine's remark in The Celluloid Closet that they told the story "wrong" in the movie. Her character Martha actually does have romantic feelings for Audrey Hepburn's character Karen and the student's lie forces her to acknowledge them. Martha's feelings of shame are completely realistic for the time and the fact that she commits suicide instead of fighting does not seem like a false note to me. I found the compassion that Audrey Hepburn brings to her character especially moving.

I agree about the realism of the situation and especially the acting. I enjoy These Three too, but as you stated the lead performances here are outstanding. I do like that Miriam Hopkins who plays the Shirley MacLaine part in These Three is included in The Children's hour in the Aunt Lily role.

The biggest difference between the two is the earlier movie wimps out with the conclusion the Martha Dobie charactor is jealous of her friend's relationship with Dr Cardin & she leaves town. ("jealous" as in SHE likes/wants dull man Dr Cardin)
I think the revelation of her "illicit love" and inability to cope with it, ie suicide, has far greater impact.

One of the few times the re-make is better than the original.

[Belle]

I just watched on YouTube "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone", starring Helen Mirren. It's a remake of the famous film with Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty from circa 1964. The costumes worn by Mirren were stunning, but she's so cold-blooded an actress it's hard to develop sympathy with her characters.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

I saw The Children's Hour for the first time. I had seen the clips that are featured on the documentary The Celluloid Closet but had never seen the entire movie until yesterday.
Adapted from Lillian Hellman's play of the same name and directed by William Wyler, the movie tells the story of two female teachers (played by Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine) who run a private school for girls who lose their livelihood and their reputation when a spiteful student tells (or rather whispers to) her grandmother (played by Faye Bainter in her final movie role) about "unnatural" relations between the two teachers.

There will be spoilers.


I disagree with Shirley MacLaine's remark in The Celluloid Closet that they told the story "wrong" in the movie. Her character Martha actually does have romantic feelings for Audrey Hepburn's character Karen and the student's lie forces her to acknowledge them. Martha's feelings of shame (she says she feels dirty) are completely realistic for the time (and unfortunately even today for many people) and the fact that she commits suicide instead of fighting (as Shirley MacLaine states should have happened) does not seem like a false note to me. I found the compassion that Audrey Hepburn brings to her character especially moving. The scene where she breaks it off with her fiancé (played by James Garner) made me cry.
Karen Balkin is convincing as Mary, the spoiled brat who sets the tragedy in motion, but the child actor whose performance impressed me the most was Veronica Cartwright, who plays a student who is bullied by Mary into corroborating the lie about the teachers. She is one of my favorite actors. I love her work as a child and as an adult.

Have you seen the earlier film version These Three (1936)? Because I believe that one is better, though the remake has it's good points as well.

The earlier film could not mention the lesbianism due to the Production code at the time, it was included in the original play. But the point of the story was not what the lie was but that a lie can destroy lives.
I disagree about Karen Balkin, I thought she gave a terrible performance, I can understand why she did not get many more acting jobs after this.
However in the original, the character is played by Bonita Granville who is absolutely chilling in her performance, she is the reason I think this version is the best.

[jamesjazzguitar]

I saw The Children's Hour for the first time. I had seen the clips that are featured on the documentary The Celluloid Closet but had never seen the entire movie until yesterday.
Adapted from Lillian Hellman's play of the same name and directed by William Wyler, the movie tells the story of two female teachers (played by Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine) who run a private school for girls who lose their livelihood and their reputation when a spiteful student tells (or rather whispers to) her grandmother (played by Faye Bainter in her final movie role) about "unnatural" relations between the two teachers.

There will be spoilers.


I disagree with Shirley MacLaine's remark in The Celluloid Closet that they told the story "wrong" in the movie. Her character Martha actually does have romantic feelings for Audrey Hepburn's character Karen and the student's lie forces her to acknowledge them. Martha's feelings of shame (she says she feels dirty) are completely realistic for the time (and unfortunately even today for many people) and the fact that she commits suicide instead of fighting (as Shirley MacLaine states should have happened) does not seem like a false note to me. I found the compassion that Audrey Hepburn brings to her character especially moving. The scene where she breaks it off with her fiancé (played by James Garner) made me cry.
Karen Balkin is convincing as Mary, the spoiled brat who sets the tragedy in motion, but the child actor whose performance impressed me the most was Veronica Cartwright, who plays a student who is bullied by Mary into corroborating the lie about the teachers. She is one of my favorite actors. I love her work as a child and as an adult.

Have you seen the earlier film version These Three (1936)? Because I believe that one is better, though the remake has it's good points as well.

The earlier film could not mention the lesbianism due to the Production code at the time, it was included in the original play. But the point of the story was not what the lie was but that a lie can destroy lives.
I disagree about Karen Balkin, I thought she gave a terrible performance, I can understand why she did not get many more acting jobs after this.
However in the original, the character is played by Bonita Granville who is absolutely chilling in her performance, she is the reason I think this version is the best.

As you note in These Three what the lie is about is a MacGuffin while in The Children's Hour the lie takes on much more significance. This leads to more character development for the 3 main characters in TCH, but less focus on the lie itself. Since in TT the lie is the focus, it gives fine child actor Bonita Granville a chance to really shine.

[jimimac71]

I never saw Victor/Victoria in a movie theater.
I worked in cable TV at the time, with gratis TMC.
Okay, The Movie Channel. TCM was born later.
I've seen V/V dozens of times and owned it on almost everything but video tape.
The laser and CED versions were pan and scan "full screen."
(They fit the TVs of the time.)
First saw it in original format on TCM.
HUGE bars top and bottom on an old TV.
I don't think of it as a movie as TCM showcased it last night (last day of Pride month).
It's a romantic-comedy-musical.
The story is all Blake Edwards style.
Love the cast!
Knew James Garner from The Rockford Files.
Knew Alex Karras from Webster, also on TV.
Julie Andrews was Mary Poppins.
John Rhys-Davies from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Didn't know Lesley Ann Warren at all.
Of course Robert Preston from The Music Man.
The DVD has an audio commentary from Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards.
The Blu-ray doesn't have additional extras and the music is too loud compared to the rest of the movie.
The story never hit me as about crossdressing or people being gay. It was just the story.
The idea that some, but not all, could consider being gay an issue (1934) was probably normal.
Even if you've seen it, get it on disc for the audio commentary.
Finally, the music is award winning by Henry Mancini!

[HoldenIsHere]

I saw The Children's Hour for the first time. I had seen the clips that are featured on the documentary The Celluloid Closet but had never seen the entire movie until yesterday.
Adapted from Lillian Hellman's play of the same name and directed by William Wyler, the movie tells the story of two female teachers (played by Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine) who run a private school for girls who lose their livelihood and their reputation when a spiteful student tells (or rather whispers to) her grandmother (played by Faye Bainter in her final movie role) about "unnatural" relations between the two teachers.

There will be spoilers.


I disagree with Shirley MacLaine's remark in The Celluloid Closet that they told the story "wrong" in the movie. Her character Martha actually does have romantic feelings for Audrey Hepburn's character Karen and the student's lie forces her to acknowledge them. Martha's feelings of shame (she says she feels dirty) are completely realistic for the time (and unfortunately even today for many people) and the fact that she commits suicide instead of fighting (as Shirley MacLaine states should have happened) does not seem like a false note to me. I found the compassion that Audrey Hepburn brings to her character especially moving. The scene where she breaks it off with her fiancé (played by James Garner) made me cry.
Karen Balkin is convincing as Mary, the spoiled brat who sets the tragedy in motion, but the child actor whose performance impressed me the most was Veronica Cartwright, who plays a student who is bullied by Mary into corroborating the lie about the teachers. She is one of my favorite actors. I love her work as a child and as an adult.

Have you seen the earlier film version These Three (1936)? Because I believe that one is better, though the remake has it's good points as well.

The earlier film could not mention the lesbianism due to the Production code at the time, it was included in the original play. But the point of the story was not what the lie was but that a lie can destroy lives.
I disagree about Karen Balkin, I thought she gave a terrible performance, I can understand why she did not get many more acting jobs after this.
However in the original, the character is played by Bonita Granville who is absolutely chilling in her performance, she is the reason I think this version is the best.

As you note in These Three what the lie is about is a MacGuffin while in The Children's Hour the lie takes on much more significance. This leads to more character development for the 3 main characters in TCH, but less focus on the lie itself. Since in TT the lie is the focus, it gives fine child actor Bonita Granville a chance to really shine.

Excellent point about the actual lie being only a plot trigger (a MacGuffin) in THESE THREE, but in THE CHILDREN'S HOUR it is central to the story.
THESE THREE is a plot-driven movie while THE CHILDREN'S HOUR is character-driven. That's why THE CHILDREN'S HOUR is a more satisfying movie to me.

Bagel also makes a great point about Audrey Hepburn's performance in THE CHILDREN'S HOUR. William Wyler really knew how to direct her in a way to tap honest behavioral responses (he had previously guided her Oscar-winning performance in ROMAN HOIDAY).

[Allhallowsday]

EATING RAOUL (1982) Which I was lucky enough to see was on TCM last night. I watched all of it, dreading KEN RUSSEL's LISZTOMANIA (1976) which is typically over-the-top and essentially plot-less. Ultimately boring, a slog I couldn't make to see PINK FLAMINGOS (1972)... at nearly 4am to 5:30. Nope.
I was half expecting and hoping I did see a glimpse of DIVINE from it in TCM's June promo and yeah, barely June Pride month buried in the wee-est hour. If they broadcast it before, I'm unaware. It is wretchedly offensive, loathesomely gotesque, practically pornographic...Bummed to miss it.

[Allhallowsday]

edit function ?

[LostHorizons]

EATING RAOUL (1982) Which I was lucky enough to see was on TCM last night. I watched all of it, dreading KEN RUSSEL's LISZTOMANIA (1976) which is typically over-the-top and essentially plot-less. Ultimately boring, a slog I couldn't make to see PINK FLAMINGOS (1972)... at nearly 4am to 5:30. Nope.
I was half expecting and hoping I did see a glimpse of DIVINE from it in TCM's June promo and yeah, barely June Pride month buried in the wee-est hour. If they broadcast it before, I'm unaware. It is wretchedly offensive, loathesomely gotesque, practically pornographic...Bummed to miss it.

Imagine the people who tuned in right in the middle of that guy puckering his anus hole while “Surfin birds” plays.