WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[MikeBSG]

Yesterday I watched "Soylent Green" (1973). It turned out to be better than I remembered it (but then the only other time I saw it was on network TV, so it probably had been cut.) It was interesting seeing Charlton Heston as a sticky fingered cop, but Edward G. Robinson was terrific as the old researcher. The movie itself was carefully plotted and well done. It seemed a bit like a precursor of "Blade Runner."

[klondike]

Well put, Mike!
Even Soylent Green's detractors (and there are still some), have to admit that it did present a fitting & dignified exeunt for Robinson's brilliant film career; I know I'll never forget the scene where Heston brings EGR the contraband beef he'd seized, which resulted in Robinson weeping passionately, first in elation over the value & rarity of such food, and then in bitter nostalgia for all that had vanished from the world.

[jdb1]

The scene of Robinson's assisted death was spare, and brilliant. It was another of the touching bits of the humane sprinkled throughout the hellish world of the film. I do like Soylent Green a lot more now than when I first saw it. Life in the US in the early 70s was fittingly reflected in SG: the feeling of loss of control, the violence, the fears about pollution and overpopulation. It was very much a film of its time, and while much is the same, much has also changed. I don't find it as difficult to watch as I first did. I was young then, and living in that very world; now I'm older and I've survived, and I'm not so afraid of life generally. I could say that in a way I've turned into EGR's character.

How do you feel about this, Klonny?

[JackFavell]

(I love your avatar)

[movieman1957]

Me too.

[jdb1]

Thanks, I love him too.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've watched a few films over the last couple of days

Two Men in Town or 2 Hommes Dans Le Ville a late Jean Gabin movie in which he stars with Alain Delon who also produced the movie and thankfully, gave the older man first named billing. The story concerns a convicted safe cracker who has been imprisoned for ten years, Gabin plays an educator someone who works within the prison system to help prisoner adjust to the outside world and also to make sure they are getting humane treatment. When Delon's characte gets out he intends to remain on the sraight and narrow despite his old gang contacting him, he gets a job and goes home to his wife. After a day out with Gabin and his family his wife is killed on their way back home. He starts again in the town were Gabin lives, his old friends also turn ap again along with the inspector who put him away played by Michel Bouquet, the inspector is obsessed with catching Delon in a criminal act but he is not involved in any crime but he and his girlfriend are hounded so much thaat delon cracks and kills the inspector. The film seems to be offering a social message about the state of French jails in the 1970s but also as Delon comes to trial and gets the death penalty it becomes a film against the barbarity of the death penalty, the ending is very powerful, following Delon from receiving his visitors to the death walk to the guillotine, we finally see him shoved on to the guillotine and bang the act is done and the credits roll. Sat here by myself the tears were trickling dow my cheeks, although Delon did wrong although pushed by the inspector he never stood a chance of having the death penalty lifted. Powerful stuff acted by two very good actors.

The Lost Moment 1947 with Susan Hayward and Robert Cummings is based loosely on The Aspern Papers. A young woman is brought up by her old aunt and takes on her life, living out her aunt's lost love rereading her love letters and wearing a gift of a ring. The lover was a very famous poet who dissappeared years before. Robert Cummings is an unscrupulous publisher who lies to gain admittance to the house and gain access to the letters, the neice is hostile to him whereas the aunt encourages him, the aunt is played by Agnes Moorhead but the makeup is so good you'd never be able to tell. A haunting tale.

[feaito]

Glad you liked The Lost Moment Alison, it's become one of my favorite Susan Hayward's films. It has such an eerie quality.

[TheBride]

Hello Everyone. This is the Bride! AKA Chris's (Movieman) wife! I watched Mon Oncle yesterday and I loved the music, and I don't mind the subtitles, and I thought the movie was well done. I really enjoyed it. A little to far fetched kind of like the Jetsons met Pa Kettle. Oh and I especially liked the picnic outdoors scene! What FUN. Hugs, Carolann

[mrsl]

.
Crazy Heart:

After seeing this, I'm even more eager to see True Grit to compare performances by Jeff Bridges. It took me some time to get really into the story. After seeing Jeff stumble out of his truck, buckle up his pants belt, and dump out his 'homemade portable ' toilet remains, the character kind of turned me off. It's the well known story of a man's eventual realization of what a snake he's been in his lifetime, but in his case, it's too late and he finds no acceptance or returned affection from the lady of his dreams. The most he gets is sober and cleaned up, and hopefully a continuation of staying on the right path. Maggie G. tries to help him but as usual he pulls a stupid act and she cannot forgive him. I was amazed to see the line up of the cast. Colin Farrell who has pretty much paid his dues and carried a few leading roles by now, is way down in the extras section as is Robert Duvall. They both had small bit parts, but they were vital to the plot and I would have expected at least a ' with special guest ' tagline. Jeff is very good in the part and eventually he did get me to turn my opinions around about his character, and I found myself hoping he would pull through. Maggie is beautiful as usual, and grabs your attention immediately.

Oddly, as so many of today's movies, as much as I did finally enjoy it, it doesn't give me that urge to see it again soon, as so many of the classics do. I can watch Stagecoach on Monday, and then again on Friday anytime.

[feaito]

Hi Carolann! Good to see you posting! I loved Mon Oncle and its avant garde house -for the time.

[JackFavell]

Carolann - you have great taste! Mon Oncle is "fantastique".

[JackFavell]

Alison, I don't know whether you are interested, but there is a radio version of the Lost Moment, acted by Sir Ralph Richardson (along with some other interesting radio plays with Laurence Olivier and one with Orson Welles) here:

[knitwit45]

Hi Carolann! Welcome to the party! We can be a bit rambunctious, but your Groom is usually the calming influence on all of us. I once called him the Peacemaker, and he truly is. You are a very lucky woman, and Chris is one lucky fella!

Nancy

[charliechaplinfan]

Welcome Carolann, it's nice to see you here.

Thanks for the link Wendy. I've been collecting radio plays recently.

This morning I watched Dodes'kan directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1970. I think this is the first colour film he made, I can't remember one before it although I know I'm going to be proved wrong now. It tells the story of the inhabitants of a dump, all living in shanty buildings and one father and small son living in a car. Despite the decay around them most of the residents have a sense of pride in their dwellings. The inhabitants include two couples, the husbands are drunk all the time so they swop spouses and homes, a young boy and his mother, the boy lives in his pretend world 'working' on the trolleys all day, they make the sound Dodeskan, he makes all the sounds and 'works' from morning until night. A well dressed man with a terrible tick that disables his whole body, yet he soldiers on, there is a mother of 5 who is pregnant with her 6th child, none of them fathered by her husband but he goodnaturedly brings them up. A niece who is worked to death by her uncle whilst her aunt is in hospital and is raped by him for her trouble. A half dead man who lives in his own world and the man and his boy who dream of their own house. It's not an uplifting film but it is a compelling one.