The Silver Screen Oasis

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Chio:
We must have seen different opinions about The Ides of March because the one I saw, put it down around 4 th place, but I must have read it incorrectly. As for Good Night, Good Luck word of mouth definitely helped that one because it's first week was really disappointing. I hope you're not reading me wrong about Clooney's movies, I think they're all pretty great, and he should have been at least nominated for acting and direction 2 or 3 times in the past few years. He aims for the mature viewer and offers a choice for people. Usually when I complain about various actors, directors, etc., it's because I regret that viewers don't comprehend the thoughts and ideas these people are trying to put forward. Clint Eastwood is another one who always deals with sensitive subjects and does it with little or no controversy. These are the movies I watch for and why I don't have knowledge of many younger actors of today.

Thanxx so much Jack. And thank you Charlie. I had a hankering to re-visit that movie based on your post about it. As for "THE BEST OF EVERYTHING" Feaito, I like your description of it as a 'super de-luxe women's film.' Ha! See our stories are big and splashy and glossy. Poor poor men...you just have the deep black dark world of film noir.

I watched The Thirteenth Letter on youtube, a link can be found on the Charles Boyer thread. Directed by Otto Preminger and starring Linda Darnell and Michael Rennie along with Boyer it is a remake of the French movie Le Corbeau, it isn't a patch on the original, the tension and pace just isn't there but there is a fine performance given by Boyer who steals all the acting honours in the movie. A chance to see Linda Darnell in a different role and an interesting cameo by Francoise Rosay. It's worth watching but if you can get the original I'd recommend that.

The I watched Moontide a film Jean Gabin made in America with Ida Lupino, Thomas Mitchell and Claude Rains, it wasn't a hit at the box office, which is a shame because it's a pretty good film, Gabin's character is a bit confused, his accent is legible and not as strong as Boyer or Chevalier. In his french movies he's reminded me of Spencer Tracy and even more so here, he didn't stay in America long going back to France and joining the Free French. Claude Rains is quite good here playing an unusual character but showing his range, Mitchell plays a baddie convincingly but I like him too much as a good guy. Ida Lupino is just right as Gabin's girl. In a way it's a pity that Gabin didn't have more success in America but the standard of his French movies is such that we really can't grumble, well apart from the fact they should all have subtitles.

There's a melodrama fan in me, screaming to get out. I love THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, presumably for the same reason women do. The better Douglas Sirk films grab me and won't let go. Even Preminger's fine ADVISE AND CONSENT has some of these qualities. Maybe it's more than soap. But, mostly, it's people, plots, and deep, dark secrets.

A good melodrama is a good story. We could make it more complicated. But that's basically what this is about. Now, about that affair you had ten years ago...

I watched Scorsese's documentary on George Harrison. I was most interested in the post Beatles time of his life. The second part dealt more with that part and some of it is quite interesting. By the time they get around to talking to his wife Olivia and his son Dhani then we get to find out some things.

They get around to talking about his stabbing by an intruder and how they dealt with that as a family. Dhani thinks that took years off of him. The time Olivia and George spent together near the end was interesting.

Lots of footage of George through the years and of which there is a good deal from "The Anthology" series. And I suspect some of those are outtakes. It covers some of the music. His first few albums and then some stuff on The Travelling Wilburys.

I don't know that is overly deep but there is ample time devoted to his faith. Not only discovering it but how it affected the way he spent his last years. Also how his Beatles' life took him through the rest of it.

Two very nice moments were George, about 1974, watching an old film of them doing "This Boy." He sings along a little and smiles a lot. At the end Ringo tells a story about his having to Boston to be with his daughter for an operation. George, virtually on his death bed, wants to know if Ringo wants him to go. Ringo tears up.

I had no idea that there was a Scorsese doc on George! Did you get this from Netflix (I have my fingers crossed).

CineMaven wrote:Thanxx so much Jack. And thank you Charlie. I had a hankering to re-visit that movie based on your post about it. As for "THE BEST OF EVERYTHING" Feaito, I like your description of it as a 'super de-luxe women's film.' Ha! See our stories are big and splashy and glossy. Poor poor men...you just have the deep black dark world of film noir.

Indeed Theresa! ...and I've realized that during the '50s the director of this film Jean Negulesco, was a master of the women's "world", having directed such films as "How to Marry a Millionaire", "Three Coins in the Fountain" & "A Woman's World"....

Gotcha, Feaito.

JackFavell wrote:I had no idea that there was a Scorsese doc on George! Did you get this from Netflix (I have my fingers crossed).

No. It just premiered on HBO last week. It is also On Demand. (I have Comcast.)

Dang!

movieman1957 wrote: I don't know that is overly deep but there is ample time devoted to his faith. Not only discovering it but how it affected the way he spent his last years. Also how his Beatles' life took him through the rest of it.

I would call it more of an "affectionate portrait" by Scorsese as he doesn't dwell much on Harrison's infidelities or his temper or his scheme to assassinate Ringo (....WAIT! That was the plot to HELP). Not that every doc has to be an expose. As a tribute it was quite sweet.

I never paid much attention to him growing up, not until he began financing Python films in the 1980's. I loved his line about why he invested so much of his own wealth to get LIFE OF BRIAN made....

"Because I wanted to see the movie myself..."

Oh, to be a rich philanthropist with great taste in comedy!

Affectionate portrait is a good description. One thing I saw in a clip from a British talk show with George and Ringo was that George sued Ringo for not using a recording that George produced or arranged. They just went on to the next thing. I had never heard that. (It looks to be in the early 80s but am not sure.)

It was fun relaying to my 20 year old daughter what I could add about their history (and his) and music that she didn't know. "All Things Must Pass" is currently making the rounds in her car.

Not to dredge up icky stuff about my favorite Beatle, but didn't George write a song that RIngo took credit for writing? I can't remember offhand.... photograph maybe?

JackFavell wrote:Not to dredge up icky stuff about my favorite Beatle, but didn't George write a song that RIngo took credit for writing? I can't remember offhand.... photograph maybe?

Photograph is credited to Starkey/Harrison.

The Harrison doc is already available on DVD/Blu-ray in the U.K. , but region locked. The U.S. release date has not been announced, but word is it won't be available until Spring 2012.