Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

Discussion of programming on TCM.
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Swithin
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

Post by Swithin »

kingrat wrote: May 22nd, 2023, 12:05 am Hey, Swithin, are you sure that "positively reeks of the 1960s" is a recommendation? Redolent of pot and patchouli? But thanks for the recommendation. I'd never seen the film but assumed it would be a stinker.
Not a stinker, an interesting and enjoyable film, and curiously relevant today, warranting "rediscovery." I used the term "reeks" perhaps incorrectly, to emphasize that the feel of the film is definitely '60s. The music is by Chad and Jeremy. The title song, "Paxton Quigley's Had the Course" was even used in Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2019.





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Intrepid37
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

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Christopher Jones was a big star for a couple of years - and then he was gone. Not dead - just quit.

He made 'Ryan's Daughter' and 'The Looking Glass War' in 1970 and then left it behind.

He did come out of retirement 26 years later to do a one-off for his friend from 'Wild in the Streets', Larry Bishop. That was for Bishop's 'Trigger Happy'.
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Swithin
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

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Chubasco is another Christoper Jones film of that era that's worth looking at again. His then wife Susan Strasberg was also in the film.

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And Wild in the Streets, which has been mentioned, is another.

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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

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I love the idea of this thread. The only issue is that there are plenty more than five films I could mention, so I fully intend to keep coming back to be part of this thread many times in the future. I will start with 10 films, one for each decade from the 1920s to the 2010s. (Forgive me if I sound kind of vague on some of these. I remember loving them but its been a little while since I saw them)

Exit Laughing (1926) [MGM] Beatrice Lillie was a much-acclaimed eccentric stage comedienne who only made occasional appearances in films, but this silent comedy-drama reveals that she had the ability to be a great silent clown, even though this was her only silent. Her unique presence helps the film, involving unrequited love and a theatrical troupe to glow incandesantly.

Million Dollar Legs (1932) [Paramount] This one doesn't really have a cohesive plot, but it bubbles along so merrily with belly laughs galore that it ultimately doesn't matter. Suffice it to say that it involves visitors in an eccentric kingdom, the leader of the nation (WC Fields), Olympic running, and a whole lot of characters named Angela. Its absurdist comidy near its zenith.


Hangover Square (1945) This proto-noir, set at the turn of the century, was stained by tragedy before it opened when its antihero Laird Cregar suddenly died. He gives the performance of his life here, and the same can be said for Linda Darnell in the saga of a schizophrenic composer who is ultimately pushed too far, with horrible consequences. The film is visually and aurally astonishing, with crisp photography and a memorable Bernard Herrmann score. It might not be one of the best known Fox noirs, but it is one of the very best.

I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) [20th Century Fox] Susan Hayward seems like one of the more neglected stars of the classic era these days, and this film with her as the wife of a minister (William Lundigan) in a small rustic community in the deep south at the turn of the century is one of her most likable films. Its charmingly intimate and it is very atmospheric.

Lilith (1964) [Columbia] This is one of those films that was done before the New Hollywood fully arrived, but with a cast led by Warren Beatty, Jean Seburg, and Henry Fonda, this feels like it halfway belongs there. Its a moody tale with Beatty playing a young doctor at a mental hospital who is lured into the web of the complex patient played by Seburg. As time passes, distinctions begin to blur, creating a fascinating and absorbing film. There is a fourth fine performance here coming from Kim Hunter as a senior doctor, and there are early glimpses of Gene Hackman and Jessica Walter. Done in beautiful black and white, Lillith was a knockout finale to the career of director Robert Rossen.

Breezy (1973) [Universal]. The May-December romance, early 70s style, wherein a jaded middle aged divorcee played by William Holden slowly gets pulled into a romance with bubbly and naive young hippie Kay Lenz. Unlike some other romances of the time, its clear that its the young woman who offers the idea or a relationship before Holden dies; that, plus a refreshing lack of focus on trappings that could have swamped other films, make this a clear-eyed, romantic study with two knockout performances that cannot be bettered. [Rated R: language, nudity]

High Tide (1987) [Hemdale/TriStar] OK, this is one that was never put on DVD, and currently exists only in grainy prints on Internet Archive and the "Russian site". But its worth the effort for a magnificent performance from Judy Davis as a self-destructive woman who yearns to reconnect with the 13-year-old daughter (Claudia Karavan) who she once felt ill-equipped to raise. The film plays like an 80s version of the womans film template that produced great entertainments in the 30s and 40s and 50s, but it feels very current as well. Its so little heralded, but its one of the greatest films of the 80s, and the ending is just ideal. [Rated PG-13: language]

Men Don't Leave (1990) [Geffen Company/Warner Bros] A satisfying blend of a tearjerker and a slice of life comedy, Men Don't Leave emerged in a brief spell of films with leading ladies as blue-color heroines, but this one stands out for how well-modulated it is. Jessica Lange plays a recent widow who moves with her two troubled sons (Chris O'Donnell and Charlie Korsmo) to Baltimore following her husband's death in an accident. She's soon saddled with a dragon-like boss (Kathy Bates) and, while off work, haltingly begins to date Arliss Howard, her 17 year old son gets involved with late-20ish Joan Cusack, and her younger son falls under the influence of a junior thief. But will her sons' troubles or delayed grief perhaos bring her down? Lange is luminous and the film rarely hits any wrong notes in navigating an emotional minefield. Beautiful musical score too helps to accentuate the sensitive writing and directing. [Rated PG-13: Language, more than usual for this rating]

Last Orders (2001) [Sony Pictures Classics] As the film opens, three men, longtime friends (Bob Hoskins, Tom Courtenay, David Hemmings) gather at a bar to pay tribute to a late friend (Michael Caine). What follows is a moving meditation on the choices of life, friendship, and the pain sometimes visited on families (in this case, Caine's wife and son, played by Helen Mirren and Ray Winstone). The story weaves through much of the 20th century, and it serves as a very on-point look at working class life and as a great showcase for many seasoned British screen veterans. [Rated R: language, brief nudity]

Never Let Me Go (2010) [Fox Searchlight] This film could be called a dystopian sci-fi saga on one level, and it would be true, but this film is deeper than that: it is a beautifully written tragic romance and a cry against the callousness of elements of modern medicine. The film is set in an alternative version of the 20th century where human lifetimes have been padded due to the creation of ill-fated clones of everyone, designed only to live as organ donors. The clones have no rights, and typically pass away before the age of 30. Against this backdrop is a love triangle among three of these short-lived souls, played by Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley. Pure of heart Mulligan serves as the narrator, and in her devoted and dutiful way, is reminiscent of the Anthony Hopkins character in The Remains of the Day, which just happens to be based on a book written by the author of this one; Garfield is a sensitive lead; and Knightley even manages to bring great sympathy to a less likable part. One feels achingly the hopes and dreams of these little souls, and the desire for a normal life that this society does not give them. While the three leads are all superb, there is also a chilling cameo role from Charlotte Rampling as an overseeer of this particular mission. This is one of the most poetic films of the last 15 years, but have some tissues at the ready. [Rated R: brief nudity, brief sex, brief violent imagry]
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

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kingrat wrote: August 31st, 2009, 11:34 am In the last three months I've discovered, thanks to TCM, quite a few films that are seriously undervalued: THE HILL, THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS, ALL FALL DOWN, MIDNIGHT. These films are either masterpieces or darn close. The first three have moments of moviemaking that took my breath away, and MIDNIGHT shows a remarkable control of tone. I SEE A DARK STRANGER (aka THE ADVENTURESS) is on a par with the general run of Hitchcock's 1930s films. THE RAINS CAME and JUAREZ would be memorable for their music alone, but completely exceed their reputations.

A couple of underrated films from the post-TCM era are BREACH (2007), with Chris Cooper unbelievably good as the real-life spy Robert Hanssen, a devout Catholic who sold secrets to the Soviet Union, and the almost unknown QUEENS LOGIC (1991), a film about a group of friends from Queens, recommended to anyone who likes Kevin Bacon, John Malkovich, or THE BIG CHILL.

I'd like to second the recommendation for ABOUT MRS. LESLIE. You can't imagine Shirley Booth and Robert Ryan as a romantic couple, yet it works. THE SUNDOWNERS and THE LIGHT THAT FAILED are fine films I'd love to see again. Great choices, lzcutter!

And five more underrated films, the first of which will be shown a couple of times on TCM in the next few months:

1. FOUL PLAY (1978) - This one has been shown on various other channels and has been enjoyed by many people, yet it has received little critical appreciation, probably because it stars Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. I'm not a huge fan of either, and I'm terrified of snakes, but I love this film the way French critics of the 1950s loved Jerry Lewis. The story has parallels to the underrated THE MAD MISS MANTON: Woman sees murder, the body vanishes, the cop doesn't believe her, woman and cop fall in love as they solve the mystery. Not many films can match FOUL PLAY for sheer comic invention: Marilyn Sokol as a paranoid feminist, the old ladies playing Scrabble, Dudley Moore's swinging bachelor pad, Dudley at a massage parlor, Goldie and the little man who claims to be a Bible salesman, the face-off between Rachel Roberts and Burgess Meredith, the visiting Japanese couple. To quote the Texan whose truck gets commandeered: "Far out!" Dudley Moore is sublime.

2. THEY CAME TO CORDURA (1959): A brooding, autumnal western set in the WWI era that's a meditation on the meaning of courage. Good roles for Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth. Another 1950s western that has aged extremely well.

3. MIRAGE (1965) - One of the best thrillers of the decade. Gregory Peck in one of his strongest roles, plus Diane Baker and three actors who were then little known: Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, and Jack Weston. Maybe the best use of the amnesia plot ever. Director Edward Dmytryk's use of quick cuts to represent flashes of memory has been copied by, basically, everybody. Smart, stylish, and satisfying.

4. NORTH DALLAS FORTY (1979) - Do you hate those inspirational sports movies where the underdogs always come through at the end? Then you'll love this film. NORTH DALLAS FORTY is about the business that is pro football; it ain't THE BAD NEWS BEARS. Nick Nolte is perfectly cast as the smart rebel who doesn't fall for the coaches' manipulations. Sports fans will recognize Tom Landry as the model for the coach and Don Meredith as the model for the party-hearty quarterback delightfully played by Mac Davis. Top-notch character actors, a script sharp and cynical enough to have been written by Billy Wilder--what's not to like?

5. EXPERIENCE PREFERRED...BUT NOT ESSENTIAL (1982) - Originally made for British TV but given theatrical release. College student Annie works for the summer in a seaside hotel with a group of quirky locals. An alarming sleepwalker, a howlingly bad Elvis imitator, and a not very handsome but adorably funny suitor provide some of the highlights. Underlying the fun is the sobering recognition that what is only an episode for Annie is the only life her co-workers will ever know.
Foul Play is one of my favorite films. I have seen it so much that I have memorized sections of the dialogue
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

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kingrat wrote: May 25th, 2023, 10:03 am If you ever get a chance to see Hangover Square on the big screen, don't miss it. This was shown a few years ago at the Palm Springs film noir festival, and was the audience ever buzzing about the big climactic scene.
This is the film which starred the ill-fated Laird Cregar - a very tragic death of that promising young actor. I enjoyed the film even though I thought it somewhat OTT. A good score from Bernard Herrmann!!

Another somewhat neglected film is Stanley Kramer's "Ship of Fools", from 1965. The film is memorable only because of the performances of Simone Signoret and the wonderful Oscar Werner. In many respects the film resembles one of those star-studded disaster epics and it has the execrable Jose Ferrer in a major role. I just couldn't stand that man on the screen with his cold, hard persona. Vivien Leigh appears briefly, revealing her age and world-weariness. Great score from Ernest Gold; a blend of Max Steiner, Miklos Rozsa and Herbert Stothart!!

Last edited by Belle on May 29th, 2023, 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Intrepid37
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

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Belle wrote: May 29th, 2023, 2:15 pm
Great pick. I love that movie.
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BagelOnAPlate
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

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CinemaInternational wrote: May 25th, 2023, 12:52 am

Lilith (1964) [Columbia] This is one of those films that was done before the New Hollywood fully arrived, but with a cast led by Warren Beatty, Jean Seburg, and Henry Fonda, this feels like it halfway belongs there. Its a moody tale with Beatty playing a young doctor at a mental hospital who is lured into the web of the complex patient played by Seburg. As time passes, distinctions begin to blur, creating a fascinating and absorbing film. There is a fourth fine performance here coming from Kim Hunter as a senior doctor, and there are early glimpses of Gene Hackman and Jessica Walter. Done in beautiful black and white, Lillith was a knockout finale to the career of director Robert Rossen.
I like Jean Seberg a lot, and I tried to watch Lilith once but I couldn't get into it. Maybe it was my mood at the time.

Thank you for putting this movie on my radar again. Based on your comments, I need to give it another try.
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Swithin
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

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[quote=Belle post_id=181846 time=1685387731 user_id=349540]
[quote=kingrat post_id=181624 time=1685027004 user_id=3316]

Another somewhat neglected film is Stanley Kramer's "Ship of Fools", from 1965. The film is memorable only because of the performances of Simone Signoret and the wonderful Oscar Werner. In many respects the film resembles one of those star-studded disaster epics and it has the execrable Jose Ferrer in a major role. I just couldn't stand that man on the screen with his cold, hard persona. Vivien Leigh appears briefly, revealing her age and world-weariness. Great score from Ernest Gold; a blend of Max Steiner, Miklos Rozsa and Herbert Stothart!!


From Swithin:

I love Ship of Fools, and the whole ensemble cast, and those opening credits are brilliant! Regarding Jose Ferrer, you were supposed not to stand him. He was a rabid Nazi! (I do like that song he sings, with Christiane Schmidtmer: "Auf der Reeperbahn.")
Last edited by Swithin on May 29th, 2023, 4:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Feinberg
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

Post by Feinberg »

I saw Milos Foreman's Ragtime on the big screen at the BFI not long ago. I enjoyed it much more this time around and seeing both Cagney and O'Brien is a real treat. And Howard Rollins was splendid as well.
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

Post by Belle »

Swithin wrote: May 29th, 2023, 3:12 pm
Belle wrote: May 29th, 2023, 2:15 pm
kingrat wrote: May 25th, 2023, 10:03 am
Another somewhat neglected film is Stanley Kramer's "Ship of Fools", from 1965. The film is memorable only because of the performances of Simone Signoret and the wonderful Oscar Werner. In many respects the film resembles one of those star-studded disaster epics and it has the execrable Jose Ferrer in a major role. I just couldn't stand that man on the screen with his cold, hard persona. Vivien Leigh appears briefly, revealing her age and world-weariness. Great score from Ernest Gold; a blend of Max Steiner, Miklos Rozsa and Herbert Stothart!!


From Swithin:

I love Ship of Fools, and the whole ensemble cast, and those opening credits are brilliant! Regarding Jose Ferrer, you were supposed not to stand him. He was a rabid Nazi! (I do like that song he sings, with Christiane Schmidtmer: "Auf der Reeperbahn.")
Jose Ferrer is always like this in his films; cold and hard. I even had trouble sympathizing when he played Toulouse-Lautrec.
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Re: Name Five Films Worthy of Rediscovery

Post by Belle »

I'm watching Oscar Werner in "Interlude", 1968. A somewhat soapy film about an orchestra conductor but Werner's glorious intonation and good looks means he is never dull!!
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