Big Things/Small Packages
Posted: October 13th, 2013, 2:46 pm
We all like GONE WITH THE WIND, STAR WARS, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. But what is it about the other side of the filmmaking coin that's so darned appealling? The quiet, contained story with no grandiosity to speak of. Strong characters, direct storytelling, confined setting. It's like being in the house with these people, riding in the stagecoach, surviving in the lifeboat. The very lack of spectacle simply adds to the experience.
When I make a list of "The Best" movies, these are not the films at the top. Yet sometimes I enjoy them more than the "real classics." Gene Barry in THE ATOMIC CITY. The oddly fascinating THE NEXT VOICE YOU HEAR. And of course, the Jack Arnold fantasy of the guy who gets really, really small, whose title I'm forbidden to ever mention again! We've talked about Ruth Gordon's THE ACTRESS, though that one does feature a big star. Likewise, THE HUSTLER. A name cast, but a delightfully small scale.
The noir world is bouncing with this stuff. DETOUR is the best example. With greater technology and a marketable look, that cult favorite would be long forgotten. THE NARROW MARGIN: look how much better it is than the mainstream remake. The first versions of MALTESE FALCON and GLASS KEY fit this description. Some, though certainly not all, argue they are at least as good as their more famous counterparts.
EDGE OF THE CITY. THE VOICE IN THE MIRROR. STREET SCENE. That adorable thing with David Janssen as a forest ranger abducted by teenage thugs! There's an endless supply of these little gifts. Don't worry that they're not "bigger than a bread basket." Once you unwrap the package, you might be glad!
When I make a list of "The Best" movies, these are not the films at the top. Yet sometimes I enjoy them more than the "real classics." Gene Barry in THE ATOMIC CITY. The oddly fascinating THE NEXT VOICE YOU HEAR. And of course, the Jack Arnold fantasy of the guy who gets really, really small, whose title I'm forbidden to ever mention again! We've talked about Ruth Gordon's THE ACTRESS, though that one does feature a big star. Likewise, THE HUSTLER. A name cast, but a delightfully small scale.
The noir world is bouncing with this stuff. DETOUR is the best example. With greater technology and a marketable look, that cult favorite would be long forgotten. THE NARROW MARGIN: look how much better it is than the mainstream remake. The first versions of MALTESE FALCON and GLASS KEY fit this description. Some, though certainly not all, argue they are at least as good as their more famous counterparts.
EDGE OF THE CITY. THE VOICE IN THE MIRROR. STREET SCENE. That adorable thing with David Janssen as a forest ranger abducted by teenage thugs! There's an endless supply of these little gifts. Don't worry that they're not "bigger than a bread basket." Once you unwrap the package, you might be glad!