WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Thanks, CC for the recommendation. I have enjoyed immensely reading about your trip. I remember taking my little ones on car trips, and it was a challenge. Sounds like your 24hr restaurant would be my complete undoing...my best fantasy is "Death by Chocolate". I would expound, but this IS a G-Rated site
Good evening Nancy,
I felt a certain kinship with you and now I know why. I just noticed where it is that you are. I'm assuming that it's also where you were born and raised? People belittle small towns and the tendency is to move away from them rather than move to them. My dad was from a small town in South Dakota named Artesian (after the wells) that in its' heyday (before the depression and the dustbowl) might have boasted a population of 200 or so hardy souls. Yet he was the greatest man I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Denied a college education because of economic conditions and later the Second World War, he nonetheless was one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever come across and was instantly likable and the first to lend a hand whenever someone needed the help. In my humble opinion, Midwesterners are a special breed and the foundation that this country was, and remains, built upon. Never fret over a few extra pounds (wherever they deposit themselves) and just think of it as stocking up for the long winter ahead! Let me quote one Ms Joni Mitchell from her "Raised on Robbery." "I'm a pretty good cook, I'm sitting on my groceries, come up to my kitchen, I'll show you my best recipes." Besides, how many Miss or Mister Americas walk amongst us anyway?
As always,
Hollis
I felt a certain kinship with you and now I know why. I just noticed where it is that you are. I'm assuming that it's also where you were born and raised? People belittle small towns and the tendency is to move away from them rather than move to them. My dad was from a small town in South Dakota named Artesian (after the wells) that in its' heyday (before the depression and the dustbowl) might have boasted a population of 200 or so hardy souls. Yet he was the greatest man I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Denied a college education because of economic conditions and later the Second World War, he nonetheless was one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever come across and was instantly likable and the first to lend a hand whenever someone needed the help. In my humble opinion, Midwesterners are a special breed and the foundation that this country was, and remains, built upon. Never fret over a few extra pounds (wherever they deposit themselves) and just think of it as stocking up for the long winter ahead! Let me quote one Ms Joni Mitchell from her "Raised on Robbery." "I'm a pretty good cook, I'm sitting on my groceries, come up to my kitchen, I'll show you my best recipes." Besides, how many Miss or Mister Americas walk amongst us anyway?
As always,
Hollis
Thank you, sir for the "bouquet". Raised on Robbery is my favorite Joni Mitchell song. And believe me, I have enjoyed every single ounce of chocolate it took to get me where I am today. As Rhoda Morgenstern once told Mary Tyler Moore, while contemplating a piece of chocolate, "I don't know why I bother to put it in my mouth...I should just apply it directly to my hips!"
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charliechaplinfan
- Posts: 9040
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I saw two good movies lately.
"Who Wants to Kill Jessie?" is a Czech film from the mid-Sixties. A scientist invents a process that releases dreams into the real world. Her husband has been reading a "Barbarella" knock-off, and complications ensue.
This is a fun movie, that I know has been ripped off by Hollywood at some time. It is fast moving and doesn't wear out its welcome. The only "Communist" aspect to it is that the bad comic book characters, a superman and a cowboy, can be read as "American." One very funny touch is that the comic book dream characters don't speak, even in the real world, they just emit speech balloons.
Then I finally saw "This Boy's Life," which I had never seen before. I didn't think I would like it at first, but when Robert DeNiro showed up, the movie became unforgettable. I thought this was a very good movie about a kid who had a rotten experience but wasn't destroyed by it. Leonardo DiCaprio did a good job, but DeNiro's rages and jerk-like behavior had a sharp realism to them.
"Who Wants to Kill Jessie?" is a Czech film from the mid-Sixties. A scientist invents a process that releases dreams into the real world. Her husband has been reading a "Barbarella" knock-off, and complications ensue.
This is a fun movie, that I know has been ripped off by Hollywood at some time. It is fast moving and doesn't wear out its welcome. The only "Communist" aspect to it is that the bad comic book characters, a superman and a cowboy, can be read as "American." One very funny touch is that the comic book dream characters don't speak, even in the real world, they just emit speech balloons.
Then I finally saw "This Boy's Life," which I had never seen before. I didn't think I would like it at first, but when Robert DeNiro showed up, the movie became unforgettable. I thought this was a very good movie about a kid who had a rotten experience but wasn't destroyed by it. Leonardo DiCaprio did a good job, but DeNiro's rages and jerk-like behavior had a sharp realism to them.
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feaito
I watched some goodies this weekend:
The excellent, suspensful, thrilling "The Orphanage" produced by Guillermo Del Toro (who directed the masterful "Pan's Labyrinth" (2006)), which had me on the verge of falling off my bed! What an experience! I hadn't enjoyed a modern film as much since watching "The Others" (2001), I think. Great atmosphere, a fantastic screenplay, a great story; it touched me deeply.
The formulaic but rather entertaining Biblical film "David and Bathsheba" (1951), starring Gregory Peck and a sultry Susan Hayward, the weakest movie of the bunch I saw.
Strangely enough "Sun Valley Serenade" (1941) has been released on DVD first in the Latin American market (it's not available in the USA yet). I loved this film which displays the talents of Glenn Miller and his Orchestra at its peak, with such landmark songs as "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "In The Mood". Sonja Henie is very cute as the refugee adopted by John Payne and the make a fine couple, although Miss Lynn Bari, who plays Miss Henie's rival for Payne's affections, is ravishing as songstress Vivian Dawn. I'd chosen beautiful Miss Bari
, notwithstanding Miss Henie's homely charms. Miltone Berle plays deftly Payne's sidekick and Joan Davis adds for a few laughs. Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers have a specialty number. All star entertainment!!
The excellent, suspensful, thrilling "The Orphanage" produced by Guillermo Del Toro (who directed the masterful "Pan's Labyrinth" (2006)), which had me on the verge of falling off my bed! What an experience! I hadn't enjoyed a modern film as much since watching "The Others" (2001), I think. Great atmosphere, a fantastic screenplay, a great story; it touched me deeply.
The formulaic but rather entertaining Biblical film "David and Bathsheba" (1951), starring Gregory Peck and a sultry Susan Hayward, the weakest movie of the bunch I saw.
Strangely enough "Sun Valley Serenade" (1941) has been released on DVD first in the Latin American market (it's not available in the USA yet). I loved this film which displays the talents of Glenn Miller and his Orchestra at its peak, with such landmark songs as "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "In The Mood". Sonja Henie is very cute as the refugee adopted by John Payne and the make a fine couple, although Miss Lynn Bari, who plays Miss Henie's rival for Payne's affections, is ravishing as songstress Vivian Dawn. I'd chosen beautiful Miss Bari
, notwithstanding Miss Henie's homely charms. Miltone Berle plays deftly Payne's sidekick and Joan Davis adds for a few laughs. Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers have a specialty number. All star entertainment!!-
charliechaplinfan
- Posts: 9040
- Joined: January 15th, 2008, 9:49 am
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jdb1
Did anyone see So Young, So Bad (1950) on TCM last evening? I caught only the last half, but I really enjoyed it. It's one of those so bad it's good type movies.
The film was written by Jean Rouverol, who was a minor player in films (Stage Door; Annabel Takes a Trip), and co-written and directed by Bernard Vorhaus (many films in the 30s and 40s, including The Amazing Mr. X and an Ice Capades flick). Both were blacklisted; Vorhaus went to England.
The film stars Paul Henreid as a crusading psychiatrist trying his enlightened "experiment" at a girls' reformatory. He institutes humane treatment and occupational therapy and job training, and you never saw such a group of refined young ladies who are the result.
The established administration of the reformatory of course fights all these changes, and there is the requisite sadistic matron, who cruelly cuts off all of little ethnic Dolores' hair, causing little Dolores to snap and commit suicide. My, my, girls do get so emotional about their hair, don't they?
The characters are all unfortunately of the cardboard stereotype variety, like in a Boys' Town movie or Warner Bros. war story. The dialog is pretty poor, and the production values are just awful - dark, with oddly angled shots --you just know it was because of the confined spaces (it was shot on location at some sort of school or hospital). The sound dubbing is particularly bad and hollow sounding, especially when people are walking down the halls.
However --- the film also featurs some now relatively big names. They all looked so impossibly young to me. After I watched for a few minutes I began to say "Is that nympho Anne Francis? Is that lesbian Anne Jackson? Could that little ethnic, long-haired brunette be Rita Moreno?" Yes, yes and yes. There were also a few faces that looked very familiar, but whose names I didn't recognize - maybe they used other names way back then. In any event, this movie got better performances than it deserved, and was fun to watch.
The film was written by Jean Rouverol, who was a minor player in films (Stage Door; Annabel Takes a Trip), and co-written and directed by Bernard Vorhaus (many films in the 30s and 40s, including The Amazing Mr. X and an Ice Capades flick). Both were blacklisted; Vorhaus went to England.
The film stars Paul Henreid as a crusading psychiatrist trying his enlightened "experiment" at a girls' reformatory. He institutes humane treatment and occupational therapy and job training, and you never saw such a group of refined young ladies who are the result.
The established administration of the reformatory of course fights all these changes, and there is the requisite sadistic matron, who cruelly cuts off all of little ethnic Dolores' hair, causing little Dolores to snap and commit suicide. My, my, girls do get so emotional about their hair, don't they?
The characters are all unfortunately of the cardboard stereotype variety, like in a Boys' Town movie or Warner Bros. war story. The dialog is pretty poor, and the production values are just awful - dark, with oddly angled shots --you just know it was because of the confined spaces (it was shot on location at some sort of school or hospital). The sound dubbing is particularly bad and hollow sounding, especially when people are walking down the halls.
However --- the film also featurs some now relatively big names. They all looked so impossibly young to me. After I watched for a few minutes I began to say "Is that nympho Anne Francis? Is that lesbian Anne Jackson? Could that little ethnic, long-haired brunette be Rita Moreno?" Yes, yes and yes. There were also a few faces that looked very familiar, but whose names I didn't recognize - maybe they used other names way back then. In any event, this movie got better performances than it deserved, and was fun to watch.
I just watched "Liberty Heights" on DVD. This 1999 film is from writer-director Barry Levinson, and it is about a Jewish family in 1954 Baltimore.
At first, I enjoyed this movie a lot. the basic situation was sketched in very skillfully, and it looked like it was going to be a good "coming of age" story about the younger son, who was a high school student.
Then, after Halloween, the movie began skidding out of control. More and more time was devoted to the older brother, a college student with a crush on a blonde WASP girl, and to the dad's burlesque house/numbers running endeavors. The high school kid began getting lost, and the movie really seemed to lose focus. Worse, there was this black numbers runner who came off as a real goofball. I was going to give the movie 5 stars when it was at Halloween, but by the ending I decided to give it two stars.
What happened to Barry Levinson? He made some terrific films in the 80s, then became hit or miss in the 90s, and I realize now that he hasn't made a movie this decade that I've wanted to see.
At first, I enjoyed this movie a lot. the basic situation was sketched in very skillfully, and it looked like it was going to be a good "coming of age" story about the younger son, who was a high school student.
Then, after Halloween, the movie began skidding out of control. More and more time was devoted to the older brother, a college student with a crush on a blonde WASP girl, and to the dad's burlesque house/numbers running endeavors. The high school kid began getting lost, and the movie really seemed to lose focus. Worse, there was this black numbers runner who came off as a real goofball. I was going to give the movie 5 stars when it was at Halloween, but by the ending I decided to give it two stars.
What happened to Barry Levinson? He made some terrific films in the 80s, then became hit or miss in the 90s, and I realize now that he hasn't made a movie this decade that I've wanted to see.
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moira finnie
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Hi Mike,
You got alot farther into Liberty Heights than I did. I was also wondering whatever happened to Barry Levinson. After seeing parts of Diner and The Natural and Avalon recently, I was reminded of how good this guy's movies could be. Now, I don't know. I hope that he regroups, focuses on his writing again, and makes something worthwhile again.
You got alot farther into Liberty Heights than I did. I was also wondering whatever happened to Barry Levinson. After seeing parts of Diner and The Natural and Avalon recently, I was reminded of how good this guy's movies could be. Now, I don't know. I hope that he regroups, focuses on his writing again, and makes something worthwhile again.
I'm wondering if TV happened to Barry Levinson. He was the big wheel behind "Homicide" all those years. In a TV show, you can play out a character's storyline for weeks, and "Liberty Heights" felt like it could have become a TV series along the lines of "I'll Fly Away," or conversely, that it had started as a proposed TV series and ended up getting compacted into feature film length.
It's been a while so let me explain myself LOL
I got pulled into the Grand Theft Auto IV hype and the last couple days i've been playing my Xbox 360 like crazy! Anywho i'm taking a much needed break from that and returning to one of my favourite things:
MOVIES!
But first here's the lone movie i've seen since we've last spoke:
Showdown in Little Tokyo 1991
It's a Dolph Lundgren movie so you pretty much know what to expect, lots of fighting, poor acting and predictable story. His co-star in the movie was Brandon Lee. (Yes THAT Brandon Lee) Essentially it's a role reversal buddy cop movie. Lundgren plays a cop who was raised in Japan with all the karate/ninja tropes therein. Lee is an American boy guy with no sense of tradition at all so he's more or less an American.
I thought that was a neat twist and the story was a little better then normal as it centered around Lundgren and Lee protecting a woman who had been kidnapped by a Yakuza leader who just so happened killed Lundgren's father when he was a kid.
The movie is rather short and moves at a brisk pace. There's some good one liners and the implied violence of a woman getting beheaded was damn powerful to me.
So keeping in mind the type of genre and budget this movie was under I give it 3 stars out of 5. If I were to give a conventional rating it would be about 1 1/2 stars.
I got pulled into the Grand Theft Auto IV hype and the last couple days i've been playing my Xbox 360 like crazy! Anywho i'm taking a much needed break from that and returning to one of my favourite things:
MOVIES!
But first here's the lone movie i've seen since we've last spoke:
Showdown in Little Tokyo 1991
It's a Dolph Lundgren movie so you pretty much know what to expect, lots of fighting, poor acting and predictable story. His co-star in the movie was Brandon Lee. (Yes THAT Brandon Lee) Essentially it's a role reversal buddy cop movie. Lundgren plays a cop who was raised in Japan with all the karate/ninja tropes therein. Lee is an American boy guy with no sense of tradition at all so he's more or less an American.
I thought that was a neat twist and the story was a little better then normal as it centered around Lundgren and Lee protecting a woman who had been kidnapped by a Yakuza leader who just so happened killed Lundgren's father when he was a kid.
The movie is rather short and moves at a brisk pace. There's some good one liners and the implied violence of a woman getting beheaded was damn powerful to me.
So keeping in mind the type of genre and budget this movie was under I give it 3 stars out of 5. If I were to give a conventional rating it would be about 1 1/2 stars.
Hi Judith,
Yes, I did happen to see "So Young, So Bad." And you did a great job of dissecting it. You're right, it was "So Old, So Bad" but because of who it featured, it kind of drew you in. I'm thinking that maybe Paul Henreid needed the paycheck? A far cry from "Casablanca" to be sure! Good call.
As always,
Hollis
Yes, I did happen to see "So Young, So Bad." And you did a great job of dissecting it. You're right, it was "So Old, So Bad" but because of who it featured, it kind of drew you in. I'm thinking that maybe Paul Henreid needed the paycheck? A far cry from "Casablanca" to be sure! Good call.
As always,
Hollis
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feaito
I have just watched a charming, harmless little comedy titled "The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker" (1959) which benefits from the talents of Clifton Webb, the wonderful Dorothy McGuire and the incomparable Charles Coburn. Quite enjoyable. Future Tarzan Ron Ely and Jill StJohn are also in it. It tells the story of a man who has 2 families.
The only complaint: Why some channels insist on airing widescreen films on Pan&Scan format???
The only complaint: Why some channels insist on airing widescreen films on Pan&Scan format???