I Just Watched...

[Lorna]

I REALLY DID A DEEP DIVE THIS WEEKEND (it was freezing cold) and I watched all ten episodes of LES PETITS MUETRES P'AGATHA CHRISTIE: THE 70'S on amazon prime. for anyone who missed my last review, the series is a VERY liberal adaptation of various aspects of CHRISTIE'S stories set in an unspecified FRENCH CITY in 1975- the heroes are a strong-willed female police captain, her hotheaded detective partner and a kooky 30 year old psychologist who lives with her millionaire parents and is still a virgin.

i did not expect to be utterly enchante' and yet i was.

it's not a perfect series, and yet- so many things worked, and a lot of aspects of the plot that would have bothered me had this been an AMERICAN SHOW worked because it's another culture and also set in another time, which frees it not only of the modern constraints of CELL PHONES and CSI, but also allows it to get a little politically incorrect

the sets, the colors and the costumes are WILD and the music is a lot of fun...this is also a mystery in the sense that GOSFORD PARK is a mystery- the mystery in every episode is more of a plot device to have fun for 90 minutes.

also, because it is EN FRANCAIS, I had to ACTUALLY WATCH the whole thing and read the subtitles to get it. i have gotten really bad about letting my eyes wander or playing on my phone during movies and programs, so this was a nice palette cleanser for refocusing.

i watched/read/followed this and got invested in the characters so much that I started having dreams "in French"- and by that I mean words and sounds that I recall in my mind as French- I do not speak the language AT ALL. it would be like a FRENCHMAN who speaks NO ENGLISH having a dream after watching 14 hours of an English speaking program where people say things like "um er, hamburger, okay okay, right then yes man, Dude."

i really cannot begin to tell you how much J'ADORE the lead actress who plays the gruff police commisar, EMILIE GARCOIS-KAHN.

[HoldenIsHere]

"Abbie!!!! We're hurting people!!!! We're ruining liiiiiives!!!!!!"


What's the KNOTS LANDING episode where a drunken Gary screams the above?

I'd have to remember the exact episode name, but it would have to be in season 4, because he didn't have the affair with Abby until late season 3, and he stopped drinking entirely by the start of season five.

Thanks, CI.

I found it!
It was in the Season 4 episode "A New Family."

It's included in the video below at around the 6:39 point as one of Darkest Moments of KNOTS LANDING.

[Allhallowsday]

GRAN TORINO (2008) Beautiful.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

The Elevator (1974) Youtube- 6/10

A claustrophobic thief (James Farentino) gets stuck in a high rise elevator with a briefcase full of stolen money.

Disaster movies were all the rage in 1970s cinema, so this is a TV movie version of a disaster flick. A bunch of other passengers are also stuck with the thief, there is some suspense as the elevator is damaged and in danger of plummeting. The real fun is in the cast. Myrna Loy and Teresa Wright are reunited here from The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946). Roddy McDowall and Carol Lynley are in this, they had appeared in the greatest disaster film of all The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Some TV stars from cancelled TV shows also appear here- Craig Stevens Peter Gunn, Arlene Golonka Mayberry RFD and Barry Livingston My Three Sons. Don Stroud played many nasty thugs during this time and he plays another one here, as Farentino's murderous partner in crime.

[Allhallowsday]

THE GREAT GATSBY (1974) Looks great. The leads are TERRIBLE and it's not just the director's fault. I don't think this was well-received 50 years ago. I've seen it and remain unimpressed, except how clueless the script is. Where's Fitzgerald?

[Lorna]

so it seems as if this PETIT MUETRES P'AGATHA CHRISTIE series is the FRENCH EQUIVALENT to MIDSOMMER MURDERS in that it has run with varying leads for a loooooooooooooooong time- (although, I guess both are like the EURO-EQUIVALENT of LAW AND ORDER when you get right down to it...damned if that show don't just keep chuggin, huh?)

anyway...



the first(?) iteration of the series is set in the mid 1930s and it features an amusing duo of detectives- one a SHAMELESS WOMANIZER (a womanizing FRENCHMAN??? I know, I'll let the shock subside) and his partner: a shy, reserved homosexual. they have a very funny relationship and one thing I have gathered from watching this and ten episodes of the show set in the 1970s is that FRANCE definitely has something of a MACHISMO issue akin to AMERICA, only with more of a sense of humor about it, better clothes, and fancier-sounding words.

i've been iffy on many of the episodes- but the first I watched, which was maybe the first of the series was the adaptation of THE MOVING FINGER, which especially intrigued me because the CHRISTIE SOURCE NOVEL came out in the same year (1943) as LE CORBEAU, and both of them are about a small village where life is upended by a series of anonymous poison-pen letters.

there were some deviations from the source (eliminating MISS MARPLE enitirely for a start), but plotwise the story does hew close to THE CHRISTIE NOVEL (although it does throw in a bonus killing and killer not featured in the book)

they also make a lot of references to LE COURBEAU- there is a raven that appears throughout the 90 minute film and I also HEARD the word "CORBEAU" in the dialogue NUMEROUS TIMES, but THE SUBTITLES made no mention of a character called "THE RAVEN"- I have noticed that the english translation in the subtitles can be pretty liberal.

this is a pretty dark and hard edged movie with a wicked sense of humor and an amusing first act- it absolutely hits the ground running, I am not sure if this was the first episode of the series or not, but their way of revealing characters is really amusing and clever)

[Lorna]

oh s***, I did something wrong.
I did not mean for that lettering to be so huge.
sorry.

[Lorna]

and believe it or not, i can't seem to fix it in editing.

[Masha]

Caveman (1981)

"One Zillion B.C."
"October 9th"
A nebbish caveman is kicked out of the tribe because of his attempts to zug-zug the leader's girlfriend.

I love this movie! It delivers one-thousand-and-thirty-seven percent of a person's Recommended Daily Allowance of innocent buffoonery. I believe that it holds the world record for the most lovable silly dinosaurs in any movie. It is pure mindless fun!

It ain't Quest for Fire (1981). Any person seeking an appropriate and authentic depiction of the discovery of fire, music and drugs had best look elsewhere.

Can you spot Richard Moll in a role not very different from being a bailiff on: Night Court (1984-1992)?

Jack Gilford is a gem!

Keep an eye out for: Evan Kim as: Nook.

"Pauline Kael of The New Yorker gave it a positive review, calling it 'a funky, buoyant farce.' " - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveman_(film)

8.2/10.7

This movie is available for viewing for free on: TubiTV.

[CinemaInternational]

Is it possible for an action film to go too far in the name of violence? That is a question that was on my mind today after seeing Die Hard 2 (1990). I recall liking the earlier film, and I have liked some other tough, gritty films before, but the story in this one seemed so muddled (it never became fully clear why the villains were staging so much deadly mayhem), and I was horrified by much of the violence that seemed far more graphic than anything in the first film. I groaned, winced, and adverted my eyes a lot during this one. This one left me very uncomfortable, although I still liked Bruce Willis in it, and I was genuinely shocked by the reveal of one of the villains.

[Lorna]

Is it possible for an action film to go too far in the name of violence? That is a question that was on my mind today after seeing Die Hard 2 (1990). I recall liking the earlier film, and I have liked some other tough, gritty films before, but the story in this one seemed so muddled (it never became fully clear why the villains were staging so much deadly mayhem), and I was horrified by much of the violence that seemed far more graphic than anything in the first film. I groaned, winced, and adverted my eyes a lot during this one. This one left me very uncomfortable, although I still liked Bruce Willis in it, and I was genuinely shocked by the reveal of one of the villains.

reading this brings back a ton of memories.

when DIE HARD 2 came out I was 12 years old and you and I are similar creatures in many respects- including the fact that we are both cursed with this useless empathy that ultimately does us no good.

i know the scene to which you refer, and now that I am 46 and deeply Cynical, I look back on the shot of the KINDLY GRANDMA talking with the stewardess right before THE PLANE IS ANNIHILATED and can't help but crack a slightly evil smile over hoW shamelessly manipulative it all is. and then I can't help but hear THE VOICE OF ALFRED HITCHOCK saying "it's only a mooo-vie."

I also loved DIE HARD and I saw it when it came out in 1988 so I was ten...this is a controversial take here, but i honestly think they should have never made a sequel to it, or if they had, they should have done it with a different character. it's just such a perfect story and resolution, I don't see the need to replicate or continue it (besides, of course: MONEY)

plus I am disappointed that JOHN McLAINE and BONNIE BEDELIA couldn't work things out.

stop reading here if you're not comfortable with READING THE ILLICIT CONFESSIONS OF LORNA HANSON FORBES.

{spoiler]

DIE HARD 2 was the root of a TURBULENT CONFLICT WITHIN ME at age 12 because, while I (like you) was really unnerved by the mass casualty scene, I was SO UNBELIEVABLY TURNED ON BY THE SCENE WHERE THE VILLAIN IS INTRODUCED AND HE IS DOING NAKED JIU-JITSU. HOLY S***, LIKE FUILL BODY, HEAD-TO-TOE, 12 YEAR OLD GAY AWAKENING.

heaving...HEAVING bReAThs

i TAPED THAT SCENE.

God, I loved growing up in the 90's...

[Allhallowsday]

Last night, up to the CHRISTOPHER WALKEN watch up... uncomfortable hunk of metal... cheese and crackers...! Of course, I've seen it multiple times...A dreadful delight.

[Masha]

My quest for a movie very non-mainstream led me to:

Blood Tea and Red String (2006)


IMDB.com states that it is: "Stop-motion fairy tale for adults." https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0827498/?r ... d%2520tea

This is a blend of character types and settings from a wide span of mythology, legends and fables.

It is impossible for me to give a clear and precise description of any of it because words can not easily explain it. An example of this might be a scene near the middle of the movie: I feel the level of hedonism was excessive even for debauched and depraved aristocratic mice when they tied the doll's hands to theirs and danced with her.

"Every now and then, a film comes along that is so original and made with such clear passion that it almost takes you a moment to catch your breath. Christiane Cegavske's Blood Tea and Red String is precisely such a film." - Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Fangoria

The most that I can say is that I found it fascinating. It is clearly unique.

9.2/11.7

This movie is available for viewing for free with commercials on: TubiTV.

[Lorna]

I watched MURDER ON A HONEYMOON (1935), which featured EDNA MAE OLIVER in her final appearance as HILDEGARDE WITHERS- a NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL MARM who solves murders in her spare time with the help of a police detective played with visible reluctance by JAMES GLEASON. it's the third in a charming and offbeat series that all feature a surprisingly dark undercurrent, labyrinthian mysteries and some genuine twists and surprises along the way- if you guess the solution to this particular mystery, you've got some real skills.

this is a fun movie, but it's obviously done ON THE CHEAP BIG TIME, it is set somewhat inexplicably on CATALINA ISLAND, but outside of some obvious projection work in a plane scene, the locations in this one are entirely confined to SOUNDSTAGE INTERIORS that evoke memories of THE MARX BROTHERS'S STATE ROOM in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.

the series continued after this movie without EDNA MAE, (HELEN BRODERICK, who is no EDNA MAE OLIVER took over the part and i can't make it through any of her entries in the series.)

both GLEASON and EDNA MAE OLIVER were nominated for OSCARS (for other movies) within six years of this movie's release; I kinda wonder if they didn't get along or if GLEASON refused to play LOVE INTEREST to MISS WITHERS- one very curious thing about the series is that THE FIRST MOVIE ends with his character [astonishingly] proposing marriage to EDNA MAE's and her [agreeing to it [which is equally astonishing]- this is never mentioned in the two subsequent films- the titular honeymoon is not theirs.

I think EDNA MAE OLIVER died sometime around 1941.

also, YIKES, EDNA MAE clearly had NO FRIENDS in the ART AND PUBLICITY DEPT. over at RKO....

OH GOD, RUN EVERYONE! IT'S EVIL MARY WORTH!

[ElCid]

I watched MURDER ON A HONEYMOON (1935), which featured EDNA MAE OLIVER in her final appearance as HILDEGARDE WITHERS- a NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL MARM who solves murders in her spare time with the help of a police detective played with visible reluctance by JAMES GLEASON. it's the third in a charming and offbeat series that all feature a surprisingly dark undercurrent, labyrinthian mysteries and some genuine twists and surprises along the way- if you guess the solution to this particular mystery, you've got some real skills.

this is a fun movie, but it's obviously done ON THE CHEAP BIG TIME, it is set somewhat inexplicably on CATALINA ISLAND, but outside of some obvious projection work in a plane scene, the locations in this one are entirely confined to SOUNDSTAGE INTERIORS that evoke memories of THE MARX BROTHERS'S STATE ROOM in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.

the series continued after this movie without EDNA MAE, (HELEN BRODERICK, who is no EDNA MAE OLIVER took over the part and i can't make it through any of her entries in the series.)

both GLEASON and EDNA MAE OLIVER were nominated for OSCARS (for other movies) within six years of this movie's release; I kinda wonder if they didn't get along or if GLEASON refused to play LOVE INTEREST to MISS WITHERS- one very curious thing about the series is that THE FIRST MOVIE ends with his character [astonishingly] proposing marriage to EDNA MAE's and her [agreeing to it [which is equally astonishing]- this is never mentioned in the two subsequent films- the titular honeymoon is not theirs.

I think EDNA MAE OLIVER died sometime around 1941.

also, YIKES, EDNA MAE clearly had NO FRIENDS in the ART AND PUBLICITY DEPT. over at RKO....

OH GOD, RUN EVERYONE! IT'S EVIL MARY WORTH!

We have the DVD set of the Hildegarde Withers movies. Oliver definitely better than the ones who followed. Actually, Murder on A Honeymoon is a favorite of ours - watch it often. Withers was on vacation and decided to go to Catalina Island is the premise for her being there. We like the exterior shots and the interiors blend into the story quite well, no matter where filmed.