WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[RedRiver]

I love the Playhouse 90 production. I'm told it's considered one of the best live TV plays of the era.

[Lucky Vassall]

That sounds GREAT, Lucky. I've never seen the second Dortmunder movie or read Westlake's books. Thanks for the tip!

Just watched "Hot Rock" on PBS. They really did a great job, so great that it's a shame the same cast couldn't be assembled for all of the films. The others vary widely in quality. I think "The Bank Shot" is the best. It follows the original novel much more closely than they could in "Hot Rock."

Do read "The Hot Rock" novel. there's so much they simply didn't have time to fit into the film. If you think going from a simple heist through renting a helicopter was crazy fun, wait until you find out what they had to rent for the final heist.

[JackFavell]

OK, now you've got me. Have to go see if I can find the book.

[Lomm]

If I am not mistaken what you mention sounds more like Grant's and Bergman's 1958 comedy "Indiscreet" than "Notorious" Lomm.

feaito,

It is Indiscreet - because Bergman's character thought that Grant's character to be married - but in reality Grant's character was single and that's when Bergman's character plotted revenge against Grant's character in this delightful British Comedy that was directed by Stanley Donen. I hope that I got this right.

You are both absolutely right of course. I confuse those two movies in my head all the time! Whoops.

[MikeBSG]

Wow, I think this is the first time in my life I've encountered other people who like the Dortmunder novels.

"Jimmy the Kid," the third novel in the series, has a lot of fun with crime movies.

[MikeBSG]

On Saturday, I watched "In Which We Serve" (1942) directed by Noel Coward and David Lean.

It took me a while to get into the movie, and I never did warm up to Coward's character, but ultimately I'd say "In Which We Serve" deserves its reputation. I really liked John Mills, and the scenes of family life in all the classes were pretty interesting and well done.

I suppose I prefer "The Cruel Sea" as a movie, perhaps because I liked Jack Hawkins as the captain in that film.

[CineMaven]

I made a video tribute for a friend of some of her favorite bad boys:

[Lucky Vassall]

Wow, I think this is the first time in my life I've encountered other people who like the Dortmunder novels.

"Jimmy the Kid," the third novel in the series, has a lot of fun with crime movies.

You said it. A great table-turning ending, too. I guess that one owes a debt to "The Ransom of Red Chief."

Unfortunately, the one in the series with the very best title, "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" is less than the best, even though it has Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito. A good example of a great book turned into a so-so film, unsalvagable even by great actors, by a poor script.

[JackFavell]

Whoa, mama! Who wouldn't like those bad boys!!!!! and the bad girls as well since you know that underneath it all, we can be as bad as the men. So steamy. I heart this!

I loved the way you paralleled scenes - like Mitchum and Greer walking away from the camera, or the two couch scenes, or older and younger Bogie melding together. Oh, and Ricardo Cortez biting Loretta's fingers, and then the edit to John Hodiak holding up the Adam and Eve grape for Frances Gifford! OMG! I especially liked the two letters! BRILLIANT!

I'm so glad you included those scenes with Victor Mature, one of my favorite bad boys from my favorite scene in MDC. Wonderful, how he is cast in shadow.

I felt like the story you were telling was actually about the shadows that hide our darker sides. You really played into those scenes with half light, lines across a face or body, or where the lighting really got to the heart of what was going on.

I hope everyone will click on your Bad and Sexy photo and watch the video! C'est tres naughty.

[Rita Hayworth]

Wendy,

I just was stunned by CineMaven's great job of putting it together so flawlessly and was greatly entertained by all this. I just wanted to thank you for bringing it to my attention today. I did not think that CineMaven posted a video there - I was thinking something else ...

Nice job CineMaven!

[Lzcutter]

We saw Saving Mr. Banks last Friday evening.

Given my three year stint at the WDFM in San Francisco and that I compiled a CD of Walt's speeches from the late 1950s and early 1960s as well as a DVD of some of Walt's intros from the Wonderful World of Color for Tom Hanks as he prepped for the part, I know the inside story of how Walt and PL Travers came to an agreement over the film rights to Mary Poppins. (And Roy Disney, Walt's brother and partner, deserves the lion's share of credit for that instead of Walt).

Knowing that, it did not distract from my enjoyment of the film.

While I enjoyed the film (especially the performances and the art direction), when it was over, I turned to MrC and said, "It should have had the title card from American Hustle at the beginning: "Some of this actually happened."

I loved Emma Thompson in the lead role of Mrs. P.L. Travers very much and am surprised that she didn't get an Oscar nod this year (though it looks like her nod went to her good friend Meryl Streep for August: Osage County. From the beginning, Thompson captured the prickly nature of Travers.

Absolutely loved the art direction, especially the recreations of the Beverly Hills Hotel (loved the bar!) and was glad to see that Disney filmed most of the exterior studio scenes on the lot. There is something to be said for the studios renovating those old buildings instead of tearing them down, comes in handy when they do films like this.

Loved Paul Giamatti as Ralph, the limo driver and the friendship that he develops with Thompson. Though created out of whole cloth by the screenwriters as far as I know, it worked perfectly for the film.

Bradley Whitford as screenwriter Don DaGradia and Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak as brothers and songwriters, Richard and Robert Sherman were quite good too. Kathy Baker captured Walt's secretary, Tommy, quite well. The singing scenes, especially as the film progresses, are quite fun.

Tom Hanks as Walt didn't disappoint but didn't take my breath away either. Which was probably just as well because this story is more about P.L. Travers than about Walt.

Though the big scene between Thompson and Hanks near the end, while more screenwriter imagination than actual fact, becomes quite moving thanks to Hanks and Thompson.

Loved the recreation of the Mary Poppins premiere at Graumans, too!

The Australian flashbacks to Travers' childhood were effective but by the last one, I was ready for that part of the story to be done.

I enjoyed Thomas Newman's score though, while I do enjoy his film music (Road to Perdition is probably my favorite), he has a tell his composing that I have been aware of since his score for Angels in America and that tell seems more prominent in his scores than other composers for some reason.

Was really glad to see that the film included a dedication to Diane Disney Miller, Walt's daughter, who passed away just before the film opened. She invited Tom Hanks to visit the Museum last year and gave him a personal tour of all the galleries, sharing with him stories about her father.

Am very happy that Mary Poppins is going to be screened at this year's TCM Film Festival because now I want to see that film again!

[MikeBSG]

Regarding the movie version of "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" I heard that the Teamsters who worked on the movie had a T-shirt made for themselves.

The front of the T-Shirt said "What's the Worst That Could Happen?"

The back of the T-shirt said "A sequel."

[Vienna]

Great review of a film I love, Twelve O'Clock High . Terrific cast. I actually saw it for the first time when it was used at a training exercise at work - on management styles!

[JackFavell]

Vienna, your bosses were great to use this film for training! I could only hope to work for a company that would show classic films!

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