WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[feaito]

Hi April,

Luckily enough, in spite of TCM Latin's rather dull schedule, Cinecanalclassics has aired pretty rare stuff like "Love Letters", "Ivy", the 1949 "The Great Gatsby", "Josette", the 1935 "The Country Doctor", the 1930 Bogart-Tracy film "Up the River", Eleanor Powell's "Sensations" and more. I wish I had a DVD Recording machine to copy them directly from TV in pristine quality, instead of having to tape them on SLP mode (only certain films I've taped on SP mode). The only drawback is that they're subtitled, so most of my American friends with whom I've wanted to share this films have been turned off by the Spanish subtitles. I remember that last year there was a poster at TCM who had been dying to watch Alan Ladd in "The Great Gatsby" and I offered him to tape the film off Cinecanal and he said he could not bear to watch it with the fixed subtitles.

I have been used to subtitling and dubbing all my life, so it's not an issue to me.

For instance I bought a DVD with fixed Portuguese subtitles of an Almodóvar Spanish film (which is in my native tongue) and I'm alive

I also obtained PAL copies of "Broken Lullaby" and "Make Way for Tomorrow" with French subtitles (a language I barely understand) and I enyoyed them both thoroughly... After all, I prefer to watch a film rather than not watching it (least of all because it has subtitles).

[MissGoddess]

Subtitles don't bother me, either. I also vastly prefer them to having to listen to a "dubbed" movie version.

One of my close friends is a big fan of Amaldovar's films. She recently saw the movie adaptation, Love in the Time of Cholera---has it been released in Chile, yet? She said it is not as good as the book.

I recently ordered several dvds and have been enjoying catching up on them this weekend. Most of them I have seen before, however.

I also watched two more John Barrymore movies which I had seen a long time ago without much enthusiasm. It's wonderful when you can revisit a movie and come to appreciate it more than the first time. Twentieth Century, and even more so, Topaze, impressed and delighted me.

[feaito]

Subtitles don't bother me, either. I also vastly prefer them to having to listen to a "dubbed" movie version.

One of my close friends is a big fan of Amaldovar's films. She recently saw the movie adaptation, Love in the Time of Cholera---has it been released in Chile, yet? She said it is not as good as the book.

I recently ordered several dvds and have been enjoying catching up on them this weekend. Most of them I have seen before, however.

I also watched two more John Barrymore movies which I had seen a long time ago without much enthusiasm. It's wonderful when you can revisit a movie and come to appreciate it more than the first time. Twentieth Century, and even more so, Topaze, impressed and delighted me.

Hi April,

I think that the Almodóvar film you mention hasn't been released in Chile. I have heard it's good. One of my favorite films of his must be "High Heels"

I enjoyed "Twentieth Century" much more the second time I watched it. It's a special movie. Ideal to be revisited. I have "Topaze" and have been wanting to watch it for some time. I'll make a point of watching it before the year ends

[MissGoddess]

Hi Fernando,

Actually the director of Love in the Time of Cholera is Mike Newell. Maybe it would have been better if Amaldovar had directed it.

I think you will enjoy Topaze. It's very witty and sophisticated and even reminds me a little of Lubitsch. Barrymore really makes you forget he's the Great John B. in his idealistic little Professor. Myrna Loy has one of her best, early non-vamp roles.

[feaito]

Almodóvar has produced quite a few films, although they have not been as good as his own.

Thanks for the "Topaze" recommendation.

Talking about Lubitsch and revisitations, I've just revisited "The Merry Widow". Such a great film, in spite of the 13 cuts it underwent after the Code was enforced (some of which are very obvious to me). I have the official VHS and I would love this film to be restored (it needs it) and put on DVD. In fact, I have read that TCM's Library (which does not belong to TCM anymore) has a complete copy of the film, which includes all the cut/censored scenes: Does anyone know if TCM has ever aired it?

Chevalier and MacDonald are at her best here. Such witty, sophisticated dialogue. Lubitsch's masterful innuendos. Wonderful secondary characters. An infectious score. Lots of laughs. Top A Film.

[MissGoddess]

I wonder why Criterion didn't include The Merry Widow in their upcoming Lubitsch musicals set, since it's arguably his best. Maybe, just maybe, they are saving it for a special edition on its own.

[Bogie]

I watched half of a wretched, unoriginal, sadly derivative TV Movie called The Dirty Dozen: The Dangerous Mission. I can't believe that in 1987 TV producers thought it'd be great to dish up a sad and "action packed" update on the classic film. They even had Telly Savalas and Ernie Borgnine in it!

I guess both guys were desperate for cash....Just horrible, It's showing on Encore Action so if you ever come across it and you want to be left with a bad taste in your mouth then this is the movie for you.

[feaito]

I wonder why Criterion didn't include The Merry Widow in their upcoming Lubitsch musicals set, since it's arguably his best. Maybe, just maybe, they are saving it for a special edition on its own.

All the Lubitsch musicals included in the upcoming Criterion Collection were released by Paramount and now are owned by Universal. Many Paramount released films owned by Universal have been edited on DVD by Criterion, like "Trouble in Paradise", "Scarlet Empress", "The Lady Eve" and "Sullivan's Travels".

"The Merry Widow" is a MGM film which belonged to the Turner Library and now is owned by Time Warner I believe.

So that I think is the main reason it is not included. Warner prefers to release its own films while Universal lets Criterion release some of its films.

[feaito]

Today I watched a beautiful print of the 1959 Paramount film "The Five Pennies", released on DVD by that company, with gorgeous 5.1 surround sound. What a joy to listen to such gorgeous standards as "When the Saints go Marching In" with wonderful jazzy arrangements. Danny Kaye's performance is very amusing and it's good to see Barbara Bel Geddes in a starring role.

Later on the afternoon I watched the sensitive love story of Chico (Charles Farrell) and Diane (Janet Gaynor) as depicted in Borzage's very romantic "Seventh Heaven". Janet Gaynor delivers a beautiful, truly moving performance as the dreamy girl who falls for this "remarkable man" aptly played by Farrell. Once again I don't agree with Maltin, because I liked Farrell's performance and the ending too.

[inglis]

My Husband and I went to see The Bourne Ultimatum at the theater . I had seen the other 2 movies but at home and let me tell you ,we were pasted to our seats .This movie was nonstop action and fast moving throughout the whole movie. I was wobbley when I was getting up to leave ..Again Matt Damon makes this a movie worth watching. The camera work is incrediable . I don't know how they could shoot it like they did as sometimes my eyes could not track what was going on in some of the action scenes.. If you have not seen this one yet go see it .
Cheers Inglis

[jdb1]

I intended to take a look at Stranger on the Third Floor this morning on TCM. It began at 10 AM Eastern. However, at 9:30 I saw that Fox had a movie called Moontide, with Ida Lupino and Jean Gabin. Never having seen or heard of it, I started watching, and stayed with it until the end.

This is a very interesting movie, one of only two that Gabin made in Hollywood. He was excellent. He played a roustabout kind of dock worker, a sort of French Spencer Tracy. Lupino was a waitress who Gabin rescued from an attempted suicide.

The look of the film, and elements of the story, brought very much to mind Gabin's Quai des Brumes, which was broadcast during this year - was it on TCM - I can't remember. Moontide was purportedly based on an American novel. IMDb says that Fritz Lang was originally slated to direct Moontide, but was replaced by Archie Mayo. I think Lang would have done a better job, but as it is, this is a movie worth seeing at least once.

Gabin's English was heavily accented, but undestandable, and I think he brought a very nice depth to what could have been a throwaway, he-man kind of character. His character, by the way, was named "Bobo," which sounds a little silly to us, but which is a typical French nickname (Gigi, Fifi, Dodo; remember French President Georges Pompidou's nickname - PomPom?)

There was a lot of Gallic philosophizing on the nature of freedom and non-attachment, but Gabin made it sound credible. The plot was rather melodramatic, and much too pat at the end, but I enjoyed it very much and wouldn't mind seeing it again to pick up anything I missed the first time. A nice surprise.

Oh, yes, the other thing I wanted to mention: Mongo gave us a nice posting about Marty Feldman. I meant to mention there that I saw a "Biography" episode about Feldman. In it, they showed a photo of him as a very young man, before he was afflicted with Graves' Disease. He looked quite handsome, and very much like a young Jean Gabin.

[Bogie]

Brooklyn Girl I wish I was as wise as you as I watched Stranger on the Third Floor.....Let's just say you didn't miss too much.

[jdb1]

Brooklyn Girl I wish I was as wise as you as I watched Stranger on the Third Floor.....Let's just say you didn't miss too much.

Too bad about "Strangers." I did want to take a look, since I understood that Peter Lorre was in it. He made so many movies, and very few of them are aired these days. I always enjoy seeing his work, and also looking for his well-honed scene-stealing techniques.

[feaito]

I watched "S.O.B." (1981) and I was absolutely disappointed by it. What a waste of time and talent. Besides, I did not like at all the "'80s look".

I also watched a very well done, sensitive German film titled "Sommersturm" (2004).

In the morning I saw the rousing "Mogambo" (1953) and I enjoyed it immensely. Ava Gardner is simply superb as the alluring Eloise Kelly. What a woman! Ava Gardner in her prime was truly one of the most beautiful beings ever created. She is excellent as the warm, funny, world-weary showgirl who falls for Gable's character. She's even classy I'd say, although her role calls her to be somewhat vulgar. Well, Harlow was much more vulgar in the 1932 original "Red Dust", but then Harlow's character was openly a prostitute. Grace Kelly is good as the frigid wife who falls for Gable. And Gable is Gable (which is good). The location footage is very beautiful and it's very apparent when you switch to scenes that were filmed on MGM's back lot. I'd like to watch "Red Dust" now to compare (I watched it long ago).

I also saw on Friday the epic "Anna and the King of Siam" with Irene Dunne in one of her most unforgettable characters. Gale Sondergaard is very touching as the King's oldest wife. As I've said in another thread, it is the definitive version of the story.

And I have just finished watching "Sweet Land" (2005) about farming people of Scandinavian descent during the early 1920s in Minnesota. An honest quiet, simple film.