I Just Watched...

[Masha]

Now You See Me (2013)


Four street performers pool their talents to stage a Las Vegas extravaganza during which they rob a bank in France.

I came to this movie because Michael Caine has wonderfully transitioned into being a character actor and nearly every performance greatly elevates the movie. It helps also that Morgan Freeman appears and I need to watch more of his movies.

A proper online dictionary of phrases and idioms would link to this movie as the definition of: "style over substance". The visuals are often stunning. Much of the CGI is invisible. It does suffer from the modern trend to save energy by using only forty-watt bulbs to light scenes but it is nearly appropriate because many of the settings would naturally be kept at low illumination.

Michael Caine's performance was spot-on. It is sad to say that it was little more than an extended cameo.

Morgan Freeman is perfection! He is truly one of the greatest actors of this era.

I am sorry to say that the four street performers are completely two-dimensional and I found it impossible to identify with or find sympathy for any of them.

It is obvious that the script was written with an: "what would be interesting to do next" attitude with no real thought to plot or storyline.

I find it a quite enjoyable little movie if you can simply turn off your mind and enjoy the ride.

5.8/11

[HoldenIsHere]

MAISIE (1939)
directed by Edwin L. Marin
screenplay by Mary C. McCall Jr.
(adapted from the novel DARK DAME by Wilson Collison)

The sweetie and I were looking for something light and fluffy last night so we chose the comedy MAISIE because it starred Ann Sothern (we both love her from her TV work) and because it was relatively short in length (about an hour and 15 minutes). This was a first time viewing for both of us. Going into it, we had no idea that in addition to Ann Sothern we would also see “Jim Anderson” (the father who knows best), “Abner Kravitz,” “Richard the Lion- Hearted” and “Jiminy Cricket”!

This success of this movie would spawn a movie series (ten moves in all) starring Ann Sothern as the title character Maisie Ravier. We are most familiar with Ann Sothern from her recurring role on THE LUCY SHOW as the “Countess,” the high school friend of Lucy Carmichael who had married European royalty. We love her in that role especially the way Mr. Mooney fawns over her, not realizing that the widowed Countess is “flat broke,” having been left with nothing but debts by the Count. We were not disappointed by Ann Sothern’s spirited comic performance in MAISIE. The title character is a showgirl (it’s implied that she’s a striptease performer) who gets stranded in a Wyoming town with only 15 cents when she discovers upon her arrival that the show that she was hired for has folded. Her first job is at a carnival shooting gallery run by a shady character played by George Tobias (Abner Kravitz from BEWITCHED). Among other injustices, Maisie never gets the sandwich that he promises her! After a series of adventures, Maisie ends up working on a ranch run by Robert Young’s character, whose past experience has soured him on romance. Robert Young’s ranch hand is played by Cliff Edwards (the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Walt Disney’s PINOCCHIO). The voice is so recognizable, I was expecting him to break into “When You Wish Upon a Star” at any moment! Things get complicated when the ranch owner (played by Ian Hunter --- who was King Richard the Lion-Hearted in THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD) and his adulterous wife (played by Ruth Hussey) arrive from New York for an extended vacation.

While the movie is billed as a comedy (and it certainly delivers on that front especially Ann Sothern’s performance), the story takes a number of unexpected dramatic turns. In addition to adultery, there’s a car accident, a suicide and a murder trial. The movie was extremely satisfying entertainment and definitely one I would watch again. My understanding is that the ending of MAISIE has no bearing on the later movies in the series (most of which were also written by Mary C. McCall Jr.)









Ann Sothern as the Countess on THE LUCY SHOW


Ann Sothern with Gale Gordon and Lucille Ball from "Lucy and the Countess Lose Weight," one of my favorite episodes of THE LUCY SHOW
Note the brooch on the Countess's sweatshirt

[dianedebuda]

MAISIE (1939) ... The movie was extremely satisfying entertainment and definitely one I would watch again. My understanding is that the ending of MAISIE has no bearing on the later movies in the series (most of which were also written by Mary C. McCall Jr.)

If you liked this one, you'll like the others - all light fluff. And yes, you can see them in any order since there's no tie-ins to each other.

[Cinemaspeak59]

Tár (2022) A tour de force from Cate Blanchett, playing Lydia Tár, a world renowned conductor whose tightly controlled life, perhaps even her grip on reality, begins to slip away. What exactly it all means has been the subject of some interesting online theories. Todd Field wrote and directed this fascinating chamber piece (pun somewhat intended).

[Swithin]

I just watched the final scenes of Auntie Mame (1958) today. I was channel surfing, and there it was on TCM. Of course I've seen it dozens of times, but it always seems fresh, moving, and funny. Today I saw the penultimate scene, when the Upsons come to call on Mame, and little Gloria tells about the tragedy of stepping on the ping pong ball. Then the final scene, Mame in her sari, enchanting her young grand-nephew.

I read the book when I was about 12, got a paperback copy from a second-hand bookshop on the Grand Concourse, before I ever saw the film. Also read Around the World with Auntie Mame, which would make a great film.

And let's not forget that the screenplay was written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, based on the play by Lawrence and Lee, based on the book by Patrick Dennis.

[CinemaInternational]

I finally found a modern, brand new release that I adored. The film is Three Thousand Years of Longing, and its one of the most beautiful fantasy films in years. The plot is mostly a series of vignettes as a middle aged woman (Tilda Swinton) finds a little bottle in a knicknack shop in Istanbul that contains a djinn (a male genie) played by Idris Elba that gives her three wishes of her heart's desire before he goes free. Unfortunately for him, it takes her a while to think of anything, and he obliges to while the time telling of his past history going back to biblical times, and a later period around the time of the fall of the ottoman empire (these sequences might make some wince due to one disturbing on camera death and some very unflattering nudity courtesy of the sultan's extremely obese nudist concubines).

The keys to this film are the beautiful, literate script which is one of the more elegant ones in recent times, heartfelt leading performances, ravishing visuals, and strong direction from George Miller. The film moved me to tears. I loved it.

[LawrenceA]

Three Thousand Years of Longing. I loved it.

I liked that one, too, although maybe not quite as much as you. The critical reception was muted-to-hostile. I guess it shouldn't surprise me, given the genre.

[speedracer5]

"Second Honeymoon" (1937)

I recently purchased a used copy of the Tyrone Power Matinee Idol box set. I discovered that Power and Loretta Young were paired up multiple times in the 1930s. I first watched one of their pairings, "Love is News," when screwball comedies were featured on the Criterion Channel. I enjoyed "Love is News" which is what propelled me to buy this Tyrone Power box set. I watched another of their pairings, "Second Honeymoon," which was released the same year as "Love is News," 1937. I don't think this film was as successful as their first pairing, but it had its moments.

The film has your typical, "couple gets divorced then soon realizes that they made a mistake," type storyline. What I found unusual was that the plot of "Second Honeymoon" has zero exposition or rising action before the conflict is introduced. The film's conflict is introduced within the first 5 minutes of the film. Power plays Raul, a wealthy playboy who seemingly was more interested in having fun and partying than he was in being a dependable husband to Vicky, played by Young. It is stated that Vicky is the one who initiated the divorce. At the beginning of the film, she has recently married Bob Benton (Lyle Talbot), a businessman who operates a belt factory. I missed what types of belts (automotive, clothing, etc.) he manufactured, but it doesn't really matter. He's a serious businessman--the exact opposite of Raul, that's all that matters. As an aside, the fact that Loretta would trade Tyrone Power in his prime in for Lyle Talbot is a little crazy, but that's what he have in "Second Honeymoon."

Raul and Vicky run into one another at the same resort in Miami while attending a dance in the resort's ballroom. They are instantly smooching on the balcony as if they were still madly in love. Soon, Vicky realizes what she's doing and they quickly start acting like awkward former lovers running into one another. However, for the rest of the film, Vicky struggles with her rekindled feelings for Raul and soon realizes how dull her husband is in comparison. Poor Lyle Talbot is set-up as the bore from the get-go, though he does come to life when a cigarette girl (whom Power picked up and brought to dinner) starts flirting with him.

As these types of films go, the conflict will eventually come to a head and Vicky will need to make a choice. Claire Trevor plays Marcia, a friend of Vicky's who is married to the much older and wealthy Herbie. Marcia and Herbie provide the comic relief of the film. It was fun seeing Trevor in a comedic role. I usually see her as a hard woman in film noir.

This film isn't the greatest movie that I'd seen, but it's average. I would watch it again. The film has an unusual plot structure which catches you off-guard at the beginning of the film. Perhaps if we'd seen the end of Raul and Vicky's marriage and then are introduced to their reunion, or maybe if we'd seen more of Vicky and Bob before she runs into Raul, it wouldn't be so jarring. If I hadn't known the plot of the film beforehand, I would have assumed that Vicky and Raul were together and hot and heavy.

[Lomm]

I have been getting my fiancée interested in classic films. We started with the Thin Man series, and she's enjoying them so far. On Saturday we watched Shadow of the Thin Man, which is probably the last truly good one in the series. We'll finish them up anyway, of course, because we both enjoy Myrna Loy and Bill Powell's chemistry and their characters. Then I plan to segue into a couple of other Powell/Loy films of the 30s (Libeled Lady, so she can see Harlow too, and Double Wedding), then move to It Happened One Night after that, and My Man Godfrey. I'm sticking with the ones that I think have the most lasting appeal for now, before going full force into any 30s farce movies. You know, the ones with everyone walking around in tuxedos throwing out snappy banter. I love them, but they aren't the place to start.

[Masha]

[...]
that, and My Man Godfrey. I'm sticking with the ones that I think have the most lasting appeal for now, before going full force into any 30s farce movies. You know, the ones with everyone walking around in tuxedos throwing out snappy banter. I love them, but they aren't the place to start.

It is all a matter of taste and you know your taste and that of your lady far better than I but I do hope that you plan at some point to watch: I Love You Again (1940). I personally rank it higher than many of the: Thin Man movies. It is farcical and a bit slapstick.

[laffite]

[...]
that, and My Man Godfrey. I'm sticking with the ones that I think have the most lasting appeal for now, before going full force into any 30s farce movies. You know, the ones with everyone walking around in tuxedos throwing out snappy banter. I love them, but they aren't the place to start.

It is all a matter of taste and you know your taste and that of your lady far better than I but I do hope that you plan at some point to watch: I Love You Again (1940). I personally rank it higher than many of the: Thin Man movies. It is farcical and a bit slapstick.

I love that one too. If I remember right and if I am correct, it falls short of screwball treatment which is a plus. I think it's possible to not remember much of it, but DO remember loving it.

[Lomm]

[...]
that, and My Man Godfrey. I'm sticking with the ones that I think have the most lasting appeal for now, before going full force into any 30s farce movies. You know, the ones with everyone walking around in tuxedos throwing out snappy banter. I love them, but they aren't the place to start.

It is all a matter of taste and you know your taste and that of your lady far better than I but I do hope that you plan at some point to watch: I Love You Again (1940). I personally rank it higher than many of the: Thin Man movies. It is farcical and a bit slapstick.

Absolutely! I have a DVD set of the Powell/Loy non-Thin Man films, and this is one of them. I told her about these movies and she was kind of iffy. "But I like them as Nick and Nora!" I said that she'd like them as anyone, because the actors are just that likable and always have such incredible chemistry. She's willing to give them a chance, now that we've watched several Thin Man movies. Her reaction was early on, after the second movie.

[speedracer5]

[...]
that, and My Man Godfrey. I'm sticking with the ones that I think have the most lasting appeal for now, before going full force into any 30s farce movies. You know, the ones with everyone walking around in tuxedos throwing out snappy banter. I love them, but they aren't the place to start.

It is all a matter of taste and you know your taste and that of your lady far better than I but I do hope that you plan at some point to watch: I Love You Again (1940). I personally rank it higher than many of the: Thin Man movies. It is farcical and a bit slapstick.

Absolutely! I have a DVD set of the Powell/Loy non-Thin Man films, and this is one of them. I told her about these movies and she was kind of iffy. "But I like them as Nick and Nora!" I said that she'd like them as anyone, because the actors are just that likable and always have such incredible chemistry. She's willing to give them a chance, now that we've watched several Thin Man movies. Her reaction was early on, after the second movie.

If the Powell/Loy set is the TCM Spotlight box set with the lavender colored cover, I have the same one. The films are all interesting, though I probably wouldn't show her "Evelyn Prentice" or "Manhattan Melodrama" just yet since they're dramas. I also love "Love Crazy," though Powell without his mustache is slightly terrifying. That man needed that mustache. He is very lackluster without it. "Double Wedding" is also fun, though sad knowing that Harlow passed during production, causing a very difficult time for Powell and Loy to complete it.

I actually really like the last Thin Man film, "Song of the Thin Man." I like it for Gloria Grahame and the jazz setting. My least favorite is the third one, "Another Thin Man," because I hate that so much of the plot focuses on their child. I am also not a huge fan of the fifth one, "The Thin Man Goes Home," because it's kind of dull with Nick just drinking apple juice. My favorite Thin Mans are in this order: 1, 2, 6, 4, 5, 3.

[speedracer5]

I have been getting my fiancée interested in classic films. We started with the Thin Man series, and she's enjoying them so far. On Saturday we watched Shadow of the Thin Man, which is probably the last truly good one in the series. We'll finish them up anyway, of course, because we both enjoy Myrna Loy and Bill Powell's chemistry and their characters. Then I plan to segue into a couple of other Powell/Loy films of the 30s (Libeled Lady, so she can see Harlow too, and Double Wedding), then move to It Happened One Night after that, and My Man Godfrey. I'm sticking with the ones that I think have the most lasting appeal for now, before going full force into any 30s farce movies. You know, the ones with everyone walking around in tuxedos throwing out snappy banter. I love them, but they aren't the place to start.

If she ends up enjoying It Happened One Night and especially My Man Godfrey, which definitely has a completely different energy than the other films you've mentioned, I'd recommend Hands Across the Table with Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray. Then if you want to go all out on Lombard, I'd watch Twentieth Century even though that movie is completely insane. I'd also recommend Easy Living (1937) and Midnight.

[TikiSoo]

I just watched the new Netflix movie "WE HAVE A GHOST". I had actually thought this was going to be a series, but it ended up being a 2 hour movie. Some of you know ghosts/angel fantasies are just about my favorite genres, so it was a must view.

The story was very good-kids discover a ghost in the attic of their new home, the Father & older son exploit the haunting, the younger son tries to help the ghost & the Mom is terrified, avoiding the ghost at all costs. the end.

Well this movie is full of the usual tropes found in any movie of this genre, but the special effects of the ghost and the guy who plays the ghost (David Harbour) are outstanding. The younger son is a typical withdrawn teenager in a new school and he quickly pairs up with the adorable but wacky girl next door. The mystery of the ghost's story is easy to figure out & wraps up nicely in 127 min.

Kids, teens are definitely the target audience here, since so much of the story is completely implausible-and I don't mean the "ghost" part but the real life part. For example, MrTiki & I LOL when the cop's car gets wrecked during a chase scene & he stands in the middle of the road shaking his fist as the kids get away. Sorry, there's no way police would simply give up without pursuing 2 teens on the run!
One aspect we LOL because it's so TRUE was how fast social media stories spread & how info is distorted & editorialized by idiots.

Overall it was fun & cute, all actors were excellent (although the adult women were EMACIATED & skeletal) the sets were great and the lighting, photography & editing top notch.

This was written & directed by Christopher Landon, Michael Landon's son. He seems to be interested in the paranormal genre and this one has the gentle feel of Touched By An Angel moreso than haunting/horror.