The Silver Screen Oasis

Wow thanks for that description of YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE, a movie I've heard about but never had the desire to see. Sounds like my gut was right again!

I have 3 inter-library loans of unusual movies waiting...and now snowed in! A big reason why so many in this region are classic movie lovers.

LawrenceA wrote: ↑January 21st, 2023, 5:04 pm I just watched Aftersun (2022), one of the most critically praised films of the year. A woman remembers a vacation she took when she was 11 with her father.

This is the kind of movie that makes want to stop watching movies.

Hey Lomm, a funny button is good to have too. Lots of funny posts by plenty sharp people.

Fedya wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2023, 7:03 pm You Light Up My Life (1977).

Everybody knows the title song was a massive hit for Debby Boone back in 1977, although her version isn't the one used in the movie. Kasey Cisyk, who has a bit part in the movie, dubs star Didi Conn. Conn plays the daughter of a comedian (Joe Silver) who keeps trying to push her into comedy although she'd rather try to be a serious actress and has much more talent as a singer/songwriter (or at least a lip-syncher/songwriter since Cisyk's voice doesn't sound anything like hers).

I've never seen YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE, but your point about the singer's voice not sounding like the speaking voice of the actor who's lip-synching reminds me why I can never embrace the Tina Turner biopic WHAT''S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT.
Even though Angela Bassett's acting is wonderful in the movie, hearing the real Tina Turner's voice coming from her is jarring and prevents me from fully buying into the performance.

Can anything top the double-dubbing in Singin' in the Rain? Betty Noyes dubs Debbie Reynolds, whose character Kathy Selden dubs Jean Hagen's Lina Lamont?

txfilmfan wrote: ↑January 23rd, 2023, 3:15 pm Can anything top the double-dubbing in Singin' in the Rain? Betty Noyes dubs Debbie Reynolds, whose character Kathy Selden dubs Jean Hagen's Lina Lamont?

Wow, I never knew that. Thanks for the info. This is from Betty Noyes' wiki:

Elizabeth Noyes Hand (October 11, 1912 – December 24, 1987) was a singer and actress best known for dubbing two of Debbie Reynolds' numbers in the 1952 film Singin' in the Rain. Today, this is a well-known example of dubbing in a film musical: While Reynolds's character was the "ghost singer" dubbing for another character, her singing voice was actually dubbed by Noyes.

Though there is a thread for movies of the 60's, TALL STORY '60 is what I just watched. Mostly interesting to see Anthony Perkins as anyone but Norman Bates and Jane Fonda starring in her film debut. This was directed by Josh Logan and very well I may add-the entire production is top notch. Perkins is lanky adorable and comes across as a typical but naive young adult. Fonda is just gorgeous due to both youth & flattering photography and we get to see her wearing more conservative 60's fashion as a college co-ed.

Where this movie fails horribly is the silly plot line (get ready) Fonda's charactor majors in Home Economics (sadly, not taught in HS anymore) and is only attending college to "find a husband" She sets her sights on Perkins, the star basketball player who is bribed to "throw" the big game. Of course, everything ties up neatly in the end and if you just roll with the silly plot line, it's a fairly enjoyable little romp, not unlike some of the silly Doris Day/Rock Hudson type of films of the era.

This movie featured several familiar talented supporting actors such as Elizabeth Patterson, Jaws Mayor Murray Hamilton as the coach & unrecognizable Tom Laughlin as a fellow student.
But the standout for me was Ray Walston, whom I never cared for on MY FAVORITE MARTIAN. It was great to see him in a "normal" role and as a first year prof with goatee & glasses, just stood out as the best supporting actor in the film. The characters wife was played by Anne Jackson (new to me) who along with Ralston was an Actor Studio member. She was beautiful and did the most she could with a small part.

Pretty suggestive "point" Fonda uses in the poster:

txfilmfan wrote: ↑January 23rd, 2023, 3:15 pm Can anything top the double-dubbing in Singin' in the Rain? Betty Noyes dubs Debbie Reynolds, whose character Kathy Selden dubs Jean Hagen's Lina Lamont?

I always am amused by the fact that Debbie Reynolds has three different singing voices in this movie. She has Betty Noyes' voice, Jean Hagen's voice, and her own.

I watched a couple of classic-era turkeys last night.

Wild Girl (1932, Fox) stars Joan Bennett as backwoods tomboy complete with perfectly styled platinum hair and penciled-in eyebrows. She's lusted after by a wide assortment of men, including Confederate veteran Charles Farrell, gambler Ralph Bellamy (replete in full Snidely Whiplash regalia), and sweaty Irving Pichel. Eugene Pallette is also on hand to provide blustery comic relief and self-deprecating fat jokes. Director Raoul Walsh frames the film as being viewed through an old photo album, and the opening is a doozy, with each actor shown as a "page" in the album with their name at the bottom, and they each deliver a line or two about their character along with their character's name. It's very awkward, yet memorable. Many scenes also segue via a "page turning" wipe/transition. There's also some nice location shots of the giant sequoias. Otherwise this is a bunch of overheated hooey.

Flight from Destiny (1941, Warners) features Thomas Mitchell as an aging college professor who learns that he has a terminal illness. He decides to look at his remaining days "logically" and so decides that the best final thing he can do for the world is to murder some one who offers nothing good in the world. He ends up finding a perfect target among those embroiled in his niece's marital turmoil. Geraldine Fitzgerald gets top billing as the niece, Jeffrey Lynn is her troubled spouse, and Mona Maris is a foreign femme fatale. The most noteworthy cast member is James Stephenson as Mitchell's physician best friend Larry. Stephenson would die of a heart ailment a few months after this film wrapped.

The story is dopey, the film drags even at 75 minutes, and while Mitchell and Stephenson are fine in their roles, no one is given much to work with. Willie Best and Libby Taylor appear briefly in stereotypical "help" roles. Not one of director Vincent Sherman's highpoints. I saw this on the Movies! channel, where it was presented as film noir.

Mona Maris! I'll watch anything with her in it!

I'd love to see Wild Girl. It sounds like fun! According to imdb, Joan has a skinny dipping sequence in this pre-code.

Hibi wrote: ↑January 26th, 2023, 2:48 pm I'd love to see Wild Girl. It sounds like fun! According to imdb, Joan has a skinny dipping sequence in this pre-code.

Yeah, she and bunch of very young kids go skinny dipping. The kids run away, but Joan is "caught" by Farrell. Racy stuff.

LOL!!!

Putney Swope(1969) Dir: Robert Downey Sr. - Cult social satire about a Madison Ave ad agency that ends up with the black title character (Arnold Johnson) as the new CEO. He fires almost all of the white people working there and hires black replacements, and they declare a new company mission to tell the truth, and not to advertise tobacco, alcohol or war toys.

I can imagine that this packed a bigger punch at the time of its release, but now it seems corny, cheap, and aggressively unfunny. I've seen a few of Downey's other underground films and didn't care for them, either. Maybe I'm not hip enough, man. (5/10)

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

A group of Victorian superheroes is assembled to combat an arms manufacturer intent on starting a world war.

The concept is sublime, the cast is superb and the execution is among the worst in the history of filmmaking.

I will refrain from listing its flaws and faults because it would be an extensive waste of bandwidth and it would require reliving every painful moment.

This movie is available for viewing for free with commercials but I strongly advise against it.

Masha wrote: ↑January 26th, 2023, 6:08 pm The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

A group of Victorian superheroes is assembled to combat an arms manufacturer intent on starting a world war.

The concept is sublime, the cast is superb and the execution is among the worst in the history of filmmaking.

I will refrain from listing its flaws and faults because it would be an extensive waste of bandwidth and it would require reliving every painful moment.

This movie is available for viewing for free with commercials but I strongly advise against it.

Yeah, I didn't hate it. Parts of it anyway.

If you genuinely think it's "among the worst in the history of filmmaking" you should count yourself lucky you haven't seen what I have.