Track the Films You Watch (2009) (1 Viewer)

[SteveGon]

I'll be here.

 

[schmidtt]

Films Seen By Date
Out of [/b][/b][/b]


Film Lists:
2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, Top 20

 

[John Bryant]

2009 Movie List
First Time Viewings in Bold
Rated From BOMB to 1/4

Viewing Method
HD DVD: 1
Blu-ray: 16
DVD: 4
Theater: 16
HDTV: 3

Decade Count
Pre 1920s:
1920s:
1930s:
1940s:
1950s: 1
1960s:
1970s:
1980s:
1990s: 2
2000s: 37
Edited by John Bryant - 7/18/2009 at 05:05 am GMT
Edited by John Bryant - 7/18/2009 at 05:10 am GMT

 

[Jeff Reis]

(from Friday the 13th bluray, netflix rental)

Edited by Jeff Reis - 7/3/2009 at 09:06 pm GMT

 

[Ted Todorov]

Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains (1981) {Amazing cast(ing) a few wow moments, but you can see why it had to escape instead of being released -- closest analog -- Times Square -- a much better movie}

 

[Simon Massey]

Reserved

2007
Total films watched 91
New films watched 46 Rewatched films 45
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...-2007-a-2.html

2008
Total films watched 143
New films watched 70 Rewatched films 73
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...-2008-a-2.html

2009
Total films watched 107
New films watched 60 Rewatched films 47

New Films:
09/01 Juno

Favourite Films of 2009 so far

1. Moon
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Up
4. Star Trek
5. Slumdog Millionaire
6. Public Enemies
7. Frost/Nixon
8. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
9. Terminator Salvation
10. The Reader



Edited by Simon Massey - 7/3/2009 at 03:40 am GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 7/13/2009 at 03:17 am GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 7/21/2009 at 07:56 pm GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 7/24/2009 at 10:22 pm GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 7/26/2009 at 02:43 am GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 7/28/2009 at 09:23 am GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 7/28/2009 at 01:38 pm GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 8/1/2009 at 10:11 pm GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 8/4/2009 at 09:15 am GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 8/5/2009 at 06:45 pm GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 8/6/2009 at 01:28 am GMT
Edited by Simon Massey - 8/9/2009 at 04:40 pm GMT

 

[Chris Atkins]

2009 films:

Watchmen: 9.5/10 (3/12/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine: 8.5/10 (5/1/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
Star Trek: 9.5/10 (5/7/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
Angels and Demons: 7/10 (5/15/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
Up: 9.5/10 (6/6/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
Terminator Salvation: 8/10 (6/12/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
The Proposal: 7/10 (6/19/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
Public Enemies: 9.5/10 (7/2/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: 8/10 (8/6/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
District 9: 9/10 (8/19/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)

2008 films:

Valkyrie: 9.5/10 (1/1/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 9.5/10 (1/10/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
The X-Files-I Want to Believe: 7.5/10 (1/17/2009 Blu-ray)
Fireproof: 8.5/10 (2/6/2009 DVD)
Gran Torino: 10/10 (2/7/2009 Hamilton 16 IMAX)
Wanted: 8/10 (2/20/2009 Blu-ray)
Iron Man: 9/10 (2/21/2009 Blu-ray)
W.: 9/10 (2/27/2009 Blu-ray)
Quantum of Solace: 8.5/10 (3/27/2009 Blu-ray)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: 8/10 (4/19/2009 Blu-ray)
Valkyrie: 9.5/10 (6/5/2009 Blu-ray)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 10+/10 (6/7/2009 Blu-ray)
The Wrestler: 9/10 (8/8/2009 Blu-ray)

2007 films:

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters: 9.5/10 (1/2/2009 DVD)
The Great Debaters: 9/10 (1/30/2009 DVD)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets: 8/10 (3/1/2009 Blu-ray)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: 10+/10 (8/14/2009 HD-DVD)

Other films:

Christmas Vacation: 8/10 (1/7/2009 DVD)
Witness: 9/10 (1/25/2009 DVD)
Castaway: 9/10 (1/24/2009 HD broadcast)
The DaVinci Code: 8/10 (1/25/2009 HD broadcast)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Director's Edition): 8.5/10 (2/28/2009 DVD)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: 9.5/10 (3/4/2009 DVD)
The Fountain: 10+/10 (3/13/2009 HD-DVD)
Pinocchio: 10/10 (3/14/2009 Blu-ray)
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock: 8/10 (3/21/2009 DVD)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: 8/10 (4/2/2009 DVD)
The Matrix: 10+/10 (4/6/2009 DVD)
The Matrix Reloaded: 8.5/10 (4/9/2009 DVD)
The Matrix Revolutions: 8.5/10 (4/12/2009 DVD)
2010: The Year We Make Contact: 9/10 (4/22/2009 Blu-ray)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: 5/10 (4/30/2009 DVD)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: 9/10 (5/5/2009 DVD)
Star Trek: Generations: 7/10 (5/6/2009 DVD)
Miami Vice: 9.5/10 (6/14/2009 DVD)
Kill Bill, Volume I: 8.5/10 (6/15/2009 HD broadcast)
Sunshine: 9/10 (8/21/2009 Blu-ray)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: 8.5/10 (8/28/2009 DVD)

 

[Mario Gauci]

As I hinted in the 2008 thread, I will be dedicating each day’s viewing to a particular genre or type of film. The good news for all participants in this thread is that I’ve also decided to adopt a much pared-down version of my usual verbose reviewing style.


Animation Day #1:


01/01/09: WEST AND SODA (Bruno Bozzetto, 1965) :star::star::star:

A Christmas-time staple on Italian TV for years and only the third animated feature to emanate from Italy (after 1949’s THE SINGING PRINCESS and THE DYNAMITE BROTHERS). A delightful if patchy parody of the Western that is well-suited to the rough, stylized animation on display and featuring a handful of superbly realized and voiced characters – particularly the belatedly introduced laconic gunfighter hero Johnny and the land-grabbing chief villain Cattivissimo. Also on hand are damsel-in-distress Clementina, her alcoholic dog and talking cows, red-headed saloon gal Esmeralda, Cattivissimo’s fat and lean henchmen (Ursus and Slim, respectively) and assorted marauding Indians. Set to a fine Western-styled score by Giampiero Boneschi, one of the film’s highlights comes towards the midpoint (in a sequence drawn in silhouette) where the complex-ridden Johnny receives the mother of all beatings in his first visit to the saloon.


01/01/09: VIP: MY BROTHER SUPERMAN (Bruno Bozzetto, 1968) :star::star::star:

The unprecedented success of Bozzetto’s WEST AND SODA ensured a more ambitious follow-up with the aid of American financiers. Biting the hand that fed him (Bozzetto had primarily been involved in making animated commercials), he came up with a sharply satirical narrative about the perils inherent in incessant commercial spoon-feeding to Italian TV audiences. Supervip is the latest in a long line of strapping superheroes while Minivip is his inept ‘accidental’ twin brother; the latter – short, bespectacled and saddled with an inferiority complex – is a splendid caricature of Woody Allen. During a psychiatrist-imposed vacation, the latter stumbles onto a massive brainwashing conspiracy instigated by Happy Betty, the head of a chain of supermarkets, intent on controlling the worldwide market through missiles lodged into her customers’ brain that turn them into compulsive buyers! Every superhero has to have a sweetheart: the intrepid red-headed Lisa is Supervip’s girl while the diminutive Nervustrella is the one that loves Minivip in spite of himself; conversely, Happy Betty’s minions include a strongman dubbed “The Colonel” and the pint-sized, monocle-sporting Schultz. The film is driven by a superb song score courtesy of Franco Godi that includes a mournful lament by Happy Betty’s imprisoned, unsuccessful experiment subjects and a climactic production number performed by the villains themselves when hoist in their own petards. Comic highlight: the “day in the life” demonstration of Happy Betty’s assembly-line workers.


01/01/09: TWICE UPON A TIME (John Korty and Charles Swenson, 1983) :star::star::star:1/2

Despite the patronage of George Lucas, this captivating and totally original fantasy in “Lumage” (a combination of animation through live action cut-outs) is about as far removed from the usual kiddie fare as anything made by Ralph Bakshi in his heyday. Brilliantly conceived characters such as the shape-shifting dog Ralph (one of a duo of bumbling, rejected heroes), Synonamess Botch (the hilariously foul-mouthed villain) and Rod Rescueman (the pompous novice superhero) breathe life into a uniquely clever concept: Frivoli vs. Murkwood or, the eternal fight between dreams and nightmares. In this context, the MOR-infused songs on the soundtrack ought not to have worked but somehow they do. It’s a real pity, therefore, that I have had to watch this via a truly crappy-looking boot (culled from a TV screening) of the uncensored version – there is also a milder variant that toned down the language for its VHS release – since the film is otherwise unavailable on DVD. Interestingly, both Henry Selick and David Fincher worked on this picture in subordinate capacities.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

This year I've been toying with dropping star ratings all together and just writing "Good, Fair, Poor" etc. next to my movie titles ... but this is just an experiment and knowing me, I may go back to actual star rankings (with or without adding half-star increments) before long.

 

[Mario Gauci]

Personally, I've never been plagued by all these periodic complexes about how to best rate a film but, just to set the record straight:

In the old (i.e. pre-Internet) days, I adopted the "Leslie Halliwell" method when writing reviews for myself i.e. five possible star ratings (****, ***, **, * or nil), a plot synopis followed by a concise critique, listing the main participants and italicizing the ones that stood out and, finally, listing the awards the film had won. However, with time, I realized that I preferred the "Leonard Maltin" method (which I won't go into here since I know that most of you are familiar with his film guides) and I now find that it perfectly suits my purpose.

 

[Sandro]

01/01 Kiss Me Deadly

 

[Michael Elliott]

You brave soul. I can't tell you how many times I've recorded these from TCM with plans to watch them but deleted them minutes afterwards because I can't bring myself to do it. I've watched THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI years ago and could barely take it with Karloff.

I actually tried watching FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and THUNDERBALL but my damn Blu-ray player, I guess, needs that firmware upgrade. I have no idea how to download it, get it on a disc and then into the player so I'm going to have to send them back to Netflix today so my planned Bonds will have to be put on hold as well.

This is why I hate trying to plan out my viewings. It also doesn't help that I'm going through one of my 1890 moods. https://static.hometheaterforum.com/imgrepo/8/8d/htf_images_smilies_smile.gif">


[b]Maid in Hollywood[/b] (1934) :star:

This film is a rather interesting one as it takes eight movies made in 1896 and edits them together to try and tell a complete story. I'm going to take a guess and say this was released after [b][I]The Great Train Robbery[/I][/b] so as an early example of a "plot" driven film this works as a great piece of history. It's interesting to view the film today because it plays perfectly as something you'd expect to see in the day but there's no getting around the fact that all of this stuff was filmed and released in 1896. That makes the original movies all the more impressive since they were telling a story years before it became the normal thing. [b][I]The Great Train Robbery[/I][/b] gets credit for being the first film to tell a story but perhaps historians should rethink that and take a closer look at those eight shorts.

 

[John Stell]

001) 01/01/2009 All About Eve (1950) :star::star::star::star: (out of four)

I first saw this film last February and it became an instant favorite, mainly due to the sharp-as-a-razor-blade dialogue. With Bette Davis, George Sanders, and Thelma Ritter hurling out zingers left and right, All About Eve is one of cinema’s most audibly captivating movies. But it’s also one of the most vicious looks at what some people will do to get their break in show business.

When Broadway sensation Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is first introduced to Eve Manning (Anne Baxter), she takes pity on this poor, lonely woman, whose only pleasure in life seems to come from watching Margo on the stage. Margo offers Eve not only a job in her employ, but also a place to stay at Margo’s swank New York apartment. But before long Eve’s plan becomes clear: she wants to be on Broadway too, and she will do anything to get there.

Eve lies, backstabs, blackmails and double-crosses throughout the entire film, and we know she succeeds because the film opens with her about to receive the coveted Sarah Siddons Award for Distinguished Achievement. The fact is Eve turns out to be a terrific actress, and just needed a break to prove it. But her methods are horrific, turning friend against friend and threatening marriages. She is not a sympathetic character by any stretch of the imagination, and there is pleasure to be derived when Eve receives her comeuppance from George Sanders’ acidic theater critic Addison DeWitt as he delivers a tongue-lashing as fine as there’s ever been in the movies.

One of the joys of the film is that is populated by intelligent people. Bette Davis’ Margo Channing knows she is growing older and, now in her 40s, can no longer play 25 year-olds. Her wrestling with this issue is what makes her vulnerable to Eve, who picks and exploits Margo exactly because of the age issue. The characters in this film don’t make their mistakes because they’re stupid. Rather, they are taken advantage of by a shrewd personality who caters to egos and tells people what they want to hear. And perhaps the script’s most ingenious stroke is to have the loathed Addison DeWitt actually be the one who takes the winds out of Eve’s sails. She may go on to have a successful career in the theater and perhaps even Hollywood, but her alliance with DeWitt will forever leave a bittersweet taste in her mouth. The film’s final scene, where a fan shows up in Eve’s room after the awards ceremony, suggests none of this is lost on Eve.

All About Eve plays as well today as it did in 1950 because we non-theater folk can imagine this kind of backstabbing going on today. In 1950 this story may have been looked upon as cynical, a sort of extreme situation. Today, All About Eve is viewed as standard operating procedure.


My DVD Collection
My Film Blog

 

[Joe Karlosi]

edit

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Tell me about it! My friend came over last night and we were both feeling kind of run down after the holidays, so we wanted something "light". He brought these films over and I've never tried any of those Frankie and Annette beach movies before. I figured they had to be fun, and with some cute chicks and all.... oh, brother!


Ski Party (1965) :star::star:

Since it's winter we decided to watch this one first, even though it comes later in this series, and Annette Funicello isn't in it except for a really quick cameo where she plays a teacher at the beginning. The thing plays like another version of SOME LIKE IT HOT, with Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman as two buddies who go on a skiing trip and wind up dressing in drag while they try to make time with Yvonne Craig and Deborah Walley. Hell, they even mention SOME LIKE IT HOT in the movie! This film doesn't have much to recommend in it, and I figured going in that it had to be the least of the three movies we'd watch... but who knew it would turn out to be the "best"? At least this film had a story, even if it's cliched. My favorite moment involved Lesley Gore popping up on the bus trip to sing her big hit "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows", and then later on getting to enjoy James Brown belt out "I Feel Good". These two musical performances were the shining light.


Muscle Beach Party (1964) :star:1/2

I wouldn't think you could go far wrong with both Don Rickles and Buddy Hackett, but I was mistaken. Rickles plays an unfunny coach who never gets any laughs while he works with a group of oily muscle men (that may be your thing; it's not mine). Hackett (whom I don't believe I've ever seen looking so trim and normal) is no more than the aide to a rich heiress (Luciana Paluzzi) who sets her sights on Frankie Avalon, much to the disapproval of his girl Annette Funicello. All the vignettes going on herein are disjointed and tiresome, and Candy Johnson (who reminds me of a young Polly Holiday from the ALICE TV series) isn't as alluring as she thinks she is when regularly shaking her booty and causing men to freeze-frame and fall off their surfboards... and not even having the indecency to wear a bikini while doing it. John Ashley is present too. Don't ask me what the point of having Morey Amsterdam in this mess was. Peter Lorre pops in for a short time in a humorous cameo, and at the end we get to enjoy the very young Little Stevie Wonder do his stuff, but it's not enough. It's not very often you can say the end credits sequence is the best thing about a film, but that was the case here.


Bikini Beach (1964) :star:1/2

More of the same crapola from MUSCLE BEACH PARTY, with a lot of the same performers. Frankie and Annette are back, though I truthfully had no idea they were so inconsequential in these beach blnket bingo flicks. Don Rickles has given up working with musclemen, and now his character is into drag strip racing (he wears a shirt throughout the movie which pronounces "Big Drag", which sums everything up nicely). Yeah, drag racing and bikinis seem to go hand in hand in these things, though there is precious little of the latter on tap (don't let the title fool you). Things get dopier than ever as we see a prominent man-in-suit ape character driving race cars, surfing waves, and whatever else. There's a gang of leathernecks lead by one stupid Eric Von Zipper (a recurring character played by Harvey Lembeck), and ummm... what else? Oh yes, Candy Johnson again wearing her ususal unrevealing outfit (was she afraid to show skin, or something?) , and a welcome return song and dance visit by the talented Little Stevie Wonder, who luckily couldn't see what kind of messy melange he was featured in. Last time we had Peter Lorre making a special appearance, so this time it's horror legend Boris Karloff with a brief walk-on. John Ashley's in here somewhere too. No more of these, please.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Well, I told countless stories in last year's thread about my girlfriend and I on our way to the movies only to have something happen to where we didn't get to see the movie. This happened at least eight times with THE DARK KNIGHT, three times with TROPIC THUNDER and at least four with CHANGELING.

It happened again. We were on our way to see MILK and was walking across the street to buy our tickets. My girlfriend then screamed and across the road some woman, carrying groceries, just collapsed. People started freaking out and my girlfriend pretty much pushed me in the road to get over to her. After making the traffic stop, I finally got over to her. Everyone called 911 but thankfully there was a fire department just down the street who rushed to her.

My girlfriend gets down by the lady, who's groceries are now all over the road, with the milk being busted and all over the woman. My girlfriend is trying to talk with her and finally gets the woman to respond.

A seizure? No. Diabetic? No. What was the trouble? She was freaking drunk and passed out while walking out of the grocery store. I'm all for helping someone but I really flipped my top on this one. By the time everything was under control the movie sold out so.....

I'm thinking about keeping the girlfriend home from now on since something always goes wrong. We plan on seeing THE READER tomorrow and trying for MILK again on Sunday but we shall see.


Play Misty for Me (1971) :star::star::star: Clint Eastwood

Eastwood, making his directorial debut, plays a radio DJ who has a one night stand with a woman (Jessica Walter) who turns out to be a fan of his show. What he doesn't know is that the woman is mentally unstable and soon she begins to stalk him. Needless to say, this here predates Fatal Attraction but unlike that film this one here was made on a pretty low budget. Considering the budget the film turned out a lot better than it could have, although I'll stop short of calling this a masterpiece, which is something a few critics seem to think. While this is extremely well made I can't help but feel there are a few major flaws with one being how dumb the main character is. There are countless times this whole thing could have been avoided yet Eastwood's character does something dumb to keep it going. There's another logical issue with the woman getting released somewhere that happens a bit too easy but even with these problems the film still works on many levels. The suspense level is something Eastwood seems to be playing with a lot during the movie. He never really builds up suspense but instead just throws it at the viewer out of no where. He doesn't let it build up or grow but instead it just jumps out at the viewer just like the female character is constantly jumping out of various places. A lot of the film's success is due to Walter who does a terrific job in her role. There are times that she's so incredibly chilling that you can't help but really think she has a few mental problems of her own. Walter handles all of her scenes very well and comes off quite chilling, which is the most important thing. Eastwood's role is an interesting one as he doesn't play a tough guy but instead just a normal one. He pulls this off pretty well, although I had somewhat of an issue at the end of the film as to how easy he's able to be pushed around. His physical nature makes it a tad bit unlikely but he still handles the material well. His direction is also fairly strong for his first film and naturally his selection of music is right on the mark.

Sidewalks of New York (1931) :star::star: Jules White, Zion Myers

Buster Keaton plays a soft slum owner who falls for a woman (Anita Page) living in his building and plans on impressing her by fixing up the neighborhood and trying to make her bad brother a good kid. Keaton hated this film so much because MGM wouldn't let him have any artistic control and to his shock it became his most popular film, which was a bad thing since that told the studio they could do whatever they wanted with him. This was certainly a turning point in Keaton's career and while it's not as bad as its reputation it's certainly not the classics we're use to seeing the legend appear in. The biggest problem with the film is that it tries to be too many things at once and it doesn't do any of them very well. One moment it wants to be a comedy then it wants to be a drama and then we get more touches of a romantic comedy. The screenplay is all over the map and I found it to be too light for a drama and too mean to work as a comedy. There's a pretty ugly scene towards the end of the film when a wise guy tries to force the kid brother to kill Keaton and this stuff just doesn't work. The abuse shown at the kid who is forced to do some pretty bad things really comes off like abuse and it's hard to watch at times. Even though Keaton's hated doing this film he still manages to turn in a decent performance. Sure, this isn't the golden era of his career but he does have a few good lines and gets to show off some of his physical abilities but not enough. Page also comes off very good even though her role isn't written too well. The two actually have some nice chemistry together and make the film a lot better than it has the right to be.

Carrie (2002) :star:1/2 David Carson

TV remake of Brian DePalma's masterpiece has Angela Bettis playing the role of Carrie, a tortured teen who after years of abuse gets invited to the prom. I could sit here and scream that you shouldn't remake a classic but I'm not going to do that for several reasons. The biggest being that even the DePalma film left out a lot of stuff from the book so I looked forward to this remake to see what they did but nothing done here can equal the original and to make matters worse we get a new ending here, which is just downright horrid. The biggest problem with the film is the screenplay and direction as neither appear to know what they're trying to do. Director Carson never handles any of the material very well as everything from the performances to the character actions are either over the top or so low that you just have to scratch your head. Another majority problem is that this film runs nearly forty-minutes longer than the original yet none of the characters here go through any development and you can't help but feel as if you don't know them or simply don't care. With the added running time you'd think there would be stronger characters but that's not the case and that includes Carrie and her mother (Patricia Clarkson). The majority of the added running time involves David Keith (An Officer and a Gentleman) playing a Detective trying to figure out what happened at the prom. The one good scene that was added from the book is after the gym teacher pushes Chris against the locker and her lawyer father comes to school trying to get her tickets to the prom. This was a good part of the book and it was nice to see it added her. Outside of that this movie is pretty much a bust from start to finish, which is a real shame because there was so much they could have done. Remaking this for television is another problem as the "PG" rated stuff just doesn't fit this story, which is full of adult situations. The performances range from bland to poor with Bettis doing okay work but her character, believe it or not, just never sticks out. Clarkson is rather bland of her mother and Kandyse McClure doesn't do much as Sue Snell. Add in the poor CGI effects and we've got a pretty bad movie, although some, myself included, might get some entertainment out of just seeing what they tried. I still think a remake could be done correctly but this here isn't it.

 

[Martin Teller]

Le Plaisir - Another Ophuls film that impresses me on a technical level but otherwise kinda "meh". Again, he proves himself a master at camera movement, with astonishing tracking shots, crane shots, pans and zooms and impeccable lighting and set design. The film is structured around three Guy de Maupassant stories, the central one being much longer than the other two. I actually found the bookend stories far more interesting, perhaps because their relatively short length prohibited them from wearing out their welcome. The middle story had some amusing moments but there just wasn't much meat there. As befits the title, the movie is pleasant... just not all that mind-blowing except for the cinematography. Rating: 7


The Fire Within - It's rare for a Malle film to really grab hold of my soul, but I usually get something out of them and this was no exception. A very accurate portrayal of depression and the suicidal impulse, where somehow nothing seems worth living for and everything seems pointless and your flaws are insurmountable and irredeemable. Malle cheats a little by layering on the Erik Satie music, which is like instant poignancy. He knows how to work it, though... few things get me going like "Gymnopedie #1". Rating: 8


Serenity (rewatch, Blu-Ray) - Well, somehow I end up seeing this about once a year. First in the theater, then on DVD, then on HD-DVD, and now on Blu-Ray. Having recently re-watched all the "Firefly" episodes, I have to say this doesn't really fill the void that the cancellation of the series left behind. It's a very entertaining and satisfying movie but it's basically just a 2 or 3-part episode. I would have preferred another season, but of course it's no use hoping for that now. I admit the film's flaws (gratuitous killing off of a major character, Whedon's dialogue does tend to grate after a while) become more and more apparent with each subsequent viewing, but I still really enjoy watching it. Not as much as the show, though. Rating: 9

 

[Mario Gauci]

Comedy Day #1:


01/02/09: CHARLEY’S AUNT (Archie L. Mayo, 1941) :star::star::star:

Once one accepts the archaically broad comedy conventions at play, this is a very funny film adaptation of the celebrated cross-dressing farce (Joshua Logan’s contemporaneous stage version had starred Jose` Ferrer!). Legendary comedian Jack Benny stars as a British lord and longtime Oxford student(!) who is forced by his best friends (James Ellison and a debuting Richard Haydn) to pose as the latter’s wealthy Brazilian aunt in order to act as chaperone when meeting their girlfriends. Initially, the uncle (Edmund Gwenn) of one of the girls (a thankless role for Anne Baxter) is contrary to their union but soon changes his tune when he realizes whom Haydn is related to; however, he has to contend with the amorous rivalry of Ellison’s own penniless father (Laird Cregar – who, at 25, was younger than his onscreen son but, nevertheless, convincingly plays a 51-year old roué)! The fine cast is rounded up by Kay Francis (quite lovely as Charley’s real aunt), Reginald Owen (amusing as the hapless Dean) and Claud Allister (hilariously appearing at the start as one of two unperturbed gentlemen spectators at an accident-prone cricket match). Not everything works, alas: Gwenn’s character arch from stern guardian to undignified fortune hunter is as hard to take as the bland romance between Baxter and Haydn but, ultimately, Jack Benny’s frenzied comic antics triumph over such hurdles.


01/02/09: THREE OF A KIND (N/A, 1941) :star::star::star:

An interesting extra on the CHARLEY’S AUNT (1941) DVD is this fun promotional short which is very rare for films of its era. It finds star Jack Benny taking time off for lunch at the Fox studio mess hall, when he runs first into Tyrone Power and then Randolph Scott. Naturally, they all start talking about their current action-packed projects – with Power enthusiastic about his latest romantic flagwaver A YANK IN THE R.A.F. (1941) and Scott ditto about the Technicolored Western BELLE STARR (1941). However, Benny makes things up in an effort to avoid discussing his current gender-bending role…though he’s not helped by the fact that, from time to time, a bellboy turns up with various parts of his feminine outfit seeking the star’s approval! When he eventually confesses, it’s Power and Scott’s turn to sulk as they bemoan their typecasting as rugged action stars and admit to craving juicy parts such as Benny always gets; indeed, for the latter (and the audience’s) benefit, they provide background detail about the “Charley’s Aunt” play – including the fact that it’s one of the most popular (and hilarious) pieces ever written.


01/02/09: THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT (Raoul Walsh, 1945) :star::star::star:

Angels were an all-too-familiar sight on movie screens during World War II and perhaps audiences had had enough of it by the time this film came along; this is the only valid reason I can think of to explain its resounding box office failure (that resulted in Benny’s premature bowing out of the movies) because, otherwise, it’s one of his most enjoyable outings. In fact, it’s quite an original and delightful comedy-fantasy about Benny (playing a second-grade angel and trumpet player) securing an important assignment (being sent to blow up sinful Planet Earth with his horn at the stroke of midnight) through the machinations of his girlfriend (Alexis Smith) who’s secretary to the Chief (Guy Kibbee). Needless to say, he bungles the job when he decides to play Good Samaritan and save a fetching would-be suicide (Dolores Moran) from jumping off the roof of a hotel wherein reside an assortment of colorful characters: smooth-talking crook Reginald Gardiner and his dim-witted bodyguard Mike Mazurki, carousing fallen angels Allyn Joslyn and John Alexander (hilariously suffering an hourly “twinge” for defecting to Earth!) and flustered hotel detective Franklin Pangborn – most of whom, as the appointed hour draws near, end up dangling from the hotel rooftop in the film’s wacky climax. Benny spent the rest of his radio and TV career making fun of this movie but, as I said, its maligned reputation is highly undeserved if you ask me!


01/02/09: SOLDIER IN THE RAIN (Ralph Nelson, 1963) :star::star:1/2

Despite the considerable talent involved (director Nelson, writer/producer Blake Edwards, original novelist William Goldman, composer Henry Mancini, stars Jackie Gleason, Steve McQueen and Tuesday Weld), this is a dreary and pointless barracks comedy (with a presumably symbolic title) revolving around the misadventures of a couple of army con-men. None of the various scams – which land McQueen in trouble, with superior Gleason having to bail him out at every turn – really engages our interest; eventually, the former arranges for the latter (suffering from an inferiority complex) to hitch up with local teenage belle Weld. However, after saving McQueen from a beating by the two people he most often crossed, Gleason ends up in hospital and subsequently dies. The younger soldier then resolves to take stock by giving up his dream of idling away on a tropical isle (which Gleason had told him he’d come across during WWII) for a career in the army. To be sure, there are bouts of good acting and perceptive writing throughout – but also incongruous flashes of sentimentality, violence and even tastelessness (bungling fellow soldier Tony Bill is made up to pose for photos to be entered in a pin-up contest!).

 

[PatW]

Firefly was one of my favourite sci-fi series. Too bad it was cut so short. When you say you re-watched all the episodes, did you do so on blu-ray and how does it compare?

 

[PatW]

1/01 Them! (1954) :star: :star: :star: :star:

I remember seeing this one as a very young child. I can re-call only parts of the movie, such as the young girl wandering at the beginning and the sound the ants made, but have no memory of the rest. I do remember my father escorting me up the stairs to my bedroom because I was so freaked. When watching the documentary Watch The Skies, this was one of the movies Spielberg had talked about so I jumped at the chance to watch it when it played on TCM. This is one of the better mutant bug movies or nature affected by nuclear fallout movies to come out. The special effects were quite good for the 50's. The cast were all uniformly good and included James Arness, James Whitmore, and Edmund Gwenn. Sorry I missed the cameo by Leonard Nimoy. Didn't realize it until it was pointed out by Robert Osborne after the movie was over.

1/03 The Last House on the Left (1972) zero stars

Normally I would walk out on something like this but I had heard alot about it and by dh wanted me to stay and watch. I wish I had left since this is a vile and disgusting movie one that hits you right in the gut. In a bizarre way, part of me is glad to have seen it but I certainly don't want to repeat the experience anytime soon.

1/03 Pin (1988) :star: :star: :star: 1/2

Interesting study about a young man's descent into psychosis. This movie is quite unsettling and one of the better horror movies to come out of Canada. I wouldn't say the acting is stellar but adequate enough. It was nice to see David Hewitt in something other than Stargate: Atlantis. This was obviously a part early in his career but he managed to be quite convincing in his role. Reminded me alot of a poor man's Psycho.