Track the Films You Watch (2006)

I know the feeling George, my pal. We both made stupid comments regarding the other that I'm sure we'd take back knowing what we do a day later. I said you only enjoyed something because of mainstream critics and you said I hadn't heard certain things even though I've own every official, import and unofficial release from 1960-2001.

Now we can just hold hands, light a candle and sing Blowin' in the Wind together and think of future peaceful chats.

Yes, although I must point out that I didn't say you hadn't heard those albums. I said I was expressing my own ignorance of what you'd heard, not claiming you hadn't. Now, the reason for me expressing that ignorance was due to something Joe had written that I probably misinterpreted since I thought this meant you hadn't heard them.

Anyway, if my comments came across as claiming you hadn't heard them rather than inquiring if you'd had, then I apologize.

But isn't that song off the FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN album?

No, it's from NO DIRECTION HOME (to keep this movie related).

This was a terrific day so perhaps the magic of Blowin' in the Wind came through. Sold my TV late last night, ordered a projector this morning and then went to work where we got our W2s, which means more money for me. Found out the apartment I'm getting will be perfect for the projector project. While at work we got a new group of college girls in learning the ropes so that they can become managers in the future. This cute little blonde from the University of Indiana happens to be staying close to the apartment I got so we're going out tomorrow night. Then after lunch I learned Aerosmith will be in Lexinton in March, which will be my 10th time seeing them since '97 but the first since '01. Then, perhaps best of all, Woody Allen's MATCH POINT finally opened in Louisville. Projector, taxes, Aerosmith, cute blonde and a new Woody Allen film.

Now the answer to that might be blowing in the wind but I've got a new pony in my mind right now.

Speaking of the projector project. The whole day I was thinking what should be the first movie I watch on it. I've cut the selections down to the remake of BEN HUR, 2001, THE LEOPARD, FANNY AND ALEXANDER or perhaps one of the Universal classics like BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN.

Congratulations.

I'd vote for BEN-HUR. It's the right kind of film to try on a projector and I've also been interested in hearing what you think of the movie (I believe you've said you saw the movie but that it's been awhile).

Then again, the dazzling 2001 could be appropriate too.

Michael, you do realize that you mentioned the cute blonde as 4th in your list...Where are your priorities man?!

But don't tell me you expected him to list her before the projector, Bob! That would clearly be going overboard.

And you might want to change this to "tax refund"

Girls come and go but a good concert will stay with ya for life.

01/25/06

Man with the Movie Camera, The (1929)

Soviet Union film from director Dziga Vertov has him going out on the streets to capture various moving images. Right from the start the film tells us that it contains no story, no sets, no actors and no real plot. The only thing this film contains are those various images and on a technical level there’s no question this film is a masterpiece but in the end I doubt it’s a movie I’ll want or need to see a second time. My favorite moments are the theater chairs moving, the man on the train tracks and the reels of film, which then turn to the moving images.

Melinda and Melinda (2004)

Two writers are at dinner when they hear a brief introduction about a woman named Melinda (Radha Mitchell). The writers decide to tell their impressions of the woman, one through drama and one through comedy. This is a very interesting film from Woody Allen who seems to be on track after a few less than interesting films. It’s been known for decades that Allen plays to either his Buster Keaton side or his Ingmar Bergman side so it’s interesting to see a film where he plays to both sides. Telling the story of one person through two films also makes for something quite interesting, although I thought the comedy version was a bit more interesting and would have worked perfectly as a full feature. The screenplay by Allen is his best in years and the performances are all incredible. Mitchell should be remembered at Oscar time but the big shock was the performance by Will Ferrell who really took me by surprise. Chloe Sevingy, Jonny Lee Miller and Amanda Peet round out the cast.

01/26/06

Hour of the Wolf (1968)

Strange and not totally rewarding film from Ingmar Bergman about a husband (Max von Sydow) who is haunted by past memories brought on by demons and his wife (Live Ullmann) who soon starts seeing visions herself. While this is still a good film it’s certainly the least interesting I’ve seen from the director, although there are still a few touches of brilliance. The scene down by the pond is very haunting and chilling and the performances by von Sydow and especially Ullmann make this worth watching. The film never really pulled me in 100%, which led to some moments that went on a tad bit too long.

01/27/06

Hell’s Highway (1932)

Decent prison drama from RKO was rushed into production so that it could beat I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang into theaters. A man (Richard Dix) working on a chain gang plans the perfect escape but he backs out when his younger brother gets sentenced to the jail. The biggest problem with this film is that RKO feared a lawsuit from Warner so they cut out a lot of stuff that would eventually be in the Warner film. The most interesting aspect of this film is its rather outrageous look at blacks and homosexuals. The gay character in the film is such a crazy stereotype that you can’t help but break out in laughter every time you see him. The ending is quite lame but Dix is good in his role but certainly not as good as Paul Muni.

Hardgore (1974)

Here’s one everybody will be rushing out to see. I first heard of this movie over a year ago and only now tracked it down. Everyone knows graphic horror films and porn was the big thing of the 70s so the producer’s of this “trash” decided to mix the two with some rather disgusting effects. A nymph is sent to a mental hospital by her dad who hopes she’ll be cured there. However, he doesn’t know that the hospital is full of Satan worshippers who perform blood orgies in the basement. Bad porn acting, bad porn music score and just all around bad film is somewhat unique in the mixture of the two genres. Thankfully the film only runs 62-minutes, which still feels long. The graphic horror violence makes the film worth watching at least once though.

Burning, The (1981)

Notorious 80’s slasher was the first film by Miramax and was written and produced by the Weinstein boys and also features small roles by Jason Alexander (with hair), Holly Hunter and Fisher Stevens. A camping prank goes terribly wrong and a gardener is burned all over his body. Six years later he escapes and heads back to camp to slaughter some teens. I can’t believe it took me so long to see this somewhat legendary film but I kept putting it off because horror fans seem to hype up a lot of bad films. Over the years no other film had gotten so much hype but the movie certainly lived up to every bit of it. The special gore effects by Tom Savini are all wonderful and in this uncut version they go way beyond any other film of its era. The movie is incredibly mean spirited with its violence including one scene where five kids on a raft run into the killer. This segment is probably the greatest I’ve seen from any slasher. This film also contains more nudity than any other film of its type. Put all this together and I see why the film has become notorious over the years. There’s no doubt this was influenced by the previous year’s Friday the 13th but I’d say this here is just as good, if not better than all of those films.

Hannibal (2001)

The character of Hannibal Lecter in the film SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is, IMO, one of the most interesting, and chilling, characters ever created. I've purposely stayed away from this sequel for fear of seeing that portrayal by Anthony Hopkins diminished. On the urging of a friend, however, I finally sat down and watched this film. Besides, Ridley Scott directed and I have enjoyed many of his films. I should have followed my initial instincts. A poor script, uninteresting locations and stereotypical characters, interspersed with some occasional blood and guts, made for a very unappetizing experience. I can understand why Jodie Foster stayed away from this project. I can usually find something of redeeming value in just about any film I watch (with the exception of THE PERFECT STORM and a few others), but I found this a most distasteful experience. I came close a couple of times to pulling the plug on this awful film.

Out Of The Past (1947)

A pretty enjoyable film noir classic about a private eye who's past escapades come back to intrude on his attempt at a new life in a small town. Robert Mitchum as the laconic ex-detective and Kirk Douglas as the heavy head up an interesting cast of characters. Great lighting effects in this film.

First time viewings in Blue

Outside the Law (1920)
Average Lon Chaney vehicle as the man of the thousand faces plays both a gangster named Black Mike and a Chinese servant.

Shadows (1922)
Lon Chaney plays a Chinese man (again) who converts to Christianity. I suppose it’s worth watching for Chaney fanatics but otherwise this one is a recipe to cure insomnia.

Come and Get It (1936)
Lumberjack baron Edward Arnold & son (Joel McRea) get involved in a love triangle with Frances Farmer. Co-director credit goes to two Hollywood legends, William Wyler & Howard Hawks (who was fired) and you can really tell as their distinct styles (Wyler’s elegance & Hawks’ bravura) are easy to make out in this film (the last 20+ minutes is distinctly Wyler).

Wake of the Red Witch (1948)
Seafaring adventure stars John Wayne as a merchant ship captain driven to find a sunken treasure. Good performance by Wayne.

The Story of Seabiscuit (1949)
Mundane & pretty inaccurate Hollywood Biopic about the famous racehorse stars an adult Shirley Temple as the love interest. I much prefer the recent retelling.

Woman on the Run (1950)
A simple setup with a unique twist has a man witnessing a murder on the run from both the killer and the police who he thinks can’t protect him. Much of the story follows the witness' bitter & cynical wife (Anne Sheridan) as she tries to find him, with the police hot on her tail. I have to say it ranks up there with the greatest B noirs I've ever seen. Sharp & snappy dialog, excellent performances, quintessential noir lighting, off kilter camera angles, etc. I'm amazed this film gets hardly a mention by even the most hard-core noir aficionado’s.

As good as this film is the Alpha DVD is atrocious, looks like it was copied from a washed out VHS print. I might pick it up anyway because I really dig this flick.

House of Numbers (1957)
No. 1 contender so far for most idiotic plot in a Noir has a prison escape planned out by having Jack Palance trading places with his twin brother. Um……yeah okay.

The Girl Hunters (1963)
Average private eye flick, notable for casting writer Mickey Spillane as his own character Mike Hammer. Also stars Goldfinger babe Shirley Eaton.

5 Dolls For an August Moon (1970)
Mario Bava gallio converts Christie’s overused premise of Ten Little Indians into the slasher mold. Poor looking production, bad acting, ugly camerawork, meh. It’s unfortunate that much of Bava’s work doesn’t match the quality of his earlier films such as Black Sabbath & Black Sunday.

Only Yesterday (1991)
Studio Ghibli production from the director of Grave of the Fireflies, Isao Takahata. This one contains a series of flashbacks as a young woman reflects on her childhood experiences. Apparently highly acclaimed by Ghibli fans but I just couldn’t get into it much.

Pom Poko (1994)
Another Ghibli production from Takahata. This one is about an colony of shape-changing raccoons who try to stop the destruction of their forest by land developers.

Flightplan (2005)
Arial thriller starring Jodie Foster is well acted and pretty suspenseful until the big reveal in the story which is about as inane a plot twist as I’ve ever seen. Disappointing.

The Skeleton Key (2005)
Suspenseful Voodoo thriller stars Kate Hudson as a woman caring for a stoke victim in a house were everything isn’t as it seems. A pretty good twist ending bumps this one up an extra notch.

Woman on the Run sounds interesting, Jim. I'll try to seek it out if a more watchable print comes up at some point.

Gate of Flesh (1964) 6/10
Seijun Suzuki's violently colorful interpretation of a story about desperate hookers in post-WWII occupied Tokyo has some pretty fascinating stuff in it, including the characters' intense antagonism against the American military presence and the sudden swings between camaraderie and jealousy between the prostitutes. Ultimately too incoherently plotted and exploitative for my taste, but it sure is interesting.

Fury (1936) 5/10
Fritz Lang's first American feature has a few nice Langian moments, but the eye-rolling script and corny plotting drag things down considerably. Once the not-so-bad first half descends into a dull courtroom drama in the second half, there isn't much of anything left to hang onto. I do love You Only Live Once, which features more than a bit of script silliness of its own, but Fury struck me as being way more transparent and clunky in its storytelling. The significantly better Ox-Bow Incident is the one to go to for a classic film about mob vigilantism and lynching.

Cache (2005) 6/10
Good reviews abound for this French psychological thriller, but slow pacing, some disjointed sub-plots, and an uninteresting ending made more of an impression on me than the strong acting by the leads. Juliette Binoche is particularly good, and there are some decently suspenseful scenes here and there, but I didn't find much else to be interested in.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Well, unbearable is the key word here. Some of the most boring sex scenes ever put on film. Even fairly copious amounts of female nudity can't save this - I've never seen so much female nudity presented so uninterestingly. Makes 'gratuitous' nudity in most teenage sex comedies seem like an artistic feat of Shakespearean magnitude.

Good old Indiana and I went to see MATCH POINT tonight but the thing was sold out. We then tried seeing BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN but it was sold out too so we rented CRASH, which I'll talk about in a tad bit. After watching CRASH we went out to get a drink and neither of us knew what to say about the movie.


01/28/06

Ladies They Talk About (1933)

Pre-Code from Warner about a woman (Barbara Stanwyck) sent to prison after helping commit a bank robbery. She befriends a preacher who says he loves her but she begins to have her doubts. What starts off as a rather interesting prison drama soon falls apart with the sappy love story. Another major problem is that Stanwyck’s character is such a mean bitch you can help but want to see her dead and the ending really kills the film.

Green Slime, The (1968)

Legendary bad film was a Japanese/American/Italian co-production directed by Kinji Fukasaku who would go on to work on Tora! Tora! Tora! as well as Battle Royale. An asteroid is on course to crash into Earth so a bunch of stupid astronauts go into space to blow the thing up. They do blow it up, saving Earth, but they bring on board some green slime, which eventually forms into mutants. This is a very famous film due to how bad it is and the film lived up to the hype, especially the opening song, which has a Jimi Hendrix wannabe singing about the slime. The special effects are all laughable as are the creatures but they do have a certain appeal to them. It seems Armageddon and Alien borrowed quite a bit from this however.

Strange Case of Doctor RX, The (1942)

Here’s another forgotten thriller/mystery from Universal. A mysterious man is killing off client’s gotten off of serious crimes by a local attorney. There’s really not too much here but director William Nigh keeps things moving pretty pace even though this thing contains the worst red-herring in film history. Patrick Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Anne Gwynne and Shemp Howard star.

Crash (2004)

Various characters in L.A. go through various racial situations before they all “crash” in the end. I’m really not sure if I should give this film a BOMB rating or four stars so I’ll just settle on a two star rating. There’s no denying that there’s some truly remarkable stuff in this film but in the end I couldn’t help but feel there wasn’t any point to this movie. Black people are thugs. White people are scared of blacks for no reason. Foreigners can’t speak English. Racist whites molest black women. Blacks are ashamed to be black so they act white. What the hell was all of this suppose to mean in the end?

There’s no doubt racism is still a thing in this world but good God this film pushes everything to the limit. I’m sitting here typing this and I really don’t know what to say. I watched this movie with the girl I mentioned a few posts back and afterwards we went out to get a drink and discuss the film. She didn’t know what to say either. As with the screenplay, this write up will probably be all over the place but that’s where this film left my mind.

I had a very hard time taking anything in this film too serious because everything is just so over the top. The racial stuff in this film are more make belief than anything we’d see in a science fiction film and I’d say even Planet of the Apes is more realistic than this thing. Writer/director Paul Haggis writes a screenplay that is constantly preaching at the viewer and hitting the viewer over their head with his “message”, which is a message no one needs to hear. Everyone knows we shouldn’t hate just because of the color of our skin. This shit was talked about with various Sidney Poitier films back in the more racist 60’s so this film is doing nothing new. It’s not saying anything new. Also, unlike those Poitier films, this one here doesn’t work because of all the preaching.

Also, I read a few reviews that said the racists are redeemed in the end making this a very positive film but I’ve got to laugh at this as well. Not once did I feel I was watching a movie with characters but I saw all of these characters being pulled on a string. The screenplay shows us how ugly these racist people are and in the matter of one day they are peaceful and love all races. Again, bullshit. How long has racism been a part of this world? Since Christ walked the streets, right? And now this message film is redeemed because all these racists turn the other way over a day?

Another factor that really bothered me is something I hate in a lot of movies. It seems if a movie wants to be cute they get a cute little kid under the age of 5 to say a cuss word. This makes everyone in the crowd smile saying how cute it was to see a cute kid say a bad word. Talk about hypocrites but back to this film. The locksmith has a cute little daughter and the director jerks the viewer by giving her several cute little speeches, daddy tells her a cute story and then the director has us believe something bad happens to the kid. Again, just more preaching.

The greatest thing about the movie is its cast, all of which deserve Oscar nominations (with the exception of Sandra Bullock). Matt Dillon really steals the show as the racist cop and Terrence Howard really caught my eye as well. Of all the redemption stories the one dealing with Dillon is the only one that works because we get to know him the best of the group even though he’s one of the worst characters here. The scene with the overturned car was very powerful and the “message” here got across very well without having to preach.

I’ve written the above and so far have taken three smoke breaks because I’m trying to think of more to say but can’t. I really, really, really wanted to love this film but it just rubbed me the wrong way. I’m smart enough to know a white cop shouldn’t molest a black woman and I don’t need a film preaching to me about that. In 2005 we look back at dozens of films from the 1910s-1940s and call them racist in a bad way. I’m curious to know how people are going to look at films like this one in the year 2085.

Interesting thoughts on Crash, Michael, and I agree with your comparative point about Planet of the Apes...LOL. I thought it was pretty crappy, 4/10 on my ratings scale. I agree that the Matt Dillon subplot was probably the one that came closest to working, although it didn't get there for me because the coincidence of that very same woman getting into an accident that he was called to was way too convenient. I know that Brook had genuine contempt for this movie (although he didn't say much about it in last year's thread) since I remember him giving it an F, which I think is the only time I've seen him dish out a grade that low!

It's funny you mentioned this because this scene worked for me because I thought there was no way in hell the screenplay would make it turn out to be the same woman. The scene then played out and when I saw it was the same woman I just looked at Kristen (aka Indiana) and she looked at me at the very same time. We both starting laughing, which is something I forgot to mention. There were several moments throughout the film where I couldn't help but laugh because what was going on was just so far fetched.

Thinking about it, PLANET OF THE APES will certainly happen before anything in this movie does.

This weekend I got together with one of my movie friends to have one of our Fright Nights. We watched:

Dracula (1973)
This is the Dan Curtis directed, made-for-TV version with Jack Palance as the vampire and over the years I've come to really like him in the part. You wouldn't think Palance is right for such a character, but he manages to be very fierce and frightening when necessary, along with a hint of sympathy on occasion. Like many filmed attempts at Bram Stoker's classic novel, this one retains key elements from the book but leaves others out, also adding new angles. This was the film where a romantic motivation was conjured up as a reason for Dracula to go to England -- he wants to possess the woman he believes is the reincarnation of his lost lover. I've never liked the idea of Dracula as the lovestruck martyr, but the beauty of this version is that it works perfectly because the vampire remains evil and contemptable, and though we may feel a bit of pity for him here and there, it never gets to the point where he's some kind of likable hero/lover, as was later the case with Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 version (which I don't appreciate). Fortunately, the way the Curtis version plays out is that the "reincarnation slant" is possibly in Dracula's own mind, not necessarily the reality.

Richard Matheson (one of my favorite writers) wrote the adaptation for the TV movie, and in addition to enjoying Palance in the lead I really like Fiona Lewis as a very precious Lucy. The rest of the cast is competent with the exception of Nigel Davenport, who offers up a too-colorless rendition of Van Helsing. Some nice photography for a television film.

Doctor X (1932) 1/2
We wanted to se this one again because the two of us haven't seen it in 15 or more years and wanted to re-evaluate it. I had to dig out the old VHS tape, because this is not yet out on DVD. After seeing it I really hope Warner will release it, though it would probably have to be as an extra with some other title.

DOCTOR X is one of those heartbreaking films to watch for a fan of old horror movies, because it has so many wonderful things going for it yet just narrowly misses the mark of being really good due to a liability or two which could have been avoided. As is so often the case with early '30s fright films like this, the need was felt to add a "funnyman" to the proceedings to perhaps give audiences of the day a chance to laugh along with being scared. The culprit in this case is Lee Tracy, who plays a typical golden age newspaper reporter who snoops around and gets his nose tangled into everyone's business.

The "business" at hand is a string of killings in New York regarding a fiend who strangles people and then apparently cannibalizes them. Dr. Xavier (the always enjoyable Lionel Atwill) heads a group of doctors who are all suspects up for scrutiny, and though we have to deal with the frequent lapses into silliness from Mr. Tracy, this old chestnut is interesting and gripping a fair amount of its running time. Director Michael Curtiz does a fine job of visually entertaining us with strange angles, quick closeups and flashy set designs. An added delight is the early use of Technicolor that gives the film a rather eerie dimension with its muted greens. Fay Wray (KING KONG) steps into another early horror picture here, but really doesn't have much to do and isn't of much use to the story. There's a completely out of place beach scene with Wray and Tracy that will leave you wondering who thought it shouldn't be left on the cutting room floor (perhaps it was an excuse to get a pantie shot of Fay as she sunbathes under her big beach umbrella).

The film's strongest moment comes in a revelation sequence late in the movie where we finally get to see who the crazed murderer is, and it's still chilling even now to watch him go through his insane routine. You're bound to have the words "synthetic flesh" etched into your subconscious for a long time after seeing DOCTOR X, and if there's one thing you'll remember, this will be it.

The two scenes with both Matt Dillon and Thandie Newton could have been an opportunity for her to say, "Get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!!"

The Man Who Laughs (1928) 1/2
A few film fans I know told me they were disappointed when they finally caught up with this Paul Leni film, but I really enjoyed it throughly. The first thing that grabbed me from the start was the stylish cinematography and mesmerizing quality of the way each sequence was shot. Just the expressionist visuals alone sustained my interest. The story is a powerful and emotional one from Victor Hugo's novel, about a boy who is disfigured by gypsies under the demand of King James II, as punishment toward the child's insubordinate father. The boy has a permanent smile etched into his face and grows up to be a sideshow clown (Conrad Veidt) who's in love with a blind girl. There is an underhanded side plot that's equally intriguing, and I was completely taken in by Olga Baclanova's sexy performance as a sultry Duchess who tries to seduce Veidt. She reminded me of an early Madonna, and it was only after the film had ended that I realized she was the same actress who played in Tod Browning's controversial talkie, FREAKS, some four years later. This silent film along with the recently watched Chaney film THE PENALTY impressed me so much that I may have to start reconsidering my stance on avoding so many of them in the future. And because I've said that Olga's accent was so difficult to understand in FREAKS, that may also go to prove that sometimes the limitations of a silent feature can actually work as an advantage.

I'm just curious Joe, but do you own the 2-strip Technicolor or B&W version of DOCTOR X? I've only seen the color version and I'm curious if the B&W is out there.

Re: MAN WHO LAUGHS

I guess I could say you loved it so much to get back at me saying it was overrated but.... I won't do that.

I'd only rate it a because of the horrible ending that happens. This is a very dark and depressing tale so the ending just didn't work for me. The great thing about silents is that filmmakers got to do whatever they wanted and didn't have to worry about the movie crowds not enjoying something. That's why it isn't uncommon for the leading man to die or for the bad guy to walk away at the end. There weren't any rules back then for director's to follow so it's the purest form of filmmaking.

Re: FREAKS, Browning actually did this type of film quite a few times. There were a couple in the early 20's, THE UNKNOWN, which you've seen and then another one called THE SHOW, which also features many of the actors from FREAKS.

Michael, I only have the two-strip Technicolor version of DOCTOR X and it worked very well that way as looking very eerie and unnatural for this movie. I'm not even sure that the black and white version is out there, but I understand that all the shots are different except for the "synthetic flesh" sequence. At least I think that's the case.

I'm impressed with how many silent films I've enjoyed, but this might be largely because I'm seeing the ones that are usually well regarded (though the same thing could be said of almost any well-regarded film, truthfully). You and I just recently had another "silents" debate, but it's amazing to me how powerful many of these are, and the images in some of them.

Well, I had to cancel my screening of MATCH POINT today. We decided to get my taxes done and just stay at home. Hopefully we'll get to it later in the week or no later than next weekend.

I'm sure Warner will release DOCTOR X very soon, if not this year. Hopefully the B&W version will be included.

As for the silents, the more you see the more you'll like. It takes time to get use to them but when someone finally gets them they'll have a great time. As I've told you countless times, there's no point in overlooking nearly 40 years of movies.

added:

title: broken flowers
rating: b
comments: boy, this felt like a jarmusch movie. i had a hard time rating this one, but the more i thought about it, the more i enjoyed it. murray was great, and his "visits" to his ex's were interesting, if not a bit uncomfortable (which i guess was the point). side note: this movie drove my wife crazy.

i couldn't agree more ... i remember watching this thinking, wtf?

I went to order this due to Jim's recommendation and discovered it was on one of those 50-movie sets, this one called DARK CRIMES. I ordered it for $18, which is only $12 higher than the Alpha disc plus you get 49 other movies with a lot of other noirs. I'll let people know the print shape when it arrives in a few days.

I'm going to begin trying to briefly post my thoughts on some of the films I'm watching this year. I probably won't have time to post something on every movie I see, but here goes with some of the stuff I've seen in the last week:

First time viewings in bold:

Earth vs the Spider(1958) -
- When it comes to giant bug movies, Earth vs the Spider is one of my favorites. Yeah, parts of it are definitely corny and unbelievable, but for me, these things only add to the movie’s charm. What’s not to like about watching Fred Ziffel getting backed into a corner by a giant spider.


The Mini-Skirt Mob(1968) -
- Oh, what a bad movie. This has to be the most unbelievable motorcycle gang I've ever seen. Most of the members of the Mob look like they've just spent hours working on their hair, make-up, and outfits. I've never seen women in a motorcycle gang so well quaffed. Watching Diane McBain ride a motorcycle has to be one of the funniest things I've seen. She looks so uneasy on her little bike as if she might fall over at any minute. The acting, for the most part, is just plain old horrible. McBain, Ross Hagen, and Sherry Jackson come across about as natural as McBain's piled-up, platinum hair. Logic doesn't exist. For example, if Logan is really such a champion rodeo star, why does he live in a camper that's smaller than my bathroom? The problems with The Mini-Skirt Mob go on and on.
- So, why haven't I rated it any lower? There are some unintentional great moments in The Mini-Skirt Mob. It's all the things I've described that make the movie at least somewhat entertaining.


Criss Cross(1949) -
- Criss Cross a very entertaining noir with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Burt Lancaster is the kind of man who drinks too much, Yvonne De Carlo is the kind of woman who uses men to get what she wants, and Dan Duryea is the kind of man who would as soon shoot you as look at you. It’s gritty, sometimes violent, and always entertaining. The film is expertly directed by Robert Siodmak, whose work I’ve always enjoyed. The script is exceptional with more double-crosses in the final half than one movie has a right to. No one is above double-crossing anyone else. It makes for a very entertaining hour and a half.


The Strange Love of Martha Ivers(1946) -
- Not much to say other than I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I've never cared much for Barbara Stanwyck, but I may have to rethink that notion.


The Man Who Cheated Himself(1950) -
- The plot is tired and lacks any real surprises or anything new for the genre. I could have predicted the outcome of The Man Who Cheated Himself after about five minutes. And that final cat-and-mouse chase scene is plain old dull. Ten to fifteen minutes of nothing happening really ruined any pacing the movie may have had going for it.


The Big Clock(1948) -
- The Big Clock is a wonderfully entertaining noirish thriller with, and unlike most of its deadly serious counterparts, a touch of humor. Ray Milland is a man trying to solve a murder. His problem is that the killer he’s looking for is himself. Think of it as a cat-and-mouse game where the cat and mouse are the same person. The acting is top notch with Ray Milland as the man caught between a rock and a hard place, Charles Laughton at his greasiest best, and George Macready as the prototypical “yes man”. My only complaint with the cast is how Maureen O’Sullivan is underutilized. The supporting cast is terrific with Elsa Lanchester supplying most of the laughs. Very nicely done.


The Big Sleep(1946) -
- One of my all time favorites. In fact, I have it firmly at #2 on my top 250 list. Beside Bogart, Bacall, and the rest of the cast, I enjoy picking up something new in the plot each time I give it a viewing. Some have called it impossible to follow, I call it wonderfully entertaining.


Blacula(1972) -
- The basic plot structure of Blacula has been seen countless times before. There’s very little new ground broken here. In fact, and to be quite honest, Blacula isn’t very good. Much of the acting is bad and the special effects are even worse. Blacula’s makeup changes from scene to scene. Atmosphere and tension are totally foreign. Logic is non-existent. But what makes Blacula at least somewhat enjoyable are the Blaxplotation and other camp elements. Blacula is, of course, black and this is modern day (1972) America. Blacula swings at a nightclub to some very funky 70s music. Blacula’s first two victims are a pair of homosexuals presented with every 70s stereotype intact. Blacula makes love with his intended victim. You won’t see this stuff in just any old vampire film.

Joe, I agree with your take on Doctor X although I like it a little more than you. Lee Tracy's comedy is terrible of course but the weirdness quotient of this one is very high particularly in the latter stages and I love Atwill - such a ham. Which leads me to.....

To Be or Not To Be (1942) 1/2 out of Marvellous comedy (with some drama) that proves that bad taste is not a new phenomenon. Some of the material is positively cringeworthy. The latter stages approach farce with the lengths that the theater troupe have to go to in their daring schemes. The cast does an outstanding job especially Jack Benny and Sig Ruman. And Atwill is priceless.

Once again, I have to voice my concern that the Joe Karlosi we know and love (and love to debate endlessly with) has been abducted by aliens and substituted with a mindless "yes-man"! How else can one satisfactorily explain the fact that he has not only watched THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (1928) and NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) on the same day, but gave them both the correct rating? And he even seems almost prone to reconsidering his position on Silent films! What the f*** is going on here?!

Seriously, though: this funny/unfunny (take your pick) aside stems from the fact that these 2 films are very special to me; THE MAN WHO LAUGHS has been my No. 1 'most wanted film' for years - thanks to several stills I found in one of my father's old movie magazines and which I had been poring over since childhood - and, naturally, I'm ever so grateful to Kino for bringing it out on DVD.

As for NORTH BY NORTHWEST, for years it was my all-time favorite film - before being 'dethroned' by the James Whale double-barrel of THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932) and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935); it's still up there at No. 3 after, of course, my favorite Luis Bunuel film - THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972)...

Ack, I should have joined this thread from the begining, I hate creating lists several pages in.

I had a pretty good weekend with the movies, I just don't know what to do with my ratings so here goes . Ratings out of 4 stars.

Kontroll
La Vie Revee des Anges
A la Folie... Pas du Tout

--
H - too lazy to write right now

I was joking with Joe the other day that he wanted a James Bond Challenge yet he hasn't taken part in it yet. However, since Cary Grant and NORTH BY NORTHWEST are the best Bond movie and actor, I'll let him off. Seriously though, I haven't seen EVERY Bond film but for my money none of them beat Grant and that Hitchcock classic.

http://members.aol.com/ChaneyFan/
www.silentera.com

You'll need those two sites if you want to follow some silents. The first link is the best Chaney site out there. Check out the filmography and you can see every Chaney film and it tells you which ones are still available. You can also click on the films and see original reviews from back when they were released. The second link has a list (voted by fans) for the ten greatest silent films.


I never understood all the hype surrounding BLACULA or its sequel. I really can't stand either movie. I find both decent but overall they're quite poor compared to better Dracula films as well as better blaxploitation films.