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11-27-2005, 11:29 PM
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#91 of 440 
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Member
Location: New Zealand
Join Date: Mar 2003
Local Time: 05:24 PM
Local Date: 07-09-2008
Posts: 2,876
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Quote:
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It has been a while since I posted (or have really been able to see very many movies).
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Wow. Since the last post was nearly two months ago, apparently that has been the case for everyone in this thread - including myself. I will get back to the challenge, ASAP.
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11-28-2005, 01:04 PM
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#92 of 440
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Adam_S
Member
Location: Marina del Rey, CA
Join Date: Feb 2001
Local Time: 10:24 PM
Local Date: 07-08-2008
Posts: 4,963
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I burned myself out on movies over the summer and took the semester to focus on school, photography, and food and a bit of free time and the occasional chance to relax.
That said I caught up with one AFI film last night as I was working on a digital photo montage project.
Holiday Inn - 
Songs list - White Christmas
11/29/2005
OARVHS
I didn't pay too close visual attention to the movie (except when Fred was dancing, that drunken dance was magnificent by the way), but the script was quite nice to listen to and all of Bing's singing was just wonderful (in fact it was kindof a shame when Fred attempted a weak belt out). I like the story, I like Fred being a cad, I like Bing being reluctant and burned too often, overall the film just worked for me as a good story and good entertainment in a way that's better than just about all the Fred and Ginger films except maybe Shall We Dance.
It's also interesting for having one of the most forgivable black face numbers of the era, since it's reluctantly black face as dictated by the plot (though how they planned to not do it in blackface with those ridiculous costumes I've not yet figured out).
I also rewatched Christmas Vacation last night, and it definitely should be on the comedies list, few movies can make me laugh as hard or as often.
"My cousin Eddie here... well his heart is bigger than his brain."
"I 'ppreciate that, Clark."
I also rewatched the first half of It's a Wonderful Life, which is an undeniably wonderful and perfect movie.
Adam
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11-30-2005, 08:11 AM
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#93 of 440
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Member
Location: Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexíco
Join Date: May 2002
Local Time: 12:24 AM
Local Date: 07-09-2008
Posts: 11,282
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Adam, you have my list
¡Time is not my master!
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11-30-2005, 12:28 PM
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#94 of 440
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Local Time: 10:24 PM
Local Date: 07-08-2008
Posts: 1,635
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I'm a big fan of HOLIDAY INN. I've watched it every year at this time for 20 years (yikes!).
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11-30-2005, 05:19 PM
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#95 of 440
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Member
Location: Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexíco
Join Date: May 2002
Local Time: 12:24 AM
Local Date: 07-09-2008
Posts: 11,282
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That’s not crying—that’s the country growing.
Any movie that is over 2 ½ hours long, spans the continent, includes the Civil War (with appearances by Grant and Sherman), depicts every kind of transport from the Eire Canal to the transcontinental railroad (with cameos of the pony express), and gives nod to the Mexican-American war, the Indian wars and the California gold rush has a passing chance of being overblown. How the West Was Won adds burdens of being filmed in Cinerama and being shot by multiple directors.
And it is overblown and unwieldy. The story suffers from never focusing on any character for long enough to feel that they are much more than two-dimensional, but even so this movie, when it actually pauses for a breath is surprisingly well done.
For some reason it made the cut for one of the best 25 scores. Regrettably the music fits the overblown pictures on the screen.
¡Time is not my master!
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12-17-2005, 07:03 PM
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#96 of 440
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Member
Location: Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexíco
Join Date: May 2002
Local Time: 12:24 AM
Local Date: 07-09-2008
Posts: 11,282
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That’s no girl—she is a wildcat
Mary Pickford stars in the title role of Little Annie Rooney a rather pedestrian, overlong, star vehicle of 1925. Annie is first seen as the prototypical tomboy, but predictably love begins to change her outlook, and after a series of set pieces (none of which do anything to advance the plot or flesh out the characters) everyone (except Dad) lives happily ever after.
¡Time is not my master!
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01-14-2006, 03:31 AM
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#98 of 440
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Member
Location: New Zealand
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Local Date: 07-09-2008
Posts: 2,876
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The good thing about holidays is that, after a few months of not watching anything on the Lists, I can find the time to start again. Yay!
Sleeper
Woody Allen stars as a guy who is frozen unknowingly, and is awoken 200 years later in a police state by an underground revolution that needs him to help them overthrow the evil dictator. In trying to avoid being killed, he finds himself meeting and falling in love with Diane Keaton, playing possibly the worst poet ever, and inspiring her to also fight the state. Sort of.
It's a curious film, largely physical comedy, sometimes almost surreal, and only occasionally dialogue-based. I didn't really get the feel that Allen was entirely comfortable with the film - maybe it was the whole futuristic setting, or just the fact that he was operating in a completely different comedic style to that he usually works in. And sometimes it doesn't work (the Streetcar scene comes to mind). But when the film works well, it really works well - the scenes where he pretends to be a robot in particular were quite wonderful, or his Miss USA programming, or his escape with the flying pack. Add to that some wonderful bits of dialogue (the "Did they have no hot fudge?" scene was great) and you've got a pretty enjoyable film. I have some reservations about it - certainly it lacks much of a structure, and at times comes across almost as though they're making it up as they go along - but overall I enjoyed it.
The Shop Around the Corner
I think this is the first Ernst Lubitsch film I've ever seen, and on the strength of it, I'm looking forward to seeing others. James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan star as co-workers who despise each other but don't realise they have fallen in love with each other as anonymous penpals. Then, when Stewart discovers the identity of his penpal and starts to see below the surface of his co-worker, he starts to plot to win her over.
I was surprised to find the film list in the Passions list only, as it definitely deserved a placing in the Laughs list. The film was terribly funny at times, with characters that may be been broadly drawn, but still instantly recognisable. I also appreciated the fact that, while there is never any doubt who the film's main characters are, most of the shop's other staff were kept constantly in the picture and offering their own contribution to the comedy.
As for the romance, I've never been terribly convinced by the romantic comedy, where I usually feel like we're supposed to simply accept the the two leads are "meant" to be together because they're played by [Insert Male Movie Star Name] and [Insert Female Movie Star Name]. And while I do think that this film does fall into that trap a bit, and certainly not enough time is given to developing the romance and their changing attitudes to each other, Stewart and Sullavan certainly had some incredible chemistry that did make it work. I really enjoyed The SHop Around The Corner - it was a true delight to watch.
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01-18-2006, 05:52 PM
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#99 of 440
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Member
Location: Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexíco
Join Date: May 2002
Local Time: 12:24 AM
Local Date: 07-09-2008
Posts: 11,282
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The singing takes the fun out of it
At almost three hours, Quo Vadis? has all of the marks of the Christian epics of the 50s, save that it was filmed before widescreen formats were anything other than experimental. Otherwise this is a predictably lavish production, made with considerable energy. Peter Ustinov as Nero steals every scene and it is amusing to watch him next to Robert Taylor’s wooden performance. Personally, I question the judgment of choosing the girl who is not Sophia Loren, but otherwise worth watching.
¡Time is not my master!
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01-22-2006, 05:57 PM
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#100 of 440
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Member
Location: Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexíco
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Local Time: 12:24 AM
Local Date: 07-09-2008
Posts: 11,282
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Springtime for Hitler and Germany,
Deutschland is happy and gay!
We’re marching to a faster pace,
Look out, here comes the master race!
Springtime for Hitler and Germany,
Rhineland’s a fine land once more.
Springtime for Hitler and Germany,
Watch out Europe, we’re going on tour!
The famous, bad-taste chorus of The Producers, Mel Brooks first film and likely his magnum opus. Brilliant casting, that has Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in the lead roles, both as manic as is possible and so likeable that we, like the ladies bilked by the pair, wish that the judge could find it possible to set them free.
Technically the movie is quite uneven, just as is the story and dialogue, but as the one-liners and sight-gags tumble one after another, it becomes increasingly difficult to see the flaws.
¡Time is not my master!
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01-23-2006, 12:29 AM
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#101 of 440
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Member
Location: New Zealand
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Local Date: 07-09-2008
Posts: 2,876
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The Producers is one of my absolute favourite comedies. It's not perfect, and some parts don't really work (LSD in particular dates the film a bit too much, although his Love Power song is funny), but most of it works, and works at a comedic level that I am in awe of every time I watch it. There's a reason why a comedy legend like Peter Sellers took out an advert in Variety to proclaim the genius of the film.
Springtime For Hitler in particular is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I completely lost it when they cut to the overhead Busby-Berkley shot.
Zero Mostel is great, but Gene Wilder (an actor that I've never really rated before) really surprised me. Just his performance in that first scene where he is terrorised by Max is one of the most perfectly measured timed and executed pieces of comic brilliance I have ever seen. Mel Brooks really knew how to et great performances out of Gene Wilder.
The stage show is really great (although the varying reports about the movie version have me worried, I'm still looking forward to it). But the thing that surprised me about the show was that the ending was reworked, and worked a lot better. In the orignal film, the characters But in the stage show
I have a real love-hate relationship with Mel Brooks. Even in his great films (Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein) there is a lot of material that I hate, as well as some really great material that make it worth ploughing through the bad stuff. But The Producers is so close to perfect that even the lesser material never feels like a chore to watch.
AFI Top 100 lists:
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