Track the Films You Watch (2006) - Page 66

Mario Gauci · 12-22-2006, 10:22 AM

Quote (originally posted by Sandro):

“Mario, I think you nailed it on Nazarin. The point is that Bunuel is also satirizing the priest and the strict tenets of a religion that will not bend on any points. Of course those who are bending the rules don't get a lot of sympathy either.

Last year TCM played about 5 movies by Bunuel and I was completely astounded by all of them. They are intelligent, sophisticated and uncompromising films yet also humorous.”

Thanks, Sandro…it’s always nice to know that new “converts” are joining the Bunuel cause

! As for the “nailing” part, you yourself nailed the main reason why Bunuel is my all-time favorite film-maker: the humor. He may treat Catholic hypocrisy, bourgeois mores, sexual depravity, poverty and any other subject you would care to mention but Bunuel is sure to imbue it with his unique brand of humor while still making a personal, lucid, sophisticated statement on the matter…which is the beauty of it! It’s very easy to satirize and make fun of something but not many directors were able to join the two things together so skillfully and yet seemingly effortlessly.

Quotes (originally posted by Michael Elliott):

“Re: NAZARIN

Bunuel's point and message just didn't work with me. I forgot to mention the priest being a Jesus like thing but this is the part that I found too overbearing. I think the film would have worked better for me had it been a little more laid back and not so much in my face. As you can see, I didn't write too much about it because it really didn't hit me the way I think the director wanted it to. There were a few times throughout the film where I wanted to hit the priest like the others.”

Again, the priest is shown as getting (mildly) angry at his tormentors while in prison – just as Jesus blew his top with the merchants that one time in the Temple

!

”Re: THE YOUNG ONE

If you remember, I watched the first twenty minutes of this back in March but the disc froze up and I just got a replacement a few weeks back. I enjoyed what I watched back then and I loved the rest of the film when I finally watched it last night. The point about Meyer is a good one (and got me thinking about his BLACKSNAKE) but I was also curious if Bunuel had seen the 1938 film CHILD BRIDE, which features a few similar scenes.

As for the film's rep and Maltin's poor review, IMO this has something to do with its graphic subject matter and the fact that this doesn't seem like any Bunuel film I've seen. Again, the racial slurs and talks are very graphic and certainly a lot more "on target" than the previous Poitier films or even future films that deal with race. I'd say this film would be protested if it were made today so it was rather shocking to see this stuff in a 1960 film. We could talk about the sexuality and rape as well in regards to a film from 1960.”

I’ve never heard of CHILD BRIDE (1938) myself until now but since Bunuel lived for a time in the U.S. (between the late 1930s and mid-1940s) it would not have been impossible for him to have seen that film during its original release. Having said that, Bunuel’s most celebrated “inspirations” from Hollywood are the burning of the wax dummy seen in THE CRIMINAL LIFE OF ARCHIBALDO DE LA CRUZ (1955) – taken from MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSUEM (1933) and the walking hand seen in THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (1962) – taken from THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS (1946)!

”I had meant to follow these two up with ILLUSIONS TRAVELED BY A STREETCAR (I think that's the title) but something else came up.”

The correct title is ILLUSION TRAVELS BY STREETCAR (1954) – although the print which the National Film Theatre will be screening in January is being called RUNAWAY STREETCAR in their booklet. By the way, I’ve just been to my travel agent and I’ve made all the necessary travel and accomodation arrangements to enable me to attend part of the Bunuel retrospective between the 13th and the 28th of January 2007! The plan is for me to watch 17 Bunuel films, 12 animated shorts by Norman McLaren, 6 Humphrey Bogart movies, 3 with Lauren Bacall, 4 featuring the Bogart/Bacall team and 2 of the so-called British “Quota” quickies which were imposed by the Government in the 1930s.

”Re: THE WICKER MAN

I think, as a fan, you're being rather tough on the film. You asked where certain things were in the remake compared to the original but I'm thankful we didn't get a direct remake. I didn't like all the changes but at least something was altered. At the very least I feel the film deserves at least a half star rating for:”

The reason why the fervently Catholic virgin character in the original, as played by Edward Woodward, was chosen by the Pagan community for their human sacrifice made sense because the beliefs of both parties were portrayed so convincingly. Here, Nicolas Cage is just another police officer whose only reason to be invited to the island is because he once was engaged to one of its inhabitants; as for the Summersislanders, I didn’t believe in their “religious” zeal for an instant. As for the ending, had they changed that they might as well have scrapped the title, no? Not much integrity there I reckon…

Haggai · 12-22-2006, 02:42 PM

49th Parallel (1941) 7/10
Wartime propaganda film from Powell and Pressburger, mainly about a German submarine crew that's stranded in Canada during an operation when their ship is bombed. Leslie Howard, Laurence Olivier, and Raymond Massey are top-billed, but none of them are in it very much. Howard and Massey don't show up until the last 30 minutes or so. Not a bad movie overall, and some of the scenes of the Germans in an Amish-like community are pretty good. But it goes on for too long, and some of the propagandizing is fairly transparent and silly. I'd say that The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp was a much more successful exercise in wartime propaganda from Powell and Pressburger, where they got the message across within a great story about some very compelling characters.

Stolen Face (1952) 6/10
Paul Henreid and Lizabeth Scott star in this British-made film that ends up being a weird cross between Pygmalion and Vertigo, with Henreid playing a plastic surgeon who tries to compensate for not being able to be with the woman he loves. The two stars are both pretty good, and the last third of the story has at least some dramatic interest, but most of the romantic setup before that is too dull to work.

Hollow Triumph (1948) 8/10
Paul Henreid stars in this B-movie noir, also known as The Scar, about an ex-convict on the run from a less than successful heist, when he happens upon a doctor whose identity he might be able to steal. The all-too-convenient central plot point revolves around Henried playing both roles, which is pretty silly, but it's very well-made. The cinematography by John Alton, one of the great masters of the noir era, enhances all of the crime-related sequences, which are terrific and really suspenseful. I was able to see this one in a good print at a screening, which helped to bring out the strength of the photography.

Lady in the Death House (1944) 4/10
The second part of a double feature with Hollow Triumph, both by the same director, Steve Sekely. It's a Poverty Row quickie (only 56 minutes long) centering around the premise of an innocent woman on death row for murder whose amorous admirer just happens to be the executioner himself, who thus finds himself in the somewhat awkward position of having to pull the switch on her. But most of the story centers on a criminologist, played by Lionel Atwill, who fills in the backstory for a group of reporters while trying to piece together enough evidence to exonerate the young woman.

The central premise could, in theory, make for a decent noir plotline, but the dreadful script of this stinker is only good for a few unintentional laughs, which is all that prevents me from giving it an even lower rating. One line that had the screening audience in stitches was when the executioner turns conscientious at the last minute and refuses to pull the switch, only to have another prison official appeal to him by saying, "Think of the poor girl! You can't just leave her waiting there!" Well, actually, under the circumstances...

Lionel Atwill was obviously hard-up for work to be doing silly junk like this, and indeed it appears (I didn't know this before looking it up after seeing this movie) that he was still suffering from the after-effects of a scandal of the previous couple of years that had centered around some debauchery that had taken place at his home.

Strange Cargo (1940) 6/10
Clark Gable and Joan Crawford headline this story about escapees from a French penal colony, with a mysterious inmate along for the ride who seems to have a preternatural sense of what things are going to happen next. Gable and Crawford have a few good scenes together, and several top supporting players add some personality as well (Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre, and Eduard Cianelli among them), but the script is too weak to sustain the storyline. The premise of the all-seeing prisoner, which is apparently supposed to be some sort of Christ allegory, doesn't really come together in any coherent or interesting way.

Ted Lee · 12-22-2006, 04:02 PM

title: over the hedge
rating: c
comments: about standard for the genre. decent story, animation and voice acting made for an enjoyable time. unfortunately, nothing really set this over the top. good flick, but not much of a re-watchability factor.

Michael Elliott · 12-23-2006, 02:12 AM

12/21/06

Copper Beeches, The (1912)

A man kidnaps and hides a governess so that he can get a look a like to take her place so that he can steal all of her money. When a maid finds out she runs to Sherlock Holmes (Georges Treville) for help. This is a rather interesting Holmes film as he doesn't show up until the middle of the second reel and even stranger is that he really doesn't investigate anything. We know from the start that the governess is locked away in a barn and Holmes really just has to get to key to let her out (why he didn't kick the door down is anyone's guess). Treville is pretty bland as Holmes and I believe he went on to place him in two other films.

Dying Detective, The (1921)

Sherlock Holmes (Eille Norwood) knows that a man has killed a former partner but he can't prove it unless he finds a dying detective who knows what really happened. Norwood would play Holmes in over thirty films and he's quite good in the role bring an intelligent looking character but that's about the only good thing here. The story is somewhat hard to follow and again, Holmes isn't given much to do.

Devil's Foot, The (1921)

Sherlock Holmes (Eille Norwood) is on vacation when he stumbles into a house and discovers two bodies. Both have been dead for hours but there aren't any visible signs of violence and soon other bodies start to pile up. Here's one I actually enjoyed since we get to see Holmes investigating the murders. As with the other film, Norwood turns in a good performance and the mystery works nice as well.

Man with the Twisted Lip, The (1921)

Sherlock Holmes (Eille Norwood) begins an investigation into a dead man but clues make him think there might not be a body at all. Once again the mystery here is pretty good and Norwood delivers another good performance.

12/22/06

Rocky (1976)

I grew up with this film playing at least twice a month due to my father being a die hard fan. In fact, I also had to grow up hearing him talk about how he saw this film in the theater twenty some times. With that said, I believe this was my first viewing where I watched the film from start to finish. I had seen every inch of the movie before but this was the first time watching it through. I certainly don't think this was the best picture of 1976 but I certainly understand why it won since Stallone's screenplay perfectly captures what dreams are. The film is incredibly charming, sweet and uplifting, which I guess is all it needs to be. Not to mention the fact that it's probably the most iconic film in the past thirty years since everyone and their mother knows who Rocky is. The performances from Stallone, Shire, Young, Weathers, Meredith and Spinnel are all terrific and the direction pulls everything together nicely.

Rocky Balboa (2006)

After the dreadful Rocky 5 and a sixteen year break in the action, I had to laugh when I heard Stallone was pulling this character back out. I really had no interest in seeing this film outside a minor sadistic view of wanting to see how badly Stallone would screw it up. That being said, my father and I always have a double feature around Christmas and his most favorite character was back in theaters so I entered theater not expecting much but as it turned out, Stallone must be like the character he's playing. Everyone writes him off as a has been but he fights back with a stellar performance, screenplay and his best directing job. I might even go out on a limb and say this better than the original film and it's hands down better than any of the sequels. The film, must like the first one and unlike the other sequels, isn't a mindless boxing film but a film full of inspiration, hope and thoughts of dreams and regret. The drama of this film is remarkably captured in Stallone's screenplay, which seems from the heart and there are several moments that make you want to stand up and cheer. This is without a question one of the most inspiration films I've seen in quite some time and I think I know how people felt about the original film when it was released. The supporting cast of players, many who were just walk ons in the original film, are all great and Stallone delivers one of his best performances. Everyone kept asking if we really needed another Rocky film and the answer is yes. Hopefully the negativity of the sequels won't keep people away from seeing this gem.

We Are Marshall (2006)

True life story about the Marshall football program who lost all but three football players and all but one coach due to a plane crash in 1970. The following year the school, after much debate, decides to put another team on the field and hires a new coach (Matthew McConaughey) who must deal with the new team and those who knew people who were killed in the crash. I was really worried walking into this film due to the PG rating, which I thought was going to mean everything had been sugared down but that wasn't the case. The opening thirty-minutes and during several other scenes are incredibly sad and depressing without any sugar being added. The film pays great tribute to the men and women who died, which is all you can expect. The football scenes are cliched as hell but that doesn't really matter because the film's strength is in its heart and the emotion it shows. The theater group I watched this with were cheering and crying throughout the entire film so it certainly hit all the right notes. McConaughey gives a very good performance and the supporting cast, which includes Matthew Fox, David Strathairn, Robert Patrick and Anthony Mackie, are equally good.

The one thing I will bitch about is at the very end when director McG gives himself a credit before the final tribute to the football players who died. I personally found this very disrespectful and wish it would be changed on the DVD release.

Adam_S · 12-23-2006, 03:01 AM

Baby Face -

(7 out of 10)

A very good pre code film (I watched the unreleased version) that is shocking and bald-faced in how it addresses sexuality and the exploitation of sexual favors for advancement. I was actually a little surprised a film as hard nosed as this did in fact go for the hollywood ending. Barbara Stanwyk is outstanding it's worth seeing the movie just for her performance. an excellent film from the era.

Adam

Joe Karlosi · 12-23-2006, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Elliott

12/21/06

Rocky Balboa (2006)

After the dreadful Rocky 5 and a sixteen year break in the action, I had to laugh when I heard Stallone was pulling this character back out. I really had no interest in seeing this film outside a minor sadistic view of wanting to see how badly Stallone would screw it up. Hopefully the negativity of the sequels won't keep people away from seeing this gem.

I'm glad you liked it and this is getting great reviews. I'm so pleased, because everyone kept snickering about the very idea of bringing Stallone back as Rocky and there have long been jokes from various films where they laught at the notion of "ROCKY - PART 86" and so on. Well, it looks like everyone is eating his words. I can't wait to see this myself (I might even be going today, not sure yet).

Michael Elliott · 12-23-2006, 08:47 AM

Quote:

(I might even be going today, not sure yet)

I hope you do go see it. Just keep in mind that it's like the original and not the sequels.

I actually called all of my friends and family members around here telling them to go see it. I normally don't care how well films do at the box office but I really hope this does well because of all the crap Stallone has taken from people (including myself). The group I watched it with (at a 11am showing) seemed to love it and all the comments at IMDB seem to love it. I think critics are giving it *** or *** 1/2 and not a **** because they don't want to eat their words too much. I doubt it'll happen but Stallone deserves a Best Actor nom and at the very least a Best Screenplay.

george kaplan · 12-23-2006, 10:34 AM

It's a Wonderful Life

It's a wonderful film, but I'm sure most have seen it, and have their own opinion one way or another.

Joe Karlosi · 12-23-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Elliott

I hope you do go see it. Just keep in mind that it's like the original and not the sequels.

Exactly what I wanted!

My mother and stepfather are in town for Christmas. They want to see it along with my wife and I, and also my sister and her husband and two of their kids. They're looking at an 8pm showing tonight but so far it's hard getting all plans squared away and everyone synchronized.