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523+ Best Picture Nominees in 365 Days attempt #2 (1 Viewer)

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 31, Film #39 - My Fair Lady

View Date: 1/31/16
Warner Bros., 1964
Genre: Musical
Rated: G
Director: George Cuckor
Starring: Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn, Marni Nixon, Stanley Holloway, Gladys Cooper
Run Time: 2h 70m
Best Quote: “Yes, you squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns, you incarnate insult to the English language, I could pass you off as the Queen of Sheba!” – 'enry 'iggins

Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), studies language and dialects. When he meets cockney flower-girl Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), he makes a wager that he can turn her into a lady and make her speak properly.

Having just watched Pygmalion, it is hard not to compare the two films. Pygmalion is the simple adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw stage play, while this picture, My Fair Lady, is the lavish Hollywood musical adaptation of the musical stage play of the same name, also based on Shaw's play.

My Fair Lady keeps almost all of the stage play's dialogue, thus, it is very close to Pygmalion. Verily, nearly word for word, both films even have some of the same basic sets. But My Fair Lady is the more lavish production; its costumes are beautiful, set design is terrific (despite being shot entirely on the backlot), and George Cuckor's direction superb.

I love the way both Leslie Howard in Pygmalion and Rex Harrison here in My Fair Lady deliver Shaw's prose. As I listed in my review of Pygmalion, lines like "Draggle-tailed Guttersnipe!" and "Wilted cabbage leaf" kill me. Both actors deliver these lines in a way that I can't describe, but I love nonetheless.

I like Pygmalion because I can "feel" the characters in their roles. I "feel" Rex Harrison in his role, but I just don't see Audrey Hepburn in her role. What if Eliza Doolittle had been played by Julie Andrews? Would she have won for Mary Poppins? Probably not; I would think she probably would have won for this (or at least been nominated), and not nominated for Poppins. It's a good thing that Audrey wasn't nominated because I found her miscast, and I didn't like that her vocals were dubbed by Marni Nixon. In fact, I don't like how you can see that Eliza's songs don't match her mouth movements precisely. It's off-putting, distracting. I found NOTHING wrong with Audrey's singing; the new 50th anniversary Blu Ray has two of her songs as bonus features, and she sings phenomenally well both times.

While this is a lavish production filled with great costumes, great songs and terrific acting, I don't like it as much as Pygmalion. As grand as the songs are, to me, they just aren't memorable (except for "Loverly", the one song I do like). Audrey Hepburn is miscast, and I don't like the "sound stage" feeling to the whole thing. I know this is a popular and much beloved film, but I prefer Pygmalion. It's the same thing in half the time.

The Blu Ray

The picture and sound of the new 50th Anniversary Blu Ray is nothing short of perfection. Painstakingly and "loverlingly" restored by our own Robert Harris, I have not one complaint about either sound or picture. If there was one complaint, it would be that he won't tell us which scene he thinks isn't perfect!

Bonus Features

There are many bonus features on this 3-disc set, including a making of documentary; highlights from the production kickoff dinner, LA and London premiers; Production tests, alternate Hepburn vocals, Photos, sketches and trailers; Rex Harrison's Golden Globe acceptance speech and Oscar highlights; 3 theatrical featurettes and BFI honoring Rex Harrison, as well as a radio interview with Harrison.

A plethora of features to keep one busy for hours. Terrific slate to complement the film.

Blu Ray: 5/5

Audio/Video: 5/5
Bonus Features: 5/5
Film: 4/5
 

bujaki

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There's much to admire in this film, and yet it is not one of my favorites of its year; nor is it one of my favorite Cukor films. However, the score is one of the greatest of the American Musical Theater pre-Sondheim. Your assessment of the score reminds me of the famous Mary Martin story when she turned the show down because the dear boys had lost their touch.
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 32, Film #40 - Good Night and Good Luck.

View Date: 2/1/16
2929, 2005
Genre: Bio Pic
Rated: PG
Director: George Clooney
Starring: David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels, Alex Borstein, Robert Downey, Jr., George Clooney, Patricia Clarkson
Run Time: 1h 33m
Best Quote: “No one familiar with the history of this country, can deny that congressional committees are useful. It is necessary to investigate before legislating. But the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one, and the Junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always, that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep into our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak, and to defend the causes that were for the moment unpopular. This is no time for men who oppose Sen. McCarthy's methods to keep silent or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. We proclaim ourselves as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom wherever it continues to exist in the world. But we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. The actions of the Junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his, he didn't create this situation of fear, he merely exploited it, and rather successfully. Cassius was right, the fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves. Good night, and good luck."


In the early 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy led the anti-communist witch hunt, the "red scare," that ruined the lives and/or careers of many, many people, including the "Hollywood ten".

Many were against these congressional hearings, but one man chose to stand up to McCarthy directly: Edward R. Murrow.

Murrow (David Strathairn), was a famous radio journalist who provided England and America with coverage of the daily blitzkrieg during WW2. When he came back to the US after the war, he took on a TV news program. As host, he delivered commentary on a wide variety of subjects, most notably, clashing with McCarthy.

With the help of his team, including producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney) and Joe Wershba (Robert Downey, Jr.), Murrow slowly helps bring about the downfall the junior senator from Wisconsin. The Power of the media can be devastating.

George Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck. is a brilliant portrayal of a time many may have heard of, but might not know much about. Clooney wisely choose to have the film in B&W, which fits the time period and setting of the film. Although B&W was the perfect choice over color, the B&W looks a little too perfect. A little too clean. But, this doesn't take away from the film at all.

David Strathairn plays Murrow perfectly, and even looks like him. Wisely, film producers didn't cast the part of McCarthy, but instead used archival clips to have him speak (much like they did with Princess Diana in The Queen).

The film tells an interesting story about a period of time in America's history that must never happen again, and about a man - a hero - who must be remembered.

Good night and good watching.

The Blu Ray

The picture is very good, with no artifacts, debris or other. However, as I noted above, the B&W looks a little too new, to fit the time, the B&W could have looked a little "dirtier" if you know what I mean.

Audio is also very good, with no pops, clicks, hiss, crackle, etc.

Bonus Features

There is an audio commentary, a 15m "making of" featurette, and the film's trailer. Not much; a bio of Edward R. Murrow would have been a great addition.

Blu Ray: 4/5

Audio/Video: 4.5/5
Bonus Features: 2.5/5
Film: 4/5
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 33, Film #41 - Bound For Glory

View Date: 2/2/16
MGM, 1976
Genre: Bio Pic
Rated: PG
Director: Hal Ashby
Starring: David Carradine, Melinda Dillon, Ronny Cox, Gail Strickland
Run Time: 2h 27m
Best Quote: “This land is your land; This land is my land.
From California, to the New York Island,
From the redwood forrest, to the gulf stream waters,
This land, was made for you and me.” –
Woody Guthrie

In the dustbowl era of the 1930s, Woody Guthrie (David Carradine) hunts for work like millions of other Americans. He is a sign painter, but there wasn't much call for that kind of work. Woody, a good singer and guitar player, ditches his family to ride the rails of America, headin' out Californy way to find the opportunities that may lie.

Along the way, he befriends the homeless, the hobos, the migrant laborers searching for work. Playing his songs where ever he went, he learned traditional folk and blues songs of middle America, writing his own as well, including his most famous song, "This Land is Your Land."

When Guthrie meets Ozark Bule, a radio star, he lands a job as a backup singer, and, eventually, his own weekly show. But Guthrie was always his own person, and could never take authority.

Fighting social injustice through his music, promoting unions and riding the rails across the land that "was made for you and me," Woody Guthrie was one of Americas greats folk singers.

Woody Guthrie was an @$$hole. Where ever he went, he played by his own rules, refused to submit to authority, and caused trouble. This film shows just what a big jerk he really was, talented or not. First, he abandons his wife and children to rid the rails to lord knew where. When he finally makes a breakthrough, something as simple as a list of songs creates tension with his boss. He even abandons his wife a second time, after bringing her out to Californy.

Woody Guthrie could be called a patriot by some, helping to fight social injustice over the low wages of the fruit pickers in Californy, starting bar-room brawls with his union rhetoric. But out of it all, there were always the songs.

This film is a hodgepodge of several themes, not always blended effectively. The film starts with the economic hardships of the dustbowl of the 1930s, a young man with a family who can't find work was a common theme in the 1930s, especially specialized skilled tradespeople. there wasn't much call for sign painters in Pampa, Texas. At first, you might think this film will be about the "dirty 30s," but you're wrong.

The film changes themes to bio pic as we watch Guthrie abandon his family to ride the rails to Californy. Once there, and making a decent living as a radio star, he calls for his family - right out of the blue - to come to Californy. Once there, Guthrie buys them a home and anything they could want. But being the jerk that his is, he leaves again, without warning, to sing his songs and view America from a different point of view.

In between his songwriting and marital woes, there is his union activism, trying to promote unions to help the migrant farmers who make next to nothing picking fruit for a living. his "bar-room" brawls and standing up for the little man turn this economic folk bio pic into somewhat of a political film as well.

A mess of themes that clash jarringly, as one put it, are combined with Haskel Wexler's beautiful, masterful, Oscar-winning cinematography - truly outstanding - and a tour de force career best performance from David Carradine (who should have been nominated for the Oscar) make this a decent, if muddled, bio pic of one of, if not the greatest folk singers in American history.

The Blu Ray

The recently released Twilight Time Blu Ray of this 1976 film is less than impressive, as the master comes from MGM, and we all know how they treat their films.

The video is filled with artifacts, debris, dirt and dust, ever-present throughout the transfer. Not great amount per frame, but here and there like twinkling stars. And speaking of dust, most of the picture looks like the dustbowl of the 1930s; the pictures seems to have a brownish tint with a fine layer of dust covering the screen. The picture needs a restoration.

The audio is decent; Guthrie's songs come through nicely, although the sound track needs a tiny bit of work to be perfect. Still, the era of the songs is represented quite nicely.

Bonus Features

There is only one bonus on the Blu Ray, and that is the film's trailer. There is also the MGM 90th Anniversary trailer, but that isn't a bonus feature. Twilight Time's perpetual isolated score track is also present, as is the booklet with a fine essay about the film.

Blu Ray: 3/5

Audio/Video: 3/5
Bonus Features: 1.5/5
Film: 3.5/5
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 34, Film #42 - Brooklyn

View Date: 2/3/16
Wildgaze Films, 2015
Run Time: 1h 51m
Genre: Romantic Drama
Rated: PG-13
Director: John Crowley
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Jim Broadbent, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters
Best Quote: “You'll feel so homesick that you'll want to die, and there's nothing you can do about it apart from endure it. But you will, and it won't kill you... and one day the sun will come out and you'll realize that this is where your life is.” – Eilis


[SPOILERS]

*As this is a new movie, I don't wish to spoil it, but let it be know there will be spoilers below.


A young Irish girl leaves her home, sister and mother to go to America. She is homesick at first, but learns to love America… and its people. When tragedy strikes and the young girl, Eilish (pronounced eh-lish, and played by Saoirse Ronan), returns home, she must make the difficult decision of staying in Ireland or returning to America.

Saoirse Ronan (pronounced sher-sha) gives an emotional, passionate performance, her first film using her native Irish brogue. Saoirse looks stunningly beautiful in the light, sunny dresses she wears throughout the film, a compliment to her natural beauty.

Saoirse takes control of every scene she is in; this film is all about her character and she makes sure she dominates. Her performance makes the film what it is.

As a whole, the film is a story that many immigrants may have told… torn by the love of their new land versus the love of their home country. Many immigrants, I would imagine, hold a special place in their heart, a fondness, for their home land, yet they must have a love and respect for their new country.

This film is beautifully shot with and enticing violin score that helps to perfectly set the mood. Shot on location in Ireland and Montreal, not Brooklyn, beautiful landscapes and buildings are shown in all of their glory.

I really liked this film. This charming romantic drama plays on the fragile emotions of a young woman, living alone far from home, the young woman caught between a rock and a hard place. This film, like Capote, is held together by a powerful performance by the lead actor - in this case, Saoirse Ronan - well deserving of Oscar recognition.

The Blu Ray

There isn’t one yet.


Film: 4/5
 
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battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 35, Film #43 - Five Star Final

View Date: 2/4/16
First National Pictures, 1931
Run Time: 1h 29m
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Boris Karloff, H.B. Warner, Frances Starr, Marian Marsh
Best Quote: “Now you listen to me, Hinchecliffe! It'll be for the last time! I'm through with your dirty rag, and I'm through with you! Oh, I'm not ducking any of the blame for this thing! You thought of the murder and I committed it! But I did it for smaller profit! For wages! You did for circulation!!!” – Randall

In order to combat a drop in circulation, a small New York newspaper drudges up a 20-year-old murder.
The editor, Randall (Edward G. Robinson), as ordered by the paper's owner, and against his own ethics, will stop at nothing to re-sensationalize the murder, including accosting the acquitted murderer and her oblivious daughter, albeit with tragic consequences.

Five Star Final, a powerful, rousing indictment of sensationalism in tabloid media, is a very underrated picture from the early days of talkies. Edward G. Robinson is incredible in a knockout, tour de force performance that was ultimately robbed of a nomination for Best Actor because the Academy, at the time, only nominated three actors.

Wonderfully acted on all accounts, look for Boris Karloff as a journalist, sporting his wonderfully light British accent. An extremely against-type role, Five Star Final was released only two months before his "breakout" role in Frankenstein.

I highly recommend this film, a masterpiece of the early day. The powerful message of this film has certainly not been lost in the 85 years since its release; media is just as powerful today as it ever was, social or otherwise. Woodward and Bernstein knew this all-too well.

The DVD

Warner Archives released this film in 2010 on their MOD program, which is a crying shame because it is a terrific film that everyone should see, but few will. This film should be seen and studied like All the President's Men in journalism classes all over the world.

The picture is bad. There are scratches, dust, detritus and artifacts all over the place and, in two places, several frames are actually missing, leaving black space in their place. One missing section runs six frames, the other, four. The contrast is off as well, with whites coming in too brightly at times. However, the greyscale is actually decent in some spots, though not terrific. This film also badly needs a good 2k scan, at least, to sharpen the picture that is fuzzy in spots.

Audio isn't very good, with plenty of hiss, crackle and pops present throughout the soundtrack.

The DVD is watchable, though, and highly recommended for its story and performances.

Bonus Features

There is only one bonus on the disc, as is the case with many Warner Archive titles, and that is the film's trailer, which is in much rougher shape than the feature. That is to be expected, however, but I am just thankful we have the trailer at all.

DVD: 2.5/5

Audio/Video: 2/5
Bonus Features: 1/5
Film: 5/5
 
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bujaki

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Very good film, still timely. Snappy direction by LeRoy and great acting from Robinson. I was lucky to have seen an archive nitrate 35mm print from WB, much better than the DVD.
 

bujaki

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Very good film, still timely. Snappy direction by LeRoy and great acting from Robinson. I was lucky to have seen an archive nitrate 35mm print from WB, much better than the DVD.
Why couldn't they use THAT for the DVD?
Imagine the probable state today of that nitrate print that I viewed in 1973. At that time some of the WB prints, although gorgeous, were already starting to exhibit some signs of nitrate deterioration. And that was 4 decades ago, and the film was already 40 years old!
 

battlebeast

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Very good film, still timely. Snappy direction by LeRoy and great acting from Robinson. I was lucky to have seen an archive nitrate 35mm print from WB, much better than the DVD.

Imagine the probable state today of that nitrate print that I viewed in 1973. At that time some of the WB prints, although gorgeous, were already starting to exhibit some signs of nitrate deterioration. And that was 4 decades ago, and the film was already 40 years old!
I didn't realize that it was 40+ years ago that you saw it... OF COURSE it would look much better then!
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 35, Film #44 - The Story of Louis Pasteur

View Date: 2/4/16
First National Pictures, 1936
Run Time: 1h 26m
Genre: Bio Pic
Rated: G
Director: William Dieterle
Starring: Paul Muni, Donald Woods, Fritz Leiber, Akim Tamiroff
Best Quote: “The benefits of science are not for scientists, they are for all humanity.” – Louis Pasteur


It is France in the 1860s and the great scientist Louis Pasteur's life is told from the time he begins to develop a vaccine for Anthrax, a virus plaguing France, through his development of a vaccine for rabies, all the while ridiculed for his foolish assertion that diseases are caused by "an animal ten thousand times smaller than a flea."

This film was barely an "A" picture on the Warner lot when it entered production; Jack Warner and Hal Wallis had no confidence in it, and demanded that the production stick to a smaller than usual budget of $300,000-$400,000. No sets could be built; they had to reuse previous sets. Notably, the Emperor's palace was a from a Busbee Berkely musical. When it became a hit, and won three of four Oscars it was nominated for, William Dieterle was boosted to top rank director, and received more plum directing jobs. As well, Warners now considered producing more bio pics, for which they became somewhat famous for in the late 30s and early 40s.

Paul Muni, one of Warner's leading stars in the 1930s, gives grand, Oscar-winning performance as the French scientist in this short film that, made on a low budget, tells its tale quickly, and to the point. Aside from a small romantic subplot that really doesn't need to be there, this is a very decent film with a great performance from one of the great actors of the 30s.

The Story of Louis Pasteur tells an interesting story about the ignorance of humanity and how reluctant we were to accept that time honored practice was doing us more harm than good. Oh how far we have come in such a short time.

The DVD

This film has never been released to DVD in North America; I have ordered a DVD from Australia that is region free, so we shall see if it is pressed or not, and what quality the picture and sound are in. Does anyone know if this has been released outside North America?

The copy of the film I viewed was taken off TCM in 2011 (They are showing this film again for 31 Days of Oscar on February 19th).

The print TCM used is not in rough shape, but isn't terrific either. There are bits of debris and artifacts here and there, but not many. The contrast is too high and the whites are bright. The greyscale is good, but the overall picture is a tiny bit soft and fuzzy.

The biggest problem, I would say, is the audio, as it contains loud hiss and crackle with pops thrown in every now and then.

This film requires a new scan, I would say in 4k, and a tweaking of the film's contrast levels. Then, the soundtrack needs to be fixed and have the horrendous crackle and hiss removed.

I asked Warner Archives about this title a couple of years ago, and they said it needed to be remastered. I hope that TCM will be showing a remastered print on February 19th, that will soon be released via the Archive.

TCM Print: 2.5/5
Film: 4/5
 
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bujaki

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Muni was good in Pasteur, but imo, Walter Huston should have won for his sublime performance in Dodsworth, the best film of '36, as far as I'm concerned.
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 36, Film #45 - 127 Hours

View Date: 2/5/16
Pathé, 2010
Run Time: 1h 33m
Genre: Bio Pic
Rated: R
Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: James Franco
Best Quote: “I'm in pretty deep doodoo here.” – Aron Rolston

While out Canyoneering in the outback of Utah, Aron Rolston (James Franco), literally becomes trapped between a rock and a hard place when he falls into a crevasse and a boulder pins his arm to the rock wall.

Low on food and running out of water, Aron tries everything to escape his captivity, but nothing he does will dislodge the boulder. After more than five days stuck and on the verge of insanity, Aron realizes that if he is to survive, there is only one thing he can do...

James Franco's one man show is an amazing tour de force performance. Franco is impressive, delicately balancing the coming insanity with the struggle to try and free himself.


127h3.jpg
But it is director Danny Boyle who sets the tone of the film with Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle's stunning cinematography and amazing camera angles, as well as a special touch that keeps the picture from lagging into what could really become very slow and tedious.

There are many times throughout the film where it almost seems like we are going to be watching Aron Ralston chip away at the boulder trapping him for minutes on end. But Danny Boyle wisely passes the time by going into Ralston's mind: we see flashbacks to Ralston's memories of his family and friends, and also hallucinations brought on by the stress of the situation and very little water and food.

The film editing is something else to behold, too. At times, Danny Boyle takes three different shots and layers them side-by-side on the screen to give us three different perspectives of the same scene. No where has this ever been so masterfully effective in telling a story as it is here. Ultimately, this film was robbed of a nomination for cinematography.

Danny Boyle utilizes the confined space of the rock crevice trapping Ralston by placing the camera at unique angles so that the images we see are very unique. This "style" enhances the film like nothing we have ever seen before.


127h4.jpg
All of this brings us to the climax of the picture where we know what is going to happen. Boyle minimizes the gruesome factor of the event, which apparently caused some
people in theaters to faint. Nevertheless, this is a powerful scene and a situation that no one should ever have to be in. After all, who could ever imagine being stuck in a situation like that? It never, ever crosses your mind. But remember this: like they say, there is no force on Earth more powerful than the will to live.

The Blu Ray

The Blu Ray's picture is very good, as it should be, being a new release. There is nothing interfering with the picture, no artifacts, debris or dirt of any kind. The only problem I saw was, maybe, one scene where the gilm grain was a bit too much. But I don't know if this film was even shot on film stock.

Audio is also very good; no pops, crackle, etc., because that just doesn't happen anymore with new releases.

Bonus Features

First, there is an audio commentary with director Danny Boyle, Producer Christian Colson and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy. Then, we have a featurette on the actual events that helped in Aron's rescue, which include interviews with Aron and his mother. Another featurette focuses on the relationship between Director Danny Boyle and Actor James Franco. Finally, there are some deleted scenes.

A good selection, but missing the film's trailer, which, I'm afraid, is a thing of the past.

Blu Ray: 4.5/5

Audio/Video: 4.5/5
Bonus Features: 4/5
Film: 4.5/5
 
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battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 37, Film #46 - State Fair

View Date: 2/6/16
Fox, 1933
Run Time: 1h 39m
Genre: Comedy
Rated: G
Director: Henry King
Starring: Will Rogers, Janet Gaynor, Lew Ayers, Louise Dresser, Norman Foster
Best Quote: “Abel Frake, I am not putting liquor in my cooking!” [Puts it in anyway] – Melissa Frake

1933's State Fair is the lesser known version of the Roger and Hammerstein musical, a story about the Frake family and their goings on at the Iowa State Fair. Starring humorist Will Rogers as patriarch Able Frake, busy grooming his boar Blue Boy, which he will enter in one competition. His wife, Melissa (Louise Dresser), is entering multiple items, including mincemeat and pickles. His son (Norman Foster) has met an acrobat, and things start to get heavy, while his daughter (Janet Gaynor), has met a young man (Lew Ayers).

How will the fair end for the Frake family? Only time will tell.

The first time I saw this film I din't much like it, and while my opinion has improoved slightly, I still don't much care for it. Will Rogers performance is slow and steady, like many rural folk, while Louise Dresser is just like the average farmer's wife. Their children are average 30s children, but played by actors who are much too old to be believable. Foster is 29, and Gaynor 26; 10 years too old for both of them.

It's funny that the family doesn't care about the hard, economic times of the 1930s... money seems to be nothing to them. This just strikes me as odd.

The film moves slowly, like rural folk; when the family win the competitions they enter, their reactions are slow like rural folk and as though they expect to win.

I don't know how many people like this film, I found it slow and a little bit painful to watch. Nothing about this film stands out to me, nothing shouts "Best Picture" either.

The DVD
This film has never been released to DVD, like several other pre-mergerFox titles (The White Parade, East Lynne) has not been released on home video, probably due to quality.

The print I viewed was recorded off TCM in February, 2014.

There are small scratches, in some cases multiple scratches onscreen at the same time, as well as small artifacts/debris, present throughout the picture. The greyscale is decent, but in some parts the blacks are too black and the whites too white. The picture is way too soft; it has a grey haze over it. It badly needs a high quality scan to sharpen the picture.

The audio is rough shape with lots of crackle and pops present from start to finish.

Bonus Features

There are none.

TCM Print: 2.5/5
Film: 2.5/5
 
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battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 37, Film #47 - Skippy
View Date: 2/6/16
Paramount, 1931
Run Time: 1h 25m
Genre: Comedy
Rated: G
Director: Norman Taurog
Starring: Jackie Cooper, Robert Coogan, Willard Robertson, Enid Bennett


Skippy is the adaptation of the comic strip of the same name, revolving around the mischievious antics of young Skippy Skinner, the son of a wealthy doctor. When Skippy (Jackie Cooper) meets Sooky (Robert Coogan), they form an instant friendship. Skippy finds out that Sooky's shantytown home is going to be demolished, on the recommendation of his father, who claims it is full of disease. Skippy makes it his mission to save the shantytown, but first, he must help Sooky get back his beloved dog that was taken by a nasty dogcatcher.

Director Norman Taurog cast his own nephew, Jackie Cooper, in this fine adaptation of the comic. However, the film as a whole is slow; Cooper and Coogan's acting is slow and plodding.

This film isn't remarkable; in fact it's kinda silly. I don't know how Taurog won the directing oscar... well, maybe I do. Back in those days, they didn't so much give out the Oscars for "the best" of the year so much as the "favorite" of the year (which would explain how Mary Pickford won in 1929). Taurog wasn't the best director of the year; give that title to Wesley Ruggles for Cimarron.

The best thing Taurog did in this film was work with young child actors, especially in scenes that required a lot of emotion. Apparently, in order to get his nephew to cry, Taurog told him that he was going to shoot his dog (the black one in the film), and then went out of sight and let off a gunshot. Cooper immediately cried, did the scene, and continued to bawl. When Taurog told him that his dog was still alive, according to Cooper, he lost a great deal of respect for his uncle.

For his work, Cooper became the youngest nominee for Best Actor (9 years old), until 8 year old Justin Henry was nominated for the crappy Kramer v. Kramer (more on that another day). Jackie Cooper was very cute in his silly, comic-accurate costume, and seems to have a good rapport with Coogan.

Even today, this is still the only film nominated for Best Picture based on a comic book/strip. This isn't a film that screams "best picture", however; good family fun, yes, but that's about it.

The DVD

I don't know if this film was ever released on VHS, but it has never appeared on DVD. Universal aquired hundreds of titles from Paramount in 1958 to be shown on TV; this one was tied up in legalities and never shown on TV until many years later.

Universal was going to release Skippy as one of the debut titles in its MOD "Vault" series, but for some mysterious reason, it was pulled and never saw the light of day. Maybe it is still tied up in legalities?

Anyway, the print I viewed was recorded off TCM in 2011. Surprisingly, for an 80+ year old film, there isn't much in the way of scratches, artifacts or detritus; the print looks mostly crisp, and greyscale is pretty good too. Blacks and white are also pretty good. I would still give the print a good 2k scan, but if not, the print looks very good and is highly watchable.

The soundtrack is also very good, surprisingly; there is very, very little in the way of hiss, crackle and pops. They are only really present if you turn the volume way up.

TCM Print: 4/5
Film: 3/5
 
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bujaki

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 37, Film #47 - Skippy
View Date: 2/6/16
Paramount, 1931
Run Time: 1h 25m
Genre: Comedy
Director: Norman Taurog
Starring: Jackie Cooper, Robert Coogan, Willard Robertson, Enid Bennett


Skippy is the adaptation of the comic strip of the same name, revolving around the mischievious antics of young Skippy Skinner, the son of a wealthy doctor. When Skippy (Jackie Cooper) meets Sooky (Robert Coogan), they form an instant friendship. Skippy finds out that Sooky's shantytown home is going to be demolished, on the recommendation of his father, who claims it is full of disease. Skippy makes it his mission to save the shantytown, but first, he must help Sooky get back his beloved dog that was taken by a nasty dogcatcher.

Director Norman Taurog cast his own nephew, Jackie Cooper, in this fine adaptation of the comic. However, the film as a whole is slow; Cooper and Coogan's acting is slow and plodding.

This film isn't remarkable; in fact it's kinda silly. I don't know how Taurog won the directing oscar... well, maybe I do. Back in those days, they didn't so much give out the Oscars for "the best" of the year so much as the "favorite" of the year (which would explain how Mary Pickford won in 1929). Taurog wasn't the best director of the year; give that title to Wesley Ruggles for Cimarron.

The best thing Taurog did in this film was work with young child actors, especially in scenes that required a lot of emotion. Apparently, in order to get his nephew to cry, Taurog told him that he was going to shoot his dog (the black one in the film), and then went out of sight and let off a gunshot. Cooper immediately cried, did the scene, and continued to bawl. When Taurog told him that his dog was still alive, according to Cooper, he lost a great deal of respect for his uncle.

For his work, Cooper became the youngest nominee for Best Actor (9 years old), until 8 year old Justin Henry was nominated for the crappy Kramer v. Kramer (more on that another day). Jackie Cooper was very cute in his silly, comic-accurate costume, and seems to have a good rapport with Coogan.

Even today, this is still the only film nominated for Best Picture based on a comic book/strip. This isn't a film that screams "best picture", however; good family fun, yes, but that's about it.

The DVD

I don't know if this film was ever released on VHS, but it has never appeared on DVD. Universal aquired hundreds of titles from Paramount in 1958 to be shown on TV; this one was tied up in legalities and never shown on TV until many years later.

Universal was going to release Skippy as one of the debut titles in its MOD "Vault" series, but for some mysterious reason, it was pulled and never saw the light of day. Maybe it is still tied up in legalities?

Anyway, the print I viewed was recorded off TCM in 2011. Surprisingly, for an 80+ year old film, there isn't much in the way of scratches, artifacts or detritus; the print looks mostly crisp, and greyscale is pretty good too. Blacks and white are also pretty good. I would still give the print a good 2k scan, but if not, the print looks very good and is highly watchable.

The soundtrack is also very good, surprisingly; there is very, very little in the way of hiss, crackle and pops. They are only really present if you turn the volume way up.

TCM Print: 4/5
Film: 3/5
I'd have personally given the Best Actor statuette to Cooper instead of to Barrymore, the eventual winner, for his hammy performance in A Free Soul. I've always found Lionel Barrymore quite insufferable as an actor (almost, but not quite as bad as Wallace Beery), and the lesser of the three Barrymores. I do enjoy Skippy quite a lot, thanks to the chemistry among the children: Cooper, Coogan, the always enjoyable Mitzi Green and Jackie Searl.
 

battlebeast

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Messages
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Location
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Real Name
Warren
531 Films, 365 Days: Day 38, Film #48 - Dog Day Afternoon
View Date: 2/7/16
Warner Bros., 1975
Run Time: 2h 05m
Genre: Crime Drama
Rated: R
Director: Sydney Lumet
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Chris Sarandon, Charles Durning
Best Quote: "Attica! Attica!"

On one average dog day afternoon in Brooklyn, Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) and his friend Salvatore Naturale (John Cazale) commence their plan to rob a bank. Sonny needs the money for a friend's operation, and this is the only way he knows how to get it.

Things go according to plan at first, but in no time the police arrive, a media circus makes the scene, and all hell breaks loose. Several hostages are all that are saving Sonny and Sal from a police ambush. Will they get out alive?

Dog Day Afternoon, a brilliantly acted, taught crime drama based on the real events of August 22nd, 1972, when John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturale tried to rob a bank in Brooklyn.

The film gives a very good, if somewhat fictionalized, version of the events of that day, with terrific performances from Al Pacino and Chris Sarandon. The film is fast paced, electric, and powerful, even though it is trying not to be.

Dog Day Afternoon was a film ahead of its time. The LGBT movement was really picking up steam in the 1970s with the likes of Harvey Milk in San Francisco. Homosexuality is a big part of this film, and the motivation for the robbery, but this film doesn't make a big deal about Sonny and his lover being gay. It just isn't a big deal. A point that I very much appreciate, as the LGBT stuff (which I have nothing against) seems to be thrown in our faces mercilessly these days. In fact, when you think about it, this film is even ahead of OUR time. Something to consider.

The film captures the zeitgeist of the mid 1970s when the economy was down, the country was just getting over Watergate, and mid-east tensions were high. Just look at the opening scene, where we see a beautiful cross-section of the real Brooklyn, not the polished and pretty one we often see in films (like Brooklyn, among others). These gritty, realistic cop dramas of the 1970s (Dirty Harry, The French Connection, Serpico) paint the perfect picture of the times; although Hollywoodized, I appreciate the authenticity of the times. Being born in 1983, I missed the 1970s, but I get a glimpse of it from pictures like these.

The Blu Ray

Warners did a very good job releasing this film to Blu Ray. The picture is clear and sharp, with no artifacts of debris present. The colors look a touch dirty, but as was the style in 1975, gritty, well-worn dramas were popular. Having the colors look a tad dirty fits right in with the times and the mood of the picture.

Audio is likewise good, clean and clear.

Bonus Features

There are four bonuses on the Blu Ray. First is an audio commentary by director Sidney Lumet. Second, a four-part, in-depth documentary on the making of the film, from the real events to casting, filming and the aftermath is the best of all the bonuses. Thirdly, there is a featurette on director Sidney Lumet, and lastly, the film's trailer.

Blu Ray: 4.5/5

Audio/Video: 4.5/5
Bonus Features: 4/5
Film: 4/5
 
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