Track the Films You Watch (2005) - Page 14

Haggai

I responded to your thread in software as it's more appropriate there.

First time viewings in Red
Out of

Coffy (1973) (7/10)
Pam Grier is a nurse by day and vigilante by night, out to get the pushers that cooked her little sister. Most of the acting is crude and this is a bit over-the-top but it’s a fun genre film.

Foxy Brown (1974) (5/10)
Another Pam Grier revenge flick. Didn’t care for this one as much as Coffy. Most of the raw energy seems missing.

The Beast With Five Fingers (1946) (6/10)
A dismembered hand terrorizes the inhabitants of a dead pianist’s estate. Above average horror flick for the era it was made in.

Yeah I know what you mean, I never did the dates because frankly I could care less what I watched on Jan 28th 2005 for example. But thats just me.



You do know that shit rots your brain don't you?

Thanks, Jim.

I had never kept track of the movies I watched until this year's thread. I actually really like being able to see what movie I saw on a particular day.

First time viewings in Red
Out of


Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) (6/10)
Paul Newman stars as boxer Rocky Graziano in this bio-pic directed by Robert Wise. Above average but this is no Raging Bull.

Desk Set (1957) (5/10)
A very by-the-numbers Hepburn/Tracy romantic/comedy, this time in an office setting. Been there, done that.

If (1968) (5/10)
A precursor to A Clockwork Orange as Malcolm McDowell leads a revolt in an English boarding school. A product of it’s time & based on it’s reputation, a bit overrated.

The Cat Returns (2002)

Viewed 3/3/2005 (first viewing)

Engaging animated fantasy produced by Hayao Miyazaki. An awkward young girl saves the life of a cat and discovers that he is the prince from the kingdom of cats. Then the grateful king shows up and insists that she marry his son! Short and sweet.

out of


Le Samourai (1967)

Viewed 3/3/2005 (first viewing)

Cold, calculating police procedural from Jean-Pierre Melville. A tight-lipped hitman (Alain Delon) is picked up by the police after killing a club owner but gets off after providing an alibi. He's then marked for death by his nervous employers and tailed by the still-suspicious cops. Tops of its kind.

out of

Public Enemy - I must say I was surprised at how entertaining this was...I picked up the Warner Gangster set without ever having seen any of these films and just knowing their reputation. I feared that perhaps they would come across a bit too dated, but that wasn't the case. Oh sure, it's a somewhat different slice of gangster life than Goodfellas, but that doesn't mean it can't be an enjoyable experience watching the ups and downs of an old style gangster's career. Looking forward to the rest of the set (whenever I get to it).

The Red Shoes - I can't praise this film high enough. Absolutely stunning and gorgeous to look at. The centre piece is obviously the 20 minute ballet sequence that plays out not only the Red Shoes ballet, but the larger story of the movie as well. Though I've always been able to appreciate the artistry of ballet, I'd never have been mistaken for a fan of it. I was totally captivated during this sequence though and thought it was great that it wasn't just a filmed version of the ballet, but an extended and at times dream like view of what the dancer herself might be visualizing. The rest of the story was great fun as well. Grandly melodramatic, but I strangely didn't mind that and felt it worked to the film's advantage. This was a rental, but I now own this in the collection and can't wait to view it again...

Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey - I didn't quite go ga-ga over this doc as much as some others have (it's a little slow moving and scattered at times), but there are some great stories here. In particular, sections with theremin virtuoso Clara Rockmore...She wishes to be thought of as a classically trained musician instead of someone who plays a curiosity. You can see her point as she performs a few beautiful passages. There's some great interviews with Brian Wilson as well.

Blow-up - By the end of this film, I still wasn't sure whether I liked it or not...But as time went on, I noticed I kept thinking about it and what I had seen. So much, that I've ordered it and look forward to viewing it again. There's certainly some odd sections that don't work for me. Specifically the part where the photographer romps with the 2 young models. Though I can see how it fits in with the general concept of the film (what you perceive may not really be the truth), I felt annoyed through that whole sequence. Otherwise though, there's some beautiful shots and quite interesting scenes that play with the concept. I loved the editing of the entire section where he blows up his photos and thinks he has uncovered something.

Out Of The Past - Classic film noir. Robert Mitchum is the coolest. You can see him spiral down and you know he knows it. And yet whenever you see his femme fatale on screen, you fully understand why he can't do anything but stay on that downward path...Great film.

Night Of The Hunter - This one caught me by surprise a number of times...Mitchum again, but this time in a really off the wall performance. I felt he was a bit over the top sometimes, but then again he was playing a psycho serial killing priest - so I don't really have any concrete comparisons...B-) Though I need to see this again, I felt the ending let me down somewhat. After some great setups and stunning black and white cinematography (the childrens escape down the river and the discovery of what happened to their mother), I couldn't help feeling it fizzled a bit once the children meet up with the Lillian Gish character. Still an overall classic that deserves the rep I had heard about it.

The Yes Men - Documentary following a couple of stunts pulled by The Yes Men - a couple of guys and their friends who protest against big corporations by pretending to be members of the WTO. Amusing and very ballsy at times with a couple of "I can't believe they did that moments". I don't think they fully succeeded in framing their point terribly well, but you at least get the feeling they have one...

Infernal Affairs - Quite enjoyable cop/gangster thriller. Like with many of the Hong Kong films, I find it to be a mix of great action with occasional bouts of dramatic cheese (great big gooey globs of it). Cool story though - two moles pitted against each other (one cop mole, one gangster). I kind of felt it peaked early during the first tension filled bust of the drugs coming in off the boat, but it was still a fun ride throughout.

The Most Dangerous Game - Short and sweet version of the classic man hunting game on a remote island. It actually may have benefitted from being a bit longer if they could have played up the cat and mouse angle a bit more to prove the worth of both the hunter and the huntee.

This will be my post. Need to track down all of what I've watched so far.

nevermind, found the 2005 only (primarily) thread

Native Kentuckian here, but I know that plenty of people from at least two other states would disagree with that--Kansas and North Carolina.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

Viewed 3/4/2005 (first viewing)

Interesting change of pace for Martin Scorsese. A widow strikes out on her own with her precocious son and ends up waiting tables at Mel's Diner (this was the basis for the long-running television show Alice). Solid drama that never gets too preachy with its theme of feminine independence.

out of


Time of the Wolf (2002)

Viewed 3/4/2005 (first viewing)

Apocalyptic drama from Michael Haneke. A mother and her children try to survive in the French countryside after a mysterious disaster. More of a piece with Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice than the Mad Max films.

out of


The Letter (1940)

Viewed 3/4/2005 (first viewing)

Beautifully photographed melodrama with Bette Davis as a wife who kills her lover and tries to weasel out of it. From a W. Somerset Maugham tale.

out of

First time viewings in Red
Out of

The Clearing (2004) (6/10)
Slow paced languid thriller has Willem Dafoe kidnapping a successful business executive, Robert Redford. The story focuses on the Redford character’s past mistakes/regrets.

The Night of the Iguana (1964) (6/10)
A defrocked preacher (Richard Burton) goes on a wild bender in Mexico. Directed by John Huston & based on a Tennessee Williams play. Worth watching for the performances but I’ve never been a fan of William’s work.

How To Steal a Million (1966) (6/10)
Comedy/romance/caper flick starring Audrey Hepburn & Peter O’Toole as they attempt to steal a forged sculpture done by Hepburn’s father. Not bad but ultimately forgettable.

Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) (4/10)
This was an interesting concept for a prequel, based on a smidgeon of background information from the original film & based of Father Merrin’s first encounter with the demon/devil. Unfortunately what we get is a Exorcist film for the MTV generation directed by hack Renny Harlin. If you like cheap jump scares & a dumbed down plot this is the film for you. For those looking for the deeper emotional/psychological dread that the first film evoked, look elsewhere.

Oh, I don't know, Jim. I can't stand those "MTV generation" dumbed-down films of today and I liked EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING more than I ever thought I could possibly expect to. I thought it avoided a lot of that and concentrated on the psyche of the younger Father Merrin.

Yesterday I watched Raging Bull. The first time I watched it, I felt mixed. I could appreciate it as a very well made movie, but I had no affection for it. It was just painful to watch. But I decided to rent the 2-disc SE from Netflix for the commentaries and extras. Unfortunately, Disc One, contrary to what is stated on the Netflix site, did not feature the commentaries. Instead, it was the barebones single disc release that came out the same day as the 2-Disc Set. I was outraged but after watching extras on Disc 2, I decided to watch the movie again. Anyway, I just approached it with a different feeling and though I dreaded many of the events of the last hour, knowing what happens really enhanced it for me. I just enjoyed watching everything unfold. It's a brilliantly crafted film and I can finally say I love it.

Audition -
OARDVD
03/05/2005


Damn this movie was intense, it literally had me sweating by the end of the film. Brilliantly made, surreal and stunning. I love how throughout the mundane aspects of the film we have a gradual deterioration in the sanity of the filmmaking going on. Look at the scene between the two lead guys the day after he comes back from his weekend with her, the cutting, the camera work, the 180 degree continuity throughout this scene are all just going to shit in a very deliberate but subtle manner that is absolutely unnerving in the way a traditional scene such as this rarely is.

Not recommended for everyone, but damn is it an experience, if you do watch it, watch it with at least two others, part of the enjoyment of this film is the mutual reactions you share.

----
Forgotten Silver -
OARDVD
03/06/2005

Brilliant and charming mockumentary by Peter Jackson. This was incredibly well concieved and put together, and its so slick it makes a damn convincing argument even as the filmmakers keep upping the stakes of absurdity just another notch higher every five minutes. Highly recommended and very enjoyable, again a good one to watch with an audience.

Adam

Joe,


I was kind of worried there for a moment when your film viewing kept decreasing of late but I see that it's picking up the pace once more...I hope.

Anyhow, I'm glad you liked both THE LETTER (1940) and THE HUSTLER (1961) - although, in my case, despite not being a fan of either "women's pictures" or "sports movies" in general, I'd give both the full **** rating. By the way, why no "IMDB comments" on either of these so far?

While I still need to pick up THE LETTER on DVD myself, I managed to score THE HUSTLER as part of a 3-Disc Paul Newman Collection also featuring BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) - which I know is a favorite of yours - and THE VERDICT (1982) which, incidentally, I rewatched recently as part of a mini-Sidney Lumet tribute on my part (to coincide with his receipt of an Honorary Oscar at this year's Academy Awards) which also included EQUUS (1977), FAIL-SAFE (1964; featuring the recently-deceased Dan O'Herlihy in the nominal leading role), DEATHTRAP (1982), THE APPOINTMENT (1969) and SERPICO (1973).

I also see that you rewatched THE DARK EYES OF LONDON (1939) - featuring one of Bela Lugosi's finest performances, in my opinion - which, as you may recall, I purchased some time ago on DVD (via The Roan Group¡¦s disc entitled THE HUMAN MONSTER) based on your recommendation and for which, naturally, I'm grateful.


Michael,


I don't envy you the task of having to sit through Hallmark's Laurel & Hardy DVDs but, perhaps, your negative vibes about the disc apparently "clouded" your judgment on the films themselves.

Seriously, though, I'm surprised that your recent viewings of WAY OUT WEST (1937) and BLOCK-HEADS (1938) were your first and also that you happen to find the former not one of the amiable duo's greatest films; as a matter of fact, I find it to be second only to SONS OF THE DESERT (1933)...and only by hair at that! I'd go so far as to say that WEST is their most polished production and, as you rightly said, it does contain some of their most memorable sequences. Maybe it's because I've been enjoying this classic comedy since the late 80s but I have no qualms about giving it a fully-deserved ****.

As for BLOCK-HEADS, it follows closely on WEST's heels as L&H's third best (or funniest) and the only reason why I'd rate it below the other two is its lack of a basic plot-line which makes it feel more like a collection of admittedly side-splitting gags strung back to back than anything else. By the way, have you ever watched the equally hilarious OUR RELATIONS (1936) which, for me, is the next in line on the L&H "Order Of Merit" list?

What can I say Joe, maybe my tolerance level is lower than yours, or maybe I'm getting a little crotchety as I grow older. All I know is that I wanted to hit my eject button and fling the disc across the room by the time that joke of an "exorcism" takes place, as Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) . definitely "dumbed down" IMO, compared to the ordeals the priests went through in the first film.

On the positive side, it did have a few genuinely disturbing moments & it was far from the worst horror films I've seen. It wasn't even the worst of the Exorcist sequels as that honor goes to Part II.


First time viewings in Red
Out of



The Name of the Rose (1986) (8/10)
Top-notch murder mystery has Sean Connery as an ex-inquisitor trying to solve a group of murders in a European monastery circa the 14th century.

The Secret of Roan Inish (1994) (6/10)
This quiet unassuming film about an Irish fable is well made but like the other John Sayles features I’ve seen, I was more than a little bored at times.

The Odessa File (1974) (6/10)
Decent political thriller has Jon Voight investigating a secret society protecting former members of the SS.

Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) (5/10)
Charles Laughton is an English butler brought to the American old-west. Sounds like the plot of a TV sitcom. Laughton is excellent in everything he does but the direction is flat, the jokes stale & the laughs just weren’t there.

Days of Glory (1944) (5/10)
This bizarre almost propaganda-like WWII film has Gregory Peck leading a group of Soviet guerilla fighters against the invading Nazi’s.

Agreed, but I like Music Box even more.

I just recently joined Netflix, and since they have a 5-star rating system, I switched from 4-stars in my list. Seemed kind of pointless to have two different star ratings for many of the same movies.

And now for some thoughts on three movies I saw in the theater this weekend. The AFI theater in Maryland is doing retrospectives for Wong Kar-Wai and Scorsese, so I went to one that I had seen before, and two that I hadn't.

In the Mood for Love (2000)
I saw this in a theater back when it was first released in the US. I remembered liking it, but for whatever reason I never got around to getting the Criterion DVD. That's about to change, as this film is absolutely a masterpiece. Everyone involved was quite clearly at the top of their game, as practically every scene in fascinating in some way. There are maybe a few things I could slightly criticize--the gorgeous main musical theme is perhaps overused, the "who made the first move" sequence is somewhat randomly done in a multiple-perspective Rashomon-style, and I couldn't quite keep track of all the location switches in the last 20 minutes (Cambodia? What does that have to do with anything?). But I almost feel silly for even bringing these things up--when everything is so gorgeous and emotionally involving, what's there to complain about?

Happy Together (1997)
Ever seen Chinese people speaking Spanish? That was a first for me, in this moody story of itinerant gay men struggling to find themselves--or something--in Buenos Aires. Some good scenes throughout with Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung, plus another character who ends up being important as well. I was enjoying it all the way through without being quite sure where it was all going, but I was so affected by the final sequence (not in a sad way, I found it quite hopeful) that Wong and company must have been doing something right the whole way through.

New York, New York (1977)
Interesting mis-fire for Scorsese, I'd probably characterize it as a compelling failure. The main story of the rise and fall of the main couple, played by De Niro and Liza Minelli, has some good moments, but doesn't add up to much in the end. A "so what?" factor kicks in, as it's not clear what the fuss was all about. Liza is tremendous, definitely easy to care about, but De Niro's character doesn't go much beyond an obnoxious double-talker (though his performance is good). There's a glossy old-MGM-style musical montage near the end, which I loved, and also some entertaining comedic bits from De Niro earlier on, as he tries to scam hotels out of paying his bills, while trying to hook Liza into getting involved with him. Had they just made it all into a straight-up musical, maybe a bittersweet comedy, instead of trying to blend the old musical formulas with brooding New Hollywood '70s character studies, it might have been great. Overall, it doesn't work, but it's still pretty interesting.

Michael,


Our little Laurel & Hardy discussion has just pushed me into finally ordering that 21-Disc Box Set available in the UK - together with a childhood favorite of mine: the Robert Youngson compilation, THE FURTHER PERILS OF LAUREL & HARDY (1967) - for the princely sum of $187.10 (including shipping and VAT costs) from Amazon.co.uk!

I'll be off from work for a week around Easter time and, hopefully, this set will arrive in time for me to sample a couple of these discs. Now all I need to do is figure out a place where to put this elephantine purchase!!

Hi, Mario,
Yes, it's true that my rate of viewing has tapered off lately. The problem has been that I've gone back to work after being out a good portion of February, so I haven't really had the stamina very often to appreciate a film at night. At times like that I tend to re-watch something I'm already familiar with. Also, I've been watching a lot of TV discs, like I LOVE LUCY and the newly issued LOST IN SPACE SEASON 3.


Sometimes I get backed up, as you can see. I tend to write when I'm fresh in the morning, and usually when I'm off from work and am not too prepoccupied. In the case of certain films, I just have more that I need to think about before committing to a proper set of comments (which was the case with THE LETTER and THE HUSTLER, among others) and then I fall into the trap of procrastinating to the point where nothing gets written!

I love BLOCK-HEADS! It's my second favorite L&H film, right after SONS OF THE DESERT. I was laughing my ass off too the very first time I ever saw it! I have never seen WAY OUT WEST in its entirety.


Don't get me wrong - I didn't like THE BEGINNING as much as THE EXORCIST or EXORCIST 3 (though it's better than Part 2), but I was just expecting ALL special effects with no attempt at any type of story or characters whatsoever. Like most fans, I went in with my arms folded and still sore at Warner Bros. for bumping Paul Schrader off the original project. I was ready to hate every frame of the Harlin film and I found I just couldn't; I definitely squirmed at the lousy CGI, and also the very silly exorcism sequence -- but I must admit I was taken with the tormented character of the priest, the whole Nazi thing, and also the atmosphere.

IMO, these days it's hard to take possessed people very seriously in movies anymore, no matter what. Thanks to the various EXORCIST spoofs and imitators, it always comes across as silly now.

Out of 4 s

Million Dollar Baby
One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
American Psycho

I've got a couple of those Karloff films I haven't seen lined up on my Tivo already.

For those who haven't seen it The Body Snatcher is probably (haven't seen em all) the best of the bunch.

The Mask of Fu Manchu is a fun film though it's so politically incorrect I could see people getting offended with it.

The one I want to see the most that I've never seen is Isle of the Dead, but I'm debating on whether to hold off until the Val Lewton Box set comes out. It might take the fun out of it when I do get the set if I've just recently watched the films.



First time viewings in Red
Out of


Heat (1995) (9/10)
Michael Mann’s masterpiece crime-drama. Upgraded to the new 2-disc set.

Evolution (2001) (5/10)
Seen Ghostbusters & or Men In Black? If so then you’ve seen this one, only done much better.

Sinbad the Sailor (1947) (5/10)
Lavish yet lifeless Technicolor adventure of the legendary Arabian rogue. Lacks the magic, wonder & charm of Harryhausen’s 7th Voyage of Sinbad or Powell’s Thief of Bagdad.

Rabid (1977) (4/10)
Early no-budget David Cronenberg feature has ex-porn star Marilyn Chambers the victim of a weird experimental skin-graft. For hard-core Cronenberg fans only.

Only in the "uncut" version is it what's considered Politically Incorrect, which was the one issued on Laserdisc (the VHS tape was CUT). And frankly, I hope Warner (who owns this film now) one day releases it properly to DVD; those who don't like it don't have to watch it (as they say). I hope someone who watches the TCM presentation will tell us if it's cut or not.