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Track the Films You Watch (2008) - Page 57

post #1681 of 1907
10/21/08 at 8:13pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Only Angels Have Wings - While watching this, I couldn't stop thinking how much better it would be with Humphrey Bogart. Don't get me wrong, I love Cary Grant, this kind of tough-as-nails role isn't suited for him. When Hawks made To Have and Have Not a few years later, it's a very similar movie but with the proper casting of Bogart. However, Jean Arthur is spot on for her part. Lauren Bacall couldn't have pulled off this delicate balance of brassy and naive. The plot seems cobbled together from pre-determined scenes, but it's a satisfying adventure story about man's men and their ideals, with a few terrific flying sequences. Rating: 7


House of Bamboo - Despite being color, the tone is unmistakably noir, and I always enjoy watching noir. The Tokyo setting is a nice twist, and Fuller makes good use of the locations. The story is nothing new, but it's a fun time with a thrilling ending. I have yet to be all that impressed by Fuller, but this is my favorite of his so far, with a few very clever shots. As a child of the 70's and 80's, however, I can't look at Robert Stack without thinking about Airplane!. "Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked in the head... with an iron boot? Of course you don't, no one does. It never happens. It's a dumb question, skip it." Rating: 7


The Godfather (rewatch, Blu-Ray) - Nothing new to say here. Rating: 9


The Godfather Part II (rewatch, Blu-Ray) - Nothing new to say here either. Rating: 8
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post #1682 of 1907
10/22/08 at 10:34pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

The Love Parade - Lubitsch's first sound film, and the first narrative musical, is understandably weak in a few areas. Most of the songs aren't that hot and the pacing is a trifle slow. And I still hate the way Jeanette MacDonald sings. But she and Maurice Chevalier have great chemistry here, and I think I can watch Chevalier in pretty much anything and be entertained. There's some great gags here, like the callback to the "punishment" scene and the reversal of the "bored housewife" scenario. Also some dynamite moments between Lupino Lane and Lillian Roth as the comic relief/Greek chorus, including a terrific dance duet. Very charming. Rating: 8


The Smiling Lieutenant - Claudette Colbert's singing is barely competent, but she has a far more charismatic screen presence than MacDonald. I did struggle with this movie a bit, though. A musical romantic comedy that didn't seem to have quite enough music, romance, or comedy. The songs tend to be pretty good, most notably the "Jazz Up Your Lingerie" number... but there's only a few of them. The romance between Chevalier and Colbert is electric... but, well, I don't want to spoil it, but it's not a satisfying ending. And there's some really great jokes... but too few and far between. I enjoyed it, I just wanted a little more. Some wonderful moments (and more of that pre-Code naughtiness) but it didn't quite gel for me. Rating: 7
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post #1683 of 1907
10/23/08 at 7:09am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Brick

You take the Peanuts characters and their point-of-view (they interact as adults while the adults are basically never seen), have them become high school students, who have developed into the characters and world of The Big Sleep, and direct it all in Lynchian fashion, and you get Brick.

The idea is, of course, ridiculous, and played correctly (e.g., for laughs) it could have been worthwhile. But this film takes a deadly serious approach to the idea of a teenage Sam Spade vs. teenage Casper Gutman and associates, and it is so unbelievable, that it just falls flat.

It also doesn’t help that there is a clichéd attempt to hide the identity of the obvious femme fatale.
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post #1684 of 1907
10/23/08 at 9:04pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

I seem to be giving out a lot of 8's lately.


Paris, je t'aime - As with most omnibus films, the quality varies, but these are mostly pretty good without any out-and-out stinkers. Far too many are little mini one-acts about a couple in transition, but a few stand out. Ace cinematographer Christopher Doyle's is the best, a really fun flight of fancy with a lot of tricks up its sleeve. Also notable are the submissions by the Coen brothers (I forget sometimes what a joy it is to watch Steve Buscemi) and Vincenzo Natali (a stylish vampire noir-romance starring Elijah Wood). And now, my one-word reviews of each! Podalydes: sweet. Chadha: trite. Van Sant: obvious. Coens: hilarious. Salles/Thomas: pointless. Doyle: genius. Coixet: Jeunet-esque. Suwa: moving. Chomet: clever. Cuaron: twisty. Assayas: drugs. Schmitz: poignant. LaGravenese: cute. Natali: Frodo! Craven: meh. Tykwer: okay. Auburtin/Depardieu: Cassavetes. Payne: witty. Rating: 8


Samurai Assassin - The tragic twist is fairly predictable, and I found the first half of the film to be a little rough going... occasionally slow and occasionally confusing. Otherwise, a pretty good yarn with another intense Mifune performance. The framing is impeccable, with compositions worthy of Kurosawa or Mizoguchi. Rating: 8


Point Blank - Solid revenge thriller with couple of interesting quirks. There's the way Boorman uses flashbacks, perhaps illustrating the empty routine of Walker's life and his single-minded quest. Then there's the number of people who die by Walker's hand (count 'em). And the ending is ambiguous enough to leave you thinking. It's all got a slightly European flavor to it, definitely some Antonioni in there. A couple of the scenes scream 1967, but the datedness is more amusing than distracting. Rating: 8
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post #1685 of 1907
10/24/08 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

POINT BLANK is one I've wanted to watch for years but haven't gotten around to it. I bought the DVD the day it came out yet it still has the wrap on it. ONLY ANGELS is another classic I need to see. I've went to put it on several times but never did. I'm not sure why since it's a classic but I'll get around to it.


After the horror challenge I plan on getting into some Tati films that I haven't seen. In fact I haven't seen any so I was curious as to where I should start. I recorded PLAY TIME , MON ONCLE, MR. HULOT'S HOLIDAY and JOUR DE FETE off Turner and was curious as to which one to start with.
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post #1686 of 1907
10/26/08 at 2:28am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Elliott
After the horror challenge I plan on getting into some Tati films that I haven't seen. In fact I haven't seen any so I was curious as to where I should start. I recorded PLAY TIME , MON ONCLE, MR. HULOT'S HOLIDAY and JOUR DE FETE off Turner and was curious as to which one to start with.

Although the Hulot films don't NEED to be watched in any particular order, there is a sort of thematic progression to them as Hulot gets more and more involved in the modern world. So I'd watch them in chronological order. I still need to see Jour de Fete myself. Speaking of Tati, I (re)watched one myself today...


The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (rewatch) - Returning to my first Bunuel after 5 1/2 years. I gave this a mediocre "what's the big deal?" review back then, and it took a few more movies before I really fell in love. And now this is one of my favorites. Granted, Bunuel was never a great technician. Many of the shots in this film are so plainly lit and blandly composed as to be no more visually exciting than an episode of "Love, American Style". But he does manage a few terrific images, not the least of which is the repeated motif of the characters trudging down their endless road to nowhere. What's more important is the delightful array of absurdist situations he employs to skewer the arrogance, indifference and hypocrisy of the bourgeois. I'd be lying if I said it was a laugh riot (I did chuckle a few times) but it is quietly amusing, and tremendously clever and incisive and surprising. I'm so glad I finally revisited this. Rating: 9


Mon Oncle (rewatch) - Although a little too slow at times, Tati's satire of modernity is still a joy to watch. I delight in the contrast between the sterile, ridiculous, frustrating world of the Arpels and the rustic charm of Hulot's world. Great music, great gags, great art. Rating: 9


Revenge of a Kubuki Actor (rewatch) - I've always called this An Actor's Revenge, but AnimEigo released it under this alternate title. Despite my burning desire to file the DVD under "A", I'll go along with it. This isn't the best this film could look, but it's always nice to be able to add one of favorites to my shelf. A flawless film, amazingly stylized "kabuki noir" with an entertaining story of intrigue and brilliant cinematography. One of those movies that gets me excited about watching movies. I really need to start tracking down more Ichikawa. Rating: 10


Ten Nights of Dreams (rewatch) - Not quite as enthused about this as I was 4 months ago. All of the "dreams" have something to offer, but some are clearly better than others. The anime sequence, for instance, is absolutely gorgeous but otherwise entirely uninteresting. The best ones tend to be the funnier ones. As a whole, I guess it's worth keeping around, but pretty soon I'm going to need to sell some movies or buy a bigger DVD rack. Rating: 8
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post #1687 of 1907
10/26/08 at 7:33am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Michael,


Re: Jacques Tati

A few years ago, my parents got into the habit of hosting home lunches to assorted visiting American tourists; one of the ones that visited us was a major film buff and had also appeared in several vintage movies as an extra, including Sam Peckinpah’s THE KILLER ELITE (1975) – which, ironically, is the only one of his films that I’ve yet to catch up with. Anyway, he was impressed with our (my twin brother and I) knowledge of film history and, having talked about us with a like-minded cousin of his wife’s, I have been corresponding via e-mail with the latter ever since. In the course of our correspondence, I told him that Luis Bunuel was my all-time favorite film-maker and, in turn, he told me that he was one director whose films he couldn’t really get into. When TCM recently showed a bunch of Jacques Tati movies back-to-back, he fired off an e-mail to alert to this fact not knowing that, ironically:


a)I don’t get TCM over here (as Michael Elliott is well aware)

b)Jacques Tati is one of those acclaimed film-makers – which I’ve dubbed “critics’ darlings” – whom I don’t “get” myself…even though I’m familiar with all of his 6 feature films from one viewing each! At this juncture, I’d say that MON ONCLE (1958) and JOUR DE FETE (1949) have been the most satisfactory overall while his most celebrated two – MR. HULOT’S HOLIDAY (1953) and PLAYTIME (1967) – were the most underwhelming given that I wasn’t realistically expecting much from TRAFIC (1971) and the made-for-TV PARADE (1974). It’s going to be interesting to learn what Michael’s verdict is going to be eventually…


Re: POINT BLANK (1967)

This is another one I look forward to reading Michael’s comments about since I love this movie: one of the best modern neo-noirs, one of the key films of the 1960s (with a highly-influential fragmentary narrative technique), John Boorman’s (whom I even got to meet at the 2004 Venice Film Festival, which he was presiding over) second best and featuring an archetypal Lee Marvin performance. Michael needn’t wonder excessively why he hasn’t watched it until now despite owning the DVD for years – I do enough of that for both of us myself!


Martin,


As usual, you’ve been watching an assortment of varied and highly interesting films of late which I’d have liked to comment upon had I not been completely derailed by the Halloween Challenge. Now that (perhaps thankfully) we’re nearing the end of it, I can sneak in a word or two:


Re: AN ACTOR’S REVENGE (1963)

I’ve talked about this Japanese masterpiece fairly recently and I’ll only add that it’s a pity that one of the most dazzlingly beautiful of films has been given short shrift on both sides of the Atlantic when it comes to DVD releases. Since there was never much hope that I was going to be springing for either the barebones R2 disc from the British Film Institute or the bafflingly retitled AnimEigo R1 DVD, I’ve acquired it from ‘alternative’ sources a few weeks ago…


Re: THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972)

Having been introduced to Luis Bunuel a full decade before Martin, it’s no surprise that I’ve watched this film more than he has (5 times so far). I’ve often talked about this my favorite of Bunuel’s films but it’s always a pleasure to do so again: in my comments on VIRIDIANA (1961) over here a few months back, I said that it contained Bunuel’s best-ever direction but this later Oscar triumph can be seen as a kind of “greatest hits” package of his lifelong themes, not to mention forming part of an unofficial trilogy with both L’ AGE D’ OR (1930) and THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (1962) in its satirizing of social etiquette (revolving as they do, among other things, on disrupted dinner engagements) as well as THE MILKY WAY (1969) and THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY (1974) in their freewheeling, anything-goes narrative style and the presence of an all-star cast.

As for Martin’s comments on Bunuel’s ‘lack of technique’, that was something I used to believe in myself but, on subsequent viewings of his films, I’ve come to realize that there’s more to his modus operandi than plain medium shots. Having said that, your comments reminded me of what film critic David Thompson wrote about him in his ‘A Biographical Dictionary Of The Cinema’ - that it would be a mistake to see Bunuel as being casual about the medium - and also what the late Richard Roud had written about Louis Feuillade (a favorite with Bunuel and the French Surrealists), that he crystallized the importance of what is effectively being shown on the screen (as opposed to how any particular sequence is shot) which, after all, is the literal translation of the French term for direction: mise-en-scene.

Besides, I don’t think that it is a coincidence that the visual technique of my favorite American film-maker, Howard Hawks, is just as ‘inconspicuous’ as that of Bunuel’s, either. Admittedly, there was a time early on when I valued the much more flamboyant visual sense of a Hitchcock, a Kubrick or a Welles over that of Hawks but, I guess, his simplicity (or purity if you like) endears him to me more nowadays.
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post #1688 of 1907
10/26/08 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Thanks Martin and Mario. I hope to start on them sometime next month.
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post #1689 of 1907
10/26/08 at 9:12pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Touch of Evil (rewatch) - I've only ever seen the "restoration" version. If I cared about the movie a little more, I'd watch the theatrical version (or the preview version) out of curiosity, but I've got too much other stuff to get through right now. I'm not bothered by Heston's distinctly un-Mexican accent and appearance, but Dennis Weaver's eccentric performance as the motel clerk bugs the shit out of me. Otherwise, it's a really solid noir film... not one of favorites by Welles, but an excellent watch. Rating: 8


The Legend of the Suram Fortress - I would like to see more of Parajanov's films from the 50's and 60's, before his time in the gulag. Those seem to be better than his work from the 80's. This one is a lot like Ashik Kerib: the compositions are unmistakably Parajanov (few directors have such an immediately recognizeable style) and an interesting story underpinning it, but it's buried by so many oblique symbols, cultural references and seemingly irrelevant asides that it's very difficult to watch. Rating: 6
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post #1690 of 1907
10/31/08 at 9:41am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Some lackluster stuff the past few days:

Secret Honor - An aging, bitter Republican goes on a frustrated, incoherent, angry rant. No, it's not John McCain... it's Richard Nixon. I'm no presidential scholar, and I freely admit that the bulk of my knowledge about Nixon comes from reading "Doonesbury" books in high school. Right up front, Altman explains that this is a work of fiction. But it feels more like a smear campaign, kicking a man when he's down. I'm not a Nixon fan, and I make no excuses for him, but surely this over-the-top portrayal of him as a bumbling, demented mama's boy is unnecessary. It's a caricature of one of our country's easiest targets. Fortunately some substance and complexity does come through, and there are interesting thoughts and ideas here and there (especially in the ending). But it's buried under an awful lot of mean-spirited nastiness. Philip Baker Hall is to be commended for tackling what must have been an extraordinarily difficult performance. Rating: 5


She's Gotta Have It - Spike Lee's first feature is somewhat like John Cassavetes' debut, Shadows. Like that film, it bristles with a raw energy but is dragged down by poor acting. There's also a Woody Allen quality to it (including Lee casting himself in a comic role). Allen's dialogue is sometimes over-written, but he almost always makes it work. This is where Lee fails... in combination with the subpar performances, these lines often just don't sound right. But even though the flaws were a little too big for me to get past, I don't want to dismiss this as a mere Cassavetes/Allen ripoff. There's a strong, unique voice at work here. I really ought to catch up with more Spike Lee, I haven't seen ANY of his work from the 90's. Rating: 6


The Lodger (rewatch) - There are two problems here. One is the somewhat sluggish pacing. Nothing in particular needs to be cut, but there's a lot of tightening up that could be done. It just doesn't seem like there's enough happening here to justify a 100-minute running time. The other problem is that Hitchcock's change to the novel's ending (to protect the image of star Ivor Novello) makes the first two acts of the film feel like rather ludicrous misdirection, especially on a second viewing. But there are some good cinematic ideas, and the story isn't that shabby. It's also interesting to note that it's essentially Hitchcock's first "wrong man" film, although kind of an inversion of the formula. Still, this'll probably be the last time I watch it. Rating: 6
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post #1691 of 1907
11/1/08 at 6:30am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

October Recap

39 movies seen, 27 for the first time

Best movies seen for the first time (out of )

The Flesh and Blood Show
Burnt Offerings
Soylent Green
Death of a Ghost Hunter
Stuck
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post #1692 of 1907
11/1/08 at 1:50pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

OCTOBER Recap - 57 total

Best First Viewing:
Battleground Dir: William Wellman
Not sure why I didn't give this 4's. For a film nearly bereft of any romanticism, I think the Van Johnson character is too 'typical'. Amazing production design/art direction as well.

Honourable Mention:
The Innocents Dir: Jack Clayton
Another splendid performance from Martin Stephens, particularly the scene Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
where he kisses Kerr. There are adult actors not capable of that kind of shading and subtext, much less a 12-year-old.


Least First Viewing:
The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-up Zombies!!? Dir: Ray Dennis Steckler
I'm not enough of a connoisseur of dreck to make this statement stick, but this is the worst film ever made.


10/01/08: The Thing (1982) Dir: John Carpenter
10/02/08: Out West with the Hardys (1938) Dir: George B. Seitz
10/02/08: Young Frankenstein (1974) Dir: Mel Brooks
10/04/08: The Hardys Ride High (1939) Dir: George B. Seitz
10/05/08: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) Dir: Nicholas Stoller
10/05/08: Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) Dir: Roland Joffé
10/06/08: Battleground (1949) Dir: William Wellman
10/06/08: Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever (1939) Dir: W.S. Van Dyke
10/07/08: A Blueprint for Murder (1953) Dir: Andrew L. Stone
10/07/08: In the Heat of the Night (1967) Dir: Norman Jewison
10/08/08: Judge Hardy and Son (1939) Dir: George B. Seitz
10/08/08: 30 Days of Night (2007) Dir: David Slade
10/08/08: The Innocents (1961) Dir: Jack Clayton
10/09/08: Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940) Dir: George B. Seitz
10/11/08: Andy Hardy's Private Secretary (1941) Dir: George B. Seitz
10/11/08: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Dir: Don Siegel
10/11/08: La Maschera del demonio / Black Sunday (1960) Dir: Mario Bava
10/12/08: Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Dir: James Whale
10/13/08: Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941) Dir: George B. Seitz
10/13/08: The Thing from Another World (1951) Dir: Christian Nyby, Howard Hawks (uncredited)
10/14/08: Curse of the Demon (1957) Dir: Jacques Tourneur
10/15/08: The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942) Dir: George B. Seitz
10/16/08: The Undying Monster (1942) Dir: John Brahm
10/16/08: The Lodger (1944) Dir: John Brahm
10/16/08: The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) Dir: Terence Fisher
10/17/08: Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942) Dir: George B. Seitz
10/17/08: Alien (1979) Dir: Ridley Scott
10/17/08: Night of the Demon (1957) Dir: Jacques Tourneur
10/18/08: The Red House (1947) Dir: Delmer Daves
10/18/08: The Tell-Tale Heart (1941) Dir: Jules Dassin
10/19/08: The Horror of Party Beach (1964) Dir: Del Tenney
10/20/08: The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living... (1964) Dir: Ray Dennis Steckler BOMB
10/20/08: The Monster Squad (1987) Dir: Fred Dekker
10/20/08: Sleepaway Camp (1983) Dir: Robert Hiltzik
10/21/08: Werewolf (1996) Dir: Tony Zarindast
10/22/08: The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) Dir: Terence Fisher
10/22/08: Dracula (1958) Dir: Terence Fisher
10/23/08: The Mummy (1959) Dir: Terence Fisher
10/24/08: The Ghost Ship (1943) Dir: Mark Robson
10/24/08: Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
10/25/08: Rope (1948) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
10/25/08: The Leopard Man (1943) Dir: Jacques Tourneur
10/25/08: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) Dir: Terence Fisher
10/26/08: Frenzy (1972) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
10/27/08: An American Werewolf in London (1981) Dir: John Landis
10/28/08: The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) Dir: William Dieterle
10/28/08: The Legend of Hell House (1973) Dir: John Hough
10/28/08: Vampyr: Der Traum des Allan Grey (1932) Dir: Carl Th. Dreyer
10/29/08: Ravenous (1999) Dir: Antonia Bird
10/29/08: Cat People (1942) Dir: Jacques Tourneur
10/29/08: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920) Dir: Robert Weine
10/30/08: Dead of Night (1945) Dir: Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer
10/30/08: Salem's Lot (1979) Dir: Tobe Hooper
10/30/08: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) Dir: Steven Spielberg
10/31/08: King Kong (1933) Dir: Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack
10/31/08: Psycho (1960) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
10/31/08: I Walked with a Zombie (1943) Dir: Jacques Tourneur
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post #1693 of 1907
11/1/08 at 2:10pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938)

This was one of the movies included in the Gangster collection Vol. 4. This was quite an enjoyable but strange gangster movie. A rich park avenue doctor in order to advance his research into the criminal mind decides to join a gang of thieves after first committing a series of jewellery robberies.
The leads were all great in their roles but it was unusual seeing Robinson in a more refined role instead of some of the lowlifes that he played. I'm not sure I really liked him in this part, though he did act it well. I suppose this was partly a comedy but I don't think it was very successful if viewed as such. Though an odd movie it certainly made for an interesting watch.


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post #1694 of 1907
11/1/08 at 10:57pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

October Recap

Movies seen: 25 (First timers: All of them!)
Average rating = 2.57/5
Median rating = 2.75/5

I've had "The Lion in Winter" sitting around forever and I finally sort of threw it in while I was reading election polls. And: wow...I wasn't distracted after about 15 minutes. "Boy A" and "Bigger Stronger Faster*" were some good offerings from this year. Also, I would like someone to explain to me how "Deception" got made and how they got Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman agreed to be in it.

ALL RATINGS OUT OF (FIVE) STARS

First time viewings in bold.

10/01- Zombie Strippers! (2008)
10/02- The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)
10/04- Leatherheads (2008)
10/05- Charlie Bartlett (2008)
10/06- Snow Angels (2008)
10/08- Shall We Dance (1937)
10/10- Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008)
10/11- Phantasm (1979)
10/11- Hancock (2008)
10/13- Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? (2008)
10/16- The Lion in Winter (1968)
10/16- My Kid Could Paint That (2007)
10/17- Definitely, Maybe (2008)
10/18- Deception (2008)
10/21- Prom Night (2008) ZERO STARS
10/23- Deliver Us from Evil (2006)
10/24- O (2001)
10/26- Boy A (2008)
10/26- Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
10/28- The Strangers (2008)
10/30- Drillbit Taylor (2008)
10/31- Transsiberian (2008)

Favorites (first timers): Bigger Stronger Faster*, The Lion in Winter, Boy A
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post #1695 of 1907
11/1/08 at 11:04pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

double post, stupid internet
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post #1696 of 1907
11/1/08 at 11:12pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

triple post (!!!)
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post #1697 of 1907
11/2/08 at 1:35am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

October 2008 Recap

34 new viewings (and a bunch of shorts)
16 repeat viewings

Best new discovery: One Hour With You
Worst new discovery: Secret Honor

I won't bother posting the full recap since I've been posting all my reviews in this thread anyway. A very average month for me, with most of my new viewings (all except the two mentioned above) falling into the 6-8 point range.
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post #1698 of 1907
11/2/08 at 1:36am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Sabotage (rewatch) - Not as fun as its predecesor The 39 Steps... it's actually rather a downer, and none of the stars really grab you like Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll. But it is extremely well-done with signs of Hitch developing his craft. There's a number of moments that approach greatness, including one of the most shocking events in a Hitchcock film. Rating: 8


Young and Innocent (rewatch) - One of my favorite Hitchcocks. It's just perfectly constructed, with one exciting or funny or sweet or tense scene after the next. The wit is really strong, with great performance not just by the leads but also the array of memorable character actors. However, it's hard to overlook the plot holes. The police don't seem the slightest bit concerned about finding the victim's husband (and it's no spoiler to reveal here that he's the true murderer). And this got to be one of the world's worst MacGuffins: a raincoat. In real life, producing the raincoat would do nothing to save the hero's skin, nor does its absence really do anything to incriminate him. But it's such a fun ride that I'm willing to forgive such implausibilities. It's the characters, comedy and action that count here, and Hitchcock delivers. Rating: 9


Rebecca (rewatch) - I haven't seen this for quite some time. It's one of the most beloved Hitch films, but I have to say I'm not that crazy about it. I don't mind Hitchcock doing melodrama, and I think the story is actually quite good. The barely-concealed-lesbian Mrs. Danvers is a fascinating portrayal of obsession, the plot has a terrific twist, the production design of Manderley is impressive, and I find it interesting that Rebecca has, in essence, five different deaths. But I don't like Olivier that much, a lot of the music is overwrought, and it takes a little too long to get where it's going. It just seems slightly overdone, which I suspect is largely Selznick's influence (producer on a number of films I find uninspiring). I don't hate watching it or anything, but there's about 15 Hitchcock films I like more. Rating: 7
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post #1699 of 1907
11/2/08 at 11:58am
Thread Starter 

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

After four months without the greatest video store in the world, I finally made it back down to Louisville yesterday and came home with a few rentals, which I'll get to later. Everything I went there for was rented out but being a Franco nut someone there recommended several "other" titles for me to try out so expect nothing but softcore reviews for a while.
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post #1700 of 1907
11/2/08 at 12:15pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Teller
Young and Innocent (rewatch) - One of my favorite Hitchcocks. It's just perfectly constructed, with one exciting or funny or sweet or tense scene after the next. The wit is really strong, with great performance not just by the leads but also the array of memorable character actors. However, it's hard to overlook the plot holes. The police don't seem the slightest bit concerned about finding the victim's murderer (and it's no spoiler to reveal here that he's the true murderer). And this got to be one of the world's worst MacGuffins: a raincoat. In real life, producing the raincoat would do nothing to save the hero's skin, nor does its absence really do anything to incriminate him. But it's such a fun ride that I'm willing to forgive such implausibilities. It's the characters, comedy and action that count here, and Hitchcock delivers. Rating: 9
Martin,

I love this film (even with the plot holes). The film (a.k.a. The Girl Was Young) may be among my favorite of his films, for a variety of reasons. The wonderful scene that nearly concludes the film, and the accompanying camera work, is breathtaking. How I would have loved to have watched Hitch during the days it took to shoot that ballroom scene.

I've played that segment (beginning with the singing of the conductor) around twenty or thirty times over the past year or so. I love The Drummer Man so much that I transcribed the harmonic progression (including the climactic key change as we begin to center on the conductor) and now play it on the piano for the pure enjoyment of it. Pilbeam is IMO gorgeous in the film as well.
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post #1701 of 1907
11/2/08 at 12:54pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

October Recap

Ratings range from BOMB to ****

Bolded titles are first viewings.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein ***
Bay of the Dead *
C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud *
The Corpse Eaters **
Dance of the Dead **
Dark Water ***
Dead Beat *
Evil Town *
Ghostbusters ***
The Happening **
Heavy Metal Zombies *
Hollywood Mortuary ***
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ***
Johnny Sunshine **
Loves of the Living Dead **
Mother ofTears ***
Night of the Living Babes *
Night of the Living Dead (30th Anniversary Edition) **
Noctem **
O.C. Babes and the Slasher of Zombietown BOMB!
Pastiche of the Dead *
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead ***
Psycho ****
Quarantine ***
Re-Animator: 1942 **
Secret Window **
Spanish Dracula ***
The Supernaturals **
Trailer Park of Terror **
Trees **
Tremors ***
Vampire Whores from Outer Space BOMB!
The Vanguard **



Total films viewed: 33

First viewings: 28


Heavy on the horror films due to the Scary Movie Challenge. Hopefully my movie viewing will pick back up now that I'm single again.
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post #1702 of 1907
11/2/08 at 6:35pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

October Recap Total Seen: 44

Theatrical Viewing in RED

Best 1st Time Viewing: Cruel Story of Youth, An Autumn Afternoon

Also Notables: Michael Clayton, The Fire That Burns, Revolver

2008 Films
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller) (DVD, Own) 3/5
The Incredible Hulk (Louis Leterrier) (DVD, Own) 3/5

2007 Films Viewed in '08
Awake (Joby Harold) (Cable) 3/5
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon) (Julian Schnabel) (Cable) 3/5
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Shekhar Kapur) (Cable) 2/5
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz) (Cable) 3/5
Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy) (Cable) 4/5
Resurrecting the Champ (Rod Lurie) (DVD, Library loan) 3/5


Pre-2007 Films Seen for the 1st Time

An Autumn Afternoon (Sanma no Aji) (1962|Yasujiro Ozu) (DVD, Own) 4/5
Blithe Spirit (1945|David Lean) (Cinema) 3/5
Boy's Choir (Dokuritsu Shonen Gasshoudan) (2000|Akira Ogata) (DVD Rent) 3/5
Cruel Story of Youth (Seishun Zankoku Monogatari) (1960|Nagisa Oshima) (Cinema) 4/5
Diary of a Shinjuku Thief (Shinjuku Dorobo Nikki) (1968|Nagisa Oshima) (DVD, Own) 3/5
Le Doulos (1962|Jean-Pierre Melville) (DVD, Own) 3/5
Eaten Alive (1977|Tobe Hooper) (DVD, Own) 1/5
The Embalmer (L'Imbalsamatore) (2002|Matteo Garrone) (DVD Rent) 3/5
The Fire That Burns (La Ville Dont le Prince est un Enfant) (1997|Christophe Malavoy) (DVD Rent) 4/5
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1960|Edward L. Cahn) (DVD, Own) 3/5
From the Edge of the City (Apo tin Akri tis Polis) (1998|Constantine Giannaris) (DVD Rent) 3/5
The Holy Child (Le Divin Enfant) (2001|Stéphane Clavier) (DVD Rent) 3/5
King Lear (Korol Lir) (1971|Grigori Kozintsev) (DVD, Library loan) 3/5
Lola and Billy the Kid (Lola + Bilidikid) (1999|Kutlug Ataman) (DVD Rent) 3/5
Pretty Boy (Smukke Dreng) (1993|Carsten Sønder) (DVD Rent) 3/5
Revolver (2005|Guy Ritchie) (Cable) 4/5
Schizo (1976|Pete Walker) (DVD, Own) 3/5
Tekkonkinkreet (Tekon kinkurîto) (2006|Michael Arias) (DVD, Own) 3/5
The Toilers and the Wayfarers (1996|Keith Froelich) (DVD, Own) 2/5
Trial of Joan of Arc (Procès de Jeanne d'Arc) (1962|Robert Bresson) (DVD, Own) 3/5
The War of the Gargantuas (Japanese version) (Furankenshutain no kaijû: Sanda tai Gaira) (1966|Ishirô Honda) (DVD, Own) 4/5


Re-Visits

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958|Nathan Juran) (DVD, Own) 4/5
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1973|Brian Clemens) (DVD, Own) 3/5
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964|Michael Carreras) (DVD, Own) 3/5
Danny in the Sky (2001|Denis Langlois) (DVD, Own) 3/5
The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971|James Goldstone) (DVD Rent) 2/5
The Gorgon (1964|Terence Fisher) (DVD, Own) 3/5
Iron Man (2008|Jon Favreau) (DVD, Own) 4/5
Irréversible (2002|Gaspar Noe) (DVD, Own) 5/5
Love Songs (Les Chansons d'amour) (2007|Christophe Honoré) (DVD, Own) 5/5
The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932|Charles Brabin) (DVD, Own) 3/5
Naked Island (Hadaka no Shima) (1960|Kaneto Shindô) (DVD, Own) 5/5
Pulp Fiction (1994|Quentin Tarantino) (DVD, Own) 4/5
Sleeping Beauty (1959|Clyde Geronimi) (DVD, Own) 3/5
Taste of Fear (1961|Seth Holt) (DVD, Own) 4/5
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960|Terence Fisher) (DVD, Own) 3/5


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post #1703 of 1907
11/2/08 at 6:52pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

10/30: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) out of

Revisit of one of my favorite movies
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post #1704 of 1907
11/2/08 at 9:16pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Short versions of my "notes" for the 11/2/08 viewings.

1. Bettie Page: I'm glad I got to finally see some of her "films" as she has become quite the legend over the past few decades but quite honestly, if you want to see her then you really just have to watch one as most of them just repeat things over and over.

2. Misty Mundae: She was recommended to me at the video store since I liked Franco. After doing some brief research I discovered that she made softcore/horror films like AN EROTIC WEREWOLF IN LONDON (get it?). I did a blind rental on one of her films, which included a couple shorts but if these are like Franco then they are bad Franco.


11/01/08

Present with a Future, The (1943) Vincent Sherman

Bette Davis stars in this Warner short, which is another in a long line that tried to sell war bonds. In the film Davis plays a mother who on Christmas morning must tell her children that they are getting bonds instead of toys because one stamp could save a soldiers life. It was fairly common for big name stars to help in these shorts but I was shocked to see Sherman's name on this as he had previously done The Return of Doctor X, All Through the Night and would work with Davis the same year as this in Old Acquaintance. He handles the material very well and Davis delivers everything you'd expect from her. At the end of the short she, in her dressing room, addresses the people watching the film and it's funny to note that she acts no differently here than in her "acted" role of the mother.

Warner Bros. Goof Reel (1935) No Director Credited

The title pretty much says it all in this short that features some of the studios biggest actors messing up their lines and usually following it with a few cuss words. The cuss words are bleeped out but there's still plenty of laughs here. It seems the reel liked picking on James Cagney as we get three different goofs of his from the film A Midsummer Night's Dream. William Warren and Barbara Stanwyck are also looked out in The Secret Bride with Pat O'Brien also taking a couple shots. Jack Warner also gets a gag played on him as do a few other executives at the studio. I'm not sure how many of these are out there but it was certainly nice watching it.

Fighting Fist of Shangai Joe, The (1972) Mario Caiano

Extremely weird blend of the Spaghetti Western and Martial Arts genres has a Chinese immigrant (Chen Lee) showing up in Texas where he receives all sorts of racial slurs as well as people trying to mistreat him. He breaks up a slave ring but then finds himself being hunted by professional killers including one played by Klaus Kinski. I'm rather new to both of these genres but I must say I really enjoyed this film for the most part even though you can never really take it too seriously. This movie seems to get a lot of mixed reviews, which is understandable because if someone comes into this movie expecting a serious western then they're going to be disappointed because there's more camp than anything else. The film is strange on so many levels but we can start with the violence, which starts off rather weak and standard but quickly turns violent and over the top. There's one sequence where a man has his hand blown off and this here leads to some really graphic violence as an eyeball is ripped out as well as a heart. Lee is pretty good in his role as is Kinski but for some reason he's only in the film for less than five minutes so if you're tuning in to see him then you're going to be disappointed. The American version I watched had some very bad dubbing, which included a white man doing the voice of Shangai Joe but this did deliver a few laughs. Caiano is best known for his Italian horror film Nightmare Castle but he does a good job with the material here and delivers a memorable if quite silly film.

11/02/08

Return of Teaser Girl (195x) : Irving Klaw

Bettie Page dances around in her sexy underwear for about four minutes in this B&W 8mm short. I guess it goes without saying but the camera work is downright horrid but that's to be expected. This was my first Page short and while there's isn't any nudity and one could call the dancing campy, it's easy to see why Page has become a legend.

Betty's Clown Dance, Part 1 (195x) Irving Klaw
Betty's Clown Dance, Part 2 (195x) Irving Klaw

Part one opens up with Bettie Page sitting down and holding a clown doll, which she soon starts to dance for. The film cuts off then "part two" starts right up. The total running time is until five minutes for both films so I'm guessing the "sequel" was just broken up so that Klaw could charge more money. Once again there isn't any nudity so the main and only draw is the work of Page who certainly seems to be having fun doing her dances. There are countless times when she breaks into a laughter, which comes off pretty charming considering the low nature of the content.

Flirtatious Dance by Betty (195x) Irving Klaw

As I'm watching these in order of the Cult Epics DVD, this here has been the most entertaining short so far. The film kicks off with Bettie standing in front of a couch dancing and soon she gets on the couch and starts all sorts of sexual moves. As far as entertainment value goes this here is the best I've seen as Bettie (again spelled Betty in the credits) is a lot more active here and her dancing is somewhat better. Whoever is running the camera also gets smart enough to do a zoom shot, which at least gets the viewer closer to the star.

Peppy Graceful Dance (195x) Irving Klaw

Bettie is wearing a black bra and panties here as she dances around in front of what appears to be a couch or some sort of chair. Whereas most of the shorts run three to five minutes this one here actually runs quite a bit longer and that makes this one of the lesser entertaining ones. You get to see Bettie do her thing but the dance isn't too special.

Waltzing in Satin Scanties (195x) Irving Klaw

When the film opens Page is standing in a white coat, which she slowly takes off to reveal her black bra and panties. For the most part she teases the viewer with some modeling but then drops the coat and goes into one of her dances. This short really doesn't separate itself into anything special, although the dancing has been toned down some and instead we get the modeling approach. She also sits down on a couch to twirl her legs.

Betty High Heel Dance (195x) Irving Klaw

Bettie spends most of her time in this short dancing around on the floor in her white panties and black bra. There's a lot more teasing going on here as she, at one point, acts like she's going to take the bra off but doesn't. The rolling around on the floor is a lot more sexual this time out and that makes it one of the better shorts I've seen from Page. She still leaves most of everything to the imagination but it's easy to see why she's become a legend.

Tambourine Dance (195x) Irving Klaw

Bettie Page is at her best here as she's once again doing her sexy dances but this time with the help of a tambourine, which helps her shake her behind. Once again everything is left to the imagination but there's just something about Page that keeps you watching even through the bad camerawork and poor quality. The dancing isn't the best I've seen from Page but the short doesn't run too long so it never gets boring.

Joyful Dance by Betty (195x) Irving Klaw

Another short featuring Bettie in her black panties, bra and stockings showing her dance around. This time out the camerawork is actually somewhat better as we get a couple close ups as well as Page dancing and moving towards the camera. The dance isn't too sexual so instead you're just looking at her flesh, which ends with Page blowing kisses.

Betty's Hat Dance (195x) Irving Klaw

Page is once again wearing her trademark black bra, panties and stockings but this time, as the title says, she also has a hat, which she swings around as she shakes her hips. Since I'm watching these shorts in order as they're presented on the Cult Epics release there's no doubt that you start seeing the same thing over and over and one would have hoped that director Klaw would have came up with something new for Page to do. As it is, she's still easy on the eyes but a better "director" probably would have helped.

Dream Dance by Betty (195x) Irving Klaw

The now legendary Bettie Page comes out with her trademark outfit and does a little dance but the big difference is that she's now wearing see through panties and bras. Don't get too excited as no "naughty parts" are shown as even the nipples are covered up for some reason. Bettie's dance here is pretty good and this one does at least try something new.

Betty's Lingerie Tease Dance, Part Two (195x) Irving Klaw

I'm not sure what happened to part one or if there really is a part one but the short kicks off with Bettie dancing on the floor in what appears to be white panties and a bra. The camerawork this time out is rather strange because there are a couple instances where he goes directly for her face and not her body, which was a first from all the shorts I've seen.

Betty Page Nude (195x) No Director Credited

Not knowing too much about Page I'm going to guess that this short was made for someone other than Irving King as the camerawork is a lot better plus he's not mentioned in the credits. As the title says, Page appears topless here with her black panties still on. The short, which appears to be 16mm, features Page topless but it's also in color even though it's hard to tell due to the quality of the print. Page stays seated the whole time playing with a ball and then a wagon wheel. The overall quality of this short is a lot better than the Irving ones and she is naked so I guess this is the one that most people would be interested in.

Betty Page in Black Lingerie (195x) No Director Credited
Betty Page in White Lingerie (195x) No Director Credited
Betty Page in Red Lingerie (195x) No Director Credited

These three shorts appear to have been shot around the same time and it really wouldn't shock me if they were shot together. The titles pretty much say it all as we get three films with Page wearing three different things. The "black" outfit is certainly the best film as we see a rather highly sexual dance, which includes Page wearing see through panties, which will give perverts a chance to see her behind. The "white" film is probably the weakest, although on a technical level it's still better than some of the Irving Klaw shorts.

My Property (1999) William Hellfire

An early short film from future cult star Misty Mundae has a man a sleep in a motel room when a girl walks in and starts to touch him. This was my first "softcore" movie from Misty and I've heard these early shorts were bad and that's certainly true. The company, Factory 2000, apparently used a video recorder from the 1980s to film this stuff and it looks it. The poor looking film can be overlooked but even worse is the sound, which picks up all sorts of things including people messing around with the camera. As far as the story goes, there's really not too much here. Misty comes in, takes her bra off and then pretty much gives a lap dance. There are various sexual things done but both Misty and the boy keep the rest of their clothes on.

Vibrating Maid, The (2001) William Hellfire

A wealthy college girl (Misty Mundae) hears vibrating and moaning coming from a closet and when she opens it up she finds the maid (Lilly Tiger) in there with a vibrator. Curious to know what it's like, the girl forces the maid to teach her. I'm going to admit up front that this film probably isn't for me as I really don't see the point in this type of softcore feature. I really don't understand the point of acting out hardcore scenes yet keeping them soft as to me it just makes the film come off very silly. Even with that said, this short film really didn't cut it for me because I simply didn't find it sexy or erotic. I know Mundae has a big cult following around here but with my second film of hers I still can't see what the appeal is. She's certainly very cute but so far neither of her movies have worked but perhaps I'm just checking out the wrong ones.

Vampire Strangler (1999) William Hellfire

A foreign girl (Misty Mundae) moves to the U.S. to live with her cousin (William Hellfire) who immediately falls for her. The two are soon having sex while other strange visions begin to take place. Okay, this is my first feature with Mundae and after some reading I apparently got lucky or unlucky depending on how I want to look at it. This is apparently a film Mundae made with her boyfriend who in return filmed some hardcore sequences, which are the only ones the actress has done to date. I guess you might look at that as a lucky thing. The unlucky thing is that this is a downright horrid movie that really doesn't work on any level. The story doesn't make a bit of sense and apparently the original version only ran 50-minutes but the director later added in one hardcore sequence, which is how we got to the 89-minute running time now. The erotic side of this film never works because of how ugly it's shot. The horror elements never work because there aren't any with the exception of a couple strangle sequences. I'm sure this movie was made for someone in mind but it comes off being the director wanting to film himself with his girlfriend so that he can later show his friends. I'm sure this film would have been forgotten had Mundae not grown into a cult status but I certainly hope her future films are better than this one.
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post #1705 of 1907
11/3/08 at 8:31am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ockeghem
Martin,

I love this film (even with the plot holes). The film (a.k.a. The Girl Was Young) may be among my favorite of his films, for a variety of reasons. The wonderful scene that nearly concludes the film, and the accompanying camera work, is breathtaking. How I would have loved to have watched Hitch during the days it took to shoot that ballroom scene.

It's impressive camerawork, for sure. But I almost think it's a bit out of place, considering how un-fussy the rest of the film is. Suddenly the movie loses its effortless breeziness to give you this grand show-offy shot. But it still works, and at least it's at the climax. It would have been more jarring if such a gesture came somewhere in the middle.

Also, sometimes I don't notice my horrible typos until after someone quotes my post. I meant to say "The police don't seem the slightest bit concerned about finding the victim's husband", not "the victim's murderer".
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post #1706 of 1907
11/3/08 at 8:44am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Finishing off the "Premiere Collection" (skipped Lifeboat and Spellbound since I know I don't enjoy them much)....

Notorious - Although Hitchcock was known as the "master of suspense" (which he was), some of his best films didn't really have a lot of suspense in them. Including Notorious, one of my favorites. There are some suspenseful moments... the wine cellar scene still manages to fill me with dread every single time. But the real tension here is the magnificent sexual and romantic tension in the love triangle of Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains. It's quite a while before the espionage elements come into the story, but one doesn't mind at all because the interplay between the characters is so fascinating and masterfully executed. Although I think Drew Casper's commentary track is gushing to the point of embarrassment, I agree that this film is a masterpiece, one worth returning to over and over again. Rating: 9


The Paradine Case - It's been at least 10 years since I last watched this movie, and my remaining impression was mostly based on how mediocre everyone else says it is. With Selznick producing and dreary old Peck in the lead, however, I didn't have much hope that it would be better than I remembered. And in fact, it pretty much sucks. Peck is an absolute dud, of course, and Selznick's touch is felt all over the place. It's mostly very dull and far too talky, the only interesting character is Mrs. Paradine and honestly even Alida Valli's performance isn't that great, although that may largely be due to Selznick cutting out so much of it. And Selznick also removed a scene that would have established Peck's character as a skilled attorney... something the film DESPERATELY needs. Instead he comes off like an incompetent moron. And as in Rebecca, I hated Franz Waxman's obnoxious score. A few interesting moments, but not nearly enough of them. Rating: 5
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post #1707 of 1907
11/4/08 at 10:31am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2007)

Viewed 11/4/2008 (first and last viewing)

Let me say right off the bat that I'm hardly a member of the choir when it comes to this movie. Still, I figured I should at least watch it before making a final condemnation. And it was every bit as bad as I'd feared. This so-called documentary purports to expose the 'conspiracy" by "big science" to keep the hypothesis (it is NOT a theory) of Intelligent Design out of American science classes. Is there such a conspiracy? Well, sort of if you understand that the proponents of ID have yet to prove their case (far from it to be exact). Thus ID is not a valid scientific theory and should not be equated with say, evolution. (And let's own up to it: ID is little more than creationism with a bit of "scientific" polish slopped on in order to give it a rather dubious validity.) But trying to put ID on an equal footing with the theory of evolution is far from the worst of this film's crimes.

Let's start with narrator Ben Stein. Famously droll, he goes over the top here in affecting a super serious demeanor and in a pathetic attempt to appear hip, combines a suit jacket and pants with tennis shoes. Ben, you so roguishly cool!

Anyway, after a series of interviews with outcast scientists and educators who've supposedly been ostracized by the scientific community for holding pro-ID views (it should be said that the circumstances in each of these cases has been greatly overstated and exaggerated), the film then goes off on tangents, going so far as to blame the Holocaust on "Darwinism" and even stating that a belief in evolution leads to nihilism! True, the film does feature interviews with atheists and skeptics Richard Dawkins and Michael Shermer (among others), but they're hardly given a fair shake and it's know known that they were led to believe that the film was something it wasn't (they were told it was an exploration of the intersection between science and religion as opposed to the anti-science polemic it ultimately is). And, at the end, despite the claim that ID is not creationism, Stein remarks that it is through ID that we can find...God! Perhaps he was, as Einstein was in his famous quote about dice, being metaphorical. But given what preceeded his remarks, I doubt it. And that's the worst of it. I'm not sure how devout Stein is (he's Jewish) so it's hard to gauge how much of this he really believes, but it seems as if he's pimping himself out here, especially in light of the trivializing Holocaust sequence. You'd think that being Jewish he'd be aghast at the thought of blaming the whole thing on a few pro-Dawinist Nazi scientists! I'm pretty sure there was a whole lot more to it than that, buddy. You're smart enough to know that.

Skip this garbage.

BOMB!
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post #1708 of 1907
11/4/08 at 9:05pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

11/03/08

School Teacher, The (1975) Nando Cicero

Italian sex comedy has a nerdy virgin named Franco (Alfredo Pea) has so much sex on his mind that he begins to fail at school so his parents hire him a teacher (Edwige Fenech) to help but the sexy woman just makes it worse. His parents inform the teacher that he's gay, which the son decides to play along with in hopes that the teacher will try to "change" him. This was my first stab at this genre and if you were offended or found the American teen/sex movies to be dumb then you'd best stay far away from this thing. This movie is so incredibly over the top that I couldn't help but feel things were just too stupid for their own good. We have farts being set on fire, which is just the start of what happens. The film is far from a bad one but at the same time I really don't see too many people enjoying it. I think the biggest draw is going to be fans of the beauty Fenech who once again shows that she's too good for the material. She acts circles around everyone else in the cast and manages to turn in a very funny performance even though she's just shown as the piece of meat. Her beauty certainly can't be questioned and she has several nude scenes to show off even more. Pea is decent in his role but the character is just too annoying for us to really like. The comedy is very low brow and that includes many jokes about gay people, which certain groups will be offended by. The jokes are rather mean spirited as well and there's also jokes towards suicide and rape. The majority of the film has the student forcing himself on the teacher, which might not go over too well in America but if you don't take the film too serious and you're a fan of the star then just sit back and enjoy the movie for what it is.

School Teacher in College, The (1978) Mariano Laurenti

A sexy school teacher (Edwige Fenech) arrives at a boys only Catholic school where everyone falls for her and that includes on kid's father who just happens to be a millionaire but is undercover acting poor. This second film in the series isn't connected to the first one as Fenech is playing a different character all together. Several cast members from the first film appear here but as with Fenech, they're playing different characters. Whereas the first film was cheap fun the same can't be said here as the laughs are hard to come by. There's a lot of politically incorrect talk and most of the jokes take aim at gay people and there are countless situations where straight men are mistaken for gays and various words are thrown at this. The screenplay is also rather weak because not too much happens except for various people drooling over Fenech, which doesn't take much considering how beautiful she is. The supporting cast is completely forgettable but a lot of this is due to the weak screenplay. Fenech is also not as good as the previous film but she still has that wonderful body to show off, which she does. I did like her character more here as she isn't a push over and really stands up for what she believes in. The highlight of the film is when Fenech first starts her job and one of the students has a daydream of her stripping for the class. This happens early on in the film so the rest is pretty much a drag.

School Teacher in the House, The (1979) Michele Massimo Tarantini

Third and final film in the series once again has no connection to the previous two outside the title and the star. This time out a piano teacher (Edwide Fenech) gets tired of playing the mistress to a Mayor so she moves closer to him. Various men start hitting on the teacher, which doesn't sit well with the Mayor and soon all hell breaks loose. This final film is pretty bland but I actually liked it better than the second one, although I'm sure this isn't saying too much. Once again the key to anyone watching this film is the presence of the beautiful Fenech who once again suffers through material below her. I'm really not too up to date on the history of Italian sex comedies but I'm going to guess there was some reason for her doing this film (and series). Fenech once again steals the film even though she's given very little to work with. Her nudity is the reason people are going to turn in and she's still extremely hot at this point in her career. The supporting characters are fairly bland without them giving too much to the film. Once again we get all sorts of dumb sexual jokes, which basically center on various men having the hots for Fenech. I will give the production credit for trying something new as there's very little "teaching" going on here and instead we get to see the teacher in her private life. In the end this is certainly for Fenech fans only.

Believe It or Not #4 (1930) Arthur Hurley

Robert L. Ripley is back with more stories of the strange, weird and unbelievable. Stories in this fourth edition include a blind man who built a two-story house, a toothless man saying the biggest word in the vocabulary (184 letters) and a woman who tattooed her husband's picture on her tongue. This is the weakest of the first four shorts in the series because a lot of the stories are either animation or drawn on a board. The longest word is done live but it's hard to understand what the word is or its meaning. Another story includes a 1890 baseball play where a batter hit the ball, which wasn't a home run until it hit the outfielders head and bounced over the wall. Jose Canseco would do this nearly one-hundred years later of course. The best thing we get to see is a man who has such large hands that he can pick up 12-pool balls with one hand.

11/04/08

200 Motels (1971) Tony Palmer, Frank Zappa

If you've heard any of Frank Zappa's music then you should know what to expect in this semi-documentary and that's originality and strangeness. The film follows Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention on a tour but don't expect your typical Don't Look Back type of scenery. Instead we get all sorts of short stories including an animated sequence with an acid taking Donald Duck wannabe, two groupies and Ringo Starr playing both Zappa and a dwarf. This film also has the distinction of being shot on videotape, which allowed Zappa to finish the movie in ten days. It's really hard to recommend this film to anyone because I'm sure most won't know what to make of it and in fact as a Zappa fan I wasn't sure what to make of it but that there is what makes the film work. Another movie like this can't pop up in my mind and for my money that originality is what makes this film special. Zappa himself is scene throughout the movie but never heard. That's an odd thing to do but what's even odder is having Ringo play Zappa and it's shocking how close they look to one another. Keith Moon shows up as a "sexy nun" so that there should tell you how nuts this film is. If you're looking for an actual documentary on Zappa or his tour then you're going to be out of luck here but if you want pure strange images then give this a try. There's plenty of music throughout the film as well, which is another big bonus.

Alice Cooper: Prime Cuts (1991) Neal Preston

Very good, if too short, look at Alice Cooper's rise to fame and his eventually downfall before getting a comeback in the mid-80s with his heavy metal albums. For its time this was the most complete look at Cooper and also featured some great interviews and concert footage. Viewing this seventeen years later there's no doubt that there's more footage out there but for what it is this is a very good documentary especially if you don't know the history behind the group or the solo stuff. As with most documentaries, the weakest part of this one is that we don't get to hear too much about the down period, which included albums like 'Zipper Catches Skin'. The highlights of Cooper's career, including 'School's Out' and 'Welcome to My Nightmare' have a lot of discussion about them. Alice talks about everything that was going on from the writings of the songs to various ways to kill himself on stage. One of the best stories has Alice talking about auditioning for Frank Zappa when the legend told them to show up at his house at seven. Alice and the buys showed up in the morning, which woke Frank up as he meant seven at night. Ozzy, Slash and a few others are also on hand to show respect. The concert footage is certainly one of the highlights here and contains some great stuff, although these full concerts have since been released. One would hope that someday the producer's will go back and extend this stuff with the post-Hey Stoopid period.

Small Talk (1929) Robert F. McGowan

The first "Our Gang" talkie has Weezer getting adopted by a wealthy family but they leave his sister behind. The group then decides to pay Weezer a visit and chaos follows. I must admit that I didn't care too much for this short due in large part to the technical side of things but I also found the screenplay to be quite tiresome. The biggest problem is that there really aren't too many laughs as the entire movie just seems to be setting itself up for the rather stupid ending. That wouldn't be a bad thing had there been more laughs but there are very few and the only one that comes to mind is when the five runaway children think they're going to be hung for it. Being an early talkie is another problem as none of the cast members, adult or kids, know how to work their performance for sound.

Railroadin' (1929) Robert F. McGowan

The second "Our Gang" short has an adult letting the kids play on the train, which isn't good when a bum starts the train up and the kids get stuck on its alone. Whereas the first short was unfunny but cute this one here is just downright unfunny and in its own way kind of ugly but more on that in a minute. Once again the technical difficulties of the early sound era plays a big part in this short as none of the actors seem that comfortable with sound. It also doesn't help but the sound discs were considered lost for quite sometime and this leaves a lot to be desired in the audio department. The biggest problem is once again the screenplay, which really doesn't have too many funny lines as not much happens. We see the train go back and forth and crash into a few things but none of it is funny. The film also has a rather ugly moment when the train keeps running over Farina who has his foot stuck in the rails. I'm guessing this was meant to be funny back in 1929 but it's comes off quite unpleasant today and that's not even getting into a debate on why this joke was played on the black kid.

Lazy Days (1929) BOMB Robert F. McGowan

The gang is sitting around bored out of their minds until Joe sees that a baby contest is being held. The gang gather up their younger brothers and sisters and enter the contest. This third short from the gang is without a doubt the worst I've seen and I might even take it further by saying this is one of the worst films ever made. I didn't find the previous two shorts funny but this one here is just beyond bad in its attempt for humor. I should restate that because there's really no attempt at humor because it appears the screenwriters found torturing a baby to be funny. There's a sequence where Farina has to give his baby brother a bath and as soon as the baby is put into the tub he starts screaming and crying in terror. Do they cut the scene? No they make it worst by putting water on him and then dragging him around the rest of the film. Screaming and crying is the baby the entire time. Is the torturing of this kid funny in 1929 because it's happening to a black kid? I'm really not sure where to stand on the racial issues of this back in 1929 but the scene is incredibly ugly and brutal and to me ranks as one of the nastiest things I've seen in any movie. Even without this scene the movie wouldn't fair any better as the jokes are lame (Chubby as a baby) and the film drawn out.

Boxing Gloves (1929) Robert F. McGowan

Fat Joe and Chubby agree not to fight over girls and that promise lasts a few seconds until one walks by wanting a soda. Farina sees them fighting and decides to put them in his boxing ring in order to make some money. This is the first of the sound Our Gang shorts that I really liked and this one here benefits from a nice screenplay as well as better technical qualities. It seems the quality of this early sound features finally went over well as there aren't any annoying glitches or performances due to the new technology and this makes for a more pleasant film. The screenplay here also has a narrative for the first time out of the first four shorts and it's a very good one. We get all sorts of nice and funny action with the two fat kids running around having their pants ripped and fighting. The boxing match contains plenty of laughs as the two kids think the other is going to fall down in the second round but the thing just keeps going. Jackie Cooper makes his first appearance here.

Bouncing Babies (1929) Robert F. McGowan

Weezer's mother has a new baby in the house, which doesn't sit too well with him. Tired of being overlooked, Weezer takes the baby back to the hospital hoping that they'll return him to Heaven. This is a pretty cute Our Gang short but I'd stop a little short of calling it very funny. For the majority o the running time we have Weezer getting depressed that he isn't getting all of the attention and trying to get some but doing it in the wrong ways. This includes him fixing pancakes only to make a mess as well as a couple scenes where he throws glass into the road to get traffic to stop so he can cross. There are a few funny lines including some where Weezer tells his mom to dress him and let the baby dress himself. Chubby has a fairly funny cameo dressed up as a devil and Pete the dog has a couple nice scenes including one where he helps Weezer dress.

Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film (2008) Constantine Nasr

Another very good documentary from the folks at Turner Classic Movies. This time out they center on the gangster movies from the silent era all the way up to current films like Goodfellas and The Departed. We start off with silents from Edison and Griffith and I was surprised that they also paid tribute to Lon Chaney who spent a large part of his career playing gagster type characters. The majority of the film shines a light on the early 1930s with stars like Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Paul Muni and Humphrey Bogart. This is the most interesting part of the documentary as we get to hear what was going on in the country, which made these films so popular. People were dying a hunger and they looked up to gangsters, men who got what they wanted, even if they didn't have the courage to go out and do the same thing. The poverty stricken America was, I reckon, the perfect place for this genre to get off the ground. We get vintage interviews with Robinson, Mervyn LeRoy, Raoul Walsh and William Wellman among others. Other interviews come from Martin Scorsese, Kim Newman, Nicholas Pileggi and Rudy Behlmer. Alec Baldwin narrates. If there's one problem with the film it's that a lot of stuff gets repeated.

Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008) Robert Hiltzik

The fourth film in the series is a direct sequel to the first one as this here, ala the Halloween series, leaves out parts two and three. Hiltzik was the original writer and director of the 1983 cult classic so there were high hopes for this film, which went through a decade of delays, cancellations and even a lawsuit. Whereas it was Angela in the first film being picked on, this time out it's a fat kid named Alan (Michael Gibney) who feels that everyone is after him. Pretty soon dead kids start turning up everywhere and the counselor Ronnie (Paul DeAngelo) thinks Angela (Felissa Rose) has returned or perhaps it's Ricky (Jonathan Tiersten) seeking vengeance. In case you didn't know, Ronnie, Angela and Ricky are the same three characters from the original film and the original cast members are playing them, which is the biggest draw of this film. After waiting twenty-fives years for a direct sequel does this one pay off? Yes and no. The film certainly turned out a lot better than I expected it would but the film doesn't work all the way through. The biggest problem is the character of Alan. In the original film Angela was a victim we could care for because she was being picked on because she was shy. This time out the character of Alan is just so wildly written that it's hard to feel anything for him because when he isn't getting picked on he's picking on people smaller than him. This film knows how big of a cult the original is and it plays with the viewer over that. The ending here is certainly done a tad bit campy because the director knows the viewer knows the original's ending so he plays with up to get our expectations high. I won't ruin anything but when the ending is revealed it really doesn't come as a shock as it's pretty easy to see coming. It still made me laugh in a campy way but don't expect anything shocking like the original. It was great fun seeing the original cast members and DeAngelo's character is just as campy as in the original film. He certainly adds a lot of fun to the movie as does Vincent Pastore and Isaac Hayes in his final role. The death scenes are also worth talking about as they range from painful to silly. The first death sequence will certainly be talked about as it pays homage to a death scene in the original movie. In the end the movie doesn't work completely but it is a lot better than it should have been. Rumors are going around that we're going to see another one and I'd be up for that as well.
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post #1709 of 1907
11/4/08 at 10:48pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

A Brief Vacation - Part neo-neo-realism, part melodrama, this late film from De Sica impressed me more than a lot of his other stuff, but didn't totally win me over. Carla works at a factory to support, single-handedly, her awful extended family. When she falls ill from tuberculosis, she's sent away to a mountain retreat to recover. I think De Sica makes things a little too easy, giving the protagonist the perfect guy to fall in love with, especially in contrast to her horribly boorish husband. How can we possibly feel conflicted about Carla's adulterous longings when the deck is so clearly stacked? However, the social/class issues are much more nuanced, and watching Carla interact with the upper crust provide the film's most rewarding moments. Rating: 7


The Road to Guantanamo - This seemed like a good day to watch movies with a political theme. Sadly, nothing in this docu-drama surprised me (although I'm open to the possibility that some of it could be exaggerrated or even fabricated) but it burned me up anyway. Injustice is something that always gets my blood boiling, especially when it's someone being accused of something they didn't do. So this movie was pretty emotional for me. It's also very well put together with believable performances. It was mighty stupid of these boys to go into Afghanistan, but the punishment they suffered for that lapse in judgement was far, far too severe. Hopefully under President Obama, we'll hear a lot fewer of these stories. Rating: 8


Kandahar - And another Afghanistan film! This one is also based on a true story, but with more emphasis on "based on". Makhmalbaf conjures some memorable images (a horde of legless men racing on crutches to intercept air-dropped artificial legs) but the story definitely feels scripted. It's like he had a checklist of things he wanted the protagonist to experience (besides what the real-life journalist actually experienced) and was determined to cram them all in the film. Still, even if the episodes don't come together in a way that seems natural, at least most of them are individually interesting. Rating: 6
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post #1710 of 1907
11/6/08 at 12:51pm

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2008)

Moscow Zero (2006)

Viewed 11/5/2008 (first viewing)

Abysmal film stars Vincent Gallo as a priest who descends into Moscow's labyrinthine system of underground tunnels in search of an archaeologist friend. He and his guides wander around, a little albino girl runs all over the place trying to avoid shadow demons, and gang leader Val Kilmer and his lackeys discuss closing a gate to Hell. I think. Good looking film is unfortunately flat and lifeless from the start and meanders to a vague conclusion.

out of
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