Track the Films You Watch (2009) - Page 2

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

01/01 Kiss Me Deadly 1/2
01/01 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1/2
01/01 Se7en 1/2
01/02 Ride Lonesome 1/2
01/02 Black Book (1949)
01/03 Orpheus (1950) 1/2
01/05 Shivers
01/06 Seven Days to Noon 1/2
01/08 The Signal 1/2
01/09 Eagle Eye
01/10 I Walked with a Zombie
01/11 Brainscan
01/13 Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
01/14 Unbreakable
01/15 Big Trouble in Little China 1/2
01/17 A Murder of Crows
01/17 Changeling (1980)
01/17 Fear (1990) 1/2
01/18 Parents
01/19 Forbidden Kingdom 1/2
01/19 In the Heat of the Night 1/2
01/21 Giant 1/2
01/24 For a Few Dollars More 1/2
01/28 Be Kind Rewind 1/2
01/29 Apt Pupil 1/2
01/30 Amadeus
01/31 Taken
01/31 Link 1/2
02/01 Ghost Town
02/04 Uzumaki 1/2
02/05 Transsiberian 1/2
02/05 Day of the Beast
02/06 Jeremiah Johnson
02/06 Frankenstein (1931) 1/2
02/07 Top Secret 1/2
02/07 Bride of Frankenstein 1/2
02/07 Sleepless (Nonhosonno)
02/08 Naked Gun 2
02/08 Phantom of the Opera (1999) 1/2
02/09 Jazz Singer (1927) 1/2
02/09 Omega Man 1/2
02/10 Counterfeiters
02/12 Twilight Zone: The Movie
02/12 Suzanne's Career
02/13 Pumpkinhead 1/2
02/13 Breakheart Pass 1/2
02/14 The Hit
02/19 Something Wicked This Way Comes
02/20 Pitch Black
02/21 Ocean's Eleven (2001)
02/21 Unearthed
02/23 The Shaft 1/2
02/24 Hatchet for the Honeymoon 1/2
02/26 Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
02/26 Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
02/26 Lighthouse 1/2
02/27 Blair Witch Project 1/2
02/28 Company of Wolves
03/01 Eden Lake
03/02 Tower of Evil 1/2
03/02 Haunted House of Horror
03/03 Year of the Dog 1/2
03/03 Snow White and the Seven Dwarves 1/2
03/05 Streetcar Named Desire 1/2
03/06 Taking of Pelham 123 1/2
03/07 Man Called Horse
03/07 Cannonball 1/2
03/07 McCabe and Mrs Miller 1/2
03/10 Spirit Trap
03/10 Army of Shadows 1/2
03/10 Leon 1/2
03/11 Transporter 3
03/11 The Lost 1/2
03/12 The Mist 1/2
03/12 Righteous Kill
03/12 Head Trauma 1/2
03/13 Wedding Singer
03/13 Once Upon a Time in China 1/2
03/13 Hard-Boiled 1/2
03/14 Corridors of Blood
03/14 Backwoods
03/14 Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror BOMB
03/15 Let the Right One in 1/2
03/19 Terminator 1/2
03/20 Zodiac 1/2
03/20 Pit and the Pendulum
03/21 Freeze Frame 1/2
03/21 Darwin Awards 1/2
03/21 Dirty Carnival
03/23 Wisdom of Crocodiles
03/24 Shack Out on 101
03/26 The Cottage
03/27 Terminator 2
03/27 Fido
03/28 End of Days 1/2
03/31 Dentist 1/2
03/31 Lost Boys
03/31 Nightmare Honeymoon
04/02 Circus of Horrors
04/03 H-Man 1/2
04/04 Tall T 1/2
04/04 A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die 1/2
04/04 Run for the Sun 1/2
04/05 Squid and the Whale 1/2
04/05 Man with Two Brains 1/2
04/07 Rise of the Footsoldier
04/08 Escape from Alcatraz
04/09 Cast Away 1/2
04/09 City of Violence
04/10 The Fog (1980) 1/2
04/11 Le Million 1/2
04/11 Bittersweet Life
04/11 Princess Aurora
04/11 Cello
04/12 Survivor, The 1/2
04/13 Shutter (2004)
04/14 Natural City
04/15 Oldboy 1/2
04/16 Fingers 1/2
04/18 Out of the Dark 1/2
04/20 Baby's Room
04/22 Gemini 1/2
04/23 After the Wedding
04/23 Legend of Hell House 1/2
04/24 Timecrimes 1/2
04/24 Total Recall
04/25 Vinyan 1/2
04/26 The Eye
04/27 Trapped Ashes 1/2
04/27 Do You Like Hitchcock?
04/27 Bride of Chucky
04/28 Blackmail (talkie version) 1/2
04/28 A Christmas Tale
04/29 Tell No One
04/30 Burn After Reading
04/30 Doomsday 1/2
04/30 Police Tactical Unit 1/2
04/30 Spider Forest
05/01 Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1932)
05/02 Alien
05/02 4 Flies on Grey Velvet 1/2
05/05 Monsieur Hire 1/2
05/05 Basic Instinct
05/06 Deep Rising 1/2
05/07 Rabid 1/2
05/07 Fast Company
05/08 Intimate Strangers
05/08 Chalk 1/2
05/09 Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
05/09 Mad Detective 1/2
05/10 Supercop 1/2
05/10 Attic Expeditions
05/11 Happy Birthday to Me 1/2
05/11 Brood 1/2
05/11 Scanners 1/2
05/12 Warlock 1/2
05/12 If I Die Before I Wake
05/13 Master and Commander: Far Side of the World
05/13 Palm Beach Story 1/2
05/13 Chasing Sleep 1/2
05/14 Eraserhead
05/15 Waxwork
05/15 The Jerk
05/15 End of the Line
05/17 Curse of Frankenstein
05/17 Leopard Man
05/18 Ghost Ship (1943)
05/19 Videodrome 1/2
05/19 Paul Blart: Mall Cop 1/2
05/19 Dead Zone 1/2
05/20 Valkyrie 1/2
05/23 Enter the Dragon
05/23 Fly, The (1986) 1/2
05/24 Incubus (1981) 1/2
05/24 Hudsucker Proxy
05/24 The Others 1/2
05/25 Badlands 1/2
05/26 Revenge of Frankenstein
05/27 Shaun of the Dead 1/2
05/28 Mill of the Stone Women 1/2
05/29 Run Fatboy Run
05/29 Drag Me To Hell
05/30 Ten Little Indians (1966) 1/2
05/31 Dead Ringers 1/2
06/01 Driller Killer
06/01 Hostel Part II
06/02 Close Your Eyes
06/02 Brainstorm 1/2
06/02 Five Dolls for the August Moon
06/03 Four Times That Night 1/2
06/04 Roy Colt and Winchester  Jack
06/05 Brainwaves 1/2
06/05 Boogeyman 1/2
06/05 Bedlam 1/2
06/05 Curse of the Cat People 1/2
06/07 Bloodlust 1/2
06/08 Gold Rush (restored silent version) 1/2
06/08 Funhouse 1/2
06/10 Eaten Alive
06/10 From Within 1/2
06/11 Once 1/2
06/16 My Night at Maud's 1/2
06/19 Ghosts of Mars 1/2
06/21 La Collectioneuse
06/21 Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas
06/22 Time Guardian
06/22 Offence
06/23 Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter
06/23 Kiss of Death (1947) 1/2
06/24 A Nous La Liberte 1/2
06/24 Where the Sidewalk Ends 1/2
06/25 Killer is Loose 1/2
06/26 Buchanan Rides Alone 1/2
06/26 Phantom of the Paradise
06/27 Escape in the Fog
06/27 Road House (1948)
06/27 The One 1/2
06/28 Paprika 1/2
06/29 Dead Girl 1/2
06/30 Swing Time
07/01 Deadly Affair
07/03 Mon Oncle 1/2
07/05 Casino Royale (2006)
07/06 Strategic Air Command
07/06 Last Frontier 1/2
07/06 Page Turner
07/07 Vertigo
07/07 Miracle Mile 1/2
07/08 Clare's Knee 1/2
07/08 Resurrection (1999)
07/10 Asphalt Jungle 1/2
07/10 Dead Calm
07/11 Witchcraft 1/2
07/11 Where Have All the People Gone?
07/11 Man Push Cart 1/2
07/12 Escape From New York
07/12 Killing Gene
07/13 Streets of Fire
07/14 Thieves' Highway
07/15 Lady Vengeance
07/16 House with the Laughing Windows 1/2
07/17 Suture
07/17 American Psycho
07/18 [Rec]
07/19 Cherry 2000 1/2
07/19 Bullet for Sandoval 1/2
07/20 Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?
07/20 God Forgives.....I Don't 1/2
07/20 Crazed Fruit 1/2
07/21 Queen of Blood
07/22 Secret Partner
07/22 Son of Dr Jekyll 1/2
07/23 Roadblock
07/23 In a Lonely Place 1/2
07/24 Planet of the Vampires 1/2
07/24 Splinter 1/2
07/25 13 Tzameti
07/26 The Prodigy
07/26 The Vagrant
07/26 Breaking and Entering
07/27 Fallen Angel 1/2
07/27 King of Hearts
07/27 Johnny Got His Gun 1/2
07/27 Nothing But The Night
07/27 The Hitcher (2007) 1/2
07/28 Watcher in the Woods 1/2
07/28 Dominion: A Prequel to the Exorcist 1/2
07/28 Grosse Point Blank
07/28 Metropolis (2001) 1/2
07/29 Broken Blossoms 1/2
07/29 Step Brothers
07/29 Once Upon a Time in the Midlands
07/29 This is England
07/30 Out of the Past
07/30 Push
07/30 Student Prince in Old Heidelberg 1/2
07/30 Hunting Party
07/31 Bob Le Flambeur
07/31 The International
07/31 House of Whipcord
08/01 Monster A Go-Go BOMB
08/01 Giant Spider Invasion
08/01 Lights in the Dusk
08/01 Phantasm 1/2
08/02 Le Doulos
08/02 Ruins
08/04 Babylon AD 1/2
08/05 Hard Times
08/05 Sender
08/05 Haunting of Julia
08/06 Exorcist The Beginning 1/2
08/07 Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 1/2
08/07 Harry in Your Pocket
08/07 Twelve and Holding
08/08 Face 1/2
08/08 La Moustache
08/07 Iron Monkey
08/08 Devil's Rejects
08/09 This is Spinal Tap
08/09 Red Circle
08/11 Zebraman 1/2
08/11 Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1978)
08/12 Tropic Thunder 1/2
08/12 Danika 1/2
08/14 Fermat's Room
08/14 Trading Places
08/14 Pin
08/15 Scorpio 1/2
08/16 An American Werewolf in Paris
08/16 Frozen River 1/2
08/17 Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
08/17 Big Heat
08/17 Election (2005)
08/18 Final Terror 1/2
08/18 Black Rainbow
08/19 Rio Bravo 1/2
08/21 Niagara 1/2
08/22 Jar City 1/2
08/22 Lakeview Terrace 1/2
08/23 District 9
08/23 Another Woman
08/23 In the Year 2889 BOMB
08/25 Vampire Circus
08/25 Shadowboxer
08/26 Gate 1/2
08/27 Full Moon High
08/27 Renaissance
08/27 Blood of Dracula 1/2
08/27 Knowing
08/29 Death on the Nile 1/2
08/29 Haunting in Connecticut 1/2
08/30 Adios, Sabata 1/2
08/30 Blood of the Vampire 1/2
08/31 Shanghai Express (1987) 1/2
09/01 Suddenly
09/01 Window 1/2
09/04 Sabata
09/04 Gathering
09/04 Silent Rage
09/05 Mad Love
09/05 Naked Lunch
09/06 Island of Terror 1/2
09/06 Castle of the Living Dead 1/2
09/07 Bad Sleep Well
09/08 Cop 1/2
09/08 Dementia 13 1/2
09/09 House of Wax (2005)
09/10 Branded to Kill
09/11 Woods 1/2
09/11 Usual Suspects
09/13 Born to Fight 1/2
09/14 Science of Sleep
09/14 And Now the Screaming Starts 1/2
09/14 Sentinel (1977)
09/17 Virtuosity
09/18 Dracula (1979) 1/2
09/18 Frightmare (1975)
09/19 Beyond Justice 1/2
09/19 Slither
09/20 Crash (1995)
09/20 Internal Affairs
09/21 Terror at London Bridge 1/2
09/21 Final Destination
09/22 London to Brighton 1/2
09/23 Troll 1/2
09/24 eXistenZ
09/25 Spider 1/2
09/26 Triad Election (Election 2) 1/2
09/26 In the Mouth of Madness 1/2
09/28 Perversion Story 1/2
09/30 Beatrice Cenci
10/01 Obsession (1976)  1/2
10/01 Mark of the Devil (1985)  1/2
10/02 Lizard in a Woman's Skin  1/2

10/03 An American Werewolf in London  1/2

10/03 Don't Torture a Duckling
10/04 Flesh Eaters 
10/05 The Lodger (1944)
10/05 28 Weeks Later  1/2
10/06 Psychic
10/06 Daughter of the Mind 1/2
10/07 The Maid
10/08 Laid to Rest
10/08 Octane  1/2
10/09 Diary
10/10 Cinderella
10/10 Deadgirl  1/2
10/10 Resurrected
10/10 Bloody Reunion  1/2
10/10 Hangover Square
10/10 Alice, Sweet Alice  1/2
10/11 Woman in Black
10/12 What Have You Done to Solange?
10/12 Cookers
10/13 Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
10/13 Night of the Demons 1/2
10/16 Nightmare on Elm Street 1/2
10/17 Terrorvision
10/17 Innocents (1999)
10/18 Baby Blues 1/2
10/19 Zombie 1/2
10/20 Walking Dead 1/2
10/20 Plague of the Zombies
10/20 Dead Snow 1/2
10/21 Oliver Twist 1/2
10/21 Burrowers
10/23 City of the Living Dead
10/23 Don't Look Now
10/24 Brain Eaters 1/2
10/24 Jack the Ripper (1959) 1/2
10/25 Corpse Vanishes
10/25 Old Dark House (1963) 1/2
10/26 Dead and Breakfast 1/2
10/27 Prophecy, The (1995) 1/2
10/28 Children, The (2008)
10/29 Mister Frost 1/2
10/30 She Creature (1956)
10/30 Ape, The 1/2
10/31 Swamp Thing 1/2
10/31 Dragonwyck 1/2
10/31 Power, The
10/31 Pyx, The 1/2
11/03Turistas 1/2
11/03 Initiation, The 1/2
11/03 Orphan 1/2
11/04 Besieged
11/05 A Severed Head 1/2
11/06 Year One 1/2
11/06 Saw VI 1/2
11/06 Mysterious Skin 1/2
11/07 Ascent, The 1/2
11/09 Corrupt 1/2
11/10 Gumshoe 1/2
11/10 Pan's Labyrinth
11/14 Dirty Harry 1/2
11/15 Divergence 1/2
11/16 State of Play
11/17 Firemen's Ball 1/2
11/17 Great Yokai War 1/2
11/18 Behind the Mask 1/2
11/18 Blood Ties
11/19 Death Rides a Horse
11/20 That Sinking Feeling
11/20 Subject Two
11/21 God's Gun 1/2
11/21 Venus in Furs 1/2
11/22 Jaws of Satan 1/2
11/23 Planes, Trains and Automobiles 1/2
11/24 Terror is a Man 1/2
11/24 Android
11/25 Slumdog Millionaire
11/29 World Without Thieves
11/29 Black Room (1935)
12/01 You'll Find Out
12/01 Death Hunt
12/03 Man They Could Not Hang 1/2
12/03 Room of Death
12/04 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome 1/2
12/05 Take a Hard Ride
12/06 Death of a Cyclist
12/06 The Bow
12/07 Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
12/09 Night of the Comet
12/09 Shortcut, The 1/2
12/09 Snow Angels (1998)  1/2
12/10 Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring 1/2
12/10 Man With Nine Lives 1/2
12/11 Deep Crimson 1/2
12/12 Electra Glide in Blue
12/12 Psychomania
12/12 99 and 44/100 % Dead 1/2
12/13 Daughters of Satan 1/2
12/13 It's a Wonderful Life 1/2
12/14 Man in the Attic
12/14 Terror Train 1/2
12/16 Matter of Life and Death
12/17 Face (2004)
12/18 Chaser, The
12/19 Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian
12/19 Junior Bonner
12/19 Christmas Story
12/19 Poor Pretty Eddie
12/20 Altered
12/21 History of Violence
12/22 Red Shoes (2005)  1/2
12/23 Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
12/23 Black Christmas (1974)
12/24 Waking the Dead  1/2
12/26 Blade Runner (theatrical cut)
12/27 Gomorra
12/27 Tetsuo
12/28 Time After Time  1/2
12/29 Study in Terror
12/29 X  1/2
12/29 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
12/29 Cloverfield  1/2
12/30 Outsourced  1/2
12/30 Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
12/30 Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour
12/30 Christmas Evil
12/31 Panic in Year Zero
12/31 Man Who Knew Too Little  1/2

TV Sets
05/13 Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 6
07/11 Harper's Island
08/30 Epitafios Season 1
Edited by Sandro - 1/1/10 at 8:06am

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

001) 01/01/2009 All About Eve (1950) (out of four)

I first saw this film last February and it became an instant favorite, mainly due to the sharp-as-a-razor-blade dialogue. With Bette Davis, George Sanders, and Thelma Ritter hurling out zingers left and right, All About Eve is one of cinema’s most audibly captivating movies. But it’s also one of the most vicious looks at what some people will do to get their break in show business.

When Broadway sensation Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is first introduced to Eve Manning (Anne Baxter), she takes pity on this poor, lonely woman, whose only pleasure in life seems to come from watching Margo on the stage. Margo offers Eve not only a job in her employ, but also a place to stay at Margo’s swank New York apartment. But before long Eve’s plan becomes clear: she wants to be on Broadway too, and she will do anything to get there.

Eve lies, backstabs, blackmails and double-crosses throughout the entire film, and we know she succeeds because the film opens with her about to receive the coveted Sarah Siddons Award for Distinguished Achievement. The fact is Eve turns out to be a terrific actress, and just needed a break to prove it. But her methods are horrific, turning friend against friend and threatening marriages. She is not a sympathetic character by any stretch of the imagination, and there is pleasure to be derived when Eve receives her comeuppance from George Sanders’ acidic theater critic Addison DeWitt as he delivers a tongue-lashing as fine as there’s ever been in the movies.

One of the joys of the film is that is populated by intelligent people. Bette Davis’ Margo Channing knows she is growing older and, now in her 40s, can no longer play 25 year-olds. Her wrestling with this issue is what makes her vulnerable to Eve, who picks and exploits Margo exactly because of the age issue. The characters in this film don’t make their mistakes because they’re stupid. Rather, they are taken advantage of by a shrewd personality who caters to egos and tells people what they want to hear. And perhaps the script’s most ingenious stroke is to have the loathed Addison DeWitt actually be the one who takes the winds out of Eve’s sails. She may go on to have a successful career in the theater and perhaps even Hollywood, but her alliance with DeWitt will forever leave a bittersweet taste in her mouth. The film’s final scene, where a fan shows up in Eve’s room after the awards ceremony, suggests none of this is lost on Eve.

All About Eve plays as well today as it did in 1950 because we non-theater folk can imagine this kind of backstabbing going on today. In 1950 this story may have been looked upon as cynical, a sort of extreme situation. Today, All About Eve is viewed as standard operating procedure.


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Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

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Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Tell me about it! My friend came over last night and we were both feeling kind of run down after the holidays, so we wanted something "light". He brought these films over and I've never tried any of those Frankie and Annette beach movies before. I figured they had to be fun, and with some cute chicks and all.... oh, brother!


Ski Party (1965)

Since it's winter we decided to watch this one first, even though it comes later in this series, and Annette Funicello isn't in it except for a really quick cameo where she plays a teacher at the beginning. The thing plays like another version of SOME LIKE IT HOT, with Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman as two buddies who go on a skiing trip and wind up dressing in drag while they try to make time with Yvonne Craig and Deborah Walley. Hell, they even mention SOME LIKE IT HOT in the movie! This film doesn't have much to recommend in it, and I figured going in that it had to be the least of the three movies we'd watch... but who knew it would turn out to be the "best"? At least this film had a story, even if it's cliched. My favorite moment involved Lesley Gore popping up on the bus trip to sing her big hit "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows", and then later on getting to enjoy James Brown belt out "I Feel Good". These two musical performances were the shining light.


Muscle Beach Party (1964)

I wouldn't think you could go far wrong with both Don Rickles and Buddy Hackett, but I was mistaken. Rickles plays an unfunny coach who never gets any laughs while he works with a group of oily muscle men (that may be your thing; it's not mine). Hackett (whom I don't believe I've ever seen looking so trim and normal) is no more than the aide to a rich heiress (Luciana Paluzzi) who sets her sights on Frankie Avalon, much to the disapproval of his girl Annette Funicello. All the vignettes going on herein are disjointed and tiresome, and Candy Johnson (who reminds me of a young Polly Holiday from the ALICE TV series) isn't as alluring as she thinks she is when regularly shaking her booty and causing men to freeze-frame and fall off their surfboards... and not even having the indecency to wear a bikini while doing it. John Ashley is present too. Don't ask me what the point of having Morey Amsterdam in this mess was. Peter Lorre pops in for a short time in a humorous cameo, and at the end we get to enjoy the very young Little Stevie Wonder do his stuff, but it's not enough. It's not very often you can say the end credits sequence is the best thing about a film, but that was the case here.


Bikini Beach (1964)

More of the same crapola from MUSCLE BEACH PARTY, with a lot of the same performers. Frankie and Annette are back, though I truthfully had no idea they were so inconsequential in these beach blnket bingo flicks. Don Rickles has given up working with musclemen, and now his character is into drag strip racing (he wears a shirt throughout the movie which pronounces "Big Drag", which sums everything up nicely). Yeah, drag racing and bikinis seem to go hand in hand in these things, though there is precious little of the latter on tap (don't let the title fool you). Things get dopier than ever as we see a prominent man-in-suit ape character driving race cars, surfing waves, and whatever else. There's a gang of leathernecks lead by one stupid Eric Von Zipper (a recurring character played by Harvey Lembeck), and ummm... what else? Oh yes, Candy Johnson again wearing her ususal unrevealing outfit (was she afraid to show skin, or something?) , and a welcome return song and dance visit by the talented Little Stevie Wonder, who luckily couldn't see what kind of messy melange he was featured in. Last time we had Peter Lorre making a special appearance, so this time it's horror legend Boris Karloff with a brief walk-on. John Ashley's in here somewhere too. No more of these, please.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Le Plaisir - Another Ophuls film that impresses me on a technical level but otherwise kinda "meh". Again, he proves himself a master at camera movement, with astonishing tracking shots, crane shots, pans and zooms and impeccable lighting and set design. The film is structured around three Guy de Maupassant stories, the central one being much longer than the other two. I actually found the bookend stories far more interesting, perhaps because their relatively short length prohibited them from wearing out their welcome. The middle story had some amusing moments but there just wasn't much meat there. As befits the title, the movie is pleasant... just not all that mind-blowing except for the cinematography. Rating: 7


The Fire Within - It's rare for a Malle film to really grab hold of my soul, but I usually get something out of them and this was no exception. A very accurate portrayal of depression and the suicidal impulse, where somehow nothing seems worth living for and everything seems pointless and your flaws are insurmountable and irredeemable. Malle cheats a little by layering on the Erik Satie music, which is like instant poignancy. He knows how to work it, though... few things get me going like "Gymnopedie #1". Rating: 8


Serenity (rewatch, Blu-Ray) - Well, somehow I end up seeing this about once a year. First in the theater, then on DVD, then on HD-DVD, and now on Blu-Ray. Having recently re-watched all the "Firefly" episodes, I have to say this doesn't really fill the void that the cancellation of the series left behind. It's a very entertaining and satisfying movie but it's basically just a 2 or 3-part episode. I would have preferred another season, but of course it's no use hoping for that now. I admit the film's flaws (gratuitous killing off of a major character, Whedon's dialogue does tend to grate after a while) become more and more apparent with each subsequent viewing, but I still really enjoy watching it. Not as much as the show, though. Rating: 9

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Comedy Day #1:


01/02/09: CHARLEY’S AUNT (Archie L. Mayo, 1941)

Once one accepts the archaically broad comedy conventions at play, this is a very funny film adaptation of the celebrated cross-dressing farce (Joshua Logan’s contemporaneous stage version had starred Jose` Ferrer!). Legendary comedian Jack Benny stars as a British lord and longtime Oxford student(!) who is forced by his best friends (James Ellison and a debuting Richard Haydn) to pose as the latter’s wealthy Brazilian aunt in order to act as chaperone when meeting their girlfriends. Initially, the uncle (Edmund Gwenn) of one of the girls (a thankless role for Anne Baxter) is contrary to their union but soon changes his tune when he realizes whom Haydn is related to; however, he has to contend with the amorous rivalry of Ellison’s own penniless father (Laird Cregar – who, at 25, was younger than his onscreen son but, nevertheless, convincingly plays a 51-year old roué)! The fine cast is rounded up by Kay Francis (quite lovely as Charley’s real aunt), Reginald Owen (amusing as the hapless Dean) and Claud Allister (hilariously appearing at the start as one of two unperturbed gentlemen spectators at an accident-prone cricket match). Not everything works, alas: Gwenn’s character arch from stern guardian to undignified fortune hunter is as hard to take as the bland romance between Baxter and Haydn but, ultimately, Jack Benny’s frenzied comic antics triumph over such hurdles.


01/02/09: THREE OF A KIND (N/A, 1941)

An interesting extra on the CHARLEY’S AUNT (1941) DVD is this fun promotional short which is very rare for films of its era. It finds star Jack Benny taking time off for lunch at the Fox studio mess hall, when he runs first into Tyrone Power and then Randolph Scott. Naturally, they all start talking about their current action-packed projects – with Power enthusiastic about his latest romantic flagwaver A YANK IN THE R.A.F. (1941) and Scott ditto about the Technicolored Western BELLE STARR (1941). However, Benny makes things up in an effort to avoid discussing his current gender-bending role…though he’s not helped by the fact that, from time to time, a bellboy turns up with various parts of his feminine outfit seeking the star’s approval! When he eventually confesses, it’s Power and Scott’s turn to sulk as they bemoan their typecasting as rugged action stars and admit to craving juicy parts such as Benny always gets; indeed, for the latter (and the audience’s) benefit, they provide background detail about the “Charley’s Aunt” play – including the fact that it’s one of the most popular (and hilarious) pieces ever written.


01/02/09: THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT (Raoul Walsh, 1945)

Angels were an all-too-familiar sight on movie screens during World War II and perhaps audiences had had enough of it by the time this film came along; this is the only valid reason I can think of to explain its resounding box office failure (that resulted in Benny’s premature bowing out of the movies) because, otherwise, it’s one of his most enjoyable outings. In fact, it’s quite an original and delightful comedy-fantasy about Benny (playing a second-grade angel and trumpet player) securing an important assignment (being sent to blow up sinful Planet Earth with his horn at the stroke of midnight) through the machinations of his girlfriend (Alexis Smith) who’s secretary to the Chief (Guy Kibbee). Needless to say, he bungles the job when he decides to play Good Samaritan and save a fetching would-be suicide (Dolores Moran) from jumping off the roof of a hotel wherein reside an assortment of colorful characters: smooth-talking crook Reginald Gardiner and his dim-witted bodyguard Mike Mazurki, carousing fallen angels Allyn Joslyn and John Alexander (hilariously suffering an hourly “twinge” for defecting to Earth!) and flustered hotel detective Franklin Pangborn – most of whom, as the appointed hour draws near, end up dangling from the hotel rooftop in the film’s wacky climax. Benny spent the rest of his radio and TV career making fun of this movie but, as I said, its maligned reputation is highly undeserved if you ask me!


01/02/09: SOLDIER IN THE RAIN (Ralph Nelson, 1963)

Despite the considerable talent involved (director Nelson, writer/producer Blake Edwards, original novelist William Goldman, composer Henry Mancini, stars Jackie Gleason, Steve McQueen and Tuesday Weld), this is a dreary and pointless barracks comedy (with a presumably symbolic title) revolving around the misadventures of a couple of army con-men. None of the various scams – which land McQueen in trouble, with superior Gleason having to bail him out at every turn – really engages our interest; eventually, the former arranges for the latter (suffering from an inferiority complex) to hitch up with local teenage belle Weld. However, after saving McQueen from a beating by the two people he most often crossed, Gleason ends up in hospital and subsequently dies. The younger soldier then resolves to take stock by giving up his dream of idling away on a tropical isle (which Gleason had told him he’d come across during WWII) for a career in the army. To be sure, there are bouts of good acting and perceptive writing throughout – but also incongruous flashes of sentimentality, violence and even tastelessness (bungling fellow soldier Tony Bill is made up to pose for photos to be entered in a pin-up contest!).

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Firefly was one of my favourite sci-fi series. Too bad it was cut so short. When you say you re-watched all the episodes, did you do so on blu-ray and how does it compare?

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

1/01 Them! (1954)

I remember seeing this one as a very young child. I can re-call only parts of the movie, such as the young girl wandering at the beginning and the sound the ants made, but have no memory of the rest. I do remember my father escorting me up the stairs to my bedroom because I was so freaked. When watching the documentary Watch The Skies, this was one of the movies Spielberg had talked about so I jumped at the chance to watch it when it played on TCM. This is one of the better mutant bug movies or nature affected by nuclear fallout movies to come out. The special effects were quite good for the 50's. The cast were all uniformly good and included James Arness, James Whitmore, and Edmund Gwenn. Sorry I missed the cameo by Leonard Nimoy. Didn't realize it until it was pointed out by Robert Osborne after the movie was over.

1/03 The Last House on the Left (1972) zero stars

Normally I would walk out on something like this but I had heard alot about it and by dh wanted me to stay and watch. I wish I had left since this is a vile and disgusting movie one that hits you right in the gut. In a bizarre way, part of me is glad to have seen it but I certainly don't want to repeat the experience anytime soon.

1/03 Pin (1988)

Interesting study about a young man's descent into psychosis. This movie is quite unsettling and one of the better horror movies to come out of Canada. I wouldn't say the acting is stellar but adequate enough. It was nice to see David Hewitt in something other than Stargate: Atlantis. This was obviously a part early in his career but he managed to be quite convincing in his role. Reminded me alot of a poor man's Psycho.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

002) 01/02/2009 An American in Paris (1951) (out of four)

When Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) left the army in 1945, he stayed in Paris to pursue being a successful painter because, “all my life, that’s what I wanted to do.” He’s caught the attention of Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), a wealthy American from Baltimore who resides in Paris and has much influence in the art world. But her interest in him is not strictly professional. One night while Jerry and Milo are out networking, Jerry spots Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron), and falls instantly in love. But she is involved with one of Jerry’s friends, popular cantor Henri Baurel (Georges Guetary), and Henri plans to marry Lise and take her with him when he tours America.

You can probably already guess who ends with whom. The enjoyment of An American in Paris comes from the song and dance sequences featuring Kelly, Caron, Guetary, and/or the American in Paris Ballet. Kelly is as graceful as ever as he performs “Our Love is Here to Stay” and “S Wonderful.” The adorable staging of “I Got Rhythm” has Kelly teaching several French children how to say "I Got," and then have them come in on cue. Lise is introduced to the audience in an inventive dance montage whereby Henri describes Lise’s many traits and moods while Caron dances in various routines with changes in color, costumes, and dance styles. The finale lasts almost twenty minutes, as Jerry imagines himself and Lise together and apart, dancing through the streets of Paris. And Oscar Levant is on hand as an acerbic concert pianist, who’s never had a concert, to provide several laughs.

While it’s easy to enjoy the film today, the character of Jerry is a bit problematic. First, he’s a bit to self-satisfied and overly confident to the point of being a bit obnoxious. He is harsh and rude when dealing with Milo at times. And the way he uses Milo at the end, leading her on, is cruel. Maybe in 1951 this would have passed muster. But today Jerry isn’t a slam dunk in the likeability department. We’re supposed to be rooting for him and Lise to find happiness together. Jerry’s basically a good guy, but he needs to be taught some manners.

Still, An American in Paris it too genial a film to get to upset with old fashioned attitudes. The song and dance numbers work their magic and the film can still put a smile on the face and a spring in the step. But it’s Kelly’s next musical, Singin’ in the Rain (1952), that remains the best showcase for his talents.


My DVD Collection
My Film Blog

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Apparently not too ashamed as he is producing the upcoming sure-to-be-shit remake...

The Last House on the Left (2009)

Where has he said that he was ashamed of the film? I heard him make a lot of self-deprecating comments about various things in the commentary but I've never heard him say he was ashamed. Not disputing what you're saying, I'd just be interested to read/hear his comments to that affect.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

I updated my list with:

The Bank Job (2008)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Did you notice the music, Mario (I know you did)? This film is often called a live action 'Looney Tunes', and sure enough there are tons of Carl Stalling's musical cues used throughout the picture. Incidentally, Bob McKimson, a few years later, directed a short called The Leghorn Blows at Midnight (which isn't half as frantic as this film is!).


I have the same reaction to this film. I'm sure the feeling was that Gene Kelly's 'charisma' would allow them to get away with anything. But if he's obnoxious, then you start rooting for Nina Foch. If you root for Nina Foch, then you start rooting against Leslie Caron and the story falls apart. It doesn't help that Caron looks about 13 years old and the notion of someone being stopped cold in their tracks, head over heels for her is a tad far-fetched. But everything else is so damn good...


Yeah, those guys should've just taken the bad review in stride as a matter of doing business. Because Ebert undressed them. Badly.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Hold

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

I don’t recall your comments when I watched some of these last year…but am I the only film buff alive today who was mildly (and, in one case, more so) amused by them???





Mike,

Is this your first admission of having gone Blu…or am I missing something?

It’s no secret that my current tally of (almost) 1700 original SD-DVD has made me wary of embarking on a new format – not to mention the fact that such a move would undoubtedly also entail the purchase of an HD-TV set. Besides, when I recently sat through the original SE DVDs of THUNDERBALL (1965) and YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967), I was pleased enough with the audio, video and supplements on display and didn’t feel the need to spring for the upgraded “Ultimate” 2-Disc editions or their BluRay counterparts.

Having said that, I’ve been actively pondering the idea with regards to the following favorites – all of which I’ve so far held out on any available SD-DVD editions:


1.BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
2.2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
3.THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
4.BLADE RUNNER (1982)
5.THE THING (1982)


Presently, Play.com has a Warners SE SD-DVD sale that has some of these (and many other) 2-Disc sets going for just $7.25 which is an incredible price but, again, I already have the previous SD-DVD editions of THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971; my very first DVD purchase!) and DIRTY HARRY (1971)! But which self-respecting DVD rental store (even here in Malta) doesn’t have these already (which would otherwise allow me to easily unload them)?

Still, to go back to BluRay for a second, there is also those incompatibility issues you mentioned; I haven’t had much time to watch any supplements last year – let alone going through the hassle of upgrading and burning firmware or whatever!

At least, I can take comfort in the notion that many of the silent and foreign film classics that I love are still a long way away from finding themselves onto BluRay.



I've often said that Musicals aren't my thing anymore and, predictably, they formed the shortest list when I recently subdivided my collection (on paper not physically, mind you) into genres in preparation for my "A Genre A Day" stance in 2009. Still, if I was pressed to name the ones I can stand best of all, these would be (chronologically):


1.AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)
2.WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
3.CABARET (1972)
4.PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974)
5.THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975)


What? No LOVE ME TONIGHT (1932), 42ND STREET (1933), TOP HAT (1935), YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942), THE JOLSON STORY (1946), ON THE TOWN (1949), SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952), THE BAND WAGON (1953), GIGI (1958), MY FAIR LADY (1964), THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965) or OLIVER! (1968)? Hell, how do you even start to explain that I have THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) on DVD but haven’t seen it yet? Or that I’ve just acquired that abysmal travesty that goes by the name of SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (1978; which I was already familiar with) and have been considering getting THE APPLE (1980; ditto) and XANADU (1980)?




I hated THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972) on first viewing myself but, somehow, I now have two DVD editions of the damn thing (R1 MGM and R2 Anchor Bay UK 2-Discer) – although, I didn’t have to purchase either, if you get my drift…




Pete,

You must be a mind reader because, for some reason, as I was going to sleep last night, it struck me that I hadn’t mentioned the music (which I knew I had liked) of THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT (1945) in my comments (I don’t dare call them “reviews” anymore!)…but, I guess, that now comes with the territory of my newly self-imposed restrictions on reviewing what I watch over here and, by extension, the IMDb.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Drama Day #1 (or Robert Mulligan Day)


01/03/08: THE SPIRAL ROAD (Robert Mulligan, 1962)

Rock Hudson seemed to want to alternate his trademark comedy and action vehicles with more meaningful pieces; this was one of them, but it’s possibly the most wrong-headed he ever embarked upon! Sprawling but heavy-going and overlong, it tells of an atheist doctor’s experiences in Java; from the start, the script makes it known that his motivation wasn’t really compassion for human suffering, but rather to make a name for himself by chronicling the 20-year long research on leprosy by eminent but tough-as-nails medical authority Burl Ives! As expected, the narrative takes an episodic nature – a visit to a leper colony, the unexpected arrival of the hero’s fiancée (Gena Rowlands), a fellow doctor driven to madness and Hudson’s own brush with the dangerous witch doctor (Reggie Nalder!) responsible, Ives’ long-running friendly rivalry with a billiard-playing royal native – complemented by Russell Harlan’s gleaming widescreen photography and Jerry Goldsmith’s rather over-the-top exotic score and obviously culminating in Hudson’s ‘salvation’. While there’s a lot of melodrama going on (threatening the couple’s relationship and the hero’s own professional integrity), the film also features some incongruous injections of comedy (particularly Ives’ deliberate slapsticky disruption of a gala dinner) – but, frankly, it’s at its most unintentionally hilarious when Hudson counters missionary (a completely white-haired Geoffrey Keen!)’s earnest counsel with cynical witticisms and his own unconvincing shaggy appearance when deranged (apparently, this scene even found its way into the opening of the legendary “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” [1969-74] TV comedy series!).


01/03/08: BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL (Robert Mulligan, 1965)

This is the kind of film which seems to struggle to find an audience outside of its immediate setting – in its case, the American Deep South. It’s basically a familial drama where husband and wife are driven apart by the former’s troubled persona – especially due to his own inclination to violence and the enigmatic relationship with his eminent but dying guardian. Director Mulligan had created an all-time classic with TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962): this updates the atmosphere (including a failed attempt to replicate the gothic touch associated with Robert Duvall’s Boo Radley character in that film) but still throws in a little girl at the core of the story. Steven McQueen goes through the whole ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ act to little lasting effect – the performance is even more hurt by the fact that, playing a wannabe rockabilly singer, he’s forced to mimic to a number of tunes (including the title number). Similarly, co-stars Lee Remick and Don Murray have typical roles, and John Wayne regular Paul Fix also has a nice bit as a benign Judge. The film notches up some tolerable intensity with scenes where McQueen is beaten up, feverishly tries to dig up the old lady (for whatever purpose) and finally escapes custody – if only for a short while; otherwise, the greatest points of interest here are Ernest Laszlo’s moody cinematography and Elmer Bernstein’s eclectic score.


01/03/08: UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE (Robert Mulligan, 1967)

Having watched the film, it seems quite appropriate now that during one of its key sequences, schoolteacher Sandy Dennis is guiding her unruly English literature students through the famously antithetical opening of Charles Dickens’ “A Tale Of Two Cities”. That’s because the sheer glossiness of UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE makes its intended ‘realistic’ portrayal of the American school system self-defeatingly superficial. On the other hand, however, its cliché-ridden narrative – the troubled class punk is truly a highly intelligent individual, a sensitive soul bearing an unrequited love for the school’s playboy-teacher attempts suicide, a painfully shy student finally blossoms into a flamboyant actor, the schoolteacher eventually sticks her neck out for her put-upon students but, ungratefully, almost gets ‘raped’ into the bargain, she is about to quit her job but, naturally, thinks better of it at the end, etc. – is actually what makes it enjoyable viewing. It also helps that Sandy Dennis is very good in the lead, as she herself gains confidence in her dealings with the kids as the film moves along (to Fred Karlin’s playful score).

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Which is probably why I disliked LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, but for different reasons. To me it just wasn't anywhere hear as offensive and upsetting as its reputation suggested. I probably watched many copycats before I rented the Craven film, and it struck me as no big shock by the time I got around to it. The only thing I recall is something effective regarding someone going into the water (it's been at least 18 years since I've seen it).

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Mario, I don't mean to turn this into another "pro-Blu" discussion, but since it's being brought up I have to say I am very happy with Blu-ray overall. The thing about your having to buy an HDTV is that, at some point, that's all that will be available and at some time EVERYONE will own one. Once you do have a HD set there is no reason, IMO, to stick with standard definition movies when high definition releases are also on the market as an alternate option for some films.


Well, people used to say the same with VHS, also noting now many hundreds or thousands of tapes they already own and don't wish to replace. But in case you weren't aware, the beautiful thing about Blu-ray is that the machines also play regular DVDs and, even better, they upconvert them. All the DVDs I've been watching lately look great on my Blu player and in many cases I keep telling myself they look so good that there isn't a need to "upgrade" many of them to HD. But if you have an HDTV and a Blu-ray player, you can play both SD and BD and enjoy the best of both worlds.


Yes, this firmware updating nonsense sounds to be a pain. But I haven't had to worry, as so far my machine (the SONY 350) has no playback issues with the Fox discs, which have been an issue for some players. And I will not ever be playing my movies on a computer, which I am told is where firmware really kicks in.

I should also mention that my regular DVDs didn't look so hot when I first played them, but that's because (as I later learned) I needed to go into the main menu of the player and change my resolution output to "1080p" .


True, but you never know. When I bought my first DVD player at launch in March 1997 there were those laserdisc and VHS purists who doubted the same things would ever make it to DVD, and look what happened! But keep in mind that the DVDs of these will be looking good on your new system, so long as you've got the player and resolution set right.

Back to basic movie talk -- I see you're designating a "topic" for each day ("Comedy", "Drama"...). It's my intention this year to attempt a "Theme Week" every week, from Monday through Friday. This is something I always want to do but have never buckled down to. It is also going to be typically difficult because I am usually too lethargic after work on weeknights to make it through a film. I don't intend to begin until tomorrow, since it'll be the start of the first full week of 2009. And to give you a hint of what the theme will be next week -- guess whose 74th birthday it would have been on Jan. 8th?

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

1/3 / Shutter / 1 / BD

I wonder if the original is any better. The American remakes never seem to capture the creepiness and atmosphere of the Asian originals.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

On the last day of 2008, after an analysis of my viewing habits, I cancelled my TV service and opened up a Netflix account. In 2009, I plan on watching many more movies and far less TV on DVD. My first pair of discs arrived on Saturday, and I found time to watch one of them so far.

1/3 Midnight Run (1988):

This action comedy delivers in most respects, but it also has its share of drawbacks. De Niro, Grodin, and Kotto turn in the best performances, playing the characters mostly straight but still delivering the laughs. The movie has a lot of good setups and payoffs but rarely telegraphs exactly where it is going. Danny Elfman’s music is top-notch throughout, and I love hearing electric guitar over the Universal logo.

I’m not a big fan of excessive profanity in movies. There are certain characters and situations for which it seems more appropriate, but I’d rather have the same intensity of performance with fewer expletives. This movie has too much profanity for my taste. Also, the sniper scene felt completely unbelievable, even for such an absurd chain of events. My final negative point is that the section between the train and Vegas had very little decent comedy.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

I also watched this recently and gave it the same score and had pretty much the same reaction. I actually liked the remake for NOT having any of the usual "tricks" like fast editing, jittery camerawork, crazy visuals. Instead it just told the story but it was too predictable.

As for Last House on the Left I feel that the movie does pack a punch and that Craven included much to think about concerning violence and the two different "families" (as he has done in other films). But the movie was ruined by those two bumbling cops - I really hated them. I think Craven did not trust his "horror" instincts and opted to add in some ill-advised "comedy". Virgin Spring is much more impressive.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Kiss Me Deadly 1/2
After watching this outstanding film my New Year's Resolution is to watch more Robert Aldrich. Any recommendations would be welcome - I think the only other one I've seen is Emperor of the North. Anyway this one hits hard - it has the trappings of film noir (private eye, tough women, shadows, staircases, cages/bars) but the sensibility of a tough modern crime drama. Immediately from the start the film creates a heady atmosphere of a world that is not quite right with a woman stumbling along a road at night and then the credits scrolling the wrong way. Sex and violence permeate the film - the torture at the beginning is pretty strong stuff - and Mike Hammer is not the typical hero.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1/2
I am counting this as a new viewing although I remember seeing it when I was young. This is a very enjoyable entertainment and gets by on the charm of its stars (especially Newman) although some bits go on too long. Funniest part is all the jokes they wring from the necessity of learning Spanish for bank-robbing in Bolivia.

Se7en 1/2
Not much to say - if you like intense well-made thriller/horror movies this is the one to watch.

Ride Lonesome 1/2
I know I should like them more but I still cannot really get into the Scott/Boetticher Westerns. There is a lot to admire mainly in the simplicity and subtlety of story and style but they always leave me unsatisfied for some reason. I think that Scott's character does not really resonate with me. I have seen four now and the only one I really liked was Seven Men From Now.

Black Book (1949)
One of a kind Anthony Mann/John Alton film that uses film noir techniques for a story set during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. There are no epic scenes with hundreds of extras just a succession of small scale scenes in an exciting if initially confusing tale. This needs a good DVD treatment as the print from TCM is just serviceable.

Orpheus (1950) 1/2
Jean Cocteau's update of the Orpheus story becomes a wonderful fantasy story of a poet who is visited by death and has to fight to bring his wife back to this world after her death.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

01/04/09

The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) Dir: Mitchell Leisen
Production: Paramount Pictures

The fourth and last in the series of 'Big Broadcast' musicals from Paramount, this one most notable for Bob Hope's feature debut, wherein a variety of musical acts do their thing while a paper-thin plot attempts to go on around them. The story here has something to do with toy boats racing across a tub (the models are really bad), or rather two luxury ocean liners racing each other to see who can complete the Atlantic crossing in the best time. About 5 minutes of the movie is devoted to this.

Of course the highlight is Hope and co-star Shirley Ross' sublime performance of Rainger and Robin's 'Thanks for the Memory', which won an Oscar® for best original song and became Hope's theme. W.C. Fields does some decent shtick playing an eccentric shipping tycoon and his twin brother. I couldn't decide whether Martha Raye was annoying or whether she brought some needed energy. Regardless, she was a good sport, on the receiving end of jokes about her big mouth and a gag about how ugly she was, as well as getting practically brutalized in a musical number (which was entertaining I must say). Dorothy Lamour and Leif Erickson round out the cast in a dreary romantic subplot. In one of the 'specialty acts', Leon Schlesinger provides the animation as an anthropomorphic water bubble (?) interacts with bandleader Shep Fields. The big, flashy final number isn't exactly a show-stopper, especially when compared with some of the 'Broadway Melody' pictures of the time.

Some of the gags are just awful, but the film rises to mediocrity thanks to one moment of genius.

out of 4

MITCHELL LEISEN - "Lightly Likable"
01/04/09: The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)

Like others, I'm also tinkering with a more structured viewing regiment, while also leaving room for improvisation. Using Andrew Sarris' The American Cinema as a launch point, I'm going to try to do blocks of a director at a time or just keep track of what I see from directors in the book. I'm trying to train myself to consider a director's whole body of work, rather than seeing each film as a separate element. Macro vs. micro, you might say (I'm really trying to avoid using 'auteur' here). So, we'll see. Post format will be toyed with, and some kind of tally will be in each one. And the directors will be identified by the category Sarris puts them in. It's all needlessly complex and way too ambitious for me.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Teenage Monster (1958)

A Fourth of July sparkler (which is supposed to substitute for a meteorite) crashes down on an old 1880s western town, killing a woman's husband and injuring her little boy. Seven years later, mom (Anne Gwynne) is saddled with a mangy hulking moron of a son who has been rendered illiterate due to the accident, and who gets out to kill people every so often. This "teenage monster" is played by 50-ish Gil Perkins, who was a stuntman for Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man in the 1940s, and was actually 10 years older than Anne Gwynne, who plays his mother!

Despite the nature of this film, Gwynne gives it more than it deserves (though she hated the movie so much that it was the last one she ever made), but the best performance comes from Gloria Castillo. Gloria plays a bitchy waitress who blackmails mom into paying her off or else she'll spill the beans that it's her monstrous son who's been doing all the killing around town. This is painless monster movie cheese, but the funniest thing about it is that originally it was felt the monster spoke too articulately for someone who was supposed to be brain damaged, and so Gil Perkins came back to loop in a bunch of whimpers and silly noises. What's humorous is that in the finished product it still appears that Anne Gwynne and Gloria Castillo are able to decipher his every grunt.



Private School (1983)

OK, this one's a nostalgic kick of mine. I was 21 years old when it hit theaters, and I had fallen in love with Phoebe Cates after seeing her in FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH the previous year. She's gorgeous throughout PRIVATE SCHOOL, but she's got some serious competition from the equally stunning "bad girl" Betsy Russell, who plays her sexy rival in this gratuitous teen sex comedy. No apologies necessary here -- this is just an all-out "guys want to get into girls pants" farce, and it's one of the "best" of the so-called "Eighties Sexploitation Genre", as far as they go. Male students from a nearby academy for men try to crash a private school for girls to get their young rocks off. It's that simple.

PRIVATE SCHOOL's got a good '80s music score, some funny scenes, and a lot of T&A (and even some C) on display for every red-blooded American male to gawk at. Also -- clueless and victimized teachers, stuffy parents, school pranks -- the usual formula, which is what we're there for. But in addition there's at least one respectable angle with "good girl" Cates being in love with Matthew Modine and their plans to "do it" for the first time, the right way, in a romantic getaway. Ray Walston, who was so memorable as Mr. Hand in FAST TIMES, returns in a small but welcome part as a perverted chauffer. If you know what to expect and it's what you're looking for, dive in. If you don't go for this sort of thing, don't waste your (and my) time watching and whining about it.


Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928)

I can't say I am surprised by Lon Chaney's fine performance here, as he impresses me with every film I see of his for the first time. Here he plays a clown named Tito, who comes across an abandoned little girl one day and decides to take her in and bring her up, naming her Simonetta. As the years progress, Simonetta develops into a beautiful young woman (Loretta Young) and Tito begins to fall in love with her. Problem is, so too has a young Count, with whom Tito must compete. But the magic is that we get to see Chaney's heart being broken even though he has to work as a laughing and joyful clown while crying on the inside. I wouldn't say the movie is exeptional, but it's got sentiment and Chaney is very good. I found Loretta Young to be quite attractive, but I later discovered she was only 14 at the time.

You know, I'm surprised more people haven't talked about the incestuous implications of a film like this one, considering that the Chaney character was more or less the girl's "father". Not that I mind, you understand; these things occur, and it's not like the girl was Tito's own flesh and blood. Now, I wonder why people didn't cut Woody Allen the same slack?

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

I've updated my list with Dear Zachary: A Letter to his Son about his Father.

Equally maddening, sad and ultimately uplifting, it's a brilliant documentary about a man telling the story of another man to his son who wasn't born when his father was killed. I don't dare reveal what happens towards the end, but it's shocking, but not surprising, considering what we know what has happened already.

How the Academy eliminated this from the shortlist so early, I don't want to know.