Crawdaddy's "Random Thoughts" about Home Video, Film & TV (5 Viewers)

[Robert Crawford]

A good looking Region "B" Blu-ray from Eureka. It's not one of my Fritz Lang's favorites, but I do love Gloria Grahame in this movie. There were better looking actresses than Grahame, but few were sexier than her. Also, a very underrated actress. Glenn Ford and Brokerick Crawford are also in this "La Bête Humaine" (1938) remake.

 

[Robert Crawford]

A good looking Region "B" Blu-ray from Eureka. It's not one of my Fritz Lang's favorites, but I do love Gloria Grahame in this movie. There were better looking actresses than Grahame, but few were sexier than her. Also, a very underrated actress. Glenn Ford and Brokerick Crawford are also in this "La Bête Humaine" (1938) remake.

One more thing about this Masters of Cinema Blu-ray title. This film reunites Lang with the screenwriter, Alfred Hayes who wrote "Clash by Night" which is this weekend's Noir Alley selection. We can expect Eddie to talk about Lang and Hayes in his commentary. As to the movie "Human Desire" it's a remake of Jean Renoir's film, but with quite a different ending along with some other major differences. No way the production code would allow the first film's storyline to take place here in America circa 1954.

I'll be watching "Clash by Night" a couple of times between now and tomorrow as it's been a while since my last viewing of it and I never got around to listening to Peter Bogdanovich's audio commentary.

 

[Robert Crawford]

A nice little interview with Mary Elizabeth Winstead who's co-starring in "Gemini Man" starring Will Smith. I'm seeing this film later today in 3-D/HFR. Winstead is a personal favorite actress of mine that should have been a major star by now.


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7549864/videoplayer/vi2391719705?ref_=tt_ov_vi

 

[TravisR]

A nice little interview with Mary Elizabeth Winstead who's co-starring in "Gemini Man" starring Will Smith. I'm seeing this film later today in 3-D/HFR. Winstead is a personal favorite actress of mine that should have been a major star by now.


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7549864/videoplayer/vi2391719705?ref_=tt_ov_vi

I agree, she's a fantastic actor.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Best thing about "The Thing" prequel/reboot, which may be damning with faint praise. I will always love her for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This weekend's Noir Alley selection is "Clash by NIght" (1952) starring Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe and Keith Andes. The film was directed Fritz Lang and screenplay by Alfred Hayes based on a play by Clifford Odets. Personally, I like this film more for watching Marilyn Monroe. Yes, her famous Playboy photos were shot before the film came out, but weren't released until after the film was released. Of course, Stanwyck was excellent in this film. IMO, this film

Spoiler

isn't a film noir, but is more like a melodrama.

Anyhow, I do wonder if Eddie or you guys will agree with my opinion?


TCM's Noir Alley Revised 2019 schedule.

03-09-19: D.O.A. (1950)
03-16-19: High Sierra (1941)
03-23-19: Lady in the Lake (1946)
03-30-19: Border Incident (1949)
04-06-19: 99 River Street (1953)
04-13-19: Nobody Lives Forever (1946)
04-20-19: M (1951)
04-27-19: Woman on the Run (1950)
05-04-19: Nightmare Alley (1947)
05-11-19: White Heat (1949)
05-18-19: Key Largo (1948)
05-25-19: Dead Reckoning (1947)
06-01-19: The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
06-08-19: Nora Prentiss (1947)
06-15-19: Pickup on South Street (1953)
06-22-19: Shadow on the Wall (1950)
06-29-19: On Dangerous Ground (1951)
07-06-19: The Tattooed Stranger (1950)
07-13-19: The People Against O'Hara (1951)
07-20-19: While the City Sleeps (1956)
07-27-19: Thieves' Highway (1949)
09-07-19: The Big Clock (1948)
09-14-19: Nocturne (1946)
09-21-19: The Woman on the Beach (1947)
09-28-19: The Harder They Fall (1956)
10-05-19: Trapped (1949)
10-12-19: Clash By Night (1952)
10-19-19: This Gun For Hire (1942)
10-26-19: Force of Evil (1948) replaces A Woman's Secret (1949)
11-02-19: Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
11-09-19: Johnny Eager (1941)
11-16-19: The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
11-23-19: Kansas City Confidential (1952)
11-30-19: The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
12-07-19: Berlin Express (1948)
12-14-19: Criss Cross (1949)
12-21-19: Cash on Demand (1961) replaces I Died a Thousand Times (1955)
12-28-19: Repeat Performance (1947)
01-04-20: The Big Sleep (1946)
01-11-20: The Captive City (1952)
01-18-20: The Big Night (1951)

 

[Robert Crawford]

Hubba, Hubba!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I was never a big fan of this movie as I always felt it was just too damn long, especially, for a horror film. I liked it more when I first saw it in a movie theater back in 1980, when I was still in my early 20's. However, over the years, I found the film more difficult to navigate through the entire film. It took me two different sittings to watch this 4K disc all the way through. I'm just not a big horror film fan like I was 40 years ago. With that said, the 4K/UHD presentation is beautiful as the film never looked this good for me. The audio presentation is outstanding too.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Eddie's comments on "Clash by Night" were excellent, but I think a little misleading. From what I can gather, though, acting with Monroe was very challenging for Stanwyck because Marilyn would forget her lines quite often. Stanwyck did protect Monroe after Lang kicked Monroe's acting instructor off the movie set. I think Monroe gave one of her best acting performances early in her career and I attribute that to Stanwyck's mentoring during the filming of this movie. The Bogdanovich's DVD audio commentary that was enhanced by audio clips from Lang about the making of "Clash by Night" is interesting and enlightening about the Monroe/Stanwyck dynamic. Without a doubt, Monroe tested the patience of Stanwyck, but, there is little doubt that she helped the young actress too during the film's production.

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm looking forward to his comments and the film at lunchtime.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm looking forward to his comments and the film at lunchtime.

Let us know what you think. I didn't like the ending,

Spoiler

but that's 1952 for you.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I hope Clash by Night shows up on the TCM app. The past couple of Noir Alley films have not. At least with this one I own the DVD, so can revisit the disc if necessary.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I hope Clash by Night shows up on the TCM app. The past couple of Noir Alley films have not. At least with this one I own the DVD, so can revisit the disc if necessary.

It’s on TCM app.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Clash By Night. Domestic Noir. Tennessee Williams' light. The dialogue was overly theatrical, but the motivations and intentions were spot on. It held my attention and stirred the pot pretty good. There's a classic struggle and conflict in there. And yeah, I don't buy that ending, either. Maybe this should have been the prequel to Double Indemnity with Barbara Stanwyck finding other solutions for her domestic conflict and struggle.

 

[Matt Hough]

I really found it stretching the limits of what's called noir. Personally, I wouldn't call it that. It's melodrama pure and simple for me. I really enjoyed the performances even with Clifford Odets' overly effusive dialogue for such unsophisticated characters. That uncle character I wanted to bash in the head and throw out the back window. And for Douglas to let himself be so obviously manipulated by such tactics seemed to take dramatic license to the breaking point.

 

[Matt Hough]

Despite my caveats, I would like to have this on Blu-ray. I assume Warners holds the rights since it's an RKO film, so I suppose it must wait in line with many other MGM, Warner, and RKO titles for Blu-ray release. BTW, the transfer on TCM didn't appear to be HD.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Despite my caveats, I would like to have this on Blu-ray. I assume Warners holds the rights since it's an RKO film, so I suppose it must wait in line with many other MGM, Warner, and RKO titles for Blu-ray release. BTW, the transfer on TCM didn't appear to be HD.

I actually thought my DVD looked better than the TCM broadcast. As to the movie, I think Stanwyck's character would leave again in 3-4 months as the same issues are still there between her and Jerry even without Earl around. Earl is one sad and angry character that will never be able to give happiness to any woman. Stanwyck's character knows that now, but she will remain unhappy with Jerry so I think she leaves again him again, but not with Earl.

 

[Robert Crawford]

My September-December, 2019 "3-D" Challenge in which I watch at least one 3-D movie a week has the following movies viewed as of October 14th:

• Beowulf (2007)
• Hansel & Gretel (2013)
• Jivaro (1954)
• September Storm (1960)
• The Maze (1953)
• Skyscraper (2018)
• Gemini Man (2019)

 

[Robert Crawford]

Just in case some of you missed it, Sam Posten linked the following video from Disney about Disney+ that's launching in four weeks. Man, I hope "Never Cry Wolf" is shown on Disney+.

 

[Mike2001]

I watched through the 80's. No Never Cry Wolf in the video. No The Gods Must be Crazy either, which was on the Netherlands list. Plenty of other stuff, though.