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Crawdaddy's "Random Thoughts" about Home Video, Film & TV (1 Viewer)

Robert Crawford

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Linda Darnell at her best, Anyone wanting to know why I love and revere Linda Darnell should watch this film.
This is all that needs to be said:

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Robert Crawford

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Updated TCM's Noir Alley 2020 schedule:

03-07-20: Ride the Pink Horse (1947)
03-14-20: I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
03-21-20: Elevator to the Gallows (1958)
03-28-20: Crime Wave (1954)
04-04-20: Address Unknown (1944)
04-11-20: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)
04-25-20: Wicked Woman (1954)

05-02-20: Fallen Angel (1945)
05-09-20: Mildred Pierce (1945)
05-16-20: The Crimson Kimono (1959)
05-23-20: Cornered (1945)
05-30-20: A Kiss Before Dying (1956)
06-06-20: The Underworld Story (1950)
06-13-20: Murder by Contract (1958)
06-20-20: Underworld U.S.A. (1961)
06-27-20: The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
07-04-20: The Sign of the Ram (1948)
07-11-20: Bodyguard (1948)
07-18-20: Three Strangers (1946)
07-25-20: The Breaking Point (1950)
 

HawksFord

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I'll go along with the consensus on Wicked Woman. It was a fun, campy movie. I won't be seeking it out, but if it pops up again in a few years I might watch it. I certainly enjoyed it more than Beyond a Reasonable Doubt which we also watched yesterday. I just couldn't accept the fundamental premise behind that one.
 

Robert Crawford

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I'll go along with the consensus on Wicked Woman. It was a fun, campy movie. I won't be seeking it out, but if it pops up again in a few years I might watch it. I certainly enjoyed it more than Beyond a Reasonable Doubt which we also watched yesterday. I just couldn't accept the fundamental premise behind that one.
Completely understandable.
 

Bert Greene

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Eh, I'd never seen it, but I wasn't going to watch "Wicked Woman" (1954) because it sounded terrible. However, by chance I caught Muller's intro stating that the film had an atypically large and key role for Percy Helton, and it did arouse my curiosity. So, I gave it gander. Pretty awful film, which just plodded along, and served up a lot of bad lines. Very much in Hugo Haas territory, although maybe a smidgeon better. The one (and maybe only) thing I sort of liked about it was the conclusion, which didn't go the tiresomely predictable route, and avoided a grim, violent ending. It was almost refreshing this way, just ending on a note having everyone look foolish and embarrassed.
 

Robert Crawford

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Thought I'd mention this here - TCM just launched their own podcast "The Plot Thickens" hosted by Ben Mankiewicz
 

Robert Crawford

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Today, I patiently waited on my mailman to deliver the Warner Archive Blu-ray of "Blood on the Moon" (1948) a western/film noir movie starring Robert Mitchum, Barbara Bel Geddes, Robert Preston, Walter Brennan and Phyllis Thaxter. This fine film was directed by the great Robert Wise for RKO. A fine supporting cast also includes Frank Faylen, Charles McGraw and Tom Tully. The movie is centered on a Texas cowhand traveling to another state and becoming involved in another rancher conflict. Down on his luck, this cowboy was sent for by his old riding partner, the mastermind behind this rancher conflict, in order to basically steal a herd of cattle from a big rancher after this rancher lost his Indian reservation contract supplying beef to the Indians. The rancher has two daughters that play major roles in this rancher conflict.

This was the second western starring Robert Mitchum that was released in 1948. The first one being "Rachel and the Stranger". That particular movie was filmed in 1947, but wasn't released until 1948. While "Blood on the Moon" was filmed in 1948, and released the same year. For many years, this movie never looked good on TV viewings or home video. It never did get a Region 1 DVD Release. I actually teared up watching this Blu-ray today as I couldn't get over how beautiful this movie looked. It was like watching this movie for the very first time. Furthermore, the audio presentation was exceptional. It was such a wonderful experience watching this western with some distinct "film noir" elements throughout the movie. The plot elements and how the movie was photographed would remind you that a "film noir" director was in charge of this movie's production and that the cinematographer was an experienced "film noir" director of photography. Nicholas Musuraca nailed it! Eddie should be showing this on "Noir Alley". With little doubt, he's probably a fan of this movie. I highly recommend this movie to anybody that likes westerns and film noirs.



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Walter Kittel

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I think that Rear Window does have noirish qualities, most noticeably a sense of menace and dread; but I wouldn't classify it as noir because A) The protagonist doesn't have an air of fatalism or self destructiveness that I associate with the more cynical examples of the genre and B) the use of color and the overall visual aesthetic doesn't strike me as particularly noirish. (The one sequences that does feel right at home in a noir is the camera flash sequence inside Stewart's apartment.) Great film / thriller / mystery but less a noir; in my opinion.

- Walter.
 

Cranston37+

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I wouldn't classify it as noir because A) The protagonist doesn't have an air of fatalism or self destructiveness that I associate with the more cynical examples of the genre

This is what I was coming to say.

Noir to me means (for the most part) that the protagonist can't be purely good. Everybody has to be somehow broken or crooked, even the "good" guy. In Rear Window, the only bad guy is the actual bad guy. That to me is the delineation between noir and thriller.
 
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Robert Crawford

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I have an expanded definition of what's "Noir" is compared to other people. IMO, the definition has been too restrictive and it does limit the quality of that movie sub-genre and discussion of it.
 

Cranston37+

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Rear Window is my definite favorite movie. I consider it near perfect. But there has always been 1 thing I found to be a mistake and I'm curious to see if anyone agrees.

Go to approximately the 1:21:16 mark (I used iTunes). Grace Kelly says the line "Jeff you know if someone came in here they wouldn't believe what they'd see". When she says the word "see" it sounds like she trips over the line. If I'm right, if it's a flub, I'm surprised that take made it in. Hitchcock was a bit of a detailed oriented guy (not to mention Alma who caught Janet Leigh blinking in Psycho).

Anyone else agree?
 

Robert Crawford

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Rear Window is my definite favorite movie. I consider it near perfect. But there has always been 1 thing I found to be a mistake and I'm curious to see if anyone agrees.

Go to approximately the 1:21:16 mark (I used iTunes). Grace Kelly says the line "Jeff you know if someone came in here they wouldn't believe what they'd see". When she says the word "see" it sounds like she trips over the line. If I'm right, if it's a flub, I'm surprised that take made it in. Hitchcock was a bit of a detailed oriented guy (not to mention Alma who caught Janet Leigh blinking in Psycho).

Anyone else agree?
Yup, she flop the line on both BD and digital. I have to think Hitchcock left it in as a joke.
 

Cranston37+

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My only other quibble with RW is that you have Grace Fricken' Kelly bringing you lobster dinners from the 21 Club and telling you she's spending the night while showing you her lingerie and... you're not sure about this relationship?

Let the record show - I could settle for that.
 
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Robert Crawford

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My only other quibble with RW is that you have Grace Fricken' Kelly bringing you lobster dinners from the 21 Club and she tells you she's spending the night while showing you her lingerie and you're not sure about this relationship?

Let the record show - I could settle for that...
She was in a class by herself as she was not only beautiful, but had a touch of class that few actresses ever had in their career.
 

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