Crawdaddy's "Random Thoughts" about Home Video, Film & TV (7 Viewers)

[Robert Crawford]

I watched another early Warner Archive title this morning, but on Filmstruck "Wichita" starring Joel McCrea, Vera Miles, Lloyd Bridges, Wallace Ford, Edgar Buchanan, Peter Graves and Keith Larsen. This 1955 western was directed by Jacques Tourneur in Cinemascope and Technicolor. A familiar tale of Wyatt Earp cleaning up Wichita, Kansas as the newly appointed Marshal. A good western with only about 81 minutes run time with even more familiar cast members like Robert Wilkie, Jack Elam, Mae Clarke and Carl Benton Reid in supporting roles. The picture quality was pretty good for this Allied Artists release. I'm going to miss Filmstruck!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched some college football today, but was able to squeeze in a few movies too. First up this morning was "The World in his Arms" (1952) on Blu-ray from Germany. A very good looking disc with its Technicolor presentation. A Raoul Walsh directed film starring Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, Ann Blythe and John McIntire about a schooner captain hunting seals in the Alaskan waters around 1850, while being at odds with the Russians and a rival captain played by Anthony Quinn. An entertaining film except for the subject matter of seal hunting.

 

[Robert Crawford]

My second movie viewing was "2001: A Space Odyssey" on 4K/UHD disc. IMO, I thought the disc looked and sounded great. I was more impressed with this viewing of the movie than my previous IMAX viewing of it a couple of months ago. As I stated in another thread, it was almost like seeing it for the very first time, even though, I've seen it a dozen times or so over the years. The film wasn't a favorite of mine when it came out 50 years ago. I found it rather boring, but it has grown on me the last 20 years and I never questioned its greatness as I always thought of it as a groundbreaking film that was entitled to kudos it has received over the years.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Oops, I forgot I did watch a fourth movie today, "Spooks Run Wild" (1941) with the East Side Kids running around with Bela Lugosi out in the woods in a spooky mansion. The TCM app stream of if was simply awful. Carl Foreman co-wrote the story and screenplay. I still got a kick out of it again despite the quality of the stream as I was a big fan of these movies when they played on Channels 5 & 9 in NYC Metro area back in the 1960s. The Dead End Kids, The East Side Kids and The Bowery Boys were all favorites of mine during my childhood.

Noir Alley tonight and tomorrow morning, "Follow Me Quietly" (1949) directed by the underrated Richard Fleischer. By the way, the film is only about 60 minutes long and isn't among the best film noirs, but it's entertaining. I'll probably watch my 2011 Warner Archive DVD again with Eddie's before and after comments.

 

[Matt Hough]

I've never seen Follow Me Quietly, but I certainly plan to watch it tomorrow during lunchtime.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I've never seen Follow Me Quietly, but I certainly plan to watch it tomorrow during lunchtime.

I hope you enjoy it as I thought it was always a nice little "B" film. My main issue with the film is something Eddie mentions in his comments about the lead. I won't go into detail until others have seen Noir Alley today. I will say seeing Jeff Corey playing a cop is interesting and of course, Charles D. Brown again playing a cop as usual. I think this was Brown's last film as he died shortly thereafter.

One more thing, does anybody else think Dorothy Patrick looks like Ginger Rogers in this film? I've always thought so which is ironic considering some of Eddie's comments about the cinematographer.

 

[Bert Greene]

Yep, I've always thought Dorothy Patrick looked quite a bit like Ginger Rogers. Especially in some of those Republics that Patrick made, like "The Blonde Bandit" and "Federal Agent at Large." Did Muller mention anything about her? I don't think I've ever heard a single anecdote or anything about Patrick, over all my years as a film buff.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yep, I've always thought Dorothy Patrick looked quite a bit like Ginger Rogers. Especially in some of those Republics that Patrick made, like "The Blonde Bandit" and "Federal Agent at Large." Did Muller mention anything about her? I don't think I've ever heard a single anecdote or anything about Patrick, over all my years as a film buff.

He didn't mention her which was disappointing because after I watched my DVD again before listening to any of his comments, I kept thinking that Patrick could pass for Ginger Rogers during those 59 minutes. He then mentions the cinematographer, who did a lot of Rogers films and I thought it was quite a coincidence, but not a word about Patrick.

 

[TJPC]

Isn’t it amazing how we all watch and are interested in wildly different movies that other people would never have heard of and would probably think was absolute crap! I say this as I plan to finish watching the last of the new Zazu Pitts/Thelma Todd shorts set!

 

[Keith Cobby]

I've never seen Follow Me Quietly, but I certainly plan to watch it tomorrow during lunchtime.

I watched it again today. It's a favourite film of mine by a favourite director. Dorothy Patrick had a lovely face and was also featured in Violent Saturday (again by Richard Fleischer). Wish Warner would start releasing some of these RKO films, obviously starting with The Narrow Margin.

 

[Matt Hough]

Quite enjoyed Follow Me Quietly for an interesting procedural. I was convinced Jeff Corey was the Judge until that eerie scene when the "dummy" got up and walked out right after Corey had been in the room. The romance was very conventional, but didn't take precedence over the investigation. William Lundigen was fine, I thought. In such a short movie, there wouldn't have been time to explore any more angst than was already shown when he would beat himself up for not getting further with the case before things broke wide open.

Since the movie was so short, Eddie had lots of time to talk, and he went into great detail about a lot of production history, but you're right that it was odd the leading lady didn't rate more examination.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I thought the film was a bit too short and would have preferred a better ending. The first time I watched it I was convinced the murdered people would have been linked by a jury or something as in The Missing Juror (1944).

 

[Robert Crawford]

The film "Berlin Express" is one of those films that I've never seen in its entirety, but have seen in bits and pieces over the years. I knew everything about the film without actually watching it in its complete form until today. Well, after watching the first 15 minutes of it on Filmstruck, I decided to pull out my 2009 WA DVD to complete my viewing. The film takes place right after WWII ended and it's about a kidnapping of a German by the German Underground to prevent him from submitting a report on the reunification of Germany to the UN. His fellow train passengers look for him along with the American troops in Frankfurt. IMO, the film is good, but there are some parts I didn't like about it. Though, the film sequences showing the bombed out cities of Frankfurt and Berlin were outstanding. The action sequences were well done. The outstanding cast included Merle Oberon, Robert Ryan, Paul Lukas, Robert Coote and Charles Kovin. With appearances by Charles McGraw and Tom Keene in supporting roles. The film is based on a story by Curt Siodmak. Directed by Jacques Tourneur with the cinematographer being Oberon's husband at that time, Lucien Ballard, a favorite cinematographer of mine.

 

[Robert Crawford]

More to come later when I have more time, I did watch my German Blu-ray of "Unconquered" (1947) starring Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, Howard Da Silva, Boris Karloff, Ward Bond and Cecil Kellaway. This Technicolor film directed by Cecil B. DeMille looked fine on this BD release. It's not pristine, but this original Paramount film looked better than I ever seen it beforehand. The movie is ludicrous in some segments, but it's entertaining even it's about 20 minutes too long. More to come later. I do have a question as I was watching this film again this morning, I had an odd feeling that one of the ending sequences with dead soldiers in wagons was done in another film. Am I crazy or has it been done in another film?

 

[Robert Crawford]

An entertaining movie review of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956) by one of my favorite movie reviewers, Mike Clark.

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956-review/

 

[Robert Crawford]

My thoughts on the movie "Eighth Grade" (2018). A really good movie and one of my favorite 2018 films.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/posts/4668438/

 

[Robert Crawford]

Next up is "Lucky" (2017). I bought the HD download from iTunes.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Next up is "Lucky" (2017). I bought the HD download from iTunes.

Has anybody else seen this film? I know Ron Epstein has seen it and he loved it. After my viewing today, I can see why he felt that way about this film. I've been a big Harry Dean Stanton for most of my adult life. I remember him when he was much young actor in such films as "The Proud Rebel" and "Pork Chop Hill". Of course, he appeared in a bunch of films during the 1960s, 1970s and and 1980s. A really great character actor. In this film, he plays a 90 year old man living out in a small desert town in Arizona. He's kind of struggling with his mortality and finding peace with himself about his place in the world and what happens to him afterwards. As the writers/producers of this film stated on a bonus material featurette, this film was actually based on Stanton from their relationship and prior conversations they had with Stanton for 17 years. As I come to grips with my own mortality and knowing my time on this earth is on a very limited time now I can really relate to this film and its message. The film was directed by John Carroll Lynch, a popular character actor directing his first film and the cast includes Ed Begley Jr., David Lynch in a rare acting role, Ron Livingston, Barry Shabaka Henley, James Darren, who I haven't seen in an acting role for years and Tom Skerritt in a brief cameo role. I highly recommend this film!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Has anybody else seen this film? I know Ron Epstein has seen it and he loved it. After my viewing today, I can see why he felt that way about this film. I've been a big Harry Dean Stanton for most of my adult life. I remember him when he was much young actor in such films as "The Proud Rebel" and "Pork Chop Hill". Of course, he appeared in a bunch of films during the 1960s, 1970s and and 1980s. A really great character actor. In this film, he plays a 90 year old man living out in a small desert town in Arizona. He's kind of struggling with his mortality and finding peace with himself about his place in the world and what happens to him afterwards. As the writers/producers of this film stated on a bonus material featurette, this film was actually based on Stanton from their relationship and prior conversations they had with Stanton for 17 years. As I come to grips with my own mortality and knowing my time on this earth is on a very limited time now I can really relate to this film and its message. The film was directed by John Carroll Lynch, a popular character actor directing his first film and the cast includes Ed Begley Jr., David Lynch in a rare acting role, Ron Livingston, Barry Shabaka Henley, James Darren, who I haven't seen in an acting role for years and Tom Skerritt in a brief cameo role. I highly recommend this film!

An absolutely amazing film, right?

I also felt a connection to it. How could you not?

So glad you got to watch this, Crawdaddy.

And that was Tom Skerritt in the diner? I never made the connection. I knew he looked familiar. Sort of an "Alien" repairing.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Two more streaming viewings via iTunes and Amazon Prime. The first one being "Hotel Artemis" (2018) in 4K starring Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista and Jeff Goldblum. An interesting film about an underground hospital for criminals in a future state L.A. where violence and rationing of water is run by a private company and rationed from the general public unless you can pay for it. A crime is committed in the middle of riot over water access and the wounded criminals end up in that underground hospital run by the Nurse/Jodie Foster, who is assisted by her medical professional/David Bautista. I kind of like this action film, though the storyline between a couple of characters are kind of weak regarding Sherman/Sterling K. Brown and Nice/ Sofia Boutella. Foster was very good in this film, but she cracked me up every time they showed her walking. It was like watching Fred Sanford and his funky walk.