Track the Films You Watch (2006) (2 Viewers)

[Joe Woz]

Walk, Don't Run :star::star::star:

Cary Grant's last film. This little romantic comedy from 1966 has always been a favorite of mine. I must have gone to see this film at least 20 times during it's theatrical release at the old Roosevelt Theater in downtown Chicago. I was going to college at the time and had a couple of hours to kill every afternoon between classes, so I wound up going to see this movie day after day after day. I can still remember the funny look I'd get from the ticket taker as I entered the theater. I've always thought this was a charming little film. Yes, some of the jokes were kind of lame but I still laugh at some of the gags. But, truth be told, the real reason I saw this film as many times as I did was due to the fact I had a big time crush on Samantha Eggar.



Dr. No :star::star::star:

Off and running on the Bond-a-Month Challenge. This film still holds up pretty well, although I've always thought the climax in the reactor room was kind of cheesy. Bond really had a hard edge in those early films.

 

[george kaplan]

Joe,

If you haven't already seen it, you should really check out The More the Merrier, a great film, of which Walk, Don't Run is a remake.

 

[Ted Lee]

added to master post:

title: the sea inside
rating: b-
comments: originally rated a c+, but i decided it was better then that. interesting right-to-die storyline, decent acting, didn't fully identify w/characters though.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

Yeah, the ending of DR. NO reminds me of any number of science fiction flicks from the same era(not that there's anything wrong with that!). The series definitely found a more unique footing with it's next picture, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.

For a loud spectacle, I chose to watch THE PHANTOM(1996) yesterday. I remember seeing this on opening nignt in a nearly empty auditorium. I've always felt it was a good, old fashioned nod to the serials, with lots of charm. The DVD needs to be remastered, though. Edge Enhancement all over the place.

 

[george kaplan]

Pather Panchali

So-so drama about the early life of Apu. Well-made and well-acted, with excellent music by pre-famous Ravi Shankar, but not very interesting or much different than tons of other such dramas.

I find Apu's later life, when he opens a Quikimart, to be far more entertaining.

 

[Michael Elliott]

01/04/05

Zombies of Mora Tau (1957) :star:1/2

Silly horror film from Columbia about zombies guarding some diamonds on the bottom of the sea. This little set up should have made for an interesting film but the poor direction makes this film quite hard to get through. Even at 70-minutes the film moves way too slowly without too much life anywhere to be found. The only good features are a few items, which seem to have influenced Romero. Allison Hayes co-stars.

Catman of Paris, The (1947) :star:1/2

Cat piss poor Republic horror film about a werewolf like creature stalking the streets of Paris. This is a pretty poor, extremely lame and overly talky horror film that goes no where in its short 65-minute runtime. Not for a single second does the film quite talking, which grows quite tiresome after the first five minutes. The “creature” is only on screen for three scene and probably a total of thirty seconds. Carl Esmond stars with Lenore Aubert of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein fame.

Gift of Gab (1934) :star:

A fast talking con man (Edmund Lowe) becomes a huge radio star and soon it all goes to his head. It appears Universal Studios threw everything but the kitchen sink into this film but it easy to see why the studio has never issued this on home video. Legendary cinematographer Karl Freund directed this film, which co-stars Gloria Stuart with guest performances by Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Victor Moore, Hugh O’Connell, Gene Austin, Ruth Etting, Ethel Waters, Paul Lukas and various others. The film is very fast moving but also quite annoying as is the over the top performance by Lowe who we tire of within the opening minutes. The only reason to watch this turkey is due to all the guest appearances but be warned that the stars are only on screen for a few seconds up to a minute. Karloff and Lugosi appear in the same mystery skit but sadly (and dumbly) they don’t share any time together.

Alice’s Mysterious Mystery (1926) :star::star::star:

Another entry in Disney’s “Alice” series has the young girl and her pet cat trying to figure out why all the dogs in town are missing. This isn’t really good in the true sense but it’s rather interesting seeing such an adult cartoon with some pretty dark themes.

Alice The Whaler (1927) :star::star:1/2

Another in the Alice series, although she’s basically reduced to a cameo here. Animals aboard a boat sing, cook and eventually try and catch a whale. The story really isn’t anything too good but the lively animation makes this worth viewing at least once.

01/05/06

Thieving Hand, The (1908) :star::star:

Very interesting, if not totally successful comedy about a one-armed man who buys a fake arm, which turns out to have a life of its own. The special effects and set design are terrific in this short and pretty much ahead of their time but the “laughs” just never come due to some timid direction.

Impossible Convicts (1905) :star::star::star:

Interesting short about four convicts who try to escape from jail. The technique used here is that the film was shot in a few takes with the action-taking place backwards. This makes for some nice scenes as well as a unique feel.

Fall of the House of Usher, The (1926) :star::star::star:

While this thing is missing the wonderful Vincent Price performance it does manage to outshine the Corman film with its use of brilliant visual effects, which are quite remarkable considering when this was made. The infamous Poe tale is retold in this short, which uses various visual effects to get the horror across. Those into weird cinema will certainly want to check this film out, which manages to have a couple creepy spots.

Life and Death of 9413, A Hollywood Extra (1927) :star::star::star:

A huge technical achievement from director Robert Florey who’s best remembered today for his Bela Lugosi chiller Murders in the Rue Morgue. This short tells the story of an actor, number 9413, moving to Hollywood to become a star but hitting dirt instead. The “story” really isn’t anything at all but the visuals, done through miniatures and mirrors, is quite nice to look at and pack a nice little punch.

Love of Zero, The (1928) :star::star::star:

Robert Florey directed film tries to recapture the mood and feel of early German horror films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The film is about a man who wins something only to lose it soon afterwards. Once again this film offers terrific visual effects, which keeps the viewer entertained.

Tell Tale Heart, The (1928) :star::star::star:1/2

Wonderful adaptation of the Poe classic about a murderer who starts to breakdown when he begins to hear the heart of his victim. This is one of the better Poe adaptations that I’ve seen due in large part to the surreal direction, which makes for some interesting camera angles as well as a strong performance from the lead actor.

Violence in a Women’s Prison (1982) :star::star:

Infamous Italian director Bruno Matti takes a stab at the WIP (Women in Prison) genre as well as makes another entry in the famous Black Emmanuelle series. Emanuelle (Laura Gemser) goes undercover in a prison to see if it’s true about the sadistic warden who likes to beat, torture and rape the women prisoners. If you’ve seen one WIP film then you’ve pretty much seen this one since the director doesn’t try to do anything new or original here. You’ve got the countless lesbian scenes and constant nudity but this here grows old after a while. There’s really not any shock value and the violence is rather low and contained to one scene where rats attack Gemser. Okay film but there are better WIP movies out there.

Tomato Is Another Day (1930) :star::star::star:

Incredibly unique, original and downright smart sound film that makes various punches at sound films taking over silents. In the film we have a love triangle being played out but the director and the screenplay make such smart touches to show why films didn’t need sound and how sound would make viewers dumb. No matter what you think of this film you’ll never think of sound films the same way again. A wonderfully smart little gem that all film buffs should see.

Hearts of Age, The (1936) :star::star:1/2

Orson Welles acts and co-directs this, his first film, which is a take off on surrealist filmmaker Luis Bunuel. It’s interesting watching this film knowing what Welles would go onto do but overall this isn’t overly good. The visual technique is nice as is Welles plus we get to see him act with his first wife Virginia Nicholson.

Children’s Jury, The (1938) :star::star:1/2

A film about absolutely nothing except showing various strange images ranges from clowns getting ready to elephants rampaging. Interesting images and a strange music score is about it.

Carousel Animal Opera (193x) :star::star::star:

Again, no story but just clips of various animals in a zoo. The editing really sets this apart and makes the film flow pretty well and keeps it interesting.

Jack’s Dream (193x) :star::star::star:

Another interesting animated short about a guy daydreaming various stories including Little Red Riding Hood. Nice animation makes this worth at least one viewing.

 

[Haggai]

The Sound of Music (1965) 9/10
One of those smash hits that I'd somehow never seen before, so it was nice to get a first viewing in a theater with a big screen. Sugary and sentimental, to be sure, but Julie Andrews is compelling and convincing the whole way through, and Robert Wise's smooth direction elevates the big musical numbers as well.

The Producers (2005) 8/10
Reviewed here in the movie's own thread.

Under Capricorn (1949) 6/10
Hitchcock's Technicolor period piece has some involving drama near the end, plus some nice scenes for Ingrid Bergman, but not much else to recommend it. A decent movie might have been hiding in there somewhere, but way too much of it consists of very un-Hitch-like scenes of people standing around and talking to each other within one camera angle.

 

[george kaplan]

Well Haggai, you liked Under Capricorn more than I did. I consider it Hitchcock's worst film.

 

[Haggai]

It's probably the least interesting of his movies that I've seen, although Topaz isn't too hot either. I didn't quite think it was a genuinely bad movie, but it isn't good. By Hitch standards, it is pretty crappy, because it isn't just the script not working (i.e. Topaz), it's the long dull conversations with nothing happening visually.

 

[Marc Fedderman]

I figure I'll chime in when the spirit moves me.

The other night I watched Howard Hughes' at turns maligned and revered WWI film Hell's Angels (:star: :star: 1/2). I was impressed by the brinkmanship and bravado of the aerial scenes, but found the story dull and predictable. The filmmakers used both tinting and two-strip Technicolor (?) to convey emotion, but the acting (including that of a callow Jean Harlow) was uninspired.

My rating may be a bit stingy, because I'd rate the action sequences a full :star: :star: :star: :star:, but I struggled to stay awake through the uninteresting exposition.


As for Hitch's Under Capricorn, I think Haggai's got it right. There are some decent moments in the film, but with the master directing Bergman and Cotten, I expected much more. This is more of a period melodrama, with some suspense elements than a suspense film. As George has said elsewhere this is not Hitchcock's forte. I don't think it's his worst though.

 

[Brook K]

Wolf Creek (2005) - Had seen some raves about this recent Australian horror flick that had me excited, only to be let down yet again. Two of the three main characters are somewhat likeable but it's your basic young people stuck in the wilderness get kidnapped, tortured, escape from, hunted, etc.... by your basic crazy killer who attempted and failed to become a compelling horror villain. - C

Syriana (2005) - Technically well done and strongly acted but a bit too stuffed and abstract with it's multiple storylines. It could have stuck to a more central theme and driven that home better and more directly than diluting its focus by having to deal with so many characters and situations in 2 hours. I never really found it confusing as others have complained about; just too overwritten and manufactured for its own good. If you're going to attack the government and the abuses of misdirected capitalism, just go ahead and do it rather than trotting out easy targets like villainous middle managers, an oil exec, and the always reliable greedy corrupt lawyers.

Thought it also erred in detailing all this corruption and 'world's a terrible place stuff" for pretty much the entire running time and then still try and have an uplifting ending that doesn't address any of the points of the film. Delivers drama and the pleasure of watching a collection of very good actors ply their trade, but ultimately unsuccessful as a "message" film. - B-

Then added revisits of films I'd seen once before and then received the DVD's for Christmas:

Point Blank (1967) - John Boorman's directorial flourishes, groundbreaking-for-its-time editing, and Lee Marvin's stoic performance highlight this outstanding action/revenge pic. - A-

Excellent commentary track with Steven Soderbergh asking Boorman incisive questions about making the film and really delving into the why's of filmmaking rather than just concentrating on the how's and what's that director tracks usually stick to.

Love Me Tonight (1932) - Rouben Mamoulian's masterful direction, the wonderful music of Rodgers & Hart, the charm of star Maurice Chevailier, and a comical supporting cast create a film that belongs on the short list of the best musicals of all time. - A

Ok commentary that mostly sticks to actor/crew biographies and describing the onscreen action, while providing a few bits of other historical "making-of" information.

I found some of the other extras like the film's budget sheets, letters from censors about cuts to the film and script pages of deleted scenes to be very interesting and the kind of thing I wish we saw more often on classic film releases.

 

[Michael Elliott]

01/07/06

Lured (1947) :star::star:1/2

By the numbers thriller about a dancehall girl (Lucille Ball) who helps Scotland Yard track down a serial killer. George Sanders co-stars as the man Ball falls in love with, although he’s a prime suspect. The movie is decent enough and the two leads offer good performances but overall it has the feel of been there done that. Boris Karloff has a small part as well but it’s George Zucco who steals the show in the best role I’ve seen him in. The highlight of the film is a scene inside a park where Ball is attacked.

Symbol of the Unconquered, The (1920) :star::star:1/2

Strange film from the black independent director Oscar Micheaux. A light skinned black woman travels North to get her inheritance that her grandfather left her. In this new town she meets another black man who hates his race and pretends to be wife, an evil Indian and eventually the KKK. The director apparently started making these “black films” in response to how blacks were being shown at the time so on a historical level this film is pretty interesting but as a film it really never takes off. The stereotypes are pretty out there and laughable and the film is way too overdramatic in every single scene. The film was originally promoted to black people claiming that the KKK would be massacred in the film. That happens but sadly this scene is lost so we’re not able to view it today. I guess you could call this one of the first “blaxploitation” films, although the director never makes all the whites bad and all the blacks good. It’s rather interesting seeing his hatred towards certain members of his own race. Another down note is the horrible music score added to the film. Again, for film history sake this is a must see but on its own there’s really nothing too special here. I also recorded the director’s Within the Gates and Body and Soul, which are apparently better.

 

[Joe Woz]

Amistad (1997) :star::star::star:

Spielberg's historical drama about insurrection on a slave ship is an engrossing film. Anthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams was outstanding. Scenes of the treatment of the slaves on the ship were chilling.

The Village (2004) :star::star::star:

I'm still not sure how I feel about this film, even after three viewings. I appreciate it more and more each time I see it, although there are some aspects to the way the plot unfolds that still bother me. The cinematography is wonderful. For those familiar with the film, I thought the front porch scene between Lucius and Ivy was beautifully realized. The camera placement, the lighting and the soft-spoken exhange of dialogue made the scene electric.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) :star::star::star:1/2

For my money, the best of the Star Trek movies. Great set design, excellent use of special effects, a solid script and a first class ensemble cast make for a rousing adventure. You can't go too far wrong when the Borg are the antagonists. And to top things off, the music of Jerry Goldsmith is memorable. This was such a vast improvement over some of the earlier entries in the series. This ranks as one of the best sci-fi films I've seen.

 

[BrianShort]

Gods and Generals (2003) :star: :star: :star: (out of 5)

Maybe it was because I went into it with very low expectations, considering the panning this film received from critics, but I found myself enjoying most of it. The battle scenes were well choreographed, the acting was mostly pretty good, and I really liked Stephen Lang's portrayal of Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson, a man who I admit I wasn't familiar with at all, other than having heard his name before. Sure, I think a lot of the speechifying could have been done away with, as I can't imagine even back then anyone talking like that, but I was able to keep my interest throughout the film. The movie obviously has a Southern slant. I think they probably could have cut out Jeff Daniels role as Col. Chamberlain, as he was WAY underused anyway, and kept the focus solely on Jackson. It seems like they put him in just to give some balance to the Northern viewpoint (anti slavery, and whatnot), but he wasn't in the film enough to appear any more than a token effort.

Side note: Were there really well to do black families living in the South like they show in Fredricksburg? I realize that Virginia isn't the deep south, so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised by that.

Brian

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Hostel (2005) :star:1/2
For Quentin Tarantino fans (like me): don't be fooled just because his name is on the title of this film. I knew that deal going in, but went to see it for a rare Saturday Night at the movies with the wife (if we see new movies at the theatre we usually go on Sunday mornings). Having been pleasantly thrilled by recent successes like SAW and Rob Zombie's THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, I decided to give this one a shot. Most of the teenagers in attendance ate this up, cheered, and got into it, but I guess most of them haven't already seen a lot of similarly warped, sadistic, exploitive torturefests like this one before. There was nothing too new for those who go for this sort of shameless depravity now and then.

The movie was 95 minutes but felt longer, as the first half or probably more was devoted to the typically sophomoric antics of horny young guys on vacation in Europe bedding prostitutes, getting drunk, dancing at the clubs, and just being generally annoying and childish. Lots of lust and nudity on display too, but these adventures actually get dull after a while. By the time these kids meet their expected fate of gratutious torture in Slovakia (and they were so irritating that I couldn't wait) there was no way to feel sorry or afraid for them. The only reason I rated this a star above a BOMB was because I think the premise of the story and the reason for these gory proceedings, as they ultimately panned out, was very intriguing and disturbing. It's just a shame that this idea wasn't in the hands of a more competent director; there is no suspense, no real style, and it could have been truly haunting and unrelenting if it had been done right.

 

[Jim_K]

First time viewings in Blue

The Snake Pit (1948) :star::star::star:
Stellar performance by Olivia de Havilland as a disturbed patient in a state mental hospital. Rises above the standard melodrama of the time.

The Lady Takes A Sailor (1949) :star::star:
Forgettable romantic comedy stars Jane Wyman.

Forbidden Games (1952) :star::star:1/2
An orphaned Parisian girl is taken in by a peasant boy as both children manage to go on with their lives during the onslaught of WWII. Surprisingly not the typical dour foreign film you’d expect given the subject matter, such as Germany Year Zero.

One Minute To Zero (1952) :star::star:
Standard Korean War film stars Robert Mitchum as a U.S. Colonel fighting the commie hordes.

The Tiger of Eschnapur (1959) :star::star:
The Indian Tomb (1959) :star::star:
Fritz Lang’s 2-part Indian Epic about an architect who falls for an exotic dancer is visually opulent though it’s pretty mundane in the plot department.

The Deadly Companions (1961) :star::star:
Sam Peckinpah’s first feature stars Brian Keith who escorts Maureen O’Hara and her dead son through the Arizona frontier.

Sabata (1969) :star::star:
Minor Spaghetti Western stars Lee Van Cleef as a gunslinger who takes up with a gang of misfits.

The Deceivers (1988) :star::star:1/2
Pierce Brosnan stars as a British officer who sets out to uncover the mystery of the Thug cult circa early 19th century.India. Not your typical Merchant Ivory film.

 

[Sandro]

Nice to see The Village getting some respect. I think it's one of the most underappreciated recent films especially by horror fans.

Mosquito Coast :star: :star: :star: 1/2/:star: :star: :star: :star:
Having lived in a Third World country for two years I have always been interested in seeing this movie based on a Paul Theroux novel and was finally motivated to do so after recently reading one of his travel books. The film is a gripping and intelligent character study of an iconoclast (Allie Fox, played by Harrison Ford) who goes too far in creating his version of the "good old life" in the jungle of Central America and ends up putting his family in jeopardy. The film plays fair by showing all consequences of Fox's actions, good and bad, and his eventual descent into megalomania. It also deals with religious themes as befits a movie scripted by Paul Schrader. All in all, this is an unusual, thoughtful movie.

Trivia note: one of the villagers is played by Butterfly McQueen from Gone With the Wind.

Winchester 73 :star: :star: :star: 1/2/:star: :star: :star: :star:
Standout Western, the first to pair Anthony Mann and Jimmy Stewart. I have not seen this for a few years and it was actually better than I remembered - second only to Naked Spur in the series. The film relates a series of interrelated incidents as Stewart attempts to get revenge for reasons that we do not fully understand until the end of the film. As usual in Mann's Westerns, the avenger is painted as obsessed and a little out of control and there is some questioning of the mythical Western cowboy hero.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

edited

 

[Josh H]

edited

 

[BrianShort]

Constantine :star: :star: 1/2
Decent horror film where the son of Lucifer is trying cross over to Earth from Hell. Keanu Reeves is the guy who is trying to stop him, with the help of the lovely Rachel Weisz, a detective who has just lost her twin sister to a "suicide". Decent if monotone acting job from Keanu. I thought the story itself was pretty interesting, though there were some pretty silly parts. Is the "Spear of Destiny" really part of Catholic dogma?

The City of Lost Children :star: :star: :star: :star: 1/2
Everything about this French Sci-Fi / Fantasy was fantastic. Great characters and acting; a story that is at times dramatic, funny, and tragic; incredible set design and cinematography. Ron Perlman plays One, a simple minded circus strongman who's adopted little brother is kidnapped by a mad scientist. With the help of a 10 year old girl named Miette, he sets out to find and rescue him.