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Post by berkley on Jun 16, 2014 22:50:48 GMT -5
Jean-Claude Van Damme movies that are sitting in my personal library include: Bloodsport Universal Soldier Hard Target Time Cop There,I said it I'd add Lionheart and probably a few others in there. I was a big fan and saw all his movies at the cinema. He had great screen presence when he was in his prime. |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 17, 2014 17:09:07 GMT -5
Murder,Inc. (1960)
Stuart Whitman,Peter Falk,May Britt,Simon Oakland,Henry Morgan,David J. Stewart,Sarah Vaughn,Morey Amsterdam,Vincent Gardenia
Based on the true-life book of lawman Burton Turkus (Morgan), this movie chronicles the rise and fall of the organized crime syndicate known as Murder, Incorporated. Focusing on powerful boss Lepke (Stewart) and violent hitman Reles (Falk).
Brooklyn in the 1930s and Louie Lepke is organizing the mob to be run as efficiently as a legitimate business. Murder is farmed out to a hit squad headed by Abe "Kid Twist" Reles played by Peter Falk.This is the film that established Falk as a rising star.Kind of an early version of Joe Pesci from Goodfellas.You also get the screen debut of Sylvia Miles and Sarah Vaughn who sings one number
The movie sticks to real events except for the insertion of husband and wife Joey and Eadie Collins (Whitman and Britt) who get caught within the machinations of the mob and are there for the audience to have someone to identify with amongst the gangsters.Its a gritty look at New York City during the depression.Falk is wonderfully psychotic.Morey Amsterdam even gets a few minutes to play a Buddy Sorrell type character before he gets shivved.Poor Pickles.
7 of 10 stars
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 17, 2014 17:35:19 GMT -5
The Sword In The Stone (1963)
Voices of Ricki Sorenson,Karl Swenson,Junius Matthews
D-Wolfgang Reitherman
Arthur (aka Wart) is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip meets Merlin, a powerful wizard who has plans for Wart beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give Wart an education (whatever that is), believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.
I always thought The Sword In The Stone represented the beginning of the Disney decline of classic animated movies.Its not a bad film,the decline is gradual,but I still believe it so for a number of reasons.
It begins with the animation itself.The use of Xerox vs hand drawn cels to save money and time is esculating and this is also the first Disney film to use recycled animation (the same drawings used at different times such as Wart falling down the stairs twice during the movie).The animation will never be as lush as the earlier ones nor the motions as fluid and lifelike.Young Arthur is voiced by 3 different people,sometimes in the same scene and it is very noticeable.
There are some scenes that really stand out including Arthur and the female squirrel (I felt so sorry for that squirrel),the magic battle between Merlin and Madam Mim,and anything with Archimedes the owl.But then there are scenes of magical housecleaning thats been done before in The Sorceror's Apprentice
This was the 18th Disney animated feature and the one most forgotten.No deluxe DVD release.No sequel.No TV show or live action remake.Its a good film but it misses the mark of greatness 6 and 1/2 stars of 10
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 17, 2014 17:42:08 GMT -5
Ish, did you ever see Land Without Bread?
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 17, 2014 17:52:17 GMT -5
Ish, did you ever see Land Without Bread? No,had to look it up because I never heard of it .Looks very interesting.(Half hour doc by Bunuel about living in a poor region of Spain without basic utilities or education)Was that on TV recently? |
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 17, 2014 18:00:18 GMT -5
It's on YouTube. I first heard of it a while back. I like The Andalusian Dog and The Golden Age a lot and I've been meaning to watch Land Without Bread for a long time.
There are several versions on YouTube. I started one with text and narration in French, and the English translation was terrible, but also hilarious. (The credits should say "English translation provided by Babelfish.") But it kind of fit and added a layer of unintentional surrealism, so I just stuck with the bad translation.
Also, the comments are funny because most people don't realize it's not a real documentary.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 18, 2014 10:56:42 GMT -5
The Forbidden Hollywood Collection -Volume 1
TCM Achives releases 3 pre-code Hollywood movies which tested the boundaries of sexuality before the self-imposed motion picture code was enforced in 1934 by the Hays office.The print quality for all 3 movies are excellent.An introduction from Robert Osbourne is included
Baby Face (1933)
Barbara Stanwyck,George Brent,Donald Cook,Theresa Harris,John Wayne
D-Alfred E.Green
Lilly (Baby Face) (Stanwyck) sleeps her way from basement speakeasy bartender, literally floor by floor, to the top floor of a New York office building. Bank sub-manager Jimmy McCoy (Wayne) finds her a job in the bank only to be cast aside as she hooks up with the bank's president (Brent). When he complains of not seeing her she says: "I'm working so hard I have to go to bed early every night."
Lilly starts life working at her father's speakeasy as a waitress and call girl beginning at age 14.After her father dies when the still explodes,an older man advises her to use her body to get ahead in life.She sneaks onto a train to get to New York and when caught,she works out an "arrangement".At an employment agency,she sneaks into an office with a hiring manager to land a job.Up the social ladder she goes,leaving a string of broken-hearted men behind her.Some commit murder when they find her new lover and some just commit suicide.
Stanwyck must have had skills to die for.The movie was so sexually blatant that even in the pre-code days some state review boards demanded edits so 5 minutes was chopped away.This collection has both the pre-edited and theatrical version. 8 of 10 stars
Red-Headed Woman (1932)
Jean Harlow,Chester Morris,Lewis Stone,Una Merkel,Leila Hyams,Charles Boyer,May Robson
D-Jack Conway
Lil (Harlow) works for the Legendre Company and causes Bill Legendre (Morris) to divorce Irene (Hyams) and marry her. She has an affair with businessman Gaerste and uses him to force society to pay attention to her. She has another affair with the chauffeur Albert (Boyer).
When Harlow wants a man,nothing is gonna stop her.His being married is just a temporary impediment.She'll wear some sheer see-thru gowns,she'll show lotsa leg,she'll trap him in tiny telephone booths.If he slaps her to get away,she'll scream out how she likes it rough and demand more.Only when an even richer man comes along does she shift gears to attain more wealth and social status.
I've seen many Harlow films lately and this might be the pinnacle of taking advantage of her screen sexuality.Banned in England but King George had his own personal copy.
Lillian 'Lil': [trying on a dress in a store, Lil positions herself in front of a sunny window] Can you see through this?
Off-camera store clerk: I'm afraid you can, Miss.
Lillian 'Lil': I'll wear it.
Off-camera store clerk: Oh!
That alone deserves an 8 of 10 stars
Waterloo Bridge (1931)
Mae Clarke,Douglass Montgomery,Doris Floyd,Bette Davis
D-James Whale
In World War I London, Myra (Clarke) is an American out of work chorus girl making ends meet by picking up men on Waterloo Bridge. During a Zeppelin air raid she meets Roy (Montgomery), a naive young American who enlisted in the Canadian army. They fall for each other. However Myra is reluctant to continue the relationship with Roy, because she has not told him about her past.
Right before Frankenstein,director James Whale worked on this.What struck me the most was the modern acting style of Mae Clarke and especially Douglass Montgomery.This movie deals more with the guilt of sex than the other 2 films.Bette Davis has a small part as Roy's sister.Whale does a great job in the final scenes showing an air raid with German zeppelins dropping bombs over London. I have not seen the 1940 remake with Vivian Leigh and Rod Taylor but can't imagine it being better than this honest portrayal of an impoverished woman resorting to prostitution and hiding the truth from a man who loves her. 7 of 10 stars
I really enjoyed this collection and look forward to watching Volume 2 soon
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 18, 2014 12:49:12 GMT -5
Early Barbara Stanwyck is one winner after another. In addition to Baby Face, there's also: Night Nurse (also starring Clark Gable and Joan Blondell), Ladies They Talk About (a women-in-prison film with Stanwyck and Lillian Roth), The Miracle Woman (based on the antics of Aimee Semple McPherson) and Annie Oakley.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 18, 2014 14:52:57 GMT -5
Early Barbara Stanwyck is one winner after another. In addition to Baby Face, there's also: Night Nurse (also starring Clark Gable and Joan Blondell), Ladies They Talk About (a women-in-prison film with Stanwyck and Lillian Roth), The Miracle Woman (based on the antics of Aimee Semple McPherson) and Annie Oakley. I have Night Nurse on the Vol 2 Forbidden Hollywood collection.I saw Annie Oakley early this year and it was pretty good.Ladies They Talk About is on Forbidden Hollywood Vol 5 and The Miracle Woman is on a Frank Capra box set,both I don't own |
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Post by DubipR on Jun 18, 2014 14:56:32 GMT -5
Early Barbara Stanwyck is one winner after another. In addition to Baby Face, there's also: Night Nurse (also starring Clark Gable and Joan Blondell), Ladies They Talk About (a women-in-prison film with Stanwyck and Lillian Roth), The Miracle Woman (based on the antics of Aimee Semple McPherson) and Annie Oakley. Agreed. Night Nurse is one of those underrated Stanwyck films. It was on e TCM about 3 weeks ago... a good romp.
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 18, 2014 15:20:52 GMT -5
Early Barbara Stanwyck is one winner after another. In addition to Baby Face, there's also: Night Nurse (also starring Clark Gable and Joan Blondell), Ladies They Talk About (a women-in-prison film with Stanwyck and Lillian Roth), The Miracle Woman (based on the antics of Aimee Semple McPherson) and Annie Oakley. Agreed. Night Nurse is one of those underrated Stanwyck films. It was on e TCM about 3 weeks ago... a good romp.
I saw it on TCM years ago. And just a few years ago, I taped it on my DVR and left it there for a year and watched it every two or three months. I wish I still had it. Night Nurse is incredible.
Ladies They Talk About is almost as good.
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 18, 2014 15:26:10 GMT -5
Early Barbara Stanwyck is one winner after another. In addition to Baby Face, there's also: Night Nurse (also starring Clark Gable and Joan Blondell), Ladies They Talk About (a women-in-prison film with Stanwyck and Lillian Roth), The Miracle Woman (based on the antics of Aimee Semple McPherson) and Annie Oakley. I have Night Nurse on the Vol 2 Forbidden Hollywood collection.I saw Annie Oakley early this year and it was pretty good.Ladies They Talk About is on Forbidden Hollywood Vol 5 and The Miracle Woman is on a Frank Capra box set,both I don't own Hopefully you'll get to them eventually. The male lead in The Miracle Woman is David Manners, who we all know and love from Dracula, The Mummy and The Black Cat.
He's also in a 1931 film called The Last Flight with Helen Chandler, who was Mina in Dracula. The Last Flight is a nifty little drama set in Paris just after World War I. I like it a lot but it doesn't get a lot of rave reviews.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 19:06:28 GMT -5
One of my favourite 60s movies...One Million Years B.C...dinosaurs ruled the earth and Raquel Welch ruled men. My mom saw this in the cinema when she was in kindergarten and it's one of her chosen classics  |
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Jun 18, 2014 20:04:22 GMT -5
In my very very strict and religious upbringing I got a pass to see the very scantily clad Raquel because of Ray Harryhausen's hand in the film. Though the gal in the James Mason version of Journey to the Center of the Earth, even well clad caught my eye too. I probably saw a lot that in any other genre of film at my age my parents wouldn't have allowed. But science fiction got a pass.
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Post by Jasoomian on Jun 18, 2014 20:59:39 GMT -5
I had planned to only comment on films at least ten years old here, but I wanted to mention The Visioneers (2008). This is available on HuluPlus. It's a microbudget indie starring Zach Galifanakis. ZG's performance is very subdued compared to what you've seen before, but still excellent and befitting the material. He works for a firm that has a monopoly on more or less everything in the near future. It's a dystopian Cronenberg-type world where people are randonmly exploding. Except we don't really see any gore; because there's no budget for it. ZG's employer invents an emotion-inhibitor, since the government and corporation have decided that excessive emotion is the cause of the explosions. There are also flashbacks/hallucination with ZG as Gen. George Washington during the revolution... It's an odd film. Good ideas, execution maybe a bit lacking. Two thumbs sideways.
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