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Post by henrybrown on Oct 30, 2015 20:43:43 GMT -5
It's a classic! Guess you know that the director Chantal Akerman died recently. Very sad. It is slow, but that's the whole point. One of the greats - cinema would be a lot poorer without it. I'm really pleased that you review it in any case. I looked her up on Wikipedia about an hour ago to find out a little more about her. It was the first I heard that she had died. It looks like it was just a few weeks ago and many sources are saying she committed suicide. A great loss! Hello! Yes, it was shocking news. Her mother was a survivor of the Nazi death camps, and had passed away a few months previously. Anyway, there's a great legacy of movies. On happier topics, - great film!
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Oct 30, 2015 20:53:10 GMT -5
I just got The Brood (1979) a Cronenburg movie DVD in the mail from Netflix yestereday. I think I may watch it tonight after the children go to sleep. However, from the reviews/receptions I've read, in particular Ebert's on wikipedia, I don't think I'll be watching it sober. Not that it expect it to be bad. But when someone says this .... Roger Ebert called it "a bore" and "disgusting in ways that are not entertaining", and even went as far as asking, "Are there really people who want to see reprehensible trash like this?" ... my eyes and brain may not want to remember. So you like Bukowski but don't like Cronenburg? Any negative review from Ebert is a positive. Can't believe he really wrote "reprehensible trash" - beyond lazy. Well Bukowski is carnal in a different fashion than Croneberg. People of this forum that I've know here and from CBR before speak highly of him so I've tried a lot of his movies over past year or so. Existanz is the one so far I've enjoyed. I'm not much for gore, just trying to expand my horizons.
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 30, 2015 22:42:26 GMT -5
Did you see Naked Lunch? I saw that in the theater three times when it first came out. The book is my favorite book of the 20th century.
The movie is not quite the book. It's a lot more about writing the book. They're both great!
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 30, 2015 22:57:00 GMT -5
I looked her up on Wikipedia about an hour ago to find out a little more about her. It was the first I heard that she had died. It looks like it was just a few weeks ago and many sources are saying she committed suicide. A great loss! Hello! Yes, it was shocking news. Her mother was a survivor of the Nazi death camps, and had passed away a few months previously. Anyway, there's a great legacy of movies. Have you seen Jeanne Dielman more than once? I deleted it from the DVR as soon as it was over because I figured it would be a while before I want to see it again. But I've been thinking about it all day. I think maybe I'd like to see it again in a few weeks. Actually, I think I would be totally willing to watch it again RIGHT NOW with other people who have already seen it and like it. There should be Jeanne Dielman parties, where 5 - 10 people who like the movie get together and make meatloaf or veal or boiled potatoes while they watch the movie and talk about the movie and have fun watching it again. Somebody who's in the kitchen working on food could walk into the room where the TV is and say "Did I miss anything?" and the people watching could say "No, she's still arranging the silverware." And somebody from the TV room could run into the kitchen and say "She's reading the letter from her sister! We paused it! Hurry!" And when the movie is over, everyone sits around and talks about that time they went to the butcher shop but didn't know what to buy.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Oct 31, 2015 14:13:51 GMT -5
To Be Or Not To Be (1983) Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Christopher Lloyd, Tim Matheson, Jose Ferrer
Scene by scene remake of the 1942 Jack Benny film. A theatrical troupe in occupied Warsaw during WWII helps the underground by impersonating high ranking German officials and traitors
Funnier than the Benny version although since that one took place during the war was much more timely. Charles Durning almost steals the film as a Gestopo chief. Christopher Lloyd is always great and wish he had a larger role. The last of the great run of Mel Brooks films in light of the fact that Spaceballs was next which was too silly at times and about 10 years too late to be released
"Attention everyone, Der Fuhrer approaches. Heil Hitler" "Heil Me"
"I just want peace. All I want is peace. A little piece of Poland. A little piece of France. A little nip of Norway. A little hunk of Hungry. A little slice of Turkey"
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Oct 31, 2015 14:20:49 GMT -5
When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) Directed by John Ford Dan Duryea, William Demarest
Bill Kluggs is the first hometown lad to volunteer for the army after Pearl Harbor. He sent off with great fanfare but shortly returns to serve at the nearby training base. He's assigned there for years and now the hometown residents thinks he's just trying to get out of actual fighting. No matter how Bill protests, the army won't transfer him to see action. Until they finally do and a series of mishaps results
A rare John Ford comedy and its unusual and very interesting. Thankfully Duryea is only allowed 2 very short musical numbers. Supposedly adapted from a true story but I'm sure it was done so very loosely. Moves quickly at 82 minutes and the final half hour is dynamite
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Post by berkley on Oct 31, 2015 22:25:01 GMT -5
To Be Or Not To Be (1983) Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Christopher Lloyd, Tim Matheson, Jose Ferrer
Scene by scene remake of the 1942 Jack Benny film. A theatrical troupe in occupied Warsaw during WWII helps the underground by impersonating high ranking German officials and traitors
Funnier than the Benny version although since that one took place during the war was much more timely. Charles Durning almost steals the film as a Gestopo chief. Christopher Lloyd is always great and wish he had a larger role. The last of the great run of Mel Brooks films in light of the fact that Spaceballs was next which was too silly at times and about 10 years too late to be released
"Attention everyone, Der Fuhrer approaches. Heil Hitler" "Heil Me"
"I just want peace. All I want is peace. A little piece of Poland. A little piece of France. A little nip of Norway. A little hunk of Hungry. A little slice of Turkey"
I saw this in the theatre when it came out and thought it was only OK, not one of Brooks's best. There were some good parts, though. I remember finding the big, dumb Nazi henchman funny whenever he'd confused and not know what to say he'd start sputtering and finally blurt out a "Heil Hitler" whether it made any sense or not to the conversation. Just one of those little running jokes that somehow gets funnier every time it's repeated.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Nov 1, 2015 9:57:17 GMT -5
Did you see Naked Lunch? I saw that in the theater three times when it first came out. The book is my favorite book of the 20th century. The movie is not quite the book. It's a lot more about writing the book. They're both great! Yes I have seen the movie. Knowing that the movie is almost nothing like the book, which I do want to read just haven't done it yet, I think I'll enjoy it. The movie wasn't bad or all that great for me. Like The House, one of really strange movies ones just not too sure what to think of it. I think it warrants a repeated viewing for me. Most of his movies so far I either like or don't. Like just watching The Brood, that was bad. Didn't like it much at all. It took me almost till the end of the movie to figure what I'd see Oliver Reed in.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 1, 2015 13:59:16 GMT -5
Up The River (1930) Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, Claire Luce Directed by john Ford
Tracy is a big shot racketeer escaping and re-entering prison. Bogart is a prison trustee trying to do the right thing and falling in love with a female convict from the next door women's penitentiary
A real filmic historically treasure. Bogart's first full feature role. The only pairing between Bogart and Tracy. An early Ford movie. The print kinda sucks with many missing frames and scratches. However its the best that has survived all these years. The movie itself is creaky. Prison life seems like a wonderful camp experience with organized baseball, a marching band and vaudeville shows. Even if there's black-faced minstrel acts
During a crowd scene during the baseball game, one of the extras gives the camera the middle finger and a big grin. Wonderful stuff.
Not the type of role Bogart would later get typecast into. He's a guy with a heart of gold.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 1, 2015 14:06:14 GMT -5
The Trial (1962) Anthony Perkins, Orson Welles Directed by Orson Welles
Josef K. is awakened in his bedroom by officers informing him he's under arrest and will not divulge the charges against him
Adaption of the Franz Kafka classic. I tried to get through this film but bailed out after an hour. The film deals with frustration and thats how I felt. The longer it went on, the more dreamlike, obtuse and confusing it got. Perkins' character grated on me after awhile with his whiney voice. IMDB viewers are also split on their reaction to this film. Supposedly they changed the ending to the novel as well. I'll make another attempt someday to finish this
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 2, 2015 15:11:39 GMT -5
Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1941) W.C, Fields, Franklin Pangborn, Margaret Dumont, Gloria Jean
Fields pitches a script for his next movie to the head of Esoteric Studios
The final Fields' starring film. The 3 that come later are just skits and cameo appearances in all-star review type movies. Even this final one, and he looks somewhat unhealthy, is a comic gem. I like the fact that all the characters play themselves. Fields is passing by a giant billboard of his recently released film, The Bank Dick, and bristles at the raspberries passer byes give it. He has a young niece who thinks he's crazed by adores him. The script Fields tries to sell studio head Pangborn is wacky. On a plane, Fields accidently drops his liquor bottle. Of course, he dives out without a parachute to retrieve it. He lands in the mountain top home of Margaret Dumont who has a beautiful daughter who has never seen a man. There's a monkey on the mountain too. Hot damn a mountain monkey. I'm sold
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 2, 2015 15:26:59 GMT -5
The Young Philadelphians (1959) Paul Newman, Brian Keith, Barbara Rush, Robert Vaughn, Adam West, Richard Deacon, Alexis Smith, Billie Burke
Judson Lawrence's (Newman) tale of a man rising in society to be a high powered lawyer
Unbelievable cast and hampered by the film code of it's time. Here we go. Spoiler Time. Batman (Adam West) has a mental breakdown on his wedding night to his bride, telling her he can't consummate the marriage. (Is he gay? Impotant? They don't tell you). He runs out and drives off. His bride rushes into the arms of her old boyfriend, Brian Keith. Batman crashes into a wall and dies, Brian Keith impregnates the bride. She gives birth to Paul Newman. Batman's family is filthy rich (it's the Waynes don't you know) but they know Batman can't be the father and won't give her any money. But she's allowed to keep the last name and Paul Newman will never know that Cissy, Jody and Buffy are his brothers and sisters. Newman on his own has to go to school and work hard to be a lawyer. His best friend is Robert Vaughn who can't tell him he's a spy with U.N.C.L.E. None of that saves them from being drafted for the Korean War. Vaughn loses an arm, gets drunk, grows stubble and is accused of murder. He wants Newman to defend him even though Newman is a tax lawyer. A key witness in the trial is Mel Cooley (Deacon), the father of Lumpy Rutherford. Mel Cooley is proud of the fact he can identify any alcoholic beverage by it's smell. He can smell Beaver from a mile away too.
I love this opulent soaper. It just keeps getting better and better
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Post by Hoosier X on Nov 2, 2015 15:50:06 GMT -5
Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1941) W.C, Fields, Franklin Pangborn, Margaret Dumont, Gloria JeanFields pitches a script for his next movie to the head of Esoteric Studios The final Fields' starring film. The 3 that come later are just skits and cameo appearances in all-star review type movies. Even this final one, and he looks somewhat unhealthy, is a comic gem. I like the fact that all the characters play themselves. Fields is passing by a giant billboard of his recently released film, The Bank Dick, and bristles at the raspberries passer byes give it. He has a young niece who thinks he's crazed by adores him. The script Fields tries to sell studio head Pangborn is wacky. On a plane, Fields accidently drops his liquor bottle. Of course, he dives out without a parachute to retrieve it. He lands in the mountain top home of Margaret Dumont who has a beautiful daughter who has never seen a man. There's a monkey on the mountain too. Hot damn a mountain monkey. I'm sold This is a great movie. Sometimes, I think it's his best. Even when he isn't onscreen, it's hilarious! All that stuff with Gloria Jean. She is hilarious! And the musical numbers are weird. Those two kids - Buddy and Butch? Also very funny! And Leon Erroll! Also, Jody Gilbert as the great big waitress. So funny! I usually say It's a Gift is my favorite because it is not just funny, it's also very well constructed and almost realistic and even almost has a narrative and a point! That's hard to do! But it's really more of a four-way tie with W.C. Fields because It's a Gift, Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, the Bank Dick and The Man on the Flying Trapeze are all so funny that it's hard to choose. In the last few years, I'm a lot more likely to want to see The Man on the Flying Trapeze, but that's just because I've been watching all the others for 20 years or more and I didn't see Flying Trapeze until 7 or 8 years ago and I haven't seen it nearly as often as the others. A burglar breaks into Fields's basement - and there's already a burglar there! But he's drunk on moonshine from Fields's illegal still! So they both get drunk and start singing. (One of them is Walter Brennan.) And it just goes from there. One of the reasons it's so great is it has Kathleen Howard as Fields's wife. And she's the best W.C. Fields wife ever.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 2, 2015 16:03:11 GMT -5
Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1941) W.C, Fields, Franklin Pangborn, Margaret Dumont, Gloria JeanFields pitches a script for his next movie to the head of Esoteric Studios The final Fields' starring film. The 3 that come later are just skits and cameo appearances in all-star review type movies. Even this final one, and he looks somewhat unhealthy, is a comic gem. I like the fact that all the characters play themselves. Fields is passing by a giant billboard of his recently released film, The Bank Dick, and bristles at the raspberries passer byes give it. He has a young niece who thinks he's crazed by adores him. The script Fields tries to sell studio head Pangborn is wacky. On a plane, Fields accidently drops his liquor bottle. Of course, he dives out without a parachute to retrieve it. He lands in the mountain top home of Margaret Dumont who has a beautiful daughter who has never seen a man. There's a monkey on the mountain too. Hot damn a mountain monkey. I'm sold This is a great movie. Sometimes, I think it's his best. Even when he isn't onscreen, it's hilarious! All that stuff with Gloria Jean. She is hilarious! And the musical numbers are weird. Those two kids - Buddy and Butch? Also very funny! And Leon Erroll! Also, Jody Gilbert as the great big waitress. So funny! I usually say It's a Gift is my favorite because it is not just funny, it's also very well constructed and almost realistic and even almost has a narrative and a point! That's hard to do! But it's really more of a four-way tie with W.C. Fields because It's a Gift, Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, the Bank Dick and The Man on the Flying Trapeze are all so funny that it's hard to choose. In the last few years, I'm a lot more likely to want to see The Man on the Flying Trapeze, but that's just because I've been watching all the others for 20 years or more and I didn't see Flying Trapeze until 7 or 8 years ago and I haven't seen it nearly as often as the others. A burglar breaks into Fields's basement - and there's already a burglar there! But he's drunk on moonshine from Fields's illegal still! So they both get drunk and start singing. (One of them is Walter Brennan.) And it just goes from there. One of the reasons it's so great is it has Kathleen Howard as Fields's wife. And she's the best W.C. Fields wife ever. I couldn't agree more with you about W.C.Fields. His comedy is timeless. I now beginning to go thru the box set editions with all his feature films. Ah yes my little chickadee!!
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Post by Hoosier X on Nov 2, 2015 16:23:19 GMT -5
Don't strike that child!
He can't tell ME I don't love him!
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