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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jan 24, 2016 15:19:39 GMT -5
Driving Miss Daisy (1989) Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Dan Ackroyd
1952 outside Atlanta Georgia and Jessica is getting on in years and is unable to drive her own car. Her son , Blues Brother Aykroyd hires Morgan to chauffer her around some . Jessica is independent-minded and feisty and bristles at the notion that she needs the help.
Sentimental character centered movie that covers almost 20 years of the relationship between Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman. It starts with the Jim Crow south and ends with the civil rights movement led by MLK but the film doesn't beat you over the head in making its point (thankfully). A very sweet film. I'm sure many were surprised that Aykroyd could do a decent job with a somewhat serious role but he kept the mugging in check . Tandy and Freeman together were splendid and she won an Oscar and the film got the Best Picture Award with Freeman and Ackroyd getting nominations
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jan 24, 2016 15:24:05 GMT -5
I watched another film by Yasujiro Ozu last night. The End of Summer (1961). It was his next-to-last movie. So most of us have seen Yojimbo, right? Do you remember this guy? That's Inokichi. He's the brother of Ushi-Tora, one of the feuding gang leaders. Inokichi was dumb and strong and at times seemed to have a mancrush on Sanjuro. The actor is Daisuke Kato and he's in a couple of Ozu movies that I've seen. The movie opens with Daisuke Kato (looking like a normal slightly overweight guy) meeting a friend at a bar/restaurant. The friend is a widower and he wants to get married again, so Daisuke is setting him up to meet a woman that he thinks the friend will like. I think she's Daisuke's niece. I got a little confused by the relationships. Daisuke and his friend have a conversation about what the friend looks for in a woman. The friend doesn't want it to be too obvious that Daisuke has arranged this meeting so he sits in the back of the restaurant and then walks up after the woman arrives and acts like it's a chance meeting. It's pretty obvious. The woman stays long enough to chat. She works in an art gallery. Daisuke's friend says he might like a painting of a cow. She says she'll look for one. Then she has to go because she has to check on her sister Fumiko. Then the friend is never seen again. And Daisuke and his niece wander into the rest of the movie, which doesn't have a main character, it's about a very large family led by a mischievous patriarch who has several children (including the woman in the first scene) as well as a longtime mistress on the side who has a 21-year-old daughter that she says is his. He's neglecting the family sake business. The illegitimate daughter wants a mink coat. The pressure is on the other daughters to get married. His daughter-in-law (I think she's his daughter-in-law) makes suggestive remarks about his mistress. Somebody at the sake business sends one of the employees to follow him around to find out where he goes in the middle of the day. Fumiko stops writing to the fellow she liked in the early scenes and starts writing to a fellow in Sapporo. (Every time they say Sapporo, I get thirsty for a beer.) Almost nothing happens for 100 minutes. I was fascinated. It's kind of strange to see the guy who played Inokichi in a mundane domestic drama. (Or whatever it is that Ozu makes.) I'm recommending Ozu again. Any Ozu. My favorite is Good Morning, which has more of a plot than usual. A little. Criterion has a large amount of Ozu films. Unfortunately I don't own any but when I get through viewing the movies I do possess (about 2 years from now) I will definitely check those out.
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Post by junkmonkey on Jan 25, 2016 9:16:47 GMT -5
when I get through viewing the movies I do possess (about 2 years from now) I will definitely check those out. You too. I thought it was just me with a stupidly huge To Be Watched pile. 300 or so. (Not as big as it appears as I seem to have developed a habit of buying movies I already own and have not yet watched. So there are a few duplicates in there.)
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jan 25, 2016 13:24:13 GMT -5
Solo Con Tu Pareja (1991) Written/Directed by Alfonso Cuaron Daniel Gimenez Cacho
A womanizing copywriter loves them and leaves them. When he incurs the wrath of his doctor's nurse-she falsifies his AIDS test to show positive results.
Writer/Director Cuaron has quite an impressive resume being responsible for films such as Gravity, Children Of Men and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I recently watched his movie Y Tu Madre Tambien and quite enjoyed it. This is his first film, a bold little sex comedy with a dark subject matter but an infectious (groan) wit. Very funny, at times behaving like a screwball comedy. Available on Criterion- home of great films
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jan 25, 2016 13:32:04 GMT -5
Annie (1982) Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, Albert Finney, Anne Reinking, Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters
Little Orphan Annie as a musical film
I cringe when I hear "Tomorrow". Why did I buy this film when I was disappointed with it when first released. Well, seeing again after all these years, its better than I expected. Yes, I still get that retching feeling in my throat with that damned syrupy sweet song and the rest of the soundtrack is not too memorable as well. But Carol Burnett parts on a great performance and Albert Finney is fantastic as well. Little Aileen Quinn pretty much left Hollywood after this and concentrated on school and stage plays. The dog who plays Sandy keeps looking off stage for direction from his handler. The film lasts too long at 127 minutes. Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters are wasted. Still, its better than I expected. Whatever that's worth
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Post by MDG on Jan 25, 2016 15:42:37 GMT -5
Shirley Stoler as the German Commandant of the prison camp is unforgetable. She can also be seen in the cult classic The Honeymoon Killers as well as The Deerhunter, Frankenhooker and Malcolm X. What a resume!! Don't forget Pee Wee's Playhouse!
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 26, 2016 13:38:48 GMT -5
TCM had a Tod Browning marathon yesterday and I DVRed Freaks (one of my Top Five Movies Ever!) and three others I'd never seen before - The Show, The Blackbird and Where East Is East.
I watched The Show this morning and it was pretty great! I'm sometimes a little hesitant about silent movie because I've seen so many of them and I don't have as much patience as I used to for those times when I'm watching a silent movies that's not really very good. But those last few years of the silent era, they really knew what they were doing! You get to 1927 and 1928 and there were so many great silent movies. Such as The Show.
It's set in a sideshow in Budapest. Renee Adoree (she's really good in this!) plays Salome in a re-enactment of Salome's Dance. John Gilbert is the carnival barker and he plays John the Baptist. (He's a bad person.) Lionel Barrymore owns the sideshow. (He's a really really bad person!)
Bananashenanigans ensue!
Lon Chaney isn't in this one but in his place you get a scene where John Gilbert and Lionel Barrymore are trapped in an attic where they are chased around by a deadly poisonous iguana!
Also, you get to see John the Baptist smoking!
Highly recommended.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jan 26, 2016 14:59:15 GMT -5
Carrie (1976) Sissy Spacek, Nancy Allen, John Travolta, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt
1st Stephen King film adaptation. Social outcast Carrie, daughter of a religious nut, is invited to the school prom. However a vicious prank is awaiting her. No one knows Carrie is a mutant
Have not seen this film since it was released. Abundant nudity during the opening credits in a high school locker room that they would probably have second thoughts of depicting today even though all the actresses were over 21. Also it's William Katt as the lead male and Travolta has a smaller part than what I remembered. Last half hour of the film is like watching molasses roll downhill as everything is shot at slow speed.
Still highly entertaining and nostalgic for me. Pretty much this made Stephan King a superstar since it did phenomenal box office compared to its budget and Hollywood was now eager to adapt more of his novels
I also recently borrowed and downloaded the audiobook of the novel. Sissy Spacek does the reading. Very cool
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jan 26, 2016 15:04:24 GMT -5
TCM had a Tod Browning marathon yesterday and I DVRed Freaks (one of my Top Five Movies Ever!) and three others I'd never seen before - The Show, The Blackbird and Where East Is East. I watched The Show this morning and it was pretty great! I'm sometimes a little hesitant about silent movies because I've seen so many of them and I don't have as much patience as I used to for those times when I'm watching a silent movies that's not really very good. But those last few years of the silent era, they really knew what they were doing! You get to 1927 and 1928 and there were so many great silent movies. Such as The Show. It's set in a sideshow in Budapest. Irene Adoree (she's really good in this!) plays Salome in a re-enactment of Salome's Dance. John Gilbert is the carnival barker and he plays John the Baptist. (He's a bad person.) Lionel Barrymore owns the sideshow. (He's a really really bad person!) Bananashenanigans ensue! Lon Chaney isn't in this one but in his place you get a scene where John Gilbert and Lionel Barrymore are trapped in an attic where they are chased around by a deadly poisonous iguana! Also, you get to see John the Baptist smoking! Highly recommended. I have a Tod Browning silent I need to get around to watching- The Unholy Three (1925) with Lon Chaney. Kind of like the Ringmaster and his Circus of Evil committing crimes
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 26, 2016 16:01:27 GMT -5
TCM had a Tod Browning marathon yesterday and I DVRed Freaks (one of my Top Five Movies Ever!) and three others I'd never seen before - The Show, The Blackbird and Where East Is East. I watched The Show this morning and it was pretty great! I'm sometimes a little hesitant about silent movies because I've seen so many of them and I don't have as much patience as I used to for those times when I'm watching a silent movies that's not really very good. But those last few years of the silent era, they really knew what they were doing! You get to 1927 and 1928 and there were so many great silent movies. Such as The Show. It's set in a sideshow in Budapest. Irene Adoree (she's really good in this!) plays Salome in a re-enactment of Salome's Dance. John Gilbert is the carnival barker and he plays John the Baptist. (He's a bad person.) Lionel Barrymore owns the sideshow. (He's a really really bad person!) Bananashenanigans ensue! Lon Chaney isn't in this one but in his place you get a scene where John Gilbert and Lionel Barrymore are trapped in an attic where they are chased around by a deadly poisonous iguana! Also, you get to see John the Baptist smoking! Highly recommended. I have a Tod Browning silent I need to get around to watching- The Unholy Three (1925) with Lon Chaney. Kind of like the Ringmaster and his Circus of Evil committing crimes I watched the silent version of The Unholy Three a few weeks ago and I even got my 12-year-old nephew to watch with me! He actually put down his iPhone and watched the whole thing! I could hardly believe it! He's usually pretty stubborn about watching old movies but he's a sucker for big monsters (which is how I got him to watch Pulgasari (which he liked)) and really twisted stuff, which is how I got him to watch The Unholy Three. He had trouble believing Harry Earles was really a midget and not a little kid pretending to be a midget. I DVRed Freaks and now he really wants to watch that too!
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jan 27, 2016 13:15:50 GMT -5
Pride And Prejudice (1940) Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Maureen O'Sullivan, Anne Rutherford, Edmund Gwenn, Edna Mae Oliver
Jane Austin adaptation of a family with five unmarried daughters and their mother trying to play matchmaker with rich or influential gentleman
A lighthearted film of Victorian manners, not faithful to the novel since they set it 100 years after the novel's time period because MGM liked to use the costumes of the 1840s. The ending is quite different as well. Still, an enjoyable film and the daughters in the movie are a delight to watch. Well, actually Greer Garson seems much too old for the role she is playing. Olivier plays an obnoxious rich snob. The sets and wardrobe look spectacular. The movie was meant to be shot in color but MGM used up all its Technicolor film stock for Gone With The Wind so B&W it is. There is a computerized color version if you really need to go that way. 3 *** and more if you enjoy these types of films
Edna Mae Oliver, as usual, is great as a stuck up old biddy-her specialty
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 28, 2016 9:45:26 GMT -5
Pride And Prejudice (1940) Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Maureen O'Sullivan, Anne Rutherford, Edmund Gwenn, Edna Mae Oliver Jane Austin adaptation of a family with five unmarried daughters and their mother trying to play matchmaker with rich or influential gentleman A lighthearted film of Victorian manners, not faithful to the novel since they set it 100 years after the novel's time period because MGM liked to use the costumes of the 1840s. The ending is quite different as well. Still, an enjoyable film and the daughters in the movie are a delight to watch. Well, actually Greer Garson seems much too old for the role she is playing. Olivier plays an obnoxious rich snob. The sets and wardrobe look spectacular. The movie was meant to be shot in color but MGM used up all its Technicolor film stock for Gone With The Wind so B&W it is. There is a computerized color version if you really need to go that way. 3 *** and more if you enjoy these types of films Edna Mae Oliver, as usual, is great as a stuck up old biddy-her specialty My mother and I are both big fans of Jane Austen, particularly "Pride and Prejudice." My mom hates this movie! She really goes off on it. She says she expects Mammy or Prissy to walk in on every scene. I like it a lot. I find it hilarious. All the different acting styles make it very amusing at times. Maureen O'Sullivan and Greer Garson are very light-hearted and mostly merry, almost like it's an 1840 version of a Deanna Durbin movie. Laurence Olivier is REALLY INTENSE, like a really focused war drama of the 1950s. And Melville Cooper and Edna May Oliver (who are both wonderful) both act like they wandered onto the wrong set while looking for Alice in Wonderland.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jan 28, 2016 13:26:34 GMT -5
The Bad Sleep Well (1960) Directed by Akira Kurosawa Toshiro Mifune
A young man seeking revenge against those who run a corrupt corporation marries the daughter of a vice president to destroy the business from within
Ahh....Kurosawa, Mifune, Criterion, Bliss sweet bliss. I miss this triumvirate
Actually when I began watching this 150 minute film I was underwhelmed for the first half hour. OK nothing really special watching the marriage of Mifune and reporters covering the wedding and talking about the scandal going on about kickbacks and such. The movie then starts getting better and better as Mifune drives individual board members stark raving crazy and his revenge takes shape. By the end, this movie is mesmerizing and once again I have enjoyed the Holy Trinity of Japanese Cinema. I just need to pace myself and spread out the goodness of viewing the rest of Kurosawa's films. Can't get too spoiled.
Kind of weird listening to "Here Comes The Bride" during the wedding though
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 29, 2016 0:30:27 GMT -5
The Bad Sleep Well (1960) Directed by Akira Kurosawa Toshiro Mifune A young man seeking revenge against those who run a corrupt corporation marries the daughter of a vice president to destroy the business from within Ahh....Kurosawa, Mifune, Criterion, Bliss sweet bliss. I miss this triumvirate Actually when I began watching this 150 minute film I was underwhelmed for the first half hour. OK nothing really special watching the marriage of Mifune and reporters covering the wedding and talking about the scandal going on about kickbacks and such. The movie then starts getting better and better as Mifune drives individual board members stark raving crazy and his revenge takes shape. By the end, this movie is mesmerizing and once again I have enjoyed the Holy Trinity of Japanese Cinema. I just need to pace myself and spread out the goodness of viewing the rest of Kurosawa's films. Can't get too spoiled. Kind of weird listening to "Here Comes The Bride" during the wedding though My two favorite Kurosawa films are Yojimbo and High and Low. But The Bad Sleep Well is great too.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jan 29, 2016 14:59:46 GMT -5
Terms Of Endearment (1983) Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jeff Daniels, Jack Nicholson, John Lithgow, Danny DeVitto
Shirley is an uptight, repressed divorcee, mother to Debra Winger. The story unfolds over the course of a decade as Debra Winger marries a struggling teacher and Shirley begins an affair with a playboy former astronaut (Nicholson)
This is a movie that I'm kind of glad I held off watching it until I got older. Excellent film regarding marital and mother/ daughter relations. It would have been wasted on me before I turned mid-30s and unable to relate to the maturing stage of life. MacLaine is phenomenal in her role, justly winning her Oscar for this part. The movie certainly does deserve the avalanche of awards and nominations it accrued including the Oscar for best picture. The film has passed the test of time since its themes are eternal. And your sentimentality will be tested by its ending on how many hankies you had to grab. I confess, it got to me
DeVitto is pretty much a non-entity and mostly superfluous. Nicholson is fine but his Oscar for the role was more likely for parts he played in the past. Winger was going through some extremely cocaine withdrawal situations during the filming. And one of the childrens' real name is Huckleberry Fox. What kind of parents would name their kid that? Certainly not Augie Doggie
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