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Post by Mister Spaceman on Feb 26, 2019 13:27:46 GMT -5
2. Yeelen (Brightness) (1987) - If you have ever been curious about the cinema of Mali, this is the film for you! It's actually a pretty good film, something that I would probably have watched again already if I had a little more free time. 6. Mother and Son (1997) - Russia and Germany should not be allowed to make movies together. 9. Happy Together (1997) - And speaking of unpleasant … a lot of people might have trouble with this one. I'm pretty sure the title is supposed to be sarcastic. An interesting selection of films. I enjoy the prominence of magic in Yeelen. It's a very engaging film. Mother and Son is a memorable debut by Sokurov. Sounds like you didn't enjoy it. Nonetheless, l recommend you see his Russian Ark if you haven't already. Did you not care for Happy Together? I've yet to see a Wong Kar-wai film that didn't impress me in some way.
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Post by Hoosier X on Feb 26, 2019 23:53:37 GMT -5
2. Yeelen (Brightness) (1987) - If you have ever been curious about the cinema of Mali, this is the film for you! It's actually a pretty good film, something that I would probably have watched again already if I had a little more free time. 6. Mother and Son (1997) - Russia and Germany should not be allowed to make movies together. 9. Happy Together (1997) - And speaking of unpleasant … a lot of people might have trouble with this one. I'm pretty sure the title is supposed to be sarcastic. An interesting selection of films. I enjoy the prominence of magic in Yeelen. It's a very engaging film. Mother and Son is a memorable debut by Sokurov. Sounds like you didn't enjoy it. Nonetheless, l recommend you see his Russian Ark if you haven't already. Did you not care for Happy Together? I've yet to see a Wong Kar-wai film that didn't impress me in some way. I've seen Russian Ark and I liked it quite a bit. Mother and Son didn't do a thing for me except make me wish I was doing something else. Happy Together is a very well made film but it is relentlessly unpleasant. I saw it the day after I saw The Butcher Boy, and it was a bit much to take two nights in a row. Yeelen is awesome!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2019 12:22:43 GMT -5
Looking Forward On TCM
12:45 AM ... The 10th of March TRAFFIC (1970) Dir: Jacques Tati Cast: Jacques Tati, Marcel Fraval, Honora Bostel.
9:30 PM ... The 26th of March EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954) Dir: Robert Wise Cast: William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck.
5:00 PM ... The 28th of March STORY OF G.I. JOE, THE (1945) Dir: William A. Wellman Cast: Burgess Meredith, Robert Mitchum, Freddie Steele.
5:00 PM ... The 29th of March DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings.
11:00 AM ... The 30th of March POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, THE (1946) Dir: Tay Garnett Cast: Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway.
And, there are over 20 other films that I'm going to be watching that month.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 17, 2019 21:47:51 GMT -5
Does anybody remember the 1980 comedy "Simon" with Alan Arkin, Madeline Kahn, Austin Pendleton, Wallace Shawn and Fred Gwynne? One category I have for films is "movies I wanted to see when I was a kid but I never got around to them because they disappeared from theaters too quick or my parents wouldn't let me see them." And little by little, I'm seeing them. This is stuff like "The Swarm" and "The Empire of the Ants," which I saw in the last two or three years. And "Fatso" with Dom DeLuise, which I saw a few months ago. There's still a few I haven't seen. Like "Food of the Gods." And every once in a while, something I've completely forgotten about shows up on cable. TCM was showing a Madeline Kahn marathon, with Young Frankenstein and What's Up, Doc? (both of which I've seen in the last two or three years) … and Simon! I hadn't though about Simon in decades, but I still remember reading the lukewarm review in Newsweek when I was 16. I wanted to see it back then, pretty bad, but it wasn't in theaters very long. I DVRed it Friday and watched it later that night. It's so weird! It's a "mad scientist" movie about some really smart guys at a think tank who use their grant money to mess with people. They find an eccentric psychology professor and they put him in a deprivation tank for 200 hours and they brainwash him into thinking he's an alien just because they want to mess with everybody when an alien shows up. It's not particularly laugh out-loud funny (except here and there) but it gets a lot of points for being so dang weird! Especially Wallace Shawn!
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 17, 2019 22:40:44 GMT -5
Does anybody remember the 1980 comedy "Simon" with Alan Arkin, Madeline Kahn, Austin Pendleton, Wallace Shawn and Fred Gwynne? One category I have for films is "movies I wanted to see when I was a kid but I never got around to them because they disappeared from theaters too quick or my parents wouldn't let me see them." And little by little, I'm seeing them. This is stuff like "The Swarm" and "The Empire of the Ants," which I saw in the last two or three years. And "Fatso" with Dom DeLuise, which I saw a few months ago. There's still a few I haven't seen. Like "Food of the Gods." And every once in a while, something I've completely forgotten about shows up on cable. TCM was showing a Madeline Kahn marathon, with Young Frankenstein and What's Up, Doc? (both of which I've seen in the last two or three years) … and Simon! I hadn't though about Simon in decades, but I still remember reading the lukewarm review in Newsweek when I was 16. I wanted to see it back then, pretty bad, but it wasn't in theaters very long. I DVRed it Friday and watched it later that night. It's so weird! It's a "mad scientist" movie about some really smart guys at a think tank who use their grant money to mess with people. They find an eccentric psychology professor and they put him in a deprivation tank for 200 hours and they brainwash him into thinking he's an alien just because they want to mess with everybody when an alien shows up. It's not particularly laugh out-loud funny (except here and there) but it gets a lot of points for being so dang weird! Especially Wallace Shawn! never saw Simon; but great cast. I have seen Food of the Gods (you aren't missing much; but, it has moments) and saw Fatso years ago. Dom Deluise does a fine turn, mixing comedy and drama. Young Frankenstein is an old favorite and What's Up Doc has been a favorite since it first played ABC tv, after its theatrical run, in the mid-70s. For Madeline, Paper Moon is another must see (also from Peter Bogdanovich). History of the World, Part I is mostly good and Madeline is great, as the Empress, in it. If you want really weird and obscure, with Arkin, try The Return of Captain Invincible. he is a washed up superhero and Christopher Lee actually sings rock n roll, in the film. It's pretty awful; but, in a trainwreck kind of way that you can't stop watching. It was done in Australia, which is why I had trouble understanding how Arkin & Lee ended up in it; but, they are the only reason it ever hit video, here.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 18, 2019 0:30:02 GMT -5
ps, that film only made $50, 000+, on a budget of $7 million, which is really, really bad. It was to be released in the US; but, the American distributor went belly up, on the eve of its release. I assume black cats were circling the production, which was shot underneath ladders, while standing on field of broken mirrors.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Mar 18, 2019 4:37:12 GMT -5
Does anybody remember the 1980 comedy "Simon" with Alan Arkin, Madeline Kahn, Austin Pendleton, Wallace Shawn and Fred Gwynne? I never even heard about it back then, but I watched it for the first time a few years ago - and kind of forgot most of the details since. What I do remember is that it's odd, and I definitely agree with your assessment that it's not laugh-out-loud funny - but it is amusing. I should probably watch it again.
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Post by berkley on Mar 19, 2019 0:24:35 GMT -5
Alan Arkin I haven't seen that much of but have enjoyed him in the one or two things I can recall.
I love Madeleine Khan, I have to say. Very talented comedienne - and, as I recall, came across as a really nice person when I saw her on a talk show once, forget which one now. What are her best movies or performances, does everyone think? I've seen mainly the Mel Brooks ones and The Cheap Detective. Missed Clue, that's one I'll have to track down sometime.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 20, 2019 14:57:06 GMT -5
Alan Arkin I haven't seen that much of but have enjoyed him in the one or two things I can recall. I love Madeleine Khan, I have to say. Very talented comedienne - and, as I recall, came across as a really nice person when I saw her on a talk show once, forget which one now. What are her best movies or performances, does everyone think? I've seen mainly the Mel Brooks ones and The Cheap Detective. Missed Clue, that's one I'll have to track down sometime. Best is pretty subjective, when you look at Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and What's Up Doc? I'd give a nod to WUD, as she steals the whole film, from a fairly large cast and from Streisand and O'Neal. She's also one of the more memorable things in History of the World Part I. Cheap Detective is a good performance, she's good in Clue; but, it's kind of a crowded movie and it doesn't really let the characters play as much. Madeline's not in it; but, Murder By Death is better satire/pastiche of mystery novel/movie conventions and Clue pretty much swipes from it, without the benefit of the specific detective pastiches (Charlie Cha, Nick & Nora Charles, Miss Marple, Sam Spade, Hercule Poirot). Paper Moon is a really good one. She's in it during the middle portion, as a sort of golddigger/con artist, who basically lays a trap for men and soaks them for all the cash she can get out of them. She ends up being more of a foil for Tatum O'Neal to work against. An obscure one, and not a classic; but, fun little film is Won Ton Ton, the Dog That Saved Hollywood. it's a fictionalized take on Rin-Tin-Tin and Madeline is an aspiring actress, who works with the dog, in Perils of Pauline-style serials. She's good, in an other wise middling film (it has moments, though). She's in Yellowbeard, though I don't recall her performance. That is a mess of a film, in part due to Marty Feldman's sudden death, and all kinds of other issues. The voice was a real asset, as she trained as an opera singer and that high pitch just lent her a wacky quality, when needed, or that wealthy, New England, Society touch. Her guest hosting shot on the original SNL was terrific, when she played Marlene Dietrich, being interviewed by Baba WaWa (Barbara Walters); Elmer Fudd would be in heaven (they also show off her gams...)
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Post by berkley on Mar 20, 2019 21:38:59 GMT -5
Paper Moon is one of those movies I feel as if I know when actually all I've done is read the MAD parody of it, as I was too young to see it at the theatre when it came out. Similarly, I think, for WUD, though I'm less sure about that one. Even though our family played a lot of board games back in the 70s, Clue for some reason was one we didn't have, so it doesn't carry as strong a sense of nostalgia for me as some of the others. Maybe that's how I came to miss the movie when it came out in the 80s, though I did play it once or twice at other people's houses. I must track down that early SNL appearance, pretty sure I haven't seen that - our time zone was an hour and a half later than EST, so these late night US shows like SNL or Letterman or The Tonight Show were really late for us, and I'd see them only sporadically even after we got cable in the late 70s or early 80s.
I see from her wiki article that she also had a short-lived sitcom in the early 80s, anyone seen that?
Thanks for the run-down - a few titles there I wouldn't have thought of trying otherwise.
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Post by Farrar on Mar 20, 2019 22:26:12 GMT -5
^^^ She's also in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, directed by and starring Gene Wilder. Dom DeLuise and Marty Feldman also co-starred and there were some good musical bits (including a send- up of Un ballo in maschera) that showcased Kahn and her considerable singing chops. Overall though it's a mess of a movie. And I confess that the only reason I saw it way back when was because my then-favorite actor, the recently departed Albert Finney, had a blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo in it. ETA: Albie's uncredited cameo in the movie
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 20, 2019 23:36:31 GMT -5
My wife's been on a Blake Edwards kick, recently, having watched breakfast at Tiffanys, 10 and Victor/Victoria. We sat down tonight to watch SOB, which she had never seen; but, which was one of three I bought from the Warner Archive, during a sale (along with Victor/Victoria and Skin Deep). I had seen it on Cinemax, back in high school, and didn't think much of it then (compared to the Pink Panther films and his 60s movies); but, I was laughing my head off. I think I understand it more now, then I did then. It is a pretty inside movie, that was sold more on the prospect of seeing Julie "Mary Poppins/Sound of Music" Andrews topless. There is some great slapstick, as you would expect and it starts well and ends well (though on a rather down note); but kind of gets muddled in the middle.
For those who haven't seen it, Richard Mulligan is a master producer, whose latest film, staring his beloved actress wife (who has been Peter Pan and such family fare) have a massive flop on their hands and studio knives are out and they want to recut the film. Mulligan tries rather badly to kill himself, leaving a wake of destruction, which does more to inadvertently injure friends than do himself harm. then, he hits upon the idea to recut the film as an erotic story. Then we see the real Hollywood maneuvering, from studio wanting to recut the film or kill it, then sell it to the producer, then get back in when it looks like he might be right. There is Stuart Margolin as a personal secretary to Andrews, who manipulates her to go along to get himself made a producer, helping to get the studio back into the thing. Robert Preston is the hilarious quack of a doc, dispensing all kinds of medicines, most of which are recreational narcotics of vitamin shots. William Holden has his last film role, as the director and friend, while Robert Vaughn is the head of the studio, with Larry Hagman as one of his henchmen , Shelly Winters is Andrews' agent, Loretta Switt is a gossip columnist, Robert Webber 9an old Edwards colleague) is a publicist; and, yes, Julie shows off her goodies.
So, how was it?
Skin Deep is decent, if rather uneven. There is some hilarious slapstick, from John Ritter, that plays to his strengths; but, his character isn't very sympathetic and he spends a lot of time sitting around feeling sorry for himself and then chasing everything in a skirt, barring a Scotsman. Still, you can't beat a scene involving total darkness and glow-in-the-dark condoms.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 0:03:02 GMT -5
I found myself watching a movie I hadn't seen in 35+ years last night-The Outlaw Josey Wales-on AMC after work. I remember liking most of the Clint Eastwood westerns I saw as a kid, but haven't watched any of them at least since high school, more likely since Junior High, but it happened to be starting just after I got home after work and I just ended up getting sucked in and watching the whole thing. I enjoyed most of it, there were bits that didn't work or hadn't aged well in terms of modern storytelling techniques, but overall, it's stll a very enjoyable film.
-M
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Post by berkley on Mar 21, 2019 2:27:11 GMT -5
Big Blake Edwards fan but those are two I haven't seen. I've always meant to watch SOB but have never gotten around to it, for no particular reason, after missing it in the theatres at the time. I've never liked John Ritter, so I doubt I'll ever watch Skin Deep.
I think Outlaw Josey Wales is one of Clint's best westerns - but then they were all pretty high quality. Still, I'd rate it near the top, certainly of the American ones. It's interesting in that he gets away a bit from his untouchable loner persona and sort of builds a little community as the film progresses, collecting various misfits as he pursues his quest for vengeance. Unless I'm mixing this up with some other movie altogether, haven't seen it for decades. Also, I think "Dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy" was one of his best lines, in a career with a lot of pretty memorable ones.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 21, 2019 9:03:55 GMT -5
Very early Madeline Kahn:
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