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Post by Slam_Bradley on Mar 4, 2022 14:59:30 GMT -5
It is the 100th anniversary of the opening release of Nosferatu. I say he doesn't look a day over 125.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 4, 2022 23:25:47 GMT -5
It is the 100th anniversary of the opening release of Nosferatu. I say he doesn't look a day over 125. Way scarier than Lugosi! Love Shadow of the Vampire, with Willem Dafoe, as Max Schreck, with the conceit that he really is a vampire. Kim Newman's Anno Dracula series includes Orlock and he is generally treated as the scariest one, outside of Dracula himself. Someone needs to adapt it, as it is filled with fun, with Dracula, Orlock, Varney the Vampire, Karnstein, and Lord Ruthven; plus, the Diogenes Club and a Jack the Ripper who is using a silver knife to kill vampire prostitutes, in Whitechappel, as Quenn Victoria reigns, with her new Prince Consort Dracula. Then, it moves onto the battlefields of WW1 (with people like Captain Midnight and Biggles) and finishes up in 1950s Rome, with characters from Italian film, as well (especially La Dolce Vita and The Crimson Executioner). They'd probably have to leave out the non-public domain easter eggs; but, you could make allusions.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 5, 2022 11:15:44 GMT -5
I’ve been watching a few Zatoichi movies out of order.
He is awesome.
I saw the first one, The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) a few days ago. He only kills two guys!
It was kind of confusing. Was he tired?
In the last few weeks, I’ve seen Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold, Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (it’s a weird title because almost everybody he meets is doomed), Zatoichi (1988) and the remake with Beat Takeshi (2003).
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Post by berkley on Mar 5, 2022 19:43:20 GMT -5
I’ve been watching a few Zatoichi movies out of order. He is awesome. I saw the first one, The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) a few days ago. He only kills two guys! It was kind of confusing. Was he tired? In the last few weeks, I’ve seen Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold, Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (it’s a weird title because almost everybody he meets is doomed), Zatoichi (1988) and the remake with Beat Takeshi (2003). Was it a tv series at one point, or was that a series of black and white movies i'm thinking of? Whichever it was, I've seen a couple of those early ones and they were really good. I loved the Takeshi movie too - some great comic scenes that don't jar with the sometimes tragic tone of the main plot-line.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 5, 2022 20:01:34 GMT -5
There was a Zatoichi TV series at one point but I’ve only recently gotten interested in Zatoichi and I don’t know much about the TV series.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 6, 2022 0:07:05 GMT -5
There was a Zatoichi TV series at one point but I’ve only recently gotten interested in Zatoichi and I don’t know much about the TV series. I read an article, in Cult Movies, about the series, but that was 25+ years ago. The films and series came from Daiei, the same studio that gave us the gonzo Gamera films that MST3k so loved. they kind of specialized in the whole jidaigeki genre. Zatoichi started out as a minor character, but was popular and soon got pushed to main event status. Frank Miller basically swiped the character for Stick, in Daredevil.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2022 15:25:52 GMT -5
It is the 100th anniversary of the opening release of Nosferatu. I say he doesn't look a day over 125. Saw this on videotape just around the time DVDs were getting popular in the UK (so, around 2001/2002). Appreciated it for what it is, and I think it’s a hell of a lot better than the 1979 version, which I just am not a fan of at all, atmosphere and performances aside.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2022 15:27:51 GMT -5
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn was released 35 years ago today: For me, this film started off well but descended into black comedy too much. I believe the first film is as scary as hell (still is), but this is just a bit too silly for my liking. And Ash ending up in the medieval period seemed even sillier. Sure, there’s suspension of disbelief, but then there’s something else entirely. However, to prove how contradictory I am, I did enjoy Ash VS Evil Dead.
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Post by tartanphantom on Mar 13, 2022 16:50:14 GMT -5
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn was released 35 years ago today: For me, this film started off well but descended into black comedy too much. I believe the first film is as scary as hell (still is), but this is just a bit too silly for my liking. And Ash ending up in the medieval period seemed even sillier. Sure, there’s suspension of disbelief, but then there’s something else entirely. However, to prove how contradictory I am, I did enjoy Ash VS Evil Dead.
And this is what happens when a Three Stooges addict gets a chance to "remake" the original film.
Entertaining, but I don't think it aged nearly as well as the initial film, or even the 3rd film, which was totally over the top, but most viewers knew that already, and had lowered expectations by that time.
I have a soft spot for the original because it was filmed about 150 miles from where I live. The cabin is long gone, but I can take you to the exact spot where it sat.
Edit-- my original post contained a typo, saying 50 miles, my fumbly fingers meant to type 150 miles. Sorry for the confusion... nevertheless, I've been there, more than once.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2022 16:52:20 GMT -5
Lowered expectations is a good phrase. By the third film, I accepted the verisimilitude and scariness of the original was long gone. But the second film was just a chore for me to sit through. Starts off well, but too slapstick. And I thought The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (which also went down the black comedy route) was bad!
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Post by Marv-El on Mar 14, 2022 14:13:29 GMT -5
Thanks to the 31 Days of Oscar on TCM, saw Spartacus with Kirk Douglas for the first time over the weekend. One of the epics that fall into the cliche category of "They don't make'em like this anymore."
Overall, enthralling to watch as is the case with me with such epics as this, with their sets, action, acting and who all were acting. It was the '91 restoration version, so yes it had the seduction scene and the Roman legionnaire getting his arm chopped off by Douglas. I always find such battle scenes as the last one here between Roman forces and the slave rebels to be thrilling because no CGI, every person there is real, it's simply amazing to see these days.
I particularly enjoyed Ustinov's performance. But whoa, such a dour ending with the fate of Spartacus and his rebels (even if it's a Hollywood history ending instead). Although, so far, I have seen very little of this actor's work on film so I'll admit, I had no idea that was Lawrence Olivier as Crassus until I looked up the credits.
Also over this weekend, I did see beginnings of Cleopatra with Taylor & Burton. Again, the production value looked terrific of what I saw but unfortunately had to go to bed for I had to work the next day. I can say, Rex Harrison wouldn't necessarily be my first choice to play Caesar.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 16, 2022 21:55:40 GMT -5
Thanks to the 31 Days of Oscar on TCM, saw Spartacus with Kirk Douglas for the first time over the weekend. One of the epics that fall into the cliche category of " They don't make'em like this anymore."
Overall, enthralling to watch as is the case with me with such epics as this, with their sets, action, acting and who all were acting. It was the '91 restoration version, so yes it had the seduction scene and the Roman legionnaire getting his arm chopped off by Douglas. I always find such battle scenes as the last one here between Roman forces and the slave rebels to be thrilling because no CGI, every person there is real, it's simply amazing to see these days. I particularly enjoyed Ustinov's performance. But whoa, such a dour ending with the fate of Spartacus and his rebels (even if it's a Hollywood history ending instead). Although, so far, I have seen very little of this actor's work on film so I'll admit, I had no idea that was Lawrence Olivier as Crassus until I looked up the credits. Also over this weekend, I did see beginnings of Cleopatra with Taylor & Burton. Again, the production value looked terrific of what I saw but unfortunately had to go to bed for I had to work the next day. I can say, Rex Harrison wouldn't necessarily be my first choice to play Caesar. You have to see the sequel.... If you want something fun; but with a slightly less epic quality, try Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators..... It's like Roman history, as told by Vince McMahon!
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Post by berkley on Mar 18, 2022 0:43:32 GMT -5
Re-watched the first Evil Dead movie at the theatre a few months ago and enjoyed it very much. They were showing the 2nd and 3rd as well but I wasn't able to get to them.
Most recent classic films for me have been the two that Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth did together, You'll Never Get Rich and You Were Never Lovelier, both great. Astaire was in his early 40s at this time but looked to me to be at the top of his game still. Hayworth was of course incredibly gorgeous, but at the same time so full of personality, likeable, and engaging - not an easy combination to find. And her and Astaire's dance routines are out of this world - I ended up re-watching them multiple times on youtube the next day, they stick in your mind that much. I knew she was a dancer but hadn't realised just how high-level she was: it's kind of mind-boggling, like if I just found out Marilyn Monroe was an opera singer or something. I've totally fallen under the spell of her magic and charm and I'm probably going to have to watch a few more of her films now to get it out of my system.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 18, 2022 10:03:51 GMT -5
I was very tired when I got home from work last night. When this happens, I sometimes flop on the couch and watch a movie. Lately, I’ve been watching movies on Disney Plus that I didn’t get to see as a kid that I really wanted to see back then. Last week I watched Candleshoe.
Last night I watched The Apple Dumpling Gang.
I rent a room from a nice Chilean couple. Their son and his daughter have been visiting (it’s Spring Break in their home region Las Vegas) and she is nine and very outspoken. She started watching The Apple Dumpling about halfway through.
Her name is Lila. She cracks me up.
She kept wishing Don Knotts and Tim Conway would get killed because their stupidity was frustrating for her. She was very disappointed when they weren’t killed in the bank explosion.
At the end, she said “That movie sucked.”
I was laughing so hard.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 18, 2022 22:35:12 GMT -5
I was very tired when I got home from work last night. When this happens, I sometimes flop on the couch and watch a movie. Lately, I’ve been watching movies on Disney Plus that I didn’t get to see as a kid that I really wanted to see back then. Last week I watched Candleshoe. Last night I watched The Apple Dumpling Gang. I rent a room from a nice Chilean couple. Their son and his daughter have been visiting (it’s Spring Break in their home region Las Vegas) and she is nine and very outspoken. She started watching The Apple Dumpling about halfway through. Her name is Lila. She cracks me up. She kept wishing Don Knotts and Tim Conway would get killed because their stupidity was frustrating for her. She was very disappointed when they weren’t killed in the bank explosion. At the end, she said “That movie sucked.” I was laughing so hard. Saw both in the theater, as a kid. I liked the Apple Dumpling Gang, as kid, as it was funny enough to keep my interest. i watched it again, on cable, a decade or so ago and still found it entertaining. It has a good cast and enough plot to sustain it, for what it is. The sequel, not so much. I love Candleshoe and bought the commercial dvd for it. Jodie Foster is terrific in it and holds her own with fellow Oscar-winners Helen Hayes and David Niven (and Leo McKern, as the delightful Harry Bundage ). Loved the manor house and Niven gets to do some character stuff, with his masquerades; but Hayes and Foster are so wonderful together as the hard-bitten street kid and the kind, loving old woman who pierces her concrete barriers and touches her heart. I still tear up at the end, when Hayes convinces her to stay and be part of her family.
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