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Post by codystarbuck on Dec 29, 2022 11:02:51 GMT -5
I still need to see Cooley High. I've seen quite a bit of the major Blaxploitation films, but never that one. I suppose technically it isn't really an exploitation film; but, it tended to be marketed with that material, since it was made specifically with the Black audience in mind. (...) Yeah, Cooley High is often lumped in with the Blaxploitation films, just because it was released in the first half of the 1970s and has an almost exclusively Black cast. However, like a few other films from that period that I've seen, like The Bus is Coming or Detroit 9000 ( which I reviewed upthread a few years ago), which are also frequently described as Blaxploitation, it really isn't.
Well, it's like that video cover image above, where it has the Soul Cinema branding; 99% of the films released with that brand were pure Blaxploitation films (like Coffey and Foxy Brown). When you see the packaging and haven't seen the film, you assume that it is the same kind of atmosphere, even though the copy tells you otherwise.
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Post by Calidore on Jan 1, 2023 20:08:36 GMT -5
I actually did that as a precursor to reading the novel. My hope was that first watching a few movie/TV versions in increasing order of length (specifically the 1956 Hollywood film, the 4-part 1960s Russian film, and the 20-part BBC TV series) would introduce me to the main plot, then gradually add subplots, so that the novel would be easier to digest. And it worked! For starters, the book begins at a society party where you have a whole bunch of Russian names being thrown at you, but thanks to the video prep, I knew exactly who they were and what they were about.
What the movies didn't do was help me get further than about halfway through the book, at which point plowing through Tolstoy's writing was becoming too much of a chore. Oh, well.
The Russian version is available on a Criterion release now, and I'd highly recommend that version if you can get it. I can tell you that the much-lauded battle scenes are every bit as astonishing as advertised.
Thanks, I'll look out for that. I liked the book, but I like the big Russian novelists in general - Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Turgenev. You should try Tolstoy's book again someday - maybe a different translation? I often think they should publish it as a trilogy or longer series of books, like some of the long, involved fantasy series that people seem to have no trouble contemplating reading.
Oh, it wasn't the length or translation, just the tediousness. Tolstoy did a lot of telling rather than showing, where he'd go for a whole paragraph on the meaning of a raised eyebrow or gesture, for example. He also seemed to enjoy pointing out his characters' foibles and imperfections from above; it didn't feel like he had any real affection for them, which is important IMO.
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Post by berkley on Jan 2, 2023 1:35:38 GMT -5
My first classic movie of 2023 was a first-rate one: Les Girls, directed by George Cukor, with songs by Cole Porter, starring Gene Kelly, Kay Kendall, Mitzi gaynor, and Taina Elg.. I'd seen this as a kid on a small black and white tv but it really deserves to be seen on a larger screen and in colour. I recalled almost nothing about the story beyond the basic set-up of the three girl dancers and Gene Kelly as their boss. Turns out it's one of those same story re-told from several the POV of different participants. Very enjoyable comedy and the dance routines are fantastic, as you'd expect with Kelly's involvement. I remember as a kid liking Taina Elg in particular, mainly because I thought she was the prettiest of the three titular girls, but all three are excellent and hold their own with Kelly. This time around it was Kay Kendall who really stood out with her flair for comedy and her general screen presence. I've seen a few of her films over the last year and she's become one of my favourite performers of the era. This is a stand-out '50s Hollywood musical that should probably be a little more highly acclaimed.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2023 12:18:21 GMT -5
I know we discussed A Few Good Men recently, but I had a question after revisiting some clips.
When Lt. Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland) is in court, he is being grilled over the report he wrote about the dead Marine. At one point, he says, “I do not recall specifics, I have many men under my command, I write many reports.”
Now, I don’t know what the Marine Corps equivalent of a platoon is, or whether platoon is the term, but my question is, would a lieutenant be writing reports on all the Marines under his command? My civilian ignorance had me presuming that some NCOs, or someone closer to the Marine, might have been better suited to writing reports, but that is based on…well, nothing.
Also, while I do like the film, the lack of NCOs is a bit obvious. It seems that a colonel, a lieutenant colonel and Lt. Kendrick were responsible for everything, with no junior officers or NCOs there to assist them.
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 7, 2023 13:36:46 GMT -5
I know we discussed A Few Good Men recently, but I had a question after revisiting some clips. When Lt. Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland) is in court, he is being grilled over the report he wrote about the dead Marine. At one point, he says, “I do not recall specifics, I have many men under my command, I write many reports.” Now, I don’t know what the Marine Corps equivalent of a platoon is, or whether platoon is the term, but my question is, would a lieutenant be writing reports on all the Marines under his command? My civilian ignorance had me presuming that some NCOs, or someone closer to the Marine, might have been better suited to writing reports, but that is based on…well, nothing. Also, while I do like the film, the lack of NCOs is a bit obvious. It seems that a colonel, a lieutenant colonel and Lt. Kendrick were responsible for everything, with no junior officers or NCOs there to assist them. Movies are stupid. It’s not a criticism. It’s more of an observation.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 7, 2023 20:03:09 GMT -5
I know we discussed A Few Good Men recently, but I had a question after revisiting some clips. When Lt. Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland) is in court, he is being grilled over the report he wrote about the dead Marine. At one point, he says, “I do not recall specifics, I have many men under my command, I write many reports.” Now, I don’t know what the Marine Corps equivalent of a platoon is, or whether platoon is the term, but my question is, would a lieutenant be writing reports on all the Marines under his command? My civilian ignorance had me presuming that some NCOs, or someone closer to the Marine, might have been better suited to writing reports, but that is based on…well, nothing. Also, while I do like the film, the lack of NCOs is a bit obvious. It seems that a colonel, a lieutenant colonel and Lt. Kendrick were responsible for everything, with no junior officers or NCOs there to assist them. A Marine Lt is a junior officer. A captain would command a company. A junior officer would be writing all kinds of reports. He writes the fitness reports for the men in his platoon, keeps track of their qualifications and courses, and handles all of the platoon administrative matters. He would be aided by a platoon sergeant, probably a staff sergeant, possibly a gunnery sergeant. A platoon isn't big enough to not be able to keep track of what you wrote about one, especially one killed on a training mission. Hollywood gets this stuff wrong because they are all a bunch of draft-dodging, bleeding heart, pinko subversives., listening to rock n roll music and bad-mouthing their country. A hitch in Nam would straighten them out. Wait....where am I? Aw, man, for a minute there, I was possessed by Grandpa Simpson!
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 7, 2023 20:06:52 GMT -5
Marine Corps structure begins with squads, making up a platoon, with several platoons making a company, several companies making a battalion, several battalions a regiment, several regiments a division. The basic unit of the Air Force is a foursome, because they are always out on the golf course, while the other services work for a living.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jan 7, 2023 20:28:52 GMT -5
Just watched Dr. Terror's House of horrors, with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
It's an anthology horror film, and it feels just like a very good issue of DC's Witching Hour!
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 7, 2023 22:43:48 GMT -5
Just watched Dr. Terror's House of horrors, with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. It's an anthology horror film, and it feels just like a very good issue of DC's Witching Hour! SCTV has ruined titles like that for me. All I can think of is Dr Tongue's #D House of Stewardesses....
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2023 12:30:14 GMT -5
From the latest issue of Total Film:
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 15, 2023 16:13:46 GMT -5
I am watching Little Old New York (1923). I really love Marion Davies. In this film, she plays an Irish girl who dresses up as a boy to go to New York and claim an inheritance. I’m finding it very amusing.
The film is set in New York about 1806 or 1807. One of the highlights of the film is Robert Fulton launching the first steamboat on the Hudson River. And that happened in 1807.
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Post by berkley on Jan 19, 2023 13:57:49 GMT -5
Saw Bullitt for the very first time last night - and on the big screen, as it was playing at one of the cinemas here. Not the one close by, so I made a bus trip to get there, and of course it was more than worth that minor inconvenience. This is Steve McQueen at his peak - though I suppose he died so young that he was pretty much at his peak for most of his screen career - and the rest of the cast is first rate too. I didn't recognise many names apart from Robert Vaughan and Jacqueline Bisset (it was nice to see her in one of her earlier starring roles, though she didn't have a whole lot to do) but there were lots of familiar looking faces, and everyone looked right for their character, from the police captain and othr cops to the bad guys, etc.
I imagine that I must have heard sometime over the years that this movie was famous for its car chase scene but if so I had entirely forgotten it, which was just as I would have wished because it came as a complete surprise to me when it happened. Definitely one of the best ever done, that I've seen.
Another thing that stood out to me was how gritty the photography, the story, and the general atmosphere of the film was. This must have been one of the late '60s movies that pointed the way to what would become the norm in the 1970s, whether through direct emulation or unconscious influence, or perhaps just having caught the zeitgeist a few years earlier than everyone else. In that respect it reminded of something like Midnight Cowboy.
Anyway, a great, perhaps even iconic cop movie with McQueen at his low-key best. No one plays the tough guy with so little effort as he does in moments like the one where he responds to the threats of a corrupt politician by simply ignoring him, saying "Excuse me", and getting on with his work. A welcome contrast to the all too often over-the-top macho male lead who pushes everybody around, etc, etc.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 19, 2023 14:12:27 GMT -5
Saw Bullitt for the very first time last night - and on the big screen, as it was playing at one of the cinemas here. Not the one close by, so I made a bus trip to get there, and of course it was more than worth that minor inconvenience. This is Steve McQueen at his peak - though I suppose he died so young that he was pretty much at his peak for most of his screen career - and the rest of the cast is first rate too. I didn't recognise many names apart from Robert Vaughan and Jacqueline Bisset (it was nice to see her in one of her earlier starring roles, though she didn't have a whole lot to do) but there were lots of familiar looking faces, and everyone looked right for their character, from the police captain and othr cops to the bad guys, etc. I imagine that I must have heard sometime over the years that this movie was famous for its car chase scene but if so I had entirely forgotten it, which was just as I would have wished because it came as a complete surprise to me when it happened. Definitely one of the best ever done, that I've seen. Another thing that stood out to me was how gritty the photography, the story, and the general atmosphere of the film was. This must have been one of the late '60s movies that pointed the way to what would become the norm in the 1970s, whether through direct emulation or unconscious influence, or perhaps just having caught the zeitgeist a few years earlier than everyone else. In that respect it reminded of something like Midnight Cowboy. Anyway, a great, perhaps even iconic cop movie with McQueen at his low-key best. No one plays the tough guy with so little effort as he does in moments like the one where he responds to the threats of a corrupt politician by simply ignoring him, saying "Excuse me", and getting on with his work. A welcome contrast to the all too often over-the-top macho male lead who pushes everybody around, etc, etc. Big fan of the movie and of McQueen in general. He was called the King of Cool for a reason and being in one of the best car chase scenes of all time and, almost unquestionably, the greatest motorcycle scene ever was one of the reasons. The fact that he could have done the stunt driving for both, but wasn't allowed to, just makes him that much cooler.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jan 19, 2023 16:39:18 GMT -5
Saw Bullitt for the very first time last night - and on the big screen, as it was playing at one of the cinemas here. Not the one close by, so I made a bus trip to get there, and of course it was more than worth that minor inconvenience. This is Steve McQueen at his peak - though I suppose he died so young that he was pretty much at his peak for most of his screen career - and the rest of the cast is first rate too. I didn't recognise many names apart from Robert Vaughan and Jacqueline Bisset (it was nice to see her in one of her earlier starring roles, though she didn't have a whole lot to do) but there were lots of familiar looking faces, and everyone looked right for their character, from the police captain and othr cops to the bad guys, etc. I imagine that I must have heard sometime over the years that this movie was famous for its car chase scene but if so I had entirely forgotten it, which was just as I would have wished because it came as a complete surprise to me when it happened. Definitely one of the best ever done, that I've seen. Another thing that stood out to me was how gritty the photography, the story, and the general atmosphere of the film was. This must have been one of the late '60s movies that pointed the way to what would become the norm in the 1970s, whether through direct emulation or unconscious influence, or perhaps just having caught the zeitgeist a few years earlier than everyone else. In that respect it reminded of something like Midnight Cowboy. Anyway, a great, perhaps even iconic cop movie with McQueen at his low-key best. No one plays the tough guy with so little effort as he does in moments like the one where he responds to the threats of a corrupt politician by simply ignoring him, saying "Excuse me", and getting on with his work. A welcome contrast to the all too often over-the-top macho male lead who pushes everybody around, etc, etc. Big fan of the movie and of McQueen in general. He was called the King of Cool for a reason and being in one of the best car chase scenes of all time and, almost unquestionably, the greatest motorcycle scene ever was one of the reasons. The fact that he could have done the stunt driving for both, but wasn't allowed to, just makes him that much cooler. He did do a good bit of the motorcycle riding in "The Great Escape." He was so good at it that he also played a German chasing himself. He so wanted to do that big jump, especially, but that didn't happen, because insurance. McQueen's pal, Bud Elkins, did the one seen on screen, though McQueen apparently did do it, on film, I guess unbeknownst to the powers that were. Ekins also shared the "Bullitt" chase scenes with McQueen. In "Thomas Crown," McQueen supposedly did all the stunt work, from the polo scenes to the dune buggying. The epitome of cool. Every kid in my neighborhood saw "The Great Escape" in the fall of 1963, when it finally came to our local theatre. I still remember it as one of the great movie-watching experiences of my life. And we all wanted to be McQueen for the moment he appeared on screen. Cool as a bottle of beer in the icebox.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 19, 2023 17:13:11 GMT -5
Big fan of the movie and of McQueen in general. He was called the King of Cool for a reason and being in one of the best car chase scenes of all time and, almost unquestionably, the greatest motorcycle scene ever was one of the reasons. The fact that he could have done the stunt driving for both, but wasn't allowed to, just makes him that much cooler. He did do a good bit of the motorcycle riding in "The Great Escape." He was so good at it that he also played a German chasing himself. He so wanted to do that big jump, especially, but that didn't happen, because insurance. McQueen's pal, Bud Elkins, did the one seen on screen, though McQueen apparently did do it, on film, I guess unbeknownst to the powers that were. Ekins also shared the "Bullitt" chase scenes with McQueen. In "Thomas Crown," McQueen supposedly did all the stunt work, from the polo scenes to the dune buggying. The epitome of cool. Every kid in my neighborhood saw "The Great Escape" in the fall of 1963, when it finally came to our local theatre. I still remember it as one of the great movie-watching experiences of my life. And we all wanted to be McQueen for the moment he appeared on screen. Cool as a bottle of beer in the icebox. Yeah; but, how many wanted to head into the jungles of Burma and fight behind enemy lines, like in Never So Few? I kind of liked older McQueen, as he brought a lot of weight to the characters he was playing, like in Tom Horn or The Hunter. The latter isn't a great film; but, McQueen is great in it and is very believable as an aging bounty hunter. His health was pretty bad, at the time; but, he gave it his all.
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