Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,070
|
Post by Confessor on Dec 11, 2023 23:53:23 GMT -5
So I watched Bambi this weekend. I was looking for a film from 1942 to watch and it was the only one that was readily available on the streaming platforms I have (without paying extra). And I didn't want to have to try to find the remote for the blue-ray player. I haven't seen this one in a very very long time. I know that we did have it on VHS when my boys were little, but it wasn't a favorite of theirs. It's a gorgeous film. And it's interesting in that there are a ton of differences between it and the other Disney films surrounding it. There are no humans in the movie. "Man" is always off-scene and is definitely the villain of the movie. It's also the only Disney animated film until Tarzan where none of the songs are sung within the film, but only in the background. While it's not in pantomime, there are only about 1000 words spoken in the entire movie. I was also not aware that Bambi's father's antlers were rotoscoped on to the film because they were too hard to animate properly. The movie was a box-office failure when it was released. Not because of anything intrinsically wrong with the movie, but because World War II cut the number of screens available (it wasn't released in Japan until the mid 50s). Bambi was the first film I ever saw at the cinema. Would've been a re-release in the mid-70s...I would've only been something like 3 or 4 years old. I haven't seen it in its entirety since then, but I still remember several key scenes very well. It definitely made a big impression on me. In fact, it's probably not too much of a stretch to say that it may well have played a part in my subsequent adoption of fiercely pro-animal rights opinions and my decision to become a vegetarian at age 11 (both of which persist to this day). I'm actually planning to rewatch Bambi on streaming TV this Christmas with my wife. We're planning to watch a bunch of the earlier, classic feature-length Disney cartoons, starting with Snow White and going forward from there.
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 14, 2023 18:52:27 GMT -5
And I re-watched The Ox-Bow Incident. It's been all of 25 years since I've seen this one. But I read the novel for an English class in high school, so this story is pretty burned in my brain. Just a great film by William Wellman, who bought the rights when the previous holder wanted the film to star Mae West. Henry Fonda frequently said that this and The Grapes of Wrath were the only two good movies he was given when he was under contract to 20th Century Fox. I would generally say that the entire cast is quite good, though Jane Darwell and Paul Hurst are a bit over the top even in roles that are written pretty broadly. Other than that the only real problem is that it was too "woke". I keed. I keed.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Dec 14, 2023 21:51:04 GMT -5
According to Jane, Henry Fonda witnessed a hanging, as a little boy and it stayed with him his entire life. I suspect that is part of why he felt this was a good movie.
|
|
|
Post by Prince Hal on Dec 14, 2023 21:53:23 GMT -5
Great choice, Slam_Bradley "Ox-Bow" is so woke it's on Benzedrine! Sad that it is still relevant and not a relic. Wellman at his best, and he got superb performances from virtually that entire large cast. For a guy who was mostly relegated to B movies, Dana Andrews did some fine work in a few excellent films: "Laura," "The Ox-Bow Incident," "The Best Years of Our Lives," and "A Walk in the Sun." Alcohol took a toll on him and his career, but at least he could look back on those films proudly. (Oh, and he was also perfect in "Zero Hour," the ur-"Airplane.")
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Dec 15, 2023 1:49:22 GMT -5
Great choice, Slam_Bradley "Ox-Bow" is so woke it's on Benzedrine! Sad that it is still relevant and not a relic. Wellman at his best, and he got superb performances from virtually that entire large cast. For a guy who was mostly relegated to B movies, Dana Andrews did some fine work in a few excellent films: "Laura," "The Ox-Bow Incident," "The Best Years of Our Lives," and "A Walk in the Sun." Alcohol took a toll on him and his career, but at least he could look back on those films proudly. (Oh, and he was also perfect in "Zero Hour," the ur-"Airplane.") But, did he speak jive?
|
|
|
Post by Prince Hal on Dec 15, 2023 7:52:03 GMT -5
Great choice, Slam_Bradley "Ox-Bow" is so woke it's on Benzedrine! Sad that it is still relevant and not a relic. Wellman at his best, and he got superb performances from virtually that entire large cast. For a guy who was mostly relegated to B movies, Dana Andrews did some fine work in a few excellent films: "Laura," "The Ox-Bow Incident," "The Best Years of Our Lives," and "A Walk in the Sun." Alcohol took a toll on him and his career, but at least he could look back on those films proudly. (Oh, and he was also perfect in "Zero Hour," the ur-"Airplane.") But, did he speak jive? Surely you don't think he could do that and fly the plane at the same time...
|
|
|
Post by EdoBosnar on Dec 15, 2023 8:04:07 GMT -5
Surely you don't think he could do that and fly the plane at the same time... Only June Cleaver could do that. And you misspelled Shirley...
|
|
|
Post by Prince Hal on Dec 15, 2023 8:05:07 GMT -5
Surely you don't think he could do that and fly the plane at the same time... Only June Cleaver could do that. And you misspelled Shirley... Goal, Edo. Assist, Prince Hal.
|
|
|
Post by Hoosier X on Dec 15, 2023 17:56:51 GMT -5
I watched Repulsion (1965) a couple of nights ago. It’s been a while since I saw it. Despite watching hundreds of horror movies in my life, there aren’t very many that actually scare me or even give me the creeps. Repulsion seriously gives me the creeps. I saw it when I lived in Hollywood in the 1990s, and I was totally creeped out by my own apartment for several weeks.
It’s still a very good movie. But somehow, I couldn’t help having a little fun with it. Like that scene where Catherine Deneuve’s sister is leaving for a few days and she tells Catherine Deneuve to remember to give the rent money in an envelope to the landlord.
And for some reason, it made me think of a Laurel and Hardy film. You know, like when Ollie gives Stan a very easy task, and you don’t really feel sorry for Ollie when Stan messes it up.
Well, Catherine Deneuve messed up her simple little task far worse than Stan ever did!
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Dec 16, 2023 0:27:33 GMT -5
I watched Repulsion (1965) a couple of nights ago. It’s been a while since I saw it. Despite watching hundreds of horror movies in my life, there aren’t very many that actually scare me or even give me the creeps. Repulsion seriously gives me the creeps. I saw it when I lived in Hollywood in the 1990s, and I was totally creeped out by my own apartment for several weeks. It’s still a very good movie. But somehow, I couldn’t help having a little fun with it. Like that scene where Catherine Deneuve’s sister is leaving for a few days and she tells Catherine Deneuve to remember to give the rent money in an envelope to the landlord. And for some reason, it made me think of a Laurel and Hardy film. You know, like when Ollie gives Stan a very easy task, and you don’t really feel sorry for Ollie when Stan messes it up. Well, Catherine Deneuve messed up her simple little task far worse than Stan ever did! Interesting take on Repulsion. I've seen it only once, and many years ago, but I hope to start getting into some classic 1960s film viewing fairly soon and this will certainly be on the list.
I have however been watching some Laurel & Hardy lately, including Sons of the Desert, which I think you or someone recommended here a while back. Great fun!
|
|
|
Post by Hoosier X on Dec 16, 2023 0:52:24 GMT -5
It could very well have been me that recommended Sons of the Desert. I love it. I’ve seen it a bunch of times. One time I saw it in a theater with an audience, and it was wonderful!
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Dec 16, 2023 1:12:27 GMT -5
It could very well have been me that recommended Sons of the Desert. I love it. I’ve seen it a bunch of times. One time I saw it in a theater with an audience, and it was wonderful!
I thought the actresses who played their wives were really good - almost as funny as the two stars themselves.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Dec 24, 2023 11:33:21 GMT -5
It's recent; but, I am declaring it a companion classic: I just watched A Christmas Story Christmas, a sequel to the movie, done with the original kids, all grown up. Peter Billingsley et al are back, in 1974, in Holman, to celebrate Christmas. Ralphie has taken a year off to write a science fiction novel, but has been rejected by 15 publishers. There is one left considering it. If they reject it, he gives up his dream and goes back to work. Meanwhile, the Old Man has suddenly passed away and the family goes home to be with Mom and Ralphie tries to give everyone a memorable Christmas. Everyone is there, from Schwartz and Flick, to Randy and Scott Farkus.
This came out last year; and, understandably, missed me. There is another sort of sequel, My Summer Story, based on some of Shepherd''s other writings; but, this, like the original, draws some elements from Shepherd's original story collection, In God We Trust...All Others Pay Cash, such as Flick running a local tavern and Ralphie having served in the Army (that was a story in another collection. Melinda Dillon did not return to do it, though she passed away not too long after. It calls back moments from the original, without totally copying them and has its own story, including Ralphie wrestling with rejection and lack of confidence, while also trying to write his father's obituary. It ends up being a fine tribute to Darren McGavin and Jean Shepherd, as well as some nice nostalgia and warm moments, and some funny scenes (including new dream sequences, as Ralphie upgrades his cowboy hero look for the modern era). Julie Hagerty steps in as the mother and does a nice job. It isn't perfect; but it was pretty darn good.
|
|
|
Post by EdoBosnar on Dec 25, 2023 4:05:05 GMT -5
So, I spent Christmas eve watching a movie I'd been wanting to see ever since I first heard about it over a decade ago, Black Dynamite (2009):
This is a spoof of Blaxploitation films, but a rather loving one (it's kind of an homage at the same time). If you watch the trailer, it pretty accurately sums up what the whole film is about. One thing I really liked is that it was shot on old film stock to make it look like it was made in the 1970s, and that a number of 'mistakes,' actually intentional, were left in the final edit (a reference to the fact that this often happened in actual low-budget Blaxploitation films back in the '70s). It's a mostly fun movie, although there were a few points where I thought the humor and intentional over-acting got a little too over the top and seemed forced. Nonetheless, I'm glad I watched this and probably will again.
Sweet Christmas, everyone...
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Dec 25, 2023 20:05:30 GMT -5
So, I spent Christmas eve watching a movie I'd been wanting to see ever since I first heard about it over a decade ago, Black Dynamite (2009): This is a spoof of Blaxploitation films, but a rather loving one (it's kind of an homage at the same time). If you watch the trailer, it pretty accurately sums up what the whole film is about. One thing I really liked is that it was shot on old film stock to make it look like it was made in the 1970s, and that a number of 'mistakes,' actually intentional, were left in the final edit (a reference to the fact that this often happened in actual low-budget Blaxploitation films back in the '70s). It's a mostly fun movie, although there were a few points where I thought the humor and intentional over-acting got a little too over the top and seemed forced. Nonetheless, I'm glad I watched this and probably will again. Sweet Christmas, everyone... The Adult Swim show that came after it is amazing and incredibly well animated. I'd would have LOVED to have seen a Howard The Duck cartoon set in the 70's and animated in that style
|
|