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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 31, 2015 15:32:45 GMT -5
A Walk In The Sun (1945) Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, Lloyd Bridges, John Ireland, Sterling Holloway, Huntz Hall
A movie that I've never heard much about and really, really impressed me. A war movie unlike any I've seen from this time period
A platoon of American soldiers land on an Italian beachhead. Their mission is to march 6 miles inland to a farmhouse and blow up a bridge. It is unknown as to what resistance they will meet. Their commanding officer is immediately killed as well by enemy fire.
The movie is pretty much all character driven with the banter of the soldiers as they march the 6 miles and the obstacles and fears they encounter. The dialogue is very much ahead of its time. This is not one of those rah-rah patriotic clichéd war films you usually see from the 1940s. An excellent cast of actors.
Now this movie is definitely amongst my top 10 list of war films of the 1940s Excellent choice, Ish. Directed by Lewis Milestone of All Quiet on the Western Front fame. Both are indeed classics. You might want to watch the finale in Milestone's "trilogy" of war films from a grunt's-eye view, 1959's Pork Chop Hill, with Gregory Peck and Woody Strode fighting in the Korean War. Also an excellent mix of gallantry and existentialism.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 31, 2015 15:49:43 GMT -5
Julius Caesar (1953) Marlon Brando, James Mason, John Gielgud, Louis Calhern, Edmond O'Brien, Greer Garson, Deborah Kerr
Faithful adaptation of the Shakespearean play. Oscar winner for best picture. Brando proves with this film he can do more than wear a tee shirt and mumble his lines. I'm not an avid fan of Shakespearean productions but this one is an exception. Big budget, all star cast, great set designs, Brando and Mason in top form. It took a little while for me to warm up to it but I did get hooked in
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 31, 2015 16:00:11 GMT -5
The Unforgiven (1960) Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy, John Saxon
Western concerning Hepburn who, as a baby, was adopted by Lancaster's family. She's all grown up now when a creepy old stranger rides into town claiming she is the offspring of the neighboring Indian tribe. The tribe believes the stranger and demand her return. They'll have to deal with Lancaster to get him back.
Saxon is excellent as the weird stranger spreading the rumour of Hepburn's heritage. This is obviously a parallel tale to the civil rights struggles going on at the same time in America. I never can find it believable when Hepburn plays parts that demand physicality. In Green Mansions, she played a Sheena of The Jungle type of role. Here she is supposed to be a hearty pioneer woman. I just believe any wind above 15 MPH can knock her down. Plus all her horseback riding scenes are obviously with stunt doubles
The movie is decent although the first 45 minutes of its 2 hour length tends to meander. The final shootout scene is first rate
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 1, 2015 15:57:47 GMT -5
The Undefeated (1969) John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Jan Michael Vincent, Lee Meriweather, Merlin Olsen, Roman Gabriel, Ben Johnson
Ex-Union colonel Wayne has a herd of horses that he aims to drive to Mexico for sale to the government. Ex-Confederate colonel Hudson is leading 100 nerver-say-surrender southerners to Mexico to escape the Union occupiers. Cicumstances have them join together in a common cause
After the excellent western True Grit, this is a bit of a let down. Wayne is very puffy looking and out of shape. He also fell from his horse, fracturing some ribs and tearing a shoulder ligament. Wayne barely moves around from that point of shooting the film. There's a pointless big brawl in the middle of the film and Wayne just stands on the sidelines laughing.
The film debuts L.A. Rams football stars Merlin Olsen and QB Roman Gabriel. Olsen makes a fine actor. Gabrriel comes off ridiculous as an Indian.
The movie builds to a climax with Wayne and Hudson's men teaming together against Mexican bad guys. And then they decide to just drink some cognac together and the film peters out. Huh?
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 2, 2015 13:19:45 GMT -5
Man Of La Mancha (1972) Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren, James Coco
Stage play adaptation with one of the great actors of film along with the always enjoyable Sophia Loren. James Coco makes a perfect comic foil/ assistant. And of course 2 classic songs are included (The Impossible Dream & The Don Quixote theme song). The beginning and ending of this movie is engaging but at 130 minutes, it kind of drags in the middle. How faithful this is to the stage play, I have no clue. Anything that includes the 2 stars of this flick is worth the view
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Aug 3, 2015 19:05:43 GMT -5
No one but the insane or truly sadistic would recommend the 1996 version to even their worst enemy. It is Brando at his bloated, scenery-devouring worst, and Val Kilmer gives his standard "Val Kilmer is doing this to get paid" performance. I saw the 1996 version of The Island of Dr. Moreau when it first came out and I don't remember it being THAT bad. I scarcely remember it at all. What I do remember is Val Kilmer doing a hilarious Marlon Brando impression at one point. I think it would be worth watching the whole thing just for that.
You know, I'm starting to remember it a little better. It's pretty stupid. But it's not boring.
Im looking at it right now on Netflix instant. Lost Soul a documentary about the "creative and financial debacle of director Richard Stanley". I'd like to watch it but I'd like to see the film first too.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 4, 2015 13:23:07 GMT -5
Zardoz (1974) Sean Connery
One of the trippiest films of the early 70s (and that's saying a lot). Written, directed and produced by John Boorman. I'm pretty sure I saw this shortly after it was originally released at one of those midnight movie theaters.
In the year 2293, in the outside world, a giant floating head made of stone is worshipped as the god Zardoz. When it lands it speaks about the wonderfulness of guns and killking and the evil of the penis. It vomits out hundreds of rifles and bullets to its followers-brutal men who ride on horseback and indiscriminately kill all not part of their gang. Sean Connery is one of those brutal killers and sneaks into the floating head and takes a ride to it's headquarters. Its a secluded community hidden behind a force field. Its inhabited by effeminate people who are immortal, impotent and have psi powers. They intend to study Sean Connery since he seems to be the only one who can get his penis erect.
From this point things get weirder.
Can I recommend this film? Depends on your mindset. I've seen it twice- the first, I'm sure under the influence of drugs and now again but this time sober. Enough for me
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 4, 2015 22:10:49 GMT -5
Zardoz is totally awesome! If you're, ya know, in the mood for weird 1970s science fiction that doesn't make any sense. Plus, lots of points for Charlotte Rampling.
I'm going to make a suggestion for all the classic movies fans who really do like a variety of movies. The film I'm gong to suggest is a black-and-white Hollywood musical of the 1930s. But it's one of the best movies of its type. So even if you don't really like old musicals, you might like this one because it is very entertaining and extremely well-made and also very very funny.
I'm going to suggest Shall We Dance, a 1937 film, my favorite of the ten films that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together. It's just one great musical number after another. You know that famous song about one person saying "potayto" and another person saying "potahto"? This is that movie! And Fred and Ginger perform on roller skates in Central Park. It's amazing! The whole movie is amazing! Wait until you see Fred's atrocious Russian accent!
I don't want to give anything else away. Just watch it! It's on TCM on Wednesday. I think it's 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific.
There's a lot of Fred Astaire on tomorrow. If you have some spare time and are maybe a little curious about Astaire's career, other favorites of mine are Follow the Fleet and Easter Parade.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 5, 2015 14:47:40 GMT -5
I'm going to suggest Shall We Dance, a 1937 film, my favorite of the ten films that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together. There's a lot of Fred Astaire on tomorrow. If you have some spare time and are maybe a little curious about Astaire's career, other favorites of mine are Follow the Fleet and Easter Parade. I have Going My Way coming up shortly on my watch list
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 5, 2015 14:59:56 GMT -5
The Sniper (1952) Arthur Franz, Adolphe Menjou, Marie Winsor, Frank Faylen
Marty Scorsese loves this film and did an intro for the DVD. Hauntingly, it reminds me of the days in NYC during the Son Of Sam panic. Filmed on location in San Francisco which gives this tale a sense of documentary and realism. Eddie Miller has always hated women, arrested in the past for various beatings he's inflicted on them but always released back to the streets. Now he has a rifle and loves to aim it out his window at various dark-haired women that pass by his apartment. He tries to fight his urge to shoot by purposely burning his hand on an electric stove but that proves to be only a temporary respite. Now he roams the streets of SF, randomly shooting women in the head, day or night, alone or with their boyfriends, in the park or in their own bedrooms, nowhere is safe. He sends letters to the newspapers warning that if not caught that he will continue. The public is in panic. Adolphe Menjou and Dobie Gillis' father leads the police investigation
A nifty noir
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Aug 5, 2015 15:34:57 GMT -5
When it lands it speaks about the wonderfulness of guns and killing and the evil of the penis. It vomits out hundreds of rifles and bullets to its followers-brutal men who ride on horseback and indiscriminately kill all not part of their gang. If Palin, Jindal, Cruz or one of their colleagues are elected, I suspect this might happen a lot sooner than 2293!!!
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 6, 2015 14:43:39 GMT -5
Psycho 3 (1986) Anthony Perkins (who also directs)
Poor Norman Bates. Between his domineering mother and that horrid fat Englishman named Hitchcock, he was forced to commit some horrendous crimes and therefore paid the price by spending 22 years in an insane asylum. Now deemed cured, he's back out and resumes doing what he knows best-running the Bates Motel. In Psycho 2, the sister of one of his earlier victims paid him a visit to enact revenge. A women claiming to be his real mother also rented a room. Poor Norman dispatched those two nuisances and got away with it as well
Now, with a chance to direct the sequel of the sequel, he's back to deal with some new visitors. A suicidal nun, a wiseguy guitarist, a party of frat boys and frat girls celebrating a football victory and a female investigative reporter. So sorry Norman, you must have your hands full with dealing with these horrid customers and putting up with mommy's demands. But you really have yourself to blame for signing on to an unnecessary sequel just so you can have a chance to direct. At least you showed some talent for the behind-the-camera work. And the next Psycho will wind up being a prequel
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 7, 2015 13:08:06 GMT -5
Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) D-Sergio Leone Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Claudia Cardinale, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Keenan Wynn, Lionel Stander
After directing the Man With No Name Clint Eastwood movie trilogy, Leone followed it up with this epic western masterpiece which clocked in at 165 minutes (at least on the DVD I watched). Hypnotic, stark facial closeups, gorgeous landscapes, sudden violence. A first rate cast and a magnificent set of western character actors. Henry Fonda played the meanest bastard of his career. Charles Bronson proved with this film he was a leading movie star.
A must see oater
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 7, 2015 13:16:55 GMT -5
Gate Of Flesh (1964) D-Seijun Suzuki Jo Shishido
Third film that I have seen that was directed by Suzuki that starred Jo Shishido. All courtesy of the Criterion Collection. Suzuki's films have vibrant colors and a touch of camp to them even when the movie's themes are dark. Jo Shisido looks like he has two large wallnuts stuck inside his cheeks. He would be great playing a Chip N' Dale live action film
After WW11, a group of Japanese young women band together as hookers to survive on the streets. They have their own rules of behavior between them because they rely on no pimp but watch each other's backs. Jo Shisido is a street hustler who has killed an American GI, thereby is looked upon as a hero by the hookers. They offer him shelter in the bombed out building they live in as he nurses his injuries. As I said, dark themes but handled lightly and kinky with stunning color
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 7, 2015 13:41:41 GMT -5
Gate Of Flesh (1964) D-Seijun Suzuki Jo Shishido Third film that I have seen that was directed by Suzuki that starred Jo Shishido. All courtesy of the Criterion Collection. Suzuki's films have vibrant colors and a touch of camp to them even when the movie's themes are dark. Jo Shisido looks like he has two large wallnuts stuck inside his cheeks. He would be great playing a Chip N' Dale live action film After WW11, a group of Japanese young women band together as hookers to survive on the streets. They have their own rules of behavior between them because they rely on no pimp but watch each other's backs. Jo Shisido is a street hustler who has killed an American GI, thereby is looked upon as a hero by the hookers. They offer him shelter in the bombed out building they live in as he nurses his injuries. As I said, dark themes but handled lightly and kinky with stunning color I love Japanese cinema! But I've never seen this one! Sounds great!
Japanese movies I've seen in the last few months include: Scandal, Castle of Sand, The Warped Ones and I was Born, But ...
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