Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
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Post by Confessor on Aug 26, 2022 10:33:12 GMT -5
I used to love watching the Carry On movies on tv as a kid but I've never seen Carry On Sergeant - an omission I plan to remedy in the near future! It's a far cry from the saucy, knowing brilliance of classic entries in the series, such as Carry On Cleo, Carry On Camping, Carry On Up the Khyber, or Carry On Screaming, but it is still an enjoyable comedy film. As I say, it's fascinating simply for how different in tone it is compared to the innuendo and double entendre flavoured humour the series is best known for. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Aug 26, 2022 11:42:01 GMT -5
1958It's hard to pick a favourite film from 1958; there are a good number of movies that I've seen and enjoyed, but not one that really towers above the rest. So, I think I'm just gonna pick Carry On Sergeant as my favourite, simply because it kicked-off the long-running and perennially popular (in the UK, at least) Carry On series, which became something of a British institution.  Myself, I absolutely love the Carry On films, especially the real classic instalments from the '60s and early '70s. This first entry in the series follows a group of new army recruits who have been called up for National Service (which certainly dates the film), and it is really just a series of misadventures that take place during military training. The title of Carry On Sergeant stems from a phrase that was commonly spoken by British army officers to sergeants, as they went about their daily duties, and, as such, its use here was appropriate to the film's setting (which was not the case for the following Carry On films). In this film we have future Carry On mainstays Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor, and Terry Scott, along with future Doctor Who star William Hartnell and English comedian Bob Monkhouse. In particular, Hawtrey and Williams really shine and certainly make the most of the rather slight comedy in the script. Aside from it being a rather pleasant – if somewhat gentle – comedy, what's really interesting is that Carry On Sergeant features none of the saucy, double entendre and innuendo-laced humour that is commonly associated with the Carry On series. That kind of humour came a bit later, once the series found its groove. Overall, this is actually a pretty entertaining and charming 1950s comedy film, though it is very much of its time. However, it's probably still the best of the earliest 3 or 4 Carry On films. I was today years old when I first heard about this series of films. |
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Post by berkley on Aug 26, 2022 12:08:55 GMT -5
I used to love watching the Carry On movies on tv as a kid but I've never seen Carry On Sergeant - an omission I plan to remedy in the near future! It's a far cry from the saucy, knowing brilliance of classic entries in the series, such as Carry On Cleo, Carry On Camping, Carry On Up the Khyber, or Carry On Screaming, but it is still an enjoyable comedy film. As I say, it's fascinating simply for how different in tone it is compared to the innuendo and double entendre flavoured humour the series is best known for.
I'll keep that in mind. I plan to see all of them at some point, or at least the first several, so I expect there to be some kind of progression as the series finds what became its settled formula. Khyber was my favourite as a kid and probably not coincidentally also the first one I remember seeing.
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 26, 2022 13:17:51 GMT -5
I heard of the Carry On series a long time ago, but I never actually saw one until a few years ago. I think I saw a still from Carry On Cleo and I thought, “Wow! That is the sexiest Cleopatra I’ve ever seen!” Amanda Barrie. So I found Carry On Cleo online, probably on YouTube, and watched it. It’s pretty funny. And then I also watched Carry On Constable, which is fairly amusing.
I should probably watch another one, but what I really want to do is watch Carry On Cleo again.
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Post by badwolf on Aug 26, 2022 15:29:12 GMT -5
My favorite films of 1958 (I've only seen four) were Vertigo and Mon Oncle.
The Blob and Houseboat are the other two, I liked them slightly less.
I actually didn't like Vertigo the first time I saw it. Somehow I didn't understand the plot, and I think I also didn't like seeing Jimmy Stewart in a creepy role. But then I watched it again years later and finally got it. I bought the 4K BD recently.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,212
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Post by Confessor on Aug 26, 2022 19:37:26 GMT -5
1958It's hard to pick a favourite film from 1958; there are a good number of movies that I've seen and enjoyed, but not one that really towers above the rest. So, I think I'm just gonna pick Carry On Sergeant as my favourite, simply because it kicked-off the long-running and perennially popular (in the UK, at least) Carry On series, which became something of a British institution. Myself, I absolutely love the Carry On films, especially the real classic instalments from the '60s and early '70s. This first entry in the series follows a group of new army recruits who have been called up for National Service (which certainly dates the film), and it is really just a series of misadventures that take place during military training. The title of Carry On Sergeant stems from a phrase that was commonly spoken by British army officers to sergeants, as they went about their daily duties, and, as such, its use here was appropriate to the film's setting (which was not the case for the following Carry On films). In this film we have future Carry On mainstays Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor, and Terry Scott, along with future Doctor Who star William Hartnell and English comedian Bob Monkhouse. In particular, Hawtrey and Williams really shine and certainly make the most of the rather slight comedy in the script. Aside from it being a rather pleasant – if somewhat gentle – comedy, what's really interesting is that Carry On Sergeant features none of the saucy, double entendre and innuendo-laced humour that is commonly associated with the Carry On series. That kind of humour came a bit later, once the series found its groove. Overall, this is actually a pretty entertaining and charming 1950s comedy film, though it is very much of its time. However, it's probably still the best of the earliest 3 or 4 Carry On films. I was today years old when I first heard about this series of films. Really? That doesn't surprise me that much really because I can't imagine them translating that well or being very successful over there in the U.S. -- they and the humour in them are very British. But the Carry On films are really famous here in the UK. They were huge hits back in their day. They feature a Music Hall brand of humour, but mixed with lots of innuendo of the British "saucy Seaside Postcard" tradition. They're quite innocent really by today's standards and the sauciness was always of a rather wholesome type. They have tremendous charm though. As I said in my write up, the series really is something of a British institution. |
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,212
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Post by Confessor on Aug 26, 2022 19:45:30 GMT -5
I heard of the Carry On series a long time ago, but I never actually saw one until a few years ago. I think I saw a still from Carry On Cleo and I thought, “Wow! That is the sexiest Cleopatra I’ve ever seen!” Amanda Barrie. So I found Carry On Cleo online, probably on YouTube, and watched it. It’s pretty funny. And then I also watched Carry On Constable, which is fairly amusing. I should probably watch another one, but what I really want to do is watch Carry On Cleo again. Yeah, Amanda Barrie was gorgeous in Carry On Cleo. She was also in Carry On Cabie, which is a pretty good entry in the series. If we're talking Carry On hotties, there's Carry On Screaming (a send up of the Hammer Horror movies) which features the very gorgeous Fenella Fielding as a Morticia Addams-esque creature of the night. It's also one of the very best films of the series.  |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Sept 1, 2022 14:46:12 GMT -5
Onward to 1959 and the end of the 50s. Honestly not a lot of films for me to talk about this year. North by Northwest - Another classic by Alfred Hitchcock. Apparently screenwriter Ernest Lehman wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures". This one definitely has it all. Mistaken Identities. A McGuffin. And innocent man chased. The film was a huge hit and was critically acclaimed when it came out. If anything the acclaim has only grown over time. Really nice turns by Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. Just a fun smart thriller. Rio Bravo - Rio Bravo is such a weird film. It's a major throw-back western. It was written and filmed as a response to High Noon, which both John Wayne and director Howard Hawks hated. Which...whatever. It's not remotely in the same league as High Noon. But, dammit, it's a really good fun western. And I absolutely love Dean Martin as Dude. Some films don't have to be serious or be "great." And that's okay. The Mouse That Roared - I really love this movie. I'm a pretty big Peter Sellers fan anyway, but this movie also rings some nostalgia bells for me. I was introduced to it by my Uncle Doug, who also introduced me to Monty Python and Robert Heinlein. It is absolutely not the kind of thing my parents would ever have watched or that I likely would have found on my own. The entire premise is just wonderfully absurd. Tully Bascombe is simply one of the great heroes of our time. So damn much fun. Oh...and Jean Seberg is just swoony. Ride Lonesome - Another fine western by the team of Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott. I'm not sure there's a lot more to add. They are just quality watchable westerns. Sleeping Beauty - Three and a half years after Lady & the Tramp Disney released their next animated feature. The character animation was extremely stylized compared to previous Disney features to contrast with the deep detailed backgrounds. The budget was an unheard of (at that point for a Disney feature) $6 million. Because of the budget it was deemed a box-office failure and was not re-released in Walt Disney's lifetime. It has since become a classic piece of most kids childhood either through re-releases or home video. It's a film I appreciate far more for the animation and the risks than for the story. It is a beautiful film. The Mummy - It's actually been quite a while since I've watched this one. But C'mon! Hammer Films. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. It cannot be in the also-ran section. As usual there are films I haven't seen but should and films I haven't seen in far too long. Including Anatomy of a Murder (super long time), Some Like it Hot, House on Haunted Hill, and a whole passel of foreign language (from a U.S. perspective) films. So my favorite film of 1959. Tough choice. I know it's not the best film...but if I'm just going to sit down and watch a movie to relax, Rio Bravo is probably the one. Those it's very close call with The Mouse That Roared. They're both comfort food movies for me. 1959 in film for those as need an assist. |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Sept 1, 2022 15:01:58 GMT -5
(...) North by Northwest - Another classic by Alfred Hitchcock. Apparently screenwriter Ernest Lehman wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures". This one definitely has it all. Mistaken Identities. A McGuffin. And innocent man chased. That gray suit. The film was a huge hit and was critically acclaimed when it came out. If anything the acclaim has only grown over time. Really nice turns by Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. Just a fun smart thriller. (...) Fixed it for you... |
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Post by Prince Hal on Sept 1, 2022 15:35:19 GMT -5
1959Sleeping Beauty has to be on my list for all the reasons Slam_Bradley mentioned, but also because it was the first movie I ever saw in a theatre. My dad took me when I was but a tyke and I still remember that fire-breathing dragon! North by Northwest is a virtuoso performance by all involved right from the Saul Bass titles to that final call for Dr. Freud. Anatomy of a Murder is more adult filmmaking with not a bad performance in the lot. I love watching Jimmy Stewart as the country lawyer from the UP tying flies while smug big-city attorney George C. Scott badgers witnesses. Meanwhile, Lee Remick stuns; Ben Gazzara menaces; Arthur O'Connell charms; Eve Arden slices and dices with a tongue like a razor; and Joseph ("At long last, sir, have you no decency?) Welch enjoys the hell out of saying the word "panties." Rewatchable to the max. Ride Lonesome Sadddle up, podnuh. House on Haunted Hill Scared the hell out of us when we were kids; now it's still a tad creepy and overcooked. Vincent Price narrates and plays a major character; need I say more? From the great schlockmeister William Castle, in non-glorious 3-D. Pork Chop Hill One of the few Korean War movies, but like most of them, a good one. Jingoism takes a back seat to fatalism and bitter irony. Compulsion dramatizes without sensationalizing the Leopold-Loeb case. Orson Welles is the Darrow figure and appropriately dominates the later proceedings. But early on, Bradford Dillman and Dean Stockwell are perfect as the two genius killers. The Young Philadelphians is part soap, part courtroom drama, part class warfare, a big sprawling novel of a movie that Hollywood made in those days. Noe are better or more enjoyable than this one. Paul Newman is just fine, as is Robert Vaughan who earned an Oscar nod for Supporting Actor as a drunken wastrel. You'll notice that Ben-Hur ain't on this list.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Sept 1, 2022 15:45:49 GMT -5
1959You'll notice that Ben-Hur ain't on this list. Ben-Hur was conspicuously missing from mine as well. I'm not a big fan of biblical epics, for all that The Ten Commandments was watched every Easter when I was a kid. |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Sept 1, 2022 19:05:30 GMT -5
My Top 10 movies from 1959
Ben-Hur
Compulsion
Eyes Without A Face
Hole in The Head
Journey To The Center Of The Earth
Mouse That Roared
North By Northwest
On The Beach
Rio Bravo
Some Like It Hot
World, The Flesh And The Devil
I had a fascination when I was young of scenes showing completely empty Manhattan streets. Hence The World, The Flesh And The Devil starring Harry Belafonte, Inger Stevens and Mel Ferrer. Hole In The Head with Frank Sinatra is another guilty pleasure
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Post by arfetto on Sept 1, 2022 20:28:18 GMT -5
My favorite movies from 1959:
The Human Condition: No Greater Love
The Human Condition: Road to Eternity
(the final part of the trilogy would not be released until 1961)
I also liked:
Fires on the Plain, Floating Weeds, Good Morning. The Tiger of Eschnapur, The Indian Tomb. And probably more I just can't remember right now.
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Post by commond on Sept 2, 2022 7:27:59 GMT -5
The 400 Blows is the best film of 1959 and an extremely important film for me personally when I was a film undergraduate. I would rank it in the top 10 for the decade without a doubt. I also have a lot of time for Bresson's Pickpocket, Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life and the early Cassavettes film Shadows. I like the Ozu films from this year, but I wouldn't rate them among his best. I should probably watch Floating Weeds again, though. The Human Condition trilogy is a towering achievement. Camus' Black Orpheus is a great film. The Russian film Ballad of a Soldier is also good. Hiroshima Mon Amour is a difficult film, at least for me personally, but deserves a mention among the best films of the year. There's also the final part of Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy, but as I mentioned before, I really only hold the first film close to my heart.
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Post by Hoosier X on Sept 3, 2022 9:37:16 GMT -5
My favorite movies from 1959: The Human Condition: No Greater Love The Human Condition: Road to Eternity (the final part of the trilogy would not be released until 1961) I also liked: Fires on the Plain, Floating Weeds, Good Morning. The Tiger of Eschnapur, The Indian Tomb. And probably more I just can't remember right now. Good Morning wins 1959 for me. All the Human Conditions movies are great. The actor is, amazingly, the guy from Yojimbo, Ushi-Tora’s brother, the one with the pistol. |
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