---this week I watched:
Only Angels Have Wings (1939) Jean Arthur, Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth, Richard Barthelmess, Thomas Mitchel. Great cast in a story of the early attempt to set up a flying mail service in a South American port city. It is dangerous work because of the narrow passes through the mountains and horrible rain storms that come at a moments notice, along with lots of fog. Into this setting comes showgirl Bonnie, off a boat on her way back to the States. She is immediately smitten by Geoff, the fly guy in charge, and against her better judgement, decides to stay. Into this mix comes the MacPhersons, Bat and Judy. He is disgraced for having baled out on his mechanic, who was killed. But the number two man at this air field is the dead guys brother, the Kid, Geoff's best friend. More involved and more in depth insights than most films of its' day, every character has a small but telling scene and it all adds up to a terrific movie. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031762/
Phantom Of The Opera (2004) Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossom, Minnie Driver, Now bing shown on the Cinemax channels. I DVR'd it and watch a few minutes every day. An all-time favorite film. For me - 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293508/
300 (2006) Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham. Shown on TNT on the 20th, so watched it even though it was cut up badly.
Still, King Leo and the 300 are worth watching in bits and pieces - and the altogether. LOL 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416449/
Conviction (2010) Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Loren Dean. Based on a real story about a man (Rockwell) who is convicted of murder. His sister (Swank) works for 15 years to prove he is not guilty. Very intense and unnerving story. She gives up almost everything to become a lawyer so she can challenge the evidence in the case and get "The Innocence Project" lawyers to take up this case. She finally succeeds in getting the DNA evidence that had been taken but not given to the defence, and her brother is set free. The followup at the end of the film say she is still taking hopeless cases to this day. Hilary, Sam and Driver are excellent. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1244754/
August 20, 2011
Running Scared
Running Scared(1988) Billie Crystal, Gregory Hines, Dan Hedaya, Jimmy Smits. Buddy cop film extraordinaire. Two Chicago cops and their crazy way of doing their job makes a very funny and entertaining time at the movies. They are after drug dealers killing people and get into a mess when 2 undercover cops are outed by mistake. Off on a vacation ordered by their boss, Hedaya, they find themselves in Key West. Sunshine, babes, booze and they decide the good life is for them. They'll buy a bar! But first they have to finish the drug case and nab Smits the head guy. Love the bro-love and their one brain so they finish each other sentences. Hedeya is perfect as their boss being slowly driven crazy by them. Hines and Crystal make it fun, and the great chase segment that ends up on the Chicago El is outstanding. in Fact, Chicago is a star of the film too. Great shots of some of the old north side buildings. I keep a copy in my collection to watch every few years. This time Cinemax is showing it as a hot summertime treat. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091875/
August 16, 2011
The Good Girl, Life, etc---
The Good Girl (2002) Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaul, John C. Reilly, Zooey Deschanel. At a super discount store romance and lust bust out among the employees. Married Justine (the good girl) and the stock boy Holden, have sex wherever, and he wants her to run away with him. But they have been seen and she is blackmailed into having sex with hubby's best friend. More complications. A slice of life, and the cast is fine. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279113/
The Life Of David Gale (2003) Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney. A reporter (Winslet) goes to interview a man convicted of rape and murder and scheduled to die soon. In a series of flashbacks we see that he is a Professor of philosophy at the University Of Texas. And an activist against the death penalty. The unraveling of the story is interesting and the final revelations sad. It should have been more affecting, but whether by the actors or the director or the writing, it is sort of limp. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289992/
The American (2010) George Clooney. An assassin has his last assignment in Italy. Story is so muddled and boring that I ended up not caring who did what to whom. The scenery was pretty. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440728/
Life As We Know It (2010) Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas, Clagett sisters. Sports Director Eric and Bakery/sandwich shop owner Holly, are best friends of the Clagetts, who have arranged a date but the two are not at all compatible. So later when the match makers die in a car accident, it is with shock that they learn from the Clagett lawyer that they have been named guardians for the year old baby girl, Sophie, who both love. The big house is paid for by the insurance, but the social worker says they must live there and show they can take care of a child. Fish out of water story for the next hour. Slowly they get to know and like each other and after a few wrong turns, we have a happy ending. Heigl is one of our loveliest stars right now. IMO. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055292/
The Life Of David Gale (2003) Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney. A reporter (Winslet) goes to interview a man convicted of rape and murder and scheduled to die soon. In a series of flashbacks we see that he is a Professor of philosophy at the University Of Texas. And an activist against the death penalty. The unraveling of the story is interesting and the final revelations sad. It should have been more affecting, but whether by the actors or the director or the writing, it is sort of limp. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289992/
The American (2010) George Clooney. An assassin has his last assignment in Italy. Story is so muddled and boring that I ended up not caring who did what to whom. The scenery was pretty. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440728/
Life As We Know It (2010) Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas, Clagett sisters. Sports Director Eric and Bakery/sandwich shop owner Holly, are best friends of the Clagetts, who have arranged a date but the two are not at all compatible. So later when the match makers die in a car accident, it is with shock that they learn from the Clagett lawyer that they have been named guardians for the year old baby girl, Sophie, who both love. The big house is paid for by the insurance, but the social worker says they must live there and show they can take care of a child. Fish out of water story for the next hour. Slowly they get to know and like each other and after a few wrong turns, we have a happy ending. Heigl is one of our loveliest stars right now. IMO. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055292/
August 15, 2011
Claudette Colbert: STAR; Oscar Winner; Fashion Hall Of Fame(1958); Part II,
She Married Her Boss (1935) Claudette Colbert, Melvin Douglas, Jean Dixon. Secretary(Julia) is highly efficient and runs office like a well oiled machine. Clueless owner of the department store(Barclay)s where they work, is divorced, living with his daughter(Annablle) - a spoiled brat; and his sister(Gertrude) who rules by having the vapors every ten minuites. The butler, Franklin,(Raymond Walborn) sees all and does accordingly. When boss decides to bring secretary home so they can continue working on the new store opening, she sees that he needs a wife. And who else but her? She is in love with the dolt but why is never divulged. Players are all good, but script is muddled and makes some of the actors seem like fools. Not in a funny way. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026986/
Midnight (1939) Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, Mary Astor, John Barrymore, Francis Lederer. A true screwball comedy right up there with "Bringing Up Baby." Paris taxi driver Tibor, comes across showgirl Eve, running away from hotel and gambling debts. When he gets too involved, she skips out and gets into a society shindig and becomes a fourth in a bridge game with Helene Flammarion (Astor) and her partner, and Jacques Picot(Lederer) as her partner. This is exactly what Mr.Flammarion has been waiting for and he manages to set Eve up with a hotel suite at the Ritz, luggage and clothes. He arrives the next morning to tell her he just wants her to keep Picot interested and away from his wife. That's the set up and the next 45 minutes are some of the goofiest and funniest from that golden era. Ameche can go from a suave Count to a raving lunitic in the bat of an eye. Barrymore may have had to read his lines off giant cue-cards, but he is just perfect as the man behind the curtain pulling all the strings. Astor and Colbert never were filmed better. Great camera work. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031647/August 14, 2011
Claudette Colbert: STAR; Oscar Winner; Fashion Hall Of Fame(1958)----
 |
| The famous leg |
It Happened One Night (1934-Oscar) Colbert (Oscar), Clark Gable (Oscar). Reporter gets on a bus and gets into a fuss with a clueless young woman. As they travel down the highway, he discovers she is an heiress running away from her father. who is trying to have her runaway marriage annulled. He decides to help her get away IF he can have her story exclusive. Both stars are very likable here and very pretty, but both had to be talked into doing it. Clark took off his shirt and sales of men's undershirts took a nosedive, because he wasn't wearing one. Claudette didn't want to do the scene showing her leg, so director Capra (Oscar) shot it with a double. But when she saw the rushes, she decided it wouldn't look right without her doing it - and it is the most frequently shown scene from the film. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025316/
August 13, 2011
The Fallen Idol, a true classic; Dance, Girl Dance, Lucy as a louse!----
The following films I have seen over he last 10 days:
On TCM: first viewing
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) Maureen O'Hara, Lucille Ball, Ralph Bellamy, Louis Hayward, Virginia Field. Innocent young woman(O'Hara) who is studying ballet, goes to big city and gets a job as a stooge for the star of the burlesque show (Lucy). She has tried to get in to see the producer of a Broadway show but been rejected. After many mixups and close calls, she finally is discovered and all is as it should be by the fadeout. Good cast makes film interesting for classis film fans. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032376/
The Fallen Idol (1948) Ralph Richardson, Bobby Henrey, Michelle Morgan, Sonia Dresdel. ---is a film I relish and have since first seeing it in 1948-49. Great atmosphere, performances and the little boy is wonderful.
A butler, Baines, in a foreign embassy in London is idolized by the lonely little son of the Ambassador, and his wife, who spends much of the time away on missions. He tells the boy fanciful stories of his life and the boy believes it all. The butler and his wife have a frosty marriage, and a new employee at the embassy and he have managed to fall in love. The boy figures in to the wife discovering the romance and when she confronts her husband there is a terrible accident. The last half of the film is the police unraveling the web of deceipt and finding the truth. An amazing performance by Henrey as the boy; Richardson is perfect as the butler Baines; the ladies Morgan and Dresdel are good/ and evil personified. Familiar faces on the police also. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040338/
Cocktail (1988) Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown, Elizabeth Shue. Veteran Brian goes to college during the day and supports himself as a bartender at night. Doug, his boss, teaches him how to be theatrical and together they are so spectacular, they become famous and draw huge crowds to the bar. Then things get complicated when Doug makes Brian so angry he leaves and goes to Jaimaca. There he meets artist Jordan, also from NYC and on holiday, and they fall in love. Again Doug shows up and dares Brian to hit on an older rich woman, and when Jordan sees the two leaving the bar together, she is outta there. How Brian gets his life back togther is the last third of the film. For a hot summer afternoon in an air-conditioned room with cold drinks, this wasn't bad. Young Tom was a smasher! 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094889/
Never Let Me Go (2010) Kiera Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield. Awful story about cloning and harvesting organs. Had to quit watching half way through, it was so disturbing to me. At 79 I cannot imagine wanting to have a clone that I can canibalize so I could live to over 100. Sickening. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1334260/
On TCM: first viewing
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) Maureen O'Hara, Lucille Ball, Ralph Bellamy, Louis Hayward, Virginia Field. Innocent young woman(O'Hara) who is studying ballet, goes to big city and gets a job as a stooge for the star of the burlesque show (Lucy). She has tried to get in to see the producer of a Broadway show but been rejected. After many mixups and close calls, she finally is discovered and all is as it should be by the fadeout. Good cast makes film interesting for classis film fans. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032376/
A butler, Baines, in a foreign embassy in London is idolized by the lonely little son of the Ambassador, and his wife, who spends much of the time away on missions. He tells the boy fanciful stories of his life and the boy believes it all. The butler and his wife have a frosty marriage, and a new employee at the embassy and he have managed to fall in love. The boy figures in to the wife discovering the romance and when she confronts her husband there is a terrible accident. The last half of the film is the police unraveling the web of deceipt and finding the truth. An amazing performance by Henrey as the boy; Richardson is perfect as the butler Baines; the ladies Morgan and Dresdel are good/ and evil personified. Familiar faces on the police also. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040338/
Cocktail (1988) Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown, Elizabeth Shue. Veteran Brian goes to college during the day and supports himself as a bartender at night. Doug, his boss, teaches him how to be theatrical and together they are so spectacular, they become famous and draw huge crowds to the bar. Then things get complicated when Doug makes Brian so angry he leaves and goes to Jaimaca. There he meets artist Jordan, also from NYC and on holiday, and they fall in love. Again Doug shows up and dares Brian to hit on an older rich woman, and when Jordan sees the two leaving the bar together, she is outta there. How Brian gets his life back togther is the last third of the film. For a hot summer afternoon in an air-conditioned room with cold drinks, this wasn't bad. Young Tom was a smasher! 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094889/
Never Let Me Go (2010) Kiera Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield. Awful story about cloning and harvesting organs. Had to quit watching half way through, it was so disturbing to me. At 79 I cannot imagine wanting to have a clone that I can canibalize so I could live to over 100. Sickening. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1334260/
August 01, 2011
Anns - Sothern & Sheridan; Viviene Leigh, Sandra Bullock----
---are the ladies of the films I watched recently:
Walking On Air (1936) Ann Sothern, Gene Raymond. Slight comedy about a guy who is trying to get an audition to sing on the radio, getting mixed up with a rich deb who is trying to run away with a male gold digger. Papa doesn't approve. Hires our guy to impersonate a rich count - you get the picture. Lots of mix-ups. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028479/
Maisie Was A Lady (1941) Ann Sothern, Lew Ayers, Margaret O'Sullivan. One of the best of the Maisie series. Ann Sothern her usual spunky, brassy, no-nonsense dame. I remember seeing this one as a kid and loving her to death. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033867/
The Unfaithful (1947) Ann Sheridan, Zachary Scott, Lew Ayers. A sort of remake of "The Letter(1940)" reworked to make it up to date after the war. Instead of 1920s Indonesia, we have Los Angeles. The woman stabs a man who attacks her as she arrives home late at night. Her husband is a returned WWII serviceman, now a builder of housing additions. Her attorney friend takes over her defense when she is arrested for murdering the man and eventually finds out the truth about his client. Not nearly as good nor fraught with mystery as the Bette Davis version. I think the script and direction let the cast down. They are all good and interesting actors most of the time. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039937/
An Ideal Husband (1947) Paulette Goddard, Michael Wilding, Glynis Johns, Diana Wynyard, Hugh Williams, C, Aubrey Smith. Great cast does justice to Oscar Wilde's story of mores and manners of Victorian England. Filmed in color, with the composition of some shots like paintings, It is a treat to the eyes. The Wilde bon mots are delivered by a stellar cast and the story of the virtuous being infected by the demi monde, is entertaining. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039485/
Caesar & Cleopatra (1947) Vivien Leigh, Claude Rains, Stewart Granger, Flora Robson, Basil Sydney, Cecil Parker. A regular in my rotation of "classic films" to rewatch. First saw it on its' first run in a Kansas City, MO. movie palace, and I was enthralled to see Scarlett as Cleo. And the gorgeous Granger in his Greek God costume. Magnificent. But Rains and Leigh are so charming and the sets so enthralling, I have loved every minute for 60 some years. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038390/
The Music Man (1962) Robert Preston, Shirley Jones. "76 trombones led the big parade....."
"Oh, We got trouble - right here in River City"...
Iowa was lots of fun back then. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056262/
Hotel (1967) Rod Taylor, Merle Oberon, Michael Rennie, Catherine Spaake, Melvyn Douglas. I still don't get the appeal of Taylor, so that takes away some of the appeal of the film as a whole. Oberon and Rennie's story in interesting and she can still hold the screen in her scenes. Spaake is bland. Douglas has his craggy old guy down pat. Old buildings can be rehabbed, but only by gutting the whole insides and saving what woodwork can be reused, because with asbestos everywhere, it is dangerous otherwise. I kept thinking - tear it out and do it over. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061786/
Patriot Games (1992) Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, Sean Bean. Ford is Jack Ryan, former C.I.A. operative/analyst. When his daughter and wife as targeted by IRA extremists, and seriously hurt, Jack goes into action, finding where they are and striking back. But the main one gets away and comes after he and his family at their coastal home. Exciting finale on two power boats. 20 years and still a nail biting finish. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105112/
The Net (1995) Sandra Bullock, Jeremy Northern, Dennis Miller, Diane Baker. Computer nerd, Bullock, fixes flawed programs for games. She works from home, rarely goes outside - her neighbor lady has only seen her a couple of times in several years. When she accidentally records a code on one of the game program Cd's, she suddenly discovers she has become a non-person. All records of her name with her picture have been erased from computers everywhere. More apropos now than when it first came out. Computers have only gotten more powerful and more of our lives are exposed to hacking attacks. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113957/
Taken (2008) Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen. Favorite action film along with the Bourne trilogy. Have to watch every so often. Neeson is so good as the father who will find his daughter - in 96 hours. Wow! 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
Tenderness (2009) Russell Crowe, Jon Foster, Sophie Traub. Story of a teen-age killer of his family who is finally let out of detention, when he reaches 18. Detective who was assigned the case follows up and keeps tabs on him as he comes into society. Very disjointed. Foster has no personality. Traub is overpowering. Crowe just too muted. Story has no 'there' there. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494864/
The Town (2010) Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall. Preface to film says the neighborhood in film has had more bank robbers put in prison than all the rest of Boston. This story is about one gang and the jobs they do for a powerful fence. Interesting story about the leader of the unit and his gradual romance with one of the bank employees from their last job. Very good and pacing fine up until the last gun fight and chase. Ran on too long. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/
On to the the Dog Days of August. Long hot summer. Hmmmm----may have to drag out my copy and watch Paul and Joan sizzle. Haha....
Walking On Air (1936) Ann Sothern, Gene Raymond. Slight comedy about a guy who is trying to get an audition to sing on the radio, getting mixed up with a rich deb who is trying to run away with a male gold digger. Papa doesn't approve. Hires our guy to impersonate a rich count - you get the picture. Lots of mix-ups. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028479/
Maisie Was A Lady (1941) Ann Sothern, Lew Ayers, Margaret O'Sullivan. One of the best of the Maisie series. Ann Sothern her usual spunky, brassy, no-nonsense dame. I remember seeing this one as a kid and loving her to death. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033867/
The Unfaithful (1947) Ann Sheridan, Zachary Scott, Lew Ayers. A sort of remake of "The Letter(1940)" reworked to make it up to date after the war. Instead of 1920s Indonesia, we have Los Angeles. The woman stabs a man who attacks her as she arrives home late at night. Her husband is a returned WWII serviceman, now a builder of housing additions. Her attorney friend takes over her defense when she is arrested for murdering the man and eventually finds out the truth about his client. Not nearly as good nor fraught with mystery as the Bette Davis version. I think the script and direction let the cast down. They are all good and interesting actors most of the time. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039937/
An Ideal Husband (1947) Paulette Goddard, Michael Wilding, Glynis Johns, Diana Wynyard, Hugh Williams, C, Aubrey Smith. Great cast does justice to Oscar Wilde's story of mores and manners of Victorian England. Filmed in color, with the composition of some shots like paintings, It is a treat to the eyes. The Wilde bon mots are delivered by a stellar cast and the story of the virtuous being infected by the demi monde, is entertaining. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039485/
The Music Man (1962) Robert Preston, Shirley Jones. "76 trombones led the big parade....."
"Oh, We got trouble - right here in River City"...
Iowa was lots of fun back then. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056262/
Hotel (1967) Rod Taylor, Merle Oberon, Michael Rennie, Catherine Spaake, Melvyn Douglas. I still don't get the appeal of Taylor, so that takes away some of the appeal of the film as a whole. Oberon and Rennie's story in interesting and she can still hold the screen in her scenes. Spaake is bland. Douglas has his craggy old guy down pat. Old buildings can be rehabbed, but only by gutting the whole insides and saving what woodwork can be reused, because with asbestos everywhere, it is dangerous otherwise. I kept thinking - tear it out and do it over. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061786/
Patriot Games (1992) Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, Sean Bean. Ford is Jack Ryan, former C.I.A. operative/analyst. When his daughter and wife as targeted by IRA extremists, and seriously hurt, Jack goes into action, finding where they are and striking back. But the main one gets away and comes after he and his family at their coastal home. Exciting finale on two power boats. 20 years and still a nail biting finish. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105112/
The Net (1995) Sandra Bullock, Jeremy Northern, Dennis Miller, Diane Baker. Computer nerd, Bullock, fixes flawed programs for games. She works from home, rarely goes outside - her neighbor lady has only seen her a couple of times in several years. When she accidentally records a code on one of the game program Cd's, she suddenly discovers she has become a non-person. All records of her name with her picture have been erased from computers everywhere. More apropos now than when it first came out. Computers have only gotten more powerful and more of our lives are exposed to hacking attacks. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113957/
Taken (2008) Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen. Favorite action film along with the Bourne trilogy. Have to watch every so often. Neeson is so good as the father who will find his daughter - in 96 hours. Wow! 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
Tenderness (2009) Russell Crowe, Jon Foster, Sophie Traub. Story of a teen-age killer of his family who is finally let out of detention, when he reaches 18. Detective who was assigned the case follows up and keeps tabs on him as he comes into society. Very disjointed. Foster has no personality. Traub is overpowering. Crowe just too muted. Story has no 'there' there. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494864/
The Town (2010) Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall. Preface to film says the neighborhood in film has had more bank robbers put in prison than all the rest of Boston. This story is about one gang and the jobs they do for a powerful fence. Interesting story about the leader of the unit and his gradual romance with one of the bank employees from their last job. Very good and pacing fine up until the last gun fight and chase. Ran on too long. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/
On to the the Dog Days of August. Long hot summer. Hmmmm----may have to drag out my copy and watch Paul and Joan sizzle. Haha....
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