THE ANCIENT PELICAN

Mario Lanza's first film----

2012-02-01T07:33:00.000-06:00

That Midnight Kiss (1949) Mario Lanza, Kathryn Grayson, Ethel Barrymore, Jose Iturbi, Thomas Gomez. Lanza's first film is a joy. Wonderful music, beautiful Technicolor. TCM has shown the 3 MGM movies that made him a matinee' idol. Light and happy. 8/10

Fantasy, fables and fun---

2012-01-28T11:29:00.000-06:00

---more from recent viewing:

Conquest (1937) Greta Garbo, Charles Boyer. I watched this again after many years and hated it even more. Only film where Boyer is made to appear ugly. Garbo is gorgeous and filmed as good as I've ever seen her. The story of Napoleon and his great love (he had quite a few) is humdrum. Kept wondering what she saw in him, but it's the power, I suppose. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028739/

The Exile (1947) Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Maria Montez. Doug is channeling his old man, jumping around, swinging his sword. Only part I liked was the beautiful Maria as the Countess. This is a vanity piece for Fairbanks and he got Max Ophuls to direct which makes some give it more importance than if an unknown had been at the helm. Deliver me! 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039360/

A Night In Paradise (1946) Merle Oberon, Turhan Bey, Thomas Gomez. Story of Aesop of Samos, teller of fables, King Croesus of Lydia, and Persian princess, Delerai, in 560 B.C. In beautiful technicolor, recently shown on TCM in a beautiful print. Gale Sondergaard is the sorceress who is seen in water, mirrors and smoke and is always taking a hand in the proceedings. And laughing at all these fools. Fun and beautiful to look at. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038778/

Scarlet Street (1945) Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Dan Duryea. I knew I didn't care for this from when I saw it in '45 but couldn't remember why. TCM showed it recently and I DVR'd it and watched it recently. Edward G. is just a milk-toast and I never liked to see him without his sneer and swagger. Joan is gorgeous and is good in her femme fatale role, as is Duryea as the villain. But squirmed and fast forwarded through some of it, which is not a recommendation for any film. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038057/

Pandora & The Flying Dutchman (1951) Ava Gardner, James Mason. Ava is so beautiful in Technicolor you forget there is a mess of a story here. And Mason is not dynamic and sexy enough for a woman to die for, IMO. But the fable of the lady who gives all for a mysterious man on a sailing vessel is romantic I guess. Just see it for Ava, the Costa Brava and Barcelona in Spain. Worth the time spent. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043899/

One more holiday film, plus ----

2012-01-23T12:15:00.000-06:00

---a few from the last 2 years:

Mrs. Miracle (2009 TV) Christmas film. Doris Roberts in the title role puts everything to rights by the end. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1431115/

A Single Man (2009) A bore. A car crash kills a young man. The news is devastating to his life partner, a college professor. He mopes and contemplates suicide. Does he? Or does he find new love? I was just about to go to sleep because by the time we get to the point of him getting his second wind, I was bored out of my mind. And fast forwarding during the looooong gazes. To each his own... 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1315981/

Fair Game (2010/I) Naomi Watts, Sean Penn. Story of Valerie Plame who works deep undercover for the CIA, and her husband Diplomat Joe Wilson, who served in various African countries, and how they got involved with the lead up to Bush 2 invading Iraq under false data. Very well done, showing the toll taken on both and their marriage. Both careers smashed by false accusations, they are under so much pressure they separate for a time. But as the truth begins to get out, they both decide the only way to survive is to tell their story wherever and whenever they can. Good film about double dealing by our government. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0977855/

The Company Men (2010) Ben Afflack, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Maria Bello. What happens at a conglomerate corporation that began as a ship-building company and is now all about keeping the share-holders happy. So downsizing is the order of the day. One of the men sent packing is Bobby Walker, with a wife and kids, and big house, fancy sports car - in other words the American dream. Country club, golf, vacations. And then - bingo - you are called in, sat down, and told we don't need you anymore. Same story for Gene (Jones), who is one of the original owners of the company so has more stock and better able to make it through. Phil (Cooper) is just devastated and in pain. Very well done story of the upper management men and what happens to them. It is the same for all except the 1% who own everything and don't feel at all bad to not be sharing. Greed - not envy, is the biggest sin. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172991/

Catching up but still not up to date. Cold here in the Heartland USA.

Love Letters, The Phantom, The Other---

2012-01-22T08:55:00.000-06:00

---still catching up with films seen over the holidays:

Love Letters (1945) Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton. Wonderful romance with a bit of mystery, and a murder. Beautiful score with words for a song composed when it became so popular, using the film title for the song title. Story about a serviceman who composed letters for another soldier, to woo his girlfriend, but who fell in love with her letters in return himself. She was also deeply moved and fell for the man of the letters. Reality, when the faker came home and she married him too quickly, led to drinking and conflict, twists and turns and more to the story. A favorite. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037885/

Runaway Jury (2003) John Cusack, Rachel Weitz, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman. From a John Grisham novel. An inside man on the jury and a woman working on the outside, find a way to have a trial turn out the way it should, despite big bucks spent to defeat the truth.. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0313542/

The Phantom Of The Opera (2004) Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson. Andrew Lloyd Webbers' musical version of the Leroux tale, directed by Joel Schumacher, is of a disfigured musical genius and his obsession and love for a young singer he has trained at the Opera Popular, without showing himself. As she becomes successful and her childhood sweetheart reappears, The Phantom becomes the terror of the Paris Opera House. The music is the star and tells this tale of tragic love well. Cast is first rate and okayed by Webber himself. Holiday favorite - watch it every year on December 26th, my anniversary of my theater experience. I was dazed I loved it so much. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293508/

The Other Man (2008) Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Anthony Banderas. I love Neeson, but this film almost defeated me. We have a man who discovers his beloved wife cheated on him during her trips, as a shoe designer, to the continent. His obsession becomes finding who she was involved with and when he finally does, his whole perspective changes. Strange, slow, and I for one, could not identify with any of the characters. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0974613/

The Other Woman (2009) Natalie Portman, Lisa Kudrow, Scott Cohen. Well! You know those films you keep hoping will end? This is one of them. And writing this 2 weeks after watching it, I had almost forgotten the story or the performances. There you have it. Rich jerks and their problems - divorce, kids, babies, death. By the end, I didn't care. Some good shots of NYC. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0974613/

Temple Grandin (2010 TV biopic) Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, David Strathaim. Story of an autistic child and the mother who finds schooling to bring her to her highest potential. Temple achieves a Ph.D in animal husbandry and was an innovator in the humane treatment of cattle for market. Wonderful film about the triumph of a family over handicaps. Danes is superb. She won an Emmy, and the show won seven in all. It also won the Directors Guild of America award for a mini-series. HBO is showing it as a film and it is marvelous all around. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278469/

More to come....

A cop film, a sub, and The Jury----

2012-01-17T11:48:00.000-06:00

The Seven-Ups (1973) Ray Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco. Cop squad gets involved in corruption and kidnapping. Interesting but we've seen it all before. The title refers to the years in the sentence for the latest success of The Seven-Ups, a squad of undercover NY policemen whose collars regularly get sentences of seven years or up. But soon suspicion rears it's head when a 7-up is killed in a sting, that there is a mole amongst them. Car chases, fights and gun battles galore. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070672/

Crimson Tide (1995) Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Viggo Mortensen, Rocky Carroll. Conflict on a nuclear sub between the captain and first officer when the sub gets a message to go to the nuclear option and starts counting down. But protocol says they are to confirm and the system is down. Since both have to use their keys to launch, it is a battle of wills. Captain is relieved of command and from that point on the crew is divided into two camps. Exciting but mainly because of the great cast. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112740/

The Jury (2002 UK TV series) Gerard Butler, Derek Jacoby, Helen McCrory, Mark Strong, Sylvia Syms, Anthony Sher. The entire 3 disc set. Wonderful story, cast, and performances. A young Sikh boy is seen running from a wooded area where a body is found. He is arrested and with lots of circumstantial evidence, charged with murder. This causes turmoil between the Sikh community and the native working class families, of which the victim was a part. The main part of the series is the court case and the jury picked to sit in judgement. We follow each of six, who have turmoil in their lives and the problems they are dealing with and each segment of the trial has the two attorneys laying out their case. We viewers are given the same information as that given in open court. So at the end, we are asked to judge the case. We have only our own conscience to guide us and the evidence laid before this "Jury". Great series. Spent time arguing and retrying it over again with people online at various sites. 9/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0297571/

Belated Happy New Year

2012-01-13T11:17:00.000-06:00

These are the films I have watched lately:

Lottery Bride (1930) Jeanette MacDonald, Joe E. Brown, Zazu Pitts. Jeanette is the title character. She becomes a bride because of misunderstandings between the two men who are brothers and rivals for her hand. The lottery is for women to go to the far north as brides. The finale is a scene of a giant dirigible among all the ice and snow and is in two-strip color. For only 3 years between the first talkie and this film, they are using lots of new tricks and some work and others are laughable. 5/5 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021094/

Lydia (1941) Merle Oberon, Joseph Cotton, Edna May Oliver, Alan Marshall. An old woman, a former Belle, receives her four former suitors and remembers how it was long ago. Each remembers differently. Who was the real Lydia, and who was the man she really loved? Did he really exist? Do we all make up that which we dream about? Interesting but somewhat dull. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033858/

The Jungle Book (1942) Sabu, Rosemary DeCamp. Alexander Korda's lush and beautiful version of Rudyard Kipling's classic story of an infant boy in India lost from his mother when he wanders away during a village disturbance. The toddler finds a cave and lays down on some straw to sleep. The wolf pups gather around him and the female nurses him right along with her own babies. Beautiful story of the animals of the jungle that he grows up with. But the main story is of the greedy men of the village who discover Mowgli knows where a hidden treasure is located and how it costs lives. Gorgeous color and Sabu is great with the animals. Saw this when I was about 10 years old and was totally amazed and wanted animals just like Sabu had. Great film version for young folks. Back in 1942, I had to get the book and read more. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034928/

Scrooge(1951) Alastair Sim, Mervyn Johns, Hermione Baddeley. This version of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" is very, very good and I am partial to Mr. Sim as Scrooge. But it is still a dark tale of conditions in the mid 1800s for poor families. I think all the English cast are superb and the settings and cinematography fine. And the ending with Tiny Tim and Mr Scrooge, is perfect. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044008/

The Great Caruso (1951) Mario Lanza, Ann Blyth, Dorothy Kirsten. Lanza's great voice is showcased by excerpts from various operas, and is wonderful. The story is not accurate, but we didn't care in 1951 and I don't care now. All through the spring-summer of 1951 I kept going back to see this film. Took all my friends and family I could talk into giving it a try. When my best galpal came out of the theater, she broke down in tears and wondered why she didn't know Lanza before. She fell in love with him and his voice. Powerful experience, and that new thing TV, could not compete. We bought all his records, sent for pictures; the whole fan bit. His two earlier films with Kathryn Grayson are special because they are so good together and ended up good friends. He was a true diamond in the rough and too much too soon killed him. 10/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043599/

The Steel Trap (1952) Joseph Cotton, Teresa Wright. A guy who is a minor official at a bank (access to the big vault; gets to put in the last numbers to open it) but is bored and wants more, decides to steal some of that money he handles every day. How that goes is the plot. This has been a missing film for a long time. Why it is being celebrated now is a mystery as good as the one in the film. Cotton is okay, but the script is against him. His initial theft goes well, but then the script just keeps putting one obstacle after another until I just wanted it to be over. Teresa as a blond, I don't think so. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045190/

Later films after 1952 I'll post soon.

Early 1930s & Holiday Favorites

2011-12-25T01:03:00.000-06:00

I watched these films recently:

In Gay Madrid (1930) Ramon Navarro, Dorothy Jordan. Story of a wastrel nobleman's son who is sent to a small village to straighten him out where he falls for the local belle. It is a rocky road to true love. Along the way we have songs and waltzes and duels. Very dated but it is short as were so many early films. The leads were very attractive and I can see why Navarro was a matinee' idol. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020997/

Love In The Rough (1930) Robert Montgomery, Dorothy Jordan. Another early pre-code film where they just throw in songs and dancing and comic routines at random places. I guess to see what worked. Bob is cute and I can see why my Mom and her girlfriends were crazy about him. But he is very different from the mature guy who was a Presidents communications director. This script is about golf, for heavens sake, and the men who play it, and OMG, the girls who play too, and every once in a while, they all stop for a routine of some sort. LOL 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021100/

Cabin In The Cotton (1932) Bette Davis, Richard Barthelmess, Dorothy Jordan. Plantation workers, the company store, child labor in the fields, class and economic discrimination. It's all here in a story of the share croppers son, who gets educated and climbs up the ladder or the rich owners company. He is torn between his friends and family and their needs and the family of the owner, especially the daughter who flirts and sweet talks him into doing her will. Much to ponder and also has Bette saying her famous line: "I'd like ta kiss ya, but I jes washed mah hair." Makes no sense, but she was vamping the country boy. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022735/

Stingaree (1934) Irene Dunne, Richard Dix, Mary Boland, Andy Devine. Set in Australia, the plot is about a bandit who becomes enamored of poor relation of Boland, who fancies herself a gifted singer. She has a musical evening so she has can sing for a visiting composer, and the bandit who has heard the girl sing, arranges for her to have a chance too. The composer is interested in helping the girl and arranges for her to begin her studies and then tour the worlds stages singing. The songs and staging of the numbers are okay, but the plot and elements of the production are mediocre. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025833/

Topper (1937) Cary Grant, Constance Bennett, Roland Young(Oscar nominee), Billie Burke. Great cast in film about ghosts. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029682/

Suspicion (1941) Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine. Hitchcock directs for Selznick. Some wicked battles, I've read, between the two titans, Hitch and DOS. Commented on previously. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034248/

Mr. Lucky (1943) Cary Grant, Lorraine Day, Charles Bickford. Cary is a cad and only in the end does he redeem himself. Which begs the question whether there was interference to made the film more upbeat. He can be the charmer who turns the knife or breaks a heart with the best of them. Here he is a gambling ship owner who needs a front to use for one big night to score a lot of money and leave with all the proceeds. So he hooks up with a group of women raising money for war relief. He woos the beautiful, rich leader of the organization, and we think he is falling too, but he does a switcheroo - or does he. A favorite Grant film for me, along with Suspicion. He should have gone all the way and done a real villain. He was real and good at it. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036174/

Christmas In Connecticut (1945) Barbara Stanwyke, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet, Reginald Gardiner, S. Z. Zakall. Charming holiday favorite commented on before. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037595/

Miracle On 34th Street (1947) Edmund Guinn, Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood, John Payne. Santa Claus comes to NYC to work at Macy's, Love this film. Every part is perfect. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039628/

It Happened On 5th Ave. (1947) Victor Moore, Gale Storm, Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles. Script nominated for an Oscar, and it is clever. Moore is Aloysius T. McKeever, a gentleman bum, who moves into the vacant mansion of wealthy Michael O'Conner, when he leaves for his other home in VA. At the time of our story, Mikes daughter decides to leave school and shows up at the house. McKeever keeps collecting strays and before long the house is brimming with assorted characters. Plus, the owner(Ruggles) acting as a bum who is put to work, his estranged wife(Harding) also drafted to cook, and said daughter. She is sweet on the first guy brought into the house, Jim. He is a veteran who McKeever met in the park, where he was residing on a park bench. This motley crew sticks together through the holidays and we see them all around the big dining room table sharing a toast. This is a new Holiday film for me and I really enjoyed it a lot. I'm adding it to my December films list. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039502/

B. F. Daughter (1948) Barbara Stanwyke, Van Heflin, Charles Coburn. Polly (rich girl), meets Tom (poor professor) and they fall in love, marry against her papa's wishes. She tries to help on the sly cause hubby is proud, don't ya know, and won't be beholden to nobody. WWII comes along and creates further problems between our couple. B. F. tries to help but really can't understand what his daughter sees in Tom. And when he dies, Polly is devastated. A Matinee' Ladies film, with hankies needed. Back then. We are more hard-hearted and cynical now. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040141/

Come To The Stable (1949) Loretta Young, Celeste Holme, Hugh Marlowe, Elsa Lancaster. A favorite holiday movie, watched and commented on several years in a row. 9/19 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041257/

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Powell, O'Brien, Babs, Loretta & Julia---

2011-12-14T23:44:00.000-06:00

---star in the films I watched recently:
High Pressure (1932) William Powell, Evelyn Brent. We see promoter, fast-talking 'idea' man, Gar Evans(Powell) passed out in a saloon in the first few minutes of the story. His associates frantically try to get him sober and presentable so they can get him interested in promoting their latest scheme, artificial rubber made from sewage. They have the 'chemist' who discovered the process holed up in Brooklyn. After Gar gets his former fiance back on board as his receptionist in the lavish offices he promotes them into, and gets salesmen selling stock, problems start and it seems someone will end up in jail. Early pre-code film with speakeasy's, dives, dames, thugs, and assorted con-men, all on the make, and it makes a fast, funny film. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023007/

Slightly Honorable (1939) Pat O'Brien, Edward Arnold, Broderick Crawford, Ruth Terry, Claire Dodd. Pat is a lawyer, Crawford his lawyer side-kick, trying to get the goods on Boss Arnold who has his graft in anything and everything. When there are a couple of murders, there are clues leading to suspicion that O"Brien in involved. Night club singer Terry gets her nose into all Pats business, and he is annoyed but also flattered. She is only about 18 to his middle-age. Terry is very annoying, but maybe that is the way the director wanted her to play it. Not great, but a good little noirish mystery. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033062/

The Bishops Wife (1947) Loretta Young, Cary Grant, David Niven, Gladys Cooper, Monty Woolley. Yearly favorite. Grant is the answer to the Bishop's prayer. He says he is an angel. Loretta, the title character, is so lovely and the story so nice, it is a perfect way to start the Holiday season. The Bishops message at the church evening service, about "all the shining gifts" of the season, makes me tear up every year. And the boy choir's song is beautiful. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/

East Side, West Side {1949) Barbara Stanwyke, Van Heflin, James Mason, Ava Gardner. Barbara, Van and James in a melodrama about a philanderer, his wife, his lover and her new friend who helps get them out of a dilemma. Ava is spectacular in her fashions of the day. A super star in the making. The whole cast is wonderful in a film for the 'matinee' ladies. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041327/

The Pelican Brief (1993) Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington. A favorite Grisham book made into a satisfying film. Commented on previously. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107798/

Elizabeth I (2005 TVmini-series) Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons. 2 parts. The story of the great queen in her middle years. Her favorite from her youth, Dudley, is still with her at the beginning and her adviser's who want her to marry to keep Spain and France from waging war. Well done version and Helen is wonderful, as usual. Irons is also. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465326/

Counting down to Christmas Day...

Inception, The Social Network, Salt----

2011-12-08T11:06:00.001-06:00

---and other recent films I watched:

The Ultimate Gift (2006) Abigail Breslin, James Garner, Drew Fuller, Ali Hillis. Dysfunctional family of tycoon gathers to finds out who gets what. Only to learn the wastrel youngest son may get it all. But he discovers there are problems, and instructions by video, that he must overcome. Along the way he meets a little girl and her mother and they are his saviors. And he tries to be a good guy and help them. Nice Hallmark family film which is loaded with heartstrings pulls. Abigail is such a good little actress she does it easily. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482629/

Inception (2010) Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Joseph-Gorden Levitt. When did the 3 name fad start? So sick of it. Doesn't make them more memorable, just annoying. Now that off my chest, the movie itself is pretentious nonsense. Takes itself way too seriously. Dreams and deep sleep and rapid eye movement and all that and getting back and - not - or something. It was a slog, but I stayed awake and got to The End and will stick it into my "never see again" list. Cinematography interesting but we never know what is amazing anymore, cause it can all be done on the computer. 6/10 cause they're all soooo earnest. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/

Due Date (2010) Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Galifianakis. Peter and Ethan's excellent adventure. Not! I won't even list Michelle Monaghan because her only reason to be in this disaster is to grunt and scream in a fake birthing scene. I only wanted to slap both these nuts about every five minutes. I guess I'm just not into guy humor because this and Hangover are so lame I can hardly remember any of either. Jeez, who writes this stuff? Some of the scenery is pretty. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1231583/

Salt (2010) Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber. Extreme action in the mode of the Bourne films. But the heroine is the agent and we don't know for whom she works and if any of it is real until the last few minutes. The stunts are spectacular with our girl jumping from the tops of moving semi's on the freeway. Too silly, but why quibble - so are lots of action films. And is there some item in a contract for action films that says "car must be shown flipping over, end over end, and causing multiple other crashes?" Every darn film where there is a chase. Anyway, Angie babe is gorgeous, can pull off the mean and bad persona, and the film is fairly well put together. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944835/

The Social Network (2010) Jesse Eisenberg. Is this one of the best of 2010? Why? It is annoying and the star is more so. I'm not that thrilled to know how Facebook began or who ended up screwing who out of how much money. And while my tribe do all belong to FB and show each other pictures, and plan holiday gatherings, I can go weeks without ever logging on. Knowing the little snots that began the whole thing does not make me love it. Hard to make geeks at keyboards interesting but they did a pretty good job. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/

Unknown (2011) Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Aiden Quinn. A biochemist and his wife arrive at the Berlin airport and take a cab to their hotel, where said Dr. Harris discovers he has left his briefcase with their passports, on the cart. So he jumps in a cab to return to fetch it, leaving his wife to register for their room. There is a terrible accident and he wakes up in a hospital after a few days and has trouble remembering things. And he has no identification. But he does know who he is and who his wife is. Proving it is difficult. Eventually, he gets the cab driver - Gina - to help him remember what happened from the hotel on, and why people want him dead. Very interesting action film and Neeson is good as usual. The usual car tricks and unbelievable accidents in which the actors characters survive. But it is fun and so --- 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1401152/

Lucas Davenport: Certain Prey (2011/TV) Mark Harmon as Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief, Lucas Davenport goes after a couple of very bad ladies who murder and think they have gotten away with it. I love Mark as 'the boss' Jethro Gibbs in NCIS and watch and rewatch the series. If this is Marks new series it will be another that I will watch. His world weary Lucas is just the ticket. I thought the two female leads were very good, and were evil enough. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1864461/

The Adjustment Bureau (2011) Matt Damon, Emily Blunt. A politician and a ballerina find each other and through mysterious forces are pulled apart. Then are reunited but it was not supposed to happen. This is something about fate, predestination or whatever. Love story was sweet, but the rest is mishmash of religion, sci/fi, etc. Can't say I would ever want to see it again. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385826/

Finally caught up on commenting on films I have watched from the middle to November to December 6th. Now for my Holiday list and just relaxing with the ones I love.
Remember, we are the 99%. At least, I am!

Kay Francis, Jane Greer, Myrna Loy----

2011-12-08T00:34:00.000-06:00

---headline films I saw recently:

Jewel Robbery (1932) Kay Francis, William Powell, Helen Vinson. Charming jewel robber charms baroness out of her latest diamond ring and other trophies. Pre code charmer with two masters at the top of their game. Kay is gorgeous in the styles of the day. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023074/

Boy Meets Girl (1938) James Cagney, Pat O"Brien, Marie Wilson, Ralph Bellamy. Rapid fire dialog between Pat and Jimmy, playing idea men and script writers at a Hollywood studio. Waitress Marie wanders into an office with lunch for the boss, and becomes the focus of everyones concern when she says something about her baby. Complete ditziness and screwy, but the stars handle it so well, and so we go along for the ride. Short scene with Penny Singleton as a manicurist and Jimmy's pal Frank McHugh plays his usual flustered and put upon manager. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029940/

Ice Follies Of 1939 Joan Crawford, James Stewart, Lew Ayers, Lewis Stone. In 1939 the little towns, and even some larger ones in America, would not be on the circuit of The Ice Follies or any other ice show. This film would have been pretty fun for the price of admission for the whole family. The usual backstage plot of struggling act in small time shows trying to get ahead. Jimmy and Joan are married and he wants to produce their own shows. When they land in Hollywood, their car is hit by a guy who turns out to be the head man at a studio. He gives Joan his card. When they all are having a tough time, Joan goes to the studio and uses the card to get to the guy and is given a contract for some reason. That is the plot. Her star rises; his does too, but in different cities. Will they get together again? The final 15 minutes is an elaborate skating show number, supposedly in a film. It is in glorious technicolor. Louis B. Mayer's answer to 20ths Sonja Henie money makers. 20th never did a color picture for Henie. I believe it was 1945 and an Independent Film Co. "It's A Pleasure", released by RKO when she finally was in filmed in color. But Joan in her Snow White princess costume on a throne in the film within a film, is lovely. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031470/

Out Of The Past (1947) Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming. Favorite noir, with scene after scene near perfect for the genre. World weary Jeff has made a life as a gas station owner in a small town. His past catches up with him when henchmen for gangster Whit (Douglas) find him and bring him to his Lake Tahoe home. Whit's gal, Kathy (Greer) has gone missing with lots of his money. He wants Jeff to find her and bring her back. So Jeff heads to last known place she was seen, Mexico. He traces her to a small town on the coast and eventually they meet. And it is lust at first sight. The twists and turns of the story and the great cast, marvelous cinematography, and score, make this one just as perfect for my money, as they get. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039689/

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) Myrna Loy, Cary Grant, Melvin Douglas, Reginald Denny, Louis Beavers. One of the best post WWII stories of a ad exec who decides to get out of NYC and build his dream house like millions of men after they got home from the war, but this guy just has a little more money. After all the problems, he says to his lawyer (Douglas), "what about all those guys who don't have $30,000 (an enormous amount for the average family back then). How will they be able to build a house?" Love this film, from it's "Zuzz-zuzz water softener" to Muriel's going into exact detail on each rooms color with the contractor, I lived or had relatives or friends who went through all the trials and tribulations. Wonderful film of the way it was. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040613/

Mr. Soft Touch (1949) Glenn Ford, Evelyn Keyes, Beulah Bondi, John Ireland. Nice romance with a noir touch. With a not so perfect guy who is running from cops and thugs because he robbed a guy who cheated him, and ends up at the local settlement home, with a sweet no nonsense lady in charge. With the fact that it is the week before Christmas and getting the tree decorated, the choir practiced, and so forth, this is a good film to start Holiday film watching. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041663/

Instant Love (1964 Brazil/ Pão de Açúcar ) Rhonda Fleming, Rosano Brazzi. Both stars went home before the last scenes were filmed because the production ran out of money and could not resolve the problems. So many years later, when Rhonda attended a showing, she was amazed they were able to use what had been filmed and make an ending that made sense. The color, the clothes and the music at the carnival is wonderful. Story of an American actress visiting a school chum in Rio, who falls for and marries a very traditional Brazilian male workaholic, who ensconces her in his plantation home with servants to wait on her, leaving her nothing to do. And he is gone for long hours every day. Bored out of her mind, she eventually has had enough and leaves, but through some plotting she gets her guy back by the end. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0353923/

Newer films are in my next post.

Liam Neeson & Helen Mirren - two greats---

2011-11-14T13:12:00.001-06:00

---in good films my viewing wasn't total loss.
Well, here is what I have watched the past 2 weeks:

Tension (1949) Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Barry Sullivan, Cyd Charisse, William Conrad. A Pharmacist has a cheating wife. When he finds out, she takes off with the guy, and hubby decides to kill the guy, but devises a scheme to get away with it. He changes his appearance and moves to an apartment in another town. He meets his neighbor and they start a relationship so he has a change of heart. But his wife thwarts him and when he goes to tell them he is not going to bother them anymore, the other man is killed and it looks to the police like the husband did it. So, cop Sullivan has a puzzle to put together. Good 'B' noir and Totter makes a good femme fatale. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041954/

The Outlaw Josie Wales (1976) Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke. Clint stars as the title character, and directs. He's minding his farm - out plowing - and his house and family are burned up. So he goes after them, relentlessly. Good ole western. 8/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075029/

Les Miserables (1998) Liam Neeson, Claire Danes, Geoffrey Rush. The great Victor Hugo novel of a man imprisoned for stealing bread by breaking a store window, and the many years added to his sentence for escape attempts and other infractions, is well done especially by Neeson and Rush in the Valjean and Javert roles. Back in the ancient days, English teachers assigned this novel to students and many cheated their way through enough to get a grade. I however, loved it, and the story of good triumphant is still splendid. Here the film has been shortened and the Cosette thread made more prominent. Nevertheless, this is Neeson and Rushes film and they are fine. 8/10    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119683/

Dracula (2000) Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, Justine Waddell. My annual Halloween film. It has gotten better as the latest howlfests have gotten worse. They threw a bunch of young actors in this film, and as far as I know the only one to become a star is Butler. As Plummer told and interviewer during the release publicity, he has a quietness and presence not usually seen in one to young and new to the business. Dracula, as Gerry plays him, is mesmerizing. 8/10    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0219653/

Calendar Girls (2003) Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, Ciaran Hinds. A small village in England and the regular meeting of a ladies club. The usual speaker droning on about broccoli or something. Our two protagonists are bored to death. When the subject of the annual calendar comes up, Chris has a brain storm - they will do a nude version with themselves as the models. The rest is the actual taking the pictures and the consequences. Delightful, in all ways. Beautiful English countryside, and wonderful adventures for the middle - age, class,ect - after they are discovered by 'the media' and rushed off to Hollywood for a shoot and TV interviews. Mah-velous, darlings! 8/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337909/

Flight Of The Phoenix (2004) Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi. Awful remake of the great Jimmy Stewart 1965 film. No one comes out of this without egg on their face. Some good shots of the desert, and okay version of the takeoff at the end, but the rest is truly forgettable. Which I have. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377062/

Patriot Games (1992) Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, Thora Birch, Patrick Bergin, Sean Bean, Samuel L. Jackson. Based on Tom Clancy's novel and great character, Jack Ryan, a semi-retired CIA Analyst. He and his family are vacationing in London, when he, his wife and daughter, out sight seeing are caught by IRA terrorists in an assassination plot on a member of the Royal Family. Jack thwarts the attack, and one of the men is killed and his older brother captured. Bro vows revenge and the rest of the film is his attempts, which result causing a horrific auto crash on the freeway with wife Cathy and daughter, Sally, both severely injured. Jack comes out of retirement and goes back to the CIA and through long hours of work discovers where the group has gone - to a camp in North Africa. The final action scenes are filled with tension and by this time, we - like his wife - want Jack to destroy Sean, he is so awful. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105112/

Love & Other Drugs (2010) Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Oliver Platt. A woman suffering from the onset of Parkinson's meets a wastral who is selling (or trying to) drugs by getting samples into Doctors offices. That's the set up. In order to like this film you have to like the two leads, and I did not. One is just awful and the other is annoying. But it is the story that is lame. Forget it. Which is what I did ten minutes after I turned it off. On top of that, it seems to be selling drugs because they are mentioned and shown all through the film. Is that what we are coming to? Just stay home and watch any network show and get you fill of advertisements. Much easier. 5/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758752/

Going The Distance (2010) Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Jason Sudiekis, Christina Applegate. They meet at a NYC bar and hit if off. But she is a grad student intern at a newspaper, and her time is just about up and she will have to return to San Francisco. He is a rep for a record company and doesn't really like his job. After a hot romance for her final 6 weeks in town, off she flies and they end up on the phone - a lot! Who is going to give up and move? Or - are they going to break up? For an R rated film, this is chock full of bad language, sex, lies and - no video tape. Since both leads are likeable (to me), I enjoyed their story. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1322312/

You know, I've had to watch a bunch of my favorites again, because nothing new has kept me glued to the TV. Why is that? I have rewatched: The Birdcage, Last Holiday, Breakfast Club, Dinner At Eight, Born Yesterday, Sex & The City 2, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Mr. Skeffinton, and Now, Voyager; for the upmteenth times. Love them all and would rather see them in repeat that lots of stuff on my pay channels. What a thing to say!

I really can't think of any film that I'm looking forward to seeing, but maybe the previews of the holiday films will warm me up. Hmmm----

Titles in the A list and the b's---

2011-10-31T01:32:00.000-05:00

The Glass Key (1942) Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Brian Donlevy. Politicians and their fixers and dames. Good yarn in the hands of the pros. The top of the bill. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034798/

My Name Is Julia Ross (1945) Nina Foch, Dame May Whitty, George Macready. Fair suspense tale. Woman succures a job through an employment agency and goes to the home of the wealthy woman who hired her as a personal secretary. When she goes to sleep that night and wakes up and is told she is the daughter in law of the same woman, Mrs. Hughes. The son, Ralph, and all the servants try to convince her she has had a breakdown and really is Marian Hughes. She is kept in a licked room, with a window looking down to the rocky coast of the sea. How will she escape? Tightly scripted and well acted for a second feature on the bill. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037932/

Riff-Raff (1947) Pat O'Brian, Anne Jeffreys, Walter Slezak, Percy Kilbride. Confused story and dull acting by the cast. A "B" movie to fill the bill at the Bijou back in the day. Something about oil maps and the Canal zone. And a 'fixer' and assorted thugs and dames. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039772/

The Naked Jungle (1954) Charleton Heston, Eleanor Parker, William Conrad. I always liked Heston better as a man of the more recent times, as opposed to the biblical epics. This is a good old pot boiler, with repressed sex, fighting a force of nature - his bride - and the Marabunta...Nature's deadliest force, a column of army ants , 2 miles wide and 20 miles long. And it is headed straight for the plantation he spent 20 years carving out of the jungle. Well, it is going to be a fight to the death and who will win? Saw it in '54 and it still is a favorite - jes 'cause! 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047264/

Marnie (1964) Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery, Diane Baker, Louis Latham. Just about my favorite of the later Hitchcock films. Marnie steals money. Lots of money from lots of employers. Finally caught by Mark Rutland when she steals from his company, he has her trapped into marrying him or she will be turned over to the police. He is intrigued by her and also she is a babe. So he tries to figure her out on the honeymoon cruise. But she won't play. Such a sexy scene and what a kiss in Marks office while she is taking some off hours dictation. During a storm, she is so frightened he goes to comfort her and starting at her forehead and runs his lips down her entire face to her lips for a lingering kiss. Extreme closeup, Well! Talk about heat! Clothes on, no pawing and pulling at each other, but very sexy. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058329/

Emma (1996) Kate Beckinsale, Mark Strong, Samantha Morton. Made for TV the same year the Paltrow movie was shown in theaters. And the updated version Clueless was released in 1995. Do producers all have a brainstorm at the same time? This Emma is so sure of herself in the meddling she is doing with the life of her friend, and Mr. Knightley so right to dress her down for putting false hopes in the head of a "young woman of no connections and dubious lineage." Love Mark Strong as the older man who loves, and waits for the right time, to declare his love for his willful friend. The cast of English actors are all perfect in their Jane Austin world. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118308/

The Town (2010) Ben Afflect, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner. Rewatch. Commented on earlier. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/

Date Night (2010) Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Mark Walberg. Suburbanites go into NYC for a dinner date and goes to a top restaurant where you book a table months in advance. Which they did not. Off to the side trying to decide what to do, a name is called over and over and no one answers. So they do. Big mistake. Even though they have a great meal, and lots of wine, they are confronted at the end of the meal by 2 men who ask them to come outside. Thinking it is management about the table they took they go willingly. But these guys are goons working for an outfit that wants the flash drive the couple they posed as have, and are in deep dodo to the boss. They get out of one mess after another and at the end when they collapse on their front lawn, safe again, we are glad. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1279935/

Greenberg (2010) Ben Stiller. I knew I probably would not like this film but since it won Independent Spirit Awards last year, decided to give it a try. Did. not. like. one. thing. about. it! Stiller is so annoying to me I almost quit at the half way point. A guy who has been in a mental hospital is house sitting at his brothers. He looks up his annoying friend. He has conversations and sex with his brothers assistant. She is also annoying. He has a party and it makes no sense. I wanted to scream. 5/10 and that is generous! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234654/

Lana Turner in A Life Of Her Own

2011-10-19T00:15:00.002-05:00

A Life Of Her Own (1950) Lana Turner, Ray Milland, Tom Ewell, Louis Calhern, Ann Dvorak. A remake of 1939s "When Tomorrow Comes", is a story of a young woman from Kansas, who heads to NYC to find fame and fortune as a model. Which she does and then falls for a visiting copper mine owner from Montana. Complications ensue and Lana suffers, Milland suffers, but the best suffering is by Dvorak, in one of her last roles. The original story " A Modern Cinderella" was by James M. Cain, who also wrote The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and Mildred Pierce. Lana wears beautiful '50s fashions and looks great, at least to me. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042677/

Cop Out (2010) Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan. Seann William Scott. Supposed to be a comedy but is not funny. Cop partners suspended for 30 days for something or other are taking a very rare baseball card owned by one to have it appraised so he can sell it to give his daughter a big wedding. Naturally there is a holdup and the card is taken with the rest of the loot. Much blundering around trying to get it back. Scott is stuck in some scenes annoying everyone - and the audience - repeating every word said by his target. By the end I was in a stupor. Don't encourage these people! 4/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385867/

The American (2010) George Clooney. Really slow and mostly uninteresting story, to me anyway, of an assassin and his troubles. I could not relate to the character so it had nothing to hang on to. The cinematography of villages in the sun and cars on twisty roads, were pretty. That was it. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440728/

Lamour, Loy, & The Cats Meow---

2011-10-10T00:52:00.000-05:00

Recently I watched:

The Hurricane (1937) Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall, Mary Astor, C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, Thomas Mitchell. John Ford's The Hurricane is still marvelous film making. Story of the Polynesian sailor being mistreated by the French authorities and the effect his continued escapes from prison has on his sentence, is hard to take. But in typical Hollywood fashion, we get a somewhat happy ending. Lamour and Hall are beautiful to look at, and Astor is too. Mitchell does his usual drunken friend. Aubrey Smith is a good priest, and Massey a fine villain. And that storm! It's a doozy. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029030/

Another Thin Man (1939) William Powell, Myrna Loy, C. Aubrey Smith, Virginia Grey. The one with the baby birthday party thrown by the gangsters. Smith shouts all his lines and is very annoying. But 'Mommy' Loy and Powell are great, as usual. I watch it whenever it is on TCM and it is in my permanent collection. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031047/

The Cats Meow (2001) Kirsten Dunst, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Tilly. William Hearst, Marion Davies, Charlie Chaplin, Louella Parsons, and assorted other names in 1924 Hollywood go on a yachting holiday where someone is shot. It's the Jazz Age and these are careless and rich and empty people, spoiled by the adulation of the times. Dunst as Davies is darling. Herrmann as Hearst is sad and a boor. Chaplin is a lecher. Parsons is a blackmailer and as annoying as she was into the 1940's when I used to listen to her on radio. The costumes, set decoration and wonderful songs of the score are just wonderful. Enjoyable. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266391/

Black Swan (2010) Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel. A portrait of a bi-polar dancer's descent into madness. I'm not sure if the end is another of her delusions or is intended to be real. My feeling - the director wants us to interpret it as we will. The fantasies that seem so real to Nina are increasingly more terrifying to her. Her controlling Mother has tried to keep her daughter childlike and along with the pressures to be perfect as a ballerina, have driven her to seek escape. Portman is very good in the role and deserves her awards. The production values are first rate. More a tale of mental illness than a dancers story, I rate it an - 8/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/

Wall Street (1987) Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Daryl Hannah. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094291/
And;
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) Michael Douglas, Shia LeBeouf, Carey Mulligan, Frank Langella. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1027718/
I watched these back to back on HBO. As we are benefiting from the great money men gambling with other peoples money and driving our whole system to bankruptcy, I thought it was timely to see how Oliver Stone updated his story. Not true. He ends his new version with everyone reconciled and, more or less, happy. Nothing about the wrecking of others lives. LaBeouf seems like a high school kid, so was not too believable as a shark. Douglas as Gordan Gekko, is perfect as a barracuda. As Larry The Liquidator says in "Other Peoples Money" "It's a game. Washington can change the rules, but we don't go away. We adapt and the game goes on." What a world. What a country.

Cast does well with the script in Money Never Sleeps, especially Langella. Mulligan is fine too, as Gekko's daughter, Winnie.

Not the hard hitting take on the gamblers of Wall Street I thought Stone would deliver.

Favorites watched again; and fantasy sci/fi---

2011-09-26T00:36:00.000-05:00

This week I visited some old favorites:

Rewatches:

Three Men & A Baby (1987) Tom Selleck, Steve Gutenberg, Ted Danson, Nancy Travis. After 24 years, it is still kinda nice and funny. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094137/

Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen (1998) Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes. Beautiful cinematography. Cate is great. Geoffrey - perfect. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127536/

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, Samantha Morton. Even better than No.1. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414055/

It's Complicated (2009) Meryl Streep, Alex Baldwin, Steve Martin. John Krazinski. A favorite from 2009. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1230414/

Sex & The City 2 (2010) Sarah Jessica Parker. Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis. I don't care what anyone else thinks, I have fun watching the girls be nuts. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1261945/

New to me:

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye (2000/Doc) Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, Jim Baker, Roe Messner. I couldn't stand the Bakkers on their various shows, but this was interesting. Tammy is ridiculous, but she is serious about it. I actually ended up sort of sorry for her. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0233687/

The Fountain (2006) Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weitz, Ellen Burstyn. Strange, confusing film. It made no sense to me. Goes back and forth in time. The various scenes are beautiful, but what does it all mean? Hard to tell. Aronofsky has made a swamp of a film, hard slogging through the muck. Rachel looks luminous! 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414993/

The Fourth Kind (2009) Mila Jovovich, Will Patton, Charlotte Milchard. Story about alien abductions in Alaska, involving a woman whose husband was working with people who think they had been taken away. When he dies, she takes over and the film is about her taping these conversations. Then something happens and she is suspected of causing troubles. Very disturbing film. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1220198/

Hereafter (2011) Matt Damon, Cecile De France, McLaren twins. Three people's stories, who have experiences with near death. A woman is caught in a tsunami and when she is finally pulled out is just barely brought back. A twin boy cannot give up wanting to have some contact with his dead brother, and goes to many different charlatans who say they can do it for him. A man who has flashes of visions when he holds the hands of another person, seeing what will or has happened to them. All 3 end up having contact with each other by the end. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212419/

Well, I think I've had my fill of sci/fi for a while. Need to get out some favorite comedies.

The Depression Era and-----

2011-09-22T11:29:00.000-05:00

You Can't Take It With You (1938) Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, Spring Byington, Ann Miller, Edward Arnold.
Capra Corn, but for this old gal, I love the memories it jogs - of dinner tables with lots of relatives; men out of work doing crazy hobbies in the basement; and the mean, greedy people who never go away. When I was a very small child, my Dad had been ill and was put on disabled status at the post office (no pay check). Before he was reinstated in 1939, we had lived with his sister in a big ole 3 story house, because Uncle Frank was one of the only members of the clan - inlaws or ourlaws - who had a paying job in 1935. I was 3 and remember those grownups who didn't go to work or kids to school, in the morning, cleaned up the breakfast things and had a bridge game going that people sat in on when they were home. I guess it went on for weeks. I also remember the grownups turning on the radio and dancing; or listening to FDR. It was a group of people who were putting their faith in FDR, and never lost it even during war. This film with the speech by Lionel about not paying taxes because the government wasn't worth anything, would not have been liked by most of our family back in those days. I can remember my Dad's youngest sister finally got a good job as a teacher at a business school, and how proud she was of the SS # and deduction on her first check. That is the story told anyway! So, for anyone wanting a fun view of a house, that I'm sure was modeled on those the filmmakers and writers knew first hand, this is a good one and is only somewhat exaggerated. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030993/

In that big ole Victorian house that I finally re-found about 15 years ago, all those people were doing the best they could - there WERE NO JOBS! We had 2 classes - the very, very rich (ala Stewart's family in the film) and the very poor - the ones called 'socialists' by some - the Vanderhofs. Dare I say we are heading in the direction of the poor and the disgustingly rich again?

It is almost too late to talk to people who lived through those years. And lots of us don't like to tell people we were scared and didn't know if we would make it through another winter. You see, we had to buy coal and lots of people, my family among them, would have to go to a loan-shark to get through the winter. And I do remember that very well. I was 7 and getting the load of coal was a highlight of our fall season. LOL And the discussions and arguments over what should be done. And always money was uppermost in most discussions. Ah! The good ole days. Pardon me while I laugh until I cry.

Fred & Ginger, Judy, Bogart---

2011-09-17T11:19:00.003-05:00

Follow The Fleet (1936) Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard. On TCM. Bit parts by Lucille Ball and Betty Grable. Amazing that six years after this film, Betty was the top box office star in the country; and Lucy would be the top TV star in the 1950's. And cute Harriet would become part of The Ozzie and Harriet Show with hubby and their two sons, Ricky and David, which was another top TV show for years, 1952-66.
Music by Irving Berlin with the lovely song "Lets Face The Music And Dance" a standout. I've never been a fan of the sailor suit and don't like it on Fred, a guy who looks like he was born to wear a tux or tails. Story is usual guys getting girls; losing girls; and silly mixups. The role for Scott was all wrong. He is kind of a cad, but changes to a good guy by fade out. He is better as a strong, silent hero, IMHO. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027630/

The Harvey Girls (1946) Judy Garland, Angela Lansbury, Cyd Charisse, Virginia O'Brien, John Hodiak, A favorite musical. Watch often, this time on TCM. The Atchison, Topeka and Sante Fe number was shot in one take by Judy. Amazing. Of course, there were lots of rehearsals but it is still quite a feat. Judy, in her white apron carrying the guns across the dusty street to get the meat back after it was stolen is still one of my all-time faves. The big cowpoke that is bemused and gets everyone out of her way is a riot. The beautiful waltz that they "learnt way back east in Kansas City" always makes me laugh, being as we are the Heartland and center of the USA. A good time at the movies. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038589/

The Caine Mutiny (1954) Humphrey Bogart, Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, Jose Ferrer, Robert Francis. From a very popular book by Herman Wouk, which won the 1952 Pulitzer Prize. I devoured it when I got my book club copy. It sold more books, $5 million world wide, than any novel except Gone With The Wind, up to that time. It spawned a play "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial" that was hugely successful on Broadway and toured the country for a year or so. Lloyd Noland played Capt. Queeg in the version I saw in 1953. It became a giant industry, and even spawned byproducts, e.g., the manufacture of "Queeg balls," modeled on the two steel bearings the Capt. rolls obsessively. All this info to underscore the importance of this film to people in 1954. The film gave Johnson, Bogart and MacMurray change or pace characters and enhanced their careers. The story of the rust bucket mine sweeper The Caine and its' crew and captain starts when the ship gets a new Commander and Ensign and joins a convoy in the Pacific Theater. Their job is to escort landing craft to the beaches during invasions. The crew and the officers realize Queeg has made some bad mistakes during gunnery practice and then their first escort duty. So when a storm makes the ship list so far they are afraid of foundering and sinking, 1st officer Maryk relieves Queeg of command, in effect a mutiny. All involved are arrested and indicted. It takes reluctant lawyer Greenwald to ferret out the real reason for what has happened. His speech to the group after the trial is the payoff and just feels good. Loved the book, the play and still think the movie is fine and dandy. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046816/

The A-Team (2010) Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson. Hopelessly juvenile, but I had to watch because of Liam. He is just so darned good in any role handed to him. Follows the silliness of the TV series, and makes little sense, but that is not the point. Explosions, car chases and mayhem are what fans are paying for and it delivers. The guys are Army Rangers in Iraq who have had 80 successful missions. But the CIA comes and wants them to take on the recovery of the $100 bill plates that were stolen in the explosion at the end of their last mission, which they were tried for, and imprisoned. Double crosses and bad things happen. I stayed awake. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429493/

Up In The Air (2009) George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman. A rewatch. This is a film about the worst part of corporate America. And the people who get paid enormous sums to do the dirty work. Very well done but a bit depressing. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/

Cool, fall weather is already here with need for the comforter back on the bed, and sweaters and jackets for the mornings and evenings. Feels good after the long hot summer.

Colman, Lombard,MacDonald/Eddy, etc---

2011-09-08T12:23:00.000-05:00

Films I have seen the last few weeks:

The Unholy Partners (1931) Ronald Colman, Fay Wray, Estelle Corbin. Colman plays his suave gentleman thief who is after a rumored fortune hidden by the blind father of our heroine. We are at a desert hotel in the middle of the Sahara, with a motley bunch of thieves, cutthroats and ne'er do wells. There is a plot to steal the blind mans fortune if they can find it. There is also a vamp who is trying to get Colman to give it up and come back to her. In the end he is off in an open car with his untrustworthy pal leaving his love, the money, and all problems behind. Okay look at early talky and one of the great speaking voices of the era. Wray was a doll. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022523/

Hands Across The Table (1935) Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, Ralph Bellamy, Whitey the Cat. Gal and guy meet and are attracted to each other, but are both broke. She is a manicurist at a snooty, posh hotel; he a former rich playboy that lost it all in the stock market crash. He is setting his sights on a rich pineapple heiress. Fine and dandy because Reggie has met a rich paraplegic ex-aviator Allen Macklyn, who has an eye for Reggie. She does his nails you see. How Reggie ends up with her broke playboy is a fun romp. And Reggie's cat Whitey is bored by it all, naturally. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026452/

Girl Of The Golden West (1938) Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Walter Pigeon, Buddy Epson. Story of young girl and boy who become central to each others lives across the years, but only meet after they are adults. A lovely song the young Mary sings around the campfire is overheard by bandits and their young orphan protege. These two grow up to be the bandit Ramirez, and 'girl' the owner of The Poker saloon, which she inherits from her grandpa. She is romanced by the sheriff Jack Rance, but she is not in love with him. The music from this film was all composed for it and is the only one of the duo's films that did not originate on the stage. It is entertaining and the music is first rate. 9/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030182/

Cry 'Havoc' (1943) Women on Bataan at the beginning of the Japanese takeover of the island. The army nurses are short staffed because of deaths and injuries and burnout. A group of women refugees from all over the island end up at this camp and are asked to stay and help out with what are called the 'dirty' jobs. A few do and this is a film about them and the two women officer/nurses who run this so-called hospital. This was when they were sure MacArthur would be able to rescue them. But as the weeks go on, it is obvious that is unlikely. They finally get official word that the island has fallen to the enemy. All the petty jealousies and conflicts are wiped away and the final scene is the two worst antagonists, arms around each others waists, going up the stairs to their fate. It would take two long years, but MacArthur finally returned. We don't know how many nurses and civilians survived. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035770/

Callaway Went Thataway (1951) Fred MacMurray, Howard Keel, Dorothy McGuire, Jesse White. Entertaining little film with Keel playing a duo role; Stretch Barnes / Smoky Callaway. Fred and Dorothy as Mike and Deborah, ad agents who buy up some old movies starring Smokey to put on TV. Overnight success. Have to find him. Do. But he has become a drunken womanizing bum. Quick. Hire a lookalike - Stretch. Introduced on TV and then a cross country personal appearance tour, escorted by Deborah. Falls for big lug. What happens next? Guess! Nice little film. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043371/

The Dead (1987) Angelica Huston, Dan O'Herlihy. Donal McCann. I confess, I do not understand the Irish sensibilities. This is the final film of great director John Huston, and some of his family - Tony (as the screenwriter) and Angelica (as main character Gretta Conroy) - are involved in the location filming in Ireland. The story is about a Christmas dinner party at the home of musician spinster aunts for various family and friends. Remembrance's bring sadness and Gretta seems heartbroken and her husband gets her to tell a long tale of her great love when she was a girl in Galway. That's about it. Since it is from a James Joyce story with this distinguished crew, some will automatically give it a thumbs up. It is barely interesting. Costumes and sets are good. But how those ladies and gents got up and down those snowy steps without breaking something is a mystery. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092843/

Murder at 1600 (1997) Diane Lane, Wesley Snipes, Daniel Benzali. How does a local D.C. homicide detective do his job when everything is off limits and/or redacted? His liaison with the White House secret service detail is agent Nina. But she is controlled by chief-of-staff Spikings and he is arrogant and unwilling to help in any way. Good thriller with people we want to win. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119731/

The long hot spell is finally over and we have lovely evening and mornings to be outdoors.

Denzel times two=entertainment--

2011-09-01T11:35:00.023-05:00

---plus a musical:

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) Jane Powell, Howard Keel. Finally sat through the whole thing again and I still feel the same. It is a musical that I'm not fond of - too much rowdiness, jumping around. And the rough housing by the 'boys' gets on my nerves. That's the way I felt after watching it long ago and I haven't changed my mind. As for the music, I cannot remember one song and never hummed any of the melodies. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047472/

Much Ado About Nothing (1993) Denzel Washington, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Kate Beckinsale, Keanu Reeves. William Shakespeare's rom/com of Hero and Claudio, soon to wed; and Beatrice and Benedict, barely able to tolerate each other. The mix ups and partings and discovery of the evil doer leads to one of the most joyful and lovely final scenes in a recent tilm. IMHO.

"Sigh No More": during the film; what a lovely courtyard and fountain! -- and song.

The joyful finale:
http://youtu.be/gMX0fxUZEwU

And the words:
Sigh no more, ladies, sigh nor more; Men were deceivers ever;
One foot in sea and one on shore, To one thing constant never; Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bonny;
Converting all your sounds of woe Into. Hey nonny, nonny.

Sing no more ditties, sing no mo, Or dumps so dull and heavy;
The fraud of men was ever so, Since summer first was leavy. Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe Into. Hey, nonny, nonny.

Love this film! Not perfect - but it'll do! 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107616/

Unstoppable (2010) Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson. I can't help it - Denzel is fun to watch in most films. This one about a train that somehow the brakeman didn't get the automatic brake set, so it just lumbers along, is a real puzzle. How to get someone on board or something in front of it to stop it in time? Going across open country is one thing; but an urban center in coming up soon. How do the guys on the front lines convince the boardroom shirt and ties to let them alone to do their job? We get more and more tense as the time goes by. Whew! A mighty fine popcorn movie. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477080/

Joan Blondell, Deanna Durbin, Linda Darnell ---

2011-09-01T01:16:00.000-05:00

Three great stars and their films. This week I watched

Sinners Holiday (1930) Joan Blondell, James Cagney. Marked the movie debut of Cagney and it made him a movie star. He and Blondell had both starred in the stage play on Broadway, originally titled, "Penny Arcade." Al Jolson bought the rights and insisted that they repeat their performances in the movie version, although Cagney and Jolson never met in real life. The film was a hit and Cagney was called 'electrifying.' Story of gangsters, prostitutes, Penny Arcades, rum running and other assorted under belly of life at the time. A period piece to savor. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021381/

Footlight Parade (1933) Joan Blondell, James Cagney, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell. Great musical, one of Busby Berkley's fantastic bests, "By A Waterfall" is amazing. "Honeymoon Hotel", "Shanghai Lil" and other number not so well known make this a fun film from start to finish. Just 4 years after the studios were thrown for a loop by "sound" Warners makes this entertainment, which it is from start to finish. I always sit with a goofy grin and just enjoy the heck out of it. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024028/

He Was Her Man (1934) Joan Blondell, James Cagney, Victor Jory. Cagney is "Flicker" Hayes a bad guy, and Joan is Rose, a bad girl. They end up on the lam in a fishing village in California. Our bad boy, stays bad, but our bad girl tries to be good. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025226/

Dames (1934) Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Zazu Pitts, Guy Kebbee, Hugh Herbert. About putting on a show and the rich man who decides it is immoral and his duty to get the "filthy" forms of entertainment off Broadway. Sound familiar? Fun to see Pitts, Kebbee and Herbert in top form here. Lovely song, "I Only Have Eyes For You" is used throughout, along with title song, and "Shuffle Off Too Buffalo." 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025028/

Nice Girl? (1941) Deanna Durbin, Franchot Tone, Robert Stack, Walter Brennan, Robert Benchley Small town girl falls for her fathers associate and gets in hair brained schemes, but all is well by the fade. Deanna sings "Love At Last," "Perhaps", and a lovely version of "The Old Folks At Home." Not her best, but worth it for the singing. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033950/

Fallen Angel (1945) Linda Darnell, Alice Faye, Dana Andrews, Charles Bickford, Percy Kilbride. A con man/gambler gets thrown off a bus in a small burg in California and walks into a diner with a gorgeous babe as the waitress. She is like honey to this hive of male bees and soon our drifter is scheming to get his hands on enough money to satisfy the babe. Enter the 'good girl' who lives in a big ole house with her sister and plays the organ in church and they are rich. He decide to woo and win the blond and her sis and after he gets his hands of their money - it is bye-bye. But! Murder rears it's ugly head when our waitress Stella ends up dead. And the drifter (Eric) is the chief suspect. But June (his new wife) is true blue and knows he didn't do it. Dark shadows and gloom seem to come from the screen. Otto Preminger directed this and the great "Laura" also with Andrews. They will always have a place in the film records because of these films. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037691/

Please Believe Me (1950) Deborah Kerr, Robert Walker, Peter Lawford, Mark Stevens. Alison Kirbe of London, receives a telegram from Texas, that she has inherited a livestock ranch. It She decides to go see about it and meets men all on the make, trying to swindle her or keep her from swindling their clients. Mixups and assorted shouting matches and so forth - and a happy ending at the fade. Not very funny and the cast seems bored. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042848/

North By Northwest (1959) Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, Jessie Royce Landis. James Mason. Alfred Hitchcock's very entertaining film about an ad exec who is mistaken for a spy by another group of spies and has a heck of a time because of it. The first hour is one of the best set ups for a suspense film ever. This poor guy is kidnapped, has whiskey poured down his throat, stuffed behind the wheel of a car and sent down a winding road overlooking cliffs and the sea. And that's just the first 15 minutes. It just keeps you on pins and needles about what jam he will get in next and how he'll survive. Lots of great famous scenes, all the stars seem to be having a great time, and it is all done very well. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053125/

Bride Wars (2009) Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Candice Bergen. Dreams of best friends from childhood about heir weddings go horribly wrong. Love the girlie's and their wedding dresses. Story and script lets all the cast down but it's fun anyway. Call me crazy, but I'd rather see pretty girls acting silly in pretty clothes as opposed to scruffy dirty looking guys belching, scratching, peeing, cussing. But that's just me. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0901476/

"And the days dwindle down to a precious few; September....

Only Angels Have Wings, The Phantom, 300, Conviction-----

2011-08-29T00:33:00.000-05:00

---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/

Running Scared

2011-08-20T09:55:00.000-05:00

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/

The Good Girl, Life, etc---

2011-08-16T01:27:00.001-05:00

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/

Claudette Colbert: STAR; Oscar Winner; Fashion Hall Of Fame(1958); Part II,

2011-08-15T11:44:00.001-05:00

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/

Claudette Colbert: STAR; Oscar Winner; Fashion Hall Of Fame(1958)----

2011-08-14T01:01:00.005-05:00

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/

The Fallen Idol, a true classic; Dance, Girl Dance, Lucy as a louse!----

2011-08-13T12:50:00.002-05:00

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/

Anns - Sothern & Sheridan; Viviene Leigh, Sandra Bullock----

2011-08-01T11:24:00.002-05:00

---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....

Mogambo, Ava vs. Grace ETC---

2011-07-20T01:12:00.002-05:00

I recently watched these films:

New to me:
Off TCM:
Song Of The Gringo (1936) Tex Ritter, Joan Woodbury, Fuzzy Knight. Tex Ritter was good looking but was no actor and not much of a singer but back in the '30's my Dad would have loved this film and when we got our first TV in 1952, would have been riveted to his chair as long as they showed any western. Acting laurels go to Woodbury and Fuzzy. Both were competent. I had to laugh at the way the director framed the raining scenes with just a vine across the frame blowing in the wind and lots of rain and thunder. I'm sure kids in the audience didn't give a hoot and my Dad wouldn't either. I rate it a 5/10. And that's being generous.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028283/

HBO:
Edge Of Darkness (2010) Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone. Fairly good suspense film about a homicide detective whose daughter becomes involved in activist activies that get her killed. He goes rogue and digs through layers of corruption finding out who did what. Not original but keeps your interest so I give it a - 6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226273/

DO-Overs:

TCM:
Mogambo (1953) Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly. In the early 1950s, Hollywood was trying to find some formula to get people out of their living rooms watching TV and back to the theater, so took their top stars to Africa on safari. That'll show those upstarts! This was a big hit and is one of the better uses of the great grasslands, and uplands, of Africa and the animals who live there. The gorilla scenes are marvelous too, but the attitude that shooting animals and/or catching them for display in zoos, is backward. Gardner steals the film from goody two shoes Grace. Grace may have gotten a prince in real life, but Ava got 'The King' of films in this movie and, according to bios, in real life. There is no music score. Only the chants and sounds of Africa. So effective and one of the first films to use the system. Remake of Red Dust which also starred Gable with the blond bombshell - Jean Harlow. Earlier film was fun, but this safari is for me. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046085/

HBO:
Regarding Henry (1991) Harrison Ford, Annette Benning, Mikki Allen, Bill Nunn. One of the better films about overcoming a disability and what it takes. A successful, hard charging attorney goes out for a pack of cigarettes and is shot by a robber at the store. After months in the hospital regaining consciousness, more months in rehab learning to speak and walk, he returns to his home and then his office. Each step takes him to seeing a new person that he was and now must find how to make it himself again. Mikki, as his daughter, is wonderful. As is his physical therapist played by Nunn. Benning is the one false note. She is too intense and as one of her early frantic performances, i see where it all began. She still is giving her all with her neck tendons tense and ready to ping if touched. Ford and Mikki are great together. She never makes another film, I see, on her IMDb profile. We'll always have this nice film to remember what a sweet child she was. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102768/

Robin Hood (2010) Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, William Hurt. Like it better on rewatching. Guess I had to get used to the drab costumes and houses. Upgrade from 6 to 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955308/

HOT! in the old town these days. Thanks be for air-conditioning!

From Brother Orchid; The Birdcage; & Dear Frankie --

2011-07-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

--revisiting favorites the hottest week so far this summer.

NEVER SEEN BEFORE:

On HBO:

Cellular(2004) Kim Basinger, Chris Evans. All the rotten things I heard and read about this film are a bit much. It is a typical suspense story about a woman who is in danger trying to get someone to help her. She has only a cell phone and it can only be heard by a young guy in a service van. He doesn't believe what he is hearing and the film continues to make us root for her getting him to understand her plight and help her and her husband and child, being held also by thugs. Kept my interest and Evans was very entertaining. Kim was okay, but an actress can only do so much with the helpless victim role. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337921/

REPEATS:

On TCM:

It's Love I'm After (1937) Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland. Fluff. The troop tries but can't make this work. Famous acting couple, playing Romeo & Juliet, fight like snarling cats and dogs. Silly young woman in a box at the theater falls madly in love and makes a nuisance of herself. Her fiance and father think it a good idea to have Romeo come to the country estate and make her fall out of her nuttiness. Wife thinks all are mad. Wasn't as charming or funny this time around. Maybe my mood. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029058/

Brother Orchid (1940) Edward G Robinson, Ann Sothern, Ralph Bellamy, Humphrey Bogart. Edward G. is just wonderful as a mobster who has it all - lots of money, great fiance, his mob under his thumb. Decides to get some culture and goes to Europe for a few years. When all his money is gone to high living and at the casinos, he heads back to pick up where he left off. Too late. His mob has a new leader who has 'the boys' take him out to the country to rub him out. He gets shot but starts running through the woods and is found by a monk at a monastery. Then comes the real fun as he learns their ways and teaches them a thing or two. Ann S. as his true blue gal is fun as always. Bogie is good as the bad guy. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032285/

HBO:

The Birdcage (1996) Robin Williams, Nathan Lane. Funniest couple in a film. Just enjoy the remarkable performances. A favorite. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115685/

IFC:

Dear Frankie (2005) Emily Mortimer, Gerard Butler, Jack McElhone. One of Gerry Butlers films I keep in rotation to see at least once a year. Little boy who is deaf and is Mother and Grandmother move to a new town and take a flat near the sea. His Dad supposedly is a sailor on a ship called the Accra. He gets letters from and sends answers to a person he thinks is his father. In reality, it is his Mother who has managed a deception so she can "hear his voice" through the letters he writes back. When she is trapped into hiring a man to act as the Dad, our Stranger (Butler) appears, in a scene that is stunning. The Stranger sits down and all the air is sucked out of the room. Beautiful. The quiet performance is so strong, we have no doubt this man could change all their lives. Mortimer is perfect as is the boy McElhone. In fact, there is not a false note or performance in the film. A real gem. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377752/

Heat and summer rains make soupy air. Mornings are the only time to be out and about. Watching old favorites and some of the lighter fare from the last few years, is all one can do to cope. LOL

A classic B plus -----

2011-06-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

----films from the last 40 years. Since my last posting, I have seen:

New old film:

Beg, Borrow or Steal (1937) Frank Morgan, Florence Rice, John Beal. MGM b-picture - only 72 minutes long. Morgan is a rogue and with his 5 accomplices con rich people out of money and whatever they can get away with. Enter Morgans ex-wife and grown daughter who Mama wants to marry off in a lavish wedding at an estate, to impress. Morgan and cronies find one - which just happens to belong to the latest member of the group, a 'real' swell, unbeknowest to the others - and the nuptials are set. Of course, he falls for daughter dear. The usual mixups and dire straights ensue, but Papa gets through all without losing too much dignity. Would that TV comedies had as much wit and great ensemble acting as the B units at MGM and other classic studios. And Frank Morgan is a jewel. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028616/

Replays:

The Big Chill (1983) Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Meg Tilly, Mary Kay Place, Jeff Goldblum, JoBeth Williams, Tom Berenger. Love the ensemble cast, the music, and the weekend the characters spend together at the South Carolina antebellum home of the doctor(Close) and businessman(Kline). These flower children have all learned about the real world and lost their idealized fantasies. Except for the suicide victim, which is why they got together again. And then Hurt the druggie, who almost gets arrested on his friends property. And then the lady lawyer, who gave up defending scum(her words) and is now a corporate hire who only wants a child. As in every group, things change, and you sink or swim. A favorite to revisit now and then. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085244/

Other Peoples Money (1991) Penelope Ann Miller, Danny DeVito, Gregory Peck, Piper Laurie, Dean Jones. A favorite about companies, lawyers, and corporate raiders. Twenty years have passed since this came out, and the speech Peck makes about "nothing is made in the country anymore" and DeVitos about moving on to a profitable enterprise and not being "the best darn buggy whip maker" in a dying market, is as relevant today and it was then. The scenes of Larry and Kate one-upping each other and using whatever it takes to get the upper hand, is fun to watch. BUT. It forgets the real people and lives that are ruined so they can have their game. All the actors are spot on. Miller is great as the "broad who did you in" and DeVito has never been better. When he plays the violin and sings "I'm in the Mood For Love" over the phone, and Miller laughs, delighted, I always do too. Great scene played perfectly. I love it. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102609/

The Hurt Locker (2008) Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty. A squad that goes out every day defusing bombs in Iraq, and then having fist fights at night to let off tension, is the focus of this well-done film. Renner, Mackie and Geraghty are simply perfect as a specialist who seemingly knows no fear, and the other two guys in the squad who are just counting down the days left on their deployment, so they can leave the 'h--- hole.' The scenes of the squad doing their routine daily mission of going out and looking for IUDs is harrowing. The tension builds and it is a relief when the tour is over and they can go home. But Renners Sgt. is so messed up he only feels alive when he is in danger. So we see he is back with an elite squad at the end, back on the front line. Well done and suspenseful. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887912/

NEW films off HBO:

The Time Travelers Wife (2009) Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana. Fantasy, nicely done. Although this is a genre I don't always love, this was a sweet story. The main actors did well. Bana looked great! I don't think I understood what the main theme was, and it was not clear what we are supposed to 'get'. But it was shot beautifully and I enjoyed it so---- 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452694/

Inception (2010) Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy. SciFi Fantasy. Confused. I was not amused or intrigued and did not care for the actors soooo---- 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/

WE are having lovely weather to spend outdoors, so movies have given way to watching bikers and walkers on the trail, birds at the feeders, and the wind in the wil---, wait, I mean elms and sycamores.

Favorites and others:

2011-06-12T20:34:00.001-05:00

Watched these movies all the way through. Lots of others just a bit or more, mainly because I was doing a little gardening which puts me right to sleep from being tired - and all the fresh air.

Virginia City (1940) Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, Randolph Scott, Humphrey Bogart. The south's Civil War gold is the prize and Scott and Hopkins the ones to get it from Nevada to the south, through Union troops. Flynn is the guy sent to stop them. Okay, but not as exciting as earlier films with our heroes. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033226/

The Jungle Book (1994) Jason Scott Lee, Lena Headey, Sam Neill. Beautiful film but no where as good as the earlier version with Sabu. 7/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110213/

The Crucible (1996) Winona Rider, Daniel Day Lewis. Joan Allen. Paul Scofield. Tells the horrible tale of hysteria and prejudice. Not pleasant to watch people being beastly to each other. For religion! From the play by Arthur Miller. Joan Allen (Oscar nominee) is great, as usual. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115988/

The History Boys (2006/British) Richard Griffiths, Dominic Cooper. Rather boring story of young guys getting prepped for the big exam which will get them in to Oxford - or not. And their teachers who are quirky.. 6/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0464049/

Whiteout (2009) Kate Beckinsale, Tom Skerritt, Alec O'Loughlin. Too much ice and snow. In the location, the actors, the story. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365929/

Salt (2010) Angelina Jolie & Liev Schreiber. She's undercover CIA. She's a Russian spy. Then she's not. Then she is! Is he villain or hero? Around we go, with lots of action. Like both so: 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944835/

How To Train Your Dragon (2010) Animation. Voices; Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson. Not my cuppa. But pretty and lovable. Okay for kids. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892769/

Knight And Day (2010 Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise. Lots of action and a confused story. I didn't care. Like the stars a lot. 6/10

Clash Of The Titans (2010) Watched half and gave up. Not my cuppa and no actors thrilled me.

Too Big To Fail (2011-HBO) William Hurt, Paul Giamatti, James Woods, Billy Crudup, Cynthia Nixon, Ed Asner. Great cast playing horrible men. Best work of Hurt in years. Giamatti and Woods, great as always . Nixon is the surprise and very good doing the PR for the big man. She holds her scenes. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1742683/

Repeats _Over and Over again. DVR'd copies off various channels of:

His Kind Of Woman (1951) Jane Russell, Robert Mitchum, Vincent Price. 9/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043643/

Out Of Africa (1985) Meryl Streep, Robert Redford. Beautiful. 9/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089755/

Out Of Sight. (1998) George and JLo. Mahvelous dahlings.

Sleepless In Seattle (1991) Story is always new! And Ryan and Hanks are so darn watchable.

August Rush (2007) Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Robin Williams, Terrence Howard.  Lovely. 9/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426931/

Taken (2009) again. Luv it! Liam Neeson. "I WILL find you and I will kill you." Great hero for his daughter, saying his great line to the bad guy. 9/10

Jennifer, Esther, Anne are the ladies --

2011-05-15T12:54:00.000-05:00

---this week:

On FMC:

Cluny Brown (1946) Jennifer Jones, Charles Boyer, Peter Lawford, Helen Walker. My favorite Ernst Lubitsch, with great charm and wit and my all time favorite Jones film. Right up there with Boyer's best as a man who takes nothing - especially himself - seriously. With the beginning to the war and the bombing of England on the horizon the people in the film are still blissfully unaware and continue being their silly selves. The players, the script and the director, capture those quaint times to perfection. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038419/

Duchess Of Idaho (1950) Esther Williams, Van Johnson, John Lund, Paula Raymond. Esther swims, Van sings?, Lund and Raymond carry what plot there is, and the MGM musical comedy troupe do their cameos, to make a passable film in the Williams collection. Skiing and swimming and dancing and romancin'. That's the formula - and it worked for the 1950's. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042417/

The Safecracker (1958) Boring behind enemy lines story of a safe-cracker who was recruited out of an English prison to get "the list" out of a secret safe in a secret chateau for a secret mission by a secret group of soldiers. And it is all secret. Colley Dawson is his name and secrets is his game. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052155/

Passengers (2008) Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson. After a plane crash, young therapist Claire, is assigned to the group of six survivors to work through their feelings and find out what they remember. Her mentor and superior cautions her to not become to involved with anyone. As she gets into their stories, she finds herself bonding with passenger Eric. But as the days and weeks go by, one by one the passengers go missing. Claire suspects first one and then another, but can't solve the mystery. Pretty good but no Sixth Sense. The leads are drop-dead gorgeous. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449487/

The Losers (2010/I) Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I watched it but have no idea what it was about. Losers is right. No rating. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480255/

One sweet daughter had to be in the hospital for a procedure this week so we were all bamfoozled. She's better and hopefully, will be well soon. We need levity in our lives.

Stella, Daisy, and The Kids----

2011-05-11T11:13:00.002-05:00

Since April 20th, I have watched:

Stella Dallas (1937) Barbara Stanwyke, John Boles, Anne Shirley, Barbara O'Neil, Alan Hale. Based on a famous novel about Mother love and sacrifice, this is a quintessential "woman's" film of the 1930's. It spawned a long running radio soap opera that my Mom and Grandmother listened to every day, so my sisters and I did too. Barbara is simply great as the gal from a factory town who goes after the man she wants and gets him. But then she doesn't want to live his life, and he can't live hers. The final scenes of Stel looking through the window at her grown up daughter getting married in a beautiful gown, always makes me cry. She did one thing right, after all. Cast is all fine and production is first rate. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029608/

Daisy Kenyon (1947) Joan Crawford, Dana Andrews, Henry Fonda. Commented on yearly or more so. A great "matinee ladies" film. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119468/

Kiss The Girls (1997) Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Tony Goldwyn. Based on a James Patterson novel with main character Dr. Alex Cross(Freeman), who becomes involved in a case because his niece goes missing. Judd is Dr.Kate McTiernan who also is snatched, but escapes to eventually help Cross figure out where the victims are being held and who is the 'collector.' Pretty suspenseful and the three actors are very good. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119468/

The Recruit (2003) Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan Very complicated training goes into making a CIA operative. Or something. Pacino is the recruiter; Farrell his object. Moynahan is in the same class. What happens is not real. Then when Farrell thinks he is out of the program, Pacino reels him back in as an off the grid agent. Then all are revealed to be in a secret program. I think. Complicated. Much too. But I was still awake at the end sooooo----- 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0292506/

Night People (1954) Gregory Peck, Broderick Crawford, Buddy Epsen, Anita Bjork, Rita Gam. Terrific film about the cold war at the beginning, and the division of Berlin into the Russian and the Allied sectors. Kids were kidnapped just to harass the allies. Peck is flawless as the tough Col. Van Dyke in charge of getting the soldier back, if possible. When he has to contend with the boys father (Crawford), blustering around, his shooting him off his high horse is a great scene. May not seem so to today's film audiences, but we were delighted in 1954. Epsen as the 'old soldier', the doer, is just perfect. Highly recommended. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047279/

The Kids Are All Right (2010) Julianne Moore, Annette Benning, Mark Ruffalo. I cannot say much for this because it was so unpleasant to watch. Benning is a mean controlling bit--. Moore is a whiny dishrag. And has there ever been a more unattractive leading man that Ruffalo? Ye Gods, I was fast forwarding through some dialog that was so sleep inducing I almost succumbed. Very disappointing. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0842926/

With warm (almost hot) weather, I'm outdoors a lot now. We have had one of our frustrating seasons - cold into hot with hardly any springlike days at all. Lots of winds and cold for our April. The cruelist month! So I did genealogy. Onward.....

The two Mildreds

2011-04-20T13:44:00.000-05:00

Mildred Pierce (2011 - 5 part series) Kate Winslet, Guy Pierce, Evan Rachel Woods, Mellisa Leo. Well, I learnd something new. I never knew this story was based on a book by James M. Cain. But I'm a great fan of the film noir version with Joan Crawford. This one may be accurate to the early 1930's and the depression era, but the feel of the 1945 version is more accurate. I was a depression era baby and the fact that Mildred could order a new dress from a store and have it sent was so far removed from the experience of the people in my city neighborhood, I sort of gave up on the whole thing. Kate is a good actress. But she can't hold the screen the way Crawford can. i was not impressed, but I did stick with it the whole way. And I may watch it again. But I'm not saving it to my DVR. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1492030/

Mildred Pierce (1945) Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Ann Blyth, Eve Arden. I have loved this since the first time I saw it as a teen when it first came out. Great performances by all the principals. And I am glad the story was turned into a film noir. Much more interesting. Joan is a dynamo. Ann Blyth the grown up child we all dread. Jack Carson is perfect as the snake who tells it like it is; Eve Arden as the best friend we all need; and Scott, charming and deadly. The lighting, music score, and art direction and cinematography - shadows, angles; it doesn't get much better than this. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037913/

Ginger, Paulette, Ann, Kate, & Jessica......

2011-04-20T11:07:00.001-05:00

----it's ladies days. Recently I watched these films;

The Major & The Minor (1942) Ginger Rogers, Ray Milland, Diana Lynn, Rita Johnson. Ginger went from the melodrama that won her the Oscar to this delightful rom/com where she starts out masquerading as an 11-12 year old at a boys military academy. Milland and Lynn are great too, but Ginger is the one who carries the film. Rita Johnson is one great biotch. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035019/

The Crystal Ball (1943) Paulette Goddard, Ray Milland, Virginia Field, Gladys George, William Bendix. Good Screwball comedy in the Bringing Up Baby mode. Plot is all about a gal who wins a contest at home in Texas, gets to NYC broke, lands a job with a fortune teller and meets a guy she chases the rest of the film, until he catches her. Best sequence in in the hallway of a penthouse our gal just picked out to pretend she lived in the building, where we keep having characters get there just in time to run into uncreditied actress Mabel Paige in the hallway, walking her small pekinese dog. First she just happens to see Paulette's get her dress ripped off by the true occupant.
"Totally hoodwinked by this half-undressed gold-digger, the New York swell(Milland) sends his man back to the same penthouse the next day with a giant box of flowers for Miss Hog County. This time the husband answers the door, assumes his wife is having an affair with the sender of this floral tribute, and crushes the box on the head of the messenger. The hapless latter man emerges into the hallway, where Mabel tells him "You're very fortunate; the last one had her clothes torn right off of her!"
Upon learning about what happened to his flower delivery, the duped society man races over to the high-rise suite himself, where the ubiquitous Mabel asks him "Are you going in there?" to which he replies "Yes;" "You don't mind if I watch?" she concludes hopefully. The jealous husband again answers the door and quickly decks the swine lady's suitor with a punch to the nose. Staggering away once and for all, the ubiquitous Mabel chortles to him "Ha ha ha ha--you were the best of any of them!"
Magnifico! A delight. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035771/

Maisie Goes To Reno (1944) Ann Sothern, John Hodiak, Tom Drake, Ava Gardner. Reviewed before. Ann is a delight. And Ava in her small role was already lighting up the screen. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037040/

Without Love (1945) Tracy & Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Keenan Wynn. A favorite commented on here before. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038256/

Kitty (1945) Paulette Goddard, Ray Milland, Constance Collier. Gainsborough paints her straight off the street and men immediately flock around. From the gutter to the palace of a Duke. A very popular novel made into a perfect role for beautiful Paulette. Ripped bodices, drawing rooms, tea with the swells, balls and learning to talk like a lady. Lots of fun. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037849/

Tales Of Hoffmann (1951) Moira Shearer, Robert Rounseville, Robert Helpmann, Pamela Brown. The great Powell/Pressburger film of the stories of Hoffmann. The color and sets, costumes and fantasy effects are perfection. For any day, 1951 or 2011, this is a treat for the eyes and ears. Has there ever been a more enchanting ballerina? Her mechanical doll dance is wonderful. And the Barcarole is so lush and saturated with color we just about get delirious. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044103/

Cousin Bette (1998) Jessica Lange, Elizabeth Shue, Hugh Laurie, Bob Hoskins. Having never read Balzac, I watched this film just as I would any period costume drama. And I thought is was interesting and that Lange was fine as a mistreated, poor, cousin. When she is continually passed over and snubbed, it isn't too hard to see how revenge would soon be of importance to her. I remember seeing this back when it first made it to cable and this week it was shown on the Sundance Ch. Not for anyone wanting action but it weaves its' spell slowly. And Bette, it seems to me, ended up with what she had always wanted. She has the house (partially closed), the man(a wreck mentally and physically), and the child (of her one true love). And! SHE is in charge. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118894/

Spring is having a hard time staying warm. But the narcissus are blooming and the fruit trees. Grass is emerald. Lookin' good!

What I saw recently ----

2011-04-12T07:24:00.002-05:00

Kitty Foyle (1940) Ginger Rogers(Oscar), Dennis Morgan, James Craig, Gladys Cooper. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032671/

Play Girl (1941) Kay Francis as a professional gold-digger.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032916/

Tom, Dick & Harry (1941) Ginger Rogers, Burgess Meredith, George Murphy, Alan Marshall. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034299/

Rage In Heaven (1941) Ingrid Bergman, George Sanders, Robert Montgomery. Sanders shines as a romantic lead for a change. 6/10    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034078/

True Grit (1969) John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glenn Campbell, Robert Duvall. Darby was a charmer. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065126/

Emma (1996-TV Mini-series) Kate Beckinsale, Mark Strong. The leads are good. Strong very good. 8/10    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118308/

A Time To Kill (1996) Matthew McConaughey, Samuel Jackson, Sandra Bullock. 9/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117913/

Comments coming if I have time.

Once again----

2011-04-11T11:47:00.004-05:00

---I watched the gals, this time on HBO----

Sex & The City 2 (2010) Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrell, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Chris Noth. Further adventures of the fab 4. Outrageous fashions, silly, trivial problems of 4 women who have it all - they are good looking, rich, have successful careers if they choose, and men when they want. Having it all doesn't mean we are satisfied. But we don't have to feel sorry for these gals, or outraged just because they are superficial. What we see is a fun movie with gorgeous scenery - that we don't have to be sorry about - no animals or humans were hurt in making this film. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1261945/

I have lots more movies I have watched but don't have time for comments now. Spring and flowers and all that - and genealogy too----

Kay Francis suffers in Stolen Holiday...

2011-03-29T13:32:00.003-05:00

---what else? And Ian Hunter the romantic lead. Love his voice and presence. Rains his usual great villain. Stolen Holiday (1937) Kay Francis, Claude Rains, Ian Hunter, Alison Skipworth. Kay was The Star. Her name all alone above the title and her male co-stars together after the title. This is one of her roles that fit her to a T. Lots of great clothes (she owns a shop and designs all the gowns.) Story begins with her a model at a fashion house who is picked by Rains, as a con-man, to front for he and his partners money laundering schemes. Of course, she is not part of the scheme and sticks by him through thick and thin. During her first days modeling, she has also met Hunter, a diplomate, and when they meet again they fall in love. He is sent away by her because scandal would ruin his career. Before the fade, all works out. Warners could not let Kay suffer at the end - her fans would have come with pitch forks. My Mom included. Now I love her too. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028310/

Five about women, for women---

2011-03-20T23:23:00.006-05:00

This week I have watched:

Smarty (1934) Joan Blondell, Warren William, Edward Everett Horton, Claire Dodd. Vicki(Joan) is married to Tony{Warren), but she is so ditsy he finally clips her on the chin. Her attorney-friend (Horton) secure her divorce and marries her himself. But she really isn't through with first hubby so makes a complete pest of herself at his apartment as he is trying to entertain others. I know Joan is supposed to be funny and fun, but was really irritating in this film. Pre-code, so gowns push the limits of being what upper class wives would wear. Not one of Joans usual delights. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025803/

First Lady (1937) Kay Francis, Anita Louise, Preston Foster, Verree Teasdale, Walter Connelly. Kay is a Washington wife of the Secretary of State who thinks he should be the next President. Her rival in D.C. women's circles is the wife of a stuffy Supreme Court Justice, who hates it and wants a divorce. Except the powerful owner of a huge newspaper chain is picking him for the next Republican candidate. So she does an about face in order to become first lady, which makes Mrs. Sec. furious. Kay and Verree are great as they get off their putdowns of each other and zingers and the looks are like daggers to the heart. Anita Louise is simple lovely and should have become a huge star, she is so fragile and sweet. First rate production from Warners. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028874/

The Women Men Marry (1937) George Murphy, Josephine Hutchinson, Sidney Blackmer, Claire Dodd. Investigative reporter marries the wrong woman, who cheats with the editor of the newspaper, while his lady partner is in love with him. All the while they are trying to get the goods on a charlatan who is duping people into giving lots of money to become part of his cult. It all works out by the end. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029793/

Diary Of A Chambermaid. (1964) Le journal d'une femme de chambre (French title) Jeanne Moreau. Boring. Moreau has one expression for everything -dour -, but she can smile but doesn't very often in this film. She is the maid who arrives on a train in the village at the beginning. We see her interact with the members of the household and the neighbors. A child is helped by her and then sent off home. In the woods her body is found later. Raped. Nothing is done, so Moreau decides who she thinks did it and contrives to frame him. But he is never convicted and the film ends with the symbolism of angry workers marching through the streets into - the future with Naziism and horror. I was not impressed. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058249/

A Good Woman (2004) Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johannson, Tom Wilkinson. Oscar Wilde's play of 'good' woman, 'bad' woman and their men and what they had to do to keep them, is moved from late 1800's England to 1930's Riviera. Hunt and Johannson are fine as Mrs. Erlynne and Lady Windermer, but the old guys steal the show. Cecil, Dumby and Tuppy (Wilkinson) are so likable and droll even as they make nasty remarks, we enjoy being with them as we do all gossips. Even when we know it is wrong. In the same vein as Gosford Park - it is the era, the costumes, the music of the times - that weave a spell. If you let it. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379306/

Keeping up with the news these days make me want to cry, but I had to buck up and send a donation to the Salvation Army International for Japan. Now we have another war. Has this earth ever had all its peoples at peace at the same time. The more I know of history, the less likely it seems. Hopefully, we will have some good news soon. Meanwhile, comedies for this coming week!

March madness means---

2011-03-18T11:21:00.003-05:00

---not many films. Too busy with genealogy with my sister. We're looking for our grandfather, who dissapears sometime between 1918 and 1920, when my grandmother remarries. No records for the 2 missing years, so far. So, movies are taking a backseat to a real mystery!

This month so far, I have watched:

Love Me Tonight (1932) Jeanette MacDonald, Maurice Chevalier. This may be the best of their films together, but I like it the least. She's a Princess who suffers fainting fits. He is a tailor who comes to her estate to collect debts from her relative who has cheated all the tradesmen in town. She is snooty. He charms all the people on the estate except for his rivals for her affection. A few of the songs are favorites - Lover, the title song, and Mimi is a romp, but as for the humor and charm - I don't see it. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023158/

She's Got Everything (1937) Ann Sothern, Gene Raymond, Helen Broderick, Victor Moore. My favorite "B" movie actress with a great supporting cast of "A" character actors and a breezy script, makes an enjoyable 90 minutes. Story is of an heiress who discovers she owes a fortune instead of inheriting one. Trying to get a job and pay her debts, mixups and sillyness ensues. Fun and funny. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030741/

Lara Croft II (2003) Angelena Jolie, Gerard Butler. Rewatch of the adventure comic book film. The scenery is great (the stars) - landscapes too. Mindless afternoon watch, while doing other things. Background noise. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325703/

Street Kings (2008) Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitacre, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans. Average cop corruption tale with the only good guy able to blow away perps at will with no consequences. If that is your cuppa tea, this is a film you will enjoy. From the first half hour I was pretty sure the Whitacre character was gonna be a douche. Laurie irritated me so I was not enthralled with this story at all. If you like stories where no one has a moral compass, this is it! 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421073/

Robin Hood (2010) Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett. Well, The Russ is always watchable and Cate can do no wrong for me, but the tale told is not the legend, so was boring to me. We get the pre-Sherwood Forrest Robin of Locksley. Which is not uninteresting, but is a slow slog. Give me the green leggins on great thighs, swinging in on a vine with a wink and a nod - every time. The last two versions have been ugly, dirty-looking and bad. This one is intersting but not what I was looking for in Robin Hood. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955308/

I'm DVRing films I want to watch later, but having too much fun with my family mystery to watch fiction films. Onward.....

Killers, a great horse, a classic, and John Sayles....

2011-02-21T09:05:00.002-06:00

---- I watched these films recently:

TCMs 30 Days Of Oscar:

Gigi (1958) Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier. An all-time favorite musical. The cast is perfect; the sets and costumes are perfect; the songs are just right; so for me, this is a 10/10 all time favorite film. I just watch and enjoy. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051658/

FXHD:

The Replacement Killers (1998) Chow Yun Fat, Mira Sorvino. Chows first Hollywood film and it almost ruined him. However, it is not that bad. Sorvino and he are good together and the theme music is unusual. The action cannot compare to his John Woo films from Hong Kong, but are as good as many action films from La-la land. Story of revenge among the Chinese criminal class, and how with blackmail, people can be made to do almost anything. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120008/

DVR'd off HBO:

Sunshine State (2002) Edie Falco, Timothy Hutton, Angela Bassett, Mary Steenburgen, Jane Alexander, Ralph Waite, Alan King. A John Sayles film about Florida and development. Good and bad, yes and no, and the decisions people make. Bassett and her doctor husband, (Desiree and Reggie), have come to visit her Mama and the old home next to a beautiful white beach. It is in the area that was bought up by a wealthy black man and resold to other blacks in the early years of Florida when no blacks were allowed on beaches run by towns or counties. But with desegregation, lots of the original families have gone on to other places. So the land is ripe for picking by land developers. The various characters and companies who want to develop strip malls and franchise restaurants come like locusts. One company has its' bulldozers ready. The Temple family, who own a motel, restaurant complex, are the interesting group. Daughter Marly(Falco) runs things now, but hates it. Dad, Furman (Waite), is almost blind, and rants about how things used to be, when you could refuse accommodations to anyone. Mom, Delia(Alexander), has her own life and has never had any part of the family business. But she has had 25 years of running a community theater. At the final scenes of the story, she is the one who tells the hot-shot snotty businessman what is what, and what he and the other guys wanting to develop the land will have to do - sign contracts, share future profits, 5-10 years down the road, etc. Not for nothing has she raised and managed funds for her beloved theater all these years. There will be development, but there will be some who can say what kind. Long and complex, this is a film with many stories and takes its' time. Alexander plays her big scene quietly and with such good humor, you almost fail to realize it is the key scene in the film. The rest of the cast are very good and all have their shining moments. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286179/

DVD Rental:

Secretariat (2010) Diane Lane, John Malkovich. Great horse, born from a great sire, is the hope of Meadow farm and Penny Chenery. She has had to bury her mother, and see that her father is unable to run his business any longer. The film is more about how she copes and manages to win in a man's game, finding the great trainer and jockey she needs to win races. There is no doubt that at any point in those first two years of the great horses life, if she had not had grit, she could have lost control and there might not have been a Triple Crown at all. The winning of the Belmont, the last leg of the Triple, by 23 lengths was one of the greatest feats in horse racing and stands as a record to this day. I watch it and always get a lump in my throat and tears spill out of my eyes. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1028576/

More hours go to checking records and filling in the blanks of my genealogy history than watching films since 2011 began. It is a fascinating journey.

2008's Best??----

2011-02-09T10:26:00.003-06:00

---one is and one isn't...IMHO.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) This film is not one I will ever see again. I waited to see it until I finally DVR'd it and watched in two sittings. It was so boring and awful in the first half, I went to sleep. I watched the second half last night and did a lot of fast forwarding. I really cannot see what got everyone so entranced. The children were mistreated and lived in squalor their entire lives. Triumph of the spirit, but it is not pretty or uplifting to watch, IMO. 4/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/

The Wrestler (2008) Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Ward. The fake and brutal world of the pro wrestler and how Randy "The Ram" Robinson has become the faded has been he is now, compared to the star of 20 years ago. He is barely making beer money on the American Legion circuit and has been locked out of his trailer by the park manager, for back rent. He has almost no contact with his only child, daughter Stephanie. She wants nothing to do with him. He frequents a stripper joint and pays for the services of lap-dancer, Pam. At one of his matches, both guys get really violent and he has a heart attack. The doctor tells him he will die if he doesn't give up the ring and the various drugs he uses to keep at top physical shape. So he tries a job at the grocery full time; connection with Stephanie; and asking Pam to marry him. All his overtures are failures. He is a displaced soul. He goes back to the familiarity of the ring and tells the crowd "you are my family." He would rather die in the ring among his devoted fans than live in utter despair. Rourke is superb. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1125849/

Another snow shower last night - about 3 inches. Phil says we are in for 6 more weeks. Bah! Humbug! LOL

TCMs Oscar month begins-----

2011-02-06T10:37:00.002-06:00

---and so far, I haven't been tempted. Why is that? So many Oscar nominated, or winners, are films I have no desire to see after the first time. Anyway, here is a early musical I have never seen before; and a nice little indie film about real people:

One Hour With You (1932) Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Genevieve Tobin, Charles Ruggles, Roland Young. Pre-code and a bit naughty with Jeanette in her sciveys and low cut gowns. Some good songs. Andre is a doctor, Colette his young wife. Very much in love, but---- Mitzi is Colette's best friend, but you know...she can't help but flirt with the good Doc. Her husband, Olivier, is trying to get out of his marriage and sets up a private eye to follow his cheating spouse. Parties and so forth provide the opportunity for mischief. Our love birds are reunited at the fade-out. Highlight is the song "One Hour With You" as the couples dance and change partners among the cheating and mixups. Cast is very good. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023303/

Stand & Deliver (1988) Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Philips. Great story of the impact a teacher can have on students. Jaime Escalante wants his students, who are prone to dropping out of school, to have a better chance at life. He challenges them to learn calculus to build up their self-esteem and take the college test, and when they do so well on the test, that they are accused of cheating, he challenges the officials in charge of testing. His students are given the test over again, and again have high scores. This time there is no question, it is legitimate and Escalante demands that the original tests be reinstated. For the next few years his classes grow in numbers of students and have the highest scores on the college test. Inspiring story of a real man and real school - Garfield High in east L.A. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094027/

We are in the deep freeze with mountains of snow piled up everywhere. Nothing for it but hot drinks, soup and movies by the fire. Yes, indeed......

2011-01-27T09:30:00.006-06:00

I watched these films recently:

Topper Returns (1941) Roland Young, Joan Blondell, Carole Landis, Billie Burke, Dennis O'Keefe, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. Wonderful cast of character actors steal the film from the stars. Young, Burke, and Anderson are a riot. This time it is Blondell who is killed, murdered by mistake, and she coerces Topper into helping her find out why? And who. Light and funny. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034303/

Road To Morocco (1942) Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour. My favorite of the Road films. Zany and crazy but the 3 stars are all at their best, in looks, voice and because they seem to be having fun, I did too. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035262/

Since You Went Away (1944) Wonderful film of the women left at home during WWII and how they coped. Made during the darkest days of the war, when the USA was losing thousands of men a day with no end in sight. Nearly every family had someone who was wounded or killed. This film is about an upper middle class family with a maid and lots of privileges, but it is one look at how it was for one family. Jennifer Jones saying goodbye to her soldier sweetheart as she runs down the depot platform is so heartbreaking, and one of her greatest few minutes on film. Beautifully filmed and acted. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037280/

Stage Fright (1950) Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd. Hitchcock misfire. I have not seen it for over 25 years and it is just a bore. Very disappointing. Strange, because I used to like it, but this time - no. Even the Dietrich magic is not there. The only actor who shines is Alistair Sim as Wymans father, Commodor Gill and Dame Sybil Thornedike as his wife. Both are great and Hitch should have had more of them, which would have made this boring film watchable. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042994/

Songcatcher (2001) Janet McTeer, Aidan Quinn, Jane Adams, Pat Carroll, Emmy Rossum. Wonderful film set in early 1900s about a woman professor, who ventured into Appalachia, North Carolina mountains, to visit her sister's school, and ends up collecting the mountain peoples music. The story is told from a woman's viewpoint, with the major plot points showing the struggles of the women. But also showing how hardy, good humored and brave they were. And showing the tradition of the balladeer/storyteller in the transfer of traditional music and stories handed down through hundreds of years. The music is wonderful, and the characters interesting. A part of America not often featured in film or print. Wonderful. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042994/

Inside Man (2006) Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Denzel Washington. Bank caper film. Stars make it worth watching. Reviewed before. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454848/

What Happens In Vegas (2008) Cameron Diaz, Ashton Krutcher. Leads actors are fun to watch, but in their roles in this film, are impossible to like much. Both go to Vegas to forget what has just happened to them and end up spending a drunken night of partying and high jinks with each other. Among other things they did, they get married, and they win a jackpot of 3 million dollars, with her quarter which he put in the machine and pulled the lever. So who gets the money? When they go before a judge, he makes them wait through 6 months of marriage counseling, and after ups and downs, they find they care for each other. Yeah. We know! But watching a guy urinating in the sink for whatever reason is not funny and makes the character so awful I was not able to see any good in him, so didn't care if they ended up together. With the money maybe she won't have to see him very often. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033643/

300 (2007) Gerard Butler, Lena Headey. Leonidas and Queen Gordo, and the brave 300's last stand at the Hot Gates, against the invading hoard from Persia. Great film. Narrated by Delios, David Wenham. Reviewed before. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416449/

The Brave One (2007) Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard. Story of a radio talk show host who with her lover and their dog are assaulted in Central Park. Waking up after 2 days in a hospital, Erica is told David has been killed, and is so traumatized she can barely function. After the police do not seem to be doing all they can to discover what happened and who did it, Erica buys a gun to feel safe, and carries it all the time. At a convenience store one night as she wanders the aisles, a thug robs the clerk and kills him, then stalks Erica and she kills him. So far, self defense. But after another incident on the subway, when she kills 2 guys harassing everyone and threatening her, she is dubbed a vigilante. Meanwhile, Howard and the officer in charge of the investigation of these killings, gets close to discovering who the killer is, and they both become aware of each other. Is she justified? Interesting question, and no easy answers. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476964/

Accidental Husband (2008) Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Sam Shepard. Can you believe? With this cast, this film never got a distributor and was never released. As rom/coms go, it is not that bad. But the concept is ridiculous. Smart author/radio host tells listener her fiancee is not for her and dummy breaks her engagement. Said fellow is a fireman and he becomes involved with radio host and they end up married or something. How it all comes out is the movie. Plot devices are so crazy and the characters act so nuts, we are muddled. Firths character is the only one that you halfway hope will find happiness. The other two deserve each other. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0809504/

Last weekend of the month to watch films, so hope I can get some of the Oscar nominated films to see.

Girls, a Man, Vampires, and A Piece Of Work---

2011-01-16T07:44:00.003-06:00

---this week I watched:

Calendar Girls (2003) Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, Ciaran Hinds. The actresses are all amazing and funny. The local Women's Institute is trying to raise money for a good cause for the hospital, as they do each year. Last years calendar had pictures of bridges; this years is to be local churches; not expected to raise any more than the bridges. Trying to hit on something they think might sell, they finally hit on a nude calendar, and get 11 members to agree to pose, with a group shot for December. What happens as they pose, print, and do publicity, is amusing and when they end up a world sensation, a delight. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1131729/

A Serious Man (2009) Whole bunch of actors I never heard of in a film that is a Coen Bros. downer that goes on and on - and then abruptly - ends. I seriously didn't like it. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1019452/

Twilight: New Moon (2010) Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Taylor Lautner. More of Bella and Edward and Jacob. - vampires and werewolves - in the beautiful northwest woods of Washington. Teenage angst and turmoil. If Kristen/Bella would raise her head and look into the eyes of her co-stars, would she really turn into another creature? She has a bad habit of seeming to look at their chin. Very distracting. Otherwise, not bad fantasy film. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/

Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work (2010) 75 years old, and still going strong. My kind of gal! Film follows her through one year; her time after she and Melissa were dumped from E!'s Red Carpet shows, through her grand triumph on Trumps "The Apprentice." Joan thinks of herself as an actress instead of comedienne/writer which is where she has had most of her success. At times melancholy, but mostly up and funny. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568150/

Not much time for films last week, because I got back into my genealogy, digging through records, etc. Time consuming and I forget time completely.
Onward to whatever comes......

Drollery with Peter Sellers----

2011-01-07T23:14:00.003-06:00

Recently watched on TCM:

Heavens Above (1963) Peter Sellers, Isabel Jeans, Cecil Parker. One of the last whimsical satires Sellers made in Britain before he became a super star with his roles in Lolita and Dr. Strangelove. As the Rev. Smallwood, he is mistakenly sent to a parish with upper class snobs who have no use for lesser folk. As he meets his parishioners, he sees what they really are and, when he comes upon a band of extended family members who live in tents and trailers and carts, as they are being evicted off the land by a big business venture, he invites them to come and live at the parish house. This is looked on with horror and in really bad taste! Lady Despard (Jeans) disapproves and is giving him what for, when he brings up 'the Bible' and what it says about the poor. She does some reading in the good book and decides to give away free food in the village. Which upsets the shopkeepers no end and when the giveaway is over, the people turn on the Good Rev and the church leaders decide to get rid of him by making him the pastor of outer space. Droll and amusing. No big laughs but smiles and chuckles throughout. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057134/

HBO:

Pirate Radio (2009) Philip Seymore Hoffman and a lot of other people. In the 1960's Britain's BBC tried to keep rock and roll off the airwaves as corrupting youth. A group of renegade broadcasters and assorted types take to the high seas in a big ship and broadcast 24 hours a day. The government is not amused. Various schemes to shut them down are tried. None work. Eventually the ship itself defeats them by sinking. But all is not lost, and rock continues and is still going strong. Amusing. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1131729/

To be con't...

Happy New Year - 1st 2011 films-----

2011-01-01T12:38:00.002-06:00

--to comment on. I watched these over the last 4 days and nights of 2010:

TCM:
The Bachelor & The Bobbie Soxer (1947) Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Shirley Temple, Rudy Vallee, Ray Collins. Great cast in a film about a teen who goes bonkers about an 'older' man who speaks at the high school assembly. Mixups and chaos ensues. The big scene near the end as they all end up at the supper club where birthday cakes are being delivered and singing begins, as new people arrive to get into the brawl, is very funny. Great timing and you can't see the work being done by the whole cast. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039169/

FMC:
All About Eve (1950) Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter, George Sanders, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe, Marilyn Monroe, Gregory Ratoff, Barbara Bates. So many Stars. In many ways, it was their highest achievement, personal best, the one film of theirs that will be remembered. A great way to ring out the old year and begin the New. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042192/

DVR'd off HBO:
Wargames (1983) Matthew Broderick, Allie Sheedy, Dabney Coleman, Barry Corbin. School kids, into computers back before it was cool, hack into a top secret military site that launches our nuclear missiles pointed at Russia. The Generals, scientists and top dogs at the launching site are not amused. Hauled in to the secret mountain stronghold to explain, David is not believed when he tries to explain he was just playing what he and his girlfriend, thought was a game. Still a lot of fun to watch and even though we are no longer in a cold war with Russia, gives a sense of what it was like in those paranoid times. Broderick was a charmer. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086567/

HBO:
The Hangover (2009) I sat through this stupid dickflick again just to be sure I wasn't too hard on it when I first watched it earlier this year. O! my! God! It is just as awful as I remembered. This time I didn't even think the dentist role was funny. They are all just so stupid - and we are supposed to think it's funny and endearing for guys to act this way? The same types that diss rom/coms, write reviews about how they laughed all the way through this lame brained film. Exxxxxxxcuse me! 4/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1119646/

He's Just Not That Into You (2009) Gennifer Goodwin, Ben Afleck, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Drew Barrymore. And I'm just not as into these ensemble films where we get a dib of this and a dab of that. I especially did not care for the couple played by Jennifer Connelly and Bradley Cooper. What a cypher of a leading man! And Connelly's character as played, is a sullen, controlling, uptight, bitch! Nothing attractive to her at all. Cooper is totally without the personality to make his character the least bit interesting. He is a whiner. Aniston and Afleck are sweet together, and the dishwashing scene is heart warming and the best and most natural in the film. Gennifer Goodwin as Gigi is hyper and cute. Justine Long is a good guy under the bluster. Will love rear it's ugly head? Sure! 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1001508/

Eat Pray Love (2010) Julia Roberts, Billy Crudup, James Franco, Javier Bardem. A woman who is at a point where her life just isn't working for her, gets divorced, and to change her life, goes on a quest to 3 places on earth where she hopes to find meaning and hope. A very interesting film if you just let it happen. Julia, to me, is always worth watching and she is lovely here, whether in gorgeous settings of flowers, the sea, or the crowded streets of India. The film gives the idea that she has found what she is looking for at the end, so that's a plus. Bardem is sweet as the guy who gives her hope. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879870/

Hope everyone had a safe, warm, New Years eve.

Five films -good & bad-----

2010-12-30T00:15:00.003-06:00

---recently watched:

Elizabeth, The Golden Age (2007) Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Samantha Morton, Clive Owen. The continuation of the reign of Elizabeth I, through the beheading of her sister, Mary, Queen Of Scots. The Armada of Philip Of Spain sent to invade England, and the battle that ends Spain's designs on England and slowed their conquests in the New World, makes a interesting film for those who enjoy costume dramas. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414055/

Sex & The City (2008) Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth. The girls are getting ready for Carries big wedding to Big. At the big dinner the night before the wedding, Miranda bitterly makes a comment that they should just stay single. She is so angry with her husband for having an affair she wants others to be miserable too. The next day, Mr Big can't get ahold of Carrie and is panic stricken and leaves the church without getting out of the car. Carrie in her gorgeous wedding dress is crushed. The girls decide she must take the lavish wedding trip she had planned for the honeymoon, and they will all go with her. Off to a gorgeous beach and hotel. For the scenery, the fashions, the girlies and their crazy antics, and a problem or two, I enjoyed this visit with the fab four. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1000774/

Nothing Like The Holidays (2008) Alfred Molina, Elizabeth Pena, Debra Messing. A large Latino family get together to have Christmas. One son is a Marine just arriving home from Iraq. Each child has issues with either their Father or their Mother or both. So many characters and problems, none can be treated with depth so we just get a bit of information on each one. Film is not bad, but we don't get a sense of why we should care about these people. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1151915/

I Love You, Man (2009) Paul Rudd, and a bunch of actors I don't know. I disliked this so-called comedy intensely. But I usually like the amiable Rudd so stuck to the end. Bad idea. It got worse as it went on - and on. The idea of a man who is getting married, suddenly aware that he has never had a friend, and so trying to find one is so stupid, I am amazed to see intelligent people writing that this is a sweet quirky film. And the guy he hooks up with is such a smuck I don't see how he stood him for a minute. Give me a break. 4/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155056/

Love Happens (2009) Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart. The stars are attractive but the story is just not that interesting. Guys wife dies and he becomes a best selling author and self-help guru, telling all about how to cope, appearing at seminars at swank hotels, where our Jen as Eloise, is the florist doing the huge arrangements in the lobby and halls, etc. They meet. They have a falling out. Will they get back together? Will our guru, Burke get a new pair? Will Eloise decide he is worth a second chance? Seriously? Jen and Aaron don't seem to click. Scenery of Seattle is nice. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0899106/

I'm caught up now and will do my comments on New Years Eve films in the new year. Everyone have a safe celebration and Happy New Year.

Helen Mirren, Jodie Foster, The Phantom-----

2010-12-29T11:09:00.003-06:00

----great actresses, and an all-time favorite film;

The Madness Of King George (1994) Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm. The "colonies" have been lost, and England's King George is depressed and some say bonkers. Queen Charlotte tries to keep her son, the Prince Of Wales, from plotting with courtiers to usurp the throne. Prime Minister Pitt brings in a new doctor from the country, who demands absolute obedience from all. The treatments tried for the Kings ailment are the same as what is called torture today. Julian Wadham as Pitt is marvelous as are all the principal players. We now know that the king suffered from a real episode of dementia experienced by George III [now suspected a victim of porphyria, a blood disorder]. As he slowly regains his senses, the film ends with the Royal Family once again on display for their subjects. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110428/

Nell (1994) Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson. Filmed in the lush forests of North Carolina, this is a beautiful meditation on a person who is so isolated that she has never learned to speak any way but the language she and her twin devised before the twin dies. Their mother and Nell continue to live in the forest cabin and after the mother's death, Nell by herself. When Dr. Lovell stumbles across the cabin and then Nell herself, he is fascinated and tries to learn how to communicate with her. Paula, a student researcher at the nearest psychology center, wants her brought to the facility to observe her closer. They bring the case before a Judge, who gives the Doc 3 months to observe and work out what is best for Nell. The final courtroom scene with Foster as Nell telling all why she wants to stay in her forest home is very moving. And Jodie (Oscar, Best Actress) is a genius. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110638/

The Phantom Of The Opera (2004) Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossen, Patrick Wilson. Joel Schumacher directed this lush and beautiful version of Andrew Lloyd Webbers musical masterpiece. I always watch it again on the anniversary of the day I first walked into the theater, already knowing I loved the music, to sit and be mesmerized by the film from the opening - the match that lights the candle as the music begins. Only once before had I been brought into a film by the candle being lit - the great "The Red Shoes(1948)." Is it a homage to that great film? All the main players are so perfect, it is like a Divine hand was doing the casting. Gerard Butler, as The Phantom, just breaks your heart. Emmy, as the sweet innocent object of his desire and obsession, is wonderful and sings like an angel. Patrick is dashing and handsome and has a beautiful voice. In "Music Of The Night" when Gerard sings "let the dream begin" with his muscular voice, after the sex without sex scene just before, with his beautifully gloved hands roaming up and down her body, it raises temperatures around the world. The music, the actors, the visual beauty, make this film an all time favorite. 10/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293508/

I have a few more films I need to comment on before the New Year. Later, peeps.....

Two more ---

2010-12-24T09:52:00.002-06:00

---still catching up on films I watched this month:

On TCM

Andy Hardy Meets A Debutante (1940) Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Judy Garland. Andy is too big for his britches, as usual, and lies about knowing the number 1 deb in New York City. His school paper is going to feature him on the cover and he must find a way to meet her for real. At the same time his father, Judge Hardy, must go to NYC to appear in court to save the inheritance and fund that was set up to run the foundling home. He decides to take the whole family. Typical of Andy Hardy films, the Judge not only solves his court case, but also gets Andy out of his jam, along with Betsy Boops help. But Judy as Betsy Boop is just darling and sings two numbers. Her simple joy and great voice make this film a must for her fans. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032206/

Casablanca (1942) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, & a bunch of great character actors! A favorite which I watch often. 10/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/

to be con't....

Mickey Rooney, Russell Crowe, Bradley Cooper---

2010-12-24T00:12:00.002-06:00

--from charming, to intense, to intensely uncharming; the men in these films:

Ah! Wilderness! (1935) Mickey Rooney, Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Berry, Aline MacMahon, Spring Byington. Based on a famous Eugene O'Neil play this is a charming coming of age story of a graduation, mixups of young love, drinking and the wages of sin. All done by a great cast. The family interaction around the dining table is charming, in this day and age, when no one is expected to be at the table at 5 p.m. every evening. Although Mickey is billed seventh, he was soon to become Andy Hardy and be the highest paid actor in Hollywood. This was a good springboard of family values to begin with. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026046/

State Of Play (2009) Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren. Playing on HBO now and I have watched it a couple of times. Interesting story of a Congressman caught in a web by a powerful corporation that is like an octopus with tentacles in everything. Crowe is investigative reporter McCaffrey and McAdams is the cute rookie who writes for the papers web site. Mirren as the editor of the paper assigns them to work together on this story, which promises to be big, especially when there is a murder that involves the powerful in Washington D.C. My kind of story, full of intrigue, characters you like but are just a bit sleazy, and a tad of menace to keep all on their toes. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473705/

All About Steve (2009) Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church. What was so bad? Sandra was cute/silly/hyper. Story of a smart, strange woman who creates cross-word puzzles for the paper she works for, but has no social skills. Her folks fix her up on a blind date with a cameraman for a TV station, Bradley Cooper, as the Steve of the title. He is a complete ass, but naturally he is so wonderful in his own eyes, he ditches Mary asap. After she writes her next puzzle "all about Steve' she is fired and decides to go on a road trip after Steve. Her adventures and the crazy situations the writers have her in, made me chuckle and smile. Bullock is just a person I want to spend time with. Even though Mary would drive me mad, Cooper is just awful, looks and personality. Thought so in The Hangover where he was mean and despicable to his so-called friends. For a leading man, he is just charmless. Church is always worth watching, but the writers failed him and Bullock in this script. But I still enjoyed it more than a lot of the stuff coming from lala land. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0881891/

to be con't----

2010-12-23T10:38:00.003-06:00

Powell, Loy, Gable. What a sandwich!!

Manhattan Melodrama (1934) Clark Gable, William Powell, Myrna Loy. One of the best crime dramas of the era. Two boys are brought up by a man who lost his son in the disaster of a river boat that caught fire and sank. One boy grows up a gangster; the other to be the D.A. who puts his friend away for execution. Along the way, both meet and fall in love with a woman of the demimonde. The gangster does a killing to help his friend and the friend ends up almost ruining himself to keep from lying. But D.A. Jim Wade convicts Blackie Gallagher of the murder, marries the woman; runs for, and wins the Governor's office, and then must decide whether to commute Blackies's sentence. The scene in which Gable tells Powell not to be silly, to let him make the final walk, is very effective. As Powell walks into the darkened corridor the overhead lights dim and his friend is gone. The final scenes between Loy and Powell reconciling seem tacked on. It would have been more powerful to end with both men taking their final walk, one to death; one to greatness. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025464/

to be con't....

Two classics; 2 other films.

2010-12-11T10:12:00.004-06:00

I watched these films recently:

Mr. Skeffington (1944) Bette Davis, Claude Rains. Beauty marries for money and has to live with the consequences, including a daughter she never wanted. A meditation on beauty, wealth, selfishness and fantasy lives. Begins in horse and buggy days and ends during WWII. Rains as the title character, a Jewish banker, is great as always. The story is a good 'Matinee' Ladies' film. My only quibble is Bette's high pitched delivery of her lines. Fanny is fake, but the voice is like chalk on a blackboard. Thanks goodness the writers delivered the daughter to a husband who takes her far, far away. Still for a afternoon by the fire I give it - 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037094/

Nights of Cabiria (1957) Guilietta Masina. I tried to enjoy seeing this film because it is praised to the heavens. Another of the prostitute films where we are forced to watch her being mistreated, cheated, almost killed. All the while the actress is screeching half the time and crying and acting all coy the rest of the time. Geezus in a pancake! If this was an USA film with Julia Roberts screaming her lines, and acting this stupid - all Hell would be rained on her head. But the fanboys have anointed Fellini and his wife above reproach. Well, eeeexxxxcuse me! 3/10 Bad, bad, bad! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050783/

Taken (2008) Liam Neeson in a great action film about a former spy, retired and trying to reenter his estranged daughters life, who has to use his old skills to rescue her when she is kidnapped on a trip to Europe with a girlfriend. Action, start to finish. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/

Lovely Bones (2009) Lots of fine actors take part in a film about a serial killer. We are guided through the film by one of the victims as she watches and waits for her body to be found because then she......ah what? I was stupefied. And have forgotten it already! 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/

Con't another day....

A classic and 2 newbys---

2010-12-06T23:33:00.002-06:00

--I have recently watched:

Daisy Kenyon (1945) Joan Crawford, Dana Andrews, Henry Fonda. My collection, but watched on FMC. Wonderful Crawford "matinee' ladies" film. Dana Andrews does a wonderful cad role, and Fonda has some of his most romantic lines. Joan suffers beautifully. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039294/

New In Town (2009) Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick, Jr. Renee as Lucy Hill, rising star on the corporate ladder, is sent from the home office in sunny Miami, to a frigid Minnesota town to downsize and restructure the plant, the main source of income for the locals. A fish out of water film, with our gal arriving in snow and ice covered streets in 3 inch heels and no warm coat. Some of the locals are eccentric in the extreme and Connick as the local labor leader is gruff but cute. Not a great rom/com, but not too bad. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1095174/

Super Size Me (2004) Morgan Spurlock's saga of eating nothing but McDonalds food for a month. It ain't pretty! While I know he was making a point that too much is not good, and fast food should not be allowed into schools as a regular lunch choice, occasional indulgence cannot be a killer. The film itself becomes repetitious and is rather sickening after a while, but worth seeing. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390521/

To be cont'.....

Four that I have watched before----

2010-11-30T10:33:00.003-06:00

---three I like a lot. The fourth is a mess:

Class Action (1991) Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Lawrence Fishburne. Rewatch often. Great courtroom battle. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101590/

Sleeping With The Enemy (1991) Julia Roberts. Favorite Roberts film. And that house by the sea! And the theme music! 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102945/

Mr. Hollands Opus (1995) Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly. Nice film about a dedicated music teacher in a high school. Takes him through his career until he is downsized out with the whole arts department, in budget cuts made by the school board. Apropo of what is happening in schools today. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113862/

A Perfect Murder (1998) Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Douglas, Viggo Mortensen. Saw it before but thought I'd give it another try. After seeing Dial M For Murder a few weeks ago, this remake just is bad and the stars look silly. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120787/

To be con't...

A triumph & a dud-----

2010-11-29T08:16:00.004-06:00

--the triumph----

The Mudlark (1950) Irene Dunne, Alec Guinness, Andrew Ray, Finlay Currie. Young Mr. Ray, as the Mudlark of the title, is wonderful. An orphan boy, he lives along the banks of the Thames scavenging to survive. He finds a cameo brooch with Queen Victoria's picture and one of the older boys tells him it is "the mother of us all." Wheeler takes that literally and decides to walk to Windsor Castle to see her. How he gets into the palace, not once, but twice, is so amusing we must let each person discover for themselves this delightful and heartwarming story. Dunne as the Queen and Guinness as Prime Minister Disraeli, acquit themselves with their usual outstanding performances. And Currie as John Brown, the Queens confidant, is amusing and superb. The social commentary on conditions of the youth of Britain in 1875 is there for all to see, but we are not bludgeoned over the head. Almost perfect in every way. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042757/

---and the dud----
Blonde Fever (1944) Mary Astor, Phillip Dorn, Gloria Graham, Marshall Thompson. Tedious until late in the film when Mary Astors character gets even and with her sparkle and verve, she takes over the film. Dorn was supposed to be the star, and his character of the husband who develops 'blond fever' for the young, pouty Gloria Graham, is written as a "Cary Grant" type of bumbling rake who takes himself too seriously. Which no one else does. Sadly, Dorn is just not up to it and is all wrong for the part. Which makes the film slog along, until we get to the wife who sees all, knows all and gets what she wants. Graham is a sex kitten and goes on to bigger and better films. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036651/

--to be con't...

Demi Moore, Grace Kelly in peril------

2010-11-26T08:05:00.005-06:00

---I recently watched two good mysteries:

Half Light (2006) Demi Moore, Henry Ian Cusick, Hans Matheson, James Cosmo. The film was originally to be shot in Canada but due to the cold weather the film was moved to a location in northern Wales and England, although it is set in Scotland. Nice little mystery thriller about a mystery writer, whose son is killed in a drowning accident at the beginning of the film. Unable to get started back writing after eight months, she decides to rent a house, away from everything on the coast of a Scottish village. And trouble begins. The actors are all pros and we are in good hands. Demi looks great. But it is the cinematography that is the *star* with great shots of the rolling waves crashing along the shore, and a wonderful light house playing a prominent role, and island horses along the shore. Worth the time just to watch them and the sea. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412798/

Dial M For Murder (1954) Grace Kelly, Ray Milland, Robert Cummings, John Williams. Alfred Hitchcock film shot in 3D which adds very little to the enjoyment of the film. Even on it's first run, when I saw it in a movie palace, that was not what we talked about after the show. It was the fact that mild John Williams, pro that he is, stole the picture from the stars. He is that good as the inspector who makes it all come out right. Milland has the showey role as the diabolical husband; Grace is properly confused and bitter; and Cummings is just wrong for the hero role, IMHO. But the whole thing is just done so well, you can't help but keep watching. Not favorite Hich for me, but better than most who-done-its. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046912/

More to come----

Halloween film; Crawford silents; the Rolls----

2010-11-21T07:54:00.002-06:00

---these are a few if the films I have watched in November:

Dracula (2000) Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, Justine Waddell, & a whole lot of other actors. My last movie of Oct. And my annual Holloween film. The scenes in New Orleans French Quarter with the celebration is a highlight. Perfect to answer the door and pass out treats, and see the local goblins. You can miss whole parts and it won't make any difference. Haha 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0219653/

Our Dancing Daughters (1928 silent) Joan Crawford, Anita Page, Johnny Mack Brown. Joans first big break. There are sound effects and music but no dialog. But she dances up a storm as a rich society girl in a cat fight over a man both want. Page is her adversary and Brown the guy. Fun. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019237/

Our Modern Maidens (1928 silent) Joan Crawford, Anita Page, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Rod La Rocque. More flapper fun, but a little more serious. Joan and Anita want the same guy again, and Page ends up pregnant. A quick marriage and Joan suffering, and eventually finds the right guy's arms. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020247/

The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964) Ingrid Bergman, Omar Sharif, Shirley MacLean, George C. Scott, Art Carney, Rex Harrison, Jeanne Moreau. Three stories involving people with a car. The first story is about the purchase of the brand new car, just arrived at the London dealership, by Lord Frinton for his wife. She is having an affair with a flunkey in her husbands office. Naughty things in the back seat of the Rolls make hubby very unhappy. He has the car returned to the dealer.
After a dozen years the car ends up in Italy during the 1930's where an American gangster and his 'fiance' rent it to sight see the Riviera. Scott, as Maltese, has to go back to the States and that leaves his doll and henchman to get into mischief, which they do. Scott returns and figures things out and gets rid of the car.
Which turns up in Yugoslavia just in time to help the resistance get organized at the start of WWII. With the help of Gerda Millet(Bergman) and her little dog, Sharif gets the men all ferried up to the mountain stonghold. Where love again happens in the back seat of our Rolls. But by now Gerda has to get back to the States to spread the word about the Nazis. Not bad for a film whose only connecting thread is where the Yellow Rolls will show up next. Stars are all fine. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059927/

More comments on more November films to come.

a Bakers dozen----

2010-10-28T10:00:00.002-05:00

---I have watched recently:

Across To Singapore (1928 silent) Joan Crawford, Ramon Navarro. Star crossed lovers. Two brothers love the same young woman. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018618/

Poor Little Rich Girl (1936) Shirley Temple, Alice Faye, Jack Haley, Gloria Stuart. Shirley is spunky and sets all aright, as usual. Good cast. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028118/

What A Woman! (1943) Rosalind Russell, Brian Ahern, Willard Parker. Story of a book agent and her new find, author Parker. Ahern is a reporter who hangs around. Very disappointing with this cast. Should have been funnier, but it just isn't. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036526/

The Captains Paradise (1950) Alec Guinness, Yvonne deCarlo, Celia Johnson. Naughty man has a wife in two ports across the sea from each other. He thinks he has it made - but does he? Smug and self-satisfied, the Captain is admired by his second in command, who wants to follow his lead with women. But his prim and proper wife in Gibraltar really wants to kick up her heals; and his gorgeous showgirl wife in Morocco wants to cook! Good heavens! Droll and clever take on the battle of the sexes. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045607/

Last Holiday (1950) Alec Guinness, Kay Walsh. The original. More poignant than the later version. Man in for routine checkup, get the bad news that his x-rays show he has Lambkin's disease and has only a few months to live. Dr. advises him to use his time enjoying himself. He cashes out his retirement and his savings and goes to the posh resort by the seaside. There he is befriended by the no-nonsense housekeeper, who tells him the best way to treat these toffs is by telling them the truth instead of buttering them up. Which he does, with astonishing results. Everything he does offers him more and more opportunities for wealth and/or power. Finally the old Dr. who discovered his disease comes for his annual visit and when he hears of the man who has Lambkin's looks him over and tells him he definitely does not. The final scenes are very shocking and sad. When I saw it the first time back in 1950, it was a real shocker. Wonderful film. Guinness is superb, as always. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042665/

A Letter For Evie (1946) Marsha Hunt, John Carroll, Hume Cronyn, Pamela Britton. Jules Dassin directed this programmer for MGM, and the actors do their roles with sincerity. When I was in high school, I had a mad crush on John Carroll. I wrote him and he wrote back a sweet letter to a crazy teenager. In this film, he is a scoundrel and does it well. Are we pulling for Johnnie (the nerdy nice guy) or "Wolf" to win Evie? In a sort of Cyrano deBergerac plot, Johnnie has answered a letter Evie put in a shirt pocket at the factory where she works. Only he used Wolfs picture. When the men get a leave before being shipped out, trouble ensues. A light romantic comedy made a little more interesting by the actors and the director. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037870/

The Harvey Girls (1946) Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Angela Lansbury, Ray Bolger. The rest of the cast seems like the honor role of greats at MGM at the time. Judy looks great and has one of the funniest scenes from any of her films, when she retrieves the meat from the saloon after it has been stolen. The guy clearing the way is perfect in his amusement at this nice girl with 2 six shooters. All the lead females are shown at their best. Makeup and costumes are perfect. To see how MGM did it, making a film with nothing but stars from their roster, this is one for the books. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038589/

The Best Years Of Our Lives (1947) Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Teresa Wright, Dana Andrews. Rewatch. Great film. Comments on blog. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036868/

A Foreign Affair (1948) Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, John Lund. Rewatch. Comments on blog. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040367/

The Black Stallion (1979) Kelly Reno, Teri Garr, Mickey Rooney. Beautiful black stallion is the star of this show. For some reason I had never sat and watched the whole film, but this windy day I did. The boy and horse, up through the rescue, are great. Scenes of them bonding and racing with the wind on the beach are magical. The rest of the story is routine. We know the horse will be a winner. Cinematography is superb. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078872/

Eyewitness (1981) Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, James Woods, Christopher Plummer. Vietnam vet, Daryll, works as a janitor in a large building and in the evening watches the newscasts he has taped of his favorite commentator, Tony, (Weaver). When there is a murder in his building, Tony covers for her station. Daryll intimates he knows something, and she tries to get him to reveal what he knows. Meanwhile the real killer/s watch and wait. A cat and mouse game continues until it gets very dangerous. Keeps you guessing, but the real fun is Hurt and Weaver playing with each other. Woods does his usual crazed character. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082353/

Random Hearts (1999) Harrison Ford, Kristin Scott Thomas. Cop Dutch (Ford) and candidate Kay Chandler (Thomas) are just going through there daily routine, when they are both informed by an airline that their spouses are presumed dead in the crash that day of a Florida bound flight. Both are sure there is a mistake, because their spouses so convincingly led other lives together. After the two realize it is true and they are dead, they meet because Dutch can't or won't let go. Kay is pragmatic, numb and angry and wants to forget it all. Interesting take on what would happen if the moment you are living is suddenly your last. What would those closest to you find out? 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156934/

The Deep End (2001) Tilda Swinton. Beautiful cinematography around Lake Tahoe, CA. Story covers a murder most foul. A remake of Max Ophuls "The Reckless Moment" (1950), the story of a young girl pushing her older lover in a fight in a boathouse where he falls onto an anchor and is killed. The mother in the Ophuls is the marvelous Joan Bennett in her best role, and the blackmailer is James Mason, at his charming best being a bad man. In this version, the lovers are gay, one the son of Swinton. The body of the man the son is involved with is found by Swinton the morning after, and she takes it across the lake and ties it to the anchor and pushes it off. From there both versions get into blackmail and the one who contacts the mother. In both versions he is charming and falls in love with this woman who is protecting her child. Mason makes his villain achingly real, and Bennett is perfect holding onto herself as a faithful wife and mother. Swinton is good, but the script and director let her down. The original was one of my favorites of both leads for years. This version I rate: 6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250323/

October almost over. We are having our Indian summer. Cool, frosty mornings, warm sunny afternoons. My last five days of the month I'll spend as much time as possible sitting on the patio or porch or walking on the new trail if they get it finished while it is still nice out. Progress is being made, but it is slow when we are waiting.

A Star Is Born (1937) plus ---

2010-10-22T00:18:00.003-05:00

---a classic comedy and two programmers:

It's Love I'm After (1937) Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard, Eric Blore. Screwball comedy about stage actors, fans, obsession, love and mix ups galore. Great cast 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029058/

My Dear Miss Aldrich (1937) Maureen O"Sullivan, Walter Pigeon, Edna May Oliver. Small town girl inherits big town newspaper. Editor thinks women in the newsroom are an abomination. Some fun but it probably was the lower half of a double bill. Oliver steals the show. 6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029283/

A Star Is Born (1937) Janet Gaynor, Fredric March. My favorite version of this story. The original. Great performances by all hands, with an especially nasty one by Lionel Stander as Matt Libby, the publicity man. Mean as a junk yard dog to Norman Maine, who has had to be extricated from one too many benders by Matt, and he resents it and gets even, at last. The final scenes never fail to bring me to tears, and Gaynor as Esther (Vicky Lester) superb; head high, catch in the voice, tears in the eyes, saying "This is Mrs. Norman Maine." What an end! Perfect for me - so...10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029606/

Ride Lonesome (1959) Randolph Scott, Karen Black, Parnell Roberts, James Coburn. Slow, boring Scott western, probably a programmer to be paired with another "b" or two on the bill. Bounty hunter Scott, takes his man in the first 10 minutes and from there it is a question of how many obstacles the story puts in the way of getting him to the hangman. Scenery is great - using the wide screen photography to emphasize the empty expanses of the locale and the huge rock formations in the foothills of mountains. That also shows the relation of man to the hugeness of the west - it is a wonder and scary. The director does a good job of bringing this fact out with his choice of scenes. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053220/

I'm behind on my comments. It's just too pretty outside to be watching films during the daytime. My Maple tree is glorious. The workmen are about through with the preliminaries and will start putting down the hard surface for the hike/bike trail tomorrow or next Monday, for sure. They have cut away some of the smaller trees and underbrush so the river can be seen from the trail in places. Great to watch it become reality, we've waited so long.

Recent films---

2010-10-20T09:28:00.002-05:00

I have watched these 2 films released the last 2 years:

The Merry Gentleman (2008) Michael Keaton, Kelly Macdonald. Michael stars and directs. He is a hit man in crisis. Kelly sees him almost jump off a roof. She screams and he jumps back out of sight. Very interesting, but very slow storytelling. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0967945/

The Public Enemies (2009) Johnnie Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotilliard. I don't know what they were going for, but for me, except for the women, there wasn't a sympathetic character in the whole film. Bale's Purvis was mean and corrupt, as was Hoover. They were supposed to be the good guys. (?) Depp's Dillenger was somewhat charming, but he killed so many and was so corrupt, I didn't like him either. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152836/

More films from the last 2 weeks later ---

Demi, Meg & Sarah----

2010-10-04T12:33:00.003-05:00

--films with my girlie's.

Free Starz Weekend on Satellite:
2 I had never seen:

The Juror (1996) Demi Moore, Alec Baldwin, James Gandolfini. Artist wants to, and is, picked for the trial of a mafia Don, Louie Boffano. She is selected by The Teacher, the Don's hit man, to bring in the jury with a not guilty verdict. Good premise goes off track along the way, and we end up in Columbia running around in the ruins. One long scene as Moore tries to convince the rest of the jury to see things her way and acquit. A lot of Baldwin being quietly menacing and nuts. And Gandolfini and Lo Bianco could have phoned in their parts, they are so generic. Big disappointment with this fine cast. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116731/

Kate & Leopold (2001) Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber. I'm sorry. What is Meg going for with that hairdo? Were we doing haircuts for dames that looked liike a mop back in 2001? Every scene she is in, I can't get past that hair! I think the two men fair a little better. Liev is distracted and crazed like a scientist in comedies is supposed to be. Jackman is properly vedy British and neat. So I guess if you like time travel movies, this is one for you. But it is not that well done and Meg is a mess. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035423/

And a rewatch:

Did You Hear About The Morgans? (2009) Sarah Jessica Parker, Hugh Grant, Sam Elliot, Mary Steenburgen. Reviewed before on my Blog. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1314228/

The selection of films this weekend was a bit lacking. But that's the way it goes.

One above average, then downhill------

2010-10-03T10:57:00.004-05:00

On FMC:

Without A Trace (1983) Kate Nelligan, Judd Hirsh, Stockard Channing. A parents worse nightmare. Your 6 year old is off to walk down the block to his ride to school. He never gets back home. Film follows the mother, and the detective who investigates and becomes emotionally involved in finding the child. Nelligan is very good as the distraught but determined mother. Hirsh, never better as the cop. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086593/combined

All On Starz free weekend:

Frantic (1988) Harrison Ford, Emmanuelle Seigner, Betty Buckley. So an American doctor and his wife get in a cab, after an all nght flight to Paris for a medical conference. They check into their upscale hotel, get to their room to get cleaned up, have a meal and rest, before his evening speech at the conference. Except while he is in the shower, we see through the steamy glass, she gets a phone call and yells something at him, and goes out of sight of the shower door. When he is having coffee, he realizes she has been gone too long and starts phoning the desk and then dresses and looks all through the hotel with the staff. So far, so good. He tries to work with the Paris police and fills out reports. But they are not sufficiently concerned and he starts out on his own. As he follows small clues to find out what happened, it gets more and more into the realm of a nightmare. Last part of the film completely looses credibility. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095174/combined

Hollywood Homicide (2003) Harrison Ford, Josh Harnett, Lena Olin. Harrison, my friend, what have you done? This is a mess of a story. He plays a detective who is moonlighting as a real estate broker. His new partner has decided he really wants to be an actor. Oh, and he is also some kind of exercise guru. Their case is a multiple killing in a recording studio among hip-hop musicians. Got all that? That's the problem. Between quirky characters, car chases, foot chases over ta-llllll buildings in a single bound, and in jokes, nothing makes much sense. And we don't care by the end anyway! 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329717/combined

Easy Virtue 2008) Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Barnes. Noel Coward play about upper class Brits who have a new American bride of the heir to the estate, descend on them. Thomas, as the Grande Dame is icy and hateful. Beil, beautiful and high spirited. They are a battling duo, and Firth is magnificent as the burnt out WWI master of the estate, who doesn't give a sh--. My kind of film. Loved it! 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808244/combined

Julie & Julia (2009) Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci. Previously watched and reviewed here. Love it. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/combined

The Ugly Truth (2009) Gerard Butler, Kathryn Heigl. Another rewatch. Beautiful people. Enjoy watching them. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1142988/combined

Cool days and nights. Such a relief after the long scortching days of the last month. And Halloween just around the corner!

More September films----

2010-09-30T07:50:00.002-05:00

Dane Clark day on TCM:

That Way With Women (1947) Dane Clark, Martha Vickers, Sydney Greenstreet. A 'b' rom/com from the classic era. My gal pals and I were a-flutter over Dane, and today I wonder why? 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039893/combined

Embraceable You (1948) Dane Clark, Geraldine Brooks, S. Z. Sakall. A nice romance, with bad boy Dane, reforming to take care of the girl he hit with his car after a robbery, and left the scene. But he does the right thing. And I love the music theme that became a huge hit and was danced to cheek to cheek for many years. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040315/combined

My Collection:

Viva Zapata (1952) Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn, Joseph Wiseman. Brando never was better. Great cast. The story of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who led a rebellion against the corrupt, oppressive dictatorship of president Porfirio Diaz in the early 20th century. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045296/combined

I Love You To Death (1990) Tracey Ullman, Kevin Kline, Joan Plowright, River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, William Hurt. What a cast! I taped this off HBO back in 1991 and haven't watched it for a long time. Just as funny and special. Based on a true story of a wife who finally gets wise to her cheating husband and tries to have him killed. Outrageous, but funny. Whole cast is having a romp. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040315/combined

The end of the month. October used to mean smoke from leaf fires, and the neighborhood men and women raked up huge piles and burned them. No more. We know better now. That was polution. But it is a memory of childhood and neighbors.

More Vivien; Beckinsale & Farmiga---

2010-09-26T07:17:00.002-05:00

This post catches me up for Sept. Finally!

TCM-Vivien Leigh Day:

Fire Over England (1937) Vivien Leigh, Lawrence Olivier, Flora Robson. Another story with Queen Elizabeth a central figure, this time played by Flora Robson. It is 1588 and Spain is threatening England. The Queen sends the son of a man killed by the Inquisition, to Spain, as an undercover spy to find out what they plan to do. Michael is in love with Cynthia, a lady-in-waiting at court, and both women fear for the young man and England, as there is a great Armada sailing for England. The title is the way the English save the day, by burning their own ships and sailing them into the Armada. It works. The young stars are beautiful. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028872/combined

That Hamilton Woman (1941) Vivien Leigh, Lawrence Olivier, Gladys Cooper. The story of Emma Hart who rises from dance hall girl, to cortesan, to ambassadors wife, to Lord Horatio Nelsons mistress. Beautifully filmed, and the two leads are gorgeous, even if Olivier has a patch over one eye. The battle scenes at sea are well done. The court of Naples, with the children of the King and Queen - a dozen or so - is chaotic and fun. Costumes and score, fine. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034272/combined

REELZ CH:

Force 10 From Navarone (1978) Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Edward Fox. Another story of a team being sent behind German lines to blow up a key bridge. The story is how they manage, with resistance fighters who betray them, being captured at least twice. So-so cinematography. Pacing is erratic. Ford, a year after his Star Wars super stardom. Here, he isn't even exciting. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077572/combined

Rental DVD:

Nothing But The Truth (2009) Kate Beckinsale, Vera Farmiga, Matt Dillon, Alan Alda, Angela Bassett. Terrific film about a young reporter, Rachel, who discovers a plot and the CIA agent involved. Her story causes a quick indictment from a government prosecutor, Patton Dubois, who wants the name of the source. From the first it is a battle of wills between the reporter, the prosecutor, the judge and her lawyer, Alan Burnside (Alan Alda). Similar to the Valerie Plame incident, a real outing of a CIA agent. The story here follows Rachel to jail, where she stays for a year. After being released, after the death of the agent, Dubois re-arrests her and she is sentenced to federal prison for 2 years. At the very end, it is revealed why she will not give up her source. Very good film of its' type. Cast great. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1073241/combined

A full moon and the Jupiter/Uranus combined star power, made a beautiful night sky for the first week of autumn. The hummingbirds, killdeers and other migratory birds will be leaving the Heartland soon. Some have already gone. The hummers have been especially fun this year.

The female deer have been gathering in groups. We see them in the woods above the river some days. Since this is park and conservation land we abut, no hunting is allowed and there are too many deer for the forage available. Soon there will be bow hunters allowed to take a female to thin the herd. Sad, but starvation is a sure thing if the winter comes with this over-population.

Have picked out films to watch next. I'm going through my list and picking tapes and DVDs I have not watched for 4 or 5 years. Or longer.

Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Gerard Butler----

2010-09-24T00:47:00.005-05:00

--in films I recently watched:

On OvationHDTV:

Sophie's Choice (1982) Meryl Streep (Oscar), Kevin Kline, Peter MacNichol. The cameraman was in love with Meryl - she is lovely. Sad and slow film, about a young writer Stingo, from the south, who takes rooms in a house that also has a beautiful Polish woman, Sophie and her lover Nathan, living there. Gradually Stingo learns the truth about Sophie and Nathan and their problems. She is a survivor of the holocaust and he is getting more and more erratic and violent. Good acting but, not a film I will ever watch again. Too depressing. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084707/combined

ION TV:

Along Came Polly (2004) Jennifer Anniston, Ben Stiller, Debra Messing, Philip Seymore Hoffman. Guy marry's beautiful girl. Girl has affair with scuba instructor on the honeymoon. Guy goes back home and mopes until friend takes him out to a party one night and there he runs across Polly who is waitressing. She is a free spirit and also they went to junior high school together. So he is smitten and she is tolerant. Attractive cast go through their paces and we are happy enough to tag along. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343135/combined

My Collection:

Butterfly On A Wheel/Shattered/The Butterfly (2007) Gerard Butler, Maria Bello, Pierce Brosnan. Butler as Neil Randall and Bello, his wife Abby, have a lovely little girl and a beautiful home. Neil is a successful business man. One morning the couple leaves their daughter with a baby sitter and head off for the day. In the SUV, discussing the days affairs, suddenly a guy with a gun takes over and everything gets crazy. A suspenseful film of jeopardy, jealousy and deception, with a surprise or two and a twist ending. The title of the film keeps changing for some reason. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489664/combined

Rental DVDs:

Elizabeth I (2005-6) Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Hugh Dancy. A marvelous mini-series about the great queen from her middle years to her death. Costumes and cinematography are tops for a HBO series. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465326/combined

Twilight: New Moon (2009) Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattison, Billy Burke, Taylor Lautner. Not as good as the first, but still has gorgeous scenery. Bella and Edward and Jacob get lots of time to look good on camera, and the story doesn't get in the way too much. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/combined

The Men Who Stare At Goats (2010) George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey. I think this was supposed to be a black comedy, but it utterly fails at being funny. So what we are left with is - strange. I'm not sure what it was about, because I think my mind kept wandering. Total waste of a bunch of guys who CAN be totally funny with a good script. 5/10 for effort. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234548/combined

First day of autumn was cool and evening rain. Get the popcorn and a movie and settle in for the season, sez I.

A few more---

2010-09-22T01:06:00.000-05:00

TCM: Film Preservation Presentations

The Red Shoes (1947) Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook. Absolutely gorgeous restoration of a favorite film. Color is clear and bright. A beloved film I watch often. 10/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040725/combined

Secret Behind The Door (1948) Joan Bennett, Michael Redgrave, Anne Revere, Barbara O'Neil. Fritz Lang directs a slow plot about a woman visiting Mexico who meets a handsome stranger and marries him after just a few days. She was supposed to be deciding whether to marry heer long-time beau, but ends up going to her new husbands home. There she meets his sister, secretary and son. All strange characters. The set up is pretty good, but Redgrave is sleep-walking and the plot just never jells. Bennett is beautiful and this is her 3rd film with this director. Not their best, which I think was "Woman In The Window." 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040766/combined

The Prowler (1951) Evelyn Keyes, Van Heflin. Cop Webb Garwood (Heflin) and his partner answer a prowler call at an upscale house where they find scared Susan Gilvray. Her husband is a radio personality with an evening show so she is alone. Webb immediately starts making moves but the team leaves. Webb comes back later without his partner just to check up, he says. This time they discover the come from the same Indiana town and when she goes to get coffee, he looks through the desk papers. He discovers that the lady will be a wealthy woman if anything happens to her husband. From then on Heflin makes his character Webb, charming - but shifty. The events that follow keep you guessing whether he really has fallen for Susan or is 'playing' her to finally have his dream of a business of his own. And he ends up shooting her husband in a prowler mixup. Or is it? That the plot takes our couple a ghost town in the Mohave desert, a baby born, and a shootout, before the fade. Very good noir and keeps your interest throughout. The two lead actors as excellent and are aided by good character actors in support. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043938/combined

Claudette Colbert day on TCM---

2010-09-19T12:51:00.002-05:00

---I watched these films on her day:

Claudette Colbert Day on TCM

It's A Wonderful World (1939) Colbert, Jimmy Stewart. A great year for movies - but this isn't one of them. Part road film, part screwball, and all falls flat, IMHO. Too bad. MGM featured many of it's best character actors in the supporting roles. But it just didn't gel. A detective is hired to find out who is framing his client for murder. He ends up in prison and the client on the way to the death house. He escapes. While investigating, he happens on loopy poetess, Edwina, and it gets more complicated and is still not funny and barely interesting. At least to me. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031500/combined

Midnight (1939) Claudette, Don Ameche, Mary Astor, John Barrymore. Here is a screwball comedy that is just 'wonderful.' Broke Showgirl Eve meets Parisian cab driver Tibor Tzerny, and he is immediately smitten and she is too. But she wants more and says they are not right for each other so she runs away. She has to hide among the guests going into a wealthy woman's musical party. There she is noticed by Georges Flammarion who is trying to get gigolo Pico away from his wife, Helene. Introducing herself as Baroness Czerny, Georges realizes she is an impostor but enlists her to get Pico away from his wife. The weekend at the country house is where she is to work on him. Of course, Tibor shows up also and there are many funny scenes as the two 'Czerny's' one-up one another with lies and crazy antics. This is my favorites Barrymore performance, and the rest of the cast is terrific. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031647/combined

Boom Town (1940) Claudette, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr. Great MGM film about the early oil boom in this country with Gable and Tracy wildcatters who sometimes are partners and sometimes are rivals. Claudette is the girl Tracy loves from back home, and Gable wins the first night she sets foot off the train in the boom town. The boys had just had their first well come in and he was to file the papers for their company. Bitter Tracy heads to South America to the new oil country and soon enough, our couple lands at his company. They have lost their money and are living hand to mouth. Back and forth go the fortunes of the 3 until they all end up in New York and Tracy has to get the big guy out of the clutches of femme fatale' Hedy Lamarr. Which he does and they all go back to where it all began and start over. Frank Morgan as the guy who has the drilling equipment the guys are always swindling him out of, is fun. All in all, a rousing good time at the movies. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032273/combined

The Palm Beach Story (1942) Claudette, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, Rudy Vallee. One of Preston Sturges best comedies. Broke couple (Gerry & Tom) split because wife wants more. 'Wienie' King looking at the apartment they are behind in the rent on, gives her money to pay off all their debts and when hubby objects, she runs away on a train to Palm Beach, FL. She has no money left, so hooks up with the Quail & Ale hunting club on the train, who have their own car. They all get drunk and start shooting off their guns, so she runs through the sleeper car and tries to jump up in an empty upper birth to hide. She steps on the face of rich John D. Hackensacker III (Vallee) and breaks his glasses. That's the beginning and funniest half hour to ever start a film. IMO. Astor as Princess Centimillia, Johns sister, is rollicking good fun as a man hunting gal who thinks she has found her next husband in Tom, who has been introduced as Gerry's brother. Don't add or subtract - or try to make sense - just enjoy! 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035169/combined

Secret Heart (1946) Colbert, June Allyson, Walter Pigeon. Pure soap, but very well done. Colbert is brave, Allyson nuts and bratty, Pigeon stalwart and steady. Usual story of first husband commits suicide and causes extreme problems, but in a nice rich family so no one suffers too much. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038916/combined

Secret Fury (1950) Colbert, Robert Ryan. At Ellen's wedding to David a man appears and claims she is already married. As they investigate, everyone says she was married to another man who she claims she has never heard of or ever seen. Neat little tale of a woman being driven mad for unknown reasons. Her fiance David is true and keeps digging, trying to find out what is going on. Ryan has the best scenes - or perhaps just makes them better by doing them well. Vivian Vance of Lucy fame, has a few choice scenes, one with Ryan and they are both fine. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042935/combined

Have newer films I have watched to do next. Hope to catch up this weekend.

The gals reign ---

2010-09-18T09:38:00.002-05:00

---recently I have watched:

All on TCM:

Words & Music (1948) Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Janet Leigh. Highly fictionalized story of Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart's collaboration on musicals. Rooney is Hart, and Drake is Rogers. Leigh is the girl Rogers marries. The rest of the story is mainly about songs they wrote for shows, and are performed by various stars. Not well done and a bore, really, of the "and then they wrote" variety. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040976/

The Moon Is Blue (1953) Maggie McNamara, William Holden, David Niven. Controversial when it came out because of the word "virgin" being uttered. Condemned by the Legion Of Decency and other religious groups, it is just a cute romantic comedy about two men, who get involved with a kinda wacky girl. Sweet. actually. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046094/combined

Flamingo Road (1949) Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott, Sidney Greenstreet. Joan being tough and bad as a carnival dancer, Lane Bellamy, who is stranded in a small town when the show goes broke. She gets involved with the deputy sheriff, Fielding Carlisle, who is the protegee of the counties mover and shaker, Sheriff Titus Semple, who wants to back him for Governor. But he takes a fancy to Lane and Titus gets Lane fired for the waitress job Fielding has got her. Lane finds out there is one person who isn't afraid of Titus, Road House owner Lute Mae Sanders, and gets a job with her. There she meets state powerhouse Dan Reynolds, (David Brian in his first leading role) and eventually marries him. Now she has her house on Flamingo Road and thinks no one can harm her, but Titus isn't through yet. Greenstreet is superb as the mean corrupt sheriff. Rest of the cast are adequate to very good. Very enjoyable. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041373/combined

Caged (1950) Eleanor Parker, Hope Daniels. Agnes Moorhead. Parker is sweet innocent Marie Allen, who gets involved with a robbery her husband tries to pull off. Sentenced to prison, she goes through hell at the hand of sadistic matron Evelyn Harper (the 6'2" Hope Emerson); and by the time she is released, is as hardened and corrupted as the other prisoners. She has been recruited by vice queen Elvira Powell (Lee Patrick) and leaves in a car with men who will put her to work boosting, among other crimes. Warden Benton (Moorhead) tells her assistant to keep the file handy, because "she'll be back." In 1950 there were great female performances from Judy Holiday, Bette Davis, and Gloria Swanson, but Parker's performance here is right up there with them. And Emerson superb, as always. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042296/combined

Have more films I have watched to catch up on. Hopefully I'll get them all done this weekend.

Spys, murderers, cowboys, rom/coms--

2010-09-01T11:40:00.004-05:00

For the last week of August I watched these films on TCM:

Princess O'Rourke (1942) Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummins, Jack Carson, Jane Wyman, Charles Coburn. A rom/com from the early war years. An air line pilot gets involved with a passenger who is scared of flying and keeps asking each crew member for another sleeping pill. She is so zonked out by the time they land, they can't get her awake. Our hero takes her home and she ends up in his P.J.'s. She, or course is the Princess and the road to getting our couple married in war-time Washington,D.C. is the story. Olivia is bored and it shows. She took a suspension but finally got meatier roles and two Oscars. Jack Carson is always good and steals scenes with regularity. Cummins, Coburn and Wyman are workmanlike. 6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036277/

Laura (1944) Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson. Great noir mystery. A murder in a wealthy womans apartment has police Lt. Mark McPherson investigating and becoming increasingly enamored of the ladies portrait. A body, with the face blown away, was found in the foyer of the apartment in Laura's dressing gown. Her great friend, Waldo Lydecker, has identified the remains. As McPherson gets into the life of the victim, he finds almost all her friends and her cousin have a motive. One of the all time great noirs, with the great theme adding to the romance. Half way through, we have the big surprise and it is one of the great twists in films. Almost every part is done by a great actor. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037008/

Hondo (1953) John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate. Indians and a widow on an isolated ranch with a little boy. Big John as Hondo comes along needing a horse to get back to the report on the Indian activity. I found this western, which I had never seen, to be rather boring. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045883/

Rio Bravo (1959) John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickenson, Walter Brennan, Ricky Nelson. One of the all time great westerns. Sheriff John T., arrests the drunk who killed a townsman. His brother, a rancher with a big gang of hired hands, vows to come get him before the Marshall gets to town to take the prisoner to the big town and courthouse, for trial. Sheriff has his few men who are helping; an old guy with a bum leg, Stumpy. He watches the prisoner with orders to kill him if the jail is breached. His friend, the town drunk, who sobers up and is put at town border to take all guns from anyone coming into town and alert the sheriff if the gang comes. A young drifter who doesn't want to get involved but does. And a woman who is a gambler and the sheriff has ordered to leave on the next stage. Great setup for the final gunfight. 9/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053221/

Telefon (1977) Lee Remick, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, Tyne Daly. Major Grigori Borzov(Bronson), a KGB agent, is sent to the USA after a rogue secret agent, Dalchimsky(Pleasence). In an operation called Telefon, brainwashed and hypnotized agents were inserted into key industries and installations, to blow things up when they get a call and Robert Frosts poem with the lines "I have miles to go before I sleep" are said over the phone. It is detente and the KGB wants to stop him at all costs. Borzov has a photographic memory so knows all the names and info of the agents. He is helped by agent Barbara(Remick) who picks him up at the airport and off they go on a cat and mouse chase across the USA. Back at CIA headquarters is a computer nerd brainiac Daly, who seems to have a sixth sense about what is going on. This is a stylish spy story about a time in history when the threat of being incinerated had subsided enough to have some fun with spys. One of my guilty pleasures. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076804/

On FXHDtv:

Maid In Manhattan (2002) Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Stanley Tucci, Bob Hoskins. An enjoyable, for me, tale of a hotel maid who gets talked into trying on a wealthy womans clothes while cleaning the suite, and gets into a mixup with the guy running for senator(Fiennes). Ups and downs and a cute little boy who brings them together for the fade at the end. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252076/

Made Of Honor (2008) Michelle Monaghan, Patrick Dempsey. Best friends go everywhere together, can finish each others sentences, but don't date and are not romantically involved. Because he is a 'player' who beds all his dates or tries. When she goes to Scotland on holiday and meets the man of her dreams and gets engaged, surprise! he suddently decides she is his dream girl and HE wants to marry her. Give me a break. No woman would leave a tall blonde hunk, who also has 3 castles!, to go off with Mr. Can't Make Up His Mind! Absolutly lame! And Dempsey, with his squeaky voice, is an awful leading man. Monaghan is as tall as he is and their kissing scenes are a mess. No way, no how, Points for beautiful Scottish scenery. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0866439/

I have already picked out the TCM films I want to catch in Sept. And am picking some of my collection that I haven't seen in a long time to so I can decide to keep them or not. Onward to the 22nd and Autumn/Fall.

Jean Arthur, Greer Garson & Debbie---

2010-08-31T18:18:00.003-05:00

Last week I watched the following:

DVD Rental:

Easy Living (1937) Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold, Ray Milland, Mary Nash. The great Preston Sturges wrote the screenplay from a story by Vera Caspary. A Wall Street mogal, J.C. Ball(Arnold) gets angry at his extravagant wife, Jenny(Nash) for buying yet another fur coat - a sable for 20 thousand dollars. He tells her to take it back and she refuses. He grabs it and throws it out the window. It falls down to the double-decker bus onto the head of Mary Smith(Arthur) and breaks the feathers on her hat. She's mad and gets off the bus to find who is responsible, and thus starts one of the cleverest screwball comedies of the era. The very rich and those who feed off them, selling them things they don't need, are skewered. Milland is Ball, Jr. and falls for our gal, naturally. The scene in the elaborate bathtub when they are trying to figure out how it works is very funny. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028816/

2 from TCM:

Mrs. Parkington (1944) Greer Garson, Walter Pigeon, Agnes Moorhead, Edward Arnold. Greer as an old lady tells the story of her life starting out as a maid in a mining community, where she meets the owner of a mine. He falls for her and marries her and takes her to a storybook life of riches. This film is told in flashbacks and is episodic and I wasn't very interested. The two leads have been better in their other vehicles. IMO. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037096/

2 From My Video Collection:

Mother (1996) Debbie Reynolds, Albert Brooks, John C. McGinley. John and Carl are brothers who compete for the attention of their Mother. John is a writer in the midst of his second divorce and has just settled, losing all his furniture but one chair in the living room and the house. He has writers block and decides he needs to go back to his home and live with his Mother to try to discover why his relationships never work. A very droll and funny film, with many chuckles. Brooks and Reynolds are very good together. McGinley as the righteous brother who does everything right, is very good. I liked spending a couple of hours with these people. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117091/

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) Haley Joel Osment, Frances O'Conner, Jude Law. Taped this off HBO way back when it was first playing after the theater release. Never watched it after the day I taped it and I really did not like it this time either. But back then it was considered an important film so ..? The whole story is just creepy and I can't stand the idea of throw away anything that have been programed to have human reactions. I think this is a video I can never watch again. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212720/

This takes me to the weekend when I watched lots more and will catch up soon.

Deanna Durbin, Ann Sheridan,

2010-08-21T12:31:00.004-05:00

This week I watched:

My Collection:

First Love (1939) Deanna Durban, Robert Stack, Helen Parrish, Eugene Paulette. Retelling of the Cinderella story. The wicked step sister played with relish by Parrish makes our heroine miserable, but Deanna(Connie) is so good-hearted and chipper, we just know, with the mice's (butler, maids, cook and cop boyfriend) help, she will go to the ball and win the Prince/Ted's hand. Paulette as Dad, is wonderful. His final explosion and takedown of the lazy doofus of his son, played with bored stupidity by Lewis Howard, is a joy to watch. And Deanna singing Amapola (my pretty little poppy), an aria or two, Home, Sweet Home, and a lovely Strauss Waltz, makes this a must have for her fans and lovers of great singing. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031311/

TCM's Ann Sheridan Day:

City For Conquest (1940) Ann Sheridan, James Cagney, Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp, George Tobias, Frank McHugh, Elia Kazan. Kids grow up among tenements and the mean streets and promise they will always be there for each other. Older brother Danny boxes to keep his brother Eddie having music lessons and off the streets. Girlfriend Peggy has dreams of having a career dancing. One night the couple are out and there is a contest. Murray Burns (Anthony Quinn) is the local star, and asks Peggy to partner with him. They win, and are offered a contract for a tour. Peggy see the bright lights and can't say no. She leaves without telling Danny. He decides to go for the big time and tells manager(Crisp) that he wants to get a title fight ASAP. Which results in Danny losing his sight. From there on the melodrama of how Peggy and Danny get back together, and Eddie having a successful concert, is gripping, even if it is pure corn. Annie, baby, sure can dance. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032342/

George Washington Slept Here (1942) Ann Sheridan, Jack Benny, Charles Coburn, Percy Kilbride. I was struck by how much I liked this film. I remember seeing it when I was just a kid and thinking it was stupid. Actually, it reminds me somewhat of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, and since it was quite a few years before that one, I wonder if they 'borrowed?' Anyway, New Yorkers are continually asked to move from apartments because of their dog. Finally, Connie Fuller gets hubby Bill, to agree to move to the country. To a ramshackled house - with no water. Scenes of big machinery digging a well. Neighbor informs them they have no access to the road because he owns the land. So they have to jounce over hill and dale through the woods. Finally move in and have scene where he finds out the commuter train leaves at 5:30 am instead of 7:30. So it goes. Amusing and loved Ann trying to work things out. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032342/

The Set Up (1949) Robert Ryan, Audrey Totter, George Tobias, Wallace Ford. I saw this on its' first run and left the theater knowing I had seen a great little film. Ryan was always on my radar ever after. Boxing films are not my favorites, and usually I have to squint to watch the more brutal parts. However, somehow they managed to make the most intense fighting not too unsettling. Perhaps because the director used the whole ring and long shots more that closeups? Don't know, but it was more palatable. The story of the wife and her angst waiting for the fight to be over, and her walk around the seedy arena area, intensified our anxiety. Great character actors in all the secondary roles. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041859/

Inglorious Basterds (2009) Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz (Oscar), Melanie Laurent, Diane Kruger. O.M.G. is it wrong to be BORED by this film? What has happened to my cute Brad baby? Can ya tell? I hated this movie. The two women were the only redeeming factors for me. Tarantino is a juvenile fan-boy of violence and shows it lovingly on the screen, in close up and long takes. But his fan base loves it all too, so he will keep getting funds to make these piles of dung. The opening sequence at the farm house is suspenseful and starts things off well. We dread what we know will happen to the Jews hiding under the floor boards. But by the time the young woman is running across the field, and it just ends with the officer yelling at her, things have already started to go wrong. At least to me. So much of the rest is just disjointed and makes you want to scream - get on with it! - too many long meaningful looks, too many in jokes that I for one didn't get. 4/10 only for his good actors doing their best. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/

A couple of cooler days and last night a lot of rain. Days are getting shorter too. Lots of light hearted films to watch.

Errol Flynn, Pirates and the Merry Men----

2010-08-12T10:57:00.002-05:00

---recently I have watched:

Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938) Errol & Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains. Robin and the Merry Men of Sherwood Forrest fight evil King John. Rousing action, gorgeous Technicolor in the restored print. Never a dull moment and sheer fun. 10/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029843/

Sea Hawk (1940) Errol & Basil Rathbone, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Flora Robson. Pirates for England and the Queen, against the Spanish. Robson is a great Queen Elizabeth and Marshall a beautiful Dona Maria who hates/loves our pirate. Great fun, but the sword fights get just a tad tiresome. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033028/

Frenchmans Creek (1944) Joan Fontaine, Arturo de Cordova, Basil Rathbone. Daphne du Maurier's romance novel gets a loving film, again made in gorgeous Technicolor. Pirates, the landed gentry in 18th century England with mansions, sailing ships and a romantic music score. A favorite for years and years. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036840/

Against All Odds (1984) Rachel Ward, Jeff Bridges, James Woods, Jane Greer, Richard Widmark. Remake of the great "Out of The Past (1947)" with Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas. Jane Greer played the Rachel Ward part in the original. She was deadly. Original 10/10. Remake - 6/10 It had great scenery. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086859/

Blood Work (2002) Clint Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Anjelica Houston. FBI profiler has a heart transplant and while recovering runs across clues to a serial killer. Sounds like a better story than it is. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309377/

Elegy (2008) Ben Kingsley, Penelope Cruz, Dennis Hopper, Patricia Clarkson. A college prof falls for and beds a beautiful student. He becomes more and more possessive and she leaves him. But the films goes on and on. His son hates him until he too becomes embroiled in affairs. Then they connect. LOL. After two years, his girl comes back and tells him she has breast cancer. Which gives them an excuse to have Cruz and her breasts on screen for about 10 minutes. Our prof manages to stick by her at the fade out after her surgery. Knowing his history of banal self indulgence, will he stick?/ Doubtful. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0974554/

Looking forward to TCM's Gene Tierney day later this coming week. Still trying to stay cool and collected.....LOL

The wonderful Kay Francis in-----

2010-08-06T10:49:00.001-05:00

Confession (1937) Kay Francis, Basil Rathbone, Ian Hunter. Kay as a fallen woman, being tried for the murder of the man (Rathbone) who caused her to lose her husband and baby daughter. One of Kays best performances in a remake of a German film. The trial and Kay telling her story about losing her daughter and killing the man who caused her downfall when she sees him with the girl, sways the Judge and jury and at the end she is sentenced to time served plus two years. Rathbone is suitably charming and despicable at once. Ian Hunter is fine in a small role as the warrior who comes home without an arm and discovers his wife has been unfairthful. One of Kays best roles. She wears her usual great wardrobe and her walk down the long prison hall, all shadows and dust in the air, is one of the great endings for a womans film. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028737/

Lost In Translation; a Hitchcock, etc---

2010-07-31T09:27:00.003-05:00

---this week I watched:

Above Suspicion (1943) Joan Crawford, Fred MacMurray. Spy story is okay, but I never feared that our young newlyweds wouldn't come out okay. Not as suspenseful as some spy stories during WWII. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035605/

Dangerous Beauty (1998) Catherine McCormack, Rufus Sewell, Oliver Platt. Story of the cortesans of Venice in the 1500s. Sewell is too small for the lead. McCormack too much a modern looking woman and overwhelms Sewell. Naomi Watts in a small part looks like a woman of the time. Lots of beautiful sets and costumes - and nudity. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118892/

The Pledge (2001) Jack Nicholson, Patricia Clarkson, Aaron Eckhart, Robin Wright. Retiring Police Chief Jerry Black (Nicholson) pledges to a mother to find the killer of her young child. But although he is obsessed with the case, years pass and he has no leads. He buys a roadside service station and convenience store, and becomes the protecter of a woman, and her little girl, who is victimized by her violent husband. A case study in the losing of a mind and reality, through drink, age and fixation on impossible goals. Cast is first rate. The end wraps up the case, but in such an off-hand way, I had to replay it to get what was happening. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237572/

Lost In Translation (2003) Scarlet Johansson, Bill Murray, Giovanni Ribisi. A meandering and quiet film, focusing on two out-of-place lonely people who connect in a warm friendship. This is one of those films that you either love and understand immediately, or hate and disparage and some can't even get through one viewing. That is the way with films sometimes. For me, it was a a joy to watch and savor. As Bob (Murray) leaves in the car, we see Charlotte (Johansson) walking away. He has the driver stop and hurries back and catches her and whispers in her ear. Fans have gone to great lengths to find out what it is he says:
Whispered words> "Promise me, no matter how hopeless things get, keep on trying, okay? Keep coming chin-up, okay? "
Perfect. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335266/

National Treasure: Book Of Secrets (2007) Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel. Second film in the adventures of Ben Gates and his father, Patrick. This time with Mom, Emily helping them along the way. Watched with half a brain on a hot, humid July day in the Heartland USA. Just the ticket - especially with all the water scenes. I wished I was there too. Splash ME! LOL. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465234/

Storms, heat and other sounds of summer....

Greer Garson, Natalie Wood, Dorothy Maguire---

2010-07-20T23:48:00.002-05:00

---in films I watched recently:

All seen on TCM:

The Valley Of Decision (1945) Greer Garson, Gregory Peck, Lionel Barrymore, Donald Crisp, Marsha Hunt, Dan Duryea, Preston Foster, Jessica Tandy. Great cast in a story about Pittsburg in late 1800s and two families caught up in the labor strife at the steel mills. One family owns a mill; the others men all work in the factory. The daughter of the Rafferty family(Mary) goes to the big house as a maid. The son Paul (Peck) of the Scott family also goes to work in the steel mills and the two gradually fall in love. Because old Mr Rafferty(Barrymore) hates the Scotts and blames them for his being crippled in a plant accident, there seems no way to bridge the hatred, so Mary goes off to England with the daughter of the house when she marries an English Lord when he visits the Scotts to see their mills. Mary is gone for two years, but old Mr. Scott sends for Mary and she comes home and plans are made for a wedding. Then the workers are having a face to face with management and strike breakers appear and start breaking heads. Old Mr. Rafferty is killed. Mr. Scott is badly hurt and also dies.. Mary says it is because of the curse her father put on her and Paul. She won't see him or marry him. Paul marries childhood friend, Louise Kane(Tandy) from across the road and they have a son. Another 5 or so years pass, and old Mrs. Scott calls on Mary in her dress shop and tells her she is leaving Mary her share of the steel mills because she knows Mary will hold out against the 3 who want to sell and give Paul a chance to hold the mill together. It is a great American story, about immigrants who came to America and made lives and history. Great cast. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038213/

My Name Is Julia Ross (1945) Nina Foch, Dame May Whitty, George Macready. A "B" picture with good performances and the usual creepy old cliff side mansion, locked doors, and people who keep telling you you are married to someone you don't remember or know. Keeps your interest. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037932/

Gun Crazy (1950/ Original title "Deadly Is The Female") Peggy Cummins, John Dall. Two gun nuts find each other and start robbing, stores, banks, payrolls. Not a pretty story. But as a tale of youth, lust and violence it is pretty good. Cummins was darling even if she was a killer. Dall was as good as I've ever seen him. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042530/

Invitation (1952) Dorothy Maguire, Van Johnson, Louis Calhoun. This was a Matinee' Ladies film. Story of a woman who has had rheumatic fever as a child which left her heart damaged. Doctors give her a year to live. Her wealthy father wants it to be a happy year, and knows she wants a husband and her own home, so he propositions one of her friends, offering a job and lots of money if he marries her and she never knows. Of course, things don't go as planned. Good cast does its' best, which is very good. Ruth Roman as the bad gal almost steals the show. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044751/

Trapeze (1956) Burt Lancaster, Gina Lollobridgida, Tony Curtis. Great story of a trapeze artist(Curtis) who want to learn the triple somersault and comes to Paris to the only man(Lancaster) who ever did one, to learn how it is done. He has to talk Mike into being his catcher, but once he does they work day and night. Just about the time they are ready to show their act, Gina(Lola) starts worming her way into the act and getting the two men fighting. Great shots of trapeze work, Gina is worth the price of admission, and the guys are not bad either. I love it. And the circus music! 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049875/

The Journey (1959) Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Jason Robards Jr., Robert Morley, Anne Jackson, E.G. Marshall. One of my favorite Brynner films. He is Russian Major Surov and when a busload of people who had been at the airport in Budapest trying to leave the country during the uprising, are rerouted to Vienna and have to pass through the border town where he is stationed, he is in charge of seeing that there are no Hungarians in the group trying to get over the border. In checking all of the passports, he takes special interest Lady Diana Ashmore, who speaks for the ill passenger, Paul Kedes, who she has been helping. Over several days, the cat and mouse game continues, until it becomes dangerous and decisions have to be made. The two stars are very good and the sexual tension between them is extreme. A fast paced and interesting story and right out of the headlines at the time it was made and released to theaters. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052950/

Inside Daisy Clover (1965) Natalie Wood, Christopher Plummer, Robert Redford, Ruth Gordon, Roddy McDowell. Story of teen-ager in the 1930's who lives on a California boardwalk in Santa Monica, with her bipolar mother, and makes a record and sends it in to a studio contest. Soon a car and Raymond Swan, head of his Hollywood studio is there taking Daisy away to make her his new little star - America's Valentine. A cynical and devastating look at the studio system when you signed up you more or less belonged to them. I have watched this film a number of times and is it wrong to turn the sound off on those two musical numbers they have our Daisy do? I just can't take it anymore. But I do enjoy the look of old Hollywood and the star system. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059314/

Finally caught up with my viewing of the last two weeks. Onward.....

Dunne, Grant, Scott and Lorraine Day-----

2010-07-20T12:36:00.002-05:00

---in films from my high school days:

My Favorite Wife (1940) Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Randolph Scott. Wife(Dunne), missing 7 years, shipwrecked with a handsome scientist(Scott) who was collecting specimens with, returns to hubby(Grant) and her 2 children, who were babes when she left, only to find he has that very day married another woman{Gail Patrick}. The mix ups and befuddlement of Grant as the hubby, is half the fun. Funniest scenes are in the courtroom of Judge Bryson (Granville Bates), who is the crotchety and funny man who has to declare one wife alive, and the other annulled, all the while sneering at "the Harvard man; I'm a Yale man myself." My only quibble is the last 5 minutes when it gets all cutesy with the Santa outfit, the squeaking bed, and Grant trying to get Dunne to let him get in her bed. I have to quit watching after suffering through it many times. That's what that darn code did to lots of films - made the last 5 minutes unwatchable. Dang. Otherwise, 8/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029284/

The Locket (1946) Loraine Day, Brian Ahearn, Robert Mitchum, Gene Raymond. At a wedding a man shows up and tells the groom he is marrying a sociopathic liar. Of course, he is not believed, especially when the bride confronts him and says she never did what he is accusing her of. And so begins a very intricate tale of deception and death. Day, with her innocent air, and lovely speaking voice, carries off the role to perfection. Naturally, in this type of 40s film, it is all about what happened when she was a child. One by one, her reinventing herself and each time, a new man wants to rescue her. The cast is very good and this was a favorite of my high school days. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038700/

War, corporate espionage & Sherlock----

2010-07-19T19:25:00.003-05:00

The Informant (2009) Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Bakula. Corporate corruption. Based on a real case and the FBI getting fooled as badly as other victims of this charlatan. The lies and manipulation becomes so involved no one can keep track of who is doing what. Damon is very good. The issue of ADD and or bi-polar disorder is very well portrayed by Damon, and the frustration of his wife and all the other people he has contact with at AMD is amusing and sad. He was a maddening character to all. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130080/

Sherlock Holmes (2009) Rental DVD. Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong. Robert Downey Jr. is always Robert Downey, Jr. with a bit of a smirk and wink but I always find him worth watching. Jude Law was good too.
Watched the whole thing on my 2nd attempt. It put me to sleep after 30 minutes the first time. Maybe because I had just had dinner.? What can I say --- I'm old!
My complaint is the way film makers make Edwardian and/or Victorian England seem sooooo dirty and disgusting. Every scene in this version there is Sherlock in disarray and dirt. I haven't picked up a Sherlock book since school days, but I don't remember anything about how dirty and unkempt everyone and thing was. I may be wrong but that is my complaint. Strongs villain is interesting.
As an action film it is passably enjoyable. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/

Green Zone (2010) Matt Damon. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the desperate search by squads for the WMDs that were the reason for our going to war. Damons(Millers) squad is seen in the first 10 minutes frantically and dangerously looking in alleys, buildings, warehouses and discovering no WMD's. Men are killed and wounded and Miller is more and more frustrated. He hooks up with a CIA operative looking for the truth and finds corruption in both governments. The early scenes are chaotic, just like I would imagine real combat is, and the whole film is fast paced. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947810/

Have more films to go-----

Two to start----

2010-07-19T11:38:00.002-05:00

---catching up with posting the films I have seen that last 2 weeks:

Love Affair (1939) Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer. Director McCareys first version of this story. The charm of Boyer and the wonderful playful manner of Dunne are perfect for these two sophisticated souls who meet on shipboard and fall in love. The light touch is needed and both stars are just perfect. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. technicolor, and that dang song, make An Affair To Remember the Christmas staple, but this is the one I always pull out and watch. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031593/

The Turning Point (1977) Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft, Leslie Browne, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Tom Skerritt. Ballet story told from the viewpoint of two aging ballerinas, one who married and one who had the great career. Now 20 years later they somewhat envy each other and harbor some resentment. Which leads to a knockdown drag out of a fight between Dede(MacLaine) and Emma(Bancroft). But it is the music and dance that star here. Great excerpts of ballets throughout. The final segment of the finale of Don Quixote is just wonderful - perfect. And Browne dancing over the credits at the end brings tears it it so beautiful. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076843/

To be con't.....

Gone With The Wind & other classsics, plus---

2010-07-07T09:33:00.004-05:00

---a few from the last few years:

Maytime (1937) Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald. Beautiful, lavish film with the sensations of Hollywood at the time. MGM pulled out all the stops, except for color, and the costumes and sets are spectacular. The duo's greatest scene from opera, and they nail the passion both characters feel by the time of the final reel. For TCM's tribute to both stars' birthday month, this is always a treat. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029222/

Sweethearts (1938) Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald, Frank Morgan. Finally MGM filmed our stars in technicolor and it is glorious. Story is contemporary to the time it was filmed so the sets and clothes are modern. And what clothes Jeanette gets to wear! In the middle of the film we have a fashion show, with her trying on clothes for a trip. Just gorgeous. They are going to Hollywood, leaving their successful stage play after a 6 year run. Mix-ups and split ups and reuniting ensue. A joy to watch which I do for the holidays, and didn't mind at all watching again for the birthday celebration. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030817/

Gone With The Wind (1939) Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard, Hattie McDaniel. My 1989 50th Year Anniversary video copy, beautifully boxed, with certificate, booklet, etc. May someday replace with a Hi-def version, but this is great to get off the shelf and relive the joy I felt when it came in the mail back in 1989.
I have little-girl memories of seeing this with my little sisters and Mom and Dad back when it was first at our downtown Heartland city's Loew's Midland theater, a palace with red velvet everywhere, red plush seats, gold angels, tall mirrors and 16th century furniture in the mezzanine ladies lounge - which was huge. The experience of all that splendor plus the music as you entered (with an usher), still colors my mind and I just go back in time as I watch. The first re-release was when I was in high school and my galpals and I went often. It was a rite-of-passage to see Rhett carry Scarlett up those stairs and imagine what was happening. We all had raging hormones ( although we did not know what to call it back then - LOL) and it was delicious thinking about what Scarlett was simpering and singing about the next morning.
Still love Scarlett, the costumes, the music...the whole cast. My little girl self loved Bonnie Blue and cried buckets when she was killed. For my money, Scarlett was a forerunner of the strong business women of today. She was as ruthless as any man and not only got herself, but her father, sisters, in-laws and various others through the war and Reconstruction, she made everyone come out on top. They may have hated her, and Rhett may have left, but Scarlett has her sails full and will sail on. Amen, brother! 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/

The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956) Judi Holiday, Paul Douglas. Cute story of a small stock holder who drives the board nuts at a stock-holder meeting to elect the new board, which is supposed to be cut-and-dried. The heroine, Laura Partridge, is such a pest, with all her questions about executive compensation, that she is finally given a make work job (Director Of Shareholder Relations), doing nothing, to keep her happy and out of the way. Our former CEO and owner has become a dollar a year man in Washington, and thought he had left his company in good hands. But he eventually has to come back and save the day for Laura and the rest of the good guys. As an early film on corporate corruption it only does a few pokes, but has quite a lot to say for the time it was made. Good cast. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049777/

Time Limit (1957) Richard Widmark, Richard Basehart, Delores Michaels, Martin Balsam, June Lockhart, Rip Torn, Carl Benton Reid. Superb performances by the whole cast in a tightly woven story of the Korean War era, and an ex-prisoner of war. He has been court-marshaled for collaborating with the enemy. The investigator from the JAG office, begins to think there is more to the case than the facts as presented in the documents he has been given. On top of that, the Commanding Officer of the unit was the father of one of the fellow soldiers of the accused, and was killed in the camp. Naturally, he is bitter and wants this man convicted ASAP. Fine actor Karl Malden directed this film and gets the best from his cast. Basehart never was better. Lockhart is perfect as the heart broken wife. Widmark and Michaels also. And the speech Reid makes about "that is why we have the code" is a true statement of the way military men are taught. But the final questions by Basehart to Widmark; "a man is brave a thousand days and then on that one he finally breaks. Shouldn't there be a time limit?" - are heart breaking and are still being ask today. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051083/

Nine (2009) Danial Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz. Awful film, awful music, just a bore. Turned it off after the first hour - which seemed like 3. 2/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0875034/

Valentine's Day (2010) Stars listed by alphabet in a story about what happens to various characters on - yep - Valentines Day. Not funny, not awful, not great, not memorable. But I didn't hate it - as I did with Nine. So 7/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0817230/

Summertime and the humid days and nights. We are having some rain this week, which is good. More light films for the season.

Jeanette and Nelson, and the Sex 2 gals---

2010-06-23T11:09:00.002-05:00

-----Finally got to the theater to see my girlies and their clothes and silly problems. I also have watched these films:

Smilin' Through (1941) Jeanette MacDonald, Gene Raymond, Brian Aherne, Ian Hunter. I can't say I found this story at all interesting. I really don't remember much about it and I have seen it before. Lots of good music. Nice color, and Jeanette is always lovely in color. Only her fans will love it. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034203/

I Married An Angel (1942) Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald. The last film the two stars made together. It is not one of their best. The scenery and costumes look cheap. They were getting stale at this type of nonsense and it showed. Neither look like they were having much fun, as they did in most of their films. Story of a playboy banker and a innocent secretary at the bank, and how she catches him. Long dream sequence. Music not up to their best. Title song and Spring Is Here, are all I think are worthy. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034882/

The Stone Angel (2007) Ellen Burstyn, Christine Horne, Cole Hauser. Story of an old woman and her memories of her life as a rebel. Horne, as the young Hagar, is beautiful and when she returns from college, she doesn't want to conform to the life her strict father lays out for her. He is rich and has become a very important person in their little town. At a dance, she meets poor boy Bram and eventually marries him, as much to defy her father and convention. as lust for Bram. Her life spirals from bad to worse as she has two boys and Bram decends into drunkeness.
The film goes between the old lady and her memories of her young self. Her life never becomes what she had hoped and her trip back to the farm from the older sons home where she has been living, reminds me of Geraldine Pages' in The Trip To Bountiful. Back to a place and time in your mind when you were hopeful and happier. Fairly good film and both leads are very good. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0847897/

Sex & The City II (2010) (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis. Boy, were the reviews and ratings wrong on this one. I get busy in spring and do my gardening thing so just made it to see SATC2. I'm sooo glad my daughters (baby-boomers) and I went to the theater to see the girls in their outrageous clothes, deal with their silly problems and get on that plane. What a plane - showing the individual 'pods' the upscale tickets gets you. What a dream!
Then we get to that great hotel, and are given a tour along with our girls. Great! And a one day desert outing. Oh yeah! Great locations. Cinematography is wonderful!
Story? Smart, rich women have the same kind of silly problems with their lives all the rest of us do. You can either make a movie and laugh; or make a tragedy and cry. We can cry just living our own lives. Carrie, Samantha et al, over the top, and making us laugh - is what this group of 'women' want. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1261945/

A Steam bath today outdoors, soooooo just movies and TV for me.

Hidalgo; Religulous----

2010-06-19T23:52:00.002-05:00

----finally I am caught up for this month. I watch the films but am too tired and sleepy to post on this blog.

Hidalgo (2004) Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif. Hidalgo, a mustang horse, is the star of this story and film. His journey across the world to enter a harrowing race across the Sahara desert is just cruel and unusual punishment for man or beast. I really could not enjoy the film for worrying about the animals. After all - the humans are supposed to have brains and hearts. These people showed no signs of it, but the horses were magnificent, 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317648/

Religulous (2008) Documentary. Bill Maher's take on the current state of worlds religions. Very funny at times and sad also. The wars and hate caused by religion, in which all preach 'love' is enough to make one crazy. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815241/

It is "lay by" time for gardeners, so will be indoors more as the hot afternoons start here in the Heartland. Lots of DVDs and Tapes on my table ready to watch. Hi-ho-----

2 with Meg; 1 with Brucey Baby; and W.-----

2010-06-19T10:31:00.003-05:00

---more films I have watched this month:

You've Got Mail (1998) Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks. Rewatched. Love both stars in this one. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128853/

Hanging Up (2000) Meg Ryan, Diane Keaton, Lisa Kudrow, Walter Matthau. Three sisters come together to reconcile differences and deal with their dying father. Keaton does her uptight business woman. Meg her sweet helpful self. Both are annoying. Barely remember watching it, so that means something. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162983/

Next (2007) Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel. A Las Vegas magician, who can see a few minutes into the future, thus averting many disasters, is wanted by the FBI, and bad people for bad reasons, having to do with nuclear terrorists. Whew! Will he succeed in saving the world once again? Cage is so watchable his films don't need to make sense, I guess. Good action scenes and stunts. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435705/

Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Bruce Willis as John McClane once again saves all from the bad guys. The stunts are getting really unreal. And the nerd he saves is a real zero until almost the end. Should have made him more quirky or interesting. Still can't go wrong with McClane saving the world for a fun time at the movies. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337978/

W. (2008/I) Josh Brolin, Thandie Newton, Richard Dreyfus, Scott Glenn. Oliver Stones' engrossing take on the presidency of George W. Bush. Brolin is amazing and actually had me feeling a little sorry for this dunce we had to endure for 8 years. Laura comes across as a perfect Stepford wife. And Momma Bush as the doyen who famously was caught comparing people from Arkansas as "trailor trash" as the uppity person she really is. As a first impression on all these 'historic' figures and times, it is funny, insightful, and abrasive. Whether it will stand the test of time, we will see. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1175491/

Personal Effects (2009) Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashton Krutcher, Kathy Bates. May-Dec romance between a young man whose sister was murdered, and a widow with a deaf-mute son. They meet at a therapy session of family members. While waiting for trial verdicts, etc., romance happens. The leads are both so watchable you forget that the story is a mess and boring. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1138489/

Very hot and steamy today. It's a cool drink and movies for me....

Thrillers mean murder, mayhem etc-----

2010-06-19T07:56:00.002-05:00

---three I watched recently:

Enemy Of The State (1998) Will Smith, Regina King, Lisa Bonet, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight. Thriller of an innocent guy who gets left with a secret tape of incriminating evidence of a murder. Set in Washington, D.C., powerful people try to erase him from records and his life. Good chase film that goes overboard once or twice, but is fun nonetheless. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120660/

Nowhere To Hide (1994) Rossana Arquette, Scott Bakula. Made for TV. A very hysterical woman and her son are put in Witness Protection so she can testify against her mobster former husband. Naturally she falls for the agent assigned to keep her safe and does just as he tells her. The twist comes about 2/3rds of the way through and wasn't very surprising. Her eventual revenge is sweet. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110695/

Assassination Tango (2002) Robert Duvall, Kathy Baker, Rube'n Blades, Luciana Pedraza. Hit man is delayed in his latest job in Argentina, so goes to watch the tango dancers and ends up taking lessons and becomes more and more involved with his beautiful teacher. The dancing is fine. And that is most of the story. The hit is almost an afterthought. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283897/

More June films I have watched coming up.

San Francisco; June Bride, etc.----

2010-06-18T11:23:00.002-05:00

----five films I watched recently:

San Francisco (1936) Jeanette MacDonald, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy (Oscar Nomination). Wonderful cast in the story of the Barbary Coast saloons and the people of the city in 1906, the year of the great earthquake. Jeanette sings title song, and a few operatic arias, and Clark is two-fisted and charming. Tracy seems subdued and I really don't see a great performance here, but his lip is bloodied by Clark, so maybe the gold statue was a compensation prize. The earthquake sequence is still great, after all these years, and all the spectacle we take for granted. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028216/

The Women (1939) Watch at least once a year. Commented on before. March 9, 2009 post on this Blog I compared the latest film, with Meg Ryan as Mary, to 1939s "classic" with the top stars of the top studio, MGM, all taking part. The latest version pales in comparison to the wonderful cast with their claws out (Jungle Red!) for each other, with no holds barred in the '39 version. Women of today, with careers, all sorts of interests, have trouble realizing the limits the 1939 woman had to endure. Some like limits. Hooray for them! But for the rest of us gals, today is better. Don't think the latest version played up the many choices todays women had which makes the whole story different. It is simply not the story Booth Luce told in 1939 and it suffers for the difference. 1939 version a 10/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032143/

She Wouldn't Say Yes(1945) Rosalind Russell, Lee Bowman, Adele Jergens, Charles Winniger. Watched it but cannot remember much about it so that tells me it was a bomb. Something about a lady gifted psychiatrist, grounded in self-control, on a train to somewhere getting involved with an annoying man who is a returning serviceman. He is a cartoonist. Not funny enough or wacky enough, just forgetable. Travis Banton wardrobe for Roz worth a look. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038084/

The Pirate (1948) Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Walter Slezak, Gladys Cooper, The Nicholas Brothers. I watched it on TCM. I had not seen it since it first came out back when I was in high school. I know now why I never made a point to get it and watch again. My reaction was just the opposite of so many - I thought it was too frantic, too loud, and for a fantasy - not fun enough. Some good dancing, but the songs were atrocious IMO. Only one hummable song, with lyrics we can remember and sing. Thank goodness, Kelly brought back the "Be A Clown" number and had Donald O'Connor do it in "Singing In The Rain." That made it a 'classic.' Think Gene is more fun in his Three Musketeers role (and much better acting); and Judy is 3-times better in Easter Parade with Astaire. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040694/

June Bride (1948) Bette Davis, Robert Montgomery. Stars work well together. Linda Gilman (Davis) is the editor of the woman's magazine which is heading to a small town to document the wedding of Jeanne Baker (Barbara Bates) and Bud Mitchell. Trouble is war-correspondent Carey Jackson (Montogomery) is back and has been given his old job and is to work under madam editor Gilman. Which is messy because he walked out on their relationship a few years before without even saying adios. With Mary Wickes and Faye Bainter as her staff, you know there will be a few chuckles. Another film I remember well from my high school days, when teenagers were mooning about going steady, getting engaged, weddings! I knew these people well and they did a great job with the ginger bread house and decor in the before pics. Saw many a home with just such horrors and could almost smell the apple pie. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040499/

Have more comments on more films to do, but I'm hungry and it's time for lunch!

1 Classic; 3 newer films----

2010-06-10T00:55:00.003-05:00

---I watched recently:

Ransom! (1956) Glenn Ford, Donna Reed. Comments on Blog on March 3-9, 2008. See Blog Archive on right.

True Crime (1999) Clint Eastwood, Isaiah Washington, Lisa Gay Hamilton, James Woods. Story of a man on death row and the reporter assigned to get a last minute interview with him, who discovers new evidence that convinces him the guy is innocent. Getting the govenor to stay the execution and all the bells and whistles in place in time is the story. Too many times things just happen "in the nick of time." Not Eastwoods best. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139668/

Ashes Of Time Redux (1994/Hong Kong/Dung che sai duk) Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu Wau. I had read about this film for years and finally ordered it on Que at Blockbuster. I was disappointed. The martial arts scenes were all in speeded up mode, It was nothing like the ballet-like beauty of Crouching Tiger. I gave up half way through. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109688/

The Hunted (2003) Tommie Lee Jones, Benicio Del Toro, Connie Neilsen. A Special Forces trained man has tracked and killed four hunters in the deep woods, who were using illegal means to kill their prey. Now the FBI wants the man who trained him to kill, to hunt him down and bring him in or kill him. The deep north woods is the setting and the atmosphere is anything but peaceful, as Jones, the man who trained the killer is called in to track him down. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0269347/

Master & Commander (2003) Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany. High adventure on the "far side of the world." Beautifully filmed with the tall ships and wide sea. The battle scenes are chaotic, as I imagine they really were. The story of the English ship tracking the French ship around South America, during the Napolianic wars, is the set up for many interesting details of life at sea on a war ship. It was a brutal life even on the best of ships. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311113/

Summer is almost here. Iced tea, mystery books and films, keeping cool and enjoying the flowers of the season......

Sturges, Preminger directors---

2010-06-02T22:51:00.002-05:00

These are the films I watched recently:

Unfaithfully Yours (1948) Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell, Rudy Vallee, Barbara Lawrence. One of Preston Sturges' funniest comedies involves a conductor of a symphony orchestra, who imagines his beautiful young wife of being unfaithful to him, which she is not. Harrison imagines how he will trap his wife and her lover and do away with them both. He then tries to carry out his wild thoughts and in a riotous scene tries to get everything prepared and it all goes horribly wrong. Harrison was the great screen lover at this time, and is so funny doing the physical comedy; and lovely Darnell is just breathtaking. The rest of the cast are very good and Sturges the writer and Sturges the director are in top form. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040919/

Saturdays Hero (1951) John Derek, Donna Reed. A look at the recruiting and exploitation of high school football stars into the college game. The mentor of Derek treats him like a paid servant. He has him up to his big house, but doesn't ask him to sit, have a drink as he has one himself, nor have dinner after introducing his daughter. He is just dismissed. The climax is grim. Derek is hurt, but is taped up and sent into play the big game and re injures himself and finally has had enough. All these years later, nothing much has changed in big time college sports. It is just more so. A bit of a downer. Cast is very good, but Reed does have a very stilted delivery of her lines. Presume that is what director Otto Preminger wanted - to show her as a deb and rich girl who is too refined for the Polish lad from the factory town. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043994/

Angel Face (1952) Jean Simmons, Robert Mitchum. Simmons' Diane is her most diabolical role. She is a complete manipulator, obsessed with getting her own way, and possibly crazy and deadly. Mitchums' Frank is a nice guy who can't seem to get out of the web. As an ambulance driver who comes to the home for an emergency - the 'accidental' gassing - of the step-mother, Frank is soon entangled with Diane and is asked to remain as a driver. It doesn't take him long to realize things are getting too involved but Diane keeps causing him to have to continue to help her. The first time I saw this back in 1952, the ending was a real shocker. Didn't expect it at all. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044357/

These Wilder Years (1955) Barbara Stanwyke, James Cagney. Title is strange - the only 'wild' thing in it is a pregnant teenager. But it is one of the first films to take up the issue of adoption agency secrecy and the heart wrenching decisions of unwanted pregnancy. Cagney is a father looking for the son he sired 20 years before and Babs is the agency head who will stand in his way. They are great together. Two tigers of the screen. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049844/

Back with more of my final May films soon.

Film noir, Chow Yun Fat, Deanna-----

2010-05-16T21:39:00.003-05:00

----this week I watched:

I Wake Up Screaming (1941) Betty Grable, Carol Landis, Victor Mature, Laird Kreger. A wonderful mystery and one of the very first films that can be called a "film noir." It has all the elements. Great black and white photography, beautiful victim, wrongly accused hero, and the villain is a hulking nasty piece of business. Betty Grable and Mature had not yet reached superstar status, so she was trying straight drama, and Vic was also trying to get into more serious films. The cast is very good and in the commentary in the extras, "noir" historian Eddie Muller points out the shots we automatically designate for the genre, especially the dark and the use of lighting and effects such as the shadows of venetian blinds across the stars faces,etc. Great addition to my film collection. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033740/

Can't Help Singing (1944) Deanna Durban, Robert Paige. Deanna in technicolor. Her hair is blond, which is a shock because in all her earlier black and white films she seems to be a brunette. This was her only color film and Jack Pierce, the makeup artist overdid the rosy cheeks. No matter. When Deanna sings she is still lovely. Story of a spoiled Senators daughter who runs away to the west to catch up with her dashing cavalry boyfriend. She has to team up with a gambler to buy a wagon and join a wagon train. By the final fade she has won his heart, he has turned a new leaf and the title song is reprieved by the cast. Score by Jerome Kern includes Oscar Oscar-nominated "More & More", "Any Moment Now" and "Californiay" plus the title song. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036692/

Murder, My Sweet (1944) Dick Powell, Clair Trevor, Anne Shirley. This adaptation of the Raymond Chandler novel 'Farewell, My Lovely', renamed for the American market because Powell had another film with a similar title, is a Philip Marlowe mystery story and Powells first try at leaving behind his juvenile singing roles. He is drugged, beaten up and double crossed by a femme fatale, beautifully played by Trevor. Shirley is really cute and plucky as the daughter of the wealthy man who is being swindled. Mike Mazurki is Moose Malloy who sets things off when he gets out of prison and hires Marlow to find "his Velma." Otto Kruger is one of his patented slimeballs in on the swindle. All in all, a fine cast in a very good mystery with great cinematography and effects. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037101/

Hong Kong 1941 (1984/Dang doi lai ming) Chow Yun Fat, Cecelia Yip, Alex Man. Chow is a traveling entertainer, Fay, who is staying with his aunt and temporarily goes to work in a warehouse loading and unloading rice from ships. He befriends another fellow, Keung, who is working there and later meets his girlfriend Nam, who turns out to be the girl he helped when he found her having a severe seizure on the street one day. All three become good friends and when the Japanese invade, they decide to leave but are thwarted when Keung tries to get a mentally handicapped man to leave and they miss the last boat out. The eventual love story between Fay and Nam is heartbreaking as Fay tries to stay out of the way, and Nam is torn between both men. Good early Film role for Chow before his breakout John Woo action films. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087137/

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Peter Burke. Still very stylish use of the split screen and music to set a mood. Crown {McQueen) plans and pulls off a seemingly perfect heist, getting away with over $2 million in cash. The police are stymied. Enter the insurance companies chief investigator, Vicki Anderson (Dunaway), who admits she has no morals, but always gets her thief. Most of the film is the duel between her and Crown. She knows he was the mastermind, but has to get someone to crack and spill. By the time she thinks she has Crown, she has outsmarted herself. He has flown the coop, so to speak. Dunaway is stunning; the clothes are amusing; McQueen is the coolest. Wonderful fun. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063688/

Ladyhawke (1985) Michelle Pfeiffer, Mathew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Leo McKern. A fantasy set in the dungeons, castles and cathedrals of Aquila. The villain is a Bishop who has placed a curse on a Knight and his Lady. One must be a wolf at night and the other a hawk by day, so they are forever apart. Young Phillipe - the Mouse - befriends the Knight and along with the Priest who caused the Bishop to put the curse on the lovers, finds a way to help them and the end at the church is satisfying. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089457/

The Blind Side (2009) Sandra Bullock(Oscar), Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron. Good sports story about a woman who takes in a homeless youngster and mentors him into an All American football player, a first round draft pick for the NFL. The story is strong and Bullock is perfect as a no-nonsense business woman and Mom who sees what needs to be done - and does it. Sometimes nice people do come out on top. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878804/

Chilly, rainy weather for a week now. Still waiting to plant patio pots and front porch planters. Need some sunny days. Meanwhile, films to watch---

An old joke----

2010-05-11T09:38:00.002-05:00

made into a short film:

The Jewel Of The Sahara (2001) Gerard Butler, Peter Franzen. Based on an old joke told at mens smokers and bars. 15 minutes to the punch line "the men used the camel to go to the brothels in town." Poor Capt. Bellamy (Butler) is so befuddled by exhaustion, the heat, hashish and booze, and lonely for his wife and sex, he makes a huge mistake when he goes to the camel shed. For a shoe-string budget and working with friends he talked into doing his short film, director Ariel Vromen did a good job. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291277/

Gambit

2010-05-11T07:25:00.005-05:00

I almost forgot to post about my new DVD of: Gambit (1962) Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, and the great Herbert Lom. Finally the powers that be issued a DVD of this film and I ordered it soonest. A Caper film with twists and turns, droll humor and great locations. First the story as Caines character imagines and relates to his partner in crime, - and then the way it plays out in reality. Every possible thing goes wrong. Shirley is darling as a not-so-dumb broad, hired because she looks like the rich mans dead wife; and Lom is absolutely sexy as the very rich man. LUV this film. 9/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060445/

A classic or two and Oscar winners----

2010-05-09T00:21:00.005-05:00

This is what I watched this week:

The Lion In Winter (1968) Kathryn Hepburn (Oscar), Peter O'Toole(nominated), Anthony Hopkins. TCM showed this in their Essentials spot Saturday. Great film with lots of drama. The story of the schemes, jealousys and plots of Englands King Henry II's wife and sons, during a Christmas holiday gathering at one of the palaces, is riveting. Henry wants to have the youngest son, John, his heir to the throne. Eleanor favors Richard. The rivalry also involves Alais, the French princess brought as a child to Henrys court as an alliance with France, betrothed to Richard. But now she is Henrys mistress. Alais brother, the King of France also comes for the holiday to see that Henry fulfills the contract and Alais is finally married to Richard. All the family is at each others throats. This was released as a Road Show film, with reserved seats. A prestige film. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063227/

The Bribe (1949) TCM. Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton. Big stars in a story about government agents after theives in racket to steal apare parts for airplanes. All the actors are good. The story is a bit confused and slow. But Ava Gardner is gorgeous and on screen almost all the time. One of her first big roles, and you can't take your eyes off her. A great beauty. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041207/

Dave (1993) TV. Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Charles Grodin. Fun "what-if" film about the President having a heart attack and a look alike who is drafted to 'play' the part for a while. Droll and sharp satire. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106673/

The Bourne Identity (2006) TV. Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox. Great action spy film. Amnesia and people trying to blow you away. Non stop action. And the only person who will help is a screw-up gal who has her own problems. Watch it all the time. Whenever I am browsing the satellite channels and come across this, I always stop and watch for awhile. And love the music. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/

Crazy Heart (2009) DVD rental. Jeff Bridges(Oscar), Maggie Gyllenhaal(nominated), Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall. Good story of a washed up country singer appearing at bowling alleys and small bars in the fly-over hinterlands. After hefalls asleep at the wheel and has an accident, he is helped by the woman who showed up to interview him for her small town paper. They become lovers but because he drinks so much, she is not sure of their relasionship. When he loses her son at the mall one day, it is over for them. The rest of the story is his getting his act together and getting sober. Bridges is very good, as usual. Maggie is too. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1263670/

Up In The Air (2009) George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick. Interesting film on the corporate world of rats who are sent out to fire the mid level employees in the downsizing or corporate America. Clooney is one such guy. He lives out of his suitcase, the airports and planes.he travels in, and has no ties anywhere. He gives seminars on getting rid of the baggage and backpacks of life. It is a portrait of a man with nothing except the incredible free miles he has racked up in his travels. He has the 6th highest total in the world. But no family. His sisters hardly know him. George is just right and the two actresses are very good also. The world these people have to live in is foreign and hateful to me. But it is going on in almost every type of office today. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/

That's all folks, for this time.

For the gals......

2010-05-07T09:11:00.002-05:00

....two delicious films:

The Young Victoria (2009) Emily Blunt, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson. Beautifully filmed story of the romance of Victoria and Albert, up to the birth of their first child. The cinematography and costumes are just lovely. We more or less know the story so no surprises, and none needed. Lovely way to spend an evening. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0962736/

It's Complicated (2009) Meryl Streep, Alex Baldwin. Reviewed on January 14th Blog post of theater viewing. This was the DVD I purchased. Still a 9/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1230414/

The last of my April films. On to May - the cruelest month according to the poet. But my Iris are stately and beautiful, waving in the wind. No wonder they were nic-named "flags" by the old-timers. They do flutter and wave in the strong wind, but usually stay upright. And the Peonies and Clematis are very pretty this year. Maybe it because they had to survive such a horrible winter, all the plants are putting on a great show to be sure to propagate. Mother Nature making sure all her kids are okay. Haha.

1940 & 1941 films......

2010-04-26T10:42:00.005-05:00

......fun with pros:

Ringside Maisie (1941) Ann Southern, George Murphy, Robert Sterling. Our gal gets mixed up in the fight game, a boxer who hates it, his mother and his manager, Murphy. The usual ups and downs but as always, Maisie saves the day. Southern is just darling and spunky is a word made for her Maisie. As an aside, Sterling and Southern were married for 6 years during the 1940s. Good entry into the series. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034110/

No Time For Comedy (1940) Rosalind Russell, James Stewart, Charles Ruggles, Genevieve Tobin. Classic story of a country boy who writes a play, has a great success on Broadway, marries the star, and then.... He is discovered! By a pretentious society woman of little or no talent, who is going to bring out the great playwright in him - her great discovery. The stars have fun with this, and Stewart especially, going from happy-go-lucky guy writing comedies for his famous wife to do, to a demented 'great' man doing the bidding of a silly dolt. All comes right in the end, but for a farce, this has a serious undercurrent. With WWII looming, we had 'serious' and could do with some comedy. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032846/

More later.....

Robert Taylor & Broadway Melody

2010-04-25T12:01:00.004-05:00

...another of the early MGM musicals:

Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) Eleanor Powell, Robert Taylor, George Murphy; and a teen age Judy Garland singing "Dear Mr. Gable..." to his picture. That is the scene most often referenced of this film although it has lots of song and dance stars of the stage. Story of a guy, Steve, who wants to have a big Broadway show but is saddled with a leading lady who is the main backers "friend" and neither can be counted on. Works out by "the end" and lots of old and new songs and Eleanor tap dances and looks pretty good doing it. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028665/

Con't......

Catching up on posting .....

2010-04-24T17:26:00.005-05:00

....the films I have seen recently:

High Wall (1947) Robert Taylor, Audrey Totter, Herbert Marshall, Dorothy Patrick. Taut film noir of a returned soldier who is suffering what we used to call battle fatigue. He is accused of killing his wife in a fit of rage which he thinks he did, but has no memory of doing so. Judged criminally insane he is locked up in a state hospital under the care of Dr. Ann Lorrison who begins to think he is innocent. Interesting look at the beginning of modern treatment of brain injury and psychosis. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039464/

That Touch Of Mink (1962) Doris Day & Cary Grant. For those that don't remember what it was like before The PILL! Funny - and the clothes Doris wears!! Cary was 58 and Doris 40, playing people at least a decade younger. And it worked! Gig Young almost steals the show, playing a neurotic lawyer. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056575/

To be continued......

Easter Parade-----

2010-04-06T23:30:00.003-05:00

--and 4 more films I watched recently:

Easter Parade (1948) Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Ann Miller, Peter Lawford. Great singing and dancing. A happy film for the Holiday. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040308/

Giant (1956) Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Mercedes McCambridge, Carroll Baker, Dennis Hopper, Chill Wills. Edna Ferbers novel gets a George Stevens directed epic retelling. The stars are gorgeous to watch, and the character actors all interesting. Worth seeing, but bogs down at times. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049261/

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) Robert Downey Jr, Michelle Monaghan, Val Kilmer. What's with the title? Right off, I never would have watched this except for discussions I read on IMDb. A funny, droll and off beat story told with tongue firmly in cheek. About a guy who is trying to get into movies and the doll from his hometown who has been in Hollywood trying for years, and can't make it. The plot has crooks, shootings, fist fights, etc. It makes just enough sense to keep you watching. But that title! Eeeeek 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373469/

Did You Hear About The Morgans? (2009) Sarah Jessica Parker, Hugh Grant. New Yorkers sent to Wyoming in the witness-protection program, and how they cope. Or not. A fish out of water story. Hugh is beginning to irritate with his halting delivery. But it wasn't awful. Amusing. 6/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1314228/

Beautiful few days and then storms, but rain instead of snow. Halleluia!

Musicals, comedies, 300.....

2010-03-28T22:08:00.004-05:00

.....lots of films of all genres, and from 1933 t0 2010. Here is what I've been watching:

42nd Street (1933) Ginger Rogers, Warner Baxter, George Brent, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell. Black & white pre-code musical. One of the first great musicals, with Busby Berkeley staging his first great extravaganzas. This is the film that set all the musical cliches. The girl from the chorus who takes on the lead at the last minute and saves the show and becomes a star. Still entertaining and fun after all these years. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024034/

Gold Diggers Of 1933 (1933) Joan Blondell, Warren William, Ruby Keeler, Aline MacMahon, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers. With the success of 42nd Street, Warners put together a great cast and writers to make another show biz tale, which turned out as good as the first. Lovely Shadow Waltz, We're In The Money and the finale Remember My Forgotten Man, all spectacularly staged by Busby Berkeley. An Essential. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024069/

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs (1937) Disney's first full length story cartoon, is still one of the best. I remember seeing this first as a 5 year old with my little sisters and we played the wicked witch and Snow White for days after seeing it. Didn't scare us a bit. We all wanted to cackle like the witch. LOL One of the best of all the Disney films. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029583/

The Lady Eve (1941) Barbara Stanwyke, Henry Fonda, William Demarest, Charles Coburn. Comments before here. Preston Sturges writes and directs a very funny comedy. Cast at the top of their game. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033804/

Letter From An Unknown Woman (1948) Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan. Director Max Ophuls. In the early 1900's a young teen ager (Lisa) becomes enamored of a pianist (Stefan) who also has an apartment in her building and watches him whenever he comes or goes from the building they both live in. She becomes so fascinated that she actually stalks him. When her mother and the new husband want to move away from the city, Lisa balks and runs away. She becomes a model for a fashion house. A few years go by and finally she encounters him again at a restaurant in the old neighborhood. He sees her and they have a romantic evening. After having an affair, Stefan has to go on a tour and she never hears from him. She has his son alone and later marries a wealthy man and all is well. But after many years, Stefan attends a concert that she and her husband are at and she can't help herself, she has to see him again. He doesn't remember her. I remember seeing this film when I was in high school and thought it so romantic. Now I see she was mentally ill, and a stalker, fixated on a dream she made up about the pianist. He was a reprobate who used women. 5 for the story. 8 for the film overall. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040536/

White Heat (1949) James Cagney, Margaret Wycherly, Edmund O'Brien, Virginia Mayo. Great black and white film about a maniac gangster and his "Ma". Watching this again after many years, I found the scenes of the FBI using the latest in 1949 technology pretty boring. Too far out of date to keep our interest except for the historic value. That said, there is no one like Cagney. When he is on screen it is like a force of nature. Wycherly is great as his Mother who keeps her boy going through all his manic attacks and headaches. When he learns of her death while in prison, he goes completely insane in the big dining hall, climbing on tables, hitting guards, or anyone in his way. Great physical acting. In the final scene, on the big round storage tank saying "top o the world, Ma!" as it explodes in a huge fireball, his laugh is that of a true maniac. Iconic scene. Great performance. 8/10

Summertime (1955) Kate Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi. Great David Lean directed kiss to Venice. Many romantics made trips to Venice because of this film. Watched yearly. Reviewed before. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048673/

Sixteen Candles (1984) Molly Ringwald. Fun look at teens in the 1980's, written and directed by John Hughes. Because of the big wedding of the older sister, the family forgets Samanthas' 16th birthday. Funniest scene - sister smashed on too many "relaxing" pills, walking the aisle removing clothes as she goes, sitting in guests laps, and taking more petticoats off on the street and getting her wedding dress caught in the door of the limo. The church lady organist says as Sam retrieves sisters veil, "I need a drink." Wonderful fun. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088128/

Evening (2007) Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Patrick Wilson, Hugh Dancy. Rental DVD. A woman is dying. Her daughters gather to help take care of her, and remember their lives. We are taken back and forth between what happened 50 years ago in Moms love life, and the present with the daughters lives. Rather slow and not made too clear what she saw in her great love. Wilson is nice looking, but this woman was enthralled by him and I just didn't feel it. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765447/

300 (2007) Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro. Great film directed by Zack Snyder from a Frank Miller/Lynn Varley graphic novel. King Leonidas and his Queen Gorgo of Sparta are threatened by messengers from Persian King XerXes, who with a huge army has invaded Greece. Leonidas wants to head them off at the pass - the Hot Gates - but must outwit his priests and foes in the Senate. He decides to take 300 0f his best fighters, as his bodyguard, on a "stroll" and ends up fighting to the end, for all of them, and straight into the history books. Scene for scene, edited perfectly. Not to little, not too much. Just right! 10/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416449/

The Reader (2008/Independent) Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Koss. Showtime Free weekend. Strange, unaffecting film of an illiterate German woman, Hanna(Winslet), who helps a boy, Michael(Koss), in his teens who she sees is sick, get home. After he gets well, he looks her up with a bouquet to thank her and becomes enthralled and sexually attracted, and they start an affair. There is more than 20 years in age difference between them but as they continue, she bargains that he will read to her from his school books before they have sex. This goes on until a crisis in her life forces her to move to a different town and leaves no way for him to find her. Eight years later, when he is studying law, his class attends a war crimes trial and he sees she is one of the 5 or so defendants, accused of being Nazi SS guards who kept the doors of a building locked as it burned to the ground, killing most of the prisoners. The others accuse her of being in charge. As the trial goes on, she is told to sign her name to compare to the signature on the form in evidence, and she suddenly says she is guilty. She is given life and the others 3 or 4 years. Michael realizes now that she was illiterate all the time he was with her and is unsure what to do - should he let the authorities know or keep silent. He does nothing. The years go by and while packing away his books for a move, he (now Fiennes) decides to tape record the books he read to Hanna those days of their affair and send them with a player which he does for the rest of her time in jail. She gradually teaches herself to read and write and she writes notes asking for certain books and finally if he will be her sponsor so she can be paroled. When he finally goes to the prison to see her and arrange to be her sponsor, he is so cold she feels helpless and so alone, and commits suicide.
A strange story and it left me feeling sorry for Hanna, who was stupid and just did what she was hired to do; and contemptuous of Michael for his complete detachment. I will never need to watch this one again. I feel Kate is a fine actress, but was given her Oscar as much for doing all the nude scenes, and for her other good performance in 2008 in Revolutionary Road. She is always worth watching even in downers like this one. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0976051/

Twilight (2008) Kristan Stewart, Robert Pattison, Billy Burke. Showtime Free weekend. I had to watch this as it is a true phenomenon. And I can see why young folks are entranced. There is an eerie quality, and romantic tension, between the two leads. Gorgeous cinematography. I'm sure Kristan and Robert will get better with more experience. They have that ole STAR quality - you can't take your eyes off them. The story of vampires - the good - and evil ones is a tried and true plot of many films, books, etc. Set at a high school with lots of rainy, foggy, dripping trees, and wet, shiny streets, the atmosphere is appropriate. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/

Gamer (2009) Gerard Butler, Amber Valletta, Michael C. Hall, Kyra Sedgewick. DVD. Movie and some extras. Pick up more and more of the story
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034032/

Still having cold, rain/snow, and wind. Where is spring?

The Bounty Hunter - a road movie

2010-03-26T21:00:00.004-05:00

Today I went to see The Bounty Hunter. Wanted to go opening day the 19th, but Mother Nature threw a fit here in the Heartland USA and we had 7 inches of snow - on the 1st day of Spring.

I had purposely stopped watching previews and did not watch all the interviews and publicity clips on TV of the two stars. Since I have only seen Jennifer Aniston in about 4 of her films and nothing on TV, I just think she is a pleasant actress to watch. I have been following Gerard Butler's career since 2004 and The Phantom Of The Opera, a wonderful performance by Mr. Butler. I think he is a fine natural actor and does comedy well. And as everyone knows - comedy is hard.

The Bounty Hunter is a road movie ala Smokey & The Bandit. Country humor and music during the early chase scenes. As an Ancient Pelican, I remember the old MGM films that were part slapstick, part witty repartee, innuendo, and plain dirty tricks the main characters played on each other. Sorta William Powell and Myrna Loy-ish. Or Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. Running around playing games with and on, each other, but we always knew by the final reel, we would have an embrace.

Gerard Butler and Jennifer Anisten are very good. From the opening credits, they had me hooked. And I LOVE that car. From my era! Takes me back to my young days. Powder blue, lots of chrome, the top down -don't get much better!

The score, for me, let me know these are not really supposed to be sophisticated ladies and gents. These are average guys and gals just trying to get from here to there. Screw-ups, who by the end of the film have concluded they need to take one more chance at love. Still wary, prickly, but hopeful. I like that. Like real people, they may make it - or not. That's another movie. This ones a wrap. I rate it 8/10 and look forward to seeing Milo and Nicole again.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038919/

2010-03-12T11:05:00.003-06:00

Sandy Bullock & Oscar. Front row: Morgan Freeman; behind him is Gerard Butler.

2010 Oscar Notes - My Opinions !

This year I enjoyed the telecast more than I have for a number of years. Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin were fine and funny.

The set was beautiful.

The Best Song Oscar - a dance presentation - was tedious as usual. Why!? Why do they think us boobs in flyover country need all that to keep us happy? Can't they have a short reminder clip to introduce each nominated song and then just give the darn thing? Maybe they would have time to let the Best Picture nominees be recapped. Just a thought.

I really appreciated keeping the presenters to the script instead of the lame ad libs of past years. Or maybe it was the script was bare bones and that made it seem better(?)

An observation about the gowns the stars wore. On the Red Carpet some that looked bad were gorgeous on the stage under the lighting for the podium. There is a great difference in seeing a dramatic dress from a stage or under the harsh daylight and up close. The difference between dreams and reality - give us the dream.

Sandra Bullock was a dream in her column dress, and looked it all evening.

Cameron Diaz looked 'WOW' and old Hollywood glamorous. Finally!!

Robert Downey Jr, in his tennies and bright blue tie - and shades - was the jokester of the evening. But, he so darn cute!

Gerard Butler and Bradley Cooper looked mighty fine in their tuxes. Was this a special treat for the ladies - two guys presenting together? Not little boys but real live grown up MEN.

Meryl Streep is a treasure.

Kathryn Bigelow - babe, you did it! The Hurt Locker is a very good film. Kudos.

Finally, Jeff Bridges. A good guy finished first. Cheers; enjoy all the joys that comes with winning.

So on to the coming year of films - treats, treasures and the awful. In 10 years, will we remember any of these Oscar winners. My bet is Avatar will survive. But I will probably never see it. Just not my type of film.