LornaHansonForbes
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Posts posted by LornaHansonForbes
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Yep. No doubt thinking: "They screwed me over so they could do this?"
I really miss her too.
Like if the choice were her or Ben...Well, there's not even a choice there for me....
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I bet the announcer lady is just sitting in her apartment, seething and eating cake frosting out of the can like Goldie Hawn in DEATH BECOMES HER, hate-watching the LET'S MOVIE promo on an endless loop as her landlord bangs on her door with the eviction notice.
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AND TO BE FAIR,
They have gotten "arty" and "modern" with some of the interstitials in the past year and DONE IT VERY WELL: the Joan Crawford SOTM promo was well done, and I thought the SUMMER UNDER THE STARS promos were excellent. And the MARCH: NOW PLAYING promo was really really good.
edit- and I've only seen a touch of the SEPTEMBER NOW PLAYING promo, but it looks intriguing
This, eh...notsomuch.
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...Oh, and one more thing:
I know they were going for something "arty" for the promos (which I assume you've seen): but who here wants to watch THE WIZARD OF OZ, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN or JAWS in some distorted aspect ratio, cropped and faintly projected against part of a brick building on a dark night in a city street?
Show of hands?
Okay...yeah? What? Right: no one.
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I bet they canned the announcer lady just so they could afford to fork six figures over to some Madison Ave. agency that came up with "let's movie" about an hour before the presentation meeting.
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my observations in red- LHF
So I just watched Barry Lyndon earlier tonight. It's one of those films that I'd always heard about but never seen. That , plus the fact that it was directed by Stanley Kubrick, was my motivation to check it out.
Well, the first thing that comes to mind now that it's over is, now I'm depressed . Barry Lyndon depressed me. I get the feeling Stanley Kubrick would be thrilled to hear this. He would probably spend nine and a half hours asking you to describe each facet of your boredom whilst steepling his hands and saying "go on..."
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a sad movie per sec. It was a cold and uninspiring movie, is what it was. Stanley would've just orgasmed hearing you say that.
There were some good things about it: Even though it was pretty long- just over 3 hours - I didn't suffer as much as I usually do when watching looong movies. Although I did glance at the clock a couple of times, but that was mainly because I wasn't enjoying it. I kept waiting for it to get better (ah yes, the age-old trap of the sadomasochistic filmmaker, THEY KNOW that if they make a movie so audacious in its badness/boringness/stupidity, even people of great intelligence will wait it out to the end because they have the fundamental and unshakeable belief that a movie just can't be this bad/boring/stupid. It works every time, note: see youtube.com, Richard Jeni on JAWS THE REVENGE .) ,for Barry to become a more interesting character, for some fun or insightful dialogue, or even some sexy scenes - for something to make me understand why it's a famous film.
Also the interior shots - the mise-en-scene, I think is the phrase I want - were beautifully composed. A lot of the time it looked like an 18th century painting, which I'm sure is the effect Kubrick was striving for. ( I read somewhere Kubrick went especially batsh**-daffy over the lighting details in this thing, taking HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS to set up shots.)
But all this useless beauty (boom. there. I love it. that's a better title for this movie than BARRY LYNDON.) was - well, useless. It was like a lovely, carefully arranged work of art without any heart or soul to it. ( nice )
None of the characters were of the slightest interest to me. Barry Lyndon himself was a cipher, I could never figure out what he was all about. Maybe it was Ryan O'Neill's ( you misspelled his name, but quite frankly: that's okay. He is a horrible person. At Farrah's funeral, he saw his daughter for the first time in years, didn't recognize her, and hit on her. True story. ) performance, but I don't think so. He was ok in the role.
No, it was a combination of Kubrick and the original author of "Barry Lyndon", William Thackery. Thackery was a 19th century novelist who was very smart and very satirical, and who wrote one of the most famous novels of his time, Vanity Fair. I read most of Vanity Fair a long time ago (Damn. Gold star for you, I've never even made the attempt) , but never actually finished it for the same reason I disliked Barry Lyndon: it had no heart. It's very clever, yes,but there isn't a single likable character in it. They're all either stupid (well, one can't help being stupid, but it doesn't do much to engage one's interest) or weak or selfish or mean. ( have you seen BECKY SHARP (1935) with Miriam Hopkins? It's been 1000 years since I've seen it (on AMC), but it is a great performance from her.)
As for Marisa Berenson, whose presence in this film I'd heard a lot about, I can't remember if she has any lines in it at all. (this was a minor source of controversy at the time from things I've read here and there. ) Maybe one. She just hangs around and looks beautiful and sad and useless. (BEAUTIFUL SAD AND USELESS: THE CAROL LYNLEY STORY)
Nobody has any spirit or decency or even humour in Barry Lyndon.My favourite character was Patrick Magee as the Chevalier ( Maurice Chevalier is a character in BARRY LYNDON? ), but he's in it for all of 10 minutes. (And still got third billing? Way to go Magee. bet it only took four and a half months to film those ten minutes.)
Anyway, this post is getting to be almost as long as the movie. Any other opinions? (yes, your review was terrific. I worry though, every time the name KUBRICK comes up, things escalate and we're all not speaking to one another. He tears us apart, which is exactly what he loved. Stanley was a torturer, but a slow, methodical one. I highly recommend the bonus making-of featurette on THE SHINING DVD wherein they have clips of Shelley Duval- who has always struck me as being a pretty mellow chick, about to f-ing CUT Stanley she is so fed up with his crap. Seriously: it's great.)
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I go against the grain and say that I am sorry to hear that EVIL STATUE OF LUCY did not get the gig.
I'd've gone to see it.
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But, hey: "Let's Movie!" (A slogan which makes me gag.)
Lydecker
OMG, me too.
I was all going to try and be nice and not say anything mean, but homigah totally: that is so stupid!...thank you for showing me the error of my ways.
Let's go sit in the corner and be crotchety about it.
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Omg,
more later, but for now I'm so glad to know that I am NOT alone.
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DITTO. Do you have to buy tickets online before the event, or can you buy them at the theater? (I havent been to one yet)...
I bought my tix for JAWS at the concession stand, which is apparently where they sell tickets now (having merged it with the box office.)
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You know,
I readily admit that women are not really "my thing," but at the same time, I can totally appreciate (and on occasion even feel a certain stirring for) the beauty and sex-appeal of Paulette Goddard, Lana Turner, Veronica Lake, Rita Hayworth, Jane Russell (duh), Marilyn Monroe, Linda Darnell, young Crawford...on and on and on.
But, for the life of me, I just don't get why men lose their **** over Ava Gardner.
I mean, she's a fine actress (and one who got better with practice and more interesting with age) and certainly no dog, but I just don't see what's there that seems to get the engine revving on pretty much every heterosexual man alive when she's on screen. Her face is kind of mannish to me and she just isn't as remarkable a beauty as many of the other actresses of the time.
By no means do I dislike her, but I just fail to see why it is that she's "up there" with the most desirable names of all time.
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I feel like I missed a lot of interesting and amusing posts by not being on these message boards during Sprocker-Man's tenure.
I see the name referenced from time to time by other members.
I bet he would have had fun with Sally Fields.
Not as much fun as he would've had with "Sprocker-Man."
Oh, he would've ended you for that....
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Is anyone planning to see the Fathom event showing of PSYCHO on the big screen this month (September 2015)?
TCM has been airing the promos for the event.
I'm really mad at myself for not going to the DOUBLE INDEMNITY showing in July(?), but I think I'll prolly try to check out PSYCHO. It's nice, because I live in small city, that these FATHOM events tend to come to my local theater.
ps- PSYCHO is right up there with MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS and CASABLANCA when it comes to watchability. Turn on any part of it at any time and I'm in.
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I recommend all three, they're all wonderfully entertaining and fun. But Ferrer's very effective in Lily,a sweet little film. In fact, when I first saw it, many years ago, I had a bit of a crush on Mel for a while ! So don't give up on him entirely.
It's actually LILI with an "I", but it is a charming little film. It's funny how some of the BIG EXPENSIVE MGM MUSICALS of the 1950's don't work well, but some of their really, really cheap ones (like LILI and SEVEN BRIDES...) do.
It's like the folks working on the MGM B-projects felt like they had to show-up the "A-Team."
PS- A WARNING: watching LILI will result in a near-constant singing of "Hi-Lili-Hi-Lili-Hi-Lo" to yourself for at least three days afterwards.
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Patricia Neal day was the one that really sticks out in my mind as being a personal favorite.
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(...of course then again, I'll bet MANY of us probably had an aunt who looked just like that back in the day, huh)
I know i did.
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MEET JOHN DOE was on this weekend. It's on again today. What do they think this is, NBNW?
It's in the Public Domain, so unlike NBNW, they can show it for free.
see also: THE YEARLING.
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PSS- i'm a crank. i make it a point to dislike the actors and things that generally everyone else in the world likes.
for example, DON'T EVER get me going on Frances McDormand!
ugh!
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Look, I can list a ton of Oscar awards that I'd laugh at myself, and you're one of the Forum members around here whose opinion I value the highest for their thoughtfulness, not to mention the flair or your literary style. But here I simply can't understand your complaint, unless you're thinking of some of his lesser movies.
s'allright. s'cool. no hate.
I was thinking of: BATTLEFIELD EARTH and THE CRYING GAME (the first time I recall thinking he was bad) and PHONE BOOTH and (to take it waaaaay back) SPECIES and BLOWN AWAY and some of the parts I've seen from CRIMINAL MINDS and LEE DANIELS PRESENTS OPRAH WINFREY IN A LEE DANIELS FILM: THE BUTLER NOT FROM THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPHIERE, A LEE DANIELS FILM.
(but to be fair didn't see that last one in entirety)
I also thought LAST KING OF SCOTLAND was bull**** because it was ALL MADE UP but it DIDN'T TELL YOU IT WAS ALL MADE UP (in a way I thought was clear.) I thought the real star of LAST KING was James McAvoy and that Whitaker was using his usual trick of relying on his physicality instead of plumbing his emotional depths to really be an actual person (which is the #1 sense I always get from him, he's either relying on the wonky eye or the height or the weight or something about his physical presence to carry the scene and it seems like he gives flat, uninterested, toneless line reads.) I think by playing fast and loose with the facts, LAST KING kinda sorta belittles the plight of the actual victims of Idi Amin.
we agree to disagree though. i think it best...otherwise many will die and the earth will be scorched beyond repair.
ps- he's done tons of stuff i haven't seen, so maybe he's great in DOPE or...um, whatever else he's done that I've missed.
PSS- i'm a crank. i make it a point to dislike the actors and things that generally everyone else in the world likes.
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PS- I'll save you the trouble, Dargo: yes there are two foxes on that poster.
groooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwl.
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I have to admit though, I do not get THE STUNT MAN.
I get THE RULING CLASS- that film is awesome, too long, but awesome...
But I don't get THE STUNT MAN.
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...and...and...one of MY favorites of hers(and James Mason's)...
WOW! With a poster LIKE THAT this thing should've been the highest grossing film ever! IT'S GOT EVERYTHING I LIKE!
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The interview with Peter from the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival will be shown on September 7.
Thanks for the FYI.
Honestly, I think it would be too heartbreaking for me to watch though....
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it's funny you guys mention INDISCRETIONS OF..../TERMINAL STATION, because I just got done watching a rather obscure film Jennifer Jones did for Powell and Pressberger in 1950 called GONE TO EARTH.
It was a unique film- with a plot very similar to something Thomas Hardy would've written- about a free-spirited Welsh girl growing up in the rugged countryside with her pet fox and volatile father (ca 1900). She becomes embroiled in a love triangle between the guy from BLACK NARCISSUS and (I think) the wussy guy from THE RED SHOES. (for me, it's a no contest, but I digress.)
Sybil Thorndyke is also in it and she is excellent, but the surprise in the cast for me was future Oscar-winner Hugh Griffith as a surly manservant- he was lively, terrific and likeable (I've never been impressed by his work in TOM JONES or BEN-HUR)
IT WAS GORGEOUSLY SHOT IN COLOR, although there was a lot of obvious day-for-night photography, but the scenery was exquisite and it had a real air of authenticity re: time and place and period detail about it.
Jones was- as usual- terrific- I really like her a lot, and I think it's a shame that she's either forgotten, or dismissed as "David's Girl" or "Saint Bernadette who made a deal with the devil and gained fame\ but lost her soul."
She was a splended, lovely and incredibly courageous and risk-taking actress, and one who was damn good with accents. If you want to know the very definition of MOVIE STAR, check her out in RUBY GENTRY (1952).
I think the only real fault of the movie is that the ending is OBVIOUS.
It had a similar fate as INDISCRETIONS/STATION for the American release- where David O'Selznick cut forty minutes and added narration while cutting crucial characters. That version of GONE TO EARTH is called WILD HEART. it sounds awful.
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YET ANOTHER DESCRIPTION THAT DOESN'T MATCH THE MOVIE
in General Discussions
Posted
It would be great if the Keebler people hired the same agency and they came up with a "LET'S FUDGE!" ad-campaign. THAT would be GENIUS.