film lover 293
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Posts posted by film lover 293
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Tuesday, Dec.27th--first two films are listed on Dec. 26th schedule. All times E.S.T.:
2:30 a.m. "Five" (1951)--Maybe the first film to imagine life after WW III. Interesting film by radio veteran Arch Oboler.
4:15 a.m. "No Blade of Grass" (1970)--End of the world film I haven't seen; directed by Cornel Wilde.
6:00 a.m. "Across the Pacific" (1942)--Reunion of "The Maltese Falcon"s cast (Bogart, Astor, and Greenstreet) and director make for a fun comedy/drama/spy movie .
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Flower + Barbies' buddy+soporific
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"The Andromeda Strain"?
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CRIME OF PASSION (1957)
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"A Piece of Sky"?
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Stapleton, Jean
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"The Royal Family of Broadway" (1930)--Starring Ina Claire, Fredric March, and Henrietta Crosman. Directed by Cyril Gardner and George Cukor.
Funny burlesque about the theatrical life versus "normal" life. Based on the Barrymore family. Ina Claire is Gwen Cavendish, who loves and hates being a famous actress; she is the nominally sane person in the family. Fredric March is Tony, the most outrageous member of the family, who has fled to Hollywood and is wanted for attempted murder of a director and a breach of promise suit. March admitted he based his portrayal on John Barrymore. March is very funny, whether expressing his opinion of directors, or sucking in his stomach because his tights are too tight.
Film is like a stage play--the humor is all verbal, and the camera never moves.
Crosman is funny as the overemotional matriarch of the family. Mary Brian is ok as the ingenue.
March was nominated for Best Actor for his performance.
Film is most enjoyable. 3.3/4.
Source--YouTube.
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"UNDERWORLD" (1927)
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Lawrence--I was just starting to follow the Academy Awards in 1977-78, and I thought it was so great that "Star Wars" was getting an acting nomination in addition to all its technical and other nominations.
This sci-fi "classic" features cave paintings that nearly fall off their wall in the credits, and vocals that would make Lee Marvin proud. Name the film, and three leads.
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Lawrence--You're exactly right.
Your thread, Lawrence.
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Zeman, Karel - director - "The Fabulous World of Jules Verne" (1958)
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Princess--Correct again.
Your thread, Princess.
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MilesArcher--Correct on all counts.
Your thread MilesArcher.
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I saw five films this last week.
"Hatchet For The Honeymoon" (1970)--A Mario Bava film that is oddly almost bloodless after a splatter filled beginning. Film is about a serial killer who picks brides, and is narrated by the killer. Film takes a supernatural twist about halfway through. Film is well acted, with Bava's setpieces; a room filled with waltzing mannequins is especially creepy (it may have been the inspiration for one of the 20 some episodes of "Kolchak; The Night Stalker (1974)). Color I saw was badly deteriorated--still, film is worth a watch, even with deteriorated color (It was shot in EastmanColor).
"The Great Ziegfeld" (1936)--Starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Luise Rainer. Mammoth musical biography of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. is carried by Powell's wit and charm in the title role, and the elaborate musical numbers. Loy doesn't appear until more than two hours have passed, and then has next to nothing to do. Rainer is charming when singing or being calculatingly coy when negotiating her contract, irritating when throwing temper tantrums. Her telephone scene must have won her the Oscar--it's manipulative but effective. Virginia Bruce, Fanny Brice, and Ray Bolger are all notable in support.
"Song of the Thin Man" (1947)--Starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Asta. The last of the "Thin Man" films doesn't have the punch of its' predecessors, but is still an enjoyable watch. Film takes place on a gambling boat, there is a murder, and complications ensue. Dean Stockwell is only somewhat irritating, Gloria Grahame makes a tempting jazz singer, Marie Windsor is amusing in a minor role, and jazz slang permeates the film. A fun, if predictable, watch.
"Circus World" (1964)--Starring John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale, and Rita Hayworth. Samuel Bronston spectacular is slow moving, but does deliver on spectacle, with lots of circus acts, a ship capsizing, and a fire. Mixed between the spectacle are two love stories. Wayne is naturalistic and enjoyable, Cardinale is fiery tempered, and Hayworth is touching, in a supporting role; she seems unsure of everything, and not quite "there". The Pinewood restoration I saw on YT was taken down less than 24 hours after I'd seen it; there are still two copies on YT, but I don't know what shape they're in.
"The Fabulous World of Jules Verne" (1958)--Forget Maltin's rating. This Czech film is easily one of the best films I've seen this past year. Based on Verne's "The Deadly Invention", this film by Karel Zeman is a lively romp through the works of Jules Verne, with live action and animation based on Victorian Era lithographs seamlessly integrated. The underwater scenes and takeoffs of 1890's movies are priceless. Watch for the roller-skating camels. A charming film. I loved it. I saw it on archive.org.
Most Favorite--"The Fabulous World of Jules Verne" (1958).
Least Favorite--"Hatchet For The Honeymoon" (1970).
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This manic actress starred in three musical biographies. Name her and the films.
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Charles Laughton, in "The Sign of the Cross" (1932).
Peter Ustinov, in "Quo Vadis" (1951).
Peter Lorre, in "The Story of Mankind" (1957).
Dom DeLouise, in "History of the World, Part I" (1981).
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This director helmed successful noirs to a couple of classic sci-fi films to some of Hammer's better horror films, which included a unique take on a short story/novella. Please name him and three of his films.
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Two. Alec Guinness for playing Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Star Wars" (1977), and Jeff Bridges for playing Starman in "Starman" (1984)?
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Swithin--You posted the correct answer first. The thread's yours.
Princess-Thanks for your contribution.
Your thread Swithin.
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This director known for his unique visual style helmed three bios of composers, and two other artists. Name him and at least three of his filmic bios.
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Robert Bloch?
"Strait-Jacket" (1964)?
"The Night Walker" (1964)?
"The House That Dripped Blood" (1970)?
"Asylum" (1972)?
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Character was Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd--he set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin.
Actor who played Dr. Mudd was Warner Baxter.
Film is John Ford's "The Prisoner of Shark Island" (1936).
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Lawrence--You're exactly right!
Your thread.
I Just Watched...
in General Discussions
Posted
"Daisy Kenyon" (1947)--Starring Joan Crawford, Dana Andrews, and Henry Fonda.
Otto Preminger directed this noir version of a "womans picture". Crawford is a successful magazine illustrator who's old enough to know what she wants in life, but hasn't figured things out. She is seeing married lawyer Dana Andrews; film implies their relationship is a long standing one. Henry Fonda plays a WW II veteran who is haunted by the War and earlier events. Fonda and Crawford marry. Major complications ensue.
Crawford does a fine job of underacting, just using her eyes and voice to convey emotion. Fonda is excellent as the veteran. Andrews is likewise excellent as an indecisive, then obsessed man. Ruth Warrick is very good as Andrews' suspicious, angry wife.
Leon Shamroy did the shadowy, stark photography. Alfred Newman and David Raksin did the moody score. Fred Sersen did the Special Photography Effects, including the credits, which warn the viewer that they are only seeing a facade.
Dark film has plot strands that address prejudice, stalking, and child abuse. Film suggests much more than it shows. Excellent noirish melodrama. 3.2/4
Source--archive.org. Search "Daisyken".