Noir Alley

[cigarjoe]

Seen this one before on TCM the Noir with Robert Newton I like better is Kiss The Blood Off My Hands

[JamesJazGuitar]

1 hour ago, cigarjoe said:

Seen this one before on TCM the Noir with Robert Newton I like better is Kiss The Blood Off My Hands

Yea,  Kiss the Blood Off My Hands is a film I wish TCM would show more often.

[Thompson]

I thought The Hidden Room/Obsession was Just Great.  The pacing, the acting, the soundtrack, the dialogue, the camera work, everything about this film I thought was spot on.  The ending of course was wrong, but that’s okay, the endings are just endings, and they are short.  I’m reminded of the saying “less is more.”    The soundtrack, that’s it!  I love it when all you hear (for instance) is that single water drip in the ‘jail’ room.
 

The Thompson Test of Drinks Left Undrunk passes with flying colors, although the glassware was a bit suspect, but I guess that was high class glassware and British.  But the drinks were all downed.  The cigarette smoking was very natural and not overdone.  The cold chicken was A okay too.

 

 

 

[Dargo]

2 hours ago, cigarjoe said:

Seen this one before on TCM the Noir with Robert Newton I like better is Kiss The Blood Off My Hands

And ironically, and now FURTHER bringing to mind G.B. Shaw's famous quote about "Two  peoples separated by a common language", with this AMERICAN-made film being released in the U.K. under the title...wait for it:

Distasteful Request !

(...naaah, jus' kiddin') 

 

[ElCid]

Obsession was OK and I did watch the whole movie.  As Eddie said at the beginning, British movies are different than ours and move at a slower pace and with less activity -0 or something to that effect.  To me, it was slow and Monty (dog) was most active actor in it.   Plot was fairly good, but I don't think he could have kept someone chained up for five months without the prisoner doing more to escape. But hey, it's a movie.

Kind of wondered about the chemical that was supposed to dissolve bones, but not a rubber hot water bottle.

I liked the ending, but wondered if she was sailing off with another man based on the way Storm Riordan answered the question.    Monty made the right choice in running back to Bill Kronin.

As for the model railroad layout, it was very nice.  But then I'm sure a crew of workers built it under the supervision of a model railroader. 

Many celebrities have or had model train layouts.  Attached link is for Rod Stewarts - really huge.  Apologies for all the talk.

 

[Thompson]

1 hour ago, ElCid said:

 

Many celebrities have or had model train layouts.  Attached link is for Rod Stewarts - really huge.  Apologies for all the talk.

 

Yeah, these artists, musicians actors etc. (not so much writers they just write) have this hidden talent, or Obsession.  Ron Wood is terrific at painting portraits, Dylan does his iron works, etc etc.  I find it extraordinary that such people with impossible talent in one area dab and doodle in other artistic areas and are good at it, including model train layouts, which are as about as cool as you can get.

[Vautrin]

Very enjoyable. I've  seen it before, but that was a while back so I had forgotten some of the details. It is rather  deliberate  in its

pacing, but to me  that's no big problem.  It was Boswell's Life of  Johnson that Newton  gave to Brown to wile away his hours of

captivity.  At 1,000 pages, give or take that , that would keep Brown busy, and  there are two Newtons mentioned in the book, one

of  them Sir Isaac Newton.  Naunton Wayne was  very fine  as the inspector calling who keeps  turning up to bother Newton until

Scotland  Yard  gets  their man. Sally Gray is  very  pretty but self-centered and not exactly  trustworthy.  Brown was lucky to

hang  onto Monty, who did help save his life, and let Sally go  her own way.  It's not about the model train  set, though  it's impressive.

Even Gomez Addams might have been jealous. And I'm hoping  that Newton would  provide substitutes  for the chickens and martinis

if his  prisoner was  not fond of them. Another thing I  found  interesting is  that Bill is not some  type of stereotypical  physically imposing,

loud  mouth American, but someone of only average physical stature and calm bearing. All in all, well done. I'd  put in the A-/B+ territory.

[lilypond]

Very shortly in, I realized I HAD seen "Obsession" before--   so long ago, was probably a kid!

But couldn't remember what happens in the end.   WARNING--   SPOILERS FOLLOW.    PLEASE STOP READING TO AVOID HAVING THE MOVIE RUINED FOR YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

OK,  I immediately got a sense of doom that that poor Bill was going to get the 'acid wash' that Dr. Death was so methodically preparing for him.   Not only that, I was convinced that poor little Monty was a goner too.  Aaack.    The suspense was too much for me.   So I had to filter it through hubby--  he kept watching, and I went and made tea, puttered around so I wouldn't be directly in the line of fire and see or hear little barks (canine) or screams (human) of agony,  should they occur.   Yes, I know I was missing out on a lot.   But sometimes in noir or other thrillers, I just can't take it if the suspense is too high, and the probability of excruciating horror is too likely.

I even thought maybe the Scotland Yard guy would be dissolved in acid at the end, and that would be the big twist or something.

Did anyone here anticipate that no one would actually die in this?

I like the little touch at the end, of Storm just blowing off Bill--   entirely in character, ha.   

Does anyone else think that Robert Newton vaguely resembles Leo Genn?    I used to get those two mixed up.   Apart from physicality, they have a similar aura, to me.   Sort of avuncular, opaque, cerebral, impassive, in a way.   Leo Genn famously played another psychiatrist, now that I think of it--   he was Olivia de Havilland's  pipe-smoking doctor in "Snake Pit",   amusingly at the ready with one ponderous pronouncement or another about her mental condition .....   Of course, his motives were of the highest order, unlike those of Robert Newton's effectively vile  characterization...     

[laffite]

But wait a minute. Shouldn't he be charged with attempted murder? It looked as if he was getting off.  The idea was to make her suffer but I didn't see her suffer much.  I wanted her to suffer. This movie could have been more grisly. The doctor should have some underground torture chamber or some dark dungeon somewhere for her.. When the prisoner claimed that Scotland Yard had not return the gun, well how did he know that? i replayed the scene and the doctor did not mention that Scotland Yard confiscated the gun. I was shocked at this tame ending. I wanted blood.

[Dargo]

3 hours ago, lilypond said:

Does anyone else think that Robert Newton vaguely resembles Leo Genn?   

Yes indeed, lilypond.

If I recall correctly here, I believe this particular comparison was made many years ago by someone within the "Lookalikes" thread around here.

(...not sure, but it might've even been yours truly here who posted it, but don't quote me on this)

[Dargo]

38 minutes ago, laffite said:

But wait a minute. Shouldn't he be charged with attempted murder? It looked as if he was getting off.  

Actually here laffite, in the final scene in which Newton and the police investigator appear and as they leave the gentlemans club with Newton in custody (albeit without being led away in handcuffs...must be some kind'a "British gentlemanly" thing, I guess ), Newton in so many words asks of the inspector what length of punishment he thinks he'll probably get for his crime. And even mentions at that time that because he failed to murder his victim, he wondered what the punishment would be for just the attempt of it and even figured it had to be less of a sentence than if he had actually succeeded in his actions. 

(...and so, nope, it didn't look as if he was going to get away with his crime at all)

[Janet0312]

Good flick Obsession. I thought Monty was just as cute as a button. I had a bit of a hard time making out some of the dialogue. I went back twice to hear what the doctor was going to do to Monty and still couldn't make it out. I could only surmise that it wasn't good. A bit slow, but enjoyable. Thanks, Eddie!

[ElCid]

7 hours ago, Dargo said:

Actually here laffite, in the final scene in which Newton and the police investigator appear and as they leave the gentlemans club with Newton in custody (albeit without being led away in handcuffs...must be some kind'a "British gentlemanly" thing, I guess ), Newton in so many words asks of the inspector what length of punishment he thinks he'll probably get for his crime. And even mentions at that time that because he failed to murder his victim, he wondered what the punishment would be for just the attempt of it and even figured it had to be less of a sentence than if he had actually succeeded in his actions. 

(...and so, nope, it didn't look as if he was going to get away with his crime at all)

Attempted murder, kidnapping and false imprisonment for five months.  The most unrealistic to me was the five months imprisonment and no realistic attempts at escape, no wasting away and so forth.  Also, since there was no electricity, was there really  plumbing?  Particularly for the toilet?

1 hour ago, Janet0312 said:

Good flick Obsession. I thought Monty was just as cute as a button. I had a bit of a hard time making out some of the dialogue. I went back twice to hear what the doctor was going to do to Monty and still couldn't make it out. I could only surmise that it wasn't good. A bit slow, but enjoyable. Thanks, Eddie!

Thank goodness for closed captioning.  Another mark of two peoples separated by a common language when we can't understand Brit speak.😀

[Hibi]

21 hours ago, JamesJazGuitar said:

Yea,  Kiss the Blood Off My Hands is a film I wish TCM would show more often.

Have they EVER shown it? I must've missed it. Still haven't seen it. Is it Universal?

[Hibi]

12 hours ago, lilypond said:

Very shortly in, I realized I HAD seen "Obsession" before--   so long ago, was probably a kid!

But couldn't remember what happens in the end.   WARNING--   SPOILERS FOLLOW.    PLEASE STOP READING TO AVOID HAVING THE MOVIE RUINED FOR YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

OK,  I immediately got a sense of doom that that poor Bill was going to get the 'acid wash' that Dr. Death was so methodically preparing for him.   Not only that, I was convinced that poor little Monty was a goner too.  Aaack.    The suspense was too much for me.   So I had to filter it through hubby--  he kept watching, and I went and made tea, puttered around so I wouldn't be directly in the line of fire and see or hear little barks (canine) or screams (human) of agony,  should they occur.   Yes, I know I was missing out on a lot.   But sometimes in noir or other thrillers, I just can't take it if the suspense is too high, and the probability of excruciating horror is too likely.

I even thought maybe the Scotland Yard guy would be dissolved in acid at the end, and that would be the big twist or something.

Did anyone here anticipate that no one would actually die in this?

I like the little touch at the end, of Storm just blowing off Bill--   entirely in character, ha.   

Does anyone else think that Robert Newton vaguely resembles Leo Genn?    I used to get those two mixed up.   Apart from physicality, they have a similar aura, to me.   Sort of avuncular, opaque, cerebral, impassive, in a way.   Leo Genn famously played another psychiatrist, now that I think of it--   he was Olivia de Havilland's  pipe-smoking doctor in "Snake Pit",   amusingly at the ready with one ponderous pronouncement or another about her mental condition .....   Of course, his motives were of the highest order, unlike those of Robert Newton's effectively vile  characterization...     

Yes, I did! (Genn). Hated that pooch! But I knew he wouldn't die or the lover. Still I was hoping (LOL!)

[Hibi]

9 hours ago, laffite said:

But wait a minute. Shouldn't he be charged with attempted murder? It looked as if he was getting off.  The idea was to make her suffer but I didn't see her suffer much.  I wanted her to suffer. This movie could have been more grisly. The doctor should have some underground torture chamber or some dark dungeon somewhere for her.. When the prisoner claimed that Scotland Yard had not return the gun, well how did he know that? i replayed the scene and the doctor did not mention that Scotland Yard confiscated the gun. I was shocked at this tame ending. I wanted blood.

Me too! A big letdown. Plus that tacked on happy ending! GAG. Ruined the movie for me.

[laffite]

12 hours ago, Dargo said:

Actually here laffite, in the final scene in which Newton and the police investigator appear and as they leave the gentlemans club with Newton in custody (albeit without being led away in handcuffs...must be some kind'a "British gentlemanly" thing, I guess ), Newton in so many words asks of the inspector what length of punishment he thinks he'll probably get for his crime. And even mentions at that time that because he failed to murder his victim, he wondered what the punishment would be for just the attempt of it and even figured it had to be less of a sentence than if he had actually succeeded in his actions. 

(...and so, nope, it didn't look as if he was going to get away with his crime at all)

Okay, but they sure soft-pedaled it.  I mean the guy was kidnapped, held against his will for six months, and then poisoned with intent to be murdered and by the merest chance surviving. I don't think the would-be murderer would get a particularly light sentence. Something less that if the guy died? Not much less.  The movie underplayed the ending.

I am inured to the execution of body disposal by acid. This was a method of choice in Breaking Bad.

 

[Dargo]

13 minutes ago, laffite said:

Okay, but they sure soft-pedaled it.  I mean the guy was kidnapped, held against his will for six months, and then poisoned with intent to be murdered and by the merest chance surviving. I don't think the would-be murderer would get a particularly light sentence. Something less that if the guy died? Not much less.  The movie underplayed the ending.

Well, once again, perhaps we can chalk THIS all up to the idea of that ol' "British reserve and drollness".

13 minutes ago, laffite said:

I am inured to the execution of body disposal by acid. This was a method of choice in Breaking Bad.

And of course, a plot point also used in the William Castle movie, House on Haunted Hill...

[Thompson]

8 hours ago, Janet0312 said:

Good flick Obsession. I thought Monty was just as cute as a button. I had a bit of a hard time making out some of the dialogue. I went back twice to hear what the doctor was going to do to Monty and still couldn't make it out. I could only surmise that it wasn't good. A bit slow, but enjoyable. Thanks, Eddie!

Yes, I went to closed caption right away, don’t like to do that because one tends to focus on the cc and miss facial expressions etc.  But there is nothing so distracting as being unable to hear and understand what the actors are saying.  Sometimes I wonder if that is done on purpose, and how do you know if it is?

[Vautrin]

There was  electricity and toward  the  finale the men from Scotland  Yard  found  the wires and  noted how amateurish the hookup was,

but it was good  enough  to supply electricity  to the dungeon. Newton, being  the meticulous criminal  he was,  likely  set up  some kind of

septic  system, though the  less said  about  that  the better.  I presumed  that Newton would  get a  rather  stiff sentence  even  if  his

victim survived.  I used CC too due  to  the English  accents and  also because in a murder  film it's important to get every word  right

so the details  of  the plot are clear. 

[Dargo]

1 hour ago, Thompson said:

Yes, I went to closed caption right away, don’t like to do that because one tends to focus on the cc and miss facial expressions etc.  But there is nothing so distracting as being unable to hear and understand what the actors are saying.  Sometimes I wonder if that is done on purpose, and how do you know if it is?

Well, all ya have to remember in these sort'a cases here Thompson, is that those people who spell certain words with that oh so needless letter 'u' in this shared common language of ours,  ALSO quite often tend to TALK in kind of a strange manner as well!

Although that one old mustachioed f@rt you saw in that gentlemans club who ranted on about "those Americans" in this flick, would probably disagree with me here. 

And speakin' of which, I wonder what the chances would be of that police investigator overhearing those American sailors in that park saying "Okay, Pal!" over and over again?

(...pretty slim, I'd say)

[Fading Fast]

17 minutes ago, Dargo said:

...And speakin' of which, I wonder what the chances would be of that police investigator overhearing those American sailors in that park saying "Okay, Pal!" over and over again?

(...pretty slim, I'd say)

Agreed. That was forced and obvious even before you knew how it was going to be used. 

[JamesJazGuitar]

3 hours ago, Dargo said:

Well, once again, perhaps we can chalk THIS all up to the idea of that ol' "British reserve and drollness".

Correct.      I find it hard to believe anyone could believe that the Newton character wasn't going to be sentenced to a few decades in prison for the multiple,  very serious crimes he committed.      The Newton character was asking about what sentence to ensure he wasn't going to be hanged (and not because he expected a light prison sentence).   DUH.

 

 

[laffite]

It's bad enough to die but to be thereupon dropped into a caldron of chemicals to literally dissolve you out of existence is no great legacy.  At least my loved ones (if I had any) would say, "Well, at least he didn't get eaten by an Aardvark."

[cigarjoe]

5 hours ago, Vautrin said:

the men from Scotland  Yard  found  the wires and  noted how amateurish the hookup was

You'd think he'd do a better job with his knowledge of setting up a model RR layout. Lot of meticulous electrical connections with those.