I Just Watched...

[SansFin]

6 hours ago, LornaHansonForbes said:

if someone somewhere doesn't start making empathetic films written and made by people who do not have bottomless contempt for other people and who have the genuine intent of BUILDING PEOPLE'S MINDS UP as opposed to actively sh!tting on them, then I just...I dunno.

 

I believe that the phrase currently in vogue is: Why not both?

Viewers empathize with the characters in: Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) because we have all had serious bouts of ennui and feel a connection with and can project an understanding of the plight of characters who might suffer it for decades or even hundreds of years. We empathize also because we know what it is like to be social outsider attempting to fit in while not raising suspicions. The movie clearly is based on "bottomless contempt for other people" because that would be the normal and justified attitude of such uncommon people. The secondary characters are in no way different from people we meet each day and it is quite plain that they are all quite contemptible. A new neighbor of ours is the absolute personification of the character: Ian.

"Building people's minds up" is a given because the movie provides a viewpoint that few ever consider. It is thought-provoking and could be considered nearly educational.

 

[Dargo]

40 minutes ago, SansFin said:

A new neighbor of ours is the absolute personification of the character

Ah! ALREADY makin' the rounds in the new neighborhood, are ya Sans?!

Ya know, I usually don't get to THAT kind'a thing until all the moving boxes are empty and the stuff in 'em is all put away. 

(...although on the other hand, maybe you and your little fuzzy Cap there aren't as big a procrastinator as I am, huh) 

[Eucalyptus P. Millstone]

1 hour ago, SansFin said:

I believe that the phrase currently in vogue is: Why not both?

Viewers empathize with the characters in: Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) because we have all had serious bouts of ennui and feel a connection with and can project an understanding of the plight of characters who might suffer it for decades or even hundreds of years. We empathize also because we know what it is like to be social outsider attempting to fit in while not raising suspicions. The movie clearly is based on "bottomless contempt for other people" because that would be the normal and justified attitude of such uncommon people. The secondary characters are in no way different from people we meet each day and it is quite plain that they are all quite contemptible. A new neighbor of ours is the absolute personification of the character: Ian.

"Building people's minds up" is a given because the movie provides a viewpoint that few ever consider. It is thought-provoking and could be considered nearly educational.

Who is "we"?  You're using that pronoun in the royal sense, yes? I certainly hope so.

I've seen Only Lovers Left Alive. You certainly got more out of it than I did. I found it deadly dull; Only Viewers Left Awake would have been a more suitable title, as far as I'm concerned. Whatever message it offered was lost on me.

As for LornaHansenForbes' yearning for "more empathetic films written and made by people who do not have bottomless contempt for other people and who have the genuine intent of BUILDING PEOPLE'S MINDS UP as opposed to actively sh!tting on them" . . .

To each his own.

Personally, I don't watch movies searching for empathy. I definitely don't watch movies to have my mind built up . . . nor to be actively shat on.

But then, I'm not a "People Person." Au contraire! I agree with Sartre's Garcin: "Hell is other people!"

"Uncle Charlie" also nailed it:

      "Do you know the world is a foul sty? Do you know, if you rip off the fronts of houses, you'd find swine? The world's a hell." -- Charlie Oakley, Shadow of a Doubt

[Dargo]

41 minutes ago, Eucalpytus P. Millstone said:

Who is "we"?  You're using that pronoun in the royal sense, yes? I certainly hope so.

I've seen Only Lovers Left Alive. You certainly got more out of it than I did. I found it deadly dull; Only Viewers Left Awake would have been a more suitable title, as far as I'm concerned. Whatever message it offered was lost on me.

As for LornaHansenForbes' yearning for "more empathetic films written and made by people who do not have bottomless contempt for other people and who have the genuine intent of BUILDING PEOPLE'S MINDS UP as opposed to actively sh!tting on them" . . .

To each his own.

Personally, I don't watch movies searching for empathy. I definitely don't watch movies to have my mind built up . . . nor to be actively shat on.

But then, I'm not a "People Person." Au contraire! I agree with Sartre's Garcin: "Hell is other people!"

"Uncle Charlie" also nailed it:

      "Do you know the world is a foul sty? Do you know, if you rip off the fronts of houses, you'd find swine? The world's a hell." -- Charlie Oakley, Shadow of a Doubt

Wow, gotta say for some reason here, I'm NOW reminded of that old line: "So Mrs. Lincoln, other than THAT, how'd you like the play?"

(...and the WORST part about this is that I have absolutely NO idea why I AM reminded of it?!!!)

[SansFin]

1 hour ago, Dargo said:

Ah! ALREADY makin' the rounds in the new neighborhood, are ya Sans?!

Ya know, I usually don't get to THAT kind'a thing until all the moving boxes are empty and the stuff in 'em is all put away. 

(...although on the other hand, maybe you and your little fuzzy Cap there aren't as big a procrastinator as I am, huh) 

We are so far from unpacking all that we left early Tuesday morning to go to where we used to live with a U-Haul truck to bring our things here from the storage unit there. We drove back on Wednesday and unloaded on Thursday. The majority of that load was boxes and we have not opened a single one yet It is sad to say that the truck was not sufficiently large and we must make at least one more run in an SUV to empty the unit. Then we must make plans concerning the storage unit in the other direction. Our current timetable is to have all our goods here and properly put away before the end of the decade. Neither of us is optimistic we will meet that.

The previous owner of this house left much scattered in the back yard which needs to go to the landfill and there was a row of bushes along one fence which needed to be eradicated before spring growth made it more difficult. There seems to be nothing like working in the yard to attract people who like watching others work. 

One neighbor came to the door to introduce herself because she and her husband were moving in and she wished to know details of the neighborhood. She was somewhat abashed to learn we had only ten-day seniority.

[SansFin]

12 minutes ago, Dargo said:

Wow, gotta say for some reason here, I'm NOW reminded of that old line: "So Mrs. Lincoln, other than THAT, how'd you like the play?"

(...and the WORST part about this is that I have absolutely NO idea why I AM reminded of it?!!!)

I believe it may be that you associate that quote with me because of my posting about a truly horrible movie which I was forced to watch because I lost a bet. You quite appropriately posted that quote in response to my terrible ordeal.

[Dargo]

13 minutes ago, SansFin said:

I believe it may be that you associate that quote with me because of my posting about a truly horrible movie which I was forced to watch because I lost a bet. You quite appropriately posted that quote in response to my terrible ordeal.

Aaah, maybe so!

And thanks for the moving report update up there, too. Yep, sounds like you two DO have quite a bit more work before you're all settled in.

(...BUT hopefully way before that "end of the decade" timespan you mentioned...and of which I must admit gave me a good chuckle...and as of course compared to a "bad chuckle")

[SansFin]

48 minutes ago, Eucalpytus P. Millstone said:

Who is "we"?  You're using that pronoun in the royal sense, yes? I certainly hope so.

I've seen Only Lovers Left Alive. You certainly got more out of it than I did. I found it deadly dull; Only Viewers Left Awake would have been a more suitable title, as far as I'm concerned. Whatever message it offered was lost on me.

 

It is appropriate for a person to use 'we' pronoun when they are: 1) royalty, 2) schizophrenic or 3) married and speaking for both. It is my situation that my little fuzzy infrequently posts in this forum and it is best for all when I speak his mind.

I feel a little sad that you did not like that movie. I would never call watching it a happy experience but I like it very much. It captures attitude and motivation so very well. I have long wondered what my decision might be if immortality came at the price of giving up chocolate cheesecake. This movie gives me the vicarious experience of making the choice one way. 

[SansFin]

8 minutes ago, Dargo said:

Yep, sounds like you two DO have quite a bit more work before you're all settled in.

It is quite possible that we will never be truly 'settled in'. We have to build bookcases and cabinets to accommodate all our things. Then we will address the issue that the rise and run of both sets of stairs is less than ideal and replacing them would make life a little easier for these old bones. This house was built in the middle of the last century but the kitchen cabinets and layout are antique. That is all before we come to the fact that this is a three-bedroom and one-bath house which is positively primeval and we will at some point have to change it to two and two. 

[SansFin]

 

I have found your first reference to is in association with me: https://forums.tcm.com/topic/53230-i-just-watched/page/289/#comment-1516958

 

Your quote reminds me at all times of this:

 

 

[King Rat]

I saw The French Connection last night for the first time in years. It was as exciting as I recalled, and even better edited and structured than I had remembered. Of course it is not entirely politically correct--in other words, it realistically reflects its time. The film has a vision of what it wants to do, and does it very effectively.

After the show, Ben M said that Popeye's Chicken was named after Popeye Doyle, Gene Hackman's character. Ben also praised Popeye's as the best fast-food chicken, though he neglected to say which vintage from the Wine Club would go best with it.

[laffite]

The "we" that whomsoever it was that go so disturbed is standard usage. A figure of speech, so to speak. A general we that means most people. If this person is still in pain about it, just know that it is okay to feel that you may not belong to that we and need have an identity crisis.

[Swithin]

I just watched CODA (2021). Excellent, feel-good movie, sort of old fashioned, kind of like The Jazz Singer or Billy Elliot but with deaf people. Great acting all around, probable Oscar for Supporting Actor nominee Troy Kotsur. Nicely shot in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

[speedracer5]

@LornaHansonForbes

I couldn't remember where we were talking about the Secrets of Playboy A&E documentary.  Omg. I just made it episode #5, the beastiality episode.  OMG.  My heart is absolutely breaking for Sondra Theodore. 

[EricJ]

2 hours ago, King Rat said:

I saw The French Connection last night for the first time in years. It was as exciting as I recalled, and even better edited and structured than I had remembered. Of course it is not entirely politically correct--in other words, it realistically reflects its time. The film has a vision of what it wants to do, and does it very effectively.

After the show, Ben M said that Popeye's Chicken was named after Popeye Doyle, Gene Hackman's character. Ben also praised Popeye's as the best fast-food chicken, though he neglected to say which vintage from the Wine Club would go best with it.

That may have been a dodge around the cartoon copyright, although the chain did later make enough money to license the use of the cartoon character.

While the real-life "Popeye" Doyle--in one of the DVD doc featurettes--revealed that he got his name not from spinach, but because his partners thought that "When he walked into a situation, his eyes were everywhere, he immediately saw everything..."

Interesting factoid #2:  The forgettable (and forgotten) The French Connection II (1975) had been such a high-profile flop in theaters, the studio canceled plans to have Gene Hackman fight an international terrorist in a proposed French Connection III, and rewrote him into Sylvester Stallone in Nighthawks (1981).

[Tikisoo]

8 hours ago, SansFin said:

It is quite possible that we will never be truly 'settled in'.

Heh, I moved here in 1998 and stored all my possessions from the moving van in the attic, in attempt to not "take over" my grandma's house. She's been gone a decade & I'm still dispersing everything among friends, relatives and ebay. Very little is accepted back into living space.

 

[King Rat]

10 hours ago, EricJ said:

That may have been a dodge around the cartoon copyright, although the chain did later make enough money to license the use of the cartoon character.

While the real-life "Popeye" Doyle--in one of the DVD doc featurettes--revealed that he got his name not from spinach, but because his partners thought that "When he walked into a situation, his eyes were everywhere, he immediately saw everything..."

Interesting factoid #2:  The forgettable (and forgotten) The French Connection II (1975) had been such a high-profile flop in theaters, the studio canceled plans to have Gene Hackman fight an international terrorist in a proposed French Connection III, and rewrote him into Sylvester Stallone in Nighthawks (1981).

Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone. I always get those guys mixed up.

[Eucalyptus P. Millstone]

23 hours ago, EricJ said:

Interesting factoid #2:  The forgettable (and forgotten) The French Connection II (1975) had been such a high-profile flop in theaters  . . .

Forgettable to who? Forgotten by who? You maybe. Not I.

While arguably not the equal of its predecessor, The French Connection II is a commendable sequel, IMO. For me, the scenes concerning "Popeye" Doyle's gritty withdrawal from heroin are especially memorable and compelling because of Gene Hackman's dependable, powerhouse performance. Also not forgotten by me, Doyle's curt, chauvinistic one-liner:

     "I'd rather be a lamppost in New York than the President of France."

https://ok.ru/video/31183014430

 

[Fading Fast]

Journey for Margaret from 1942 with Robert Montgomery, Fay Bainter, Margaret O'Brien and Laraine Day

 

 

"You're a psychologist, do you think I'm crazy?"

 

"Who isn't?"

 

 

Journey for Margaret is a quirky entry in the WWII propaganda movie genre. Foreign correspondent Robert Young and his wife Laraine Day, as a result of Young's assignments, seem inured to the carnage of WWII having fled country after country just ahead of Hitler's army.  

 

Even when Day gets pregnant, this globetrotting-to-and-from-danger couple takes it happily in stride as they are excited for the baby whom they plan to bring along on their adventures. 

 

With her husband now working out of London during the Blitz, Day loses the baby when she's injured in an air raid. This takes all the verve out of the couple as Day embarks for her family in America to recover while dispirited Montgomery stays on in London to continue covering the war. 

 

For one of his first London assignments after Day leaves, Young is given a "human interest" story about an orphanage that takes in children made parentless by the Blitz (a fluff piece to this war-hardened correspondent). 

 

Not quite immediately, but pretty quickly, Young finds himself engaged with the children, two in particular, a young boy and a girl, Margaret O'Brien. After a few coincidences bring him back into contact with the children, we all know what is going to happen, but first Young has to catch up with us. 

 

While Young waffles, the mistress of the orphanage, wonderfully played by Fay Bainter, delivers the retort at the top to Young's query about his sanity as he considers adopting two of the children. 

 

With Young now fully onboard, he has to check with his an-ocean-away wife. After an innocent misunderstanding because it is a communication era of letters, wires and unreliable overseas calls, she gets behind the decision.

 

Then it's the usual red tape to get permission to adopt and take the children to America. Being a movie, there's also some forced Hollywood drama, including (minor spoiler alert as this movie has "It Will All Work Out" stamped on it from the beginning) a last-minute save at the airport that allows Montgomery to take both children with him. 

 

Made in 1942, Journey for Margaret breaks with most of the "we will win" propaganda films of that early time in the war to encourage Americans to adopt orphaned war children. It's a serviceable, if too-obvious story that holds together because of the talents of Young, Baintor and aborning child-star O'Brien. 

[SansFin]

On 3/6/2022 at 6:34 AM, TikiSoo said:

Heh, I moved here in 1998 and stored all my possessions from the moving van in the attic, in attempt to not "take over" my grandma's house. She's been gone a decade & I'm still dispersing everything among friends, relatives and ebay. Very little is accepted back into living space.

 

My little fuzzy last moved in 2003. He has a twelve inch by twelve inch by twenty-four inch box which was not opened after that move. It is very securely wrapped with packing tape along all edges and several layers over all seams. A tiny corner of foam packing sheet seeks to escape through one seam. A rough section of the cardboard indicates it once had a one inch by two inch  label.

He claims he has no clue what it might be. He suspects it might be a survivor of his move in 1997 or even the one in 1995. He wonders if it might have been left behind by his LoveDuJour when she moved away from him in 1994. I support this idea because it is wrapped far neater than he is capable.

He has in his will that it is to be placed in his coffin. This may not be possible because it is likely that he will be cremated and they do not allow unopened packages because they may contain flammable or explosive items which might damage the burners.

I am very sorry to say that I missed my opportunity! I had access to hospital's radiology department when I was training for certifications and licenses. I could have x-rayed it or even had it CATscanned. I thought of doing it. I truly meant to do it. It is unfortunate that my procrastination overruled my intention.

What is in it? The world may never know.

[Tikisoo]

22 hours ago, SansFin said:

He has in his will that it is to be placed in his coffin.

THAT'S when you open it! When YOU can decide what/if is added to his fire or urn.

Thelma Todd's remains urn was placed in her Mother's hands when she was buried in her coffin, decades later.

23 hours ago, mkahn22 said:

Journey for Margaret is a quirky entry in the WWII propaganda movie genre. Foreign correspondent (played by) Robert Young and his wife (played by) Laraine Day, as a result of Young's assignments, seem inured to the carnage of WWII having fled country after country just ahead of Hitler's army.  

(snipped)

Made in 1942, Journey for Margaret breaks with most of the "we will win" propaganda films of that early time in the war to encourage Americans to adopt orphaned war children. It's a serviceable, if too-obvious story that holds together because of the talents of Young, Baintor and aborning child-star O'Brien. 

I added everything in blue, for clarification.  

While we all like reading personal impressions, it's kind of a "spoiler" to include play by play details of the plot for those who haven't seen it & unnecessary for those who have. 

[Stallion]

I just watched Wings(1927) and was quite impressed. To think they did all that aerial stuff and war sequences without the advantage of more modern technology is really very remarkable. Also remarkable is knowing how much the government and the military aided the production with making planes, pilots and people available.

For a 1927 movie, they did and amazing job and the last portion of things had me in tears.

[Fedya]

It's not as if they could have used CGI, and stop-motion would have been murder on the pilots.

[Fading Fast]

 

Anatomy of a Murder from 1959 with James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Eve Arden, George C. Scott and Arthur O'Connell

 

 

While Anatomy of a Murder isn't a perfect movie, it's pretty darn close. A "country" lawyer, Jimmy Stewart, defends an Army lieutenant accused of killing the man whom he and his wife, Lee Remick, claim raped her.

 

Stewart is disadvantaged and outgunned at every step: his client, Ben Gazzara, can't pay him and is an arrogant manipulator; the client's wife, Remick, not helping her husband's case at all, is overtly sexual and flirty, even with Stewart; the prosecutorial team has brought in the big-gun prosecutor, George C. Scott, from Lansing (Michigan's Capital); whereas, Stewart's elderly law "partner," Arthur O'Connell, seems more interested in booze than legal precedents.  

 

A good script about an engaging courtroom drama centers the story, but the real joy in this one is the characters. Stewart is the laid-back lawyer who'd rather fish than submit petitions. Likable Stewart is the attorney you wish truly existed - a good guy not looking to run up the holy grail of the legal profession today, billable hours, but who really cares about his client. 

 

Stewart's hasn't-been-paid-since-God-knows-when office assistant (Stewart would pay her if he had money) Eve Arden is loyal because she believes in Stewart. She knows what he needs from her before he does, plus she's sarcastic as heck. 

 

With all three - Stewart, Arden and regularly soused O'Connell - working out of Stewart's run-down house, it's a David versus Goliath story, especially when we meet the slick and cocky prosecutor George C. Scott.

 

Scott sees the courtroom as a chessboard where he's used to being several moves ahead of his competitor. Yet, almost every time he seems to have the "hayseed" Stewart checked, Stewart reminds us that the lawyer in the more-expensive suit isn't necessarily the smartest guy in the courtroom. 

 

Stewart's biggest challenge, however, is his client, Gazzara, a thoroughly dislikable man who probably beats his wife and seems quite capable of shooting a man in cold blood with intent while not being the least bit insane if he believes the man raped his wife. 

 

So when he and Stewart settle on an "irresistible impulse" defense (an offshoot of insanity), you want Stewart to win so that he can resurrect his career, not because you care about Gazzara. You almost want Stewart to win but Gazzara to still be found guilty. Unfortunately, that would exceed the structural limitations of verdicts.

 

The final piece of this puzzle is Gazarra's ridiculous cute and sexy wife, Lee Remick, who never lets us fully in on her game. Is she the mentally and physically abused wife who puts on a good front but lives in abject fear of her husband? 

 

Or do she and Gazzara have some sick codependent relationship where she intentionally flirts with other men to goad her husband, with the resulting violence being part of their sexual connection? You'll probably ping back and forth a few times on that one.

 

Director Otto Preminger is in full command of his material here, smartly leaving almost everything grey about the case as it often is in real life, but still giving you a hero to root for in Stewart. Anatomy of a Murder is a long movie that flies by as every scene engages and every character comes alive. 

 

 

N.B. The Motion Picture Production Code didn't die on one particular day; it slowly lost its grip. Prior to Anatomy of a Murder, rape, panties and **** where all words that had been used in movies before (mostly quiety and accompanied by giggles or tsk-tsking), but never before had all three figured so prominently and seriously in a movie as they do here. 

 

 

 

 

[LornaHansonForbes]

I watched THE OMEN (1976) last night. 
 

I’ve seen the last half before, but I don’t think I had ever seen the first part. So, going into it I totally know how it ended (Which definitely affects the viewing experience.)

it was fine, I prefer it to ROSEMARYS BABY- A film from which it is obviously derived – but to be honest with you, I don’t particularly care for ROSEMARYS BABY. 
 

The only real complaint I have about it is that it wasted LEE REMICK– who was just such a gorgeous and fascinating actress – although you do get to see her in a movie star turban in one scene, She is criminally underused and deserved more screen time.

The real shock for me was that GREGORY PECK was excellent- Forgive me, I’m sure he was an absolutely wonderful person and he was definitely A STAR, but I usually find him stiff. He took on a risky role with this one, apparently concerned that his career was at its end, and really delivers and commits himself 100%.

Mechanically though, it’s not a very interestingly constructed film- apart from the highly memorable score, the direction and editing and shots are all pretty routine. I actually read that it was the intent of the makers to make it highly ambiguous as to whether or not Damien is actually the antichrist, and in that end they failed completely.

I have to say though I was absolutely shocked when I read up on the film after viewing it to see that it was featured in the Medved Brothers “100 worst films of all time” – I know that book has a lot of people here who are not fans of it at all, and I have to say there is nothing about this movie that merits its placement there. 
 

** Although Patrick Troughton’s death scene is obviously fake and should’ve been re-shot more convincingly.