I Just Watched...

[Fedya]

The Big Sleep (1978) Café au lait Noir (White Coffee)

Is this version at least coherent?

[Winslow_Leach]

Is this version at least coherent?

 

 

Hey- The chauffeur killed himself.

[JamesJazGuitar]

Hey- The chauffeur killed himself.

 

In the 45\46 version the chauffeur was killed by Joe Brody.    That is how Brody got the dirty pictures of Carmen.

[JamesJazGuitar]

Is this version at least coherent?

 

I'll let Cigarjoe answer that one since I saw the Mitchum version after seeing the Bogie version multiple times (at movie theaters in L.A. sitting in the front row,,,    wow,  Carmen's legs (Martha Vickers),   looked great and like the 50 foot women in that opening scene!). 

 

In addition I read the book because I enjoyed that Bogie version so much.    By the time I saw the Mitchum version the overall story would have been coherent to me even if the actual film was not.

 

PS:  The original 45 version shown overseas to the troops was more coherent then the post WWII version since scenes relevant to the plot were replaced by more Bogie \ Bacall love \ banter scenes.     While those B&B scenes are great they don't help explain the plot.

[cigarjoe]

Is this version at least coherent?

Yes, no loose ends.

[Winslow_Leach]

In the 45\46 version the chauffeur was killed by Joe Brody.    That is how Brody got the dirty pictures of Carmen.

 

So you are going with Joe Brody lied, and killed the chauffeur and gave him and the car a bath. But that's never confirmed in anyway, and of course denied by Brody.

 

Sure it's feasible, but so is the idea of the chauffeur killing himself by driving into the drink because everything went to ****.

 

EDIT- I had no idea that Brit slang would get tripped up by the autocensor. I'm gobsmacked!

[cigarjoe]

Hey- The chauffeur killed himself.

Well sort of, lol.

 

In the '78 version, the chauffeur is love crazy over Camilla (Sternwoods younger daughter). He may be drunk or he may also be high on something. Joe Brody goes to Geiger's to see if he'll take on a partner. He observes first Camilla walking into Geiger's and after he drives around the block sees the chauffeur (who apparently followed Camilla) entering Geiger's house from the rear entrance.

 

Brody waits about ten minutes and then walks down to Geigers.

 

The chauffeur kills Geiger while he is in the process of photographing Camilla Sternwood, he steals the camera magazine with the negative roll and runs out the rear entrance and takes off in the 1958 Bentley S1 (all this happens while Marlowe is coming in the front). Brody tails him. The chauffeur tries to elude him, but he loses control of the Bentley and skids into a phone box. Brody drives up and steals the negatives from the dazed chauffeur by clobbering him over the head with the camera magazine. (This explains the gash on the chauffeur's body when later it's fished out of the drink.)

 

The chauffeur apparently distraught over killing Geiger, crashing Sternwoods Bentley and losing the negatives commits suicide by driving off a pier.

[scsu1975]

Black Friday (1940) youtube, not sure how long it will be there

 

Another of Boris Karloff’s scientific experiments goes to pot.

 

After his close friend, an affable and absent minded college professor (Stanley Ridges) is critically injured when a gangster runs him down, Karloff does what any other doctor would do – he transplants the gangster’s brain into Ridges’ head. Incredibly, Karloff manages to do this by himself, with no one at the hospital knowing about it. What’s more, he doesn’t need prior authorization from Ridges’ health insurance company. In fact, Karloff does such a great job, there are no scars on Ridges, and he also maintains his full head of hair.

 

It seems the gangster has hidden 500 grand somewhere, so Karloff figures maybe he can coax the location out of Ridges, who is starting to act strangely. In short order, the gangster brain takes over, and Ridges (now looking about 30 years younger) goes on a killing spree, exacting revenge on his former gang. On occasion, he returns to his professor self.  How will this all end?

 

If you can ignore the stupidity involved, this is one of the most entertaining of the Universal horror flicks. Beautifully paced, never dull, the film benefits from a great Hans J. Salter score, with familiar themes he used over and over in multiple films. Karloff is fine as the doctor. But the real star is Ridges, who is outstanding in a dual role. In fact, as a kid, I really thought two actors were playing the parts. Anne Nagel, as the gangster’s girlfriend, is gorgeous. Murray Alper is very amusing as a confused bellboy. However, Bela Lugosi, billed second, is woefully miscast as one of the gangsters.

 

[LsDoorMat]

"Only The Brave" (1930) 6/10

 

This time "The Virginian" is actually in Virginia!

 

This film has an interesting beginning. It has a map of the US as it existed in 1860, and then zooms in on the deep south and shows farming there, then zooms in on Ohio and shows a farmer farming there, shows the lead up to the Civil War, and then goes back to the map with the edges of the old Confederacy ablaze. Then there is an odd close up of a mute General Grant writing a letter about how he hopes that the war will be over in August. Maybe it was the general's heavy drinking or optimistic thinking, but the war did not end until April 1865. No explanation is ever given for this short scene.

That is as about as violent as this film gets. Gary Cooper plays Captain James Brayden who joins up with his Union troops but has his four day leave abruptly cancelled. He decides to take his leave anyways as he desperately wants to see his girl, Elizabeth, played by an unrecognizable Virginia Bruce before her MGM days. Brayden risks his career only to see and hear his girl betraying him with another man, a stocky older fellow whom she says she really loves. Since this fellow looks like a 40ish version of Mr. Potato Head, I can only assume he is rich or Elizabeth has insanity in her family.

Brayden rides back to the Union camp, where he has a rather mild punishment meted out to him for being AWOL, given his past exemplary record. Brayden suggests an alternative. His bunk mate is a young guy with everything to live for whose assignment is to cross into Confederate territory and be captured as a spy with the Confederate troops lifting deliberately misleading information from him. Of course, this also means he will be shot as a spy. Brayden asks that he take the younger man's place in the assignment. Coop doesn't really get to show too much depth here, but the idea is that he now distrusts all women and feels like he has nothing to live for.

The best part of the film is the Virginia plantation where Brayden shows up, dressed as a Confederate soldier who is lost, trying to get to Spotsylvania. Other Confederate troops are encamped there, having a ball - literally. Apparently they didn't get the memo that the Union troops had sacked every plantation around central Virginia by 1864, because this looks like Tara in "Gone With the Wind" in 1860.

Meanwhile, Brayden is constantly either trying to get captured by dropping stuff that only a Union solder would have - stuff that says USA for example, but no dice. Nobody suspects a thing. Then he tries to just plain get shot by playing up to the daughter of the plantation owner (Mary Brian as Barbara Calhoun) who has the hots for him, and then insulting her, and rubbing it in the face of her trigger happy beau (Phillips Holmes). Again, Coop just can't seem to get suspected, captured, or killed.

When Brayden finally is suspected as a spy, as the Confederate soldiers chase him around the house, Barbara keeps saving him and hiding him, despite Brayden's protests. How will this all work out? Watch and find out.

Because the cinematographer here either neglected to or could not do close ups, it is really hard to get a feel for what Coop and Mary Brian are feeling during the emotional or the humorous parts of the film. I'd say this film doesn't measure up on any scale to the previous year's "The Virginian" with the same two leads - Coop and Mary Brian - and seems like it was made quickly and rather carelessly just to cash in on the chemistry they showed in that film. I'd give it a very mild recommendation to a general audience, but maybe a little stronger of a recommendation to those of you interested in the early talkies.

[JamesJazGuitar]

The Life of Jimmy Dolan;    Had to check out this Fairbanks \ Young pre-code and it was enjoyable.   Ok,  I'm a sucker also since that was the point of the film and I was licked. 

 

Great to see a really young,  un-credited Mickey Rooney and of course Alice MacMahon is always a treat.     

 

Wasn't expecting to see John Wayne in a bit-part but he held his own.

 

I really enjoy Fairbanks and his smugness and charm in these 30s films and of course Young is something special during the pre-code era.    

[Dargo]

"Only The Brave" (1930) 6/10

 

...When Brayden finally is suspected as a spy, as the Confederate soldiers chase him around the house, Barbara keeps saving him and hiding him, despite Brayden's protests. How will this all work out? Watch and find out.

 

 

Gee! I wonder if this movie was where the boys at W-B's Termite Terrace got the idea for the scene in Southern Fried Rabbit where Bugs(once again in drag, as a southern belle this time) greets Yosemite Sam(this time a Confederate officer) at the plantation manor front door and says, "Oh! One of OUR boys!", and then when Sam tells Bugs that there's a Yankee inside the manor house, Bugs runs up to an inside closed door and exclaims "He not in HERE!", and then after moving Bugs aside, Sam opens the door and says "Okay Yankee! Stick 'em...(BOOM..he gets shot by a canon, right in the face)...up!" ?

 

And then of course making this even funnier, Bugs then runs up to ANOTHER closed door and once again says, "He's not in HERE!", but now reeling from the canon shot, Sam mutters "Ooooh, I'll take your word for it, Miss Scarlett".

 

(...well, it KIND'A sounds like this might have the been the inspiration for this scene in that cartoon short, now doesn't IT?!...or am I just losin' it lately?!...well, more than normal anyway)

 

[TomJH]

"Only The Brave" (1930) 6/10

 

 

I'm a Gary Cooper fan but the one time I saw this film it couldn't end soon enough for me. Mind you the wretched quality of the print I was watching and the impact that was having on my eyesight might have had a lot to do with that.

 

To the best of my knowledge this Is one of only three films of Cooper set during the Civil War.

[Swithin]

I tried to watch Magic in the Moonlight. Great cast, couldn't get more than half way through it.  Nice to look at, but unbearable. One of Woody's worst.

 

[film lover 293]

"Gymkata" (1985)--Starring Kurt Thomas.

 

Remarkably silly film is designed to show off Olympian Thomas' gymnastic skills.  Film is actually based on a novel by D.T. Moore, "The Terrible Game".  The plot; Thomas is recruited by a Government agency to carry out some sort of mission that needs his skills.  He goes into a two month training camp, then goes to a Asian country, where film loses coherence and turns into a series of chases.

 

This is a martial arts/gymnastics film; there are no performances to speak of.  Thomas does some incredible moves as he goes through the film; movie delivers on that, at least.

 

There's one great line:

 

Thomas to his girlfriends' fiancee: "She doesn't belong to you, so put your heart back in your pants."

 

I was expecting a bad movie, and hoping it would be watchable.  It was.

 

Movie delivers on the gymnastics, is deficient on common sense and coherence.  A "check your brain at the door" watch.  Was perfect late night viewing.  2.3/4

 

Source--TCM.

[Sepiatone]

"His girlfriend's fiancee"?  

 

How does THAT work?

 

Sepitone

[Fedya]

His girlfriend swings both ways on the uneven bars?

[film lover 293]

Sepiatone--The girlfriend is a Princess of the Asian country Thomas goes to.  She's also a secret agent and an instructor at the Government camp Thomas goes to. Thomas sleeps with her while he's at the camp.  The Princess' father has betrothed her to a man she doesn't love, which makes everything OK.  The movie doesn't tell the viewer this particular plot point until the film's more than half over.

 

I said "Gymkata" (1985) was a "check your brain at the door" type movie.

 

Fedya--we never see her on the uneven bars.

[LsDoorMat]

"The Heart of a Dog" (2015)

 

Never have I seen such prolonged and depressing navel gazing in my entire life. Very little of this film is about the narrator's dog or the dog's "heart" and personality. They are mainly drawn out vignettes about her childhood and life and how she has suffered. At only 75 minutes in length, and with a misleading picture on the Criterion cover art of the artist's dog, I was expecting this to be 90% about her dog and perhaps the dogs of people she knew. No dice. Fortunately I did not shell out the twenty plus dollars for the Criterion and just watched it on cable, but at the end I felt cheated out of 75 minutes of my life. Being of Scottish ancestry though, I felt that better than being cheated out of twenty dollars.  I'm not rating it at this point because I'm just so mad at being so misled.

 

I shall now prepare to be pelted with rawhide doggy bones and other dog toys.

[Tikisoo]

.....two documentary DVDs found on the library shelves.

 

"Along The Erie Canal/Carousel Menagerie" is one of those "documentaries" made by a historically minded hometown fan who splurged on a camcorder in 1989. They have the best intentions in telling a story about local history and sometimes interview the best people, but they have fewer skills than Ed Wood.

Granted, I personally know a lot on the subjects, it's going to be hard to please me. I understand the common thrill of seeing people you know interviewed and actually seeing examples of my own work on TV. But this wasn't enough to make the narrative successful.

Just a few frustrations:

Several voice overs were not identified. One sounded like a 12 year old.

No coherent storyline, lots of "pretty pictures"

Not correcting the carver who kept on saying "mortise & tendon"(!)

LOCATIONS and examples not identified!!

 

But the icing on the cake was the very last segment, you know, the closing thoughts?

They videoed in the home of a carousel chotcke collector! Some crazy lady rambling on & on over how her mother bought her this Christmas ornament because she liked horses....all in her claustrophobic room filled with figurines & doilies! AAHH I wanted to scream!

 

So then I put in a DVD documentary about MOMS MABLEY. I loved Moms on talk shows when I was a little kid in the 60's. I remember watching her on TV with my Mother & we BOTH loved her! Most likely on different levels. 

So I wanted to see her again, now and learn about who she was.

I was not disappointed!

 

In compleat contrast, THIS was a fantastic story, well told in reminiscences, footage, photos and lively animated illustrations! Very clever way to use Mom's original recordings. I never knew she had comedy albums!

 

Modern comedians were also a part of the conversation. Everyone was thoughtful, well spoken & insightful. I'm actually glad Bill Cosby was included despite his recent history, because he is a part of the 60's black comics crowd.

The editing was excellent and a joy to watch. A class act, thank you Whoopi.

 

I highly recommend this to all who know Moms Mabley and especially to those who don't.

[kingrat]

TikiSoo, thanks for the heads up about the Moms Mabley documentary. I always cherished this line from an appearance on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour:

 

(After Moms has been hugging Tommy Smothers): "Moms likes putting her arms around young men. If Moms has her arms around an old man, she's holding him for the po-leese."

 

 

[Mr. Gorman]

I've seen Redd Foxx perform a little variant of that Moms Mabley routine.  Redd would say "I love black women; if you see me with a white women I'm holding her for the po-leece!".  (Redd was also fond of Asian women, btw.  His last 2 wives were Asian). 

 

     I watched FINGERS AT THE WINDOW and THE HYPNOTIC EYE last week.  Rather enjoyed both of them.  A last-minute decision to watch 'FINGERS'.  Glad I did. 

 

     I watched THE SHOW-OFF a little while ago.  Hmm . . . I felt like that "Loveable Loser"-type plot line was put to the ultimate test in this one.  Red Skelton's character was mostly irritating as hell.  I'd have throttled him.  I was glad Marjorie Main gave him the what-for near the end.  He deserved it.   I didn't crack a smile, but I did watch to the end because the movie was short.  One of Red's more annoying efforts.    

[film lover 293]

"Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?" (1972)--Starring Shelley Winters and Ralph Richardson, directed by Curtis Harrington.

 

Underrated retelling of Hansel and Gretel, set in 1920's Britain.  Film is a cross between out and out horror film and a look at the disintegration of a persons' mind.

 

Rosie Forrest's/Auntie Roo (Winters) daughter died in 1913 and fifteen years later Forrest is desperate to contact her, so she holds seances every night.  Every year she gives a Christmas party for ten orphans from a nearby orphanage.  Christopher Coombs (Mark Lester) and Katy Coombs (Chloe Franks) hide in the car that goes to Forrest Grange so they can attend the party.  Katy looks just like Forrest's dead daughter.  Film goes from there.

 

Winters is excellent as the eccentric Auntie Roo, whose conviction that she's found her dead daughter drives her into near madness.  Winters lets the viewer see what she's thinking, and how she shifts from functional to crazy.  Richardson is fine in a relatively small role.  Lester and Franks are both good as Christopher and Katy.

 

Rewatch.  I remembered this film packing a punch, and it's still worth seeing.  An odd psychological horror film.  Not bad.  2.5/4.

 

Source--YouTube.  See the version in 9 parts--it hasn't been sped up. The others make Winters sound like Minnie Mouse. 

[SansFin]

     I watched FINGERS AT THE WINDOW 

 

 

I like that movie very much but I ask all who watch it a simple question: does it seem to you as if shooting had been progressing as planned and then they received word during lunchtime one day that they had to wrap up filming by five o'clock?

[misswonderly3]

"The Heart of a Dog" (2015)

 

Never have I seen such prolonged and depressing navel gazing in my entire life. Very little of this film is about the narrator's dog or the dog's "heart" and personality. They are mainly drawn out vignettes about her childhood and life and how she has suffered. At only 75 minutes in length, and with a misleading picture on the Criterion cover art of the artist's dog, I was expecting this to be 90% about her dog and perhaps the dogs of people she knew. No dice. Fortunately I did not shell out the twenty plus dollars for the Criterion and just watched it on cable, but at the end I felt cheated out of 75 minutes of my life. Being of Scottish ancestry though, I felt that better than being cheated out of twenty dollars.  I'm not rating it at this point because I'm just so mad at being so misled.

 

I shall now prepare to be pelted with rawhide doggy bones and other dog toys.

 

I have to say, I have not seen The Heart of a Dog. Perhaps it's as rubbishy as you claim.

 

However, I am just a little annoyed by your write -up here. First, because you never state who made this autobiographical documentary, who it's about. It was made by Laurie Anderson, celebrated NYC- based performance artist and long-time partner of the great Lou Reed. It seems to me if people are going to discuss a film they've seen here, it behooves them to cite details about that film, such as who made it.

 

Second: Are you always so literal about film titles? Although I haven't seen Heart of a Dog, I  did hear an interview with Laurie Anderson about the film. She's quite open as to its subject matter. It's very common for filmmakers to give their creations titles that don't always have a direct, literal, connection with the content of their film. Sometimes the title is a metaphor, or an allusion to something that happens or is spoken of in the film. True, she does talk about her beloved dog, but to approach this movie with the assumption that it would be all about dogs seems a bit  simplistic to me. Maybe you would not have been so disappointed and outraged if you'd looked up something about the movie first, before watching it.

[EricJ]

I have to say, I have not seen The Heart of a Dog. Perhaps it's as rubbishy as you claim.

 

However, I am just a little annoyed by your write -up here. First, because you never state who made this autobiographical documentary, who it's about. It was made by Laurie Anderson, celebrated NYC- based performance artist and long-time partner of the great Lou Reed. It seems to me if people are going to discuss a film they've seen here, it behooves them to cite details about that film, such as who made it.

Second: Are you always so literal about film titles? 

 

And even so, Laurie Anderson is NOT the most accessible performance artist of clarity in the business.  She makes David Byrne look like Garson Keillor.

I may also see Criterion's disk put a big ol' border collie on the cover, but if see "An inside autobiographical look at Laurie Anderson" mentioned in the description, I'm definitely not expecting it to be her own spin on "Marley & Me".  (My first reaction, in fact, was "Ms. 'O, Superman' HAS a dog??")