I Just Watched...

[LsDoorMat]

4 hours ago, Fedya said:

What's Grand Theft Auto?

Yep, missed that. Apparently Ron Howard was the Orson Welles of Grand Theft Auto. He starred in it, directed it, and wrote it (along with his dad, the late Rance Howard). His dad and brother Clint had small parts. I believe Roger Corman produced it? The Wikipedia article is unclear, but apparently there were legal fights between Corman and a video game producer over the rights to the name.  Made for 600K, it made over 15 million worldwide. Ron Howard was still on Happy Days until 1980, so I assumed his directorial career started after that, and apparently he was dabbling in directing even earlier than that.

[LsDoorMat]

Beyond The Forest (1949) 7/10

Wow, Jack Warner must have really wanted to get rid of Bette Davis once and for all!

And although I know this was written based on a novel of the same name, beyond what forest? The film starts with a voiceover describing the town of Loyalton, Wisconsin, and the fact that an inquest is going on concerning the death of a man killed by Rosa Moline (Bette Davis). She claims it is an accident. You do get from the introductory narration that this is a town where everybody derives their income from the sawmill and that Rosa is an insufferable snob. What you don't know is who it is that Rosa has killed - accidentally or on purpose. Then comes the rest of the movie in flashback.

Rosa is very unhappily married to Lewis Moline, MD (Joseph Cotten). Before I watched this I thought, who would be unhappy being married to handsome Joseph Cotten? But he plays this as such a doormat, a guy who is OK with patients who never pay him, who gives in to every expensive thing that Rosa wants, that it is no wonder Rosa has no respect for him. Fine acting from Mr. Cotten to play this as such a weak milquetoast of a guy.

So Rosa lusts after the wealthy Neil Latimer (David Brian) from Chicago, who has a hunting lodge near Loyalton. He's a strong self made man, and that and the money draw Rosa to him and into an affair. If she knew that David Brian would play a character who beats the living daylights out of Joan Crawford the following year I'm sure that wouldn't have hurt either, but that's another story.

So Rosa's dilemma is how to get out of this marriage and get Neil to care enough about her to marry her. What she does to accomplish this and the problems and twists and turns of the plot that crop up along the way constitute the rest of the film and eventually bring us full circle back to the inquest.

Why do I say it seems that Jack Warner was trying to get rid of Bette Davis with this film? It's not so much her acting - she is as good as she ever was - but she is playing a woman about ten years younger than she looks, especially with the tight fitting clothes that show every inch of extra avoirdupois that she is sporting, plus a ridiculous long black wig. And then there is the dialogue. Every time somebody suggests that Rosa do something that she feels is beneath her, Rosa retorts "I would never do THAT, I'm Rosa Moline". How odd. The whole film is about how much she does not want to be a Moline, yet she seems to proudly hail it as part of her identitiy. There is a ridiculous scene with Lewis talking to an unconscious woman about her blood, and why did Rosa build her house as far from the center of town as possible, but position the master bedroom such that the flames shooting from the sawmill incinerator in the middle of the night glow through the window and even the shades and keep her awake? Rosa is a poor architect of her house and her life.

I could go on forever with what is weird about this film, but the acting is quite good, and the story is so odd that the camp actually becomes one of its strengths. I'd suggest it if you can ever find a copy.

[darkblue]

3 hours ago, calvinnme said:

I'd suggest it if you can ever find a copy.

How'd you get yours?

[LsDoorMat]

3 minutes ago, darkblue said:

How'd you get yours?

Capitolfest dealer room.

[darkblue]

42 minutes ago, calvinnme said:

Capitolfest dealer room.

Thanks.

As the film is in public domain, it is available from a couple of sellers on EBay.  They're region 0 DVD's, so one must have a compatible player, but it's not as difficult to get a copy as I thought. 

[LsDoorMat]

1 minute ago, darkblue said:

Thanks.

As the film is in public domain, it is available from a couple of sellers on EBay.  They're region 0 DVD's, so one must have a compatible player, but it's not as difficult to get a copy as I thought. 

Now that's the kind of self reliant behavior I would expect from a Man Going His Own Way! (Not being sarcastic here, honest). If you ever come across a guy named FAT-W selling DVD-Rs of public domain "The Purple Taxi", a late Fred Astaire vehicle (no pun intended), I can tell you that at least the copy I got was of very good quality.

[TomJH]

There's a good looking copy of Beyond The Forest available for viewing or downloading on VeeHD.com.

[laffite]

1 hour ago, darkblue said:

Thanks.

As the film is in public domain, it is available from a couple of sellers on EBay.  They're region 0 DVD's, so one must have a compatible player, but it's not as difficult to get a copy as I thought. 

Region 0 means region free, doesn't it? It's compatible everywhere.

 

[TomJH]

4 minutes ago, laffite said:

Region 0 means region free, doesn't it? It's compatible everywhere.

 

Correct.

[darkblue]

29 minutes ago, laffite said:

Region 0 means region free, doesn't it? It's compatible everywhere.

Region 0 discs will not play on my Panasonic or Toshiba Region 1 players.

I have a 2nd Toshiba which has been region hacked to 9, so I can play any disc on that one player.

[LawrenceA]

mother! (2017) - Allegorical nightmare from Paramount Pictures and writer-director Darren Aronofsky. Jennifer Lawrence stars as the wife to a poet (Javier Bardem). She's been restoring their large, isolated country home while he's been struggling with writer's block. One night a stranger (Ed Harris) shows up on their doorstep, followed by his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), starting a slowly-building avalanche of uninvited guests with dubious intentions and who the homeowner can't seem to make leave. Also featuring Brian Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Stephen McHattie, Jovan Adepo, and Kristen Wiig.

This movie made a controversial splash when released several months ago, with angry viewers demanding their money back after seeing something quite unlike most Hollywood fare. That's the film's greatest strength, its unpredictability, and it's very refreshing to see something like this still getting released by a major studio, even if the reaction means that these sorts of challenging movies will be less likely in the future. The writer-director admits that the film's allegory is only vaguely formed, but the story adheres to its own nightmare logic. There are some sequences in here that will traumatize some viewers, although they ended up not being as extreme visually as I expected. The performances are all good, but the nature of the story precludes much character depth due to the uncertainty about who is who and what is going on. I enjoyed this quite a bit, but I hesitate to recommend it to the average viewer, who is likely to be offended, confused, or both.  (8/10)

Source: Paramount Blu-Ray.

[spence]

33 minutes ago, LawrenceA said:

mother! (2017) - Allegorical nightmare from Paramount Pictures and writer-director Darren Aronofsky. Jennifer Lawrence stars as the wife to a poet (Javier Bardem). She's been restoring their large, isolated country home while he's been struggling with writer's block. One night a stranger (Ed Harris) shows up on their doorstep, followed by his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), starting a slowly-building avalanche of uninvited guests with dubious intentions and who the homeowner can't seem to make leave. Also featuring Brian Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Stephen McHattie, Jovan Adepo, and Kristen Wiig.

This movie made a controversial splash when released several months ago, with angry viewers demanding their money back after seeing something quite unlike most Hollywood fare. That's the film's greatest strength, its unpredictability, and it's very refreshing to see something like this still getting released by a major studio, even if the reaction means that these sorts of challenging movies will be less likely in the future. The writer-director admits that the film's allegory is only vaguely formed, but the story adheres to its own nightmare logic. There are some sequences in here that will traumatize some viewers, although they ended up not being as extreme visually as I expected. The performances are all good, but the nature of the story precludes much character depth due to the uncertainty about who is who and what is going on. I enjoyed this quite a bit, but I hesitate to recommend it to the average viewer, who is likely to be offended, confused, or both.  (8/10)

Source: Paramount Blu-Ray.

O MY! I found this thee single worst nightmarish production I went to in my 36 years  reviewing new releases

Only went because of "Marevelous Michelle" & there was very early *Oscar buzz for her for s. actress, not gonna' happen though, not this time!

I've never ever walked out of a new release, but was on the verge  to me pal LawrenceA

 

It did have some pretty good cinematography, mostly early on though    BUT, THE BABY SEQUENCE-(no spoiler alert here) WAS IT FOR ME BUDDY!  & a usually good filmmaker "The Wrestler" (2008) ($38m,.) & others

 

I bet you right now this is up for Golden Razzies?   It barely squeezed to $18m.

 

In essence I found it disgusting moviemaking & what were they going for?

 

On Pfeiffer's 2017 plus side & this is bizarre considering the type of motion picture it is her "Murder on the  0rient Express" (strong **1/2-out of 4) is now hitting $100m. magic mark? & will certainly earn noms for costumes,etc

 

Did you see that one yet LawrenceA?

 

 

THANX & YOU GOTTA'; SEE "THREE BILLBOARDS..." Somewhat a throwback to the late 1960's & '70's cinema, unpredictable all the way

 

Next up "DARKEST HOUR"

[laffite]

1 hour ago, LawrenceA said:

mother! (2017) - Allegorical nightmare from Paramount Pictures and writer-director Darren Aronofsky. Jennifer Lawrence stars as the wife to a poet (Javier Bardem). She's been restoring their large, isolated country home while he's been struggling with writer's block. One night a stranger (Ed Harris) shows up on their doorstep, followed by his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), starting a slowly-building avalanche of uninvited guests with dubious intentions and who the homeowner can't seem to make leave. Also featuring Brian Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Stephen McHattie, Jovan Adepo, and Kristen Wiig.

This movie made a controversial splash when released several months ago, with angry viewers demanding their money back after seeing something quite unlike most Hollywood fare. That's the film's greatest strength, its unpredictability, and it's very refreshing to see something like this still getting released by a major studio, even if the reaction means that these sorts of challenging movies will be less likely in the future. The writer-director admits that the film's allegory is only vaguely formed, but the story adheres to its own nightmare logic. There are some sequences in here that will traumatize some viewers, although they ended up not being as extreme visually as I expected. The performances are all good, but the nature of the story precludes much character depth due to the uncertainty about who is who and what is going on. I enjoyed this quite a bit, but I hesitate to recommend it to the average viewer, who is likely to be offended, confused, or both.  (8/10)

Source: Paramount Blu-Ray.

I don't mind admitting, I doubt I could take it. I'm much more impressionable than I used to be, i.e., older. I despised Funny Games (Hanake) and your review made me think of that, though they may not be alike at all. Traumatized? Really, that bad? Not for me. Back to PBS costume dramas.

[limey]

1 hour ago, LawrenceA said:

mother! (2017) - Allegorical nightmare from Paramount Pictures and writer-director Darren Aronofsky. Jennifer Lawrence stars as the wife to a poet (Javier Bardem). She's been restoring their large, isolated country home while he's been struggling with writer's block. One night a stranger (Ed Harris) shows up on their doorstep, followed by his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), starting a slowly-building avalanche of uninvited guests with dubious intentions and who the homeowner can't seem to make leave. Also featuring Brian Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Stephen McHattie, Jovan Adepo, and Kristen Wiig.

This movie made a controversial splash when released several months ago, with angry viewers demanding their money back after seeing something quite unlike most Hollywood fare. That's the film's greatest strength, its unpredictability, and it's very refreshing to see something like this still getting released by a major studio, even if the reaction means that these sorts of challenging movies will be less likely in the future. The writer-director admits that the film's allegory is only vaguely formed, but the story adheres to its own nightmare logic. There are some sequences in here that will traumatize some viewers, although they ended up not being as extreme visually as I expected. The performances are all good, but the nature of the story precludes much character depth due to the uncertainty about who is who and what is going on. I enjoyed this quite a bit, but I hesitate to recommend it to the average viewer, who is likely to be offended, confused, or both.  (8/10)

Source: Paramount Blu-Ray.

Thanks for the review - that write-up is intriguing enough to make me go watch something that had hardly registered on my radar until now.

[TomJH]

Evil Under The Sun (1982).

Handsome adaption of the Agatha Christie novel, and the second of two screen occasions in which Peter Ustinov would inhabit the role of master Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (forever informing people of the correct way to pronounce his last name).

Once again there is a gathering of beautiful people in a remote location where a murder will occur (actually the second murder in the film) and there will be a final gathering of the suspects in which the brilliant Poirot will dissect the evidence, piece by piece, in order to reveal the killer.

Directed by Guy Hamilton this film is a visual glory. Beautifully filmed in Majorca (where the rich and famous really do go to play in privacy) it is a film with a series of often exquisite cinematic images shot under brilliant sunshine, with the orchestral accompaniment of Cole Porter hits on its soundtrack making this vacation with mayhem experience an aural delight, as well.

Ustinov has great fun in the role of the detective, who just happens to be vacationing on a mythical island in the Adriatic where the mystery is set. He has a pantomime bit in which he goes "swimming," dipping his legs only in the water while making swimming motions with his arms as he walks back and forth for his exercise. Clearly the actor is having a good time in his role.

The cast includes Maggie Smith as the hotel proprietor, James Mason and Sylvia Miles as a Broadway producer and his wife, he badly in need of a hit, Diana Rigg as an egotistical theatrical star, Colin Blakely as her rich husband who stoically endures her shallow excesses, Jane Birkin and Nicholas Clay as a young couple squabbling about his infidelities, and Roddy McDowall as a gossipy leach ready to print a book about Rigg.

I was disappointed that a wonderful actor like Mason has relatively little to do in this film but Rigg is a marvelous combination of style and bitchiness in her role. I loved every moment she was on the screen. One of the best scenes in the film is when Rigg decides to give everyone in the sitting room a thrill by singing "You're The Top" while old time chorus line competitor Maggie Smith does everything she can to upstage her. Absolutely delightful!

While some might regard the story and mystery content of a Christie concoction such as this as slight, a film like this is all about wit, style and visual elegance. In that respect, Evil Under The Sun succeeds more than admirably.

3 out of 4

[LawrenceA]

The Farmer Takes a Wife (1935) - Pleasant period romance from Fox and director Victor Fleming. Henry Fonda makes his screen debut as Dan Harrow, a soft-spoken young man who takes a job on a boat in the Erie Canal circa the 1840's/50's. He wants to save up money to buy a farm. He meets Molly Larkins (Janet Gaynor), the girlfriend of two-fisted boat captain Jotham (Charles Bickford), and Dan falls for her. She has no desire to be a farmer's wife, though, preferring the freedom of life on the canal. The supporting cast includes Slim Summerville, Andy Devine, Margaret Hamilton, Roger Imhof, Sig Ruman, John Qualen, Jane Withers, Kitty Kelly, Irving Bacon, Chief John Big Tree, Iron Eyes Cody, Dick Foran, Gabby Hayes, Robert Gleckler, and Robert Warwick. 

Fonda had starred in the stage version of this, and was brought over to the film when Gaynor wanted to make it. Fonda and Bickford are both believable, but Gaynor fares less well, often seeming phony. The terrific bit players scattered throughout the film are a bonus, though. This was remade in 1953 with Betty Grable and Dale Robertson.  (6/10)

Source: TCM.

[TomJH]

I fail to see the appeal of Janet Gaynor. That includes her best known performance today in A Star Is Born, a film I will watch for Fredric March's Norman Maine despite her.

I guess she was supposed to have an innocent "wholesome" appeal (a distinct contrast to screen sex symbols like Harlow or Mae West) to appeal to audiences in the sticks. But the surprise is to see just how popular Gaynor was, constantly getting ranked among the top ten stars in popularity during the early '30s, so I assume many big city crowds went for her, too.

But she's not much of an actress, from what I've seen, nor does her personality exactly light up the screen (mine, anyway). I can well believe that Gaynor's performance in Farmer Takes A Wife "fares less well" than her two male co-stars in that film , but, then, I could probably say the same about most her her dull portrayals.

She's okay in State Fair, to be fair, but to give a competent performance in that film is about the best that I can say of her. I've seen her in Sunrise and while the film itself is impressive I have difficulty recalling her performance.

Perhaps I have yet to see the best of Janet Gaynor. I have a strong feeling, though, that I never will be impressed by her.

[LawrenceA]

10 minutes ago, TomJH said:

I fail to see the appeal of Janet Gaynor. That includes her best known performance today in A Star Is Born, a film I will watch for Fredric March's Norman Maine despite her.

I guess she was supposed to have an innocent "wholesome" appeal (a distinct contrast to screen sex symbols like Harlow or Mae West) to appeal to audiences in the sticks. But the surprise is to see just how popular Gaynor was, constantly getting ranked among the top ten stars in popularity during the early '30s, so I assume many big city crowds went for her, too.

But she's not much of an actress, from what I've seen, nor does her personality exactly light up the screen (mine, anyway). I can well believe that Gaynor's performance in Farmer Takes A Wife "fares less well" than her two male co-stars in that film , but, then, I could probably say the same about most her her dull portrayals.

She's okay in State Fair, to be fair, but to give a competent performance in that film is about the best that I can say of her. I've seen her in Sunrise and while the film itself is impressive I have difficulty recalling her performance.

Perhaps I have yet to see the best of Janet Gaynor. I have a strong feeling, though, that I never will be impressed by her.

Yeah, I understand your position. Gaynor strikes me as a type that was popular in the silent days, often playing decent women who persevere through abuse or other harsh circumstances. My issue with her in The Farmer Takes a Wife was that she came across as "silent acting" in several scenes, with emotions and reactions just slightly more exaggerated than need be. 

I recall liking her in A Star is Born, but it's been 20-something years since I watched it. I've only seen her in State Fair and a few silents other than that: Sunrise, Street Angel, and 7th Heaven. She didn't bother me in any of those, but I can't say that I was overly impressed, either.

[shutoo]

I think Gaynor brought a sincerity to her roles..like in A Star is Born, Small Town Girl.  In Ladies in Love, her girl next door is the needed contrast to her more glamorous co-stars.  Her characters may have been naïve', but they were quick learners.  I can't think of many actresses who pulled off the 'scrappy little lady' bit so well at that time.

Personally, I've never been impressed by Luise Rainer..or Ruby Keeler..but to each their own...

[TomJH]

6 minutes ago, shutoo said:

I think Gaynor brought a sincerity to her roles..like in A Star is Born, Small Town Girl.  In Ladies in Love, her girl next door is the needed contrast to her more glamorous co-stars.  Her characters may have been naïve', but they were quick learners.  I can't think of many actresses who pulled off the 'scrappy little lady' bit so well at that time.

Personally, I've never been impressed by Luise Rainer..or Ruby Keeler..but to each their own...

Luise Rainer and Ruby Keeler both leave me cold, as well. Add Merle Oberon to that list (though she was stunningly beautiful in The Scarlet Pimpernel - though I suspect it's the photographer who deserves a lion's share of the credit here).

[LawrenceA]

A Feather in Her Hat (1935) - Sappy melodrama from Columbia Pictures and director Alfred Santell. Pauline Lord gets top billing as Clarissa Phelps, a lower-class English shop keeper with a young son, Richard. She wants a better life for him than she's had, so she finds a homeless, alcoholic WW1 vet named Randolph Courtney (Basil Rathbone), a former member of the upper classes, and brings him home, giving him room and board in exchange for teaching her son to act like a respectable member of society. Richard grows into manhood (Louis Hayward), at which point he sets out to make a name for himself, becoming involved with society girl Pauline (Wendy Barrie). Also featuring Billie Burke, Victor Varconi, Nydia Westman, Thurston Hall, Nana Bryant, E.E. Clive, and David Niven. 

Pauline Lord was a major star of the American and British stage, highly respected for starring in the original productions of Anna Christie, Strange Interlude, and many others. She only appeared in two films, 1934's Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, and this one. She decided films weren't for her, and never made another, eventually dying in a car crash at age 60 in 1950. I can't speak for that previous film, but this one wouldn't endear me to the art form, either. It's a tired rehash of "suffering mother" tropes that had already become cliches before sound entered pictures. I watched this for Basil, who's good in a promising role, but although he received second billing, behind only Lord, both he and she are relegated to the back burner once Hayward enters the film, and it becomes a tedious romantic triangle between Hayward, Barrie and Westman. Things liven up a bit when Niven is around as another suitor of Barrie's, but that isn't often enough.   (6/10)

Source: YouTube.

[TomJH]

24 minutes ago, LawrenceA said:

Pauline Lord was a major star of the American and British stage, highly respected for starring in the original productions of Anna Christie, Strange Interlude, and many others. She only appeared in two films, 1934's Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, and this one. She decided films weren't for her, and never made another, eventually dying in a car crash at age 60 in 1950. I can't speak for that previous film, but this one wouldn't endear me to the art form, either.

 

I don't think Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch would inspire you any more to the art form, Lawrence. It is Pauline Lord's film and it's pretty dull going until W. C. Fields shows up in the last fifteen minutes. Fields is fine and brings to this old fashioned antique what interest it has. I don't quite understand why Fields agreed to appear in a film with so small a role for him.

I've yet to see A Feather in Her Hat but I will for Basil Rathbone's participation in it, despite your warnings about the film, of which I do take note.

[LawrenceA]

11 minutes ago, TomJH said:

I've yet to see A Feather in Her Hat but I will for Basil Rathbone's participation in it, despite your warnings about the film, of which I do take note.

I wasn't speaking of my own inspiration, but rather Lord's to continue making films. Perhaps if she'd had better material she would have made more. But she didn't exactly have leading lady looks, and she looked a good ten years older than her reported age at the time (some of which may have been intentional for the role).

A Feather in Her Hat isn't really bad, just unexceptional in any way. I gave it the equivalent of a C+, which isn't too awful. Besides Rathbone, Burke and Niven are entertaining.

[cigarjoe]

Brown's Requiem (1998) Forgotten L.A. Neo Noir Gem

"I cant remember if my first drink was to celebrate my good fortune, or grieve my losses..... I figure if I sit here long enough I'll remember,....about how a guy who has nothing can lose everything."

Third novel of James Elroy to be filmed.

After the success of L.A. Confidential (1997), Jason Freeland wrote and directed this adaptation of Elroy's fist published novel, Brown's Requiem. It's an almost forgotten gem. Why is this not listed in the Film Noir Encyclopedia by Silver, Ward, Ursini, and Porfirio, and short shrift-ed elsewhere? Possibly because it's populated with all B list actors.

Michael Rooker grows on you, he's got a rough carved in granite, world weary, pugilist look and a bit of a Tom Waits like rasp to his voice, he's very convincing as the vulnerable somewhat clueless P.I., fumbling his way through a case that isn't quite what it was described to be, and it's driving him to drink. He's no pushover though, he's tough, but also caring. Will Sasso as the manic "King Of The Caddies" is both intense and impressive, a very memorable character. The rest of the bottom dwelling cast, Harold Gould, Brion James (Blade Runner (1982)), Jack Conley, William Newman, Brad Dourif (Blue Velvet (1986)) and Christopher Meloni are all appropriately slimy. Selma Blair's, Jane is the only character that needed to be fleshed out a bit more.

The film is not without its bits of humor. When Fat Dog finally leaves the office, Fritz grabs a deodorant can and sprays the area Fat Dog occupied commenting that he should have gotten the first clue right then that the case stunk. Later when transporting Fat Dog in his convertible Fritz drops the top even though it's raining over Fat Dogs protestations. We know it's because the Dog stinks and Fritz is airing him out.

Director Freeland makes great use of various Los Angeles locations. Seo Mutarevic's Noir Cinematography does them justice, and the beautiful score was by Cynthia Millar. A surprise B Neo Noir Gem.  8/10 Fuller review with screencaps in Film Noir/Gangster pages.

[NickAndNora34]

2 hours ago, TomJH said:

Luise Rainer and Ruby Keeler both leave me cold, as well. Add Merle Oberon to that list (though she was stunningly beautiful in The Scarlet Pimpernel - though I suspect it's the photographer who deserves a lion's share of the credit here).

I totally see your point here. I have never seen anything with Luise Rainer, but I did actually attempt to watch 42nd Street with Ruby Keeler, and I disliked her strongly (trying to be diplomatic here). I just don't think she comes across as having much of a personality, in my opinion. Now, I'm not asking for a Bette Davis personality; maybe something more along the lines of a June Allyson or a Kathryn Grayson? Two women whom I feel are somewhat likeable, but don't have intense personas a la Davis.