I Just Watched...

[CaveGirl]

6 minutes ago, Dargo said:

Hmmm...well CG, have to say I was right with ya here UNTIL I got to that third paragraph of yours.

And 'cause, and allow me to remind you here that one Julius Henry Marx was born in New York, New York, and thus making HIM an American.

(...and as far as I know, HE never spelled any words with that oh so needless superfluous-u EITHER!)

 

Sorry to have to break this to you, Dargo but Minnie lied to Julius, telling him he was New York conceived and born, and actually it all happened in Blackpool, England, which means the one and only, is really more attuned to the British mode of humour. That extra "u" is really instrumental in one's humour quotient sensibilities, which is why there are two "u"s in Julius.

 

[laffite]

Just a couple of comments about Touch of Evil, I hadn't seen this latest version although i see it's been out for awhile, the one that comes closer to a Director's cut, Orson's original intent for the movie. That second bullet utterance is no longer an orphan, it has it's antecedent, for one thing. Other things that reveal the real Orson I don't know but it would be interesting to find out.

Marlene Dietrich gives one of the most singular small roles of all time. She has a fixed gaze that never varies, speaks in a monotone, says mundane things like, "Why don't you go home," and "...it's all used up." that seem to resonate anyway. She also gets the last lines of the film, her favorite of all her films (she was quoted as saying).

I remember liking Dennis Weaver but slightly turned off this time. Does he overdo it? I think so but he modulates well in the scene where Vargas comes looking for his wife at that for saken of a motel. Janet Leigh's vulnerability in that motel is so palpable and so dark it transcends the actual context, at least in thought. That a motel could be so isolated and remote is not to be contemplated as it gets into suspension of disbelief issues. I wonder if Janet Leigh had nightmares about motels. At least she wasn't caught in the shower in this one.

Even with a first time viewing, it is always apparent that Quinlan will meet his waterloo but nothing is taken for granted. Despite all this jams in the past something seems to go out of him when Vargas confronts him about the dynamite. Quinlan seems suddenly tired as if he has had enough of all this. He doesn't give up yet but the way he is led away by this Grandi fella who he doesn't respect and then coaxed into a drink (after 12 years).  IMO he hasn't even formulated his final plan yet. There is a little something added with all this that makes Quinlan something more than just perhaps one of the most unprepossessing characters ever. His very person suggests decadence but there is still a human underneath, though not a very good one.

[LawrenceA]

Bad for Each Other (1953) - Insipid melodrama from Columbia Pictures and director Irving Rapper. Charlton Heston stars as doctor and retired Army colonel Tom Owen. He's returned to his home turf, the small mining town of Coalville. The miners hate him because of something his now-dead brother did years earlier, but the upper crust of Coalville society are excited by the new hunky doctor's arrival. With the help of rich man-eater Helen (Lizabeth Scott), Tom is soon in private practice, catering to the lonely and wealthy women of Coalville. His nurse Joan (Dianne Foster) wants to practice the "right kind of medicine", but is Tom only interested in a fast buck and a good time? Also featuring Arthur Franz, Mildred Dunnock, Ray Collins, Marjorie Rambeau, Lester Matthews, Rhys Williams, Lydia Clarke, Ann Robinson, and Frank Sully.

This was just terrible, badly written and even more poorly acted. Heston wins the prize for "Worst in Show", delivering his lines in the most grating, hammy way imaginable, while also exhibiting some of the most overwrought physical business I've ever seen on the screen. The script never fails to tell you how wonderful Heston's Tom Mason is supposed to be, even if we are given scant evidence of it. Every woman falls at his feet, while every man is either in awe or angry with jealousy. Some may enjoy how the movie moves from just bad to amusingly camp, while others will just hit the "stop" button and find something better to do with their remaining time. I'm also sure this is someone's favorite movie. Not me, though.    (3/10)

Source: TCM.

[Fedya]

20 hours ago, laffite said:

Movies about sports are awful, I don't think I've ever seen a good one.

The Fortune Cookie, although it's only tangentially about football.

[Dargo]

On 7/18/2018 at 7:00 PM, laffite said:

Movies about sports are awful, I don't think I've ever seen a good one. although I'll admit to possible excessiveness pickiness. I probably saw this at least a couple of decades (or more), probably for Doris, but I do remember snickering at Reagan. I imagined he practiced his wind up and he seemed proud of it, like he really had it down. He didn't.

Gotta ask...

Ever watched North Dallas Forty, laffite? I've always placed this one at the top of my list of movies with a Sports theme.

(...just sayin') 

[Fedya]

14 hours ago, ChristineHoard said:

Topsy, **** (rhymes with Rambo) and Quombo.

They're censoring "Mambo" now?

[Fedya]

2 hours ago, CaveGirl said:

Get it, humour, which means like the Brits who are the funniest, and not humor, which is more like the less funny Americans, whose humor is more like a tumor sadly.

That's because in America we only see the cream of the British crop.  Even then I've seen some dire Britcoms.

[LawrenceA]

The Beggar's Opera (1953) - British Technicolor musical based on the 1728 opera, from Warner Brothers and director Peter Brook. A prisoner (Hugh Griffith) recounts the tale of his just-finished opera, which concerns charming rogue and wanted criminal Captain MacHeath (Laurence Olivier) and his various romances. Also featuring Dorothy Tutin, George Devine, Stanley Holloway, Mary Claire, Edward Pryor, Athene Seyler, Daphne Anderson, Yvonne Furneaux, Laurence Naismith, Sandra Dorne, and Kenneth Williams.

Ugh.    (5/10)

Source: TCM.

[kingrat]

5 hours ago, Dargo said:

Gotta ask...

Every watched North Dallas Forty, laffite? I've always placed this one at the top of my list of movies with a Sports theme.

(...just sayin') 

Me, too, Dargo. Much the best. It's actually about the business of pro football instead of just a "win the big game" sports movie.

[ChristineHoard]

6 hours ago, Fedya said:

They're censoring "Mambo" now?

Yes, the character's name starts with "S".

[LawrenceA]

By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) - More Technicolor nostalgia in this musical comedy from Warner Brothers and director David Butler. In this sequel to On Moonlight Bay, we continue to follow the lives and loves of the Winfield family: father George (Leon Ames), mother Alice (Rosemary DeCamp), daughter Marjorie (Doris Day), and son Wesley (Billy Gray). Marjorie is anticipating marriage to Bill Sherman (Gordon MacRae) just as soon as he return from fighting in World War One, while Wesley has turned into an amateur detective. The usual misunderstandings lead to tears and laughs. Also featuring Mary Wickes, Russell Arms, Maria Palmer, Howard Wendell, William Boyett, Carol Forman, Walter "PeeWee" Flannery, Minerva Urecal, and Merv Griffin.

Much like the earlier film, this is simple, unassuming sitcom material, well told and amusingly performed. There are several songs from Day and MacRae, mostly standards from the early 20th century. It's all rather corny, but I enjoyed it.   (7/10)

Source: TCM.

 

[NickAndNora34]

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)/TWO TOWERS (2002)/RETURN OF THE KING (2003) 

It has been 15 years since I last endeavored to watch this series. I had very vague memories of the actual plot of these, but very vivid memories of the creature they call "Gollum." Gollum used to frighten me out of my wits as a child, so I made an effort never to watch these until I had outgrown my fear of him. News flash: When I saw him on screen again after so many years, I was reminded of my fear. However, I pushed through, and ended up developing a sort of pity for him (this sounds like satire, but I assure you, it is not). 

That being said, I actually enjoyed these more than I thought I would. I am reading the books at the same time, so it's very interesting just how much of my time I will never get back... Although, I am enjoying myself. My dad is re-reading the books as well. 

I don't know what it is about these movies that I enjoy so much; I think a big part of it, is that my dad loves them. But I've always been a fan of things like these (i.e. Star Wars). Some of my friends have never seen these, but I would only recommend them to people who have the desire and/or attention span to sit through battle after battle. I, personally, was entertained by the battle scenes, although I know our friend, SPEEDY, has mentioned before that she does not. To each his own. 

[LawrenceA]

Calamity Jane (1953) - Technicolor musical/western/comedy from Warner Brothers and director David Butler. Rough-and-tumble tomboy Calamity Jane (Doris Day) resides in the frontier town of Deadwood in the Dakota territory. When a famous showgirl fails to arrive in town as promised to put on a show, Jane heads to Chicago to get her, by force if necessary. She returns, but unknowingly with wannabe stage-star Katie Brown (Allyn Ann McLerie). Soon, Jane and Katie find themselves the objects of affection for cavalryman Lt. Danny Gilmartin (Philip Carey), as well as for gambler and gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel). Also featuring Dick Wesson, Paul Harvey, Chubby Johnson, Gale Robbins, I. Stanford Jolley, Gene Roth, Glenn Strange, and Robert Fuller.

Fun, colorful, and energetic nonsense featuring a winning-if-broad performance from Day, this was surprisingly enjoyable. I particularly liked the "Just Flew in from the Windy City" number. The movie won the Oscar for Best Song ("Secret Love"), and was nominated for Best Sound, and Best Score (Ray Heindorf).    (7/10)

Source: TCM.

[Fedya]

Airport '75 (1974).  Businessman Dana Andrews, flying his small plane home, suffers a massive heart attack that causes him to crash into the cockpit of a 747 carrying an all-star cast.  Flight instructor Charlton Heston has to help stewardess Karen Black land the plane via the radio, and when that fails, rappel into the plane himself. (Seriously!)

As with most movies in the second half of the 70s disaster cycle, this one is chock-full of howlers.  Andrews' heart attack is hilariously overacted; nun Helen Reddy has to sing a terrible song about "you are your own best friend" to kidney transplant patient Linda Blair; boilermaker-drinking Myrna Loy (a step down from The Thin Man) gets harassed by Mr. Roper, George Costanza's father, and Sid Caesar; Gloria Swanson plays herself and drops names about old-time Hollywood constantly, and on and on.

And spare a thought for Andrews, who had already survived the disasters of Zero Hour! and The Crowded Sky before the heart attack kills his character here.

There's a lot wrong with this one, but it's endlessly entertaining, and surprisingly short by disaster movie standards at only 106 minutes.  7/10.

[Bethluvsfilms]

59 minutes ago, Fedya said:

Airport '75 (1974).  Businessman Dana Andrews, flying his small plane home, suffers a massive heart attack that causes him to crash into the cockpit of a 747 carrying an all-star cast.  Flight instructor Charlton Heston has to help stewardess Karen Black land the plane via the radio, and when that fails, rappel into the plane himself. (Seriously!)

As with most movies in the second half of the 70s disaster cycle, this one is chock-full of howlers.  Andrews' heart attack is hilariously overacted; nun Helen Reddy has to sing a terrible song about "you are your own best friend" to kidney transplant patient Linda Blair; boilermaker-drinking Myrna Loy (a step down from The Thin Man) gets harassed by Mr. Roper, George Costanza's father, and Sid Caesar; Gloria Swanson plays herself and drops names about old-time Hollywood constantly, and on and on.

And spare a thought for Andrews, who had already survived the disasters of Zero Hour! and The Crowded Sky before the heart attack kills his character here.

There's a lot wrong with this one, but it's endlessly entertaining, and surprisingly short by disaster movie standards at only 106 minutes.  7/10.

Maybe because I grew up with the AIRPLANE movies before ever seeing a single AIRPORT movie, but I could never take any of them very seriously (though to be fair, I doubt the filmmakers really were going out of their way for all-out realism).

AIRPORT 75, does benefit from the presence of Heston and Karen Black (underrated actress). So I'd say 7/10 is about right. IMO it's probably the best of the whole series (though that may not be saying much).

[NickAndNora34]

1 hour ago, LawrenceA said:

Calamity Jane (1953) - Technicolor musical/western/comedy from Warner Brothers and director David Butler. Rough-and-tumble tomboy Calamity Jane (Doris Day) resides in the frontier town of Deadwood in the Dakota territory. When a famous showgirl fails to arrive in town as promised to put on a show, Jane heads to Chicago to get her, by force if necessary. She returns, but unknowingly with wannabe stage-star Katie Brown (Allyn Ann McLerie). Soon, Jane and Katie find themselves the objects of affection for cavalryman Lt. Danny Gilmartin (Philip Carey), as well as for gambler and gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel). Also featuring Dick Wesson, Paul Harvey, Chubby Johnson, Gale Robbins, I. Stanford Jolley, Gene Roth, Glenn Strange, and Robert Fuller.

Fun, colorful, and energetic nonsense featuring a winning-if-broad performance from Day, this was surprisingly enjoyable. I particularly liked the "Just Flew in from the Windy City" number. The movie won the Oscar for Best Song ("Secret Love"), and was nominated for Best Sound, and Best Score (Ray Heindorf).    (7/10)

Source: TCM.

I recently watched and enjoyed this one as well. It was different than what I had initially thought, which was a good thing. 

[LawrenceA]

City Beneath the Sea (1953) - Soggy Technicolor adventure from Universal Pictures and director Budd Boetticher. Expert deep-sea salvage divers Brad (Robert Ryan) and Tony (Anthony Quinn) are hired by a firm to travel to Jamaica to try and retrieve a shipment of gold bars lost in a shipwreck. The job gets complicated when various parties express interest in taking the gold for themselves. Also featuring Mala Powers, Suzan Ball, George Mathews, Karel Stepanek, Hilo Hattie, Lalo Rios, Ann Robinson, and Woody Strode.

This is hampered by a weak script and poor pacing. Some of the underwater stuff is nice, and Anthony Quinn gets to be loud and macho (imagine that!). Part of my disappointment in the film may have been the copy I watched, which was washed out and full of scratches and bad splices. However, it did impart a "Late Late Show" circa 1978 type of vibe.    (5/10)

Source: Amazon Prime Video.

[Fedya]

4 hours ago, Bethluvsfilms said:

AIRPORT 75, does benefit from the presence of Heston and Karen Black (underrated actress). So I'd say 7/10 is about right. IMO it's probably the best of the whole series (though that may not be saying much).

I've only seen the first two, although I've got the box set with all four and plan to watch the other two some time.  I think the first Airport was better, thanks to the Arthur Hailey thoroughness, and at least a somewhat more realistic plot.  Of course, it also helped that it's the movie that pretty much created the all-star disaster movie genre.  It's created the cheap tropes and archetypes that would become a staple of later disaster movies.

George Kennedy deserves a day in Summer Under the Stars if he hasn't had one yet.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Fedya said:

I've only seen the first two, although I've got the box set with all four and plan to watch the other two some time.  I think the first Airport was better, thanks to the Arthur Hailey thoroughness, and at least a somewhat more realistic plot.  Of course, it also helped that it's the movie that pretty much created the all-star disaster movie genre.  It's created the cheap tropes and archetypes that would become a staple of later disaster movies.

George Kennedy deserves a day in Summer Under the Stars if he hasn't had one yet.

I went to school with Arthur Hailey's kids, until Airport the movie. Then they left little ol' St. Helena, California. Loved the cast. Classic stars. The actual airport was Minneapolis/St. Paul. I have the movie soundtrack. George Kennedy was perfect as Joe Patroni.

[JamesJazGuitar]

2 minutes ago, jimmymac71 said:

I went to school with Arthur Hailey's kids, until Airport the movie. Then they left little ol' St. Helena, California. Loved the cast. Classic stars. The actual airport was Minneapolis/St. Paul. I have the movie soundtrack. George Kennedy was perfect as Joe Patroni.

Oh,  you lived it what use to be little ol' St. Helena,  CA (now overly commercial St. Helena).

Love the area and the wife and I get to that area at least once a year,  but each time we head just a little more north.    For years we used Calistoga as our base but now we even go a few miles further north and stay in the Alexander valley.   

 

[FilmSnob]

Lawrence,

You watch more awful movies than anyone I've ever come across. I get equal delight seeing your 7/10 reviews for films you enjoy as much as I do rubbernecking your 3/10 reviews. ?

Great job always!

Nora,

I think the first LOTR movie is decent, occasionally marred by Peter Jackson's directing style, but I've never understood anyone's like for the other two films. You are definitely not alone in praising them, it seems more people like them than not, but the third one in particular has long been my most overrated film of all time.

[speedracer5]

8 hours ago, LawrenceA said:

By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) 

Much like the earlier film, this is simple, unassuming sitcom material, well told and amusingly performed. There are several songs from Day and MacRae, mostly standards from the early 20th century. It's all rather corny, but I enjoyed it.   (7/10)

 

5 hours ago, LawrenceA said:

Calamity Jane (1953) 

Fun, colorful, and energetic nonsense featuring a winning-if-broad performance from Day, this was surprisingly enjoyable. I particularly liked the "Just Flew in from the Windy City" number. The movie won the Oscar for Best Song ("Secret Love"), and was nominated for Best Sound, and Best Score (Ray Heindorf).    (7/10)

What's this?! TWO positive reviews about a musical from Lawrence?! I see that the whimsy and fluff of musicals seems to be winning you over; or perhaps it's just the magic of Doris Day.  Did you watch On Moonlight Bay? 'Silvery Moon' is the sequel to that film.  I'm glad to see that you're enjoying these films even if they aren't from one of your favorite genres. 

When you get to 1954, and if you watch The Long, Long Trailer, and HATE it, don't tell me because it'll just break my heart.  Lol. 

[speedracer5]

6 hours ago, NickAndNora34 said:

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)/TWO TOWERS (2002)/RETURN OF THE KING (2003) 

It has been 15 years since I last endeavored to watch this series. I had very vague memories of the actual plot of these, but very vivid memories of the creature they call "Gollum." Gollum used to frighten me out of my wits as a child, so I made an effort never to watch these until I had outgrown my fear of him. News flash: When I saw him on screen again after so many years, I was reminded of my fear. However, I pushed through, and ended up developing a sort of pity for him (this sounds like satire, but I assure you, it is not). 

That being said, I actually enjoyed these more than I thought I would. I am reading the books at the same time, so it's very interesting just how much of my time I will never get back... Although, I am enjoying myself. My dad is re-reading the books as well. 

I don't know what it is about these movies that I enjoy so much; I think a big part of it, is that my dad loves them. But I've always been a fan of things like these (i.e. Star Wars). Some of my friends have never seen these, but I would only recommend them to people who have the desire and/or attention span to sit through battle after battle. I, personally, was entertained by the battle scenes, although I know our friend, SPEEDY, has mentioned before that she does not. To each his own. 

They just seemed like one long battle that never ended and didn't seem to have a point! There wasn't even any eye candy to distract be from the monotony.  At least the countless Avengers battles have Thor and Starlord to look at.  The only character who I never tired of in LOTR was Gollum.  LOTR could have been retitled "The Gollum Show" and featured only Gollum with maybe some Gandalf thrown in for good measure and I would have been satisfied. 

I also get bored by Harry Potter.  I don't think these types of films are for me. 

[LawrenceA]

16 minutes ago, speedracer5 said:

 

What's this?! TWO positive reviews about a musical from Lawrence?! I see that the whimsy and fluff of musicals seems to be winning you over; or perhaps it's just the magic of Doris Day.  Did you watch On Moonlight Bay? 'Silvery Moon' is the sequel to that film.  I'm glad to see that you're enjoying these films even if they aren't from one of your favorite genres. 

When you get to 1954, and if you watch The Long, Long Trailer, and HATE it, don't tell me because it'll just break my heart.  Lol. 

Yes, I watched On Moonlight Bay first, and enjoyed it, as well. Doris Day is among the actors and actresses whose work I'm trying to see. In Doris's case, it's because she was my mother's favorite actress, and so I'm watching them in her honor, or something. 

I've seen The Long, Long Trailer a few times, and I like it. One of my sisters is a big Lucy fan, so I saw most of the I Love Lucy episodes and that particular movie several times growing up. 

[speedracer5]

14 minutes ago, LawrenceA said:

Yes, I watched On Moonlight Bay first, and enjoyed it, as well. Doris Day is among the actors and actresses whose work I'm trying to see. In Doris's case, it's because she was my mother's favorite actress, and so I'm watching them in her honor, or something. 

I've seen The Long, Long Trailer a few times, and I like it. One of my sisters is a big Lucy fan, so I saw most of the I Love Lucy episodes and that particular movie several times growing up. 

I used to not be a fan of Doris Day, which I don't really know why because I'd barely seen any of her films.  I think it was because I assumed she was the eternal virgin because of how she's discussed in articles that I'd read at the time.  Day seemed like the grown-up version of Sandra Dee who for whatever reason is often portrayed as virginal--she gets knocked up in A Summer Place, so obviously that's not true! Anyway, I digress... I've seen a lot of Day's movies now, probably most of them actually, and she's become one of my favorites.  

My favorite Doris Day films: Pillow Talk, Midnight Lace, The Pajama Game, The Man Who Knew Too Much, That Touch of Mink, With Six You Get Eggroll, and Lover Come Back.  I think the only Day film I truly dislike is Please Don't Eat the Daisies and that's only because the baby's dubbed voice annoys the crap out of me.  It sounds like they had an adult imitate a baby and then dubbed the baby with that voice.  It's awful. 

I used to have the VHS of The Long, Long Trailer and I wore it out.  I'm on my 2nd DVD copy.  My family and I have seen the film so many times that we can recite the dialogue.  It is one of the movies we watch when we're camping or about to go camping.  My parents also used to own a trailer (though not 40' feet of train! It was a smaller one that you could hook to the back of a truck), so I remember my parents going through a lot of the situations that Lucy and Desi went through--except for camping on the super bumpy road, we never did that.  Lol.