cigarjoe Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 22 hours ago, LornaHansonForbes said: I might just have to pay the three bucks to rent it on Amazon prime. Cheaper that going to a cineplex to watch crap..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LornaHansonForbes Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 52 minutes ago, cigarjoe said: Cheaper that going to a cineplex to watch crap..... And you know what? In the oddest way it’s making me kind of nostalgic for ye olde days when you missed a movie in first run and who knew if it was ever going to run on cable and it wasn’t on VHS and of course YouTube and Netflix and FilmStruck and DVR and the dark web Didn’t exist yet. And you couldn’t read the plot synopsis on Wikipedia, so maybe one of your buddies at work and seen it And then he told you how it ended and you were like, “well damn I really wish I had seen that.” Kids these days will just never understand that.... AND WHY THE HELL CANT YOU GET A BAKED POTATO IN THIS TOWN BEFORE 4:00 pm?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brrrcold Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 I watched THE ROAD BACK (1937) on YouTube. It's not an especially good print, but it's acceptable. I'd wanted to watch this for a long time because I'm interested in that period of history, generally, of Remarque's work and career, and Whale's work as a director. It's not a very good screenplay, and if one has not seen ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930) (or read that novel) it may be hard to grasp the substance of the plot. Also, one has to wonder how much of Whale's intent was edited out of the finished film, as it seems some characters and plot points are underdeveloped. Whale reportedly distanced himself from the work after Universal Pictures' incoming owners demanded some revisions (allegedly in order to satisfy German exhibitors and/or censors.) There are details in this that are suggestive of Whale's other work (great attention to production design, intimate conversations that drive the plot, stretches of silent activity that serve plot and character development); but there is also an odd reliance on comic characters that I do not associate with Whale, nor with Remarque. I'd recommend watching it as long as YouTube has it available, as it seems unlikely to be shown on TCM or elsewhere. It's not a very good film, but it's nice to have extended my exposure to one of the important classic-era directors. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 The Soft Skin (1964) - 6/10 French drama from writer-director Francois Truffaut. A respected author and lecturer (Jean Desailly) has an affair with a young stewardess (Francoise Dorleac). Also featuring Nelly Benedetti, Daniel Ceccaldi, and Maurice Garrel. The performances are good, but otherwise this was nearly a complete wash-out for me, and easily what I would consider my least favorite Truffaut film. The material was too banal to hold my interest, and nothing about the presentation helped to alleviate that paucity of engagement. Source: The Criterion Channel 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Surf Party (1964) - 4/10 The first Beach Party imitator was this meager effort from Fox and director Maury Dexter. A trio of young gals from Arizona (Patricia Morrow, Lory Patrick, and Jackie DeShannon) travel to Malibu to visit Morrow's surf-king brother Skeet (Jerry Summers). They learn to surf from surf-shop proprietor Bobby Vinton, while local cop Richard Crane tries to get surfing banned from the area. Also featuring Ken Miller and Martha Stewart (not that one!), as well as performances by The Astronauts and The Routers. Besides being one of the few beach movies in B&W, this also features a couple of decent songs, some really bad ones, and terrible acting. 33-year-old Miller takes the cake as a "kid" fresh out of high school. This runs a little over an hour. Source: TCM 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Teenage Strangler (1964) - 2/10 Abysmal yet intermittently amusing mystery?/thriller?/JD movie? Three people have been found strangled to death in town recently, and the cops are sure that it must be one of the juvenile delinquents who run in the local gang. Featuring a bunch of people who never acted before or again. This was shot in Huntington, West Virginia using all amateur locals. Surprisingly it's in color, which helped nabbed it a spot as a B-feature on the drive-in circuit later in the decade. It saw renewed "popularity" after airing as an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I haven't seen that version, but it's unintentionally funny on its own, and runs about an hour. Source: Something Weird DVD 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess of Tap Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 2 hours ago, LawrenceA said: The Soft Skin (1964) - 6/10 French drama from writer-director Francois Truffaut. A respected author and lecturer (Jean Desailly) has an affair with a young stewardess (Francoise Dorleac). Also featuring Nelly Benedetti, Daniel Ceccaldi, and Maurice Garrel. The performances are good, but otherwise this was nearly a complete wash-out for me, and easily what I would consider my least favorite Truffaut film. The material was too banal to hold my interest, and nothing about the presentation helped to alleviate that paucity of engagement. Source: The Criterion Channel I loved the ending. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 9 minutes ago, Princess of Tap said: I loved the ending. I was reading where Truffaut was criticized for it being too melodramatic, but he said it was based on an actual incident that had occurred in Paris not long before he wrote the screenplay. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedya Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Are you sure Surf Party was on TCM and not FXM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 1 minute ago, Fedya said: Are you sure Surf Party was on TCM and not FXM? It was on TCM the same day as Ride the Wild Surf. It was a whole day of beach movies, and I recorded several. It was in September of 2017, according to MCOH's database. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedya Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 I was just curious, since it's been in the FXM rotation recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 38 minutes ago, LawrenceA said: It was on TCM the same day as Ride the Wild Surf. It was a whole day of beach movies, and I recorded several. It was in September of 2017, according to MCOH's database. So glad I missed that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Three Outlaw Samurai (1964) - 8/10 Japanese samurai action movie stars Tetsuro Tamba, Isamu Nagato, and Mikijiro Hira as three slovenly, aimless warriors who come together to help some peasants in their struggles against a ruthless magistrate. Also featuring Miyuki Kuwano, Yoshiko Kayama, Kyoko Aoi, Kamatari Fujiwara, Toshie Kimura, and Tatsuya Ishiguro. This was the feature directing debut for Hideo Gosha, who would go on to a long, successful film career. It was a feature adaptation of a TV series he had worked on in the 50's which starred the same three actors. Tamba was a major film star at this point, and would continue on a very long career, including in international films. Hira was on the cusp stardom, and would thrive in the latter part of the decade. Nagato was the least known to me, but he was perhaps the most entertaining. He reminded me of Shintaru Katsu, slightly plump and humorous, while also believably dangerous. This was a good, old-fashioned samurai flick, and I really enjoyed it. Source: Criterion DVD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayban Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 6 hours ago, LawrenceA said: The Soft Skin (1964) - 6/10 French drama from writer-director Francois Truffaut. A respected author and lecturer (Jean Desailly) has an affair with a young stewardess (Francoise Dorleac). Also featuring Nelly Benedetti, Daniel Ceccaldi, and Maurice Garrel. The performances are good, but otherwise this was nearly a complete wash-out for me, and easily what I would consider my least favorite Truffaut film. The material was too banal to hold my interest, and nothing about the presentation helped to alleviate that paucity of engagement. Source: The Criterion Channel Francois Truffaut seemed to treat it as if it were an Alfred Hitchcock film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayban Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 "Wednesday's Child" - John Robertson -1934 - starring Frankie Thomas, Edward Arnold and Karen Morley - "Wednesday's child is full of woe". Short, but succinct film about a sensitive young boy and the dire effects of the break-up of his parents' marriage and divorce. The film is blessed with a deeply-felt performance from Frankie Thomas. And he gets fine support from Edward Arnold and Karen Morley (as his conflicted parents). The ending, which I cannot divulge, is both a surprise - and deeply empathetic to the plight of the child. Don't miss this one! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 War of the Zombies (1964) - 4/10 Italian sword'n'sandal fantasy with Ettore Manni as Gaius, sent by the Roman emperor to battle the evil wizard Aderbad (John Drew Barrymore) who is using his powers to amass an army of the undead with which to conquer the world. Also featuring Susy Andersen, Evelyn Stewart, Mino Doro, Ivano Staccioli, Philippe Hersent, and Andrea Checci. This should have been better, what with its interesting premise, unusual cast and decent production values. Unfortunately the script is dull, the special effects and makeup really terrible, and the action scenes poorly staged. This is known by many titles, including Rome Against Rome, which the English version of the film's original Italian title, as well as Night Star: Goddess of Electra, the baffling title used on the AIP-released TV version, which is the copy I watched. Source: YouTube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrat Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 7 hours ago, LawrenceA said: The Soft Skin (1964) - 6/10 French drama from writer-director Francois Truffaut. A respected author and lecturer (Jean Desailly) has an affair with a young stewardess (Francoise Dorleac). Also featuring Nelly Benedetti, Daniel Ceccaldi, and Maurice Garrel. The performances are good, but otherwise this was nearly a complete wash-out for me, and easily what I would consider my least favorite Truffaut film. The material was too banal to hold my interest, and nothing about the presentation helped to alleviate that paucity of engagement. Source: The Criterion Channel I believe this film is deeply personal for Truffaut. He has several films about male protagonists who cheat on their wives or girlfriends (Bed and Board and The Man Who Loved Women, for example). What I like best about The Soft Skin is precisely that the affair happens because the stewardess is impressed to get involved with a minor celebrity, and he sleeps with her mainly because he can. They don't "fall in love" with each other; it's an adultery story, not a love story. Because the emotional involvement of the characters isn't very great, neither is the involvement of most of the audience. I will infer that Truffaut had more than one fling like this, but had no insight into why he did this. The subject is personal, but as Lawrence says, "nothing about the presentation helped to alleviate that paucity of engagement." Two other points: 1) Truffaut's films tend to be very one-paced. They don't usually quicken, slow down, speed up, etc. They proceed pretty much at the same pace from beginning to end. This is a real limitation. 2) I have come to believe that as much as Truffaut loved Hitchcock's films, as a director he learned absolutely nothing from him. Hitchcock is a master of pacing. The best moments in Truffaut's films usually come from a realist aesthetic that is the opposite of Hitchcock's master manipulation of genre and audience. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Where Love Has Gone (1964) - 6/10 Glossy soap from a Harold Robbins novel. When teenage Danielle (Joey Heatherton) kills the latest boyfriend of her mother Valerie (Susan Hayward), it's a headline-making scandal. Danielle's father, war-hero Luke (Mike Connors), returns to town to help support his daughter through the legal ramifications, and he recalls his romance with Valerie and their tempestuous life together. Also featuring Bette Davis as Hayward's mother (!!!), DeForest Kelley as one of Hayward's suitors (!!!), Jane Greer, George Macready, Anne Seymour, Ann Doran, Anthony Caruso, and Whit Bissell. I'm sure everyone else around here was well aware of this movie, but I wasn't, and I got a kick out of the once-in-a-lifetime cast. The title song by Jack Jones was nominated for an Oscar. Source: internet 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thenryb Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 1 minute ago, LawrenceA said: Glossy soap from a Harold Robbins novel Were there any movies from Harold Robbins novels that did not fit this description? I vaguely remember this one. I think you gave it a generous rating (perhaps in comparison to some of the others you have reviewed lately). I visualize you performing acts of mortification while watching some of them:) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess of Tap Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 1 hour ago, LawrenceA said: Where Love Has Gone (1964) - 6/10 Glossy soap from a Harold Robbins novel. When teenage Danielle (Joey Heatherton) kills the latest boyfriend of her mother Valerie (Susan Hayward), it's a headline-making scandal. Danielle's father, war-hero Luke (Mike Connors), returns to town to help support his daughter through the legal ramifications, and he recalls his romance with Valerie and their tempestuous life together. Also featuring Bette Davis as Hayward's mother (!!!), DeForest Kelley as one of Hayward's suitors (!!!), Jane Greer, George Macready, Anne Seymour, Ann Doran, Anthony Caruso, and Whit Bissell. I'm sure everyone else around here was well aware of this movie, but I wasn't, and I got a kick out of the once-in-a-lifetime cast. The title song by Jack Jones was nominated for an Oscar. Source: internet I've liked this movie since I was a teenager. It is A1 fun. Bette Davis is just wonderful. We always used to joke that the only thing which could have improved it was if they had actually hired Lana Turner and her daughter to play themselves! Tacky but true. And DeForest Kelly has some nice lines in there too. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Woman of Straw (1964) - 7/10 British melodrama from director Basil Dearden. Wealthy old jerk Charles Richmond (Ralph Richardson) is confined to a wheelchair and hires beautiful nurse Maria Marcello (Gina Lollobrigida) to tend to his "needs". It doesn't take long, though, for Richmond's son Tony (Sean Connery) to start an affair with Maria, and for the duo to plot against the old man. Also featuring Alexander Knox, Johnny Sekka, Peter Madden, Michael Goodliffe, and Andre Morell. This lesser-known Connery film should be more widely shown, as he plays against type quite effectively. I also liked Lollobrigida, an actress that I'm usually lukewarm to. Source: internet 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LornaHansonForbes Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 I love the fact that with Hulu I have access to the east and west coast feeds of TCM, because I always wake up on the East Coast with access to all the Trashy late night titles. watching THE BIG CUBE (1969) in LANAVISION... ”Adriana...you KEELED my FAH-there!!!!” PS – it was a bold move for them to hire Abraham Zapruder (sp?) as the cinematographer on this. Not sure about the end results tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cigarjoe Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Watched many times before but finally did a review a few days ago and posted it in Film Noir/Gangster for Nightmare Alley. A heads up for TomJH and speedracer5 in case either of you have not finished reading the novel, the review has the novels version of the Grindel - Dorrie apparition appearance. 😎 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 The Young Lovers (1964) - 5/10 Drama with Peter Fonda as a rebellious college student and budding artist who falls for new student Sharon Hugueny. However, is Fonda ready to accept adult responsibilities? Also featuring Nick Adams, Deborah Walley, Malachi Throne, Joseph Campanella, Kent Smith, Jennifer Billingsley, and Beatrice Straight. This was the sole directing credit for Samuel Goldwyn Jr. The material lies on the divide between the late 50's/early 60's college experience and the late 60's counter-culture. Fonda rides a motorcycle a few years before The Wild Angels and long before Easy Rider, but he's clean cut and looks respectable. There's a sub-plot about Fonda's roommate Nick Adams getting drafted into the army, and the subsequent anxiety, but there's no mention made of any conflicts that he may be sent to. Walley is enjoyable, if underused. Source: TCM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinemaspeak59 Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 On 5/30/2019 at 9:56 AM, rayban said: "Quartet", "Trio" and "Encore" - three films that highlight certain stories by W. Somerset Maugham - 1948, 1950, 1951 - in their day, they were all very successful - the first, includes "The Facts of Life", "The Alien Corn", "The Kite" and "The Colonel's Lady" - the second and third compliations include six more stories - the second is "The Verger", "Mr. Know-All" and "Sanatorium" - the third includes "The Ant and The Grasshopper", "Winter Cruise" and "Giggolo and Giggolette" - I really would't want to discuss the details of the plots - they should come as a surprise to the viewer - the casts are sensational - below, the stars of "The Facts Of Life - Jack Watling and Mai Zetterling - the second film, Jean Simmons and Finlay Currie - the third film, Kay Walsh in a sensational performance - I've read most of everything Maugham has ever written. These stories translated beautifully as films. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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