What Classics Did You See Last Week (December 28–January 3)
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unex — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 01:18 PM)
The End of St. Petersburg (1927) - One of those uniquely frenetic Russian silent films celebrating the revolution. It follows a peasant from pre-war Russia to the storming of the Winter Palace. A peasant is the redeemed hero but there is a scene that shows peasants as scabs and I wonder if that is reflecting the souring mood towards the peasantry among the Soviet authorities.
Contempt (1963). Rewatch. Godard's "commercial" film, with Bridgette Bardot and Jack Palance (plus Fritz Lang and Michel Piccoli). In modern terms it's about a woman getting "the ick" for her husband. Bardot is good as a passive-aggressive wall, Piccoli is good showing the frustration and futility of his position, and Palance is good as an empty-headed producer.
The Racket (1928) - A gangster film. It got away with a lot more cynicism about law and order since it was pre-Code. That's its strength, otherwise its another film about the underworld. I do find movies contemporaneous with the gangsters they portray to be more interesting than those that came much later. -
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sheetsadam1 — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 02:55 PM)
Phantom Lady (1944, Robert Siodmak)
- What this film lacks in suspense and originality, it more than makes up for with pure noir atmosphere and a tremendous performance by Ella Raines, who should have received top billing here. I must also mention Elisha Cook, Jr. who has a supporting role as a jazz drummer. This is an excellent noir, highly recommended!
7.5/10
Body and Soul (1947, Robert Rossen) - There have been some absolutely tremendous boxing films over the years and, while it remains unlikely that
Rocky
will ever be surpassed as my sentimental favorite, this may just be the best of all of them. A brilliant morality tale on greed and how one can gain the whole world and yet lose their soul. Featuring excellent performances from everyone involved, especially John Garfield in the lead role, great cinematography and a fantastic script by Abraham Polonsky. While I've not yet seen Polonsky's directorial effort
Force of Evil
from the following year, this film alone leads me to believe that his blacklisting was quite the loss. I'm deducting half a point only due to one scene which completely stretches credulity.
Shorty should have been killed in the attack. If if it was decided that the character must be run over by a car, the previous attack shouldn't have happened at all. I simply do not accept that both events could occur within seconds of each other.
Aside from that, this is a nearly perfect film.
9/10
The Young Sinner (1961, Tom Laughlin) - I've always found Tom Laughlin to be quite an interesting figure, someone whose vision as both a filmmaker and an innovator on the business side of the industry greatly exceeded his capabilities. So when I saw this early effort from him come across my YouTube feed, I had to check it out. Unfortunately, there's not much to recommend it. While I certainly wasn't expecting a masterpiece, this one pales in comparison to later Laughlin efforts like
The Born Losers
and
Billy Jack
(itself a deeply-flawed and badly-dated film, but one which still manages to entertain for the most part). While there is a sincerity here which I admire (this is far from the exploitation film which one might expect from the title and poster), the plot is as thin as parchment paper, the script disjointed and heavy-handed and Laughlin - who was 30 here and looked at least that - simply isn't believable as a high school student. Indeed, he looks older than most of his teachers and coaches. I'd say to avoid this one, except it's highly unlikely that you'll ever need to. As of this writing, it has a mere 81 ratings on IMDb.
2.5/10
Buck and the Preacher (1972, Sidney Poitier) - Not a bad movie. A fun western and everyone seems to be having a blast making it. Not a career highlight for anybody involved, but a decent enough way to spend a few hours. This was Poitier's debut as a director and of the three directorial efforts I've seen from him, it's not as great as
Stir Crazy
(1980) with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, but it's vastly superior to 1990's
Ghost Dad
starring Bill Cosby. I keep meaning to get around to his mid-'70s pairings with Cosby, which seem to be well-regarded.
6.5/10
Night Moves (1975, Arthur Penn) - For the first hour or so of the movie, I was set to give it a 7.5 or possibly even an 8 and was wondering why I rarely hear it mentioned alongside other classics of the era. The last 40 minutes unfortunately provided me with an answer. This movie doesn't know if it wants to be
Five Easy Pieces
or
Chinatown
and when finally forced to decide, chooses badly. By the time the credits roll, what had been a phenomenal character-driven drama has been turned into a paint-by-numbers action flick with a snoozefest of a mystery at it's center. As usual, Gene Hackman is excellent here, as are Susan Clark and Jennifer Warren. His scenes with both of them reveal what the movie could have and should have been. Thankfully both Hackman and director Arthur Penn have much better movies to choose from. There are certainly far worse films out there, but I often find that films with wasted potential are more frustrating than the truly incompetent ones.
6/10
Hardcore (1979, Paul Schrader) - Rewatch. Writer-director Paul Schrader had written the screenplay for Martin Scorsese's
Taxi Driver
just three years earlier and there are certainly many points of comparison. This, however, is a better, more mature screenplay, Jake Van Dorn a more interesting lead character than Travis Bickle, and, yes, George C. Scott a superior actor to Robert De Niro. Granted, those elements alone do not make this the superior film of the two (and it's not), but it's well worth watching for fans of that film and, I dare say, maybe even for those who aren't and could perhaps relate to Scott's portrayal of a deeply devout, Midwestern father more than De Niro's portrayal of what we would now label an incel. I believe this is the third or fourth time I've watched this one over the years and I never tire of it!
8/10
"Praise be to Allah." - Presi
- What this film lacks in suspense and originality, it more than makes up for with pure noir atmosphere and a tremendous performance by Ella Raines, who should have received top billing here. I must also mention Elisha Cook, Jr. who has a supporting role as a jazz drummer. This is an excellent noir, highly recommended!
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spiderwort — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 04:37 PM)
I agree with you 100% about
Body and Soul
, sheets. It was the second film that the outstanding writer/director Robert Rossen did, and what a great job it was.
Also, I'm a big Robert Siodmak fan, so
Phantom Lady
sounds like one I really need to see. Thanks for the introduction. -
sheetsadam1 — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 07:19 PM)
Yes,
Body and Soul
was wonderful! I'm not really up to speed on Rossen's filmography, but I have seen
The Hustler
and hope to get to
All the King's Men
soon. I didn't realize he was one of the screenwriters on
The Roaring Twenties
, which I love!
I don't think you'll regret
Phantom Lady
! I enjoy Siodmak as well, although it occurs to me now that I haven't watched
The Killers
in probably a decade and a half. I'm probably due to revisit that one soon.
"Praise be to Allah." - President Donald J. Trump, Easter Sunday 04/05/2026 -
PygmyLion — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 03:44 PM)
Little Man, What Now?
1934 Margaret Sullavan, Douglass Montgomery, Alan Hale. Dir: Frank Borzage. A young couples struggle against poverty in Germany. ***1/2
Raw Deal
1948 Dennis O'Keefe, Claire Trevor, Marsha Hunt, John Ireland, Raymond Burr. Dir: Anthony Mann. Good Film noir. ***
The Count of Monte Cristo
1934 - Robert Donat, Elissa Landi, Louis Calhern. Generally, follows Dumas' great novel. Fairly entertainly. It could use a little more star power to go with Donat. It does tack on the pansy ending. ***
The Greene Murder Case
1929 William Powell, Jeane Arthur, Eugene Pallette. Phillo Vance (Powell) solves another murder case. ***
Our Blushing Brides
1930 Joan Crawford, Anita Page, Robert Montgomery, Dorothy Sebastian. Romance. This movie is about half fashion show. **1/2
Union Depot
1932 Douglas Fairbanks jr., Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, Alan Hale. Dir: Alfred Green. Most the story here occurs in or near a train depot. ***1/2
Video:
Die Fledermaus
(1972) - Eberhardt Wachter, Gundula Janowitz, Renate Holm. Dir: Otto Schenk. Nice rendition of Johann Strauss' light opera. German production. ***
Note: if you tune into the above youtube at the 12:00 minute mark you will get the relatively famous Die Fledermaus Waltz. -
sheetsadam1 — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 04:16 PM)
I believe
Raw Deal
is the only one of these I've seen, but I would agree with your rating. As a general rule, I tend to prefer Mann's westerns to his noir.
"Praise be to Allah." - President Donald J. Trump, Easter Sunday 04/05/2026 -
spiderwort — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 04:42 PM)
Of your titles, PL, I've only seen
Little Man, What Now?
, which I loved and wrote at length about on your post about the film itself:
https://www.filmboards.com/t/Little-Man%2C-What-Now%3F/One-of-those-Hidden-gems.-3604704/
.
Of the others, I'm looking forward to seeing
Union Depot
. -
MissMargoChanning — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 04:01 PM)
We watched The Thin Man, 1934 and After The Thin Man, 1936 on New Years Day.
Excellent for the holiday!
You asked a pretty question; I've given you the ugly answer.
Fasten Your Seatbelts….
It's Going To Be A Bumpy Night! -
spiderwort — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 04:50 PM)
Excellent for the holiday, indeed, Margo! I almost always watch them, but skipped them this year. But I'm sure they'll show up again before too long, and I'll watch them then. With the exception of one (can't remember which one; probably the last), they are all wonderful.
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spiderwort — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 04:25 PM)
First viewings (all new films, because of Awards season):
Train Dreams / Clint Bentley
(2025). Director Bentley's historical drama is set in the age of the steam locomotive and westward expansion and centers on a logger in the Pacific Northwest who searches for meaning in his life, one marked by loss and the changing American frontier. Its stars are Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, and William H. Macy among others, with narration by Will Patton. It’s a slow moving but thoughtful and lovely adaptation of Denis Johnson’s award winning novella, and it covers many years in the life of the Edgerton character. Under Bentley’s outstanding direction, Edgerton gives a marvelous, subdued performance. It’s a beautiful, deeply moving film, one of the best I’ve seen in a very long time. Highly recommended. (On Netflix).
Goodbye June /Kate Winslet
(2025). Winslet makes her directorial debut with this film and is also one of its stars. Written by Winslet’s son, Joe Anders, it’s the moving story of a conflicted but loving family reuniting to say goodbye to their ailing mother (Helen Mirren). Other cast members include Toni Collette, Timothy Spall, Johnny Flynn, and Andrea Riseborough. It’s a good film, very moving and well directed by Winslet. I had a few problems with the script, especially the excessive use of the F-word, which for me diminishes the story, but it’s still a film that’s well worth watching for Winslet’s excellent direction and all the fine performances, anchored around Helen Mirren. (On Netflix).
Blue Moon / Richard Linklater
(2025). In 1943, lyricist Lorenz Hart, the former partner of Richard Rogers, struggles with his alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face in a bar the night of the celebration of the opening of the Rodgers and Hammerstein masterpiece, “Oklahoma!” An enjoyable, well written and directed film with a brilliant performance by Ethan Hawke as Hart. I’m sure he'll get an Oscar nomination for it and may even win.
The Friend / Scott McGehee, David Siegel
(2025). When a solitary writer (Naomi Watts) adopts and bonds with a Great Dane that belonged to her late friend (Bill Murray), she begins to come to terms with her past and her own creative inner life. It’s a beautiful film with a fresh, unsentimental and deeply moving story that was so much better than I anticipated. Highly recommended. (Streaming on Paramount+)
One re-watch:
Three Godfathers / Richard Boleslawski
(1936). Three outlaws in the desert (Chester Morris, Lewis Stone, Walter Brennan) adopt the baby of a dying woman and risk their lives to bring the newborn to safety. Filmed many times since the silent era, this is a superb version with a powerful, completely unsentimental script, outstanding performances by all the cast, and great direction by Boleslawski. I haven’t seen the other versions, but I’m betting that they can’t hold a candle to this one. Highly recommended. (On Tubi) -
sheetsadam1 — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 04:33 PM)
I began watching
Goodbye June
and it seemed fine, but the subject matter simply isn't something I'm capable of watching at the moment. Maybe someday!
I still need to see
Blue Moon
, as well as Linklater's other 2025 film
Nouvelle Vague
. He's one of my favorite active directors.
"Praise be to Allah." - President Donald J. Trump, Easter Sunday 04/05/2026 -
spiderwort — 3 months ago(January 04, 2026 04:45 PM)
I can understand about
Goodbye June
. It was hard for me, too, but actually it was comforting in the end, for which I was very grateful.
And I think you'll love
Blue Moon
. I haven't seen
Nouvelle Vague
yet, but it's on my list.
