an hour ago
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spiderwort — 4 days ago(March 29, 2026 01:01 PM)
Oh, unex, I loved PEOPLE ON SUNDAY! I thought it was so beautiful even though it didn't have much of a story. And the talents behind the film is amazing, all of whom later became prominent directors in Hollywood (and in Wilder's case writer, too). Something about the film reminded me of why I wanted to become a director.
Haven't seen SILENCE so can't speak to that, but it sounds interesting.
But I did see THE AVIATOR and remember liking but not loving it, not sure why. I do remember that all the performances were excellent though, DiCaprio included. -
StevenHC — 4 days ago(March 29, 2026 12:56 PM)
POISON PEN 1939
Malicious letters are being sent to the inhabitants of an English village. They cause so much trouble that residents start accusing one another until deaths occur. Flora Robson is great as the vicar's kindly spinster sister.
GORGO 1961
A baby sea creature is being exploited as a freak exhibit. Only a boy seems to care about it. Bill Travers is surprisingly unsympathetic as the man who wants to cash in. There's an amazing ending to this which I love. -
spiderwort — 4 days ago(March 29, 2026 01:14 PM)
Haven't seen either of these, Steven, though they both sound really interesting. And Travers as an unsympathetic character does seem really unlikely, given all the special animal films he made, like BORN FREE and RING OF BRIGHT WATER. Might have to check GORGO out.
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spiderwort — 4 days ago(March 29, 2026 01:28 PM)
First viewings:
Before Sunset / Richard Linklater
(2004). Nine years ago, two strangers (Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy) met by chance and spent a day and night with each other, parting before sunrise. Now, in France, they cross paths again and spend the few hours of the day they have before sunset, reliving their old experience together and wondering what it means to them now. The second in Linklater’s “Before” trilogy, it’s another beauty (although I think it’s conclusion was a bit abrupt, but maybe that was because Linklater didn’t know where he was going with his later production,
Before Midnight
). I regret that these films have eluded me for so long, but I’m very glad I’m seeing them now. Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy all received Oscar nominations for best adapted screenplay for this one. Highly recommended, but you must see them in order, starting with
Before Sunrise
. (I rented this on Prime Video.)
Kitty Foyle / Sam Wood
(1940). A Philadelphia working girl (Ginger Rogers) is loved by two men (Dennis Morgan & James Craig), and must decide between their competing offers of marriage. A film that I enjoyed because of its cast, direction, and screenplay by Dalton Trumbo, but it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. I’m probably in the minority in that, however, because it was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Screenplay. And Rogers won for her fine performance in a serious dramatic role. Definitely worth a look for her performance alone. (On HBO Max)
A Cat’s Life / Guillaume Maidatchevsky
(2023). A young girl rescues a kitten in her Parisian attic and names him Lou. They form an unbreakable bond and later, when they venture into the countryside for her family’s vacation, Lou’s curiosity leads to thrilling adventures in the woods. Without narration, the film shows Lou’s life purely through visuals and movement, a wonderful achievement. Adapted from a classic French novel, the movie balances magical moments with heavier realities. A charming, very well-done and highly entertaining film, especially for those who love animals. (On several streaming services.)
Front Page Woman / Michael Curtiz
(1935). A newsman (George Brent) and a newswoman (Bette Davis) spice up their romance by scooping each other for their rival papers. Not great but quite enjoyable because of the stars and Curtiz’s direction and its clever script, too. (On TCM through April 23.) -
PygmyLion — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 12:19 AM)
I watched
Kitty Foyle
back in January and thought it was good and gave it ***, but not particularly special. Perhaps there was something about it that was more appealing to audiences back in 1940 than audiences today. It is rated 6.9 on IMDB.
In doing the 13th Academy awards topic, I found that there were quite a few movies preferred by modern audiences (IMDB ratings) that weren't on the Oscar Nominees list:
The Shop Around the Corner
8.0,
The Mortal Storm
7.7,
His Girl Friday
7.8, and
The Sea Hawk
7.6. -
spiderwort — 2 days ago(March 31, 2026 08:09 PM)
Perhaps there was something about it that was more appealing to audiences back in 1940 than audiences today. It is rated 6.9 on IMDB.
Yes, I think you're right. It probably was more appealing to the audiences then, especially for fans of Ginger Rogers. And as for those other films, they are vastly superior in my opinion. I especially love
The Shop Around the Corner
,
The Mortal Storm
, and
His Girl Friday
. -
PygmyLion — 4 days ago(March 29, 2026 03:27 PM)
In Person
1935 Ginger Rogers, George Brent, Alan Mowbray. Ginger Rogers is very cute, but the plot seems a little weak here. **1/2
Baby Face
1932 Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent **1/2
Virtue
1932 Pat O'Brien, Carole Lombard, Ward Bond. A cab driver (O'Brien) unknowingly marries a girl who had been a prostitute (Lombard). Trouble lies ahead. *** -
spiderwort — 2 days ago(March 31, 2026 08:23 PM)
I don't think I've seen any of your films, PL. I have a vague memory of maybe seeing
Baby Face
, long ago, but I can't remember for sure. But it's unlikely I'd forget, given that I'm a huge Stanwyck fan.
Virtue
sounds really interesting though. I like the idea of Lombard and O'Brien together, especially with a story like that. I'll keep an eye out for it. -
PygmyLion — 2 days ago(March 31, 2026 11:14 PM)
You might well like
Baby Face
more than I did as you are a huge Stanwyck fan. I'm not much of a Stanwyck fan and don't find her particularly attractive. This movie sort of requires one to feel Stanwyck is irresistible. -
CoriSCapnSkip — 3 days ago(March 29, 2026 11:42 PM)
Journey to the Unknown
, "Somewhere in a Crowd," originally aired December 12, 1968. Attributed to Michael J. Bird, the story is mostly an uncredited ripoff of Ray Bradbury's 1943 short story "The Crowd." Watched on March 22.
The Picasso Summer
, 1969, watched on March 23.
A Sound of Thunder
, Short Subject, 1970, watched on March 24.
Ulybka
(
Smile
), Short Subject, 1971, watched on March 24.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
, extremely low budget British film from 1972, watched on March 24.
Zero Hour
, Short Subject, 1978, watched on March 25.
Infinite Horizons: Space Beyond Apollo
, documentary from 1979. Unfortunately the only copy available has been cut to half an hour from the original hour. I did see the original when it aired. Watched on March 25.
Gnomes
, Animated special, 1980, watched on March 26.
The Veldt
, Short Subject, 1979, watched on March 26.
Omnibus
, "Ray Bradbury: The Illustrated Man," documentary from 1980 watched on March 27.
The Martian Chronicles
, Part 1, (1980). Watched on March 28.
Started
The Dick Van Dyke Show
, Season 4, on March 22. -
spiderwort — 2 days ago(March 31, 2026 08:47 PM)
You're sure making headway with your Ray Bradbury effort, Cori. Congratulations on that.
Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of your titles. I did see the 1983 version of
Something Wicked This Way Comes
when it was first released, and I remember enjoying it, although I don't remember it that well.
And I would love to see this one:
Omnibus, "Ray Bradbury: The Illustrated Man," documentary from 1980 watched on March 27.
Maybe one of these days. Bradbury was an enormously talented man. -
spiderwort — an hour ago(April 02, 2026 10:02 PM)
Thanks for that Cori. I hope to get to it one sometime soon. It's so hard to keep up. Sigh. . .Btw, Bradbury lived not far from me where I lived in L.A., and I always felt a personal connection to him because of that, although I did not know him personally.
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Rufus-T — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 08:25 PM)
Men (2022)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13841850/
This was the only film by Alex Garland I hadn’t seen. I thought Ex Machina was outstanding, Annihilation very good, Warfare was okay, and I wasn’t too impressed with Civil War. The story follows a young woman, played by Jessie Buckley, who retreats to a small village after a personal tragedy involving her husband. Through flashbacks, we gradually learn what happened. In the village, she encounters a series of strange and increasingly unsettling men. As the film progresses, it becomes less of a straightforward narrative and more symbolic in nature. The final half hour is especially bizarre. After reading a bit about it, I learned that some of the imagery draws on British folklore, which helps explain some of the film’s choices—but it didn’t fully work for me. Jessie Buckley delivers a solid performance, though I’m not sure the role—or perhaps the film’s tone—fits her as well as it could. Overall, this just wasn’t my type of movie. It’s my least favorite among Garland’s films. -
spiderwort — 2 days ago(March 31, 2026 08:51 PM)
Rufus, after Buckley's amazing performance in
Hamnet
, I've been wanting to see every film she's made. But I'm not sure this one sounds right for me, and I appreciate your excellent review, which has allowed me to make that assessment. -