What Classics Did You See Last Week (July 6–July 12)
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PygmyLion — 8 months ago(July 14, 2025 06:36 PM)
My Man Godfrey
is one of my favorite movies also.
I, also, watched
His Girl Friday
this week. Another top movie. The thing I was noticing watching it this time around was that Rosalind Russell is quite a bit more glamorous in this film than in many of her other movies. I don't know whether it is the make-up, hairdo, or outfits that does it. She and Cary Grant really seem to work well together, and it seems like a shame that we don't get to see them together in more movies. -
spiderwort — 8 months ago(July 14, 2025 09:21 PM)
Glad to see another fan of
My Man Godfrey
. So hard not to love that one.
And you are so right about Rosalind Russell in
His Girl Friday
. She did indeed look so glamorous in it. And she and Grant did such a wonderful together job together. Too bad, indeed, that they didn't make more films together. Our loss, for sure. -
unex — 8 months ago(July 17, 2025 12:09 PM)
Another of the great classic films, far superior to The Front Page (1931)
It is a better movie (Cary Grant is especially an improvement I think) but I still like The Front Page. And if you haven't seen it since 2016 then it is possible you never saw the domestic version which is considered superior (I think there were two other versions, one for foreign audiences and another specifically for the British). -
Rufus-T — 8 months ago(July 13, 2025 03:26 PM)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/
A crippled survivor of a burnt ship interviewed by the investigator about the possible busted drug deal on the ship. It does not matter I know the twist. A movie I watched many times. I love the atmosphere. I love the dialogue. I love the music. Yeah, Kevin Spacey is a problematic personality, but no one can deny he had a spectacular performance. Bryan Singers best directorial work, IMO. Yes, even better than Bohemian Rhapsody. Christopher McQuarrie won an Oscar for his outstanding screen writing. Excellent cast too in addition to Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Pete Postlethwaite, and Chazz Palminteri. Available at Prime now.
Airport (1970)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065377/
After nominated for 10 Oscar including Best Picture, this movie basically started the trend of the disaster movies in the 70s. Adapted from Arthur Hailey, this movie even spawned a few sequels. I watched a long time ago and don't remember much so it was like a first watch. The movie is mostly a melodrama with many storyline relating to marriage and relationship. It could have been very boring. Thanks to the outstanding all-star cast, it was a bearable beginning. There were other airplane trouble movies prior to this. I still think The High and the Mighty was a better movie. Ultimately, it was very well executed movie, particular the technical part. Helen Hayes deservedly won her Oscar playing a charming old lady airline stowaway.
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049470/
Have not watch this a long time. I remember not liking it much. A couple, played by James Stewart and Doris Day, took their son visiting Morocco. They accidently caught in a conspiracy. It was quite suspenseful and lots of humor too, until the last part that's when I realize why I didn't have fond memory of the movie. There were scenes that you have to suspend your believe. The usher asked "May I have your ticket", and reply "I am just looking for someone", and the usher went away. I wish I can do that every time I go to a Broadway show without a ticket. There were other instances that bother me. This is one of the few Hitchcock movie that won an Oscar, for the song "Que Sera, Sera". It is one of his weaker film. Very interesting story nevertheless.
Donnie Darko (2001)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/
One of my favorite film this century. A teenage boy, played by Jake Gyllenhaul, with mood disorder escape death by following a voice in his head, telling him the world is about to end. It gets into some thought provoking idea like time traveling and fate. One can get confusing at first watch. Even if the story hard to make sense, the atmosphere and the performance made this a intriguing and charming watch, especially the relation with Gyllenhaul and Jena Malone who played the love interest. Also wonderful was Mary McDonnell playing the mother. Their emotional connection makes you care about their livelihood. There was a theatrical and a director cut. I tend to like the director's cut more because of better fleshed out the characters and the ideas. The music sound track was also better like using the INXS song in the beginning instead of the Echo & the Bunnymen song. Written and directed by Richard Kelly, this is his first feature film over an hour. Both version are available on Prime.
S. Darko (2009)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1231277/
Daveigh Chase played Samantha Darko, the younger sister of title character in Donnie Darko. She reprised her role, as a young woman, in the direct to video sequel. I actually bought the DVD back then when it was in a huge clearance sale at a video rental store. Never open it until now. Samantha Darko and her friend went on a cross country trip. Their car had trouble and stuck in a small town which all the weird Donnie Darko stuff is happening. Why it is happening? Why in this small town? How did Samantha Darko got the sense as her brother? Never explained. In fact, this movie wouldn't have connected to the original movie if not for Samantha Darko and continuing bombarding the audience with the themes from the first movie. Unlike the first movie, this was very poorly acted, poorly written movie. Also unlike the first movie, I don't care about any of the characters. Talking about confusing, this movie was even more confusing. Does it make sense? Donnie Darko was a movie I wanted to watch again to see fitting of the puzzle. This sequel, I have no urge to see again. -
spiderwort — 8 months ago(July 13, 2025 03:44 PM)
Rufus, I haven't seen most of your films, except for Airport (ages ago) and The Man Who Knew Too Much (more than once, because I love Doris Day), and I agree with your assessment of both. I do love Doris singing Que Sera Sera though; it was one of my mother's favorite songs.
And I'm deeply intrigued by Donnie Darko. Don't know how I missed that one and will look for it on Prime. Hope it's not too dark though – no pun intended. Might have to put it on hold if it is. But it does sound really intriguing. -
PygmyLion — 8 months ago(July 14, 2025 07:20 PM)
Like you, I am not too high on
The Man Who Knew Too Much
, and thus I haven't watched it for many years. It's okay, but it is not a Hitchock movie that I look for.
I believe I have watched the 1934 version with Peter Lorre, more recently, maybe just a few years back. -
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PygmyLion — 8 months ago(July 14, 2025 06:25 PM)
The Sea Chase
1955 John Wayne, Lana Turner, Lyle Bettiger - a German Freighter Captain tries to get his ship home from Sydney at the start of WW II. ***
The Fool Killer
1965 Anthony Perkins, Edward Arnold, Henry Hull. A low budget film that is somewhat interesting. In the period after the Civil War, a 12 year old boy runs away from his step parents and runs into interesting characters on his journey, including a Civil War veteran (Perkins) suffering from mental problems. **1/2
The Night of the Hunter
1955 Robert Mitchum, Lillian Gish, Billy Chapin, Shelly Winters - Self-Proclaimed Preacher Harry Powell(Mitchum) tries to acquire some stolen funds. The only movie directed by Charles Laughton. - ***1/2
His Girl Friday
1940 - Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy. ***1/2
Julia Misbehaves
1948 Greer Garson, Walter Pigeon, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford, Cesar Romero, Nigel Bruce. Julia (Garson), who had separated from her rich husband(Pigeon) when their daughter Susan (Taylor) was an infant, because she is a show business person, is invited (out of the blue) by her daughter Susan to Susan's upcoming wedding. ***
Beauty and the Boss
1932 - Marian Marsh, Warren Williams, Mary Doran, David Manners, Charles Butterworth - Rich Baron Josef Von Ulrich (Williams), who is president of a bank, fires his secretary (Doran) because he finds her too attractive and makes her his mistress. He hires frumpy, workaholic Susie Sachs (Marsh) to take her place, but finds that frumpy girls are not always quite what they seem. *** -
Rufus-T — 8 months ago(July 16, 2025 06:45 PM)
It was such a shame that Charles Laughton didn't direct another movie, discouraged by poor review and box office return. People weren't ready for the dark theme in The Night of the Hunter. Too ahead of its time. May have done much better if released in the 60s.
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CoriSCapnSkip — 6 months ago(September 09, 2025 08:19 PM)
I finished watching the TV series
Mr. Lucky
, which ran from 1959-1960, on July 7.
I tried to watch
Pirates of the Caribbean
on July 8, which my dad called "the stupidest movie I ever saw," and after 55 minutes of trying to force myself to be interested I was inclined to agree with him. I found no appeal in the story or its characters. Having watched less than half of it (why was it so long?) I can't review this movie.
The only movie I completed was
Oliver and Company
on July 12. I know this is a very old film but it was my first time watching it.