What Classics Did You See Last Week (June 8–June 14)
-
unex — 9 months ago(June 15, 2025 12:19 PM)
Footlight Parade (1933) - A classic Hollywood film with big production numbers and a singing and dancing James Cagney. It's the kind of movie that comes to my mind when thinking about that era of Hollywood. I don't normally go for musicals but this was good so I'll probably check out Busby Berkeley's other work. I think Andrew Lloyd Webber stole the idea for Cats from this.
The Sea Wolf (1941) - A Michael Curtiz adaptation of a Jack London novel. I liked it but the two male protagonists sort of diminished each other. Maybe normally a composite character would have been created but that was impossible for the story. It has been restored but I don't think I watched that version because it was quite murky. -
spiderwort — 9 months ago(June 15, 2025 03:06 PM)
I enjoyed both of these, unex, especially
Footlight Parade
. As for Busby Berkeley: he wasn't the best director, so I think you can skip most of those films. But, oh, my lord, he was a genius at choreography, and you have a couple of really great ones to look forward to in which he served that function. First and foremost,
The Gold Diggers of 1933
. It's utterly amazing. After that,
42nd Street
. Those are not to be missed. -
spiderwort — 9 months ago(June 15, 2025 03:12 PM)
First viewing:
Arthur Miller: Writer / Rebecca Miller
(2017). A very personal and informative documentary about a man who’s considered one of the great playwrights of the 20th Century, very well directed by his talented daughter Rebecca (the wife of Daniel Day-Lewis). Miller led an interesting, at times complicated life, including having to appear before the HUAC committee and managing his unsteady marriage to Marilyn Monroe, for whom, after their divorce, he wrote one of her best roles in
The Misfits
. The documentary uses rare home movies shot by Rebecca, archival footage that includes excerpts from his plays, Arthur reading from his autobiography “Timebends: A Life,” television interviews, and thoughtful explanations of his plays, all of which vividly convey the challenges and rewards of the art of theatre. A meaningful and warm portrait of Rebecca’s father, her homage to him I think, it’s an important film to see for those interested in the arts. (Available on Max)
Re-watches:
Bright Road / Gerald Mayer
(1953). A low-budget 1953 drama with an almost all-black cast, it’s a simple story of a rural teacher (Dorothy Dandridge) in a southern school trying to reach a problem child (Philip Hepburn). Harry Belafonte plays the school principle in his film debut. The only white actor in the film is Robert Horton, who plays a doctor in a couple of scenes. I found this to be a particularly moving film with a meaningful story and excellent performances by all the cast under Mayer’s sensitive direction. Highly recommended.
A Woman of Distinction / Edward Buzzell
(1950). To garner publicity for the college, a press agent plants a story in the press about a torrid affair between an icy dean (Rosalind Russell) and a visiting professor (Ray Milland). Needless to say, complications arise. Silly at times, but with its serious moments, too. It’s quite enjoyable because of its wonderful cast. -
Woodyanders — 9 months ago(June 15, 2025 03:30 PM)
The Way Back (2020) - Remarkably powerful drama about redemption and second chances with a terrific career-best performance from Ben Affleck as a recovering alcoholic. 8/10
Training Day (2001) - Denzel Washington is an absolute raging mad beast as a corrupt narcotics cop. Ethan Hawke is also excellent as a naive eager beaver rookie. 8/10
Superman: The Movie (1978) - Christopher Reeve is still the all-time best actor to play Superman period. Such a nice and wholesome well-mannered fellow! 8/10
It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958) - Fun low-budget sci-fi/horror thriller that's basically a dry run for Ridley Scott's Alien. 7/10
The Red House (1947) - A bit overwrought, but still very moody and compelling dramatic mystery thriller with a typically superb lead performance from Edward G. Robinson. 7/10
The Phenix City Story (1955) - Extremely tough and hard-hitting mid-50's film noir crime thriller gem. Veteran character dude Edward Andrews contributes a deliciously slimy turn as the happily ruthless main bad guy. 8/10
Halloween Party (1989) - A wonderfully scrappy micro-budget late 1980's shot-on-video horror gem. 8/10
The Conjuring (2013) - Enjoyed this supernatural horror hit a whole lot. 8/10
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) - Basically Jason vs. Carrie and boy is it a lot of vintage 80's horror slasher fun! 7/10
Bloody Bloody Bible Camp (2012) - Enjoyably lowbrow slice of low-budget horror slasher comedy trash. 7/10
You've seen Guy Standeven in something because the man was in everything. -
PygmyLion — 9 months ago(June 15, 2025 09:33 PM)
The Reluctant Debutante
1958 - Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, Sandra Dee, John Saxon. Comedy. ***
Sailor of the King
1953 - Jeffrey Hunter, Michael Rennie, Wendy Hiller. Well-done (but fictious) World War 2 naval adventure with 3 British light cruisers chasing down a German raider in the Pacific ***1/2
Going My Way
1944 - Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald. Best Picture Oscar in 1945. Young Bing Crosby comes to assist old Barry Fitzgerald at St.Dominic's Roman Catholic Church. A little too much singing for me, but Bing is an outstanding crooner. ***
Hard to Get
1938 - Dick Powell, Olivia De Havilland - Romantic Comedy - **1/2
Until They Sail
1967 - Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Piper Laurie, Sandra Dee, Paul Newman - From a James Michener story about 4 New Zealand sisters who have to deal with most of their men going off to fight in World War II (some dying) and the US Navy showing up. I think Simmons is really good in this movie. She probably should have gotten an oscar nomination for it. ***1/2
And Good Create Woman
1956 - Brigette Bardot, Curd Jurgans, Jean-Louis Trintigant, Christian Marquand - Bardot plays a somewhat wild young girl, who is about to be sent back to the orphan asylum, but Michel (Trintigant) offers to marry her, and she agrees even though she is in love with his brother (Marquand). ***1/2 -
JohnnyBoy — 9 months ago(June 15, 2025 10:02 PM)
https://thecineviewer.com/somewhereintime.html
https://thecineviewer.com/gambit.html
https://thecineviewer.com/thegreatwhitehope.html
https://thecineviewer.com/fallinginlove.html
For tons of movie reviews, 60+ genre lists, best of the year lists, and other content, check out:
www.thecineviewer.com -
Rufus-T — 9 months ago(June 16, 2025 03:18 AM)
Inherit the Wind (1960)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053946/
The play was one of my favorite reading back in those English class reading assignments. The reading got me very interested in the Scopes Monkey Trial, and get to understand that science and religion go hand in hand. Much later I learned there is this Stanley Kramer movie, but never got around to it until now. The movie very well represented what I remember reading. The name of the real people in the trial were changed. We got two giants in Hollywood cinema playing the defender and the prosecutor, Spencer Tracy and Fredric March. Fredric March did came off as goofy now and then. In fact, much of the overzealous religious community came off condescending. Spencer Tracy, however, was simply outstanding, even better than the two roles that he won his Oscars. Dick York, who played the Husband in the Bewitched TV show, played the teacher who was accused of teaching Darwin's evolution theory. Besides the serious nature of the trial, there were much humor. It is an excellent film that did justice to the play.
Flow (2024)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4772188/
This was the animation movie that won the Best Animation Oscar early this year. I can see why. A wandering cat in a forest came across different animals during a flooding. These other animals, he were not comfortable with, and had to get along through the survival adventure. The animation has no dialogue. Despite being a Latvian movie, anyone can understand what is going on. I love the perspective of the shots at the animal's level. The chase scenes were fantastic. The color were beautiful. Just as people often said any snap shots of a movie can be framed as a beautiful photograph. Any snap shots of this can be framed as a beautiful painting. The story is quite serious, and no corny jokes like that of Pixar cartoons. This is the animal getting along cartoon that I wish Zootopia would be.